The Irascible Chef

When I want a very good, solid, Italian, meal at a very reasonable price, there’s no question that Pasta Pomodoro is the place. Consistency is key and they’re almost the definition of consistency.

We took the 3 kids there the other night and it was great! I must say the waiter was the best part on this particular night! The food was delicious, but the food is always delicious, like I said—Bubbie(def. #1), it’s consistent, and I expect it to be.

We didn’t have to wait to be seated and were sat at a nice spacious table—perfect for kids and the food and the drinks and the fun / educational placemats and crayons that keep them satisfied / occupied while waiting for their food.

The kids drinks were Shirley Temple cocktails (remember when they were fun and before you were too cool?) and PP has figured out that it just might be best to serve large spill-able drinks with covers for the kids! The focaccia was still warm right out of the oven and perfect in their seasoned olive oil pesto mix—we all love that!

The waiter came by many times to make sure we were happy—we were! He brought us extra bread when we needed it—which we did, you can’t let those delectable sauces stay on the plate when they can be in your belly with a little-bread-wrist action! He also brought refills for the kids drinks. Our Moretti’s were just fine—cold and perfect with the food!

Pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs (no as good as mine—but NOBODIES are!) grilled cheese pannini, Gemelli with chicken, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, in a garlicky cream sauce, and a half order of lasagna and small salad lightly and properly dressed.

Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Did I mention that the kids $6 dollar meals (in a sit down, waiter service, restaurant) come with ice cream sundaes? How can you beat that? You can’t! But Pasta

Pomodoro can!

On Tuesday’s, for every adult meal, the kids meal is free! Wahooo! Now in our case one of the kids had an adult entree, but our waiter brought three sundaes (no extra charge) because he knew it would make everybody very happy! (He probably also knew that it didn’t cost them anything because we had 3 Adult meals and probably were entitled to 3 kids meals if we wanted—the customers and the House won on this night!)

Special thanks to the waiter this evening! See, how important the waiter can be???

Oh, by the way Pasta Pomodoro can be enjoyed with or without the kids (though not as much fun) and a bottle of wine for a romantic delicious dinner for two or party of ten—and, regardless of the size of your dinner party, very affordable!

What are other people saying:

Melon Scrapings Stuff that wants to get out of my head. Life, and other things like it.

B O N N E T bitching and moaning inspired by teenage angst

Technorati Tags: Affordable Italian food, food review, Pasta Pomodoro, Restaurants, Shirley Temple

Or, should it be, Bond. Daniel Craig. I would argue the latter!

BOX: 007 ON TRACK FOR $70M OPEN…

CHART…

Quantum of Solace

Daniel Craig rocks! This new iteration, the Daniel Craig iteration, of Bond just blows everything else away!The old James Bond was great for what it was—a Comic book quality of spy and espionage and the New James Bond is like real spy stuff. People get killed. Bond takes a beating, gives a beating, and himself gets bruised and bloodied! So do the new Bond women.

Now, I find Craig a devilishly sexy man with a killer body. But, interestingly enough if Craig was a woman I would say he was a Butta-face. I can’t explain why exactly he’s so damned good looking—he just is! Maybe it’s his eyes, maybe it’s just that he’s so tough and brutal…

Story-line itself is a little convoluted, but it works for me because Daniel Craig is such a bad ass!

Bond babes are H O T—Hot and they both (there are two of them in Quantum Solace) work—chemistry is there with Craig, but also with the audience.

This movie takes place where Casino Royale left off—literally in Italy. There are some reoccurring characters, some we’ll see again, but some we won’t.

There are some good chases including an outstanding boat chase. I also liked the inside peak into the new headquarters of British Intelligence and computing of the future.

You know that the capability of technology in the movie seems possible today, but you know that it currently doesn’t happen that way yet—not even at the highest level.

I don’t think they completely followed the path they set up, but maybe it will be tied to future story lines.

I think that the reason it might not have gotten glowing critical reviews is because the bad guy is using Green earth and global warming as a cloak. As in, there is evil every where, even behind good causes.

I can’t wait for the next one!

Other Voices:
Ultimate James Bond Fan Blog Review: Quantum of Solace by Deborah Lipp

James Bond (Daniel Craig), having shot Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) at the end of Casino Royale, interrogates him and learns of a secret organization known as Quantum. Following sparse leads, Bond finds Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) and pursues him to the Bolivian desert. Directed by Marc Forster.

The Wardman Wire Quantum of Solace: Review By David Keen

The AllMovie Blog Quantum of Solace: The AMG Review by Jeremy Wheeler

The Huffingtonpost.com “Quantum of Solace” Green Review (with Spoilers) by Dave Burdick

Technorati Tags: James Bond, Quantum of Solace

Thank you to all the Veterans who served in the US Military. Thanks to those who sacrificed for their country, their family, and all of us. I’m sure there were hard challenging times during your service, both at home with your families as well as the service to our country in general—but you still did it!

Some of you were called upon by your country to serve and some of you volunteered your service and all of you deserve our sincere thanks, gratitude, and prayers… Thank you!

Other voices: Here, there, and everywhere:

Happy Veterans Day linkfest By Michelle Malkin

On This Veterans Day by RightVoices

Happy Veteran’s Day by Warren Throckmorton

Veterans Day by Laura

Happy Veterans Day! by Ed Morrissey

Veteran’s Day 2008 by nicedeb

Technorati Tags: 2008, Thank you, Veterans day

It will be the dinner menu from that evening’s dinner.

I might on occasion dabble in other meal menu’s, but for now, just dinner. I might even be nudged into a recipe or two—don’t get too excited, you haven’t seen what I consider a recipe—unless you’ve read The Road Letters that is…

Dinner 10/21/08

Broiled pork chops with fennel, peaches, and soy sauce.

Steamed peas and corn.

Corkscrew pasta with butter and grated cheese.

Green grapes.

Technorati Tags: Broiled pork chops, Corkscrew pasta with butter, corn, fennel, grated cheese, Green grapes, peaches, peas, soy sauce.

Dubbya!

Fandango’s fan ratings said So-So. Fandango almost talked us right out of it—doesn’t take much!

Now, as far as I’m concerned it’s a must see, I need first hand intel so that I can talk about it intelligently. I’m expecting a Big Bush Bash from all the flap that’s been bantered about.

Oliver Stone has talked about GWB in a in a less than positive light with much disdain. Of course lauded by all the Hollywood Jester Intellectuals…

Much publicity and fanfare has been led up to the opening and much to my surprise this So-So fan rating that I just couldn’t figure out.

You know good-ole Ollie is going to make GW look like a buffoon every chance he gets. Drinking, drunking, talking while chewing food with his mouth open, quiting job after job that his father set up, always looking for his fathers approval—never getting it because it was going to Jeb…

Meanwhile, George gets his act together, gets off the sauce, finds God, and GETS his father elected President by running his campaign. Eventually, becoming Governor of Texas on his way over to beating Al Gore’s pathetic ass to be President of the USA.

The movie humanized George Bush quite a bit after he has been demonized by almost everybody in the world for years now. W although a Oliver Stone movie, story, and imagination in a long line of these types of movies by Stone, it’s not a bash for bash sake.

Oliver spreads the blame for the administrations mistakes along the hard road the US has recently been on. Rumsfeld and Cheney take the biggest hits for what Stone leads us to believe are the conductors orchestrating their version of the dangerous world through Bush.

Bush is tortured by his own failures, his brothers shadow, his father’s legacy of victories and shortcomings, and ultimately, Bush is tortured by believing he’s doing the right thing all along for the right reasons—all in the best interest of the USA and the majority of America and the world doesn’t see it.

Josh Brolin does an excellent job—there are times he is a dead wringer for George W. Bush—Bushy!

Three quarters of the way in it hit me why this movie was only rated So-So—it wasn’t the red-meat Bush Bashers wanted! They only got to wet their beak, Stone made him look like an unsophisticated redneck-country boy with daddy problems, following his heart about what’s right, and mislead by those around him.

I’m gonna tell you that I liked it! I thought it was well done.

Technorati Tags: Al Gore, Bush Bash, Bush President, Dubbya, Fandango, Josh Brolin, Oliver Stone, W

Smells like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck—must be Sheeple!

Technorati Tags: duck, Election 2008, Howard Stern, Sheeple

I will say, when I heard Sarah Palin was going to be on SNL, I said, oh no! WHY?

There’s no winning here, what is the possible gain? I was imagining another John McCain on The View ambush job! You know the one: Barbra Walters (once serious journalist…) doesn’t look at McCain while interrogating him with disdain like a murderer, or Joy Bahr calling him a liar to his face, or Whoppie asking him if he plans on bringing back slavery..

TheView / McCain interview was painful to watch. It put some people in a very bad light as far as I was concerned. Uncomfortable for all, unforgivable for me!

After seeing SNL live I can say it was well done. Sarah Palin looked good, the SNL players seemed respectful, and it looked like it was all in good fun. It’s amazing how much Tina Fey and Palin actually look a like. SNL was NO The View interview—thankfully!

Palin was confident, funny, and pulled it off. The writing was well done—I laughed quite a bit! So, I was wrong, Palin looked like the better person for it (and I guess was the answer to my WHY—definitely, “a good sport!”

By the way the rest of SNL wasn’t that funny, unfortunate because I think it had potential with Josh Brolin.

By Michelle Malkin: Saturday Night Live: open thread; Sarah Palin’s a good sport

By TheAnchoress: Sarah Palin SNL Reactions

My impression: she’s a natural on camera; completely comfortable - no surprise. And clearly a good sport.

The SNL cast, on the other hand, seemed a bit uncomfortable and stiff. Alec Baldwin’s a good sport, too.

By Allahpundit: Video: Palin on SNL

—iChef Cinema

Technorati Tags: Sarah Palin, Saturday Night Live on Saturday Night, SNL, SNL on Saturday Night

tolerant intolerance | ‘täl erent| |in ‘täl erens|

State of being
1 showing willingness to be tolerant, but hypocritically exhibiting extreme unwillingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with :not tolerant of others’ views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one’s own : he was intolerant of her philosophical difference of political views by screaming obscenities to stifle her voice from being heard.

tolerant | ‘täl erent|
adjective
1 showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with : we must be tolerant of others | a more tolerant attitude toward other religions.

tolerance |’täl erens|
noun
1 the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with : the tolerance of corruption | an advocate of religious tolerance.

intolerant |in ‘täl erent|
adjective
not tolerant of others’ views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one’s own : he was intolerant of ignorance.
• unable to be given (a medicine or other treatment) or to eat (a food) without adverse effects : intolerant of aspirin | [ postpositive ] these patients were lactose intolerant.

From The Anchoress: The Middle Finger… says it all!

It is so obvious, so pathetic, why can’t they see it? The ground work has been put in place for this transformation for the last 40 years or so. Each step of the way taking a little more in the name of tolerance, each step of the way being less tolerant of other view points… Can it be more ironic? Or is it that it isn’t ironic at all, but part of the plan and always has been—may be it’s not part of the plan, but in fact IS the plan.

It’s working. You see it now more than ever. And the wish to play itself out and see it cave in on itself will never happen because those leading the charge will never admit it. Those following will never admit it because that would mean admitting that they were wrong (by not being tolerant of other view points) and personal responsibility is not part of the plan. (which is also part of the plan—take away personal responsibility so that it’s always someone else’s fault…Blame others!) The true believers don’t have the ability to see it—that functionality has been scraped away from their DNA little bits at a time. All in the name of the greater good. Ah, the greater good…

This is exactly what I’m talking about!

Ed Morrissey: Barone: The thugocracy cometh

Michael Barone warns that a victory by Barack Obama will endorse his tactics in silencing critics, which should concern all non-leg-tingling media in this country. In fact, Barone points out that it will merely be the next step to the Left’s “progressive” march into killing free political speech — or at least that speech with which they disagree:

Amused Cynic: “…the coming liberal Thugocracy….”

Further update: Yard sign rage. Just lovely. The same kind of losers who keyed my car. If this had happened to an Obama sign Katie Couric would be reporting it.

Got TOLERANCE? From the people of tolerance: This is just too good—must see to believe—all in one place—ala Michelle Malkin: Crush the Obamedia narrative: Look who’s “gripped by insane rage”

Update10/27/08: The tolerance of the Left

by Ed Morrissey

Disgusting!

The latent misogyny and bigotry of the Left?

Technorati Tags: iChef Politikos Intolerance, News, Politics, the greater good, tolerance

Too good! Must share! Funny WHY was this sketch forbidden to be shown on the Internet…

Video: The forbidden bailout sketch

Oct 7, 2008 1:20 PM by Allahpundit

Update: If even Alec Baldwin’s willing to put the blame where it belongs…

The WHY: By Michelle Malkin Flash: SNL rewriting bailout skit, “didn’t meet their standards;“ NBC posts edited video

Technorati Tags: Bailout, Bush, Comedy, Entertainment, Frank, Pelosi, Poor People, Satire, SNL, Soros, TV

The roller coaster! Traveling around the world! Buying low! Jumping out an airplane! Love! Who has had the opportunity and later regretted not taking a chance on it?

Know this, that history tells us that there will always be at least a second opportunity, at whatever it may be, that you perceived to be a once in a lifetime chance. I believe this with my whole heart!

You just need to realize it and take advantage of it when it does appear again. Oh, it also takes balls of steel, the same balls that were necessary the first go round—and for one reason or another you didn’t have them.

The Stock Market has been in free fall for the last two weeks. Reality says that there’s no rhyme or reason—its the fear, the stress, THE PANIC, that’s moving this crazy train. Sure the credit fiasco is to blame, but we have been saved by the Government! The Government put in place something to prevent this disaster right? We went down 500 points one day because the bailout wasn’t approved and up 400 the next day when nothing was being done. Friday, after the Bailout was signed down we go 300 plus and today an additional 800 at one time, but finished ONLY down another 370.

We are in some major uncertain times. And it is scary! People are losing everything they’ve saved in a lifetime. People that are running out of time on their life! How will they recover? Will the government bail them out? Do we want the that to be what the government does? Who will pay for it all—YOU and ME, who always pay!

Well, the Market hasn’t seen prices this low in years! And it can still go SIGNIFICANTLY lower… There are no guarantees! We can all be out of work! We can all lose our homes and not have anything to eat! The price of oil is going lower on the expectation that we won’t be going anywhere or doing anything. The price of oil should never be this high in the first place. But it is—Reality!

I missed an opportunity to buy my grandmothers house for a bargain and home prices went through the roof, now they’re sinking like a rock—nobody can borrow money to buy it anyway! Who knows what calamity will happen next?

I missed an opportunity to buy into the market after the tech bubble burst! (I did lose my SHIRT in the bursting bubble—little shell-shocked!) Who knew what calamity would happen next? If I only did…

I missed an opportunity to buy into the market after 9/11! Who knew what calamity would happen next? If I only did…

I missed an opportunity to backpack through Europe after college. The war had just broken out, who knew what calamity would happen next? I had an opportunity, people warned against it, but I took the chance. I took it! Amazing!

I missed an opportunity to jump out of a plane when I was 30. Guess I’ll never be 30 again. But I made an opportunity when my brother turned 30 and took the chance. I took it! Amazing!

There’s an opportunity to buy into this current disaster—Who knows what calamity will happen next? What will you do? What will you be saying 5 years from now?

—iChef PSA

Technorati Tags: 9/11, America, Dow Jones Industrial average, Election 2008, Europe, Government, News, Stock Market, tech bubble