As some of you who have read the Endies before may already know, every year we feel compelled to list a certain number of what we call “Honourable Mentions” for those people, places and things meriting recognition, even if they didn’t necessarily win, or even fit into a certain given category. Below is are esteemed list of what we feel deserves credit for the year 2008.
Lombardo’s Restaurant on Hertel Ave. in Buffalo is probably the best restaurant we visited in the last year. It’s a low-key, very Tuscan-style Italian restaurant (imho), with really, really good food. To quote The Godfather, “Try the veal, it’s the best in the city.” While it’s considered political-correct-de rigeur to naysay veal consumption, one bite of my dinner here, and the first words that came out of my mouth was “We need to kill more baby cows.” The prices are a bit expensive, but you get it all in the food, and then some. Highly recommended, otherwise, I would be bothering to put it on this list.
Since it didn’t fall under the strictures of the my selection rules to obtain the prize for “Page Turner of the Year” (it wasn’t procured, started and finished within 2008, as the rules dictate), I wasn’t able to select The Kings of New York, by __ , otherwise, it would have been a very strong contender. A non-fiction account of a Brooklyn chess team, filled with street savvy minority students who spend as much time hustling at cards and on-line poker as they do hustling and competing at chess (and a whole lot of prodigal Russian immigrants to boot), the book chronicles their year as they approach the national level high school championships. Along the way, __ covers the passion, turmoil and obsession of the “Game of Kings”, to say nothing of the life of New York High School students and teachers who gamely attempt to navigate the game the same as they do life.
In movies, everyone went ga ga over The Dark Knight. I can’t say that I blame them. Even though it didn’t ultimately get my pick for Movie of the Year, this is yet another example of a film building on it franchise, rather than trying to eek money from its shadow. As I mentioned in my main Endies piece, a lot of folx made note of the swan song performance of Heath Ledger (and let’s be honest--it is really fuckin’ good, after all). The fact of the matter is, as long as Chris Nolan and Christian Bale want to keep making Batman movies, this franchise will likely be a-okay for a while.
On the television front, I have to spend one more year showing love to the soon-departing ER. Granted, many have assumed (mostly correctly) that the show has jumped the shark years ago, but for a show who’s best days have past, this is still a surprisingly fantastic show. It wraps up a few weeks from now, after a rather lengthy stint on the air (I was still in college when this show got started--that’s like a lifetime ago!). I’m happy to have gotten a few run-ins resurrecting our fabled ER Drinking Game in the process this year, even if my long-running drinking character Abbie left the show early this season.
Speaking of drinking, let’s cover our favourite spirits and beverages for 2008. As you know, cocktails and drinks is a favourite subject (and pastime) of mine. I especially like giving a work out of the ol’ stainless steel shaker when I can. So first up, let’s give it up for True Daiquiris. By “True” we mean NOT the absurd blender cranked fruity flavored nonsense that most people think of. A True Daiquiri involves little more than rum, simple syrup and lots and lots of lime juice. It’s potent, to be sure, but a serious contender to get your drink in hot weather.
We’d also give our props to Bombay Saffire Martinis (yes, I’m one of the 1% of the entire human population who can drink a gin martini), Kentucky Bourbon (particularly Maker’s Mark), and Flying Bison beers. The Bison is a local brewery, run by former Loughran’s bartender Timmy Herzog, and while we love giving props to folx we’ve known, it goes without saying that the Bison produces excellent beer. Let me stress that: excellent…beer.
One of the places you can get that excellent beer is at the Snyder Bar and Grill. Formerly The First Place, the establishment we once referred to as our “auxiliary offices” here at Dreaming Life, TFP owner Glen Schunk decided to turn over the reigns to bartender Mary Beth Saraceno last spring, and, following some minor makeovers on the place and the menu, the Bar and Grill was born. We’re mostly happy with the changes--minus the change in French fries, mind you--and we’re glad that business is still cranking in spite of our obvious economic travails.
Other establishments we’d like to mention are Starbuck’s on Main St. in Williamsville, and Spot Coffee on Delaware. Spot is particularly excellent for people watching on Saturdays with my girlfriend. In spite of the fact that Starbuck’s is a confounded nationally saturated chain, the Williamsville one is still the place I can get some serious reading done (to say nothing of homework -- I’m writing this very paragraph there this moment). If you live in the South Buffalo area, I’d also recommend the Caz Coffee Cafe on Abbott Road. It’s mellow and friendly, and the staff are seriously good peeps.
In Radio programming, we need to give thumbs up to The Break Room on Rochester’s WCMF mornings. Legendary radio personality Brother Wease left the station behind in early ‘08 over contract disputes, with the rest of his on-air team left behind to try to make a go of it. Not surprising to me (since I remember how well this cast did with Wease out of commission a few years ago undergoing cancer treatment), what became The Break Room (following a number of name changes) never really missed a beat. Timely, funny, snaky and still often thoughtful, I make a point to subscribe to the show on iTunes (since it’s a gamble trying to get the station from here in B’lo).
Likewise, 2008 saw the departure of Washington DC station WJFK’s Don and Mike Show, with veteran mainstay Don Geronimo opting to retire this year. In its wake, his partner Mike O’Meara kept the rest of the radio show’s crew, brought back former producer Beth Ann McBride, and got The Mike O’Meara Show rolling. While I sometimes miss Don’s pissy “I’ve seen enuph of this shit” personality, Mike’s show still carries all of its predecessor’s charm and much of it’s biting humour. As long as Robb and Buzz stay on board, I don’t think this show will fail.
Now for some really quirky miscellany. This year, in my ever-cavorting quest for better and more comfortable grooming techniques, I took a new direction with my shaving regime. Now (most of the time) gone are expensive newfangled razor blades with vibrating doo-dads or quadruple action shaving surfaces. What’s old is new again, and for my money, with some practice, you will get a superior and ultimately comfortable shave with one blade safety razors, and adequate tub-soap and shaving brush. So, our final honorable mentions go out to Merkur Safety Razors and blades (my advice fellow groomers is, while inexpensive, do NOT go cheap on the quality of razor blades you buy), and Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving soaps (my particular choice is lavender, to give you that true Victorian feel and smell). One final advice, never--NEVER go cheap with your shaving brush and get the crappy boar’s bristle. What you find at the drugstore will usually not suffice!
