During the week leading up to Halloween, we figured it was the appropriate thing to do to head to our local cinema and watch a scary movie. Paranormal Activity seemed to be getting some good buzz, so that was our selection.
For those who don't know, its a Blair Witch style horror film- hand held cameras manned by the characters in the movie. It's kind of a dream come true for producers, as its really cheap to make with low production values, and pretty easy to sell. Apparently, Paranormal Activity only cost $15k to make. That is pretty low. And to this point its made something like $85million, so something tells me we'll be seeing a lot more of this type of movie in the future. I just hope they do them better.
For me, Paranormal Activity was lacking in, oh, how do I call it, scariness. It was only an hour and a half long, but the total amount of actual scary parts probably boiled down to about 5 minutes. If that. Too much of the movie was a boring- waiting for scary things to happen. And when the scary things happened, they weren't that scary. Now, I don't scare particularly easily in movies. But I can safely say I've seen at least 5 movies scarier than this one (in no particular order, and off the top of my head: Alien, The Ring, The Orphanage, The Descent, and the scariest movie ever: Event Horizon). And that's without spending much time remembering all the slashers I've seen. Shoot, come to think of it, I think Blair Witch was scarier.
I appreciate what the filmmakers were able to achieve with a small budget. In fact, I think sometimes small budgets make for better horror movies as filmmakers are forced to rely on storytelling and subtler forms of building tension. Alien was great because you rarely see the monster yet you still feel the tension due to the setting and the atmospheric effects. Along those lines, the creepiest parts of Paranormal Activity were the smaller creepy moments- like when the girl sleepwalks and stands staring at her sleeping boyfriend for a couple hours in a row.
I have always appreciated horror as a genre; it highlights the ways that filmmakers can use all the tools of the trade to manipulate the audience's experience and control their emotions. It also (often) provides a platform to attack/question/portray social norms that other more "serious" films have a hard time doing. For those reasons, I'm always interested in seeing a different approach to horror, even if the end result is less than successful.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
F.A.T. #1: Saha
We recently held our first F.A.T. dinner and I'm going to label it a resounding success. At 5pm, I received a text to meet on the corner of Larkin and Sutter- right in the middle of the semi-sketch Tenderloin neighborhood. I tried to picture the area with little success- certainly couldn't think of any "fine" dining establishments in the area... Maybe some coke dealers, but no restaurants to speak of.
We met the rest of our party on that corner and followed this month's leaders into Saha, a very cute little restaurant situated in the unlikely Hotel Carlton. Saha is a self-proclaimed "Yemini Arabic Fusion" restaurant. Translation: delightful mixture of middle eastern/north african/french-californian flavors. They had a huge menu with a whole bunch of small plates and them some larger ones. The space is very cute and intimate- its not particularly large and not too loud.
The beauty of going with a big group (we were 8) is that we got to try a number of things. We started with a Sampler Platter, Saha Ravioli, and a Grilled Mezza Plate, which were large enough for eight of of to get a little taste of everything. The Saha Sampler comprised of a number of spreads and neverending baskets of Pita. Most of us agreed that the Raita-like spread was our favorite, along with the Zahaweg which is a spicy sauce made from tomatoes, peppers, and spices. The meat on the mezza platter was also all delicious, with the Merguez sausages highlighting the group.
For entrees, most of the meat-eaters agreed that the Sage Roasted Duck was absolutely delicious- easily the best dish of the night. It was tender and delicious and reminded me why I love duck. All of the dishes were hearty and flavorful. Other highlights were the Lamb Tangine and the North African cous cous. We were too stuffed for Dessert, although some of the options looked interesting.
All in all, the first F.A.T. experience was a huge success. We had a delicious dinner in a restaurant most of us had never heard of (good find, F.A.T. #1 leaders!). Hopefully we'll keep the ball rolling- our next meeting (a dive this time) is set for 11/12!
We met the rest of our party on that corner and followed this month's leaders into Saha, a very cute little restaurant situated in the unlikely Hotel Carlton. Saha is a self-proclaimed "Yemini Arabic Fusion" restaurant. Translation: delightful mixture of middle eastern/north african/french-californian flavors. They had a huge menu with a whole bunch of small plates and them some larger ones. The space is very cute and intimate- its not particularly large and not too loud.
The beauty of going with a big group (we were 8) is that we got to try a number of things. We started with a Sampler Platter, Saha Ravioli, and a Grilled Mezza Plate, which were large enough for eight of of to get a little taste of everything. The Saha Sampler comprised of a number of spreads and neverending baskets of Pita. Most of us agreed that the Raita-like spread was our favorite, along with the Zahaweg which is a spicy sauce made from tomatoes, peppers, and spices. The meat on the mezza platter was also all delicious, with the Merguez sausages highlighting the group.
For entrees, most of the meat-eaters agreed that the Sage Roasted Duck was absolutely delicious- easily the best dish of the night. It was tender and delicious and reminded me why I love duck. All of the dishes were hearty and flavorful. Other highlights were the Lamb Tangine and the North African cous cous. We were too stuffed for Dessert, although some of the options looked interesting.
All in all, the first F.A.T. experience was a huge success. We had a delicious dinner in a restaurant most of us had never heard of (good find, F.A.T. #1 leaders!). Hopefully we'll keep the ball rolling- our next meeting (a dive this time) is set for 11/12!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Where the Wild Things Are
Let the wild rumpus start!
Went last night to see this film in slightly odd circumstances- it was a coworker's birthday and she basically filled the theater with her (mostly drunk) friends. So perhaps not the best viewing environment for what is a fairly sensitive and emotionally complex film.
The book was a childhood favorite of mine (and most people, I'd imagine) and I've been excited about the film version. It is a tall order to translate a popular, short, children's book that has more pictures than words (seriously- there are only a few sentences in the book) into a 2hr (or so) feature film. Spike Jonze is certainly a good choice for the job as he has always been a very visual director and, if done correctly, this movie needed to place a lot of weight on the visuals.
And it did. The landscapes are beautiful, alternating between super bright bleak deserts and dark and twisted forests, vastly elegant seashores and shadowed caves. The landscape is a character in this film- often reflecting the moods of the characters (mostly Max). The Wild Things themselves are very cool looking- I think mostly "real" (non CG) with a little CG help at times? I just looked at some images from the book, and I can attest that the recreations of the Wild Things in the movie are pretty accurate.
It is a challenge to stick a pile of emotion on the face of a muppet, but the filmmakers did a good job of demonstrating the seething emotional sea of childhood. Because really, the Wild Things are reflections of parts of Max, and therefore reflections of childhood. They are made larger than life by Max's imaginings, each hyperbolic representations of a facet of Max's psyche or part of Max's life. And that's what the story is- Max coming to grips with himself and with the fact that he can't make everything perfect, that for all the rumpuses and moments of beauty, there will be fights and moments of darkness, fear, and confusion.
The film was beautifully realized and true to Sendak's original vision. It is slow, but in a contemplative way, not a boring one. A solid performance from the young boy who plays Max, along with beautiful visuals make the movie a success. Recommend to all.
Went last night to see this film in slightly odd circumstances- it was a coworker's birthday and she basically filled the theater with her (mostly drunk) friends. So perhaps not the best viewing environment for what is a fairly sensitive and emotionally complex film.
The book was a childhood favorite of mine (and most people, I'd imagine) and I've been excited about the film version. It is a tall order to translate a popular, short, children's book that has more pictures than words (seriously- there are only a few sentences in the book) into a 2hr (or so) feature film. Spike Jonze is certainly a good choice for the job as he has always been a very visual director and, if done correctly, this movie needed to place a lot of weight on the visuals.
And it did. The landscapes are beautiful, alternating between super bright bleak deserts and dark and twisted forests, vastly elegant seashores and shadowed caves. The landscape is a character in this film- often reflecting the moods of the characters (mostly Max). The Wild Things themselves are very cool looking- I think mostly "real" (non CG) with a little CG help at times? I just looked at some images from the book, and I can attest that the recreations of the Wild Things in the movie are pretty accurate.
It is a challenge to stick a pile of emotion on the face of a muppet, but the filmmakers did a good job of demonstrating the seething emotional sea of childhood. Because really, the Wild Things are reflections of parts of Max, and therefore reflections of childhood. They are made larger than life by Max's imaginings, each hyperbolic representations of a facet of Max's psyche or part of Max's life. And that's what the story is- Max coming to grips with himself and with the fact that he can't make everything perfect, that for all the rumpuses and moments of beauty, there will be fights and moments of darkness, fear, and confusion.
The film was beautifully realized and true to Sendak's original vision. It is slow, but in a contemplative way, not a boring one. A solid performance from the young boy who plays Max, along with beautiful visuals make the movie a success. Recommend to all.
F.A.T.
Tonight marks the first adventure of a new "dining club." We've dubbed the group, F.A.T., or Feasting About Town. The groundrules:
1. Don't talk about F.A.T/E.A.T.
2. Ha ha. Just kidding. Ha. Wish that was funny.
3. We will be dining out together once a month.
4. Every month, we will alternate between fine dining and a dive. Definition of fine dining/dive is up to the people scheduling that month, but generally everyone should spend less than $15 total (or so) at a dive, and the fine dining probably doesn't want to be over $25-35ish/entree or so.
5. Every month a different couple will pick the spot (we'll pick a name out of a hat or somehow randomize the selection order).
6. The couple selecting the location is responsible for making a reservation (if necessary) or making sure the place can hold 8 of us, or making whatever arrangements necessary. They will not reveal the location to anyone else until the day of the event. On the day of the event, the "host" couple will send an e-mail with TIME and ADDRESS (with cross streets). They will not reveal the actual restaurant and everyone is on the honor system not to look it up.
7. We will split all bills evenly. Unless someone has a major problem with this and a simple solution.
8. It might be fun if we dress up (a little) when we go out.
9. Events will all be on a shared google calendar.
10. I just wanted to have 10 rules. Nice, even number. So... Uh, We have to have fun?
Yeah... I wrote those. Some of them are lame, but what you going to do. And looks like I already broke rule number one with this post. oh well.
So we'll see how this goes. Fine Dining tonight, dive next month... I'm not up to pick a restaurant until December, so I have time to think... I'll post again after our inaugural dinner!
1. Don't talk about F.A.T/E.A.T.
2. Ha ha. Just kidding. Ha. Wish that was funny.
3. We will be dining out together once a month.
4. Every month, we will alternate between fine dining and a dive. Definition of fine dining/dive is up to the people scheduling that month, but generally everyone should spend less than $15 total (or so) at a dive, and the fine dining probably doesn't want to be over $25-35ish/entree or so.
5. Every month a different couple will pick the spot (we'll pick a name out of a hat or somehow randomize the selection order).
6. The couple selecting the location is responsible for making a reservation (if necessary) or making sure the place can hold 8 of us, or making whatever arrangements necessary. They will not reveal the location to anyone else until the day of the event. On the day of the event, the "host" couple will send an e-mail with TIME and ADDRESS (with cross streets). They will not reveal the actual restaurant and everyone is on the honor system not to look it up.
7. We will split all bills evenly. Unless someone has a major problem with this and a simple solution.
8. It might be fun if we dress up (a little) when we go out.
9. Events will all be on a shared google calendar.
10. I just wanted to have 10 rules. Nice, even number. So... Uh, We have to have fun?
Yeah... I wrote those. Some of them are lame, but what you going to do. And looks like I already broke rule number one with this post. oh well.
So we'll see how this goes. Fine Dining tonight, dive next month... I'm not up to pick a restaurant until December, so I have time to think... I'll post again after our inaugural dinner!
Kasa
Kasa is a hip new-ish Indian joint in the Castro in the same space as my favorite Castro burrito joint use to be. I've walked by a couple times and been curious about their menu which basically gives you two major options with some variations. You can order either:
Kasi Rolls
Classic Indian street food: A flaky, buttery roti (handmade bread) wrapped around one of the dishes listed below with marinated onions and chutney. Served with raita (yogurt). Order 2 or 3 for a meal.
or
Thali (Plate)
A homestyle Indian platter with one or two of the dishes listed below, roti (handmade bread), slow-simmered daal (lentils), rice, veggie salad, chutneys and raita (yogurt).
You get a selection of meat with either order. Since I went with Julia, we took the easy way out and got one of each. For the Thali, we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, and for the Kasi Roll we had Lamb Curry. The Tikka Masala had a slightly different preparation from your standard version- the sauce was a little thicker and richer and quite a bit spicier (in a good way- then again, I always tend to find that spicier is better). The roti was delicious, and all the components of the plate went well together.
The Kasi roll was good as well. The bread was different from the roti on the Thali plate- maybe a bit sweeter? The lamb curry was good too- I love the richness of lamb. I could have actually used a little more spice in this.
The Kasi roll is a good amount of food for lunch, but if it's dinner and/or you're hungry, go for the Thali for sure.
I'd definitely stop back at this place. The counter service was super friendly and helpful and the food was delicious and pretty reasonably priced (especially the rolls).
Kasi Rolls
Classic Indian street food: A flaky, buttery roti (handmade bread) wrapped around one of the dishes listed below with marinated onions and chutney. Served with raita (yogurt). Order 2 or 3 for a meal.
or
Thali (Plate)
A homestyle Indian platter with one or two of the dishes listed below, roti (handmade bread), slow-simmered daal (lentils), rice, veggie salad, chutneys and raita (yogurt).
You get a selection of meat with either order. Since I went with Julia, we took the easy way out and got one of each. For the Thali, we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, and for the Kasi Roll we had Lamb Curry. The Tikka Masala had a slightly different preparation from your standard version- the sauce was a little thicker and richer and quite a bit spicier (in a good way- then again, I always tend to find that spicier is better). The roti was delicious, and all the components of the plate went well together.
The Kasi roll was good as well. The bread was different from the roti on the Thali plate- maybe a bit sweeter? The lamb curry was good too- I love the richness of lamb. I could have actually used a little more spice in this.
The Kasi roll is a good amount of food for lunch, but if it's dinner and/or you're hungry, go for the Thali for sure.
I'd definitely stop back at this place. The counter service was super friendly and helpful and the food was delicious and pretty reasonably priced (especially the rolls).
Monday, October 12, 2009
German Feast
On Saturday night, we watched an episode of Three Sheets where the host traveled to Munich for Oktoberfest. Something in Julia's German heritage was so inspired by the sight of sausages and pretzels, that we cooked up an Oktoberfest feast last night.
Julia baked pretzels, trying two slightly different preparations. One batch was dipped in boiling water and then baked, while the second was brushed with an egg wash and baked. There was a slight difference in texture, but not much else particularly different between them. The boiled ones were a little chewier. The egg brushed ones might have had a slightly different color on the outside... hard to tell. Apparently to make pretzels the dark color that people expect, real German pretzel makers use lye or something. Yeah. That was a little much. But Julia's pretzels came out great, especially when dipped in a spicy brown mustard.
We also braised some Bratwursts. Sliced up onions and browned them in some butter (margarine), then emptied a jar of sauerkraut on top of the onions in the saucepan. Next, we added some thinly sliced apples to bring some sweetness to the kraut. Finally, placed the sausages on top of the sauerkraut and added enough beer to submerge all the 'kraut and sausages (ended up being 2 bottles of Sam Adams Oktoberfest). Left the whole shebang simmering over medium heat for about 20 minutes or so (added some sugar near the end when a taste revealed that it was still a little too sour), before removing the sausages and pan frying them briefly to get a little color and texture on the outside. Drained most of the liquid from the 'kraut, served with a selection of mustards. Delish.
Julia baked pretzels, trying two slightly different preparations. One batch was dipped in boiling water and then baked, while the second was brushed with an egg wash and baked. There was a slight difference in texture, but not much else particularly different between them. The boiled ones were a little chewier. The egg brushed ones might have had a slightly different color on the outside... hard to tell. Apparently to make pretzels the dark color that people expect, real German pretzel makers use lye or something. Yeah. That was a little much. But Julia's pretzels came out great, especially when dipped in a spicy brown mustard.
We also braised some Bratwursts. Sliced up onions and browned them in some butter (margarine), then emptied a jar of sauerkraut on top of the onions in the saucepan. Next, we added some thinly sliced apples to bring some sweetness to the kraut. Finally, placed the sausages on top of the sauerkraut and added enough beer to submerge all the 'kraut and sausages (ended up being 2 bottles of Sam Adams Oktoberfest). Left the whole shebang simmering over medium heat for about 20 minutes or so (added some sugar near the end when a taste revealed that it was still a little too sour), before removing the sausages and pan frying them briefly to get a little color and texture on the outside. Drained most of the liquid from the 'kraut, served with a selection of mustards. Delish.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Starbelly
The lady and I ate at Starbelly last night in advance of a "Glee" watching date at a friend's house in the Castro. I'd been to the opening night party for the new restaurant, but that was more of a cocktail party and I didn't really have a sense of what to expect on the menu. I do like the interior of the restaurant- it's small and modestly decorated but comfortable and not as tremendously loud as I had expected.
The menu is New Californian (which is a catchall to say it combines a few different cuisines including some American standards as well as some French and Italian touches). We wanted to try some different stuff, but had a hard time deciding. In the end, we picked a starter, a salad, and a couple entrees to share. We skipped the pizza because I DID have that at the opening party and it was mediocre.
As a starter, we got mini corn dogs. Because how can you not order corndogs when they're on the menu at a nice restaurant? There were definitely mini, although yummy- looked to be brats (or another white sausage) in tasty batter. A little steep $-wise at 6.50 for 4 of the little bite size guys, but tasty.
Our salad was good if not a little overdressed- butter lettuce with white nectarines and a shaved cheese of some sort. My dining partner thought the nectarines weren't ripe enough and I'm inclined to agree.
There were a number of entrees we were interested in, but we ended up trying the Porchetta and the half rotisserie chicken. We both really enjoyed the chicken- it was brined so quite juicy and delicious. It was served on a bed of some kind of bitter greens which (we both thought) were too bitter. But chicken was quite good. I'd order it again. (Note to self: look into brining a little more. Brined things always taste good.)
The Porchetta had good flavor and was served with yummy crunchy skin, but Julia found it too fatty for her taste and it was a bit unattractive sitting in a pile of grease. It was quite rich and while it was good I probably wouldn't order again.
We decided to order dessert because they sounded delicious. They also feature my bro's ice cream (Humphrey Slocombe!). We ordered the salted caramel Pot du Creme. Um. Delicious. I love me some salted caramel.
Would I go back to Starbelly? Possibly. It is one of the better options in the Castro (a neighborhood that is somehow bereft of decent places to eat despite a population that loves to dine out). That said, I also noticed a few new spots in the Castro that weren't around last time I lived near there, so perhaps I'm due to check some of em out!
The menu is New Californian (which is a catchall to say it combines a few different cuisines including some American standards as well as some French and Italian touches). We wanted to try some different stuff, but had a hard time deciding. In the end, we picked a starter, a salad, and a couple entrees to share. We skipped the pizza because I DID have that at the opening party and it was mediocre.
As a starter, we got mini corn dogs. Because how can you not order corndogs when they're on the menu at a nice restaurant? There were definitely mini, although yummy- looked to be brats (or another white sausage) in tasty batter. A little steep $-wise at 6.50 for 4 of the little bite size guys, but tasty.
Our salad was good if not a little overdressed- butter lettuce with white nectarines and a shaved cheese of some sort. My dining partner thought the nectarines weren't ripe enough and I'm inclined to agree.
There were a number of entrees we were interested in, but we ended up trying the Porchetta and the half rotisserie chicken. We both really enjoyed the chicken- it was brined so quite juicy and delicious. It was served on a bed of some kind of bitter greens which (we both thought) were too bitter. But chicken was quite good. I'd order it again. (Note to self: look into brining a little more. Brined things always taste good.)
The Porchetta had good flavor and was served with yummy crunchy skin, but Julia found it too fatty for her taste and it was a bit unattractive sitting in a pile of grease. It was quite rich and while it was good I probably wouldn't order again.
We decided to order dessert because they sounded delicious. They also feature my bro's ice cream (Humphrey Slocombe!). We ordered the salted caramel Pot du Creme. Um. Delicious. I love me some salted caramel.
Would I go back to Starbelly? Possibly. It is one of the better options in the Castro (a neighborhood that is somehow bereft of decent places to eat despite a population that loves to dine out). That said, I also noticed a few new spots in the Castro that weren't around last time I lived near there, so perhaps I'm due to check some of em out!
Monday, September 28, 2009
San Tung part deux
Went to San Tung last night with a couple friends and had the luxury of trying a couple dishes that I don't usually order.
We got a peanut noodle chicken with prawns and scallops. It came out looking like a bowl of brown yuck. Turned out the noodles were buried underneath the sauce. That said, it tasted pretty good, although I would have liked the peanut sauce a little spicier.
We also had Garlic Chicken, which I really enjoyed- quite garlicky in a good way. Also had nice combination of textures by adding in some harder veggies like water chestnuts, etc.
Of course, we also ordered the crack chicken (Dry Fried Diced) and this time it certainly lived up to its crack-y goodness. So much so, that Julia scarfed the (meager) leftovers that I brought home despite the fact that it was after 10pm and she'd already eaten. That good. Or that addictive. Either way.
We got a peanut noodle chicken with prawns and scallops. It came out looking like a bowl of brown yuck. Turned out the noodles were buried underneath the sauce. That said, it tasted pretty good, although I would have liked the peanut sauce a little spicier.
We also had Garlic Chicken, which I really enjoyed- quite garlicky in a good way. Also had nice combination of textures by adding in some harder veggies like water chestnuts, etc.
Of course, we also ordered the crack chicken (Dry Fried Diced) and this time it certainly lived up to its crack-y goodness. So much so, that Julia scarfed the (meager) leftovers that I brought home despite the fact that it was after 10pm and she'd already eaten. That good. Or that addictive. Either way.
A Song of Ice and Fire
I think this may be my first post on here about a book. Which might imply that I don't read much. That implication would not be entirely true, nor would it be entirely false. What is true, is that when I'm enjoying a book, I rip through it. I think I recently proved to myself a fact that I've probably known for a very long time- I really enjoy reading fantasy novels. A good fantasy has me searching for time to read between other life events, waking up a bit earlier to read a chapter before work, lunching alone with my book...
After hearing some recommendations about George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, as well as learning that HBO plans to make a miniseries of the novels, I decided I should give them a shot. I read the first installment, "A Game of Thrones," in about a week. Maybe less. All 800+ pages of it. I'm already halfway through the second novel, "A Clash of Kings" and I've only had it for a few days.
Martin's series is a bit lighter on the magic side (at least so far) and heavier on machinations of humans vying for power. Martin piles intrigue upon intrigue and I could see some people having a hard time keeping track of who's who and what the various allegiances are. The other thing Martin seems to have mastered is the unexpected. These aren't your formulaic fantasy with clear protagonists and heroes. Characters that you expect to succeed fail, sometimes even die. Characters you cheer one moment turn out to be evil the next. In short, Martin seems to have a solid understanding of humankind and what the struggle for power does to people. Which leads to some awesomely entertaining reading.
After hearing some recommendations about George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, as well as learning that HBO plans to make a miniseries of the novels, I decided I should give them a shot. I read the first installment, "A Game of Thrones," in about a week. Maybe less. All 800+ pages of it. I'm already halfway through the second novel, "A Clash of Kings" and I've only had it for a few days.
Martin's series is a bit lighter on the magic side (at least so far) and heavier on machinations of humans vying for power. Martin piles intrigue upon intrigue and I could see some people having a hard time keeping track of who's who and what the various allegiances are. The other thing Martin seems to have mastered is the unexpected. These aren't your formulaic fantasy with clear protagonists and heroes. Characters that you expect to succeed fail, sometimes even die. Characters you cheer one moment turn out to be evil the next. In short, Martin seems to have a solid understanding of humankind and what the struggle for power does to people. Which leads to some awesomely entertaining reading.
I'm Back
I've decided I had no right to stop writing these brief pieces, not when I actually have time on my hands. So I'm back. Until I stop again, at least. Woot.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Escape from New York Pizza
A Haiku:
Pizza is decent
Upgrade to awesome after
Full day of drinking
or
Thank you, Hawaiian
For saving my life with your
Pineapple goodness
Pizza is decent
Upgrade to awesome after
Full day of drinking
or
Thank you, Hawaiian
For saving my life with your
Pineapple goodness
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Sunflower Vietnamese
Went with the family for Mother's Day Part 2 on Monday night. Nothing particularly special, but an all around solid Vietnamese restaurant with super friendly service and fairly cheap prices. We ordered Vietnamese Pot Stickers, Garlic Noodles (really tasty- meant to order with vegetables but forgot), Curry Chicken, Spicy Green Beans, Shaken Beef.
Everything was good- I'd order it all again. The spicy green beans could have been spicier, they were the least interesting thing we had. We ordered the Vietnamese Post Stickers as an experiment because they sounded weird. Essentially, sticky rice surrounding a meatball like filling (like regular potsticker filling) and fried. Little fried rice balls with meat inside. Different, interesting, and yummy. I'd like to go back and try the Pho sometime.
Sunflower probably ranks as my favorite Vietnamese spot in the greater Castro/Mission area, and a solid option in the restaurant crammed 16th and Valencia region.
Everything was good- I'd order it all again. The spicy green beans could have been spicier, they were the least interesting thing we had. We ordered the Vietnamese Post Stickers as an experiment because they sounded weird. Essentially, sticky rice surrounding a meatball like filling (like regular potsticker filling) and fried. Little fried rice balls with meat inside. Different, interesting, and yummy. I'd like to go back and try the Pho sometime.
Sunflower probably ranks as my favorite Vietnamese spot in the greater Castro/Mission area, and a solid option in the restaurant crammed 16th and Valencia region.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Chez Panisse
I had lived in the bay area for around 20 years and, until Wednesday, had yet to dine at one of the most iconic restaurants of the region. Chez Panisse, a Berkeley institution, is widely regarded as the birthplace of California Cuisine. Chef Alice Waters stresses the use of local, fresh, organically grown ingredients.
The one-option prix-fixe menu changes daily (and is updated weekly). The last time we tried to go (for Julia's Birthday) we joked about how the worst that could happen would be an all seafood dinner (as I haven't traditionally been a seafood fan). Of course, when they posted the menu for the night we had a reservation, it said in all caps (no joke) TUESDAY: ALL SEAFOOD MENU. Seriously? We decided not to go.
This time around we were more fortunate with the menu:
Wednesday, May 6
Asparagus vinaigrette with farm egg, golden beets, and pancetta
-Um, yum. This might have been the best dish of the meal. The asparagus was tender with a delicately balanced vinaigrette with great citrus, mustard, and garlic flavors. The crumbled pancetta added nice texture and a bit of salt. Perfect.
Local petrale sole belle meunière
-We didn't (and still don't) know what "belle meuniere" means. Sole is a sweet(ish), local fish. This was served in a buttery sauce. There were a few kumkwat pieces on top. I wish there were more, because the bites with the Kumkwat were drastically more flavorful and interesting than the bites without. In general, the dish was decent, but nothing particularly special. My least favorite dish of the night. We had this dish paired with a Vouvray Chenin Blanc. Nice wine, touch of citrus, played well with the fish.
Braised and grilled Laughing Stock pork with morel mushrooms, green garlic purée,
peas, and fava beans
Reminded me of my brother who, as a 12 year old, had a one day internship in the kitchen at Chez Panisse for a school project. He spent most of the day shelling fava beans, so I couldn't help but laugh. The pork was actually served in thin slices, which was a bit of a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. Pork was served au jus with morel mushrooms on top, the entire plate was sprinkled with bright green peas and fava beans. Even though I'm not a huge mushroom fan, the flavor of the morels blended nicely with the pork. Green garlic puree was delicious. I think it was mixed with potatoes. This course was paired with a Gamay Noir from Brickhouse Vineyards in Oregon. It was smokey, and subtle. Nice.
Cannard Farm rhubarb and strawberry tartlet with crème légère
This dish was also in the running for best of the night. Sort of like a fancified strawberry shortcake. Super flaky pastry, topped with a layer of creme legere (whatever it is, its delicious), rhubarb, and super fresh awesome strawberries. Plate was decorated with a rhubarb gastrique. Oh my. Happiness.
On top of the food, it was a very pleasant dining experience. The waiter was friendly and helpful, and the kitchen was open for diners to look at. Now if only it weren't so expensive/difficult to eat locally and organically in my daily life...
The one-option prix-fixe menu changes daily (and is updated weekly). The last time we tried to go (for Julia's Birthday) we joked about how the worst that could happen would be an all seafood dinner (as I haven't traditionally been a seafood fan). Of course, when they posted the menu for the night we had a reservation, it said in all caps (no joke) TUESDAY: ALL SEAFOOD MENU. Seriously? We decided not to go.
This time around we were more fortunate with the menu:
Wednesday, May 6
Asparagus vinaigrette with farm egg, golden beets, and pancetta
-Um, yum. This might have been the best dish of the meal. The asparagus was tender with a delicately balanced vinaigrette with great citrus, mustard, and garlic flavors. The crumbled pancetta added nice texture and a bit of salt. Perfect.
Local petrale sole belle meunière
-We didn't (and still don't) know what "belle meuniere" means. Sole is a sweet(ish), local fish. This was served in a buttery sauce. There were a few kumkwat pieces on top. I wish there were more, because the bites with the Kumkwat were drastically more flavorful and interesting than the bites without. In general, the dish was decent, but nothing particularly special. My least favorite dish of the night. We had this dish paired with a Vouvray Chenin Blanc. Nice wine, touch of citrus, played well with the fish.
Braised and grilled Laughing Stock pork with morel mushrooms, green garlic purée,
peas, and fava beans
Reminded me of my brother who, as a 12 year old, had a one day internship in the kitchen at Chez Panisse for a school project. He spent most of the day shelling fava beans, so I couldn't help but laugh. The pork was actually served in thin slices, which was a bit of a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. Pork was served au jus with morel mushrooms on top, the entire plate was sprinkled with bright green peas and fava beans. Even though I'm not a huge mushroom fan, the flavor of the morels blended nicely with the pork. Green garlic puree was delicious. I think it was mixed with potatoes. This course was paired with a Gamay Noir from Brickhouse Vineyards in Oregon. It was smokey, and subtle. Nice.
Cannard Farm rhubarb and strawberry tartlet with crème légère
This dish was also in the running for best of the night. Sort of like a fancified strawberry shortcake. Super flaky pastry, topped with a layer of creme legere (whatever it is, its delicious), rhubarb, and super fresh awesome strawberries. Plate was decorated with a rhubarb gastrique. Oh my. Happiness.
On top of the food, it was a very pleasant dining experience. The waiter was friendly and helpful, and the kitchen was open for diners to look at. Now if only it weren't so expensive/difficult to eat locally and organically in my daily life...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Humphry Slocombe
Ladies and gentlemen, there's a new ice cream kid on the block. My brother started working at Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream a couple weeks ago which is very fortunate, because otherwise, I might never have stumbled across it. I went in for the first time a week ago, right before closing, and was able to have a little taste of all of their offereings. Their flavors are unique, varied, and interesting. Even better, they rotate flavors almost daily. So every time you go there's something new and crazy to try.
If I can remember, I tried:
Secret Breakfast (AKA Bourbon and Cornflakes)
Balsamic Caramel
Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee
McEvoy Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Strawberry Candied Jalapeno
Thai Chili Lime (sorbet)
There might have been more. It was ice cream overload. As you can see from some of the flavors I listed, they're not afraid of creating crazy flavors. My favorite (the one I eventually ordered) was the Secret Breakfast. Delicious. Yes, I'm an alcoholic. But everything's good, and everything tastes like it says it will. Kinda like those Harry Potter Jelly Beans, but delicious.
So go check it out. And get out out of your strawberry, chocolate, vanilla box.
If I can remember, I tried:
Secret Breakfast (AKA Bourbon and Cornflakes)
Balsamic Caramel
Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee
McEvoy Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Strawberry Candied Jalapeno
Thai Chili Lime (sorbet)
There might have been more. It was ice cream overload. As you can see from some of the flavors I listed, they're not afraid of creating crazy flavors. My favorite (the one I eventually ordered) was the Secret Breakfast. Delicious. Yes, I'm an alcoholic. But everything's good, and everything tastes like it says it will. Kinda like those Harry Potter Jelly Beans, but delicious.
So go check it out. And get out out of your strawberry, chocolate, vanilla box.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Mandalay
Who knew that a mere two blocks from the perennially overcrowded there is ANOTHER Burmese restaurant? For that matter, who knew there was another Burmese restaurant in San Francisco? Turns out a bunch of people knew both of these things. We headed over to Mandalay (found on Yelp) when the wait at Burma Superstar was almost 2hrs (and yes, we did call ahead to put our name on the list anyway). Mandalay was pretty crowded itself- there was about a 20 minute wait when we got there at 8:30 on a Saturday night- but it's in a bigger space than Superstar so turnover was a little faster.
Menu is comparable to Burma Superstar. We tried to stick to Burmese specialties since we were with out of town guests and how often do you get Burmese food anyway. We started with the Tea Leaf Salad, a favorite of ours from Superstar. It was yummy, with a great combination of flavors and textures. On the menu, the ingredients include "grounded shrimps," which made us wonder what shrimps with their heads in the clouds taste like.
We also shared Burmese Hot and Sour Soup, which was sort of blah- not enough spice for any of our tastes.
For entrees, we shared:
Chin Mong Jaw
Burmese style sour vegetables, sauteed with green chili, prawns, and bamboo shoots. Can be prepared with tofu.
Nan Gyi Dok (Available with Tofu)
Burmese rice noodle with spiced coconut tofu, split yellow pea, powder, and fried onion
Mango Chicken
Pan fry chicken sauteed with fresh mango, onions, and green chili
Burmese Style Curry Chicken
Burmese style yellow curry chicken with potatoes
The burmese style vegetables were really strange. Lots of pickled vegetables combined to make a strange flavor with a pretty bad (IMHO) smell. Yuck.
The chicken dishes were both pretty good, but again both were lacking in heat (spicy heat, not temperature heat). Especially the mango chicken which had a great opportunity to play a little spice of the sweetness of the mango.
The noodles were probably the best dish of the evening. Nice coconut flavor that didn't overpower the dish.
Speaking of coconuts, we got into a discussion about what coconuts look like. At Mandalay, they serve coconut juice from a fresh coconut, which prompted a conversation about whether coconuts have a green skin or a brown, hairy skin. After some extensive internet research (ie I looked at wikipedia), it looks like both are true. The YOUNG coconut, while growing on the tree, is green on the outside. At this immature stage, coconuts contain a liquid called "coconut water" which is often drunk fresh. That's what they serve at Mandalay. As the coconut ages (on the tree), the outside (or mesocarp, for the botanical enthusiasts) turns brown and hardens. Mature, healthy coconuts do not fall from the tree until covered in the brown, hairy husk. However, most culinary uses are from the unripened coconut as the flesh and liquid are generally sweeter. Consider the coconut disambiguated.
Menu is comparable to Burma Superstar. We tried to stick to Burmese specialties since we were with out of town guests and how often do you get Burmese food anyway. We started with the Tea Leaf Salad, a favorite of ours from Superstar. It was yummy, with a great combination of flavors and textures. On the menu, the ingredients include "grounded shrimps," which made us wonder what shrimps with their heads in the clouds taste like.
We also shared Burmese Hot and Sour Soup, which was sort of blah- not enough spice for any of our tastes.
For entrees, we shared:
Chin Mong Jaw
Burmese style sour vegetables, sauteed with green chili, prawns, and bamboo shoots. Can be prepared with tofu.
Nan Gyi Dok (Available with Tofu)
Burmese rice noodle with spiced coconut tofu, split yellow pea, powder, and fried onion
Mango Chicken
Pan fry chicken sauteed with fresh mango, onions, and green chili
Burmese Style Curry Chicken
Burmese style yellow curry chicken with potatoes
The burmese style vegetables were really strange. Lots of pickled vegetables combined to make a strange flavor with a pretty bad (IMHO) smell. Yuck.
The chicken dishes were both pretty good, but again both were lacking in heat (spicy heat, not temperature heat). Especially the mango chicken which had a great opportunity to play a little spice of the sweetness of the mango.
The noodles were probably the best dish of the evening. Nice coconut flavor that didn't overpower the dish.
Speaking of coconuts, we got into a discussion about what coconuts look like. At Mandalay, they serve coconut juice from a fresh coconut, which prompted a conversation about whether coconuts have a green skin or a brown, hairy skin. After some extensive internet research (ie I looked at wikipedia), it looks like both are true. The YOUNG coconut, while growing on the tree, is green on the outside. At this immature stage, coconuts contain a liquid called "coconut water" which is often drunk fresh. That's what they serve at Mandalay. As the coconut ages (on the tree), the outside (or mesocarp, for the botanical enthusiasts) turns brown and hardens. Mature, healthy coconuts do not fall from the tree until covered in the brown, hairy husk. However, most culinary uses are from the unripened coconut as the flesh and liquid are generally sweeter. Consider the coconut disambiguated.
Man On Wire
I fell asleep. It wasn't the movie's fault. The parts I saw were interesting. I was just really tired.
La Ciccia
I'd been hearing about La Ciccia since it opened a little while ago at the very end of Church St. I think there used to be a pizza spot there, which has now been transformed into a neighborhoody Italian spot. Well, not exactly Italian. La Ciccia is a Sardinian restaurant. Sardinia is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, technically part of Italy but with hints of Greek and Mediterranean culture. Interesting culinary potential for sure.
Julia and I ended up checking it out last Thursday. It's a small restaurant, filled to the brim with people who looked like they'd been there before. That's a good sign. The chef came out a couple times to talk to people at different tables, the waiters knew some of the patrons... A very friendly and familial atmosphere, for sure. As first timers, we were a bit out of the loop, but settled in pretty quickly and tried to figure out what to do with the menu.
We decided to go with one appetizer, two firsts, and a main to share. The wine list was another story. They have a huge wine list, with mostly Italian wines and a huge number of varietals that I had never heard of. Neither of us were drinking too much, so we each ordered a glass. Can't even remeber what I had. But it was nice. Should have written it down.
In the end, we decided to start with one of the specials (there were a few daily specials, which is nice) which was a plate of Sardines. The dish was definitely not what we (Julia) expected. She was thinking the little sardines like the size of the canned ones. These were some big sucker sardines. With heads. Maybe 8-10". My experiments in seafood eating continued- it was an interesting experience to try and separate the meat from the crazy little fish skeleton. Flavor wise, they were a little on the fishy side for my taste, but not too bad.
For firsts, Julia got another special- a linguini (or something like it) with baby clams and a simple oil and garlic sauce. I had gnocchetti with pork sugo. Both were good, neither were excellent. I liked the texture of the gnocchetti, but generally found the sauce a little lacking- perhaps a little less rich then I would like from a meaty sauce.
For the main, we shared a slow cooked pork with olives and carrots. It was more stew-like then we anticipated and almost beef-y in flavor. Really, it tasted like a beef stew with some salty-olive-acid flavor. Not exactly what I was looking for.
In general, dinner was fine but not great. Wouldn't necessarily rush back. We might have ordered the wrong things. Hard to tell on the first trip.
Julia and I ended up checking it out last Thursday. It's a small restaurant, filled to the brim with people who looked like they'd been there before. That's a good sign. The chef came out a couple times to talk to people at different tables, the waiters knew some of the patrons... A very friendly and familial atmosphere, for sure. As first timers, we were a bit out of the loop, but settled in pretty quickly and tried to figure out what to do with the menu.
We decided to go with one appetizer, two firsts, and a main to share. The wine list was another story. They have a huge wine list, with mostly Italian wines and a huge number of varietals that I had never heard of. Neither of us were drinking too much, so we each ordered a glass. Can't even remeber what I had. But it was nice. Should have written it down.
In the end, we decided to start with one of the specials (there were a few daily specials, which is nice) which was a plate of Sardines. The dish was definitely not what we (Julia) expected. She was thinking the little sardines like the size of the canned ones. These were some big sucker sardines. With heads. Maybe 8-10". My experiments in seafood eating continued- it was an interesting experience to try and separate the meat from the crazy little fish skeleton. Flavor wise, they were a little on the fishy side for my taste, but not too bad.
For firsts, Julia got another special- a linguini (or something like it) with baby clams and a simple oil and garlic sauce. I had gnocchetti with pork sugo. Both were good, neither were excellent. I liked the texture of the gnocchetti, but generally found the sauce a little lacking- perhaps a little less rich then I would like from a meaty sauce.
For the main, we shared a slow cooked pork with olives and carrots. It was more stew-like then we anticipated and almost beef-y in flavor. Really, it tasted like a beef stew with some salty-olive-acid flavor. Not exactly what I was looking for.
In general, dinner was fine but not great. Wouldn't necessarily rush back. We might have ordered the wrong things. Hard to tell on the first trip.
Up
For the first time in my Pixar career, the movie was somewhat of a surprise to me at the pre-release wrap party. When I was working in Post, I watched the movies a couple hundred times before they were done. Going into a completed movie semi-in-the-dark was something of a treat. I knew the basics of the story, but hadn't seen anything for at least a year and a half. "Up" was a treat, especially since I didn't know what to expect.
While I don't want to reveal too much about the movie, I thought it was fantastic, heartfelt, and a great ride. It's full of emotion and some very adult themes. Bring tissues if you have any crying tendencies. It was amazing to be in a theater with about 2000 people hearing the entire audience whimpering. For me, pretty cool to see that animation can be that successful at playing the audience's heartstrings.
I've been asked where it ranks among my favorite Pixar films. I don't really have an answer. I really enjoyed it, and think you should see it for sure.
While I don't want to reveal too much about the movie, I thought it was fantastic, heartfelt, and a great ride. It's full of emotion and some very adult themes. Bring tissues if you have any crying tendencies. It was amazing to be in a theater with about 2000 people hearing the entire audience whimpering. For me, pretty cool to see that animation can be that successful at playing the audience's heartstrings.
I've been asked where it ranks among my favorite Pixar films. I don't really have an answer. I really enjoyed it, and think you should see it for sure.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tataki
When we were rejected by Eliza's on California at 9pm (what restaurant closes at 9?) after my basketball game on Tuesday, we moved on down the block to Tataki on California and Divisadero. Now, for those of you who know me (ironic because if you don't know me, I have no idea how or why you're reading this), you probably know that I don't really do seafood. So, the thing is, I'm trying to give the whole seafood thing a chance. And this is just another step in that direction.
Tataki is a cute little restaurant which was pretty much full, even at 9pm on a Tuesday. They bill themselves as "sustainable sushi," and while I don't know the details behind their sustainability, I'll take their claims at face value and applaud them for their efforts. We ordered a bunch of food, most of which I tried (I'm still a little scared of Sashimi, so I skipped that). We had a Tataki Roll, an Extinguisher Roll, an Early Bird Roll, a Spicy Tempura Roll, and a couple other random nigiri/sashimi selections.
The Extinguisher comes out with a pile of flaming sugar. Nice presentation. I ordered the Early Bird as a safe option (it has beef, not seafood). Everything was delicious. I particularly liked the Spicy Tempura and Early Bird rolls. I decided that one of the best things about sushi, especially at Tataki, is the combination of textures. The sticky rice, the chewy fish, and a little crunch from either a vegetable, tempura skin, fish eggs, etc, make for a great texture combination. The other thing I love about sushi in general is that it is the best excuse to eat soy sauce. And wasabi. I love both.
While my sushi eating experience is relatively limited (I usually order Terriyaki or noodles when I go to Japanese food), Tataki was delicious and I'd definitely go back. Both of my dining companions liked it a lot, so it must be at least decent. Not horribly overpriced either- not cheap, but what sushi is?
Tataki is a cute little restaurant which was pretty much full, even at 9pm on a Tuesday. They bill themselves as "sustainable sushi," and while I don't know the details behind their sustainability, I'll take their claims at face value and applaud them for their efforts. We ordered a bunch of food, most of which I tried (I'm still a little scared of Sashimi, so I skipped that). We had a Tataki Roll, an Extinguisher Roll, an Early Bird Roll, a Spicy Tempura Roll, and a couple other random nigiri/sashimi selections.
The Extinguisher comes out with a pile of flaming sugar. Nice presentation. I ordered the Early Bird as a safe option (it has beef, not seafood). Everything was delicious. I particularly liked the Spicy Tempura and Early Bird rolls. I decided that one of the best things about sushi, especially at Tataki, is the combination of textures. The sticky rice, the chewy fish, and a little crunch from either a vegetable, tempura skin, fish eggs, etc, make for a great texture combination. The other thing I love about sushi in general is that it is the best excuse to eat soy sauce. And wasabi. I love both.
While my sushi eating experience is relatively limited (I usually order Terriyaki or noodles when I go to Japanese food), Tataki was delicious and I'd definitely go back. Both of my dining companions liked it a lot, so it must be at least decent. Not horribly overpriced either- not cheap, but what sushi is?
Bolt
Watched Disney's Bolt last night, which I've been meaning to do for a while. I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I first heard about this movie years ago, when they did a presentation at Pixar. At that point, the movie was still being called "American Dog." The movie has come a long way since then, and while I miss some of the thematics from the early pitch (it was intially an American Road Movie), the film has a pretty decent story and some likable characters. It lags in places, and has some cheap throw-away jokes littered throughout, but shows a lot more depth of character and story arc then some of Disney's other recent attempts.
The result is a cute movie with characters that actually matter to the audience, a story with some actual thematic weight, and an adventure that's fun for the whole family! Nothing particularly original - the themes of abandonment/finding out who you really are are pretty similar to Toy Story, the cross country journey reminded me a little of Milo and Otis (ha!).
So thumbs up to Feature Animation for their first post-pixar-acquisition film. Way to get back to story and character. Keep it going!
The result is a cute movie with characters that actually matter to the audience, a story with some actual thematic weight, and an adventure that's fun for the whole family! Nothing particularly original - the themes of abandonment/finding out who you really are are pretty similar to Toy Story, the cross country journey reminded me a little of Milo and Otis (ha!).
So thumbs up to Feature Animation for their first post-pixar-acquisition film. Way to get back to story and character. Keep it going!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Watchmen
Finally made it out to see Watchmen. I'd been eagerly awaiting this one, as a fan of the original graphic novel and of super hero flicks in general. I entered with a little trepidation as I wasn't sure how well the book would translate to the screen. That said, I have a great appreciation for Zack Snyder's visual style (having worked with him on Dawn of the Dead and appreciated the look of 300), and I think his aesthetics apply especially well to this type of material. I went with a bunch of people who had never read the book, so I was also interested to see if they could follow the plot.
In general, I was quite pleased. The movie was a little long, but it had to be to squeeze the whole book in. There weren't really any parts that I would have removed completely- maybe there was some trimming here and there, but despite the length nothing felt overly slow. Another fear I had was that the material would appear dated- its a very Reagan-era-80s themed story, and I wasn't sure how it would translate to a modern audience. I think its a testament to the power of the story that the themes still have some resonance. Even if we're not on the brink of nuclear war (at least not at the same level as during the Cold War), the world is more divided than ever in some ways.
As anticipated, the visual were stunning. Maybe a slight overreliance on overcranked shots and speed ramps, but all in all quite a spectacle. I'd also like to give a shout out to the costumes, which my brother worked on, and which are awesome. I was a little confused/disappointed by the soundtrack. The pop music didn't work for me. I suppose it was intended as a way to place the action historically and link the sci-fi plot to historical reality. But for me, it was jarring and slightly out of place.
Even though I knew the plot, the revelations, twists and turns all worked well. I didn't even mind the change to the ending. In fact, it kind of makes more sense in a lot of ways than the original ending in the book. Most surprisingly, everyone I was with both followed and enjoyed the movie. Even those that might not be comic movie fans normally. That's probably the best indication that the movie is pretty good.
In general, I was quite pleased. The movie was a little long, but it had to be to squeeze the whole book in. There weren't really any parts that I would have removed completely- maybe there was some trimming here and there, but despite the length nothing felt overly slow. Another fear I had was that the material would appear dated- its a very Reagan-era-80s themed story, and I wasn't sure how it would translate to a modern audience. I think its a testament to the power of the story that the themes still have some resonance. Even if we're not on the brink of nuclear war (at least not at the same level as during the Cold War), the world is more divided than ever in some ways.
As anticipated, the visual were stunning. Maybe a slight overreliance on overcranked shots and speed ramps, but all in all quite a spectacle. I'd also like to give a shout out to the costumes, which my brother worked on, and which are awesome. I was a little confused/disappointed by the soundtrack. The pop music didn't work for me. I suppose it was intended as a way to place the action historically and link the sci-fi plot to historical reality. But for me, it was jarring and slightly out of place.
Even though I knew the plot, the revelations, twists and turns all worked well. I didn't even mind the change to the ending. In fact, it kind of makes more sense in a lot of ways than the original ending in the book. Most surprisingly, everyone I was with both followed and enjoyed the movie. Even those that might not be comic movie fans normally. That's probably the best indication that the movie is pretty good.
Katia's Russian Tea Room
On Friday, due to a combination of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" and a bit of eastern block family nostalgia, Julia wanted Russian food. Some Yelp searching landed Katia's Russian Tea Room as the most likely spot, and that's how we ended up at the corner table, with no one else in the restaurant, at 7pm on a Friday.
I always have some doubts upon entering a completely empty restaurant (I'd like to point out that it remained completely empty until another couple arrived just as we were leaving). But we were set in our conviction to cabbage, so we sat down and examined the menu.
As it turns out, Russian food is quite similar to most other Eastern/Northern European cuisines. Lots of potatoes, various dumplings, cabbage, pickled stuff...
We started with some Potato Vareniki and a plate of straight up dill pickles as appetizers. The dills were delicious. Some of the best pickles I've had recently and possibly the highlight of the meal. The Vareniki are little potato dumplings, crescent shaped, with sauteed onions and sour cream on top. There were a LOT of them. Probably too many for an appetizer for two of us. But we ate them all anyway, so they must have been pretty good.
For our entrees, Julia ordered the Golubtsi and I had Kotlety Pozharski. The golubtsi is ground beef wrapped in cabbage, and drenched with a Tomato sauce. The Kotlety are ground chicken cutlets, breaded and fried. Sort of like a large chicken nugget, really. Both dishes were good, but not amazing. Not must-go-back-for-those type dishes.
We ordered a Napoleon for dessert, which led to a discussion of whether or not Napoleon attacked Russia (he did) and if so what happened to him there (he did not fare well) and why that might result in the dessert (no relation). Once the dessert came, we pretty much forgot all of that and enjoyed the delicious pastry and custard combo. The fruit compote on the side was a nice addition as it reminded Julia of the compote her mother makes. Happy end to a happy meal.
One other item of note was the beer list. Most of the beers were made by the same Russain brewery, Baltika. The beers don't have names, just numbers. So we were faced with:
Baltika 1
Baltika 2
Baltika 3
Etc.
I believe I went with a Baltika 5, which ended up being a golden lager, while Julia had the 4, which was a dark (although they called it "amber") lager. She chose wisely, in case you're ever faced with the same decision.
I always have some doubts upon entering a completely empty restaurant (I'd like to point out that it remained completely empty until another couple arrived just as we were leaving). But we were set in our conviction to cabbage, so we sat down and examined the menu.
As it turns out, Russian food is quite similar to most other Eastern/Northern European cuisines. Lots of potatoes, various dumplings, cabbage, pickled stuff...
We started with some Potato Vareniki and a plate of straight up dill pickles as appetizers. The dills were delicious. Some of the best pickles I've had recently and possibly the highlight of the meal. The Vareniki are little potato dumplings, crescent shaped, with sauteed onions and sour cream on top. There were a LOT of them. Probably too many for an appetizer for two of us. But we ate them all anyway, so they must have been pretty good.
For our entrees, Julia ordered the Golubtsi and I had Kotlety Pozharski. The golubtsi is ground beef wrapped in cabbage, and drenched with a Tomato sauce. The Kotlety are ground chicken cutlets, breaded and fried. Sort of like a large chicken nugget, really. Both dishes were good, but not amazing. Not must-go-back-for-those type dishes.
We ordered a Napoleon for dessert, which led to a discussion of whether or not Napoleon attacked Russia (he did) and if so what happened to him there (he did not fare well) and why that might result in the dessert (no relation). Once the dessert came, we pretty much forgot all of that and enjoyed the delicious pastry and custard combo. The fruit compote on the side was a nice addition as it reminded Julia of the compote her mother makes. Happy end to a happy meal.
One other item of note was the beer list. Most of the beers were made by the same Russain brewery, Baltika. The beers don't have names, just numbers. So we were faced with:
Baltika 1
Baltika 2
Baltika 3
Etc.
I believe I went with a Baltika 5, which ended up being a golden lager, while Julia had the 4, which was a dark (although they called it "amber") lager. She chose wisely, in case you're ever faced with the same decision.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Alembic
Had dinner Wednesday night at Alembic, the semi-new cocktail and small plates spot on Haight street. Its right near our place, and we've been wanting to go for awhile, but it wasn't until we found ourselves hungry on Haight on a random Wednesday that we made it.
The place is famous for their cocktails. Their bartenders - err mixologists - are touted as some of the best in the city. Their cocktail menu is impressive, with a number of new twists on old drinks and a number of original creations. They also have the "Take Your Chances" option where you specify a type of alcohol and the bartender does the rest. Intriguing.
I started with a Southern Exposure (a spin on the Southside). Gin based, which I'm usually not a fan of, but I ordered mainly because it had a shot of celery juice in it. I really enjoyed the savory twist that the celery added to the sweetness of the gin, sugar, and mint. Yum. Julia ordered a "Still Life With Apples After Cezanne" and a "Vice Grip" (separately). The Apple drink had a distinctly smoky flavor due to the bourbon, maple syrup, and and smoked apple foam. Ok, but I wouldn't order it again. The Vice Grip was interesting in that it combined beer (porter), wine, and coffee liquer. Flavors worked surprisingly well together for a satisfying sweet drink. For my second drink, I decided to throw caution to the wind and Took My Chances. The bartender provided me with a gin based drink, combined with some vermouth, orange bitters, and an orange rind. Very nice, easy to drink, with just enough citrus flavor shining through over the gin.
Alembic also offers small plates and bar bites, but they seem to revel in using off-the-beaten-path ingredients. I was a bit skeptical looking at the menu, but we decided to go all in and try some of the "weird" stuff. We orderd four plates to share:
1) Kobe Beef Tongue Sliders
Delicious, not overly chewy as I feared. Perfect size sliders, well seasoned, served with delicious homemade potato chips.
2) Dungeness Crab Salad
Probably the tamest of the dishes we tried, both in concept and flavor. That said, the flavors came out best when you got a mouthful of the crab, some fennel, and a piece of the citrus that was included on the plate. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough citrus to have some with every bite.
3) Sweetbreads
Both Julia and I felt that this was the best dish of the night. Its only the second time I'd ever had sweetbreads (Thymus gland or Pancreas), but I've actually enjoyed them both times. These were large and VERY flavorful- they had an apple glaze and were served with tiny onions. Delicious.
4) One of the specials of the evening: Jerk Spiced Duck Hearts
They came on a skewer. About six of them. Definitely had a bit of organ texture, but the spice combination was quite nice and the overall flavor was good.
Definitely would like to go back to try some of the other cocktail options as well as the Pork Belly, although probably not for a while as its not super cheap. Surprised myself with how much I liked some of the strange meats we ate. Turns out if you prepare something correctly and season it well, it can taste good no matter what part of the body its from.
The place is famous for their cocktails. Their bartenders - err mixologists - are touted as some of the best in the city. Their cocktail menu is impressive, with a number of new twists on old drinks and a number of original creations. They also have the "Take Your Chances" option where you specify a type of alcohol and the bartender does the rest. Intriguing.
I started with a Southern Exposure (a spin on the Southside). Gin based, which I'm usually not a fan of, but I ordered mainly because it had a shot of celery juice in it. I really enjoyed the savory twist that the celery added to the sweetness of the gin, sugar, and mint. Yum. Julia ordered a "Still Life With Apples After Cezanne" and a "Vice Grip" (separately). The Apple drink had a distinctly smoky flavor due to the bourbon, maple syrup, and and smoked apple foam. Ok, but I wouldn't order it again. The Vice Grip was interesting in that it combined beer (porter), wine, and coffee liquer. Flavors worked surprisingly well together for a satisfying sweet drink. For my second drink, I decided to throw caution to the wind and Took My Chances. The bartender provided me with a gin based drink, combined with some vermouth, orange bitters, and an orange rind. Very nice, easy to drink, with just enough citrus flavor shining through over the gin.
Alembic also offers small plates and bar bites, but they seem to revel in using off-the-beaten-path ingredients. I was a bit skeptical looking at the menu, but we decided to go all in and try some of the "weird" stuff. We orderd four plates to share:
1) Kobe Beef Tongue Sliders
Delicious, not overly chewy as I feared. Perfect size sliders, well seasoned, served with delicious homemade potato chips.
2) Dungeness Crab Salad
Probably the tamest of the dishes we tried, both in concept and flavor. That said, the flavors came out best when you got a mouthful of the crab, some fennel, and a piece of the citrus that was included on the plate. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough citrus to have some with every bite.
3) Sweetbreads
Both Julia and I felt that this was the best dish of the night. Its only the second time I'd ever had sweetbreads (Thymus gland or Pancreas), but I've actually enjoyed them both times. These were large and VERY flavorful- they had an apple glaze and were served with tiny onions. Delicious.
4) One of the specials of the evening: Jerk Spiced Duck Hearts
They came on a skewer. About six of them. Definitely had a bit of organ texture, but the spice combination was quite nice and the overall flavor was good.
Definitely would like to go back to try some of the other cocktail options as well as the Pork Belly, although probably not for a while as its not super cheap. Surprised myself with how much I liked some of the strange meats we ate. Turns out if you prepare something correctly and season it well, it can taste good no matter what part of the body its from.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Is Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist a romantic comedy? Maybe. And maybe that's the problem. I'll tell you what it's not: particularly funny. I went in not expecting much- a) some laughs, b) some classic Michael Cera awkwardness, c) some appearances by other stars of the Judd Apatow comedy universe... I got very little of A, a spattering of B, and not enough C to salvage the thing. Of course, Judd Apatow has nothing to do (at least nothing credited) with the making of this movie, so perhaps it was unfair of me to hold it up to modern comedy classics such as Superbad or Knocked up.
So without the funny, what are you left with? A dude, who starts out liking one girl but over the course of the movie decides she's lame and the girl of his dreams is right under his nose. Hmm. Seems remarkably rom-com-ish.
There were some fun elements- I liked how they treated New York as a sort of playground for these kids (although you can toss realism out the door- it's never been so easy to park directly in front of every club you go to in NYC, and how do these high school kids get into EVERY bar, and what New Jersey parent lets their kids stay out in NYC until after dawn), and I liked the idea of the mysterious Where's Fluffy band, although the utter lack of any payoff was unfortunate. I was expecting/hoping that when they finally saw the band someone they had met earlier or been hanging out with all night was part of it or something... But no. Just as the band is about to make a grand entrance... the protagonists leave (despite spending the whole night searching for this band) to give us the ultimate romantic comedy cop-out: "My newfound love with someone I didn't even know before tonight is way more important than seeing the band we both love most of all and spent all night searching for."
So without the funny, what are you left with? A dude, who starts out liking one girl but over the course of the movie decides she's lame and the girl of his dreams is right under his nose. Hmm. Seems remarkably rom-com-ish.
There were some fun elements- I liked how they treated New York as a sort of playground for these kids (although you can toss realism out the door- it's never been so easy to park directly in front of every club you go to in NYC, and how do these high school kids get into EVERY bar, and what New Jersey parent lets their kids stay out in NYC until after dawn), and I liked the idea of the mysterious Where's Fluffy band, although the utter lack of any payoff was unfortunate. I was expecting/hoping that when they finally saw the band someone they had met earlier or been hanging out with all night was part of it or something... But no. Just as the band is about to make a grand entrance... the protagonists leave (despite spending the whole night searching for this band) to give us the ultimate romantic comedy cop-out: "My newfound love with someone I didn't even know before tonight is way more important than seeing the band we both love most of all and spent all night searching for."
Monday, March 2, 2009
Frost/Nixon
While firmly 2nd best on the list of "Historical Dramas with a focus on important events in US History that Noah saw this year," Frost/Nixon had a number of good things going for it. Most of those good things had to do with the performances. Frank Langella did a great job in humanizing the character of Nixon, who for most Americans (at least those as generally unfamiliar with the details of US History as myself) has been dehumanized every which way.
That relates to another reason I liked the movie- I found it educational. That's a bit of an embarrassing admission, but I'm going to claim ignorance due to poor US History education in my scholastic career. Yes, I'm aware that Frost/Nixon is fictionalized. However, I didn't even realize that the interview ever happened, much less the details therein, so at the very least I learned something.
But back to Langella, because he was really the bright point in this film. Langella presented a complex Nixon- a Nixon that was arrogant, defensive, and unapolagetic but ultimately haunted by the mistakes that he made in office despite trying to do his best for the country.
The film could have done a better job of contextualizing the interviews by giving a better sense of the public's reaction. Milk (my favorite Historical Political blah blah movie of the year) did a better job of this, although it had some advantages since many of the important scenes took place in public instead of in a small house and some very intense one on one conversations. That said, Frost/Nixon did have the option to explore the interviews through the lens of the television (in the format that most of the contemporary public would have followed them). That might have been a different movie, but it would have been an interesting approach.
That relates to another reason I liked the movie- I found it educational. That's a bit of an embarrassing admission, but I'm going to claim ignorance due to poor US History education in my scholastic career. Yes, I'm aware that Frost/Nixon is fictionalized. However, I didn't even realize that the interview ever happened, much less the details therein, so at the very least I learned something.
But back to Langella, because he was really the bright point in this film. Langella presented a complex Nixon- a Nixon that was arrogant, defensive, and unapolagetic but ultimately haunted by the mistakes that he made in office despite trying to do his best for the country.
The film could have done a better job of contextualizing the interviews by giving a better sense of the public's reaction. Milk (my favorite Historical Political blah blah movie of the year) did a better job of this, although it had some advantages since many of the important scenes took place in public instead of in a small house and some very intense one on one conversations. That said, Frost/Nixon did have the option to explore the interviews through the lens of the television (in the format that most of the contemporary public would have followed them). That might have been a different movie, but it would have been an interesting approach.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Oscars
A few random thoughts about the Oscars last night:
• TiVo+Oscars=Genius: Seriously, I don't think I'll ever watch again without the ability to skip the boring stuff.
• New format: In general, I liked it. The whole program seemed snappier and more to the point. The idea of going through the awards in the Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production categories worked pretty well for me.
• The actors/actresses giving laudatory blurbs about the actor/actress nominees: Touching at best, awkward at worst, in general worked well except for being a little bit long. The actors certainly seemed to appreciate it, although lord knows they don't need their egos stroked any more.
• Funniest parts: Steve Martin/Tina Fey. The cinematographer telling someone to suck it (or something similar) and then apologizing immediately.
• Hugh Jackman: At first I was like, "why?" But he ended up being pretty good and generally did what the host should do- stay out of the way. He was funnier then I expected him to be, and his opening number was good. If you're not going to have a John Stewart or a Letterman do the hosting, someone like Jackman is fine.
• Hotness: Beyonce, Angelina Jolie, Frieda Pinto (woman from Slumdog Millionaire), and (surprisingly, for me) Natalie Portman.
• Notness: Goldie Hawn, Jack Black, Tilda Swinton, Mickey Rourke, Kate Winslett (I know everyone else loves her)
• Slumdog Millionaire: Good. Glad it won. I haven't seen all of the movies, but Slumdog was easily my favorite of the ones I have seen.
• Benjamin Button: Not particularly good. In fact, pretty mediocre. Glad it didn't win much.
• Milk/Sean Penn: Great movie. Excellent performance- he really nailed Harvey's characteristics. Oops, didn't thank the wife and kids...
• WallE/Pixar: Won the well deserved Animation Oscar. I touched the Oscar today at Pixar. Awesome. We lost the Post categories which is unfortunate but predictable- few people understand how much work/talent it takes to create an entire soundtrack (and in this case an entire cast of characters) from scratch.
• TiVo+Oscars=Genius: Seriously, I don't think I'll ever watch again without the ability to skip the boring stuff.
• New format: In general, I liked it. The whole program seemed snappier and more to the point. The idea of going through the awards in the Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production categories worked pretty well for me.
• The actors/actresses giving laudatory blurbs about the actor/actress nominees: Touching at best, awkward at worst, in general worked well except for being a little bit long. The actors certainly seemed to appreciate it, although lord knows they don't need their egos stroked any more.
• Funniest parts: Steve Martin/Tina Fey. The cinematographer telling someone to suck it (or something similar) and then apologizing immediately.
• Hugh Jackman: At first I was like, "why?" But he ended up being pretty good and generally did what the host should do- stay out of the way. He was funnier then I expected him to be, and his opening number was good. If you're not going to have a John Stewart or a Letterman do the hosting, someone like Jackman is fine.
• Hotness: Beyonce, Angelina Jolie, Frieda Pinto (woman from Slumdog Millionaire), and (surprisingly, for me) Natalie Portman.
• Notness: Goldie Hawn, Jack Black, Tilda Swinton, Mickey Rourke, Kate Winslett (I know everyone else loves her)
• Slumdog Millionaire: Good. Glad it won. I haven't seen all of the movies, but Slumdog was easily my favorite of the ones I have seen.
• Benjamin Button: Not particularly good. In fact, pretty mediocre. Glad it didn't win much.
• Milk/Sean Penn: Great movie. Excellent performance- he really nailed Harvey's characteristics. Oops, didn't thank the wife and kids...
• WallE/Pixar: Won the well deserved Animation Oscar. I touched the Oscar today at Pixar. Awesome. We lost the Post categories which is unfortunate but predictable- few people understand how much work/talent it takes to create an entire soundtrack (and in this case an entire cast of characters) from scratch.
Pot Roast
On Saturday, I made a Beer Braised Pot Roast with some friends. Currently, slow cooking is my favorite way to prepare meat. Really leads to unparalleled tenderness and delicious flavors. The problem is that you often need a whole day to do it. We used a recipe from the Food Network, without any real additions. Actually, we threw the bacon back into the sauce while the meat was braising because the recipe doesn't specify what to do with it and we figured it certainly couldn't hurt. We didn't use the mushrooms because a couple of us don't eat mushrooms.
The meat paired REALLY well with the polenta described in the same recipe. The creaminess of the polenta complimented the braising liquid nicely and also created a nice surface to hold the shredded meat and sauce. I'd like to try this again with a darker beer- we used High Life because that's what we had on hand. I might also try it without the tomato- just to see if more of the meat/beer flavors come out when there's less acid.
All in all, a hearty meal that's pretty easy to prepare aside from the long roasting time. I'd make it again for sure.
The meat paired REALLY well with the polenta described in the same recipe. The creaminess of the polenta complimented the braising liquid nicely and also created a nice surface to hold the shredded meat and sauce. I'd like to try this again with a darker beer- we used High Life because that's what we had on hand. I might also try it without the tomato- just to see if more of the meat/beer flavors come out when there's less acid.
All in all, a hearty meal that's pretty easy to prepare aside from the long roasting time. I'd make it again for sure.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
Let me give you the elevator pitch of a movie premise:
A shy dude buys a sex doll on the internet but doesn't use it for sex. Instead, he talks to the doll ("Bianca") as if it was real and somehow gets his whole small town to play along. And, oh yeah, its not a comedy. It's totally serious. Bam.
There you have it, the plot of Lars and the Real Girl in a nutshell. Somehow, the movie still got made. Maybe they had a better pitch. For the movie to really work, the filmmakers need you (the viewer) to buy it. To buy that this poor shy man (Lars) in a small town somewhere in the north orders a doll online and really believes its a real person. To buy that the whole town cares so much about Lars that they play along with his "delusion" and incorporate Bianca (aka the doll) into their lives.
I didn't buy it. Maybe I'm a cynic. There was some great acting- Ryan Gosling was really good at expressing his character's inner turmoils non-verbally. Emily Mortimer's character exuded concern for Lars. The movie was enjoyable simply because I could watch Ryan Gosling's acting. However, I couldn't fully buy the town's complicity. I couldn't believe a doctor/therapist would tell everyone to play along with Lars' delusions and they would actually do it. It was just a little extreme- the townsfolk went beyond simply supporting Lars in his weirdness- they actually spent time and money on the sex doll themselves. Why? Ostensibly because they care so much about Lars.
In the end, it didn't ring true to me that a large group of people (we're talking a whole TOWN here) would make that kind of strange sacrifice for one, maladjusted (and definitely mentally troubled) introvert. I mean sure, I care about Lars too- I want him to be normal and happy. But I wouldn't take his doll with me to work or get her haircut. So I guess I'm a cynic and a terrible, heartless person. But then again, sex dolls don't have hearts either.
A shy dude buys a sex doll on the internet but doesn't use it for sex. Instead, he talks to the doll ("Bianca") as if it was real and somehow gets his whole small town to play along. And, oh yeah, its not a comedy. It's totally serious. Bam.
There you have it, the plot of Lars and the Real Girl in a nutshell. Somehow, the movie still got made. Maybe they had a better pitch. For the movie to really work, the filmmakers need you (the viewer) to buy it. To buy that this poor shy man (Lars) in a small town somewhere in the north orders a doll online and really believes its a real person. To buy that the whole town cares so much about Lars that they play along with his "delusion" and incorporate Bianca (aka the doll) into their lives.
I didn't buy it. Maybe I'm a cynic. There was some great acting- Ryan Gosling was really good at expressing his character's inner turmoils non-verbally. Emily Mortimer's character exuded concern for Lars. The movie was enjoyable simply because I could watch Ryan Gosling's acting. However, I couldn't fully buy the town's complicity. I couldn't believe a doctor/therapist would tell everyone to play along with Lars' delusions and they would actually do it. It was just a little extreme- the townsfolk went beyond simply supporting Lars in his weirdness- they actually spent time and money on the sex doll themselves. Why? Ostensibly because they care so much about Lars.
In the end, it didn't ring true to me that a large group of people (we're talking a whole TOWN here) would make that kind of strange sacrifice for one, maladjusted (and definitely mentally troubled) introvert. I mean sure, I care about Lars too- I want him to be normal and happy. But I wouldn't take his doll with me to work or get her haircut. So I guess I'm a cynic and a terrible, heartless person. But then again, sex dolls don't have hearts either.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Trilogy Meter
Someone posted this at work today, and since I haven't watched any movies to talk about, I think I'll comment on this.
The first glaring problem I see is under Indiana Jones. Temple of Doom (#2, for those who don't know) should really not be included on any lists ever. It just sucks. But since you need three movies to make a trilogy, and lord knows Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is even worse than Temple of Doom, I'm willing to reconcile with its existence at all on this chart. That said, it is certainly significantly worse than Last Crusade. Like maybe all the way down ala Godfather 3.
Next big problem I have is with the Lord of the Rings rankings. I think all three rankings should be a little higher, with Return of the King being the highest by a small margin. This is probably the best trilogy on this list by a pretty decent margin and I would like to see that reflected.
I agree that The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2) was the best of the three. I think I like Mad Max (the original) more than Beyond Thunderdome. Or at least the same.
Back to the Future 2 is clearly better than Back to the Future 3. I mean, hover skateboards. 'nuff said. Terminator 1 is a lot closer to Terminator 2. Terminator 2 did have cool metal-melting-man action, but Terminator 1 was scarier in some ways cause it didn't rely on FX as heavily. I always like that.
Finally, there's the Alien Trilogy. Really, its tremendously difficult to put Alien and Aliens on the same list. They're completely different genres with little in common aside from some crossover characters. Alien is a horror movie- an old fashioned monster-based horror movie that's scary because you don't see the monster too much and never know when its going to strike. Its dark, wet, full of flashing lights, and relatively light on the gun play. Its paced more slowly so tension builds and you never know when the monster will pop out. Its probably among the scariest movies I've ever seen, especially on the big screen [NOTE: The scariest movie I've ever seen is probably Event Horizon, but that's a story for a different time]. Aliens, while still retaining some horror elements, is really an action movie. Its shooting, gore, tanks, and wow factor visuals. It's fast paced, non-stop action. It ends with a fight between an alien and a person in an exoskeleton robot suit.
Both are good movies in their respective genres, but Alien is more special and unique, and therefore should be rated higher in a side by side comparison.
Finally, there are a few of these that I haven't seen all three of. Most of them, I probably won't:
Star Trek, Superman, Jurassic Park (there's a third one?), Spiderman, Jaws (see Jurassic Park comment), Planet of the Apes, Rambo (I might see the third one some day).
And yes, I am quite upset that the American Pie trilogy is not on this list.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Last Picture Show (1971)
One of Peter Bogdanovich's first films, The Last Picture Show had been on my list of movies I should see for quite a while. A rainy Sunday evening with the movie streaming straight to my TiVo from Netflix proved a perfect excuse to check it off.
An interesting film, in general, although my initial feeling was that it was a little bit slow. After thinking about it a little more, I've come to appreciate some of the more subtle elements of the film. The movie was made in the early 70s, but generally reads as if it was shot in the 50s- contemporary to the action in the plot. Without getting too meta, the semi-old fashioned style of the movie helps highlight the themes of a changing America. The small town in Texas (can't remember the name, but it's like Abilene) is slowly dying as more of its population go to the larger cities for work. Bogdanovich uses a dying (or at least aging) filmic style to capture the slow decay of small town, 50s style America. And its all encapsulated nicely in the metaphor of the closing of the town's "picture house" - how meta can you get.
I liked the way that the main characters coming of age stories mirror the coming of age of the small town and in many ways the coming of age of America. I liked the way Bogdanovich referred to film history to support the theme of the film, and place the audience in the right frame.
This movie lost out to The French Connection for best picture that year. I understand why- The French Connection was certainly flashier and probably more innovative cinematically, and probably felt more timely to the early 70s audience. The Last Picture Show, however, is successful as a "period piece" of sorts, doing a solid job of capturing the America of the 50s.
An interesting film, in general, although my initial feeling was that it was a little bit slow. After thinking about it a little more, I've come to appreciate some of the more subtle elements of the film. The movie was made in the early 70s, but generally reads as if it was shot in the 50s- contemporary to the action in the plot. Without getting too meta, the semi-old fashioned style of the movie helps highlight the themes of a changing America. The small town in Texas (can't remember the name, but it's like Abilene) is slowly dying as more of its population go to the larger cities for work. Bogdanovich uses a dying (or at least aging) filmic style to capture the slow decay of small town, 50s style America. And its all encapsulated nicely in the metaphor of the closing of the town's "picture house" - how meta can you get.
I liked the way that the main characters coming of age stories mirror the coming of age of the small town and in many ways the coming of age of America. I liked the way Bogdanovich referred to film history to support the theme of the film, and place the audience in the right frame.
This movie lost out to The French Connection for best picture that year. I understand why- The French Connection was certainly flashier and probably more innovative cinematically, and probably felt more timely to the early 70s audience. The Last Picture Show, however, is successful as a "period piece" of sorts, doing a solid job of capturing the America of the 50s.
He's Just Not That Into You (2009)
Let me start this by saying that I'm not traditionally a fan of Romantic Comedies, Rom-Coms, or chick flicks. There are some that I've liked, but if I had to make a generalization about Romantic Comedies and Me, it would be that I hate them. Ok, hate is a strong word. But if I had to choose a category of movie that I would least like to watch, it would be French New Wave (yes, I know, film major blasphemy), followed closely by Romantic Comedies.
Julia, however, loves them. With that as the major deciding factor, combined with the facts that this movie appeared to mimic the only recent romantic comedy I actually enjoyed (Love Actually), it was Valentine's Day, and it was rainy-ish, we headed over to the theater-formerly-known-as-the-Kabuki (ok, its still called the Kabuki but it bares little resemblance to the original theater since Sundance took it over).
As I mentioned, there were things about this movie that made me think it might be similar to Love Actually, which I liked. The structure of Love Actually, with its ensemble cast and interlocking narrativevs worked really well for me- especially because it supported the theme that we are all connected by love. Cheesy? Certainly. But in Love Actually it was done well. Plus, everyone had British accents, which certainly didn't hurt the movie.
He's Just Not That Into You (HJNTIY) struck me as a feeble attempt to bottle the same kind of emotion. Except they kind of missed the memo about the interlocking narratives working well because they shared an overarching and universal theme. The result was a bunch of vignettes featuring characters that I didn't really care about, connected less through universal shared experiences than through chance and happenstance. The filmmakers tried to tie things together with semi-random "true life" pieces where they "interviewed" people on the street about various semi-love related topics. Sort of When Harry Met Sally but less charming and even more random.
There were a couple laughs- the only one I remember is at the very beginning of the movie when a little boy shoves a little girl on the playground and tells her she smells like poo. THAT was funny.
Julia, however, loves them. With that as the major deciding factor, combined with the facts that this movie appeared to mimic the only recent romantic comedy I actually enjoyed (Love Actually), it was Valentine's Day, and it was rainy-ish, we headed over to the theater-formerly-known-as-the-Kabuki (ok, its still called the Kabuki but it bares little resemblance to the original theater since Sundance took it over).
As I mentioned, there were things about this movie that made me think it might be similar to Love Actually, which I liked. The structure of Love Actually, with its ensemble cast and interlocking narrativevs worked really well for me- especially because it supported the theme that we are all connected by love. Cheesy? Certainly. But in Love Actually it was done well. Plus, everyone had British accents, which certainly didn't hurt the movie.
He's Just Not That Into You (HJNTIY) struck me as a feeble attempt to bottle the same kind of emotion. Except they kind of missed the memo about the interlocking narratives working well because they shared an overarching and universal theme. The result was a bunch of vignettes featuring characters that I didn't really care about, connected less through universal shared experiences than through chance and happenstance. The filmmakers tried to tie things together with semi-random "true life" pieces where they "interviewed" people on the street about various semi-love related topics. Sort of When Harry Met Sally but less charming and even more random.
There were a couple laughs- the only one I remember is at the very beginning of the movie when a little boy shoves a little girl on the playground and tells her she smells like poo. THAT was funny.
Valentine's Day Dining Part 2
What's says romance more than Valentine's Day dinner at a greasy neighborhood Chinese restaurant? Like earlier in the morning, we found ourselves hungry and without dinner plans following out less-than-stellar movie going experience (post to follow). Many restaurants get all crazy around Valentine's Day, so we were thinking somewhere decidedly un-fancy and somewhere close to home.
San Tung, our favorite Chinese restaurant was the first thing that popped into our heads. In retrospect, I wonder if it had something to do with Chinese food being a natural choice for holidays that I don't really celebrate (see: Christmas). At the time, it just sounded so good, and we hadn't been in a while. In fact, paralleling our breakfast experience the only real problem with San Tung is that it usually has a sizable wait, made even more stressful by the fact that the waiting list is a patron-maintained white board. That means that you have to be a little vigilant or names magically start appearing above yours...
At any rate, the fact that we keep going back and waiting should attest to the fact that the food is generally quite good. Or to the fact that they put crack in their chicken. Ok, not really. But Julia has taken to calling our favorite dish, "Crack Chicken." On the menu, however, you'll find it under "Dry Fried Chicken," with the options to have it served diced or on the bone, and dry or wet. We always go dry friend chicken diced dry. Even ordered dry, its quite saucy. I think we ordered it wet once, and it was just REALLY saucy. Most people, especially the Asian patrons, seem to order it on the bone, so maybe we're doing something wrong. But that just seems like a recipe for sticky fingers. So I'm sticking with diced.
Unfortunately, there was something (maybe the crack?) missing from the dish on Saturday night. It wasn't quite as spicy/sweet/smoky as usual. We both noticed. It was still GOOD, but not irresistably so.
Other things we order regularly and like:
Steamed dumplings
Garlic String Beans
Hot and Sour Soup
Chow Mein with homemade noodles
Spicy Chili Pork (can't remember exactly what it's called)
San Tung, our favorite Chinese restaurant was the first thing that popped into our heads. In retrospect, I wonder if it had something to do with Chinese food being a natural choice for holidays that I don't really celebrate (see: Christmas). At the time, it just sounded so good, and we hadn't been in a while. In fact, paralleling our breakfast experience the only real problem with San Tung is that it usually has a sizable wait, made even more stressful by the fact that the waiting list is a patron-maintained white board. That means that you have to be a little vigilant or names magically start appearing above yours...
At any rate, the fact that we keep going back and waiting should attest to the fact that the food is generally quite good. Or to the fact that they put crack in their chicken. Ok, not really. But Julia has taken to calling our favorite dish, "Crack Chicken." On the menu, however, you'll find it under "Dry Fried Chicken," with the options to have it served diced or on the bone, and dry or wet. We always go dry friend chicken diced dry. Even ordered dry, its quite saucy. I think we ordered it wet once, and it was just REALLY saucy. Most people, especially the Asian patrons, seem to order it on the bone, so maybe we're doing something wrong. But that just seems like a recipe for sticky fingers. So I'm sticking with diced.
Unfortunately, there was something (maybe the crack?) missing from the dish on Saturday night. It wasn't quite as spicy/sweet/smoky as usual. We both noticed. It was still GOOD, but not irresistably so.
Other things we order regularly and like:
Steamed dumplings
Garlic String Beans
Hot and Sour Soup
Chow Mein with homemade noodles
Spicy Chili Pork (can't remember exactly what it's called)
Valentine's Day Dining Part 1
Because neither of us are into paying lots of money for fancy food on Valentine's day, we didn't make special dinner reservations. We did, however, partake in an excellent culinary combo pack.
Started the day at Ella's for breakfast. It was sort of an impromptu decision- we wanted breakfast, we wanted it quickly, and we didn't want to go to far to get it. Oh yes, the final criteria was decent fresh fruit for Miss Julia. It wasn't until we were actually in the car driving to the place we'd chosen that we did an about face and ended up heading to Ella's. That's probably because Ella's usually has a wait, and we were hungry after a late night Friday.
That said, once we got there and began our wait, I instantly knew we'd made a good decision. I hadn't been in a bit, and I had almost forgotten how much I like the Chicken Hash:
I didn't take the photo, and it's not a fabulous representation, but man, is it good. I also had the foresight to replace the toast in the photo above with one of their fresh backed biscuits. Yum Yum Yum. What made it even better is that I haven't been eating eggs that much recently, so this was a special treat.
Julia's Orange pancakes with pear sauce were pretty good too. I think she forgot about the fresh fruit requirement when she saw that option on the menu.
Delicious food, a great start to Valentine's day- worth the wait, even though our table was a little drafty. Not an every-weekend spot because of the waits and relatively high prices, but worth a visit once in a while for a treat. And by "treat," I mean chicken hash.
Started the day at Ella's for breakfast. It was sort of an impromptu decision- we wanted breakfast, we wanted it quickly, and we didn't want to go to far to get it. Oh yes, the final criteria was decent fresh fruit for Miss Julia. It wasn't until we were actually in the car driving to the place we'd chosen that we did an about face and ended up heading to Ella's. That's probably because Ella's usually has a wait, and we were hungry after a late night Friday.
That said, once we got there and began our wait, I instantly knew we'd made a good decision. I hadn't been in a bit, and I had almost forgotten how much I like the Chicken Hash:
I didn't take the photo, and it's not a fabulous representation, but man, is it good. I also had the foresight to replace the toast in the photo above with one of their fresh backed biscuits. Yum Yum Yum. What made it even better is that I haven't been eating eggs that much recently, so this was a special treat.Julia's Orange pancakes with pear sauce were pretty good too. I think she forgot about the fresh fruit requirement when she saw that option on the menu.
Delicious food, a great start to Valentine's day- worth the wait, even though our table was a little drafty. Not an every-weekend spot because of the waits and relatively high prices, but worth a visit once in a while for a treat. And by "treat," I mean chicken hash.
The Point
I started this blog mostly as a memory aid. I wanted to start a pseudo journal about some of the things I enjoy: eating (that includes eating, drinking, and cooking), reading (even though I don't do it enough), and watching movies. There are other things I enjoy in life, but these are the things that I find myself wanting to remember and refer to. So we'll give this a go and see how it turns out.
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