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Dine like a star
Posted on June 24, 2009 by cpeters
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Check out what celebrities are chewing on — and make some recipes yourself, courtesy of Self Magazine.
http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2009/07/dine-like-a-star-slideshow#slide=1
Restaurant review: Five Guys gets presidential seal of approval
Posted on June 12, 2009 by cpeters
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At the counter, there’s a small white piece of paper taped to one of the signs, with a message in sloppy handwriting: “Obama: cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, mustard.”
As if the Five Guys Burgers and Fries chain didn’t have enough of a cult following yet, it has now added a presidential visit and a big mention in GQ.
Obama probably did as much for Five Guys in that one visit as he did for GM. But it didn’t cost the nation $70 billion.
No, the president didn’t visit this location in Swampscott, now one of several in Massachusetts. But that didn’t make me any less curious. What’s all the fuss? I took the presidential seals off my car and headed out for an OTR – on-the-record – road trip.
Well, it’s partly the coolness factor, I think, in a minimalist way. Sacks of potatoes as decoration. A menu that has only three things on it besides the burgers and fries. Free peanuts in the shell like a good old-fashioned bar. A pizza-shop type feel to the dine-in experience with no table service.
Then again, it could be that they serve burgers. What’s more American than a burger and fries? Perhaps a greasy burger. It’s as if they put the takeout in brown bags on purpose, so you’ll see the grease seeping through by the time you get home. It’s like the bag is telling me “we didn’t take all the fun and flavor out of your burger.”
I started with a bacon cheeseburger (the most expensive at $5.89.) Everything after that is no extra charge. I added hot sauce, lettuce, tomato and grilled mushrooms. As for my fries, I went with the Cajun style ($4.09 for a large – plenty for two). I admire that they aren’t shy with the spices.
I’m not going to rave about the burger or knock it. Don’t get me wrong – it hit the spot. Two well-done patties that are juicy with generous amounts of toppings.
But the truth is, I have a hard time finding a burger I don’t enjoy. It’s just an attraction to red meat, I think. I like a medium rare thick burger on my grill. I like McDonald’s and Burger King on occasion.
So yes, I’ll add Five Guys to my list. But not because it’s anything extra-special. Sure, they tout about no trans fats – but who’s worried about trans fats when you’re scarfing down an 800-plus calorie burger? Sure, they tout that they have no freezers, making everything fresh. But I’ll eat at Five Guys because it’s close to my house, has more than the usual toppings at a fast-food joint, and spicy fries that are truly spicy at a good price.
“Taste & Tell” is written after anonymous visits to area restaurants by Patriot Ledger food critics Christine Ordway, Mimi Claffey and Jen Wagner.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
980 Paradise Road, Suite 2
Swampscott, MA 01907
Tel: 781-595-1300
Price: $3-$6
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Parking: Lot
Credit cards: All major cards accepted
Handicapped accessible
48 Hour Film Festival winner stars local actor
Posted on June 11, 2009 by cpeters
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The 48 Hour Film Festival selected the top 17 winning film entries — this one includes a Saugus resident named Frank. Check out the link below:
Two reporters star-struck by Tommy Lee Jones
Posted on April 21, 2009 by cpeters
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Nikki and I try to drive through, but the officer halts us. When we roll down the windows, he informs us that unless we know someone, we can’t get in – even if we’re from the Marblehead Reporter. We decide to pull over and think about our next move. As we park, I notice in my rear view mirror that the vehicle behind me looks like an actor’s trailor. I mention this to Nikki and she turns to look and says, “Hey, do you think that’s Tommy Lee Jones?” The man standing at the corner outside the trailor has his head turned away from us. He’s smoking a cigar when he suddenly turns around, looks straight at us before I quietly scream, “Oh my God! It is Tommy Lee Jones!” We look at each other, scream and duck down in the front seat of my car. Are we for real? We’re professionals that let a split second moment to get an interview with this celebrity bite the dust. In the few seconds we lost our senses, he’s gone back into the trailor. But we’re troopers, and we continue to wait on the sideline, hoping that through the mercy of a movie star, we get at least a photo. As a van drives by, we see Tommy Lee Jones in the passenger seat. We weren’t prepared to snap video or a photo, but the next two times of which he drives by, I snap pictures that offer nothing but a reflection of the tree branches along Beacon Street, and another picture of an empty seat, as Tommy Lee Jones ducked to avoid the paparazzi … that would be me.
Scenes for “Company Men” are being filmed inside the McCarthy home on Peaches Point, a place where I was once invited for a Charter School reception. The McCarthy’s are part owners of Kellys Roast Beef, but when we talked to the production guys that sat in the van outside of the actor’s trailor, I asked if Kellys Roast Beef was being served. They laughed, “No!” The movie set brought their own catering company from California.
Later that evening, I went back for more — driving about a dozen times back and forth, hoping to catch Tommy Lee Jones for an impromptu interview. Nothing.
But … they’ll be back! Filming continues in May. Maybe by then, the production company will return my call so that I may formally set up an interview.
- Charlene Peters
Original drummer of Beatles explains past
Posted on October 17, 2008 by cpeters
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUYsV2xAlFUPete Best explains his past with his present with new CD
Best of The Beatles
Posted on October 17, 2008 by cpeters
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The Pete Best Band gave a great performance at Topsfield Fair 2008. Enjoy a sample!
‘I See You Everywhere’
Posted on October 8, 2008 by cpeters
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What is most unique about “I See You Everywhere,” other than the declaration by its author, Julia Glass, who states the book “is not actually a novel,” is the point of view, which is two-fold.
“I wrote about two sisters,” says Glass, who alternates the voice from one sister to the next throughout her third published book. “Sometimes when I’m writing a story, it takes some time to figure out whether or not to write in first person or not, but it was clear this time.”
This particular book began as a series of short stories she wrote in the early ‘90s.
“You should write more about them” was a common response from publishers in reference to the sisters.
Finally, Glass’ short stories have been edited and included in the middle section of this book, one that she began first, but never finished. First, she wrote and published “Three Junes,” her best selling first novel. And then she began to work on, and ultimately publish “The Whole World Over.”
But the characters of those two sisters kept coming back to Glass, and she finally decided to add to and improvise the story to produce a collection of linked stories. “It’s more fragmented than a true novel would be,” says Glass, who admits this book to be closest to a memoir than anything she’s ever written.
“All serious fiction is automatically emotionally biographical,” says Glass, who adds, “In this case I wanted to explore not just a sibling relationship, but how it evolves over a lifetime.”
Glass utilizes tools in fiction writing to explore her own relationship with a sister who is no longer alive.
“Our relationship is, sadly, in the past, and I needed to do this,” says Glass, who admits there were moments when she was working on this book when she wondered if she were really writing a memoir, but didn’t want to just tell her story, but take it and craft it into larger story.
Fundamentally, Glass is a fiction writer, and she is quick to say the story is made up, but terribly true.
“When you can rearrange or choreograph events and relationships in a very deliberate way, it gives the reader a more profound experience of certain truths,” she says.
“I See You Everywhere” is available in Marblehead at Spirit of ’76 Bookstore on Pleasant Street in Marblehead, among major bookstores around the world, and is available for purchase online at www.amazon.com.
Julia Glass is currently working on a magazine article for Parenting Magazine, about allowance for children.
Hair today, gone tomorrow
Posted on August 14, 2008 by cpeters
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Finding a good hair salon is like finding a partner in life. You frizz a lot of hairs before you find your perfect cut.
If you’re like me, you’ve bounced from one salon to another, calling it quits when enough negative experiences (Hello, why is a root touchup taking 3 hours?! or Who are you and why are you blow drying my hair?! or the worst … Did I say I wanted 5 rings of brown for my color?!)
Let’s hair yours, and feel free to offer referrals.
I’ve just switched to a salon I feel is a perfect match for me. When I walked in to Karen Sutton Hair Studio on Hawkes Street in Marblehead, Jackson walked me to my seat, offered me a beverage, and went to work without delay. As I looked across on the wall between mirrors, a large Breakfast at Tiffany’s artwork caught my attention. I felt like I belonged here. Behind me, a Vogue Magazine artwork. And the sounds of jazz music softly, but not overwhelming, could be enjoyed. Oh, yes. This was the place for me, I thought. And the fun continued. Jackson catered to me every step of the way, and I left with a blowdry that prompted me to go out that evening. THAT is something that I rarely experience. How about you?
