|
|
Tracie Broom Managing Editor Food Editor at SF Station since 1999, Tracie Broom is a freelance writer, editor, copywriter and event planner in San Francisco. Catch her daily posts at SF Station's Bay Area food blog, The Yum Diary: http://www.yumdiary.com |
|
|
 | Andalu Makes Good in the Mission District When Maya Taqueria closed the doors to its lofty, rustic space at the corner of 16th and Guerrero, the neighborhood stood leery of its replacement by yet another fine dining price gougery. While some feared that Calvin Schneiter's Andalu might continue the fancypants dotcom era invasion, the good news is that this relaxed, elegant restaurant is in fact a quality, mom-n-pop establishment run by the nicest guys in the business. Chef Ben de Vries' menu offers a welcome mix of innovation, balance and comfort, while the lengthy wine list affords diners luscious deals on hard-to-find wines.More | | | Alamo Square is French done simple and sublime When guests pop in from out of town full of stories and craving French, call André at Alamo Square. You just might be able to pull off a last-minute reservation. The ambiance in this tiny room set around the corner from Alamo Square Park, on what is arguably the most charming block of the entirety of Fillmore Street, is perfect for catching up with old friend - or for getting to know new ones. The interior is warm, with blond wood and deep mauve coloring, multicolored pillows along the banquette, and an exposed kitchen staffed by one very good-looking chef.More |  | You'll need that martini after this one. I was left limp like a raggy kitten by Alan J. Rudolph's hapless rendition of Kurt Vonnegut's novel Breakfast of Champions. Shot in Twin Falls, Idaho, the film was somewhat entertaining, but there was nothing to hold on to but one stinking universal truth, and that had been distilled into pee by the Hollywood Machine. The Theater of the Obvious is not what I'm after when I go to see a Vonnegut story. Some say that the movie's been hard to sell because it's nearly "experimental". No dice; it's a piece of shit. It's not a smart movie, nor is it clever. However, there are some great performances to note, making the movie do-able as a renter.More |  | David Fincher's Fight Club changes the rules First point: Fight Club is a fascinating film.
Point two: Its denouement is slightly untenable.
Thirdly: I willingly suspend my disbelief at the movies. No reason to spend eight bucks to naysay for two hours.More | | | Of all the little boys talking to dead people, this one has the hippest parents The Stir of Echoes Web site comes complete with a section of mind-opening exercises. Do you think that Kevin Bacon read a few books on mind expansion before shooting this scary, albeit mediocre plot twister? No ma'am. What he did do was pump a lot of iron, slap on a few tattoos, acquire Hollywood's cracked-out skinny aesthetic, and pull out his old wifebeaters from his Footloose rehearsal days. Yes, you do catch a glimpse of Kevin Bacon sitting on the corner of his bed playing guitar. Love your record deal, dude. The pain of watching him ratchet his head backward to pop Excedrin is just short of having your chest waxed.More |  | Jessica Ylvisaker and Tracie Broom in conversation about The Mod Squad J: After a night of sleep decorated with sweet dreams of Claire Danes' lovely midriff, a question has occurred to me: over how many days did the action of The Mod Squad take place? It seems to me that the length of time one might think it would require for an old flame to be rekindled, developed, and snuffed, and for a huge dirty-cop drug deal to be set up, sniffed out, and thwarted, doesn't quite jibe with the fact that we got to see about 8 days out of the life of the M.S. And, timeline aside, how is it that despite the romance, drugs, and action, it didn't feel like anything actually happened in the movie? -- aside from the nice, if a bitMore | | | Spielberg revives a dying genre with respect and power. he greatest thing about Saving Private Ryan is not that its release signifies a shift in popular action genre in Hollywood, although the idea certainly makes fabulous cocktail party conversation. The best thing about this film is that its worth extends far past the eight dollars and two hours you will spend in order to see it. Having expected the same big-budget, tear-jerking Hollywood schlock one has come to expect from the American filmmaking business, I emerged from the theater shocked, and in fact elated, by the film's reverence toward its genre and to the horrific reality of foot-soldiery.More |  | John Waters' Pecker Fits On Every Plate Anyone who saw last year's rot-bomb Great Expectations may well exhibit caution before seeing another film about a young man fighting the good fight against ruination in the big, bad world of art promotion in New York City. One suspects that director John Waters saw it too, and once recovered from the sloth and self-loathing concomitant to watching someone else's crap, felt pretty fabulous that he, on the other hand, was in the process of working on a quality picture with quality talent.More |
|
