Movie Musings: Dear John

Last night I saw Dear John with my high school friend. For those who don't know, I boycotted the movie theater from my freshman year in college through the release of Sex and the City in May 2008 (that's 6 years). Last night I was reminded why I stayed away.

We bought tickets for a 7:30 pm showing in our hometown. When we arrived, the line was out the door and there were gaggles of preteens girls running around screaming to each other (remember when you thought it was cool for people to overhear your conversations?). I was immediately turned off and wanted to hit the "eject" button. However, the hope of two hours of Channing Tatum's abs kept me in my seat.

Dear John is based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks. One of the most successful romantic movies of all time (The Notebook) was based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, and this Spring a third of his books will also become a big screen adaptation, The Last Song, starring Miley Cyrus.

I hadn't read this book so I had no idea what to expect. Dear John is the story of an army soldier, John, who meets the girl of his dreams while home for two weeks from the service. When he has to return to his base in Germany they correspond via letters. His love interest, Savannah, is played by Amanda Seyfried, the star of the film Mamma Mia and a cast member of HBO's Big Love.

The chemistry between Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried is convincing and compelling. Seyfried photographs beautifully on film and inspires hair envy with her cascading, shiny blond locks.

I also loved the story line involving John's father. John was raised by his father who has autism (we don't learn what happened to his mother). John has adjusted to his father's sometimes odd behavior, but he never fully accepted him until Savannah showed him how.

The story takes two unexpected and hurtful turns in the final 30 minutes that left me weepy (don't worry, I didn't wear any make up to the movie). The final scene leaves something to be desired, but let's face it, my expectations weren't that high to begin with.

I must say, there was serious disappointment on the lack of screen time for Channing's abs! Dear John, please take your shirt off.

The boy was playing a burly, special forces combat solider and we couldn't see any ab action? Majorly disappointing, especially after Channing was introduced to the world in the incredibly hot dance movie Step Up. Jenna Dewan, you are one lucky girl.

Dear John can absolutely wait for Netflix, no need to see it in the theater. If you are looking for a mindless, visually appealing two hours, then grab some popcorn and enjoy this love story.

Footnote: If you are utterly disgusted I spent $10 to see this movie, you'll be more repulsed that we were actually trying to see When in Rome, only to discover it had left theaters.

Dining Out: Coppa

Tonight I had dinner with a friend at a new South End restaurant Coppa. Coppa is the latest restaurant opened by local celebrity chef Ken Oringer. Oringer is also the creative culinary mind behind KO Prime, La Verdad, Toro, and Clio. Unlike other celebrity chefs who focus on one style of food (Mario Batali does Italian, Ming Tsai does Chinese) Oringer is trying his hand at everything for steak to Mexican, Spanish to sushi, and in this case, Italian small plates.

When we arrived at Coppa, the minute we walked through the door I felt I'd been transported to New York City. Coppa's space is small, with tables nestled right up against each other. The hostess doesn't have a hostess stand, but instead meanders through the crowd. She let us know we could sit at the bar on a first come, first serve basis, or we could wait 25 - 60 minutes for a table. 25 - 60 minutes? What kind of window is that? Side bar, we tried to make a reservation, but the restaurant doesn't take them (a major pet peeve of mine).

We opted for the bar and got seats within 10 minutes. By sitting at the bar we were able to watch one of the chefs prep the cold appetizers behind the bar, and slice the cured meats (one of Coppa's specialties).

We each started with a glass of wine (white for me, red for her) and we ordered two "bar snacks." While we waited, our waitress brought over bread and olive oil. The bread was so tough, it was almost impossible to chew.

Since we gave up on the bread, thankfully our first appetizer arrived, the pesto di zucca, which was zucchini pesto crostini with almonds. Although this bread was also too hard (I tried to cut it, and it flew across the bar), the zucchini was fresh, delightfully seasoned, and the almonds were an unusual and delicious touch.

Our second appetizer was the arancini, which are fried risotto balls. These were absolutely fantastic and served piping hot. The risotto melted in your mouth and was served with a tomato sauce that had just the right amount of kick. This is a must order item!

For dinner I had the cauliflower flat bread pizza. It was served on a very thin crust with red chili pepper flakes which gave each slice a celebratory kick! While I could have used more cheese, or a side of marinara to dip the crust in, the flavor combination was great.

My dining companion ordered the fettucine with boar ragu. The pasta was homemade and heavenly. For a pasta, it was surprisingly light. The boar ragu was delicious and didn't overwhelm the dish.

After licking our plates clean, we asked if there was a dessert menu. To our shock and dismay, all they offer is gelato! We are both serious dessert girls and wished we could have ended on a sweet note.

While there were a few bumps in the road at Coppa, the food is fresh, seasoned perfectly, and offers some exciting flavor combinations. The New York vibe is a nice change from the typical Boston restaurant scene, and the menu is expansive enough you can keep coming back and trying new things.

Bravo, Ken! Salud!

New Discovery: Cougar Town

I can thank the 11 hour plane ride back from Israel for my discovery of this new half hour sitcom, Cougar Town. I had read about Courtney Cox's latest return to prime time, but was skeptical. Her first post-FRIENDS show, about a gossip magazine, was a complete flop. With an entire day's worth of plane time ahead of me, and unlimited free television, I decided to give her latest venture, Cougar Town, a try.

Let me say, I could not stop laughing! This show is hilarious. Cox stars as a recently divorced fortysomething who lives with her high school age son, Travis, and works in real estate.

Her best friend Elie lives next door, and she has a gorgeous, recently divorced male neighbor across the street, Grayson. Her ex husband still pops in from time to time as well.

Cox is hysterical as an insecure, vulnerable woman returning to the single life. She is guided by her real estate assistant Laurie, while her best friend Elie tries to keep her living a married woman lifestyle.

Cox's assistant is played by Busy Philipps, best known as Joey Potter's rambunctious roommate Darcy on Dawson's Creek, her best friend Elie is played by Christa Miller, Elie's husband is played by Ian Gomez, also known as Kerri Russell's boss Javier on Felicity, and her son is played by Dan Byrd, who played Hillary Duff's best friend in the movie A Cinderella Story.

Each 30 minute episode delivers laugh out loud moments, A-list guest appearances (Lisa Kudrow, Scott Speedman), and of course, a few heart warming "I see the light" revelations.

Set the DVR! Cougar Town airs Wednesday nights at 9:30 pm on ABC.

Read: The Kite Runner

When I was a sophomore in college, my roommate and I discovered that there were many people on campus who loved to read just as much as we did and were in the habit of sharing books. We decided to formalize the process and start a book club. By our junior year we had a solid following of about 20 book worms and we took turns leading the discussions.

In the Fall of my junior year we were reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and due to my work load, I had to skip reading that month's book. Ever since then I have been dying to work The Kite Runner back onto my "must read" list and on my most recent vacation I was finally able to dive in!

I read the book in it's entirety on the plane ride to Israel. Not just because the plane ride was long enough, but because the book is so beautifully written. Hosseini's descriptive powers allow you to touch, feel, taste, smell and hear everything around his characters in incredibly vivid detail. His characters are people and relationships you recognize in your own life, allowing you to live the story with them.

The Kite Runner is the story of Amir, a young boy growing up in Afghanistan. The book tells the story of his childhood which was consumed by two things: his friendship with his servant's son, Hassan, and a never ending quest to gain acceptance from his father.

The story follows Amir and his father as they flee Afghanistan after a Communist take over, and chronicles the second chapter of their life in America. The final third of the book tells the story of Amir's first trip back to Afghanistan when he is a grown man. He travels on a particular mission that proves to be painful and disturbing.

The story of Amir and his family is heart wrenching, but the book is written in such an authentic and moving way, it is worth enduring the pain with the protagonist.

I had a sense while reading, given the detail of many people, places and events, that this story may have been loosely based on Hosseini's personal life. If you read his biography on his website, you will find this to be true.

This is one of the most powerful books I have read and I highly recommend you pick it up immediately if not sooner. Hosseini has written a second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which has also received critical acclaim.

Thank you Khaled Hosseini for sharing Amir's story and your incredible talent.

Its That Time Again . . .

. . . for Boston's Restaurant Week! Each year in March and August Boston's finest dining establishments welcome in the masses with special, discounted, three course, prix fixe menus for both lunch and dinner allowing patrons who perhaps normally wouldn't visit their restaurant to enjoy the upscale experience.

I absolutely LOVE Restaurant Week. Along with awards season, its my most favorite time of the year. I have enjoyed countless meals at locations I typically wouldn't be able to afford during Restaurant Week promotions. To date I have dined during Restaurant Week at: Ciao Bella on Newbury Street, Harvest, Upstairs on the Square and ZSquare (now closed) in Cambridge, Brasserie Jo at the Colonnade hotel, Toscano in Beacon Hill, Sel de la Terre on the Waterfront, The Beehive in the South End (read the review here), Ristorante Olivio and Flora (read the review here) in Arlington, and the Metropolitan Club in Newton.

For the March cycle this year the dates are March 14 - 19 and March 21 - 26. Take a look at my favorite Restaurant Week website "The Insider's Guide to Boston Restaurant Week" for a list of participating restaurants, their lunch and dinner menus, as well as a direct link to Open Table to make a reservation!

Grab your fork and get excited!

Movie Musings: Valentine's Day

Yesterday afternoon I saw the ensemble movie "Valentine's Day." Taking a page from the books of "Love Actually" and "He's Just Not That Into You" the movie follows the stories of several different couples whose lives wind up intertwined in unexpected and fun ways.

One of my favorite story lines featured Anne Hathaway. Hathaway plays a secretary by day and a phone sex operator by night. She tries to navigate this double life while beginning a relationship with her shy coworker played by Topher Grace. Hathaway draws riotous laughter with her phone sex personalities.

There is also an entertaining anti-Valentine's Day party thrown by Jessica Biel's character that features a heart shaped pinata, copious amounts of champagne and a bucket for burning items from ex boyfriends.

Also scene stealing is Ashton Kutcher who plays a lovestruck florist trying to spread cheer on Valentine's Day in a city of skeptics.

Equally funny is Carter Jenkins who plays a senior in high school trying to plan his magical first time with his girlfriend. Let's just say that went seriously awry.

The most touching story lines involved Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts. I don't want to give anything away, but when you see the movie pay special attention to those two. You heart will melt two times over.

My only complaint about the movie was the plot featuring Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner. Swift's character was so nails-on-the-chalk-board annoying I wanted to put a sock in her mouth. Lautner, who is devastatingly handsome, was given minimal screen time and disappointing dialogue.

As the credits ran excellent bloopers scrolled alongside them including a fantastic scene with Julia Roberts and a limo driver. Don't leave the theater until you've seen this!

While "Valentine's Day" was mushy and predictable, it was a fun two hour love fest. No need to rush to the theater to see this one, just add it to the Netflix queue, and enjoy it on a quiet night in.

Rental Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This past week while on vacation I finally had the time to watch the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I had avoided it in the theater due to its lengthy run time and bizarre concept, but with some urging, I gave it a chance.

Benjamin Button (as I'll call it for short) is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of one of my favorite books The Great Gatsby. It is the story of a man who ages in reverse. He is born old and grows to be young.

While the film uses incredible, modern special effects, make up and costumes, it also has a classic, old school Hollywood feel to it. The movie is as much the story of Benjamin as it is a retelling of American history. The story spans from post World War I to the present.

Brad Pitt is fantastic as Benjamin, especially in his elderly years. Cate Blanchett plays the love of his life, a charming young girl who becomes a dancer. Blanchett sports a gorgeous red hair color is this movie that helps her transform into this new character.

The film is so captivating between the plot and the CGI tricks that you don't even notice three hours have gone by. The next time you have an abundance of couch time, I highly recommend spending it with Benjamin.

Dining Out: Puaa

Hello my loyal readers! I apologize for the delay between posts but I have just returned from a 10 day vacation to Israel. While I was there my cousin took me to her favorite restaurant in Yafo called Puaa.

When you turn the corner towards Puaa first you notice the beautiful outdoor patio covered with sprawling greens and flowers. When you walk through the front door you enter a green house with patio style furniture, and finally the back room and the upstairs loft have traditional tables and chairs.

The restaurant is decorated like an Anthropologie store and all the items (furniture, artwork, decor) are for sale.

There is a broad menu with everything for soups to salads, sandwiches, larger entrees and desserts. We decided to start off our post-shopping lunch with the fried cauliflower. It was perfectly crisped and tasted as good as an onion ring or french frie. It was served with a spicy mayo for dipping.

For our main meal I had the tomato and charred bread salad which was served with lettuce, red onion, feta cheese and zaatar spice. It was incredibly fresh and delicious!

My cousin ordered the schnitzel (a giant chicken finger) which was served over creamy mashed potatoes.

The dessert menu was so enticing we couldn't select just one option so we decided to split two - the chocolate cake and the pecan cheesecake. Two words: holy yum. The chocolate cake was just the right amount of moist and doused with hot fudge. The pecan cheesecake was light and the crust tasted like candy.

If you make your way to Tel Aviv, Israel be sure to take a detour to Yafo and enjoy a meal at Puaa. Its absolute perfection.

Dining Out: 606 Congress

Each February my company hosts an annual meeting with one of our favorite clients. We have a day long event followed by dinner. This year, I was asked to research event and dinner venues, a job I happily accepted!

After choosing the Seaport Hotel for our meeting spot, I began reviewing nearby restaurants. Having worked across the street in the World Trade Center for two years I had a solid idea of what restaurants would meet our needs, but I was struck by one newly opened location - 606 Congress at the Renaissance Hotel.

After an energetic conversation with the restaurant manager, I decided to book their private dining room. I was able to select a three course menu and wine for the group. When we arrived the night of the dinner, it was better than I ever could have expected.

The private dining room seats 30, at three long tables of 10. The glass doors to the private room are framed by floor to ceiling, illuminated wine racks. It was positively gorgeous.

Our first course offered a choice of Caesar salad, clam chowder or chilled shrimp. The Caesar salad had the perfect ratio of lettuce to dressing to croutons, and the clam chowder was so creamy you could smell the butter from 10 feet away. The chilled shrimp came with a colorful presentation of veggies and a tangy glaze.

Our entree course consisted of a choice of scallops, filet mignon or roasted chicken. The scallops were served over a variety of mushrooms and green beans and the filet was served with mashed potatoes and root vegetables. No one at my table ordered the chicken, but we did get to see another entree, the pasta primavera which was the vegetarian option.

All four entree options were plated beautifully and saturated with decadent flavor.

We finished with dessert: dark chocolate tart, white chocolate bread pudding or cranberry crumb cake served with ginger ice cream. If you read this blog regularly, you know what I chose.

Yes, the chocolate tart! It was the perfect portion size and not too rich. The bread pudding looked magnificent, but the crumb cake disappointed. The cake was simply a muffin masquerading as a post dinner treat.

In addition to our amazing food and wine, we had the most friendly, accommodating and attentive wait staff I have ever seen at a private party. If you are hosting an event in downtown Boston, I highly recommend ending your day on the waterfront at 606 Congress.

If the restaurant decides to partake in the March and August Restaurant Week promotions, you should absolutely take advantage and check it out.

Thank you 606 Congress for being the cherry on our client meeting sundae!