Here's One That Food Channel Guy Missed

The Guy Named Guy

On the food channel there is a great show about a guy named Guy (which is a very common french name actually pronounced in france Guiee)-- a guy drives around the country in a racy convertible looking for the best local family owned or small joints that serve up the best diner food and any novel twist therefrom.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/index.html


My favorite burger is now the PEPPINO BURGER from a place called PEPPINOS in Washington, PA (about an hour south of Pittsburgh). He hasn't had a burger until he had a Peppino Burger!
It is owned by a WWII Vet named Bob Nicolella (first generation Italian-both parents hail from Italy) and his sons work there. I know his oldest daughter (full disclosure). The place has been in business locally for 50 years and it is a local favorite. The owner regailed us with tales of Joe DiMaggio coming all the way from pittsburgh just to have his tripe on several occassions. He had a picture of Marilyn Monroe on the wall, Joe's wife for a time. After they divorced he called Bob and asked him to take his x's picture off the wall which he did. This WWII vet proudly displays a hanging American Flag outside his restaurant.
The atmosphere is fantastic with old football photos on the wall- football in those parts is nearly a state religion. His oldest son coached football I learned at the High School where my mother, aunt and uncle attended.
Bob, the WWII Vet told us how he was at Pearl Harbor and at the last minute he got transfer orders from the Navy to transfer boats. He later learned that the boat that he was first supposed to be on was torpedoed and sank. "Those guys were in the water for six hours" he recounted. He couldn't say how many people died from that boat but he thanks his guardian angel. He had a stroke about a year ago which slowed down his 85 year old football player physique somewhat but he is still twinkle eyed when discussing that his tripe is the best in State-maybe the country and he got most his recipes from his italian mother who started him in the restaurant biz.

Washington, PA is full of historic wonderful stuff and lots of fall festivals as the trees change a beautiful array of colors. Peppinos is right across from the Visitors Center where one can pick up pamplets on the covered bridges in the area and a few pumpkin festivals and see a display of collected local indian arrowheads.

Can't wait to get back to Peppinos for Veteran's Day. Someone tell Guy to come along!


Bob's daughter Roberta Pia Nicolella who is a brilliant artist painted a brilliant picture of the White House that has been exhibited, inter alia ,at the National Press Club and other places- prints go for $300 and her father proudly has a framed one nailed to the wall in the restaurant so the college kids don't take it off the wall. The original is still for sale for $5,000. Her day job is a civilian with the Military out by Walter Reed.