WHERE TO TAKE THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS

It's a tough job and thank goodness I get to do it. Every single stinking day of the work week I have to do it - me and about a billion others - I get to go to lunch. Now I'm not stating it out loud for fear of retribution, but it's not a big secret that my job isn't the most challenging. Or engaging. So just like a kid in school, my favorite time of day is lunch when I get to leave the building and get out among some lively people.

My two most often lunched with people are my co-workers Alan and Dan. We probably eat together 4 days a week, sometimes more, and we definately have our favorite lunch destinations.

A regular on our weekly itinerary is Luigi's over on North Main. This place has been around since before my time - in fact my parents had one of their first dates here way back in the dark ages. It doesn't look as though the place has changed much in all that time - same red tables, same murals of the Italian hillsides on the walls, same pizza, same salads with mounds of cheese. It's a literal institution in the city of Akron. Everybody that is anybody eats here. The other day as we were leaving I overheard a young girl speaking to a friend as they walked from the building "gee, when they were here they asked where was the best place in Akron to eat and I brought them here". Smart girl!

The place is not swanky or even semi-formal. Dick greets us at the door every day (except most Fridays when Tony is there) and always has a smile on his face as he counts off the "how many in your party" query. The best waitresses are either Sue or Alice (but don't tell the others). They know us and treat us like a part of the family.

But the absolute BEST thing about Luigi's is - suprise! - the Wedding soup. Yes, the pizza is terrific. Yes the salads with about a pound of cheese is a tradition. And the fresh hot bread on the tables is always good.

But the Wedding soup is to die for! Nope it's not on the menu every day - it's one of their many soup du jour's. It's only made once in a while and believe me when it is, it's worth coming twice a day just to get this stuff. I've eaten Wedding soup in just about every restaurant that serves it around here and none come anywhere close to being this good. And Bill....I love you dearly and your soup is really very good...but it's still not the same. But you still need to make it and share it often :) Is that me trying to have my soup and eat it too?


So now for all of you that eat at Luigi's as often as I do, you'll have something new to ask for. And ask often, because the more we request it, the more often they'll make it - right?