Congratulations to my old friend Adolfo Garcia

Back in March of this year I got an ‘out of the blue’ email from a guy named Adolfo Garcia.  He stumbled across my blog and wondered if I was the same guy who went to a school in Panama called ‘Colegio Episcopal.’  He had attended there, as did his older sister Anabelle.  He told me that he had opened up a restaurant in the Warehouse district called Riomar.  I hadn’t seen or heard from him in over 20 years. Wow!  Thank god for the Internet and blogs.

Naturally, I had to visit right away.

I went with my sister-in-law Nanette, who lives in Panama with my brother but was visiting New Orleans at the time.  We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the food, especially the Ceviche.  Adolfo came out to say hello and we got embroiled in talking about old times in Panama.  The school we went to was tiny; there were 19 people when I graduated, and that was the largest graduating class they’d ever had.  But it was a wonderful school, filled with great people like Adolfo.

The reason I thought to blog about this now is that New Orleans Magazine just put Adolfo on the cover because he was selected Chef of the Year.  He has two restaurants now, Riomar and La Boca (also in Warehouse area on Fulton St.).  I haven’t been to La Boca yet.  But I will soon.

Oh, and congratulations as well to my new friend Chris DeBarr, who works at Delachaise. He was selected ‘Best New Chef.’  Can’t say enough good things about him and all the folks who work at Delachaise.