I was chatting with a fellow blogger recently, and mentioned to him that I have a ton of half-written reviews waiting to be finished and posted.  He suggested I just post what I have and finish them as I go.  If this is a good idea, he gets the credit.  If this is a bad idea, he was kidding and it's all on me.  Either way, go check out his blog: The GIN is IN.

Blackbirds

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The Rondout Inn

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Image via CrunchBaseI got my mother a copy of Mark Bitman's How to Cook Everything cookbook for Christmas a few years back, and she uses it all the time.  I'm waiting for the latest edition to come out in paperback, then I'm buying it myself.

Bitman has a blog on the New York Times website, and has contributing and guest bloggers appear regularly.  At one point, the contributor was Luca Marzorati, a high school student and street-cart food connoisseur.

Marzorati's writing is excellent -- you wouldn't guess he was in high school when this was written if the article hadn't made mention of it.  And his praise of Sammy's Halal Cart is glowing.  I'm tempted to track the cart down for lunch one of these days.

Check out the review for yourself.


 

The Situation

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Slainte was a disappointment because of the food, but if we had just gone for drinks, it would have been great.

I don't review a lot of bars, because the real appeal is enjoying a beer with my friends. But I have reviewed some -- places with especially great selection or especially bad service, or restaurants whose drinks really impress.

Establishments I've previously reviewed are linked to the appropriate post; in between are some quickie reviews.

Boston Beer Works -- Click to read my previous review.

Cornwall's Restaurant -- Not much of a website, so I'll fill you in. You walk in, and there's a huge bar with a nice draft selection. To your right, a pool hall. To the back, dartboards and a bookshelf crammed with board games. Perfect for chilling with friends.

Crossroads Coffee -- No alcohol, but that doesn't mean you can't hang out over a nice beverage. Click to read my previous review.

Croxley's -- An international beer menu and 10-cent wing nights. The beers can get pricey, so practice moderation and enjoy your chicken.

Derek's -- Click to read my previous review.

Flanigan's Boat House -- Click to read my previous review.

Irish Pub -- No, really, that's the name of the pub. Limited selection of really nice house beers. The everyday menu is not all that remarkable (though there's nothing wrong with it), but their specials are great -- especially the $10 dinners. I got an amazing steak dinner for a Hamilton once!

Kelsey's -- Click to read my previous review.

Kildare's -- A fun experience, but pick your moments; I've been unimpressed with their dinner menu, and on Friday nights it's way too crowded to be fun enough to justify the cover charge. Stopping for a pint between crowds is nice, though, as there are lots of booths and corners for you and your friends to hide in.

Miller's Ale House -- One of Chris's favorites, with good, affordable food; good, affordable drinks; lots of specials; and tons of games on the big-screen TVs. Watch your moments here, too, as different crowds tend to come in waves. Definitely worth learning when the frat boys arrive, whether to attend or avoid.

Old Eagle Tavern -- Within walking distance of my parents' house, it's where I go at the end of an evening with friends. Says Dan: "Great food and beer selection. Reasonable prices. Manayunk atmosphere, Roxborough prices."

Slainte -- Click to read my previous review.

Smokeless Joe's -- Click to read my previous review.

Sunset Grill and Tap -- Click to read my previous review.

Wayne Gretzky's -- Click to read my previous review.


Go forth and drink responsibly -- and have fun!

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Trattoria Lucia

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Cafe Buenos Aires

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Cover of The Simpsons Movie (Widescreen Edition)Updated 1/2/10

I've reviewed quite a few things along the way, and most of the stuff I've encountered has been largely positive, but with qualifiers: you should see this movie if you like mindless summer flicks; you should read this book if you like historical biography, and so on.

There are a few things, though, that I recommend across the board; I may not expect you to completely agree with me, but I think you should -- no, must -- at least check them out.

Must read

Must watch

Must...eat?

Must.... other, I guess

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Watchmen

First off, let me emphasize that this is not a kids' movie.  Yes, it was based on the graphic novel, but that's not a kids' books, either.  There is violence, sex, sexual violence, lots of murder, bad language, bad music, and a moral ambiguity that never takes a break.  If your 8-year-old can handle that, awesome.  If not, don't blame me; I warned you.  But it's rated R for a very good reason.  This is not one of those movies where they add the s-word to get a PG bumped up to a PG-13 and attract the 18-35 crowd.  This is a real, actual R movie.

OK, that's out of the way.

So, having said all that, I want to add that for the most part, I really did enjoy the movie. I never expected it to be exactly the same as the book.  For one thing, I was spoiled as to the ending.  For another, the book is long, and even with the movie as long as it is (162 minutes), something had to give.

I did find that having read the book filled in some blanks.  There were a few moments  that were a little unclear to Chris that made sense to me since I had the context.   So on the off chance you haven't heard already, the film takes place in a world where superheroes -- or, at least, costumed vigilantes -- are very real.  And illegal. Former heroes essentially have three paths they can take.  They can work for the government, like The Comedian.  They can flagrantly break the law, like Rorschach.  Or, they can retire, and either capitalize off their past, like Ozymandias, or just walk away from the whole thing, like Nite Owl.   But then, costumed heroes start turning up dead, leaving those who survive to face their demons and avenge their colleagues.

And by the way?  It's 1985 and the United States is counting down to nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

We open with a great montage that explains the alternate timeline we're dealing with, showing the heroes who have gone before; some are dead, others are retired.

As we proceed through the narrative line, we begin to fill in the blanks and learn more about the characters and what makes them tick.  Why is Silk Spectre so angry at her mother?  How did Dr. Manhattan gain superpowers (he's the only one who actually has them)?  What makes a hero?  What makes a villain?

I mentioned above that something had to give.  In the original text, much more attention is given to the backstories of the first generation of heroes.  This is not strictly necessary -- the opening scene really covers the major points -- but it does provide a lot of information.  Likewise, there is quote a bit more information about Ozymandias's post-hero activities -- he's a massively powerful businessman (it would not surprise me if it turned out he was a partial inspiration for David Xanatos).  Finally, there's a complex subplot invlving a man who runs an newsstand and a boy who buys comics there, which revolves around a comic within the comic (which is available on a direct-to-video DVD and will be a feature when the movie comes out on video).

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Cheeburger Cheeburger

Burger Heaven

The Dog House

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Peter Luger Steakhouse
255 Northern Blvd. Great Neck, 11021
(516) 487-8800

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I mentioned last week that Chris just graduated from law school. He also just had a birthday. Between the two (and a wager I made with myself -- and lost -- to finish reading Ulysses by my own birthday), I told him I would take him out to dinner anywhere he wanted, so long as I had enough notice to make reservations.

He didn't tell me where he wanted to go until the same day we got the dinner, but at least he made the reservations himself.

Typical, though: I had terrible indigestion from brunch, and steak was the last thing I wanted.

Also, and this is something I didn't know until I got there: only the house credit card is accepted. Fortunately, they do accept debit cards, so I was fine, but consider having plenty of cash on hand (which I would have, had I been forewarned).

So?
Chris's original plan was for us to split the Porterhouse Steak for Two ($83.90), a wise move on his part since there's no way I could eat the same amount he can, even when I'm in the best of health. Since that wasn't in the cards, he instead got the Rib Steak ($39.99), while I got the Mixed Green Salad with homemade vinaigrette ($7.95). We split the Creamed Spinach (for 2) ($8.95) -- the food seems to be designed for groups -- a bottle of Avalon Napa Valley ($30), and, since my stomach was beginning to settle by the end of the meal, we split an apple strudel ($8.95) for dessert.

Chris loved his steak, to the point where he was very nearly gnawing on the bone. I tasted a few bites, and am convinced that I want to come back sometime in the future. My salad was very nice -- the vinaigrette dressing tasted a bit strange, not bad but seasoned with something I couldn'timmediately recognize (I think it was capers). The creamed spinach was good, though not sensational, but oddly tasted very good as a substitute for butter on the rolls.

The apple strudel was delicious, and came with a heaping bowl of the restaurant's specialty whipped cream, or "schlag". You could easily use this as a cannolli filling. Amazing, though I limited myself to a few bites.

I need to speak highly of the service here, as well. Our waiter was attentive without being intrusive. He didn't give me a hard time for ordering the salad, and when Chris asked for a half-bottle of one wine, he recommended a different wine, which cost less for a full bottle than a half-bottle of the other did, and which paired even better with the steak.

It wasn't a cheap night (even with my light fare), but it was great for a special occasion.

Rating
Go to celebrate
I highly recommend this place, but given inflation, the price of gas, and all that other fun stuff, I can't in good conscience recommend going on a regular basis. Once or twice a year, assuming you've budgeted for it? Absolutely.

The rest of the Internet
The Wikipedia entry.
Frank Bruni at the New York Times reviews the restaurant.
Liza at I Eat NY is brutal toward the hamburger buns.
Adam at The Amateur Gourmet offers an enthusiastic review and amazing pictures of the food (and Ben Affleck).
More positive words and hunger-inducing pictures at foodyi.
Alex Gordon at The Blogging Affair offers hints and tips for your visit.

Red Lobster
211-217 Old Country Rd.
Carle Place, NY 11514
(516) 248-7411

Actually, it's kind of weird that I've never been to Red Lobster. I know my parents went before I was born, and I'm fairly sure they've been recently, but never when I was growing up. I'm going to blame my brother: he was a picky eater as a kid.

But Chris got a gift card, and he knew I had never been, and it was a Friday in Lent, and they were open late (which is a huge benefit, since I got into New York fairly late), so with the stars in alignment, off we went.

Then again, maybe we should have thought this through... I'm not a huge fan of shrimp. I don't hate it; I'll eat it if it's put in front of me with no complaints. But at the same time, if it's completely up to me, I don't order it, either. The sea has so many creatures that are so much tastier...

So?
I had the Rock Island Stuffed Tilapia (Fresh tilapia roasted with crab-and-seafood stuffing and topped with langostino lobster meat in a creamy lobster butter sauce, $15.25, limited time Lobsterfest special) and a glass of Reisling (Chateau Ste Michell, $5.75) Chris got the Salmon New Orleans (pan-seared fresh Atlantic Salmon with Cajun spices, topped with shrimp in a rich lemon butter sauce, $19.99) and a Diet Coke. They were quite tasty (I'm a sucker for crab stuffing with lobster sauce...), but not especially memorable -- in fact, while both my fish and its stuffing were very nice, I didn't find they complimented each other that well.

Rating
No objections
It's not a bad place; the food was fine, the prices were decent, and if you're craving crustaceans, you won't go hungry. But it just didn't stand out as anything special. But hey, when you're trying to please a large group, nice but forgettable is a safe bet, isn't it?

The rest of the Internet
Official Red Lobster recipes.
Red Lobster's Wikipedia page.
Lobster Boy at Red Lobster Blog tells provides stories (and rants) about working at the restaurant.
Nutrition facts for Red Lobster's health menu items at Calorie King.
A Red Lobster executive was recently killed.
Wendy at WichitaKsDailyPhoto took a lovely photo of her local Red Lobster.
Dino-ray at The Finer Dandy tours his local chain restaurants.
Aeqvitas at work. school. karaoke wonders why people who live in a great seafood town would go to Red Lobster.