Dinner at the Center of the Earth

For more than a decade, Prisoner Z has been housed off the books in a covert prison in the Negev Desert, his only company a lone guard. An American by birth, Z was formerly an Israeli Mossad operative who later betrayed his adopted country. He bides his time writing letters to The General, the man who sentenced him to his fate and the only one who can set him free. He is unaware that the General is in a comatose limbo, trapped by his memories, largely unresponsive to the outside world, and watched over by his trusted confidant Ruthi, who happens to be the guard’s mother.

Nathan Englander’s 2017 novel is an ambitious book, equal parts captivating and frustrating. It’s an existential character study that wears the trappings of a historical spy novel, engrossing in its complexity yet nearly undone by a contrived ending and by leaving too much off the page.

Dinner at the Center of the Earth alternates between several different times, places, and viewpoints. The “present-day” (actually, 2014) chapters reveal a codependent relationship between guard and prisoner (an odd, co-dependent friendship) and mother and son (the latter cannot fathom the former’s fanatical devotion). The “past” chapters take us to 2002 where Z falls for an Italian-Jewish waitress in Paris (to be named Shira in later chapters) as his espionage career unravels. Other past chapters focus on Farid, a Palestinian ex-pat living in Berlin whose life is upended when he meets a Canadian businessman. The quick movement from one perspective to another will alienate some readers, but for those who are willing to keep up, this structure sustains the story’s momentum by drawing the audience to a point where past and present converge.

Englander also takes care not to stereotype his characters. The General is Ariel Sharon in all but name, and the novel does not shy away from confronting the controversial legacy of his long and bloody military career. However, it also shows the affection he had for his family and the veneration he inspired in those such as Ruthi. Contrastingly, Farid is shown in a relatively sympathetic light, but the dark path that he takes is not excused let alone exalted.

In light of this character development, however, Z comes across as a weak protagonist both inside and outside of the story. Within, Shira continuously points out his deficiencies as a spy and his mother his inadequacies as a son. For us as readers, he comes across as a naïve fool too easily swayed to take up one cause and then another. Were Englander to show more of him working his way from A to B and B to C, he would be both more believable and worthier of taking up so much of the book’s focus.

Given the novel’s content and tone, the title seems completely out of place, as is the incident it refers to: a romantic rendezvous between Shira and a Palestinian mapmaker in a tunnel beneath disputed territory. Their relationship is supposed to serve as a counterpoint to Shira’s years-ago (but not forgotten) relationship with Z, but whereas the book’s other parallels seemed more organic, this one is clumsily forced, and the distracting build-up to it makes the latter quarter of the book something of a letdown.

In The Dinner at the Center of the Earth, Englander bites off more weighty concerns (questions of culpability, the efficacy of vengeance, etc.) than his trim 250-page-book can effectively chew. It's an admirable attempt but one that comes across as underdeveloped.

7.5/10

Scratch Handcrafted Donuts and Fried Chicken

Located at 1220 Battleground Avenue in Midtown Greensboro, Scratch Handcrafted Donuts and Fried Chicken offers its namesake items as well as breakfast and lunch sandwiches and coffee drinks. It is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and specialty donuts rotate regularly.

The brainchild of Buddalicious Food Truck owner Jimmy Chhay, Scratch is Greensboro’s first chicken-and-donut shop. Given that the city lost both Rise and DonuTime in recent months, its arrival is fortuitous. It also brings a breakfast option and a lower-priced lunch alternative to the Midtown stretch of Battleground. However, neither novelty nor proximity will keep a restaurant afloat in the long run. Fortunately, Scratch has several indicators that point to staying power.

For starters, the selection here is commendable. Regular donut flavors range from simple glazes to pb&j and maple bacon to fritters. Breakfast sandwiches come on your choice of a biscuit, a donut bun (unglazed), or a glazed donut. Chicken is available in dry or wet flavors that evoke Southern (BBQ or buttermilk ranch) and Asian (Siracha honey or Korean) influences.

For my first time out, I went with one of the specialty donuts (caramel macchiato) and a fried chicken, egg, and cheese sandwich on a donut bun. The execution wasn’t flawless, but there was more good than bad. The donut’s icing was deliciously sweet and delivered both of the expected flavors. The donut itself tasted fresh though it was not especially remarkable. The breakfast sandwich was substantially bigger than a McMuffin clone, and the donut bun, though odd at first, held everything in place nicely. The chicken was a thin cutlet, crisply breaded and surprisingly moist. The sandwich as a whole, however, was frustratingly dry, and the establishment should definitely consider offering sauces and/or spreads as add-ons.

Scratch’s pricing won’t leave you feeling gouged. The donuts are mostly either $1.25 or $1.75 (only apple fritters run more). Breakfast sandwiches start at $1.50 with one topping included and 50 cents for each additional topping ($2.00 if that topping is fried chicken). For the quality and quantity, those rates are tough to beat.

Though Scratch is minimally decorated – unadorned tables and bare brick walls – it isn’t an eyesore. Seating, for a donut shop, is more than adequate. The counter staff seemed a bit harried at times, but no one was rude, and food came out relatively quickly (a sign by the menu advises patrons to expect a fifteen-minute wait on fried chicken orders).

All told, Scratch is no Rise, and there is room for improvement, but there are definite high notes, and its concept is one that does more than just sound good on paper. For anyone with an eclectic donut itch, Scratch is worth a try.

8/10

Liberty Oak Restaurant & Bar

Located at 100 W. Washington Street in Downtown Greensboro, Liberty Oak offers upscale cuisine for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and a brunch menu on Saturdays. There is a full bar, food and drink specials rotate regularly, and patio seating is available. Reservations are recommended.

Liberty Oak is a venerable name within Greensboro’s dining scene, and it isn’t hard to figure out why. The restaurant goes back several decades, and its current location – the historic Vernon Building – is convenient to just everything downtown. Add to that the restaurant’s potentially revitalizing acquisition by chef Kristopher Reid, and all the ingredients are here for Liberty Oak to continue to thrive. Unfortunately, the actual dining experience falls short of realizing this potential.

First, the good: Liberty Oak has a fantastic menu. Apps include the ever-popular dynamite shrimp and a selection of ravioli that rotates daily while dinner offerings feature new interpretations of classics (i.e. buttermilk fried chicken with a tropical fruit and black bean salsa and a chipotle glaze) as well as several permutations of risotto. Options run the gamut from entrée-sized salads and vegetarian plates to 10-ounce strip steaks with two sides.

For the most part, the kitchen executes well. The salmon in my wife’s salad was grilled perfectly, and the accompanying citrus vinaigrette was bright and tangy. My seafood risotto carbonara was nicely plated and seasoned and featured sizeable shrimp as well as a welcome hint of sweetness from the corn. However, the risotto was al dente verging on undercooked and not as creamy as expected.

Liberty Oak recently received an interior remodel, and though the palette isn’t terribly exciting (lots of tans and beiges), this isn’t a bad-looking space (though my wife was convinced that it smelled like an old school). Staff are courteous and service is efficient if a bit distant.

When it comes to pricing, however, Liberty Oak’s reach definitely exceeds its grasp. Entrees run in the twenties, which puts Liberty Oak in Undercurrent/Print Works/Green Valley Grill territory. Unfortunately, compared to those establishments, Liberty Oak lacks the precision, creativity, and depth.

If a walkable downtown location is important and bang for your buck is not, then Liberty Oak offers a chance to enjoy a mostly satisfying meal in a historically significant venue and experience what was probably once the best restaurant in Greensboro. These days, however, there exist better options.

7.5/10

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Pursued through space by the nefarious First Order, the Resistance faces dwindling fuel and a leadership crisis. Former stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), mechanic Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), and droid BB8 travel to resort planet Canto Bright to recruit a master codebreaker who will allow the Resistance to disable the First Order’s tracking device. They are aided by ace pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), whom General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) recently reprimanded for his recklessness. Meanwhile, former scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) has journeyed to remote Ahch-To to recruit Jedi master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to the Resistance’s cause and learn more about her burgeoning Jedi abilities. Luke, however, wants nothing more than to be left alone as he is still stung by the defection of his nephew Ben Solo (Adam Driver) to the dark side. Now, as the First Order operative Kylo Ren, Ben uses his psychic link to Rey to try to win her allegiance while she does the same to secure his.

For all of George Lucas’s half-baked ideas and for all of the valuable contributions made by others (his ex-wife/editor Marcia, screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, and producer Gary Kurtz especially), Star Wars films have, for the most part, been a continuation of a story Lucas began telling forty years ago. Even 2015’s The Force Awakens, a Lucas-free affair helmed by J.J. Abrams – owed an obvious debt to 1977’s A New Hope. The eighth episode in the series sees not only a new writer/director (Rian Johnson, best known for Brick and Looper) but one who would dare take the franchise in a different direction. This, of course, raised the ire of longtime fans, for whom such deviations are heresy. Factor out such allegiances, however, and The Last Jedi is still a divisive film: beautifully shot and convincingly acted but poorly plotted and clumsy in its messaging.

At two-and-a-half hours, The Last Jedi is the longest Star Wars film to date, but it does not have the feel of a long movie. It’s a fluid film that maintains tension and excitement throughout. Spacecraft combat, chase sequences, and hand-to-hand fights make for lively viewing. From the creepy caves of Ahch-To to the blood red mineral deposits of the planet Crait, there are some striking visuals. Johnson complements this rich palette with a preference for practical effects and puppetry rather than conspicuous CGI. Were it not for a ridiculous shot of Leia using Force powers to twirl through space, this would easily be best-looking Star Wars film to date. John Williams’ music remains as fitting as ever.

While Johnson thrives as a director, his writing very nearly sinks this film. Not since Dawn of Justice has an otherwise credible big-budget affair been this badly plotted, and a large chunk of the problem boils down to misplaced priorities. The Finn/Rose sidequest to Canto Bright comes across as a waste of time when the codebreaker they retrieve (Benicio Del Toro in an underwritten role) proves not all that he cracked (pun intended) up to be. Instead, it not only pads the film but also plays as a flimsy pretext for tossing in broadsides against economic exploitation and animal cruelty. This is still more that can be said for the needless conflict between Poe and awkwardly introduced Resistance Vice Admiral Holdo (a purple-haired Laura Dern, who is given more to work with), a point of contention that could have easily been avoided had Holdo filled Poe in on her plan when he asked. Frustratingly, Johnson chose these threads as worthy of emphasis while deeming an explanation for the First Order’s sinister Supreme Leader Snoke (voiced by Andy Serkis) surplus to requirements.

Johnson also likely won few admirers by transforming Luke from a triumphant symbol of hope into a bitter and scared old man. However, this decision actually pays off: it adds an edge to Luke’s do-gooder character that was previously missing, and it gives Hamill a chance to do more actual acting. Though best known for his voicework these days, he proves up to the task. He’s in good company: with the exception of Del Toro (who, again, had very little to work with), most of the cast puts on a good showing. The late, much-missed Fisher gives one hell of a final performance as Leia, imbuing the ex-princess with both steely resolve and well-timed sarcasm. Isaac and Boyega continue to grow their characters as Poe learns some measure of restraint while Finn gains the willingness to lay his life on the line for a cause. The Rey-Kylo dynamic continues to fascinate, and both Ridley and Driver do a great job of projecting inner anguish.

Like its predecessors, The Last Jedi offers annoying kid-friendly critters. This time, they take the form of porgs, a type of big-eyed bird. The best that can be said is that the audience isn’t the only one suffering in their presence: they are a thorn in Chewie’s side throughout the film, something that is played for laughs. Speaking of humor, The Last Jedi consciously plays it up at times. It’s a great deal more conspicuous than the improvised Han Solo quips of yore. Sometimes, it works (Luke acknowledges that Rey’s home planet is pretty much nowhere); in other places, it feels forced.

At one point in The Last Jedi, Kylo comes to the conclusion that the only way for him and Rey to find a way forward is to destroy what remains of the past. At first glance, Johnson seems all too comfortable with that notion, but by the end, The Last Jedi has sewn hope for the future, both in story and out. It is unfortunate that getting there was such a contrived, if exhilarating, mess.

7.75/10

One Fish, Two Fish: A Poke Joint

Located at 370 East Main Street in Carrboro, One Fish, Two Fish offers poke bowls and other Hawaiian cuisine for lunch and dinner daily. Limited outdoor seating is available.

One Fish, Two Fish is the latest from Goose Hospitality, the group responsible for nearby The Shoppe Meatball Bar and Esperanza (formerly Calavera) Empanadas and Tequila. Though a bit more limited in some ways, One Fish, Two Fish is nevertheless another feather (pun semi-intended) in Goose’s cap.

Poke – seasoned raw fish cubes – is the star attraction here, and it is given the Chipotle treatment. You can choose from greens, noodles, and several kinds of rice as a base, from tuna, salmon, shrimp, chicken, pork, or eggplant as a scoop, and then add one of ten different sauces as well as toppings (too many to list) to your heart’s content. Of course, if this proves too daunting, you can also opt for a pre-set option (such as the Island Classic, the Spicy Tuna, or the Vegetarian Bowl) instead. Wonton chips, tuna nachos and tacos, Hawaiian shaved ices, tropical teas and sodas, and kombuchas round out the offerings. For those not into raw fish, there are still quite a few options.

During my first visit, I went with the Muliwai Bowl ($10.95): salmon, yuzu kosho sauce (apple-cilantro-mint), wasabi peas, cucumber, edamame, avocado, radish, onion, and masago on jasmine rice. They were out of salmon at the time (boo), so tuna served as its replacement. The fish was fresh (thankfully), the bowl was colorful, the accompanying wonton chips added a welcome crunch, and the flavors balanced nicely, delivering hints of spicy, salty, tangy, and sweet. That said, those flavors were definitely more subdued than anticipated. The bowl was hardly tasteless but it was not as bold as it should have been.

Fresh ingredients and a multitude of possibilities make One Fish, Two Fish well worth a repeat visit. It may take some trial-and-error to find the perfect combination of sauces and toppings, but this place’s potential merits continued experimentation.

8/10

Shogun Japanese Restaurant

Located at 2645 North Main Street in High Point, Shogun offers Japanese fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Lunch specials are available as is all-you-can-eat sushi. A semi-private room is available for large groups.

High Point is home to a surprising number of Japanese eateries, several of which begin with S (Shogun, Sake, Shinko Grill, etc.). Given this near-ubiquity, any one of them would have to be especially good or especially bad to stand out. Shogun is neither though it does offer decent food at reasonable prices.

Housed betwixt a T-Mobile and a Mario’s Pizza, Shogun is easy to miss from the outside. The inside does no more to command attention. It’s dated and dimly lit though clean and presentable, and sushi bar seating exists as an option if tables fill up.

Shogun’s menu rounds up the usual suspects: miso, gyoza, tempura, yakisoba, udon, hibachi dishes, and sushi (sashimi, nigiri, and a decent assortment of rolls). If you are in search of novelty fusion, you have come to the wrong place.

My wife and I opted for a char-grilled steak and a house udon (vegetables, shrimp, scallions, and chicken) respectively. The steak was marinated in a pineapple-ginger-soy combination that lent plenty of flavor, was cooked to order, and came with an appealing assortment of vegetables. The udon was comfortingly hot on a cold day though the broth was very mild and the dish was light on shrimp.

Pricing left no room for complaint: both dishes were $9.95 and provided a lot of food for the money. The proprietress was very nice though not particularly easy to understand.

Shogun isn’t somewhere one should go out of the way to visit, but for those in the area, it’s a worthy lunch option.

7.5/10

The Punisher

In the course of waging a war on the criminals responsible for killing his family, Force Recon Marine veteran Frank “The Punisher” Castle (Jon Bernthal) stumbles across a criminal conspiracy involving drug trafficking and extrajudicial military killings overseen by high-ranking CIA operative William Rawlins (Paul Schulze). Frank is aided by David “Micro” Leiberman (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), a presumed-dead former NSA analyst-turned-whistleblower and ex-Navy corpsman Curtis Hoyle (Jason R. Moore), who runs a support group for veterans. Another friend from the service, Billy Russo (Ben Barnes), has founded a private military firm whose operations are threatened by Frank’s quest for vengeance. Meanwhile, DHS agent Dinah Madani (Amber Rose Revah) is running her own investigation that puts her on a collision course with both Frank and the conspirators alike.

Since debuting in the 1970s, the Punisher has been a divisive character not only among comic book fans but among comic book writers. Some treat him as a fundamentally decent family man who was pushed by tragedy to resort to extreme methods; others portray him as a brutal psychopath who happens to be pitted against even worse people. Despite this controversy, Bernthal won much-deserved acclaim for his depiction on season 2 of Daredevil, and so a solo Nextflix series seemed like as much as a safe bet as could be made for such a violent character. While this show has a far narrower appeal than that of Luke Cage or Jessica Jones, it is far from mindless sadism. Tough yet topical, The Punisher serves up character depth and moral dilemmas with its expected gore.

Because Castle has never been one to stray from using lethal force, developing lasting plotlines and recurring characters has not been easy despite The Punisher’s longevity. However, rather than go the all-original route (a la the little-loved 1989 Dolph Lundgren movie), showrunner Steve Lightfoot borrowed when he could, pulling in characters from the comics’ regular continuity and adults-only MAX imprint. He also wisely gave the setting an update: Castle was originally a Vietnam veteran; here, he and other former servicemen are haunted by what they saw and did in Afghanistan. Add surveillance state concern, gun control advocacy and opposition, and the media’s glorification of violence to the show’s thematic mix, and suddenly we’re in quite a bit deeper than “Frank shoots bad guys.”

But of course, Frank still shoots plenty of bad guys. Bernthal humanizes Castle by showing him to be more than just a killing machine. He is, at varying times, a grieving husband and father with a massive guilt complex, a snide and sarcastic New Yorker, and a helpful and protective presence in the lives of Micro’s family (albeit for less than altruistic reasons). Once he picks up a gun (or a knife or a hammer), however, he becomes a growling mass of deadly rage.

It helps that he has some strong personalities (and strong performances) to play off of. Schultz plays Rawlins as a self-serving sadist, a man with no qualms about framing the murder and torture that he orchestrates as being in the national interest. Russo is a more complicated case. In the comics, he was a hot-tempered Mafia thug whom Frank disfigured and made an archenemy out of. Here, he comes across as more calculating and not without honor though still a ruthless operator. As Madani, Revah more than holds her own. She plays the agent as resourceful, tough, determined and fair, and her Persian-American identity is never exploited for cheap filibustering. On the other hand, Moss-Bachrach’s portrayal of Leiberman strikes an odd note. In the comics, Microchip was a scheming fat bastard whose partnership with Frank was of the love-hate variety. Here, as an Edward Snowden stand-in with a familial concern that parallels Frank’s, he is a lot more sympathetic though arguably not as interesting.

As with other Marvel Netflix shows, The Punisher is a slow build at times. The extent of the conspiracy doesn’t become apparent until several episodes in, and a side story involving a disturbed young vet in Curtis’s support group comes to dominate some of the run time. That said, the last few episodes are as tense as peak Daredevil, and there are high emotional beats (the presumed-dead Micro seeks a reunion with his family, Madani copes with loss and betrayal, etc.) to match the shootouts and fisticuffs. True to form for Marvel Netflix properties, there are also unpleasant post-combat medical scenes though this time Rosario Dawson’s nurse character is nowhere to be found.

The Punisher requires a strong stomach, but beneath the agro surface gloss is a character-driven show that offers a grim yet vital look at a war-affected violence-inundated society that rightfully distrusts its corrupt authorities. Sound familiar?

8/10

Peru's Chicken

Located at 3050 Valley Avenue in Winchester, Virginia, Peru’s Chicken offers South American fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Family-sized chicken meals are available, and free delivery is available for orders over $20.

Winchester is a regular lunch stop on journeys back to Greensboro from New Jersey, and we are always looking for new places in the area to try. Well-regarded and specializing in a cuisine we can’t find at home, Peru’s seemed like a good bet. In some regards, it was.

Situated in the back of a plaza, Peru’s is easy to miss, but the craving-inducing smell of cooking chicken will let you know you’re in range. Peru’s is small and spare though more colorfully appointed than many hole-in-the-wall joints. It’s a counter service establishment, and though the staff were not overtly rude, they definitely did not seem thrilled to be there.

Peru’s menu features various permutations of chicken (white meat and dark meat platters, sandwiches, burritos, etc.) as well as a nice assortment of sides (yuca, plantains, rice, and beans in addition to the requisite fries). My wife and I went with chips and guac, a side of plantains, a burrito, and a mixed bowl, and a horchata. The $3.25 chips and guac were an absolute joke: a small portion of guac, a very thin salsa, and chips that seem like they came from a warehouse store. Avoid. Thankfully, everything else proved to be much tastier and made with greater care. The plantains were maduros (sweet fried), and a good rendition thereof, the horchata was refreshing and not cloyingly sweet, and the salsa that accompanied the chicken was a coarse homemade variety, fresh-tasting and vastly superior to what accompanied the chips. The chicken was the real star though: juicy, flavorful, and filling. It is also quite affordable: the mixed bowl (pulled chicken, salsa, and rice) and the burrito (pulled chicken, rice, beans, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream) were both approximately $7, and a large horchata was only $3.

Peru’s may have a few rough edges, but if you stick to the chicken, you will leave here satisfied.

7.75/10

Skylark Diner & Lounge

Located at 17 Wooding Avenue off of Route 1 in Edison, Skylark Diner offers globally inspired diner fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. Food specials change daily, and online ordering is available.

Skylark is in some ways the embodiment of the New Jersey diner experience and in other ways a subversion of it. The veritable army of bustling blue-clad servers and the large menu are hallmarks of Garden State eateries of this sort, but the elevated cuisine and elevated prices set Skylark apart. There exist both better and worse (and certainly cheaper) diners aplenty, but Skylark’s international focus sets it apart.

Like many Jersey diners, the exterior and parts of the décor seem like they haven’t changed since JFK roamed the White House. But Skylark plays retro-futuristic to its competitors’ retro, sporting a look that would be right at home in The Jetsons. Seating is plentiful, which is a plus given that this place gets quite busy.

Despite the eatery’s reputation, Skylark does offer a number of diner staples. You can still get a cheeseburger, a Greek salad, an omelet, and a BLT here. However, it just so happens that you can also get tuna tostadas, lobster mac and cheese, a salmon kale-quinoa salad, a bulgogi pork chop, and Guinness-braised short ribs as well. While this may seem like a lot of posturing – and while Skylark isn’t going to beat out steakhouses and good Asian joints – the concept wouldn’t have worked for as long as it has if the kitchen didn’t have a clue.

Among these myriad options, our group settled on a baked spinach, artichoke, and cheese dip, an Argentine baguette (sirloin, onions, and lettuce with a chimichurri sauce), and a Basque breakfast sandwich (chorizo, egg, manchego, and piperade on ciabatta). The food was a bit uneven. In the plus column, the dip was warm and satisfying, the meats were not overdone, and both sandwiches were bursting with flavor – the chimichurri sauce was a very nice touch. In the minus column, the Basque sandwich was a bit dry, a side of Mediterranean chickpea salad was disappointingly bland, and a side of fruit salad included some questionable-looking grapes (which, to Skylark’s credit, were replaced).

Skylark sports elevated prices to match its elevated cuisine, but even then, it isn’t exactly thievery. Our dip ran $9 and the sandwiches (with one side apiece) were $11and $9 respectively. Servers are polite and professional though they seemed hard-pressed to keep up with the restaurant’s busyness at times, and the wait for food reflected that volume.

Not Your Ordinary Diner is Skylark’s motto, and it fits. The ambitious menu outclasses other diners by far and the food delivers on flavor. However, uneven execution and immodest pricing keep Skylark from soaring high.

7.5/10