I'm adding a little atmosphere with the food:
LENNY'S CLAM BAR - Howard Beach, Queens, NY. It's in John Gotti's old neighborhood, still. In the 80s, I saw Sammy "the Bull" Gravano two tables away a day after he was on the front page of one of the NY Papers before he turned and while he was still on the good side of the Teflon Don. The raw clams, Calamari and Scungilli are awesome and if you tell them today, "Joe sent me" - you get a free glass of wine. That started in 1969 my Rockaway family says.
LOS RANCHOS (ORIGINAL near Airport) - Miami. I was captaining a yacht at the time for the owner of Domino's Pizza/Det Tigers (again the 80s). Anastasio Somoza was the former Nicaraguan leader exiled in Paraguay. Domino's hired one of his top bodyguards as a Training Rep for the Miami office. The guy told me he should have died with Somoza in a Limo when they assassinated him in Paraguay. Somoza told him he forgot his bank book and sent him back to his office for it. He was in the office when heard the RPG explode and rifle shots that killed Somoza and the Limo driver. He made his way to Miami. His brother had left for Miami a few years earlier and opened the restaurant. They treated the boss and those of us with him, like royalty. That Churrasco Chimichurri Steak, Whole Snapper are the best I've had.
GEORGE DIAMOND STEAK HOUSE - Chicago. Had the yacht in Burnham Park Marina after the Tigers clinched in 1984. They had me there waiting for the Cubs to beat San Diego so the boss had a place to stay for the 1984 World Series. San Diego came back, but I did get to see Walter Payton break Jim Brown rushing record that day they clinched (in Cali) before heading for the Mississippi and Ft Lauderdale - wish I could have seen the **** World Series. That was an old style steak house that was incredible. All the big wigs told me to go there - **** it was nice being on an expense account, with just my girl and first mate, for over a week in that city. The Porter House, my god!
KATES TAVERN-Dodge City, Kansas. You wouldn't think Tacos would be a food that wood drastically outdistance all the other Tacos you've had, that's because you never had one of Kates with a Massive ice cold schooner of Coors. Been a hot spot for me and my college teammates anytime we return - hasn't changed in 45 years proving if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
BUBBLE ROOM-Captiva Island. Some of us foodies have discussed this place on here. Absolutely phenomenal the first five years it was open, Grouper in Parchment - Cajun Prime Rib - everything was good. We had a similar place called the CAPTAIN AND THE COWBOY in Port Charlotte - favorites of the executive team from Domino's, and the boss was picky and on the BOD of Restaurant Magazine.