Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark gets a makeover

We just got back from Spider-Man. This is the second time we’ve seen a show before and after they fixed it (The Addams Family was the first). The original version was so bad it prompted me to write a review entitled Spiderman: Turn Off the Suck. This version of Spider-Man is nearly a total rewrite. I’d say more than half the dialogue was new. They added 30 minutes of exposition to explain the plot and motivations, rearranged some confusing scenes, re-staged most scenes, cut several subplots that didn’t work, made much better use of their moving video walls, and essentially discarded the original act 2, nearly in its entirety. They also got rid of the “geek” chorus, the spiders with mannequin legs and the lonely guitarists standing at the edge of the stage.

In the original version, the main villain, the Green Goblin, died very early in the show, and the second act was incomprehensible nonsense about a spider goddess making Peter Parker think New York had been destroyed so he would fall in love with her. Thankfully, that is gone, and now the Green Goblin survives until the very end. Because he was so funny, they have given him several opportunities to essentially do a standup schtick with the audience, and there is a hysterical bit where he tries to navigate a voice mail system to leave a threatening message. This also moves the climactic battle to the end of the show. Duh. These changes have upgraded the show from a D- to a B+. It was an expensive but shrewd move to close this show for six weeks, dump director Julie Taymor and start over. I applaud those who had the guts to take a chance on it.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Some Broadway shows have plots so convoluted that it requires advance study to follow them. This is a not a problem for Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The entire plot may be summarized as: three drag queens and a bus.

That’s not to say the show isn’t fun. It is. Filled with stunning costumes (cupcakes, human paint brushes, a dress made of flip flops), top notch musical performances, and a collection of pop hits from the 70s and 80s, the show will delight anyone who enjoyed La Cage Aux Folles (although that show actually has a deep story).

As good as the cast was, they were at times upstaged by the bus. It twirls, spins, opens up, hangs over the front rows of the audience, serves as an anchor for a twenty foot long high-heeled shoe, and eventually every surface of it is revealed to be a video wall. If it sounds tacky, it is, but all in good fun. The audience ate it up.

Earlier in the day we had lunch at Jean Georges, one of our favorites, and New York’s best lunch deal. It was a novelty to simply walk downstairs from our room to go to the restaurant.

Then we went for a long walk in Central Park. I’d never really had a chance to explore before, and we climbed to the top of Belvedere Castle. It was fun, but hot, and we all needed showers when we got back to the room.

Our late dinner after the show was at db Bistro Moderne. So nice to be in a town where you can make an 11pm dinner reservation and not be keeping the waiters up late.

Eleven Madison Park

A few months ago Linda and I went to Eleven Madison Park with our friends Ron and Bev, and had the best meal of our lives. So it was with some trepidation that I made a reservation for a return visit during this trip. Everything was so perfect in that earlier meal that I was afraid we were set up for disappointment. But it was just as perfect on this visit. Both food and service were just as delightful.

The amazing thing about the food here is the number of discrete flavors identifiable in each and every dish, and then the way they come together into something greater than the individual elements. Through about twenty different offerings on the tasting menu, each course offered new tastes, as there were few repeats from our previous visit. This time we had the matching wine pairing, which was also a little bit of genius. Definitely our favorite restaurant anywhere.

Trump International Hotel

This is the first time we’ve tried this hotel, and it seems ideal. Our room is a spacious one-bedroom suite that overlooks Central Park. The view is really quite amazing. Best of all, the hotel restaurant is one of our favorites, Jean Georges. I had no idea they served breakfast, but we can’t pass that up, even though we’re also having lunch there tomorrow! The Amex platinum deal is great, with one night free, breakfast included, and late checkout. And it’s an easy walk to the theaters and restaurants we have planned, except for tonight’s outing to Eleven Madison Park.

 

Road Trip Wrap Up

10 Days, 11 States: Chicago IL, Detroit MI, Cleveland OH, Pittsburgh PA, Hot Springs VA, Beckley WV, Asheville NC, Sevierville TN, Charleston SC, Savannah GA, Jacksonville FL and home to Orlando. A little over 2000 miles.

Attraction Highlights

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Forbidden Caverns, and The USS Yorktown aircraft carrier and USS Clamagore submarine at Patriots Point.

Hotel Highlights

Best service and amenities were at the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland, with its club lounge. Best room was the condo at The Residences at Biltmore.

Restaurants

We tried to find the best restaurants in the places we stayed, but only hit two home runs on the road trip. Here’s how I’d rank them:

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Mediocre

 

Matthew’s

We arrived in Jacksonville in the afternoon and went to Matthew’s for dinner. It was an excellent meal, and it was nice to end our road trip on a high note. The six course tasting menu was well thought out and very reasonably priced, as was the wine pairing. Our server, Kelly, was super, and had a lot of fun with the wine pairing when she figured out I was into wines, bringing options for each course. As a result, I ended up with a lot of interesting things to try matching with the food, all for $70. Quite a deal:

  • Moet & Chandon Imperial (89)
  • King Estate Pinot Gris (87)
  • 2009 Domaine Napa Chardonnay (93, like butter cream frosting)
  • King Estate Pinot Noir (89, earthy finish)
  • ZD Cabernet Sauvignon (92, really chewy)
  • 2006 Abbaye de Saint-ferme “les vignes du soir” Bordeaux blend (89, minerals)
  • Fonseca 20 year tawny (90, carmel)
  • La fleur d’or Sauternes (84, chlorine)
  • Alvear’s Fino Montilla (not my thing!)

Coincidentally, we learned that the highly regarded pastry chef at the Peninsula Grill in Charleston where we dined last night came from this Jacksonville restaurant!

Yorktown and Clamagore

Dani was up late editing her Duchess of Malfi video, so she slept in, and when she got up we walked a few blocks to The Pit Stop Deli for some tasty sandwiches. Then we drove across Charleston’s impressive Bridge to Patriot’s Point to see the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier and the USS Clamagore submarine.

The Yorktown offers a half dozen self-guided tours. We wandered through many levels, seeing the mess, galleys, bunks, sick bay, surgery, x-ray room, radar rooms (one full of giant racks, one with red lights and many small screens), navigation room, bridge, helm, and flight deck. It was neat to see all this sixty year old high tech equipment. The tour is definitely not ADA compliant, as there are many ladders, both up and down, and many water tight doorways with six inch sills.

On the other side of the quay we descended into the USS Clamagore, the last of the navy’s diesel powered submarines. This was an even more interesting sub tour than the U-boat in Chicago, because it is nearly unaltered from its original condition. That means you have to swing up and through the many watertight hatches that separate the compartments. I think this sub is similar to the one Tom Gottshalk served on. I can’t imagine how crowded it must have been with a full crew, as some of the corridors were so narrow that both my shoulders touched.

Both ships were really interesting tours, and the breeze from the ocean kept the 90 degree day pleasant.

Dinner at Peninsula Grill in our hotel, voted Charleston’s best restaurant every year since 2001, was very good. The highlight was the Madeira tasting flight:

  • 1969 D’Oliveiras Sercial Reserva
  • 1981 Barbieto Verdelho
  • 1968 D’Oliveiras Boal Reserva
  • 1875 Barbieto Malvasia

Charleston

We left Asheville in the morning and stopped in Columbia, South Carolina for a surprisingly tasty Indian buffet at Punjabi Dhaba, then continued on the Charleston, arriving at The Planter’s Inn about 3pm. It’s a Relais & Chateau hotel at an excellent price.

After walking around town and through the tourist shops on Market Street, we checked out Magnolia’s and decided to cancel our dinner reservation due to their felony cholesterol abuse. In its place we went to O-Ku, a Japanese restaurant about ten blocks north. It was one of the best Japanese meals I’ve had. In particular, the Toro four ways appetizer was amazing: otoro, kanpachi, hamachi and salmon, each with a perfect sprig of accompaniment and sprinkle of spice: pepper, salt, truffle, serano chile, or cilantro.

Forbidden Caverns

Dani and I took a day trip to Eastern Tennessee to see Forbidden Caverns. I think in the past it might have been called Blowing Cave, but the PR guys changed it for obvious reasons. In any event, it’s on Blowing Cave Road and there’s a Blowing Cave Baptist Church nearby.

It’s a really great cave, probably the best I’ve toured. Since it’s a wet cave, there are lots of formations, including North America’s biggest flowstone formation. This is a much better cave than Mammoth Cave, and the tour is a nice walk, with only about 60 steps, but suitably twisty. There’s also a river running through the cave that comes out of the mountain a half mile away at the “You Hook ‘Em, We Cook ‘Em” trout fishery.

We also stopped at The Old Grist Mill for a photo op, and then had lunch at the Bush’s Baked Beans Visitor Center, which was packed. Don’t laugh. It’s a lovely new facility with one of the best corporate films I’ve seen, all about their automated factory.

Back at The Residences at Biltmore, I got caught up with my classes while Dani edited a movie she shot of a Northwestern play. For dinner we’re walking to a nearby Mediterranean restaurant, Rezaz.

Asheville Downtown

Our early morning Harry Potter extravaganza ended about 3am, and I only got about five hours of sleep, although Dani got a couple more. We had breakfast and a lazy morning at the condo, then headed to downtown Asheville for a late lunch.

Downtown Asheville is very cute. The shops are aimed at tourists, but the restaurants seem popular with the locals. We had a light lunch at Thai Basil and then strolled past the two other restaurants I had dinner reservations at, deciding to cancel the one for tonight, as the menu at Table was a bit odd. Dani found a book of 340 O. Henry short stories in a used book store, and we returned to our room for a vegetative afternoon.

In the evening we returned to downtown, which was hopping, with a drum festival in one park, and a concert closing off other streets. We dined at Jerusalem Garden Cafe, where the belly dancer offended Dani’s feminist sensibilities, but was better than the food. Then we returned to the Residences at Biltmore to watch the fireflies on the lawn, and take in the view from the pool and fire pit at the top of the hill.

 

 

Asheville, NC

Before checking out from The Homestead we had breakfast in the dining room and used our resort activity credit to take the shuttle up to the ski lodge and try our hand at archery. Lots of fun, but we made it a quick stop, because we didn’t want to get sun-burned. Then we headed south through the Allegheny and Appalachian Mountains to Asheville, North Carolina.

Along the way we stopped at the King Tut Drive In for an authentic drive-in experience, complete with car hop service. The menu is extensive, to say the least.

In Asheville we checked in to a lovely one bedroom condo at The Residences at Biltmore, and then drove to Greenlife, a Whole Foods spinoff, to pick up some supplies for breakfasts.

We had an excellent dinner at Fig, a nearby bistro. It was the cheapest, and one of the best meals of the trip.

After some chill time back at the condo, we headed for the local cineplex, and the 12:04am showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2.

 

The Homestead

We had a lovely if somewhat long drive today. We stocked the car with all the goodies from the club level of the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland, and headed for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a surprisingly beautiful city, nestled among many forested hills. They really need a new PR company, as we loved it. We had lunch at a French bistro Dani found online, Paris 66. They had good crepes, although I ordered one with too much saffron.

The we headed south, and through the hills (mountains?) into West Virginia. Our drive through the Monongahela National Forest was very scenic. We mostly avoided the rain, but did drive up into the clouds as we crossed the Allegheny Mountains. Crossing into Virginia on a two lane country road we still passed the usual barrage of warning signs telling you what the ever-hospitable state will do to punish you for a variety of infractions. We’ve been letting the Tom Tom app on the iPad guide us, but for a while the clouds blocked the GPS, and Dani had to resort to navigating by paper AAA maps. Eventually the Tom Tom remembered what it was doing, steered us onto a single-lane road through some farms and around a half dozen deer, a grouse, a baby raccoon, one ground hog, a squirrel, and two other cars, and by 7:30pm we arrive at The Homestead resort.

The Homestead is a beautiful estate, sort of a clone of The Greenbrier, with the same plusses and minuses. The room we have is really two complete rooms, a bedroom and sitting room, with three huge walk in closets. But it is also really old. The building is huge, and has any imaginable amenity: archery, hiking, fishing, equestrian, golf, paint ball (!), a bowling alley and movie theater. The dining room is large and has the biggest dance floor I’ve seen in thirty years. But the food and service seem to be the products of someone who has never actually been at a fine restaurant, but only read the descriptions. (Waldorf Salad = a cup filled with mayonnaise, with a few nuts and bits of apple in it.)  This, in fact, seems to be symptomatic of Virginia resorts, as it is not only the case at the Greenbrier, but also The Williamsburg Inn.

Fortunately, it’s a deal, at $229, including breakfast and an activity credit of $100.

Tomorrow we may try archery to use up our credit, and then will head to Asheville in time to visit Asheville’s premier attraction, the mall where they’re opening the last Harry Potter film at 12:04 am.

 

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Today we visited The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one of Alcorn McBride’s largest midwest installations. We were greeted by Meredith, the curator of the new Women in Rock exhibit, who gave us a fabulous personal tour of the exhibit. Then we spent about two hours touring the rest of the exhibits on our own, finally meeting Rob, the technical manager, for a peek backstage. They have the largest stack of installed LightCues that I’ve seen.

Throughout our time at the museum I was impressed by how the exhibits engaged their guests. The artifacts are really interesting, and the interpretive material is just the right amount— informative without being overwhelming. I was also impressed by how friendly all of the employees were. A very nice attraction.

We had a late but light lunch at Shooters on the water, and watched a really, really large ship squeeze under the railroad bridge and up the river.

Dinner was at Michael Symon’s Lola. It’s on 4th Avenue, a cute pedestrian street with lots of restaurants. Good meal, but not sure how he won the James Beard award as the best chef in the midwest.

The Henry Ford

I didn’t really know what The Henry Ford in Dearborn Michigan was until we came here. Silly me, I assumed it was a car museum. But it’s much more. The museum includes important artifacts from American history, such as Kennedy’s Dallas limo and Rosa Parks bus. There is also a village, somewhat like Williamsburg, where you can see Edison’s laboratory and the Wright Brothers workshop.

We stayed at The Henry Autograph Hotel, a new brand by Marriott that is a de-frocked Ritz Carlton. It was a good deal, because the $229 rate included breakfast, admission to The Henry Ford, and a nice coffee table book.

Upon arrival we drove into Detroit to the Motor City Casino and Hotel for dinner at Iridescence, a nice restaurant with a view to the south (yes, south) into Canada. The casino is trying to be a Vegas casino, but the patrons are the usual inner city losers. The restaurant, however, has a different clientele, and our server, Jackie, was wonderful. Recommended.

Road Trip: Chicago to Orlando 2011

10 Days, 11 States: Chicago IL, Indiana, Detroit MI, Cleveland OH, Pittsburgh PA, Hot Springs VA, Beckley WV, Asheville NC, Sevierville TN, Charleston SC, Savannah GA, Jacksonville FL and home to Orlando. A little over 2000 miles.

The day before the road trip we decided to be Chicago tourists.

We took advantage of having a car on our last day in Chicago to do touristy things, visiting the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Sears (er, I mean Willis) Tower.

They’ve really fixed up the museum, as the last time we were there, four years ago, most stuff seemed to be broken. On this visit there were lots of new exhibits, and everything seemed to be working. Hopefully it’s because they’re using lots of our gear.

The body exhibit was the main thing Dani was interested in. They’ve taken real human bodies and replaced all the part with injected plastic, then performed autopsies on them. Fascinating, but not for the squeamish.

We also went through the U-Boat, which is now indoors. I could have spent several hours at that exhibit alone. They’ve added audio and lighting effects to the tour of the sub itself, which is quite effective.

We also went to the Wills (Sears) Tower and stood on the glass floor. They had a pretty good movie before the elevator ride. It seems that some smaller attractions are getting better at hiring storytellers to design their experiences.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Now that Dani has finished her German class (and got an A, of course) we have a couple of free days in Chicago before our road trip. We spent today at the Lincoln Park Zoo, a lovely oasis of greenery in the midst of the Chicago skyline.

 

 

 

Fourth of July in Evanston

We decided to avoid the traffic and stay in Evanston for the Fourth of July. Dani made her traditional berry and jello flag cake, I grilled some steaks, Linda made Julia Child’s sauteed pearl onions, and we watched the spectacular Evanston beach fireworks show from the balcony.

Julia Child’s Sauteed Pearl Onions

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated.

 

The Girl and the Goat

The Girl and the Goat is the new restaurant by Stephanie Izard, winner of Top Chef. Barely open a year, it has already won a James Beard award, and is the hottest restaurant in Chicago. I reserved our table three months in advance.

I was a bit wary of going the day after Moto, and some of the menu items seemed a bit scary (oven roasted pig’s face). What a delightful surprise this restaurant turned out to be! We loved all the plates we shared. We tried all three fresh baked breads of the day. Each was served with two different accompaniments, such as Worchestshire butter. Our favorite dishes were:

  • Wood fired chicken with fried pickles and grilled naan.
  • Sauteed cauliflower with pickled peppers, parmesan cheese, mint leaves and pine nuts.
  • Goat belly confit with lobster and crab.

Service was really professional yet friendly, and the vibrant environment and wood smoke filled room is the perfect setting for such fun and tasty food. The Girl and the Goat is a new Chicago favorite.


Moto

Saturday night we made our annual visit to the molecular gastronomy weirdness that is Moto. We often use a limo service to get to Chicago, because the cost for a town car is about the same as a cab. But every once in a while they run out of town cars, and we get a stretch limo, as was the case last night. It was fun playing with the inscrutable controls and watching a movie on the way.

At Moto we had the 20-course grand tasting menu. It sounds like a lot, but most courses are only a couple of bites or sips, and it takes almost five hours, so you don’t leave feeling stuffed. We also had the matching wine pairing, 14 small samples of wines.

Moto was packed, and they turned the tables of those having the ten-course menu twice. I felt that the service wasn’t quite as fun and the food not quite as consistent as in the past. There were still some wonderful courses, but also a fair number of neat looking but not particularly awe inspiring dishes. The wines seemed better than usual, though, and all of them perfectly matched their courses.

I managed to photograph most of the courses, but forgot a few. Favorites: Pretzel soup, baseball snacks, most of the red meat courses, the banana split and the smores bomb. Big misses: Shrimp and grits, cookie crumbs.

Moto isn’t the sort of place I’d go more than once a year, but if you haven’t tried molecular gastronomy, it’s definitely worth the experience.