I just got a call from a Boulder Daily Camera reporter. They're doing a feature on the iconic Blue Parrot restaurant, and wanted a quote from me.

Why me? you ask. Because several years ago I wrote an article about a controversy brewing over the Blue Parrot's "Wop Burger." You can read all about it here -- and I'll re-post it on this blog as well. But in a nutshell, some guy from New York showed up in town and started making trouble because this restaurant, owned by the Italian American Colacci family since 1919, had a sandwich on the menu called the Wop Burger. The Colacci's didn't find it offensive. The Italian Americans who have been supporting this establishment over the past 94 years didn't find it offensive. My Italian grandfather didn't find it offensive. But this outsider from NEW YORK CITY did, and he raised enough ruckus that the Blue Parrot's contract with the Boulder School District was in danger. I'd like to think that the whole thing was resolved due to my witty and incisive little piece of journalism, but most likely cooler heads just finally prevailed.

At any rate, now the Blue Parrot is in a new kind of trouble. When I was a kid, families (especially Italian families like mine) came from all over the state for the Blue Parrot's authentic Italian fare and down-home atmosphere. My grandfather loved the place. So did I. But now, Louisville has been experiencing a bit of a "restaurant renaissance", and the competition along Main Street is getting tougher. The Blue Parrot isn't a fancy, upscale restaurant. It's a family owned spaghetti joint. The decor from a 1980's remodel is getting a little stale. So they're sprucing up the place, restoring the "feel" of its heyday in the mid 20th century.

And so, since I mentioned in my blog post that I've been going there since I was a kid, the reporter called me to get my thoughts about the place. Apparently I can add "Expert on the Blue Parrot Restaurant" to my resume. If I see the article, I'll post a link.

And, in the mean time, if you want to support a family-owned business, head up to Louisville and check out the Blue Parrot!