Drinking in Newburyport

The Valentines Day plan was to get drunk.
We started the night at Agave. Since we called for reservations at 5pm on Valentines Day we ended up in the bar. That was fine by us. We settled in with margaritas. The drinks were strong, but tasty. We then order a nacho appetizer. The nachos were fine. I thought there was too much cheese and I'm not a fan of refried beans on nachos. We also got there spicy chicken tacos. They rocked.
After Agave we headed over to the Grog. The Grog is a local favorite. I switched over to beer, but H decided to stick with the hard stuff. Her drinks were good. We got a lemon berry cake for desert. It was creamy and well balanced.
It was a night of delicious drinks and fabulous food.

The Garrison Inn

For the big V this year we decided to get out of town. On Saturday, the actual V day, H booked us a room at the Garrison Inn in Newburyport, MA.
After taxes the room cost $190. The room was fairly standard fair. The décor was pleasant, but not $200 pleasant. Breakfast came with the room, but breakfast was fancy McDonalds.
The one special thing about the Inn is the location. It is in the heart of the downtown area. All the bars and restaurants are less than a block away.

Lafamiglia Giorgio

Located at the top of Salem St. on Boston's North End, this Italian eatery is quaint and tastey. The décor is typical of most resturants in the North End-small but cozy. The food, the real reason to eat out, is excellent. I got a pasta dish with spicy sausage and whole wheat pasta. The serving size was large but managable. Prices are reasonable for the area. Most main courses are in the $20 range.
As a side note: We waited for our table across the road at Bacco. We enjoyed Gingertinis. Despite the trendy name and the crazy price, the drinks were lovely. The ginger masks the alcohol with out burrying in Fabreeze. They are worth the price.

W.

Last Saturday H and I saw W at the theater in West Newton.
I expected the movie to evicorate President Bush in a hillarious black comedy. My expectations were way off base.
Instead of making a farce of our parody of a President Stone took the high, and more difficult, road. The movie plays it straight. Brolin plays Bush as an under achiever trying desperately to live up to the family heritage.
Overall, the movie is a solid piece of work. It is not spectacular in any way. No new insights are gained. You will not laugh, or cry, your ass off. You will enjoy a well told story.

Tropic Thunder fails to Boom

There are a few actors whose films I do not see. Ben Stiller is on the list. In fact, he is so bad that not even John Stewart can make the man seem funny. However, he has been in movies with other actors that overwhelm his badness. I'm thinking "The Royal Tanabaums."
I was hoping that Robert Downey Jr., in black face, and Jack Black would do the trick for Tropic Thunder. I was wrong... It was about what I expected from a Stiller film: stupid, sophomoric humor that often falls flat.
Ironically the best performance in the movie comes from another actor on my avoid list: Tom Cruise. He is fantastic.
Cruise is on the avoid list for being an ass. He can act.

The Dark Knight

The movie is as awesome as everyone says it is. Unlike most comic book spin-offs, it does not give up on having ideas. The story line is solid and does not rely on great special effects and fight scenes.
In many ways, it is the accompanying cast that make the movie. Ledger's Joker, Olodman's Gordon, and Eckhart's Dent overshadow the Knight. This is both good and bad. It makes the movie more watchable. However, it does make it a little harder for the audience to feel the struggle going on inside Wayne.
The only real concern was the Batman voice.....

Like Greek food?

It had been a very long while since I had seen any of the movie group clan so tried to corral people for dinner. I managed to meet up with a few of the group on Friday night. I was kind of craving Greek food but had bit of a challenge finding a place that was near a T stop in Cambridge that wasn't too pricey. I managed to discover Greek Corner II which is actually a mini knockoff of the Greek Corner Restaurant in Porter Square. The place was small - looks like it caters more to the take out crowd - but it met my needs. The food was basic but yummy (I had souvlaki) and the price was right. I would definitely recommend this place for take out or if you want a quick bite. But if you want a bit more atmosphere for during your dinner, would suggest you look elsewhere. However, the best part of the night was spending some time catching up with a few friends who I hadn't seen a while.