Jersey Dines in D.C.
By Steve Herte
Visiting
our nation's capital is always an adventure. No matter how many times
you go, there's always something new to see.
This
year I had an ambitious schedule of sights and I actually saw most of
them. The lesser known Hirshhorn, Freer and Corcoran Galleries proved
they had wonders to reveal that the big museums didn't. The tiny
German American Heritage Museum was as charming as the crowded
Holocaust Museum was horrific. The Old Stone House in Georgetown may
be difficult to get to but it's worth it. It's the oldest building in
Washington, D.C., and Thomas Payne and George Washington both used it
at one time or another. The National Archives is worth the wait on
the security line to see the Constitution, the Declaration of
Independence, and surprisingly, a copy of the Magna Carta.
On
a beautiful summer day, the United States Botanic Garden is a must. I
usually wait for a cloudy day with rain threatening to go to the
National Zoo because the animals are more active then. We didn't have
rain until Saturday but it cooled off nicely on Friday for my trek
there. And Saint Matthews Cathedral had me awestruck with its
glittering mosaics and memorial to John F. Kennedy on the floor of
the center aisle (his funeral was held there). I loved my hotel, the
Omni Shoreham, the first time I stayed there and I loved even more
this time when I found out it was haunted. However, the only thing
that seemed haunted was my television. When I tried to watch a movie
on it the image kept freezing, going black to "no signal,"
and becoming totally pixilated. I gave up on it and eventually found
myself at Gallery Place where the Regal Cinemas are located and was
able to see an uninterrupted movie. Enjoy!
Jersey
Boys (WB,
2014) - Director: Clint Eastwood. Writers: Marshall Brickman and Rick
Elice (s/p, musical book). Cast: Vincent Piazza, John Lloyd Young,
Steve Schirripa, Christopher Walken, Katherine Narducci, Lou Volpe,
Johnny Cannizzaro, Erich Bergen, & Michael Lomenda. Color, 134
minutes.
It
begins back in 1951. Everyone knows Francesco Stephen Castelluccio
(Young) has a great voice, even the Don, Gyp DeCarlo (cadaverously
played by Walken), says it’s a “gift from God.” Tommy DeVito
(Piazza) introduces the movie as the “true story” behind the
formation and success of the Four Seasons. Based on the Broadway show
of the same name, the film begins with the charmed teenage life of
the kid who would become Frankie Valli (he’s 16) even though his
buddies involve him in several criminal activities. “Charmed” is
the word because he’s the only member of the original group “The
Four Lovers” who manages to stay out of the New Jersey jail system
(he later gets his turn in Cleveland with the group).
The
story takes us through the labor pains that were necessary for the
group to be born: Tommy’s controlling attitude and eventual
half-million dollar debt to loan sharks, the turbulent introduction
of Bob Gaudio (Bergen) to the group as songwriter, Frankie’s
marriage and the family of three daughters, the need to change the
group’s name (a cute little Deus Ex Machina from a
diner fluorescent light sign) and the ultimate creation of the song
“Sherry.” But along the remarkably rough road are the mob
connections, unrest within the group, wild parties and extra-marital
affairs. Even the songs sung in the early part of the movie divert
the audience’s attention away from the hits they will eventually
sing.
Tommy
stated that this story is “the truth” (and we all know that
sometimes the truth hurts) and Jersey Boys doesn’t
skimp on shouting, vulgarity, and physicality. Parents, be aware of
this before taking children to see it. Frankie’s marriage fails
because of his time spent away, his youngest daughter dies (an
overdose of pills is suggested) just after she enters the
entertainment business guided by her dad, his girlfriend leaves him
and the group breaks up. Tommy is exiled to Las Vegas by the mob, and
Nick Massi (Lomenda) quits the group, leaving Bob and Frankie to
their own future.
Not
all is grim in the movie, of course. The songs and partial
performances (several songs are sung as excerpts, which can be a bit
disappointing) are often glorious. The intermittent but annoying
recurrence of one or another of the group breaking character to talk
to the audience can be unnerving when you want to hear the music. But
all the characters do a wonderful performance and are believable.
That is until the final scene at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
induction when the make-up department failed by obviously dusting
their hair with chalk to gray them up a bit (cheesy).
Having
been in 14 quartets (and being the top tenor in all of them) I know
the joyous as well as sad moments and can identify with the
characters portrayed in the film. There are indeed times when you
love them more than your family and there are those other times when
you wish serious harm on them. This is the tale Jersey Boys
tells and Eastwood’s direction makes it real. With all due
respect I can see why my Helene walked out on the Broadway show. This
is not how she wanted to remember the Four Seasons because she was in
a quartet with me and remembers our highs and lows. But once that
moment happens (as Frankie says toward the end) “there is only the
music” you cherish it forever. I didn’t think I would enjoy this
movie as much as I did (in spite of the language) but good story
telling, credible characters, and Eastwood’s direction made it
better than expected.
Rating:
4 out of 5 Martini glasses.
Dining
in D.C.
Originally
I had planned to conduct my own restaurant version of a Miss America
pageant as my dining article this week but the eight new restaurants
I’ve had the pleasure to visit seem to be in an eight-way tie for
first. They were all wonderful from first to last. What I’ll do
instead is give highlights of each and the dishes that stood out in
my memory as superb.
District
Kitchen
2606
Connecticut Avenue NW
This
cozy and friendly place a block away from my hotel welcomed me to
D.C. and set the high level of gustatory enjoyment. Their chef’s
innovative recipes from the chilled corn soup with English peas, to
the Octopus Ceviche and the homemade Cavatelli with asparagus and
peas were all delightful. But when I had the goat cheese cake on a
graham cracker crust overlaid with dried cherries in a sweet cherry
sauce I was totally blown away.
Taberna
del Alabardero
1776
I Street NW
Celebrating
25 years as a restaurant in D.C., this traditionally decorated
Spanish restaurant has good reason to wave their flag. I would
challenge anyone to finish every dish on their “tasting menu”
because you choose the dishes, not them. And if one of those dishes
is the Crispy Sweetbreads followed by Arroz Negro (rice blackened
with squid ink) Paella with squid and baby octopus (yes, I had
octopus two nights in a row) it will be a challenge indeed.
Le
Mirch
1736
Connecticut Avenue NW
I
always include an Indian restaurant in my itinerary as it is my
favorite cuisine, and although this one has a French-sounding name,
make no doubt about it, it’s Indian. However, they also have
innovative dishes such as the Aubergine Tower appetizer, a remarkable
construction using eggplant, mild spices chickpeas and crackers.
Though difficult to eat without destroying it, I loved it.
Plume
at The Jefferson Hotel
1200
16th Street
NW
Jackets
are preferred on gentlemen dining in this sumptuous formal restaurant
where the waiters do not ask if you will have a cocktail to start
with, they ask you if you wish for some Champagne. Yet they never get
snooty and will gladly answer any questions. Here I would find it
difficult to choose whether I enjoyed the Blue Crab Risotto more or
the local rabbit tasting with its “box” made of potato and filled
with asparagus, string beans and carrots, like an edible crate.
Fiola
601
Pennsylvania Avenue NW (Entrance is actually on Indiana Avenue)
The
décor of this Italian restaurant is quite striking, between swags seemingly
made of alabaster from Majorca suspended by ropes in hangman’s
knots to the highly polished wood tabletops. The bewitching taste of
their homemade papardelle with veal ragout topped with a scroll of
prosciutto vies successfully with the Spanish Branzino graced with
paddlefish caviar and topped with a “sail” of crisped skin from
the fish (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it).
Ris
2275
L Street NW
Another
very friendly place was this cream-colored and dark wood accented
window on a D.C. street. They serve a cocktail called “Mystique”
mixing Plymouth gin, Skinos Masthiha Liqueur and dry vermouth that
only needed a blue tint to remind me of the character from X-Men.
Likewise, their Basque Cheese Agnolotti with orange flavor and green
olives, chorizo and garlic was fabulous. And don’t get me started
on their rack of lamb with its comical tree of rosemary!
Le
Diplomat
1601
14th Street
NW
Surprise,
surprise! None other than Stephen Starr, the pride of Philadelphia
(think Morimoto and El Vez), owns this delightful French bistro. I
loved the mixture of French and English on their menu. For instance,
they present Moules Frites (fried mussels) but next to it on the menu
is “Beef” Bourguignon. Their Escargots in the traditional crock
topped with little puff pastry hats were excellent, as was the Endive
and Roquefort Salad featuring spiced poached pears. Friday’s
special was Bouillabaisse and was it ever special!
Occidental
Grill and Seafood
1475
Pennsylvania Avenue NW
I
chose this restaurant as a seafood place but it became so much more.
Again I was treated to honest, friendly service. The walls here are
covered with framed photos of famous people who have dined at
Occidental (most of whom I’ve never heard of). But the
southern-style cooking is fantastic! There is no breadbasket; you get
your own hot corn bread in an iron skillet. The Porcelet Pork Chop
and Belly on a bed of braised red Russian kale in a puree of sweet
white corn, with pickled white peach slices, crispy grit cakes and
morel mushrooms was so sinfully delicious it would have made Jack
Spratt commit suicide.
You
may be wondering why all of these restaurants addresses end in “NW”
for Northwest? Washington D.C. is organized around the Capitol
Building and all streets and avenues radiating from it are divided
accordingly into northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. Since
I never needed to journey east or south of that particular building,
that’s the reason.
Now
I hope you can see why I couldn’t choose one over the others when
all of them had vertiginous standards of care and excellent food. If
you don’t believe me, try them yourself next time you’re in D.C.
For the Dinner and a Movie archive, click here.
For the Dinner and a Movie archive, click here.
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