by Christina Waters | Jun 16, 2010 | Home, Movies |
Kung fu king Jackie Chan, arguably the best-known human on the planet, was once a kung fu prodigy following in his father’s swift footsteps. At 12, Jaden Smith is also a child star, following in his talented father’s footsteps. And even if the dangerously cute son of Will and Jada Smith isn’t a martial artist, he is smart, quick, and poised enough to hold a screen for two hours.
I’ll be candid here. I’ve seen every Rocky at least five times. I am a complete sucker for the little guy who fights back to topple the big bully formula. That’s the story here with the remake of the 1980s Karate Kid. Only instead of Japanese karate, the name of the game is kung fu. The setting is today’s Beijing, and instead of avuncular Pat Morita, we have the amazing Jackie Chan, who at 55 still has technique, and acting skill to burn. Plus he’s sexy.
So even if you’re not a 15-year-old boy (more…)
by Christina Waters | Jun 15, 2010 | Home, Travel |
Last week we headed for the east coast and a family wedding in Bethlehem, PA, home to steel mill ruins and an 18th century utopia built by Moravian colonists. Blindingly green, the Lehigh Valley in June can be hot and humid. And it was.
But we found relief in a charming Irish team room next door to an Inn where George Washington used to hoist pints of colonial homebrew while plotting military maneuvers.
McCarthy’s Tea Room, located in the architectural center of Bethlehem, offered an authentic breakfast of eggs, on top of a slender oat cake (more…)
by Christina Waters | Jun 2, 2010 | Food, Home |
El Salchichero, Chris LeVeque — with a bit of help from his organic grower parents — is deep into the renovation of the former crafts studio at the top edge of Kelly’s Ingalls empire. What will emerge, soon, is the talented meat guy’s enormous charcuterie works.
LeVeque, an emerging maestro of salume, prosciutto, bresaola, and artisanal lard as pure as the driven snow, is poised to open his retail salchicheria (house of links) next month. Let the salivating begin. . . .
And here’s the other OMG tidbit: Brad Briske told me he will be leaving Gabriella to take over the space formerly known as Theo’s. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Jun 1, 2010 | Home, Movies |
A few weeks ago I saw the trailer for the new Shrek Forever After and found myself sucked in enough to grab a tub of popcorn and settle in for my very first Shrek.
A Shrek virgin no more, after two hours of 3D antics starring the voice of Eddie Murphy (brilliant!) and the loveable green visage of the big ogre, I decided that I was just not Shrek material. I’ve seen the original fairytales on which almost all of the slender “plot” of Shrek 4 was based. I devoured fairytales as a kid and knew about Rumplestilskin, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel & Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc. etc. I even saw, over and over, the Judy Garland version (more…)
by Christina Waters | May 31, 2010 | Food, Home |
Over at Gabriella, owner Paul Cocking has already scored a new chef — Kynan Campisi— formerly of Michael Mina in San Francisco. “He’s energetic, organized and intelligent,” says Cocking of his latest chef. “All the things you want.”
Can’t wait to sample the new hand at the helm. Stay tuned.
by Christina Waters | May 28, 2010 | Home, Wine |
A lovely wine, this 2007 Hunter Hill pinot noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains. We tried it last night with Alaskan King salmon, polenta and braised kale. The wine opened quickly into a dynamic mix of plums, cloves and licorice. And it just kept coming.
For my money—a well-spent $24—I feel a slight disconnect between the label’s primary image, an abalone shell, and the winery’s name, Hunter Hill. Clearly there’s something I’m missing here. But it’s not about to stop me from being crazy about this wine.
Go get some and see what you think. (Also, get back to me about the label.)
