Salem is not known for its diversity when it comes to shopping. It seems to me that everything melds into one. Yes, there are a few exceptions, but for the most part Salem is just one big Wal Mart. That is why, with great pleasure, I need to point out Taste of Europe, a specialty food market found in NE Salem at the Oak Park Plaza.

My family dragged, me kicking and screaming, out into the throes of Black Friday madness. OK, we left our house at 1:30pm, but it was not my idea of having a good time on a Friday afternoon – I was still digesting my Thankful meal from the day before.

When I spotted the Taste of Europe, found at 3284 Lancaster Dr NE # F, it was pure delight, and started to plan my escape from the role of cart-pusher at the fabric store at the Plaza.

The storefront is unassuming: At first glance, when peering through the window, it looks like a gift shop with brightly colored clocks and figurines taking up half the space of the store. I went in anyways to check it out, and once inside the aromatic sweetness came forth; the smell was not strong, like some fish or meat markets, but deli-cate and deli-ghtful. The aroma was predominately of smoked and cured meats found in an eight- foot cooled deli case. Some of these meats I have never heard of before and have never seen in Salem until today. Sausages and Bologna were plentiful, yet they also carry bacon and what looked like salt pork. Other meats, also, rounded out the mix.

 Next to the meats was a four-foot case of cheeses. Not a large selection, and mostly soft, white cheeses, but it complimented the meat section nicely.

Moving through the store to the left, I came upon another four-foot case filled with smoked and pickled fish. Some of the fish were smoked whole, but looked appetizing. For instance, smoked trout was butterflied so as to lay the fish flat, exposing its rich smoked meat in an artful display; whole smoked mackerel lay in straight rows and showed off the fish’s horizontal natural markings; and, anchovies were draped into a bowl and looked fluid and fragile.

Moving away from the cases to the isles with grocery style shelving, there were jar upon jar of pickled and canned goods. Specialty items jumped out at me: Assorted wild mushrooms in brine; Babushka (baby) pickles; sweet roasted peppers; honey complete with comb (a U.S. product). One big section of cookies and crackers looked out of place, but not so much as to be an eyesore. A variety of unique breads and rolls were set low along the deli cases framing-in the display nicely.

All in all, my short time spent at the store was a pleasant experience. The clerk was very nice and answered my few questions eagerly. The one thing that I did notice from the products and the clientele was that The Taste of Europe was more of a taste of Greater Russia.

With, perhaps, a more diverse European offering, this store could dominate Salem’s specialty food market.

Το Παντοπωλείον της Μεσογειακής Διατροφής μας προσκαλεί σε Χριστουγεννιάτικη Γευσιγνωσία με γλυκίσματα, μέλι και ηδύποτα στο αίθριο του Γρυπάρειου Μεγάρου, Σοφοκλέους 1, το Σάββατο 28 Νεοεμβρίου από τις 12.00 ως τις 5.00 μ.μ. 12 επιλεγμένοι παραγωγοί από διάφορες περιοχές της Ελλάδαςθα μας προτείνουν γιορτινές γεύσεις και ιδέες. Η γευσιγνωσία θα συνοδεύεται από ζωντανή μουσική jazz. τηλ. 210 3234612

I’m starting to develop an aversion towards Pasig. Traffic, especially in the Ortigas area is horrible and parking in commercial places is always a nightmare. City Golf on Julia Vargas used to be the default setting for impromptu dates, but the influx of bars and restaurants in that tiny area have made it almost impossible to visit on weekends.  So out of desperation and desire to escape the chaotic watering holes, I suggested to Mister M that we head for Kapitolyo and try our luck at the newly opened delicatessen slash wine bar.  Much to my delight, it was open. It was almost 12mn when we got there and it seemed like they were about to close. Luckily enough, the accommodating owners were there and allowed us to enjoy a bottle of wine.

Poco Deli offers the usual delicatessen fare of cold cuts,sausages and cheese (some coming from Mickey’s Deli) along with pizzas and pasta dishes.  They had a pretty decent wine selection that can satisfy the occasional craving for a sophisticated buzz. The place was quiet with a very relaxing ambience.  That night, it also offered the respite that I needed.

Sausage Platter (P280)

My visit to Poco Deli was short but sweet and certainly made my drive to Pasig worth it. It’s good to know that I now have a new place to go to for my vino fix, and far away from the maddening crowd.

*all photos taken with a Nokia 6700 Classic

]]> http://bealocalbcn.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/a-walk-to-tibidabo-av-on-sunday%e2%80%99s-afternoon/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:13:09 +0000 eugenecarroll http://bealocalbcn.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/a-walk-to-tibidabo-av-on-sunday%e2%80%99s-afternoon/ http://celuloidesensujugo.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/ordinary-people/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:54:53 +0000 Pablo http://celuloidesensujugo.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/ordinary-people/

En 1980, Robert Redford era ya una estrella consagrada. Descalzos por el parque, Dos hombres y un destino, El golpe, El gran Gatsby y Todos los hombres del presidente habían forjado una sólida carrera que le había convertido en uno de los intérpretes más deseados, tanto por productores/directores como por las masas, ascendido a los altares de galanes como Brando y Newman. A Redford, sin embargo, le faltaba algo: ponerse detrás de las cámaras. La excusa la encontró en una novela de Judith Guest que le recordó, por cómo se describían los problemas en el hogar, a su propia familia.

Los problemas que cuenta Ordinary people no son precisamente banales. La familia (papá, mamá y Conrad, hijo adolescente) vive marcada por una tragedia. Un hecho fatal (que no desvelaremos) en el que se vio involucrado Conrad; su sentimiento de culpa es tan abrumador que intentó suicidarse. Que no lo consiguiera no significa que ese sentimiento haya desaparecido: es un chico atormentado, angustiado, en perpetuo estado de furia y desasosiego. Vuelve al instituto, al equipo de natación, pero el peso de la culpa es casi insoportable. Conrad tiene el apoyo de papá, un hombre básicamente bueno y preocupado, y el del doctor Berger, pero no el de mamá, una harpía en toda regla que no le perdona lo ocurrido y parece incapaz de apreciar hasta qué punto sufre el chico. Mientras Conrad lucha por recuperar su vida, la familia camina hacia la desintegración.

Eligiendo un drama intenso y complejo, Redford demostró que cambiar el rol de actor por el de director no obedecía, precisamente, al capricho de una estrella aburrida. La densa novel de Guest obligó a un tratamiento de dos años y medio hasta convertirse en un guión pulido, obra y gracia del solvente Alvin Sargent. Sargent, que había ganado el Oscar por el libreto de Julia, repitió estatuilla con Ordinary people, merecida recompensa a tan ardua labor. No acabó aquí el reconocimiento de la Academia: generosa, bendijo a Redford, un novato, reconociéndole como mejor realizador, y consideró que su cinta había sido la mejor del año. Un botín que se completó con otro Oscar no menos merecido: el de mejor actor secundario, aunque su rol fuera principal, para Timothy Hutton.

La carrera de Hutton ha oscilado desde entonces entre lo frustrante y lo anodino pero, como le ocurrió a Redford, lo bordó con su primera película (contaba sólo con papeles en televisión). Tenía 20 años pero resultaba perfecto como adolescente, e impregnó a su interpretación de tal grado de veracidad (ha asegurado que no se sirvió de la muerte de su propio padre, ocurrida meses antes, pero quién sabe) que, si la película funciona, es en gran medida porque supo zambullirse con éxito en el complejo papel de un crío depresivo aplastado por la culpa. Después, lo dicho: sin noticias de Hutton, reciclado en actor insustancial.

El reparto, sólido, lo completan Donald Sutherland, impecable como el padre, y Mary Tyler Moore como la madre, en un tour de force, como les gusta a los ”entendidos”, que la obligó a dejar sus habituales papeles amables para reciclarse en una cabrona bastante desalmada. Nominación para ella, así como para Judd Hirsch, el médico.

Redford, sin haberse prodigado mucho (otras 6 cintas más en casi 30 años), no lo ha hecho mal cuando ha dirigido, aunque ha tendido a caer en lo ñoño (El río de la vida, El hombre que susurraba a los caballos); su gran excepción: Quiz Show, nominada a mejor película y mejor director, una delicia. Pero fue, quién lo iba a decir, en su estreno al otro lado de la cámara cuando ofreció mejores prestaciones. Demostró buen gusto al elegir el material, supo rodearse de buenos profesionales y sirvió una película de obligada visión; sin pirotecnias ni grandes alardes, pero con los pulmones suficientes para bucear en las honduras de los conflictos humanos.

I can see why a lot of people might find the trek to Langer’s a bit unnerving. It’s just one block from the parking lot to the actual restaurant, but you have to share that one block of sidewalk with a lot of brown people from South America. It’s located in a “shady” area of LA; 7^th and Alvarado, kitty-corner from McArthur Park.  I tried to convince my lunch companions (native Angeleno brown girls themselves) that they were safe by pointing out that even though there wasn’t an immigrant rights march going on at the moment, the LAPD was always near looking and ready for opportunities to beat up or shoot someone.

I have driven past Langer’s many times since I moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t until last week that I found out it was a local and international icon. As soon as I saw the classic diner décor of 70’s-brown pleather booths, counter stools, fake wood tables, light fixtures with old beige lamp shades, and crunchy, sticky floor, I knew the food was going to be really good.

We managed to get there before the lunch rush, so we scored a booth. I did not spend too much time reading the menu. I was there for the notorious #19. The #19 is Langer’s best seller and it’s what everyone who isn’t a pastrami sandwich (bread and meat with a dab of mustard) purist orders. The #19 is pastrami on rye with a slice of Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing. When it comes to food, mob mentality rules and I wasn’t there to be a dissident. I ordered the #19 and a cream soda.

What was put in front of me was simply brilliant. There is no better word to describe it. I bit into the deliciously smoked pile of lunch meat, and was immediately transported into a different dimension of Sandwich Nirvana. I was home. Langer’s pastrami is perfectly cooked, sugar cured and peppered, and slightly fattier to give it more good flavor during the smoking and steaming process. The hand-carved, thick pile of meat is encased within a tender rye with a crackling crust that’s easy on the mouth and is accompanied by two pickle halves. Definitely one for the Best Things I Ever Ate file.

Because feeling privileged makes me uncomfortable and sad, I immediately thought about the people out on the street. Here was something utterly delicious, so close to them, but so far from their grasp. The people who work and live in this neighborhood cannot afford to eat much beyond the dollar menu, let alone a $14 sandwich.

Many claim that Langer’s pastrami sandwich is the best in the world. I haven’t been to Katz or any other legendary New York deli, but it’s hard to imagine any other sandwich beating the  #19. I had finally arrived at my pastrami Mecca and it was only 4 miles from my house. I unburied my face from the sandwich and took a moment to tell my companions, “I’ll have this over French Laundry any day.” They gasped. Oh the sacrilege. “Don’t tell that to your sister!” they replied. “It’s ok. She already got miffed at me for liking the Chez Panisse experience better than French.”

I decided two weeks is long enough a wait to eat another #19. I won’t even have to park and walk along 7^th. Langer’s has curbside service and I’ve already saved their number in my cell phone contacts.

Η μαρμελάδα πορτοκάλι της ΓΕΩΔΗ Α.Ε. πήρε χρυσή διάκριση στο διαγωνισμό Great Taste Awards 2009. Με περιεκτικότητα φρούτου 85%, αποκλειστικά φτιαγμένη από ελληνικά φρέσκα πορτοκάλια, η μαρμελάδα πορτοκάλι κέρδισε τις εντυπώσεις της κριτικής επιτροπής και το χρυσό μετάλλιο με τη σωστή δομή, το ανεπανάληπτο άρωμα και την εξαίσια γεύση. Η ΓΕΩΔΗ Α.Ε. παράγει μαρμελάδες από επιλεγμένα ελληνικά φρέσκα φρούτα, χωρίς πηκτίνες, συντηρητικά και πρόσθετα, και η γκάμα της περιλαμβάνει επίσης βιολογικές μαρμελάδες και μαρμελάδες χωρίς προσθήκη ζάχαρης. Τις βρίσκουμε στο “Παντοπωλείο  Μεσογειακής Διατροφής” Σοφοκλέους 1 & Αριστείδου 11, τηλ. 210 3234612, Λεωφ. Ποσειδώνος 81, Γλυφάδα, τηλ. 210 8948531 και Χρεμωνίδου 6, Παγκράτι, τηλ. 210 7566006

This piece of music is a very tender one, and it’s accompanying an also tender scene on a surreal film. The duo consists of a cello and a musical saw. For those who have never heard of this instrument, yes, it’s a common saw, played with a cello arc (you can watch the world Guinness record with 50+ musical saws performing Ave Maria – thanks for the link Michelle).

The film that hosted this music is “Delicatessen“, directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and the soundtrack was composed by Carlos D’Alessio (1935 – 1992). The piece was played in the movie by two of the main characters on a roof. On the video below you can watch the piece played in it’s whole in a musical saw festival. You can also listen to the original soundtrack track or watch the movie scene.

The movie:

Delicatessen presents a post-apocalyptic scenario set entirely in a dank and gloomy building where the landlord operates a delicatessen on the ground floor. But this is an altogether meatless world, so the butcher-landlord keeps his customers happy by chopping unsuspecting victims into cutlets, and he’s sharpening his knife for the new tenant (French comic actor Dominque Pinon) who’s got the hots for the butcher’s near-sighted daughter. Delicatessen is a feast (if you will) of hilarious vignettes, slapstick gags, and sweetly eccentric characters, including a man in a swampy room full of frogs, a woman doggedly determined to commit suicide (she never gets it right) and a pair of brothers who make toy sound boxes that “moo” like cows.

It doesn’t amount to much as a story, but that hardly matters; this is the kind of comedy that leaps from a unique wellspring of imagination and inspiration, and it’s handled with such visual virtuosity that you can’t help but be mesmerised. French co-directors of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro have wildly inventive imaginations that gravitate to the darker absurdities of human behaviour, and their visual extravagance is matched by impressive technical skill.

Nicole Trunfio stopped by the Model Lounge to cop some Vanquish.

Check out her new site www.nicoletrunfio.net

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

Mathilde (Tautou) in the lighthouse.

The 2004 Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie, The City of Lost Children, Delicatessen) film A Very Long Engagement (Un long dimanche de fiançailles) is one of those rare movies I’m urged to consume myself with annually. In fact it was my favorite film of that year and Jeunet, were it not for the terrible Alien Resurrection, has a nearly flawless list of films he has directed, at least in my opinion. Here, Jeunet once again gets to work with the quirky, lovable, and brilliant Audrey Tautou, who were it not for her humble choice of roles outside of The Da Vinci Code, would probably be a Hollywood icon. They clearly compliment each other, as in A Very Long Engagement Jeunet recaptures everything that makes Tautou so wonderful in Amélie. But that’s not all. Jeunet has an outstanding international ensemble in this movie. Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon is back once again. 2007 Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (La Môme a.k.a. La Vie en rose) is absolutely perfect as the tragic anti-hero and clever revenge connoisseur, Tina Lombardi. Gaspard Ulliel, who plays the infamous title character in 2007’s Hannibal Rising, co-stars opposite Tautou, and is as equally engaging for his pure boyish innocence in the role. Even Jodie Foster appears in a supporting role and is as compelling as ever. On the technical side Bruno Delbonnel (unquestionably among the best cinematographers in the world) collaborates again with Jeunet to make a great story also a visually dazzling film. Frequent David Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti scores the film effectively as well. But enough about who made the movie.

A great landscape shot from the movie.

Marion Cotillard as resourceful assassin Tina Lombardi.

A Very Long Engagement follows Mathilde (Tautou), an orphan partially paralyzed from polio, as she undertakes a desperate journey to find her fiancé, a French soldier in World War I named Manech (Ulliel). Their love for one another is portrayed as remarkably profound and that really is what this movie is built on. Jeunet has a unique way of introducing characters to us. He makes it almost impossible to not relate in some way to them. The characters in his films are far more charming than most, especially here. Manech was one of five soldiers convicted of self-mutilation. He did this so he would no longer have to serve. All five soldiers faced a death sentence by being forced to enter No Man’s Land between the French and German trenches. All are assumed to have not survived but Mathilde’s faith in Manech’s survival cannot be shaken. A Very Long Engagement is seen through the perspective of both primary characters, but mostly focuses on Mathilde. I won’t give away the end but suffice to say it is among the most beautiful bittersweet movie moments in many years.

A horrifying but equally outstanding landscape shot from the film.

Although brief, Audrey Tautou's bum is in this movie, and that might earn 5 stars by itself.

In such a passionate story that never loses my attention I sometimes forget how amazing this film is visually. You can plainly see that Jeunet is delighted to tell his story with a big budget, and believe me he uses it wisely. The war scenes do not for one second turn away. Even with all I’ve heard, read about, or seen visual interpretations of; nothing could prepare me for Jeunet’s seemingly spot-on depiction of World War I trench warfare brutality. What’s amazing is he contrasts these fragmented horrific visuals with mostly gorgeous countryside shots of north western France and gazing shots of the beautiful and delicate Mathilde. Seems so appropriate, as the world I see today might need these contrasts as a reminder of how very beautiful life has the potential to be. A Very Long Engagement to me is the total package. It really is what movies should be about and I very highly recommend it to anyone.

My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

The Model Lounge is a place for models to hang out in between castings and shoots.  It’s at Delicatessen on Lafayette, not too far from our store.  We introduced them to the women’s Vanquish and they love it.  Look how cute.

A new store is opening soon in Boerum Hill. I could have asked what they are going to sell, but it’s more fun to guess.

Me he propuesto escribir un poquito sobre mi ciudad y ir poniendo aquí esas cosas que me gustan.

Así que como sin quererlo empiezo por una típica, la tienda de toda la vida de Huesca…  y tanto porque es un negocio familiar que ya va por la 5ª generación.

Es extraño porque no es que haya entrado muchas veces a esta tienda (mi madre es más asidua), de echo la asocio más a cuando era pequeña que iba allí a comprar con mi madre.

Pero allí esta, la tienda más antigua de ultramarinos de España. Conserva todavía las mismas estanterías, baldosas y pinturas del techo que cuando se abrió al público en 1868.

Es casi una tienda de delicatessen pues tiene un poco de todo lo mejor de la zona así que si pasáis por Huesca no dejéis de visitarla. Esta en: Pza. lópez allué (o Plaza del Mercado), 8, bajos – 22001 – HUESCA

Os dejo un reportaje que encontre en el New York Times sobre esta tienda (si, si, también cruza el charco): Huesca, Spain: Ultramarinos La Confianza

J’aime Delicatessen. Je n’aime pas qu’on critique Jeunet à tout va. J’aime son style visuel. Je n’aime pas le chien qui pète dans Un long Dimanche de fiançailles mais reste bluffé par la brève performance de Cotillard. Je hais quand il recycle ses idées et adore la poésie d’Amélie Poulain.

Profitons de la sortie de Micmacs à tire-larigot pour se refaire Foutaises (1989), un court-métrage de Jean-Pierre Jeunet annonciateur de son style. On y croise Dominique Pinon, Chick Ortega et Marie-Laure Dougnac, qu’on reverra plus tard sous la direction du cinéaste.