Restaurant and Movie Reviews

Mambo Italiano (Whitefish Montana): 5 stars

Restaurant

When I walked into the building, I couldn’t help but breathe in the aroma of fresh parmesan cheese and tomato sauce. From the entrance, I could see the chefs working hard making pizza dough and creating dinner masterpieces. As most of you know, I love all things food! Since I love food so much, I realized that I have this internal rating system for each restaurant I go to. I also have friends in the food industry who are constantly looking for things in restaurants they like and that they feel caters to the overall ambiance of a good restaurant. So, when I go to restaurants, I rate it based on scrumptiousness, food presentation, service, restaurant set up and bathroom cleanliness/creativity. (My dad once told me that when we were looking for houses, the first thing I would look at was the bathroom, followed by the kitchen). The food was amazing. I had a dish that had chicken, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, the works…all smothered with a lemon-garlic sauce. Insatiable. For dessert, they brought out this upright fry-holder looking tube and filled it with fried dough that they then covered with powdered sugar and included chocolate and raspberry dipping sauces. They gave us sticks, similar to fondue, where we poked our doughnuts and dipped them in the sauce. AMAZING. Now you have to go.

Desert Star Theater: Snooty and the Beast: 3 1/2 stars

Play/Theater

A night of laughs and thrills, I was able to attend this spoof production. I was on the front row and was able to see some pretty remarkable things. Completely outlandish as expected, there were several surprises like when you know they have messed up…sometimes they do it on purpose, but there were some moments they didn’t. There was one point where an actor let slime drip from her mouth as part of lispy Goldilocks, which was just disgusting, but incredibly hilarious. I don’t know why I seriously died and fell off my chair it was so gross….and the next lines out of one of the actors mouth was “Um…I hardly know what to say. That was truly disgusting.” Of course, as audience participation, they asked who was on a first date…my date raised his hand. I covered my face…because you know what they do to you when you raise your hand? They pick on you…the rest of the night. My date happens to live in Oklahoma. Many of you may or may not know the BYU v. Oklahoma game that happened a week or so ago and how the Y killed them. Well, my date (a huge Y fan) was reamed from being from there. My date just went with it…good sport. Well, seeing that we were being picked on, the host tried to get us to kiss on the first date. Hmmm. Well, he planted one on my cheek…but the host said, “Well, I am not surprised….seems like Oklahoma has a hard time scoring in any situation.” It was a riot!

Star India: 3 stars

Restaurant

I didn’t have very many expectations for the restaurant. I knew it used to be located a couple blocks from my old office and wondered if the curtains hanging on the inside smelled terribly. The restaurant was huge. It had a side area with a mega screen where sometimes they play Bollywood movies throughout the dining experience. It was lunch and part of the Din-o-Round going on in Salt Lake where certain menu items are discounted. To be perfectly honest, the food was tasty, but a little cold. I thoroughly enjoyed their rice pudding and look forward to having it again. Although, I have to say that I am still a huge fan of Bombay House.

Julie and Julia: Four stars

Movie

A huge fan of cooking and food myself, I absolutely loved this movie. Having grown up in a different generation, I did not really know anything about Julia Child. I thought the way they produced the story, jumping back from one woman’s story to the other, was brilliant. I loved that it showed the hard times they were going through and how each was able to overcome them based on a passion and love for their families and cooking. I highly recommend this movie. I laughed, I cried, I sweat….all the emotions packed into one. Do it!

500 Days of Summer: Five Stars

Movie

AMAZING. If you aren’t into the artsy-fartsy, don’t see it, you won’t like it. I loved this movie for its cinematography, incorporation of art into the film, its ingenious splices of classic comedy, and its storyline. If you are looking for a classic chick-flick, don’t see it. This movie is not the cliché movie that everyone thinks. It is reality versus expectation. If you married people need to be reminded of what it was like to want so badly to be in a meaningful relationship with someone and the heartache associated with having disappointed hopes….that is what you will get from this movie. Highly recommended. Incredible artistry. Incredible acting (I have a crush on Zooey). If you just broke up with someone, don’t go. Although, maybe do go, it might put you into a space of healing.