Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant

Located at 2463 South State Street in Dover, Delaware, Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant specializes in seafood. It is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. There is a full bar with a cocktail menu, and food and drink specials rotate regularly.

Seafood restaurants (of the non-fried variety) have a thin margin for error, so the fact that Cool Springs has lasted nearly twenty years says something in and of itself. While no one will accuse this place of being trendy – or cheap – the food is plentiful and generally well-executed.

A bland white building in a plaza, Cool Springs doesn’t exactly command attention from the road. The inside is quite a bit nicer though: clean, well-lit, and with just enough personality to stave off boredom.

The menu here is a bit of a throwback with crab imperial, flounder Meuniere, crab cakes, steaks, and chops among the offerings. There is something to be said for comfort in familiarity though, and the specials change often enough to ward off ennui. Our group of four split a fried calamari starter, two of us opted for the shellfish pan roast (shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and a lobster tail with lemon thyme cream sauce) over linguine, and the other two went with a stuffed salmon and a fried flounder (both on special), respectively.

The food did not disappoint. The calamari were crisp and golden brown and lacked both greasiness and chewiness. They were a bit bland, but a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of the accompanying sauce took care of that. The entrees came with a nice assortment of mixed vegetables, and they did not lack in flavor. Neither, for that matter, did the pan roast’s sauce, which the linguine soaked up well. The ratio of seafood-to-carb was favorable, and while the lobster and shrimp were enjoyable, the scallops were a clear standout. One of the clams was not cleaned properly (not cool, Cool Springs), but that was the only hitch in an otherwise quality meal. Should you save room for dessert, the bread pudding and its decadent sauce are winners as well.

Though Cool Springs provides a good amount of food for the money, it is no bargain, even by seafood standards. The pan roast was $25, and most of the entrees are in the $20s. Cathy, our server for the evening, was experienced and personable, and wait times for food seemed about normal.

Cool Springs occupies the unenviable position of being too costly for a regular haunt yet not quite refined enough for an occasion destination. Despite this, it offers tasty seafood and even better desserts for those who are willing to spend.

8/10

New River Taphouse

Located at 1716 Pleasure House Road in Virginia Beach, New River Taphouse serves American fare for lunch and dinner. There is a full bar with a cocktail menu, and food and drink specials change regularly. Patio seating is available, and there is occasional live music.

Whilst traveling, my wife and I stumbled into New River Taphouse after our intended lunch stop turned out to be closed during lunch hours. Intentional or not, New River proved to be a fortuitous find as food and service both exceeded expectations.

New River shares its shopping center lot with several other businesses, so parking can be a bit of an adventure. Should you luck into a convenient space, a handsomely appointed space awaits. The wood-and-brick interior is clean, crisp, and well-suited to the restaurant’s concept, as is the menu. New River’s take on the dressed-up pub is hardly novel, but unlike many a failed venture, there is variation without excess. Apps include nachos and wings and various fried things, there are four different kinds of mac and cheese, pizzas and burgers and sandwiches make use of stout braised pork, IPA candied bacon, and challah buns, and for those in the market for something more substantial, a ribeye and filet mignon two ways are up for grabs.

Of these offerings, my wife and I were drawn to the cherry bomb, fish tacos, and crab cake sandwich. The cherry bomb consisted of cherry peppers stuffed with prosciutto and cream cheese, breaded, flash fried, and served with a fire roasted red pepper sauce. It was the perfect combination of spicy, tangy, crispy, and sweet. The fish tacos tasted fresh, and the accompanying mango salsa delivered bright citrus flavors. The crab cake was a respectable size, and the loose patty indicates that New River did not cut corners on the crab-to-bread ratio. Only the bland slaw (should have gone with fries) was a disappointment.

The bill for this meal proved surprisingly affordable. Our app ran $8, and the tacos and crab cake sandwich were $11 apiece, side included. Even the priciest item on the menu – a 12-ounce ribeye with mashed potato and vegetable – goes for a mere $22.

New River is also both well-staffed and well-managed. Servers are friendly and attentive, and there were enough of them to cover the restaurant’s volume of patrons. Food arrived promptly and at the proper temperature.

American pub fare sometimes gets a (sometimes deserved) bad reputation, but New River Taphouse shows that it can be done well, without pretense or gimmickry, at a reasonable price.

8/10

Justice League

Thousands of years ago, Steppenwolf (voiced by Cirian Hinds) led an army of Parademons from the planet Apokalips in a failed effort to conquer Earth. He was thwarted by the combined forces of humans, Atlanteans, Amazons, Greek Gods, and Green Lanterns. His three Mother Boxes – sources of immense power – were distributed among the humans, Amazons, and Atlanteans for safe keeping. Following the death of Superman (Henry Cavill), Steppenwolf senses and opportunity and returns to Earth to reclaim the Mother Boxes and finish what he started. To stop him, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) recruit a team of empowered individuals, including Atlantean heir Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa), speedster Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller), and technopath Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher). Though brought together by a common threat, the would-be heroes agree on little, including whether or not to use the Mother Boxes to their own advantage.

DC Comics may have a decades-long history of iconic characters, but recent attempts to translate that mythology to the screen have largely been met with disappointment. Poor pacing, inane plotting, and an overly grim tone have been the prime culprits though the well-deserved success of Wonder Woman gave hopes that a reversal of fortune is possible. Sadly, Justice League does not rise to that film’s level, yet it also does not commit the worst sins of its predecessors. It’s an uneven movie, praiseworthy in some regards, cringeworthy in others. However, given both the anticipation and the gargantuan budget, it is hard to see “adequate” as anything other than disappointing.

In fairness, Justice League suffered from quite the troubled production. Director Zack Snyder had to step down during post-production to grieve for the loss of his daughter, leaving Joss Whedon (who helmed cross-company equivalent The Avengers) to fill in. Between being ousted as director of a solo Batman film and facing allegations of sexual harassment, the already-polarizing Affleck attracted even further controversy. And everything from re-shoots to composer changes (Danny Elfman subbing in for Junkie XL) to digitally removing Cavill’s moustache nearly sank the film before it even opened.

Despite the burden of these negative expectations, Justice League manages to get quite a few things right, starting with several of the performances. Gadot remains the perfect Wonder Woman, an uber-capable demigoddess and world-toughened idealist who hasn’t lost her heart. Meanwhile, Affleck’s Batman seems to have regained some of his as he is considerably less brutal in this outing though, true to most modern interpretations of the character, is still driven to a disturbing degree. Fisher, a relative unknown, deftly plays Cyborg as both philosophical and bitter regarding the erosion of his humanity. Amy Adams isn’t given much screen time as Lois Lane and she deserves more characterization than merely “Superman’s girlfriend,” but she is credible as a journalist who has lost her nerve. And though his role in the film is even smaller, J.K. Simmons at least has the look and demeanor down for Batman ally Commissioner Jim Gordon.

Justice League also feels like a less excessive and more measured film than several of its predecessors. Batman v. Superman was a drawn-out affair with a now-clichéd city-destroying CGI-soaked final battle; Justice League eschews that in favor of brisker pacing and less taxing fight sequences. Yes, the film overuses slow-down effects (as did Wonder Woman), and certain things still look ridiculous (underwater battles, The Flash’s running, etc.), but the overall execution is tighter and less bombastic, and the film balances its urgency and what-have-we-done introspection with humor and at least some semblance of fun. Elfman’s score also makes good use of each hero’s motifs (including his own famous Batman score) in key places rather than trying to ape Hans Zimmer’s work.

For all of these bright spots, however, there are blemishes aplenty. Though Miller supplies some much-needed levity, his version of The Flash – an empowered young science nerd awed by the chance to join a superhero team – seems cribbed from Tom Holland’s winning take on Spider-Man. Miller’s cinematic Flash also does not compare favorably to Grant Gustin’s more rounded television counterpart. Thanks to 1970s cartoon corniness, Aquaman has existed in public imagination as a joke hero who talks to fish. Justice League actively engages (by having characters as if this is one of Arthur’s abilities) and deconstructs (by casting the muscular Momoa) this image. And yet, the veneer of leave-me-alone surliness is rather short-lived, giving way to a combat-happy sea bro, a still-goofy, if more imposing take on the character. While Hinds does a fine job with Steppenwolf’s voicework, the character is underwritten and not particularly interesting. He exists because the League needs a unifying threat to face, and the filmmakers (wisely) did not want to squander Darkseid right away in such a role.

A similarly lackadaisical approach can be found amid the film’s plotting. The stated reason for Steppenwolf’s return (Superman’s death has left the planet vulnerable) leads viewers to wonder what the would-be conqueror was doing when Kal was still an infant on Krypton. Speaking of Superman, his resurrection functions as the epitome of a non-surprise, easily predicted and only delayed to the extent that it was to prevent the film’s conflict from being resolved too easily. As a director, Snyder has a refined (if somewhat divisive) visual style; as a writer, he and collaborator Chris Terrio should leave the task to more capable hands.

Given these faults, it would be easy to write Justice League off as another cynical cash grab. After all, despite the huge budget, there is merchandising potential aplenty, the team-coming-together narrative leaves the door open for character crossovers in future DC films, and a post-credits scene foreshadows the next movie in DC’s shared universe. And yet, if that was all that Justice League was designed to do, it does more than it needs to. Some credible performances and a long-missing sense of restraint aren’t enough to wipe away the specter of failure but they do at least suggest that the higher-ups at Warner Bros. can learn from at least a few of their mistakes.

7.5/10

Mark's

Located at 616 Dolley Madison Road in Greensboro, Mark’s offers upscale drinks and dining using local ingredients. It is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, dinner only on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. There is a full bar with a cocktail menu, and private dining is available.

Situated in a converted house across the street from the Quaker Village shopping center, Mark’s is easily overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. Owner/chef Mark Freedman claims 40 years of experience, and it shows in what comes out of the kitchen.

Though a small space, Mark’s is handsomely appointed. Vibrant art adorns the dining room walls, and there’s a homey yet elegant feel. This would make for an enjoyably cozy environment were it not for the room’s acoustics. Conversations at nearby tables tend to sound louder than they are.

Mark’s menu offers a variety of apps, salads, small plates, and entrees with enough potential to render decisions difficult. My wife, who had a fried chicken craving, was freed from this dilemma, but I was torn between salmon with black butter, duck confit, or shrimp with lobster ravioli before finally settling on the latter. Good food takes time, so we knew we would be in for a bit of a wait. Thankfully, fresh bread and olive oil kept hunger at bay.

When they finally did arrive, both dishes were nicely plated, and they tasted even better than they looked. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, the lobster and mascarpone ravioli were addictively good, and the tomato cream sauce was rich and complex. The fried chicken was not only moist but more flavorful (some kind of pan sauce?) than most renditions of the bird. It paired well with boursin mac (shells) and cheese and mixed vegetables. Execution was spot-on across the board.

Mark’s servers are polite and attentive, and they seem dedicated to making sure that you are having a good meal. Mark himself will also make the rounds, which was a nice touch.

As to be expected, the food here isn’t cheap, but it is in-line with other Greensboro establishments of this caliber. The fried chicken came out to $18 while the shrimp and lobster ravioli were $26. While the former was a respectably sized portion, the latter ran rather small.

Mark’s may not be the first name that comes to mind for a celebratory meal, and it's definitely a small-scale operation, but on taste alone, it belongs in the conversation.

8/10

Thor: Ragnarok

Haunted by visions of Asgard in ruins, Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) search for answers brings him into a series of confrontations with the fire demon Surtur (voiced by Clancy Brown), his treacherous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and, finally, Hela, the goddess of death (Cate Blanchett). Exiled to the remote planet Sakaar, Thor is captured by a former Asgardian Valkyrie-turned-bounty hunter (Tessa Thompson) and made to compete as a gladiator at the behest of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), the planet’s despotic ruler. It is here that Thor hatches a plan to retake Asgard from Hela, provided that he can survive.

There has been a strange dichotomy within Marvel Studios during the past few years. The Captain America and Avengers franchises, while still full of dazzling superhero battles, have embraced topicality and pseudo-realism, playing heavily with the idea that comic book characters would be responsible for untold havoc if unleashed on our world. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant Man have forsaken both the sermonizing and the dramatic heft to deliver irreverent, wacky fun. Amid this landscape, the Thor films have always been an odd fit. Between Hopkins and directors Kenneth Branagh and Alan Taylor, they had the pedigree needed for the former approach yet the aesthetics have always been rooted in the latter. The results have been mixed: exciting to a degree yet thoroughly unremarkable. But with Ragnarok, the third film in the franchise, a Thor movie finally has a chance to be something more than an also-ran.

Ragnarok breaks sharply with its predecessors in several areas. New director Taika Waititi is best known for quirky comedies, and he brings such a sensibility to this film. Between that and the cast’s newfound leeway for adlibbing, Ragnarok is not only funnier but more of a free-flowing, less predictable affair. The film also does away with Thor’s earthbound supporting cast, reduces his Asgardian allies the Warriors Three to a brief cameo, and plays to returning characters’ strengths by not overusing them. Hiddleston’s Loki is allowed to do what he does best – connive – without it becoming tiresome since he is in no position to take over as the film’s main villain. Hopkins’ Odin, hammy and bombastic in his first outing, is allowed to show a more contemplative side, which gives the film a bit of otherwise missing pathos.

Blanchett more than capably takes on that theatricality, playing Hela as a cross between a corrupted Galadriel (her elven Lord of the Rings role) and an evil Disney queen. It’s a testament to her excellence that Blanchett can out-ham Hopkins, don a ridiculous headdress, and still come across as more menacing and memorable than many a recent Marvel foe. However, she is not the only newcomer to make a mark. Thompson’s Valkyrie, a hard-drinking cynic, may be a departure from the source material, but this interpretation allows for the character to have an arc. Goldblum’s Grandmaster is a sadistic, smarmy, yet oddly genial cosmic MC while director Waititi gives voice to Korg, a perpetually chipper rock monster competing as a gladiator.

While adding to the supporting cast (spoiler alert: Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk) takes some of the pressure off of Hemsworth, he still handles both the changes and the demands of the role with assurance, delivering equal parts charisma, overconfidence, petulance, bravery, and rage. This film gives him a new look – say goodbye to the long hair and hammer – which helps keep the character fresh. However, the film treats as revelatory the idea that he has not been using his powers to the fullest extent, something the audience largely took for granted.

As with previous Thor movies, Ragnarok is visually unrestrained, and magic and monsters make their way into several of the action sequences. What sets Ragnarok apart, however, is the musical accompaniment. Mark Mothersbaugh’s spacy, synth-driven score is surprisingly inspired, and the film also makes very appropriate use of Led Zeppelin’s Viking-themed “Immigrant Song.”

Though an otherwise refreshing film, when Ragnarok disappoints, it disappoints in very conventional ways. As with Suicide Squad, the film has its green-clad villainess spend entirely too long massing her forces in order to give the heroes something to do in the meantime. And while giving the Hulk more dialogue (in classic Hulkspeak, no less) and screen time allows for more characterization, it also demystifies the character quite a bit. Here, he’s less singularly terrifying threat and more super-strong childish jock.

Still, for the third film in a franchise that has sometimes felt like an afterthought, Thor: Ragnarok is a surprising – and welcome – improvement. Funny, fluid, and fast-paced, it stands firmly on its own two feet while also moving us one step closer to the next Avengers film.

8.25/10