Paolo

The Preakness may be Baltimore's best horse race, but for a lot of people it's also Baltimore's best excuse to party. To some that means beer and chips in the Pimlico infield. To others, though, it's Crab Louis on Belgian endive and red pepper bisque en croute at the Paolo Gucci Triple Crown Ball.We can't all attend the Maryland Jockey Club's celebration at the National Aquarium or partake of an extravagant luncheon buffet at one of the corporate tents on the big day. But the organizers and caterers involved with the high end of the Preakness festivities are willing to share their menus and some of their recipes with us. Feel free to borrow from them for your own Preakness party.

PAOLO'SPaolo's, Towson Commons, entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue, Towson, (410) 321-7000. We had an uneven meal at Baltimore's second Paolo's, but one that showed promise. My guess is that the kitchen will get it together because the Paolo's at Harborplace has. A lot of money has been spent to create visually stunning, contemporary dining rooms; unfortunately, the noise level is pretty stunning too. Salads, pizzas and pasta are excellent here, as is the minestrone when it's not too salty. We had less luck with the more elaborate food.

After a teenage girl was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison for beating a transgender woman at a McDonald's in Rosedale, some advocates for transgender people called the sentence too lenient. "The whole incident is unfortunate and demonstrates the lack of knowledge and understanding, and discrimination against transgender people," said Patrick Wojahn, board president of the Equality Maryland Foundation. "If anything, five years may have been too short of an amount of time for the attack and the amount of hatred that was shown in the incident.

Java Blues, 243 W. Read St., (410) 728-JAVA. Java Blues has gotten a lot of press that may lead you to think it's more of a restaurant than it really is. It specializes in gourmet coffee and good things to go with coffee: pastries, brioche and breads. But you can get a quirky (and good) lunch here -- basically, whatever the owners feel like fixing. Pizza bagels are usually on the menu, and there might be tarragon chicken salad, an artichoke quiche, a pear and green bean salad. The tiny dining room is cute as a button, but don't be surprised if you don't get a seat.

Whenever you drink a National Premium or Natty Boh, think of Jerome "Jerry" DiPaolo, the colorful National Brewing Co. salesman and executive who helped make it one of the most recognizable and respected beers for more than 40 years in Baltimore and Maryland. It's sad that DiPaolo, who recently died at 95, never got a chance to enjoy the new National Premium. Once his former employer's flagship product, it is now back in bars, but not on tap, and on liquor store shelves. The beer, which last crossed the bar and coursed down the throats of its many fans more than 15 years ago, was recently revived by Tim Miller, an Eastern Shore businessman.

Louis J. Principio Jr., a founder of Hammerjacks, the South Baltimore nightclub and concert hall, died at St. Agnes Hospital Tuesday of cancer. He was 67 and lived on Oakland Terrace Road in Arbutus.A mass of Christian burial for Mr. Principio will be offered at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Roman Catholic Church of the Ascension, Potomac and Poplar avenues in Halethorpe.A native Baltimorean, he became a partner in the business, which now concentrates on concerts in its building at 1101 S. Howard St., when it opened as a tavern on South Charles Street in the late 1970s.

Paolo's, Light Street Pavilion, Harborplace, 539-7060. While Harborplace is fine for fried dough and stand-up hot dogs, it is inappropriate for Paolo's, which specializes in fine Italian food and pizza cooked in a wood-burning stove. Our meal was excellent. With each course, we realized that this was superlative food -- delightfully innovative, creatively seasoned, beautifully presented -- a treat to the senses. The Tortellini Rose ($9.95), rich with basil and Gorgonzola cheese, was outstanding, as were the desserts.

Auto racingSociety of Automotive Engineers: Presented Louis Schwitzer Award, for innovation and engineering excellence in race car design, to Gian Paolo Dallara.BaseballBlue Jays: Optioned P Peter Munro to Triple-A Syracuse.Brewers: Optioned IF Lou Collier to Triple-A Louisville. Recalled P Rafael Roque from Louisville.Marlins: Optioned 1B Derrek Lee, who had lowest batting average of any regular in major leagues (.190) to Triple-A Calgary.Twins: Placed SS Cristian Guzman on 15-day DL. Recalled IF Cleatus Davidson from Double-A New Britain.

On September 18, 2004 HILDA FRANCES (nee Amatucci); beloved wife of George Francis Edwards; devoted mother of Joseph Edwards; dear grandmother of Brianna L. Edwards; sister of Philip Amatucci and the late Eleanor Di Paolo and William Amatucci. A funeral service will be held at the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc, 1050 York Rd, (beltway exit 26A), on Wednesday at 11 A.M. Interment Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. Friends may call on Monday from 7 to 9 P.M. and Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M.