Stalwart Chase: "If I wasn't here, you wouldn't come here"

Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 14:59

Healthy Soul Choice. An out-of-town visitor once asked New Orleans restaurateur Leah Chase why she continued to operate her world famous restaurant in Treme', to which the regal chef replied, "If I wasn't here, people like you wouldn't come here." Now Treme' is famous because of the recovery from Hurricane Katrina and a television show, but her point about black restaurants being vital to the health of their communities is still as true as ever.

Delicacies of the Day. So, don't go to New Orleans without heading to Dooky Chase, 2301 Orleans, for gumbo, jambalaya and etoufee.

When I was in Sylvia's, 328 Lenox Ave. in New York, for Sunday brunch having barbecued Atlantic salmon, the songstress went around to learn where all the diners hailed from. I counted four continents and 20 countries helping the venerable restaurant prepare for its 50th anniversary.

Ben Ali put $4,000 into starting Ben's Chili Bowl, 1213 U St. in Washington, D.C., in 1958, but he put his life into keeping the U Street business district alive, almost single-handedly at the lowest point. He passed just as an incoming President gave him the biggest publicity boost since Bill Cosby named it as his favorite eatery. Now, there is a Ben's Chili Bowl store and visitor center on one side, and a stylish Ben's Next Door on the other side. One has to try the signature half-smoke with chili and onions.

In 1973, Dorothy Everett launched Everett and Jones Barbecue, 126 Broadway, in Oakland. Now they're a fixture in the Jack London Square area, hosting live entertainment and radio shows. Try the brisket or the combo.

Favorite vintner: Theodora Lee of Theopolis Vineyards.

Cookbook of the day: The Dooky Chase Cookbook by Leah Chase