When the sun hangs highest in the Washington sky, more and more rising young officials head for the corner of 3rd and G Streets, Northwest, and The Place Where Louie Dwells. Part of the attraction is the Low Calorie Luncheon consisting of two gibsons (200 calories), salade caviar (225 calories) and black coffee, or for the real hungry, five gibsons (500 calories), five saltines (25 calories) and black coffee. Co-hosts and partners are Emory William (Bill) Reisinger II, a 35-year-old chemical engineer and attorney, and David Louis (Louie) Schap, 34, who got his restaurant training as traffic manager for a ready-mix cement company. The specialty of the house is steak – sirloin, porterhouse, strip, filet – and stroganoff, which is openly advertised as a means of unloading over stocked items at an incredibly high price. The surroundings are authentic Early American, the building having been completed before 1820. Louie is open from noon until mid-evening. Closed Sundays.
Bravely facing the fact that their Riviera is located in a spot usually described as To Hell And Gone (specifically, 147th and Cicero, which puts it outside the parent city, Chicago, and in weedy Midlothian, Illinois), sibling co-owners Don and Harry D'Ercole have developed an engaging gimmick to lure the customers to the sticks. A day in advance, customer phones Don or Harry (FUlton 5-8150) and arranges for a fly-in dinner: then, the following eve, customer and cutie – or customer and client – comfortably cab it to handy Meigs Field (or any local airport you wish that is equipped with runway lights) where a light aircraft, mit pilot, awaits. We flew to the Riviera in a miniscule Piper Tri-Pacer, cruising speed 135 mph, and a cozy trip it was. The chow is good honest steaks, chops, seafood and Italian fare, and the bar is well-stocked. A special deal is the Continental dinner, available to parties of four or more and by advance reservation only: you phone in an exotic entree of your choice, and the brothers build around it a towering 12-course feed. Sure, the D'Ercoles will up the ante by about $25 for the plane ride, and they refuse to be blamed for lousy weather, but the airborne bit is a nifty way to make an impress on the aforementioned cutie or client, and clever chaps will figure out a way to expense-account l'addition. Hours: from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday, from 5:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday.
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On Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard are two elegant night spots impressively stacked in one building: the Crescendo on the main floor and the Interlude upstairs (8572 Sunset), both owned by record-company-owner and jazz-concert-promoter Gene Norman. The Crescendo can cradle 300 lovers of the likes of Erroll Garner, Mort Sahl, or the bands of Count Basie or Stan Kenton. Charcoal-broiled steaks ($5.50) highlight the Crescendo's menu. The Interlude (half the Crescendo's size) presents a sampling of comics and singers, including Irwin Corey, Shelley Ber-man, Jeri Southern or Matt Dennis. The Interlude's southern fried chicken, served with home-baked bread ($4.50) rivals the talent for attention. The lighting in both rooms is low key, the entire bi-level scene is one of sophisticated swing, and we think you and the date will dig either or both spots. There's a cover charge of $1.50 and a two-drink minimum in each room. Hours: from 7 P.M. to 2 A.M. each.
