Fogo de WOW

The other night (March 12 to be specific) I had my first experience dining at Fogo de Chão, an "authentic Brazilian steak house." I'd heard about this place from a few friends, including the three that invited me, and let me tell you, I was more excited than a virgin on her wedding night. Vegetarians beware: this joint is meat paradise...NOM! Honestly, I have never been so happy to be part carnivore.

Do I smell Fogo in there?

The drinks were very well mixed and did not go light on the liquor, always a plus; I had a whiskey sour (my usual) and their feature drink, the Caipirinha (tasty!). To start the meal, we headed to the nice salad bar they have that features imported cheeses, cured meats, artisan breads and other tasty things like artichoke bottoms and jumbo asparagus - I didn't know it came in "jumbo" size - delicious! And the 24 month aged Parmesan was a-mmm-azing. Then came the main event; they offer 15 different cuts of meat. FIFTEEN! I don't think I got to try all of them, but what I did try was exquisite. And they are all served fresh off the spit, by trained gauchos dressed in a gaucho inspired uniform (boots and puffy pants!). At one point I thought, "Guys in uniform with hot accents eagerly hurrying to your table to serve you drinks, food and hot meat off a spit? A lady could very easily get spoiled here." I ended my mouth-gasm of a meal with their key lime pie. Now, I dig lime and you all know my love of pie, so key lime pie is in pretty good with me. This key lime pie though... I think that must be what Adonis' cum tastes like. That pie would be on my last meal menu, no question.

I definitely want to go back within the year. I also suggest that if you get the opportunity to go, take it! I warn you though, it's pricey - including tip I laid down $100 - but sooo worth it. I understand that they do the same thing for lunch, which is not doubt cheaper than the dinner price I paid, so that may be a better option for me (or you) next time around.

A Reflection on a Film (and maybe myself a bit as well)

I had not seen a movie yet this year until tonight.

I have this cheap little, light-weight, brushed silver "business card holder" that I picked up at Target on clearance for a dollar or two. I use it to keep all of my movie stubs in for a year. Yes, a full year. Once a year is over I don't empty the contents until after the first film I see in the new year. Today is March 10, 2010 (or 11th if you want to get technical about the time)and I finally opened the tin and emptied my 2009 movie stubs.

I like to keep my movie ticket stubs, well all ticket stubs really. Part of it is because it's a way of holding onto that memory -sometimes I think I have a shite sense of memory -a way rekindling the sparks to that time and place and event. Also, as a self-proclaimed movie geek, I feel as though they are badges of honor and accomplishment on my geek sash. You don't just trash your badges.

I had heard of The Hurt Locker, but had not seen any great deal of promotion about it; had heard there were some good reviews and, of course the Oscar buzz and then nominations and still new little on what the film itself was about other than it was a military/ war film. Then I actually watched the Oscars. After seeing the few clips played for it's nominated categories and after it took the two biggies (Director and Film) I knew I wanted to see this movie. For the record, I have not yet seen Slumdog Millionaire, No Country For Old Men, The Departed, nor Crash and I refuse to see Million Dollar Baby on my staunch ground that Hilary Swank is a horse-faced hack of an actress. This means that the last Best Picture winning film I saw was 2003's Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King. I have the feeling that even if I do see the aforelisted films, I will still believe that none of them deserved that award as much as the one I saw tonight did.

The story revolves around the three members of an elite Army bomb squad and their remaining 38 days of duty operating in Iraq. Heavy shit. The camera shots were sometimes shaky, quick moving or shifted focus to give that point-of-view, right-in-the-mix-of-it feeling, at other times direct and poignant and over all very well executed and edited. The plot was well timed and had an definite flow but safely avoided the pitfall of being too predictable as some war films can. Powerfully intense and raw in a way I have not seen before. Just the right amount of light moments so as not to inundate the audience too. I do wholly appreciate the historical weight if Bigelow's directorial win - one more for the ladies - but seriously, if you see this film you will know that it is so beyond that. The entire cast and crew deserved every statue they got the night of March 7, 2010. I have not seen Crazy Heart and thus cannot completely judge; I do enjoy Jeff Bridges and can agree with the popular critical/politic thought that "this was his time"; but Jeremy Renner deserved that fucking nom, if not the statue. Phenomenal, solid performance. I hope to see more from him.

I have experienced cathartic moments before from many films, be those feelings giddiness, sadness, anger or passion. I cannot recall walking out of a theater feeling quite the way I imagine the actors [and the real persons their characters were based on] felt in the situations in the film. A bomb detonates and sends its surroundings into temporary chaos; even after the rubble and dust settle, the core of you is still shaken, permanently changed, by what you've witnessed.

The Hurt Locker is already available of DVD and Blu-ray. It was playing at the cheap theater in Hopkins ($3) and seeing it tonight weighed on my night class letting out early. Class let out early. I went alone. Being a cheap theater, my first ticket stub of the year is nothing but receipt paper. If that is the only stub to be in that case for the rest of the year, I would be perfectly alright with that. Netflix it, buy it, borrow it, whatever, I highly suggest you see this film.