The publicity tour for Justice Antonin Scalia's new book continued today with an online interview on the Wall Street Journal's Law Blog. One of the hints in his book Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges, co-authored by Bryan Garner, is for advocates to learn everything they can about the judges before whom they appear — including their favorite restaurant.
Journal blogger Dan Slater noted that Scalia's own favorite D.C. Italian restaurant, A.V. Ristorante, closed not long ago. Scalia's response: "Isn’t that a shame? I sometimes go to Tosca, but Tosca’s a lot pricier than A.V. used to be. What I recommend is right across the river in Crystal City, a little place called Bebo. It’s much less pricey. The ambience is not as posh. But the food is just as good. The pizzas are perhaps even better than they were at A.V. They have a wood-burning pizza oven imported from Italy."
It so happens we reviewed Bebo in January here, and agree with the justice on the pizzas and the food in general. Service was a little chaotic when we visited, but Roberto Donna's offerings at Bebo were far better than A.V.'s, especially in its later years.
Is there a hidden message here about Justice Scalia's favorite restaurant? In addition to knowing what you can about the judge(s) one appears before, is it now necessary to try and handicap their favorite foods, as well as knowing whether they favor posh continental restaurants or cheap pizza joints? Or is it that conservative judges (excuse me very conservative judges) are also not going to be big spenders, and thus the slant of their opinions? I am confused. Help me understand the message of the article. Thanks.
Posted by: Stephen R. Steinberg | June 08, 2008 at 02:26 PM