Man vs. Food - Its like I'm at Church...

MAN vs. FOOD
Travel Channel Series

Staring: Adam Richman

"I could eat that!". Something every one of us has said when watching at least one episode of Man vs. Food. If you haven't, either A) you have never seen the show or B) you are an incredibly picky eater with boring eating habits.

Adam Richman is the luckiest man in the world. He has no "special talent", he isn't an expert on fine foods. Hell he isn't even TRYING to be. He is simply a man who enjoys good food, BIG portions and loves celebrating the mom and pop establishments.

If you have never seen the show - this review is for you. Adam's show is based on all the best places in the US to find good, gooey, big, amazing food. And most of the establishments have a huge meal, that is unreal to most and you get a prize for finishing! Adam always rises to the challenge, whether its a 7 layer breaded fish sandwich or a 15 scoop ice cream sundae called the Kitchen Sink! He is MORE than a sport for all types of food. So I guess we could indeed call that a talent.



As an Italian, who was raised with not only a love for food but also a need to express enjoyment while I eat it - this show is truly like church to me. Cooking is a form of worship. I take pride in it and my goal is to make every person happy. Adam is amazing when he eats. He doesn't mind letting grease run down his chin, often uses BBQ sauce as a facial and licking his fingers is a ritual for each episode almost. I almost think there needs to be a meter in which his groans of pleasure and wacky word medleys for what he is tasting can somehow translate into a rating system.



I have often said i could be Adams sister from another mother. I react to food the same way. This is a great show to watch if you plan to travel and want to steer away from the touristy establishments and want to get to the small secrets of each town. The places with changing menus (or no menus at all!), and don't measure their ingredients. Because of this show, I now have a LIST of places to visit in some 10 cities in the US.



They recently did a special series called "The Carnivore Chronicles" that I loved. Being a proud red meat connoisseur, it was a fun series to watch. Sharing the tears when you see that perfect cut of steak, and know its being cooked specially for you. Its very emotional.



Some may say that this show encourages over eating, gorging and obesity. Why yes it does, thanks for that! There are a few things Adam ate for contests that were gross to me and I would bet $100 he went and puked afterward. But that's what makes him a superhero in my eyes. For me its not about gorging on big portions of food. Its about finding the BEST amazing food out there that is affordable to most people - and ENJOYING IT!



The new season coming this fall - me thinks Adam's doc may have put him on a break- he is still hosting, however has asked for videos of people around the US - visiting their favorite local spots. Basically doing what he does. I am sad we will see less of Adam, but excited they are letting the fans get involved. I have a husband who enjoys food more than i do and is from the South - so a video is most definitely in order here!



Watch the show, become and fan, and share in the joy of cooking and eating good food.

Rating: ***** Five stars - anyone who can eat and love so much food is amazing in my book!

Bambino's Pizzeria - A Surprising Delight on a Late rainy night...

Bambino's Pizzeria

401 Cedar St

Seattle, WA 98121

4th Ave. (Cross Street)

(206) 269-2222

Mon-Fri 11:00AM-2:00PM, 4:00PM-11:00PM

Weekends 4:00PM-11:00PM
$2 all draft beer (microbreweries)



As usual - we were looking for late night food, refusing to fall into the fast food trap. I am always determined to find something new and worth my money. Belltown is a hard area to find something kid friendly at that time of night - so we truly got lucky.

Checking the times on the door - we were pleased to find them still serving. When we walked in - the one cook and one waiter were chatting up front - both greeted us with cheerful smiles and asked us to sit anywhere. As we came in, so did 2 other rather large parties, and the waiter didn't look the lease bit worried.

After taking our drink orders and handing us menus - the waiter cheerfully fluttered between the 3 tables, bringing us our drinks and answering questions with ease. Me - being from an Italian restaurant owning family, am an extra harsh critic with wood fire pizza - so I had lots of questions. He answered each with a smile and assured me of which would be my favorites.

We ordered a 3 pizzas with our favorite toppings and 3 salads. While we waited, our waiter came to our table, asked us if we were drinkers and proceeded to give us drink coupons for their popular happy hour. He proclaimed he doesn't give them to just anyone, and that he thought we were awesome and wanted us to come back. We found him very engaging and genuine. Whenever a waiter will admit to us what on the menu he DOESN'T like, I find that refreshing and usually will go back to that establishment. Honesty is always good when it comes to food.




My pizza had sausage and mushrooms. It was VERY tasty. Homemade sauce, the crust was done perfectly and the cheese was fresh and not too much.



My daughter got pepperoni and couldn't stop raving. Their pepperoni wasn't too spicy, however very flavorful! I liked that the crust was consistent and evenly done like mine. My husband got the Calzone and said it was amazing - tons of meat, sundried tomatoes and cheese. The only thing it lacked was Ricotta cheese. I make my Calzones with Ricotta and so he is used to them. We asked if they had it, but they didn't, so he dealt with it. That would have been the only thing he would have changed.



Here are our salads - they were good sized and VERY hearty. I notice when restaurants make cut backs, thats what gets cut first are their salads. This was not the case here thankfully.





We skipped dessert, the meal was really filling and it was late. The waiter was kind and made us promise to come back. Our experience was on the whole very positive and we will definitely go back for another late night pizza.

My rating: **** 4 stars - VERY good (5 stars if they had Ricotta)

RA Scion Lends his Words to a Whim...

RA Scion (of Seattle based hiphop group Common Market and Victor Shade fame) is branching out in Seattle Art- and lending his words to a uncommon artistic medium - Dance.

First meeting PNB Principal dancer and Whim W'him creator and director Olivier Weavers through his daughter's dance school - RA Scion had a respect for the medium and for the newly blossoming company, Whim W'him, that Weavers had created. As one of this months Dance Magazines "25 to watch", the newly born company is gaining recognition amazingly fast. It wasn't until one afternoon over coffee, that a possible collaboration between the Music/Hiphop scene and the Modern/Ballet stylings of Weavers dance company, Whim W'him was discussed and deemed possible.

Weavers company has just been named the Intiman Theaters in-house dance company when Scion and Weavers began discussing a collaboration. Weavers said he is thrilled to be opening their 2nd season entitled "Shadows, Raincoats and Monsters" at the historic Intiman. The show opens this weekend and runs just 3 days, January 14, 15 and 16th. This collaboration, both Olivier and RA Scion hope - will create cross interest in the dance and music communities. Seattle has a very distinct music fan as well as a very seasoned dance supporter - and it is rare you will find one person a supporter of both.

RA Scion has written spoken word poetry as intros to the three part Monsters piece - choreographed by Weavers. The piece exposes the Monsters that lurk in us all - each of them different - these are just 3 examples of Monsters that can take over our lives. The first Monster, Society, explores the monster of Homophobia and how two lovers have to hide who they are, and put on a different persona in public, in order to please society. RA Scion wrote stirring pieces to this and the other two Monsters, Addiction and Abusive Relationships - that bring the dance medium up to the understanding of the new audience, who may not be seasoned in watching dance and understanding the story behind the movements.

The Whim W'him dancers consist of the best and brightest in ballet, modern and contemporary and from various Seattle dance institutions, including PNB, Spectrum and Cornish College. The beautiful lines and intensity of PNB dancers Chalnessa Eames, Andrew Bartee and Lucien Postlewaite, to the raw and unchained energy and intense technique of Donald Byrds Spectrum dancers Ty Cheng, Vincent Lopez and Kylie Lewallen - the talent in this company is thick and evident with the first muscle movement. In addition to these names and more - there are amazing guest dancers and choreographers from Amsterdam, Houston and Santa Cruz ballets that lend their amazing facilities and talents to Oliviers vision.

The 1st season sold out with a week of opening night - so get your tickets to see next weekends show before they sell out. RA Scion will be there opening night to celebrate in the collaboration as well. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and can be found at http://www.brownpapertickets.com. Come out and support this exciting new dance company, Whim W'him as well as hear RA Scion's contribution to the production.

Is this the last time we will see RA Scion collaborate with Whim W'him? No likely, RA Scion said he looks forward to integrating Oliviers Choreography in future music and video projects in this new year.

A sneak peek of the Monster of Society (Homophobia):

Delightfull Drosselmeyer, Flawless Flora, Priceless Peacock and the Captivating Clara - PNB's Nutcracker sets the bar at the horizon....

"Delightful Drosselmeier, Flawless Flora, Priceless Peacock and the Captivating Clara - PNB's Nutcracker sets the bar at the horizon..."

Pacific Northwest Ballet's

Nutcracker

Choreography: Kent Stowell
Sets & Costumes: Maurice Sendak
November 26th - December 27th
Tickets: http://www.pnb.org/


The Northwest has several things during the holiday season that people flock to see. Our wonderfully lit Space Needle and Seattle Center, the our snow capped mountains that can be seen clearly on a gorgeous day, and amazing downtown Christmas Tree and Ice Skating rink - and - one of the most unique and magical productions of the Nutcracker in the United States. Previous director, Kent Stowell in collaboration with "Where the Wild Things Are" illustrator Maurice Sendak created a production that has become, throughout the years, a tradition in the majority of the households in the Northwest. Kids receive tickets under the tree as gifts, families get dressed in their best and make it a holiday family event together.


As a proud Northwesterner, I can say I have been going to see PNB's nutcracker since I was a young child - so off and on for 30 years. However I must admit I didn't truly appreciate the magnitude and magic of it all until my daughter started attending the school and became part of the production last year. Now, spending the majority of my life in the halls of the PNB School - we have the honor of watching the company dancers practicing for upcoming shows etc - and in time, we get to know them by name, and have created favorites.

Our family tradition, though rather new - is to see our daughters opening night - still full from Thanksgiving dinner - with my visiting in-laws from Florida. We make it their Christmas presents for the year (as GOOD seats are pricey but very worth it). The company cast isn't announced until the week before opening weekend, so its really luck of the draw as to who you have performing the night you see it. Overall - Peter Boal has a lovely and extremely talented group of company performers, so whoever you see, you are sure to get a good show.

Now -- that being said -- I am CONVINCED - we saw one of the best casts I have ever seen - perform together this past Saturday night.

From the prologue - and Uncle Drosselmeier, all the way to Flora and almost every character in between - it was sincerely a magical work of art and proof that the story can touch every age and every heart.

I have seen countless Drosselmeier's in my time - even the artistic director Peter Boal has played him - and no one has played the character quite like PNB Principle dancer and Whim W'him company creator Olivier Weavers. Often seen as the "pot stirrer" of the show, this character, I feel is very important and a huge part of if the audience understands the story or not. Weavers eccentric and excellently animated the roll of the creepy and mysterious Uncle to Clara.


He hilariously bounced around with the same agility and excitement as the children in the scene with him - often times catching them off guard, making for a naturally wonderful response from the children. I found myself finally understanding the dynamic between Drosselmeier and Clara and how his conniving makes what is the essence of the story. I credit this all to Weavers brilliant performance.

Clara - the part every girl dreams of being as a child...was danced breathtakingly by PNB Principle dancer Carla Korbes. Her technique flowed like water and she played the part with every inch of her being. Her Prince - PNB Principle dancer Batkhurel Bold was the epitome of testosterone and strength and was an amazing support for the countless lifts of Korbes - high enough to make little girls in the audience gasp. Unfortunately, like most Prince/Princess pairings, the sparkly princess gets more of the attention - and Carla easily steals the show when they share the stage. Her effortless develope up to her ear, flawless ponche's and ridiculously high and perfect grand jete's - had my grandmother, a ballet mega-fan and aficionado yelling "Brava!!" after each combination.



The children consist of over half of the cast, ranging from party girls and boys, battle attendants, mice, and servants. Arguably the best dance part for ages 17 and under is the part of Chinese girls. The part is for 4 girls, on pointe, and each holding a ribbon helping contain the Chinese Tiger - that looks wonderfully like one of the monsters one of Sendak's books.



The girls, dressed in vibrantly colored costumes have quite a fun but difficult looking dance, considering their ages. This time is was fun to watch because we knew the dancers and because the dancing was so light, fun and well done - the girls made it seem effortless and were beaming on stage. It was tons of fun to watch.






One of the most popular pieces and characters of the show is the Peacock. This part was hard for me to warm up to at first - as I was a fan of the classic tale - which instead of a Peacock was "Arabian Coffee". I was not won over until I saw this role danced last year - by PNB Soloist, Lindsi Dec. We were lucky enough to see her dance it again this night. She embodied the persona of the Peacock and had the perfect attitude, along with the amazing extension of her legs and arms to really transform herself into the character. I looked high and low for a photo of Linsdi in this roll but came up empty handed, but here is a photo of another PNB Dancer in the roll so you can see the costume.

Lastly but certainly not least is Flora - the lead dancer roll in the Flowers section. Flowers is known in my family, after the Snow scene - as one of the easiest parts to be lulled to sleep during. Every dancer I have ever spoken to who has had to dance that lead says its the hardest women's part in the entire show, because of its length and difficulty. We were blessed enough to watch PNB Principle dancer, Carrie Imler as Flora this night and she was beaming and flawless. Her strength is a force to be reckoned with in that company and her technique never waivers. Our entire family talked over dinner after the show, and we all came away with the same thing after her performance - she seemed RADIANT and so happy! Its always amazing watching someone talented do something perfectly and love every minute.



I hate to leave out the other parts - as every piece of the show is memorable in its own way. Act I is full of lovely small solo's as part of Drosselmeiers enchanting magic - the Doll, the Sword Dancer Doll and of course the Masque dancers.



















And of course no Nutcracker would be complete without the Snow flakes - who close Act I, so magical, the dancers float as if on air.



Every family's holiday traditions are different, however this production is the type of event I can see all types of families and religious backgrounds making part of their holiday tradition. No matter how long the show has been around, I always meet someone who has never seen it but always wanted to. Peter Boal has pieced together such a strong, diverse and amazing company, that virtually ANY show you see will have wonderful and amazing dancers in it. They say that you are only as strong as your weakest link - and there are over 150 parts in this show. Living, breathing and dancing parts from age 6 all the way up to Grandfather age! Thankfully, Peter Boal has just as high standards for his school aged dancers as his company dancers, because class, maturity and professionalism radiates from everyone in the cast.



No matter who you treat to the Nutcracker this season - daughter, son, sister, brother, parents, grandparents etc -- it is sure to be more than just a treat, it will be an experience they will never forget.

Rating: ***** - Excellent all around!

Men In Dance - La beauté des hommes (The Beauty of Men)

MEN IN DANCE


8th annual Festival


October 8-10 + 15-17, 2010

I entitled this La beaute des hommes (The Beauty of Men) because it is what this entire performance embodied. Everything you have always loved about Men. Think of every man in your life. Your father, son, brother, uncle, grandfather, best friend, lover....these pieces show us every side of Men we love.

Instead of picking the pieces that I felt were the strongest - I decided to touch on them all - because art is subjective to each of us - and this event was so touching as a whole, I refuse to take away from any choreographer by judging what may be better or worse in my opinion. We must each see it through our own souls and let the art guide us.


Piece #1 - Small Spaces - Choreographer Alia Swersky w/the dancers.
As we walked into the theater - bought our tickets and walked into the main lobby- we were immediately halted by improvisational dancers who were using the lobby space as their stage. They had combinations of tumbling, flowing pieces and soft improvisational mumbling that made you just stand and stare. They used each other as parts of a puzzle, intertwining and weaving like a piece of fabric. We made our way to our seats as they danced - thinking their show was over. As we sat and read our program - my daughter exclaimed "Mom - they are dancing down the isles!". Just as she said that - all 5 dancers collected to the front of stage on the left right where we were sitting. The first dancer drew a line with his finger and said "This is my space." and then soon the rest of the dancers vocalized where their "spaces" were (one saying his looked like Nevada ahah!). Directly in front of me - there was a Space - where it seems there used to be a seat, that was removed. One dancer picked this as his Space. He stood inches from me - expanding his movements within his space, as did all of the dancers. At one point he looked at me and said "I would like to take this moment to let you know you have a great bag". It was hysterical. Towards the end of this humorous piece - the new dancer friend I had made - was in the fetal position on the ground next to my feet. He proceeded to stealthily grab my bag, he had so admired earlier - and slowly hid it between him and another dancer as they made their way out the door, on the floor - with my bag! It had us in stitches and then someone said "Reverse" they all reversed their movements and my purse was returned as comically as it was taken! These men had a great way of creating their own world and letting us be a part of it. A wonderful way to start the show.

Piece #2 "15 to 20" - Choreographer: Cheryl Johnson
The curtain opened. A youthful drummer with a snare drum sat stage left "He's cute!" my daughter exclaimed. I quickly told her to Shhh and that I'm SURE that was not going to be the last time she said that statement during this show. 3 young men entered the stage - and it was clear quickly they were tappers. They were energetic but quietly sweet compared to most tappers I have seen. They were minus the hoots, hollers and grunts that you sometimes experience. They had several solos and then combined synchronized pieces that were a pleasure to watch. The youngest - (I assumed) with glasses was quite adorable - almost seeming like the "Annie" of the bunch. His awe of what he was doing and the audience watching with baited breathe - made me chuckle. To watch a youth with so much innocence and happiness dance, it was awesome.

Piece #3 - Cypher - Choreographer: Barry Kerollis
3 dances - all from Pacific Northwest Ballet. The choreography had them all following in a circle/cypher. All men - bare chested (yes it sparked another breathy comment from my hormonal teen) in black shorts. This piece exemplified Strength for me. All men showed amazing strength in their jumps, their ability to keep the time within the cypher and their ability to assist each other. I always am amazed when men partner in dance, because it has to be so much more difficult. These three artists made the entire piece look like cake. Barry obviously chose these men for specific abilities that complimented this work - because they all meshed together beautifully.


Piece #4 - Hillside - Choreographer: David Lorence Schleiffers. My synopsis - male dancers and how they are constantly running to and from everything in their lives. My first thought was "interesting", however then I began to see between the lines. I saw relationships begin and fail during the daily "running". I saw the humor of those people we let pass us by as we are running to and from things. I saw the ability of the performers, to create one fluid piece that had so many connected moving parts. It was what a dark comedy would be if translated to dance. I need to watch that one a few more times to really GET it. I was left intrigued and wanting to talk in depth to the choreographer and pick his brain as to how close my ideas were...


Piece #5 - Breath of Light - Choreographer: Wade Madsen. Two words. "Mature Love". The lights rose to two men. This was the first real costume I loved. These two men, looked like bronzed male Gods. My daughter quickly proved the fact by saying "The one in the short sparkly gold shorts...GOOD LORD, his lines are unreal...". Aside from her teen aged gasps, I agreed totally. These two men perfectly displayed the maturity of a seasoned love. The intimacy, the pantomime of each others movements without the need for touch - but the touch was in the mind, you saw it as the energy between them. The tests, trials and disappointments you have to overcome in every long running relationship - was painfully evident. It was truly like watching two men underwater at times for me. Their fluidity and the amazing lines they created was magical. Wade Madsen showed his maturity as an artist and as a man who has loved and lost. It was one of two pieces that left me with little to no words.


Piece #6 - Me Over You - Choreographer: Eva Stone. Using the famous Female Diva piece "Pas De Quatre" - Eva brilliantly translates this classic estrogen filled, diva-esque into what would have been the perfect comic male version. All men - clad in white, one even strutting around in a white tutu. I was impressed at the amount of commitment with both their dancing and their commitment these men had. One dancer, who had shorts on - was especially humerus. There was nothing "safe" about any of his solos - he took every line and movement to the teetering edge. I appreciated the absolute abandonment these guys had - diving into the Diva roles of original dancers, Gahn, Grisi, Cerrito and Taglioni. This piece - was surprisingly long but lovely and had quite a bit of technical difficulty, peppered into the comical portions - that created wonderful bursts of laughter and chuckles from the audience.

Piece #7 - Ascent - Choreographer and performer: Jason Ohlberg. One word. BEAST. Jason is a beautiful beast of dance. His ability to show strength but vulnerability in one movement was amazing. This piece said so many things to me, but what stood out was the brute strength that comes out of overcoming pain. He was so involved in the journey of the peice - it was almost as if whatever inspired the creation of the dance, he relived everytime he performed it. He filled the stage with such brute strength, at points it even overflowed. The tests and tribulations in this piece were so evident but so severe it almost left me afraid to ask why...




Piece #8 - Monster - Choreographer: Olivier Wevers. It seems I have been on a role with this One word exclaimation thing so here it goes. This piece left me officially SPEECHLESS. Thats right, it took me a good bit to find words for this piece. Unlike me, my daughter had plenty of words throughout the performance like "Lucien is my new favorite dancer" and her ending statement:"That is the best piece I have ever seen in my life". From the mouth of babes. The piece was an excerpt of a 3 part series that will premier in January with Olivier's new company Whim W'Him. The piece explores the different "monsters" we encounter at times in our lives. Just before the dancers began - a voice came over the speakers and stated that the following dance was dedicated to the families of the youth that took their own lives as a result of bullying against homosexuals. This touched me deeply because my brother took his own life in a similar situation - so at that point - "they had me at hello". The two dancers had grey shirts (much to my daughters dismay lol), blood red shorts and matching socks. The simple but dramatic costumes really made the piece complete. Both men used the subject matter and choreography like veterans, when neither seem to be pushing even 25. I read a dancers review (youdancefunny.wordpress.com) where he reviews the same show and said he would like to ask Lucien "how it feels to have super strong, obedient legs". I laughed when I read that because its true. When I watched this piece - Lucien especially made me think, for a split second, that I could dance. For a fleeting moment he shares the exhilaration with you. But the moment I dreamily saw myself doing a perfect Develope (Carla Korbes-esque) - I was jarred back to reality the first time the dancers used their hands to hide their faces. That was the part that kept making the entire piece so real to me. How tragic is it to have to hide what you are, what or who you love - because you live in a world that refuses to let you be who you are? This piece was a constant struggle between these two men, trying to find themselves, helping each other but then hurting each other - each at one point had a moment of aloneness that was excruciating. I must emotionally prepare myself for the other two Monsters that Olivier has up his sleeve...





Piece #9 - Carveresque - Choreographer: Donald Byrd. I know I have only mentioned a few dancers - which doesn't seem totally fair - however I must announce that the PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal was the solo dancer in this piece. First of all - we went randomly to this show - not with an agenda to see any one person - and we certainly weren't aware this piece was part of the show. The 40 something retired NYC Ballet dancer stood stoic on the stage in loose fitting jeans, a T-shirt and athletic shoes. My daughter - stunned to silence. This is the director of the Ballet school she attends. This is the man she hopes to one day DANCE for in his company. She talks about him like "the all powerful OZ" at times - it makes me laugh. So this was a defining moment. To see this person she held with such regard - dance. I didn't know who to watch - Peters dancing or Madison's reactions! The art of Donald was a lovely mix of modern lyrical steps mixed with Peters strengths - classic ballet combinations - and they complimented each other greatly. Peter Boals porte bras are flawless even in his retirement. The placement of his head, chin, neck, breastbone, and arms - are just textbook. It was like a classic Balanchine dancer in jeans! All at once my daughter was able to put together what her teachers are drilling into her about the upper body presentation and how important it is. Overall - it was inspiring to see him dance and impressive to see he still had it.

Piece #10 - Frattura - Choreographer: Deborah Wolf. 5 dancers in dark red velvet pants poured through an open space in the curtain. The piece had a reoccurring pushing and pulling action that gave it great depth. The first thought that came to mind with this piece is that of a third eye. I felt as though it was a very spiritual journey. At once point it almost seemed like each many was a different stage of one man - and with each movement, constantly evolving. The music was was simple and striking. A beautiful ensemble of men overall.

My recommendation - see and support this program. It shows again this weekend - however not all the same pieces are showcased. About half of them are and half are new!

Rating: ***** - a gorgeous display of Men in Dance.

http://www.menindance.org/