Foodie Weekend of Bliss

I'm going to preface the next post by saying that G and I just had the best weekend of eating ever. So good, it deserves a list!

Friday:
Dinner at Joan's on Third consisting of turkey meatloaf with chipotle ketchup and the most divine corned beef sandwich.  Corned beef, cabbage, and melted gruyere, all on a buttery, toasted rye. 
Dessert at Toast.  BANANA PUDDING!

Saturday:
Fresh thai chicken lettuce wraps and a farmer's market salad poolside for lunch.  Dinner was a prawn and avocado amuse bouche followed by dungeness crab cucumber rolls and crab spring rolls, an heirloom and burrata salad, prime rib and a bleu cheese/potato tarte, and the most tender and delicious breaded pork tenderloin. 

Sunday:
Double-double animal style for lunch.  Later that night we had our Summit House dinner starting with the Summit House salad, a tomato-based fresh seafood chowder, the Prime Rib (!), prawns stuffed with crab, creamed corn, all finished off with an English trifle.  Gah.

I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Late-Breaking Comic-Con Post

Cartoon Vader, originally uploaded by kardinalsin.

Ah yes. Comic-con. That bastion of nerd mayhem and geek mania. It's inevitable that I make it here every year, given that I'm of a deep nerd pedigree. Let me count the ways. Comics, check. Genre films, check. Science fiction, check. Vinyl toys, check. No wife in tow this year, I took the trip with a few good friends of mine for one day only, the last day. What did we encounter?

* Mr. Cameron Stewart, a fine gentleman and accomplished illustrator of my favorite Vertigo work of the last year, "The Other Side."
* A broken Clairvoyant Cat at the Adult Swim booth. Unfortunately, I never got to see the darn thing in action.
* The cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia showing the first episode of the new season during their panel.
* Giant Bart Simpson and Homer Simpson statues.
A slightly overweight Biker Scout.
* Becky Cloonan, Vasilis Lolos, and Fabio Moon. Missing was a one Mr. Gabriel Ba. These illustrators are now Eisner Award winners and comickers of high caliber. Inspirations, really.
* A helpful group of sales reps at the Munky King booth. Great toys, but I've been holding back on the vinyl purchases for a while now.
* A massive Capcom display of Street Fighter IV goodness. Oh, and the Street Fighter tribute book. An excellent catch.
*Bill's friend Alex at the Sideshow Booth. Said, "Hi." in the middle of the mayhem and chatted long enough before being swallowed by the mob.
* A giant crowd of collectors and enthusiasts.

Not much else really as we spent the abbreviated day scrambling to see all we could see, which for me wasn't much since most of the artists headed home after Saturday or were limited in their appearances. Oh, and some of the exclusive stuff I wanted to buy was sold out.

Regardless, it was a fun time. I always enjoy taking the train down there, but I would recommend not leaving San Diego that Sunday via train. It was almost standing room only and I was lucky to have a seat. Next year will be better planned, I anticipate. Shoot, I should be buying my tickets already!

Summer Movie Malady - Weeks 6 - 8

It's been quiet lately.  On the blog, I mean.  Let's change that.

Week 6 - Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Guillermo Del Toro returns with Mike Mignola's baby.  Hell-baby, I guess.  This time around, there's no fuss of an introduction.  Instead we are treated to the loveliness of a father-son moment in a super-relevant bedtime story and then thrust headfirst into a world filled with strange magic.  The fairy are the focus this time, not the elder gods nor the mad monk, Rasputin.  Visually, this film is Del Toro's.  Mignola's is a world with black shadows and giant gorillas, Del Toro's is all fire, wonder, and misshapen trolls.  There is mutual respect amongst creators, but I sense disappointment in most interviews with Mignola.  In itself, that is disappointing.  The movie is anything but as it is fun, visually stunning, and really a universe apart from the source material. 

Overall Score: 3.5 stars


Week 7 - The Dark Knight
How do you top one of the best superhero movies of the decade?  You make a better one!  The same team that brought you Batman Begins decided to up the ante this time, craft a more complex tale of a city with criminals gone wrong and bring their hero to his knees.  You can't respect this movie for its stars without mentioning the ubiquitous performance of Heath Ledger.  He embodies the Joker, wholly.  It's gripping whenever he is onscreen and the backstory of Harvey Dent is no slouch either.  The visuals are keen and the action is truly unmatched by most movies seen this year.  For my money, I give Iron Man the upper hand, but this is a very, very, very close second.  Second viewing?

Overall Score: 4 stars


Week 8 - Step Brothers
If you've seen Talladega Nights, you've seen Step Brothers.  Difference is, Step Brothers is more about men unwilling to grow up and the inherent rivalry between new siblings than rivalry between close friends.  It's still funny, though, and enjoyable, but still not even close to the epic madness of Anchorman.  I give Will Ferrel props for making a movie that is not a "sports comedy" but I feel they needed a few extra supporting cast members to keep the comedy more fresh.  I will never look at a drum set the same way ever again.

Overall Score: 3 stars