show review: the mallard

"The Mallard, Strawberry Jam, Ornery Ones were fantastic last night! The Mallard sounds super cool as a four piece!" - Luke Giffen, via facebook


last night i went out to see the mallard play at audie's olympic.  fortunately, heather is on vacation so she was able to go as well.  i like the mallard, and really like them live.  for those that don't know, the lead singer of the mallard is greer, formerly of rademacher, but it's a much, much different sound than the old days of rad.  i dig it.  the first time i saw the mallard it was a two piece. then, heather and i saw them as a three piece. now, it's a four piece and sounds really good.  the music is more densely constructed, but still has a very light, energetic and loud feel to it.

the first band of the night was a project featuring james brittain gore on guitar & singing, benji mcentee (of the fay rays) on bass, and another guy on drums.  they had a nice sound, but it didn't blow me away.

the second band of the night was strawberry jam.  i'd never heard of them, but they're from the area.  and they freakin rock.  both heather & i were astonished by the bass player especially.  she laid down some seriously good bass lines on the night.  i shot two videos of them to share with the world:





finally, the mallard was up.  i could see them over and over.  the energy.  the talent.  the awesome noise.  the videos don't do them justice.

so, i'd agree with luke.  awesome show last night.

paterno statue removed

this weekend this famous statue was removed.  and it should have been.

some would say that joe paterno was a great coach, and we should honor his accomplishments.  the statue should stay.  while i understand the sentiment, and agree that he was a great football coach, we can not deny what he also did: cover up a horrendous crime.

joe paterno tarnished his own legacy.  he could have done things differently.  he could have reported his dear friend to the police as soon as he was aware.  he could have made sure that a great university would not be brought down by such a heinous scandal.  i realize paterno was not alone in this.  everyone complicit in this scenario should be brought to light.

but football is not as important as life.  football, wins, and paterno are not as important as those children's lives that were ruined.  i know there are many that still would love to worship at the altar of paterno, but they should not.  and the university needed to take down the statue as a way of closing the door on that part of their history.  as long as that statue remained it would be a reminder of the shame paterno brought on himself and the university.

i wonder if the school's ice cream shop will still sell peachy paterno? (yep)

btw, the photo above is me in 2008. i visited happy valley on our way to a friend's bachelor party.  i respected paterno as a coach, even though i wasn't a penn state fan or from the area.  i thought it would be cool to take a picture with the statue.  here's another one i took:

in case you can't make out the words, it says "they ask me what i what i'd like written about me when i'm gone. i hope the write i made penn state a better place not just that i was a good football coach."

sadly, that's not what is being written any more.

lela's dinner review

it's restaurant week in fresno. that means a lot of local restaurants have fixed price menus going, and you all should get out and try some place new.  you don't have to go to one of the participating restaurant, but you should go to something local and new to you, in my opinion.  for us, the stars aligned and we decided to go to lela's.

you see, the other night i was talking to nolan, a guy i've talked to a few times before, but i wouldn't say i know him really well.  i know him, he knows me, in the sense of we've got some shared friends, we've chatted at bars, and we'd definitely say hi to each other in passing.  well, the other day we ran into each other and he told me all about the new ventures in his life.  he had been cooking in restaurants, but has stopped, and is now a part of tower urban family farm.  he and his brothers have converted some property around one (maybe more) of their houses into farm, and are growing vegetables.  they're selling it every weekend from the urban farm.  they're also in the process of getting certified as a farm, something that's a little tricky when you're in the city limits.  once they are certified, nolan felt they could really be sustainable as a business because they could sell more openly to restaurants and such.  in fact, he said he had at least two places that specifically will be using their vegetables as soon as they are certified, but aren't able to take the risk before.  one place that is willing to go out on a limb is lela's.

lela's is out at herndon and marks, which is pretty far out there for us.  it's not that we won't go to different parts of town for food or entertainment, but this is any area of town that we don't spend much time in.  lela's is tucked away in a less than scenic shopping center, but that doesn't really matter for the dining experience once you're inside.  the decor is nice and clean, fairly modern and there's a window that allows you to see the chefs at work.  they have a few booths and mostly tables.  i'd guess the place seats around 50 to 60 people.

the menu is standard american cuisine, and i don't say that in any sort of pejorative manner.  in a recent fresno bee article it was referred to as lighter, traditional fare.  for starters, we had the cheese & fruit plate and the crab cakes.  my wife really enjoyed the cheeses. (admittedly, we love cheese, and will get cheese plate appetizers at a lot of restaurants. if it's on the menu, we'll probably order one.) i had the crab cakes, which were a dungeneus crab mix, coated in panko. they're served on a bed of greens with a light sauce.  they were amazing.  you get 3, i could have foolishly eaten like 30.  maybe that's just me.  for our mains, we ordered the grilled salmon and the ribeye.  the salmon comes with quinoa, which had a texture like maybe it had been fried a little, and that was pretty nice. it also had a nice sweetness to it.  my wife said if quinoa was always like this she would love it.  it also comes with some root vegetables and arugula.  the salmon was well prepared, but overall was pretty normal.  the ribeye comes portabella mushroom potato croquet, spinach and asparagus.  i liked the veggies, but whatever, i was focused on the ribeye.  the ribeye was everything i expected: tender, juicy, flavorful. it had a simple seasoning to it, which allowed the meat flavor to stand out on it's own.  yes, there is a glaze that went over the food, but it added to the flavor and didn't dominate the plate.  i was also pleased that the ribeye was trimmed of most of the fat but still had a little on the edge along with the juicy amounts in the cut.  honestly, sometimes at restaurants you get a ribeye that has a crazy amount of fat and can be a bit overwhelming.  for dessert, we had the new york cheesecake which was good, and their take on the drumstick - the deconstructed drumstick, which is a scoop of ice cream with a waffle cone peace on it, chocolate sauce w/peanuts and some cashews.  both desserts were good, but we were pretty full from our meal and neither of us finished dessert (again, we were just full, both tasted good).

as for the staff, we found our waiter very nice.  he and the other staff seemed pretty knowledgeable and willing to serve.  it seems strange to say that about wait staff, but sometimes they just want to talk your ear off, or aren't around.  we were checked on a reasonable amount of times, and the waiter actually asked my opinion on how they do their coffee - they bring out a french press to your table.  i was honest, and said it was alright but not great.  i liked the presentation of it, but the coffee itself wasn't that great, and with french pressed coffee it always seems a bit silty.  it was also nice that the executive chef come out and was checking on patrons, and stopped by.  i wanted to ask him some questions, but was busy with my ribeye when he came to our table.

overall, we had a very nice experience, would recommend lela's to other's, and would go back again.

lela's
7089 marks avenue, ste 101
432-9900

btw, i recommend reservations, and the dress seems like dress casual.

spiral cut hot dog

i saw a video, specifically this video from chow.com, the other day on the internet about spiral cutting a hot dog before cooking it.



i thought i would have to try that technique the next time i cooked up dogs.  for anyone that knows me, i love hot dogs.  i realize that they aren't the pinnacle of culinary creation.  but, they are handy, and offer a lot of variety in preparation technique and condiments afterward.  i like to try different combos to really make hot dogs interesting.

this spiral cut technique works well.  i didn't use a skewer so the cuts weren't as deep as in the video, but it still worked.  and, like they mention in the video it does allow for more crispy deliciousness.  i'm sold, i think this may be the way for me in the future.

this also made me miss tower dogs and their options on dogs.

finally, i recommend checking out chew's youtube channel. lots of good ideas there.

UPDATE: i didn't realize heather mclane of the beehive blogged this yesterday.  granted, we wrote different stuff, but just wanted to point it out in case people were thinking i was biting another local site w/o credit.

fierce creatures changing

if you're on the fresno internets, or have seen indie rock in fresno over the past few years you have to have heard of the band fierce creatures. in fact, we had a few members of the band on looksgoodfresno.com. currently, they are gearing up to release a new album, and put out a video for the first song off the record.
 

but here's where it gets interesting. rumors are circulating that the band is breaking up. well, maybe breaking up is the wrong word. several members are leaving, three from what i heard. some will stay with the band through the release and some upcoming shows, but then are out. while i don't want to name my source, it is veeeerrrrrrrry reliable. things could change, and it's possible the leaving members don't, but it didn't sound like that would be the case. so what does that mean for fresno's up and coming musical darlings? i don't know. i hope they're able to fill in the holes with good replacements. they're a band with a lot of potential. speaking of rumors, enjoy this:

master of doin' it

what is this, a blog that just post videos? shhhh, i know, i know. but i loves to share that vids that i enjoy. so today, here's my latest find & share:

i grew up loving a variety of music, and was blessed with an older brother with good taste in music. i got to experience in brit music, college rock, and rap all before a lot of my peers. but metal, that was all my own. and i loved metallica. had the shirts, the music, everything i could get my hands on. for a class project we had to write a letter to someone famous, i chose them. i actually got a signed photo in return, which was awesome to junior high me. as an adult, i'm not as much into metal, but throw on an old metallica album and i'm there. i've also grown in my appreciation of music, especially funk, from the 70's. seriously, i think stevie wonder's songs in the key of life may be one of the best albums ever made. while i can't say i've listened to a lot of herbie hancock beyond rockit (that video scared the shit out of me as a kid), i enjoy this mashup and what he lays down on it. i think i may need to dig into his catalog a bit.

news reporter prank

pranks for all! so, what this really reminds me of is beauty pageant contestant answers. people put on the spot will try to answer about anything. and if they really don't know, they'll adlib. some of these adlibs are kinda funny and true, but others just, well, dumb.

shake weight prank

i don't mind pranks, especially when they're not making someone else look bad, or really at their expense. so, this shake weight prank works well for me. i mean, it's obvious what everyone is thinking, and their reactions are pretty normal. 'what is this guy doing on the street?' and then to see their reactions, and frequent laughter when they see the gag, i can appreciate it.

prometheus plot holes

and now for prometheus spoilers and plot holes, provided by red letter media i still enjoyed the movie, and wouldn't mind seeing it again, but some of the holes they point out are quite interesting.

prometheus review

this is just a brief review, mainly because i don't want to spoil the movie for anyone. so,we want to see prometheus today. i'm probably blogging about it too soon, because i'm still digesting the film. what i will say is that i liked the film. i'm not sure why people think it's going to be scary, because i didn't find that to be the case at all. really, i didn't even think that it was all that suspenseful either. it's an interesting story, to me, and i like how it was told. but what's got me wondering is why david does many of his actions. his actions seem malicious at times, and this doesn't make sense to me.

nba conference championships

so, i like basketball.  i mean, i like it enough to watch it occasionally.  there are teams i follow, and i would actually say i've been a bulls fan most of my life. (yes, i started like basketball and the bulls after they got jordan, but what kid my age didn't? so shut up.)  anyway, i haven't watched much basketball this post season, especially after derrick rose went down at the beginning of the playoffs due to injury. i was glad the bulls played scrappy and hung around in their series even though i figured they couldn't win without rose (& later noah).

but this week, as the nba moved into the conference championships, and it finally got interesting. the spurs went up 2-0 only to have the thunder figure them out.  the celtics looked verrrrrrrrrry tired and went down 0-2 to the heat, and have since stormed back.  i've actually watched the fourth quarters of each game five because the games were actually interesting, close, and mattered.

so, last night i was watching the celtics put it on the heat in quarter 4, and as they finished the game i was treated to this awesomeness:



"good job! good effort!"

how awesome is that kid yelling! it cracked me up last night, and it was no surprise to me that today it had taken off as an internet meme.  it's on the sports radio (i've heard it about a dozen times on this morning's jim rome), i'm sure espn is talking about it, and sports websites are running with it.  in these internet days, who knows how long "good job! good effort!" will last, but i love it.

btw, i continue to say kudos to the nba.  unlike most leagues, they love it for you to upload clips to youtube.  most sports leagues quickly take down clips you put up and claim the content.  that stops the spread of the product. stupid. the nba realizes that people putting it out there is good, it's free advert for them, and the product grows.

grilled chz - dinner review

went last night to check out this restaurant. i really enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches at home, and thought it would be nice to see the concoctions that there were making at this spot.

my wife ordered the double cream brie sandwich that came with turkey in it.  she enjoyed the sandwich and saved half for later.  (she may have made the mistake of leaving it in the frig, in which case it'll be my lunch!)  along with that, she had the tomato bisque, which was sorta weak. i mean, we both tasted it, and i didn't taste any difference from your average tomato soup (which they also have on the menu).

i had the borderbob, which is pepperjack with chili in it on a spicy potato bread.  very good tasting, nice spice to the sandwich.  i was actually a bit taken back because i often read descriptions and they claim to be spicy and this one actually was.  along with my combo i had the mac n cheese.  it was sorta bland.

i saw fries coming out on other orders & thought i'd add on a side of fries just to try them out as well.  they were darn good.  the size of an individual fry is close to steak fries, and they were well prepared - hot & cooked to the right firmness, which is somewhere between hard & mush - they hit it right.  very little salt on them, so if you want them salty you can control that, which is nice.

overall, we liked the sandwiches and fries.  the other sides we had were lackluster.  i'd go back again. for some, it may be a bit pricey but i didn't feel it was unreasonable.

the wire: the musical!

funny or die did something to help celebrate the 10 year anniversary of one of the best shows ever, the wire.  they made a musical parody trailer

The Wire: The Musical with Michael Kenneth Williams from Michael Kenneth Williams     

i love that they got a lot of the original cast to show up in play parts.  of course, nothing would be possible without omar (michael kenneth williams aka bkbmg) starring in it.  this doesn't surprise me as he is a trained dancer & choreographer, but it's fun to see his talents showcased.

and yes, snoop's part is ridiculous, strange, but i like it.  i wonder how her legal issues are going?

since it's the 10 year anniversary of the wire, other things have been happening on the web around the show.  many of the actors are on twitter, and so they've been tweeting about the show. (i personally follow omar, bunk, bubbles. i've seen twitter for slim charles & a few others.)  there is also a massive project starting.  Peter Honig is doing a breakdown of the show, writing multiple in depth posts on each episode.  Great idea, although it seems way more to keep up with than i'm willing.

me, i've just been watching the show via hbogo while i hit the elliptical.  nothing says gritty baltimore drug deals more than me working out.  i started there, but have also been watching episodes at home. it's hard to not just burn through episode after episode like some sort of burner bought from bubble's shopping cart.

UPDATE: david simon, creator of the wire, has seen it and loves it.

tetris the movie

forget battleshit, i might actually see this* bastardizing of something i once enjoyed.



well done, people.

*i realize this isn't real, but a parody trailer for a fake movie.

robert glasper experiment smells like teen spirit

rather interesting video of smells like teen spirit.



i don't know much about jazz hip hop fusion, but i'm almost willing to try it out while i paint.

cat drug problem?

look at your cat
it's clearly on drugs.

henry rollins inspires

eff yeah, henry rollins.

stak shak lunch review

a few weeks back, i'm not exactly sure when, i saw that a couple of new places had opened up along my drive to and from work.  one, a taco stand that used to be open years ago had new life breathed into it.  the other, a strange little building that i never really noticed until the new sign went up and lights were on.  this oddly shaped place: the stak shak.

today, i had the chance to drop in on the stak shak for some lunch.  they have a decent sized menu that is centered around the idea of sandwiches, hot dogs and more.  they have both hot and cold sandwiches, a variety of dogs, and some special offers as well.  the interior of the restaurant is pleasant, and has a "home-y" feel to it.

since it was my first time, and i knew i'd be writing about the meal, i wanted to try a few things.  i also hoped they had pastrami since i love pastrami, and it's something i've had all over and can compare.  they did have pastrami, which i ordered. you can get it on a variety of breads, and i went with sourdough.  i also love hot dogs, and so i ordered the western dog as well.  they have several drink options, some bottle, some not.  i went basic and had a bottled root beer.

i ate the dog first. the western dog comes with bbq sauce, shredded cheese and onions.  i should have ordered without the onions, as they're not a favorite of mine, but i was able to knock them off fairly easy and enjoy the dog.  the bbq sauce was a sweet bbq, and worked well with the cheese & dog.  the dog itself was an average dog, but fine.  the whole thing comes with a pickle side.  i liked the dog, and my only beef with it was the price.  all the dogs cost $5.50, which is a little more than they're worth in my opinion.

after devouring my dog, i went to the pastrami.  first, it's a cold pastrami sandwich, which i figured when i saw the menu.  i prefer hot pastrami to cold, but whatever. i chose the sourdough, which was a pretty good, thicker slices of sourdough.  they use a spicy mustard that i really loved.  it's one of those mustards that has the little seed balls in it. great flavor, really worked with the sandwich.  the meat itself was decent, lunch meat style pastrami with a fine flavor.  the lettuce was shredded, and i prefer leaf.  the pastrami sandwich costs $6.

overall, i thought the place was fine. the service was nice, and rather quick in filling orders.  the restaurant was comfortable to be in, and they do have free wifi.  i thought the food was good, not great, and it seems a little pricey, but not exorbitant.  for those that are inclined, you can all or fax in orders in advance.

stak shak
1950 e. divisadero
fresno, 93701
p:559.497.5101
f:550.497.5102
m-f, 7a -3p

cabin in the woods film review

it was a combination of friends going to a movie on a saturday afternoon coupled with a heat snap that sent us to watch the new release, cabin in the woods.  going into the film, i had very little idea about it. i had seen a preview, and it sorta looked like your stock slasher film – girls that will in all likelihood get nude and then die, people being brutally tortured and then dying, and a lone survivor.  it was unlikely that i would have gone and seen the film if the previous two conditions didn’t exist.  i actually felt that the movie was a remake of a previous film as it had the feeling of a 70’s b-flick and hollywood has been remaking the crap out of films of that genre.  so, i went in with little or no expectations.

side note – if you were initially headed out to lunch, then decided to join friends for a matinee, the movie theater is a bad place to actually eat a meal.  the options are fairly limited, and because they make so much on concessions, you’re going to spend a lot to get a little.  we knew this, and still did it.  oh well.

the movie centers around five college students who become a trapped, you guessed it, in a cabin in the woods.  i’m not giving anything away by mentioning plot points here because it’s right out in the open. honestly, in the first ten minutes or so you know the whole basis of the movie, the why things are going to happen. five college students have been selected because of their personalities and their youth. they will be sacrificed as a part of a ritual to appease something or someone greater in the world.

overall, i found the film to be pretty good. it’s no masterpiece, but it’s not supposed to be citizen kane. it’s a summer horror flick.  then again, it’s much more than that. while it does have the torture elements mentioned above, it has a lot of wit about it.  there is some decent dialog, and there were points that the whole theater were laughing at what was being said or was happening on screen. these were laughs that the writers intended, not just the comedy that slasher films can be.  there were also a few good “jump” moments that this type of film needs.

few random points: 

• i was pleasantly surprised that the characters didn’t just behave in stereotypical horror fashion. when they did, it was explained. so, yes, the football guy acts like a dumb jock at points, but it makes sense, and more so than any other typical horror film.
• i loved the references to other horror films. there were a lot of little winks and nods at other movies.  well done.  at some point i was trying to list all the references but it’s just too many. not in an overwhelming way, but there is a lot of little nods.
• i can’t say it was perfectly done, but the drug references were better handled than in a lot of movies. i know it’s a strange, small complaint, but it does bug me when people in films take drugs and behave in manners that are unlike actual drug reactions. think about it, how many times have you seen someone in a movie ingest weed in some manner, and then act completely unlike any of your stoner friends. not the case here, so kudos.

the final verdict – cabin in the woods is a fun film.  with movie prices as what they are, i don’t think you have to rush out and see this on a friday night, but maybe catch a matinee. definitely see it on dvd, netflix or cable.

not good, slash

i enjoy the jimmy kimmel show.  i think he's one of the funnier guys on tv, and i think he's the best in late night tv.  one other reason why i like kimmel is that he does a pretty good job of bringing on upcoming bands, or the new, interesting acts.

i had no pretense that slash would be new or upcoming. i mean, dude helped get guns n roses off the ground 25 years ago.  he's a legend, a great musician.  so, i was intrigued to hear his new band, to hear what was driving slash these days.



yawn.

i mean, really, that was not interesting at all.  it wasn't even good.  seriously, that sounds about as good as a cover band playing at sequoia brewing on a saturday night.