by Christina Waters | Jan 26, 2013 | Home, Wine |
How nice of winemaker Jim Schultze to provide an elegant Burgundian-style Pinot Noir, bearing the Windy Oaks label and made from Santa Cruz Mountains grapes, for under $30.
The 2010 Terra Narro ($27.99 @ Shoppers) is a sensational companion for salmon or pork, and offers up perfume of bay leaves, mint and smoke riding an appealing raspberry foundation. Just enough tannins to provide structure, this is a highly approachable 14% alcohol creation. The long, slow finish gets better the second day.
by Christina Waters | Jan 14, 2013 | Home |
Now I get it. Now I see what all the Bradley Cooper fuss is about. As the sensitive, sexy, bi-polar misfit centerpiece of David O. Russell’s new film—Silver Linings Playbook—Cooper manages to register sweetness, rage, and screwball genius, sometimes all at once. He is hugely wonderful as the tortured recovering wild man, the electrified silver lining if you will, of Russell’s homage to barely-controlled domestic chaos and anger management “issues.”
Matched mano a mano by Jennifer —The Hunger Games—Lawrence, Cooper’s character Pat is fresh out of a mental hospital and moving back into his parent’s home in South Philadelphia when we meet him.
Thanks to an unidentified act of violence, Pat has lost everything. Gone are his home, his job, and his wife about whom he retains delusional fantasies of a reunion. But he does have the support of his mom (Jacki Weaver) and obsessive Eagles fan father (Robert de Niro, in his finest performance in years). The fringe of this brisk, very funny, often heartbreaking film is littered with Dad’s bookie buddies, a much-loathed brother, an OCD friend (more…)
by Christina Waters | Jan 14, 2013 | Movies |
Sasha Friedlander’s Where Heaven Meets Hell will be back on the big screen in Santa Cruz for one day only — January 19 @ 2pm, followed by a Q&A with the director herself.
Don’t miss this screening. Find out why by reading my review. Then make plans to be at the Rio Theater on Soquel Avenue, @ 2pm Saturday.
by Christina Waters | Jan 11, 2013 | Home |
Cold weather, warm flavors. If you sip something at O’mei’s front bar these days, you might be tempted by a new slew of tiny Asian tapas. We like the little bites involving bacon and potatoes, even a comforting cube of omelet.
This particular dish offers peppers, squash and bacon. Perfect with a glass of Ahlgren Semillon.
by Christina Waters | Jan 10, 2013 | Food |
1. Go to the farmers market.
2. Check the Happy Boy stand.
3. Grab a big ole radish that’s white on the outside, but brilliant pink on the inside.
4. Slice it over some arugula (just like in this picture).
5. Drizzle with garlic-infused olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Toss on a few capers.
6. Enjoy and feel über gourmet!
