It’s Restaurant Week in Boston so Brig and I decided to check out a local high-end establishment. We settled on The Marliave because it had one of the better Restaurant Week menus. I had gone once before with a few friends from college but it had been a couple years so I was up for it.
Last time I was there we ate outside on the patio but this time they took us upstairs to what I’ll call the classy section. It was naturally bright due to some very large windows but sadly the view was what you would expect in the Financial District. Our reservations were for 5:30 because they were booked up the rest of the night. I believe we were the second couple there but a few others were seated soon after us.
We had already seen the menu online but apparently there were a couple more additions on the physical version. I didn’t see a cheeseburger listed online and yet there it was in print! How could I not order it? I also got mixed greens for my first course and a chocolate lava cake w/ ice cream for dessert. Brig got the best mac & cheese on Earth for her first course, risotto for her entrée and butterscotch pudding for dessert. I can attest that we were both happy with our choices.
The only thing not to like about this place are its prices. I wouldn’t feel the need to go back again because I don’t think it offers anything extraordinary to allow those higher prices. It’s a good one-off though; a nice place for a first date.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Movie Review: The Hunger Games
I read the books, I read the reviews and I read the opening weekend tweets, but it was finally time for me to see The Hunger Games.
Going into it I had mixed feelings about the cast. Actually, I was fine with everyone except Peeta and Gale. (And to a lesser extent Haymitch but only because I thought Woody Harrelson was too well known.) I didn’t know much about Josh Hutcherson except that he was kind of annoying in The Kids Are All Right and that he starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth and its sequel. He seemed small-ish and not the strong Peeta I had envisioned. Who did seem more like my idea of Peeta was the actor they cast as Gale, Liam Hemsworth. Hemsworth, of course, is famous for being Thor's brother.
Hutcherson really won me over though. He was pretty great at not getting lost in all the Katniss hype and his rapport with Caesar Flickerman was absolutely hilarious. Hemsworth meanwhile is probably more excited for the coming sequels when he will have a bigger part.
I mentioned Haymitch earlier and after seeing the movie I thought Harrelson ended up being a great choice. Somebody mentioned that if anyone deserved their own backstory movie (a la Wolverine) it should be Haymitch and I completely agree. They had to speed through his transformation in the film but there’s just so much uncharted territory there.
It’s completely outrageous that I haven’t mentioned Jennifer Lawrence yet. She is the movie, plain and simple. This girl is going to be a star.
4.5 out of 5
Going into it I had mixed feelings about the cast. Actually, I was fine with everyone except Peeta and Gale. (And to a lesser extent Haymitch but only because I thought Woody Harrelson was too well known.) I didn’t know much about Josh Hutcherson except that he was kind of annoying in The Kids Are All Right and that he starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth and its sequel. He seemed small-ish and not the strong Peeta I had envisioned. Who did seem more like my idea of Peeta was the actor they cast as Gale, Liam Hemsworth. Hemsworth, of course, is famous for being Thor's brother.
Hutcherson really won me over though. He was pretty great at not getting lost in all the Katniss hype and his rapport with Caesar Flickerman was absolutely hilarious. Hemsworth meanwhile is probably more excited for the coming sequels when he will have a bigger part.
I mentioned Haymitch earlier and after seeing the movie I thought Harrelson ended up being a great choice. Somebody mentioned that if anyone deserved their own backstory movie (a la Wolverine) it should be Haymitch and I completely agree. They had to speed through his transformation in the film but there’s just so much uncharted territory there.
It’s completely outrageous that I haven’t mentioned Jennifer Lawrence yet. She is the movie, plain and simple. This girl is going to be a star.
4.5 out of 5
Monday, March 26, 2012
Sunday Funday
Yesterday was the greatest Sunday. First, I finally got to see a band I have been really into since 2007. Their name is Said The Whale and they are from Vancouver. This was the first time they’ve come to Boston and I had to get tickets. Brig and I went to this little bar called McGann’s where they were playing with three other bands. It was a real intimate venue and even sitting at the bar we were only 20 feet away from the “stage” (a 6 inch step up from the rest of the bar). There were maybe two dozen people there and only 4 of us had drinks so it seemed to skew a little younger. While the first band was playing we saw the lead singer of Said The Whale over in the corner. He was wearing his trademark hat so it was undeniable. After 4 songs the first band wrapped and Said The Whale came on. They were awesome! They seemed to be playing more of their newer songs but Brig and I kept shouting for “The Light is You” which is our song. Then they played it! We rushed the stage and started dancing and singing along. It was so cool. Then after their set we went over to introduce ourselves to Ben, the lead singer. He was as awesome as I hoped and very down to earth and friendly. He even took a picture with us!
We left during the next band’s set and headed over to The Harp. We had tickets to the Celtics game but that wasn’t starting until 6:00 so we had a couple hours. We devoured some nachos and pretzels before heading on our way. We started walking towards the North End to get some pastries and at the last second Brig decided to switch it up from Mike’s and instead try Modern Pastry. We got some red velvet cake and a whoopee pie. After we finished we decided it was close enough to game time to head over to the Garden. As we were crossing the street we ran into… Said The Whale! We were like “Hey!” and they were like “Hey!” and Brig said that Ben remembered my name but I didn’t catch it. He asked us where we were coming from and I said we just got some whoopee pies. Then he looked at me funny. I don’t think they have whoopee pies in Canada.
The game was pretty great because the Celtics crushed the Wizards. John Wall is their only good player but he was no match, even with Ray Allen not suiting up. We really got behind Avery Bradley and Greg Stiemsma because they were bench guys having huge games. It was a fun time.
After the game we rushed home to watch the way too long-awaited Season 5 premiere of Mad Men. It was a strange episode but good to see all our old friends again. I can’t wait to see what happens this year.
We left during the next band’s set and headed over to The Harp. We had tickets to the Celtics game but that wasn’t starting until 6:00 so we had a couple hours. We devoured some nachos and pretzels before heading on our way. We started walking towards the North End to get some pastries and at the last second Brig decided to switch it up from Mike’s and instead try Modern Pastry. We got some red velvet cake and a whoopee pie. After we finished we decided it was close enough to game time to head over to the Garden. As we were crossing the street we ran into… Said The Whale! We were like “Hey!” and they were like “Hey!” and Brig said that Ben remembered my name but I didn’t catch it. He asked us where we were coming from and I said we just got some whoopee pies. Then he looked at me funny. I don’t think they have whoopee pies in Canada.
The game was pretty great because the Celtics crushed the Wizards. John Wall is their only good player but he was no match, even with Ray Allen not suiting up. We really got behind Avery Bradley and Greg Stiemsma because they were bench guys having huge games. It was a fun time.
After the game we rushed home to watch the way too long-awaited Season 5 premiere of Mad Men. It was a strange episode but good to see all our old friends again. I can’t wait to see what happens this year.
Friday, March 23, 2012
"Overland to the Islands"
by: Denise Levertov
Let's go—much as that dog goes,
intently haphazard. The
Mexican light on a day that
'smells like autumn in Connecticut'
makes iris ripples on his
black gleaming fur—and that too
is as one would desire—a radiance
consorting with the dance.
___________________ Under his feet
rocks and mud, his imagination, sniffing,
engaged in its perceptions—dancing
edgeways, there's nothing
the dog disdains on his way,
nevertheless he
keeps moving, changing
pace and approach but
not direction—'every step an arrival.'
Let's go—much as that dog goes,
intently haphazard. The
Mexican light on a day that
'smells like autumn in Connecticut'
makes iris ripples on his
black gleaming fur—and that too
is as one would desire—a radiance
consorting with the dance.
___________________ Under his feet
rocks and mud, his imagination, sniffing,
engaged in its perceptions—dancing
edgeways, there's nothing
the dog disdains on his way,
nevertheless he
keeps moving, changing
pace and approach but
not direction—'every step an arrival.'
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Unholy Saints
It might be Spring Training, and the NBA & NHL seasons are in full swing, but yesterday was all about the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell crushed the Saints and their bounty program by suspending coach Sean Payton for the entire season, assistant coach Joe Vitt for 6 games, General Manager Mickey Loomis for 8 games, and their former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams indefinitely. On top of that, Loomis was fined $500,000 and another $500,000 fine was brought down on the franchise as a whole. They will also lose two second round draft picks the next two years. And the Saints players shouldn’t feel too safe either. Rumor has it there may be fines or suspensions for Jonathan Vilma and other Saints defenders as well.
Anything that has come up in the past: Spygate, the Sal Alosi incident, and Big Ben’s multiple sexual assault allegations are miniscule compared to this. This is coaches paying players for hurting opposing players. It is 100% unacceptable and Goodell had to send a message. Consider it received.
In lighter news, future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos allowing the team to trade definitely-not-future Hall of Famer Tim Tebow to the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. People think Tebow is a bad quarterback but really he’s no worse than Mark Sanchez who has been awful in his 3 years in New York. Of course, the Jets are going to use him in their Wildcat offense (the former Brad Smith role). Tebow will be more like a running back who might rear back and throw it at any time. It’s an interesting weapon for the Jets but now they’re going to be even more under the microscope than before, which they do not appear able to handle. But hey, maybe Tebow can host SNL now.
Anything that has come up in the past: Spygate, the Sal Alosi incident, and Big Ben’s multiple sexual assault allegations are miniscule compared to this. This is coaches paying players for hurting opposing players. It is 100% unacceptable and Goodell had to send a message. Consider it received.
In lighter news, future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos allowing the team to trade definitely-not-future Hall of Famer Tim Tebow to the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. People think Tebow is a bad quarterback but really he’s no worse than Mark Sanchez who has been awful in his 3 years in New York. Of course, the Jets are going to use him in their Wildcat offense (the former Brad Smith role). Tebow will be more like a running back who might rear back and throw it at any time. It’s an interesting weapon for the Jets but now they’re going to be even more under the microscope than before, which they do not appear able to handle. But hey, maybe Tebow can host SNL now.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Good Eats: R.F. O’Sullivan’s
It’s important to note that I am a burger fanatic. Ham-, Cheese-, Bacon-… use pretty much any prefix and count me in. But I go beyond fast food burgers. And I go further than Fuddruckers and Five Guys chains too. I crave creativity. Previous adventures have taken me to Mr. Bartley’s in Harvard Square and Boston Burger Co. in Davis Square. This time we headed to Porter Square for another burger bonanza.
Much like the former two restaurants, R.F. O’Sullivan’s has a large and interesting menu. Many combinations of ingredients and twists on old favorites make each of their burgers unique. But what really sets them apart is their “no squish” rule. To make the burger cook faster, most people press down on the patty with a spatula -- thus releasing all the juices. Here, the owner doesn’t allow it. Their burgers are some of the thickest around because of it. The obvious downside to that is your order will take longer to cook. Luckily, they have a liquor license and beer always makes the time pass faster.
I want to mention that they aren’t known for their onion rings but most repeat visitors will order them. That’s because their fries are a bit misleading. They are not fries in the normal sense, or even big steak fries, rather they’re potato wedges. Now wedges can be good in their own right but only when you’re expecting them. These caught me off guard and were only OK.
Go for the burgers, stay for the beer, order the onion rings and thank me later.
Much like the former two restaurants, R.F. O’Sullivan’s has a large and interesting menu. Many combinations of ingredients and twists on old favorites make each of their burgers unique. But what really sets them apart is their “no squish” rule. To make the burger cook faster, most people press down on the patty with a spatula -- thus releasing all the juices. Here, the owner doesn’t allow it. Their burgers are some of the thickest around because of it. The obvious downside to that is your order will take longer to cook. Luckily, they have a liquor license and beer always makes the time pass faster.
I want to mention that they aren’t known for their onion rings but most repeat visitors will order them. That’s because their fries are a bit misleading. They are not fries in the normal sense, or even big steak fries, rather they’re potato wedges. Now wedges can be good in their own right but only when you’re expecting them. These caught me off guard and were only OK.
Go for the burgers, stay for the beer, order the onion rings and thank me later.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
March Madness
Every year around this time my mom calls me for help with her March Madness bracket. I tell her every year that I don’t really follow college basketball and that discussing it with me is not a competitive advantage. But it happens anyway.
She called last night and she was reading through the matchups and I realized that I couldn’t even remember the teams I had picked! Usually I fill out a hard copy. Writing the team names multiple times helps me remember them. This year, though, I used ESPN and did my bracket online.
One advantage to using some of the sports websites (Yahoo, CBS) is that they give you some information about the teams playing. That is extremely helpful for someone who doesn’t know anything about Loyola-Marymount. It felt like I was making informed decisions for a change instead of (relatively) blindly guessing.
But there is a downside to that too. First, I didn’t even look at what teams I was picking just what their matchup situation said would likely happen. This also was a cause of why I forgot my picks. Second, you should never feel good about your bracket. It’s not a math equation where there is an understood answer. Every matchup is a crapshoot. Any Given Sunday should have been a movie about the NCAA Tournament. The word upset was created for March Madness (mad / upset, see a connection?)
So don’t get too comfortable with your bracket until the first 2 rounds are complete. Highlight the winners and cross out the losers and see where you stand after the guaranteed wreckage. Everybody knows Sweet Sixteen is more important than just a birthday.
She called last night and she was reading through the matchups and I realized that I couldn’t even remember the teams I had picked! Usually I fill out a hard copy. Writing the team names multiple times helps me remember them. This year, though, I used ESPN and did my bracket online.
One advantage to using some of the sports websites (Yahoo, CBS) is that they give you some information about the teams playing. That is extremely helpful for someone who doesn’t know anything about Loyola-Marymount. It felt like I was making informed decisions for a change instead of (relatively) blindly guessing.
But there is a downside to that too. First, I didn’t even look at what teams I was picking just what their matchup situation said would likely happen. This also was a cause of why I forgot my picks. Second, you should never feel good about your bracket. It’s not a math equation where there is an understood answer. Every matchup is a crapshoot. Any Given Sunday should have been a movie about the NCAA Tournament. The word upset was created for March Madness (mad / upset, see a connection?)
So don’t get too comfortable with your bracket until the first 2 rounds are complete. Highlight the winners and cross out the losers and see where you stand after the guaranteed wreckage. Everybody knows Sweet Sixteen is more important than just a birthday.
Friday, March 9, 2012
"After Lorca"
by: Robert Creeley
The church is a business, and the rich
are the business men.
________________________________ When they pull on the bells, the
poor come piling in and when a poor man dies, he has a wooden
cross, and they rush through the ceremony.
But when a rich man dies, they
drag out the Sacrament
and a golden Cross, and go doucement, doucement
to the cemetery.
And the poor love it
and think it’s crazy.
The church is a business, and the rich
are the business men.
________________________________ When they pull on the bells, the
poor come piling in and when a poor man dies, he has a wooden
cross, and they rush through the ceremony.
But when a rich man dies, they
drag out the Sacrament
and a golden Cross, and go doucement, doucement
to the cemetery.
And the poor love it
and think it’s crazy.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Eating Fresh
I started my new job in November. From November through January I visited Subway maybe twice. Then came FebruANY. Any footlong sub, only $5. What a deal! I ended up going to Subway 6-8 times last month which is outrageous (unless you’re Jared).
Now you may have noticed today is March 5. The promotion is over and prices have gone back to their normal levels (a heavy $6). Yet today I found myself in line looking for my buffalo chicken fix. What is happening to me? The promotion is over, I never frequented it historically, but now I get the taste in my mouth and absolutely have to have it. I think this is a surefire sign of addiction. You could start taxing it outrageously like cigarettes but I’ll still have to get mynicotine meatball sub hook-up.
I used to be a Quizno’s guy. I would start arguments over how Quizno’s was so much better than Subway. All I ever ordered at Quizno’s was their Oven Roasted Turkey w/ Cheddar. Now that was a sandwich. But since I changed jobs I’m further from Quizno’s so Subway has been taking its place. I don’t know how I feel about this. Maybe healthier. Yeah, like an Olympian.
Now you may have noticed today is March 5. The promotion is over and prices have gone back to their normal levels (a heavy $6). Yet today I found myself in line looking for my buffalo chicken fix. What is happening to me? The promotion is over, I never frequented it historically, but now I get the taste in my mouth and absolutely have to have it. I think this is a surefire sign of addiction. You could start taxing it outrageously like cigarettes but I’ll still have to get my
I used to be a Quizno’s guy. I would start arguments over how Quizno’s was so much better than Subway. All I ever ordered at Quizno’s was their Oven Roasted Turkey w/ Cheddar. Now that was a sandwich. But since I changed jobs I’m further from Quizno’s so Subway has been taking its place. I don’t know how I feel about this. Maybe healthier. Yeah, like an Olympian.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Winning!
Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to be selected by @BostonTweet to win 2 tickets to see the Dropkick Murphys at Mohegan Sun, as well as a 1 night stay. It’s been a little while but this isn’t the first prize I've won.
I was the king of filling out those little cards in stores and stuffing them in the entry box. My first raffle/drawing win was back when I was 11 or so. I won a trip to a one day soccer camp with players from the New England Revolution. I got to do drills with 4 different players (no names I can remember) and got a team picture signed by all of them.
Then just a year or two later I won a stereo from Sam’s Club. This stereo was the coolest. It had 2 cassette players, a CD player and radio. It had detachable speakers and it could record! It didn’t make the move with me but it’s still at my parents’ house in working order (except one of the tape decks. Insert ‘cassette overuse’ joke here.)
One of the biggest things in my life that I never won was locked away at a place called Yoken’s. My family used to go when I was younger and usually on trips to Hampton Beach. My grandparents liked the seafood and us kids liked the treasure chest. Attached to the restaurant was a store and in the store was a locked treasure chest. You got a key with your meal and you could use it to try and unlock the chest. It was always SO EXCITING putting your key in the lock and turning. Then turning the other way. Then trying it upside down. The damn thing never opened. I still don’t know what was in there.
The moral of the story is winning isn’t everything. But it is awesome.
I was the king of filling out those little cards in stores and stuffing them in the entry box. My first raffle/drawing win was back when I was 11 or so. I won a trip to a one day soccer camp with players from the New England Revolution. I got to do drills with 4 different players (no names I can remember) and got a team picture signed by all of them.
Then just a year or two later I won a stereo from Sam’s Club. This stereo was the coolest. It had 2 cassette players, a CD player and radio. It had detachable speakers and it could record! It didn’t make the move with me but it’s still at my parents’ house in working order (except one of the tape decks. Insert ‘cassette overuse’ joke here.)
One of the biggest things in my life that I never won was locked away at a place called Yoken’s. My family used to go when I was younger and usually on trips to Hampton Beach. My grandparents liked the seafood and us kids liked the treasure chest. Attached to the restaurant was a store and in the store was a locked treasure chest. You got a key with your meal and you could use it to try and unlock the chest. It was always SO EXCITING putting your key in the lock and turning. Then turning the other way. Then trying it upside down. The damn thing never opened. I still don’t know what was in there.
The moral of the story is winning isn’t everything. But it is awesome.
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