by Christina Waters | Feb 23, 2011 | Food, Home |
Congratulations to Cabrillo culinary students and to Mike Wille, instructor at Cabrillo College’s Advanced Culinary Arts program. Wille’s inventive chefs-in-progress made a brilliant showing at this year’s Clam Chowder Festival – taking First Place in the “Best Restaurant Boston” category, Second in “Best Restaurant Manhattan” and won the “Overall People’s Choice” award in the Professional category.
Wille admited that these recent awards were an honor for his talented students, and that he was “excited about the quality of this year’s entries.”
So you have even more reasons to dine at Cabrillo’s Piño Alto dining room.
by Christina Waters | Feb 23, 2011 | Home, Movies |
By now you all know the story. Two brothers, one a crackhead, the other a straight-arrow. Both are fighters, one on the way down, the other on the way up.
Domineering mom, dysfunctional but loving family. Barmaid with a heart of gold.
Co-producer Darron (The Wrestler) Aronofsky knows his gritty rustbelt atmosphere. The collars here in the film’s location of Lowell, Mass, aren’t just blue, they’re fraying blue, just like the language that punctuates the dialogue like so much taser fire.
I went to see The Fighter mainly so I could make a few reasoned calls as to Oscars, and I will just cut to the chase and admit that yes, Christian Bale should absolutely walk away with the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Skeletal, glazed-eyed and letter perfect with New England accent and rhythms, Bale – along with co-star Mark Wahlberg – creates the most physically electrifying opening to a film this side of Do the Right Thing. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Feb 22, 2011 | Food, Home |
Most of Santa Cruz swooped down on Staff of Life’s humongous new digs last week, to check it out and to start getting familiar with their new neighborhood natural foods emporium.
I spotted two more reasons to head over to Staff – fresh duck breast and fresh spot prawns. Not your grandfather’s natural foods market. Wow. Impressive already, and there’s still plenty of shelves to be filled.
Corner of Darwin and Soquel on the Eastside. Stop by for coffee and pastries on the front patio.
by Christina Waters | Feb 22, 2011 | Food |
Too tired to rustle up something decent for dinner? Me too, which is why I find myself running over to O’mei, and either dining in the restaurant or picking up a few favorite dishes to take home.
Here’s our go-to dinner: Rosemary Chicken with Mushrooms (pictured here), preceded by an order of those irresistible Red Oil Dumplings. Add a glass of Ahlgren Semillon, or maybe an easy-sippin’ Cinnabar Mercury Rising. Major spicy flavors for not many $$$.
by Christina Waters | Feb 17, 2011 | Home |
El Salchichero – handcrafted charcuterie – opening weekend.
Gorgeous sausages, chops, steaks, ground meats.
And any minute now, the cured salame will hit the display case.
Congratulations to Chris LaVeque and his hard-working family for bringing these artisanal products to a grateful gourmet public.
402 Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz.
