Holy smokes! Forgot we'd seen this one already.
You should really see it in the theater, unless you have a really nice theater setup at home.
It dragged for awhile, honest. But once it ramped up, it kinda stayed there. There was a definate sense of urgency in most of the movie, and for me that only bred anticiaption.
You've all seen the previews by now so you know the deal. If you've been watching Marvels Agents of Shield on TV at all, then you know the aftermath of this movie.
Honestly, I'd go see it again in theater if I had a chance. With these current Marvel films I've been finding that seeing them again reveals things I missed the first time. This was certainly entertaining enough, but like I said it seemd to drag, almost as though the called-for scenes were written to be about 20 minutes long, and they got cut down to 8 or 12 minutes instead, when they likely should've been 3 minutes. Not all of them, not everywhere, but it became noticable half-way thru.
Still a good film, and Marvel fans will truly enjoy it.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
The Amazing Spiderman 2 - Regal Cinemas, Eagan, MN
Ehhh... I dunno. I guess I'd say Wait for this one.
We saw this at a local theater since we were suddenly able to do so (read: babysitter available).
The Regal has gone downhill just slightly in my mind. I recall the food and beverage selection being better a few years back (and I used to go to this theater quite often before I was married). Still it was comfortable, and since the theater was nearly empty it was also quite quiet.
The movie itself seemed to drag on and on for the first hour or more. Then we had a bunch of action that seemed a bit disjointed at times, followed by another lull running 10 minutes longer than it should have, and then a short action sequence right at the end, that gets cut-off to run the credits right when it gets good. I'll bet that other folks like me that saw this bit in the trailers are gonna get slightly upset over it.
Overall, it was a decent effort. Jaimie Foxx actually did rather well in this. He showed a depth I hadn't seen from him before. The kid playing Harry Osborn shouldbe replaced. He looked sleepy all the time (facial expression) and seemed to want to be on the beach rather than in the movie.
I'll likely end up buying this on blu-ray after it hits the bargain bin at the local store, just to maintain the movie collection.
We saw this at a local theater since we were suddenly able to do so (read: babysitter available).
The Regal has gone downhill just slightly in my mind. I recall the food and beverage selection being better a few years back (and I used to go to this theater quite often before I was married). Still it was comfortable, and since the theater was nearly empty it was also quite quiet.
The movie itself seemed to drag on and on for the first hour or more. Then we had a bunch of action that seemed a bit disjointed at times, followed by another lull running 10 minutes longer than it should have, and then a short action sequence right at the end, that gets cut-off to run the credits right when it gets good. I'll bet that other folks like me that saw this bit in the trailers are gonna get slightly upset over it.
Overall, it was a decent effort. Jaimie Foxx actually did rather well in this. He showed a depth I hadn't seen from him before. The kid playing Harry Osborn shouldbe replaced. He looked sleepy all the time (facial expression) and seemed to want to be on the beach rather than in the movie.
I'll likely end up buying this on blu-ray after it hits the bargain bin at the local store, just to maintain the movie collection.
We've had a busy year.
Some of our reviewers have had job changes (for the worse in some cases), we've had a child of our own who is now 1 year old, and everyone has generally been pinching pennies lately.
That said, now that our son is getting more managable and we're getting used to how to do things around town with him, and now that we have a couple go-to babysitters when really needed, we can all finally get out and do some stuff again. We're all still watching our money, but sometimes you've simply got to get out and see a movie or something.
So, yeah this blog has been pretty quiet for awhile, but that'll start to change.
That said, now that our son is getting more managable and we're getting used to how to do things around town with him, and now that we have a couple go-to babysitters when really needed, we can all finally get out and do some stuff again. We're all still watching our money, but sometimes you've simply got to get out and see a movie or something.
So, yeah this blog has been pretty quiet for awhile, but that'll start to change.
Suzie's Kitchen, Rosemount, MN
I really wanted to like this place, and honestly I'm a bit conflicted over the experience.
We arrived near the end of the morning rush, waited short of 10 minutes for a table. As it turns out the people at that table were waiting on the waitress to bring their credit receipt to sign. So they sat and looked impatient while we stood at the door waiting on them waiting on her.
After being seated, we started looking at reviews a bit closer. The reviews out the gross and nasty placemat menus are correct. Sticky, dirty, coming apart at the snipped-off corners, stained. The chairs were a bit sticky too. The menus and the wait set the tone for the rest of our meal.
A number of minutes after being seated, the waitress came over with water, took drink and food orders and left.
20 minutes later we got our food. We asked about our drinks, which she ran off to get and returned with right away.
While we were sitting there with water, the rush had about ended and there were now a few open tables. An older couple came in and sat at the table next to us. They were greeted within just a couple minutes, had water right away, and actually got there food before we did. Odd that.
Her egg meal was actually tasty, the Taco Omelet. I had the mighty number 2 (three eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, toast) and we ordered a single pancake for our little boy.
I had requested basted eggs. Turns out they were lightly fried and steamed, not basted. I say steamed do to the unmistakable taste of water on the eggs. Hashbrowns were also apparently steamed on the grill, or they went ont he grill straight from frozen.
The only butter we had was the little bits on the almost-toast (more like soft, browned bread) and the pancake. The bacon was not remotely close to crispy, in fact I'm not even sure it was actually completely cooked through. One sausage link was barely warmed, the other was black and crispy on one side.
Lots of salt and pepper masked most of the taste (more than I would normally use), and it was certainly edible as I did eat everything and so far have suffered no ill effects (been a day or more).
Since moving down to this end of the Cities, I'd been looking for a local diner to replace my need for Mickey's. So far I haven't found anything remotely close.
I should point out that a number of other tables that we observed had similar service issues to ours. One table never got their water, even after the waitress approached them and commented on that fact. Other diners had the napkin-wrapped silverware bundle like mine: soaking wet napkin with ditry forks or knives inside.
We spent a lot of time waiting on our waitress to come around to ask for things, but after the rush had apparently ended, she was suddenly all around us all the time. Not sure why that is, and I can only guess that during the rush period she was helping in the kitchen or something.
Like I said, I wanted to like this place. But between the average or lower food quality, the poor service and forgetfullness, and the place just generally being dirty I doubt we'll go back. I say dirty with a note: anything between the floor and about 6feet in height was clean, everything above appeared grimy with dust clumps and stuff hanging off it. Even the plug-in air freshener I saw in a high-up wall outlet was apparently having a tough time. Speaking of air, they need to fix the HVAC in the place. It was warm and a bit damp/muggy in there the whole time, and we could feel the air coming out the of the vents moving around the room, but it just wasn't cool at all.
I highly doubt we'll be back again, even with the better than average prices.
We arrived near the end of the morning rush, waited short of 10 minutes for a table. As it turns out the people at that table were waiting on the waitress to bring their credit receipt to sign. So they sat and looked impatient while we stood at the door waiting on them waiting on her.
After being seated, we started looking at reviews a bit closer. The reviews out the gross and nasty placemat menus are correct. Sticky, dirty, coming apart at the snipped-off corners, stained. The chairs were a bit sticky too. The menus and the wait set the tone for the rest of our meal.
A number of minutes after being seated, the waitress came over with water, took drink and food orders and left.
20 minutes later we got our food. We asked about our drinks, which she ran off to get and returned with right away.
While we were sitting there with water, the rush had about ended and there were now a few open tables. An older couple came in and sat at the table next to us. They were greeted within just a couple minutes, had water right away, and actually got there food before we did. Odd that.
Her egg meal was actually tasty, the Taco Omelet. I had the mighty number 2 (three eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, toast) and we ordered a single pancake for our little boy.
I had requested basted eggs. Turns out they were lightly fried and steamed, not basted. I say steamed do to the unmistakable taste of water on the eggs. Hashbrowns were also apparently steamed on the grill, or they went ont he grill straight from frozen.
The only butter we had was the little bits on the almost-toast (more like soft, browned bread) and the pancake. The bacon was not remotely close to crispy, in fact I'm not even sure it was actually completely cooked through. One sausage link was barely warmed, the other was black and crispy on one side.
Lots of salt and pepper masked most of the taste (more than I would normally use), and it was certainly edible as I did eat everything and so far have suffered no ill effects (been a day or more).
Since moving down to this end of the Cities, I'd been looking for a local diner to replace my need for Mickey's. So far I haven't found anything remotely close.
I should point out that a number of other tables that we observed had similar service issues to ours. One table never got their water, even after the waitress approached them and commented on that fact. Other diners had the napkin-wrapped silverware bundle like mine: soaking wet napkin with ditry forks or knives inside.
We spent a lot of time waiting on our waitress to come around to ask for things, but after the rush had apparently ended, she was suddenly all around us all the time. Not sure why that is, and I can only guess that during the rush period she was helping in the kitchen or something.
Like I said, I wanted to like this place. But between the average or lower food quality, the poor service and forgetfullness, and the place just generally being dirty I doubt we'll go back. I say dirty with a note: anything between the floor and about 6feet in height was clean, everything above appeared grimy with dust clumps and stuff hanging off it. Even the plug-in air freshener I saw in a high-up wall outlet was apparently having a tough time. Speaking of air, they need to fix the HVAC in the place. It was warm and a bit damp/muggy in there the whole time, and we could feel the air coming out the of the vents moving around the room, but it just wasn't cool at all.
I highly doubt we'll be back again, even with the better than average prices.
Monday, September 16, 2013
W.A. Frost & Company, September 14, 2013
Her perspective: C
We had been here a couple of years ago and did their tasting menu - without the wine pairings - but it was FABULOUS, so for our anniversary dinner this year, we decided to do that again because it was so good last time when every dish had been so delicious and they spaced the courses perfectly.
We did the wine pairings this time (one course was a beer pairing) and they were off. They either did not compliment the dish at all or they only complimented only one part of the dish - which was disappointing. The cheese course had a beer pairing, which did not sit well in my stomach with the rest of the wines that were served.
So, course-by-course:
Amuse: House Cold Smoked Salmon with Pine Yogurt, Watercress, Citrus, Jalapeno, Radish
Pairing: La Marca, Prosecco, NV, Italy
This was the absolute best dish by far! The salmon was buttery and all the flavors just blended together perfectly. I just didn't think the wine enhanced the dish.
1st Course: Sweet Corn Soup with Crispy Glazed Pork Belly, Cherry Tomato, Avocado
Pairing: Rose, Chateau L'Ermitage, 2012, Rhone Valley, France
The pork belly was fantastic and the wine did compliment that. Also, the cherry tomatoes were very nice. The soup was underseasoned and you could not taste the avocado at all. The dish as a whole was just OK, but I could have made a meal from that pork belly.
2nd Course: Roasted Duck Breast with Rainbow Chard, Sweet Corn Polenta, Cherry-Black Pepper Gastrique
Pairing: Pinot Noir, Martin Ray, 2010, Russian River
Unfortunately, the best part of this dish was the Gastrique, except for the big piece of black pepper I got at one point that set my mouth on fire. The duck was too rare (not fully cooked to a rare temperature) so I could not taste duck. I felt like I was getting more corn soup with the polenta (too much corn) and the combination of the components did not compliment one another. The wine was just - there. It did nothing to enhance or compliment the dish.
3rd Course: Grilled Petite Filet Mignon with Potato-Parmesan Gratin, Summer Vegetables, Sherry Jus
Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Creek, 2011 Paso Robles
The filet was cooked a perfect rare. We like our steaks at least medium rare, but ate it as prepared, hoping it would be a better flavor with the rest of the dish. Again, the components did not go together and it seemed as if the Summer Vegetables were just whatever they had left over from other dishes, rather than a well-thought-out part of the dish. The Jus was very tasty, though. This particular Cabernet was too heavy for Filet.
Cheese Course: Pleasant Ridge Reserve with Rhubarb Compote, Almond Granola, Micro Greens, Honey, Sesame Lavasch
Beer Pairing: Lonely Blonde, Fulton Brewing Co. Minneapolis, MN
The cheese was pretty good with a smoky flavor, but got lost when you started putting it together with other things on the plate. The Almond Granola and Micro Greens were scattered around the plate, which made it pretty, but not very conducive to eating them. The Honey was only there to keep the whole berries from moving around on the plate and did not add anything to the flavor of the dish. I have learned since that this particular cheese is being served by every Tom, Dick and Harry restaurant in the area, so it would have been nice to have something unique. The beer is an IPA, and, while I don't like hoppy beers, I tried it anyway. I couldn't even finish the small tasting glass of beer and definitely did not go with this dish at all. I would have been much happier with a nice Pinot Grigio or some sort of medium-dry white instead of beer with this dish.
Dessert Course: "Cheescake and Berries": Cheesecake Pudding, Glazed Berry Salad, Graham Cracker Pavlova, Strawberry Pate de Fruit
Pairing: Moscato di Asti, Vietti Cascinetta 2011, Piedmont, Italy
There's a reason the title is in quotes - because it wasn't actually cheesecake. The Cheesecake Pudding was just plopped on the plate and seemed like it was cheesecake that they didn't wait until it was fully set. William commented that it was like a "deconstructed" cheesecake. The berries were very good and fresh - the best part of the dish. While I always like anything "Asti", it did not help with the richness of the dessert, so I ate as much as I could (leaving half the cheesecake pudding, and not because I was full), then drank the wine down so that would be the last thing I tasted. It did go well with the berries, though.
Our server did check back after each course, but did so when both our mouths were full, so all we could do was nod. William had gotten a Coke at the start of the meal and, even though he wanted a refill, he was never asked for one or given the opportunity to ask for it himself. After dinner, I got a coffee and William got an Irish Coffee. His was at least a double-shot and all the sugar was at the bottom (not mixed in), he almost couldn't drink it. All the regular sugar packets in the caddy for my coffee had been wet at some point. I could break them in half and pointed that out to the server, who guessed they had been left out on the patio. Funny, the Spenda and Sugar In the Raw packets were just fine...
One other note: the portion sizes were considerably smaller than the last time we did this, but the prices stayed the same. We understand that food costs have gone up and we would rather have paid a little more for the same experience we had the last time we did this.
If we go back, it will be a long time, and we'll think long and hard before doing the tasting menu again.
We're still looking for that restaurant in the Cities with consistently good food and service. If you have suggestions, please let us know.
We had been here a couple of years ago and did their tasting menu - without the wine pairings - but it was FABULOUS, so for our anniversary dinner this year, we decided to do that again because it was so good last time when every dish had been so delicious and they spaced the courses perfectly.
We did the wine pairings this time (one course was a beer pairing) and they were off. They either did not compliment the dish at all or they only complimented only one part of the dish - which was disappointing. The cheese course had a beer pairing, which did not sit well in my stomach with the rest of the wines that were served.
So, course-by-course:
Amuse: House Cold Smoked Salmon with Pine Yogurt, Watercress, Citrus, Jalapeno, Radish
Pairing: La Marca, Prosecco, NV, Italy
This was the absolute best dish by far! The salmon was buttery and all the flavors just blended together perfectly. I just didn't think the wine enhanced the dish.
1st Course: Sweet Corn Soup with Crispy Glazed Pork Belly, Cherry Tomato, Avocado
Pairing: Rose, Chateau L'Ermitage, 2012, Rhone Valley, France
The pork belly was fantastic and the wine did compliment that. Also, the cherry tomatoes were very nice. The soup was underseasoned and you could not taste the avocado at all. The dish as a whole was just OK, but I could have made a meal from that pork belly.
2nd Course: Roasted Duck Breast with Rainbow Chard, Sweet Corn Polenta, Cherry-Black Pepper Gastrique
Pairing: Pinot Noir, Martin Ray, 2010, Russian River
Unfortunately, the best part of this dish was the Gastrique, except for the big piece of black pepper I got at one point that set my mouth on fire. The duck was too rare (not fully cooked to a rare temperature) so I could not taste duck. I felt like I was getting more corn soup with the polenta (too much corn) and the combination of the components did not compliment one another. The wine was just - there. It did nothing to enhance or compliment the dish.
3rd Course: Grilled Petite Filet Mignon with Potato-Parmesan Gratin, Summer Vegetables, Sherry Jus
Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Creek, 2011 Paso Robles
The filet was cooked a perfect rare. We like our steaks at least medium rare, but ate it as prepared, hoping it would be a better flavor with the rest of the dish. Again, the components did not go together and it seemed as if the Summer Vegetables were just whatever they had left over from other dishes, rather than a well-thought-out part of the dish. The Jus was very tasty, though. This particular Cabernet was too heavy for Filet.
Cheese Course: Pleasant Ridge Reserve with Rhubarb Compote, Almond Granola, Micro Greens, Honey, Sesame Lavasch
Beer Pairing: Lonely Blonde, Fulton Brewing Co. Minneapolis, MN
The cheese was pretty good with a smoky flavor, but got lost when you started putting it together with other things on the plate. The Almond Granola and Micro Greens were scattered around the plate, which made it pretty, but not very conducive to eating them. The Honey was only there to keep the whole berries from moving around on the plate and did not add anything to the flavor of the dish. I have learned since that this particular cheese is being served by every Tom, Dick and Harry restaurant in the area, so it would have been nice to have something unique. The beer is an IPA, and, while I don't like hoppy beers, I tried it anyway. I couldn't even finish the small tasting glass of beer and definitely did not go with this dish at all. I would have been much happier with a nice Pinot Grigio or some sort of medium-dry white instead of beer with this dish.
Dessert Course: "Cheescake and Berries": Cheesecake Pudding, Glazed Berry Salad, Graham Cracker Pavlova, Strawberry Pate de Fruit
Pairing: Moscato di Asti, Vietti Cascinetta 2011, Piedmont, Italy
There's a reason the title is in quotes - because it wasn't actually cheesecake. The Cheesecake Pudding was just plopped on the plate and seemed like it was cheesecake that they didn't wait until it was fully set. William commented that it was like a "deconstructed" cheesecake. The berries were very good and fresh - the best part of the dish. While I always like anything "Asti", it did not help with the richness of the dessert, so I ate as much as I could (leaving half the cheesecake pudding, and not because I was full), then drank the wine down so that would be the last thing I tasted. It did go well with the berries, though.
Our server did check back after each course, but did so when both our mouths were full, so all we could do was nod. William had gotten a Coke at the start of the meal and, even though he wanted a refill, he was never asked for one or given the opportunity to ask for it himself. After dinner, I got a coffee and William got an Irish Coffee. His was at least a double-shot and all the sugar was at the bottom (not mixed in), he almost couldn't drink it. All the regular sugar packets in the caddy for my coffee had been wet at some point. I could break them in half and pointed that out to the server, who guessed they had been left out on the patio. Funny, the Spenda and Sugar In the Raw packets were just fine...
One other note: the portion sizes were considerably smaller than the last time we did this, but the prices stayed the same. We understand that food costs have gone up and we would rather have paid a little more for the same experience we had the last time we did this.
If we go back, it will be a long time, and we'll think long and hard before doing the tasting menu again.
We're still looking for that restaurant in the Cities with consistently good food and service. If you have suggestions, please let us know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
