An Evening in the Twin Cities

Red Lobster, Burnsville - Feb 6

noreply@blogger.com (Maryanne) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:30:00 +0000

Her perspective: C

5 minute wait on a Monday night when there were quite a few open tables.

We both ordered Cokes which didn't taste right and neither did the second round. We ended up with water.

I ordered the New England Lobster Bake, which is 3 petite lobster tails with potatoes and corn on the cob. When it arrived, I was informed that they ran out of corn, so she substituted broccoli and was that ok? I was wondering why she didn't ask me before it was made. Granted, that's probably what I would have gotten, it just irked me that she decided for me without checking. What if I was allergic to broccoli?

The lobster bib was unusable because it was melted together. It's a good thing I didn't need it. The lobster was quite tasty, soaked in garlic butter.

We observed several times when employees dropped garbage or napkins on the floor and it was several minutes before anyone picked it up.

Our dessert was obviously microwaved.

The server wasn't very attentive until we were at the end of the meal.

It'll probably be a while before we come back.

Burnsville Paragon Odyssey Theater

noreply@blogger.com (Maryanne) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:37:00 +0000

Her perspective: C

This theater offers VIP Reserved Seating and D-Box.

We decided to go to a 3:30 pm show and wanted to try their VIP seating/service since we were so impressed with the Showplace Icon Theater in St Louis Park. We were hoping we could get a very similar experience closer to home - we were completely wrong.

Apparently, their Mezzanine (the restaurant/bar) doesn't open until 4 pm, so we were out of luck to get food/drinks delivered to us in the theater. They did give us 2 $5 vouchers for the "Mezz" but EACH one required a $20 food/beverage order so we would have had to have $40 worth of food/drinks ordered to be able to use both vouchers. We were just going to have a couple of drinks after the movie (since it was open at that point), but once we found that out from the bartender (we were not told at the box office where they were given to us), we gave the vouchers to a random couple on our way out the door.

Like I said, if you go to a matinee before 4 pm, you cannot get served in the theater, so you're not getting much for the extra money: you do get reserved seating and the seats are a bit wider than general seating.

Here are some more comparisons with the Icon:
*the seats are not bench loveseats (like at the Icon), but they do both have a fold-up armrest
*the Icon has a small table big enough for the plateware in-between each loveseat, the Paragon has a couple of slightly wider armrests in-between each loveseat with no padding for putting your plates on, which is not anywhere NEAR big enough for their plateware
*the VIP section is not a balcony or even separated from general seating in any way (Icon's is the balcony)

Also, regardless of which theater you are in, there is extremely limited space for sitting down in the lobby before your theater starts seating.

I might try to go to dinner at the restaurant, then sit in regular seating, but it's worth the drive from Lakeville to St Louis Park to go to the Icon where it is a TRULY VIP experience.

MI4: Ghost Protocol

noreply@blogger.com (Maryanne) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:23:00 +0000

Her perspective: A

Ethan Hunt is back, but this time, the entire IMF is disavowed due to an attack on the Kremlin that is being blamed on Ethan and his team. Now that we're done with what you could have seen in the previews...

Very action-packed and I was so drawn in that I was gasping, laughing out loud and even couldn't stop myself from making a comment in the theater (don't worry, I kept it to 1-2 words and spoke softly). The plot kept moving at a good clip - there was only one slow spot that I noticed. I am going to buy this as soon as possible. I haven't liked a movie this much since X Men: 1st Class and I think I actually liked this one better. Definitely more action and more fast paced. I can't blame 1st Class, though, it's the type of movie that requires a more thoughtful plot.

I'm not going to give anything away, so no spoilers. Suffice to say: GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND BUY IT ON DVD! :)

See my review on the theater also. It didn't fare NEARLY as well...

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:48:00 +0000

See it in the theater.

Maryanne really enjoyed this one, I thought it deviated slightly form the feel and theme of the first movie, but it was still plenty enjoyable and it had my attention all the way through.

This is only the first week of the movie run, so I don't want to give anything away, but you can count on the now customary Holmes-like twists and long running thought processes that we saw in the first movie, things like how they have Holmes anticipating things to come and thinking a few moves ahead. Not just over the next few minutes mind you, but even one day to the next (and in one case, starting from the beginning of the movie to the near-end of it). Many characters from the first movie make appearances (though most are very brief), and couple of them are even killed off this time around. It makes for an odd way to tie two movies together, but if you assume there will be future movies in the franchise, then a regular method of removing and replacing characters from one movie to the next keeps things fresh and new I guess.

There was plenty of action, the near-trademark Holmes slo-mo thought process makes an appearance a couple times, and there is plenty of wit, intelligence and cunning sprinkled throughout. It was as I said, an enjoyable film.

I hope they make a third film in this line. I also thought they could've done more with marketing this movie.

I'm glad we caught it on the big screen, and was pleasently surprised to find that the theater we choose to see it at (Marcus Theater in Rosemount this time around) wasn't very busy at all for a Saturday evening during new movie releases.

We arrived at the theater with minutes to spare, and still had time for consessions and seats before the previews started. We were a bit annoyed at the consession stand however. Who in their right mind takes 30 minutes to cook a hotdog? What theater doesn't have all of their consession food prepared and ready to sell on the opening weekend of a big movie during prime-time hours?? Apparently, this one. We kept asking after different food items (besides popcorn, drinks and nachos) and were told repeatedly that it would be 10 minutes for this, or 15 for that, or 30 for a hotdog, that kind of thing.

That's a bit ridiculous don't you think?

Cooper, St Louis Park - December 4, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maryanne) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:51:00 +0000

Her perspective: C-

We were seated right away. William ordered a coke and I ordered a mimosa, which was actually pretty good except for the pulp. William ordered the Irish breakfast with basted eggs and I ordered the Benedict Hash.

William's hash browns were tough and his eggs were overdone. He told the waitress about the hash browns and she did offer to get something else, but he didn't want anything else. My eggs were also overdone. My drink was empty for almost 20 minutes when the server came back to ask William if he wanted more coke. She never even looked at me and I still had food left (William's plate had been cleared by this time). When she came back with William's refill, he had to ask her if I could get something else to drink. I purposely asked for water in case she decided to charge us do another coke. I didn't want any more money going on the bill.

If you get Megan, ask for a different server.

Sawa Japan Steak House - Lakeville, MN

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:28:00 +0000

D- for poor cooking.

Noodles were good, and that is about the most I can say about our meal.
The soup starter had too much ginger in it for her, but mine was quite tasty so after I finished mine I started in on hers, and she was right to begin with. Did the soups even come from the same batch?

Salad was watery, so either it was just freshly rinsed and plated when we ordered it, or it sat in the cooler for who knows how many days waiting to be served. The dressing was weird, but had a kind of horseradishy flavor (no heat, just the taste) and I kinda liked it overall other than beaing watery at the end.

Lobster was rubbery and chewy and lacked any real flavor other than the sauce that was on it. It also didn't seem to have been prep'd and cleaned that well as it was a bit 'fatty' in a couple bits.

Fillet Mignon was cold on the plate when I received it (it was the very first bite I tried). It was one of the things I was most looking forward to since this is a steakhouse. It was bland but well cooked and tender, just cold.

Shrimp were mostly undercooked (more so for her than for me I must admit) and the ones that were well cooked were also a bit tough, almost as though they were overcooked.

Rice just tasted off (or perhaps old) and rice is an extra cost as in 'not included with the meal'. We weren't told that, just asked if we wanted white or fried rice when we ordered our food. If I had known that it wasn't included, I wouldn't have ordered it.

We had multiple coupons for this place and decided to try it. After we got home from our meal, we threw the rest of them in the trash as we won't be back here again. I'll bet we'll get more coupons in the mail as the weeks go by, and they're going into the trash as well. We were looking forward to a good Japanese steakhouse meal, and hoped we would find it at Sawa at a better price than Kami (or Ichiban for that matter). Sawa was a disappointment all the way around.

The other creepy part is how the waiter would just stand there a few feet away and watch us eat. They were not busy at all (and after tasting the food I understand why) so he didn't have a lot to do, but you don't have to stare at people trying to eat a (hopefully) decent meal in apparent quiet. It's not a personal space thing, but I just hate being watched like a lab rat when I'm eating.

You want good Japanese steakhouse cooking in this area of town? Try Kami in Apple Valley!

Cowboys & Aliens

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:40:00 +0000

I... well, I kinda liked it. And I kinda didn't. Maryanne had the same type of thought.

I'd suggest waiting for a rental if your interested at all. It was entertaining, but not a new idea for a movie.

The long and short: Cowboy gets abducted. Cowboy escapes, but has lost a good chunk of his memory. Cowboy was a bad guy, so the good guys are after him.

Cowboy ends up being the only one who can lead the fight against the aliens.

Cowboy ends up being a good guy in the end.

I think I've seen that formula somewhere before, or at least one very much like it. Either way, it was all too easy, too familiar (like it's be done before) and just too... boring. Kinda. I wanted to like it, really. But it's just so BLAH.

Issues between Google and Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:39:00 +0000

Seems there are some issues upgrading accounts, and a number of authors have lost access. We're working to figure out what Google broke and getting our people back in.

Stick around....

Contagion

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Ehhh...

Wait for a Rental.

If you've seen the movie Virus, or read the book 'The Hot Zone', then you'll be very familiar with this movie.

Done in the Docu-Drama style, it's not remotely an Action-Thriller movie as it's being marketed; no real action, and not a big thrill either. It was very predicitable if you've read the Hot Zone book or know anything about how the CDC and the Gov respond to viral epidemics, and the whole story revolved around one family and then a bunch of doctors and researchers trying to figure it out. The problem is that the focus kept shifting so often you weren't sure just who things were supposed to be centered on, who to root for, and in some cases exactly why some of the stuff that was happening was really happening. There were a couple characters and subplots in the movie that made no sense and didn't seem to fit in the slightest. At points it almost felt like there were two seperate and distinct movies that somebody decided to merge together to create one product.

In our opinion it just didn't work well. Even the 'twist' at the end was no surprise to either of us. When we left the theater, we wondered how this could've been a better movie. We kinda concluded that removing one subplot and the 6 or 8 recognizable actors from the movie that were part of that subplot, and focusing much more on how people were coping with the disease and finding the cure and such, basically adding an element of urgency that (strangely) was missing throughout the whole thing would've made this a more enjoyable flick.

If you're at all interested, wait for a rental and watch it at home with a few friends. Between the movie and teh conversation of the friends trying to understand what's going on during the movie, you'll have a more enjoyable experience.

Moving Day coming!

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:54:00 +0000

William and Maryanne are moving. New home, new town, new stuff... lots of packing to do. That's partly why our reviews have been slightly sporadic for the last couple months.

We apologize for that (all of us), and Maryanne and I at least have both promised to each other that we'll start getting reviews up at least within a few days of seeing a movie or dining out, and we're prodding everyone else into getting things to us as well. Although we aren't doing much dining out lately (unless you count Dairy Queen) as we're packing, cleaning, recycling, and hauling stuff around a lot lately. Many of the friends are helping, and few of them are currently in a financial crunch.

There are a few movies coming up that some or all of us are looking forward to though. Here's the list:

Cowboys and Aliens - July 29
Conan - August 19 (not sure I'll like that one)
Sherlock Holmes & Mission Impossible - December 16
The Avengers - May 2012
Men In Black III - May 2012
Spiderman - July 2012 (this is supposed to be a reboot of the whole movie series)
The Dark Knight (Batman) - July 2012
Superman - December 2012 (another attempt to reboot the franchise)
The Hobbit, Part 1 - sometime in 2013

There may well be some other movies coming up that I'm not aware of yet, and that's fine. This is my list, not a collaboration or anything (though Conan still gives me second thoughts after seeing previews recently) and this is stuff I'd like to see.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:37:00 +0000

Ehh.

That's about all I can say on this one.

Definitely more action, but the overall entertainment value is still a bit low. Lots of good chuckles throughout the movie, and couple minor plot twists caught my attention, but overall I see it as another failure to live up to expectations. I very much wanted to like and enjoy this movie as I like the Transformers franchise and all, but this again just felt like an average-effort film like the first one was.

The long and the short:
The Autobots get pissed off when they discover that they're USA friends haven't been sharing everything they know, namely that an Autobot ship was discovered crashed on the moon, and that's why we went to the moon... Not to beat the Russians, but to beat the Russians to the crashed alien ship.

Turns out that ship carried one of the Autobots greatest inventors/scientists (familiar voice on this guy too for you Star Trek fans out there) who was transporting a weapon, the greatest and best hope that Autobots had of winning the war.

Turns out to be not true. This weapon was being handed over to the Decepticons. Apparently a deal was struck, and the idea was that this so-called weapon (it's not) would be used to enslave all the humans on Earth, and put them to work at rebuilding Cybertron.

Well now that Autobots have to destroy the devices instead of try to recover them in order to save humanity again (which they do).

New characters are introduced on both sides of the fence, only for us to see some of them get killed off later on.

No real change to the underlying plot (good vs. evil on the giant-robot-scale), and in my mind at least they failed to actually move the overall story along. The first hour was more than boring but not by much, and they spent way, WAY too much time on the Sam kid again. I'm here to see giant alien robots do crap, not some whiny college grad complain about not being able to get a good job.

I'd almost rate this as not worth seeing, but I already hear rumors of a fourth movie, and I'll bet (at least I hope) that the fourth will build on the third and actually produce a story worth seeing.

I was not overjoyed with this movie, and my friends weren't all that impressed either as I recall. I'd advise waiting on a rental with this one. Really. Seriously. Unless you have kids that wanna see it, then of course you're at the whim of your kids.

Captain America: The First Avenger

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:27:00 +0000

OK, this wasn't bad, but it was very SLOOOWWW for most of the movie. If you don't know any of the history of Captain America (I know some) then the first hour of the movie is for you. Pay attention; people show up and things happen for a reason, and you'll see them again later in the film.

There were a couple funny spots that got a few chuckles from the crowd, sections of it though were almost annoying. The long montages detracted from the film for me, but they do get the point across that time is passing and things are happening and stuff. I did also note a few discrepancies within the film itself. There are times when Cap's shield deflects stuff and he doesn't even look like he felt it, and then later he's deflecting the same kind of big stuff and getting tossed around by it. Kinda seems to be a contradiction in there.

We do see how Steve Rogers ended up getting into the Army, and how he was selected for the Super Soldier program (and they spend a lot of time making all that happen). And then they spend a lot of time (and another long montage) about how Cap isn't happy with his assigned role as spokesman and entertainer. Then you actually get some action, and see something of what he can do. Then you get to see him go after the Red Skull (bad guy). Then go after him again (in another long montage), and then have a not-quite-epic-and-somewhat-boring boss battle at almost the end, where Cap than makes the ultimate sacrifice.

Make sure you stay through ALL the credits. You'll also need to see this so that the Avengers movie that comes out next year will make some sense (along with Thor, the Incredible Hulk, and perhaps both Iron Man movies).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:16:00 +0000

I'm keeping this brief.

Lots of people rave about how great this was, fitting end to the series, etc. etc.

I'm not raving. In fact, I thought it was all a bit anti-climatic honestly. You know Voldemort is gonna lose, that's a given (Harry and friends always triumph in the end). Based on previews alone, you can see that the school is gonna get messed up, big fight and all that. I was looking forward to all that and thought it would happen based on how solemn and uneventful Part 1 was.

Well, they did have a big fight, and it was utterly predictable. There were a couple minor but interesting twists here and there, and if you weren't paying attention you'd miss them. Also a few chuckles, the (brief) return of a couple familiar faces and the like.

But really, the climax of the film was predictable at every step of the way and was far too short (and in my opinion too simple) to be a fitting end to the film series. I mean, seriously, your supposed to be beating up and defeating THE wizard of the century! Shouldn't the fight reflect that?

Still it was entertaining, and if your a die-hard HP fan then see it on the big screen while you still have time. For those interested in seeing how everything turns out but not interested enough to shell out about $20 per person to see it (ticket, food, etc.) then I'd wait for a Redbox rental or something.

I wasn't impressed with the film but I was entertained enough to not be unhappy that I spent all that money to see it in the expensive theater in our area (at least I was comfortable while watching it).

I know that Maryanne, Dean, Juliet, Mike and a few others will probably disagree with me on most of these points, but hey I'm the one writing the review, right? :) Really though, it was a pretty decent movie, I just wish they'd have done more with it since it is the final chapter and all.

DVD's we purchased recently

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Over the last week we purchased Voyage of the Dawn Treader on Blu-ray (third Narnia movie), Tron (re-release) on DVD and Tron: Legacy on Blu-ray.

We really liked Legacy, saw it in 3D in the theater the weekend it opened (don't know if we had a review up for that or not, I can't recall and I don't have time to look). The Blu-ray doesn't disappoint either; we got the 4-disc set with all the extras. Seems there is a short film on there called The Day After where they try to piece together everything that happened from the end of the first movie up to the end of this one, and then show how the characters are moving the next day to make change for the better. They also introduce a couple new faces that I wouldn't be surprised to see in a third Tron film.

Tron we bought just because it's hard to find now. Yeah it's cheesy and campy and such, the effects aren't great by today's standards and such, but to know one you have to know the other. That and I still get a little bit of the child-like awe and wonder when I watch it (I was a child when it first came out, and like Star Wars I had to see it more than once).

Dawn Treader we missed in the theaters (our fault, got distracted with trying to buy a house and all) and since we liked the first two we figured we couldn't go wrong with just buying the third and be done with it. Mistake one - watch it before you buy it. I wasn't thrilled after seeing this movie. It seems to me that they're just retreading (no pun intended) the same style or type of story over and over. This one was very predictable, I seem to have missed the climax (or didn't realize it occurred when it did) and I kept waiting for the end (which was also predictable). I haven't read all of the books for this series so I'm not familiar with it, and yet I seem to be able to nail down within 80% or more what is going to happen in each scene with this movie series. Very disappointing that is.

That's it for the TCR Week on Disc (had to come up with a name didn't I??). We'll do more DVD and Blu-ray reviews as we see or purchase them.

Limitless

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:13:00 +0000

Movie - Give it a B- overall.

It was interesting, thoughtful and thought provoking, but not an action flick or high drama kind of thing. I'd still try to see it in the theater before it goes away, and it's definately worth a $1 rental when the DVD comes out. Don't think I'll be buying it because to me it feels like a movie you see once in a great while. By the time it shows up on TV, I'll have forgotten enough about it to be interested in seeing it again, but probably not before.

Still, we did enjoy the film and are both glad to have seen it in the theater. I'd suggest a matinee for the theater as well.

Legacy Suites hotel

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:51:00 +0000

From a friend:

STAY AWAY. Front desk is not staffed at night. Rooms take forever to get cleaned. If your room key fails, or something is broke, or you really truly need assistance from someone on the staff, YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK.

Our friend paid for a room, showed up at 3pm to check-in. Room wasn't cleaned yet, come back at 4.

They went back at 4, still not clean. But they can drop they're luggage in the room and go to dinner. Hours later, the room is completely clean, but there are no linens in the room.

After hours of trying to find someone to help them, they found a hotel staff person to finally get them some linens (which the people just left in the room, didn't make the beds or provide complete sets of linens or anything).

Our friend called it the worst stay ever, the equivalent of 'Hotel Nightmares'.

RED on Bluray

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:49:00 +0000

Just bought this last weekend.

The Bluray is kinda disappointing. Most Bluray disc's have all kinds of extras and stuff on them. This one is very lacking.

Still a good movie Though.

Fogo de Chão; Second Coming

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:19:00 +0000

Grade: C

For Valentines Day, she decided we'd go to Fogo again to give it a second chance and such.

We went on the Friday evening before Valentine's, had an 8pm reservation. We arrived quite a bit early actually, so sat in the small bar area again while we waited for our table.

They were very busy just like last time, even this late at night on a Friday.

If you've read our previous review, then not much has changed.

The salad bar was the same as before.

The meat however was better. I don't know how or why but every piece of meat of every type had such flavor! Tasty, juicy, so very tender. Until it cooled off a bit that is, then all you tasted was meat and salt. Lots of salt. The cooled or cold pieces were next to inedible they had so much salt on them. We know about cooking meat with salt and do so ourselves. The apparent difference is that we don't use a pound of salt on a pound of meat. Really, it was that bad.

We also had similar service issues as before. We asked for a wine list and after getting it we were ignored. We had to flag down a server to order a bottle. Also, she had finished her salad portion before I did (I was eating slow) so she received a new plate and started getting meat right away. When I finished, I had to wait and wait. It was when we finally made order bottle order that we had to mention that I was ready for the meat course, after which I got a new plate. 20 minutes this all took, and that's just plain ridiculous.

The other issue is that many times, when we both had our cards turned to green (meaning 'please bring me more meat'), someone would stop and offer meat to her, but not to me. This didn't happen just once, but four times. Our cards were both on the same side of the table, both plainly visible, and yet I wasn't getting any food. The other issue follows this same line as meat would come out of the kitchen and walk right past our table. Repeatedly. We had right about 15 minutes at one point where we were not offered or asked about meat, and no one stopped at our table.

Speaking of tables, why are they so very close together. There is no hope of a private conversation (see our last post about the noise; still present) and since the tables are so close, the servers and meat guys and such were persistently bumping or moving my chair all evening. Makes it hard to eat when your chair suddenly moves as your raising your fork or glass.

All and all, it was a mostly pleasant evening, and she enjoyed our dining experience. I was a little distracted by lack of food, lack of drink at one point, and constantly being bumped and shoved, but the food was still quite good.

At this point, I think Fogo will become a once or twice a year visit for us. Other places offer better service, some offer better food, etc. but the experience of Fogo is part of the draw I think, and just for that change of pace would be the only real reason I'd go back again. For this visit, I don't think it was quite worth the price for all the hassles and failures.

Fogo de Chão

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:21:00 +0000

Grade: C

We went here for her birthday thinking it be like a similar restaurant we'd previously dined at in Las Vegas. Both are similar in that the salad bar is your appetizer, and then servers constantly come around offering a variety of meats prepared in a few different fashions until you signal that you don't want anymore.

Fogo did that, but not very well. For starters this place is listed as fine dining, but the plethora of persons in jeans and t-shirts says otherwise. And the noise! My god, we couldn't talk to each sitting at the same table without having to regularly repeat ourselves. And our reservation! We actually arrived just a few minutes late (we had called ahead to let them know we'd be just a few minutes late) and still had to wait 20 minutes in the bar because they were over booked. Annoying, and not entirely understandable, but I'd have guessed that with this style of restaurant you'd have people dining longer as they're waiting for more food to brought around, and since it's basically all-you-can-eat people would take advantage.

I'd hoped the food would make up for some of these negatives, but actually it didn't. Some bits of meat were quite good, the rest tasted like they came off my backyard grill. Now that's not saying its bad, but if I can do that same kind of cooking and get the same kind of flavors by cooking at home, why would I go there and pay 4-times more for the food? We also had to settle on the champagne side of things. They don't carry Dom! What fine dining establishment doesn't carry on of the beverage standards for fine dining?!? We went with White Star instead (same vineyard as Dom) and all they had were splits (small bottles for those not familiar with the term) as there was a wedding reception happening in another area and apparently they drank all the larger bottles.

The salad bar was not at all impressive, and in fact they were out of a few items when we walked through. I waited around for a few minutes for the ceaser salad to get replenished, but the empty bowl just sat there with all these employee's walking back and forth around it.

I was very disappointed with the whole experience, and Maryanne wasn't much happier than I. She enjoyed all the food of course, but we both had similar issue with the atmosphere and other clientele.

Still, if you've never been to a Brazilian style restaurant, then give it a try. I'd suggest going during the week instead of a weekend, and make sure you arrive hungry (and are a meat eater of course). I wasn't at all impressed, but Maryanne overall enjoyed herself and that's what counted.

We did decide on the way home however that we're now on a mission to find the best fine dining establishments in the Twin Cities. We've dined at too many places that call themselves fine dining to not notice a sorry trend: they aren't fine dining. Armed with that knowledge we're going to search for the top 5, best of the best that the Cities has to offer.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:10:00 +0000

Unless your a huge Harry Potter fan and simply must see it now, wait for a rental.

Slow, plodding, lots of miscellaneous plot and storyline stuff... it all makes for a really dull movie. I understand that the last book of the series is simply too large to fit into one movie (which is why Part 1) but I'd think the screen writers or somebody could've at least made the movie more interesting.

The important bits: the threesome (Harry and friends) set off on their own yet again to find and destroy all the remaining horcruxes (sp?). They go alone because everyone else is in danger, Harry is being actively hunted buy the big V and his cronies, and Harry is afraid other people will get hurt (no surprise there). Ron and Harry of course get to fighting and Ron storms off only to return later to save Harry (go figure).

The biggest problem is that, in my mind, we've seen this movie already. They're not doing anything new yet (that's all in Part 2 I guess), and that makes it really boring especially when there are such long waits between the important bits. I guess you need to see it to understand what's coming, and that's a really weak reason to make a movie in my opinion, and understanding that I'd suggest you wait for a $1 rental in a few months. The second part is coming spring of next year if I recall correctly, and I'm sure they'll have this movie out on disc before then.

If you must see it in a theater, go for the matinee at least.

RED

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:03:00 +0000

Ehhh... See it in the theater while you have time I guess.

Not that the movie is bad mind you, just a bit slow and campy at time. There are some slick action sequences and such, but overall you'll be familiar with most of the characters right away. Bruce Willis is always cast in these down-n-out law enforcement type roles, which his role in this movie isn't exactly but it's awful close. Morgan Freeman is doing his best intellectual impersonation (with just a bit of action). You'll recognize lots of faces though you may not know all the names. And the movie plot is also pretty predictable so it makes it difficult to be surprised when things happen farther along (like the twist on the twist near the end, I saw it coming an hour earlier).

Regardless, it was overall a fun and enjoyable movie. I'll probably buy it when it comes out on video, and I'd suggest seeing it in the theater before it's gone. Go for a matinee with a bunch of friends and you'll do well. There is a lot of little stuff happening ont he screen, and if you don't have a very large screen to see it all you'll miss a few little bits here and there.

Tin Cup - July 26

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:56:00 +0000

Definately an A- or an A

Tin Cup closed quite a few months back, and we had eaten there once before we started doing these reviews. Suffice it to say it was dark, dark, more dark, and not worth the money for the slop you got for food.

New owners came in, did a bit of remodeling, added some much needed windows and paint, new furnishings, did away with the smallish buffet-style table thingy in the back, revamped the menu and many other changes.

Walking in this time, we wouldn't have recognized the place from our prior visit.

In short: The food was great, the service good to great, the drinks were tasty (we only had a few, but it was a varied selection on her part). We used to think Matt's Bar in Minneapolis had the best Juicy Lucy (or Jucy Lucy if your a Matt's regular) but the same burger here will easily give Matt's a run for the money. Bigger, meatier, and terribly tasty (I almost had 2, which would've also meant I'd have to be rolled back out to the car as I'd not've been able to walk). The fries are tasty, even the cheese curds were tasty (though I didn't get the ranch dressing the menu says they come with, still good without it).

The bartender was chatty, well informed, and apparently worked at Tin Cup before it closed as he knew quite a few things about the prior owners and how things were operated and such. He was friendly and outgoing and we enjoyed chatting with him.

The liquor selection seems smallish, but I'll bet that once word starts to spread about the new Tin Cup and business starts to pickup and they've got more money to spend on supplies, that selection will grow as will the menu.

The current menu is not large but is varied. They had a selection of sandwiches and wraps, 4 versions of the Juicy Lucy (try the Lucifer), and a small selection of appetizers. I also noticed upon entering that they seem to have a nightly or weekly special as a lighted sign was advertising an entree that wasn't on the menu.

We will DEFINITELY be back here again, and soon. The place looks good (a nearly 100% turn-around from our prior visit), the food was good, the service was good, the drinks were good... it was all just good! Such a pleasent experience considering the kind of garbage we usually run into at most other restaurants.

We both really do recommend you try it out at least once, and form your own opinion (I'll bet you'll give them at least a B rating).

As proof of that, here's where it is:

Google Map Link to Tin Cup

St Claire Broiler - July 18

noreply@blogger.com (Maryanne) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:56:00 +0000

Rating: C-

We were seated pretty much right away, but the table had not been wiped before we sat down and the host put my menu on top of some syrup. I asked him to wipe the table and he got a towel immediately and wiped the table and my menu.

Our server seamed nice enough, but we soon learned that she was overwhelmed; she had at least 5 tables. The server that delivered our meals was a little rude. He set the plates down and asked if we needed anything else and I mentioned that I had ordered milk to be served with the meal. He said that our server probably had that and walked away. His demeanor was surly and almost beligerant.

William ordered the Iron Lake omelet, which has ham and wild rice in it, served with hash browns and toast. The hash browns were only cooked on one side. While this is the current trend, it runs the risk of being cold/undercooked in the middle, which was the case today. The omelet was overcooked on the bottom and all the toast was burnt.

I ordered the french toast with bacon. Our server asked if I wanted the cinnamon roll french toast or the regular, then proceded to explain what the cinnamon roll french toast was. I ordered the regular, but ended up wishing I had ordered the other. The slices of bread were over an inch thick, and were not dipped in the batter long enough to soak into the middle. They were also barely warm, so when I saw our server, I asked her to heat them up. When I got them back, it was obvious they had been microwaved and the crust of the bread was very tough and rubbery. William finished my french toast (I was too full) and it took him almost 30 seconds just to cut through the bread with his knife.

Our server did bring my milk right after the food was delivered and she did check back after my reheat came back. She asked if it was better and when I told her that it was hotter, she walked away. She never apologized for the food being cold or delved further to see how it was other than the temperature. William had to wait for quite a while for a refill on his soda and after our plates had been cleared, we waited for more than 10 minutes for our check.

What a disappointment! Our last visit here was great and this one was was pretty bad. We'll have to wait a while before we go back.

IHOP, Maplewood-July 11, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Maryanne) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:45:00 +0000

Rating: D

Before we even sat down, we were waiting 5 minutes for a table (which I have no problem with) and William noticed that the entry area was very dirty. The windows, floor and counter had obviously not been cleaned in some time, including snot on the wall.

At our table, it was again obvious that it had not been cleaned properly. the syrup dispensers were sticky and had a build up of old syrup sticking to the bottom. The salt and pepper shakers also had not been cleaned in some time.

We waited more than 5 minutes at the table to even be greeted and it was apparent that our server was overwhelmed.

I ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes with apples on top. Everything tasted decently, but they put cold apple compote on top of hot pancakes, which cooled the pancakes. It would have tasted a lot better if the apples had been hot.

William ordered basted eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and toast. The eggs were over hard, not basted. A restaurant that serves breakfast all day and that is what they're known for should be well versed in all the different ways to cook eggs.

At one point, the manager came into the room (we were in a side room) and asked the server in the next section which table he was going to give up because the manager thought he had too many. At that point, he only had 4 tables, and three of them had their check. This was plenty loud enough for all the customers in the room to hear. Conversations like that should be in private, or, at the very least, in the back where there are only other employees. Consequently, if anyone should have been giving up tables, it should have been our server.

Our server was very inattentive and William had to wait a long time for a refill on his soda. I would have notified the manager of the issues, but after seeing his exchange with the server, I felt like he would blow me off.

The main concern, though, was just how filthy everything was. We should have walked out when we sat down - and will do so next time we are presented with the same situation.

William actually sent an e-mail to the company while we were still in the waiting area regarding the cleanliness of the restaurant. He received a reply stating that we should go back and ask for a specific manager. It is doubtful we will go back as we have had a few bad (and no good) experiences at this restaurant.

Avatar

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:50:00 +0000

Rating: ehh...

Oh My God....

It's FERN GULLY with guns!!

Whatever... don't believe the hype. Still entertaining, we're glad we waited for it to show up in the local RedBox.