Year: 2010

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Cable Car Cinema: Academy Award Nominated Live Action Shorts

"The New Tenants" is one of the short live action films nominated for an Academy Award.

There are quite a few things to love about the Cable Car Cinema — all-you-can-eat popcorn, several large cushy chairs for two, and a theatre small enough to share a more intimate movie experience. But perhaps the best reason is for its lack of Hollywood fare in favor of the sometimes weird and wonderful world of independent film.

This weekend, I stopped in for a packed screening of the Academy Award nominated short live action films presented by Shorts International. These shorts created without the muscle of Hollywood portray stories not often found on the big screen and offer an oft unseen side of the Academy Awards. And this year, one of the films The New Tenants, was co-produced by Cumberland, RI native Erika Hampson.

You can get free popcorn refills at the quaint candy counter at Cable Car Cinema.

Cable Car Cinema
204 South Main Street
Providence, RI
www.cablecarcinema.com

Shorts International
(list of screenings worldwide)
www.shortsinternational.com

2009 Live Action Shorts Nominees for the Academy Awards
The Door Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
Instead of Abracadabra Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
Kavi Gregg Helvey
Miracle Fish Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
The New Tenants Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
www.thenewtenantsfilm.com

Complete list of Oscar nominees at www.oscars.org

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Luxe Burger Bar

An "All American Burger" from Luxe Burger Bar.

After seeing Food Inc., I didn’t think I’d ever eat a hamburger again. Apparently, I was wrong.

Last night, we headed to Luxe Burger Bar in downtown Providence for dinner.  Since there was a 20 minute wait for a table and we were in a rush, we opted for the bar.

Oh big deal, you say, what’s another hamburger?  But I  have to give a nod to Luxe Burger Bar not only because of their flavorful, juicy Kobe beef burger with hand-cut Idaho potato fries, but also because of the way you order it.   Each diner gets a sheet featuring nine steps to custom build a burger.  You choose the meat (turkey, Gold label beef, Kobe beef, vegetarian, etc.), the toppings (caramelized onions, lettuce, etc.), the cheese, the sauce, the bun (sesame, plain, whole wheat), and the sides.  And voilà, you get exactly what you wanted without taking 10 minutes to order. 

No wonder as we rushed out to catch Avatar (blush), the number of people waiting had since doubled.

Luxe Burger Bar
5 Memorial Boulevard
Providence, RI
www.luxeburgerbar.com

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2nd Story Theatre: Comic Potential

Paula Faber, Kevin Broccoli, Vince Petronio, and Laura Sorensen in Comic Potential. Photo by Rich Dionne.

I adore theatre. Granted, I’ve seen a few shows that I didn’t like (such as Smokey Joe’s Cafe which I had the misfortune of seeing on Broadway). But in general, I love theatres large and small and shows drama, comedy or musical.

The 2nd Story Theatre where I saw Comic Potential last night seems an especially great find. It’s an intimate theatre (not a bad seat in the house) with simple sets and great plays emphasizing writing and acting. It reminded me of the Lyric Stage, my favorite theatre in Boston. They even have a café downstairs serving salad, pannini, and soup. It looked charming, but Geoff couldn’t resist delicious fish tacos at Beebop Burrito next door.

The play — a mix of theatre of the absurd and futuristic allegory — had attracted a full house, which gives me faith that theatre is not dead, after all. Although I was a bit alarmed by the average age of the audience (definitely AARP status). C’mon kids (by which I mean those aged 25-45)! Go to the theatre! Avatar can’t be that good, can it?

2nd Story Theatre
28 Market Street
Warren, RI
2ndstorytheatre.com
Current play: Comic Potential (now through February 21)
Upcoming plays: The Voysey Inheritance (March 12-April 11) and The Underpants (April 30-May 30)

Bebop Burrito
40 Market Street
Warren, RI
www.bebopburrito.com

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Children and the Cinema: Watching and Making Local Films


Check out my article on KidoInfo Children and the Cinema: Watching and Making Local Films, which features film festivals and filmmaking workshops for children. And buy your tickets for the first-ever Providence Children’s Film Festival coming to RI next week. They have put together an impressive line-up, including the New England premiere of the Oscar-nominated film The Secret of Kells.

Providence Children’s Film Festival
February 12-15, 2010
www.providencechildrensfilmfestival.org

The Secret of Kells
www.thesecretofkells.com

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Support the Providence Children’s Museum

Climbing in the pretend forest at the Providence Children's Museum.


I’ll never forget the first time I took Madeline to the Children’s Museum in Boston — upon arrival we went directly into the first room which contains a wall of tubes and slides for ping pong balls. She didn’t want to leave.

She’s since learned that there’s usually something even more exciting around every corner so our recent visits to the Providence Children’s Museum have spanned all the exhibits from noise-makers to stacking magnetic shapes to human bones. My personal favorite is “Coming to Rhode Island” where kids (and crouching adults) can weave through Rhode Island’s past to hear stories and role play in four scenes related to families who emigrated to the state. On one recent visit, the Latino bodega became authentically bustling with kids shopping for canned goods, weighing vegetables and ringing up customers.

In one exhibit, kids can toss feathery balls and cloths through a series of air tubes to see where they shoot out.

Currently, the museum is a few hundred thousand shy of their $1.5 million fundraising target for their Play Works Campaign for Kids which will help them accomplish several goals including the creation of two new outdoor exhibits set to open in the summer 2010: Underland, an underground world filled with roots, tunnels and critters’ burrows and The Climber, a custom-designed climbing experience. So if you can, show your support — every small donation gets them closer to their goal.

Providence Children’s Museum
100 South Street
Providence, RI 02903
www.childrenmuseum.org

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Kennedy Plaza Ice Skating: How Young is Too Young?

A reason to love Providence: city skating without the crowds at Kennedy Plaza.


The other night after dinner, Geoff wanted to show Madeline the ice skaters at Kennedy Plaza. Her enthusiasm didn’t disappoint: she was ready to get on the ice right then and there. Much to her chagrin (try explaining to a two-year-old that you’ll do something tomorrow instead), we decided to come back when we were all a bit more rested, and it was light out.

I wasn’t sure exactly how old you had to be to ice skate. It seemed to me she’d need the double bladed bob skates so I called around to local sports stores but no one had them. But we had promised so I called the rink at Kennedy Plaza and asked them what was the smallest size skates they had: toddler eight. So I figured she was old enough to skate after all since that’s the same size as her winter boots.

She only made it around the ice a few times and then was ready for lunch. One more time around and she was ready for a nap. But while we were out there, we passed another eager toddler also age two making his rounds.

So if you think your child is too young to ice skate perhaps think again. Can they walk? If so they might pick it up faster than you.

Public Skating in Kennedy Plaza
aka Bank of America City Center
Providence, RI
www.providenceskating.com

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Pho Paradise: Vietnamese Bánh Mì & Phở Noodle Soups

The vegetarian Phở is packed with crunchy vegetables and layered with tasty tofu and noodles.

With its neon sign and strip mall parking, Phở Paradise might easily be missed as you’re cruising down Broad Street. But this unassuming restaurant happens to be one of the few Providence restaurants where you can find a tasty Bánh Mì, an east-meets-west sandwich that perfectly combines Vietnamese ingredients on a French-style baguette.

Last night, we stopped in for some Phở, Vietnamese noodle soup. But first we tried some terrific appetizers — I loved the Gỏi Cuốn Chay (aka vegetarian summer rolls which you’ll find on the vegetarian menu) a tightly-wrapped roll of crispy shredded lettuce, mint, vermicelli and tofu in thin rice paper. Geoff thought their scallion pancakes rivaled his favorites at Mary Chung, and their Bánh Xèo, Vietnamese crepe which packed baby shrimps, chicken and bean sprouts with a sweet and spicy sauce could make a meal in itself.

As for the Phở, we tried three kinds — beef, chicken and vegetable — and all were delicious, although my personal favorite was the vegetable which is made with a vegetarian base and packed with crunchy, flavorful carrots, zucchini, baby corn, peppers, celery, peppers and broccoli and layered with noodles and fresh and soft fried tofu. If you hate winter as much as I do, this might be just the cure.

Pho Paradise
337 Broad Street
Providence, RI, 02907

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Delekta Pharmacy’s Coffee Cabinet

The interior of Delekta is a throwback to an old-time pharmacy.

After rediscovering KidoInfo’s list of 100 Things to Do with Your Kids in RI, we honed in on what appeared to be the most urgent, number 90: Order a cabinet at Delekta Pharmacy in Warren.

The coffee cabinet -- it tastes even better than it looks.

I wasn’t even sure what a cabinet was, but I knew a coffee cabinet comprised of some combination of sugar, dairy and coffee, which was enough to convince me of its worthiness. So upon arrival, Geoff and I requested a coffee cabinet each while ordering a chocolate chip ice cream cone for Madeline, the latter clearly a mistake since the cabinet was far superior and Madeline is no fool. As for the cabinet, it was a hit all around — wonderful coffee flavor without the bitterness, perfectly smooth and sweet, and thicker than milk but thinner than most shakes.

Since I noticed their menu also listed milk shakes, I decided to ask an employee: exactly how is a coffee cabinet different than a coffee milk shake? She explained that to Rhode Islanders a “milk shake” is just that: milk (with syrup) shaken. But a cabinet is what everyone outside RI actually calls a milk shake — ice cream and syrup, shaken. The coffee syrup used in their cabinets is an old-world family recipe made fresh daily by the owner himself. No wonder it’s so tasty.

Delekta Pharmacy
496 Main Street
Warren, RI, 02885
(no website but they have a Facebook page)

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Kafe’ Lila

Kafe' Lila's entrance in the Grant Building lets you

When you call your ice cream “Really Good Vanilla,” you’d better mean it. Luckily at Kafe’ Lila, they do. I first discovered their small batch, homemade ice cream at the weekly Winter Farmers’ Market (and yes, ice cream in the winter makes perfect sense to me). Their Bittersweet Chocolate is absolute perfection — rich, dark, smooth and creamy. They have a variety of fruit flavors like Local Plum, Local Peach and Local Blueberry — all made (obviously) with local fruit. They also have a flavor sweetened solely with honey (quite good) and a variety of vegan flavors (never tried them).

It actually is "Really Good Vanilla."

I decided to go check out their Pawtucket ‘headquarters’ last week and found they have a wonderfully charming little café — the well-worn chairs and retro coffee tables create a warm atmosphere and fit in well with the rough-around-the-edges atmosphere of downtown Pawtucket (a.k.a. Downbucket).

For people not obsessed with ice cream, they also sell coffee, teas and a variety of sandwiches, salads and pastries.

Kafe’ Lila
The Grant Building
250 Main Street
Pawtucket, RI
www.kafelila.org

Their ice cream is also available at other locations. See their list for details.

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AS220: Power of the Arts

Tasty potato leek soup for a good cause at AS220.

With live/work spaces for artists (two vacancies opening this spring) along with their existing repertoire of workshops, studios, galleries, and labs, AS220 is more than a local nonprofit — it is a force to be reckoned with.

They even have a restaurant, but clearly this is no ordinary restaurant. The menu consists of an eclectic mix of dishes from a variety of cultures with ingredients derived from local farms and food artisans. Although they are known for their vegetarian and vegan options, they have plenty of dishes for carnivores as well. (They aim, after all, for inclusion). They even provide six month training positions at the restaurant for local teenagers.

If the city is to be judged by its Creativity Index, then things certainly are looking up for Providence, thanks largely to AS220.