Just like Ice Cube, I woke up and the day seemed kinda odd.

Jim was cooking breakfast in the kitchen! Using this recipe, and thick slices of polish bread, I have to say it was a good day.

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Posted on August 4, 2008

Recently, good friends Astrid and Marcus took a dream vacation in Austria, and this week she wrote up a portion of their trip for Brix Picks, Thanks again to Astrid for sharing her adventures! (And for loaning me her Cure album).

Our first stop was Eisenstadt, a very small but picturesque town, home to the composer Joseph Haydn and a large Esterhazy wine cellar. We later discovered the Esterhazy vineyard was right near our hotel in Rust so we stopped by to taste more wine and buy some bottles. There was also a field trip of high school students tasting wine there, (though the teachers seemed more tipsy than the students!!!)

We stayed in Rust, a small town bordering the Neusiedler Sea and close to the border of Hungary. Its the Burgenland region, which has some of the nicest weather in Austria and is known for its wine!

We stayed at the Rusterhof, Its a renovated farmhouse, with small suites
and two restaurants. The town is quiet and beautiful, old farmhouses and lots of storks that live in nests on the rooftops. The lake is huge, and although you can walk there from the town center I'd recommend renting a bike!

Almost every other house is a Heuriger– a local wine maker that produces and sells his own wine, if the doors are open you just walk in and can taste or buy wines, (bottles start at around 2-3 euros). Because we got to Rust on a Monday most places were closed, (Austria considers Mon/Tues rest days, so its tricky to find places that are open) but we still managed to find my favorite treat- Austrian iced coffee. It's more a coffee Sunday than an iced coffee, so I have to limit my consumption but its a vacation treat!
br/>Tuesday we ate at the Hofgassl, which was tucked?away in a courtyard. Asparagus or “spargel” was in season so we started with a Spargel Variation plate– asparagus 4 ways- asparagus sushi, asparagus soup, foam and steamed asparagus… we shared a salad, perch entree and drank more amazing wine!

Our next day trip was Baden– A resort spa town, famous for its sulfur springs and royal gardens. We spent the day walking through their massive pedestrian zone and their parks, and of course we drank more wine and giant beers!

We ate at a semi touristy but awesome courtyard?restaurant, where I made the mistake of ordering?Marcus the Sour Wurst, which turned out to be?bologna with vinegar!

Then offff to Viennnaaaaa……

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Posted on August 4, 2008

Hecho en Dumbo (“made in Dumbo”) serves paninis and wine by day, but once the sun set, they dish out some of the best Mexican around. Chef Danny Mena (The Modern) is very proud of his newest venture. Proud of their use of local ingredients–he works with nearby Foragers Market to get the freshest and local-est; proud of his commitment to traditional and modern Mexican cooking; and proud to support a heritage of culture and art–the restaurant often hosts various artist and musicians.

This love for the food and the setting shows. A far cry from cashing in on the new found adoration of tacos around town, Hecho serves unique dishes, not carbon copy renditions in comfortable rustic chic (but not desperately chic) surroundings. Jim and I wanted to get a taste for the menu, so the sample platter was perfect. Nothing hit a wrong note: the mollettes (bean, cheese and pico de gallo on bread), the burritas, the tacos, and the sopes, all great, but three items really stood out.

I would definitely recommend the flavorful pork tacos (conchinita pibil), the steak filled burritas de res–and the tacos rajas con queso, which are a great option for vegetarians, ae filled with poblano pepper, onion and cheese. Prices are totally reasonable too ($8-$12 for main dishes), so you can also share some fresh guacamole and down some of their (pricier) cocktails. I recommend the nice and spicy Michelada Cubana and the Margarita Tamarindo which, thankfully, bears no resemblance to the overly sweet usual “margarita” monstrosities served in most restaurants.

It's worth noting that the place only sports a small sign saying “caf?” and it's not open on Sundays. Also, try to get there on the early side as the buzz on this worthy addition to the neighborhood is only getting louder.

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Posted on August 4, 2008

Sexed Up

I seem to have a soft spot for husky voiced little tough girls of privilege. I used to enjoy an occasional game of Scrabble with one back in Austin.She was scrappy and beautiful in an asexual way and she was constantly getting on or coming off prescription drugs and always teetered on the edge of something.Her tattered, semi-dangerous existence and my safe, relatively boring one fit together oddly but nicely.

Frequently nude actress Asia Argento reminds me of that old friend. I saw her once on the subway and at first glace I thought she was just another French teenage boy until a fan boy began fawning over her father–the famed and formerly absolutely genius horror maestro, Dario. It was very exciting once I realized who she was and since then, she’s become more famous in the US so when I tell people about my brush with fame, they actually know who I’m talking about. Unfortunately she’s got the Vin Diesel vehicle xXx and The Land of the Dead to thank for that. And about seven thousand naked photos.

Aside from having a famous body and tattoos, she is a strikingly good actress, usually the only spark of vitality and fascination in an otherwise boring movie (Marie Antoinette, anyone?)?Right now she’s starring in The Last Mistress and, while it’s reported that she was a nightmare on set, word has it she gives an outrageously great performance.

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Posted on August 4, 2008

Despite a 2008 Oscar win for best short animation and some really intriguing still photos, Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, a new adaptation of the classic piece of music, has been just sitting unwatched in my DV-R for months. I guess I can't always trust that kid friendly equals interesting but, in this case, I can promise that it will be an exceptional visual treat for anyone, regardless of their age.

Eerie and slightly mournful, this retelling is very reminiscent of the Eastern European legacy of stop motion animation that has permanently changed the look of the medium. I assumed it was Russian since the story takes place there, but I learned from watching the making of (which is just as interesting) it's actually a Norwegian, Polish and British affair, with Brit Suzie Templeton at the creative helm.

After making a name for herself with the haunting short Dog, Templeton spent five years on this project from writing the script to designing the characters–and she has done a phenomenal job. Each character is so lovingly rendered, they breathe with such life and charm it's almost hard to remember they're not real. The long neck duck, Peter's best friend, and the bowling-ball-fat fluff ball cat are my personal favorites.

We saw it on PBS's Great Performances, but no airings on currently on their schedule. According to Wikipedia there are plans for tours of the film with accompanied orchestration during 2008. However you can manage to see it, try to. It's a testament to the painstaking art of stop motion animation and the worlds of wonder it can create in the right hands.

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Posted on August 4, 2008