PARIS, FRANCE — When you have had enough frog’s legs and French bread, it is time to head to TaoKan Chinese cuisine in the heart of Paris.  We had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time in the “City Of Lights” a few months back, and the culinary scene is second to none.  After some intense discussion with the “Lunch Committee,” which consisted of Joanne and her chef brother who lives in Paris, we decided on Dim Sum.

The idea behind TaoKan is to break the codes of what you can find in Paris in terms of a Chinese restaurant and to bring a Contemporary Chinese restaurant onto the Paris dining scene.  The decoration is contemporary and modern.  The owner avoided the usual Chinese decorations you normally find in Paris, with heavy colors and Buddha’s everywhere.

A nice added touch is the open kitchen, which brings some life in the restaurant with a permanent show when they prepare the dishes.  It is really neat to see how everything is prepared and cooked, and hopefully that becomes a new trend in the restaurant business.  With all of the cooking shows and cable TV out there, most people would find it interesting what kitchen utensils they use, and the techniques they employ.  I always wanted to know how to fold an egg roll before cooking it, and now I know.  Taokan also has a special presentation of the dishes: always try to bring something elegant and surprising to the customers.  For example the Cantonese spring rolls are presented like “maki,” a fun and elegant touch.  We found the service to be absolutely perfect, and the menu was very clear with both the dishes mandarin name and a French explanation.

In terms of food, they have decided to focus and concentrate on the Cantonese and Shanghai area of the Dim Sum world. The food from this region is very healthy, very light and fresh. Their main specialties are all homemade, and the objective is at the same time to respect the tradition of this cuisine and to bring in some modernity.  Using this philosophy and mix makes TaoKan a groundbreaker in the restaurant community, introducing dishes like the scallops or seafood Dim Sum, the famous Loc Lac Beef or the green tea crepe.

We had the most wonderful and delightful lunch, and shared everything around the table.  It is such a fun way to have a meal and spend time with friends and family.  We ended up choosing a couple of our favorite dishes, and then just dabbled and mingled.  The culture in Paris is to have a long lunch, enjoy some wine or tea, and let time just float by.  At TaoKan you cannot help but let time fly by, as each dish slowly follows the next one, and you enjoy some of the most delicious and fresh food anywhere.  The spring rolls were so good every bite made you want to cry.  The beef was all cooked to perfection, and the way the scallops and seafood were carefully prepared made me want to high five everyone in the kitchen.

After what seemed like only thirty minutes, our two and a half hour dining experience was wrapping up.  Did we have time for desert? Sure, why not slowly take this into dinner, and someone open a bottle of red wine?  We can have cheese and crackers, Dim Sum style.  They do actually serve dinner as well, and I could see how someone could just hang out there and enjoy both meals.  I definitely recommend eating at this wonderful restaurant in the heart of Paris.  It is right off several Metro stops and was easy to find.  If you are on foot, it is maybe a 10 minute walk from the Notre Dame Cathedral.  (For more information, please visit www.taokan.fr)

George Thomas

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KONA, HAWAII — Building on strong growth numbers from 2012, Kona Brewing Company will soon be showing an updated look to beer drinkers this spring. In late April 2013, the entire line of Kona brews will have a new 12oz. bottle built and embossed with a Hawaiian island chain and “Liquid Aloha” lettering, complete with refreshed labels and packaging. The new look will extend across the entire portfolio of beers including Longboard Island Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale, Fire Rock Pale Ale and all Aloha Series beers such as Wailua Wheat returning May of 2013. The new bottles showcase the Hawaiian island chain as an embossed feature on the shoulder, and newly illustrated die cut labels accentuate Hawaii’s natural landscape of volcanic mountains, lush vegetation and of course, beaches. The new bottles will be in stores in all 36 states where Kona beer is sold beginning April 22, 2013.

Kona Brewing’s design team, who has been designing the Hawaiian brewer’s packaging since it was born on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1994, reillustrated the labels and packaging with updated design cues. As part of the package re-design, the hand-drawn illustrations have been sharpened and the labels are die-cut to add pop to natural elements such as iconic Diamond Head, the roaring waves at Makaha, and lush Wailua Falls of Maui.

“Our continued growth in 2012 has enabled us to invest in our packaging and put our best foot forward as we gain new fans. We’re delivering more of that sense of place that Kona is known for, and I think this new bottle and package really brings Hawaii home,” said Kona Brewing company president Mattson Davis. “While most brewers use the same mold for their bottles, Kona Brewing is taking a giant leap to have a custom one built. The new labels really mimic the vivid hues I’m lucky enough to see everyday in Hawaii. My favorite design element is the embossed island chain with Liquid Aloha on the shoulder of the bottle—it makes for a more tactile experience because you can literally feel Hawaii as you drink a Kona brew,” he said.

As well as feeling different, the design of the new 12oz. bottle has slimmed down its overall profile, thereby making shipping more efficient and less taxing on the planet. In 2010, the company reduced the weight of Kona bottles by 11%, which translated to 3,375 tons of carbon dioxide being eliminated from the air, and was equivalent to taking 638 cars off the road for a year. Similarly, the new Kona bottle is now an additional 5% lighter and will eliminate another 2,718 tons of C02, and is equivalent to taking 514 cars off the road for a year.

Kona’s official kickoff to the new bottles will be held at their pubs in Hawaii the week of April 22^nd. The bottles will then be made available on the mainland and kicked off stateside with a giant sand sculpture to be built in Newport Beach, CA by Sand Guys, stars of the Travel Channel show Sand Masters. The sculpture will be built at the Kona-sponsored event Standup for the Cure, a world-class standup paddling fundraiser for Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to be held on May 4, 2013 at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. Last year’s Standup for the Cure set a Guinness World Record when more than 700 participants were involved in The World‘s Largest Stand Up Paddleboard Clinic, and this year the event aims to raise $125,000 for mammograms and cancer research.  (For more information, please visit www.konabrewingco.com)

George Thomas

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It was just another day in Paris, France.  We were doing the usual, drinking champagne, eating great food, and going sightseeing. This time around we decided to check out a famous restaurant that used to be a cabaret and historical landmark and to top it all off it was also an award winning eating establishment. We started lunch with a glass of champagne, because that is normal when you are in Paris. If there was ever a place with atmosphere, Au Port du Salut restaurant has it all.  This old cabaret and Jazz club is the place to be.  Located a short walk from Notre Dame off of Rue de St. Jacques, this was one of the King of France’s hunting cabins back 600 years ago.  A historic landmark due to the fact that the King of France used to sleep here, the inside and outside of Au Port du Salut has a feeling unlike any other Bistro in Paris.  It really does feel like you have been transported back in time, maybe to when Eisenhower was President and Jazz was the norm.

We started off with salmon and bread, and the salmon came in what looked like a really fancy shot glass.  There were several other patrons in the restaurant, and they all started with the same dish.  Actually everyone begins lunch with a glass of wine, had I been in America and witnessed everyone in the restaurant drinking wine with lunch; it definitely would have stuck out.  But since we were in a famous bistro in Paris, it just seemed normal.  Maybe there is something to drinking a glass of red and a glass of white with lunch, and in France they only have a 35 hour work week.  In America, I have already worked 35 hours by Wednesday morning, but it is cultural, or so I am told.

The salmon was divine and there is not a bad piece of bread in all of France.  As I walked around Paris, everyone was just carrying baguettes with them, it seemed like some of the stereotypes about the French were actually true.  So there I sat, drinking champagne and eating salmon for a starter, or as we call it in America, an appetizer.  As it was my first meal of the day, I did giggle to myself, most people would have eggs and toast with some orange juice for breakfast.  I was sipping on the bubbly and eating gourmet fish.  What a life.

Next up was the clam chowder, but it was not like any I have ever had before, they include fresh mussels and clams in a soup that is just fantastic.  I did not want to fill up on bread, but just dipping a piece in the soup could have been a main dish all on its own.  The clams were cooked to perfection, not too chewy like you find in a lot of clam chowders.  It was an absolute great idea to have mussels and clams together, and the presentation was great, I had to take a picture.  The addition of mussels in a clam chowder is something I have never seen in America, it makes the dish more seafood based, and not so much filled with potatoes. I do hope it catches on in the states, and at my next dinner party, I will definitely be serving this new concept of chowder.

For the main course, I chose the beef fillet.  It was cooked perfectly, a medium rare delicacy served with slices of cheesy potato cakes.  Once again, the presentation alone was worth several pictures, and my desire to learn how to cook cheesy potato cakes overwhelmed me.  It was the perfect accompaniment to the beef fillet, and a bite with both on your fork was spot on.  Plus, besides myself, who doesn’t love a good steak for breakfast? Joanne ordered the pork cheek, with mushrooms over a bed of mashed potatoes.  This too was beautiful looking, and we had to snap a couple of photographs for the slideshow I force my family to watch after returning from these trips.

I enjoyed several bites of her dish, and it was extremely rich with flavor and taste.  Just about every aspect of our lunch was perfect.  They are also open on Sunday, which is rare in Paris, so you can sleep in, wander along the Seine River, see the Church of Notre Dame, and then stop by Au Port du Salut for lunch.  I can also see how this would be a great dinner spot, with the great food and the live music.

We finished the meal with one coffee and one tea, and skipped desert.  There was just not enough room for it, but I did read the desert menu, and everything sounded delicious.  My coffee was great, and it was just what I needed for a kicker to get up and going after such a heavy lunch.  Joanne said the tea was exceptional and commented that it was nice and hot.  It was an absolutely fabulous meal, and a great place to spend the early afternoon listening to jazz and drinking wine.  The next time you are in Paris, by all means come by and eat at Au Port du Salut, just down the street from Notre Dame.  (For more information, please visit www.auportsalut.com)

George Thomas

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PARIS, FRANCE — As a food critic, I’ve had a lot of great and memorable dinners and dishes over the years.  But nothing compares to what I experienced a few weeks back in Paris, France.

My lady and I were on a weekend jaunt to Paris to visit her brother, who is an up and coming chef in France.  We did the normal things, like walk around the Eiffel Tower and see the Mona Lisa.  There are a few fans of art at the Louvre, that is for sure, but to be perfectly honest, I thought the Mona Lisa would be bigger.  The painting is no larger than a postcard; she must have been a small woman.

After we did the normal fun that comes with being in Paris, we were off to our restaurant review, the “Dans le Noir?” right in town.  (I looked it up, and directly translated; the name of the restaurant is “In The Dark?”)

Now we had read up on some background on the restaurant, and apparently we were about to have the dining experience of a lifetime.  “Dans le Noir?” employs and has only blind waiters and waitresses and they serve you in the pitch black.  You have to store all cameras, cellphones and any other light emitting device in a locker before you go into the dining area.

Now how could this be, we are eating in pitch black being served by a blind wait staff?  Well, let me tell you it is true, and it is something I will not soon forget.  After we store all of our light devices they slowly lead you behind two very large and thick black velvet curtains.  Now it really is completely dark, and the nice blind waitress holds onto you as she leads you to your table.  I really got a sense of what it is like to live in that world; it is a lot more hearing and feeling.  There was really no point in opening your eyes, as you wouldn’t see anything anyway.

I felt my other senses were quite elevated, and I noticed sounds and smells a lot more.  Maybe what they say is true, and if you are without sight or hearing, the other senses take over.   At least that is what was happening to me.  The people laughing and talking seemed more intense, and I sure was paying more attention.

We started off with bread and butter, along with a nice glass of red wine.  Well, as it turns out, it is harder to butter your bread when you can’t see.  It really was a more hands on experience.  My lady was having a hell of a time with it, which just made me laugh.  She kept dropping her knife, and just couldn’t get the hang of it.  It took me about fifteen seconds to give up on the utensils, and just use my fat fingers to feed myself.  After all, it is pitch black and nobody can see if I am using my eating implements anyway.

Next we had a really delicious salad, and contrary to popular belief, using a fork to eat salad is overrated! Imagine a tasty Caesar salad, with croutons and all the fixings, and now eat it with your hands, it is downright awesome.   I wanted to start this practice back home, and eat all my meals in the dark with my hands; it really is a different approach to dinner.

After the rocking salad, we had the main dish.  And since you can’t see a thing, I had no idea what I was eating.  It was a thinly sliced meat and it was divine.  After the entire experience, when you are done, they show you laminated pictures of what you ate, and it turned out to be duck breast.  They cooked it a delicious medium rare, and it made me wonder if they were preparing the food in the dark as well.   The duck was served with potatoes and asparagus, all of which is totally fun to eat with your fingers.  I bet we were not the first couple to abandon the fork and knife for the dinner session.

And for desert it was a fluffy and wonderful chocolate cake, which is also great to eat with your hands in the dark. Our waitress had it down pat, and did not skip a beat when it came to serving us.  The experience was one of a kind, and I would definitely do it again.  The company has restaurants in New York, London, Barcelona, St. Petersburg and Paris.  This is great for celebrating a loved one’s birthday, an anniversary, or just as a fun surprise.  I would definitely put it on your “To Do” list, and I hope they open one in Los Angeles in the near future.

The one in Paris is the home to the first historical “Dans le Noir?” restaurant.  It is located in the heart of Paris, in front of The “Pompidou,” the museum of modern art, and not far from Notre Dame and The Louvre. The building is an old French traditional Restaurant, renovated into a restaurant in the dark. There is currently seating for 58 patrons. The address is 51 rue – Quincampoix – Paris, France.  (For more information, please visit www.paris.danslenoir.com)

Parlez-vous Francais?

Vous allez vivre une expérience unique: déjeuner ou diner dans le noir absolu. Même si cette idée peut vous sembler d’abord étrange, c’est qu’en supprimant le sens dominant de la vue nous entrons tous dans un monde où nous doutons de notre environnement et de notre perception des choses, des gens. Une nouvelle expérience!
Avec l’aide de nos guides non ou mal-voyants vous allez complètement réévaluer la notion de gout et d’odorat pendant ce parcours pédagogique et gastronomique.
“Dans le Noir?” est situé en plein cœur de Paris entre les Halles et Beaubourg. A quelques centaines de mètres du Marais, de Notre Dame, du Louvre!
Le restaurant peut recevoir environ 58 personnes dans sa « salle noire » la principale salle à manger. Le restaurant dispose aussi d’un bar d’accueil et d’un lounge servant des vins raffinés et de délicieux cocktails surprise avant et après les repas.

George Thomas

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SAN MATEO, CA — Veteran food writer Linda Lau Anusasananan opens the world of Hakka cooking to Western audiences in this fascinating chronicle that traces the diverse cuisine of the Chinese nomads known as the Hakka throughout the world. Beginning in her grandmother’s kitchen in California, Anusasananan travels to her family’s home in China, and from there fans out to embrace Hakka cooking across the globe—including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, Peru, and beyond. More than thirty home cooks and chefs share their experiences of the Hakka diaspora as they contribute over 140 recipes for everyday Chinese comfort food as well as festive specialties.

This book likens Hakka cooking to a nomadic type of “soul food,” or a hearty cooking tradition that responds to a shared history of hardship and oppression. Earthy, honest, and robust, it reflects the diversity of the estimated 75 million Hakka living in China and greater Asia, and in scattered communities around the world—yet still retains a core flavor and technique. Anusasananan’s deep personal connection to the tradition, together with her extensive experience testing and developing recipes, make this book both an intimate journey of discovery and an exciting introduction to a vibrant cuisine. Alan Lau’s art gracefully weaves a visual trail through the pages.

Awarded “Best Chinese Cuisine Cookbook or the World 2012″ by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Included in “best cookbooks of 2012″ lists for Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Associated Press, and Toronto Globe and Mail.

“Linda Lau Anusasananan’s heartfelt and honest tribute to the cuisine of her heritage illuminates how Hakka foodways deliciously endure and evolve in the face of transnational migration. In this era of fusion and local cooking, this is the real deal. The marvelous recipes inspire readers to dive in and explore.”

–Andrea Nguyen, author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and Asian Tofu

“This beautifully written culinary gem illuminates the haunting history and culture of the Hakka, or the ‘guest’ people of China. Told as a personal journey, Linda Anusasananan’s cookbook presents a brilliant exploration of the inherent link between Hakka food and familial spirit; together these family recipes convey the simple, rustic and tasty flavor profile of a cuisine that has been long overlooked. This is more than just another cookbook.”

–Joyce Jue, author of Savoring Southeast Asia

“A delicious food memoir balanced with personal anecdotes, history, and easy-to follow recipes, The Hakka Cookbook will delight any palate, from the connoisseur to the novice cook who wants to explore the unique cuisine of the Hakka people. Make room on the shelf for this must-have, well researched tome and let expert food writer Linda Lau Anusasananan guide you though her lifelong love affair with the cuisine she grew up with.”

–Corinne Trang, author of Noodles Every Day and Essentials of Asian Cuisine

(www.TheHakkaCookbook.com)

George Thomas

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Thanks to the unusual design of the restaurant, the director of cuisine Josef Eder and his team, headed by top chef Pascal Verrooten, prepare elegant international dishes directly before diners’ eyes.

Being entertained by the chef preparing your dinner offers a whole new dining experience and is also what many gourmets seek, although it remains unusual in most of the world’s top restaurants. At Grand Hyatt Berlin, however, guests have a direct view into the open kitchen from almost all the tables in the restaurant. The gleaming chrome kitchen, with its neighbouring sushi bar, and the white tablecloths contrast beautifully with the simple stucco walls and dark parquet flooring, which bathe the restaurant in a warm atmosphere.  The dark oak furniture was designed specifically for Vox by the Swiss designer Hannes Wettstein.  The furnishings not only create a warm atmosphere, but also are symbols of Grand Hyatt Berlin’s commitment to using only the finest materials.  Even when it came to cutlery, glasses and serviettes, the hotel did not fail to take advice from designers so that linear, simple shapes reflect each other in the smallest detail.

The chef as an artist

“With an open kitchen, the cook becomes an artist who can be watched as he or she creates regional dishes with an international twist,” notes director of cuisine Josef Eder proudly.  The show kitchen allows direct, open contact with guests.

The chef can see who has ordered what and the diner’s immediate reaction, and likes taking responsibility for the presentation of the dish him/herself.  This does away with strict separation according to tasks and rooms.  “Here in Vox, we have a much closer relationship with our guests than I have experienced in restaurants with a conventional design,” Eder emphasises.

Next to the large, open show kitchen with its wood-burning oven is a sushi bar where experts create fresh, authentic sushi.  Vox also includes two private dining rooms, and a jazz bar, offering more than 240 varieties of whisky, where top international musicians play jazz and blues Monday to Saturday from 10:00pm.  A summer terrace is located under the lime trees of Alte Potsdamer Straße.

At Vox, appetisers are priced from €11-20, main courses from €20-37 and desserts from €9-13. On the wine menu, there are 100 different white wines and 120 red wines from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Austria, Argentina, South Africa and Australia.

About Grand Hyatt

Large-scale and distinctive, Grand Hyatt hotels are places to enjoy, socialize and entertain in the heart of major gateway cities and resort destinations. Signature elements include dramatic architecture, energetic lobby environments, innovative dining options, state-of-the-art technology, spa and fitness centers, and comprehensive business and meeting facilities catering to conferences, corporate meetings and social gatherings of all sizes. For more information and reservations, visit www.hyatt.com

George Thomas

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Sacramento County posted a 2.9 percent decline in assessed property values, while Riverside County values dipped by half a percent. “This growth in property values is great news for Los Angeles homeowners, and hopefully signals the start of economic recovery for our entire state,” said Horton. Statewide, property values rose to $4.444 trillion in 2012-13, an increase of $61.6 billion (1.4 percent) from 2011-12. The values of homes and businesses assessed in the state’s 58 counties increased $59.7 billion to $4.357 trillion (1.4 percent).

Properties such as privately-owned public utilities and railroads, which the state assesses, rose $1.9 billion totaling $87.2 billion (2.2 percent), while San Francisco Bay Area properties gained 2.4 percent in assessed values. California’s 15 coastal counties gained 1.7 percent, with one percent growth in the state’s 43 inland counties. Thirty counties posted year-to-year declines in assessed property values for 2012- 13. However, for the first time since 2007-08, no county dropped by as much as five percent.

Joanne Lewis

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San Jose Museum of Quilts

contemporary quilts and textiles. Visit on or before October 14, 2012 and you’ll catch the Second International TECHstyle Art Biennial (ITAB), a juried exhibition focusing on new ways in which contemporary fiber artists are using technology as a part of their artistic process or within the content of their work. TECHstyle exposes and explores the technological tensions and provocative imagery within the realm of fiber, cloth, and fashion.

Also as part of the Second International TECHstyle Art Biennial, the museum offers on-site access to The AIDS Quilt Interactive, a 42-inch interactive touchscreen tabletop that allows users to search through and examine detailed individual images from the 1.3 million square feet of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. (Pictured above is Panel 00214 of the 54-ton AIDS Quilt.) Describing the exhibit, curator Deborah Corsini gives a few key examples: “Artist Wen- Yin Huang used various ‘new’ materials like luminous yarns, metallic, spun polyester and Jacquard hand weaving that transform under three different types of rotating light sources-regular light, UV light, and darkness – to show different images.

Yuan Guoxiang used laser engraving to create sculptural garments that hang on the wall. Many artists in the exhibit used digital jacquard weaving to create complicated layered imagery that is abstract or representational. Others, such as Dan Ofle, used Photoshop and Maya (animation) software to create their quilted imagery.” With art that will appeal to both the traditional quilter, and the technophile alike, the exhibition includes pieces that feature traditional hand-work (such as locally hand-made Kapa cloth) as well as high-tech pieces of quilted binary code, QR code, and HTML; digital processes including machine embroidery, jacquard weaving, and printing; 3-D rendering; laser engraving; and much more.

Quilt enthusiasts will particularly delight in the wide range of quilts that make use of digital imagery and digital printing. From an entry pool of 124 pieces of art, the exhibition was narrowed down to 44 works by 37 artists by jurors Janet Koplas, Barbara Layne and Christine Tarkowski. The exhibition highlights the multi-cultural nature of technology-influenced contemporary art, with work submitted from ten countries – including Australia, Canada, China, Finland and Japan, and from across the United States (including local California artists). The San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles is located at 520 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. General admission is $8.00; for seniors and students with ID it’s $6.50 and admission is free for members and children 12 and under. On the first Friday of every month, the museum offers free admission for everyone! Admission is always free to the Museum Store, a delightful place to buy unique, handcrafted keepsakes and gifts. For further information visit sjquiltmuseum.org.

Joanne Lewis

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Jan Sobel, President/CEO, Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley (l), and Katherine McDonald, External Affairs, Time Warner Cable (r), with children from the Club participating in Time Warner Cable’s Robo Tech program.

“More than 80 percent of the children we serve come from families living beneath the poverty level,” said Jan Sobel, president/CEO for the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley. “Time Warner Cable will provide the opportunity for 500 children to explore STEM with these programs and will help us reach our goals to inspire the Valley youth with their $10,000 donation,” added Sobel. Time Warner Cable presents the donation as part of Connect a Million Minds (CAMM), the company’s five-year, $100 million initiative to inspire the next generation of problem solvers by connecting young people to the wonders of STEM. “Time Warner Cable is a leader in giving back to the communities we serve.

By investing in our youth, we work toward building a better and brighter future for them, their families and our communities,” said Katie Beardsley, community relations director for Time Warner Cable. ‘The Book Of Mormon’ — On A Mission To Make You Laugh By Theda Kleinhans Reichman High spirits, high energy, a spirited, likeable cast plus a star studded audience were all hallmarks of the Wednesday, September 12 opening night of the West Coast Premiere of the Tony Award Winning musical “The Book of Mormon” at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

The excitement level was high even before one entered the theatre since we had the chance to bump into such high level celebs as director Garry Marshall with his daughter Kathleen, Talk Radio host Doug McIntyre and his lovely wife Penny, Neil Patrick Harris of TV‘s “How I Met Your Mother’ and comic Kathy Griffin to name but a few. The cast for the West Coast Premier could not be more wonderful. Gavin Creel is a terrific singer, dancer and comedian in the role of Elder Price, a bright but overly full of himself Elder who’s Mormon dream is to perform his Mission in Orlando because there is so much to see and do there.

He is teamed with Elder Cunningham (Jared Gertner from the original Broadway cast) who is short, humble and given to flights of imagination when it cones to interpreting “the Book.” This unlikely duo is shipped off to Africa, where life is pretty scary and the prospects of even one conversion seem truly bleak. One of the most adorable members of the tribe they are sent to save is Nabulungi, played by Samantha Marie Ware who played Nala in Disney’s “Lion King” in Las Vegas. One of the musical highlights in “Mormon” is Creel’s beautiful rendition of the song “Believe.” And Gertner, as the endearing Mormon nebbish, is as cuddly as a baby lion cub. While “The Book of Mormon” takes an irreverent, but hilarious, look at the Mormon faith, the “Playbill” is proof that Mormons have a sense of humor too and can take a joke even when it’s on them.

Throughout the program are full page color spots saying “I’ve Read the Book,” “The Book Is Always Better” and “You’ve Seen the Play… Now Read the Book.” “Mormon” will keep a smile on your face throughout and like Monty Python, it spoofs everyone, so no one in particular should be offended. However, this hilarious musical is R rated, so it is not suitable for young children. Note, there will be a “day of show” lottery at the Pantages, making a limited number of tickets available every day at $25 apiece, cash only. Entries accepted at the Box Office 2.5 hours prior to show time. Two tickets maximum. For more information, visit BookofMormonThe Musical.com.

Joanne Lewis

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The Place To Be In London

Located only a short stroll from Trafalgar Square, Boyds Brasserie Bar & Lounge is the perfect place to unwind and relax after a hard days work. Our menu focuses on smart British fare accompanied by wines of the highest quality, offered at surprisingly affordable prices.
Boyds Brasserie Bar & Lounge is a Trafalgar Square lounge bar and restaurant offering food and drink of the highest quality. Our chef’s selection of the finest seasonal ingredients makes Boyds the perfect place for a drink, for a meal, to meet and to relax in the heart of London.  We are a spectacular space with great food and wine at a reasonable cost.  We’ve been developing our Dining Club over the last few months and have planned a number of special events for the forthcoming months. Keep your eyes peeled for Dining Club announcements and to confirm your place!
Looking for a unique London location for your Christmas celebration?  Join us at Boyds Brasserie, Bar and Cocktail Lounge ideally located moments from Trafalgar Square. Our four new Christmas menus are now available to peruse. The Trafalgar, Whitehall, Northumberland and Pall Mall menus are sure to delight those with discerning tastebuds.  Our menus focus on smart British fare accompanied by wines of the highest quality, offered at surprisingly affordable prices. The choice we offer will cater for elegant sufficiency, whether you’re after a quick early evening snack, a formal client lunch or if you’re after more of a party with friends or colleagues. Choose from our Tapas selection to create your own sharing boards to accompany our delicious cocktails, or our Christmas and set menus which are designed to offer a range of choices including more traditional fare.  (For more information, please visit www.boydsbrasserie.co.uk)

George Thomas

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