A little from Column A, a little from Column B. All my life I've been a critic, mostly of myself... but it's time to branch out. Here you will find the pros and cons of what I experience: food, music, movies, places, etc. I'm an artist. Art is the very air I breathe. I cannot help but to see the world through the eyes of a vocalist, a thespian, a painter... an appreciator of beauty in all its phenomenal forms.
It was definitely a happy birthday for me this year, especially being able to partake in my favourite cuisine... SUSHI. Last year, I was a ripe watermelon about to burst with my second child, and as all of us female sushi lovers know, and much to our dismay, it's a forbidden meal while pregnant. And, as it has become habit for our special events, my husband made us a reservation at our favourite place: True Sushi. Our reservation was for later in the evening, however, our earlier plans had fallen through and with a simple phone call to the restaurant, our reservations were changed to a much earlier time and we were welcomed to come any time. We were the only patrons when we got there due to our early arrival. Fine with me! I don't enjoy crowded places. The hostess said we could sit anywhere, so we picked the best booth at the front of the restaurant by the only outside window.
The restaurant's interior from the front booth
Since we were just enjoying our time alone and being out minus the kiddos, the hubby and I ordered some Sake. (We like it hot.) At True Sushi you can order a large hot sake for around $10... and believe me, it's plenty for two.
Hot Sake and complimentary Miso Soup while we surveyed the menu
We definitely knew we had to have the amazing appetizer we'd tried on our very first visit: Heart Attack. It's incredibly delicious. Fresh jalapeno halves stuffed with tuna, fried in tempura batter and topped with spicy mayo and Sriracha. Oh my goodness, let me just tell you... these things are so yummy, you may want to order a second plate of them.
The Heart Attack
In summary, the evening was a great success... and I was full and content. The sushi at True Sushi is by far my favourite in the city. Hayashi: overpriced. Sushi King: well, even though it's the EXACT same menu as and the predecessor of True Sushi, the atmosphere is much different and I don't feel as appreciated there.
Recommendations: Lady in Red ++ Tiger Roll Philadelphia Roll New Mexico Roll + Crazy Roll +++ Tako (Octopus) ++ Salmon
To top off my third and most excellent experience here, when I asked our server to thank the sushi chef and compliment him on a yet-again fabulous meal, with his return thanks, he sent over a complimentary (and quite ADORABLE) dessert.
Sliced orange with fresh creme and chocolate sauce
True Sushi is family-owned, tasty, tidy and well-run. The staff is super friendly and polite. From our first experience nearly one year ago on Valentine's Day to our massively-huge take-out order for our Wedding Anniversary picnic, True Sushi has come through for us on taste, presentation and efficiency. My husband and I just wish we could frequent the joint more often. We plan on returning for V-day again this year. I can't wait!!
Our Anniversary platter, complete with two salads they added free of charge... just because it was our Anniversary. As you can see... my husband had already been attacking the rolls before I could snatch this shot. Soooo good.
True Sushi is perfectly located right off I-25 directly across from Cinemark Century Rio 24. So, have a lovely time dining at True Sushi Company then head across the parking lot to catch a flick! What could be a better combo?
This will be a quickie. But, I just have to recommend Five Guys Burgers & Fries! A few months ago, the family and I headed over to our neighborhood Five Guys. I had never eaten there before and I'd been reading such rave reviews. Impressed.
All the feel of a Fifties-ish diner and one of the best burgers you'll ever eat. Cheesy, meaty, savory excellence on a bun.
Try the jalapenos on that burger... guess what? They're fresh! Not the soggy, pickled things you usually get. Onions are the perfect size and flavorful.
Fries were good, (not perfect,) and they sure don't skimp on the serving size. My baby sure liked them. We had an order of regular fries and an order of seasoned fries.
The family was happy. I was happy. Great place. Certainly a stop everyone needs to make eventually.
Happy kiddos.
If you've eaten here... let me know what YOU thought! If you haven't yet... make sure you try it soon!
A little over a year ago, I attended a friend's baby shower, (our little girls are less than a month apart.) The dessert she served was an ENORMOUS and beautiful cake. Those who know me are well-acquainted with the fact that I LOVE a good bakery cake... especially if it's slathered in decadent buttercream frosting. I know, I know... "a moment on the lips and eternity on the hips." Well, there have been countless of those lip-smacking moments in my life and yea... I have the eternal evidence on these hips.
But, I digress. This cake... Oh my goodness! This cake! It was heaven on a fork. It was pure bakery genius. Half marble and half red velvet; the entirety coated in thick, yet light, buttercream. I HAD to know from whence it came.
Yes, yes... it was then clearer than a cold, mountain stream that this was the place from where all other cakes in future MUST BE PURCHASED!
My husband was a darling a few weeks later when he surprised me with a giant red velvet cake from ABC. It was perfectly decorated for me and just as delicious as it had been at that shower.
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Fast forward a few months and we visited ABC once again. Our lovely and very intelligent daughter was accepted into a brilliant private school. As a reward, we promised her a cake from ABC.
Step through the doors to the bakery on any given day and become overwhelmed with the sugary smells and friendly faces welcoming you to sweet paradise.
The process for ordering is simple and creative. Along one wall are some internet-active computers where one may find ANY image at all or find a cake they like and like a magic wand is being waved... it shall be done.
I spoke with a girl for quite some time and we perused the net together finding the exact specifications for what I needed and even bargained on a fair price. Warning: this bakery is NOT CHEAP, but you WILL be happy with what you get for the price. No money is required at the time of ordering but we decided to put down half... my thinking is that with a deposit the work is most-assuredly going to be good.
I was right.
Emily had no idea WHEN her cake would be delivered, but upon her return from summer vacation... there it was.
Gorgeous, fine-tipped piping!
Perfect colours!
EXACTLY what I ordered...
And worth EVERY penny.
The taste... was out of this world! (Inside was marble cake. Of course... buttercream icing.)
This is a HIGH recommendation. You MUST turn to this establishment when in need of a special-order cake.
Another girl date with my eldest and her choice for the day? Katy Perry: Part of Me; a docubiography chronicling Ms. Perry's rise to super stardom and revealing in detail her worldwide California Dreams Tour of 2011 and 2012.
Showing only in 3D, we had to plop down a whopping 25 bucks at the local theatre. Whoops. I'm starting to rant about money... Which is silly, because almost as soon as the movie began, I couldn't remember anything like money.
I was immediately swept into another world, another time, when I, too, had a remarkably similar dream. Seeing the stunningly gorgeous Katy in all her glittery glam emerging from beneath the stage, decked out in a peppermint-themed cocktail dress complete with spinning peppermint candy discs before thousands of dedicated, cheering fans, rhinestone encrusted mic in hand... well, there was no hope for me then. The tears began within the first ten minutes and there were many more to come throughout the next hour and a half.
Why tears? Was I simply overcome with starstruck fanaticism? Not really. Although I do adore Katy Perry and have followed her career for a few years, the tears were not a result of seeing her on the big screen in all her 3-dimensional spectacularness. No. The tears were for me. Remembrance of a past life, another place in time, when I had magnificent dreams of performing in sparkling splendor for the masses, came rushing at me before I even realized what I had done to myself in coming to see this film.
The parallelisms between her and me were stupefying. From the sheltered, charismatically Christian childhood to the unequaled vision of image she always saw for herself. The costumes, the sets, the wigs, the bejeweled microphone! The similarities were uncanny.
For those of you who don't know about my past... yes, there were many years of my life spent in great anticipation and grueling hard work all for the dream of becoming discovered as one of the world's greatest vocalists/entertainers. Six years went by with nothing but this goal as the center of my, (and my family's,) focus. Was I any good? Ask anyone who knew me then. I fear tooting my own horn may come across vainly, but the answer is very much a "yes." I was good. I had the "it" factor. Of course, this was before the emergence of the plethora of opportunities for youth seeking fame in music, i.e.: American Idol, America's Got Talent, The X Factor, etc. Why didn't I make it? Shamefully, I admit... I quit. I lost the dream somewhere along the way. I lost sight of the true goal. I missed reality and I crashed back to Earth with the new dream of "just wanting to have a normal life."
Regrets? Plenty. But, would I do it differently if given the opportunity again? I don't really know. I would love to see what I could have become, yet at the same time, I think, "How could I change anything?" If I had changed the course of my life, I wouldn't have had my lovely children, learned the life lessons I needed to grow up and become the woman I am today. I look at my baby and when she laughs with her wide, gummy smile, waving at me and saying "mama" with a drooling grin, I have to admit that I wouldn't have it any other way. My two pretty girls were created and ready to enter this world exactly when they did. How could I have pulled that off unless my life had followed the path exactly as it did? *shrugs*
Back to the movie... A wonderful documentary... truly. It didn't JUST bring about regretful memories of a long-gone past, but also made me desire to see this lovely young woman in concert... or ANYWHERE!
Her show looked fantastic! A divine wonderland embracing the true beauty of the female spirit. Candyland and Cirque du Soleil had a baby and it's offspring is Katy Perry's stage show. Almost all of her costumes are some sort of candy-themed, candy-inspired masterpiece and she's the only one who could ever really pull that kind of extremity off.
The movie-going audience gets to see her perform almost every song from the album "Teenage Dream," and I must tell you that this gal can REALLY SING! There is no lip-syncing. There is no extreme pyrotechnics or loud, computerized bass to hide an off-key voice. She is the real deal. She can dance AND sing at the same time and her voice never wavers. She has a perfect figure, a classically beautiful face and an incredible, strong voice. She writes ALL of her songs. She plays the guitar. She is simply, in the least simplistic of ways, amazing.
There were some moments of genuine sadness as the movie did not leave out her relationship, from start to finish, with Russell Brand. Yes, I cried about that, too, especially seeing Katy so very downcast and depressed during that time after just seeing her so unequivocally happy and ever-smiling in all the footage prior. I admit, I was a huge fan of their romance and was absolutely so disheartened when hearing the news of their split.
In the end, all one wants to do is give her a hug and wish her "good luck" as she takes the next steps in her life journey. Katy Perry: Part of Me is inspiring and fun. I recommend it mostly to the girls, but also for anyone who ever doubted this woman as a true talent deserving of her credits. I dare you to think she isn't incredible after seeing this.
**One last note: The song playing at the end with the rolling credits is her new single "Wide Awake." It is an epic song that reaches inside of me and strangles me with so much truth and beauty, I get teary-eyed each time I hear it.
About a week ago, I decided to take my husband and baby out for an early dinner/late lunch. The hubby couldn't decide what he wanted, so I ventured over to my urbanspoon account to remind myself of my restaurant wishlist.
Surveying the choices, my eyebrows were knitting at the potentials... apparently I have expensive desires. Then I saw it. Bingo! Zea Rotisserie & Grill! I have been wanting to try this place for a year, having driven past many times and having read plenty of rave reviews from local connoisseurs of Albuquerque establishments.
Arriving in the late afternoon, (before the dinner rush,) we were immediately seated by the man who was also our server. We were asked if we preferred a table or a booth and, as usual, we both said "booth." Let me tell you... the booth was HUGE! I wasn't too pleased that our server chose to seat us at the one booth in the joint that had a major dip in the cushion and had been sloppily repaired with industrial tape. (I had to scoot way in to avoid the broken spring.) All that aside, however, and not wishing to complain, we ordered our soft drinks and scanned the menu while our server, Mike recited the specials of the day. (He was very sweet but his voice was unnecessarily loud. So loud, in fact, he woke up the baby, who had been sleeping pleasantly in her carrier until then.)
Continuing an optimistic view and ignoring the booming sounds of our server, (even echoing throughout the fairly empty restaurant as he went about his serving duties with us and his other tables,) Michael and I continued to look at and discuss the items on the menu. What a meat lovers dream! Every kind of grilled and roasted meat you can imagine priced anywhere from reasonable to down-right riDONKulous.
Asian Almond Shrimp
Remembering other reviews I had read which lavished about the giant portions, the man and I decided to order two things and split them, but first... an appetizer. The waiter recommended the Hummus or the Asian Almond Shrimp and I had also read about the Asian Shrimp being pretty tasty... So, we ordered the shrimp. It was indeed delicious; large, crispy-fried shrimp on a bed of crunchy, fresh cabbage and topped with almond slivers, green onions and a spicy-sweet sauce. (The "sauce" was more of a glaze and although yummy, it was a tad bit sticky for my taste. Too much corn starch.)
For our main courses, we ordered the Sweet & Spicy Rotisserie Chicken with Zea Potatoes and Roasted Corn, and the Honey Island Chicken Sandwich with Fries. (When we ordered the sandwich, the waiter asked if we'd seen one before and saying, "no," he said we were in for a treat.)
Boy, were we ever! It was gigantic! We could have just shared the sandwich...
Honey Island Chicken Sandwich - Fried breast, bacon, Jack cheese, honey mustard, lettuce & tomato
The french fries were quite thin and very crispy, (reminded me of Steak N' Shake's shoestring fries.) Bridgett really liked them, too. The chicken sandwich was killer! And, it was only $9.95! I didn't like their version of honey mustard though... too vinegary. Good thing I ordered mayo on the side.
What was really nice was how they split our chicken dish for us onto two separate plates. The roasted corn was to die for! I will return just for that! The Zea Potatoes were heavily and deliciously seasoned chunks of potato... I wasn't sure if they had been fried or roasted, but they were good. The chicken was moist and perfectly cooked, but I was highly disappointed to see that same, sticky glaze from the shrimp appetizer now smothering my chicken as well. Like I said before, it was tasty, but way too sticky. My hands were so messy by the end of the meal, I had to use a baby wipe to clean them. (They should bring moist towelettes with the check.)
Sweet & Spicy Chicken with Roasted Corn and Zea Potatoes
Positives:
All in all, the food was quite scrumptious, the service was fast and our drinks were never empty. If you order smartly, you won't spend a fortune. Portions are large; sharing is not a bad idea.
Negatives:
The broken booth, the overtly-loud server, the too-sticky glaze and no changing table in the men's restroom, (a MUST for any modern eating establishment.) Also, we were seated near the servers' station and could hear EVERYTHING they said to one another, and a lot of it was NOT family friendly.
I WILL return, but not any time soon and I positively will NOT be ordering anything with that glaze on it.
All this food for less than $25, (excluding the appetizer and drinks.)
After a few days of watching a marathon of Season Two of HBO's Game of Thrones, I was genuinely ready to enjoy something a bit more lighthearted. Over two years I've wanted to see How to Train Your Dragon, I finally had the chance, and now... I have a new favourite!
The animated film starts you right in the action; a thrilling scene of a town-full of Vikings having to fight off their pesky adversaries, dragons. It's narrated by our hero, Hiccup, voiced by the very funny, monotone Jay Baruchel, known for his roles in The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Knocked Up.
A story of hope and change, showcasing beautifully-animated, fantasy creatures and a special world right out of a child's imagination, How to Train Your Dragon has all the elements of a true classic. The animation is, of course, spectacular; to be expected from a Dreamworks production. The perfect voice cast includes: Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, and Craig Ferguson.
Gobber the Belch (Craig Ferguson) & Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler)
And, from the moment you see those amazing, feline/canine-like, as-only-animation-can-portray, green eyes of the main character dragon, Toothless, you're hooked in to his plight- a completely loveable, albeit misunderstood animal, now injured permanently by some of Hiccup's early shenanigans, who just needs a friend and some guidance and instruction to help him fly again. After Hiccup finds Toothless, the friendship which follows is epically charming and will have you saying "awww" more than you realize.
Toothless and Hiccup
This movie has some hilarious and touching moments and some very thrilling flying scenes, (which made me super regretful that I didn't get to see it on the big screen in 3D.) The climactic ending is full of action and will have you on the edge of your seat, gasping and wide-eyed. A bittersweet turn of events in the last scenes will make you like this movie even more, offering a cool lesson of integrity and acceptance of things we may not understand but cannot change.
Toothless in one of his cat-like moments, sneaking up on Hiccup
There is no doubt I will be seeing this again VERY soon and I just know when you do, it will become an instant favourite for you also.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and a definite 4 STARS! Rent or buy it today.
Growing up in a family where a trip to the cinema was an anticipated, weekly event, I am still majorly a childlike fan of the silver screen. And, I haven't been able to go but once since the birth of my newest daughter in November. Naturally, for my oldest daughter's and my first bi-weekly girl date, what should I suggest? Why, a jaunt to the movies of course!
A couple of stops first: convenient store for sodas and candy then Wendy's for their new $.99 cheesy cheddar burgers, (they're truly the perfect movie munchies.) Last stop... Cinemark 8, our local $1 movie, (well, $1.50-$2.00 movie nowadays.) Giant purse stuffed with our goodies in hand, we buy our tickets and go in.
I still get a little rush of deviousness as I sneak food into the movies, fearing the thought and consequence of getting caught, especially after the one defined event in my movie-going life when my parents and I sneaked in giant Styrofoam takeout containers full of fresh Chinese food... and were almost made when the smells wafted through the theatre like a delicious song. Several staff members came hunting for us the culprits, flashlights in hand, scanning the aisles. I don't even know HOW we got away with it that time.
The building is old, has a less-than-well-kept black and white checkered floor and smells of stale popcorn... but that's another blog entirely, isn't it? Fortunately, our movie was playing in the larger theatre where the seats rock and have padded, moveable arm rests, but none of the theatres are stadium seating, thus the affordable ticket price.
We took our seat and eagerly awaited the lowering of the lights so we could bust out our stash of smuggled-in indulgences. The theatre was fairly empty. Much to my consternation, an elderly man sat just a few seats from us on the same aisle; there were so many other seats available. One never knows if a neighboring movie-goer will rat you out when they see your secret bag of bought-elsewhere food. I was put at ease almost instantly, however, when I saw him reach into his backpack and retrieve his own brought-from-home bag of popcorn in a giant Ziploc. Whew!
Finally, the movie began.
I had thought going in to see this movie that it would be cheesy and a story already overdone hundreds of times. .....................I was wrong.
What a marvelous picture! One I am going to recommend highly to ALL audiences.
Perfectly cast. Julia Roberts plays The Queen; shallow, vane, jealous, wicked, and in denial about her true age- how suiting this role is for her. She sincerely is a very spoiled brat of a woman in real life with about as much true depth as a shriveled pinto bean. (Disagree? Ask me about her rabbit fur coat. I'll explain gladly.) Nathan Lane is cast as Brighton, the Queen's page, (sort of taking up the role of the "Huntsman" from the original story.) Mr. Lane is hilarious as ever... never disappointing and sure to always fetch laughter. Armie Hammer plays Prince Alcott, and is adorable. He's handsome, charming and not without several humorous quips. (Mr. Hammer is currently IN New Mexico filming The Lone Ranger in which he plays the title role.)
Lily Collins as Snow White
And, last but certainly not least, Miss Lily Collins is the P-E-R-F-E-C-T Snow White. (It's a right shame she isn't cast in the upcoming Snow White and the Huntsmen; a movie I am surely anticipating but with a regrettable casting choice in Kristen Stewart as Snow. Lily auditioned for the role but I suppose someone in casting must have been a Twilight fan. *gag*) Miss Collins was a blissful breath of beautiful, fresh air. She stole the movie, really. Her smooth, ivory skin, huge brown eyes and raven-black locks were only trifles of her perfection befitting the role. Her look has a haunting resemblance to Audrey Hepburn and a familiar, heavy-browed, defined face like that of Jennifer Connelly. Did you know she is Phil Collins' daughter? **The character of Snow is a true delight. She is hardly the simpering, helpless lass as depicted in previous versions... but virtuous, brave, talented, strong and determined; an admirable role model for our young girls who look up to every storybook character, especially princesses.
I can't forget to mention the 7 dwarves... oh no! They were all loveable and each had unique characteristics. An unexpected twist, however, was that they were not the virtuous, hard-working miners of other "Snow White" tales, but actually bandits/thieves. Of course, later in the film we find out why and there is a definite change of hearts thanks to Snow. The most pleasing aspect for me of these little guys was that I recognized two of them from one of my favourite television shows: "Pit Boss." That's right... Ronald Lee Clark and Sebastian Saraceno finally achieved their dream to be cast in a major motion picture. (After watching that show for years and seeing their determination and struggles to make it in Hollyweird, it was nice to see them in such a cute movie.)
Snow White and the unique Seven Dwarves:
Left to Right- Napolean, Grubb, Wolf, Butcher, Half Pint, Grimm & Chuckles
There were many lovely qualities of this film. One strikingly obvious one would have to be the costumes. Such beauty! And the sets! From the first few moments, one is transported to a fantastical land reminiscent of true Fairy Tale tradition, but with modern elements of not only style but dialogue, making it an instantly likeable and easy-to-relate-to story.
In the end, the customary storyline is replaced with a more realistic version complete with a surprising role reversal, once again making the character of Snow even more loveable and noble.
This film is sure to be a classic favourite in your movie library. I know it will be in mine.
