No Lost, no Daises, make Elliot something, something

I know it's been quiet for a bit but truth is folks my new job is actually turning into a career and keeping me busy. Of course it doesn't help that TV is a giant suckfest these days. However there are glimpses of joy around the corner. Battlestar Galactica returns on Friday (8pm CST, Sci-Fi) for the first part of its final season. 30 Rock, The Office and Scrubs come back next Thursday on NBC. The Hills is already back and the drunken excess known as the Real World returns for its 20th season originating from Hollywood on the 16th (9pm CST, MTV). Then there's the fact that Survivor, Big Brother, and Top Chef should all shortly hit their strides now that the excess of contestants has dwindled down. In short sorry for the slim pickings in posts for March and rest assured April should provide you with many more ramblings from the Self Loathing Pop Culture Fanatic.

In the meantime...

RIP- Jericho

Last night a show that came in with a literal bang went out with a whimper. After basically a season and a half of episodes, Jericho was cancelled…again, and it should be. Please save us another Nuts campaign Jericho fans and face the fact that this show squandered a great concept and premise. The idea of a small town facing the after effects of a devastating nuclear attack on US soil was intriguing to many geeks like myself. The first couple of eps certainly built on these ideas but quickly the show devolved into a family friendly soap opera. When the first season ended I was pretty indifferent to the show’s fate. The characters had some promise and the overarching idea of the show was still good but I truly had no vested interest in seeing if the hardened IRS agent and the small farmer ever lived happily ever after. Season 2’s abbreviated 7 eps were due to loyal fans urging CBS to give the show another chance by inundating execs with nuts. I was pleased to see fans get their voice heard but at the time I was more irate that people were wasting money on nuts when Mars bars could have been sent to the CW to save Ronnie and company.

Anyway thanks to the strike Jericho had a great opportunity to prove that the show was deserving of saving to a large audience. When the first ep of season two premiered I’ve got to admit I was once again intrigued but by the time the deaf kid got her brains blown out I was bored beyond tears and there in lies another problem. No show in recent memory has managed to make governmental conspiracies and harsh violence as forgettable as Jericho. This was a show that destroyed half the US, featured many grizzly deaths, had a conspiracy were the government blamed terrorist attacks on other nations and featured a liar and a cheat as President. I’d expect these to resonate a little more in pop culture and certainly to viewers of the show but truth is it all came off as secondary to the relationship drama. The creator has vowed to continue on the tale in some other medium like comics and while the show once again brought up some interesting ideas in its final ep (the Second US Civil War) I for one don’t plan on getting burned again.

I Can See Those Hills From Miles Away

Yes tonight brought us fresh eps of The Hills and even the New York Times is following the show. Who can blame them after the huge success of TV's greatest guilty pleasure (sorry Big Brother) and the "in your face" publicity or marketing the MTV show has gotten in the past week. Before we get to the episodes themselves, is anyone remotely surprised that nude photos of Audrina showed up last week or that US magazine ditched Britney Watch to cover LC's latest spat with Brody? Um the answer would be no. Like we all know the show is fakeness personified so it wouldn't surprise me if MTV coordinated the whole schmooze and then sat back to reap the profits. As long as you take the show for what it is, as pseudo-reality, then it's not worth getting bent out of shape over. Still the line of reality is becoming blurrier and blurrier especially when mainstream press like the Times gets involved.

As for the hour long show itself, we picked up where we left off with Lauren and Whitney's Excellent Paris Adventure. It's amazing that even across the pond LC attracts complete douche bags as the escort from the ball just screamed douche. Even the nice guy she met was a bit shady as he was at least 15 years older then her and he was a rocker wannabe personified. Of course the girls were there to work and once again we caught a fleeting glimpse of what Lauren could be when this reality game is all done as she smartly turned her ball gown into a sassy evening dress. Then of course she went right back to reality dunce by burning it with a curling iron. Through it all Whitney was the voice of reason and the woman of a million facial gestures. Meanwhile in the US, Spencer was still an ass and Heidi continued to make progress into becoming a real woman again (of course that music video a couple months back already shows us she’ll eventually fail). The best part about The Hills premieres are always the “this season on” segments at the end and that again was my favorite. Oh shit there’s Stephen from Laguna! Look more Lo goodness! On no Audrina did not just hug Heidi? Weeks of mindless musings on men with two names, Spencer vs. Satan comparisons, and what bag goes with these shoes await us and I for one can’t wait.

Throwing Down the Gauntlet: Finale

Well MTV you’ve sullied the good name of reality TV once again. Last night I tuned in with great excitement to see the jerk faced Veterans (they have the faces of jerks) destroy the miserable Rookies in the final challenge. On the surface I got what I wanted. The Veteran team survived a gigantic time drain as Eric (Fresh Meat) literally dragged his team to a complete stop. Despite the Vets pushing Eric onto a stretcher they did actually show some decency as Eric was taken away by an ambulance and showed some honor by deciding to finish the race anyway. Much to their surprise when they got to the finish line the Rookies were still working on the final stage of the race. Good lord Rookies, you can’t even beat a team that you had a 30 minute head start on! Frank’s (Las Vegas) “woe is me” tune rose to unbelievable new heights as he whined about how unfair it was. The Vets made short work and showed great perseverance in winning…except they didn’t. Super douche host and all around waste of space TJ Lavin strolled up to inform the Vets that since they didn’t finish as a team (Eric in hospital not on beach) they were disqualified. The Rookies then took probably another 8 hours to dig out their flag and win by default. Good god was that lame! It’s not like I really want to see the Vets stroll off with the monetary winnings since it will all go to booze and breast implants but come on MTV they were penalized a good 30 minutes waiting for Eric to be treated. I’ve never seen such a quiet end to the Challenge as the Rookie sheepishly took their undeserved victory (except for Tori who really needs to be removed from any future shows) while the Vets literally cried and stewed over what was a legitimate injustice. This does raise an interesting question though as to whether this slight will actually be enough to dissuade the Veterans from participating in future Challenges. On one hand you’ve got integrity on the other you’ve got whoring yourself out on MTV for a free vacation filled with booze, sex, and exposure…hmm I wonder what they’ll choose?

Madison Restaurant Review: Tom’s Red Pepper

Now that I’m back in Madison I thought I’d get the ball rolling with a restaurant review in my new hometown. While Madison doesn’t have the sheer number of choices the Twin Cities do, it has a surprisingly vast array of ethnic cuisines on top of the numerous “American” destinations. However in my 12 years of off and on again residency one thing Madison has never had is a good Chinese restaurant. It was because of that history that I was excited to read other reviews of Tom’s Red Pepper hailing it as Madison’s best Szechwan cuisine.

Tom’s is a descendant of the Red Pepper Restaurant that did quite well on the East Side of Madison for a number of years. The new location is squarely on the other side of town sandwiched in a strip mall between a take and bake pizza joint and a bar (it’s Wisconsin there’s a bar in every strip mall). I decided to take out and thank god I did. The space has enough room for about four people to sit there and eat their meals. Now I don’t hold Chinese restaurants to very high standards when it comes to ambiance but this was just terrible.

Of course the real reason I was here was for the food. I ordered two apps and an entrée to split with my partner thinking this was a good way to feel out the place. Well we got a feeling and the feeling was awful. We started with two egg rolls that had a crisp light shell that would have been quite deserving of praise except for the raincoat of grease that covered it. The filling was difficult to judge as again the grease overwhelmed any of the flavors. The best praise I can give the egg rolls was that I could see how they could be good. This faint praise unfortunately was the best I could give our entire meal. Next up was an order of fried pot stickers. This time instead of a light and crisp outer shell we were treated to some of the doughiest dumplings I’ve ever had. Except for the grease you’d swear these were steamed not fried. The filling was nondescript and for once I can’t blame that on the grease. Also the sauce was sweeter than a traditional pot sticker sauce, which made me feel like I was eating a Bismarck not a dumpling. Finally, I decided to take this place to the ultimate Szechwan taste test by choosing my favorite dish, Twice Cooked Pork. A dish which when done right is comprised of velvety pork, cabbage, mushrooms, bell peppers, water chestnuts and a spicy brown sauce that builds over time until a sweet aftertaste lessens the burning. Like every other Chinese restaurant in Madison, Tom’s butchered the dish. The meat was tough and I’m sure is the same pork I’d find in their fried rice or Pork in Garlic sauce. The veggies were all there but so were carrots, onions, bamboo shoots, and some baby corn that were so few that they must have either been an accident or an oversight. The sauce lacked any real heat, was sticky sweet, and was 90% pure grease.

While I know I only visited the restaurant once and tried a small portion of the menu, the lack of skill in every dish is more then enough proof that Tom’s is yet another in a long line of bad to horrible Madison Chinese restaurants. Can’t complain too much though as few cities the size of Madison have so many Thai, Tibetan, Indian, and Japanese restaurants around. In the meantime, I guess its up to Edina’s Great Wall, St Paul’s Little Szechwan, and Richfield’s Red Pepper to feed me every time I come home.

Tom’s Red Pepper, 1019 N Gammon Rd, Madison, WI, 608-831-1221

First Impressions: Top Chef

Well season four of my favorite culinary TV delicacy is under way and my palate is so pleased. As always its tough to get to much of a feeling of the contestants so let’s concentrate on the show itself. First off it seems like the producers have brought together another diverse cast of chefs. There doesn’t seem to be anyone who doesn’t deserve to be here. Chicago is the perfect setting for the show as it does truly combine high cuisine and street food of the highest caliber. I also applaud the producers for allowing the contestants to bring their own special ingredients. To truly get a flavor for each chef I think this is a must. The Quickfire Challenge was wonderful. I always enjoy watching snooty chefs get screwed by food we all love. It was particularly funny watching people battle the dough. As someone who’s made deep dish from scratch before I felt a little sympathy but that soon subsided when I saw some of the horrible topping choice. Prosciutto in deep dish?!?!? Rocco DeSpirito rightly called out that chef. The Elimination Challenge also was great fun. Some of the best results in past seasons have been from been from chefs working with classic dishes. The head to head aspect is genius and I loved seeing the chefs try out different takes. Poor soufflé folks though. I loved that some pairs were strong while the piccatta and soufflé folks were both weak. Just a great first challenge. The judging was as strong as ever and while I missed Gail and Ted, Tony is always a welcome addition. I was pretty indifferent about both the winners and losers other then I’d love to eat all four of the top 4 dishes and the bottom four were not appealing whatsoever. Glad Nimma went home since her all business attitude in the house early in the show was waaaaaay over the top. With Runway over and the Gauntlet coming to an end I may end up doing a weekly recap and if tonight was any indication it will be a good season to cover.

Throwing Down the Gauntlet: Week 8

Very brief today as I'm all about Top Chef and frankly these folks are getting a bit tiring except a certain long haired crack pot. Big surprise Katie is gone. The women's challenge seemed like it would go predictibly until surprisingly Danny's bizarre "let's make a deal" begging made it interesting. Why he tried to deal for his safety when his team seemed destined to win the last male Gauntlet is beyond me. As someone who's not a fan I was glad to see his team turn on him. Sadly we'll have to wait for the final male challenge thanks as MTV needed a dose of drama to make the anticipated Vet domination in the finale interesting. I love that CT went...well...CT on Adam's ass. He's really a wonderful "character" and I'd watch him on any reality show, even Antique Roadshow.

Comic Review: Serenity- Better Days #1

First there was Buffy Season 8, then Angel: After the Fall, now Serenity: Better Days. Well actually first there was Serenity: Those Left Behind, Joss Whedon’s comic book sequel to his short lived TV show Firefly and prequel to the movie Serenity. The success of that 3 issue series lead to the Whedonverse’s current explosion on the comic scene so it’s only fitting that a second Serenity series is here to bask in all the Joss glory.

Better Days is also set between the show and movie but just to confuse things it’s set ahead of its predecessor. The first issue stays true to the first series’ brisk pace. We’re immediately thrust into the world of our BDMs (that’s big damn heroes to you non-Browncoats). The biggest joy might be that the issue lets the regular crew shine while super hero to be River takes a backseat to the action. While I love that crazy little girl she’s dominated the ‘verse from the series, to the film, to the first comic series. In this issue there are some great Mal, Kaylie, and Jane moments that evoke the reason why we love these folks. The premise behind the series is that our crew of thieves finally hit the big pay day. The first issue sets that up and leaves us filled with joy that our BDMs have achieved the wealth that has always eluded them and filled with dread as we know that this can’t possibly end well. Perhaps the only down point might be that I can’t possibly see how this is wrapped up in only two more issues.

Surprisingly another strong point is the art. In series based on previous we often get more hits then misses. Case in point the inconsistent art in Angel and previous Buffy series (season 8 has been great though). In Better Days, Will Conrad has a real feel for these folks and how they move and express themselves. While he has some work to do on River and Sheppard Book, he nails Mal, Kaylie and Inara. Take the panel on page 18 where he captures the sultry beauty and wisdom behind Inara.

This gets 4 stars from me and two thumbs up and again perhaps the only down side is that this little series is only 3 issues and if the quality keeps up it will leave us all wanting more.

DVD Review: Justice League: The New Frontier

It's no secret I'm an avid comic fan and as such I do tend to give most animated TV show adaptations a fair shake. In the last 15 years DC Comics has given us a number of great animated shows whether it be the kid oriented Teen Titans or the universe producer Bruce Timm brought to the forefront with Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, and the Justice League. Now that all those fine shows have left the air, Timm and DC have turned their attention towards taking classic comic book stories and bringing them to life in DVD animated films. First up was the Death of Superman adaptation that came out this fall. While I haven't seen it yet the reviews were mostly negative but no one seemed to lose faith since next up on the agenda was and adaptation of Darwyn Cooke's legendary graphic novel, Justice League: The New Frontier. Sadly that faith may now be shaken.

New Frontier is a tale of the classic Justice League lineup with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter set against the backdrop of the late 50's. The specter of communism haunts the nation and many of the heroes have been the victims of McCarthy like hearings. When a new menace emerges from the very core of our planet the heroes unite and in the process renews the world's faith in them and in each other. It's a brilliant tale in Cooke's original work and the movie does its very best to do honor to it but sadly it falls flat. The story often feels rushed, characters are given short shrift in what really amounts to the Hal Jordan/Green Lantern show, and in the end you're left with a feeling of "that's it". If DC is making this a straight to DVD effort why not give the filmmakers more time. I don't think anyone who calls themselves a fan of the Justice League would cry about a 3 or 4 hour version of the story. Still despite my ranting I'd say that to someone not familiar with the original work this DVD will impress. The animation is stunning and mixes Cooke's style with the style established by Timm's previous work. The voice work by such geek idols as Angel, Agent Cooper, Doogie Howser, and Xena is top notch and while I don't find the overall film great it's still pretty decent. The extras on the DVD set include commentaries, great docs on the League and their villains, and 3 episodes of Timm's previous series Justice League Unlimited. It was in watching these 3 episodes though that the realization hit me that New Frontier just doesn't hold up in the light of Timm's finer work. Here's hoping the next direct to DVD film lives up to the standards geekdom and Timm himself expect.

Throwing Down the Gauntlet: Week 7

I'm going to keep this short, as the song remained mostly the same. Vets dominate. Rookies lose another guy. Ending seems inevitable. However I would be remiss if I did not give a huge shout out to one of my favorite Challenge players of all time, Miss Coral. Faced with a team that was determined to throw a challenge and then boot her ass off, Coral took herself out by walking away from the game. She did so with little fanfare and with the same cocksure attitude we've loved in her from the first day she waltzed into that loft in Real World 10: Back to New York. Her decision was only validated when the remaining vets made her the bad guy and acted the victims to a near ludicrous extreme. Coral was a self admitted bitch but she was never fake, never backstabbed anyone (only front stabbed) and despite the vets concerns was actually one hell of a challenge player (check her bank account y'all). While this behavior should have been enough to turn me into a fan of the Rookies, their own continued ineptitude and self-destruction make them equally undesirable. I guess I'm just on team Katie (the last outcast) for now and maybe some of the other folks will show some redeeming qualities.

And for further proof that you can find anything on YouTube here's a tribute to the lady herself:

Runway Roundup: The Finale

Just got down watching the last Project Runway and I must say this was the strongest runway show they’ve ever put on. I’m getting ahead of myself of course so first let’s break down the pre-runway drama. Oh wait there was none…or at least nothing much new. Rami continued to view himself as perfect (no thanks to Tim’s fawning). Jillian let the pressure get to her when it came to casting and broke down. Christian had snappy quips about all his competitors…oh wait he didn’t. Instead of the “cocky” Christian we’ve all come to love and/or hate we got a timid humble Christian who really seemed concerned about his chances to pulls this off. Maybe it was because of his bleak future if he didn’t win or maybe it was because he caught some of the previous eps during the hiatus and he thought he needed to make himself look better. Personally I think the kid is just growing up and to tell you the truth I always think he’s always respected the other designers. Anyway once that so called drama went aside we got to the meat of the show, which was the actual show. I know we always get a guest judge in the finale but usually they’re human! The Posh-bot showed up next to Michael and Nina and I just about lost it. You could almost hear the gears turning as her head followed the models walk the runway. Anyway on to the designers and their work:

Jillian
This was Jillian’s first collection and it showed. There was no cohesion in the line. I loved a lot of the designs especially those with the cutouts and the gold dress but I had no sense of what she was going for. Also she went a little Rami with all the coats. I thought her biggest missteps were the blue dress and black dress with plastic trim. Neither was particularly flattering on her models and they seemed the most out of place with her collection. Oh god I almost forgot about that sweater that she had stolen from a sailor. Still I was impressed but easily in my mind the third best.

Rami
I immediately noticed the care and consistency in Rami’s line. His make up and hair scheme was supreme amongst the designers. I thought a couple of missteps were the horrible pantaloons with the beautiful red top and the gold draping dress. Now I don’t diss the draping because it’s his usual thing but really cause I thought of all the pieces by all the designers it looked like it was the poorest constructed. I love however, the gold and black dresses in the collection as they truly defined Rami’s theme of a celebration of women.

Christian
Well here we are and boy did Team Fierce go for it. I think his use of hats might have been overboard but by far did he have the most consistent design theme of any of the designers. I loved his Spanish themed inspiration. The ruffled dress completely knocked me out and the so did the feathered look on the last one. His collection kept building to a climax which is something Jillian and Rami failed to do. On the negative I absolutely hated the ruffled feathered top with the pink tight pants. Good god that was probably the ugliest piece that any of the three showed.

The judging I thought wasn’t as tough as in past finales but again that’s a testament to the strength of this designers. I thought they were pretty much spot on and I think it must be noted that perhaps it was the Beckham that pushed Christian to his much deserving win. I love it and I’m so happy to see the kid win. I also loved that after a few tears our Christian was back as he told us that of course he was not surprised to win. Perhaps though the moment was upstaged by Victoria’s robotic switch from smiling to disdain and anger when Christian’s family and friends coming out. That was scary folks. Of course the best news might be that next week Top Chef is back and we now know we shouldn’t have to wait another year and a half for another season of Runway as Tim and Heidi pimped the casting. Now that's fierce.

Minneapolis Restaurant Review- Monte Carlo

I may have moved out of Minneapolis but that doesn't mean I won't be back filling my stomach at old favorites and new hot spots (course I'll be doing some Madison reviews as well in the near future). This past weekend I revisited a downtown Minneapolis classic, the Monte Carlo. Located on the edge of the Warehouse and Loop neighborhoods the Monte Carlo is an institution that always feels fresh thanks to the mix of patrons old and young. However, it had been a while since I had graced the dining room of this establishment so as I walked in last Saturday night I was a bit apprehensive. My concerns were quickly thrown out the door as I walked into a place as special and unique as any. The massive floor to ceiling mirror backed bar always takes my breath away and looks like a place I could barfly my life away. My companions remarked that the whole scene is something out of a David Lynch movie. From the bar, to the wallpaper you can get lost in, to the red leather booths, to the waiters in bow ties and waitresses in maid outfits the place is surreal without being nostalgic. My two companions and I made reservations which was a good call on a Saturday night as the deceptively large dining rooms were packed.

Again I can’t stress this enough the Monte Carlo is a throwback place living in the present and once again that is reflected in their menu that’s comprised of classic dishes from both their kitchen and others around the country. This was a place that until recently actually served up a rendition of Madison’s own Plaza Burger. This was a place that served Key Lime pie years before it became trendy. And of course this is the place that still serves Charlie’s Steak Sandwich from the long departed Charlie’s Café Exceptional. My partner enjoyed one of the best steak sandwiches around starts with two good slices of pumpernickel holding perfectly done slices of the most tender beef filet and onions and then is finished with a horseradish sauce that seems to be made of sour cream and…well…horseradish. Simple yes, but simply exquisite said my companion who enjoyed her Charlie’s to no end. One thing that has changed over the years is the fries the Monte Carlo serves with their sandwiches. My memories were filled with memories of rather drab frozen fries but those accompanying our meals this time around were thin, crisp fries with bits of skin still on them. Another steak option not to be missed is the whiskey peppercorn filet. Here the chef splits a good sized filet in two after it's been grilled to order. The two pieces are swimming in a subtle peppercorn sauce. While technically there might be too much sauce, I defy anyone not to use their bread, potatoes, or even fingers to sop up every last drop. The subtly in the peppercorn sauce enhances the flavor but on two dishes the subtlety of flavors hurt. The Caesar salad at the Monte Carlo has been a famous dish for years but in a day and age where anyone and everyone serves one I fear their time has passed. While the traditional dressing is good, the lack of garlic leaves the salad rather bland. A similar complaint was given by my other companion who tried the chicken pasta primavera. While the sauce wasn’t too heavy, it also had no character. The pasta, chicken and veggies where all fine but it took a mountain of S & P to bring out any flavor. Lastly I must mention the chicken soup that one of my companions enjoyed. Huge chunks of chicken surrounded by veggies and homemade noodles. Comfort food at its best and something that the Monte Carlo excels at.

Monte Carlo, 219 3rd Ave N Minneapolis, MN, 612-333-5900

March 4th is a Beautiful Day

This blog is mostly to let those of you that know me personally that I am alive and ok. The state of Wisconsin has not shut down, there is still running water, and the cities are not burning. However that could change as the reality of Brett Favre’s retirement sinks in. To say the people of this state are loyal to the #1 player on their #1 team would be insulting to them. They actually like it when you call them fanatical, crazy, obsessed, or deranged (of course most of them might be a bit tipsy so you could call them anything you want). When I first heard the news about an hour ago, I expected an announcement to come over the loud speakers of my office telling me the company was shutting down for the day. Seriously these folks take their Packers and their Favre that seriously. As someone who’s split their adult life between Wisconsin and Minnesota I’ve been privy to the fair weather fanaticism of Minnesota and the delusional fanaticism of Wisconsin and I think I’ve been lucky enough to find a nice balance. Of course that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate both aspects. Favre not only resurrected the Packer franchise but he legitimately resurrected an entire state’s sporting scene. Wisconsin had not seen many high notes in the sports world since the hey day of the 60’s Packer’s squads other than an occasional college hockey title or Brewer playoff run. The Packer’s resurgence sparked a statewide resurgence in sport that led to a new ballpark for the Brewers, renewed enthusiasm and competiveness from the UW in major college sports, and most importantly a switch in viewing everything sports from a “back in the day” perspective to a “wait til next year” perspective. In other words, Favre helped bring back hope to the Wisconsin sports scene. While that hope and the ensuing mind boggling devotion to number 4 has been an annoyance to myself for the most part I must acknowledge that Favre did mean something special to this state. Of course for the most part he made me sick. I can sometimes pass here as a local as I’m a UW grad and have plenty of Bucky wear to spare, but truth is when it comes to pro sports, particularly football…(checking over shoulder as I type this)…I’m all Minnesota especially the purple and gold. While I can admit Favre’s importance to the Packers and the state of Wisconsin and can respect his above average abilities, I truly truly hate this man. Today is a celebration for all of us that have been annoyed by the way he takes his chin strap off after every snap, or the way the media has blindly adored him for the past 15 years. Today is a celebration for all of us that ever had to listen for the 860th time about how great Favre was to play for his dad the night he died. Today is a celebration for all of us that were sickened by the way Favre gave Michael Strahan the sack record by taking a dive. Today is a celebration for all of us that are fans of teams who Favre miraculously beat in the final seconds of the game. I have doing a quiet dance of joy all day and due to safety concerns will probably only express my joy on the blog today but best believe this coming Friday when casual day roles around, the old purple and gold will be making an appearance while I’m guessing the land of green and gold will be decidedly donned in black.

Where were you when Brett Farve through his last pass and it cost his team a chance to go the Super Bowl?