Dinner and a Movie

All Wheeldon proves to be All Genius

2011-09-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

Pacific Northwest Ballet Presents:

All
Christopher
Wheeldon

Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Artistic Director: Peter Boal

Sept 23-Oct 2, 2011
McCaw Hall
Seattle, WA.

Pacific Northwest Ballet comes out of the gates for its 2011-2012 season like a prize winning show horse with these amazing series of works from England born dancer turned choreographer Christopher Wheeldon.

The PNB dancers were like refined tools working with Wheeldon's fluid, emotional and mesmerizing choreography. Here are my thoughts on all 4 pieces. We had two friends attending with us that night, one was a virgin to ballets, so this was his first impression and the other had only been to a handful. I will pepper in their opinions as well, because first impressions are important to me.

Carousel (A Dance) was the first up. Principle dancers Seth Orza and Carla Korbes carried this piece and Korbes made it hard to take your eyes off her. The romantic love story between the two was easy for even amateur patrons to feel. 30 some rows back, we could hear Korbes small gasps during the back and forth between the two lovers. Orza, who seems leaner and slimmed down this year (which I saw as a good thing, makes him seem softer), was tender, careful and thoughtful in every movement, I got goosebumps every time he gently grabbed Korbes by her small waist. Their chemistry wasn't electric, but I don't think that's what Wheeldon wanted. It was sweet, soft and cherishing. Honestly its difficult for me to comment on the other dancers, as my eyes followed those two the entire time. My friend who had only been to a few ballets in the past said "This piece was visually so happy and lovely and Korbes was so lovely, she made it seem effortless!".

After the Rain pas de deux with Principle dancers Maria Chapman and Karel Cruz. One word. Unbelievable. A single violin, heart stopping silences between the notes and a breathtaking union on stage. In my few years as a PNB patron and fan, I have been rather indifferent about Chapman, initially because she was out with an injury for an entire season, and upon her return, her roles were few and far between - so getting a taste of her true talent wasn't easy.

She has won me over. Her slim and stacked facility in the nude leotard costume, and amazing arches, made for a beautiful sight. The strong, chiseled arms of Cruz were a perfect match for her, as he seemed to effortlessly partner her with fluidity and grace - he was able to convey power in the silences that was almost deafening and was gentle but present with the small cut body of Chapman. There was a point of the dance where I couldn't tell where Chapman ended and Cruz began, they were so seamless. Overall my favorite piece of the night - it showed not only brilliance on the part of the Wheeldon, but also the caliber of artistry in the seasoned dancers at PNB under Boals direction. My friend new to the ballet said "This one was my favorite, the violins were perfect and the dancers showed SO much control and athleticism, it was unreal.".

Polyphonia was the piece we all agreed was the least enjoyed, mainly the music made it difficult to focus, but a few of the Principle dancers in the piece, Carla Korbes, Kaori Nakamura, the newly promoted Rachel Foster, and Lucien Postlewaite.

The maturity and fluidity of these dancers made them easily outshine the rest. I wish the solo's in this piece would have showcased more of Postlewaite, Nakamura and Korbes - who I feel add more emotion and feeling in their upper body work of dance than the others in this piece.

The final piece of the night, Variations Serieuses - was the only piece I had seen before. Several years back, PNB performed this as a part of a series called Laugh Out Loud. It stuck with me over the years as I have always remembered it. This time didn't disappoint. It is a comedy and almost a parody of the dance world. With exaggerated depictions of characters everyone in the dance community sees on a daily bases - the piano accompanist, the ballet master, the "diva", the male "lead" and the diamond in the rough/cinderella type dancer.

The entire group did this piece justice. Boal/Wheeldon picked the best dancers for the acting parts in this piece. I have always personally thought that there are several PNB dancers that are rather emotion-less when they dance, so I was happy the ones with the acting rolls, could actually act. Major applause for Laura Gilbreath as the "diva prima ballerina" as she showed fuming rage and total devastation brilliantly. Jonathan Porretta was hilarious as the Ballet Master, Seth Orza was funny as the Premier Danseur - however I wonder how much of that was type cast ;) and last but certainly not least, I LOVED Lindsi Dec as the Stage Manager, she ALMOST stole the show in my opinion.

This show has me more than ready to see what Boal and his company has in store for the rest of the season. You have one more weekend to go and see All Wheeldon - get your tickets at http://www.pnb.org/.

Review - **** brilliant piece of work!!

How to Die in Oregon - a Masterpiece about our quality of Life and Death and the Human condition

2011-09-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

How to Die in Oregon
HBO Documentary
2011
Director: Peter Richardson

In the opening scene of this documentary, before we even see the title of the movie -we are made part of a home movie. Your first impression is that we are witnessing a birthday party. Then a tear, an awkward silence and a sad farewell and expression of love to his family, Roger Sagner drinks a lethal potion to end his life, made available to him by Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Before the title even rolls, I am weeping.

The movie follows a number of people, going through terminal and painful diseases - but the focus is on Cody Curtis, a 54 year old married mother of 2, struggling through the final years of liver cancer.

Cody is a gorgeous, silver-haired woman with a bright smile and an amazing family. We meet her as she has set her "date" to die, and we see her daily struggles with this decision. Some days happy to have a time to know when the pain will be over, and rest will be infinite - but some good days where she gardens without pain, makes meals for her family and enjoys priceless time with her children. Those moments she breaks down and wants to cancel her "date" and for a second, thinks because she is feeling better, maybe a miracle has happened, maybe the cancer is gone....

I found Cody not only beautiful and courageous, but also graceful and thoughtful, as she wanted to plan each goodbye special for each loved one, and wanted to make her last hours perfect. She spent time cooking with her son "T", going through her jewelry with her daughter, even going through clothes with close girlfriends.

The relationship that was the most touching to me however was that of Cody and her doctor, Katherine Morris. Dr. Morris was such a sweet, kind and understanding doctor who worked with Cody up until her chosen death and cared for her every need. She explained the difficulties and pains she would have on her way through the process. She was informative but also supportive and nurturing, during what was arguably one of the toughest fights for life I have ever witnessed.

Following her painful decline had an intimate and sweet side to it. I can't imagine the pain this family had to go through, and adding in the cameras and invasive project - I felt at times I was intruding on something very private. Her final chosen death date was handled beautifully I thought. Lovingly, quiet and extremely respectful. If you have any heart whatsoever, it made you realize the humane nature of this choice and why people would choose to take this road to salvage their dignity and whatever quality of life they have left.

The flip side to this issue is also explored. We meet a woman from Washington, who's husband struggled with brain cancer and the Physician assisted Suicide law was not passed here the year she needed it. The movie follows her husbands horribly painful descent and openly displays his severe suffering. Unable to move to Oregon, because you must be a resident for a specific amount of time order to qualify under the law - an amount of time that her husband did not have. The heartache that you feel for this woman and her poor suffering husband, is just horrible.

In the end, besides finding myself weeping and wanting to contact all of my family and friends affect with or by Cancer - the movie also made me want to be part of the fight for this law. To help convince people the importance of this choice and the affect it has on peoples affected and their families. You will never again look at terminal illness the same.

I applaud the families who had the courage and strength to put their life and death on film to help educate the world. I applaud the writers/producers and staff who had such great respect and care when preparing this subject for the worth. They found the perfect balance to both touch the heart, educate the mind and make us want to work for change.

***** = 5 stars - excellent movie that everyone should see

**I dedicate this review to two special friends, 2 sisters - who's dear mother is going through stage 4/5 cancer in 4 parts of her body. You are amazingly strong warriors and your mother is an amazing soul to withstand all she has up to this point. We love you guys so very much.**

Tuscano's - Thats a Margherita Pizza???

2011-09-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Tuscano's Italian Kitchen

(360) 805-5453
Monroe
14919 North Kelsey St
Monroe, WA 98272
www.tuscanositalian.com

Living in Monroe - good restaurants are in short supply - so anytime a new place opens, we are not only thrilled but we PRAY that its atleast decent.

This time around, my prayers were not answered. In general, it is my rule to not go to Italian restaurants that either I don't know the name or that I havent heard atlest one family members advice from. On the other hand, I feel the need to direct people to GOOD and Authentic Italian food and would hate for anyone to waste their time and money on something that isnt worth either.

If you follow my blog - you know that I rarely (if ever) write bad reviews, but that I do tell the truth. This review is to inform and to also hopefully educate the restaurants owners and possibly have them make changes toward bettering their establishment.

The decor, menu variety, the staff, all of the topical elements of the restaurant were top notch. I was impressed and hoping it followed through. Even the bread and dipping sauce we were served when seated was above average. Good start!

It went down hill horribly from there.

Our daughter ordered a small pepperoni pizza. Over done, a layer of grease and way overly seasoned crust. We ordered a Margherita pizza and the Tuscanos trio, which was a small selection of Lasagna, sausage filled Canneloni and "jumbo" ravioli.

When the Margherita pizza came, I thought they had the wrong table. I even said "You must have the wrong table." What we got was not a Margherita in ANY country. It was a plan cooked pizza dough, with melted mozz cheese and cold tomatoes sliced on top. No basil. No sauce. No fresh Mozz melted in chunks. It was the most pitiful attempt at a pizza I have seen.

The Tuscano's trio was three times bad. The worse part was, ALL THREE had amazing potential. As an Italian AND a cook - I could break down the ingredients and could tell time was put into each dish and even the sauces. The biggest issue is when they were made and how long they were sitting under or in heat. Mushy pasta of any kind is hard to stomach unless you enjoy babyfood.

It seems as if large trays of Lasagna, Canaloni and Raviolis (I'm sorry they were NOT Jumbo, but rather normal size. Check out Costco's jumbo ravioli if you want to see jumbo) - it seems as if these are all made, cooked perfectly at the beginning of the day or the night before, then continuously warmed up during the day and or put under heat all day.

There are so many simple things that can be done to make pastas and meals such as these "aldente" and it dosent take much research to figure out what a Margherita pizza consists of.

Rating: * - 1 star, not real Italian food

Belgium Phenom creates 3 Seasons, 3 Monsters & shows its Not About the Money - All on a 'Whim

2011-06-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

You can no longer use the words "growing" or "burgeoning" when describing Seattle's dance community. We can now use words like grown, impressive, diverse, mature and can now stand next to the heavy hitters of the country like NYC, San Fran, Atlanta and Chicago.

At the forefront of this Seattle movement, is Belgium choreographer and former PNB Principle dancer - Olivier Wevers. Just freshly retired from Pacific Northwest Ballet, Wevers is focusing all of his efforts on his Whim. Whim W'him - his company - now in its second year, has gathered incredible acclaim, grants, prizes and recognition in its second year.

June 24-25 - Wevers presents ReSet - a combination of 3 masterpieces in their own right.

Monsters, back by not only popular demand, but also repeated requests - is the spoken word/dance fusion featuring the haunting, descriptive and emotional words of RA Scion from the Seattle hiphop group Common Market, paired with Oliviers heart wrenching choreography telling the story of 3 Monsters. The Monster of Society, which is where homophobia runs rampant - the Monster of Drug Abuse and how it poisons your life and finally the Monster of Abusive Relationships, and how some of us just love the pain. Each piece is haunting, jarring, touching and breathtaking in its own way. Wevers is brilliant with his ability to contort the body and express what words cannot. Scion's words help paint the picture as the dancers provide the colors and backdrop for 3 stories that will stay with you for days if not weeks.

Here is the trailer for Monster:

3 Seasons is a true reset, first debuting in 2010 - for Whim W'him's premier season, this piece contains some of Seattle's best and brightest talents. With costumes by Michael Cepress that are eccentric, colorful, imaginative and dramatic - Wevers creates a piece that takes the audience on a ride of humor, sadness, anger, attraction and admiration as he brilliantly weaves his unique movements into the amazing talents of his company. This pieces truly builds on the strengths on his dancers and creates an imagery that will have you emotionally exhausted by the end.

Trailer for 3 Seasons:

Finally, the premier piece of the evening, entitles Its Not About the Money is just that, brand new and only a few have set eyes on the final piece. I tried to get a few sneak glances during a few rehearsals but didn't see enough. What I did see was exciting and made me more that eager for this weekends debut.

Reset is THIS Friday and Saturday - the 24th and 25th at the Intiman Theater in Seattle Center. As an added treat - Saturday is Olivier's 40th birthday (he doesn't look at day over 30!)and for a small additional ticket cost, he is inviting all the audience to help with celebrate his special day, immediately after that nights show! There will be music, dancing, cake and TONS of surprises. Come enjoy the evening with Olivier, the Whim W'him dancers and some of the most Fabulous people in Seattle!

I leave you with some images of this weekends show - and urge you NOT to miss it. Not only is Olivier creating and presenting some of the most ground breaking, socially relevant and breathtaking art Seattle has seen in a minutes - but its also Pride weekend and Olivier's work transcends and challenges all labels and society-made boundaries when it comes to love with another soul.

TICKET LINK: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/168121

MUST SEE! RATING: ***** 5 Stars!

Photos by La Vie Photography

Poquitos -a hip and tasty addition to the already hip Hill

2011-04-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

Poquitos

1000 E. Pike St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 453-4216

Open Weekdays 11:30am-2am; Weekends 3pm-2am

It seems I try new restaurants on the fly, with little notice and most of the time I got to celebrate a friends birthday or special event.

This day was no exception. Was told to meet at Poquitos for a friends birthday dinner and was told the location was just across from Neumos...

With a prime corner spot - Poquitos is very pleasing to the eye from the outside. Bustling, hip patrons socializing and smoking out front, as well as people waiting for seats. It was happy hour and the place was packed!

As we were meeting friends, we didn't have to wait and were briskly ushered to our table. Our party was already in the midst of tons of tapas and drinks, as the waitress made her way literally as we sat in our chairs. She was surprisingly calm, witty and engaging for being so busy, so new an establishment and the table #'s growing as she spoke. Being a former waitress, I was impressed. She found out our favorite types of drinks through casual convo and suggested what she thought we would enjoy. Mine was a version of a White Russian, but instead of cream, it was Horchata! SO amazing!

Next it was time for Tapas! Their fried corn (above) was one of my favorites - but also their homemade guacamole and pico was top notch, as we kept asking for refills. With warm salted chips, it was perfect!

As if we had room for main meals - their menu was mouth watering and well priced enough to not even blink. From the simple Black Beans and Rice to the exotic Sweet Potato tacos with caramelized onions and goat cheese - and everything in between, the members of our party were making delectable sounds and enjoyable noises the entire time.

This Chicken Tortilla soup was a HUGE portion, with big chunks of chicken and tons of vegis - my friend who ordered it said it was "totally amazing".

Another note about the atmosphere - there is an outside patio, with radiant heat! It adds so much to the already hip Hill culture! The Bar was standing room only and the variety of spirits shown on the bar was more than impressive. We were perched on a table in the center of the dining section, that was higher than the booths and we sat on stools, so we had a great 360 view of the restaurant. Complete with a to-go window and a partially open kitchen - this place has enough character and bustle to fill a city block!

Enchiladas En Mole - these were one of the most savory versions of this recipe I have ever had. They arrived sizzling in a small cast iron pan and were done just right.

We were more thank pleased with this new hot spot, as it truly delivered the "full package deal" with amazing ambiance, cool hip patrons, stiff but creative and yummy drinks, amazing and acclimated staff and stellar food. When on the Hill - be sure to visit this establishment, and if you are not in the area, it is FOR SURE worth a special trip!

Rating: ***** 5 Stars! Stellar!

I'm Still Here -Under the Joke is saddness

2011-03-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm Still Here

2010 Starring: Joaquin Phoenix

Directed by: Casey Affleck

I like everyone else in the entertainment television watching community was intrigued when I saw Joaquin Phoenix, in all his disheveled glory, announce that he was quitting acting and becoming a rapper. My first thought? Its official. Everyone in the world wants to be a fucking rapper.

The media frenzy began and just after 2 weeks - it leaked to the media that this could all be a plot for media attention - to set up for this mock documentary. So in essence - it was all fake, a rouse...or was it?

The movie follows Joaquin through his new identity, trying to find people to help him with his new music, all the while pacifying his seemingly over zealous eccentric appetites - i.e. drugs, alcohol, hookers...your a-typical Hollywood train wreck story. Almost too typical.

Just when you think you have the movie figured out - and you think Joaquin - or as I knew his name growing up Leaf, the brother of heart throb River - has gotten the best of us all....the mood changes. Right about when he starts to organize meetings with PDiddy aka Puff Daddy aka Diddy Dirty Money. After two tentative meetings via his agent that Diddy blew off, Joaquin finally meets him in Vegas - but not without almost fucking the entire meeting up by getting wasted just before and not getting up in time, and being 2 hours late for their meeting. Diddy, with some coaxing, ending up seeing Phoenix - but not without an initial tongue lashing about wasting his time. After an odd, uncomfortable meeting, Diddy agrees to hear what Joaquin has and says he will work with him if he likes what hears.

Between this and making some club contacts in Vegas - Joaquin has a new found hope - happiness shines through his beard. Preparations begin for his big opening show in Vegas, to premier his new music to the world. He puts everything he has into the planning of this event, (except a stylist it seems). Finally the big night arrives, and Phoenix seems nervous but excited. I wont ruin the movie, but his reception wasn't what he had hoped.

Throughout the movie you see clips from what seems to be an old home movie from when Joaquin was about 10 or 11. The movie concludes with a long emotional trip to visit his father, one of the places most of us find support when we put our heart and soul into something and fail. There, in the jungle of Panama, he was just that 10 year old boy, performing with his siblings for the camera. It was there he could close his eyes and let the world of Hollywood fall away and his father embrace him. There he could accept his defeat, heal his dreams and find himself once again.

My rating **** 4 stars. Under the seeming set up..there is a deeper and darker message, which Casey Affleck nails. Brilliantly sad film.

Monte Cristo MADNESS!!

2011-03-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH

(Various Restaurants)

From Wikipedia:
The sandwich can differ regionally. Regional variations may include sliced turkey along with the ham and cheese. Traditionally, the sandwich is dipped in its entirety in egg batter and fried. In some regions of the United States it is served grilled, and in some regions it is served as an open sandwich with just the bread battered. It can also be served as an open sandwich using french toast as a base, with ham, turkey and Swiss cheese piled and then heated slightly under a broiler.

The sandwich is sometimes served with fresh fruit or with clotted cream on the side, sometimes with fruit preserves, powdered sugar, maple syrup, or sweet mustard sauce instead. Monte Cristos also may be served with a dusting of powdered sugar. In the North Country of New York State, Monte Cristo sandwiches are savory rather than sweet and served with Thousand Island dressing. This variation is often referred to as "Cumberland Head style."

OKAY PEOPLE. HOW on EARTH did I not know that this sandwich exsisted??

I was at dinner with friends for a birthday celebration (holla bday girl Kristen!) and I saw this sandwhich on the menu. I casually asked my friends what it was. They all were flabbergasted that I had never tried it -knowing my love for sweet and savory mix. I was then schooled that this creation had been around since the turn of the century and I have just heard about this NOW!

So I ordered this sandwich, realizing I was taking a huge risk with such a different dish - but I had to do it. I really had no idea what I was in for...

Now this particular version was served with a fruit compote, which I didn't eat. I had at that point, had my heart set on JAM with it (Thanks Rick James) which I was told was the traditional way to eat it. I am glad I did - the jame was the perfect additon.

Let me try to channel Adam Richman from Man vs Food when I describe this sandwich.

It was the perfect mix of melted cheese and warm meat in a semi sweet fried egg batter. The bread wasnt soggy but done perfectly and the jam just adds enough sweet to balance it all out. Its SO SO rich but such an amazing combination of just the right flavors, it made me curse. Then I gave half to my 14 yr old daughter - and she curse. Rightfully so.

***** 5 stars - this sandwich rocked my world!!

Man vs. Food - Its like I'm at Church...

2011-03-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

MAN vs. FOOD
Travel Channel Series

Staring: Adam Richman

"I could eat that!". Something every one of us has said when watching at least one episode of Man vs. Food. If you haven't, either A) you have never seen the show or B) you are an incredibly picky eater with boring eating habits.

Adam Richman is the luckiest man in the world. He has no "special talent", he isn't an expert on fine foods. Hell he isn't even TRYING to be. He is simply a man who enjoys good food, BIG portions and loves celebrating the mom and pop establishments.

If you have never seen the show - this review is for you. Adam's show is based on all the best places in the US to find good, gooey, big, amazing food. And most of the establishments have a huge meal, that is unreal to most and you get a prize for finishing! Adam always rises to the challenge, whether its a 7 layer breaded fish sandwich or a 15 scoop ice cream sundae called the Kitchen Sink! He is MORE than a sport for all types of food. So I guess we could indeed call that a talent.

As an Italian, who was raised with not only a love for food but also a need to express enjoyment while I eat it - this show is truly like church to me. Cooking is a form of worship. I take pride in it and my goal is to make every person happy. Adam is amazing when he eats. He doesn't mind letting grease run down his chin, often uses BBQ sauce as a facial and licking his fingers is a ritual for each episode almost. I almost think there needs to be a meter in which his groans of pleasure and wacky word medleys for what he is tasting can somehow translate into a rating system.

I have often said i could be Adams sister from another mother. I react to food the same way. This is a great show to watch if you plan to travel and want to steer away from the touristy establishments and want to get to the small secrets of each town. The places with changing menus (or no menus at all!), and don't measure their ingredients. Because of this show, I now have a LIST of places to visit in some 10 cities in the US.

They recently did a special series called "The Carnivore Chronicles" that I loved. Being a proud red meat connoisseur, it was a fun series to watch. Sharing the tears when you see that perfect cut of steak, and know its being cooked specially for you. Its very emotional.

Some may say that this show encourages over eating, gorging and obesity. Why yes it does, thanks for that! There are a few things Adam ate for contests that were gross to me and I would bet $100 he went and puked afterward. But that's what makes him a superhero in my eyes. For me its not about gorging on big portions of food. Its about finding the BEST amazing food out there that is affordable to most people - and ENJOYING IT!

The new season coming this fall - me thinks Adam's doc may have put him on a break- he is still hosting, however has asked for videos of people around the US - visiting their favorite local spots. Basically doing what he does. I am sad we will see less of Adam, but excited they are letting the fans get involved. I have a husband who enjoys food more than i do and is from the South - so a video is most definitely in order here!

Watch the show, become and fan, and share in the joy of cooking and eating good food.

Rating: ***** Five stars - anyone who can eat and love so much food is amazing in my book!

Bambino's Pizzeria - A Surprising Delight on a Late rainy night...

2011-03-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

Bambino's Pizzeria

401 Cedar St

Seattle, WA 98121

4th Ave. (Cross Street)

(206) 269-2222

Mon-Fri 11:00AM-2:00PM, 4:00PM-11:00PM

Weekends 4:00PM-11:00PM
$2 all draft beer (microbreweries)

As usual - we were looking for late night food, refusing to fall into the fast food trap. I am always determined to find something new and worth my money. Belltown is a hard area to find something kid friendly at that time of night - so we truly got lucky.

Checking the times on the door - we were pleased to find them still serving. When we walked in - the one cook and one waiter were chatting up front - both greeted us with cheerful smiles and asked us to sit anywhere. As we came in, so did 2 other rather large parties, and the waiter didn't look the lease bit worried.

After taking our drink orders and handing us menus - the waiter cheerfully fluttered between the 3 tables, bringing us our drinks and answering questions with ease. Me - being from an Italian restaurant owning family, am an extra harsh critic with wood fire pizza - so I had lots of questions. He answered each with a smile and assured me of which would be my favorites.

We ordered a 3 pizzas with our favorite toppings and 3 salads. While we waited, our waiter came to our table, asked us if we were drinkers and proceeded to give us drink coupons for their popular happy hour. He proclaimed he doesn't give them to just anyone, and that he thought we were awesome and wanted us to come back. We found him very engaging and genuine. Whenever a waiter will admit to us what on the menu he DOESN'T like, I find that refreshing and usually will go back to that establishment. Honesty is always good when it comes to food.

My pizza had sausage and mushrooms. It was VERY tasty. Homemade sauce, the crust was done perfectly and the cheese was fresh and not too much.

My daughter got pepperoni and couldn't stop raving. Their pepperoni wasn't too spicy, however very flavorful! I liked that the crust was consistent and evenly done like mine. My husband got the Calzone and said it was amazing - tons of meat, sundried tomatoes and cheese. The only thing it lacked was Ricotta cheese. I make my Calzones with Ricotta and so he is used to them. We asked if they had it, but they didn't, so he dealt with it. That would have been the only thing he would have changed.

Here are our salads - they were good sized and VERY hearty. I notice when restaurants make cut backs, thats what gets cut first are their salads. This was not the case here thankfully.

We skipped dessert, the meal was really filling and it was late. The waiter was kind and made us promise to come back. Our experience was on the whole very positive and we will definitely go back for another late night pizza.

My rating: **** 4 stars - VERY good (5 stars if they had Ricotta)

RA Scion Lends his Words to a Whim...

2011-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

RA Scion (of Seattle based hiphop group Common Market and Victor Shade fame) is branching out in Seattle Art- and lending his words to a uncommon artistic medium - Dance.

First meeting PNB Principal dancer and Whim W'him creator and director Olivier Weavers through his daughter's dance school - RA Scion had a respect for the medium and for the newly blossoming company, Whim W'him, that Weavers had created. As one of this months Dance Magazines "25 to watch", the newly born company is gaining recognition amazingly fast. It wasn't until one afternoon over coffee, that a possible collaboration between the Music/Hiphop scene and the Modern/Ballet stylings of Weavers dance company, Whim W'him was discussed and deemed possible.

Weavers company has just been named the Intiman Theaters in-house dance company when Scion and Weavers began discussing a collaboration. Weavers said he is thrilled to be opening their 2nd season entitled "Shadows, Raincoats and Monsters" at the historic Intiman. The show opens this weekend and runs just 3 days, January 14, 15 and 16th. This collaboration, both Olivier and RA Scion hope - will create cross interest in the dance and music communities. Seattle has a very distinct music fan as well as a very seasoned dance supporter - and it is rare you will find one person a supporter of both.

RA Scion has written spoken word poetry as intros to the three part Monsters piece - choreographed by Weavers. The piece exposes the Monsters that lurk in us all - each of them different - these are just 3 examples of Monsters that can take over our lives. The first Monster, Society, explores the monster of Homophobia and how two lovers have to hide who they are, and put on a different persona in public, in order to please society. RA Scion wrote stirring pieces to this and the other two Monsters, Addiction and Abusive Relationships - that bring the dance medium up to the understanding of the new audience, who may not be seasoned in watching dance and understanding the story behind the movements.

The Whim W'him dancers consist of the best and brightest in ballet, modern and contemporary and from various Seattle dance institutions, including PNB, Spectrum and Cornish College. The beautiful lines and intensity of PNB dancers Chalnessa Eames, Andrew Bartee and Lucien Postlewaite, to the raw and unchained energy and intense technique of Donald Byrds Spectrum dancers Ty Cheng, Vincent Lopez and Kylie Lewallen - the talent in this company is thick and evident with the first muscle movement. In addition to these names and more - there are amazing guest dancers and choreographers from Amsterdam, Houston and Santa Cruz ballets that lend their amazing facilities and talents to Oliviers vision.

The 1st season sold out with a week of opening night - so get your tickets to see next weekends show before they sell out. RA Scion will be there opening night to celebrate in the collaboration as well. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and can be found at http://www.brownpapertickets.com. Come out and support this exciting new dance company, Whim W'him as well as hear RA Scion's contribution to the production.

Is this the last time we will see RA Scion collaborate with Whim W'him? No likely, RA Scion said he looks forward to integrating Oliviers Choreography in future music and video projects in this new year.

A sneak peek of the Monster of Society (Homophobia):

Delightfull Drosselmeyer, Flawless Flora, Priceless Peacock and the Captivating Clara - PNB's Nutcracker sets the bar at the horizon....

2010-11-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

"Delightful Drosselmeier, Flawless Flora, Priceless Peacock and the Captivating Clara - PNB's Nutcracker sets the bar at the horizon..."

Pacific Northwest Ballet's

Nutcracker

Choreography: Kent Stowell
Sets & Costumes: Maurice Sendak
November 26th - December 27th
Tickets: http://www.pnb.org/

The Northwest has several things during the holiday season that people flock to see. Our wonderfully lit Space Needle and Seattle Center, the our snow capped mountains that can be seen clearly on a gorgeous day, and amazing downtown Christmas Tree and Ice Skating rink - and - one of the most unique and magical productions of the Nutcracker in the United States. Previous director, Kent Stowell in collaboration with "Where the Wild Things Are" illustrator Maurice Sendak created a production that has become, throughout the years, a tradition in the majority of the households in the Northwest. Kids receive tickets under the tree as gifts, families get dressed in their best and make it a holiday family event together.

As a proud Northwesterner, I can say I have been going to see PNB's nutcracker since I was a young child - so off and on for 30 years. However I must admit I didn't truly appreciate the magnitude and magic of it all until my daughter started attending the school and became part of the production last year. Now, spending the majority of my life in the halls of the PNB School - we have the honor of watching the company dancers practicing for upcoming shows etc - and in time, we get to know them by name, and have created favorites.

Our family tradition, though rather new - is to see our daughters opening night - still full from Thanksgiving dinner - with my visiting in-laws from Florida. We make it their Christmas presents for the year (as GOOD seats are pricey but very worth it). The company cast isn't announced until the week before opening weekend, so its really luck of the draw as to who you have performing the night you see it. Overall - Peter Boal has a lovely and extremely talented group of company performers, so whoever you see, you are sure to get a good show.

Now -- that being said -- I am CONVINCED - we saw one of the best casts I have ever seen - perform together this past Saturday night.

From the prologue - and Uncle Drosselmeier, all the way to Flora and almost every character in between - it was sincerely a magical work of art and proof that the story can touch every age and every heart.

I have seen countless Drosselmeier's in my time - even the artistic director Peter Boal has played him - and no one has played the character quite like PNB Principle dancer and Whim W'him company creator Olivier Weavers. Often seen as the "pot stirrer" of the show, this character, I feel is very important and a huge part of if the audience understands the story or not. Weavers eccentric and excellently animated the roll of the creepy and mysterious Uncle to Clara.

He hilariously bounced around with the same agility and excitement as the children in the scene with him - often times catching them off guard, making for a naturally wonderful response from the children. I found myself finally understanding the dynamic between Drosselmeier and Clara and how his conniving makes what is the essence of the story. I credit this all to Weavers brilliant performance.

Clara - the part every girl dreams of being as a child...was danced breathtakingly by PNB Principle dancer Carla Korbes. Her technique flowed like water and she played the part with every inch of her being. Her Prince - PNB Principle dancer Batkhurel Bold was the epitome of testosterone and strength and was an amazing support for the countless lifts of Korbes - high enough to make little girls in the audience gasp. Unfortunately, like most Prince/Princess pairings, the sparkly princess gets more of the attention - and Carla easily steals the show when they share the stage. Her effortless develope up to her ear, flawless ponche's and ridiculously high and perfect grand jete's - had my grandmother, a ballet mega-fan and aficionado yelling "Brava!!" after each combination.

The children consist of over half of the cast, ranging from party girls and boys, battle attendants, mice, and servants. Arguably the best dance part for ages 17 and under is the part of Chinese girls. The part is for 4 girls, on pointe, and each holding a ribbon helping contain the Chinese Tiger - that looks wonderfully like one of the monsters one of Sendak's books.

The girls, dressed in vibrantly colored costumes have quite a fun but difficult looking dance, considering their ages. This time is was fun to watch because we knew the dancers and because the dancing was so light, fun and well done - the girls made it seem effortless and were beaming on stage. It was tons of fun to watch.

One of the most popular pieces and characters of the show is the Peacock. This part was hard for me to warm up to at first - as I was a fan of the classic tale - which instead of a Peacock was "Arabian Coffee". I was not won over until I saw this role danced last year - by PNB Soloist, Lindsi Dec. We were lucky enough to see her dance it again this night. She embodied the persona of the Peacock and had the perfect attitude, along with the amazing extension of her legs and arms to really transform herself into the character. I looked high and low for a photo of Linsdi in this roll but came up empty handed, but here is a photo of another PNB Dancer in the roll so you can see the costume.

Lastly but certainly not least is Flora - the lead dancer roll in the Flowers section. Flowers is known in my family, after the Snow scene - as one of the easiest parts to be lulled to sleep during. Every dancer I have ever spoken to who has had to dance that lead says its the hardest women's part in the entire show, because of its length and difficulty. We were blessed enough to watch PNB Principle dancer, Carrie Imler as Flora this night and she was beaming and flawless. Her strength is a force to be reckoned with in that company and her technique never waivers. Our entire family talked over dinner after the show, and we all came away with the same thing after her performance - she seemed RADIANT and so happy! Its always amazing watching someone talented do something perfectly and love every minute.

I hate to leave out the other parts - as every piece of the show is memorable in its own way. Act I is full of lovely small solo's as part of Drosselmeiers enchanting magic - the Doll, the Sword Dancer Doll and of course the Masque dancers.

And of course no Nutcracker would be complete without the Snow flakes - who close Act I, so magical, the dancers float as if on air.

Every family's holiday traditions are different, however this production is the type of event I can see all types of families and religious backgrounds making part of their holiday tradition. No matter how long the show has been around, I always meet someone who has never seen it but always wanted to. Peter Boal has pieced together such a strong, diverse and amazing company, that virtually ANY show you see will have wonderful and amazing dancers in it. They say that you are only as strong as your weakest link - and there are over 150 parts in this show. Living, breathing and dancing parts from age 6 all the way up to Grandfather age! Thankfully, Peter Boal has just as high standards for his school aged dancers as his company dancers, because class, maturity and professionalism radiates from everyone in the cast.

No matter who you treat to the Nutcracker this season - daughter, son, sister, brother, parents, grandparents etc -- it is sure to be more than just a treat, it will be an experience they will never forget.

Rating: ***** - Excellent all around!

Men In Dance - La beauté des hommes (The Beauty of Men)

2010-10-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

MEN IN DANCE

8th annual Festival

October 8-10 + 15-17, 2010

I entitled this La beaute des hommes (The Beauty of Men) because it is what this entire performance embodied. Everything you have always loved about Men. Think of every man in your life. Your father, son, brother, uncle, grandfather, best friend, lover....these pieces show us every side of Men we love.

Instead of picking the pieces that I felt were the strongest - I decided to touch on them all - because art is subjective to each of us - and this event was so touching as a whole, I refuse to take away from any choreographer by judging what may be better or worse in my opinion. We must each see it through our own souls and let the art guide us.

Piece #1 - Small Spaces - Choreographer Alia Swersky w/the dancers.
As we walked into the theater - bought our tickets and walked into the main lobby- we were immediately halted by improvisational dancers who were using the lobby space as their stage. They had combinations of tumbling, flowing pieces and soft improvisational mumbling that made you just stand and stare. They used each other as parts of a puzzle, intertwining and weaving like a piece of fabric. We made our way to our seats as they danced - thinking their show was over. As we sat and read our program - my daughter exclaimed "Mom - they are dancing down the isles!". Just as she said that - all 5 dancers collected to the front of stage on the left right where we were sitting. The first dancer drew a line with his finger and said "This is my space." and then soon the rest of the dancers vocalized where their "spaces" were (one saying his looked like Nevada ahah!). Directly in front of me - there was a Space - where it seems there used to be a seat, that was removed. One dancer picked this as his Space. He stood inches from me - expanding his movements within his space, as did all of the dancers. At one point he looked at me and said "I would like to take this moment to let you know you have a great bag". It was hysterical. Towards the end of this humorous piece - the new dancer friend I had made - was in the fetal position on the ground next to my feet. He proceeded to stealthily grab my bag, he had so admired earlier - and slowly hid it between him and another dancer as they made their way out the door, on the floor - with my bag! It had us in stitches and then someone said "Reverse" they all reversed their movements and my purse was returned as comically as it was taken! These men had a great way of creating their own world and letting us be a part of it. A wonderful way to start the show.

Piece #2 "15 to 20" - Choreographer: Cheryl Johnson
The curtain opened. A youthful drummer with a snare drum sat stage left "He's cute!" my daughter exclaimed. I quickly told her to Shhh and that I'm SURE that was not going to be the last time she said that statement during this show. 3 young men entered the stage - and it was clear quickly they were tappers. They were energetic but quietly sweet compared to most tappers I have seen. They were minus the hoots, hollers and grunts that you sometimes experience. They had several solos and then combined synchronized pieces that were a pleasure to watch. The youngest - (I assumed) with glasses was quite adorable - almost seeming like the "Annie" of the bunch. His awe of what he was doing and the audience watching with baited breathe - made me chuckle. To watch a youth with so much innocence and happiness dance, it was awesome.

Piece #3 - Cypher - Choreographer: Barry Kerollis
3 dances - all from Pacific Northwest Ballet. The choreography had them all following in a circle/cypher. All men - bare chested (yes it sparked another breathy comment from my hormonal teen) in black shorts. This piece exemplified Strength for me. All men showed amazing strength in their jumps, their ability to keep the time within the cypher and their ability to assist each other. I always am amazed when men partner in dance, because it has to be so much more difficult. These three artists made the entire piece look like cake. Barry obviously chose these men for specific abilities that complimented this work - because they all meshed together beautifully.

Piece #4 - Hillside - Choreographer: David Lorence Schleiffers. My synopsis - male dancers and how they are constantly running to and from everything in their lives. My first thought was "interesting", however then I began to see between the lines. I saw relationships begin and fail during the daily "running". I saw the humor of those people we let pass us by as we are running to and from things. I saw the ability of the performers, to create one fluid piece that had so many connected moving parts. It was what a dark comedy would be if translated to dance. I need to watch that one a few more times to really GET it. I was left intrigued and wanting to talk in depth to the choreographer and pick his brain as to how close my ideas were...

Piece #5 - Breath of Light - Choreographer: Wade Madsen. Two words. "Mature Love". The lights rose to two men. This was the first real costume I loved. These two men, looked like bronzed male Gods. My daughter quickly proved the fact by saying "The one in the short sparkly gold shorts...GOOD LORD, his lines are unreal...". Aside from her teen aged gasps, I agreed totally. These two men perfectly displayed the maturity of a seasoned love. The intimacy, the pantomime of each others movements without the need for touch - but the touch was in the mind, you saw it as the energy between them. The tests, trials and disappointments you have to overcome in every long running relationship - was painfully evident. It was truly like watching two men underwater at times for me. Their fluidity and the amazing lines they created was magical. Wade Madsen showed his maturity as an artist and as a man who has loved and lost. It was one of two pieces that left me with little to no words.

Piece #6 - Me Over You - Choreographer: Eva Stone. Using the famous Female Diva piece "Pas De Quatre" - Eva brilliantly translates this classic estrogen filled, diva-esque into what would have been the perfect comic male version. All men - clad in white, one even strutting around in a white tutu. I was impressed at the amount of commitment with both their dancing and their commitment these men had. One dancer, who had shorts on - was especially humerus. There was nothing "safe" about any of his solos - he took every line and movement to the teetering edge. I appreciated the absolute abandonment these guys had - diving into the Diva roles of original dancers, Gahn, Grisi, Cerrito and Taglioni. This piece - was surprisingly long but lovely and had quite a bit of technical difficulty, peppered into the comical portions - that created wonderful bursts of laughter and chuckles from the audience.

Piece #7 - Ascent - Choreographer and performer: Jason Ohlberg. One word. BEAST. Jason is a beautiful beast of dance. His ability to show strength but vulnerability in one movement was amazing. This piece said so many things to me, but what stood out was the brute strength that comes out of overcoming pain. He was so involved in the journey of the peice - it was almost as if whatever inspired the creation of the dance, he relived everytime he performed it. He filled the stage with such brute strength, at points it even overflowed. The tests and tribulations in this piece were so evident but so severe it almost left me afraid to ask why...

Piece #8 - Monster - Choreographer: Olivier Wevers. It seems I have been on a role with this One word exclaimation thing so here it goes. This piece left me officially SPEECHLESS. Thats right, it took me a good bit to find words for this piece. Unlike me, my daughter had plenty of words throughout the performance like "Lucien is my new favorite dancer" and her ending statement:"That is the best piece I have ever seen in my life". From the mouth of babes. The piece was an excerpt of a 3 part series that will premier in January with Olivier's new company Whim W'Him. The piece explores the different "monsters" we encounter at times in our lives. Just before the dancers began - a voice came over the speakers and stated that the following dance was dedicated to the families of the youth that took their own lives as a result of bullying against homosexuals. This touched me deeply because my brother took his own life in a similar situation - so at that point - "they had me at hello". The two dancers had grey shirts (much to my daughters dismay lol), blood red shorts and matching socks. The simple but dramatic costumes really made the piece complete. Both men used the subject matter and choreography like veterans, when neither seem to be pushing even 25. I read a dancers review (youdancefunny.wordpress.com) where he reviews the same show and said he would like to ask Lucien "how it feels to have super strong, obedient legs". I laughed when I read that because its true. When I watched this piece - Lucien especially made me think, for a split second, that I could dance. For a fleeting moment he shares the exhilaration with you. But the moment I dreamily saw myself doing a perfect Develope (Carla Korbes-esque) - I was jarred back to reality the first time the dancers used their hands to hide their faces. That was the part that kept making the entire piece so real to me. How tragic is it to have to hide what you are, what or who you love - because you live in a world that refuses to let you be who you are? This piece was a constant struggle between these two men, trying to find themselves, helping each other but then hurting each other - each at one point had a moment of aloneness that was excruciating. I must emotionally prepare myself for the other two Monsters that Olivier has up his sleeve...

Piece #9 - Carveresque - Choreographer: Donald Byrd. I know I have only mentioned a few dancers - which doesn't seem totally fair - however I must announce that the PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal was the solo dancer in this piece. First of all - we went randomly to this show - not with an agenda to see any one person - and we certainly weren't aware this piece was part of the show. The 40 something retired NYC Ballet dancer stood stoic on the stage in loose fitting jeans, a T-shirt and athletic shoes. My daughter - stunned to silence. This is the director of the Ballet school she attends. This is the man she hopes to one day DANCE for in his company. She talks about him like "the all powerful OZ" at times - it makes me laugh. So this was a defining moment. To see this person she held with such regard - dance. I didn't know who to watch - Peters dancing or Madison's reactions! The art of Donald was a lovely mix of modern lyrical steps mixed with Peters strengths - classic ballet combinations - and they complimented each other greatly. Peter Boals porte bras are flawless even in his retirement. The placement of his head, chin, neck, breastbone, and arms - are just textbook. It was like a classic Balanchine dancer in jeans! All at once my daughter was able to put together what her teachers are drilling into her about the upper body presentation and how important it is. Overall - it was inspiring to see him dance and impressive to see he still had it.

Piece #10 - Frattura - Choreographer: Deborah Wolf. 5 dancers in dark red velvet pants poured through an open space in the curtain. The piece had a reoccurring pushing and pulling action that gave it great depth. The first thought that came to mind with this piece is that of a third eye. I felt as though it was a very spiritual journey. At once point it almost seemed like each many was a different stage of one man - and with each movement, constantly evolving. The music was was simple and striking. A beautiful ensemble of men overall.

My recommendation - see and support this program. It shows again this weekend - however not all the same pieces are showcased. About half of them are and half are new!

Rating: ***** - a gorgeous display of Men in Dance.

http://www.menindance.org/

The Fourth Kind - Fact or Fiction, it gets the job done

2010-09-22T18:42:00.001-07:00

The Fourth Kind
Directed by: Olatunde Osunsanmi
2009

What job did this movie get done? Let us review.

1) It made me think
2) It scared the living shit out of me
3) It made me not want to visit Nome, Alaska...ever
4) It made me question what was real and what wasnt.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1768424729/

This movie starts out oddly. Milla Jovovich (who plays Dr. Abbey Tyler) addresses you, the audience, as herself and not her character. She basically gives you a warning. She warns the viewer of what you are about to see, and also warns us that your reality will be questioned. She urges you to have an open mind and not to listen to others and to come to your own conclusion.

The movie, from that point on had my attention. Putting ANY doubt in my mind that it COULD be real...that opens a whole new thing for me.

The movie is set in Nome, Alaska - which has the top number of missing persons of any city in Alaska. The movie follows Dr. Tyler in a series of sleep studies on Nome residents, who all report having similar side affects and visions. Abbey realized soon that these visions are not sleep related and decided to dig deeper into the subconscious of her patients to find answers.

With every main character and especially if they are psychiatrists, they have a tragic back story. Dr. Tyler is no different. Throughout the movie we see flash backs and video of her loosing her husband.

Speaking of flash backs and videos - thats really what makes the movie. This is not just a movie of actors re-enacting a story. This movie is brilliant in the way it puts the "REAL" footage in a split screen next to the movie version. You have NO idea how creepy that is/can be - until you see it first hand. The craziest parts were the videos from her sessions with her hypnotized patients. If I say any more I will ruin it. Just prepare yourself. Ms. Jovovich was not lying when she said that some of the video was "Very disturbing".

The actors all were great in the movie. Milla was almost convincing, however I felt she could have given just a bit more in the shocking scenes. I would have been much more shaken, however that also added to the mystery of it all.

Will Patton and Elias Koteas were both great support for Jovovich but never I felt really dove into the parts as the real character would have. Part of it was I guess having the "real" characters as well in the movie, you were able to compare.

The end of this movie is as startling as the rest of the movie. It caused me to immediately google the details and try to indeed find out what was fact, and what was fiction.

I will let you decide....and share with me your thoughts after you watch it for yourself.

Rating: **** starts - near perfect horror flick/documentary

The Steelhead Diner - Worth the wait, minus the Huskers

2010-09-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Steelhead Diner

95 Pine Street

Seattle, WA. 98101

206-625-0129

http://www.steelheaddiner.com/

I am always on the hunt for a good place to take someone for a birthday or to take family from out of town - and so a week before my husbands 36th birthday, I started to ask around -wanting to find somewhere special to take him that was worth the extra cash it may cost per plate. His only preference - he wanted a good crab cake and some GOOD fried chicken, like he would get at his Granny's house.

SO the overwhelming consensus? Go to Steelhead diner. Its a bit pricey but worth every penny. So i visited their site, and after salivating with my co-workers over the online menu - I conveniently found the place to make online reservations.

Friday night came a long and our close friends double dated with us. Turns out it was a downpour - but providentially we found parking literally right out front - so it wasn't too bad of a walk in the rain. For a Friday night at Pike Place - we were lucky indeed.

We arrived about 5 minutes before our reservation time of 7:30. The hostess staff was kind and accommodating, explaining that our table was being cleaned and set and it would be just a moment. When I made the reservations - I made sure to note it was my husbands birthday, so when coming back to check on us - the hostess was even sweeter and said they had a better window table that was about to leave that they would rather put us at and that it would be just 5 more minutes. They were very kind and lovely about the extra wait that it seemed like nothing at all.

When we did get seated - we were brought a lovely basket of mixed breads and a seasoned butter. It was pleasant and the presentation was very pretty, the photo doesn't do it justice.

If you are a drinker - their bar is very extensive and I highly doubt there is anything they could NOT make. For us - the Pomegranate Martini's were lovely.

For appetizers - we had to order the Crab cakes - it was on the birthday boys wish list. We also decided to order the fried cheese curds - we had had them before and were interested to see how they fared here. The appetizers were pricey, the same cost as a meal - so we were a bit skeptical. When they arrived - we keep looking for more when it came to the Crab cakes. Correction, it was ONE Crab cake. For $15?? I was shocked. HOWEVER - it was GIGANTIC and it was the best crab cake any of us had ever had. Huge chunks of fresh crab - wonderful blend of spicy and lightly friend perfectly, not too much oil. It was lovely. Perfect way to start off the meal.

The Cheese curds were also good - not as phenomenal as the crab cake, but a great companion. They came with a light mustard sauce and tartar which both were yummy with the lightly fried cheese bits. They were very rich and you really couldn't eat more than a few.

Our dinner took a bit longer to get to us than seemed normal. It was a Friday night, and they were packed - however it seemed a bit long. We had our appetizers to munch on, and good company so it was forgivable. The only downside was that somehow - some random Nebraska Cornhusker fans found the place and were quite a distraction in my opinion. The Nebraska/Husky game was to be the next day and the fans were all in their teams gear and half way tipsy. With Husky fans across the restaurant - they would throw playful but LOUD banters and BARKS across the establishment. At first it was cute, the third time, chuckleable, and at the end of their meal (the middle of ours) it was downright annoying. I felt like telling them to go find a Red Robin...but then they left, and all was well in the world (until they beat the huskies the next day and I'm sure they raised hell somewhere else as well).

Our dinners came and were WELL worth the wait for every one of us. I had the American Wagyu Kobe Beef Burger. I love burgers and was so intrigued with this special Kobe meat. The waitress explained how special this meat was, with its captivity, its feeding and its location and how its marbled specially. I had to pick up my chin from the floor and wipe the drool to order it. I ordered it medium rare and I must say - I rarely get a restaurant to actually produce that. But they did. The meat was juicy, amazing texture and cooked to perfection. It was topped with sauteed and caramelized mushrooms and onions. The only surprise was the pickle, which I am not fond of - but it was easily removed.

The birthday boy ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken sandwich with a tangy coleslaw dressing. He said it was amazing, the coleslaw dressing was sweet and it complimented the salty fried chicken perfectly. With above average fresh french fries served on the side - the meal was perfect to fulfill his birthday wish.

Our friends ordered the Southern Fried Draper Valley Farms half chicken with creamed Spinach, and the Kasu Marinated Oregon Black Cod, served with Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms,and a baby buck choy and carrot ginger salad.

I watched my friend with the Cod - she ate it with her eyes closed half the time, saying she was enjoying tasting the distinct flavors and that the fish melted in her mouth. It was one of those kinds of dishes that you savor. When the fish was gone, there was a lovely dark broth left and she stole my spoon to enjoy more of it - fearing that putting the bowl to her face wouldn't go over well in this type of restaurant ha!

Her husband had the fried chicken - and said it was amazing. We had gone to Highlife in Ballard for their Sunday friend chicken weeks before and he said this was 10 times better. Not as heavy or greasy. It was served over a rich dark gravy with creamed spinach on the side. The only issue he had was that he would have enjoyed some mashed potatoes with this meal - he said it needed it. So he ordered french fries - which he said helped to make it feel complete. Overall - he said the dish was top notch.

With our bellies full we tried to decide whether or not to have dessert. At one point, while enjoying the full silence one of our friends said "This food is MEDICINAL!!" It was true, we were relaxed and happy. Watching various choices being served to tables around us - we were convinced. Their selection is really vast, considering. There were so many things I wanted to TRY. With such imaginative and amazing choices - my only suggestion to them would be to do small bites or tapas type servings and have a plate where you can order a small taste of them all. But alas - that is the suggestion from a sweet tooth with a never ending appreciation for wonderful and new dessert inventions.

So my friend and I had the Red Haven peach and blueberry crumble, with Cinnamon Ice Cream and caramel sauce. His wife had the Earl Grey tea Creme Brulee and the birthday boy had the Theo Chocolate peacan pie w/cocoa nibs and bourbon chantilly cream. The crumble was scrumptious. Lovely homemade crust - almost like an individual pie. Not too much fruit as sometimes happen.

The creme brulee got mixed reviews. She just kept saying "it is interesting", but no other words - she didn't finish it, so I'm sure it wasn't amazing but rather, interesting.

Finally - the birthday boys dessert. Theo chocolate pecan pie. In Kentucky they make a pie similar to this but its called Derby Pie -and its made during the Kentucky Derby traditionally. He said the pie was wonderful, with big chunks of locally owned Theo Chocolates. He said it was the perfect finishing touch to an amazing dinner. They topped it with a candle - sparred him the goofy singing and clapping most places do - and at the end of the night didnt charge him for his dessert.

The end of the night had arrived and we all were in the first stages of our food comas. A few days before when searching for a good place to have Friend Chicken - a few people also mentioned the King Fish Cafe. We have been there twice and both times, while the food has been great, the service is below average - even teetering on apathy which in my opinion should never be the attitude of people trying to sell a restaurants food and experience.

The Steelhead Diner was leaps and bounds ahead of the rest on the topic of service. Every employee smiled, greeted, the waitress was pleasant, sweet, attentive but also stayed away the perfect amount of time as not to meddle. Many restaurants could learn from this one as far as customer service skills go.

The food - phenomenal - the service - lovely. Total rating ***** You must eat here!

No One Dies in Lily Dale - not easily convinced

2010-09-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

No One Dies In Lily Dale
Directed by: Steven Cantor
Documentary - HBO

Do I believe in Ghosts and or Spirits? Yes. Do I believe energies and spirits surround us? Of course. Do I think that there are certain gifted people that can see, feel and communicate with people that have passed and are now ghosts aka spirits? No.

I must say - when I read the title of this film and read its plot I was quite intrigued. I consider myself an open minded person when it comes to issues of spirituality and the super natural - HOWEVER I am quite the cynic when it comes to "certain people" being the only gifted ones able to "see" in these situations.

Lily Dale is a small town in upstate New York - that has the largest number of "registered" mediums recorded. They consider themselves a Spiritual Community. People travel there for readings, tourists go to feed their deepest curiosities and the inhabitants are there to "Answer questions" and of course, profit.

The documentary follows a select group of mediums - follows their daily life and does a bit of background on how they found their "gifts". They have these big open events - kind of like they did on John Edwards shows - you pay a fee, they spurt out a situation that has to get close to someone out of the 100 people there...you know the rest.

This movie had the POTENTIAL to be awesomely intriguing and interesting. Instead it was predictable and almost cheesy. At one point they showed a group of mediums - who said they get together and have a round table reading together so that they can read for each other! They all had their eyes closed and were talking in their soft whispery NPR voices and kept saying things like "Joe, you know your brother has been hanging around..." and then Joe says "Yes I have felt that, thank you Katherine for confirming that for me...". There are even 3 sisters who talk openly about seeing their dead parents in every day life. "You know Joan, mother is waving some hot brownies at you and giggling!" I am not trivializing this - this is the kind of things they were saying to each other. It was too cheesy to be real.

Am I am cynic? In some ways yes! Do i "believe"? Yes I do. I don't think ANYONE should have to pay for such spiritual and sensitive information and that if we all try and hone our skills - we all would be able to have these types of abilities at some level. As babies and children I feel we have these raw abilities and they are slowly suppressed as we grow and mature - to help fit what is "normal".

Almost every Medium in this movie told a customer at some point that their crossed over loved one, "Is at peace and doesn't want you to worry, know that they are fine...". Is that really what all ghosts and spirits think? I know there are angry spirits, and worrisome spirits, and sad and happy spirits. Show me a mad one! I want to see that! Don't just show me the happy stuff - how fake is that!

My rating for this movie is a 3 out of 5 stars. For such an amazing topic - it needed more depth and imagination. I would have liked to hear more into the background of the mediums and heard what death turned on or off their abilities.

My opinion - skip the flick and work on your own skills.

The Stoning of Soraya M. - Simply Stunning

2010-06-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

The Stoning of Soraya M.
Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh
2008

Staring: Shohreh Aghdashloo, James Caviezel

My first thoughts after seeing this movie. Amazing, moving and utterly horrible. From the producer of the Passion of the Christ - this movie transports you to this tragic moment.

In Southwestern Iran, roughly thirty-five miles outside of the city of Kerman, lies the small village of Kupayeh. In 1986, French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam (played by James Caviezel) found himself stranded in this small mountain town. After walking a ways he finds an old man and basically forces him to fix his car. Everyone seems to be doing everything they can do get him, this foreigner that looks unlike them, to leave as quickly as he came.

Zahra, (Played flawlessly by Shohreh Aghdashloo) who feverishly relates a terrifying village conspiracy involving blackmail, misogyny, and murder. Zahra tells the journalist that she, as a woman in Iran, no longer has a voice and she pleads with him to "take her voice" and tell the world her story.

Zahra is the aunt of Soraya - a young beautiful iranian wife and mother of 4. We find Soraya struggling with a cheating and abusive husband - however because of the religious laws and culture, she was in trouble with the local mullas for not 'LAYING" with her husband.

Mozhan Marno plays Soraya. She portrays such an amazing balance of strength, silence and forced obedience. Mozhan was Soraya and made her so believable. Her horribly evil and decietful husband, Ali was played by Navid Negahban. His performance was chilling. I was scared of him. Honestly I was almost afraid of every man in this film.

The fact that this movie was a TRUE STORY and a COMMON PRACTICE made it that much more heartbreaking. I found myself weeping but not being able to tear my eyes away from the screen.

However, the women in this movie truly were its strength. The powerhouses that were the women during this era in Iran - but at the same time how submissive they had to be. It was a strange dichotomy to watch unfold but also such an admiring thing to witness. These women had their local faith leaders, their husbands, the laws of the land and every other man in their village, against them. "Here a woman must prove her innocence and a man must prove his guilt". That pretty much outlined the entire movie plot. The strength in their eyes, in their tears and in their jaws was mesmerizing. Shohreh was paralyzing in some scenes where she was reprimanding local men for their action, knowing full well her actions were punishable.

So the end of the movie isnt a secret -- its in the title. You know its coming and that it will happen. So I am not ruining anything. What was shocking was HOW it happened and how they played out the moments before and after - that will not ruin. It is done in a way that takes your breath away and may be too visceral for some. You spend half the movie learning Soraya's story and know the moment is coming - however knowing the injustice makes the moment that much more horrible to experience.

For me the REASON she was stoned was so hard to swallow. The injustices against women in that part of the world - even to this day - are hard to believe when you live in America.

I am one of those liberal women who still think women have far to go to be equal in America - but when I see a movie like this, it really gives me some perspective and even if just for a few moments, makes me appreciative of our government, our laws and our freedom.

I have many Persian friends, and the one part of the movie I enjoyed was the Farsi and subtitled and then the small amounts of English that were thrown in. The translation from Farsi to English is humorous at times - words and phrases that are horrible in Farsi arent so horrible in English ("poison of snake") etc.

This movie is a must see for all adults - no children under 15 should see this, in my opinion - the stoning scene is very graphic and emotionally difficult.

Rating: *****

Available on Netflixs instant play now

Ghetto Ballet - a touching story that still shows the brutal side of the dance world

2010-06-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

GHETTO BALLET
Directed by: Jeremy Simmons
HBO Documentary

The movie takes place in a small township outside of Capetown, South Africa. Labeled as one of the poorest townships in the area - the movie focuses on a handful of youth, trying to break out of township.

A program called DANCE FOR ALL - was started in Cape Town (a bus ride away) and these teens saw it as their ticket out. Dance for All was created in 1991 by white ballet dancer and teacher, Philip Boyd. Boyd wanted to bring change to the segregated ballet culture and to this day teaches 1000 youth from the townships that would not otherwise be able to have the opportunity to take a dance class.
Now you can imagine this program would be overrun with kids if it was just open classes. Once a year they have auditions, to find youth that have rare and raw talent that they can work with. After one year of training, they will have exams and have a chance to be invited to the Youth Company connected to the school and is the stepping stone to a professional company.

This story spotlights on Simbalke, Vuyelwa, Tusili, and Fiona. The film touchingly follows their daily life, where ballet, dancing and a dream of being a ballerina, is the farthest from reality, but that somehow this dream helps them get through their days. We watch their training process and their diet control, which was an interesting part of the story-line. Many of the families don't have a healthy diet because of money - watching the kids try to become healthy eaters with the little they have, it difficult but inspiring.

Without ruining the story - I can tell you the anticipation of the exams and results is almost maddening! A few kids almost become sick - just lamenting, explaining that if they doesn't happen for them, they don't know what they will do. Then I realized that the "cut throat" ballet world was still existent in this movie, and it made me sad. The odds for the average youth in dance to "make it big" is slim to none. The odds for these kids are even less.

At this point the movie started to make me feel a bit sick. I just didn't think it was fair giving the kids a false hope that had little to no benefit for their future.

Then there was the exam scene. I watched Vuyelwa dance and heard her explain how she felt when she danced and realized - anything is possible. Surprisingly during the movie, one of the youth gets pulled out and offered a job with the Cape Town ballet, then BAM, professional career. On the other hand, another one of the youths parents don't like how much time she is spending dancing, they need her help at home, so she quits. One is accepted into the youth ballet, and one is rejected. The rejection was so hard to watch.

The dancing scenes and interviews were done beautifully. Overall the story is touching and inspiring. A great movie for anyone in the dance world or with appreciation for it.

Rating: ****

The Sailfish Bar and Grill - Good when its open...

2010-05-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Sailfish Grill
104 N Lewis St
Monroe, WA 98272

(360) 794-4056

This small, exclusive, upscale eatery has been a fixture in Monroe for atleast the 9 years we have been here. Its a bit pricey but the quality of the food is worth it.

Its a hit or miss finding them open. They have hours posted, but I swear we have been there a few times at a "normal" restaurant hour, and they have been shut up for the night.

We arrived late and there were a few people in the bar. The kitchen is lovely and open so you can see the chef's creating. The staff was sitting at a booth relaxing when we came in. A sweet boy in no noticeable uniform sat us with a smile. For a restaurant that has the kind of food and prices they have, I was surprised to see him in street clothes. I mean literally like pants and a flannel. I guess we ARE in Monroe still, ha.

The menu is small but there are choices - because their specialty is seafood - we opted for the Crab Cakes. They were light and very savory - lots of herbs and the sauce was a great complement.

We both chose pasta dishes for our main dishes. Now for someone who is VERY picky about pasta - their pasta was on the chewy side. It was almost like they tried alittle too hard to make it Aldente.

Flavor-wise both dishes were great. One was penne pasta with salmon in a light parmesean sauce, with grilled vegetables, all topped with freshly grated Parmesean. The other was Linguini with grilled shrimp in a creamy pesto sauce, with grilled vegetables on the side. Both were full of flavor and generous portions.

I have to say - dessert was almost better than dinner. I decided to have their version of Flan and my husband had chocolate chip bread pudding. Both were divine - made with rich creams and served warm.

Most definately in the top 5 best restaurants in Monroe - Sailfish is a must try when you are in the area and feeling like a nicer upscale place for dinner.

RATING" ****

All Balanchine = All Beautiful

2010-04-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

All Balanchine
Pacific Northwest Ballet
April 15-25

"Balanchine was a choreographer of true practicality and spontaneity." said PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal - in the Director's notes for this Season's All Balanchine.

I can only imagine the difficulty Peter Boal experienced in picking 3 pieces from all of Balanchine's work. The 3 he chose - while I had my favorites, were all nothing short of gorgeous, well danced and breathtaking.

Serenade was a beautiful display of the Core ballet and was very pleasing to the eye. Gorgeous white tool dresses, clean classic buns, and long limbs, all very Balanchine. It was then I realized that Mr. Boal had a classic Balanchine company on his hands, and besides Balanchine's original company (NYC Ballet) PNB was marvelously representing the art and the history of such a ground breaking Choreographer.

Serenade reminded me of the joys of spring - with lovely lines - shimmering drops of humor fell like spring rain, a flexed foot here - an off center line there. Just enough to make you cock your head and smile at the lovely risk he (Balanchine) took. The principal dancers that night showed their love for the choreography, rather effortlessly. Its as if I almost saw them SIGH as they danced, happy to be doing a style they loved and literally breathing in and out their talent.

In Serenade 2 artist stuck out the most for me - Laura Gilbreath was astounding. Her extension, her lines and her weighlessness was mesmorizing. I felt like her dancing was light and fast and simply lovely. The other was Ariana Lallone. Going on 25 years with this company - Ariana showed the depth of her understanding and experience of Balanchine. She embodied what I believe he wanted to audience to see and she truly was gorgeous to watch. All of her steps exuded depth, maturity and experience. Both dancers were such a pleasure to watch specifically - and the entire company really did wonderfully as well.

Square Dance - the second piece, was my favorite of the 3. I love the speed and preciseness that Balanchine brought to this work. Rachel Foster and Bejamin Griffiths were the principals in this piece. Not only were they perfectly paired, but I felt they were made for the parts. Benjamin showed such an amazing joy and energy, it was radiated to all around him and to the entire McCaw audience. Rachel Foster was flawless. I have seen her perform several times and have had mixed feelings, but truly this was the best performance I have ever seen her in. She was light, precise, technically superior and amazingly swift in her most difficult role. Her gorgeous smile was testiment to her performance, she knew she ruled the night and she truly earned "Diva" status.

The Four Temperaments was the last piece and honestly I found it a bit slow in parts. Looking back the reason I think is because it followed such a high action and face paced ballet. I would have felt differently, had they been switched in the line up. Still there were beautiful parts. The 3 dancers that stood out for me were Jonathan Poretta, Olivier Wevers and Lindsi Dec. Jonathan shows such amazing power and lines, he often makes me gasp as I watch, just shocking thing things his body is able to do. His intensity during this show was a pleasure to see. Olivier is such a different type of dancer - so soft, wonderful fluidity and an amazing eye for his fellow dancers. He uses his talent to weave (no pun intended) a wonderful painting with the Core that surrounds him. I find myself smiling continuously while watching him dance.

Finally - Lindsi Dec is a true star this season. She has blossomed as an upcoming soloist and has dominated all of her lead roles this year. This piece was no different. Her determination to show perfect lines and effortless choreography is principal dancer material. She is quickly joining the ranks of her fellow dancers, Korbes and Nakamura in becoming a spotlight female in the company.

I have been so impressed with the selection of pieces Peter Boal has chosen for this season - and this truly was a lovely, enchanting and breathtaking way to begin the Spring and almost end the dance season. I am literally giddy with anticipation of the final show in the season - often called The Happiest Ballet in the world - Peter Boal adds Coppelia (June 3-13th) into his wonderfully broad and colorful repertoire. With whispers of Italian designed sets and costumes and choregraphy by Balanchine once again - I have a feeling the NW is in for a ballet they will never forget and flock to see for years to come....

Rating: ***** Excellent and Lovely - go see it this weekend - the last weekend!

Navajo Torta - si gracias!

2010-01-26T21:15:00.000-08:00

CACTUS!

Alki, Kirkland, Madison

http://www.cactusrestuarants.com/

We had an awesome dinner at Cactus! in Kirkland this past week - but all I had with me was my cell phone, so please excuse the dark photos.

We have a family friend who used to live on a reservation in Alaska and made what they called "Indian Tacos". They were so amazing. Fresh fried bread, topped with taco/burrito toppings.

Cactus is the ONLY place I have found that has anything close to that dish. How close? Deliciously close.

The fry bread is obviously fresh, and the only difference in toppings is they add a few fancy extras - their own pico de gallo (dont get it in your eyyyye-o), whole beans instead of refried and even their own home made yummy chorizo as one of your meat choices.

From the warm chips, and homemade salsa and guac, to our witty and funny waiter Cooper - the entire experience was great. The waiter was also very SMART. How do you sell desserts to a group of people who are full and waivering about dessert? Earlier in the meal, he asked one of our youth if they were happy with their meal. She had been honest and said it was alittle spicier than she expected, but that it was fine and she would deal with it.

My favorite drink at Cactus - "Prickly Pear"

Navajo Torta

So at the end of dinner, as we waivered about dessert - he brought the youth that had the spicy dinner - her own big beautiful warm brownie with ice cream on top. The amazing cocoa smell wafted past each of our noses and within 3 minutes, had ordered 2 other desserts.

Ibarra Cowgirl brownie - may be the best brownie I have ever had. A rich thick topped brown served on a large plate, topped with a huge scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drilled around the sides of the plate a thick and yummy peanut butter cajeta.

And a close second is the triple cream FLAN.

In closing - this restaurant is a gem for the Northwest - and with three great locations, there is really no reason to not give it a try if you havent already. If you go to the Kirkland location, ask for Cooper and tell him your dinner was too spicy ;) you may get a brownie and he may sell a few other desserts to the rest of your party...

Rating: ***** Outstanding food, atmosphere and service

"A Serious Man" - A dark comedy that lingers for days....

2010-01-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

A SERIOUS MAN
Directed and Written by : Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed

The Coen brothers bring the darkness to light again with this darker than normal (even for them) comedy about life and its struggles. Now you say - what can be interesting about that - we all have tests right?

Joel and Ethan have a brilliant way of making you see the horrible tragedy in Larry Gopnicks life (brilliantly played by Michael Stuhlbarg). Even though his obstacles are basic issues that you and I may face daily - the writers have a way of making them seem sudden, tragic and heart breaking. More than that - your feelings of sorrow for Gopnick for his horrible "luck" grows with every minute. You find yourself thinking "Poor guy! He doesn't deserve this!".

That is where the Coen brothers get you. Deserving? Maybe not. But that's not what this movie is about. As Larry's life slowly starts to unravel, his Faith is what he turns to. But does he leave it to Faith or does he question his Faith and what is happening to him? Larry at times seems to be looking for not only solace in his Faith but also a reason for what is happening.

The movie is overflowing with the tenants of his Jewish faith. The movie even opens with a flash back of an old Yiddish speaking couple - very culturally old world orthodox Jewish. Throughout the film - Yiddish terms are intermingled in the script - and the audience has to figure out what they mean. From Larrys own meetings with various Rabbis, to his son's journey to his Bar Mitzvah and his first meeting with the eldest Rabbi. Its a very similar journey for them all, no matter what state of turmoil their life is in.

The cast of family, friends and Religious leaders are wonderful support for this movie. The most memorable performances were Sari Lennick as Judith Gopnick - Larrys unhappy wife. She is hilarious as the cold, staunch and unemotional Jewish wife who has his mind made up. Also Fred Melamed and Richard Kind play wonderfully hilarious side characters who practically steal the show at times. Overall an incredibly strong cast of characters - all the way down to the son Danny (played by Aaron Wolff, who was great for his age and the subject matter.

Does Larry find religious meaning and solace from his tests? Do things get better for him? Well if it did - it wouldn't be a Coen Bros film, now would it? I can tell you that this movie wasn't excellent for me right away. This movie takes some time to absorb. You need to take it and apply it to see where they are going with the main idea. The ending is so sudden, so final and so depressing (to some) that you will have to marinate on it. There IS a deeper meaning - you just need to find it.

And if you cant find it - then you truly cant appreciate the depth and darkness that Joel and Ethan Coen have reached in order to bring their vision to the public.

Rating: **** Four stars - VERY good - a must see!

PNB's 2009 Directors Choice - overall, a gorgeous display of artistry from all parts of dance

2009-11-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

DIRECTOR'S CHOICE

Choregraphers: Kylian, Goecke, Caniparoli, Robbins w/Genarro
Music: Mozart, Bach and The Cramps, Glazunov and Bernstein

The Director's choice is Peter Boal's selection of premiers and repertory pieces each year. This year he chose four pieces that couldn't have been more different than each other, truly a mature pallet of dancing varieties and styles, something for everyone.

The first was Petite Mort choreographed by Jiri Kylian. A premier piece for PNB it was a daring and avant-garde piece that played with your visuals as well as toyed with sensuality. Costumes were flesh colored and minimal, often looking like nude dancers on the stage.

The lights are brought up to six men with their swords. The dance with their swords and the way the metal was obviously not as fluid as the dancers, was intriguing to watch. The entire time - the 6 women were eerily standing in the background just out of light - so you could see them just barely. The affect was chilling and made you excited to see what came next. My favorite part of the piece was probably the women and their faux black ball gowns on wheels. Amazing, humorous and beautiful imagery was created with the women dancers and these dresses.

Dancers of note in this piece - again I believe there were two casts for this piece and so I cannot speak on them all, just who I saw. I remember seeing Carrie Imler as the Nurse in "Romeo et Juliette" and loving her passion and lines and wishing we were able to see more of her dancing. I got my wish in this piece. Carrie has a few wonderful parts where she really stood out from the rest of the dancers. The realness she brings to her talent is refreshing and makes her shine that much brighter.

The second was called Mopey choreographed by Goecke. I have to admit, this piece caught me off guard, following the modern piece I had seen minutes before. This solo piece, performed by Benjamin Griffiths - was witty and real once you realized it was not a joke. I enjoyed the humor and hilarious tantrum like attitude of it all. Benjamin had amazing range with his emotions and was so physically impressive. His ability to show his strength while also showing his youth - was powerful. I went with our 13 year old and her favorite part was when The Cramps song came on - she turned to me and said "This is my most favorite part so far! Its awesome!". She pretty much summed it up.

Third piece was another PNB Premier - The world premiere of The Seasons choreographed by Val Caniparoli. Season is a co-production between Pacific Northwest Ballet and Louisville Ballet. It was a light and wonderful portrayal of the 4 seasons and the sometimes gradual change of seasons and sometimes harsh. I have to admit, out of the 4 pieces, this was my least favorite, falling flat in a few areas. Looking back I felt like the music could have been bigger, as could the costumes and set. The dancing however was lovely and near flawless. I found the various solos and duets, inspiring and artistically beautiful. I think if this was done again - I would be more satisfied by BIGGER music and better costumes.

Finally - the last piece was The West Side Story suite choreographed by Jerome Robbins. I had seen many versions of this show as a music. I was interested in how they would make it work as a dance/ballet. When the curtain went up - the first gasp was for the set! "Ohhhs" an "Ahhhhs" filled the audience. This was by far the most VISUALLY pleasing piece. Then when the dancing began the smile never left my face. The dancing was superb. Even more, that some of the dancers SANG as they danced, which blew our minds! Brought me right back to the original movie and the amazing dancing in that.

Some exceptional dancers/singers to make note of. Seth Orza - "Riff" - his singing and dancing was outstanding. I barely heard him loose his breath (which is shocking for what a workout they get!) and the singing was GOOD seeing that he is a dancer before he is a singer.
Also - Lindsi Dec - "Rita" was lovely to watch and added spice and zest to the character. The singing was GREAT as well as the lovely attitude we all know and love Rita for having. Lindsi has always stood out since I have seen her in shows for the last year - and I wondered when I would see more of her. Her legs seem to go forever and her extension left my daughter and I speechless. To say the least, she wore the part well and was incredibly entertaining.

There are only4 performances left for this production and I URGE you not to miss it. PNB offers such a great variety of ticket prices and show times, they make it very accessible during this difficult economy.

Tickets and more information can be found at their website:

http://www.pnb.org

Romeo et Juliette - my breath was taken over and over...

2009-10-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Romeo et Juliette

Pacific Northwest Ballet
Choreographer: Jean-Christophe Maillot

I know I usually write about movies - but this is also visual entertainment, so I classify the same, well actually BETTER and more satisfying.

After seeing commercials on TV and reading a few reviews, I had decided I had to see this show.

Peter Boal has took over as Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet, almost 5 years ago - and since then, has taken a new and brilliant turn with the choice of productions and shows each year.

When I got the tickets, I was preparing myself for the classic, old fashioned Shakespeare set and vision - too many frills, too much everything - but that is the beauty of the classics. This however was MUCH different than expected.

Different, beautifully poetic, modern, minimalistic and simply breathtaking. First of all the sets - large shapes - all straight angels and clean lines. Linens draped on the sets and used for costumes - they were just perfect. It was just appealing enough to the eyes to remember, but subtle enough for you to really focus on the artistry.

First off the Choreography -- Maillot's vision was clear - beautiful lines, smooth transitions but also strong and gut wrenching moments that are severe and gorgeous. Every muscle movement was so intentional and used every ounce of energy the dancer had.

The dancers. Peter Boal has a company of 48 amazing artists. The people chosen for this show were phenomenal, each in their own right. First of all - the two main parts.

Juliette was played by Brazilian born Carla Korbes. This was her first time in the role of Juliette and I must say she literally became the character. She gave so much of herself and really dedicated herself to the story. I felt her pain, I cried her tears and I felt her joyful and undeniable love. She showed the wonderful coy, playful and naughty side of Juliette - and really had fun with it.

Her ability and artistry were superb. She was strong, yet soft - fluid yet severe when needed. The art of dance is so special when it is done right, and its radiated rather than performed. Carla truly radiated the amazing attributes that Shakespeare himself envisioned his Juliette to be.

On to Romeo. Romeo was played by veteran
Lucien Postlewaite - was Romeo in the last PNB production of this piece 2 years ago. We were lucky enough to be part of a Q & A session with both dancers after the show - and Lucien was asked the difference between this time and last time for him. He said the first time he was very busy worrying about making Romeo "his own". He said this year he really got a chance to give himself to the story and choreography and be who he was needed to be.

It was very clear on stage. My 13 year old (who is a dancer at the PNB school) while watching the "love" scene when they first kiss and really "devour" each other. She said "Wow mom, they really seem like they LOVE each other. Its so believable you almost feel like you are watching something that is just meant for the two of them...". I agreed with her observation. It was never Uncomfortable. Rather it was so intimate and tender - small gentle touches, radiated such love and unconditional bliss. It literally made me miss my husband and want to go home and feel the same way!

Lucien is a gentle but ripped power house that brought such chivalry and strength to this role. I have often seen the role in the past as one of an impulsive and boyish lover who made bad choices. On the contrary - Lucien gave reason and meaning in every movement and made you quiver every time he touched Juliette's skin. The additional opportunity to play this part I think was beneficial in the depth of the character. He truly danced with his heart and let every person in the audience see and feel what true love should look like.

Other amazing dancers that I must make note of. (*Please note that there were two casts for several parts, so I can only speak on the cast I saw - but I am sure the other dancers were just as amazing!)

Carrie Imler - played Juliette's Nurse. I adored her portrayal. Playful yet so loving and sisterly to Juliette. Her playfulness with Romeo and the men was also hilarious. She is incredible animated and played the part with a joyful beauty that was evident throughout the theater. I could tell by her lines that she is an amazing dancer and I wish I could have seen more of her in this production.

Arianna Lallone - Lady Capulet. She was stunning, brutal, cold but passionate at the same time. SO regal and SO intense. The scene where both friends die - she has this amazing modern mourning solo that is just riveting. Gut wrenching and raw, she showed us the epitome of pain and heartache. It was impossible to stay dry eyed through the solo. At one point my daughter whispered to me "She reminds me of old videos of Martha Graham the way she is dressed and her dancing style". I again, concurred - it was severe and gorgeous.

Karel Cruz - Friar Laurence. Karel as the thread throughout the story, and as the guide to all the other characters - was amazing. As one of the tallest (if not the tallest) dancers in the company - the mostly modern choreography for his character was paired with severe and dark costumes that really showed his lines. He portrayed an amazing internal struggle and showed so much power in his movements. Again reminding us of old Graham dancers - his lines of sorrow and anger were especially amazing.

There isn't much more to be said about this show that hasn't already been said. I am sad to say, this show is no longer showing at McCaw Hall. HOWEVER - "Directors Choice" did just open - featuring 4 beautiful vignettes showcasing a wonderful variety of tastes, talents and artistry within the company. I saw it tonight and will be writing a review for it VERY soon - so people will go and see it! I leave you with photos from the performance and rehearsals from this breathtaking show and ask you to keep your eye out for when Peter Boal decides to bless the NW with a rerun of this spectacular production.

NYC's Caffe Linda - really good eats if you're in the neighborhood!

2009-10-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

CAFFE LINDA

145 E 49th St
(between 3rd Ave & Lexington Ave)
New York, NY 10017

(646) 497-1818

We were in town for the weekend and staying at the Waldorf Astoria on Lexington. Looking for a place within walking distance, we set off to find a good lunch.

Just one block away we stumbled upon a sweet little cafe with outdoor seating. The only thing was, there was NO ONE eating there. Being in a restaurant family - i have been told, an empty restaurant isn't usually a GOOD restaurant. However I saw the owner was working (which is always a good sign) and that he was Italian - so I got a good vibe and we decided to try it.

We sat outside to enjoy the sun with our food. The owner was very attentive and made sure we were happy at all times.

I love any restaurant that still practices the "free snack or appetizer" rule. Whether its chips and salsa, bread sticks, bread with dipping sauce - I love it - it adds to the meal and makes you feel like the establishment cares about you rather than just money.

This restaurant had a lovely version of Bread and Butter. They had two different kinds of home made, thick crusted Italian breads - one plain and one sweet with raisins. And they served it with warm soft butter and berry jam.

For a beverage I ordered an iced tea and was so pleased with just that!

The menu was extensive however we were drawn to our favorites. My meal came with a salad - which was a wonderful mixture of Arugula, Kale, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, and Cantaloupe. My only complaint was that there was TOO much arugula - which made it too bitter to each too many leaves with each bite.

Next up was each of our plates - Our daughter, Ms Sweet-tooth - ordered the French Toast. This was a beautiful homemade bread dipped in eggs and sweet spices, topped with powdered sugar and a side of fruit.

Next up was my sandwich - Mozzarella, tomatoes and arugula on homemade foccocia bread. It was so yummy and savory. HOWEVER I would have preferred WAY less arugula and some basil instead. In fact this place served SO much arugula, i wonder if the owners had it in the garden or something. For such a bitter lettuce, they used it a bit too much for my taste -but still overall such a great sand which.

Lastly was my husbands Caprese Salad. The mozzarella they used was so soft and melted in their mouth. It was buffalo and smoked, which makes all the difference in the world. Again, the ONLY complaint...no basil. However we did ask for this as a special order, as it wasn't on their menu, and didn't specify basil, however all Italians know its served with basil! However, the salad did come on a bed of....yes you guessed it - ARUGULA! Once again - not the best choice for this salad - but again it seems it was the lettuce of the day!

Overall - this restaurant was sweet, organized, fast, well managed and the food was above average and I would even say really good. Can't say great because of the few exceptions I made above. Add in convenience and cost and I would most definitely visit Caffe Linda again when in New York.

Rating: **** Really good !

Billy Elliot - Whats better than the movie? Broadway baby....

2009-10-01T18:55:00.001-07:00

BILLY ELLIOT - The Musical
Director: Stephen Daldry
Music: Elton John
Choreography: Peter Darling
Book and Lyrics: Lee Hall

I once read a blog by a famous celebrity that said "Once you see a show ON BROADWAY in NYC - your life will never be the same." and I thought it was very dramatic and a bit of an exaggeration, in fact I was sure of it.

Allow me to officially on the record state - I WAS 100% WRONG. It does change your life. Seeing a Tony award winning show, ON BROADWAY in New York City DOES indeed change your life.

The culmination of many blessings and well timed events made it possible for us to visit NYC on the weekend of our daughters 13th birthday. Our daughter is a dancer and adored the movie version of Billy Elliot - as did we. We loved the story of the family struggle and the boys dancing dream come true....in so many ways we were living that story. So when word got around that Elton John had adapted the story to create a musical - we swooned at the thought of ever getting to see the show one day.

As I said - the cards played in our favor and the stars aligned and it happened. It was our first Broadway show. We felt like newbies. All dressed our best and nervous tummies. The show was sold out and people were packing into the Imperial Theater like cattle.

There are 4 boys who play the part of Billy (because the shows are so physically demanding) but the boy we saw perform was Trent Kowalik. All 3 boys won the Tony for Best Actor - so I am sure they are all brilliant - but this review is about Trent's brilliance.

The show has a wonderful variety of cast and a heart tugging and tear jerking story line of a family and community in turmoil over a miner strike and a son wanting to follow his heart and his dreams during that hard time.

Its main character immediately steals your heart with his thick Geordie accent (North East of England) and his heartfelt moments with his deceased mother. His acting and singing was nothing short of sweet and lovable and his dancing was just phenomenal. We immediately fell in love with the members of his family, his friends, his dance teacher, even the girls in the core/dance class.

Elton John composed such an amazing group of songs for this show. We purchased the sound track and I still find myself getting misty eyed during certain songs. It evokes THAT MUCH just when listening in the car! The ensemble cast does such a good job of filling the songs with strength and power and also has the amazing ability to portray the unity of the community in the story. I was blown away.

There are such strong messages and such sad and heart felt moments in this show. The first time (one of many) that I started crying, I bawled. I mean ugly, messy crying. I mean almost sobbing. My husband summed up the feeling in evoked perfectly "It was incredibly overwhelming". My husband cried and held back tears and that says tons as he rarely cries.

Everytime I kept calming myself and wiping my eyes, something would happen and I would start again. I even found myself, after feeling self conscious that I was crying TOO MUCH - I found myself looking at the ceiling trying to think of VERY BORING THINGS to get my mind off how much I want to break into tears again! (I kept whispering "Baseball, Baseball, Baseball!) It was hilarious now that I look back at it!

At the end of the show - with the overwhelmingly amazing Finale - I figured I cried almost 80% of the show. It was that moving. The sets were engaging and so amazing to watch move in and out of place. The choreography was wonderful, refreshing and made you want to get up and dance. Like I said - we were in awe for the majority of the time.

Some actor/character mentions besides the brilliant and talented Trent Kowalik who played Billy Elliot....Haydn Gwynne (Ms. Wilkinson the dance teacher), Gregory Jbara (Billys Dad), David Bologna (Michael, Billy's best friend), Carole Shelley (Billy's Grandma) and Thommie Retter (Mr Braithwait - the piano teacher). This group of actors/singers carried this show. Their strength, versatility and range was so impressive and their commitment to the characters and story was just overwhelming.

My favorite moment of this show is the finale I must say. You feel so proud of the cast, so proud of Billy the character - and so touched that you were able to watch such a special show. I found myself on my feet, clapping and crying like an idiot. But then I looked around and realized and everyone else was doing the same thing.

This show is truly remarkable and was an unforgettable 1st time experience for me and my family. I know not everyone gets the chance or has the money to go to NYC to see a show on Broadway. I am so grateful that this opportunity was GIVEN to us - literally GIVEN, or we would have not been able to swing it any time soon. But I think if you could save your money to go and see ONE SHOW on Broadway. This would be it.

Rating: FIVE HUGE GIGANTIC STARS

Authentic Vietnamese food in Monroe? In real life!

2009-08-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Basil & Chives Vietnamese Cuisine
(360) 794-4000
114 N Lewis St, Monroe, WA 98272

Monroe always gets excited when new restaurants come into town and establish roots. We personally were excited at the fact that we finally had a place to get PHO! The owner, a young Vietnamese woman from Seattle, a UW graduate who takes pride in the food her restaurant serves.

The ambiance is amazing, especially considering the previous residents of the building. As longtime members of this town, we knew this building as a smoke filled, old beer smelling Eagles Club. They literally cored out the space and now its a sweet smelling, wonderful and elegant Vietnamese restaurant!

The menu is not like your typical Pho stop on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Yes they have Pho, and at first the few additional dollars in cost seems excessive, but when you see the size and quality, that is quickly forgiven. Their pho is as rich and savory as I have had at Than Bros - but the presentation is better and the quantity is more as well as the side sauces seem to be more fresh.

I skipped my favorite part, the appetizers. Their fried spring rolls and their fresh rolls are just amazing. I realized something different in their spring rolls and couldn't put my finger on it. The owner (who loves greeting customers and making sure things are up to par) was happy to answer the riddle. "Sweet Potatoes". She claimed that her grandmother used sweet potatoes instead of cabbage, and that that was the key to the spring rolls not getting soggy. Also their prawn fresh rolls are HUGE and very good. I would personally add a bit more herbs (Cilantro and basil wasn't as strong as some of the Thai fresh rolls i have had) and I had to ask for another side of Peanut Sauce, because the rolls are SO big and they give you 4 of them! But besides those small details, they are one of my favorite things to order.

On this day - I was suffering from a cold, so I knew Pho is what my body needed. However, when opening the menu, we were pleased to see that they added their famous lunchtime Vietnamese sandwiches, to the dinner menu! Unable to decide, my husband and I decided to each get a rare beef Pho and share a grilled chicken sandwich.

The pho was as good as it always is, and with some extra hot sauce, was just what my sinus's needed. Now the sandwich. It was SO AMAZING. With lettuce, pickled onion, carrots, daikon, cucumber, cilantro, mirin glazed onion and basil mayonnaise accompanying the grilled chicken on a grilled fresh baguette - it was like a party in my mouth. Even more, I suggest you eat it with the Pho - its a big meal, but OH SO GOOD.

So unlike many of the new restaurants in this town, that get popular just because they are new and slowly fade away - this place has longevity. Props to the owner who has enough young energy and vision to make it people pleasing and to make it work in this rough economy.

**In Addition, they have started doing dinner theater. Because the building had a stage for live music from when the Eagles inhabited it, they originally just built a wall and doors and planned to rent out the additional space. Now they do both - they rent it to the local theater and have created a great Dinner theater experience! More details here: http://www.basilandchivesrestaurant.com/events.html

My Rating: ***** five stars, a great and authentic addition to this small town - so come out to the digital movie theater, see a flick and get some Pho OR come and see some local theater and enjoy dinner at the same time! Either way, you must pay Basil & Chives a visit.

Public Enemies, Depp makes Dillinger Dapper and Dynamic

2009-08-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Public Enemies
Director: Michael Mann
Rating: R
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Stephen Dorff

John Dillinger was a criminal who robbed banks, murdered numerous times, escaped jail - but all the while, seemed to win the hearts of his community and the press.

As I watched - I too was sucked into the charm that Dillinger spread like a web to all that caught his eye. His comedy while robbing the government and his kindness when letting the man at the counter keep his money. His love for Billie Frechette (wonderfully played by Marion Cottillard) was so tender but also so stern - as he expected her to just adjust and accept his way of life. Never once hiding it from her or lying to her about it. He was such a man of the moment and expected her to be as well. And she did - she surprisingly fell into line with him and was supportive until the very end, even taking beatings from police for him, and going to jail for him.

Christian Bale plays Office Melvin Purvis. At first, his character really irritated me, mostly because of how Christian played his mannerisms and voice. But about halfway through, he grew on me - especially when he discovered Billie Frechette being beaten by the police for answers to where Dillinger was - he stopped the beatings and carried her to be cleaned up. Very sweet.

Overall - Depp is subperb. He literally morphes into the role of loving gangster Dillinger. At times I would look into the face on the screen and forget it was an actor playing a part. You really find yourself feeling SORRY for Dillinger by the end of the film, when you realize his time is almost up.

The shoot out scenes are done with a classic touch to give the feel of the era and the rest of the movie just falls perfectly into place. Go see this film for an amazing story of crime, love and passion.

Rating: **** excellent

SIFF film - LITTLE ASHES. Easily over the heads of Pattinson fans.

2009-05-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

Little Ashes
Director: Paul Morrison
Starring: Javier Beltran, Robert Pattinson & Matthew McNulty
Rating: R
Tagline: Love. Art. Betrayal

This is the story of the young years of the brilliant but troubled Salvador Dali. It is said that he hid this story from the early part of his life for years, for many reasons but mainly because of his marriage to Gala (Elena Ivanovna Diakonova) for 50+ years.

The movie is set during the pre-Spanish civil war when repression and political unrest plagued the country. Frederico Lorca (brilliantly played by Javier Beltran) was the well renowned poet and revolutionary who's chance meeting of Salvador Dali (well played by Robert Pattinson, best known for his roles as Sedrick Diggery in the Harry Potter series and Edward Cullen in the Twilight movie) was like an emotional roller coaster.

Dali - was more than an "eccentric" artist. The man clearly struggled with mental issues from a young age. During the movie he has strange flash backs and hears voices, but they never really explain where those are rooted from. Both being amazingly talented artists in their own right - Lorca and Dali begin to show attraction and love for each other, through their art.

I was interested to see if Robert Pattinson could pull off such a deep and complicated roll. I wasn't totally sold on his roll as the lead vampire in Twilight, however I used the writing and direction as the main problem with his acting in that film. SO I was intrigued to see if he was able to play such a different role than he had in the past. Lets put it this way - if I were to give it a percentage as to how convinced I am, I would give him a 70%. Not quite, but close.

Reason being is that both parts were SUPPOSED to be played as troubled and awkward. I am not sure if this is really how he is in real life (socially awkward, internally tortured and at times childlike) or if he just does a bang up job at those types of roles. Toward the end, when Dali became obsessed with the fame, money and sex - his role became more involved and I was impressed by the emotional tantrums and manic type attitude he took on. The love scenes between he and Beltran were also very convincing, as I wasn't sure how those would be played out.

His signature waxed and upturned mustache, regal clothing and often wearing capes and silly hats - was a lovely part of the movie as well. He would often wear outlandish outfits and play with various accents (often switching from Spanish to French to American, just to curse in different ways) and it was all done very humorously. At times you would see him playing dress up, fidding with head wraps and ties and often got Lorca to play along. If you didn't know this was part of Dali's personality, it could easily be chalked up to random silliness. But they were actually very relevant and accurate details as to his persona.

Other actors who were amazing - Beltran as I already mentioned was amazing. Sincere, emotional, sensitive, everything an inspired poet and revolutionary would be. Marina Gatell who played Beltran's love interest, Magdalena - was superb. She was so in love with him, but was so aware of where his heart was. Her pain and devotion was so touching - her character was a lovely sight on the screen as well. Matthew McNulty played Luis Bunuel - the close friend to Dali and Lorca and the one that struggled deeply when the love the two shared came into the light.

The relationship between Federico Lorca and Salvador Dali should be mentioned. At a time when Catholicism was the main religion in Spain and homosexuality wasn't spoken of, nor accepted, the movie makes this very obvious but heartfelt. You truly feel the love these men have for each other because of their art. You watch Lorca pray and struggle with his feelings and Dali just chalk it up to part of his personality.

The main thing I disliked about this film was the fact that it was all in ENGLISH with Spanish accents. In my opinion, if its set in Spain, it should have been in Spanish with subtitles. Also when Lorca recited his poetry (which was often) he would recite it in Spanish, but then they would have his voice translate it in English, over the top - which confuses the hell out of me to hear it softly in Spanish and English over top. Lorca's accent is VERY thick and sometimes difficult to understand, which made for a few confusing moments.

The twist of the movie (which i will not spoil) is hurtful but a brutal testament of the European art scene during that time and the affect it had on many lives.

Dali will forever go down in history as one of the worlds most talented surrealist painters - however this movie will give you an idea of his life as a young man and how he became the man he was later in life. The sad, troubled youth who struggled with an art he couldn't explain and a love he couldn't express. If you think about it - that kind of repression is enough to drive anyone crazy.

**Note: I did some research on Dali as I was preparing for this review - and I was surprised to find out he passed in 1989 (I was 15 years old) and read some fun and interested facts about him. When you see this movie - I suggest you go into it with an open mind. And maybe have these facts about Dali known when you go:

* He at one point considered himself GOD-LIKE
* Had a residence in the Plaza Hotel in NYC and hosted the likes of Sonny & Cher (and were startled when Cher sat down on an oddly shaped sexual vibrator left in an easy chair)
* When ever signing autographs for people, he would ALWAYS keep their pens
* During a television appearance, on the Tonight Show, Dalí carried with him a leather rhinoceros and refused to sit upon anything else.
* The unlikeliest venue for Dalí's work was the Rikers Island jail in New York City; a sketch of the Crucifixion he donated to the jail hung in the inmate dining room for 16 years before it was moved to the prison lobby for safekeeping. The drawing was stolen in March 2003 and has not been recovered.

Rating **** Go see this movie, the good heavily out weighs the bad

2009-05-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Pulcinella Pizzeria

10003 Rainier Ave S
(between S 68th Ave & S Cornell Ave)
Seattle, WA 98178

Neighborhood: Rainier Beach
(206) 772-6861

www.pulcinellapizza.com/

I am second generation Italian - and have grown up with a chain of Italian restaurants in our family - for the last 50 years. (http://www.vincesitalian.com ) My Uncle Vince Jr, who now runs the chain - has recently opened a new restaurant, not related to the Vince's chain. This is a Neopolitan wood fire pizzaria - with a wood fire oven imported straight from Naples, Italy.

Since I would obviously be biased in my review for this restaurant - I chose to take the photos, and invited two friends to guest write their opinions of the restaurant. Katelyn Hackett is the assistant editor for Sound magazine and writes about music and urban culture in the northwest. GMK is a local HIphop artist, soon to be dropping the CD "Songs for Bloggers" very soon - for more info check his website: http://gmkbrilliantreality.com/.

from left to right, GMK, Pulcinella owner Vince Mottola Jr, RA Scion (of Common Market) and Katelyn Hackett.

Katelyn Hackett writes: I was at Pulcinella's with friends, who promised me a delicious pizza no matter what I ordered---unless, they cautioned me, I ordered the tuna one. I skipped the tuna and ordered the Forcella, which involves mozzarella, ham, pepperoni and pepperoncinis along with Pulcinella's housemade tomato sauce. To start, my friend and I split a mozzarella, pomegranate vinegar, and almond salad, which was a little too acidic and could have been balanced by a touch more pomegranate or perhaps less dressing in general, but it was welcome after the antipasto to ready me for the meal's main event.

Antipasto

Mozzarella, pomegranate and almond salad

My Forcella was, as promised, great wood-fired pizza: chewy, light, charred crust, fresh, sweet tomato sauce, simple mozzarella, quality meats, and just the right amount of chopped pepperoncini to give the whole affair some zip. I doctored mine up with some of the spicy olive oil on the table and a dash or two of the black pepper. The pie was medium-sized, more than enough for my appetite. (Trust me on this one, I love pizza and this was the perfect size.) I also sampled a slice of my friend's fancy proscuitto and caper pie, which tasted just as fresh and delectable as my pizza did.

Pizza Forcella (Tomato, Mozzarella, Ham, Pepperoni, Pepperoncini)

Pizza Sorrento (Tomato, Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Mushrooms, Kalamata Olives, Capers, Basil)

Dessert was, at first, a sweet mascarpone, coffee liqueur, and chocolate pizza, topped with fast-melting whipped cream; sweet and delicious, but the refreshing, subtly citrused limoncello gelato set in front of me after I finished my slice of the dessert pizza was more to my taste.

Overall, I loved and can recommend the food and the company without reservation. My criticisms: the music was a little cheesy (easy to fix with a different set of cds), and the restaurant's ambience was a little impersonal without quite ascending to fancypants status (the upside-down Lakeside Tavern signage was a welcome, humorous touch). I think time and neighborhood involvement will humanize and weather the restaurant's interior to a more comfortable feel, however. It's a brand new restaurant, and it feels new. I came home pleasantly full, raving about the food to my housemate, and waving around a box of leftovers. The cold pizza, by the way, made for an excellent breakfast the next morning!

GMK writes: I have to say my experience at Pulcinella was more then grand. It's atmosphere combined with good company equal awesome. Out of all the prime choices of pizza I went with the Posillipo pizza.*Salami, fresh mozzarella and tomato. Wood fired to perfection, I thought the portions were not to much and no to little.

Pizza Posillipo (Salami, fresh mozzarella and tomato)

Pizza Chaiaia ( Tomato, Eggplant Parmigiana, Mozzarella)

I would assume that feeling full and satisfied would have been enough. At the end of it all I was served some of the best dessert I've had in 6 months. I call it a party in my mouth. What came out was Segreto di Pulcinella. It had me saying this can't be real and slowly detecting each ingredient. Cinnamon, Chocolate, Whip Cream, Vanilla.

Il Segreto di Pulcinella: (a "secret" combination of marscapone, espresso and coffee liqueur spread expertly on a pizza skin and then baked. Served right out of the wood fire oven and topped lightly with a rich chocolate sauce)

To top that off, next came this lemon iced liquor. (see photo above) Unfortunately the name skips my memory. Spoiled is what I'd have to call this dining experience. Would definitely go back, give it 5 stars and a sure recommend.

Total rating: ***** 5 stars - you must try this place!

Star Trek - "Damnit Jim!..."

2009-05-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

Star Trek
Director: JJ Abrams
Date: May 8th 2009

I grew up with a dad that was a huge Star Trek (the original series) fan. I watched all the episodes and absorbed as much as my teen mind would accept without rejection.

I have recently gotten hooked on the comic movie phenomenon - and while this isn't comic inspired, it is sci-fi and deals with "mutant" or "alien" type life forms. I had mixed feelings as I decided whether or not to see it. Part of me was like -BAH, dorky sci-fi flick, I don't wanna see it. The other part, remembers the characters and was so intrigued about how some of my favorite actors would fit into this legendary roles.

First off - the legend begins with JJ Abrams. His direction is superb. I kept reminding myself he created one of my favorite shows....LOST. As the movie progresses, you can see his genius. Clean and wonderful shots, crisp and gorgeous scenery, but also some shots reminiscent of the original series (ie the "shaky" scenes when the ship is in turmoil) those made me laugh. But also the COMEDY. He had to have worked with the writers on this a bit, because the comedy was perfectly timed and had you laughing so often - very similar to how LOST does.

Casting. One word. Perfection. If you were familiar with ANY of the legendary characters from the original series - you will appreciate and be in utter shock at how similar they are. Zachary Quinto as Spock. He is an amazing Sylar in NBC's "Heros", so I had no doubt he would be able to portray the outwardly emotion-less, however inwardly soft Vulcan first mate. He surpassed what I thought he would do, and with surprise roll of Leonard Nemoy, (you have to see it to get it) it was like a cherry on top.

The break out performance of the movie, by far was Chris Pine as Cpt. James T. Kirk. He truly shocked me, first with his comic timing, and then with his uncanny ability to create the same cocky and flirtatious moments, as effortless and as identical to William Shatner. His sexy prowess toward all women who crossed his path was equally matched by his bad boy rebelliousness to the federation and Spock.

The supporting characters - who truly made the original series what they were - were not overlooked either. McCoy, who made the statement "Damnit Jim...." famous - was wonderfully portrayed by Karl Urban (best known for his roll in the LOTR trilogy as Eomer). Jim's side kick and buddy in Federation school as well as on the Enterprise. Zoe Saldana played Uhura - which at first you think will be the love interest for Kirk. The twist is surprising but cute and sweet to watch. She was fairly reserved in the series, and she carries the same character quite well over to the movie.

Chekov and Sulu were cast questionably for me, at first, but redeemed themselves quickly. Anton Yelchin played Chekov, his Russian accent being the funniest part of most of his scenes. John Cho (best known for his lead role in Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle) was a great Sulu, and actually he could have had more scenes, as I remember Sulu being more prominent. Lastly but certainly not least, Scotty. I remember this character as always slightly drunk, cracking jokes and making you giggle at the perfect times. Played brilliantly by Simon Pegg (best known for his lead role in Shaun of the Dead). My only complaint is that he was introduced so late in the movie, we really didn't have a chance to enjoy his character.

Lastly - the graphics. The graphics in the original series were nothing more than small ship models on strings. I remember them being comical they were so bad. Thats what made these graphics that much better. The Romulan ship was just thousands on jagged knife looking things - it was fresh. The Enterprise was just as I remembered it, only better. Overall, the graphics werent STUNNING, but they were impressive none the less.

The ending was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Just tears of joy when you experience something that has come full circle. When they show a new beginning, with old reminders and words....truly an enjoyable journey.

Rating: ***** the best movie i have seen in a while and most definitely in my top 10 of all time

The Shack - a Spiritual Journey (A Book Review)

2009-04-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

The Shack
by: William P. Young

I learned about this book on Twitter, of all places. This is surprising mainly because of the amount of religious people I am surrounded with; I am surprised it was never recommended before.

I watched “Mskutcher” aka Demi Moore – talk about her journey through the book on Twitter, and it intrigued me to read it. On that note, I need to mention that anyone who has had a loss of someone close to them, and even specifically if they were murdered – this is going to be difficult however incredibly helpful and healing in the long run.

This book has 252 pages. Compared to other books I read, this is considered “short”. So I thought – cool, I will read this in 2-3 days easily. 3 weeks later, I am finally done with it. Did it take so long because it was boring? Was it drawn out? NO, the opposite, it was almost too much for me to handle at times. I had to take it in pieces and take breaks when things got “too real”. That’s how intense this book is.

The main character of the book is Mack. A man who has had a terrible loss and, like many of us, questions his faith and many things about his life, because of this loss. I find Mack’s feelings, thoughts and responses to be very typical to the every day person’s struggle. Never was there a question unanswered, that if I were in his position, I would want the answer to.

About 1/3 of the way through the book, I had a major red flag. The word Jesus, then the Trinity. I almost quit. Then I remember Demi (I love how that sounds like we chat regularly) talked about how she didn’t have a specific Faith she followed, but was spiritual, and that this book didn’t intrude on that.

So I kept going. It immediately took a different turn. Young has the amazing ability to keep you comfortable while talking about a usually taboo subject. His way of making your heart HURT for Mack and his family in one moment, shed tears over the horrifying circumstances of their loss and then laugh and smiles at the feelings of love and family Mack learns in the Shack.

Young touches on many Christian topics that you may or may not agree with, however its done in a way that its easily accepted and you find yourself caring more about the well being of the character, that you get the main idea being about growth rather than it being preachy.

Towards the end of the book I had to take a break. I couldn’t tell where it was all leading to, however I did know it was going to be hard for me to handle. I lost my only brother less than 2 years ago, very tragically and suddenly – so this book helped me deal with loss and my anger with God. I went into it thinking it would be a good read and it became much more than that. I wasn’t quite ready for what William Young had for me at the end of this journey.

After about a week, I couldn’t stand it, and had to find out how Mack’s spiritual journey ended. I knew it would be hard. I bawled. It was so real but at the same time, so Unreal. Do I believe this is a FACTUAL book? Do I think this really HAPPENED to someone? I realized at the end, that didn’t matter.

April 20st until May 2nd marks a religious holiday for me, The Festival of Ridvan. It commemorates the commencement of my Faith and signifies renewal, the birth of a new Light and the celebration of all things made new. This was a perfect time to finish this book, as it helped bring me out of the darkness of Winter. Spring and Ridvan has brought new growth, new maturity and new light.

Be firm in your Faith (or lack of) and don’t ever feel as though this book is trying to preach to you. If you are firm in your Faith or belief and see it as a story of a way to deal with a horrible adversity and a way to find God during a tragedy – it’s a wonderful 252 page read…

Rating: **** (better than the average thriller movie)

To follow me on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MAbeo

Benjarong Thai - amazing food and service like family

2009-04-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Benjarong Thai Restaurant

19480 State Route 2
Monroe, WA 98272

360.794.5099

I would consider myself a connoisseur of Thai food - having been to many different restaurants and tried tons of dishes.

This restaurant is in our town - however even if I lived 20-30 miles away, I would drive to them.

I wouldn't say we are "regulars" but we go maybe once every 2-4 months. The way the staff remembers things, you would think we were there every week. They know our names, they remember our favorite things on their menu and if we haven't been in for a while, they worry. Its precious.

I decided it was time to give them the credit they deserve, when we realized it was how they treated all their customers, and its what makes them special.

I started with a Mango smoothie. It was served in a a tall chilled glass and was SO amazing.

Then came the appetizers - Fresh Rolls and a mixed appetizer plate. The fresh rolls are VERY well made amnd tasty. The mixed appetizer plate has chicken skewers with peanut sauce, spring rolls, fried prawns and little crab and cream cheese bites in philo - just amazing.

Then came my main course. I usually have either Pad Thai or Showering Rama. Tonight was Pad Thai. Their noddles are always done perfectly, never mushy or overdone.

Dinner overall was fabulous. Too stuffed for dessert, we asked for our check. The owner came out and gave us "Tofu fresh rolls to go, because we know how much you like them!" - free! It was a sweet way to end the evening and they walked us to the door, thanking us until they saw us next time.

Rating: ***** stars Amazing food and service - this place is worth the drive!

Religulous, not for the faint of heart or the insecure in Faith...

2009-04-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

Religulous
Director: Larry Charles
Writer: Bill Maher
Documentary
Tagline: Do you smell something burning?

First off let me apologize for the delay between blogs. The economy is tough and so seeing movies and going out to eat seem to be harder to do as of late.

This movie was a must and we ordered it on demand.

Let me preface this review by saying I am a religious person and follow a specific faith. This movie will be offensive to those that take Mr Maher personally and find him attacking your faith. I however see this movie as Bill Maher's way to attack the fanaticism that exists in every Faith.

Similar to the religious zinger "Jesus Camp" or the propaganda filled "Fahrenheit 911" - this movie is a ride full of shocking statements that will make you either fall in love with the film and its writers agenda OR protest it.

Some of the positive aspects of the movie. Maher goes IN on just about every major faith. Granted, he is probably the hardest on Christianity, even visiting a Jesus Amusement part - complete with crucifixion reenactments - oh yes. Maher puts himself in the middle of many uncomfortable religious stand offs and says things that many people wish they had the balls to say.

The parts of Religulous I didn't appreciate, well a few of them I cannot change, one being the pompous, know it all attitude of Bill Maher himself. No matter who that man is talking to, he manages to do it with smirk and a jerk condescending tone. At times, when the religious followers he was talking to were being rude and ignorant, i appreciated it - however not all the time.

Most of the fun that was made of fanaticism was, i think deserved, as most fanatics are over the top and asking for it. However a few of the instances I felt were unwarranted and mean. In particular when he dealt with Islam and the Orthodox Jews.

Overall - you have to understand Bill Mahers type of comedy and his revulsion of organized religion as a whole - and be SURE not to take it to heart.

See it as someone trying to breakdown the fundamentalists that most of the time make EVERY faith look bad or extreme in one way or another. If you can do that, Religulous is a very entertaining movie.

Rating: *** Good movie however a bit disrespectful and over the top at times, but hey, its Bill Maher!

La Casa del Mojito - a yummy cultural adventure

2009-03-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

La Casa del Mojito

Categories: Cuban, Latin American

Neighborhood: Roosevelt
7545 Lake City Way NE
(between N 11th Ave & 75th St)
Seattle, WA 98115

(206) 525-3162

www.lacasadelmojito.com

A good friend of ours recommended this spot to us, and so we decided to bring a small group of people to try it out. We are in the middle of a religious fast right now, so a GOOD dinner is very appreciated, and I think overall, we got that.

First the atmosphere, it was SMALL, but cozy, quaint and bright. I am glad our group wasnt any bigger (9 people) because they had issues fitting us! This is where my review of the staff comes in. Our waiter (never new his name) was difficult. He had that "its all good" attitude, however he didnt seem to be able to handle very much and was a bit slow at times. Example: One member of our party was arriving late. So we ordered drinks, appetizers while we waited and said we would wait for him to order. You would think that would be enough. Apparently not, as he kept harrassing us to order. I understand they are VERY tight on space and like to turn over tables, but we were talking about no more than 20 minutes - and it seemed very rude.

Thankfully, the owner was very helpful and came to our table often to make sure we were taken care of - if it wasnt for him, the service rating would have totally failed. Even at the end of our meal - we wanted the bill split - and the difficult server couldnt figure it out. He said "Too many numbers for me". WOW.

So to the food. OVERALL the food was delicious. Here is a photo review of what we had:

Drinks: You must have a Mojito at the house of Mojitos right? Well none of us drink alcohol, so it was VIRGIN Mojitos to the rescue! They were quit tasty I must say.

Then onto the appetizers. We ordered Luam's platter and our friends ordered a shrimp dish. Our platter was 3 different types of plantains - and they were amazing. The shrimp was also very good, and well flavored.

Next up was dinner. It was served pretty timely - thankfully. Between us we ordered their famous steak dish "Parilla De Luigi", the Whitefish dish, the Flank stead and the kids all got cuban fried chicken with fries.

First Luigi steak dish. It was mouth watering. Served with rice, black beans and more plantains, it was amazing. Cooked how you request it - mine was perfectly medium rare and amazing. My only issue was that I had MORE plantains, being that I had SO many in my appetizer, it was a bit much. I was wanting some fries honestly lol.

The person with the white fish dish - said it was TASTY, however very "Fishy" tasting. Overall they gave it a thumbs up except for that.

Next to the Cuban Fried Chicken. Rave reviews on this - white meat, cooked perfectly, still juicy and seasoned so well but not too much.

One person had the most beautiful salad I have ever seen. Taste wise they said it was great, though a few of the fruits tasted a bit off with the combination.

Lastly the flank steak. This one wasnt as good as the rest. The person who ordered it says it lacked flavor, the meat was tough and the beans and rice unseasoned.

So besides our difficult waiter and the one not so good order - OVERALL this spot was amazing. The rest of the staff was friendly and the owner thanked us and walked us out, even let us snap a picture.

Two suggestions: 1) their website says they take reservations, but they DONT. They should take this off.

2) The one waiter in particular needs to work in the kitchen OR learn to serve properly.

Rating: *** 1/2 - Overall a great place to eat with yummy food!

Gomorra - a REAL Mafia movie, almost too real

2009-03-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Gomorra
Rating: R
Director: Matteo Garrone
Language: Italian (English subtitles)

Grand Prize winner at the Cannes Film Festival

For those of you who don't know me. I am Italian. 100% Italian. My family comes from Naples, Italy - where this movie was shot. This movie is about the mafia in Naples, Italy.

I have always had a fondness for mafia movies because of my heritage but also because its comforting. I know that sounds crazy, but the culture of mafia movies is comforting to me, the braggadocio of the men, the loud women, the cocky kids, the visions of food, cigarettes and liquor and corruption that lies between them all.

This movie covers 4 parts of Neapolitan life that is tainted by the mafia. The director skips around a lot between the different stories, which makes it hard to keep up at times, but if you follow close, you can get it.

This is not your typical "Ah yo getthefuckoutta here" Mafioso movie. Hollywood tends to paint a very tough, cold picture in mafia stories. You see money, fine suits, cigars, women, drugs etc. This is not the case in Matteo's movie. This is real. Naples has GHETTOS and the mafia resides in them. The mafia has to watch over where they work - keep an eye on their people. Can't do that from the mansions on the hill.

At times you feel sad and sorry for certain made members - because of the constant struggle they face daily with keeping their bosses happy but never being able to get out of the mess they are in. One man, who pays off people who "know too much" is a frail older man, who is constantly roughed up or has a gun put in his mouth because his bosses change "the list" and those that used to get money, arent anymore because their info is no longer sensitive. He is abused by both sides of the gun, literally. By the end of the movie you really feel sad for him.

By far the two best characters of the movie are the two young men (on the movie poster) who WISH to be mafia made and will do anything to be part of things. The scene on the movie poster depicts the hilarious scene of them in their underwear, shooting guns they found in a mob stash. This eventually leads them to more trouble than they ever imagined, but I won't spoil it.

The cinematography is amazing. Documentary style, you often find yourself questioning if this movie is REAL or actors. The way the camera holds a little too long on peoples emotions, to make sure you feel them. Almost like imposing on their privacy in some way. The slums of Napoli are filmed so you can FEEL the dirt on your feet. The directors ability to capture the violence of a scene but then draw your eye to the impoverished area and scenery as well, its fantastic. I found myself scanning the landscapes, shocked at the visual he was able to create at times. His ability to convey the feeling of a typical lower class Italian home, was impeccable. Smoke filled rooms, loud TV volume, laughter, cards being played, food cooked, spit fire dialect being spoken at each other, sun rays coming through the shades, dirty animals in the halls. It reminded me of Naples 100%.

I won't divulge anymore into the storyline, in fear of spoiling. What I will tell you is this. If you have any love for Mafia movies - SEE THIS FILM. This movie is better than ANY Mafia film I have ever seen, because its real and because of how its filmed. There is nothing glam or Hollywood about it. Its gritty and bloody but at the same time sad, lovely and real. If Scorsese doesn't LOVE this film, I would be VERY surprised.

Rating: ***** Closest thing to a perfect mafia movie ever. IF you ever wondered what it was like in real life, real times - this movie shows you.

**Here are a few more movie photos

Teddy Bear BBQ - swing and a miss

2009-02-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

Teddy Bear BBQ
1000 W. Main St.
Monroe, WA. 98272
TEL: 360-863-3131

Thanks to the phenom that is known as TWITTER...my husband had a craving for what most of the world knows as "Barbecue". Now as a north westerner, when you say, lets have Barbecue for dinner, I respond, Barbecue WHAT? Chicken? Beef? Burger? Hot dogs? My spouse who is from the south knows Barbecue as just one thing, Barbecue pulled pork.

So thanks to the ramblings of "qoolquest" (?uestlove of the Roots) via twitter (he was in the south having Barbecue and raving about it) I came home to a husband CRAVING Barbecue.

We recently had a BBQ place open up in town - so we decided to try it. He went to get the food to bring it home. 30 minutes later, a grumpy man came through the door. It wasn't an emotion I was expecting after purchasing his craving.

He explained that the owner was one of the rudest women he had ever met, and that he didn't care if you had to work all day, have some manners! He also said the entire dinner cost FORTY DOLLARS! This was 2 aprox 18 oz containers of pork, 4 types of BBQ sauce in small plastic containers (the size of a tarter sauce at Ivars), and 3 sides -- which were ridiculously small, and VERY expensive. Plus 4 hoggie rolls wrapper in foil. FORTY BONES was not worth what we got.

At this point I thought -- ok - this pork better be lined with flipping GOLD at this point. Not close. Pieces of soft nasty fat in the pork (if its gonna be there, which I don't mind, make it cooked and crispy!) and because you had to add your own sauce - it tasted like pulled pork that had been garnished, not BBQ that had been soaked and cooked in it.

We were more than disappointed in the service, quality and taste of this BBQ place. I don't need my ass kissed at a restaurant, but if I am gonna drop 40 bills on some meat, we at least expect kindness. Here is a pic:

My rating: * (it was a major disappointment)
I would have rather spent my $40 on McDonalds, and thats sayin something...i hate that place....

One PUSH can change everything

2009-02-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Push
Director: Paul McGuigan
Starring: Djimon Hounsou, Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Cliff Curtis and Camilla Belle

I will start out by saying, this movie wasn't at all what I was expecting, going by the trailer. So throw your preconceived notions out the window before seeing it.

I like to compare movies with other movies after seeing them, to give people an idea of what to expect. To me this film was like a cross between The Matrix, Oceans 11 and the X-men.

I am a firm believer that there are people on this earth with "abilities" that are beyond the abilities of the average human being. That is what this movie is about.

For all of the comic nerds out there (who I am not ashamed to say I wish i was) this movie is from a comic book and carries over to the movie quite well. The abilities and powers are explained in the beginning of the movie. Its done very quickly with flash backs, quick edits and electronic music - obviously made to get your heart beating faster.

Here are the different types of abilities that are in the film, along with the actors playing them.

PUSHERS: Characters Kira Hudson and Agent Henry Carver (Camilla Belle from Practical Magic and Jonas Bro videos and Djimon Houndsou from Amistad) play the movies main Pushers. Camilla is brilliant as her character changes as she pushes. First she is soft, coy, but frightened and confused, but in a blink of an eye, she can pull out a story, with assertiveness and manipulation of her voice and push it into someones head to try to save herself. Djimon's character is "The Man" everyone is trying to get away from because he is trying to control all the people with powers - he does a great job of using his powers to make GIGANTIC stories and lives literally change in an instant. His powers are bigger than you realize at first. If I could have any abilities, it would be this one - very manipulative how they portray it on the screen - and when they are "pushing" someone, their eyes go solid black. They are potentially the most dangerous of all agents, these individuals can "push" specific thoughts, memories and even emotions into their targets. This technique can be used to gain a subject's trust, or have them perform any action, thinking it was their own agenda. These transplanted thoughts can last a few hours, days or even years. Experienced pushers have a trademark "back story" that they have honed over the years, to quickly inject large amounts of information into their targets. Division (gov organization in charge of these people, or would LIKE to be) trains all its agents to defend themselves against pushers, but the technique has proven largely ineffective in the field.

SHIFTERS: Character "Hook" Waters (played by New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis of Whale Rider fame) plays the movies shifter. I love this actor and he does a great job of being the "big bro that's been there" role, and helps the group with things they need along their journey. These individuals can temporarily shift patterns of light on any object to create illusions to the naked eye. They work mostly on a touch basis, but once the illusion is established, it remains with the object for short periods of time. For example, a Shifter could momentarily touch a one dollar bill, altering its light pattern to appear as a one hundred dollar hill for hours until the effect expires. The length of the shift is based on experience and ability.

MOVERS: Nick Gant (played by Chris Evans of Fantastic Four fame). Because he is "second gen" mover, his abilities are rusty and he works on them throughout the movie. Movers can manipulate inanimate objects at varying distances. The actual technique is known as kinetic signature control, where the mover is trained to hear and identify the specific atomic frequency of any given material, and alter the gravity wave around it, usually producing the nearby air to appear "warped". Advanced movers can work at a molecular level creating protective shields in the air around them.

SHADOWS: "Pinky" Stein (played by Nate Mooney of Sunny in Philly fame) plays the main Shadow. Shadows are trained to block the vision of other clairvoyants such as Sniffs, making any subject within their target radius appear "dark". Experience will enhance the size of the area they can shadow and the intensity of their shielding effect. Shadows need to be awake to perform their ability, and it is common for a details of two Shadows to operate in shifts while protecting a person or object for extended periods.

WATCHERS: Cassie Holmes (excellently played by Dakota Fanning)and "pop girl" (The enemy watcher wonderfully played by actress Lu Lu). Dakota does a wonderful job playing this cocky, loner kid who's learned about her powers as she goes. Her adversary just known as "The Pop girl" is always sporting a lolly pop and notebook, and constantly teasing and threatening Dakota's character with her sight of her future death. These rare and mysterious agents are trained to self-induce visions of the future, very much like a prolonged sense of deja vu. The technique of following the future, either of a person or object, is called subject tracking. A Watcher's skill is primarily rated by how far they can see into the future. The Temporal Alteration Phenomenon (TAP) was the term given to unforeseen changes and disturbances that cause a future prediction to lose its integrity. Some say that even talking about the future can create enough TAP to change it.

WIPERS: Wo Chiang(eerily played by Biu Law Che)is the lone Wiper in the film. With his river front fisherman's warf-like working space, we see him early on the film, but don't realize what he does until later in the film. Wipers are skilled at either temporary or permanent memory erasure, an invaluable asset in espionage. Experience will dictate the accuracy of their wipes, though the danger is always present that they will eliminate a desired memory.

Bleeders: These were by far the most frightening characters of the film. Known just as Pop Boy 1 and 2 - they literally BLEED you to death. Graphically they become so scary as they exhort their powers - their eyes "POP" out and become CAT like, and their mouths grow gigantic. At times the screaming attacks made me laugh because they almost came off as in a B movie. Unique to Chinese government psychic abilities, Bleeders are trained solely for assassination purposes. They have the ability to emit high-pitched sonic vibrations that cause ruptures in a target's blood vessels. In recent years, synthetic materials have been surgically implanted in their eyes to slide upwards and protect the delicate ocular tissue that would otherwise be damaged by their own sonic vibrations. Before the implants were perfected, reports of a Bleeders eyes popping out during an attack were common, earning the nickname "Popboys".

Stitcher: Teresa Stow (played by Maggie Siff) played the Stitch. She appeared as a person from Cassie (Dakota's) past. You could not tell if she was bad or good, at any point of the movie, because stitchers go back and forth. She arrived to "heal" Nick at one point, but them turned on him later. Stitches are psychic surgeons trained to quickly reconstruct cells to their previous or healthy state. Using only their hands, they can heal and even "unheal" whatever they have done. For more detailed work, Stitches use a silver based cream on their hands which acts as a conductor to their ability.

And Lastly...

SNIFFS: Emily Hu (played by Ming-Na of ER fame) plays the Sniff forced to help the group trying to prevail over the Agents. I love this actress and she does a great job of playing the forced assistant. Her powers are strong and amazing and she has created her own business to use them to help the average citizen, which sometimes seem like shady deals. Sniffs are highly developed clairvoyants who can track the location of either people or objects over varying distances. Like psychic bloodhounds, their tracking ability is increased if they have tactile access to an object that has been in direct contact with the subject. Sniffs receive information based on images, not specific addresses, which is why unidentifiable landmarks help increase their effectiveness. Sniffs prefer to track their targets with personal items like toothbrushes as these items tend to keep "psychic residue" for great lengths of time.

The reason I toke the time to give you all of that information, is that I think I would have enjoyed the music more if I was CLEAR on all of the abilities and names of the abilities. I am such a nerd for these types of movies as of late, that i found it not only entertaining, but something I wanted to investigate further after the movie.

I would say the only problems with the movie were the speed at which the audience was expected to keep along. Like I said, if you are into movies with intricate maze-like conclusions - this is your kind of movie. But if you are easily lost and need your hand held and things explained - go see something a little easier.

Rating: *** 1/2* Great movie, would see it again!

Sundance documentaries with a Vision and a Voice

2009-01-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

I wanted to go see a movie - but discovered two amazing films on the Sundance Channel that night instead. These films are not new, but they are unknown to many - and I would love to help shine light on them, because they both affected me deeply.

For the Bible Tells Me So
Directed by: Daniel Karslake
Featuring:
Bishop Gene Robinson
Imogene & Victor Robinson
Brenda, David and Tonia Poteat
Jake and Britta Reitan
Chrissy, Jane and Dick Gephardt
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Reverend Peter Gomes
Rabbi Steven Greenberg
Reverend Jimmy Creech

This film opens by introducing us to 5 Christian families. They document each families experience with their son or daughter coming out as Homosexual in a Christian home.

We hear the family history, of church practices, of hard core Christian values being instilled, and on the "Horror" the parents went through when their son/daughter came out of the closet for the first time. Feelings are raw and real, and at times very hurtful and disturbing. The parents are candid and so honest with their initial feelings. At times it was hard for me to think of any parent treating their own child so horribly.

As you watch - each family of course handles it differently. Beautifully woven in the mix are clips and interviews with Protestant and Jewish theologians - and film clips of fundamentalist preachers and pundits and news clips of people in the street. There is tons of discussion of the literal translation of the bible and how easily it is misunderstood (which is true in SO many situations).

At one point of the movie, there is a hilarious cartoon (very similar to the sarcastic political type cartoons in Michael Moore's movies). Here is the cartoon:

The two families that touched me the most in this film - was a single mother, Mary Lou Wallner, one of the staunchest advocates of gay rights in the movie, became a political activist after her daughter, Anna, committed suicide — the result, Ms. Wallner believes, of the letter she wrote to Anna rejecting her after she came out. Mary Lou was raised and lived her life according to the books and teachings of James Dobson (Focus on the Family - Gay conversions).

The other is the Gephardt family. The openly gay daughter of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, talks about how her parents dealt with her news with unconditional love and support and how her father invited her to join him on the campaign trail when he ran for president in 2004.

This movie does a beautiful job of stressing the inclusion of all, and the message that God loves everyone. The hateful condemnation and abuse of the right wing fundamentals on this subject is both embarrassing and horrifying and makes you want to go out and do something about it. This movie was eye opening and a must see for anyone who considers themselves a champion of Justice for All.

Rating: **** amazing

The Grace Lee Project
Director: Grace Lee
Starring: Various Grace Lee's

I have to say the first 30 minutes of this movie are the best part. The movie is about Korean/American director Grace Lee - who grew up in Missouri in a small town. She was the only "Grace Lee" she knew of. Upon leaving her town and becoming an adult, she found that almost everyone she met knew "another Grace Lee". She began to inquire what all of these different people, with her same name, were like.

Most people had the exact same responses "demure, quiet, sweet, intelligent, reserved, played some instrument well etc". Grace was disturbed at first that she seemed so different than these other Grace Lee's.

The films director begins a search - desperate to find OTHER Grace Lee's like herself, that don't fit the "Asian Grace Mold" that seems to be the majority of the Grace's she had heard about.

She puts a call out to all Grace Lee's in the US - and filters through them to find a great cross section of women - who are leading amazing and different lives. Grace Lee, the 80 year old social activists for African Americans, to a young girl in California who is an artist who enjoys drawing "dark art".

The director self narrates and should be a comedian, her wit and dry humor on the subject of her name and her heritage is a frank and honest taste of America's Asian generalization problem and how even in her own culture, she is lost in the mix.

I found it enlightening, creative and humorous. The only thing I would have liked is to get to know THE Grace Lee a bit more, the director. She spent so much time on other Grace Lee's - when in reality, in hearing her humor and antidotes - she seemed almost more interesting at times.

Rating: **** wonderful movie

Urban Coffee Lounge - Surprisingly Unassuming and Charming

2009-01-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

Urban Coffee Lounge
www.urbancoffeelounge.com
9744 NE 119th Way
Kirkland, WA 98034
(425) 820-7788

I am always down to find good places to get espresso - and I especially love places with homey atmospheres, a sweet staff and beautiful artwork (see my review for Joe Bar).

A friend heard of my blog and invited me to this new shop in Kirkland. The title threw me off - immediately thinking of all the "east side" coffee shops that forever are TRYING to be URBAN.

I am delighted to say this isn't one of them. First impression was chic, clean, and modern, but didn't lack the warmth needed to get you to sit down and stay a while. There were soft couches, tables and chairs, stools and a small line waiting to order. I was greeted by two friendly baristas (one who was the owner, Alicia Miner, I realized later). After scanning through the menu, my eye caught "TOP SHELF MOCHA". I asked what it was - and as soon as I heard "Special dark chocolate" I was sold. To finish my chocolate fix - I ordered an organic chocolate cake doughnut and a piece of homemade banana chocolate chip bread, for breakfast.

The coffee was done fast and was delicious. A large is served in a cup large enough to be a SOUP BOWL which was perfect for the level of caffeine I needed this particular morning. Combined with the two chocolate breakfast items (which were yummy , gooey and happily freshly baked)I began to think in fast forward and contemplate to-do lists for the entire month...quite the sugar/caffeine high.

This company prides themselves in using freshly roasted beans, grinding them fresh for each order, throwing out all but perfect shots of espresso, making whip cream fresh to order, blended drinks use no powders and smoothies contain no corn syrup but rather 100% fruit. They are proud of their product and it shows.

With a friendly staff, beautiful decor,top notch food and drink and FREE Wifi, this cafe is one to be sure to visit when you are on the eastside.

Rating: **** (Crepes or hot breakfast choices would have made this a perfect score)

Milk proves to be priceless...

2009-01-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

MILK
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin
Tagline: Without hope, life's not worth living
Rating: R

Taken from the true events documenting the Gay Rights and political movement of the 1970s, MILK is the story of Harvey Milk, San Francisco's first openly Gay city Supervisor.

Being someone who had no previous knowledge of the history of this story, and had done no research before seeing the movie, it was surprisingly easy to understand.

The movie begins with a somber Penn, recording his voice in a memoir of sorts, to be listened to only upon his assassination. Something he obviously thought was going to happen at some point of his life. The movie then takes you back to how it all began. How he met the love of his life, "Scottie" played amazingly by James Franco, during the "free love" that was part of the 70s, no matter what persuasion you were.

Penn's portrayal of this joyful, silly, funny and flamboyant man is nothing short of brilliant. He has an amazing way of being incredible sharp and intelligent and ridiculously silly and boyish in the same 10 minutes. The love scenes between Franco and Penn were done as to portray the unconditional love and fondness the two had for each other. It does this so well that I found myself thinking that even the slightly homophobic or people who maybe haven't seen a love scene between two people of the same sex before - this would not be difficult for them to watch. If anything the beauty of the scenes help you realize how blind love is to gender, race, etc.

Franco does an amazing job of playing the "rock" for Milk. His character, Scottie - starts as a free loving stoner and then as the movie progresses and Milk gets farther and farther into his battle with the local political agendas - Scottie grows as well. At one point the stress of the constant election losses gets to him and they separate. However he continues to be a face in the crowd and there to wipe the tears offer a hug of congratulations when Milk finally wins the election for Supervisor of his region.

The movie battles with the passing of Proposition 6 - which in the 70s was a proposition to ban all gay men and women from teaching in any California public school. Former senator John Briggs headed the initiative to pass this bill. Harvey and his supporters (both in and out of city hall) worked tirelessly to assure this measure was never passed. Some of the amazing cameos during these scenes were Emile Hirsche, Allison Pill, Gabriel Luna - all playing amazing activists and lovers who helped Harvey along the way.

Josh Brolin gave a disturbingly good portrayal of the fundamental Christian supervisor Dan White, who constantly struggled with his feelings as the movie progressed. You could tell he was unable to resist the kindness and charm of Harvey, however vehemently disagreed with his way of life, to the point that he could not control his anger -- and in the end (as in history) shot and killed both Milk and the then Mayor, Mayor George Moscone (Played by Victor Garber). The assassination scene was so well done. Harvey had a love for the opera and had gone to see Tosca a few nights before his death. He then called his love, Scottie, just before dawn on the day of his death, telling him about the opera and that he loved how it freed him and made him feel. When Dan White shoots him, he twirls and falls to his knees, and gazes out the window, seeing the Opera house across the street and the vision of the singers on the banners outside...that being the last thing he saw before he died. (I don't give it the credit it deserves how I explained it, you just have to see it.)

The movie ended with a touching video of the 300,000 people that walked the streets of San Fran, the night of Milk's assassination - with candles, and in silence. And as it showed the footage, you hear the voice of Harvey's recorded Will -- talking about not making his death a tragedy, if indeed society can overcome and hate and bigotry. That his life was worth the sacrifice to if it meant his story would reach the masses and the people would help work for what he stood for.

This movie gave me one major epiphany that I wish people who persistently think they need to hate on others ways of life could understand...

Even if you don't accept the homosexual lifestyle as your own, or you don't agree with it because of your religion etc. Its really not about that. Its about our rights as American's and as HUMANS. Its about everyone having the same laws and rights, no matter what race, gender, sexual preference, economic status etc.

This movie was not just about Gay Rights - it was about the rights of every minority in the United States of America.

I found it liberating, touching, inspirational and poignant. It is my hopes that every adult American has the maturity to see this movie and take from it as much as they can.

(The fact that Penn or Franco didn't get a Golden Globe for these rolls is sad but I am assuming because of the subject matter, it was too controversial to some....)

Rating ***** excellent, a must see

7 pounds too many?

2009-01-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Seven Pounds
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Starring: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson and Barry Pepper
Rating: PG-13

The mystery surrounding the plot of this movie was very well played in the media and press for this movie. I took careful care as to not listen to any spoilers or to do any searching for plot details. I did however hear peoples opinions after they saw it - and I have to say they were half/half. And both sides were equally as enthusiastic with their feelings. I heard the words Horrible, Sick, Twisted, Amazing, Beautiful and Touching. Because of the difference in these words, I decided I needed to make my own opinion.

I appreciate the allusiveness for the first 20 minutes, then it starts to get annoying. Confusion in my opinion is not comfortable nor is it something I enjoy enduring for long periods of time. I have no patience for that. Ben Thomas's character is both sweet and tormented, but not 100% believable to me. I see pieces of "will smith" come through too often. Almost as though he can't stay in character.

I thought Rosario Dawson did a fantastic job playing the heroin in distress, she was wonderfully fragile yet lovingly strong when needed. The rolls of everyone else were supposed to be played as vague and allude to "more than meets the eye" ,which bothered me. I wanted to know more about them. Barry Peppers character, Ben's best friend Michael was SO emotional and sad about the choice his friend had made and so tormented about having to help him with it. I would have loved seeing more of that exchange and going deeper into that friendship. The love Ben had with his wife, how real was it? We barely saw it. The random "close" friends and family - we barely knew they were there. I needed to get a feel for what he was loosing to be able to really feel it when he lost it.

The plot. I have thought on this 24 hours since seeing the movie and I have come to the decision that I didnt like the plot. As a person who has been very personally affected by suicide, I can't accept the plot. Suicide has SUCH a horrible affect on the family left behind that no matter HOW MANY feel good, organ giving acts he does in return for his life - it just dosent equal out for me. It voids it out for me. His "good deed" of giving back, what was an accident in the first place - by way of taking his own life is just not acceptable.

What kind of feelings does it leave those who he helped? Guilt? Anger? What if they were angered by the fact that a man was ALLOWED to take his own life in order to give them one of his organs. I may have reacted the same. Not that its not grateful, but its quite a burden on everyone else - everyone except the person who ended their own life.

The ONLY great part of the movie to me - and when I cried? Was when Woody Harrelson's character, Ezra - had his new eyes (they looked almost black) and Emily went to see him, and he recognized her. That was touching and sweet.

I am a smart person. I understand where they were GOING with this story and what they were trying to accomplish. I think it needed to be more thought out and reworked conceptually to really be a success.

Rating: ** - it was just ok

Songs for Eating and Drinking

2009-01-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we were invited to a exclusive soiree at Chase Jarvis studios (http://www.chasejarvis.com). Its a project that is a collaboration between renowned director/photographer Chase Jarvis and chef/table guru Michale Hebb
(http://www.onepot.org) have started entitled "Songs for Eating and Drinking" (http://www.songsforeatinganddrinking.com).

Here is the explanation taking straight from their website:

"Get a bunch of insanely talented musicians together, and let them share songs, food, and drink. Many a musical career starts with small audiences, impromptu performances, late night mutterings; and then the lucky end up on large stages and tucked deep inside recording studios - often vastly disconnected from those that love their music. Our friends in the music industry have bellyached that industry folk hardly ever share food in a meaningful way – or rarely just get together and f’in chill. So we decided to create these evenings for our musician friends built around long tables, remarkable locations, sturdy drinking food, and bottles of wine and whiskey – with the hope that throughout each night songs would rise up from the table. Many a musical career starts with small audiences, impromptu performances, and late night mutterings."

I am going to share about my experience because I want to help spread the word virally about this event and also because it left such a strong impression on me.

First the food. Michale Hebb - who is featured in this months GQ - is known for his "ONE POT" cooking. Preparing to write this today, I decided to Google Mr. Hebb - to get some history on him. I am impressed by his outrageous and rebellious past in the food press and hope to jump aboard his new underground Seattle train of fans.(curious? Google him...)

SO enough of his story and more about his FOOD - which is what its all about for me. The night was fashioned VERY laid back and a bit jumbled, as dozens of the cities most influential hiphop artists gathered in this modern studio. Peppered in were various radio DJs, newspaper writers and industry heads. It was truly a very exclusive group of people that I felt jazzed to be a part of.

People arrived over an hour - immediately greeted by the chef and the photographer, the lovely assistant Kate and various staff bustling around with drinks, ice and some with hand held video cameras, interviewing us as we arrived. A punch was on the table, and because of the minor attending with us we were quickly told it had alcohol in it. I was told by several people how amazing it was, a soft pink color, topped with lemons and oranges. However being that my husband and I don't drink - we went for one of the large buckets filled to the brim with sodas and low sugar fruit drinks.

Michael Hebb is also well known for his "tabling" therefore I need to comment on that. It was beautiful. As the lights were lowered, I noticed the huge long tables, shaped in a 3/4 box - with a microphone and floor candles at the opening - large candelabras and tea light candles along with place settings on the Foil (yes I said FOIL) lined tables. In the dark candle light, the foil sparkled so perfectly that I giggled at the simple beauty of it and that I had never thought of it!

After a few artists shared songs, the salad was served. Huge platters were passed around, carrying a beautiful pile of multi-colored soft greens. Because of the lack of light, it was hard for me to get a proper photo and also to tell immediately what was ON the salad.

When I tasted it - i was so pleasantly surprised. It was a beautiful mixture of butter lettuces, and different red and purple varieties, mixed with tangerine and grapefruit pieces, goat cheese and crisp hazelnuts. The salad had a sweet balsamic type dressing with just enough salt and pepper to make it mouth watering. (*Note: I am not CERTAIN on the exact ingredients, just guessing as far as my taste buds could tell)

There were quite a few more performances before dinner was served. An announcement was made right before they served the "one pot" meal. Michael said he would first come around with the "pasta" which was small round balls - similar to Acini di pepe pasta but not quite the same shape. He strictly instructed us to not touch the pasta, until he came back around with the main stew/sauce to put on top. The pasta (just from the smell since I couldn't touch) had garlic, tomato and various herbs in it. It was pretty tempting not being able to touch it.

Then the stew came. It was a Moroccan meat sauce/stew that went on top of the pasta. It was rich with lamb, beef, large mushrooms (shiitake?) and soft yummy vegis in a thick rich beef sauce. I tasted a hint of wine, some sweet spices (Cinnamon, Allspice and Cloves) and some lovely other spices (cayenne, ginger, cumin, coriander). Truly a yummy rich "one pot" meal.

I was so honored to be part of such an underground and exclusive event and to be fed by such a well known chef. I truly hope to work with him in the future on another One Pot event.

Rating: **** 1/2 * amazing food - only thing missing for me was dessert

Here is a slide show of the photos I took that evening. My photos are in no way as good as Chase's - but I had fun playing with the camera in such a beautiful room.

Please check their official website for the photos and video they took all evening - which should be up within the week.

Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - a treat for both your eyes and your palate

2009-01-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant
2334 2nd Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 956-0500
www.marrakeshseattle.com

There are very few restaurants in Seattle that I would classify as "special event" restaurants, because either their staff is too stuck up and yuppie or their atmosphere is too stuffy for my taste - however this is one of the few I can say meets my standards for a place to take someone for a special evening.

Our special evening? My in-laws birthdays. I was aware of the popularity of Marrakesh, so we had reservations ahead of time, thankfully. There is a 3 foot by 4 foot waiting area - which means most people wait outside. That would be my only complaint, because in the dead of winter - its not a fun wait.

The restaurant is decorated fabulously - with rugs, scarves, fabric, covering every wall, floor and ceiling - and then small tables, pillows and stools for eating. The lights are low and the ambiance finished off perfectly with Moroccan music and dancing.

We decided to get the Royale Feast Dinner - which is for 4 people or more. It is a 5 course meal that includes one of each special on the menu.

Our waitress first came with a bowl to wash all of our hands. It was warm water and such a nice thing to do before we all eat.

The first course the traditional lentil soup. SO savory, just the right temperature to sip from the bowls. Then the waitress brought a huge woven basket of sliced bread and told us to take some. Great homemade bread, complimented the soup perfectly. Before we had a chance to finish our soup, the second course - Moroccan salad came. It consisted of a hummus-like paste as well as a vegi medly that was almost like a greek salad, but better (no olives). We ended up eating them all together, and felt as though that could have been our dinner.

The third course was easily the most INTERESTING dish I have ever eaten. I have lived in Africa, Greece, and have eaten tons of different foods, but this by far can be labeled the most yummy and interesting. It was called B'stilla Royale and basically its a light crispy filo dough, filled with a ground meat and onion mixture and topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Something about the mixture makes it delectable.

At this point we found ourselves comfortable but salivating at the mere thought of the next course and what they had next to surprise us with.

The 4th course was the MAIN course. And because we chose the Royale Feast. That is what we got. Each dish was savory in its own way. We got 3 chicken, one Couscous dish, and a lamb and a beef dish. We passed the dishes around the table, each taking bites from each dish. Its exactly what you WISH you could do at restaurants, try a bit of everything.

During the dinner course, the music got louder and the belly/sword dancer came out. She was a beautiful dancer who played with the patrons and invited a few people to dance with her. I often find side shows like this embarrassing and awkward, however she was so at ease and friendly, it was really entertaining.

With dinner done, low lights, comfortable pillows, we really could have taken a nap at this point, but the waitress came again - to wash our hands. After washing them - she sprinkled all of our hands with Rose Water - to prepare us for dessert.

Our 5th course was served in tiny bowls. It was a small chopped apple, pear and banana salad that was mixed with their juices and a bit of brown sugar. It was VERY refreshing and wonderful after such a big filling meal. Our waitress then came with 5 glasses and asked us to sit back a bit, in case of splash over. Confused we sat back - and she then started to poor the hot, fragrant, sweetened mint tea - from ABOVE our heads! She kept moving up until she was pouring from as high as her arms could reach standing (and we were on the floor). The tea was more than tasty and a PERFECT way to end an amazing dinner.

Unlike the "group meal" like we recently got at the Italian Maggianno's that I reviewed saying we paid WAY too much for what we got - this on the other hand was $20 per person (FLAT, no additions) and we got MORE than expected and were pleasantly surprised.

Rating: ***** Excellent food, service and ambiance. It is a great place to take out of town guests, to celebrate an anniversary or for a special occasion.

Burn After Reading....a random joyful must see

2009-01-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

Burn After Reading
Directors: The Coen Brothers
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malcovich, Frances McDormand, Tilde Swinton
Rated: R
Tagline: Intelligence is Relative

I enjoy movie taglines, because they usually are a great way to see what you are getting before watching. In this case, it just made me laugh, because truly it is a very witty film, about seemingly stupid people, or rather smart people acting stupid.

The movie has several small story lines, that all intertwine in some way. Without fail, the Gym trainer story line is the most entertaining and held my interest the most. Played by Brad Pitt and Frances McDormad -these two seemingly smart gym trainers stumble upon the memoirs of a retired/fired CIA agent (played brilliantly by John Malcovich). McDormand, who is under the impression she needs several major plastic surgeries in order to be a good trainer - sees this as a profitable situation. Along with her flamboyant and hilarious partner in crime, "Chad" (Brad) they begin to ignorantly try to blackmail Malcovich.

Meanwhile - alcoholic CIA agent "Osbourne Cox" (Malcovich) is struggling with loosing his job and his wife (played convincingly coldly by Tilde Swinton) who is having an affair with the awkward, impulsively allergic and pornographic inventor, "Harry" (played by George Clooney). Cox then is contacted by the obviously idiotic duo who plan to blackmail him for his memoirs, that they found on a CD in the gym locker room. In between these various battles in his life, we see Cox passed out in a whiskey induced coma in various hilarious positions.

"Harry" seems to be somewhat of a sex addict, who has his wife on the side, (a traveling author), this cold English bitch as an affair - AND frequents online personal sites to find more dates. Which is where he meets McDormands character "Linda".

So as you can see, these hilarious characters all get tangled up together in a mess of drama, full of blackmail, sex, lies and memoirs.

Malcovich's consistently outraged character is wonderful, you want to feel bad for him, but he is SUCH an asshole, you just can't bring yourself to. McDormand is SO convincingly clueless but so convinced she is brilliant, and you realize most of the characters are like this.

Clooney has hilarious food allergies that cause him to gag, clear his throat with his tongue and fake anaphylactic shock throughout the movie. But by far, the show is stolen by Pitt - who's flamboyant, gal pal, gym trainer role is perfect if you have EVER met an over the top trainer at your local Gold's Gym. Down to how he takes drinks from his water bottle, to his training tactics in the background of shots....he kept me laughing.

Sadly - Pitt exits the movie too early, but alas that is one of the many "random" moments that make you continue watching the movie.

On a side note - JK Simmons plays a hilarious CIA superior. His oblivious attitude to corpses, unexplained deaths and murders is not only hilarious but I have a feeling eerily realistic.

Rating - **** (a great movie - SEE IT!!)

Brad Pitt + Italian food = Heaven? Maybe not....

2009-01-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

DINNER:

Maggiano's Little Italy
10455 NE 8th St.
Bellevue, WA, 98004-4346

Let me preface this review by saying - I usually shy away from Italian restaurants all together, because I am 100% Italian and my family's in the business - so its pretty hard to please me. I will usually only go if I have heard good things about it.

We went for a good friends birthday. Immediately we were drawn to the "Family Deal" which is basically $27.50* per person - which is every ones choice of 2 appetizers, two pastas, two main courses and two desserts. They bring enough for everyone (plus some). The only thing YOU have to do, is decide as a group what to order.

As we lamented (really it was a hard choice and if I EVER go back, I will not go this route) Our waiter (who never told us his name) - brought us bread and olive oil. Now we were a bit confused - its not customary to bring JUST plain OIL with bread. It usually has balsamic vinegar and spices in it. So we asked for that and it was brought. The bread would have been SO much better if the baker hadn't accidentally dropped a cup of flour on the crust. Seriously it made our fingers white, got on our clothes - very messy for plain bread.

Our appetizers came (I apologize for the lack of photos - I will have more as my blog matures). We ordered Caprese and Spinach and Artichoke dip. The Caprese was good - however there was BARELY any basil, and what was there was SHREDDED basil? There also was no salt or pepper. The cheese and huge tomatoes more than helped keep my mind off the basil however - they were both amazing. The Spinach dip was gone first - being devoured by everyone in our group. The only complaint was that it could have been served with more bread crisps, there were like 5 crisps and 8 of us.

Onto the Pasta. We ordered the Gnocchi with the spicy Tomato vodka cream sauce and the Garlic shrimp with Linguine*(which added $2 onto each of our head prices). The Gnocchi was fairly disappointing. I would have liked to have seen homemade gnocchi, instead it was machine made. Also the sauce was too bland but at the same time too spicy, if that's possible. The Linguine was fantastic, but not enough shrimp. If I am going to pay $2 extra for a dish with shrimp, bring ON that shrimp!

Main Dish. We ordered Salmon with Lemon and Herb and the Chicken Parmesan. The Salmon was cooked perfectly however the spinach was a bit too much for me. The herbs were very light but bold flavors. It was a great piece of fish. The Chicken Parm was just ok. The wasn't enough cheese on top with the sauce. Also the edges of the breaded chicken were HARD. Overall, I wasn't impressed with what was supposed to be the "Main Dish".

By the time dessert decisions were made, we were TOTALLY full. Something about pay now *$30 a plate - made you want to eat everything in site, to get your moneys worth.

For dessert, the waiter said their 4 layer chocolate cake was a safe bet for chocolate lovers and if you couldn't decide. Then we also got the Apple Crostada with Caramel Sauce. I have to say the Crostada was the best part of the night. I wish I hadn't filled myself with all that average stuff and just had room for the dessert.

Now the chocolate cake needs its own paragraph. Having two HUGE Chocolate cake fans at this table, I knew we would get a good review. I had one bite and refused to finish. What the waiter didn't tell us was that it had SAMBUCA in it. A very strong bitter liqueur. It tasted horrible to me. Half the table enjoyed it and the other half was also turned off by the alcohol in it. Either way I was disappointed - that with a 12 year old eating it - we weren't told there was alcohol in the cake.

In the end I felt like I spent WAY too much money for just an average quality of food. The con's out weighed the pro's. It was $30 per person, plus each soda was $2.50, tip and tax - it was steep.

Review - *** -- good but not great.

MOVIE:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Rating: PG-13

I saw this movie on Christmas Day (the release date) and the theater was packed. The leading quote of the movie is "Life isn't measured in minutes, but in moments". That theme is echoed during this entire movie.

As it starts, you are immediately shocked by the quality of special effects used to make Young Benjamin, look so very old. The character of Benjamin is charming, simple and adorable. You find yourself forgetting he is a child, because of his looks, but then realizing that most people that were as old as he looks, act about the same. And so the dichotomy begins.

He is raised in a home for elderly people. His "mother" lovingly called "Queenie" in the movie was the angel that took him in and loved him unconditionally. As the world around him isn't sure what to do with him as a person, Queenie knows that God has blessed her with something special, even though its package may not be pretty. You begin to adore this woman for what she has sacrificed for this poor soul.

The love interest in the movie is slow coming but sweet. Its a childhood friendship that comes and goes over the ages. Until at one point they "meet in the middle". The idea of it is sweet and romantic. Cate Blanchett did an astounding job playing a prima ballerina named "Daisy". The dancing in the movie was spectacular and impressive seeing she had no dance background. There were some painful scenes between Daisy and Benjamin, while she was dancing in NYC - where she wasn't very thrilled to see him. It was very real and against the grain of how you WANTED them to be.

As their love grew - the age differences going the other way (Her older/him younger) started to be evident. The makeup and special affects deserve major awards for this film. There was a point that Brad Pitt could have passed for 17 - in my opinion. I don't know if it was on location botox or what, but it was amazing. Cate was aged beautifully but also became painfully old towards the end.

The ONLY complaint I had was as they aged Benjamin back to a child at the end. As in the beginning, special affects were used to have a small body, but it was BRAD PITTS face on the small body. When they had to take him the other way, they didn't do that - and instead got different actors (that resembled him quite a bit) to play the parts. It was harder to get into it that way, in my opinion.

The ending scenes, watching this child, dying - were SO heart wrenching. Dementia setting in and his body giving out - it was so sad. The entire time, Daisy, as an old woman, devotes her time to being with him and taking care of him. At the very end, Bejamin's voice narrates a very sweet moment - with a medley of video in slow motion, of each main character. While you watch these characters that you have grown close to, and started to love, you hear Benjamin explain that we all have a place in this life. Whether its as a mother (cut to a shot of Queenie with her arms open wide and a huge loving grin), or a dancer (cut to a shot of Daisy dancing on stage) etc, you see where I am going with this. Its incredibly emotional and is a perfect way to end the movie.

There were a few slow parts of the movie however I took that time to really enjoy the make-up and effects - so it wasn't that bad.

Rating: **** 1/2 (it was pretty close to amazing)

In closing. Skip the restaurant, but see the movie

An Explanation

2009-01-02T18:33:00.001-08:00

Just a quick explanation as to what this blog is about.

I will be using this blog to share my seasoned thoughts and opinions of various movies and restaurants.

As far as movies go - it could be in Theaters, it may be on DVD, shit it may even be a movie on TV if I like it enough. I think my opinions and thoughts on movies are easily understood and helpful to people when trying to decide to see a movie or not.

On the restaurant tip - I am a huge food critic. My family is in the restaurant business and I have worked in them off and on for years - I have been a cook, a server, a hostess, a dishwasher, a bookkeeper, a manager - so I know I can properly review a restaurant. I have to say my standards are high when it comes to eating out, so my ratings may be harsh, but it is what it is.

Here is my rating system:

* = bad
** = not great
*** = okay
**** = good
***** = excellent

If you have a restaurant or movie you think I will like - please feel free to email your suggestions to me at dinnerandamovieblog@gmail.com

Lastly - if you would like to contribute to this blog - please email me and include a few reviews you have written and we can chat about it.

Thanks for reading! Help spread the word!