2020: The Year in Reviews

 

The things that made 2020 long and difficult need no repetition, but even amid grim circumstances, there were a few bright spots. Here are the few “bests” of a down year.

 

Best New Book (Fiction)

Missionaries: Phil Klay’s ambitious, multifaceted debut novel explores a political powder keg in Colombia and the lives affected by it.

 

Honorable mention: If It Bleeds: Stephen King’s latest novella collection is a mostly winning blend of new and old.

 

Best New Book (Nonfiction)

Memorial Drive: Natasha Trethewey’s heartbreaking ode to her murdered mother makes for a captivating memoir.

 

Honorable mention: Dragon Hoops: Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel memoir takes on identity and ambition amid a high school basketball season.

 

Best New Movie

No selection. COVID resulted in multiple release dates being pushed back, and I haven’t seen enough 2020 films to make an honest selection.

 

Noteworthy mentions: The Trial of the Chicago Seven is a well-crafted prestige court drama/biopic that is right in Aaron Sorkin’s wheelhouse, but it’s also painfully predictable. Spike Lee shows more ambition with the Vietnam War reunion caper Da 5 Bloods, but it’s frustratingly uneven. Sound of Metal features a powerhouse lead performance and innovative sound design to mimic hearing loss, but it’s underdeveloped and slow.

 

Best New Restaurant

The Nomad: Tasty small plates with creative fusion flair come to Hillsborough.

 

Honorable mention: Tipsy’z Tacos. This taco-centric spinoff of a beloved High Point burger spot packs a varied menu.

 

Best New Series

Returning favorite The Mandalorian outclasses any new offerings, but for the sake of branching out, Upload gets a nod. An Amazon original from Parks and Recreation co-creator Greg Daniels, it offers virtual afterlife hijinks with a satirical bite. 

 

Best New Video Game

I have not finished playing through Ghost of Tsushima, which is a graphical marvel and thus far engrossing. Top honors among games completed go to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, a fun change-of-pace entry in a long-running action series.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

 

Discarded after birth and raised in a brothel, Ichiban Kasuga is taken under the wing of feared-but-honorable Tokyo midlevel yakuza boss Masumi Arakawa. In early 2001, Kasuga takes the fall for a crime committed by a member of the family and spends the next eighteen years in prison. But instead of a hero’s welcome upon release, he is betrayed and abandoned. Left in Yokohama’s Isezaki Ijincho district, Kasuga is determined to find out what happened and why. He’s aided by several others who have similarly fallen on hard times: Adachi, a former police detective, Nanba, a disgraced nurse living among the homeless, and Saeko, a barmaid whose boss is murdered. Their investigation draws them into intrigue involving Ijincho’s ruling underworld triumvirate (a tenuous Korean-Chinese-local yakuza alliance), Kasuga’s former yakuza clan, moral crusader activists Bleach Japan, and the latter group’s founder, ambitious Tokyo governor Ryo Aoki.

 

Sega’s long-running Yakuza series gets a shot in the arm thanks to a radical change in direction. Unlike previous series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu (an intimidating yet principled yakuza with a legendary reputation), Kasuga is a quirky exuberant optimist who models himself off a Dragon Quest hero and is regarded by most (at first) as a nobody. Like a Dragon also swaps the game’s real-time fighting for a turn-based RPG approach. Though this decision understandably proved controversial among longtime fans, the new combat system adds depth and complexity to the gameplay, compelling players to choose between attacking or guarding, conserving MP (magic points) or unleashing a special ability. Characters can even gain different abilities and stat increases/decreases by changing jobs, which function as classes in classic RPG parlance.

 

Despite changes to the formula, Like a Dragon is still very much a Yakuza game, both in terms of the themes (father-son relationships, the plight of the homeless, the cost of ambition) it explores and the world it depicts. Like previous entries, you can wander around different Japanese cities, be accosted by random thugs, find collectible items, shop in stores to gain valuables, eat in restaurants to replenish health, and play a variety of minigames. One such minigame, business management, is a spiritual successor to Yakuza 0’s real estate game, right down to being able to employ a chicken.

 

Yakuza games have always blended the dramatic and the comedic, but the main storyline tended to embrace the former while the latter could be found mainly in the stranger-assisting substories. Like a Dragon embraces stronger expressions of both and eliminates the barrier between the two. Even within the main storyline, you can fight enemies who try to club you with giant hunks of meat, and you can summon a poison-generating crawfish to your aid. For all this silliness, the game’s heavily melodramatic ending can feel like emotional whiplash.

 

Whether delivering Seinfeldian party banter or screaming in anguish, Like a Dragon’s voice cast does stellar work. The original Yakuza featured big-name talent but dubbing so poor that it caused Sega to swear off English voice tracks in Yakuza games for more than a decade. Here, Kaiji Tang fits Kasuga’s personality perfectly, George Takei lends gravitas to Arakawa, and several veteran voice actors (Elizabeth Maxwell, Rino Romano, and Metal Gear’s David Hayter) complete the ensemble.

 

Jarring tonal shifts and occasionally tedious leveling up aside, Like a Dragon is a refreshing entry with something for newcomers and Yakuza fans alike.

Wonder Woman 1984

 

In 1984, Amazonian Diana of Themyscira (Gal Gadot) works as an anthropologist for the Smithsonian as Diana Prince while covertly fighting crime as Wonder Woman. She is idolized by her new coworker, Barbara Ann Minerva (Kristen Wiig), an awkward and insecure scientist. While examining a cache of stolen antiquities, the two come across a Dreamstone supposedly capable of granting any wish. For Diana, this means a chance to reunite with lost love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who sacrificed himself more than sixty years ago. For Barbara, it means newfound power and confidence. And for beleaguered businessman Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), it means gaining the success and prestige he only pretends that he has. Whatever the Dreamstone grants, however, comes at a great cost.

 

2017’s Wonder Woman remains the high water mark of the DC Extended Universe, and so writer-director Patty Jenkins would have had difficulty surpassing it even if the film’s buzz wasn’t killed by repeated delays. As it stands, Wonder Woman 1984 is cliché-ridden and overstuffed yet redeemed, in part, by its stylistic prowess.

 

If Stranger Things is an 80s homage, then Wonder Woman 1984 is an overly broad pastiche. It takes copious shots at the fashion, the unnamed president is a Ronald Reagan caricature, and a blond-coiffed, fancy-suited Max Lord is a more chipper and charismatic take on retro Donald Trump. Unfortunately, the shallowness of these references undercut the propriety of the setting. Late Cold War tensions and conspicuous consumption were both present at the time, but they are less explored than they are tossed haphazardly like kindling to fuel the film’s conflicts. Despite having nothing novel to say, the film lays on its platitudes – truth is good, greed is bad – rather thick, with the Dreamstone a particularly hackneyed symbol of the dangers of excess.

 

Cursed as they sometimes are with insipid dialogue, the performers otherwise acquit themselves well. Gadot’s take on Wonder Woman – a warrior with a moral center who inspires others – continues to do the character justice. Wiig, best known for her comedy work, defies casting skeptics and is equally credible as dorky (early film) and fearsome (latter film). The nobody-to-nemesis transformation is a minor superhero film tradition, and while Wiig doesn’t reach the rarefied air of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman in Batman Returns, she soars above Jamie Foxx’s Electro in The Amazing Spiderman 2. Lord is a character with a complicated history, spending years as a morally ambiguous presence before jumping off the deep end. Adaptations usually treat him as a boilerplate corrupt corporate executive, a Lex Luther Lite, and while there are shadings of that here, he’s also given some sympathetic edges. Pascal’s performance is, admittedly, hammy, but after seeing him stoically occupy the Mandalorian armor for so long, it’s a nice change of pace for him to let loose.

 

As with the first Wonder Woman film, this installment benefits from well-choreographed action. From the opening’s pseudo-Olympics to a highway chase scene, Jenkins and co. handle key sequences with thrilling aplomb. Hans Zimmer came out of self-imposed superhero film retirement to provide the score though sadly, it is not one of his more memorable works.

 

Warner Brothers’ big-screen comic book fiefdom has acquired a style-over-substance reputation, and Wonder Woman 1984 does nothing to challenge it. Ask little of this film, and you can be entertained. Come expecting more, and you will be disappointed.

Sound of Metal

 

When metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) suffers sudden hearing loss, it threatens his livelihood and upends his life, placing the former heroin addict at risk for a relapse. His girlfriend and bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke) convinces the reluctant Ruben to stop performing and stay at a rehab facility for the deaf run by Joe (Paul Raci), a deaf Vietnam vet and recovering alcoholic. Ruben bonds with others in the deaf community while saving up for cochlear implants to restore his hearing, which puts him at odds with Joe, who rejects the idea that deafness is a disability.

 

Writer Darius Marder’s directorial debut has the ring of truth to it thanks to inspired sound design and a strong lead performance. The film fluctuates between louder and quieter and between clearer and more garbled relative to Ruben’s hearing, simulating deafness for a hearing audience. This, coupled with the use of ASL (Raci, the son of deaf parents, is a certified sign language interpreter) and deaf actors in supporting roles, paints a realistic picture of living with deafness in contrast to the patronizing “inspirationally disadvantaged” clichés. It’s a depiction furthered by Ahmed’s transformative performance. Lanky, bleached blond, and tattoo-covered, he imbues Ruben with both trepidation and determination, the fear of losing everything as well as the will to prevent it from happening.

 

While Sound of Metal’s dialogue is a bit stagey at times (and Joe’s spiel is as preachy to the audience as it is to Ruben), the film’s biggest liability by far is its sluggish pace. Sadly, this does not come as a surprise given the creators involved. Marder is again collaborating with Derek Cianfrance, for whom he wrote The Place Beyond the Pines, which managed to make a heist film boring. Yes, this is a character study, and yes “savor the quiet moments” is very much the film’s point, but the lack of momentum, coupled with underdeveloped secondary characters (Cooke does good work in limited screentime, but Lou's family drama feels tacked-on), are very nearly the film’s undoing.

 

All told, Sound of Metal is neither an easy nor a particularly enjoyable film to watch, but its intentions as well as Ahmed’s top-notch work make it worthwhile.

Missionaries

 

It’s 2016, and Colombia is about to hold a referendum on accepting a peace treaty that would end a longstanding conflict between the government and leftist FARC guerillas. Tensions run high as various groups –former guerillas, former rightwing paramilitaries, narco traffickers, poor coca growers, the military and its American advisors – jockey for power, sometimes forging surprising alliances along the way. Among those caught up in the intrigue are Abel, a repentant former paramilitary soldier turned shopkeeper, Juan Pablo, a calculating and increasingly frustrated Colombian army officer, Mason, a American combat medic turned Special Forces liaison, and Lisette, an American journalist seeking a new war to cover. A crime of opportunity links all of their fates.

When Phil Klay, a former Marine who served in Iraq, released his short story collection Redeployment in 2014, his frank depictions of military life earned him Tim O’Brien comparisons. That same unflinching lack of sentimentality can be found in his debut novel, but Missionaries is otherwise a very different beast, echoing Graham Greene’s Catholic-infused spy lit.

The novel’s structure is an odd hodgepodge of the personal and political. The first half fleshes out the backstories of the four leads in alternating chapters, and here Klay fleshes out memorable and believably compromised characters. A victim of violence for much of his youth, Abel is pitiable despite his hand in committing horrible crimes, and that sympathy is amplified when his former commander-turned-drug kingpin, Jefferson (a nightmarish embodiment of casual violence), won’t let him live in peace. Juan Pablo, a ruthless authoritarian pragmatist, sends his daughter to an esteemed liberal university, and the two seem to have genuine mutual respect despite the gulf between them. In search of a good war and a good story, respectively, Mason and Lissette are naïve and opportunistic, yet these qualities are tempered by their conscience and professional dedication, respectively. The book’s latter chapters ditch these character excavations for a point of view that floats more freely as the action picks up, hopping from the four leads to Louisa (a massacre survivor turned aid worker) to Jefferson to several others. It reflects the thorny interconnectedness of Colombia’s political reality, but it’s also a bit disorienting. Anyone without some cursory knowledge of the decades-long Colombian conflict will be at a loss here.

Toward the end of Missionaries, characters immersed in another conflict – this one in the Middle East – watch as advanced technology completely redefines what would have otherwise been a simple tribal war. Klay does not hesitate to confront America’s complicity in that, but he is no polemicist, preferring to probe moral dilemmas rather than wag a finger, and that spirit of inquiry keeps this otherwise dense book afloat.

Watch Dogs: Legion

 

In the near future, London runs on cryptocurrency, augmented reality, and automation, made possible by a powerful cTOS (Central Operating System). Private military contractor Albion has assumed police duties and seeks to impose an increasingly restrictive surveillance state while criminal syndicate Clan Kelley has turned to the Dark Web to facilitate its nefarious schemes. Both are opposed by the London branch of DedSec, a global hacker collective dedicated to stopping abuses of technological power. But when a mysterious group called Zero Day frames DedSec for a terrorist bombing, the hacktivists are left to regroup and clear their name.

 

The third entry in Ubisoft’s surveillance-themed open-world action-adventure series, Watch Dogs: Legion is both an evolution of and significant departure from the two preceding games. DedSec is back as is the ability to hack everything from security cameras to traffic cameras to enemy coms. While the action moves to London after previous entries took place in Chicago and San Francisco, the biggest change is to the main player character: there isn’t one. The Legion of the title refers to the fact that nearly the entire in-game populace of London can potentially be recruited as DedSec operatives. Characters are randomly generated during each new single player campaign and assigned different appearances, backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, and skills. Some are former soldiers and spies and come equipped with superior firepower; others are drone operators who have more sophisticated hacking tricks. Doing favors for potential recruits and raising a neighborhood’s resistance by sabotaging Albion will net rewards while story missions pit you against Albion, Clan Kelley, and British intelligence as you get closer to unmasking Zero Day. Along the way, you are aided by Bagley (a wonderfully snarky A.I.), mission control Sabine, sympathetic police officer Kailtin, and others.

 

The lack of a central protagonist here is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the ability to swap between team members with different skills supports a variety of playing styles (i.e. stealth vs. assault), and you may end up with some memorably amusing operatives. You may, for instance, get a chance to sick a swarm of bees on an Albion grunt or have a grandmotherly retired police officer unload a pistol clip on a Clan Kelley thug. On the other hand, despite the relevance of the game’s themes (living under an increasingly authoritarian regime in a world where technology has eroded privacy), the brief amount of information you’re given about each character keeps you at arm’s length.

 

There’s a similar trade-off in game mechanics. Drones play a bigger role this go-around. You can hack enemy combat drones to automatically target foes, and you can ride cargo drones around the city like personal air taxis. However, a few features from previous games (such as the “detonate a grenade” hack) are missed. Also, for all of the game’s possibilities, some of the operative recruitment missions (rescuing a recruit’s friend, retrieving a vehicle containing supplies, or breaking into a secure facility to hack or wipe data) can feel repetitive.

 

Watch Dogs: Legion falls short of reaching its fullest potential, but it’s still a timely outing that offers a new take on the open-world adventure experience.

Mandalay Asian Fusion Cuisine

 

Located at 3793 Samet Drive in High Point, Mandalay offers Chinese-influenced Asian fusion cuisine for lunch (every day except Sunday) and dinner (daily). Online ordering and catering are available.

George Takei brought me here…sort of. I was playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and a character voiced by the Star Trek alum described the joys of eating Peking Duck. This inspired a craving for a dish I hadn’t eaten in years, and Mandalay is one of the few area restaurants to offer it.

I had previously tried the restaurant under its former names Tasty 100 and Full Kee, and each time, I had decidedly mixed feelings On the one hand, it’s a well-appointed space and the food is, generally, several cuts above takeout-grade Chinese (credit chef/owner George Yu’s many years of experience). On the other hand, some offerings were (and still are) decidedly overpriced.

Peking Duck is listed as a signature dish and crispy Hunan fish is a specialty as well. We opted to try them both along with crab rangoons and pork buns. This was not a cheap endeavor, but it’s a lot easier to justify north of $20 for duck than it is $12 for basic fried rice or lo mein.

I ordered online for pickup, and everything was ready upon my arrival. The food was hot, plentiful, and mostly satisfying. There was plenty of meat in the Peking Duck, and it was nicely crisped without being dried out. It paired well with the accompanying plum sauce, but the generic tortillas were a bit of a letdown. The fish came with a brown sauce that delivered a welcome bit of spice, and the pork buns (pulled pork + hoisin) were excellent. On the other hand, the crab rangoons were more like overly chewy ravioli.

The rule of thumb for Mandalay, as with its previous incarnations, is to choose your dishes wisely (hint: avoid the dumplings) and be prepared to pay. The things that this place does right make it worthwhile, but it may take some trial-and-error to find what those things are.

 

NOTE: If they decide to do cold sesame noodles and pull them off well, all will be forgiven.

Rockin' Moroccan

The Triad's first Moroccan food truck is a marvel to behold for reasons that go well beyond the novelty of the cuisine. Food trucks typically run with a limited menu offering a few easy-to-prep items. Not this one. Rockin' Moroccan rolls with a full menu that would put some restaurants to shame. Salads, sandwiches (including a decked-out burger), platters, sides, and desserts are for the taking, and there are options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Ordering is a breeze thanks to friendly owners and an efficient system. Mike is usually set up outside the truck with menus, buzzers (for when your order is up), and sauces at the ready. He seems genuinely glad to see all of his customers. Amina, his wife, turns around tickets with speed verging on culinary wizardry.

Of course, this would be for naught if the food wasn't up to par, but it is. We've tried the truck twice, and, unable to decide from among the assorted offerings, opted for combo platters both times. The Everything Platter (Saffron Chicken, Gyro, Kefta, Falafel, Rice, Pita Bread, Pico, and Slaw) is a generous amount of food, and while you can get better gyro meat elsewhere, everything here is fairly flavorful. The Saffron Chicken especially is a standout. The Veggie Platter swaps the meats for Moroccan spring rolls and grape leaves for a fresher, but no less filling take. At $13 and $11 respectively, both platters are good values for the portions.

With so many good Mediterranean and food truck options in the area, it would be easy for Rockin' Morrocan to be swallowed up by the competition. However, the combination of customer service, variety, value, and taste make Rockin' Morrocan a must. Consider this truck a must-try if you catch it out and about.

First Watch

 

Located at 4520 West Wendover Avenue in Greensboro, First Watch offers breakfast, brunch, and lunch from 7-2:30 daily. Cocktails are available, and specials rotate seasonally. There is an online waitlist check-in for dine-in patrons and online ordering for take-out.

 

When this chain opened in the ever-expanding Wendover Commons plaza at the beginning of the year, it managed to carve out a unique identity – fast casual breakfast/brunch – despite the abundance of eateries in the immediate vicinity. This lack of direct competition is both a blessing and a curse: First Watch is welcome for what it brings to the table and yet another restaurant of this type nearby would likely present a more attractive alternative.

 

While First Watch does offer sandwiches and salads for the lunch crowd, its menu skews toward early-day offerings. You can find a classic platter, gigantic pancake, omelet, or hash, or you can mix it up with a frittata, a fruit-laden Floridian French toast, or a quinoa power bowl. There are also health-conscious options and a juice bar yet strangely no breakfast burrito.

 

For my first time out, I used the restaurant’s Web site to order a Power Breakfast Quinoa Bowl (quinoa, Italian sausage, Crimini mushrooms, tomatoes, kale, Parmesan, and eggs) and a Kale Tonic (Kale, fuji apple, cucumber, and lemon) for pick-up. The food was ready within a few minutes of arrival, set on a table marked for take-out orders by the front entrance. By the looks of things, First Watch seemed to be going for a rustic chic vibe. It also seemed like the kind of place that crowds easily, which made me thankful that I wasn’t dining in.

 

The food proved to be a mixed bag. The sausage was nice and zesty, and it paired well with the tomatoes and mushrooms. The “basted” eggs, on the other hand, were rubbery and unpleasant, making this dish an unlikely re-order. At least the juice, equal parts tangy and refreshing, was an unqualified hit.

 

At $15 after taxes, this was not a cheap breakfast. It was certainly filling, but given the pricing relative to Scrambled or a good local brunch spot (think M’Couls), it still felt like a bit of a reach.

 

All told, First Watch’s better-than-fast-food breakfast offerings merit a look, but you may find yourself wanting more for less.

The Nomad

Located at 122 West King Street in Hillsborough, The Nomad offers globally influenced small plates and craft cocktails. It is open from 4:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 12-9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Indoor (via reservation) and outdoor seating are available as is online ordering.

 

A relative newcomer to the Hillsborough dining scene, The Nomad is the latest establishment from the team behind the Viceroy in Durham and the TanDurm food truck. As the name suggests, it features foods that tend to wander from one cuisine to the next (i.e. Indian meets Latin). It’s an ambitious concept, but the folks here have the chops to make it work.

 

They also happen to be friendly and welcoming people. We happened to wander by shortly before lunchtime opening on a Saturday just to check out a menu, and one of the owners offered a warm greeting. Our server was attentive and provided several helpful food and drink suggestions.

 

At a place like this, those suggestions can come in handy as the vast majority of The Nomad’s offerings sound appealing. Though the menu isn’t large, it offers a little bit of everything, including vegan and gluten free options. You can embrace the familiarity of a classic chicken pakora or masala or battered fish taco branch out into one of the fusion dishes like Thai chimichurri steak or paneer pimento.

 

We opted for a few small plates for our first time out, and though it was a tough decision, we settled on sweet potato-stuffed kolaches, fried yuca poutine, and Korean esquites. Food came out quickly and did not disappoint. The kolaches were thick and pleasantly doughy with a warm, curried filling. Yuca sticks made for an excellent potato substitute in the poutine, and the mushroom gravy was rich and savory even if the mushrooms were a bit chewy. The esquites (de-cobbed Mexican street corn) brought heat from its Gochujang sauce and dusting of chili lime, but the refreshing crema kept it from overwhelming the palate. While Korean tacos/burritos are nothing new, this particular Korean-Mexican combination was like nothing I’ve seen elsewhere. My wife also enjoyed the Salted Fig cocktail.

 

Hillsborough being Hillsborough, The Nomad isn’t exactly cheap, but it also is worth the money spent. You’re looking at $8-$10 for small plates, and three were enough to feed two hungry adults. Entrée-sized rice bowls run in the teens.

 

Opening amid the COVID pandemic has undoubtedly been a brutal experience for many restaurants, but from innovation to food quality to service, The Nomad has all the looks of a keeper. I look forward to returning the next time I’m in Orange County.

Seafood Destiny

 

Located at 4705 West Gate City Boulevard in Greensboro, Seafood Destiny serves Low Country seafood cuisine for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. There are lunch specials available Fridays and Saturdays and a brunch menu on Sundays. Food can be ordered online for pickup, and delivery is offered through GrubHub.

 

Once a rarity in Greensboro, the seafood boil concept has taken off during the past two years, and Seafood Destiny is a good exemplar thereof. An outgrowth of owner Anthony Knotts’s backyard boils, the restaurant offers various combinations of crab, shrimp, corn, turkey sausage, lobster, and potatoes. Many of these items are also available a la carte, as are shrimp mac and cheese and green beans, and there are a few fish and pasta offerings as well. There’s even a George Floyd Boil, whose proceeds partially go toward a college scholarship for African-American men.

 

As tempting as a full-blown boil was, I opted for something better-suited for one person: the George’s Seafood Hoagie. A lunch-only offering, its price tag seemed ridiculous ($18.95 for a sandwich?!), but the pictures shared via the restaurant's social media made it too tempting to pass up.

 

While Seafood Destiny does offer online ordering, it doesn’t operate in the way that you’d expect. Instead of selecting a pick-up time, you select a check-in time, and your food is made-to-order upon your arrival. While this ensures freshness, it is also likely to try the patience of the hungry, and I can only imagine what the wait times are without the order-ahead option.

 

Fortunately, I didn’t have a particularly long wait (maybe fifteen minutes after arrival), and the sandwich that I was handed by the friendly, hard-working counter staff was worth every penny. The best way to describe George’s Seafood Hoagie is a po boy on steroids. It's a roll generously stuffed with shrimp and crab and lobster and pickles and slathered with spicy-sweet house-made red “Errythang” sauce. It comes with an equally ample portion of thinly sliced herbed potatoes. Hyperbolic as it sounds, every bite was bursting with flavor. This is not an easy sandwich to eat – you’ll need two hands and several napkins – but it is well worth the endeavor.

 

When you’ll actually get your food is a guessing game best not played when hungry, and cheap eats these are not, but for the seafood connoisseur, Seafood Destiny is a must-try.

The Claddagh Restaurant & Pub

 

Located at 130 East Parris Avenue in High Point (with a sister location in Asheveille), The Claddagh serves Irish pub fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. There is a full bar, food specials change daily, and a brunch is offered on Sundays.

 

Named for a traditional Irish ring and boasting an equally traditional (for the most part) menu, the Claddagh has the Gaelic pub look down cold, an image solidified by the tricolours displayed amid the wood-and-brick interior. Whatever its bonafides, however, the Claddagh offers a fairly underwhelming experience.

 

My first visit here was to place and pick up a takeout order. The hostess who greeted me was amiable, but none of the front-of-house staff seemed to be wearing masks. The food also took a few minutes longer than estimated though it wasn’t an unreasonable wait by any means.

 

I went with fried green tomatoes, a half-order of fish and chips, and a half-order of shepherd’s pie to feed two. Though the half-orders were billed as enough food for anyone who wasn’t starving, portion sizes skewed small. Prices also seemed inflated for the restaurant’s concept. Our half orders were $10 apiece with full orders starting in the mid-teens. The fried green tomatoes, an app, ran $11.49. A good value this is not, but it would be pardonable for top-notch food.

 

On that account, The Claddagh is a mixed bag. The fried green tomatoes, thickly battered and accompanied by a deliciously zesty smoked gouda pimento, were very good and well worth it. The fish, a beer battered cod, was likewise battered well and nicely crisped without being dry inside. The shepherd’s pie was heartily satisfying though the flavors were a bit understated. On the other hand, the sides ranged from forgettable (slaw) to bad (flavorless, freezer fry-grade chips).

 

The Claddagh’s menu appeal and the meal’s high notes were enough for me to not write this place off completely, but if I return, it will be with lowered expectations.

The Sage Mule

 

Located at 608 Battleground Avenue on the LoFi section of Greensboro near Joymongers and Machete, The Sage Mule serves up breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday with a brunch offered on Sundays and small bites until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Patio seating is available and chalkboard specials change regularly.

 

Prior to visiting, I really had no idea what to expect from this place. I appreciate good wordplay (sage mule = green burro), and the restaurant’s concept seemed intriguing, but a limited menu and high-ish prices gave me pause. Saturday morning hunger and an ultra-long wait time at Scrambled were reasons enough to set skepticism aside, and I’m glad that I did so.

 

While the Sage Mule is closed for indoor dining during the COVID pandemic, the patio offers plenty of room. Servers are attentive and welcoming, and all told, the Sage Mule offers a very inviting atmosphere.

 

The “official” menu here is somewhat scant: a few breakfast items, a few salads, and a few sandwiches. The various chalkboards, however, reveal far more offerings, ranging from burger and dessert specials to a variety of pastries and baked goods. All of the pastries and breads are made in-house and there are gluten-free options as well. Coffeephiles will be glad to know that the Sage Mule uses Counter Culture beans.

 

My wife and I opted for the blue plate special (eggs, sausage or bacon, toast or biscuit, and hashbrowns) and the breakfast burrito (chorizo, scrambled eggs, black beans, fries, avocado, cheddar, jalapeno vinaigrette, cilantro sour cream, and cheese grits to share as the side) respectively. Neither dish disappointed. The burrito, despite its abundance of ingredients, was structurally very well-composed. It held together and offered a taste of everything in each bite. The flavors and textures balanced nicely with the fresh avocado preventing the chorizo’s saltiness from overwhelming the palate and the fries adding a bit of chewiness. This is definitely one of the better renditions of a breakfast burrito in the area.

 

As mentioned above, prices, on paper, seem high. The burrito plus one side was $12 while the blue plate special was a more reasonable $10. Both portions were generous, so the Sage Mule isn’t exactly a poor value in practice.

 

I don’t know if the weekday lunch experience is any different here, but as a breakfast option, the Sage Mule made a great first impression. Quality ingredients well-prepared, affable service, and a comfortable environment tend to do that.

Ninja Cafe/Kung Fu Tea

 

Co-located at 5815 Samet Drive at the Palladium in High Point, Ninja Café and Kung Fu Tea are the Japanese fast casual and bubble tea franchise (respectively) sides of the same business. The establishment is open from 11 to 9 (9:30 on weekends) daily. An app with a built-in loyalty/rewards program is available, and limited-time tea flavors change regularly.

 

Kung Fu Tea

A rare commodity elsewhere, bubble tea is hard to avoid in High Point. Even so, Kung Fu Tea sets itself apart by offering a nearly overwhelming number of options. You can choose from classic, fruit, and milk teas and customize them (size, hot or cold, sweetness levels, bubble toppings, etc.) to the hilt. Throw in some intriguing seasonal options (strawberry cream, brown sugar, and rosehip pineapple in addition to the requisite pumpkin), and it's hard to NOT find something here. Of course, some trial and error may be involved in arriving at a favorite.

We went with a rosehip pineapple tea during our most recent visit. It was sweeter than expected, but the pineapple's acidity tempered that somewhat, and the tapioca bubbles are quality. The staff here have never been anything but polite, and pricing ($3-4.50 for most of the teas and a bit more for slushes) is fair.

Anyone in search of a refreshing beverage near the Palladium shouldn't sleep on this place.

 

Ninja Cafe

Though it offers a small selection of appetizers (gyoza, tataki, takoyaki), sushi rolls, and even sushi burritos, Nina Cafe's biggest draw, as with the tea side of the house, is its customizability. For $8 or $11 respectively, you can build your own cooked or poke bowl including your choice of rice (sushi or brown), proteins, veggies, toppings (for the poke bowl), and sauces. The portions are filling (a bowl can feed two), and miso is included.

While everything tasted fresh, this isn't the best poke I've had (Greensboro's Poke Bowl offers better execution of a similar concept) though it is fairly satisfying. Be forewarned that custom bowls do take a bit of time to prepare.

If your basis of comparison is your favorite traditional Japanese restaurant, Ninja Cafe will fail to impress. But as a quicker, cheaper, more casual alternative, it acquits itself well.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

 

After being dumped by the Joker, psychiatrist turned crazed criminal Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) suddenly finds a long list of enemies gunning for her. That list includes crime kingpin and club owner Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), who compels Harley to steal back a diamond that teen pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) stole from his deranged henchman Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina). Wanting to keep Cassandra safe, Roman's reluctant accomplice Dinah Lance (Jurnee Smollett) tips off dogged police detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), who is after Harley as well as an elusive crossbow killer targetting underworld figures. Faced with the threat posed by Roman's considerable resources, Harley, Renee, and Dinah must work together to keep Cassandra alive.

The first shared-universe superhero film of 2020, Birds of Prey is an incomprehensible mess that perfectly (if unintentionally) captures the year's disappointments and frustrations. Poorly written, heavy-handed, and shallow, it offers briefly redemptive moments of humor and exhilaration to accompany the glimpses of how much better it could have been.

As is the case with many DC Comics adaptations as of late, the script is a major liability. Birds of Prey is a poor adaptation of its source material, dropping Barbara Gordon (the former Batgirl turned paralyzed information broker Oracle) in favor of placing Harley Quinn front and center. As a result, nearly every non-Harley character comes across as thinly drawn, often to their detriment. Cassandra, for instance, is Cassandra in name only, losing her inspiration's martial arts training and linguistic challenges. Add to this a premise similar to and self-aware tone evocative of the better-crafted Deadpool 2, and Christina Hodson's script is as bad as, if not worse than, the rightly-derided writing in Suicide Squad and Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Of course, there is plenty of blame to go around here. The best that can be said about Cathy Yan's direction is that Birds of Prey is far from visually dull. Frenzied and colorful, it features a few standout set pieces, such as Harley's creative use of a beanbag cannon. At times, however, the choreography is sloppy: watching random mooks seemingly standing and waiting to be hit detracts from the experience. Whereas an Edgar Wright film can make it work, the near-constant bombast of the soundtrack here comes across as an attempt to distract from a glaring lack of substance.

Amid these constraints, the cast delivers mixed results. Robbie (who also produced) gives a spirited portrayal in the lead role, offering a compelling mix of zaniness and psychological insight. Mary Elizabeth Winstead works well as her foil, the grim, professional Huntress, but she doesn't have nearly enough screentime to flesh out the character. As Sionis, McGregor isn't given much to work with, either. He captures the character's selfishness but his hammy faux-charisma undercuts any sense of menace (save for a few brief moments toward the end). He is so obviously built up as a man for the film's women to take down that Birds of Prey plays like a bad parody of feminist themes rather than a sincere expression thereof. Both Smollett and Messina play very different takes on characters that will be familiar to television audiences. Though Smollet's Black Canary at least has an interesting backstory and a believable sense of reluctance, it's hard to see Messina's Zsasz (a repugnant creep deeply infatuated with his boss) as anything other than inferior to Anthony Carrigan's quirky cheerful sadist version on Gotham.

Were character development not given such short shrift, Birds of Prey could have been a solidly entertaining super(anti?)heroine ensemble film. Instead, bad writing and a clumsy treatment of theme place it toward the lower end of DC adaptations, and that's saying something. In an interview, Yan claimed that Birds of Prey's tepid box office was a result of audiences not being ready for a female-led superhero movie. Quite to the contrary, we're long overdue for a good one, and hers isn't it.

Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir

 

When Natasha Trethewey was nineteen, her mother was murdered by her abusive, unstable former stepfather. Years later, Trethewey has crafted a memoir that looks at her childhood, her relationships with the woman who raised her and the man who took everything, and the circumstances surrounding the fateful event.

 

A former U.S. Poet Laureate, Trethewey writes with the precision and care one would expect, but her prose amounts to far more than well-crafted turns of phrase. Though reflective and digressive, Memorial Drive is marked by undercurrents of sadness and tension that enchant audiences and bind the narrative. Trethewey shifts fluidly from personal ruminations to documentary evidence such as police reports and phone transcripts. The latter’s inclusion may seem jarring, but it helps to create an indelible (and horrifying) impression of the terror that Joel Grimette subjected his (former) family to and Gwen’s rational yet futile attempts to resist.

 

There are strong parallels here between Tretheway’s tale and the one shared by Trevor Noah in Born a Crime. Like Noah, Trethewey is biracial, and as in Born a Crime, Memorial Drive explores the complexities of racial identity. But whereas Noah (a comedian) tempered his accounting of his life’s calamities with humor, Trethewey leaves us only the anguish of avoidable tragedy.

Jojo Rabbit

Toward the end of World War II, Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), a naïve and idealistic ten-year-old German boy, joins the Hitler Youth. “Adolf,” a version of Hitler himself (Taika Watiti, who also wrote and directed), appears as Jojo’s supportive imaginary friend. One day, Jojo discovers Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie), an older Jewish girl whom his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) has been secretly hiding in their home. Though they start off mutually hostile and distrustful, the more he gets to know Elsa, the more Jojo begins to question Nazi beliefs, infuriating Adolf.

 

On paper, a dark comedy adaptation of Christine Leunens’ earnest novel Caging Skies sounds like a tasteless trainwreck in the making. However, Jojo Rabbit largely works in spite of its alienating premise, adding the hilarity and audacity of Blazing Saddles-era Mel Brooks and the quirky precociousness (and bright color scheme) of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom to a familiar Anne Frank tale. Jojo Rabbit leans fully into its absurdity, yet it does so while still offering biting digs at Nazism’s vicious idiocy.

 

These dual purposes are perhaps best represented by Waititi’s take on Hitler. The director, a self-described "Polynesian Jew," sports a bad German accent (as does much of the cast) and plays the dictator as disarmingly chipper throughout the first half of the movie. The remove from the historical Hitler is such that the audience is always aware that “Adolf” is a figment of a Nazi-indoctrinated child’s imagination, and the portrayal gradually gets darker and angrier as Jojo wises up.

 

For his part, Davis makes quite an impression in his debut role, giving Jojo a believable mix of vulnerability, gullible innocence, and put-on Aryan superiority. Sam Rockwell, so often the sleazy racist imbecile, gets a nice change-of-pace here as Captain Klenzendorf, who runs the Hitler Youth camp. Rather than the sadistic ideologue one would expect in that position (Rebel Wilson as his female counterpart is truer to that type), Klenzendorf bumbles around apathetically, his indifference masking his bravery as a soldier and his closeted (until the end) sexuality. Unfortunately, the women aren’t given quite as much to work with. Elsa’s character is somewhat thinly drawn though McKenzie does a great job of trolling Davis by feeding him ridiculous myths about Jews to see what he will believe. Johansson’s Rosie is compassionate, brave, and not afraid to smack Klenzendorf around, but she doesn’t have a lot of screentime.

 

If the comedic elements don’t already do so, the fact that Jojo Rabbit offers the Nazi-adjacent a sympathetic viewpoint will strike some as morally irresponsible. It’s not an unwarranted criticism inasmuch as its one that overlooks the film’s satirical intent. As with Blazing Saddles, at the end of the day, the racists are made to look bad, and they lose.

DeBeen Espresso

Located at 709 West Lexington Avenue in High Point, DeBeen Espresso offers coffee drinks, smoothies, baked goods, and gelato seven days a week. Beans and merchandise/mugs are available for purchase, there is outdoor seating, and DeBeen offers a loyalty program.

A long-runner in High Point’s coffee scene, DeBeen has something for everyone. The truly impressive selection includes the caffeinated and non-caffeinated alike, ranging from a simple cup to a nitro cold brew to any number of specialty drinks. I’m partial to the banana bread latte, but there are plenty of promising permutations. While I cannot speak to the baked goods, the coffee usually lives up to its promise.

That said, while some find the interior, laden with artwork and merch, to be endearingly quirky, it can also be a bit visually overwhelming, and pre-COVID, DeBeen was often not a quiet or relaxing space. Baristas are personable more times than not though you may occasionally encounter one who seems put out by having to make a beverage. Lastly, if you do not snag a parking space in front, the side/back lot can be dicey.

These points aside, DeBeen’s commendable assortment and loyalty offers present compelling reasons to keep coming back.

83 Custom Coffee

Located at 2112 North Main Street in High Point, 83 Custom Coffee serves coffee drinks, teas, and baked goods (from local bakeries) seven days per week. Special flavors rotate seasonally. There is a walk-up/takeout window as well as both indoor and outdoor seating.

Named for the Chevy pickup that it used to operate out of (and that still sits outside of its brick-and-mortar store), 83 Custom Coffee is a comfortable, low-key spot that offers some of the better coffee drinks in the area. The selection here is somewhat limited, and the coffee isn’t cheap, but chances are you will find a favorite drink. For my wife and I, the iced cardamom lavender latte currently holds the honors, especially on unpleasantly hot days. Past seasonal offerings (I seem to recall a Mexican mocha?) have usually been on-point as well, and the baristas have never been anything but polite.

If consistency and quality are what you value most in a coffee shop, 83 Custom Coffee may very well become your go-to.

Uncle Cheesecake

Located at 3800 Tinsley Drive, Uncle Cheesecake offers cheesecake and other desserts Tuesday through Sunday. Custom orders are available, flavors change daily, and the bakery offers specials (such as BOGO cupcakes and half price lemonades) regularly. A sister shop, Babycakes Gourmet, is located in Archdale.

Greensboro firefighter Daniel Gray and his wife set up shop in this spot off Hickswood Road a few years back and have attracted quite a following since. If nothing else, the assortment justifies the hype. Uncle Cheesecake offers cheesecakes (including keto-friendly), cupcakes, bites, brownies, cake pops, dessert tacos (!!), lemonades, and slushies in a variety of flavors, several of which (such brownie bottom choco strawberry cheesecake and cherry Cheerwine cupcakes) are rarely found elsewhere. Anyone with a sweet tooth may have a hard time making decisions here.

The cheesecake here is on the tangy side, which may surprise those expecting something sweeter. This actually allows the flavors of the toppings to shine, and in most cases the combinations work well. The cupcakes are more of a hit (the aforementioned Cheerwine) or miss (strawberry daiquiri – it sounds better on paper) affair, but the weekly BOGO nights are conducive to trying out different flavors.

Inside, the bakery has little ambiance to speak of, which is hardly an issue given the amount of takeout business during a pandemic. Of a potentially greater concern: the number of maskless folks (owner included) you may encounter in a smallish space (though in fairness, this may not have been reflective of their norm).

Alex Amoroso continues to hold the Triad’s cheesecake crown, but Uncle Cheesecake should not be overlooked as an alternative. A multitude of fun flavors and dessert options make it worth a visit.

The Cozy Cannoli

Located at 2701 Kirkwood Street in High Point, The Cozy Cannoli offers Italian-inspired cannoli, pastries, cookies and other baked goods as well as coffee drinks Tuesday through Sunday. Custom cakes are available, and the bakery offers a loyalty program as well as regular specials.

Owned and operated by a mother-daughter team, The Cozy Cannoli is a charming spot filled with delectable-looking desserts. Cupcakes, buns, rolls, bars, Italian wedding cookies, and tiramisu are among the well-displayed regular stock though cannoli are, of course, the featured attraction. You’ll find traditional, chocolate, and at least one featured (think limoncello or pistachio) cream flavor on any given day. Regular-sized or mini-shells are available and filled to order, so you know what you’re getting is fresh. They are best consumed quickly as the longer they sit, the more likely they are to get soggy.

At their peak, the cannoli here rate as good, especially for the area. The fillings aren’t one-note sweet, and the shells are crisp and flaky as they should be. For their part, the cannoli cupcakes taste like the real thing and are a steal on Friday BOGO deals. That said, I would hesitate to put The Cozy Cannoli’s offerings up against what I can find in New Jersey, but then again, my home state is a long way away. The Cozy Cannoli’s staff are usually friendly and patient as well.

A welcoming spot for tasty treats, The Cozy Cannoli is one of High Point’s better dessert destinations.

Sanibel's

Located at 2929 North Main Street in High Point, Sanibel’s serves seafood for dinner Tuesday through Sunday (and lunch on Sundays as well). There are semi-daily (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays) food specials.

Every North Carolina town of a certain size needs at least one classic fried seafood joint. In High Point, Sanibel’s fits the bill. This is the kind of place that looks untouched by time. But you don’t go here for ambiance or innovation. You go to a Sanibel’s because you want cheap, plentiful fried fish that won’t make you sick, and by that measure, Sanibel’s delivers.

Sanibel’s occupies a largish space up North Main with plenty of seating and parking alike. There is a separate entrance for take-out orders, which is what I opted for. I called in ahead, and everything was ready at the time of pick-up.

Though the menu offers steaks, salads, and pasta dishes, seafood is the main draw here. You can get it broiled or fried, in single items or in combinations. My wife and I each went with a small fried combination platter, which came equipped with slaw, hushpuppies, and a choice of potato. We came away with flounder-perch-baked potato and shrimp-clams-fries respectively.

By and large, the food was tasty and satisfying in a predictable, comfort-food way. Everything fried was well-breaded and crispy without excess grease, and there were zero freshness concerns. The popcorn shrimp were tiny yet addictive and won the approval of our begging cat as well. While neither the fries nor the slaw was anything special, the onion-ring lookalike hushpuppies were a standout.

Sanibel’s represents an exceptional value for the money spent. For under $12 per, each “small” combination platter yielded two generously portioned meals’ worth of food. One shudders to think just how much a “large” would include.

I cannot attest to Sanibel’s dine-in experience, and I’m in no rush to find out if they do broiled seafood as well as they do fried, but takeout from this place seems like a smart bet for anyone with a fried fish craving or simply a few mouths to feed.