168387 Thu Aug 21 18:14:36 -0700 2003 2 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 900884 There was this great book that I bought maybe 10+ years ago when I lived in Los Angeles. It was titled “Diving Out In L.A.” and was published by some small publisher. (Think I still have the book in storage somewhere – checked Amazon, it’s no longer published.) Anyway, similar to many restaurant books, it provided reviews, but in this case only of the best “Dives” in Los Angeles. If I remember correctly, to qualify as a dive the total bill for one person “out the door” had to be under $10, and it could not be a chain (I think a 1-3 locations were permitted). Restaurants were rated on cleanliness, décor, food taste/quality, and portion size – “Bang for the Buck” was key. They also broke down the Dives in 4 main categories: “Wading”, “Snorkeling”, “Scuba”, or “Deep Sea”. Wading locations were safe spots that everyone knew about – Five Guys would qualify. Deep-sea diving spots were often in sketchy neighborhoods, and had warnings in the descriptions about not going after dark, parking close to the restaurant, etc. It was a great book - my culinary bible when I was in college at UCLA and afterwards. When I was shopping or happened to be in a random neighborhood I’d pull out the book and find a new place to eat. We’d also plan trips around some of the more highly rated Dives. Some of the Deep-sea diving spots were absolutely amazing (as dives go). Being mom & pop operations they knew their local clientele well and could easily spot us as visitors. Chef’s would come out and say “hi” and ask how everything was, we’d be offered seconds on helpings. We were often blown away by the hospitality, which more than made up for the lack of decor. I understand that Chowhound user tastes span the gamut, from Inn at Little Washington to neighborhood “joints,” and that not everyone is a dive connoisseur, but I for one really wish someone - the Post, Washingtonian, or some other publication - would publish some sort of “Diving Out in DC” guide. I know that I would use it often. In the mean time, I’d love some suggestions for some "must try" Dives I should hit in the DC/Balt area. And for fun why not score them so we know what to expect. Cleanliness (1-5) Décor (1-3) Portion size (1-5) Taste (1-5) Bang for the Buck (1-5) Wading, Snorkeling, Scuba, or Deep-Sea Thanks !!! Thu Aug 21 18:14:36 -0700 2003 0 DougS 1 900901 We found a cool dive just the other day on south Rt. 1, a streetscape largely dominated by sleezey motor hotels, fast food restaurants and body repair shops. It's called Pho Ly (we decided that's the adverb form of "Pho"), 8740 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria. Excellent soup and noodle dishes. Lightning fast service. And, a clientele that, when we were there, was almost exclusively Asian. Using your criteria... Cleanliness 3 Décor 2 Portion size 4 Taste 4 Bang for the Buck 5 Snorkeling Fri Aug 22 10:16:33 -0700 2003 900884 0 Zigibot 1 900907 You might appreciate Tyler Cowan's (sp?) guide to ethnic restaurants in the area. Scroll down or do a search and I'm sure you'll find a link. Fri Aug 22 11:15:02 -0700 2003 900884 0 Pappy