The official Would You Be Mad If... logo -- we didn't make it

Griping is like breathing to most 20-nothings, and at a new site called “WouldYouBeMadIf…” a panel of your peers, that is the viewing public, vote to decide on whether you have a legitimate gripe, or you’re overreacting like a kindergartner whose PlayDoh has been taken away.

The brainchild of lifelong friends and current NYC residents, Molly Bush and Erica Saleh, the site posts stories and anecdotes submitted by the public, with an attached voting survey created by the founders to determine if the frustration, anger, humiliation or other array of negative emotions you feel are validated.

The idea for Would You Be Mad If… came about when the two friends were at happy hour. Finding themselves in the midst of yet another conversation that began with a complaint about a boyfriend/friend/parent/coworker/what have you, they realized that having a sounding board to let you know whether or not you are overreacting is vital to sanity. With most friends and loved ones having a hard time being completely impartial in their sentencing, the two women thought of how great it would be to get even more opinions. The opinions of the public to be exact, the perfect way to generate fair and unbiased judgment.

And so the site was born. Providing a sanctuary for anyone to see if their anger is justified by gathering as many opinions as possible and opening it up to the public via the Web, the site frequently posts submissions and provides comical voting answer options.

Growing up together in the small upstate town of Dryden, NY, Bush and Saleh went their separate ways for college. Bush to the University of Colorado at Boulder where she studied Sociology and Saleh to Brown with a concentration in English. Saleh later went on to receive her MFA in playwriting. After seven years in different parts of the country, they both found themselves in NYC. Back together in the same place, the site was launched in no time after they stumbled upon the idea in the city that never sleeps.

“We want to provide people with a place to vent their anger and share their stories, to see what the general reaction is,” said Bush. “We have a lot of friends who overreact to things but also some who really under-react to bad situations. Our site is largely for entertainment but it’s also an anonymous place to get reactions from people who are not invested in your problems and therefore might have a more levelheaded reaction to them.”

On the Web site’s About Us page, it states “Would You Be Mad If…? is designed to supply that jury of peers. You tell us what you’re mad about. We post it. Everyone votes. Democratic emotions. Awesome.” Awesome indeed. A new way to give your friends and family a break from being judge, jury, and the bleeding ears to all your life’s worries, this niche social media device is a refreshing way to take the temperature of the public on a very specific issue plaguing a 20-something year old life.

Do you think you’re validated in your blinding apocalyptic rage? Send your submissions to see what the world thinks.

Spoiler alert

I don’t know where to begin. Perhaps with the sense of repulsion, betrayal, and disappointment I felt after I struggled to remain awake for the midnight opening of “Sex and the City 2.” Or maybe the flagrant disregard and insensitivity to Arab and Muslim culture. No, I’ve got it, the utter lack of plot. This 146-minute festival of overdone fashions, forced comedy that fell flat on its face, and frivolous dialogue left a bad taste in my mouth. Even my five inch silver peep-toe Stuart Weitzman pumps, entirely encrusted in crushed Swarovski crystals, were disappointed.

I went into this movie with high hopes of glamor, the declaration of unfaltering friendship, and life-like struggles of characters we’ve seen evolve from silly, uncertain girls into mature women in real relationships leading fulfilling and meaningful lives. Alas, what ensued after the previews was an incessant barrage of unnecessary whining, faux problems that were never fully presented and never wholly resolved, and an array of awkward and ridiculous dialogue that fell like a ton of bricks out of the characters’ mouths. Why producer Michael Patrick King and the gang felt the need to make another movie after the first one converged their stories into a beautifully-composed package tied with a neat and crisply perfect bow is beyond me and any comprehension I possess.

Within the first 10 minutes we are treated to the Connecticut wedding of once-enemies Anthony Marantino (Mario Cantone) and Stanford Blatch (Willie Garson). This old Hollywood movie musical-inspired scene is something out of the extravagant guidebook to weddings. Top hats, tuxedos, musical numbers, and none other than Liza Minelli, the holy grail of gay culture. Minelli, playing herself, was the wedding officiant and performed a cabaret-style (no pun intended) number to Beyonc©’s “Single Ladies” with two lookalike backup dancers. It was actually one of the more entertaining points in the movie. When best man Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is chatting the night away with Anthony, he loudly explains that they are getting married because he will be allowed to cheat in his marriage. When Carrie brings it up to Stanford he confirms, citing that every relationship is different. Interestingly enough, it’s as if the movie condones cheating, with “make your own rules in your own relationship” being a theme in the first movie. I’m all for individuality and forgoing labeling and trying to be happy whatever way that may be, but I’m sorry, if you are planning on cheating before the hors d’ouvres are even passed out at your own wedding, why the hell are you getting married? The whole point of marriage is stability, consistency, and fidelity; unless I’m missing something here, is it just to file taxes together and have someone to share your petty thoughts out loud with?

On the wedding night, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) sleeps with Anthony’s gorgeous brother Nicky, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and her husband Harry are kept wide awake to the shrill screams of their daughter Rose while they share the bed with her and adopted daughter Lily, while Carrie and Big try to drown out the noise they must endure while sandwiched in between the aforementioned guestrooms with a romantic old black-and-white movie. Honestly, if you need birth control you should watch a clip with Rose in it, she really is an obnoxious toddler.

Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is the only character I can stomach throughout the entire movie. She quits her job after becoming completely fed up with the way her male superior treats her disrespectfully on a constant basis, even giving her “the hand” during a meeting involving several partners and other coworkers. It is one of the only female empowerment moments in the entire film. Her relationship with Steve seems to be completely open, honest, and happy while she does the one thing she never allowed herself to before: put her family first. It seems it was 100 percent the right choice for her.

Carrie is disgruntled with her relationship with Big. After two years of marriage she feels they have lost their “sparkle.” She wants night after night of red-carpet movie premieres and openings at impossible-to-get-into NYC restaurants and all Big wants is to cuddle while watching television after he cooks them a lovely dinner in one of their TWO apartments. After 10 years of wanting nothing but utter commitment from Big she has it, and is unsatisfied. I understand that being in your 40s and 50s makes you an active part of society and there is no reason to stay in every night, but it has been my experience that once you get married things do change, even if just slightly, as you spend more time doing everyday activities with your significant other. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that since you made a commitment to fully be with another person (I will note I am unmarried).

It just seems that Carrie doesn’t want to let go of her single life and cannot embrace getting older. Samantha is truly in denial about her age as she takes a cocktail of pills, hormones, and creams to fool her body into believing it is younger by staving off menopause. Just seems unhealthy to me.

When we catch up with Charlotte, she is overwhelmed and stressed with the burden of having to care for and pay attention to her two daughters. I should mention she is a housewife with a full-time nanny and is married to a wealthy lawyer. They live in an extravagant and epic NYC apartment. Oh, the woes of privilege. It really is embarrassing to watch her character have an utter breakdown when Lily gets red frosting hand prints on her vintage white Valentino skirt. It’s a skirt, who cooks in designer clothes, lady?

I feel I have to stop a minute to mention I am the biggest fan of “Sex and the City.” I have the DVD special box set of all six seasons in all its pink suede glory. I saw the first movie twice in 13 hours at the theater, and was emotionally affected both times. I am not one of those women who can take it or leave it, I am emotionally invested in these characters and feel a strong connection to the plot, dialogue, and plight of these women. Correction: felt.

Back to the matter at hand.

At Samantha’s ex-boyfriend, Smith Jerrod’s (Jason Lewis) movie premiere, Samantha meets the Middle Eastern businessmen who want to treat her to a trip to Abu Dhabi in the hopes she can perform a PR miracle, as she did with Smith’s career, for one of their hotels. She gladly accepts, so long as she can take the gals, which she indeed does. This sets us up thinking they are going to spend a week exploring a new culture and people and have wildly fantastic adventures. What we get is an almost impossibly luxurious hotel experience which may as well have been a mirage. At this point I’m hoping the fact I’m at the movie in the middle of the night is a mirage as well.

A personal butler for each of the girls, as well as their own sedan, is that really necessary? I understand the point of extravagance isn’t about need but rather about flaunting superfluousness, which hey, there is nothing wrong with, but when I take a vacation with my girlfriends I want to be in the same car with them and not have four foreign men waiting on us hand and foot (well, that part might be acceptable). The hotel is gorgeous and the girls indulge in poolside meals and ride camels through the desert and eat with a bedouin tribe in the middle of the sand dunes. It’s all well and fine but it seems that only Miranda has done an ounce of research into the country they are visiting and gives due diligence to the fact that women wear more conservative attire in the Middle East.

Needless to say, many faux-pas ensue, and lo and behold, who does Carrie run into in the middle of an old world Arabian souk (marketplace) but none other than her ex-fianc© Aidan Shaw (John Corbett), while she abandons a shoe shop, her spices and her passport (I was the only one in the theater to actually notice this when it happened). He is as handsome and charming as ever as they catch up and make tentative plans to have dinner while they are both in town, halfway across the world from where their romance started. When Charlotte warns Carrie of the possible dangers of going to dinner, it seems that Carrie wouldn’t go to this dinner if she felt anything would happen, she fought so much for Big and to just squander it away because she is bored is unfathomable … or is it?

Needless to say, they have dinner, and she wears a gorgeous dress with a slit up to her waist (I kid you not). It’s literally time for these characters to start acting their age; this is just inappropriate whether in Abu Dhabi, NYC, wherever. And then as they walk and talk about his three sons and their respective happy marriages, they kiss. Oy. Total hand to the forehead in confusion. She feels guilty, as she should, and sprints off into the night and back to the hotel where she immediately consults the girls. She ends up calling Big the next day and telling him on the phone that she kissed Aidan and it meant nothing. He curtly gets off the phone, seemingly apathetic.

Charlotte and Miranda have been having cocktails and letting loose on how difficult it is to be a mother and wife and deal with everyday burdens. Again, I really just cannot empathize with Charlotte; maybe someday when I have kids. Miranda offers up a toast to women who handle their families and lives everyday without full time help as the two of them have. “I just don’t know how they do it.” Growing up with a mother who worked full-time my entire life, attended every dance show, track meet, play production I was in, and cooked a homemade meal every day of the week I know that not only can it be done, it can be done with gusto. However, it seems privilege and wealth make you a little less strong when handling “commoner” problems. I was really frustrated.

I’d have to say I did think it was hilarious that Samantha got arrested for “kissing” a dishy Dane in the dunes. As Miranda forewarned, men and women do not embrace in public in the Middle East and the hospitality of Sheikh Khalid abruptly ends after this fiasco. We find out the hotel is $22,000 a night that the girls must pay for from that night onward, so they pack in a hurry and head to the airport. Gone are the glimmering cars and handsome chauffeurs; they are replaced with decrepit taxis, transportation that the rest of the world has to take. How utterly pedestrian and beneath these glamorous women. Only one small problem: the idiot Carrie has lost her passport. They return to the souk where the kindly and adorable older shoe shop keeper won’t accept payment for holding onto her passport (he is so cute and sweet, it warms my heart for the elderly).

As they finally try to weave their way through the streets of Old Abu Dhabi to try to make the new flight and still be on first-class, because god forbid they are in coach, Charlotte gets lured by someone selling watches into an upstairs area filled with what we must presume is fake bags and Rolexes. Again, they were forewarned about this, but Charlotte is like a child that has spotted something shiny, since all she can think about while they try to make their escape back to New York is getting souvenirs for Harry and her daughters. Needless to say they could’ve been in a much worse situation as the men let them leave without buying anything. However, once they hit the streets everything starts falling apart as Samantha’s purse flies through the air spilling condoms. Not to mention she is clad in shorts and a tank top because they confiscated her pills and creams upon arrival at the airport and she is getting hot flashes (clearly your body is ready for “the change,” accept it.) There are dozens of male onlookers who become infuriated with this flagrant sexual exhibition and begin to cajole and follow the girls. Samantha flips out and is giving the finger left right and center and saying she has sex (in a not so polite way), and is absolutely in a rage.

I have to say this scene was unrealistic because as sad as this truth is, had this actually happened, she would have been beaten and murdered. I’m sorry, but you do not enter a country and blatantly and loudly scream your opposition to its culture. You wouldn’t walk into a Catholic church and yell about the reasons pro-choice is important. It’s just a matter of respect for your surroundings and people. Of course there are millions of different opinions in the world and everyone is entitled to his own, but you have to have self-awareness in the situations you put yourself in.

Burka-clad women rescue them as they motion with their eyes to follow them into a quiet room right off the street. After all, this is a movie and we’re already at the two hour mark. The women remove their burkas, showing off their couture clothes from Christian Dior to Louis Vuitton, and happen to be reading the same book in their book club that Samantha was back home in New York. So we’re not all so different the girls realize, we just live our lives in a slightly different way.

Finally back home, Big doesn’t come home for nearly a day and when he returns he has a punishment for Carrie. She has to wear a gorgeous black diamond ring so she can “remember” she’s married. Is this real life? You get a piece of jewelry for cheating? It seems outlandish that he is not a little more upset; albeit, the kiss really didn’t mean anything, as she has no desire to speak to or see Aidan at all after their encounter.

Charlotte is happy to be back home but takes a “vacation” from her life every once in a while retreating to Carrie’s apartment for respite. I didn’t realize married life and motherhood was something you needed a vacation from after you just took an actual vacation 6,000 miles away. Miranda gets a job at a wonderful firm where she loves her coworkers and they are having a meeting on some gorgeous roof deck and laughing and smiling. Samantha has her way with the Dane on the Fourth of July on the hood of his Jeep. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that against the law here in the United States as well?

The fashions, always one of the main components, if not a character in and of itself, was extreme, and while at times beautiful and elegant, at some low points it was hard to distinguish the line between fashion forward and costume wear.

All seems right with the world as the unrealism continues with the girls’ perfect little endings. It seems to me this movie should never have been made and Sex and the City’s reputation would never have been blemished because of it. If there is a third movie I won’t be able to do anything but look on in horror as the car crash bursts into flames. While I was completely displeased with the second movie, I’m still a fan of what Sex and the City was up until this point. For now I’ll just have to retreat to my DVD set and the first movie in the hopes of maintaining those good feelings.

For something that was ever so fabulous for a decade, the lack of substance is just too much in the movie. My sparkly Stuart Weitzman shoes are retiring until my trip to Vegas.

Despite a brief yet powerful downpour, the Taste of the North End partied hard and heavy throughout last Friday’s fundraiser event at the New England Aquarium. This year’s 16th annual event was brimming with supporters, approximately 700 attendees danced, sipped wine and feasted on delicious foods and pastries from dozens of North End vendors and restaurants. Not to mention raising $100,000 to benefit the North End Community Health Center, founded in 1971.

More than 30 North End restaurants and vendors provided delectable and sizable portions of hearty Italian appetizers, foods and pastries. With tables set up around the spiral walkway surrounding the penguins in an indoor courtyard at the entrance of the Aquarium, guests mingled and meandered enjoying the aquatic life on display and the vivacious and charitable hospitality of the volunteers serving up delicious meatballs, pizza, ground tuna chili, calamari, roasted pork, sliced to order prosciutto and freshly cut bread among so many other treats.

Upon entering the outdoor tent set up on the Boston Harbor, guests were treated to mountains of desserts on either side of the entrance and dancing to the fun tunes of the band Double Vision. The dance floor filled with men, women and children of all ages clad in their finest wear when hits like Aretha Franklin’s "Respect" and ABBA’s "Dancing Queen," were performed with gusto. Standout foods include the gargantuan arancini from Antico Forno and freshly sliced prosciutto from Perkins, Inc which was the perfect thickness and had the best balance of salt I’ve ever tasted.

Modern Pastry served up mounds of soft and fresh pistachio macaroons and the best chocolate-dipped hazelnut biscotti I can remember having, despite growing up in Brooklyn. Volunteers from Modern always gave four pieces when you asked for one, the way any good Italian mother or hostess would and should. Mike’s Pastry’s infamous lobster tails and cannolis ceased to deplete as crowds gobbled up the goodies. It was a night of Pellegrino, cappuccinos and smiling faces.

Throughout the 16 year history of the event, more than $1,000,000 has been raised to benefit children’s and seniors’ programs in the North End, including the North End Athletic Association, North End Music Center, ABC Program for the Elderly, the Nazzaro Center and St. John’s School.  This year the North End Community Health Center, an affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital, will receive financial contribution to support it’s numerous neighborhood programs and services.

Event founder and coordinator Donato Frattaroli explains, "With the addition of the Community Health Center as a beneficiary, now of all monies raised at ‘Taste of the North End’ stay in the neighborhood." Restaurant and vendor owners and members of the committee were treated to a sponsor’s thank you event a few weeks prior to the big fundraiser at Lucia Ristorante. They were treated to a delicious meal and an inspirational and hilariously uplifting speech from former SNL star Joe Piscopo, friend of Frattaroli and supporter of the North End Community Health Center.

Jim Luisi, CEO if the North End Community Health Center, chatted in detail and with enthusiasm about the true value that this center is for North End residents. "(North End Community Health Center) is the largest employer in the community without it, most of the seniors here wouldn’t be able to live here. We keep them in their homes, we keep restaurant workers insured and we provide children’s activities." The thing Luisi is most proud of is the center’s role as "the life of the community." Luisi further explained 1100 people residing in the North End do not have health insurance and the center provides necessary healthcare, benefits and services to all.

The North End Community Health Center provides primary and specialty services to more than 10,000 residents annually. Always striving to meet financial challenges, proceeds from fundraising efforts like the Taste of the North End help to underwrite the costs of programs such as services to senior citizens who do not qualify for public assistance.  These services assist North End elders so that they may maintain their independence and remain in their own neighborhood.  Fundraising monies also allow the Center to provide assistance on a sliding-fee-scale basis so that high-quality care is affordable to all.  Services at the Health Center, including specialties, outreach, transportation, and affordable childcare, are provided to patients at all stages from infants to elders.

KISS-108 and NECN’s TV Diner host, Billy Costa, emceed the evening.  Special guests Mayor Thomas Menino and State Representative Aaron Michlewitz were on hand to present event founder, Donato Frattaroli with the Teammates Community Service Award

for his dedication to the North End neighborhood.

Participating restaurants and wine distributors included:  Accardi & Son, Al Dente, Antico Forno, Antinori/St. Michelle Wine Estates, Artº Rosticceria & Trattoria, AV Imports, Bricco, Cantina-Italiana, Don Sebastiani & Sons, Espresso Plus, Filippo Ristorante, Fiore, Il Panino, La Summa Ristorante, The Living Room, Lucca, Lucia Ristorante, Mamma Maria, Massimino¹s Cucina

Italiana, Mike¹s Pastry, Modern Pastry, Neptune Oyster, J. Pace & Son, Pagliuca¹s Restaurant, Paul W. Marks Co., Inc., Perkins, Piantedosi Baking, Piccola Venezia, Prestige Imports, Taranta, Terramia, Tresca, Vin Divino and Vias Import.

This event gives meaning to the word community and represents the benefits of people banding together for a good cause to benefit your neighbors and the community as a whole. A little dessert and dancing never hurt anyone either, and it certainly will be a major catalyst in helping the North End Community Center maintain its services.

To learn more about the event visit www.TasteOfTheNorthEnd.org and the North End Community Health Center head to www.northendchc.org

Now thats Italian! -- Joe Piantedosi of Piantedosi Baking takes a taste from Jose Duarte, chef/owner, Taranta at 2008s Taste of the North End.

Where will the Boston foodie elite be congregating on Friday May 14 7 p.m. to Midnight? The 16th Annual Taste of the North End Celebration at the Boston Aquarium, that’s where! After a one-year hiatus due to aquarium construction, this year’s food and wine event is sure to be better than ever.

This evening featuring exclusively North End restaurants and vendors benefits The North End Community Health Center, as well as the schools and recreation centers of the North End providing services to children and neighborhood senior programs.

Participating restaurants and wine distributors include: Accardi & Son, Al Dente, Antico Forno, Antinori/St. Michelle Wine Estates, Artº Rosticceria & Trattoria, AV Imports, Bricco, Cantina-Italiana, Don Sebastiani & Sons, Espresso Plus, Filippo Ristorante, Fiore, Il Panino, La Summa Ristorante, The Living Room, Lucca, Lucia Ristorante, Mamma Maria, Massimino¹s Cucina Italiana, Mike¹s Pastry, Modern Pastry, Neptune Oyster, J. Pace & Son, Pagliuca¹s Restaurant, Paul W. Marks Co., Inc., Perkins, Piantedosi Baking, Piccola Venezia, Prestige Imports, Taranta, Terramia, Tresca, Vin Divino and Vias Import.

Food stations will line the center tank at the aquarium with dancing and dessert in the tent for the rest of the night. KISS-108 and NECN¹s TV Diner host Billy Costa will emcee the evening. Tickets now on sale: $99 per person. Please call 617-643-8106 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              617-643-8106      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit TasteOfTheNorthEnd.org.

I enjoy fusion in every aspect of my life. I love it in my fashion, decor, music and especially cuisine. I even love it in my dance (I teach a Bellydance Fusion class at Life in Synergy after all). So when I heard about an Indian Chinese restaurant taking over the spot once occupied by hotel The Jewel of Newbury at 254 Newbury Street I decided to see if this was a fusion made in foodie heaven.

Two strong cuisines such as Indian and Chinese stand on their own known for very specific and strong flavors, spices and cooking techniques. Mumbai Chopstix attempts to bring to Boston something I have to admit I’d never heard of; Indian Chinese food.

Indian Chinese cuisine mixes Chinese spices and cooking techniques with Indian flavors. It is said to have originated in India, being developed by a small Chinese community there.

In an attempt to make the restaurant entice Newbury Street foot traffic, the hostesses are almost entirely of Eastern Asian descent and sport brightly colored, traditional Indian saris. This kitschy representation focused a bit too literally on the idea of fusing two cultures together. On a visit to Banq a few years back there was not an Asian man wearing a beret, yet one member of our party still walked out of (and into) the restaurant knowing that what they experienced was an original restructuring of two completely different cuisines. I, having never been to Banq, can’t back up this statement.

The wine list is an unexciting afterthought. Consisting of less than a dozen choices total, the diner is only given the option to enjoy old standbys, such as Mark West Pinot Noir. Mumbai Chopstix only offers a handful of choices all of which are easily found inside any suburban liquor store. At the bar on the lower level just inside the outdoor patio area below street level, there are a few tables set up and a casual, lounge feel. The bartender was attentive and fairly knowledgeable at wine recommendations.

When we requested a cocktail during our dinner, the specialty drink, which came recommended by our server, was an ultra-sweet combination of Sake, Chardonnay, and Rambutan Juice. Rambutan: a tropical fruit that’s similar to a lychee. Lychee: a fruit that is similar to a grape, only less juicy or “moist” (Wikipedia’s word not mine). There was no depth to it. The bartender, seemingly, created the drink in five minutes while scrambling before the shift. This unnamed concoction would have been palatable with any sparkling wine, but without the carbonation, or any other element, to cut through the sweetness of the rambutan juice, the swallowed drink sat on the tongue like slightly exotic grenadine. When we asked what type of sake had been used in our drinks the waitress said Nigori, and yet Nigori was not listed on the sake menu. I found it a little too confusing for a Sunday night.

An appetizer of Sweet Corn Soup with Crabmeat was simple and tasty. With a base flavor of a slightly salty broth thickened by corn starch the soup did not try to do too much and succeeded. The corn and roughly-chopped ginger worked well together, with carrots and peas floating in the mix. Chili Paneer was a sizable and incredibly spicy starter with thick strips of paneer cheese. I’m accustomed to cube-sized paneer in my go-to dish of spinach and paneer so this took some getting used to. Sauteed with fresh chilies, green and red peppers, as well as onions in a “light soya sauce” it felt heavy for a first course. The heat overpowered the flavor of the cheese, but I still couldn’t stop heating (I’m a spice masochist).

Service was pleasant, friendly, and not programmed. The young woman was friendly, but overly busy managing the entire front room of the upstairs portion of the restaurant. After clearing our appetizers she placed them on a tray stand five feet from the table on top of other discarded, used plates. They sat there, in all their unappetizing glory, until after our meal was served. When asked about a specific dish she timidly stated that it was "great" without elaborating at all.

The Hakka Chili Chicken entree I decided to order is described on the menu as an “Indo Chinese Classic.” You can choose to have it served dry or with light gravy. I opted for light gravy which ended up being an almost identical sauce to my Chili Paneer appetizer, and with the same veggies too. The boneless chicken had a heavy breading/flour/starch bath and was slightly better in flavor and texture than standard sesame chicken, your run of the mill Chinese restaurant staple.

A Chinese takeout menu staple, the Sweet and Sour Pork was chosen with intentions to compare the dish to its boxed, dinner-special-which-comes-
with-an-eggroll cousin. Vastly superior to what one would usually order at 2:30 a.m. and consumed in conjunction with a Keystone Light, the dish was covered in a pleasantly sweet sauce with a ketchup and soy base. Fresh bell peppers and pineapple chunks were tossed into the dish and well prepared. The subtle flavor of the pork was balanced well with mild, earthy Indian spices that added depth to the dish missing from the much-too-hot Paneer appetizer.

A side of Chopstix’ Vegetable Hakka Noodles, a Szechwan style spicy blend of lo mein and vegetables including baby corn, and mushrooms with roasted garlic, underwhelmed. Not only was it not spicy in any manner, but the flavor lacked depth. I was thrilled we ordered it however because I used it in between bites of my entree to calm the fire in my mouth from the fresh chilies.

Dessert was pleasantly refreshing and delicious in its simplicity. Rambutans with ice cream featured approximately eight of the round silver-dollar sized, half-inch thick fruit paired next to a scoop of strawberry ice cream. The presentation was non-existent with the little suckers sliding all over the place, but their palate-cleansing clean flavor and texture was a really nice way to end the meal. The standout of the whole evening was most definitely that strawberry ice cream. Talk about the perfect texture, the perfect amount of cream, and huge, full-strawberry sized pieces of the frozen fruit. It honestly tasted completely fresh and homemade. Another dessert of Apple Toffee with ice cream served with the same strawberry flavor was also very good. In retrospect I wish I’d snagged more of Andrew’s dessert rather than just the half apple sliced I forked. It was not overly sticky and had a nice toasted undertone that paired well with the ice cream.

The restaurant is operated by One World Cuisine a Boston group of restaurants, nightclubs and stores. Their very successful hot spots include the Indian restaurant Kashmir, Mela in the South End and Mantra Restaurant & Lounge in Downtown Boston. Corporate Chef Ranveer Brar is a warm and welcoming front of house presence divulging is hobby of art and paint (he even painted the murals in the restaurant). The decor in the restaurant includes a blend of contemporary lighting fixtures, and colorful wall art blending textures, tones and Indian, Chinese and contemporary basics.

You will enjoy Mumbai Chopstix, just as long as you are not expecting another overdone Newbury Street restaurant. On the surface the restaurant’s location and facade of mind-altering fusion, seems like it should be a level above what it is. However, upon entrance the reality is that you are about to experience a solid meal, with decent service, in a pleasant and attractive atmosphere.

Andrew Castronovo contributed to this report.

I usually refrain from using the word hip, what with being a New Yorker born in the mid-80s and all. But I’m going to say it now, Dorchester Center’s Ashmont Grill restaurant is one hip and happening spot. I mean damn, the place simply oozes charisma. It’s just hip, there I said it.

Arriving an hour before our table will be ready, my dear friend Gina (yes, we rhyme) and I head to the bar area to the only two remaining seats. You’ve got to be hip if your Dorchester restaurant is kicking at 6:30 p.m. on a random and freezing Thursday in early January.

The bartender even had pizzazz, a fiery woman serving up drinks, laughs and snide jokes to her regulars seated next to us. The best part was being made to feel like a regular during our first visit. Gina started out with an Antioxitini, a fun and colorful tongue-twister made with pomegranate and berry liquors and juices. Light, refreshing and good for you what more do you really need in a cocktail? I myself started out with a Pineapple Cosmpolitan which was also too good to be true. The bartender, and mistress of ceremony it seemed, served up everything with flare and even pointed out her beloved award hanging up on the side of the bar that named her as Best Bartender for two recent years in Boston Magazine. As we chatted with the friendly locals and each other we were at ease, truly enjoying a slowed-down night out, something I rarely get and something that is hard to find in Boston.

We ordered a second round, a Peartini for me and Christmas Punch for my buddy topped with a mint leaf and pomegranate seeds to resemble mistletoe. The bartender overheard me saying how much I love pomegranate seeds in salads and whipped out her Tupperware and placed a spoonful in my hand, talk about feeling like a regular. My delicious pear cocktail was perfect and tasted like real pear, legitimately one of my all time favorite fruits and was adorned with a giant wedge of Bartlett. Yum-my.

We were shown to our table by the hostess and met our delightfully upbeat and hilarious waiter (I guess I just think he’s hilarious because he laughed at all my ridiculous comments and chimed in with his own jokes). We had been studying the menu for awhile, a few days before our visit actually to get technical (what else are you going to do at work) and decided we were going to have to get the Train Wreck Fries ($8), a hefty portion of hand-cut fries smothered in melted jack cheese, with bacon, jalapenos, sour cream and scallions. I think the "smothered" part of that sentence is a bit of an exaggeration as it was more "lightly coated" with melted jack cheese. And I ordered a side of sour cream to make up for the amount given which between two sour cream lovers is most definitely not enough. I also was intrigued by the sound of the Beer Battered Shrimp with creole tartar sauce appetizer offering ($10). These are not your ordinary battered and fried shrimp, these are ample crustaceans fresh, delicious and battered to perfection and served with a tangy and slightly smoky dipping sauce I couldn’t get enough of. Yes there were only four shrimp with the order, but the quality of the seafood makes the price understandable and is worth coming back for.

I don’t usually eat red meat since I honestly don’t have the time or patience to make it on any kind of regular basis so I decided to indulge, as I often do when someone else is cooking for me, and ordered the 12 oz Flank Steak ($20). I wanted medium rare but since I knew my dear friend Gina would be needing a bite or two I went ahead and ordered it medium. Much to my delight it was cooked perfectly and while I would’ve personally enjoyed it rare it pleased both of us and had enough pieces with beautifully near-pink centers that I was happy. It was seasoned-well and cooked perfectly to our desire, the two most attractive characteristics I look for in a desirable steak (and mate but that’s a whole other story). My entree was served with a huge portion of creamy garlic mashed potatoes, red wine butter and sauteed baby spinach. There wasn’t one aspect of my meal I didn’t like except I do wish there was a bigger portion of the spinach it was cooked so well and I loved it. And while I couldn’t finish the entire serving, I had the perfect amount of leftovers for lunch the next day.

Gina got the New England Pasture Raised Burger ($12), made with local pasture raised beef and served with cheese, mushrooms or grilled onions. Having not realized the "or" in the description meant she would have had to ask for mushrooms and grilled onions in addition to the cheese her burger arrived sans accouterments, but when she asked the waiter if she could have some he promptly was able to fulfill my needy friends wishes. She also got a side of the garlic mashed potatoes ($4) because she couldn’t resist, and who honestly could if it doesn’t come with your meal. We also decided to indulge in the Classic Macaroni and Cheese side ($5) which was served piping hot, so hot in fact we had to let the air circulate and let the dish settle for more than five minutes before we could jump in. It’s a classic, no-fills macaroni cheese that was good, but not stellar as was nearly everything else thus far.

For dessert I was all prepared to order the Chocolate Pear Upside Down Cake which I had seen on the online menu but alas they were not serving it. I settled for a new Lemon Tart served with Blueberry Compote which was delicious. I’m not a huge fan of crust and there was a substantial amount, but the tart lemon filling was balanced perfectly with the sweet and not-to-rich blueberry topping. We also ordered the Chocolate Brownie Sundae, nothing short of a delight. Rich, thick brownie topped with two kinds of ice cream including coffee was decadent and reminiscent of childhood desserts and frivolity. Oh, to be young again. Sigh.

Replicating the successful model used bi-annually by American Express, eight participating restaurants will each offer "show off" three-course dinners for $30.10 in addition to their usual menu offerings. This reasonably-priced restaurant experience is one that I know well, and something that could really help boost the visibility of not only Ashmont Grill but some of the other great under-known spots in both Dorchester and Milton. The Dorchester-Milton Restaurant Week will run January 17-31 excluding Friday and Saturday nights. Other restaurants participating include 224, 88 Wharf, Abby Park, Blarney Stone, Dbar, Ledge, and Tavolo. I highly recommend booking early for the upcoming Restaurant Week.

So indulge in a new hot spot at a great price for a three-course meal. Who knew these couture-quality gems were hiding in Dorchester Center and Milton, the unlikeliest of places. Now you do, so live long, prosper, and eat well.

The next leap year, in real life of course, is arriving in 2012. But tomorrow Amy Adams and Matthew Goode will pop on movie theater screens all over the country starring in the latest romantic comedy "Leap Year." It took a real leap of faith to sit through this movie and not be completely moved to indignation. Maybe that’s what they had in mind when they named it, and the fact that the 97 minutes felt more like a year. Yes there was some cute humor, and plenty of Irish jokes to go around, but the plot was most definitely not strong enough to make this a must see. The only salvation were the countless breathtaking aerial shots of Ireland, and dishy Goode’s enchanting accent.

It’s a romantic comedy, a genre of which I happen to big a fan of (don’t judge me) but it just didn’t move me. Written by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont and directed by Anand Tucker, the plot line is incredibly simple. Anna, Miss Adams, and Jeremy (Adam Scott) have been dating for four years and are the perfect Boston couple. They are sophisticatedly dressed at all times, he is a cardiologist and she is an apartment stager, setting up spaces for real estate agents to help them move properties, and they frequent the fanciest restaurants and have fabulous friends. And they have a total of zero chemistry. They never kiss on the mouth, their hugs are stiff and awkward and they discuss their life together as a business deal rather than a relationship.

On the eve of Jeremy’s departure for a cardiology conference in Dublin, he takes Anna to a "special" dinner after they meet with the board of the exclusive (and semi-fictional) Davenport Apartment complex. She is expecting a proposal, but what she receives are beautiful diamond earrings. Which she of course is dissatisfied with, since having someone to love and a lucrative job and a seemingly fabulous lifestyle all around aren’t enough for Anna the perfectionist. She remembers what her father, played by John Lithgow, has just said that same day about an old Irish tradition, how on February 29 women propose to men in Ireland. Anna frantically decides to surprise Jeremy in Dublin and pop the old question a la her Grandma Jan which her father alleges is the way she got married.

So Anna embarks on a journey which proves to be a testament to not only her determination and perseverance to do anything to get married, but also her complete and utter incompetence as an independent woman. She takes a plane, a car, a bus, attempts a train ride and walks significant distances in 5-inch ankle strap camel Mary Jane’s. The shenanigans are endless — what with Irish hooligans playing on her doe-eyed optimism and trust as they steal her Louis Vuitton suitcase, and her idiocy in attempting to plug in her Blackberry charger into a European outlet. It’s as if feminism never even happened. She was completely helpless in almost every way and it was truly distracting for me. I felt exasperated for her as I predicted each mishap before it even happened. The only thing I liked during her travels was Goode’s feisty Irish character Declan who agrees to accompany Anna on her journey since he is overdue on rent for his bar the rustic Caragh in Dingle, Ireland literally washes up. He adds humor and a lightness that her performance is lacking and is laughter is infectious. He’s adorable and I mean really, who can resist an Irish accent (I certainly can’t).

As leap day approaches, uptight Anna becomes more and more frustrated as times seems to be flying by and they are barely making it from Southwest Ireland to Dublin. Along the way, Declan slowly grows on her and they find a middle-ground of getting along that is closely similar to friendship. That of course quickly metamorphose into an ill-timed romantic interest sparked when they accidentally crash a wedding in the most scenic spot I’ve ever laid eyes on overlooking a huge valley and lake.

Declan finally gets Anna to Dublin, but the real question is will she or won’t she propose, or are we in for a twist? I guess you’ll have to check it out to find out. On a happy note "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s" Kaitlin Olson added a very minor but brief bit of fresh air with her ridiculous facial expressions and dry humor. It’s just too bad her role as Boston best friend to Anna was so small.

Leap Year is a pretty reasonable date movie for those of you still dating as Valentine’s Day, that abysmal candy-company created holiday, approaches. But it’s up to you, take a leap of faith. Or don’t.

BARCELONA — I had been anticipating my trip to Barcelona from the moment I booked it. Not only has it been a dream of mine to visit the country that birthed the Spanish language, sangria, Cervantes, Gaudi and many other things I love, but it’s the land of tapas, one of my favorite styles of cuisine. Tapas, from the word tapar -to cover – were originally served as small appetizers at bars, where the small plates were used to cover glasses of wine or sherry from flies. But these small dishes aren’t just appetizers. Order two or three or eight, and you have a substantial and diverse meal. Tapas follow a similar idea to Eastern Mediterranean mezze and Italian antipasti, in terms of offering a variety of fresh, very ethnic, dishes in small portions.

There are many great tapas restaurants in Boston that I’ve been frequenting for years including Tasca, a Brighton gem, and popular hot spot Tapeo on Newbury Street. But as I learned quickly, nothing compares to the incredibly fresh, diverse and innovative tapas of Spain.

Well known for being adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, the fish is fresh, delicate and bountiful in Barcelona. Walking through the Mercat Boqueria, one of the most famous marketplaces in the world, it’s easy to see why seafood is such a huge contributor to the culture. The market is open air but enclosed in a building sans walls, brimming with small counter top-only cafes, bossy produce sellers that exclaim “No toca!” (“Don’t touch!”) when a tourist attempts to touch the fruit and mountains of mouth-watering meats such as jamon serrano. The place is sensory overload, filled with brightly colored candies and marzipan, and massive fruits and vegetables including colossal watermelons and zucchini. The place was worth seeing for sure, despite the dense crowds and fruit rind strewn floor wet with water and who knows what else.

On the first night, we sauntered up and down Las Ramblas, the famous avenue filled with street performers, human statues and all varieties of shopping from cheap souvenirs to expensive leather wear. We stumbled upon a seemingly typical restaurant. Its second floor overlooks the Mercat Boqueria but its entrance is right on Las Ramblas. Euskal Sukaldaria. I don’t even really know if this is the restaurant’s official name, but it was emblazoned on the windows. This place had the best patatas bravas I’d ever had, in my life, in any city. The sauce on them was garlicky, tangy, and just slightly spicy with a heat that’s only pleasurable, without an ounce of pain. I was in heaven. I had one plate to myself, and it was hardly enough.

I also ordered one of the tapas samplers that contained a variety of things including some cheeses, smoked chorizo on thickly cut baguette bread and some type of meat salad (maybe chicken, maybe ham who really knows). I also had a “small” plate of traditional seafood paella filled with razor clams, small mussels, shrimp and some squid (more than ample offerings for three people). I finally realized how Europeans stay so thin; they walk everywhere, all the time, and eat small portions, a little sampling of everything. Also, eating slowly and in a relaxed casual setting actually curbs overeating since it takes the body about 22 minutes to realize satiety.

Every meal should be served with a San Miguel beer, ridiculously inexpensive and amazingly delicious. Move aside Bud Light, you don’t know the first thing about drinkability. San Miguel invented drinkability.

I digress.

Moving on to breakfast. It was an experience that can only be summed up as simply decadent. The trademark Spain breakfast of churros con chocolate is essentially a very basic thing – fried dough served with hot chocolate. But this is not your Dunkin Donuts’ hot chocolate, my friends. The chocolate served in a mug in Barcelona is rich, thick and not overly sweet. It’s a darker chocolate than standard milk chocolate and does not include any added sugar, making it very easy to devour. Dipping the lightly fried, chewy, warm churros into this divine drink is nothing short of heaven, foodie heaven.

My traveling companions preferred a lighter breakfast of American-style coffee (they didn’t embrace the tiny cup of espresso-like coffee they were served when they simply asked for coffee) and fresh fruit. Amble into any grocery store off the main roads or a sidewalk produce vendor and you can get a week’s worth of fresh basics for about 5 Euros. They noshed on apples and bananas and a wonderful dried fig concoction dotted with almonds that was slightly sweet and high in protein. These folks are health-nuts and this light breakfast was the perfect way to start any day filled with sightseeing and ridiculously long and tiring walks.

Since I do frequent tapas restaurants here in the states, I already have a strong dossier of dishes I enjoy. I love tortilla espanola, recognized as a potato and egg omelet – light and fluffy and delicious. During one dinner I had a trio of tortillas, one cheesy and tangy, another made with spinach, and another with tomato and peppers that was amazing. I also indulged in melon con jamon, the perfect summer dish of cantaloupe or honey dew served with a heaping side of salty jamon iberico or jamon serrano. The marriage of sweet and salty is a great way to start any meal.

And while I was enjoying mid-morning and mid-afternoon sidewalk breaks to sip a San Miguel and feast on a light sandwich of jamon serrano and tomate or some perfect machego cheese, I could never really keep my mind off patatas bravas. I was a woman obsessed. I ate patatas bravas at least once each day I was in Barcelona, and I still couldn’t get enough. I was searching for the one, and while all the variations were amazing and had different intricacies and takes on the dish, I knew which prevailed.

Some restaurants served the potatoes more than lightly fried, but cooked darker brown similar to our hash brown. Others would serve it with a deep red sauce that was very spicy, or very heavy with tomato flavors. A beach-side restaurant in the beautiful southern coast town of Sitges served patatas bravas lined with a red sauce just slightly darker and more complex than ketchup, and another swirling circle of what I have to believe was plain mayonnaise. Please do not misunderstand me, they were all delicious, a great way to serve everyone’s favorite starch. But something about that first dish of patatas bravas lingered with me.

Maybe it was because they were the perfect size, approximately 1 x 2 inches making one piece a hearty forkful. Or maybe it was the way it was sort of fried-baked, with a crispy exterior that was barely golden brown and pillowy soft texture on the inside. Or maybe it was that sauce. That ridiculously mouth-watering, succulent sauce that I still can’t stop wishing I knew how to make. All I know, is that the combination of all of these elements melded together to make one of the best simple foods I’ve ever had in my life.

If you’re not a huge beer drinker, another great pairing with patatas bravas is sangria. I can’t talk about Spain, especially Barcelona, without mentioning sangria. Sangria is a wine punch, typically made with a fruity red wine such as a Spanish Rioja, mixed with sliced fruits including anything from apples to oranges to mangoes, and splashed with any number of other fruit liquors from apricot brandy to peach schnapps. The result is always delicious, and always refreshing.

A trip to Barcelona is the perfect antidote to a seemingly nonstop lifestyle of burgers and fries here in the United States. The critical foodie that lives inside me, bubbling on the surface daily to critique, analyze and search out the best in food was ecstatic at the sheer number of tapas varieties and restaurant locations. Ole!

CAMBRIDGE — I’d been to Bambara before, about three years ago for Restaurant Week. One of my better Restaurant Week experiences for sure, I still remember that awesome Blueberry Mojito like it was yesterday. And the food was well-cooked and insightful. When I heard about Bambara’s “Happiest Hour” menu I needed to try it. So I got on the Green line to Lechmere and walked a pleasant five minutes toward the restaurant, flanking the Cambridgeside Galleria on the Edwin H. Land Blvd.

The menu has five offerings, slightly smaller versions of many of their menu appetizers, for only $2 a piece. I was promised a good portion, and I held my breath as I sipped on my decadent, if not slightly too-tart, Caramel Apple Martini. Side note: I caught myself licking the caramel swirl inside the glass more than once as I was wishing for a caramel-dipped rim to balance out the apple cider and Stoli Apple.

I placed my order for the “mini arancini” and “mini grilled flatbread.” The description of the arancini which were anything but mini, were described as Crispy risotto balls, with short rib, Parmesan, fontina, herbs with tomato and aioli sauces. The combination: divine. The arancini rice balls were denser than I was used to with my Brooklyn, New York upbringing, but it worked. The outside was crispy and delicious and the marinara sauce had a touch of cream giving it a lighter color and deep flavor. The flatbread was a hearty, light, fluffy bread reminiscent of thicker Syrian bread and took up the entire large plate. (I’d say the pizza was approximately 10 inches long and 7 inches wide) and it was just delicious. The ingredients, roasted garlic, goat cheese, over dried cherry tomatoes, arugula, and aged fig vinegar, were perfect and this dish was filling enough as a light dinner. Arugula and goat cheese is the perfect marriage of peppery greens and creamy goodness and the aged fig vinegar was sweet and I feel a strong need to go out and purchase some to dip all my bread in, all the time. It was … I was … needless to say, I was enjoying this meal and I was getting full off of only two bar menu dishes, cashing in at a total of only $4.

Last dish up for me to try was the “mini fried squid.” I can’t stop myself from using the quotes because honestly, mini has to be some sort of sarcastic inside joke between Executive Chef Jay Silva and his warm staff, which were attentive and informative. Served with spicy, tangy aioli, fried lemon slices and chili paste the fried squid was very good. I, however, wasn’t doing as good because I was getting ridiculously full. I only managed three (okay maybe five) bits of squid including tentacles (yum!) and just couldn’t finish. It was kind of perplexing to me how they, the little squid guys, managed to have the full, robust flavor of deep fried squid, but with not the traditionally thick breaded coating you find at many chain American eateries, and even small mom-and-pop run Italian restaurants. It was damn good, and overflowing oval bowl loaded with the seafood was mind-boggling. So for $6 dollars I’m sure a friend and I could have polished off every last arugula leaf and fried squid-breading for a filling, gourmet dinner that was extremely wallet-friendly.

In the spirit of not being wasteful, I couldn’t just leave my sad little squids alone in their bowl, and overheard a quabble with my neighbors at the bar. “Is this one bowl for both of us, why didn’t you get me my own serving,” the late-arriving man said to his friend while he eyed the plate of mini fried squid. I instantly offered up my own fried squid seeing as it would only go to waste since I was about to explode, and had a back-and-forth while he decided to take me up on my generous offer.

It turns out Frank and Frank are New Yorkers in town for business staying at the gorgeous Hotel Marlowe, where Bambara is housed in. (Apparently Hotel Marlowe is one of the only pet-friendly hotels in Boston, who knew?!) We had some good laughs and toasted the large portions that we just feasted on, and I made some new friends from my hometown of New York City.

So if you’re looking for a mellow atmosphere with light jazz music in the background and fragrant food smells wafting from the partially open kitchen, head to Bambara between 4-6 p.m. (I suggested they extend it until 7 so we’ll just have to wait and see if they take my advice) for their Happiest Hour menu and bring a few friends, or just meet some new ones. I’m planning to head back to try the herb french fries with spicy mayo (I kind of have a serious thing with spicy mayo, we’re involved AND exclusive) and the mini fish cakes. Their menu, and in turn Happiest Hour menu, is always changed seasonally to reflect the best ingredients.

Tangierino Moroccan Chop House and Tapas Bar is the answer to the question, “Are there any romantic restaurants in the Boston area?” The answer is yes, and it’s located at 83 Main St. in Charlestown.

Arriving for an early Sunday dinner during Restaurant Week, the dimly lit, ornately decorated restaurant exudes sensuality and exotic feelings. It is truly a picture postcard right out of Morocco. Beautifully draped fabrics hang in canopy-style over secluded booth areas, as a water fountain relaxingly flows and the dark ambers, burgundys and browns completely envelop your senses. Needless to say, I couldn’t get over encountering this type of extravagance, this over-the-top romance, here in Boston. I just couldn’t, because honestly I hadn’t seen it anywhere, until now.

Our waiter took our drink orders and brought over rose water to wash our hands as he explained it was a Moroccan tradition. Rose water, “mahward” in Arabic, translates literally to rose water and is heady and light. The scent of sweet, fresh roses lingers on your hands, near the table and in your nose well into the first course.

My first course was a refreshing and simple mixed greens salad with blood oranges, candied walnuts, mixed greens, cucumbers and an almost too-tart olive oil vinaigrette. The salad was a nice way to start an early dinner on a muggy, almost unbearable summer day.

For my entree, I ordered the Couscous Royale, served in a traditional tagine. A tagine resembles a casserole dish and is used in North African cooking, most commonly in Morocco of course. It consists of two pieces, a plate-like bottom and a cone-shaped lid which fits precisely over the bottom part to preserve hot food. The bottom plate is used as the serving dish as well. This tagine consisted of the best braised lamb shank I’ve had in quite some time, seasoned to Moroccan perfection and cooked so perfectly I didn’t need to use my knife once. It was served over a hearty seven vegetable couscous with tomatoes, chickpeas, cumin and other spices that added to the authentic taste, not to mention the atmosphere. It also came with Merguez, Moroccan spiced ground lamb wrapped in phyllo dough, smoked eggplant, and Kalamata olives, which was nothing short of delicious.

My dining partner ordered the Almond Crusted Trout served over Moroccan risotto with summer squash, baby green peas and caramelized onions. She was hesitant having never had a dish “almond-crusted” but I encouraged her to be courageous and try something new because anything nut-crusted is usually wonderful. she enjoyed the fresh fish and the risotto was just the right consistency and texture.

For dessert, we ordered tiramisu and a lemon meringue tart. The portion of tiramisu was tremendous and amazingly delicious, something you would expect to find in the North End. The lemon meringue tart’s meringue wasn’t all that stiff and was a bit too sweet for my liking. However, it complemented the cheek-sucking tartness of the lemon filling, a recurring theme here at Tangierino.

Overall the meal, the service and the incomparable decor left me in another world. I felt that I had taken a quick, inexpensive journey to Casablanca and was rewarded with quality Moroccan food. It was one of the most romantic restaurants I’ve ever been to.

Parking spaces may be too narrow for my compact car in the free lot, but the food at Rocca was near flawless.

Arriving about 20 minutes early for our 7pm reservation at this Harrison Avenue hot spot in the South End during the outset of Restaurant Week, we headed to the downstairs bar and lounge area, a very chic open room in a semi-circle shape with extremely high ceilings, comfy chairs and sofas and sleek bartenders. We decided to indulge in a pitcher of Pink Lemonade, a very “booze-y” drink special the bartender explained, is refreshing and packs a serious alcohol punch.

After two more friends arrived, we were led upstairs and seated at a long table facing the outside windows in a dimly-lit and very modern dining room. I immediately informed my waiter that I needed to order all three courses for myself right away, be served as soon as the food was ready and have a separate check as I needed to leave by 8pm. He seemed lackluster about all of my extremely needy requests, but did exactly as I asked with a good deal of attentiveness and urgency. I greatly appreciated their flexibility in accommodating my time constraint.

The handmade vegetable gnocchi was my appetizer of choice. The gnocchi were delicious with summer squash, corn, zucchini, peas, caciocavallo cheese and fresh herbs. It was surprisingly light for gnocchi, balanced by the delicate and refreshing vegetables that were cooked perfectly. It was a nice way to start the meal without feeling too weighed down from a heavy cream sauce. Another appetizer offering was the farinata, a chickpea flatbread with caramelized onions, mushrooms and sage. It was crispy, warm and heart-warmingly satisfying. It reminded me of a cross between a tortilla espanola and a frittata. Farinata literally translates to “floured” and the one Rocca served up during my visit was delicious, if not served slightly too hot. Other appetizer choices include sauteed scampi, arugula and mint salad, tomato and fennel salad, and handmade whole wheat cavatelli with clams. The portions for all of the first course dishes were appropriately small yet satisfying.

I’d been feeling low on iron and couldn’t remember the last time I indulged in red meat, so I decided to order the grilled sirloin served with marinated tomatoes, arugula arancini and gorgonzola butter. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfectly cooked steak exactly to my specifications (rare thank you very much). It was perfect, delicious, pink and wonderfully seasoned. The minimal gorgonzola butter enhanced the dish rather than overpowering it. This may have been the best steak I’ve ever had, which is a huge thing to admit as a New Yorker. The arancini also were delicious, crispy on the outside and warm and smooth on the inside. Being a huge fan of arugula (as apparently the chefs at Rocca are since so many dishes included this greenery), I was extremely happy with my meal.

Another entree offering was the burrida, a Ligurian fish stew with fresh herbs, clams, shrimp, squid and white fish, served with pesto crostini. This type of Meditarreanean fare is a great way to try something new and and a little bit different. Roasted chicken with a zucchini, tomato, basil and crescenza cheese torta and sauteed wild mushrooms had a mild yet tantalizing flavor. The chicken was well-cooked and the dish was a great ode to summer eating, as was my prosecco float with raspberry sorbetto. It was the perfect end to a summer meal that was sweet and addictive. And while many aren’t a huge fan of the sweet sparkling champagne prosecco, combined with smooth and authentic raspberry sorbetto (yes I’m a poser and used the Italian word) it was perfect.

With an intricate and extensive cocktail menu, beautiful and interesting decor and atmosphere along with delicious, seasonal foods, Rocca is a great choice for Restaurant Week and beyond.

Skip down to the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue and cool off with some of the best and most refreshing cocktails and sashimi plates in the city.

Uni Sashimi Bar and Lounge may be extremely cozy (read: tiny) but it is definitely the hippest sushi spot in Beantown. Executive chef and co-owner Ken Oringer, also of the innovative South End tapas restaurant Toro, has let go of all inhibition and explored new territory when it comes to sashimi, seafood and ambiance. In addition, the service was impeccable from the hostess, to both our waitresses, to the owners themselves. The staff was not only knowledgeable regarding every single dish they placed on the sushi bar, but they were friendly and extremely attentive.

Uni is located right inside Clio, the restaurant at the Hotel Eliot on Commonwealth Avenue. Clio serves up inventive French-American cuisine, and Uni, directly off the hotel’s lobby, compliments it nicely. Sashimi chef and co-owner Chris Chung was on fire the night a friend and I stopped by for some pleasantly refreshing drinks and fusion sashimi that made my mouth water at the very first glance of the menu descriptions.

Our first course, Hirame (fluke for any sushi-neophytes out there) with toasted garlic was delicious. The fish was fresh and light, and the citrus flavors played nicely against the wonderfully strong and aromatic garlic which is a staple in many of the dishes (as it should be because it added so many levels of flavor to the different fish).

The seaweed salad here is inventive, if not directly up my alley. Unlike the standard bright electric green, uniformly sized strands of seaweed that appear in every single salad I have ordered in this fair city, the seaweed salad at Uni has a variety of different sizes, colors and textures of the ocean delicacy. It has a slightly bitter flavor and is perfect for anyone seeking to try a new take on this Japanese restaurant staple. It features four seaweeds with soy sauce, brown rice vinegar and tuna flakes adding a strong salty oceanic flavor.

Something that was truly another standout was the Rock Shrimp Tempura seasoned with spicy red pepper aioli and Korean pepper threads. It was delicious and perfectly fried. It was popcorn shrimp on steroids (the good kind, whatever they might be). These bite-sized morsels were definitely not for the faint of heart, packing a very spicy kick. They’re also not for anyone on a diet.

Another great standout in my mind was the octopus, a sashimi fish rarely eaten by the unadventurous sushi enthusiast. The way‚  Chung prepared the delicacy, it was mild and delicious. The octopus, sliced quarter-thin, had great texture and was drizzled with wonderful chili oil (and of course that toasted garlic we can’t get enough of).

One of my absolute favorite dishes was surprisingly simple, decadent and completely and utterly refreshing on that exceptionally hot and humid July day: the spicy lobster salad. It was phenomenal. It boasted papaya, perfect lobster meat and that wondrous toasted garlic again. It was heavenly and the perfect thing to cool off on a hot summer’s night.

And not only is it my favorite dish, it happens to be sashimi Chung’s favorite dish as well.

“The idea for this salad original is derived from the traditional Thai salad Som Tum,” Chung said. He believes that the freshness of the fish is the most important thing.

“My cooking method is to use traditional flavors and techniques and add in a touch of French cooking technique,” he said.

Some ingredients Chris often utilizes behind the sashimi bar at Uni include soy sauce, yuzu, and fleur de sel. He also feels that using seasonal vegetables and fish will result in the best meal possible.

Fellow dancer and sushi-lover Vanessa and I were seated on the edge of the sushi bar and couldn’t help but shimmy and tap our feet to the restaurant’s soundtrack. The music was a fun variety including some hip hop, pop and Latin hits, including a personal favorite, Juanes’ “A Dios Le Pido.” When Oringer stopped by to say hello to us, he let us know his wife had created the playlist and I had to commend her taste, in both music and men (Ken is the epitome of surfer-cute with medium-length brown hair, a five o’clock shadow and a sweet demeanor).

Of course, I can’t forget about the fun summer cocktails – the perfect pick me up, or relax me down drinks – on this exceptionally humid day. The Ginko-Bai artfully showcased plum-infused and Asian pear sake with a mountain peach and sugared rim. It was delicious, light and not too strong which is a must for any summer alcoholic beverage.

We ended the meal with two desserts, the standout being the Strawberry Fields dessert (can anyone say Strawberry Fields forever, and hopefully ever and ever?!). This dish of fresh sliced strawberries and wonderfully light and delicious cocoa “soil” and coconut sorbet with rose dew was divine. The rose dew used is perfection because I have never been so excited about a dessert, ever. Usually, I’m disappointed and left too full with an unsatisfied sweet-tooth.

The Frozen Capsule of Bing Cherry and Amaretto Toffee packed a fun surprise with the toffee spilling luxuriously out of the center. It was pretty good, but not even a close second to the Strawberry Fields dream-dessert status.

This is a great date spot; it’s intimate and fun with inventive dishes that are thought-provoking as well as palate-enticing. Creativity is often overlooked in Japanese cuisine so it’s great to see a Boston restaurant embrace innovation and create new dishes using the freshest products and ingredients we may not typically expect to pop up in our sashimi.

And, Uni is partaking in Restaurant Week for those on a budget, happening now. Their first course offerings include a spicy shrimp salad with cucumber, mango, lime and chili or yellowfin tuna with sweet onions, sesame, seaweed and pickled mung bean (so much yummier than it sounds!). Their entree choices feature a slow poached Scottish salmon prepared with yuzu salsa and served with an organic rice ball, kobe short rib with a side of spicy cabbage salad and chirashi with the chef’s choice of exotic sashimi fish and various vegetables.

So if your feeling a little too hot under the collar, skip down to the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue and cool off with some of the best and most refreshing cocktails and sashimi plates in the city.

The newest addition to the tiny strip of eclectic and chock-full-of-variety eateries on Brighton Avenue in Allston, between Harvard Avenue and Park Vale Avenue, is Fish Market Sushi Bar, the teeny, tiny sushi restaurant boasting more than just great fish.

I was truly blown away with my dining experience. As an avid sushi lover for the majority of my life (I’m a New Yorker and we eat sushi as five-year-olds), I have been on the hunt for quality sushi that can cause instant happiness. After five years of my quest in Boston and surrounding areas, I’ve finally found the Holy Grail of Boston sushi.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love Kayuga and their late night hours (hello, 2 a.m. maki run) and Zen 320′s supremely affordable, everyday half-price menu, but Fish Market has the entire package, and so much more.

When my fellow foodie and Brooklyn-native friend Jennifer and I entered the small locale, we were instantly enthralled by the decor. Clean lines, definitely feng shui bamboo plant placements, and extremely comfortable and well-cushioned lime green IKEA chairs greeted us upon entering. Our server, the only one in the approximately 20-seat restaurant, was enthusiastic and incredibly attentive.

After we ordered on our dry erase menu (brilliant and environmentally friendly!), he greeted us with a Japanese version of an amuse bouche: a baby shrimp tempura salad with the creamiest and perfect amount of dressing.‚ Off to a great start. We anxiously awaited our steamed shrimp shumai and vegetable and shrimp tempura appetizers.

The shumai was amazing with the delicate flavor of fresh sweet shrimp dominant over the light dumpling dough. The tempura was unlike any I have had. The shrimp were long and thin, and one bite superbly informed me I was dining on fresh fish. The vegetables were perfect, with the eggplant and enormous round of sweet potato shining. The appetizers were the perfect size for two, with two shrimp and two each of broccoli, zucchini and eggplant. The giant sweet potato being so large was easily sliced in half using simply our chopsticks (how MacGyver).

Next was the sushi, which came at just the right time. In fact, all the courses were presented directly as we were finishing the previous one. There was no extra waiting and no overlapping of courses which would make for food temperature issues.‚ The sushi was to die for. Phenomenal. I can’t get over it.‚ I digress here.

The breakout star was the rainbow roll, a sushi roll I nearly never order for belief that it is simple and a bit bland. This was no ordinary rainbow roll. The secret was the sweet egg which truly melted in my mouth with each piece of sushi. Topped with fresh salmon, tuna, shrimp, whitefish, and filled with crab, avocado, and cucumber and of course the wondrous sweet egg, this roll is the reason I could eat here every single day. I was so pleasantly surprised to be a convert to the ways of the rainbow roll that I was a bit upset I was sharing it.

The baked spicy scallop roll was delicious. It was served hot, after I saw the sushi chef/owner remove it from what appeared to be a toaster oven behind the sushi bar. It was extremely spicy, and extremely delicious. But beware; it’s not for everyone. I happen to adore scallop in sushi “" meaning it’s raw “" but others find the texture and flavor hard to stomach. If you’re adventurous I would definitely recommend trying it, and if you love scallop, you better try it. Also delicious was the spicy salmon, with the fish buttery and fresh and very flavorful.

As for dessert, we went whole hog and ordered the sesame ice cream, which I had never tried, and mango mochi. The sesame ice cream is definitely an acquired flavor. Most likely, savory food lovers will enjoy it the most as a good way to sneak dessert in. It had a rich roasted and deep flavor, reminiscent of coffee beans. The mango mochi was delicious and refreshing.

Overall, I highly recommend this little find and hope that it makes it through these tough economic times. But with their decent prices, good portions, flavorful sushi and other Japanese offerings, there is no reason they shouldn’t thrive.

Next up, finding quality Chinese food in Boston. Good cold sesame noodles anyone?

There is nothing more synonymous with summer than cookouts, barbecues and outdoor grilling. Call it what you will, but it is an American staple of summertime socialization and entertainment. From summer’s kickoff on Memorial Day Weekend to it’s sad farewell with Labor Day Weekend, families and friends meet and party around barbecues. Award-winning and best-selling cookbook author Julie Biuso’s new effort “Sizzle, sensational barbecue food,” is sure to become this summer’s guide to flavor and innovative barbecue.

Biuso,‚ ‚ a native from New Zealand, got‚ ”Sizzle” published in the U.S.‚ ‚ in April 2008 and‚ ‚ it was named the “best barbecue book in the history of the awards,” by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. From the very first paragraphs of the Introduction it is easy to see why. ‚ Readers are thrown into reminiscences of childhood Auckland picnics and the bold grilling flavors of New Zealand. This cookbook is filled with simple, yet creative, recipes to fit any grilling desires; from seafood and poultry to delicious fruit combinations for a well-rounded meal.

The book is broken down into various sections‚ beginning‚ with, what else, Beginnings. The appetizers and other small plates listed are the perfect way to start any meal. From Zucchini & corn fritters (p.15) to Bruschetta with chick pea pate & sugared tomatoes (p.26) each dish has a thorough and simple instruction guide and ingredient list. Additionally, beneath each recipe name there is a great tip regarding the dish, offering different options to the home cook based on flavor preference or giving a helpful hint on a cooking method.

One great example is the Seared scallops with chili pepper dressing (p.31). “Cutting a criss-cross patter on the scallops makes them open much like blooming flowers, letting them absorb more dressing as they cook, but this step is optional.” These little cheat sheet-type blurbs are a great teaching tool for home cooks to implement while grilling recipes from Sizzle, not to mention in all of their future cooking endeavors.

On to the Main Events dishes. Seared lamb with cumin rub (p.39) is a wonderful homage to Middle Eastern flavors and cooking techniques. Additionally, on the same page there is a recipe for a simple beet salad made refreshing thanks to lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest. There are numerous dishes utilizing the flavors from the Middle East, along with Italy and Southeast Asia. Sticky chicken satay (p.54) is a play on a Thai favorite and seasoned with fresh ginger, lemon juice, runny honey, coriander and black pepper. With a comprehensive ingredient list for each recipe there isn’t one meal a home cook could find intimidating. Burgers, steaks, various sandwiches, such as the Eggplant toasties (p.52), round out the Main Events section with enough variety in flavor and proteins to suit any palette.

There is a separate Seafood section with flavorful offerings including Coconut fish cakes (p.80) and Whole fish with cilantro (p.82). But what really caught my attention was the Sides section beginning on p.90. I have to say, sides definitely can make or break any great barbecue adventure, and the choices here are endless. Colin’s breakfast tomatoes (p.92) are a wonderful way to utilize your grill in a manner you would never have thought of. Simply grilling vine-ripened large tomato halves seasoned with superfine granulated sugar, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper along with fresh basil, thyme and some butter, makes for a tasty and unique side serving.

Sizzle boasts many more sections including Salads, Sauces & Salsas, and Sweet Endings. Making this cookbook the perfect go-to manual for simple but flavorful and exotic grilling options for this summer. Along with a Barbecue Know-How section in the back of the books and step-by-step instructions, Biuso’s latest is a delicious foray into New Zealand grilling.

The libations were plentiful and tasty; the portions generous and abundant with Southwestern flavor; and style and service was nothing short of great.

One of my friends had done a little research on the Masa website which paid off for us. They were having a special promotion where pitchers of Sangria were only $5. The pitchers were served in beautiful, if not small, glass carafes that contained approximately 1.5-2 servings of beautifully rich and flavorful red wine sangria flavored with a hint of cinnamon.

The restaurant was definitely in full force and completely crowded from the moment we stepped in at 6:45 p.m. until we left, full and completely satiated to the extreme at about 9.

As good as the restaurant week menu choices appeared in print, the taste was even better. The first course offering of duck empanadas was amazing. The duck was moist and plentiful and delicious, and the mole sauce was sweet, thick and completely authentic. It was served with a refreshing watercress salad that complemented the empanada in its flaky and sturdy crust and spicy sauce perfectly.

The chipotle spiked clam chowder had a very earthy taste and was served with brioche crackers. The tender romaine salad with crispy red corn tortillas was served beautifully with roasted green chile dressing and smoked cotija cheese. When I first looked over the menu it seemed to be the least impressive choice, but the flavor was incredible. It was delicious and the perfect way to start the meal. I definitely asked for more than one bite from one of my fellow diners, and friends, (as we whined over who hated their boyfriend more that day).

I had been eying each plate as it passed and was excitedly anticipating our entrees. Lucky for us, there were four offerings and four diners with my party, and we each ordered a different item.

My Southwestern style steak frites with chile dusted fries was incredible. I asked for the steak medium rare, with an emphasis on rare, and that is how it arrived. Perfectly pink, deliciously and liberally spiced and overflowing with juice and flavor. The chile lime arugula salad was the perfect recipe to calm the heat. Paired with a Guajillo bourbon sauce, I was in pure heaven. It was one of the best entrees I’ve had of this March 2009 Restaurant Week in Boston, or any other of my past Restaurant Week adventures.

The blackened rare ahi tuna steak with yellow mole was equally pleasing. It was served with Yukon gold potatoes and wild mushrooms. I would’ve preferred the tuna to be less cooked, but that is a personal preference (caused by a bad experience with blackened tuna that was half cooked all the way through and completely unappetizing which resulted in a trip to the emergency room and a Benadryl shot in my behind).

The vegetarian offering, a spicy tres chiles polenta served with marinated mushrooms, arugula and cotija cheese was on the very hot side, which my friend was not warned about. It was hearty and filling, a treat for vegetarians who often find themselves out of luck and out of choices at many restaurants during restaurant week. The chicken was well seasoned and overall spiced well with Adobo and had a refreshing corn avocado salsa.

We forged on toward dessert; the third course offering. We had a sampling of them all, and the molten chocolate cake, despite being delicious, had nothing molten to offer up, at all. Expecting a liquid, creamy and rich center we were slightly disappointed to find the cake solid, through and through. The selection of sorbets: pineapple, strawberry and lemon were divine, refreshing with real fruit taste served in the perfect size, not too much and most definitely not too little.

The flan, however, fell flat. It was a bit too solid, and not being a fan of flan, that did nothing to change my mind about the quivering dessert.

Overall, this was an excellent Restaurant Week choice and a great experience with friends. The lively atmosphere and inventive and delicious food paired perfectly for a great South End dining experience.

This is most definitely not your Chili’s Southwestern experience!

Restaurant Week in Boston is my favorite time of year. With seven prior restaurant week experiences in the books (and being an overall obsessive foodie) I consider myself a reasonable critic of all food. I’m not a picky eater when it comes to ethnicity, spiciness, or texture, but I hold very high standards for quality, freshness and overall experience.

Plaza III Kansas City Steakhouse seems to have found a way to upset all that.

The problem with Plaza III may have been that I went into my lunch date with a friend from college with the highest of expectations. Coworkers and friends had been raving about this restaurant for days telling me how jealous and excited they were for me that I was going there.

I should’ve seen the signs right away. When we first entered this Faneuil Hall upscale locale, the hostess gave a half-hearted “hello” and told us our table need to be cleaned off and it would be a two minute wait. Needless to say, all around were visibly empty and clean tables, and not just one or two, but approximately two dozen.

When we were finally escorted to our table, a nice window seat looking out onto the cobblestone walkways of Faneuil Hall directly facing Abercrombie & Fitch, the hostess did not make any eye contact and walked away after placing the menus on the table in front of my friend and myself. There was one waiter working about five tables around us, and when he finally made his way over he took our drink orders and walked away, even though we were ready to order. Then it took an unnecessarily long to get our drinks (a ginger ale and a water I might add). We finally ordered, excited to eat but mainly because we were very hungry now.

Our salads came after almost 15 minutes and were incredibly unimpressive looking. The Plaza III Garden Salad was on a too-small plate, tossed in boring ranch dressing with a small wedge of tomatoes and sprinkled with bacon and hard-boiled egg. It tasted good but wasn’t anything special.

After a half hour after we got our appetizer salads (which we received after the next table got theirs, and they arrived 10 minutes after us) our entrees finally came. Again, the presentation was worthy of a yawn, the “garlic” mashed potatoes tasted like they came straight from a box without a hint of garlic, and our fillet mignons were completely dull and overcooked at medium well, when we both asked for medium rare.

The asparagus was good — thin and cooked to a crispy and delicious finish. The Bƒ©arnaise sauce however was way too sour and very unappetizing.

If I hadn’t been so hungry and pressed for time I would’ve sent it all back.

Trying to maintain a positive outlook and spirit we ordered dessert. I went for the classic New York style cheesecake with strawberries and my friend ordered the Godiva chocolate mousse. They both ended up being delicious, if not predictable. The strawberry syrup not obviously out of a jar from the supermarket.

Overall I would rate my Plaza III, The Kansas City Steakhouse, Restaurant Week lunch experience as average. The trick might be to go in with low expectations so that I could’ve been happily proven wrong, but I’m still not sure that would’ve happened.

Oh Britney, how you keep us intrigued and entertained.

The pop princess graced Boston at the TD Banknorth Garden Monday to an audience of 17,804 circus freaks (also known as “Britney fans”).

The titillating and death-defying acrobatics of the opening circus performers who performed everything from dance style martial arts to graceful and awe-inspiring flips on a flexible beam carried by two strong men was enough to have the audience riveted throughout the entire pre-show acts.

Following that and the Pussycat Dolls opening act, Britney gyrated, lip-synched and got her freak on for an hour and half, performing her newest radio hits from her latest album “Circus” and classic Brit faves including “I’m a Slave 4 U” and “Baby One More Time.”

Britney is a performer first, plain and simple. She can put on a show, she can dance her heart out and boy can she make an exhibition of herself. But something was missing from this show. Yes, the 27-year-old mother of two and divorcee has been through a lot since becoming a teen pop sensation at the tender age of 16, but she could have given 100 percent to her dancing rather than the mildly disappointing 80 percent the audience witnessed.

That said, her dancers, acrobats, clowns and all around circus talent from the Big Apple Circus put on a fantastic show that had the audience on the edge of the seats, when they weren’t standing and dancing along with the music. The costumes were elaborate and glittery, to say the least and a toned Britney seemed content. Her one ballad “Everytime” was beautifully done, with Spears sitting poised and sweetly on a giant, brightly colored umbrella, pouring her heart out.

With a Bollywood themed rendition of her hit “Me Against the Music,” her and her dancers, clad in bellydance garb, shook their stuff utilizing all three circus “ring” stages. Other showstoppers included “Piece of Me” which had Britney caged and exploited — what else is new?

One of the best songs wasn’t even Britney’s and didn’t have her or anyone else present on stage and was a sexy and burlesque inspired video of an amazing dance version of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams are Made of This.”

With a borderline-S&M themed “Freakshow” number, funky and upbeat “If You Seek Amy” piece and fun, flirty, risque mix of two songs from her “In the Zone” album: “Breathe on Me” and “Touch of My Hand,” the audience was completely satisfied with their Britney experience. And despite all of the turmoil and negative press attention to her personal life, the fact is she is putting herself out there, touring, making more and more millions and maintaining an incredibly devoted, if not mildly psychotic, fan base.

She came, she performed and she’s still conquering. After all, she’s Britney, bitch.

“Bride Wars” teaches every feminist’s worst nightmare: that a woman’s lifelong dream is to find a man to marry her, and have a ridiculously extravagant June wedding at the Plaza Hotel in NYC.

With on-again, off-again narration by Candice Bergen –‚  who plays elite and highly sought-after wedding planner Marion St. Claire — the movie lacks real direction and any measurable value. As for the laughs, they just keep on coming. Especially the cheap laughs at each of the main character’s expense. I could barely focus on the movie though with the audience members behind me debating such major topics as “I don’t need a ring pillow if I don’t have a ring bearer do I?” and other ponderings on what earrings she was thinking about wearing to match her wedding gown.

The movie revolves around best friends Emma, played by Anne Hathaway, and Liv, played by Kate Hudson, who have known each other for decades and grew up together through childhood tragedy, college, jobs and boyfriends. Liv is the type-a, aggressive and outspoken spunky friend who isn’t afraid to give her piece of mind. Emma is a hardcore lawyer who excels at the art of persuasion and jumps the gun for everything, including getting married when she finds a Tiffany box hidden in the closet she shares with live-in boyfriend Daniel, played by Steve Howey (Van Montgomery of “Reba”).

Meanwhile, Emma has her own sweeter-than-molasses proposal awaiting her on what she believes to be just another night with her roommate/boyfriend Fletcher (Chris Pratt). The girls both become engaged and both set out to meet with Marion to embark on the journey that is their life, or rather their respective wedding days. Marion’s most ridiculous mantra is that “Until your wedding day, you are dead. You are dead right now.” Yes, it can be said that a wedding is the first day of the rest of your life, but to practically give up a party based around the implementation of the institution of marriage the importance of a deity is just plain ridiculous.

Back to the “riveting” story by screenplay writers Greg DePaul and Casey Wilson, who managed to work in many, many laughs and some well placed physical comedy. The meek and quiet receptionist at Marion’s Upper East Side townhouse accidentally mixes up the dates of the Plaza dream weddings of Liv and Emma and while they both attempt to try to acquiesce, without ever actually doing so, things turn ugly. Of course, the logical answer to the dilemma is provided by the grooms-to-be who suggest a double wedding for the inseparable pals who are supposed to be each others’ maids of honors. Which is another slap in the face insinuating that women are irrational and only lead with their emotions.

Sabotage ensues when neither bride will give up her date at the plaza. Good-natured and down-to-earth Emma and wily Liv do everything from mess with the others’ hair, skin tone, weight, bachelorette parties and the actual weddings themselves. What really happens is that it just turns sad as two friends are torn apart by the petty, consumerist and shallow musings involved with a wedding.

Definite surprise is Kristen Johnston’s oblivious and perfect performance as Deb, another teacher at Emma’s school. As Emma’s maid of honor replacement, Deb continues to walk all over Emma’s backseat personality and verbally bully her into doing favors such as taking over her study halls and late bus duty.

With funny moments and montages and a few borderline disturbing dance numbers from Hathaway, the movie succeeds at what it aims to do — be a simple, funny and light movie aimed for the millions of girls who dream of not being a successful judge or to change foreign policy or to write the next great novel, but to have a wedding. And not to be married, but to just have the party portion of that.

The movie is a vivid and overdone comment on the demeaning reputation 21st century society has given to marriage by placing an incredible amount of emphasis on the perfection of the wedding, rather than building a life with a compatible partner. It’s no wonder something like 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. In the movie, the male counterparts of the brides play such an insignificant role it’s easy to see how the weddings can get bigger than the relationships they were based around.

Hopefully, audiences will look past the torture and humiliation turned into humor and realize that the movie is trying to say that the most important thing in life, before the Park Plaza Hotel and dance lessons and tanning and Vera Wang (although can she make a dress!) is to surround yourself with positive, loyal people. In the competitive and cutthroat environment of the world today, it is hard to find and maintain close friends and faithful lovers. But the true challenge is maintaining those relationships and keeping your eye on the prize, rather than on the altar.

Despite all of the disappointing anti-feminist ideals pushed in “Bride Wars,” it entertained the silly girl in me who loves shoes and the color purple and beautiful fresh flowers. But it also raised a lot of questions and concerns on how future generations are going to survive when they are being bombarded by frivolity from television, movies and books (do not get me started on the “Twilight” series).

So go out there and get your fill of the first 2009 wedding movie, to go down in history along with other wedding-centric films as “The Wedding Planner,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” and “27 Dresses.”

As much as everyone loves to hate her, her power of survival and tour de force performance skills are undeniable.‚ She’s back, and with a vengeance. Britney Spears’ much anticipated‚ 6th album,‚ Circus,‚ hits stores December 2 on the pop queen’s 27th birthday and delivers enough dance beats to fill even the rowdiest clubs and get the most reluctant critic dancing.‚ 

And what a media circus it has been for Britney, essentially since the day she stepped onto the scene back when she was just 16 years old in 1997. While her latest album “Blackout” fell short of expectations and took a backseat to her custody battles and driving violations, there were a few hits that helped her maintain afloat.‚ Circus,‚ however is sure to pack a punch that will throw the critics and surprise the masses.‚ 

“Phonography” at first hear has silly, innuendo-filled‚ lyrics, but the beat is so intoxicating it completely makes up for it and you end up loving the lyrics, giggling at Britney’s utter‚ honesty. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget she is a nearly 30-year-old mother of two, rather that teen girl growing up in the spotlight and being awkward and naive. The song hints at Ace of Base’s beats and melodies, and it actually works. With self-proclaimed unapologetic lyrics that border on the extremely inappropriate, this song is for adults only.‚ 

“Amnesia” has a bit of an 80s throwback vibe, and is wistful and fun.‚ Forget hinting‚ at Ace of Base’s heyday in the early 90s with electronic sounds and a sugary feel, this song emanates their sound and it actually lends a new dimension to Britney’s sound.‚ ”Kill the Lights” is a feisty lash out at the paparazzi. Thanks to a male announcer saying at the beginning of the song “here is a message from the world’s pop princess now pop queen …” the song showcases Britney’s arrogance, which actually might end up being mis-judged confidence.

There is nothing wrong with‚ confidence, even over-confidence,‚ especially when you have the dancing talent, wow-factor and resurrection chops to back it up. Granted, Britney never was the best singer, but that’s not what she is. She is not a singer, she is an entertainer; pure and simple. Yes she can carry a tune, and she projects fairly well, but the nitty-gritty is the girl can‚ perform and after all of the bad press and judgement passed on her these past few years, she has come back and is saying to the world “Want to‚ talk about me more? Talk about how great this album is!”

Other standouts on the CD include “If You Seek Amy,” “Lace and Leather,” and of course the first single “Womanizer” a radio favorite which receives frequent airplay in clubs and bars since its arrival a few months ago. This album is not just an effort by what can be mildly labeled a pop diva, but is a very sharp comment on her life in the limelight, and how she is knowingly an exhibitionist and in many ways, a masochist.

Overall the music on this new album is classic Britney, filled with evocative lyrics, enticing dance beats and thanks to the help of her production team, complex sounds that only add. While I’m positive not everyone out there is looking forward to this album to drop, Britney fans will be pleased with her ability to survive and to put out a CD that will make for a great show when she goes on tour, expected in early 2009. As many onlookers wait with bated breath, they may be turning blue at the potential success of‚ Circus.‚ ‚ 

She can thank all of those producers who helped make these songs three-dimensional and irresistible for any and all praise she may or may not receive. Those producers include‚ including Max Martin, The Outsyders, Danja, Bloodshy & Avant and The Underdogs who lend much needed artistic direction while maintaining Brit-Brit’s dance queen image. She can also thank‚ all of the personal trainers and what has to be a ridiculously patient entourage to help her with the everyday demands of being a pop star worth millions. Not to mention her quirky personality, outbursts and foibles that make her a media magnet, mostly for negative exposure.‚ 

Circus‚ will arrive in stores in the U.S. on the heels of the documentary‚ Britney: For the Record‚ airing Sunday Nov. 30‚ at 10 p.m. ‚ on MTV. The film follows the Spears‚ for three months, beginning Sept. 7, the day she appeared on the MTV Video Music Awards.‚ 

Whether you love her, hate her, are apathetic, or waiting on the edge of your seat for her to fail, the fact is Britney Spears is back, and perhaps better than ever.

She’s still got it. Performing some of her most beloved and well-known hit songs along with new upbeat tunes from her latest effort “Hard Candy” Madonna gave 100 percent to a full house at the TD Banknorth Garden October 15 in Boston. The provocatively named “Sticky and Sweet” tour featured elaborate stage structures, impressive lighting and enticing dancing, as per Madonna’s usual offerings during performances.

In her first stage appearance since announcing her divorce to husband Guy Ritchie, Madonna kept it light making only one fleeting reference to “emotionally retarded” people before singing “Miles Away” off of her 11th and latest album. She addressed the audience asking “Maybe you know some of those people. I know I do.”

She is the ultimate survivor and evolutionary pop icon, as proven by her complete commitment to putting on an energetic performance for her sold-out show. After such emotional and personally turmoil she still put on one hell of a show boasting colorful costumes, some of the best dancers in the business and digitally-recorded video duets with Kanye West, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake along with Miss Controversy herself, Britney Spears.

Her “duet” with Spears to “Human Nature” was a fresh take on a song that caused a stir during the 90s when the S & M themed-video first appeared. “La Isla Bonita” and “Get Into the Groove” were crowd-pleasers, for those who actually remembered her earlier songs and didn’t mouth incorrect lyrics. As for “Borderline” her very first single, the audience loved it.

Choice tracks from the new album that translated well to dance-filled stage numbers include “Heartbeat” and “Give it to Me.” A hands down personal favorite had to be “She’s Not Me,” an ode to Madonna’s undying fame and an overall pick-me-up for any woman. Because anyone can relate to the feeling of a significant other being “stolen” by another, and the imminent instinct that no one will ever provide the same things as you can in a relationship.

Oh well.

As for agenda-pushing, the Material Girl made it abundantly clear that she wanted everyone to vote … for Obama. Her political commentary and video imagery were liberally filled with material for the Left. And while audible sounds of “Just get back to the music” could be heard uttered by disgruntled republicans, the majority of the audience was in a united uproar to unite for her, and Obama’s campaign. Madonna relayed to the audience that she was told to “not mention Sarah Palin, speaking of ridiculous things,” and that was all she said on the matter.

50-year-old Madonna bumped and grinded all over that stage, even showcasing a soft-core number on the floor as she had her feet tied with rope as she gyrated and pulsated on all fours. If anything can be said for her, it is that her dancing is still flawless and effortless and her body is in amazing condition. More muscular than Michael Phelps, Madonna seemed to feed off of the energy of knowing that she represents decades of reinvention and that she herself will never be replaced in the public eye, no matter what Ms. Spears does.

The overall favorites had to have been “Hung Up” from the Confessions on a Dance Floor album along with “Like a Prayer.” The latter was performed to a background of Hebrew, Arabic and other foreign language texts and religious quotes from texts ranging like the Torah, the Bible, the Koran and Buddhist teachings. What would a Madonna concert be without a lesson in theology?

I’ll just have to say it again, she’s still got it. She never faltered and she never showed less than complete enthusiasm and dedication to her career and her fans. And despite her personal issues and sticky situation, she remembered the one thing that has kept her career afloat.

The show must go on.

Braising lamb shanks? Sauteing onions just right? Making the perfect cup of coffee at home? These basic, and not-so-basic, cooking techniques are drawn out in detail in a colorful and informative anthology cookbook by one of the most renowned cooking schools in the world.‚ 

“The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook: Over 375 of Our Favorite Recipes for the Home Chef, Along with Tips and Preparation Techniques from the Classrooms of the World’s Premier Culinary College,” may have a long title, but the immensely diverse and delicious recipes included in this cookbook will have the most clueless chef cooking up something great in no time. The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is a long standing institution of great cooking, comparable to the French Culinary Institute.

Founded in 1946 and is an independent, not-for-profit college that offers both bachelor’s and associate degrees in the culinary arts as well as the baking and pastry arts. The main campus is located in Hyde Park, N.Y. and has two other branches one in St. Helena, Calif. and the other in San Antonio, Texas.

Chef and instructor David Kamen at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), said this user-friendly cookbook for food enthusiasts is a compilation of recipes included in previous CIA cook books, as well as additional techniques and recipes.‚ 

“We had a chance to reedit and adjust some of our favorite recipes that have already been published,” Chef Kamen said. “There were several people involved in the making of the cookbook and we wanted to include the contemporary style of cooking reflecting today’s tastes. We tried included bolder, stronger flavors along with Latin American and Asian recipes which are definitely up and coming cuisines that reflect cooking today.”

This first edition of the cook book has a useful section titled “Prior to Cooking” before the first chapter which details the equipment and basic ingredients every food aficionado should have in their pantry. Many cooking techniques that seem daunting to the home cook are ‚ explained using beautiful photos and colorful writing. Plus, the book uses the techniques to truly healthy cooking while cutting down the recipes of the CIA to useful portion sizes for the home user.‚ 

“One of my absolute favorite recipes is ‘Swordfish with a Tomato-Olive Ragu’ on p. 170,” Chef Kamen said. “It screams Mediterranean at you with its use of olive oil and aversion of refined grained making it very healthy. It has really good flavor and is a great make ahead dish that is versatile. I love this recipe with chicken for example.”

With enthusiasm such as Chef Kamen’s for healthy, delicious, professional cooking at home, this cookbook offers a great how-to for chefs of all levels. When asked what the seemingly most difficult cooking technique is, Kamen responded that sauteing was viewed as ‚ being hard to perfect, but actually very simple. As described in the book extensively, Kamen explained.

“You need to sautee over high heat using a small amount of heat and cooking the fat quickly. The one problem is that people have difficulty controlling the heat, but the cookbook really helps guide the home chef to perfect these techniques.”

The cookbook has chapters covering the gamut of cooking from Beverages and Snacks, Egg Dishes and Griddle Cakes, to Baked Goods and Desserts and Light Fare. Along with Main Dishes and Appetizers and Salads, the book is sectioned to be simple to navigate and even easier to utilize in your own home kitchen.

From making the perfect Buckwheat Pancake to Osso Buco Milanese, from Lamb Korma to Chocolate Mousse, the CIA’s latest cookbook is inventive and a true guide for anyone who wants to cook classics or contemporary cuisines ranging in genres and nationalities. Novices and food enthusiasts alike will enjoy the the beautiful photos and layout along with the descriptive and easy to understand techniques in the book.

If you’d like to become a better chef too, email us at Giveaways@BlastMagazine.com by October 31 and enter for a chance to win a copy of this kitchen treasure. Please include all your contact information.

The one thing Diane English and Clare Boothe Luce’s “The Women” taught me was something I already knew: all men cheat, and so do most women.

I went into this movie wanting to simply love it. To throw my hands up in the air and say “They got it! They understand!” But the fact is the plot was not developed enough during major transition periods for the movie to feel whole.

And so it begins on the streets of New York City, or so the makers of this movie would have you believe. But anyone paying half an ounce of attention will tell you that this backdrop is a thinly veiled Boston, case and point the Burberry on the corner of Newbury Street by the Boston Commons. The scenery is beautiful, the writing is fairly witty and the characters jump off the screen exuding personality and sass.

Which is the saving grace for this glorified chick flick.

There is a serious sense of lacking throughout the entire movie, a lack of men as not one single man made an appearance in this film; a lack of background information on the relationships between the central characters; a lack of humanity; a lack of realism.

It would be shocking to find Meg Ryan’s Mary Haines, Annette Benning’s Sylvie Fowler, Jada Pinkett Smith’s Alex Fisher and Debra Messing’s Edie Cohen to be real life friends, since they have absolutely nothing in common besides mutual social status and wealth. The juxtaposition of their lives is unfathomable, how did these people, besides Mary Haines and Sylvie Fowler (who became friends in college) become friends? There is no mention of mutual activities, mutual friends or in fact mutual respect.

This movie promotes itself about being a story of women figuring out who they want to be through spontanteity and innovation. It just seems that however hard they try, they still have not found exactly what they are looking for.

Cheap seductress Crystal Allen is played flawlessly by Eva Mendes, whose man-eating ways are a little too realistic. What leaves a nagging feeling is the fact that when Ryan’s character confronts Mendes’ character about having an affair with her husband, it is unrealistic. Why would a woman who has been married to her husband for 13 years act so rationally when standing in a La Perla dressing room with her husband’s mistress clad in nothing more than glorified electrical tape?

While Smith brings hilarity into the Lesbian spitfire she plays, Messing played the part of the hippie mom with too many children perfectly. All I have to say is, with one sheer horrific scream in the delivery room, Messing showed off her acting chops and vocal stamina all at once. The movie had potential for heartfelt introversion and deep and meaningful talks, but it seemed to be lost in the fluff. Why couldn’t starring character Mary Haines have had a secret dream to be a surgeon or college professor or poet? It had to be fashion designer, as if women had no other aspirations in this world than to be dressed beautifully and make pretty clothes.

The movie had a great deal of potential and was entertaining nonetheless. I laughed plenty, but never once was I moved to tears. The sense of lacking was palpable and the characters could have been developed more and giving more well-rounded personas.

I started out the ultimate cheerleader for this movie but it left me cowering under the stands, waiting for more but being sadly disappointed.

Three characters left me pensive, lightheaded and in‚ good humor; Vicky,‚ Cristina and the city of Barcelona

Woody Allen’s latest offering is witty, quick and heartfelt cutting to the raw passion and beauty of Spain, a city filled with Gaudi’s most memorable architecture, sculpture, and forlorn ingenues in love.

Allen’s writing and directing is back with a vengeance, where the writing never falters and the character development delves into the psyches of the title characters, without the utter New York neurotic verging on psychotic episodes.

The film follows two best friends, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlet Johansson), as they live in Barcelona for the summer with Vicky’s relatives. Vicky, who likes planning and thinks of love in traditional terms, is there working on her Master’s degree and thesis on Catalan culture. Cristina, who believes love needs drama and passion, is escaping her failed attempt at making a film about love.

Vicky has traditional standpoints on love and marriage, and is a throwback to 50s lifestyles when love was “simple and uncomplicated.” On the other hand, Cristina lives for the tumultuous men and ends up in sticky situations with even messier endings. Vicky’s and her fiance Doug (Chris Messina), a typical businessman, are engaged to be married and in search for the perfect Westchester County, N.Y. house to go to with their high-powered New York City careers.
But a chance encounter with a famous painter Juan Antonio, played subtly and sensually by Javier Bardem, will change the course of things. The famous painter is maybe more infamous for his near-fatal relationship with ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz).

The movie is completely stolen by Penelope Cruz’s character who’s borderline psycho love envelops Juan Antonio again and again, and again. Her portrayal of a mockingly suicidal, beautiful and exotic artist is on par with her performance as Raimunda in Pedro Almodovar’s 2006 “Volver”. Cruz truly delivers a complicated and interesting person that you can’t help but somehow accept.

The intertwining of love, uninhibited sex and passion between all four central characters is intriguing and leaves the audience mesmerized. There’s the bohemian couple who find perfection in their relationship by adding a third, who becomes Cristina, and by Vicky’s uncertainty and falter with her fidelity to her fiance and life choices in general.

The music is intoxicating, emanating the feeling of having drunk too much wine just as Vicky did that fateful night in Oviedo. The cyclical plot line and eventuality of the outcome, mirror the way life takes us on winding paths full of intricate twists and turns almost to leave us right where we had started.

Combine a zest for life, effervescent personality, the hunger for political knowledge and an old-school approach to handmade knit wears and fashion, and you’ve just scraped the surface that is the essence of designer Jamie Kreitman.

Most famously known for her stylish, comfortable and celebrity-worn line of funky and colorful flip flops, this Ditmas Park Brooklyn, N.Y. native’s passion wasn’t always just fashion.

“My passion was Arabic and Safardic Judaism, Middle Ages, Middle Eastern Philosophy and religion which is what I went to school for,” Kreitman said. She jumped from first year level Arabic language studies to a graduate level in one summer Kreitman said, revealing her thanks to Hebrew University’s
program.

Kreitman received her Master’s from Columbia specializing in Hebrew, Arabic and Middle Eastern studies. But after coming to the realization during the 1980s that there “was no need” at all for someone with her educational background and passions, she fell back to a childhood love of fashion, especially sewing and handiwork such as embroidery, knitting and beadwork. Not many can say they asked for a sewing machine for their bat mitzvah, received one and used it frequently and with gusto.

After seeking advice from an adviser at Columbia, it was clear to Kreitman she should study at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She earned the prestigious Critic’s Choice Award and after graduating she worked at Tahari for a short while before starting her own namesake line.

“The shoes are ancillary, I had been a knitwear designer since I got out of FIT and I created this company in 1991 from unemployment money,” Kreitman said. When she discussed the beginning of her business she said, “Our high-end sweaters are all produced domestically, and in the early 90s women worked and suit jackets and suits were in high demand. My team and I concentrated on great whimsical jackets in the style of Moschino and we garnered quite a market.”

**

However, despite being a supplement to Kreitman’s line of knit wears and accessories, her flip flops have adorned the feet of such names as Felicity Huffman, Paris Hilton, Vivica A. Fox and Emma Roberts. Most recently, a Conde Naste editor emailed Kreitman saying that Carrie Underwood wore her flip flops to an Allure cover shoot because they wanted to know all about the shoes that the star wouldn’t take off.

“It’s nice to know that these people are wearing them. Shandra Wilson loved our ballet shoes. And Marcia Gay Harden wore our ballet shoes after having her twins since she was running all over the place,” Kreitman said.

The shoes didn’t start off as a fashionista must-have. They were actually a gag birthday gift Kreitman designed for friend and mentor children’s designer, Ruth Hornbein. “She got stopped everywhere and in 2000 she said we have to do a line.”

For the designer however, it all comes back to her roots. “My favorite thing to design is knitted sweaters. My strength is actually in sitting down at a knitting machine and knitting my own fabrications and coming up with new design patterns, hands using textured yarn.” She said she realizes that she has to evolve to be more commercial, as any designer does. “My strength has always been the whimsical approach to knitwear that we called ‘tongue-in-chic’, basically clothes that make you smile and make you happy.”

There are many differences between Kreitman’s line and mission and other designers and brands out there.

“I know how to knit and sew, I’m not at a computer designing. I know how to do handwork, embroidery, and whatever other kind of hands-on crafting like beadwork and handstitching, whatever needs to get done. I can sit down to a sewing machine and I can sit down to a knitting machine and that’s why I feel the line is a little different.”

Additionally, Kreitman’s target audience isn’t the teeny-bopper set predisposed to wear whatever Lindsay Lohan is donning for the week.

“We would hope our target audience is the young fashionista but really it’s educated consumers with a fine eye for the sophisticated and cultured styles. People who have been exposed to travel, and Europe.”

She is a fan of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Sex and the City” but a critic of “Project Runway’s” flamboyant drama.

“I am put to the test everyday, the same tests that they (the contestants) are put through on Project Runway. But you have to make it work on a production level, a manufacturing basis.”

As for kicking back in front of the television, she said that when she closes her doors at night she doesn’t want to watch a drama about her daily fashion grind. “I want to relax with legal and medical dramas.”

**

Kreitman said of her design team “We’re die hard fans (of Sex and the City). We mourned the day it went off the air. It was so inspirational from a fashion point of view, and now people aren’t too excited about fashion.”

Kreitman realizes designing is a tough business and that not many people can last and evolve and grow with the times. She said she feels that you have to be well read, well educated and have a good grasp on the world around you to make it in the business.

“Fashion isn’t a vacuum, it’s happening in the world. It’s a product of our culture and it reflects culture.”

And while she isn’t in a business pertaining to her former passions of Middle Eastern language, cultures and studies, Kreitman’s love of fashion and passion for quality and handmade pieces that her line exemplifies shines through.

“You gotta real love what you do. And you have to know that most of it is nitty gritty but you have to have fun with it. If you don’t what’s the point?”

For the latest in Jamie Kreitman’s NY fashion line head to the designer’s Web site at http://www.jamiekreitman.com.

A summer time movie goer looking for wholesome and energetic fun at the theater should look no further than the movie version of the broadway hit “Mamma Mia.”

Director Phyllida LLoyd translates the eccentric, funny and light-hearted story of Sophie and her mother Donna from stage to screen in a colorful way.

Played by the luminous Meryl Streep, Donna is the epitome of the single hippie mom, doting on her only child, 20 year old Sophie played beautifully and most innocently by Amanda Seyfried, best known for her roles in “Mean Girls” and in the HBO show “Big Love.”

The story takes place on an isolated and beautiful Greek island where Donna runs a hotel that is literally run down. Sophie is a bride-to-be, head over heels in love with her boyfriend Sky. She has a carefree life, and plans to continue to live this dream helping her mother run the hotel. But the only mystery stopping her from complete and utter happiness (as if such a thing were possible in real life) is that she has never had a father.

She soon discovers that she has not one but three potential candidates to be her father and daringly invites them to her upcoming wedding. All of this which her mother knows nothing about.

Needless to say, chaos, confusion and cabaret ensue as the full cast joins in singing and dancing to ABBA’s greatest hits. The 70s Swedish band created such hits as “Mammia Mia” the title song, “Money Money Money,” “Super Troopers,” “Gimme Gimme Gimme,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and “Chiquitita.” These songs as well as numerous others are fitted into the movie tightly and believably and coincide with the characters’ internal struggles and successes.

Whether you were a teenager or not in the 70s, this soundtrack is completely uplifting and and will make even the stiffest viewer tap their feet and mouth the words, unless you have the gall to sing along, which many did. The music is timeless, and can be listened to at any age, at any era of time and the meaning and instrumentals are seamless.

One aspect of the movie that left something to be desired was in the men of the cast. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsg¥rd play the three potential daddy’s to Sophie, who all had summer flings with her
mother that one particular summer, 20 years ago. The cast of these three men and their dynamic together is very funny indeed, but seeing and hearing Brosnan break out into song was more than a little disconcerting to say the least.

What makes up for it is seeing the character Rosie played by Julie Walters dance in spandex and sequins and talk about her love life. you’ll be thinking, “Molly Weasly, really?!” to yourself the entire time. The fact is
she did a stellar job in this role and her character along with Christine Baranski’s seductive and plastic-surgery obsessed Tanya are the perfect sidekicks to Donna.

This movie is about reminiscing, living the carefree life and the bond between a mother and a daughter. While sometimes negligent of this pivotal relationship, the movie takes the time to shallowly delve into the reasoning about why Sophie is getting married and how her mother’s life choices have seriously affected how she lives her life.

Either way, this movie is light and fun and carefree. Take a chance on it.

The fashion is bigger and the blue-satin Manolo’s more fabulous than ever, but the story is where “Sex and the City: The Movie” really shines.
 
Forget highly-anticipated. After four Sex-deprived years, fans and interested parties alike have been holding their collective breaths awaiting the return of Charlotte, Miranda, Samantha, and ever-the-ingenue and fashion plate, Carrie.
 
It has been hard to escape the media-bonanza in recent weeks surrounding the opening of the film continuation of the acclaimed HBO series, but was it worth the four-year wait? Was there even a story to watch and follow?

The answer is a loud orgasmic scream of YES, and you can bet your $525 unworn-Manolo’s that there’s a story to be told.
 
Darren Star directs again, and the original cast is intact. The chemistry between the characters could spark a fire using the dampest logs making audiences feel like they have just come home to their family.

Reprising her role as Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker beams light and energy, and is flawless. Chris Noth’s “Big” is the character you can’t help but love and feel for, despite his many faltering moments on the TV show. The “girls” — Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and the hyper and sex-obsessed-at-any-age Samantha (Kim Cattrall)– come together seamlessly, as if the series ended yesterday.

Jennifer Hudson shines as Louise, the new single gal from St. Louis. She is endearing and another Charlotte-esque eternal optimist. She helps Carrie in more ways than imaginable as her personal assistant and lends her talented and soulful voice to the soundtrack.
 
Thanks to spoilers and the detailed and eye-opening Vogue article, many people think they know the storyline: Carrie and Big, (whose name — John James Preston — we finally learned at the end of the series), get engaged, get a fabulous apartment and finally, finally, get married. But if the “Sex” series has taught us anything it is that love is never uncomplicated.
 
Hopefully, without giving anything away, the movie picks up in present day — four years after the beloved and boundary-breaking, sex-filled series sadly ended. Carrie has published three books and is still very much in love with the no longer elusive Big. Samantha has uprooted to Hollywood to manage boyfriend/movie star project Smith Jerrod’s career and has changed immensely which is difficult to discern in her character at the outset of the film. Samantha is “lost” grasping to remember her true self.
 
Charlotte, “the eternal optimist” has it all: the man of her dreams in the lovable and doting Harry and a beautiful daughter in the adorable and adopted Lily.
 
The most suprising plot twist, however, belongs to the Miranda-Steve duo, which throws a curve ball at the audience that the most skilled prophecy-maker could not have foreseen.
 
The movie tears at the heart. It literally had the audience laughing and sobbing, sometimes within the same minute span. The depth and pain and passion that comes with the happy burden of love spills from the screen, reconnecting the audience with beloved characters who have retained their quirks, loyalty and strength.
 
The stories are believable and all of the characters seem to be real, as if you could go to New York City and see Carrie and Big strolling hand-in-hand down 5th Avenue to buy some shoes. They are all so sharply written, so dynamic, so passionate and after all this time so finely tuned, it is as if they must and should be real.
 
Hardcore “Sex” fans and movie-goers who haven’t even watched a single episode of the series will all appreciate the film for its pure entertainment value. It is hysterically funny with enough new jokes and puns to fill the NYC public library. “Sex” is brimming with raw emotion that makes you think — makes you question what you really want and if you are strong enough to let yourself go after it. 
 
The movie touches on all subjects that made the series what it is: loving, cheating, unwavering friendship and of course, mind-blowing sex. 
 
Sex-starved fans won’t be soon after the movie opens. And for this reason, it is unwise for younger audiences to watch. The sex is just as big a raunchy presence as it was in the series, as audiences wouldn’t have it any other way.
 
Good friend and fellow reviewer Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle urged to “run, don’t walk, run” to see “Sex.” And now I truly, truly implore all of you to do the same. Because if someone asked “is this movie worth seeing” the answer would undoubtly be “asbo(insert expletive here)lutely”!

For “Made of Honor,” director Paul Weiland follows a sure-fire recipe for romantic comedy success: a love triangle, sexual innuendo at every twist and turn, comedic relief at the perfect moments and of course, Patrick Dempsey without a shirt on for what seems to be the majority of the movie.

Boasting the basic story line of “My Best Friend’s Wedding” with a gender reversal, we are introduced to Tom (Dempsey), a charismatic, wealthy and beyond-belief gorgeous New Yorker. His longtime friend, Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), is a sophisticated woman, an art historian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and his confidante. She’s also the one woman Tom doesn’t subject to his detailed and misogynistic dating “rules” (i.e. no consecutive sleepovers on weekdays, and no family events because “it gives the wrong impression”).

The two friends met at Cornell University, when Tom accidentally crawled into bed with Hannah, thinking she was her “promiscuous” roommate. He admired her candor and she gave him a chance, and almost a decade later, when the movie takes place, their friendship is still strong, based on honesty and a shared spectrum of intelligence.

Tom’s life seems to be charmed, and while he truly cares for Hannah, he often takes her for granted. He has women falling all over him on the streets of New York City, but Hannah is his antiques shopping partner, a friend to laugh with, and the only woman he would bring to attend his father’s sixth wedding.

And then Hannah breaks the news to him. She will be in Scotland for six weeks on business.

While Hannah’s away, it’s epiphany time for Tom, who realizes he has feelings for her and decides to tell her when she returns from Scotland.

Punctuated by missed phone calls and transcontinental static, Tom and Hannah don’t really have a conversation after her departure overseas. Upon her return she invites him out to dinner, where she promptly introduces him to her fiance Colin McMurray (Kevin McKidd), a Scottish duke who absolutely adores her. Hilarity ensues when she asks a stunned Tom to be her maid of honor.

As Tom plans the bridal shower and arranges for dress fitting and the like, Hannah, played eloquently if not slightly dryly by Monaghan, exudes a sense of nostalgia.

The most intriguing aspect of the movie is the relationship between Tom and all his male friends. As they conspire and scheme to “steal the bride,” a softer side of comraderie and helping a friend in need comes through that makes the audience wonder, can men really have these type of relationships?

No doubt the storyline is predictable, but “Made of Honor” is a funny, easygoing, and a downright pure entertainment movie. If you aren’t a McDreamy addict or a lovesick sap, this might just be another boring romantic comedy that you’ve already seen a thousand times. But romantics will definitely feel a moment or two tugging at their heartstrings and maybe their tear ducts.

3 out of 5 stars

Vegas, baby.

The city of sin evokes imagery of pure entertainment, pleasure and extravagant indulgence, but for some, Las Vegas is a playground to practice a very serious business, one that is not so much illegal as it is frowned upon. No, the crew from Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13 aren’t on the loose knocking over casino vaults. Beware the MIT math geniuses, counting cards and living double lives in “21.”

The movie opens on an aerial shot of the sprawling Boston metropolis, neatly sliced by the glittering Charles River. The feel of a city that is truly a college town is portrayed by cyclers clad in MIT sweatshirts careening down Mass. Ave. and Memorial Drive and the dark, wooden motif of the pubs decorating the city on every corner.

The thriller-style drama stradles two very different cities: historic Boston and the glitzy, surreal Las Vegas strip. Meet Ben Campbell, played by “Across the Universe” breakout star Jim Sturgess. Sturgess nails the socially awkward yet brilliant persona of all that is an MIT senior with a 4.0 GPA who has recently been accepted at Harvard Medical School.

For his 21st birthday, notice the recurring theme of the 21 goal in blackjack, Ben’s mother and two closest friends (one an eyeglass-wearing, joke-cracking, overweight sidekick, the other a shy pal) share beers and a cake with the Fibonacci sequence on it. Only a lover of math would appreciate such a gesture. Or someone obsessed with “The Da Vinci Code” phenomena.

Focused, bright, and painfully shy, Ben comes from a working class background and is diligent toward achieving the Robinson Scholarship, a full ride to an otherwise unaffordable education at Harvard Med. The worries of money and the pressure he puts on himself don’t weaken his mind or spirit. He answers thoughtfully and intelligently in his classes, where other students admire him and professors take notice.

Ben is approached by Jimmy Fisher, played by Jacob Pitts. Pitts is probably best known for his spot-on timing and unforgettable one-liners in “Eurotrip.” In an empty classroom on the MIT campus late one night, Ben learns about a “club” of students led by Professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey) who practice counting cards in blackjack. They put their efforts into practice during weekend trips to Vegas. The students play big with Rosa’s money, and win even bigger using a system of “watchers” to spot hot tables and signal the “high-rollers” to come in and clean up.

Ben’s moral fiber shines through, as he first refuses to be a part of the team, then falters for a moment as he considers what would happen if he was not granted the scholarship to Harvard. He just plain wouldn’t be able to afford to attend the prestigious graduate school, and so he makes a deal with the devil, and his teammates. He repeatedly says that he will only participate until the Harvard Med goal of $300,000 is reached. Little did he realize he would be sucked up into a lifestyle of acting, drinking, shopping and just plain galavanting.

Kevin Spacey aptly plays the mysterious and somewhat dangerous Professor Mickey Rosa, a former high-roller card counter turned MIT math educator. His character spreads the allure of leading a double-life, being “whoever you want to be” in Las Vegas. And so the adventure begins.

“Words become numbers and numbers are words. Magazine, 17, Sweet, 16,” and so on. The codes and signals and keeping the count itself are interesting. Nightly practices, jokes and a little romance follow.

Ben and his buds back home were drooling over the elusive and spritely and annoyingly adorable Jill Taylor, (Kate Bosworth) who plays the role of watcher on the team. Now Ben gets to not only meet the “hot rocket scientist,” but he starts to persue her as well.

With logic only MIT students who are on a card-counting “team” could have, the two refrain from any kind of personal relationship at first, concluding that they are business partners. But Las Vegas trips aside, they find that they have much in common and develop a friendship that gives way to more else despite scheming and blackmail in the background of their dangerous game.

In the casinos, the team catches the eye of a dying breed of old-school, thug-style casino security expert named Cole Williams (Laurence Fishbourne). Here the suspense begins — will they get caught? What will happen? Williams’ frustration by losing business to newer computer-based security systems is intertwined with his own unwillingness to retire and to find closure in his life and career.

Based on the book “Bringing Down the House,” by Benjamin Mezrich, this two-hour feature is a mixture of creative cinematography, suspense and a turn of events that’ll have the most cynical audience member gasp out loud.

The premise is statistics, variable change, something described in the movie as “simple math.” Whether you are into gambling, Las Vegas or MIT math geniuses or not, this move is entertaining through and through with added, thought-provoking, movie elements.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Conspiracy theorists rejoice; National Treasure: Book of Secrets is the perfect fix for adventure-seekers as well as the whole family thanks to a PG rating. Bringing back our favorite team of historical junkies, Ben Gate, Abigail Chase and Riley Poole, this latest quest for treasure begins with a turn of events, historical events that is.

Open movie on a scene in a mid-19th century pub, 1865 to be exact, five days after the Civil War ended, and the fateful day when John Wilkes Booth murdered then President Abraham Lincoln. With excruciatingly dramatic music that is just plain irresistibly exciting, Thomas Gate and son are visited at the tavern by KGC members. We later find out that this group acronym stands for the Knights of the Golden Circle, a Southern extremist group.

The movie twists and turns as Ben Gate, played by Nicholas Cage, and father Patrick Gate, played by the lovably na¯ve Jon Voight, try to clear the name of their ancestor accused by Ed Harris’ character, Mitch Wilkinson, of being involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln.

In the first five minutes of the movie interest is piqued as the historical subplots unfold. Something interesting that affects the life of the main character is the first clue passed down from grandfather Gate, to Patrick and now Ben, "The debt that all men must pay." But to find out what that debt is one must watch the movie.

Traveling from Washington D.C to Paris and onto London, Ben and Riley are in hot pursuit of uncovering the secrets pages of a diary while Abigail is being fancied by an enemy to uncover secrets and reach the newest treasure, the City of Gold, first.

Sidekick and adorable nerd Riley Poole, played by Justin Barth, always provides great comedic relief, especially during those instances when doom looms ever close and the audience begins to feel the weighty concerns of lead historical fanatic Ben. The highlight of Cage’s acting as Ben is when he pretends to be a drunken scene-causer at Buckingham Palace. He mocks British security using an English accent bringing audiences many laughs.

One of the best surprise appearances is of Ben’s mother and Patrick’s estranged wife, now a professor at the University of Maryland, Emily Applegate, played perfectly as a frustrated and brilliant Native American language expert, Helen Mirren. Yes, the one and same "The Queen" star. She creates tension, drama and comedy all at the same time while providing an ever so convenient extensive knowledge of Cibola’s lost city of gold that everyone is in hot pursuit of.

The most intriguing aspect of the movie has to be its namesake, the elusive Book of Secrets hidden ever so cleverly in where else, but the Library of Congress. The book is important since page 47 leaves a clear set up for a third National Treasure film. While Ben makes friends with the president of the United States to get it, his failed relationship with Abigail, played by Diane Kruger, is tested as they purse the treasure.

From Chinese puzzle boxes, to the resolute desks situated respectively in Buckingham Palace and the White House, the film takes audiences on an adventure outside of the United States and behind conventional social lines. Directed by Jon Turtletaub and written by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, the script is witty, quick and appealing. Now in theaters nationwide, National Treasure is a great film for everyone.

Dance Meccas around the world are New York City, Los Angeles and Moscow, but did anyone take a look at the plethora of dance performances, opportunities and innovations in Boston?

Over the past few months it’s become more and more apparent that Boston is growing as a dance center for traveling companies, dance instruction schools and Boston Ballet, one of the best and most well-known ballet companies in the world.

New vision and classic technique 

The Boston Ballet’s full-length production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," choreographed by George Balanchine was an experience rather than just a show. It is a definitive reason as to why the Boston Ballet Company is so well-respected and popular. The costumes, set and music transformed the Victorian-decorated Citi Wang Theatre into a fairy woodland, complete with impressive fouette sequences and comedic relief from Puck. 

But not everything was perfect, despite the 25 children from the Boston Ballet School who were jubilant, energetic and just plain great at playing some of the mystical creatures. The Pas de Deux, or partner dancing section, which made up the entire second act, was repetitive and quite frankly, boring. However, the dancing was never flawed and each movement was carried out precisely — a true hallmark of great ballet. That’s the thing about ballet: it is all about perfection and doing things a certain way that has been in existence for centuries. 

March will be a month of innovation for the Boston Ballet when "New Visions," the work of resident choreographer Jorma Elo delving into the world of contemporary ballet, comes to life March 1 through March 4. Also, Christopher Wheeldon’s award-winning Polyphonia and the return of Val Caniparoli’s exhilarating Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion will be danced during "New Visions."

But contemporary ballet has been taken to new heights and intricacies thanks to the work of Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, creators of Complexions Dance Company, based in New York City. The troupe was featured in the Bank of America Celebrity Series and appeared at the Boston University Tsai Center February 2 and February 3 to a sold-out house and an enthusiastic audience. 

Complexions stir the mind

The creators and directors of the Complexions company, Rhoden and Richardson, are both former Alvin Ailey dancers with impressive dance resumes. The self-called “contemporary ballet” genre of dance their company members perform, is an eclectic mix of ballet, jazz and modern dance with influences from Ailey, Twyla Tharp and other key performers in the genre.

For a student in Boston, tickets to the ballet and dance performances can be expensive, but $20 for a student rush ticket bought me an evening of inspiration and incredible talent. All the dancers were flexible, showcased strong ballet backgrounds and broke barriers in terms of traditional styles of dance. Plus, this was the Boston premiere of the Complexions company. 

The company has a very diverse group of dancers with varying ethnicities, heights, body types and styles of dance. This made for a great dynamic where the same movement was portrayed in a different way because of contrasting heights between partners.  

The first piece, “Hissy Fits,” was described in the program as a comment on the tumultuous and ambivalent nature of relationships, and the movement for the piece depicted that sentiment perfectly. The full performance showcased a range of emotions, ideas and dance styles with Fosse-inspired jazz, Ailey inspired contractions, as well as the influence of Rhoden and Richardson, who manifest their love and reverence for dance through dedication and modernization. 

Complexions will be traveling all over the world for their 2006-2007 season and will include first time performances in Israel, Wales, Poland, among other places.

Student dancers take art new heights

With the hundreds of universities and colleges in and around Boston, an enormous number of dance clubs, companies and groups emerge to create unique pieces with individualistic choreography and a sense of community. 

Boston University is one such school that is not only a fountain of education, but an outlet for various dance teams, groups and even classes for credit. February 15 through 18, "Aurora Borealis:  A festival of light and dance" took the stage at the Whitney Auditorium in the Calderwood Pavilion to a small crowd of friends and families. 

In its fifth production, "Aurora Borealis," directed by Judith Chaffee and Micki Taylor-Pinney, students from both the School of Theatre and the Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance at BU came together to perform pieces of "dance theatre": ballet-inspired lyrical and a melding of hip hop, jazz and lyrical in another piece. 

All of the pieces — most strikingly "Still Life" and "Clash" — use unconventional techniques of timing and melding of styles. Despite fairly simply costuming, but with incredible light engineering and special effects, the dances were all breathtakingly fresh. Leaving the theatre left a sense of "I’ve just seen something new" rather than the feeling of "I’ve seen that 10 times last year." It was really refreshing to see dances performed by students juggling not only a passion for dance, but one for college classes as well. 

The pieces "If Any Such Space Exists" and "Meeting Points," channeled theatrical dance productions such as "Einstein on the Beach." In "Meeting Points" the audience lost all sense of time with the beats provided by the performers and the change in directions. It was as if Robert Wilson (director of "Einstein on the Beach") and Lucinda Childs (choreographer for "Einstein on the Beach") had come together to create these two specific pieces using techniques of dance of body control and extending motions through long periods of time.  

A hub of dance is in full swing

So many new and exciting dance companies pass through Boston, and Internet dance sites such as www.dancemagazine.com and www.dance.net are all great tools for finding out the latest in the dance world and in the Boston area. The Boston Ballet will also be performing "Classic Balanchine" and "Giselle" during early May, not to mention the yearly visit from the Alvin Ailey Company in April. Plus the Compania Nacional de Danza, a contemporary Spanish ballet group will be showing at the Schubert Theatre. The events are plentiful if you know where to look. 

With a little research and an open mind, the dance possibilities in Boston are endless.