Dos Caminos

It's that time again in New York City, Restaurant Week, where 3 course meals are $35 at the top eateries in the city. However, add in tax, tip and a drink my bill last night came to $58 when my friend Karen and I went to Dos Caminos SoHo. 

Inside has a good atmosphere and I had a great Pinot Noir (Echelon; CA) with my duck entre. I handed my glass over to Karen to try saying it was spicy and was like a banquet in your mouth. She took a sip, made a face as if she just took a shot of tequila and replied with a gasp "Banquet? There’s like a 300 piece band in there, I think I tasted a trombone." lol, well I like it dry and with substance and she's not much of a drinker. 

The ensalada I had as an appetizer was a bit too spicy and their most raved about item, their guacamole, wasn't on the pre fix meal, so we ordered off that menu to try it. They supposedly mix it at the table for you in these stone holders and you have the option of mild, medium and spicy. We went with mild and it was super yummy, but it came to our table already mashed-to-order. I'm not even a huge guacamole fan but it was very creamy and yum with tomatoes mixed in that it had me scraping my chips along the edges for more. Take a look:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other than that, the food wasn't terribly Mexican despite the restaurant’s name but more traditional tasting with a latin/american fusion menu.

Downward facing thong

Have you ever done yoga in a thong? Well, I don't reccomend it.

As I scrambled to work today I thought I had everything in order with my bag of shirts to be dropped off at the dry cleaners (check) and my gym bag on the other shoulder. In it, I had remembered to pack my sports bra (check), stretchy yoga pants (check), sneakers (check), socks (check). But I forgot to bring extra underwear. Instead I had to wear what I was wearing that day, a thong. Wearing one in general is far from being completely comfortable but when bending, doing warrior position and walking up walls, it's especially unpleasant. It did keep my mind off the clock I'll tell you that much and continually had me laughing under my breath. Especially when the male instructor came by and put his hands on my waist and made me extend further in a particularly difficult Shiva position, causing my panties to lodge further.

Jac (that's the instructors name) always targets me like that tho and makes me go further into positions than I want to, despite his claim to the class that we can stop when ever we feel uncomfortable. Yet, he always makes me do the hard hand stands but lets the others use the wall or blocks. He's a French bully frankly. Yes, I know he's only doing his job, but tonight he seemed particularly gunning for me since I hadn't attended his class in a long time now that I basically do cardio workouts at the gym instead and he kept calling me Cara.

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Shadowboxer

Besides Little Miss Sunshine, I went to another advanced film screening last week as well. It was a press showing of Shadowboxer in a small private professional theater with large comfy chairs, which my friend and I soon made ghetto by sneaking Subway sandwiches into it.

Shadowboxer stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Helen Mirren (Calendar Girls) and Stephen Dorff. I didn’t write a review of the film the next day like I usually do because the film was so F’d up, but in a good way. I still keep thinking of the many disturbing scenes and relationships that the story portrays and I am still not sure how to go about describing it. In essence it’s part Pulp Fiction, film noir and an independent art film.  The story centers on Rose, a female assassin (Mirren), diagnosed with terminal cancer who decides to carry out one final killing assisted by lover, fellow assassin and also stepson, Mickey (Cuba). I had stated that the relationships were disturbing. Anyway, their job becomes complicated when their hit turns out to be for a pregnant woman (Vanessa Ferlito) about to give birth, who also happens to be the wife of a dangerous Philadelphia murderer and criminal. 

Despite the very graphic sexual and violent scenes in the film, there are many artistic shots and religious symbolism throughout. Also, the gritty scenes are oddly juxtaposed to French classical compositions making the film even more complicated. I was continually being shocked and feeling uncomfortable, yet I walked away liking the film for these same reasons. The plot also progressed well and made up for its harsh beginnings. The film also marks the directorial debut of Lee Daniels, the producer of the Academy Award-nominated Monster’s Ball and The Woodsmen, which helps explain the film’s frank and harsh scenes. 

I found it especially nice seeing Cuba really acting again instead of playing dumb and crazy in Snow Dogs and Rat Race and Helen Mirren is as classy as ever despite the harsh role. Macy Gray also stars as one of the supporting characters and plays the part of a drunken street girl all to well and may I add, her voice is so annoying. I mean, I like her music but have you heard her talk? Geez.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the boy from 3^rd Rock from the Sun) stars as well and plays a corrupt doctor dating his nurse played by actress Mo’Nique, whose messed up relationship and characters I enjoyed.

Shadowboxer opens in limited release on July 21.

Little Miss Sunshine

Last night my friend Cindy and I went to an advanced screening of Little Miss Sunshine, which stars 40 Year Old Virgin's Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette. The independent film recently did well at Sundance and is about a professor (Carell) who recently committed suicide and is now in the care of his sister (Collette) and living with her wacky family. As a group they begrudgingly and frantically travel in an old VW van from New Mexico to California to enter their little daughter Olive in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Along the way there are several mishaps that force the family to become closer and reveal their neurosis and love for one another. It's cute and had me laughing several times. Although it started a little slow and odd the film gradually built as their trip went along. I literally felt like I was in the back seat with them.

It's also well acted, especially by the teenage son Dwayne (Paul Dano) who has taken a vow of silence and only writes on a steno pad to communicate. Alan Arkin plays the heroin smoking, sex maniac, but loving grandfather. Carrell as one of the main leads plays a serious role in this film, but because he is able to play the character so straight and dryly it comes off funny in a lot of scenes without being in your face. I use the term "straight" not in the sexual sense since his character is actually gay. Being a comic he easily could have turned the role into a flamboyant mess, but instead the fact that he's gay is only an underlying character trait. Overall I enjoyed it more than the many enjoyable independent films that I saw at Tribeca recently. Speaking of which, The Groomsmen comes to theaters soon too, but I'd say see Little Miss Sunshine first, it's better. Here's a tidbit, the movie actually took five years to make, mostly due to financial reasons.

Little Miss Sunshine opens July 26th.

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Can I touch your hair?
I’ve been wanting to share my recent crazy cab ride from the airport story with ya'll. I had landed at JFK airport from Cali at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday and immediately raced with my carryon to the taxi line outside, when a guy in a suit asked if I needed a taxi. I said yes, but wisely asked the price first. It was the same as the yellow cabs and he had a sedan, so I thought “why not?” He quickly took my bag and put it in his trunk then told me to sit in the front. I was like “the front?” and he nodded and left to see if he could get another passenger. I was annoyed sitting there, it was late and I had work the next day and now the yellow cabs were zooming pass me on their way to Manhattan and the boroughs with their single passengers riding comfortably in the back. The driver finally returned just when I was getting ready to pop the trunk and leave. We finally pulled away with Indian techno music blaring. The music was fun, but it was really loud, especially when I wanted to sleep.

Tony--that’s the driver’s name--didn’t match his music though with his blueish eyes and minimal accent, but while I was forced to hear his life story I learned that he came here by himself from New Delhi at the age of 16 1/2 without knowing any English. He was nice, but super talkative and chummy. I do like talking to cab drivers and they usually like confiding in me but at least then I have a front seat/back seat barrier. So Tony starts asking me personal questions, it started off simple finding out we both are Sagittarius, thus loyal and outgoing people. Then he asked how old I was and he was surprised saying I looked barely 18, not that it seemed to deter him any since he next asked if I was single and went on to tell me about how his last girl was after his money. As a result, he is going back to India for five months this summer to find a wife and save up for a Benz. Honestly, I can go on and on and tell you a lot more about Tony here from that 20 minute ride, but the most memorable part was during a blissful lag in conversation when he turned to me and asked, "Can I touch your hair?"

Yup, you read me correctly. Here I was trapped in the front seat, Bollywood techno music blaring, Tony chattering on about his love life and him reaching out to touch my hair. I was only a block away and didn’t know what to say. I was like "um ok." Yes, I know. So he tugs on the end of my hair and goes "wow, so silky," then goes on to say how everyone is so different in this world. True that. Finally my apartment was in view but he still managed to give me his card to call if I needed a ride again or if I’m no longer single. Yeah, I’ll do that *rolls eyes* What a welcome back to New York, huh?

Moral of the story don't sit in the front seat of a taxi and wait in line at the taxi stand.

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