by Christina Waters | Jan 4, 2008 | Home, Movies |
How can we explain the Disney-produced mess that is National Treasure 2? How is it possible that Nicolas Cage – with his monochromatic, slack-jawed, puppy-eyed expression, his bad dye job, his cornball tendency to break out in patriotic sweats at the drop of a hat – how is it possible that this man continues to get work in the movies? (Surely it can’t still be the Coppola thing, can it?)
Lacking script, direction, competent acting (except from old pros Jon Voigt, Ed Harris and Helen Mirren, who must have needed the money), National Treasure 2 lurches through a visual wikipedia of great films from the past.
From Indiana Jones we get the underground treasure thing and rolling boulders. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Jan 4, 2008 | Home, Travel |
Röckenwagner for our last lunch of 2007 – and Parkhouse Eatery for the first lunch of 2008. Delicious in both cases. Especially the plump old-fashioned apple pancake with crème fraiche at Röckenwagner Cafe & Bakery in Venice’s Abbot Kinney boutique district, absolutely packed with the young and the beautiful, fueling up before New Year’s Eve.
We hit the crowded cafe after a trek up to the Getty Villa Malibu, where the gazillion dollar refurbish of the once-glorious villa left us cranky and hungry. Antiquities in a theme park, aggressively framed by dining and shopping opportunities – that’s what the Getty money bought. If you remembered the old Getty villa from years gone by, you will be aghast. Get on a plane headed for Sicily or Pompeii instead, where the environment matches the collection. But back to the food.
At Röckenwagner, we consumed a mixed bag of sensational German apple pancake (right), tiny tuna sandwiches on brioche with designer salads, and an unsatisfying niçoise salad with over-cooked “poached” eggs. The breads, and especially a nut-filled scone, were lavish and wonderful — the Rockenwagner bakery continues to impress. By the time we finished up lunch at 1:30pm, the temperature was 80 degrees.
by Christina Waters | Jan 2, 2008 | Home |
Is Ron Paul the village idiot? the court fool? or one of the smartest secret weapons in the Republican arsenal? Think about it. Why is this stranger-than-fiction gnome up there on the stage with all those relatively clear-headed straight-arrows? Here’s why. Paul is so far right that he’s left, and threatens to become a cult darling of anti-war libertarians and independents alike.
The light went on for me as I watched the recent Republican debate. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Dec 21, 2007 | Home |
When Joseph Schultz tells you, “this place has the best coffee in town,” you tend to pay attention. The founding chef/ethno-gastronomer for the late, great India Joze Restaurant was referring to the new Lulu Carpenter’s housed in the new/old Octagon across from Gravago in downtown Santa Cruz. And frankly he could be right.
At least that’s how my deep, rich, dark-roast coffee tasted yesterday morning. And that was nothing compared to Joze’ incredible triple espresso with a float of whipped cream. I took a sip. It should have been acidic at that wattage, but it wasn’t. Not the least bit bitter. Incredible. The secret to all of this might just lie in Felton, at Coffee Cat, where Lulu’s beans are custom roasted.
I am about to make a field trip up to the mountains to find out. Stay tuned.
by Christina Waters | Dec 17, 2007 | Food, Home |
The Chocolate Creation of the Year: Yearning for some authentic French cooking? You will want to sample the handiwork of chef Muriel Loubiere, who along with husband Michel has opened Au Midi, a small, charming place devoted to a small menu of French culinary hits. (Although the restaurant announces itself as “provençal” the current menu doesn’t back that up.)
Our quartet sampled two appetizers and four entrees — all delicious and a bit retro with their impeccable sauces and fastidious handmade presentation. But it was the desserts by skilled pastry chef Loubiere that knocked us out.
Destination Chocolate! And I’ll go further. If you can only enjoy ONE chocolate dessert this year, it has to be the “Bergamot” creation at Au Midi ($8.25). Let me try to explain (too bad the low lighting prevented me from taking a good shot).
Imagine a shining dark chocolate hemisphere, say 3 inches in diameter, sitting on a crisp wafer-thin chocolate biscuit. Next to it is a filigree spun sugar “basket” containing orange slices. Next to that is a little bowl of crème Anglaise. Add a few perfect rosettes of unsweetened whipped cream.
Now go back to that dark chocolate dome. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Dec 16, 2007 | Home, Movies |
Last week we were all over the map – Luca in Carmel, Soif for appetizers, and Au Midi for dinner. All wonderful stuff in general, with scallops, root veggies and wintry natural meat dishes showing off nicely.
Across Dolores Street from Winfield Gallery, Luca sits between Ocean and Seventh, in a contemporary re-design that moves from the intimate front bar seating, past the wood-burning pizza ovens, into a huge back dining room. Heavy beamed ceilings in the front room, brick barrel vaulting in back, attest to the vintage of this attractive space, masterminded by Mirabel Hotel and Restaurant Group entrepreneur David (Bouchée) Fink.
The lunch menu created by Executive Chef Jason Balestrieri (formerly of LA’s Patina) was instantly appealing, and our quartet ordered glasses of earthy Sardinian Cannonau to go with a shared arugula, pecorino and pear salad, a pizza Margherita, another pizza topped with caramelized onion and wild funghi and a shared salumi plate of artisan-made salametto and speck. I could admire the view of large slabs of hams and cured salumi hanging in a glass aging chamber from my spot on the banquette.
Every flavor was sparkling, from the delicious, ungreasy meats to the
perfect pizza. Crisp crust, chewy delicious dough, buffalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomato topping. The arugula salad — inflected with beets and thin slivers of pear — was generous enough for us all to enjoy. Even the opening salvo of crusty bread was terrific, served with an addictive olive oil and balsamic mixture filled with chopped olives.
Put Luca on your list next time you’re in Carmel – open for lunch (during the week) and dinner daily – 831/625-6500.
