I'm talkin' 'bout barbeque
Only thing I crave
And that good doin' meat will carry me to my grave.
-- "Barbeque Bess" by Lucille Bogan
Sooooo, Friday night I went out to dinner with P & E, and as E is hella pregnant, she elected to eat barbeque. As we were in Montclair, the natural choice was Indigo Smoke.
I've eaten at Smoke before, but not since they moved two doors down to a newer, more spacious location. And let me just say - not only is the location lovely, but the food is as good, if not better.
We each ordered two sides, corn bread, and we shared a rack and half of baby back ribs and half a chicken. The ribs were phenomenal - quite possibly the best I've ever had. And they had a little kick this time which was very pleasant. I'm not sure if they put crack in the sauce, or if the fact that they cook their ribs all day makes them so yummy.
As for the sides, I had mashed potatos and macaroni & cheese, both of which were excellent, but the mac was in a class by itself. P declared Smoke's mac to be almost as good as E's. P had the mashed sweet potatos, which he greatly enjoyed.
We had to skip dessert this time around, as P and I were both succumbing to meat sweats by this point and E's stomach is shrinking. However, past experience shows that the cobblers are yummy and the strawberry shortcake is nothing to write home about (they use their biscuits in the shortcake, which is just wrong).
For another review, check out Barista's. The reviewer had the pecan pie....
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
This Crummy Life
So, in case I have failed to mention it, I am a fan of Bravo's Project Greenlight. Today, the New York Times, in its typical humorless fashion, reviews the show. I'm still not certain why I bother to read entertainment reviews by the Times - they hate just about every movie, every television show, and every book. In contrast, their restaurant reviews now gush about every TGI Fridays in the city. Of course, worse than admitting that they hate something are the reviews where you have no idea if they enjoy it or not. That is the case with their Project Greenlight profile.
Annnnyyywaaayyy, what's good about Greenlight? Frankly, anytime you put together a bunch of creative types and cranky studio execs, you'll have a laugh. But it is really the endless tug of war, with the producers running interference, that allows us to see how a great idea can become a shitty movie, or vice versa. I sadly saw King Arthur in the theaters last summer, in large part because my man Clive Owen was in it and I haven't disliked anything he was in yet (note: I have not seen Beyond Borders and have no plans to). I suspect that King Arthur is the type of movie that could have been good, but Antoine Fuqua had to make too many sacrifices with the studio. Or I could be wrong and Antoine sucks (Tears of the Sun, anyone? Gag.).
Ultimately, Greenlight is a realistic love letter to filmmaking. It reads: We love movies and filmmaking, even if it's filled with egomaniacs and whack jobs. So here it is in all its crazy glory. Or, as the director's father, Clu Gulager, puts it:
"We need a laugh. We need to be scared. We need to hug our girl in the theater. It lightens the load of this crummy life."
Annnnyyywaaayyy, what's good about Greenlight? Frankly, anytime you put together a bunch of creative types and cranky studio execs, you'll have a laugh. But it is really the endless tug of war, with the producers running interference, that allows us to see how a great idea can become a shitty movie, or vice versa. I sadly saw King Arthur in the theaters last summer, in large part because my man Clive Owen was in it and I haven't disliked anything he was in yet (note: I have not seen Beyond Borders and have no plans to). I suspect that King Arthur is the type of movie that could have been good, but Antoine Fuqua had to make too many sacrifices with the studio. Or I could be wrong and Antoine sucks (Tears of the Sun, anyone? Gag.).
Ultimately, Greenlight is a realistic love letter to filmmaking. It reads: We love movies and filmmaking, even if it's filled with egomaniacs and whack jobs. So here it is in all its crazy glory. Or, as the director's father, Clu Gulager, puts it:
"We need a laugh. We need to be scared. We need to hug our girl in the theater. It lightens the load of this crummy life."
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Thanks Mrs. B
Last night, Betakate and I had one of our marathon phone conversations. It was one of those conversations where we talk about a whole lot o' nothin' but somehow seem to have wasted nearly two hours. I guess I shouldn't be surprised - we did once have a ten minute conversation about spatulas.
I asked Beta what she wanted me to call her in my blog (which, let's face it, is primarily written for her). She foolishly told me it was up to me. We'll see how she feels when I start referring to her as Busty McFadden.
Anyway, I started prattling on about NPR, per usual, and Betakate started talking about an article in the New Yorker and how she's ashamed she loves the New Yorker because it seems rather snobby. She made the succinct analogy that the New Yorker is like the print version of This American Life. I agree.
So, as for NPR, today on Morning Edition, there was a piece on Teach for America. Apparently Teach is attracting a record number of college seniors - the focus was on Dartmouth - 11% of their graduating seniors applied to the program this year. On the one hand, good for them. That's awesome. On the other, I hope this program keeps these kids committed to public service, but I'm afraid it may send them skittering towards cushier jobs in publishing. One of the interviewees is going to Brick City (Newark to you non-Jersiers) to teach special ed. Gulp. If serving as a special ed teacher in Newark doesn't send you running into the arms of law school or the publicity department of BMG, I don't know what will.
That being said, I have to give respect to the teachers of Newark. Last year while I was working at the Women's Fund, I got to run Take Our Daughters to Work Day. The teachers who came along were so committed to their students, and the girls were just tremendous. All right, enough with the sappy. I promise I'll stop.
I asked Beta what she wanted me to call her in my blog (which, let's face it, is primarily written for her). She foolishly told me it was up to me. We'll see how she feels when I start referring to her as Busty McFadden.
Anyway, I started prattling on about NPR, per usual, and Betakate started talking about an article in the New Yorker and how she's ashamed she loves the New Yorker because it seems rather snobby. She made the succinct analogy that the New Yorker is like the print version of This American Life. I agree.
So, as for NPR, today on Morning Edition, there was a piece on Teach for America. Apparently Teach is attracting a record number of college seniors - the focus was on Dartmouth - 11% of their graduating seniors applied to the program this year. On the one hand, good for them. That's awesome. On the other, I hope this program keeps these kids committed to public service, but I'm afraid it may send them skittering towards cushier jobs in publishing. One of the interviewees is going to Brick City (Newark to you non-Jersiers) to teach special ed. Gulp. If serving as a special ed teacher in Newark doesn't send you running into the arms of law school or the publicity department of BMG, I don't know what will.
That being said, I have to give respect to the teachers of Newark. Last year while I was working at the Women's Fund, I got to run Take Our Daughters to Work Day. The teachers who came along were so committed to their students, and the girls were just tremendous. All right, enough with the sappy. I promise I'll stop.
Bursitis In My Ear
I watched Jackass: The Movie over the weekend. I saw it in theaters when it came out a few years ago and laughed my ass off. But I wasn't sure if I would find it as funny on a second viewing.
Here's what I found - certain skits, especially ones that involved lots of falling down, were as funny, if not more so. Pretty much anything with Steve-O was less funny on a second viewing. "Night Pandas," where the guys dress up in panda suits and run around Tokyo, was funnier on a second viewing. And of course, still the piece de resistance, "Butt X-Ray" in which Ryan Dunn shoves a toy car up his arse and gets an x-ray. The reaction of the doctor and the nurse is just priceless. Oh, and lest I forget, my favorite might still be the skit where Johnny Knoxville sounds an air horn on unsuspecting golfers' backswings. When confronted, he chocks it up to bursitis in his ear. Awesome.
Jackass also reminds me of this week's This American Life. They did a piece on the tricks people's minds can play. They specifically focused on an improv group called Improv Everywhere, which aims to bring a sort of gorilla theater to New York. As the founder of the group put it, he wants to live in a world where absolutely anything can happen, and so, he sets about making that world. Some of the stuff they do is arguably hurtful, although the fact that it's done with a desire to involve people and strip away the mundane makes even the offensive stuff less so.
Here's what I found - certain skits, especially ones that involved lots of falling down, were as funny, if not more so. Pretty much anything with Steve-O was less funny on a second viewing. "Night Pandas," where the guys dress up in panda suits and run around Tokyo, was funnier on a second viewing. And of course, still the piece de resistance, "Butt X-Ray" in which Ryan Dunn shoves a toy car up his arse and gets an x-ray. The reaction of the doctor and the nurse is just priceless. Oh, and lest I forget, my favorite might still be the skit where Johnny Knoxville sounds an air horn on unsuspecting golfers' backswings. When confronted, he chocks it up to bursitis in his ear. Awesome.
Jackass also reminds me of this week's This American Life. They did a piece on the tricks people's minds can play. They specifically focused on an improv group called Improv Everywhere, which aims to bring a sort of gorilla theater to New York. As the founder of the group put it, he wants to live in a world where absolutely anything can happen, and so, he sets about making that world. Some of the stuff they do is arguably hurtful, although the fact that it's done with a desire to involve people and strip away the mundane makes even the offensive stuff less so.
Everyone Who Knew Me
If you haven't been to PostSecret, check it out. People send in their deeply held secrets on postcards and this guy posts them on his blog. Some are sad, some funny, some poignant, and a few are truly terrifying. If it's true, I can't get over the 9/11 post card.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Radio Death Match
Soooo, on Saturday I finally got to see HBO's documentary about Air America Radio, entitled Left of the Dial. Good stuff.
First for the dopey stuff. Mark Marin, who's the co-host of Morning Sedition, is totally my boyfriend, except that he's a bit crazy. Maybe more than a bit. Still, they showed some of his stand-up from before the launch of the station and I was laughing. I should look into seeing his stand-up. Also, Janeane Garofalo has a very sweet relationship with her Texas Republican dad. And her co-host Sam can be my boyfriend when Mark Marin gets too crazy for me, which would be about 5 minutes into the relationship. Anyway, here's Janeane and Sam's blog: http://www.majorityreportradio.com/weblog/
In all seriousness, I thought the doc was good. I think the point that talk radio is completely dominated by conservatives was well made and clearly, duh. So these investors get together and want to change that. Good for them. And thanks. It's nice for me to be able to take a little break from NPR every now and again. And those of you who know me know that I listened to Air America religiously from June till Election Day. Of course, it was really interesting to see how a radio station with so many listeners couldn't afford to pay anyone and was on the brink of collapse on a day-to-day basis.
And I'll say it again - Randi Rhodes may not be your cup of tea, but I'm glad she's there. She is the left's answer to Sean Hannity and Rush and Bill O'Reilly. Why shouldn't the left have someone who yells at people and tells Ralph Nader that she's pissed at him and tells her callers that they're "crazy" when they say stuff like "Theresa Heinz is a Hamas supporter." Good for her. And for us.
It's on again on HBO 2 on April 20th at 9:30pm.
First for the dopey stuff. Mark Marin, who's the co-host of Morning Sedition, is totally my boyfriend, except that he's a bit crazy. Maybe more than a bit. Still, they showed some of his stand-up from before the launch of the station and I was laughing. I should look into seeing his stand-up. Also, Janeane Garofalo has a very sweet relationship with her Texas Republican dad. And her co-host Sam can be my boyfriend when Mark Marin gets too crazy for me, which would be about 5 minutes into the relationship. Anyway, here's Janeane and Sam's blog: http://www.majorityreportradio.com/weblog/
In all seriousness, I thought the doc was good. I think the point that talk radio is completely dominated by conservatives was well made and clearly, duh. So these investors get together and want to change that. Good for them. And thanks. It's nice for me to be able to take a little break from NPR every now and again. And those of you who know me know that I listened to Air America religiously from June till Election Day. Of course, it was really interesting to see how a radio station with so many listeners couldn't afford to pay anyone and was on the brink of collapse on a day-to-day basis.
And I'll say it again - Randi Rhodes may not be your cup of tea, but I'm glad she's there. She is the left's answer to Sean Hannity and Rush and Bill O'Reilly. Why shouldn't the left have someone who yells at people and tells Ralph Nader that she's pissed at him and tells her callers that they're "crazy" when they say stuff like "Theresa Heinz is a Hamas supporter." Good for her. And for us.
It's on again on HBO 2 on April 20th at 9:30pm.
A Born Follower
So, yes, last night's Deadwood was fantastic. The great thing about this show is that even when the writers are clearly laying the groundwork for future showdowns and scheming, they still manage to make the show heartstopping and quick. Sopranos writers really ought to jot down some notes, considering that all of Season 4 was basically groundwork for Season 5 and it was a real snooze to sit through.
Highlights for me - when Farnum, always self-aware, tells Al that he went behind his back because he's a born follower. I enjoyed watching Trixie try to manipulate Ellsworth into marrying Alma. It'll be fun to see what Alma does when Ellsworth proposes....
After a strong episode last week, Bullock was back to his annoying self - getting pissed about one thing and then hitting someone else for it. As self-aware as E.B. Farnum and Swearengen are, Bullock never seems to have a clue what's going on in his own head.
And of course, the climax in Joanie's brothel. I knew Wolcott was a bad guy. I knew he'd probably end up killing one of the hookers, and that this would be the downfall of Joanie's freedom. But two hookers and the madam? Did not see that coming until it was right on top of me. So, the writers deserve kudos again for getting one over on me. Poor Joanie.... just when she thinks she's out she gets pulled right back in. I have to say, though, at the end there I thought she was going to walk into the Gem.
Anyway, next week it looks like we can expect more lameness from Bullock and an awesome tete a tete between Al and Alma. I personally think that Al is going to have Silas kill Miss Isringhausen - does she really think that Al will leave his fiefdom for a measley $50K?
Highlights for me - when Farnum, always self-aware, tells Al that he went behind his back because he's a born follower. I enjoyed watching Trixie try to manipulate Ellsworth into marrying Alma. It'll be fun to see what Alma does when Ellsworth proposes....
After a strong episode last week, Bullock was back to his annoying self - getting pissed about one thing and then hitting someone else for it. As self-aware as E.B. Farnum and Swearengen are, Bullock never seems to have a clue what's going on in his own head.
And of course, the climax in Joanie's brothel. I knew Wolcott was a bad guy. I knew he'd probably end up killing one of the hookers, and that this would be the downfall of Joanie's freedom. But two hookers and the madam? Did not see that coming until it was right on top of me. So, the writers deserve kudos again for getting one over on me. Poor Joanie.... just when she thinks she's out she gets pulled right back in. I have to say, though, at the end there I thought she was going to walk into the Gem.
Anyway, next week it looks like we can expect more lameness from Bullock and an awesome tete a tete between Al and Alma. I personally think that Al is going to have Silas kill Miss Isringhausen - does she really think that Al will leave his fiefdom for a measley $50K?
Just Do What I Tell You
Yeah, I hate myself a little for doing this. But I figure it might save me some time rather than repeating what I thought about X Movie or Y Book or last night's episode of Deadwood, which, by the way, ruled.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)