CUP IT UP

I read about this restaurant several weeks ago. Here's what  i remember: it was started by 2 golfers who wanted to keep playing  the game but were also hungry but didn't want the mess or the grease or fattiness of the usual fare offered on the green (i'm not sure what this encompasses since i don't golf.) so they came up with a cup concept. Put a lot of good fresh food in a cup that can be eaten with a fork or spoon.

So voila! there is Cup it Up in the former home of a bbq place near trader joe's on wilmot and speedway. The first time we went here was for dinner and they had just closed at the ungodly early hour of 7pm!! This time we went there for  lunch during our weekly Friday grocery run.

The restaurant was just as bone chilling cold as the first failed time so we ate outside. The menu is on the wall giving you the steps to follow; pick out meat or fish as the base (we had herb citrus chicken) and then grains (we had white rice) but you could also get brown, barley or quinoa. Then lettuce or kale or spinach and they will grill it for you if you want. then some toppings; most come with the price of the cup and in our case it was $8. bill and i shared it and it was a more than ample serving for both of us. also we didn't get it in a cup (they will either mix it up for you and put it in the cup or layer it in the cup); we asked for a bowl which is a takeout container with a plastic lid.

so back to the toppings. there was tomatoes and peppers and jalapenos and onions  and mushrooms and then you got to choose 2 "superfood" toppings and if you wanted more there was an additional charge. These toppings included blueberries, garbanzo beans, avocado, edemame beans and some others that we can't remember.

Then you pick a sauce; they had a cheesy one and then their house sauce and a peppercorn one; we went with the house sauce. I don't know how to describe this sauce; slightly salty and slightly sweet with a tad of garlic. It was delicious and just enough was put on to not drown the concoction.

We were very satisfied and passed that on to the owner who was milling about.

The bathroom situation is sort of a hassle. All the businesses except for Trader Joe's shares a bathroom in the center of the strip mall and i had to wait till one of the server gals could go back into the restaurant and get the key and then walk me to the bathroom.!!! Not ideal.

 Not enough of a "problem" to prevent us eating here again.

HAIL, CAESAR

Pretty good film; way more enjoyable than i thought it would be. In my opinion (well, that's what this blog is, isn't it? MY opinion.) the Coen Brothers can put out some fairly dull and goofy stuff.

This movie was a satire on the old Hollywood studio days. Josh Brolin has the main part as the head of production; Tilda Swinton plays 2 - yes, 2 - gossip columnists; George Clooney is a very popular heart throb leading actor; Scarlet Johansson is the lead in all the Esther Williams type swimming extravaganzas. She  is unmarried and pregnant and a husband has to be found quick. Ralph Fiennes is a director of staid British parlor type movies. Anyway, there are a lot of actors in this one; some like Frances McDormand has barely any screen time but add to the mayhem of the studio/making movies/keeping the stars in line plot.

The movie was way funnier in the beginning but it did have scenes throughout that were either witty or out loud laughing humorous. One of my favorite ones (and i was pounding the arm of the seat and thumping the floor with my leg and i couldn't catch my breath for awhile) was Ralph Fiennes trying to direct an actor who only had appeared in cowboy movies and didn't have to talk hardly at all except to say "giddyup" and "whoa" and ride horses all the time; an entrance and then some lines talking to his sweetheart in the movie. The line was staidly British-old England "may i thwart my love who hither and yon was not forgoing pithily." (this is not an exact rendition of the words.)

They rapidly went back and forth with the cowboy actor continually screwing up his pronunciation and the order of the words and it just got funnier and funnier; the whole audience was roaring.

So the film rated a 6.5; entertaining but not consistently so.

CASA DEL RIO

What a delicious find! This Mexican restaurant was recommended by my friend Jacki who is also my hair stylist and the lady who is going to add some pizazz color to my hair. Its located on the NW corner of 22nd and Pantano.

The place had a great atmosphere with lots of booths in the main room and tables in an adjoining room.  Good service. The chips and salsa and water were brought to the table within a minute. Not much decoration but I was more interested in the food.

The chips were wonderful; very thin and crispy and flavorful and the salsa had just a very mild zing. Bill had a tamale and rice and I had a combo: tamale and cheese enchilada and a machaca taco. I saved the tamale for lunch today; just couldn't finish it. Bill loved his tamale; the masa was good and it was stuffed end to end with tender beef and the sauce wasn't too spicy. and i was super satisfied with my entree. The taco had lots of meat in it and was covered with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

The only thing i wish had been different was no cheddar cheese and instead queso fresca.

Very happy well fed full belly's on sat. night.