The best radio station ever

Recently I found out how to read the stats of my blog and found out I have a lot of readers outside if the state of Minnesota. So, I feel that it is my duty to spread the love of good music. For those unfamiliar with Minnesota Public Radio, they have a music station called 89.3 FM The Current. They play everyone, from The Beatles to the Eels, from Blitzen Trapper to Miike Snow. It's musical offerings are eclectic and has something for everyone. There is also a great focus on local music. It's available for listening on iTunes under Radio, then Alternative Rock, or you can stream it at: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/playlist/playlist.php

Even a glam girl loves a good dive bar...

Last weekend I went to lunch at one of my favorite dive bars in the Twin Cities, Cuzzy's (on Washington Ave. in the North Loop). The food is nothing to write home about, just your typical bar fare. Although... their tater tots are pretty spectacular. Perhaps that seasoning they douse them in is laced with crack? :) They also serve breakfast, which my boyfriend likes because they bring an entire gallon of brewed coffee to your table. Anyway, what makes Cuzzy's great is the ambiance. People can write and color whatever they want on a dollar bill and tape it to the wall or ceiling. The inside of the bar is coated in these warped dollars bills. And some of them are pretty hilarious. Also, they have MegaTouch at the bar. I'm a sucker for some trivia and photo hunt!

Brunch Buffet at Spill the Wine

This Sunday I went to brunch at Spill the Wine, on Washington Ave in downtown Minneapolis. On Sundays, for $15 a person you can do their brunch buffet. The buffet doesn't have a ton of options, but the quality of the food is worth the money. The breakfast meats are hearty and juicy. The hollandaise on the eggs benedict is perfectly balanced. I also enjoyed their sourdough french toast. For drinks, it came down to the bottomless mimosa or the bloody mary bar. I can't resist a bloody mary bar, but it didn't have many mix options, so I would recommend going the mimosa route. Overall, I like the place better for dinner than breakfast.

Black Swan Review

This weekend I began my quest to see every movie nominated this season. We started off with "Black Swan." I was not expecting the level of darkness and gore, but I guess I should have been expecting a certain level of twistedness from director Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream"). The movie invented it's own genre, psychosexual dance thriller, and lived up to it. Everyone in the movie did a brilliant job. I can see why both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis are up for awards. I think actor Vincent Cassel should have received more recognition, as the sleazy, womanizing head of the dance company. And I wish Winona Ryder had been in more scenes, she's definitely gunning for a comeback. I would definitely recommend going to see this movie, just prepare to be disturbed.

Good ol' Groveland Tap

Last night I headed over to St. Paul to meet a couple friends for dinner. We tried to get into the new Italian place, Scusi's, but couldn't get in without a reservation until after 8p. With a rumbling in our stomachs, we decided to head a block down and eat at the Groveland Tap. Their red house wine was perfectly fine and only $4 a glass! I had a tuna melt, which was mixed with relish and peppers to make it very flavorful. For a cheap night out, the food and wine were great. They also have a "Dinner & a Movie" deal with the movie theater down the street if you're planning a date night.

More awards season news....

The SAG Award nominations are out! As I said in an early post, a lot of actors consider these the most important since their decided by their peers. The SAG Awards are also the best gauge for how the Oscars are going to go. To see the full list of nominees, go to: http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/17th-annual-sag-awards-nominations/

Here are my quick thoughts by category:

Best Male Actor: I'm glad to see "True Grit" is finally getting some love since it was completely snubbed by the Golden Globes. My bet's on Colin Firth, but I think Jeff Bridges has a lot of friends in Hollywood, so who knows.

Best Female Actor: Natalie Portman is getting a lot of buzz of "Black Swan," but the industry love Hillary Swank and her role in "Conviction was just begging for award recognition. I personally hope Annette Bening gets it.

Best Male/Female Supporting Actor: For men, I'm banking on classic pick, Geoffrey Rush but Jeremy Renner was great in "The Town" and everyone is talking about Christian Bale in "The Fighter." For female, I think everyone's been dying to see Helen Bonham Carter get some recognition. I think it would be awesome if Mila Kunis gets it, but I doubt that will happen. Maybe the girl from "True Grit"? It's been awhile since a child actor has gotten an award.

Best Cast in a Motion Picture: I bet it goes to the English film, "The King's Speech," since its loaded with powerful actors. I think "Black Swan" and "The Fighter" also have a decent chance. Anyone surprised that "Inception" is not getting any nominations? I totally thought it would, maybe it came out too early?

TV nominations were pretty much the same as the Golden Globes. No surprises. I'm so glad these nominations made more sense than the Golden Globes!

Rinata Review

Last night we braved the icy roads and went to Rinata, an Italian restaurant on Hennepin in Uptown, for dinner. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with brown, gold, and copper accents with dim lighting. The food was delicious. We started out with smoked salmon and goat cheese brushetta. I got ziti with braised pork shoulder and caramelized onions, which was very tender and flavorful. My only qualm with the place is that for an Italian restaurant, it has a very small wine list. Only 5 wines under red and 5 under white are available by the glass. In lieu of a glass of red wine, I went with the "proseccotini," a glass of prosecco (sweet sparkling wine) with blackberry puree, which was quite tasty!