Toasting Charles Dickens @ 200
February 7, 2012, marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth, and to honor the literary giant, friends of the Dickens Universe (and Dickensians from all over Santa Cruz) will be hoisting a pint at the Parish Publick House (in Almar Plaza) from 5 to 7pm....
new obsession – orange bitters, from scratch
You thought maybe the fruitcake fiasco was going to get me down? Ha! I'm on to my next artisanal exercise—orange bitters, the old-fashioned way (another pun I simply couldn't resist, but only serious tipplers will get it). First I had to locate Seville oranges,...
A word to restaurateurs…
Everybody with a grocery list and a shopping cart knows how food costs have skyrocketed. The price of a loaf of bread (okay, a loaf of locally-baked, organic, whole grain bread) makes me actually gasp. Coffee? Unbelievable. Chicken that has been raised humanely costs...
Dickensian Raconteur @ Bookshop Santa Cruz – Feb. 2
If you adore the literary ingenuity of Charles Dickens, whose work marks the apogee of the English language, then you'll be intrigued by the newest exploration of Dickens' masterpiece, Bleak House, by celebrated scholar and UCSC professor John Jordan. Better yet, come...
Trio of openings @ Sesnon Gallery
So many artworks, so little time. Make plans to visit the Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery this month. In the main gallery, prolific alumna Katerina Lanfranco unveils a gallery-sized installation, Natural Selection. In the adjoining gallery, a group show Clear Cuts features...
Ego vs. Id: A Dangerous Method
In his gorgeous new film, director David Cronenberg [see post below] has taken an enormous bite into the unconscious cravings of those struggling to fit into "polite society." But he also works to unpack some of the deepest conflicts—between Freud and Jung, for...
A Dangerous Method
The formative youth of psychoanalysis, with all of its nascent uncertainty, longing, paranoia (the field, not the patients) is transformed into a disturbingly sensual film, A Dangerous Method, by cine-maestro David Scanners Cronenberg. If you thought you were curious...
The Truck Stops Here!
Fran Grayson's mobile dining table is preparing to make some new stops - at the Live Oak Farmer's market. Starting January 29, you'll be able to stop by the roving silver food dispensery and order up apple fritters for breakfast, or fish tacos, arepas, rice plates and...
An Invitation to Dream: Hugo
A French kiss of a film, Martin Scorsese's Hugo enfolds its cinematic heart in a bittersweet quest for redemption. It seems that the feisty film director still remembers what it was to be a child, and to believe in artistic magic with a child's appetite for adventure...
A Fantasy Double Bill
If you've seen both of these films then you know what I mean — Hugo and The Artist make terrific side-by-side movie experiences. Each deals with the enchanted, tumultuous world of filmmaking. Each is riddled with the ecstatic triumphs and the anguished failures of...
Davenport Gallery opening – Jan. 14 – 4-7pm
A sweeping show of coastal landscapes will fill the Davenport Gallery, starting this Saturday, January 14 (reception from 4-7pm). The exhibition will offer works by top area painters including Andrew Purchin, Frank Galuszka (Cliff, o/c, r.), Ray Ginghofer and others,...
Mixed Culinary Metaphors
Maybe it's just me, but it's going to take more than three bright green patio umbrellas and a glut of signage to convince me that Mex-Italian cuisine is a sound idea. When a restaurant, for all the good will in the world, is consistently empty....it might occur to the...
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: film review
A feast for the mind as well as the eye, the shabby paranoia of Cold War espionage makes a bracing cinematic cocktail, neither shaken nor stirred. A dirty patina of brown and grey adheres to every engrossing scene of this version of John LeCarre's spy saga Tinker...
Fruitcake Chronicles: the unveiling
The short analysis: too much liquor. Here's the play-by-play description of our New Year's Day sampling of Aunt Chris' Fruitcake. After 5 weeks, it was time to unveil the slumbering fruitcakes. Carefully unwrapping layers of cheesecloth—utterly dripping with...
Starz Cupcakes on the Westside
Cupcake freaks (you know who you are) will want to check out the luscious array of cupcakes on offer at Starz' new outlet. It's inside the Yogizmo located at 1717 Mission Street (next to Avanti). Imagine getting to wrap your mouth around cupcakes, made-from-scratch,...
Apocalyptic Beer for the End of the World
Yes we all know that the world is scheduled to bite the dust on the 21st of December, 2012 (according to those playful Maya astronomers). Better sit down for this one. Combining the edgy visuals of comic cult legend Charles Burns and the micro-brews of Seattle's...
Spicy Seafood Sensation
A spectacular presentation of pan-roasted black cod utterly festooned with spun daikon, carrots and cucumbers, and sauced with soy, mirin, sake and mustard. The secret weapon was home-grown red chiles and cilantro, plus caramelized garlic and shallots. Where did I...
Fruitcake Matriarch
Here's a vintage portrait of the highly independent woman whose fruitcake recipe I used, with much variation, in my own recent effort. According to her niece, Lisa Jensen, this portrait of Anna Augusta Kirstine Jensen was taken in 1920 or 1921, "when Chris would be 18...
Vine Hill’s new tasting room
A packed house of friends, family and wine club members greeted the unveiling of the chic, friendly new tasting room showcase for Vine Hill Winery varietals. Finger food catered by Kelly's—divine wood-fired pizza topped with sweet caramelized onions and olives, plus...
Woodruff Vineyard Pinot Tops the Charts
If you need any further proof of John (Soif) Locke's unerring wine sense, here it is. Last weekend Soif hosted former UCSC student-turned wine grower Kenny Likitprakong of Hobo Wines. Two days later I find that the SF Chronicle has named Likiprakong's 2009 Ghostwriter...
Clooney in Paradise
I thought I was going to see George Clooney win an Oscar. I didn't. He won't. But The Descendants stayed with me and continued to spin out and unfurl deep-tissue feelings and puzzles and bits of beauty long after I left The Nick last weekend and headed out into the...
The Grenache that stole Christmas
From Birichino comes this wide open bouquet of spices, pepper and black cherries, Grenache Vielles Vignes 2010, Central Coast. At 13.5% alc. it moves all those bright fruit flavors deep into the center of your palate. The brilliant cherry red wine spreads out...
Avanti Advances
Avanti owner Paul Geise admits that long-time customers are getting restless about making sure they dine at the familiar landmark Ristorante Avanti at least once more before it closes. "But that won't happen until next year," the owner admitted. "There's just so much...
as the fruitcake ages…
This was how the Magdalene must have felt, anointing the body with precious spices and elixirs, carefully wrapping it in clean linens before placing it in the cool dark place where it would wait—preserved and guarded—until its ultimate appointment with destiny. As...