Norton to Attend 70th Anniversary Dinner and Celebration at Florida Avenue Grill, a D.C. Institution
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who grew up in the District of Columbia, said today that she is looking forward to attending the 70th anniversary dinner and celebration for Florida Avenue Grill on Saturday, October 4, at 7:00 p.m. She said she was not surprised that the response has been so overwhelming that the dinner has been moved to the Masonic Ballroom at 10th and U St. NW.
Norton said that the celebration will be special because both the current owners, Imar Hutchins, and the former owner, Lacey C. Wilson, who opened the restaurant with his wife in 1944, will be on hand to celebrate D.C.'s oldest and favorite soul food restaurant.
"The Florida Avenue Grill, with its southern-style cooking, has always been a perfect fit for D.C.," said Norton. "The Florida Avenue Grill was there for us when migrants poured in from the south and found white-only public accommodations. That the grill has stood strong through the King assassination, riots, and economic hardships is a testament to the dedication of the owners and employees, who worked hard to keep the Florida Avenue Grill alive and made it thrive. Many restaurants have come and gone in the U Street area but 70 years in business is a big deal in any part of D.C. With that longevity, the Florida Avenue Grill has joined the small group of commercial establishments that rank as D.C. institutions."