REVIEW - The National

What a trooper I am. Stirring myself from a flu-induced day of couch-tending, we went with Gareth and Bronwyn to see The National and Portugal, The Man at The Greek Theater in Berkeley.

It as a bit nippy, but there was no rain to dampen our spirits. We got there early enough to get decent seats, and surprisingly - for me - found Portugal, The Man to be more than just the dull strummers I'd painted them as beforehand. I'm a bit cynical though, especially when it comes to music. So The National really didn't do it for me. I knew it wouldn't either for Mrs. P, whose radio channels are decidedly more R&B- than Indie-centric.

With The National having been compared to Joy Division, Leonard Cohen, Wilco, Depeche Mode, and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - at least according to Wikipedia - their set was absolutely guaranteed to not inspire much singing along among the sold out crowd. And so it was. Like a dirge with all the jokes taken out.

And if I'd written that Wikipedia entry, I'd have compared them negatively with Joy Division et al.

RAVE - Wexler's

What could go wrong with cocktails at Per Diem with my good friend Gareth, followed by more cocktails and dinner at Wexler's? Well, doing this on top of a dose of flu acquired from an unsuspecting but nevertheless inescapably guilty four year old. If Nihal could read, he'd probably be offended. But he can't, so he isn't.

Despite the flu though, the Manhattans certainly helped with the sore throat, if only temporarily. And the totally gorgeous Terrine of Chicken Liver Mousse with Brioche, and Concord Grapes was intense flavor-wise. Gareth's BBQ Scotch Eggs were a delightful concoction totally different to the congealed balls of hard-boiled bar food I remember from the UK.

We both had the Wexler's Plate of Pork which was good and porky. I was in such a good mood I even had a dessert, something I rarely do. I cast diet and caution to the wind and had the Bourbon Banana Cream Pie, which I remember as a sloppy mess of banana, cream, and chocolate.

I paid for it all the next day though, with two bouts of nausea and a day nursing my flu on the couch.

It was a testament to Wexler's, and whoever made the Manhattans that the evening still got a Rave.

RAVE - Barndiva

Saturday lunch in Healdsburg at the gorgeous Barn Diva was the second half of Amo's birthday celebration. This time we were just four, and this comparatively intimate group was treated to wonderful weather in an idyllic garden setting, and a pretty top notch lunch.

My Crispy Sonoma Duck Leg, with Avocado, Fregola Sarda (salad) and Olive Tapenade Vinaigrette was as good as Duck Leg can get, while the Goat Cheese Croquettes with Tomato Jam and Lavender Honey were an unnecessary but delightful diversion.

Alright, the food itself perhaps wasn't worthy of a trip to Healdsburg from San Francisco, but the company and the setting definitely were.

RAVE - Roka Akor

We were here for with a group of nine celebrating Amo's birthday, and while I normally steer clear of an "everyone shares all the dishes" type of experience, there was little option with so many - including me - eager to taste as much as possible.

My choices of Wagyu Gunkan with Ossetra caviar, Yellowtail Sashimi with Shallots and Poached Garlic Ponzu, Crispy Fried Squid with Chili and Lime, and Chinese Broccoli with Ginger Shallot Dressing were gladly shared in order for me to also sample the Edamame, Robata Grilled Japanese Shishito Peppers with Ponzu and Bonito Flakes, and the Grilled Pork Belly with Marinated Golden Beets. Everything was excellent, even if the packed restaurant made for somewhat patchy service.

The place was a bit like Dr. Who's Tardis, in that while it looks small from the outside it's in fact a huge space with a clubby cocktail and sushi bar in the basement with a even larger restaurant at street level. I know The Tardis doesn't have a cocktail and sushi bar, but you get the point.

REVIEW - Dom Hemingway

Jude Law said in an interview recently that he only truly got into the character of Dom Hemingway when he donned the "outfit" - especially the exaggerated sideburns.

Dom is just out of a twelve year stint in jail - a sentence he took while keeping schtum about the other thieves in his safecracking gang. The ringleader owes him, big time.

That's about the size of the plot. But Dom is much larger than any plot. He's loud, abrasive, and foul-mouthed. He's got anger issues. Big ones. Throughout the movie he's bellowing, blustering, and boozing. This makes him a mostly unlikeable character, but a very watchable one. It's just a shame that was all there was to the film.

RAVE - Bergerac

Third night in a row dining out, and Bergerac was like an upscale version of the previous night's Jamber, in that it's not really an out and out restaurant - more of a cocktail bar with just enough on the bar bite side to save you sending out for a sandwich

The food choices were scant and - perhaps because of that - were served double-quick. We were in and out within forty minutes, having had a suitably elegant cocktail each, prosciutto, thyme and egg pizza for me, and the Kung Fu duck Tacos for madameoiselle.

It's an ideal place to drop into when you're emptying out of Slim's club opposite, or en route to one of the many other nearby bars and clubs.

REVIEW - Jamber

I'm really the wrong person to opine about a selection of American Beers - where even fifteen years after moving here from the UK every American-brewed micro-beer tastes either too sweet, too nutty, or just too anything other than proper English beer or International lager.

So, after dithering over the beer choices and picking a flight of Scrimshaw Pilsner, Downtown Brown Nut Brown Ale, Islander India Pale Ale, and Burning Oak Black Lager - of which the Pilsner was the only one remotely attractive to my palate - I switched to the more reliable wine choices.

We were there to join twenty or so friends to celebrate Cheri being back for the weekend from her new life in Las Vegas, so we were stationed in the semi-private upstairs room that overlooks the busy bar and restaurant below.

I say "restaurant", but it's not really a destination dining spot. More of a place to grab a bite while you're there for the alcohol. Despite that, the bites were good. I had the Jamburger - basically a small but juicy burger with the usual accoutrements - plus tasty tomato jam. Pavey went for the Parmesan and Rosemary Mashed Potato Tots, with bacon jam - yes, BACON JAM.

RAVE - Bix

I have harangued my other half about going back to Bix several times, and each time she grunts and chooses somewhere else. Each time that is, until last night when she was outvoted by Cheri and me who both love the place.

I like the vibe at Bix - that of a classy jazz bar - with its pillared bar, wood paneling, and balcony. 

The food wasn't perfect - at least for me. The ladies chose Potato Pillows with Crème Fraîche and American Caviar, and Roasted Beets with Gorgonzola Panna Cotta and Black Walnut Vinaigrette, while I had the distinctly unimpressive Pork Belly “Bánh Mì” with Cucumber and Sriracha. These were stone cold, and should have come with a microscope to see the pork belly.

For entrees they chose to split the Pacific Halibut with Spring Vegetable Ragout, Yuzu Butter and Mint, while I fared better with the Chicken Hash à la Bix with Marscarpone Vodka Sauce.

I think Bix may have finally won over my wife. We'll find out next time I suggest eating there.

RANT - Noah

I'm tempted to make this post a simple "What a dog's dinner of a movie" and leave it at that, but there was so much to dislike about this pile of effluent that I couldn't possibly be as brief as that.

I must admit that I went into this film with a negative predisposition. When the trailers said "The untold story of Noah" I thought "Eh? Untold?" Whether you believe in the Bible account of the Flood - and I do - may deeply affect whether you enjoy this movie or not. Indeed, whether you even go to see it.

The film is basically in 3 parts. First, the setup - a dull tale of Noah and his family eking out a sparse life in a barren land together with a brief, narrated history of the world from its creation through to its then current state of lawlessness and godlessness. The second part covers the flood itself - nowhere near blockbuster worthy effects, just a lot of rain and as late-night TV host David Letterman described it "Noah ends up on a cruise".  The film neatly sidestepped Letterman's follow-up "The real problem was not getting all those animals into the Ark. It was keeping the Hippos away from the buffet!" by garnishing the story with a magical potion wafted about by Noah's family that put all the animals into hibernation. The final part is a dreary post-flood account of Noah getting drunk a lot, and the family shambling off into the sunset where they interbreed their way to where we are today.

If I bother to highlight the discrepancies between the Bible's version and director Darren Aronofsky's butchering of that story I'd be here all day. But what drugs he was on when he came up with the notion of stone monsters, fox-like creatures covered in scales, and a stowaway on the Ark itself are anybody's guess.

I know I annoyed my wife - who certainly wasn't brought up on the original story - every time I muttered my disgust at these directorial fabrications, but I'm glad I didn't watch it with a genuine skeptic / critic / hater of everything Biblical. You know who you are Bill.