Sunday, Sept. 28 marks the first Breakfast with Lincoln Park Zoo's apes program, which could very well be as fun as a barrel of monkeys.

If you didn't get your fill of DJ's the night before or are simply looking to nurse your hangover with another drink or three, (par) Lounge is hosting their weekly Sunday Funday Brunch from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. with full breakfast and lunch menu and pretty damn cheap drinks. $3 sangria and mimosas, $4 mojitos, and $5 bloody marys, with all the thumping music from local DJ's you can handle. (par) Lounge is located at 1415 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park. For more information, call 773.252.6410.

Known more for their bar than their brunch, Sushisamba Rio offers an eclectic $15 prix-fixe Japanese-Brazilian family-style brunch ranging from the traditional pancakes, eggs benedict, and bacon, to the Brazilian black beans and rice, collard greens, farofa, and orange batidas, and Japanese entrees like tamagoyaki omelet, grilled white fish, enoki mushroom tempura, oshinko pickle, and miso soup. Brunch runs on Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sushisamba Rio is located at 504 N. Wells St. in River North. For more information, call 312.595.2300.

In case you were getting bored with their menu or simply didn't notice, New Orleans' style Big Jones just updated their brunch menu for sweet Southern brunch outings any day of the week. Big Jones is located at 5347 N. Clark St. in Andersonville. For more information, call 773.275.5725.

— Carly Fisher

If you have lived well into your fifties and feel that voluntary early retirement I on the cards but still feel hesitant, then maybe this is not the option for you. Or you may find that you can’t wait to retire but don’t feel that you can afford it.  Keep Reading  Voluntary Early Retirement

Renton WA restaurants offer a diverse range for you to explore. Whether you’re looking for family-style dining options, or you merely want to grab a quick bite while passing by, you’ll find what you want in almost no time. So, go ahead and treat yourself in this enchanting city.

Last night, we paid a visit to Chef Jamie Leeds' newly-opened CommonWealth in Columbia Heights - something we've been eager to do since it opened two weeks ago.  Following up on a tip from Metrocurean, we wanted to check out the new gastropub's take on this UK tradition, so we decided to go with some friends to sample the weekly special.

Roast report and first impressions after the jump.

We arrived at CommonWealth for a 7:30 reservation and were seated almost right away - despite a decent crowd outside, there were still a few tables available in the spacious interior.  As we walked to our seats, we took in the decor.  The monochromatic British and American flags stood out immediately, as did the servers' red and olive CommonWealth shirts featuring witty British illustrations, the bar tables inlaid with game boards and the chalk board that runs across the top of the dining area and the bar.  I took a look at the cheese options that were listed on the board above the bar, and was happy to see favorites like Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk and Sweet Grass Dairy's double-cream Green Hill.

We took our seats and were presented with a bowl of pickled vegetables that included a carrot, cauliflower, green beans and squash.  They were lightly vinegared and even a bit on the sweet side.  One of our friends immediately lit up when he saw Scotch Eggs, and so our appetizer was set even before we had ordered a drink or heard about the specials.

If you've never had a Scotch Egg (or heard of one, for that matter), CommonWealth's version makes for a phenomenal introduction.  Two hard-boiled eggs are peeled, coated in ground sausage and then deep-fried before being halved and served on a stand that seems to have been designed as a conveyance for oysters or similar shellfish platters.  They come with three sauces (described to us as "spicy mayonnaise, sweet mustard and 'green sauce'" with the last tasting like a pesto), but these things are delicious on their own.  And at $7, they're well worth the price for a starter.

We knew we were interested in trying the Sunday Roast, so we didn't expect to have any options when the time came to order our entrees.  We were pleasantly surprised, therefore, to receive a Sunday Roast menu that listed not one, but three different main courses to choose from.  We could have enjoyed a roasted pork shoulder ($19 per person), a leg of lamb stuffed with merguez ($22), or a roast beef ($24).  All three were to be accompanied by the same sides - a seasonal vegetable succotash and potatoes roasted with celery, carrots and onions.  Given the choices, we went for the lamb.

If you're like me and you remember reading "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, this is the point where you'd mark the page just in case you made a bad choice.  Fortunately, that wasn't the case for us.  The lamb was tender and juicy with just a hint of pink, and the sausage pieces were spicy and dense.  The glace which served as a sauce for the dish was a great complement, though we found it a bit salty when sampled on its own with bread.  The dish was absolutely the star of the show, and it was something that we would definitely seek out to try again in the future.  Unfortunately, the sides didn't do much to stand out.  The vegetables in the succotash - corn, tomatoes, green beans and zucchini - were certainly fresh, but there was nothing that compared to the powerful flavors of the lamb dish.  The roasted potatoes had a great texture and were well-cooked, but they were bland.  Spooning some of the entree's sauce over them helped considerably.

Although we could have been perfectly satisfied with our dinner choices, we were persuaded to check out the dessert menu (a category labeled 'puddings' in a nod to the British use of the term).  The Sticky Toffee Pudding came highly recommended, and it didn't disappoint.  Rich and sweet, it was almost too much - I shudder to think how cloyingly sweet the Warm Treacle Tart must be!  But the table made short work of our single dessert (as well as the root beer float that was described as one of the best our friend has ever had).

As any new restaurant does, CommonWealth has a few kinks that need to be worked out, starting with the 'pub' part of its gastropub moniker.  When one of our guests asked for a Harpoon Summer Beer that was no longer available, the first recommendation for a suitable alternative was Michelob Light.  And although the bar offers an impressive twelve beers on tap, its selection of British imports doesn't really go much beyond the basics - Guinness, Harp, Smithwick's, Newcastle Brown and Strongbow Cider aren't especially hard to find in DC.  More noteworthy are the bottled selections and the American drafts - including selections from the Commonwealths of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia and rotating cask-conditioned drafts.

Service was good, but it bordered on over-attentive on several occasions.  Unattended silverware and plates were like sirens' songs, calling out to be collected and removed time and time again by the numerous staffers who passed by our table regularly.  Our server asked if we were ready to order drinks immediately upon setting down our menus, though he was good enough to give us time to make our choices after that.  When it comes right down to it, this isn't such a problem to deal with; I'd rather have a server paying me too much attention than one I have to beg to honor me with the check after ignoring me all night.

We had a chance to chat with Chef Leeds before the end of the night, and she informed us that this was only the second Sunday Roast that they've done so far.  She also told us that this weekend marked CommonWealth's first brunch service, in which the regular menu is supplemented with a number of additional egg dishes as well as pancakes.  With the Sunday Roasts off to such a strong start, I would fully expect them to become a regular appointment for friends throughout the city who are looking for a fun way to catch up over good food.

CommonWealth
1400 Irving St., NW
Washington, DC  20010
(202) 265-1400

Well, I got tired of waiting, so my sister went with me instead. :)

Madison, Ga. is one of those charming little towns that many Athens dwellers forget about. Just a short 30-minute down 441 South, Madison remains tucked away from the hustle and bustle of lives controlled by high gas prices and ozone alerts.

I had heard about a certain restaurant called The Icehouse, and I had been wanting to try it for a while. Since my sister came to visit me this weekend from Tennessee, I thought we would take a little road trip even farther South.

If you get off 441 and turn right where the really big sign for Madison is, it will take you right into its downtown. The Icehouse is on Washington Street, the second red light you'll come to. Head North on Washington about a half mile, and it's on your right.

Claire and I walked in (they don't take reservations), and we only had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. In terms of the demographic, Claire and I were definitely the youngest party there. Most of the eaters were groups of adults or families with older children.

Some people may think that's bad, but we got special attention. The inside looks like a warehouse, and the bar area is lower than the dining area. It looks really neat because it's in the center of the restaurant, so Claire and I got to spy on other people while we were eating- one of our favorite nosy past times.

Our waitress, Rachel, was really nice, and she came to us soon after we were seated. I ended up ordering the salmon smoked in apple bacon with green beans and asparagus, and Claire got the penne pasta with shrimp and portabella mushrooms.

In the summer, there's nothing better than a cold beer. I ordered an Amstel Light, and it came with the coldest glass. I won't ga-ga over it, but the beer definitely hit the spot.

When Rachel brought our salads, they came in one big plastic bowl with tongs. How fun is that? It seemed like a family-style restaurant, but only half-way. I had the balsamic vinigarette, and Claire had their house dressing: Caesar and Ranch mix.

Rachel also brought out some yummy hot bread, and poured olive oil into a saucer with herbs.

Our food came out fairly quick, too. My salmon was perfectly portioned. I'd say it was about 6 ounces, and it had a small piece of bacon wrapped around it. I didn't realize it was piping hot, so I had to roll it around in my mouth and blow out at the same time. You know you've done it, too.

Claire loved her pasta. She said the shrimp were a little tough, but it didn't stop her from eating about half of the bowl. The sauce on the pasta was light and not too flavorful. It was just right. Claire didn't want her portabello mushrooms, so I ate them for her.

We were too full for dessert, but we had a lot of fun at The Icehouse. Our trek back didn't seem as long as it did going down. We even filmed a little tour of Madison's downtown for you!
[viddler id=b6d2acef&w=437&h=370]

So (guys), if you want to take your girl for a fun date that isn't in downtown Athens, go to Madison. It's fun, quaint, and the houses in the area are b-e-a-utiful! Madison is famous for its houses.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour outside of Athens. Try it some day!

P.S. Here are some good links that will tell you about Madison

Chamber of Commerce

Wikipedia entry

America's No. 1 small town

Directions from Athens

Since this is a review blog...food review from our weekend!!! I have to apologize that I don't have pictures of the actual food save 1 item. We did have a camera but we just were so caught up in seeing old friends and having fun that we never really broke out the camera. =/ Instead, you'll have to make do with the pictures I found on the intarwebs.

Chili's at the LAX Airport - Chipotle Bleu Cheese Bacon Burger:
What a huge burger! The chipotle added a nice subtle kick. The bleu cheese was quite potent and sometimes overpowered the burger depending on how much was in the bite. The burger patty was moist. The bacon was thick and crispy. A fantastic burger that satiated my hungry tummy. Oh and yummy crisp fries that weren't all air.

After check-in at the beautiful Hotel Sofitel San Francisco Bay, Dan and I paid a visit to their bar. Their specialty drinks were a bit unusual, using freshly made juices and organic herbs like basil. They had an avocado martini which I did not try. Instead, I opted to go with the dark n' stormy - fresh ginger soda and rum. Supposedly, it's a common drink in the Caribbean. Tasty, especially if you are fan of ginger. I also tried a mango drink that I liked even better as all I could taste was the mango. Dangerous! I just wish I could remember what went into it...bitters, I think.

For breakfast, we met up with some friends at the restaurant at the hotel, Bay 223. I had the cinnamon butter french toast with a side of applewood smoked bacon ($18). Dan opted for the steak and eggs ($22). My french toast was good but I wish it had more cinnamon on it as I could barely taste it. The bacon, on the hand, was perfect - cooked to a nice crisp. I tried a bite of Dan's steak. I prefer my meat to be cooked medium rare/medium so his well-done steak was cooked too well for me but it was still moist and tender. We had unlimited refills on orange juice and coffee was delivered in a french press. The service was impeccable. We never had to ask for anything. Though the food was good, I found the prices to be expensive for what we got.

After the ceremony, a group of us hung out at the bar again. We ordered some fried calamari and the Mediterranean platter (hummus, tzatziki and an olive tapenade with pita bread) to nosh on while we killed time till the reception. The calamari was disappointing as the pieces were tiny and half the basket seemed to be batter flakes. The platter, however, was not. The tzatziki was not your typical kind; instead of yogurt, they used cottage cheese as the base. It was nice as it added a good texture. The olive tapenade was excellent, if you like olives. The hummus was thick and fresh; it still had a little bit of a grainy texture from the beans and a strong garlic flavor.

The reception was at Zen Peninsula, a Chinese family restaurant in Millbrae. In case some of you aren't familiar with Chinese weddings, it's basically one giant food fest. You are seated at a large table with a lazy susan and the waiters bring dish after dish after dish after...well, you get the idea.

Anyways, when we got there, my first impression of the place was that it was bright and clean inside. There were the usual fish tanks, nicely stocked with lobsters, prawns and various fish. They had set up an open bar in the back across from the tanks. On the other side of the room was an appetizer station dishing out vegetable egg rolls and these little buns with bbq pork...not char siu bao (steamed) but baked/fried. The egg rolls were perfectly fried - crispy and not oily. I liked the buns more - moist filling and the bun was almost cake-pastry like.

On to the entreés:
Now, not everything looked like this (the chicken wasn't a whole one) and there weren't as many walnuts on the shrimp dish plate. But yes, this is what we got.

Barbeque platter with suckling pig - There was a nice arrangement of various parts of the pig, thinly sliced on the plate with a side of jellyfish. On the sides were pieces of pork belly and some other part I'm not familiar with but had before. In the middle was a section of pork with the skin still on, perfectly fried to a crisp. It was all tasty and none of the meat was dry. I enjoyed the jellyfish, something I don't get to have often. It looks a bit unappetizing (Dan described it as looking like snot), but don't let it deter you from trying it. The texture is similar to soft cartilage and the flavor light.

Stir-fried calamari and scallops over greens - The scallops were cooked perfectly and seemed fresh - buttery texture and no fishy flavor. I don't recall trying the calamari since I had calamari earlier. The greens were sugar snap peas. Cooked lightly, they were still crunchy which was a nice contrast to the buttery scallops.

Honey walnut prawns - This dish comprises of prawn tails cooked in a light mayo sauce and garnished with honey covered walnuts. This is a great dish to order as it's not too exotic for those with a less adventurous palette. I am not a big fan of mayo and sometimes restaurants will be heavy-handed. In this case, the cooks were not; there was enough sauce to coat the prawns but no more than that.

Braised shark's fin soup with shredded chicken - I had never had shark fin soup before so this was a treat. I was a little disconcerted as it's well known, the inhumane way some fishermen harvest shark fins. But since it was served, I went ahead and tried it. The soup was thick, like syrup, due to cornstarch being added as a thickener. The flavor was rich, like a meaty broth that overcame the flavor of the shredded chicken pieces.

Braised sliced abalone and shitake mushroom - I am not sure if I've ever had abalone before. This dish comprised of a large whole shitake mushroom and a thin slice of abalone. The abalone, like other shellfish, when cooked correctly, had a buttery texture though it had a stronger flavor than scallops. As a lover of mushrooms, I thoroughly enjoyed the shitake.

Stir-fried lobster with ginger and scallion - I'm not sure what they mean by stir-fried because this dish didn't look like what I thought. I was expecting pieces of lobster meat with chunks of ginger and scallion. Instead, whole lobsters segmented into manageable pieces showed up, heads included. Dan thought this dish was too fishy but I thought it was fine. The lobster was a little overcooked as the piece I had bordered on rubbery.

Green tea chicken - This dish involved part of a roasted chicken, skin and bone included, cleaved into segments. Moist with a nice crispy skin, I'm not sure where the green tea came in. It's a common dish you'll find at restaurants like this, popular among the patrons.

Honey smoke sea bass - By this point, I was full so i don't know if that influenced my opinion of this dish. I took one bite and deemed it too fish-flavored for my liking. Given my penchant for preferring sushi as my method of consuming fish, any slight bit of fishy flavor ruins dishes like this for me.

Stir-fried E-fu noodle - A simple dish, egg-noodles stir-fried. The noodles were good, not rubbery but not undercooked either and they had a nice flavor.

Yang Chow fried rice - I was stuffed silly by the time this dish came around. Sad as it looked really appetizing. Fluffy rice fried with shrimp, minced bbq pork, and vegetables, the few bites I managed to take were delicious. I wish I could have taken this back to the hotel for a midnight snack.

Dual wedding dessert - This involved a red bean-filled pastry, a puff pastry, and wedding cupcakes (the couple with with cupcakes instead of cake). All were delicious. The cupcake I tried was the most memorable. Rich chocolate with a coffee frosting, this was moist and delectable.

Red bean dessert soup - I opted out of trying this as if I ate anymore, I would be ill.

The next morning we headed into the city to meet up with some other friends. We rendezvoused at Pier 39 and had lunch at Eagle Cafe. I had a bite of the crab cake appetizer which was very good. The crab tasted fresh; it was nicely fried and had a rich flavor even without sauce. I ordered their famous crab salad sandwich with garlic fries. Dan went for the fried shrimp with garlic fries. Since there was a mix up (our waitress was a bit lost or overwhelmed or something), I noshed on his fries while I waited for my lunch to arrive. A lot of times, garlic fries means fries with some garlic powder. These fries had minced garlic. The fries themselves were shoestring style so they were a little too thing; steak fries would have been a better choice of cut, especially to scoop up those yummy pieces of garlic. When my food arrived, the sandwich was quite huge. The crab salad was delicious. Like the crab cake, there was fresh crab and great flavor. It wasn't too wet which signaled to me that this wasn't prepared too early and left to sit out. The ratio of filling to bread was great and fresh romaine and tomatoes were included.

Well, that concludes the culinary aspect of our trip!

I've got some other reviews to catch up. We watched "No Country for Old Men" last night and are watching "The Dark Knight" on Friday (in IMAX!!) so I'll have to post reviews for those. And I have yet to see "Hellboy 2"; we are hoping to do so sometime this weekend.

They serve everything family style, which means you share at the table. I liked this aspect of the restaurant because I like to try a little bit of everything and usually end up eating off other people’s plates anyway. I’d suggest making reservations though, it can get crowded.

Natalee Thai is located at 10101 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, 90230 and the Beverly Hills location is at 998 S. Robertson Blvd., in Beverly Hills, 90035. For reservations at the Venice location, call 310-202-7003 or email contact@nataleethai.com. For reservations at the Beverly Hills location call 310-855-9380.

Natalee Thai offers free delivery within the area and several lunch specials and daily specials as well. You can even order takeout online at www.nataleethai.com. Operating hours are Sun-Thurs, 11:30am to 10pm, and Fri-Sat, 11:30am to 10:30pm.

Ad Hoc is a fairly new restaurant in Yountville from the famous chef Thomas Keller (the French laundry/Bouchon). When you enter the building you will feel as though you stepped into a Pottery Barn catalog. The decor is casual and homey yet hip and fun. Ad Hoc is billed as a family style restaurant which usually means everyone at your table orders a few dishes and you share. Here, things are done a little different... Ad Hoc serves ONE 4 course menu every night which you share at your table. So whatever the chef decides to make, you eat. There are no choices to be made. When I first heard about this unique business model I was highly intrigued. With that said I expected every dish to be prepared flawlessly and guess what?...they were! Every morsel was perfectly seasoned. I could actually taste the salt and pepper in every bite.

Here is the menu we were served on May 10th, 2008 ($48/per person):

First course - Frisee salad with beets
I absolutely love beets so I was totally excited about this salad. It was delectable. It was simple yet refined. When you have fresh ingredients you can't go wrong.

Second course - Stuffed pork with rice, barley, baby carrots, asparagus and apple compote
Mike was drooling...The pork skin was crisp and salty and the meat tender. The veggies and rice were a perfect accompaniment.

Third course - Goat cheese with pinenut brittle and blackberry jam
A combination I would never think of was a symphony in my mouth.

Fourth course - Thin pastry with baked bananas topped with strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream
I don't know if you notice from previous posts but if a restaurant offers a dessert with bananas and ice cream Mike and I order it. We adore banana anything. It was like this menu was tailor made for us.

The one and only thing I did not care for was the music blasting in the dining room, it really contradicted with the homey vibe they wanted the restaurant to portray. Don't get me wrong the soundtrack played throughout the night was great but extremely loud. I found it hard to talk with the friends at our table. Around 8ish the music and lights were turned down which was much appreciated.

This was the best meal of the weekend and probably the best I have ever had in Napa. I hear the evenings with fried chicken and chocolate brownies are to die for. Unfortunately, they only post the menu the day of so you can't plan ahead. It's the luck of the draw. Make your reservation (far in advance) and keep your fingers crossed. But really unless you are a picky eater I don't think you can go wrong on any night.

Side Note: We were told by one of the servers that Ad Hoc originally was a temporary fix until Keller could open a burger and half bottle joint but it became so popular that it had to stay. I'm so glad it did!

Rating:

Website: http://adhocrestaurant.com/

Keller cookbooks:
The French laundry
Bouchon

"Ο Stevie Ray Vaughan, συχνά αναφερόμενος και με τα αρχικά του SRV, γεννήθηκε στις 3 Οκτωβρίου 1954 στο Ντάλας του Τέξας. Θεωρείται από πολλούς υπεύθυνος για την ανανέωση του ενδιαφέροντος του κόσμου για τα μπλουζ.
Στις 3 Οκτωβρίου ή στις 25 Δεκεμβρίου του 1961 (δεν είναι ξεκάθαρο), ο Στιβ παίρνει δώρο μια κιθάρα. Ανάμεσα στα πρώτα τραγούδια που μαθαίνει είναι το Wine, wine, wine και το Thunderbird των Nightcaps. Δύο περίπου χρόνια αργότερα ο Στιβ αγοράζει τον πρώτο του δίσκο. Το Wham Of That Memphis Man του Lonnie Mack και τον παίζει τόσες πολλές φορές που ο πατέρας του τον σπάει από τα νεύρα του. Εκείνη την εποχή ο Στιβ παίρνει και την πρώτη του ηλεκτρική κιθάρα, την παλιά κιθάρα του αδελφού του Jimmie. Τρία χρόνια αργότερα, το καλοκαίρι του 1966, ο Doyle Bramhall έχει καθιερωθεί στη μουσική σκηνή του ακούει για πρώτη φορά τον SRV να παίζει. Την επόμενη χρονιά το γκρουπ του Στιβ εμφανίζεται στο Lee Park στο Ντάλας και ξεκινά να δραστηριοποιείται πέρα σχολικών εκδηλώσεων και πάρτι. Έως το 1969Όστιν και το καλοκαίρι του 1970, μετά από ένα ατύχημα σε ένα φαστ φούντ όπου εργαζόταν, παραιτείται και αφιερώνει τη ζωή του στη μουσική. Δημιουργεί το πρώτο του ουσιαστικά γκρουπ που άντεξε αρκετό καιρό, με το όνομα Blackbird με τους Stevie & Kim Davis (κιθάρες), Christian dePlicque (φωνητικά), Roddy Colonna & John Huff (τύμπανα), Noel Deis (πλήκτρα) και David Frame (μπάσο). Στις 31 Δεκεμβρίου του 1971, ο Στιβ εγκαταλείπει το σχολείο και μετακομίζει με το συγκρότημά του στο Όστιν, όπου και εμφανίζονται στο μπαρ “Rolling Hills Country Club”, αργότερα μετονομάστηκε “Soap Creek Saloon”, για τα επόμενα επτά χρόνια.
Στα τέλη του 1972, ο Στιβ συμμετέχει στο συγκρότημα Krackerjack για μερικούς μήνες όπου και παίζει με τον μελλοντικό μπασίστα των Double Trouble, Tommy Shannon για πρώτη φορά. Στις 14 Μαρτίου του 1973, ο Στιβ ενώνεται με το συγκρότημα του Marc Benno, Nightcrawlers, το οποίο εκείνο τον καιρό ηχογραφούσε για την δισκογραφική A&M Records. Το άλμπουμ όμως δεν κυκλοφορεί ποτέ. Στο συγκρότημα συμμετείχε επίσης ο Doyle Bramhall που ξεκινά μια συνεργασία 17 ετών με τον Στιβ γράφοντας του τραγούδια. Το 1974 ο Στιβ αποκτά την θρυλική φθαρμένη Stratocaster γνωστή ως “Number One” του (νούμερο ένα), την κιθάρα σήμα κατατεθέν του Στιβ για την υπόλοιπη καριέρα του. Στις 31 Δεκεμβρίου του 1974 ο Στιβ γίνεται μέλος των Paul Ray & the Cobras, ενός πολύ δημοφιλούς γκρουπ από το Όστιν και εμφανίζονται κατά μέσον όρο πέντε φορές την εβδομάδα για τα επόμενα δυόμισι περίπου χρόνια. Στις 7 Φεβρουαρίου1977 κυκλοφορούν ένα 45άρι, η πρώτη ουσιαστικά εμφάνιση του Στιβ στη δισκογραφία. (Στα 17 του είχε συμμετάσχει σε μια σχολική παραγωγή με τίτλο "A New Hi") ενώ τον Μάρτιο την ίδιας χρονιάς οι Cobras ψηφίζονται συγκρότημα της χρονιάς στο Όστιν. Τον Σεπτέμβριο του 1977 ο Στιβ εγκαταλείπει τους Cobras για να δημιουργήσει τους Triple Threat Revue με τους: Lou Ann Barton (φωνητικά), W.C. Clark (μπάσο & φωνητικά), Mike Kindred (πλήκτρα) και Fredde Pharoah (τύμπανα). Το Μάιο της επόμενης χρονιάς οι Johnny Reno (σαξόφωνο) και Jackie Newhouse (μπάσο) ενώνονται με τον Στιβ και δημιουργούν τους Double Trouble. Το όνομα είναι εμπνευσμένο από ένα τραγούδι του Otis Rush. Το Σεπτέμβριο του ’78 ο Chris Layton προσχωρεί στις τάξεις του συγκροτήματος και στις 19 Αυγούστου 1979 συμμετέχουν σε μία από τις πρώτες εκτός συνόρων της πολιτείας του Τέξας συναυλία, στο San Francisco Blues Festival. Την επόμενη χρονιά ηχογραφούν το άλμπουμ In the Beginning, από ζωντανή τους εμφάνιση στο Steamboat 1874 στο Όστιν. Το άλμπουμ κυκλοφόρησε το 1992. Τον Ιούλιο του 1981, το συγκρότημα εμφανίζεται σε ένα φεστιβάλ έξω από το Όστιν και δημιουργείται ένα βίντεο, το οποίο ο μάνατζερ του συγκροτήματος θα δώσει στον Μικ Τζάγκερ περίπου ένα χρόνο αργότερα. Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν το συγκρότημα να εμφανιστεί ζωντανά σε ένα ιδιωτικό πάρτι των Ρόλινγκ Στόουνς, στις 22 Απριλίου του 1982. Στις 17 Ιουλίου του 1982, ο Στιβ και η παρέα του γίνονται το πρώτο συγκρότημα που εμφανίζεται στο Montreux International Jazz Festival στην Ελβετία, χωρίς δισκογραφική δουλειά ή συμβόλαιο με οποιαδήποτε δισκογραφική εταιρία. Το πλήθος αποδοκιμάζει, ειρωνικά όμως, τo γκρουπ κερδίζει Grammy για την εκτέλεση του κομματιού Texas Flood σε αυτή την εμφάνιση. Σε αυτό το φεστιβάλ ο Στιβ γνώρισε τον David Bowie και τον Jackson Browne. Το Νοέμβριο του 1982, το συγκρότημα ηχογραφεί, αυτό που αργότερα θα κυκλοφορήσει με τον τίτλο «Texas Flood», ύστερα από πρόσκληση του Jackson Browne, ενώ ταυτόχρονα ο Στιβ συμμετέχει (ηχογραφεί την κιθάρα) κατόπιν παράκλησης του David Bowie στο άλμπουμ Let’s Dance, και συμφωνεί να συνοδεύσει τον Bowie στην παγκόσμια περιοδεία του. Αποφασίζει να εγκαταλείψει τελικά, κατά τη διάρκεια των ετοιμασιών, για να ασχοληθεί με το δικό του σχήμα.
Την άνοιξη του 1983, ο διάσημος παραγωγός John Hammond ακούει μια κασέτα από ζωντανή εμφάνιση του συγκροτήματος στο Montreux International Jazz Festival του 1982 και επιτυγχάνει τη συμφωνία μεταξύ του γκρουπ και της δισκογραφικής Epic Records. Στις 13 Ιουνίου του 1983 κυκλοφορεί το πρώτο άλμπουμ του Στιβ, με τίτλο Texas Flood. Το Μάιο του 1984 κυκλοφορεί το δεύτερο στούντιο άλμπουμ με τίτλο Couldn’t Stand The Weather παίρνοντας πολύ καλές κριτικές. Την ίδια χρονιά κερδίζει δύο W.C. Handy National Blues Awards, στις κατηγορίες Καλλιτέχνη της χρονιάς και Καλύτερου Μπλουζ Μουσικού της χρονιάς και το 1985 έρχεται η σειρά του Soul to Soul, με τη συμμετοχή ενός καινούργιου μέλους, του Reese Wynans στα πλήκτρα. Τον Ιούλιο του 1986, ηχογραφώντας μια σειρά εμφανίσεων στο ‘Οστιν και το Ντάλας, κυκλοφορεί το άλμπουμ Live Alive τον Νοέμβριο της επόμενης χρονιάς. Στις 30 Σεπτεμβρίου του 1985, κατά τη διάρκεια παγκόσμιας περιοδείας, ο Στιβ καταρρέει στο Ludwigshafen της Γερμανίας από παρατεταμένη χρήση ουσιών. Ο Στιβ δίνει δύο ακόμη συναυλίες, αλλά οι τελευταίες 13 εμφανίσεις της περιοδείας ακυρώνονται και ο Στιβ μπαίνει σε πρόγραμμα αποτοξίνωσης. Ο Στιβ μένει «καθαρός» από τις 13 Οκτωβρίου μέχρι τον πρόωρο θάνατό του το 1990. Στις 6 Ιουνίου του 1989, κυκλοφορεί, κατά πολλούς το καλύτερο άλμπουμ της καριέρας του, το In Step. Η αναγνώριση έρχεται άμεσα, με την απονομή βραβείου Grammy για τον καλύτερο σύγχρονο μπλουζ δίσκο. Ο Στιβ με την μπάντα του περιοδεύουν μαζί με τους Jeff Beck και Joe Cocker. Στις 30 Ιανουαρίου του 1990, ο Στιβ εμφανίζεται στην γνωστή τηλεοπτική εκπομπή του Mtv, Mtv Unplugged, όπου παρουσιάζει τις ακουστικές εκδόσεις των Pride And Joy, Testify και Rude Mood με μια 12-χορδη ακουστική κιθάρα. Την άνοιξη του ’90 ηχογραφεί με τον αδελφό του Τζίμι Βον τον δίσκο Family Style, που κυκλοφορεί στις 25 Σεπτεμβρίου της ίδιας χρονιάς. Στις 13 Αυγούστου όλα τα άλμπουμ του Στιβ, γίνονται «χρυσά» (500.000 πωλήσεις). Στις 26 Αυγούστου, στο Alpine Village του Γουισκόνσιν, η γνωστότερη συναυλία του Στιβ (“sold out” - 30.000 εισιτήρια), με συμμετοχές των Έρικ Κλάπτον, Μπάντι Γκάι, Τζίμι Βον και Ρόμπερτ Κρέι. Γυρνώντας από τη συναυλία στο Σικάγο, στις 27 Αυγούστου λίγο πριν τη 01:00 π.μ., το ελικόπτερο που μεταφέρει τον Στιβ πέφτει δευτερόλεπτα μετά την απογείωση, σκοτώνοντας τον ίδιο και άλλους τέσσερις επιβαίνοντες. Η έρευνα για την πτώση του ελικοπτέρου απέδωσε την ευθύνη σε λάθη του χειριστή. Στις 11 Μαΐου 1995, ο αδελφός του Τζίμι, μαζί με τους Double Trouble και την αφρόκρεμα της μπλουζ σκηνής (BB King, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Art Neville, and Bonnie Raitt), δίνουν μια συναυλία προς τιμήν του. Στις 22 Φεβρουαρίου του 2000, ο Στιβ εκλέγεται για να συμπεριληφθεί στο Blues Hall Of Fame όλων των εποχών, και γίνεται ένας από τους μόλις 79 καλλιτέχνες στην λίστα."

Δισκογραφία

• Texas Flood (1983)
• Couldn’t Stand The Weather (1984)
• Soul To Soul (1985)
• Live Alive (1986)
• In Step (1989)
• Family Style (1990)
• The Sky Is Crying (1991)
• In The Beginning (1992)
• Greatest Hits (1995)
• Live At Carnegie Hall (1997)
• The Real Deal: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1999)
• Blues At Sunrise (2000)
• SRV The Box Set (2000)
• Live At Montreux 1982 & 1985 (2001)
• The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan (2002)
• Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan (2003)
• Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: The Collection (2004)

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"Ο Stevie Ray Vaughan, συχνά αναφερόμενος και με τα αρχικά του SRV, γεννήθηκε στις 3 Οκτωβρίου 1954 στο Ντάλας του Τέξας. Θεωρείται από πολλούς υπεύθυνος για την ανανέωση του ενδιαφέροντος του κόσμου για τα μπλουζ.
Στις 3 Οκτωβρίου ή στις 25 Δεκεμβρίου του 1961 (δεν είναι ξεκάθαρο), ο Στιβ παίρνει δώρο μια κιθάρα. Ανάμεσα στα πρώτα τραγούδια που μαθαίνει είναι το Wine, wine, wine και το Thunderbird των Nightcaps. Δύο περίπου χρόνια αργότερα ο Στιβ αγοράζει τον πρώτο του δίσκο. Το Wham Of That Memphis Man του Lonnie Mack και τον παίζει τόσες πολλές φορές που ο πατέρας του τον σπάει από τα νεύρα του. Εκείνη την εποχή ο Στιβ παίρνει και την πρώτη του ηλεκτρική κιθάρα, την παλιά κιθάρα του αδελφού του Jimmie. Τρία χρόνια αργότερα, το καλοκαίρι του 1966, ο Doyle Bramhall έχει καθιερωθεί στη μουσική σκηνή του ακούει για πρώτη φορά τον SRV να παίζει. Την επόμενη χρονιά το γκρουπ του Στιβ εμφανίζεται στο Lee Park στο Ντάλας και ξεκινά να δραστηριοποιείται πέρα σχολικών εκδηλώσεων και πάρτι. Έως το 1969Όστιν και το καλοκαίρι του 1970, μετά από ένα ατύχημα σε ένα φαστ φούντ όπου εργαζόταν, παραιτείται και αφιερώνει τη ζωή του στη μουσική. Δημιουργεί το πρώτο του ουσιαστικά γκρουπ που άντεξε αρκετό καιρό, με το όνομα Blackbird με τους Stevie & Kim Davis (κιθάρες), Christian dePlicque (φωνητικά), Roddy Colonna & John Huff (τύμπανα), Noel Deis (πλήκτρα) και David Frame (μπάσο). Στις 31 Δεκεμβρίου του 1971, ο Στιβ εγκαταλείπει το σχολείο και μετακομίζει με το συγκρότημά του στο Όστιν, όπου και εμφανίζονται στο μπαρ “Rolling Hills Country Club”, αργότερα μετονομάστηκε “Soap Creek Saloon”, για τα επόμενα επτά χρόνια.
Στα τέλη του 1972, ο Στιβ συμμετέχει στο συγκρότημα Krackerjack για μερικούς μήνες όπου και παίζει με τον μελλοντικό μπασίστα των Double Trouble, Tommy Shannon για πρώτη φορά. Στις 14 Μαρτίου του 1973, ο Στιβ ενώνεται με το συγκρότημα του Marc Benno, Nightcrawlers, το οποίο εκείνο τον καιρό ηχογραφούσε για την δισκογραφική A&M Records. Το άλμπουμ όμως δεν κυκλοφορεί ποτέ. Στο συγκρότημα συμμετείχε επίσης ο Doyle Bramhall που ξεκινά μια συνεργασία 17 ετών με τον Στιβ γράφοντας του τραγούδια. Το 1974 ο Στιβ αποκτά την θρυλική φθαρμένη Stratocaster γνωστή ως “Number One” του (νούμερο ένα), την κιθάρα σήμα κατατεθέν του Στιβ για την υπόλοιπη καριέρα του. Στις 31 Δεκεμβρίου του 1974 ο Στιβ γίνεται μέλος των Paul Ray & the Cobras, ενός πολύ δημοφιλούς γκρουπ από το Όστιν και εμφανίζονται κατά μέσον όρο πέντε φορές την εβδομάδα για τα επόμενα δυόμισι περίπου χρόνια. Στις 7 Φεβρουαρίου1977 κυκλοφορούν ένα 45άρι, η πρώτη ουσιαστικά εμφάνιση του Στιβ στη δισκογραφία. (Στα 17 του είχε συμμετάσχει σε μια σχολική παραγωγή με τίτλο "A New Hi") ενώ τον Μάρτιο την ίδιας χρονιάς οι Cobras ψηφίζονται συγκρότημα της χρονιάς στο Όστιν. Τον Σεπτέμβριο του 1977 ο Στιβ εγκαταλείπει τους Cobras για να δημιουργήσει τους Triple Threat Revue με τους: Lou Ann Barton (φωνητικά), W.C. Clark (μπάσο & φωνητικά), Mike Kindred (πλήκτρα) και Fredde Pharoah (τύμπανα). Το Μάιο της επόμενης χρονιάς οι Johnny Reno (σαξόφωνο) και Jackie Newhouse (μπάσο) ενώνονται με τον Στιβ και δημιουργούν τους Double Trouble. Το όνομα είναι εμπνευσμένο από ένα τραγούδι του Otis Rush. Το Σεπτέμβριο του ’78 ο Chris Layton προσχωρεί στις τάξεις του συγκροτήματος και στις 19 Αυγούστου 1979 συμμετέχουν σε μία από τις πρώτες εκτός συνόρων της πολιτείας του Τέξας συναυλία, στο San Francisco Blues Festival. Την επόμενη χρονιά ηχογραφούν το άλμπουμ In the Beginning, από ζωντανή τους εμφάνιση στο Steamboat 1874 στο Όστιν. Το άλμπουμ κυκλοφόρησε το 1992. Τον Ιούλιο του 1981, το συγκρότημα εμφανίζεται σε ένα φεστιβάλ έξω από το Όστιν και δημιουργείται ένα βίντεο, το οποίο ο μάνατζερ του συγκροτήματος θα δώσει στον Μικ Τζάγκερ περίπου ένα χρόνο αργότερα. Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν το συγκρότημα να εμφανιστεί ζωντανά σε ένα ιδιωτικό πάρτι των Ρόλινγκ Στόουνς, στις 22 Απριλίου του 1982. Στις 17 Ιουλίου του 1982, ο Στιβ και η παρέα του γίνονται το πρώτο συγκρότημα που εμφανίζεται στο Montreux International Jazz Festival στην Ελβετία, χωρίς δισκογραφική δουλειά ή συμβόλαιο με οποιαδήποτε δισκογραφική εταιρία. Το πλήθος αποδοκιμάζει, ειρωνικά όμως, τo γκρουπ κερδίζει Grammy για την εκτέλεση του κομματιού Texas Flood σε αυτή την εμφάνιση. Σε αυτό το φεστιβάλ ο Στιβ γνώρισε τον David Bowie και τον Jackson Browne. Το Νοέμβριο του 1982, το συγκρότημα ηχογραφεί, αυτό που αργότερα θα κυκλοφορήσει με τον τίτλο «Texas Flood», ύστερα από πρόσκληση του Jackson Browne, ενώ ταυτόχρονα ο Στιβ συμμετέχει (ηχογραφεί την κιθάρα) κατόπιν παράκλησης του David Bowie στο άλμπουμ Let’s Dance, και συμφωνεί να συνοδεύσει τον Bowie στην παγκόσμια περιοδεία του. Αποφασίζει να εγκαταλείψει τελικά, κατά τη διάρκεια των ετοιμασιών, για να ασχοληθεί με το δικό του σχήμα.
Την άνοιξη του 1983, ο διάσημος παραγωγός John Hammond ακούει μια κασέτα από ζωντανή εμφάνιση του συγκροτήματος στο Montreux International Jazz Festival του 1982 και επιτυγχάνει τη συμφωνία μεταξύ του γκρουπ και της δισκογραφικής Epic Records. Στις 13 Ιουνίου του 1983 κυκλοφορεί το πρώτο άλμπουμ του Στιβ, με τίτλο Texas Flood. Το Μάιο του 1984 κυκλοφορεί το δεύτερο στούντιο άλμπουμ με τίτλο Couldn’t Stand The Weather παίρνοντας πολύ καλές κριτικές. Την ίδια χρονιά κερδίζει δύο W.C. Handy National Blues Awards, στις κατηγορίες Καλλιτέχνη της χρονιάς και Καλύτερου Μπλουζ Μουσικού της χρονιάς και το 1985 έρχεται η σειρά του Soul to Soul, με τη συμμετοχή ενός καινούργιου μέλους, του Reese Wynans στα πλήκτρα. Τον Ιούλιο του 1986, ηχογραφώντας μια σειρά εμφανίσεων στο ‘Οστιν και το Ντάλας, κυκλοφορεί το άλμπουμ Live Alive τον Νοέμβριο της επόμενης χρονιάς. Στις 30 Σεπτεμβρίου του 1985, κατά τη διάρκεια παγκόσμιας περιοδείας, ο Στιβ καταρρέει στο Ludwigshafen της Γερμανίας από παρατεταμένη χρήση ουσιών. Ο Στιβ δίνει δύο ακόμη συναυλίες, αλλά οι τελευταίες 13 εμφανίσεις της περιοδείας ακυρώνονται και ο Στιβ μπαίνει σε πρόγραμμα αποτοξίνωσης. Ο Στιβ μένει «καθαρός» από τις 13 Οκτωβρίου μέχρι τον πρόωρο θάνατό του το 1990. Στις 6 Ιουνίου του 1989, κυκλοφορεί, κατά πολλούς το καλύτερο άλμπουμ της καριέρας του, το In Step. Η αναγνώριση έρχεται άμεσα, με την απονομή βραβείου Grammy για τον καλύτερο σύγχρονο μπλουζ δίσκο. Ο Στιβ με την μπάντα του περιοδεύουν μαζί με τους Jeff Beck και Joe Cocker. Στις 30 Ιανουαρίου του 1990, ο Στιβ εμφανίζεται στην γνωστή τηλεοπτική εκπομπή του Mtv, Mtv Unplugged, όπου παρουσιάζει τις ακουστικές εκδόσεις των Pride And Joy, Testify και Rude Mood με μια 12-χορδη ακουστική κιθάρα. Την άνοιξη του ’90 ηχογραφεί με τον αδελφό του Τζίμι Βον τον δίσκο Family Style, που κυκλοφορεί στις 25 Σεπτεμβρίου της ίδιας χρονιάς. Στις 13 Αυγούστου όλα τα άλμπουμ του Στιβ, γίνονται «χρυσά» (500.000 πωλήσεις). Στις 26 Αυγούστου, στο Alpine Village του Γουισκόνσιν, η γνωστότερη συναυλία του Στιβ (“sold out” - 30.000 εισιτήρια), με συμμετοχές των Έρικ Κλάπτον, Μπάντι Γκάι, Τζίμι Βον και Ρόμπερτ Κρέι. Γυρνώντας από τη συναυλία στο Σικάγο, στις 27 Αυγούστου λίγο πριν τη 01:00 π.μ., το ελικόπτερο που μεταφέρει τον Στιβ πέφτει δευτερόλεπτα μετά την απογείωση, σκοτώνοντας τον ίδιο και άλλους τέσσερις επιβαίνοντες. Η έρευνα για την πτώση του ελικοπτέρου απέδωσε την ευθύνη σε λάθη του χειριστή. Στις 11 Μαΐου 1995, ο αδελφός του Τζίμι, μαζί με τους Double Trouble και την αφρόκρεμα της μπλουζ σκηνής (BB King, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Art Neville, and Bonnie Raitt), δίνουν μια συναυλία προς τιμήν του. Στις 22 Φεβρουαρίου του 2000, ο Στιβ εκλέγεται για να συμπεριληφθεί στο Blues Hall Of Fame όλων των εποχών, και γίνεται ένας από τους μόλις 79 καλλιτέχνες στην λίστα."

Δισκογραφία

• Texas Flood (1983)
• Couldn’t Stand The Weather (1984)
• Soul To Soul (1985)
• Live Alive (1986)
• In Step (1989)
• Family Style (1990)
• The Sky Is Crying (1991)
• In The Beginning (1992)
• Greatest Hits (1995)
• Live At Carnegie Hall (1997)
• The Real Deal: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1999)
• Blues At Sunrise (2000)
• SRV The Box Set (2000)
• Live At Montreux 1982 & 1985 (2001)
• The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan (2002)
• Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan (2003)
• Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: The Collection (2004)

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I always like to have quick, easy ingredients on-hand. That way, when unexpected but pleasant company arrives, hungry and tired, I can put a few things together that are satisfying to them, but gourmet enough for me.

I found some puff pastry sheets in my freezer stored next to some waiting-to-be-cooked excellent cut bacon, and had an entire case of eggs in my refrigerator below. Suddenly, inspiration struck. When the puff pastry was thawed (usually 30 minutes), I rolled it into a 15x8 rectangle and cut it into 9 even squares. After sauteeing the bacon, I scrambled the eggs with some chopped green, yellow, and red peppers until just before they were done (I add about 1 TB milk for every egg to make them fluffier). I will spare you the rest of the details here, as the bacon bites recipe explains each step. Let's just say the end creation was not only easy, but delicious.

 It's amazing what you can do with what you find in the freezer.

However much I love them, it wasn't enough to make me cook Sunday dinner. Not in this weather.

So, what do you do when you absolutely need to have a family meal, and you either can't or won't cook? You go to Monell's.

Imagine an idealized country grandmother's dining room. The table is long, the ladderback chairs are close together, and there is barely room for all the food. The only thing missing is someone standing over your shoulder convincing you to stuff in that third helping.  If your party isn't enough to fill a table, and it probably won't be, you will be joined with another group or two--just pretend they're second cousins some removes and ask them to pass the sweet tea.

There's a lot of passing at those tables.  Everything goes to the left first time around.  By the time seven or eight vegetables have gone by, you'll have gotten the hang of it.  The meats will be along in a minute or two.  And not only is there a huge amount of food--it is good. It is well-seasoned in the southern way, but not overly salted or greasy.  The fried chicken might not be as moist as it could be, but the flavor doesn't suffer.

Desert tends to be more of an afterthought, just in case you can actually eat something more.  In the past they have served things that might have come from restaurant supply.  This time, it was a bowl of something rather unappetising-looking that, when it passed by turned out to have the most delectable scent of strawberry shortcake.  Had to have just one taste.

Monell's is not a place for a quiet conversation over dinner.  The place can be downright noisy, and with the long tables, you can wind up some distance from the person you're trying to have a word with.  Still, it's fun.

My cousin's husband said it was the best meal out he had ever had.

La Famiglia on the SW corner of Jericho Tpke and Brooksite Dr in Smithtown is a family-style Italian restaurant. The simple exterior is matched by the sparsely decorated dining room with crisp, white linens and a faint smell of cleansers. They’re open daily for lunch and dinner and the casual atmosphere makes it a good place for a business lunch.

Jennifer ate:

Half-portion of Eggplant Parmesan ($10.95)

We were the first to be seated at noon on a Wednesday and were greeted promptly by a friendly face. The dining room is well laid out with plenty of room between tables and lots of natural light from the big windows. When we first arrived, the air smelled faintly of commercial detergent, rather than the warm, tomato sauce and garlic aroma you’d expect from an Italian restaurant. Warm Italian bread was served promptly, but ours was burnt.

The menu is brief and traditional with no surprises. They offer the standard variety of pastas, appetizers, meats and seafoods. I chose the eggplant Parmesan. The tomato sauce was a bit weak, but the eggplant was prepared very well! With the addition of a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, the overall effect was quite good and worth trying again. But even with a half-portion, the amount of food was enough for two meals and I got the second half to go.

The bottom line:
Eggplant Parmesan – pretty good, flavorful, well-prepared eggplant (not too greasy).
Overall rating: nothing fancy but a good place for a quick, friendly Italian meal that’s both family friendly and business-appropriate.

Chuck ate:

Rigatoni Alla Vodka ($15.95)

Good thing I was hungry! The meals here are served family style. For those of you unfamiliar with what that means, imagine a large Sunday dinner. Large portions of food is put down and the family passes dishes to one another filling their plates with a sampling of many different foods. Well, since Jen and I don't quite eat the same items, I had quite a bit left to warm up tomorrow for lunch. Which is a good thing, because I really enjoyed the meal :). The price was reasonable (family style portions are about 2x that of regular portions). The Vodka sauce was flavorful and plentiful, every Rigatoni was bathed nicely in this rich, tangy, meat filled sauce. Complimentary bread was served before the meal, but it arrived a bit well done and burned on the edges (my only gripe about the meal).

The service was very friendly and knowledgeable, taking the time to discuss the menu. The ambiance is quite spartan, just mirrors and white walls; although, they did do a nice job of hiding the main road. I'd like to see a more "Italian" feel to the interior to match the food, service and name. The seating was arranged well, with ample space between tables, allowing you to carry on a conversation without the threat of eavesdroppers.

The bottom line:
The Pasta– Very tasty and filling, Large Rigatonis and rich Vodka sauce
Bread – warm but too well done.
Overall rating: Good family-style eating. Would be a good place for a business lunch.

Jimmie Vaughan, whom I have met, made his name with the Blues-rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Although his musicianship is often overshadowed by that of his younger brother, he is a fine guitarist in his own right. True, he pales in camparison to little bro', but how fair is it to compare anyone to Stevie Ray Vaughan?

Stevie Ray Vaughan, with his band Double Trouble, or in his guest recording projects (most notably with David Bowie) was one of the pre-eminent electric blues-rock guitarists of our time. A former drug addict and alcoholic, Stevie beat his demons and emerged more popular and influential than ever. Double Trouble's 1989 record In Step won the 1990 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Family Style won Best Contemporary Blues Album in 1991.

Family Style is straight-ahead blues-rock with a bit of rockabilly and B&B thrown in for good measure. There's nothing particulary innovative or Earth-shattering here, but it's a good listen almost any time. I get the impression that these guys had a blast making this record - it has a fun feel to it. It makes me tap my my toe and brings a smile to my face every time I listen to it.

I view Family Style as a sort of a jam record - Just a couple of average brothers sitting around with their friends playing their favorite music. The difference? They were far from average. The guitar talent on this thing is just off the scale. Stevie, of course, shines but, in addition to Stevie and Jimmie,  Family Style features Preston Hubbard (ex T-birds) on bass and Nile Rodgers (ex Chic, David Bowie band) as an added guitarist and producer.

Click for a Preview on Real Music and Rhapsody.

Bottom line: go buy this if you don't own it.