Hey hey. Another week, another review. First, I just wanna put it out there that I spent the majority of last week taxi-ing my cousin (who was visiting us from Vietnam) around DC for various tourist attractions. That being said, my restaurant choice this week isn't a new restaurant, just one I hadn't been to in a very long time, and definitely one that is worth checking out if you've never been before. So anywhoo, here's this week's hot joints. Enjoy:
Music:
Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart
I realize this goes without saying...but Alicia Keys is awesome. And if you're as sick of Empire State of Mind as I am, give this song a try, cuz I can't stop listening to it. 4/5 Stars.
Movies:
Book of Eli
As far as I can remember, Denzel Washington has not made a bad movie. Even when he makes a movie that isn't an amazing success, it's still good. This is one of those movies that is AWESOME. You begin watching the film, and immediately, you're invested in what Mr. Washington's character is doing. And the only thing I'm gonna say, without giving away anything about the movie, is that as soon as you finish watching the movie, you're gonna wanna go back and watch it again. 4.5/5 Stars.
Restaurants:
Minh's Restaurant
Located in Arlington, which is arguably the mecca of trendy food in Northern Virginia, this Vietnamese restaurant is great. From the trendy traditional decor to the tasty authentic flavors of the food, this restaurant delivers on all cylinders. So much so, that the restaurant made Washingtonian magazine's top 100 restaurants list this past month. Now, avid readers of the magazine will tell you that there were other Vietnamese restaurants that also made the list at higher rankings (Present, Four Sisters, etc.), but if you're looking for a classy place to eat, Minh's is right up there (regardless of number ranking). And take it from a self-proclaimed food connoisseur, Minh's won't disappoint. And if you don't believe me, just ask former Top Chef winner Hung Huynh, who has made an appearance at Minh's in the past to support the local hot spot. 4/5 Stars
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
1/13/10
Happy New Year Everyone! I realize I'm a week late in this edition of the Review so I'm gonna double up on the critiques this week. For those of you who don't know, this week is the beginning of Restaurant Week DC, so I highly encourage you all to get out there and be adventurous and try some amazing food:
http://washington.org/restaurantwk/
Here's the double dose of hot joints for the week:
Music:
DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2009
OK, so at this point, if you haven't heard of DJ Earworm, or his famous United State of Pop mixes, you need to youtube it immediately. What this DJ does every year is he takes the top 25 pop songs of the year, and mixes them together into one fantastically awesome mix called the "United State of Pop". He has done this for several years now...and I can say that the 2009 version he released a couple weeks ago is easily his best mix yet. 5/5 Stars. For extra bonus points, I encourage you guys to go to the Sporcle site (Sporcle is an online quiz site) and see how many of the songs you can identify in the mix:
http://www.sporcle.com/games/rockgolf/Blame_it_on_the_pop
Sean Paul - Hold my Hand
For years, I've been a huge Sean Paul fan. While I don't DJ much anymore, when I used to spin, I always threw in a Dancehall mix into my sets, and that mix always consisted of 6-7 of SP's greatest hits. But I can admit when someone has dropped off the radar...and until this year, that's exactly what Mr. Paul has done. However, with a cameo on Jay Sean's new single and the release of this song, I think SP is on the verge of a return to the spotlight. The reason I like this song a lot is that it's more mellow than his dancehall jams...plus you can't go wrong when you have Keri Hilson on your track. The music video is hot as hell too. 3.5/5 Stars
Movies:
Sherlock Holmes
The last time I reviewed a movie, it was the incredible Avatar, which has been blowing away the box offices. It's unfortunate that Avatar has been doing so well, because it overshadows the fact that Sherlock Holmes is a good movie that's been doing quite well itself. My only problem with SH is that I felt the movie had a little too much story sometimes. I would've preferred to just see Sherlock and Watson on a non-stop adventure to solve the crime/mystery rather than all this additional drama crap. Nonetheless, Robert Downey Jr is amazing as always, and Jude Law puts in one of the better performances of his career (I'm also a fan or Mr. Law ever since Enemy at the Gates). 4/5 Stars
Youth in Revolt
This is one of those movies that I'm sure most people either love or hate. I fall in the love category. If you like Michael Cera, and his insecure naive boyish style of comedy, then you're going to love this film. Additionally, to see Cera go outside his box and play a badass alter ego is extremely entertaining as well. Don't expect another Superbad, but give this film a shot if you're into quirky humor. 3.5/5 Stars
Restaurants:
Jackson 20
Volt
So this week, my restaurant reviews will be a little atypical. My first review is a repeat review that I'm bringing back from my days of doing this review in AIM. My second review is a restaurant that I actually haven't eaten at yet. You'll understand in a sec. So first, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this week is the beginning of Restaurant Week in DC. And Jackson 20 is one of the many restaurants I've tried in past RWs. Located in Alexandria, this restaurant looks rich and elegant from the street...sitting in the base of a hotel. As you enter, you are greeted by a nice hostess who takes your jackets and such and sits you at your table. The decor is poshy and very classy. Then you see the menu, and you are greeted with the warmth and familiarity of southern hospitality. Fried chicken, collared greens, bbq pork, mac n' cheese, beef brisket, ribs, etc. Southern Comfort never felt so hospitable. And just think, I never would've known about this place if it wasn't for restaurant week and a random adventurous date out to a new place! 4.5/5 Stars
The second review I'm writing today is more of a TBD (To be Determined). Among the many restaurants listed on this year's Restaurant Week DC list is Volt in Frederick, Maryland. Those of you who are tv junkies like me will recognize this restaurant as the one being owned by Top Chef runner-up Bryan Voltaggio from this most recent season of the show. He and his brother Michael fought it out in the final, and while his brother edged him out, the two were nearly unstoppable throughout the entire season. Ever since then, Bryan's restaurant in the middle of podunk Maryland has become a hot spot for DMV-ers (Dc, Maryland, Virginia) and has even earned itself a spot on Washingtonian magazine's top 100 restaurants of 2009. So...all that mouthful said...I cannot wait to try this restaurant out for myself. Stars TBD
http://washington.org/restaurantwk/
Here's the double dose of hot joints for the week:
Music:
DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2009
OK, so at this point, if you haven't heard of DJ Earworm, or his famous United State of Pop mixes, you need to youtube it immediately. What this DJ does every year is he takes the top 25 pop songs of the year, and mixes them together into one fantastically awesome mix called the "United State of Pop". He has done this for several years now...and I can say that the 2009 version he released a couple weeks ago is easily his best mix yet. 5/5 Stars. For extra bonus points, I encourage you guys to go to the Sporcle site (Sporcle is an online quiz site) and see how many of the songs you can identify in the mix:
http://www.sporcle.com/games/rockgolf/Blame_it_on_the_pop
Sean Paul - Hold my Hand
For years, I've been a huge Sean Paul fan. While I don't DJ much anymore, when I used to spin, I always threw in a Dancehall mix into my sets, and that mix always consisted of 6-7 of SP's greatest hits. But I can admit when someone has dropped off the radar...and until this year, that's exactly what Mr. Paul has done. However, with a cameo on Jay Sean's new single and the release of this song, I think SP is on the verge of a return to the spotlight. The reason I like this song a lot is that it's more mellow than his dancehall jams...plus you can't go wrong when you have Keri Hilson on your track. The music video is hot as hell too. 3.5/5 Stars
Movies:
Sherlock Holmes
The last time I reviewed a movie, it was the incredible Avatar, which has been blowing away the box offices. It's unfortunate that Avatar has been doing so well, because it overshadows the fact that Sherlock Holmes is a good movie that's been doing quite well itself. My only problem with SH is that I felt the movie had a little too much story sometimes. I would've preferred to just see Sherlock and Watson on a non-stop adventure to solve the crime/mystery rather than all this additional drama crap. Nonetheless, Robert Downey Jr is amazing as always, and Jude Law puts in one of the better performances of his career (I'm also a fan or Mr. Law ever since Enemy at the Gates). 4/5 Stars
Youth in Revolt
This is one of those movies that I'm sure most people either love or hate. I fall in the love category. If you like Michael Cera, and his insecure naive boyish style of comedy, then you're going to love this film. Additionally, to see Cera go outside his box and play a badass alter ego is extremely entertaining as well. Don't expect another Superbad, but give this film a shot if you're into quirky humor. 3.5/5 Stars
Restaurants:
Jackson 20
Volt
So this week, my restaurant reviews will be a little atypical. My first review is a repeat review that I'm bringing back from my days of doing this review in AIM. My second review is a restaurant that I actually haven't eaten at yet. You'll understand in a sec. So first, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this week is the beginning of Restaurant Week in DC. And Jackson 20 is one of the many restaurants I've tried in past RWs. Located in Alexandria, this restaurant looks rich and elegant from the street...sitting in the base of a hotel. As you enter, you are greeted by a nice hostess who takes your jackets and such and sits you at your table. The decor is poshy and very classy. Then you see the menu, and you are greeted with the warmth and familiarity of southern hospitality. Fried chicken, collared greens, bbq pork, mac n' cheese, beef brisket, ribs, etc. Southern Comfort never felt so hospitable. And just think, I never would've known about this place if it wasn't for restaurant week and a random adventurous date out to a new place! 4.5/5 Stars
The second review I'm writing today is more of a TBD (To be Determined). Among the many restaurants listed on this year's Restaurant Week DC list is Volt in Frederick, Maryland. Those of you who are tv junkies like me will recognize this restaurant as the one being owned by Top Chef runner-up Bryan Voltaggio from this most recent season of the show. He and his brother Michael fought it out in the final, and while his brother edged him out, the two were nearly unstoppable throughout the entire season. Ever since then, Bryan's restaurant in the middle of podunk Maryland has become a hot spot for DMV-ers (Dc, Maryland, Virginia) and has even earned itself a spot on Washingtonian magazine's top 100 restaurants of 2009. So...all that mouthful said...I cannot wait to try this restaurant out for myself. Stars TBD
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