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MoviePalaver: Oscar Ruminations 2012

 

 

A few last-minute thoughts about the best picture nominees.  As you can tell, I wasn't wild about this crop.  And expanding the list beyond five movies is terrible.  Why didn't they ask me?

• The Artist:  Thought I'd see it and think "brahvo."  Instead I found it delightful.  Just a plain old-fashioned enjoyable movie, with two charismatic stars.
• The Descendants:  Good movie, and I do love George, but I just didn't really care about anyone.
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close:  Didn't see it.  The critics led me to believe it was terrible. Were they wrong?
• The Help:  Didn't see it.  Didn't read the book. I am out of it.
• Hugo:  Didn't see it.  Thought it was a kid's movie.  Is it?
• Midnight in Paris:  Didn't see it.  Looked annoying.  Was it?
• Moneyball:  Saw it. If it hadn't been nominated I'd have forgotten I saw it months ago.
• The Tree of Life:  Mesmerizing!  Comprehensibility is overrated.
• War Horse:  Didn't see it.  Did anyone?

Given my lack of enthusiasm for most of the best picture nominees, a few thoughts about other movies that received nominations (or not):

• Bridesmaids:  Really enjoyed this movie, as I've said before, and it would be fun if it won for best screenplay (Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo) or best supporting actress (Melissa McCarthy), but what are the chances?
• A Separation:  This Iranian movie about a legal battle between a man whose wife has just left him and the caretaker he hired to watch his father, who has Alzheimer's, is up for best foreign language movie and best original screenplay.  It was excellent, though difficult to watch.  I'll assume it will win best foreign language film since it's the only one I saw.
• Win Win:  This movie was nominated for no Oscars, as far as I can tell.  I'd have nominated Tom McCarthy for best screenplay.  I like everything he does (except his bad behavior on "The Wire").  But nobody asks me.
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:  I liked the Swedish version, but liked the American one even better.  I wish there were awards for best title sequence.

 

RestaurantPalaver: District Kitchen in Woodley Park

Off the top of my head I count more than 20 restaurants within two blocks of my Woodley Park home, but I could count on one hand the number where I want to eat.  Conventional wisdom has it that because the two large hotels in the neighborhood send a steady supply of one-time-only diners to restaurants here, the restaurants needn't be good to survive.  So I'm happy Drew Trautmann and Jawaad Saadaoui decided to open their newest restaurant, District Kitchen, here.  The team counts Sonoma on Capitol Hill and the former Mendocino Grille in Georgetown among their credits, so I'm sure I wasn't the only neighbor pressing my nose against the window waiting for them to open.  The menu is largely upscale down-home food, including such items as house-made jerky, deviled country ham (it tastes like a borgasmord!), and a riff on Cincinnati-style chili with fusilli and lamb ragu.  The menu changes frequently.  I had a fluke dish right after the restaurant opened that included several thin pieces of seared fish stacked on top of each other and served with greens dressed with an Asian-style vinaigrette and gingered squash puree.  When I returned a couple of weeks ago the fluke was gone, but scallops were served with the same sides.  I opted instead for the Amish chicken "a la king" -- white and dark meat chicken cooked in a cream sauce with carrots and beech mushrooms served over grilled bread that got soggy with the sauce.  This was hearty and comforting, not least because it reminded me both of my mother's chicken a la king, and of when she would serve leftover pot roast on toast with gravy, and I'd skip the pot roast entirely.

After my first meal we had the chocolate pot du creme with salted caramel whipped cream, which was delicious, though even better was the chocolate shortbread alongside it.  Last time I was dying to try the German chocolate cake with coconut and pecan frosting and espresso Irish cream, but that chicken a la king didn't leave me room.   Next time I'll have to go easy on the main course to try the chocolate cream cheese parfait with pecan crust and chocolate sprinkles.  Chocolate sprinkles!  It's as if they've been reading my diary.

Tom Sietsema is giving District Kitchen 2 stars in a review this Sunday.  Here's my favorite line (in case you thought I was exaggerating above):  "The light mood is surely also the result of grateful neighbors, relieved to get an alternative to all the middling menus between Dupont Circle and Cleveland Park."

District Kitchen
2606 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 238-9408

Reservations at opentable.com.

photo from http://www.districtkitchen.com