Miso's Ice Cream

Located at 2505 North Main Street in High Point, Miso’s Ice Cream serves ice cream and desserts seven days a week. Delivery (via DoorDash) is available.

A family-owned shop serving Hershey’s products, Miso’s boasts a wide selection of flavors. While you can go with simple scoops or cones here, there are also plenty of other treats to enjoy, ranging from shakes, sundaes, and smoothies to frappes, kunafa, and baklava.

During a recent visit, my wife and I tried a baklava sundae and an upside-down banana split. The former features flaky pastry and your choice of ice cream (coconut in this case). Dig your way down to the bottom layer, and you’ll like what you find. The upside-down split takes all of the split components and places them in a long cup. Fresh fruit, chocolate, and peanuts are a winning combination.

Owners Rana and Ahmed are friendly and amenable to letting you sample until you find your desired flavor. While our concoctions ran $6 apiece, simpler scoops can be had for far less.

The neighborhood ice cream shop seems almost an anachronism, but Miso’s shows that it can still be done quite well.

Sweet Old Bill's

Located at 1232 North Main Street in High Point, Sweet Old Bill’s offers barbeque and modern Southern cuisine for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. There is a full bar, and patio seating is available as is curbside takeout.

Sweet Old Bill’s had been on my to-try list for quite some time, but mixed reviews made it less than a top priority. After finally hitting it up for takeout, I’m glad that I did. It isn’t the best barbeque in the area, and it will probably drive diehard Lexington traditionalists up the wall, but it’s tasty and well-rounded.

Sweet Old Bill’s bills (pardon the redundancy) itself as “burgers, brew, and cue” and a good assortment of all three can be found here. The menu boasts everything from the requisite pulled pork or chicken (in sandwich or platter format) to homemade pork skins, redneck charcuterie, and more than a half-dozen burgers. There are also several salads and a Tree Hugger veggie burger for those so inclined.

My wife and I opted to split a large brisket nachos and a pulled pork platter with tomato pie and sweet potato fries as the sides. Everything was ready when I arrived for pick-up, and though I didn’t linger long, the restaurant looked like the kind of place that would either be a lot of fun or headache-inducingly loud at full capacity. Staff were friendly, and they appeared to be following COVID precautions.

The sides outshine the meats at Sweet Old Bill’s, and that may be the cause of some of the mixed reviews. That isn’t to say that the meats are bad – they are neither tough nor completely flavorless – but rather that no one will confuse them for Black Powder Smokehouse’s offerings. The gooey, cheesy tomato pie is transcendent and the sweet potato fries are better than most. The nachos come nicely loaded with corn, black beans, jalapenos, and cheese, but the chimichurri is the flavor that stands out the most, for better or worse.

There are cheaper options than Sweet Old Bill’s, but you get a good amount of food for your money. The $12 pulled pork plate included a half pound and two sides while the $14 large nachos yielded two entrée-sized portions (and leftovers).

For those whose tastes allow for a flexible interpretation of barbeque, Sweet Old Bills is a solid contemporary option.

Lone Star Burger

Located at 130 West Lexington Avenue in High Point, Lone Star Burger serves burgers and American fare for lunch and dinner. Outdoor seating and online ordering are available, and specials change regularly.

Lone Star Burger had the misfortune of opening just as COVID-19 shut everything down, and given the extreme difficulty of trying to start up under such circumstances, it can be forgiven for not quite having all of its ducks in a row. Case in point: my wife went to pick up a take-out order and found the staff friendly but overwhelmed and confused, a situation that one hopes is reflective of nothing more than the strain of the moment.

Less forgivable is Lone Star’s pricing, which is high for what is offered. Most of the burgers here run about $13 (and some even more) with one non-premium side included, a few bucks more than reigning burger favorite Tipsy’z Tavern. The portions are by no means puny, but they do not justify the inflated price tag.

If you can forgive the damage to your wallet, however, the food is actually quite good. We went with a fried green tomato starter, a Lampasas burger (bacon, roasted poblanos, pepper jack, chipotle aioli, lettuce, tomato), and a Lone Star burger (bacon, brisket, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, house made bbq sauce), both with fries. The fried green tomatoes were large, well-breaded slices though confusingly unadorned. Forget pimento: you will have to ask to get even a side of ranch. The burgers were quality: juicy and flavorful without being greasy and cooked to the desired doneness. The salty fries made for a nice complement, and there are plenty of enticing-sounding options (brisket-topped fries or baked potato, Frito pie, house-made chili) that also seem well worth a look.

Given the pricing, the competition, and a few staff communication issues to work out, Lone Star Burger has a ways to go before it can be in the conversation for best burger joint in the area. On taste alone, however, it is already in the mix, no small feat for opening at the start of a pandemic.

If It Bleeds

Stephen King’s latest is a four-piece novella collection, the same format used for the iconic Different Seasons. If It Bleeds is not of the same caliber, of course – a collection that yielded what would become The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me would be difficult for anyone to match – but it is still a commendable effort, showing King’s willingness to grow and experiment even as he revisits familiar themes.

The volume’s first story, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” concerns Craig, a boy hired to read to the title character, a wealthy retired industrialist. The two become friends, and Craig gifts Harrigan an iPhone, which continues to send him messages after the old man is dead and gone. Though the setup suggests a dose of techno-pessimism ala Cell, King actually takes a more nuanced approach here, casting the phone, like its former owner, as something capable of both positively transforming and ruining lives.

The next piece, “The Life of Chuck,” is the most imaginative of the bunch. It opens with an absurdist take on the end of the world, loaded with criticism of consumer culture, and then runs backwards through the life (or, more accurately, alternate lives) of the title character, an unassuming businessman. It comes across as incoherent until fusing together toward the end and King writes Chuck’s grandparents as Jewish borderline stereotypes, but there is enough magically infectious strangeness to keep this story afloat.

The title story is the book’s longest work and the one most likely to please fans of King’s recent supernaturally-tinged crime fiction. Here, private investigator Holly Gibney (of the Mr. Mercedes Trilogy and The Outsider) finds herself chasing down another appearance-changing bogeyman: this one a TV news reporter with a knack for showing up after major disasters to emotionally feed on the tragedy. The title and the antagonist’s role are an obvious dig at sensationalist media, but King otherwise stays off his soapbox here. More impressively, he finally succeeds and transforming Holly into a good protagonist. Once an annoying, deeply problematic (as in Autistic People Are Magic) supporting character, she’s given more depth, complexity, and nuance in a lead role as she steps out of the shadow of her policeman partners and her toxic mother as well as showing other ways of taking on a monster besides simply trying to beat it with a bearing-loaded sock. The plot may not break any new ground, but “If It Bleeds” is an exciting read.

The final story, “Rat,” will also feel familiar as a writer isolates himself amid menacing weather in order to finish a novel. Despite his hard-headedness, Drew is a good deal more genial than The Shining’s Jack Torrance, and King convincingly captures the frustrations of writer’s block (ironic, given his own prolific output). However, the Faustian bargain that Drew ultimately makes to complete his work is cliched, the old Monkey’s Paw plot having been done better so many times before. Whereas “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” explores the cost of success chillingly, it is here given a goofier, more melodramatic treatment.

Even in his 70s, King seems to be good for at least a book a year, and If It Bleeds should allay any fears that there is nothing left in the tank creatively.

Uncut Gems

New York City jeweler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) has a gambling addiction, a massive debt to his brother-in-law Arlo (Eric Bogosian), a soon-to-be-ending marriage to Dinah (Idina Menzel), and an affair with much younger employee Julia (Julia Fox). His associate Demany (Lakeith Stanfield) introduces him to basketball star Kevin Garnett, who takes an immediate liking to a large uncut opal that Howard has acquired. Soon the jeweler begins to concoct a longshot betting scheme that will make his troubles go away, if Arlo’s goons don’t get the better of him.

Directed by the Safdie Brothers, Uncut Gems is kind of a throwback to a gritty 1970s crime drama albeit with more humor and a contemporary setting. These derivations do little to enhance it, however, and it often comes across as a reminder of how better – or at least how different – a film it could have been if other artistic choices were made.

Sandler, a divisive actor, is actually the least of the problems here. He does an excellent job of embodying Howard, and the character is a bit of a departure from his usual idiot manchild shtick. However, Howard still makes for a highly unsympathetic protagonist. Lacking both the pathos of Mark Wahlberg in The Gambler or the cunning and charisma of Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, Sandler’s take on a morally compromised protagonist is a pushy, annoying, slimy loser. He isn’t helped by a supporting cast that leans heavily into stereotype territory, squandering the talents of Menzel, Stanfield, and Judd Hirsch. Amusingly, Garnett (superstitious) and The Weeknd (flirtatious and egotistical) play less-than-flattering versions of themselves, but Fox (a subversion of a gold-digger) and Bogosian (exasperated and put-upon despite being the nominal aggressor) are probably the most interesting characters here.

Aesthetically, the film sadly mistakes bustle and bombast for texture. There is an almost constant stream of chatter, and not since Birdman’s constant drumming has a score (by Daniel Lopatin in this case) felt so distracting and obtrusive. The film’s closing shot consciously mirrors one of its opening shots, lazy visual shorthand for making a thematic connection.

There are moments of tension and excitement here, and the Safdie Brothers have obvious vision and passion for their subject matter. However, the same holds true for Spike Lee, whose underrated (and, in some ways, equally excess-prone) 25^th Hour suggests that a New York film about a fringe criminal confronted by the consequences of his actions needn’t be this hard to like.  

Sofrito Latin Innovation Kitchen

Located at 1589 Skeet Club Road in High Point, Sofrito Latin Innovation Kitchen offers Latin American cuisine for lunch and dinner every day except for Tuesday. Online ordering (takeout/pickup) is available.

Formerly housed in the Four Seasons Mall food court, a stand-alone Sofrito opened in Oak Hollow Square (between GNC and Dragon Wok) shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That timing may have caused Sofrito to slip under everyone’s food radar, unfortunate given that it is one of the few pan-Latin eateries in the area.

Sofrito’s menu offers sandwiches and entrees from California to South America. Some (burritos, tortas, street tacos, and arroz con pollo) will be familiar to anyone accustomed to Mexican/Tex-Mex cuisine while others represent the flavors of the Caribbean (Cuban sandwiches, churrasco sandwiches, ropa vieja) and Colombia (arepas). Gluten-free options and a veggie plate further enhance Sofrito’s menu diversity.

After two visits, the food rates as good with some dishes clearly stronger than others. On the low end of the spectrum, the Cuban sandwich was dry, and the tostones were both dry and overly salty. Neither holds a candle to what you’ll find at La Palma or a decent food truck. On the other hand, the churrasco sandwich featured some well-seasoned meats, the accompanying maduros were wonderfully sweet, and Sofrito’s take on fish tacos may be the best version I’ve had: plenty of fish, flavorful batter, nice textural balance with the cabbage, pico, and sauce. Speaking of sauces, they offer several salsas made in-house, and the pink sauce makes for a versatile complement to many dishes.

Most of Sofrito’s offerings can be found in the reasonable $7-9 range with a side included. Portions aren’t huge, but they are adequate for the money spent. The owners, an Army veteran and a second-generation restaurateur, are friendly and patient.

Given its affordability and appealing concept, Sofrito is well worth investigating as a lunch option. Some trial and error may be involved in finding a favorite dish, but if ever you’ve posed a “Where can I get….” question about Latin American food in the triad, Sofrito may very well be the answer.

The Lighthouse

In the late 1800s, Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) takes a contract job as an assistant lighthouse keeper on a remote island off the New England coast. The head lighthouse keeper, Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), is a demanding, unhygienic, boastful drunk. Winslow is also tormented by a one-eyed gull who seems to mock him at every turn. After learning about each other’s pasts, Winslow and Wake begin to get along better. However, the menace of a storm threatens to destroy their rations, their truce, and, ultimately, their sanity.

Directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch) and written by his brother Max, The Lighthouse is an exacting film that commands respect though not necessarily admiration. Ostensibly inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s last story (“The Light House”), the film also takes cues from Melville and Coleridge, Greek mythology, the historic Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy, and, at least tonally, Lovecraft. It’s awash in symbolism that is refracted through Winslow’s dreams and hallucinations, some of which are revelatory (i.e. a vision of Wake’s one-eyed previous assistant - reincarnated in the gull, perhaps?) and some of which are just unsettling (giant octopus tentacles and mermaid sex). For every meaningful detail imparted, however strange or disturbing, The Lighthouse seems content to also offer us random shrieks and shouts and nonsense.

Questionable editing aside, The Lighthouse is aesthetically striking, and its two leads fully embrace their challenging roles. Eggers shot in black and white on 35-mm film to give the movie a vintage look, and Mark Korven’s score makes good use of appropriately ominous droning. As Wake, Dafoe sounds like the Sea Captain from The Simpsons with a puffed-up lexicon. He’s a grotesque and pathetic figure, equal parts controlling (he refuses to let Winslow anywhere near the lantern room) and desperate for approval. Speaking of desperation, a lean, Maine-accented Pattinson gives Winslow a past-haunted, repressed-violent quality that is evident even before his sanity starts to fray. It isn’t to Jack Nicholson in The Shining levels of crazy-gone-crazier, but it does lend tension to the abuse and misfortune that he endures in a subservient role in the film’s early going.

Thematically and symbolically rich and skillfully crafted, The Lighthouse is nearly undone by its excesses, but it’s still worth watching even if the experience makes you never want to watch it again.