A few things. 1) I am not a woman. And never will be. 2) Anne Bancroft will remain the hottest baby boomer that ever wore a black bra. (And don’t be fooled by her last name, she was Italian.) 3) I am having an affair. She is younger than me. She has a beautiful Italian … Read more
meat parillada – photo by Denis Jeong I’d driven past La Poblanita, 1617-23 E. Lake St., for years, but I dined there for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been back twice since. The two addresses are actually two businesses – a restaurant at the corner, and a tortilleria next door, … Read more
I had high hopes for Dancing Ganesha, the new upscale Indian restaurant that replaced Willie’s Wine Bar on Harmon. When I spoke to one of the owners before the restaurant opened, he told me of ambitious plans to make it a "four-star" Indian restaurant with elements of French haute cuisine. I suggested a couple of … Read more
When my daughter asked if she could have a dog of her own, Howard and I were very apprehensive. We were finally starting to feel like we could make time for each other again, something we’ve had very little of since we married at age 21, and had our children. The sleeping in on the … Read more
FAMILY A Taste of Minnesota Party with the masses at this annual blowout celebration of Minnesota in all it’s glory! The Taste of Minnesota is all about music, revelry, and most importantly, FOOD. This extravaganza almost (almost) puts the State Fair to shame with an endless list of delightfully unhealthy delicacies. While the Taste doesn’t … Read more
Thanks to everybody who responded to my call for citizen reviews of the Citizen Café. The results are in, and the results are, well, mixed. Some things you liked, some you didn’t. I’ll save my own comments for last, but that also sums up my own experience – I had a mediocre lunch, and a … Read more
(Header image credit: "Conversation with Death" by Gabriel Combs) In an effort to seek out and engage multiple voices and viewpoints from the local arts community, I will present in my space on The Thousandth Word occasional postings by “Vicious Guests” — that is, writings by various artists, curators, guest critics, journalists, art experts, art … Read more
MUSIC Dave Wolfe & The Wolfmen with Sweet Mamma J There’s a hootenanny down at Lee’s tonight! You’re in for an old-timey treat with local Rockabilly legend Dave Wolfe (of Sci-Fi Western, The Vibro Champs, and Reverse Cowgirl fame) playing his infectious brand of moody country rock n’ roll along with his backup band, The … Read more
Part II (To see the first part of this interview, click here) "If you don’t belong to a book club," Ron Charles wrote in The Washington Post last week, "Darin Strauss’s bitter and brilliant new novel is reason enough to start one." The novel – Strauss’s third – marks a departure from the author’s previous … Read more
Today marks the beginning of a new dark age for Minnesota. It is a time of injustice. A time in which brother turns on brother and LOLcats replace poetry and prose as the high art of the day. Should the scales not be balanced in short order, the post-industrial wasteland depicted in the upcoming remake … Read more