Another St. Patrick’s Day came and went this past Monday, and in true, own-your-ginger-heritage style, I chose to don green, tame my redhead mane, and go out to partake of all the Irish fare possible. Irish food and spirits run aplenty in the rainy, emerald isles of our Willamette Valley. I was thrilled to hear that there would be a new Irish Restaurant opening in downtown Salem just in time for the festive holiday.
Sisters Irish Bistro is co-owned and operated by a mother-daughter team, Judith Moss and Tena Khonizy, respectively. The Bistro is located in the Reed Opera House and offers small plate appetizers, salad, soup, lunch and dinner entrees, and dessert. The bistro also boasts a full-service coffee bar.
Upon entering the restaurant in its quaint location on the bottom floor of the Reed, I can instantly see the potential. Lit by bright yet tasteful lamplight, I take in the old stone-and-mortar walls, vintage-style stained glass windows, rustic mahogany beams and tables, and fancy faux fireplace; they have carved out the perfect location for an authentic Irish Bistro in the heart of our capital.
Moss and Khonizy share their heritage with pride in providing genuine Irish cuisine from recipes that have been in their family for generations. The simple menu includes the traditional Irish meals: Corned Beef & Cabbage, Bangers & Mash, and Irish Beef Stew, all averaging around $10 per entrée. Appetizers include salad and soup of the day, while the dessert bar flaunts four different Irish-style cakes (Irish Oatmeal, Apple Rum, Carrot, and Irish Fantasy).
Take an all-star voice acting cast, mix in the timeless usage of stop-motion filming, a dash of CGI, an unexpected pinch of live-action, and an overabundance of the most classic toy of all time. Piece them together and behold: The LEGO Movie. (Be still, my childlike heart!)
Released in the U.S. on February 7th by Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, I immediately bought tickets for the first LEGO movie ever produced to witness history in the making. I initially assumed I would experience a typical, feel-good, cutesy animated film, which I was willing to endure due to the star-strewn cast. With names and voices equally recognizable, the picture includes movie icons Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Will Farrell, and Will Arnett, which guaranteed an above-average film at the least. However, I soon learned I should leave my expectations in the lobby.
Indeed, the film begins like every other feature…but immediately accelerates from zero to 60 in a matter of seconds. From the epic, over-the-top introduction to the jaw-dropping surprise ending, the creators rev up the fast-paced plotline to entertain even the most skeptical of movie-goers. There is so much happening all at once, with such colorful and creative mastery of LEGO animation, it is impossible to do anything but smile and hold on to your seat.
Musings from the West Side Wine Store
(from one of my previous jobs, yet also my favorite with so many good memories)
About a year ago I realized I was utterly “burned-out” on pinot noir. For some people, this happens and is an understandable palate change on our wine tasting journey. However, for someone working in the wine industry, living smack-dab in the epicenter of Willamette Valley pinot noir country, this was a travesty. I mean, for goodness sake, about a third of our reds at the wine shop are pinot noir because of all the local wineries who harvest the grape. I was backwards. My palate needed help.
I went into rehab (of the wine sort) to get me turned back on to reds. So I spent some time timidly trying out the heftier red wines of our northwest region, and even foreign vintages, delving deeper into the fuller and richer, darker and heavier reds that I couldn’t “handle” during my year-long pinot noir love-affair. I welcomed the change, and appreciated that my nose, tongue, and stomach didn’t reject the more complex reds as before. And I settled into a happy, red routine once more.
Until Tim Wilson came along.
This dream has been a long time coming. Years of contemplation, one decision, then months of hard work to build this blog from the ground up. I think every writer has a vision for how they imagine their work will turn out, but there is no guarantee; our own imaginations can surprise us and even our creation can have a mind of its own, resulting in something we never thought we were capable of. I am a sentimentalist and hopeless romantic by nature, but I find it awkward to reveal that side of myself most of the time. However, I…