Poke One

 

Located at 4835 West Wendover Avenue in Jamestown, Poke One offers poke and ramen for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11 to 9 on weekdays and 11:30 to 9 on weekends. Online ordering is available.

 

Poke-and-ramen seems to be the High Point area’s latest restaurant trend, and while Poke One loses some of the novelty by not getting there first, it otherwise seems poised to hold its own. Housed in the former Rockaway Eatery location, it’s clean, colorful, and spacious. The menu boasts a few Japanese apps (edamame, Takoyaki, shumai, and, oddly enough, fries) as well as milk and fruit teas, but poke (in bowl or burrito form) and ramen are the core offerings. There are about a half-dozen varieties of each, and you can also build your own of the former. Poke One wisely supplies paper menus that can be filled out to make BYO ordering efficient and convenient.

 

For our first visit, my wife and I each got a build your own poke bowl and a milk tea (taro and strawberry, respectively). Our orders were completed very quickly, and the brightly colored bowls looked amazing. Fortunately, the flavors matched the presentation. I went with a mixture of hot (spicy salmon, spicy mayo), sour (pickled ginger, pickled radish), and sweet (mango). Add to that some cucumber for refreshment, and the bowl was nicely balanced. The ingredients were also fresh, and they don’t skimp on quantity here. The tea was rather sweet, however. Next time, I’ll go with a classic rather than a fruit flavor.

 

What sets Poke One apart from other local options is the competitive pricing. At $11.95 for a poke bowl and $5.70 for a milk tea with bubbles, Poke One is cheaper than either Poke Dream or Ninja Café/Kung Fu Tea.

 

Poke One may not be an innovator, but being able to provide fresh, tasty food quickly makes it a welcome addition nevertheless.

Qinji Hawaiian BBQ & Ramen

Located at 2224 Golden Gate Drive in the Golden Gate Shopping Center in Greensboro, Qinji HawaiianBBQ and Ramen offers Hawaiian and Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11-9 Tuesday-Friday, noon-9 on Saturday, and closed Sunday. Online ordering is available.

Our group of four ended up at Qinji when the wait at Mizumi proved too long, but this proved to be the epitome of a happy accident. Cosmetically, Qinji is quite an upgrade from the previous ZC Hawaiian: the interior is tasteful and clean. The menu boasts many tantalizing options from predominantly Japanese apps to more than ten kinds of ramen to rice and noodle dishes to Hawaiian specialties. Vegetarians won’t be hard-pressed to find something here though the meat-eaters among you can take in everything from kalbi to Spam.

It was the first visit for all of us, and we got to experience a variety of dishes: calamari, Takoyaki, spam musubi, veggie roll, Hawaiian pineapple chicken, loco moco, and a combo (katsu fried shrimp and fish and grilled beef). Portions were plentiful, and, as the entrees included rice and salad (green or macaroni) for under $15, quite affordable. While the musubi and the loco moco may conjure some odd associations for anyone who grew up with Spam or Salisbury steak, the food was largely a hit. The beef was flavorful, the seafood was well-breaded without being bone dry, and the dipping sauces complemented the apps nicely. Even though the green salad was little more than lettuce with a few shredded carrots, a terrific mango dressing (bright, crisp, and citrusy) elevated it.

Qinji is nowhere close to home, and while that may preclude me from becoming a regular here, it is definitely a place I will look forward to coming back to during future excursions to northern Greensboro.

The PepperMill Cafe

Located at 2600 South Main Street in High Point, The PepperMill Café serves Greek-influenced diner fare for breakfast and lunch. It is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, from 6 a.m.-noon on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. Online ordering is available.

 

I had a craving for bananas foster pancakes, and The PepperMill Café was one of the few places in town that offered it. I was hoping for a passable rendition thereof and little else, but The PepperMill Café exceeded expectations. While not much to look at inside or out, the restaurant is deceptively spacious. Service is also both friendly and hyper-efficient, so while they keep busy, you won’t be waiting for anything very long here.

 

The PepperMill Café offers much of what you’d expect from a classic Greek-owned Southern diner, which means an appreciably large menu with a few Mediterranean-influenced dishes. From omelets and biscuits to pancakes, French toast, and waffles, they’ve got you covered. However, for those seeking something more novel, PepperMill also offers carrot cake pancakes and a kielbasa plate.

 

I satisfied my craving with two bananas foster pancakes/eggs/sausage. The pancakes were large without being too dense, the bananas were nicely caramelized, and the cream cheese butter made for a nice finishing touch. All told, it was a very satisfying forkful. Everything else was decent if less memorable, and pricing is reasonable.

 

I don’t know how the lunch offerings measure up, but for a sit-down breakfast, The PepperMill Café is a rock-solid option.

Sedgefield Bagels & Deli

 

Located at 5002-F High Point Road in Greensboro, Sedgefield Bagels & Deli offers bagels and sandwiches for lunch and dinner. It is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. Online ordering is available.

 

This Sedgefield shopping center spot has been home to a number of eateries over the years, and the recently-opened Sedgefield Bagels & Deli is the latest to try to stick. The sister location (Oak Ridge Bagels & Deli) seems to be doing well for itself, and the bagels themselves have the proper pedigree (Long Island by way of New Garden bagels), both of which are positive indicators.

 

Another check in the plus column: selection. There were plenty of bagel varieties to choose from when I stopped by this morning. The sandwich offerings include classic egg/cheese/meat or deli combinations, but there is also a willingness here to go outside the box. This includes embracing Southern ingredients (BBQ pork, pimento, hot honey) and upping the non-bagel offerings (everything from salads to loaded fries to Belgian waffles).

 

I stuck to the tried-and-true for my first visit and went with a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese on an everything. It was as tasty a rendition as I’ve had in the other New York-style bagel shops in the area, and at $6.49, it was slightly less than what High Point Bagel is charging these days.

 

As with most bagel shops, seating is limited, but Sedgefield Bagels does have a few tables at its disposal. Since they are new, this may be a pending addition, but a wall menu behind the counter would definitely improve the ordering process.

 

Given the quality (New Garden Bagels can do no wrong), variety, and convenience (about eight minutes from work), I am glad for Sedgefield Bagels’ arrival, and I hope they can last.

Poke Dream

 

Located at 274 Eastchester Drive #178 in High Point, Poke Dream offers poke and Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11 a.m. (noon on weekends) to 9:30 p.m. daily. Online ordering is available.

 

From gourmet cheesecake to now poke and ramen, this plaza on Eastchester is certainly getting interesting. Poke Dream is housed in a former Chinese takeout spot, and like its predecessor, it offers little seating. There, however, is where the similarities end. Bright, clean, and inviting, Poke Dream boasts friendly staff and an impressive menu. The appetizer offerings include various salads and dumplings while the poke bowl options let you fully customize your own (though the seven signature bowls are well worth investigating if you’re feeling indecisive). Moreover, Poke Dream offers ramen, a rarity for High Point. There’s even mochi ice cream for those who want a change-of-pace dessert.

 

I put in an online order for a seafood bowl (salmon, tuna, shrimp, crab salad, cucumber, carrot edamame, sweet soy, and spicy mayo) with a few apps and sides (crab Rangoon, char siew bao, and spicy Thai noodles) to share. Online ordering was convenient, and food was ready when it was supposed to be.

 

My poke bowl was a definite winner. The ingredients were fresh, the sauces imparted plenty of flavor, and everything mixed well. The portion size is certainly respectable though the fact that Ninja Café offers up more for less money with miso included calls into question its value.

 

Poke Bowl made a decidedly positive first impression, and I look forward to trying the ramen as the weather cools.

The Marvels

 

As the Kree home world Hala lays dying, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) seeks quantum bands that will allow her to create jump points that tear open the fabric of space and harness the power of the sun. She finds one, but the other is held on Earth by Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel. Spymaster Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) operates the space-based defense agency S.A.B.E.R. and sends Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Paris) to investigate a jump point while Carol “Captain Marvel” Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala’s idol and Monica’s estranged surrogate aunt, tracks Dar-Benn. When Monica approaches the jump point, she, Carol, and Kamala experience a quantum entanglement that causes them to switch places when they use their light-based powers. Amid this complication, Dar-Benn’s relentless pursuit of the other band, and Kamala’s worrying parents, the three marvels will have to find a way to work together.

 

Sometime during the past few years, “Marvel fatigue” metamorphosized from the sour grapes of elitists to a phenomenon much harder to deny. Delays, declining quality, runtime bloat, weird tonal shifts, and a general lack of vision have hampered MCU projects as of late. Add to that the lack of publicity stemming from recent Hollywood strikes, and The Marvels never really stood a chance. That makes it a victim of circumstance, undeserving of either anemic box office or critical scathing though even under more favorable conditions, it would still skew more adequate than impressive.

 

Director Nia DaCosta (who co-wrote the script), best known for indie debut Little Woods and the Candyman remake, seems an odd choice of director here, but it’s hard to fault her taut, fluid directorial work here. The titular leads play well off of one-another. In the Ms. Marvel streaming series, Vellani played Kamala with hyperactive enthusiasm, and while she starts in that mode here, she’s given more opportunities for depth and nuance here. Monica, dealing with the trauma of her mother’s death and Carol’s prolonged absence, is often thrust into being the responsible adult in the room, and Paris captures her frustration well. Larson, long unjustly derided as wooden, continues to be a more-than-capable Captain Marvel, and even when the material is below his ability, Samuel L. Jackson is never bad as Nick Fury.

 

On the other hand, Ashton, a newcomer, is utterly forgettable as Dar-Benn (following, sadly, in the way that previous films mangled the character’s predecessor, Ronan). At 105 minutes, The Marvels is mercifully tauter than recent MCU outings, but it also can’t help but feel somewhat disposable. The convoluted plot certainly won’t resonate. Flerkens (alien cats that can spawn a mouth full of tentacles) are back and feature prominently, but while they represent the “good” kind of crazy, the same cannot be said for an utterly contrived musical sequence that seems shoved in to give Larson a reason to sing.

 

For those who have felt themselves straining to maintain interest in recent Marvel projects, The Marvels’ lightness may be a refreshing change of pace. However, one can hope that it is but a stop on the elevator ride back up, not the new top floor.

Angry Troll Brewing

 

Located at 222 East Main Street in Elkin, Angry Troll Brewing is a brewhouse that serves beers made in-house and pub fare. It is open 4-11 Monday and Thursday, 11:30-midnight Friday and Saturday, 11:30-11 on Sunday, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Outdoor seating is available.

 

Angry Troll is essentially Foothills in the actual foothills in that it’s a spacious brewpub offering a solid lineup of taps and better-than-average bar food. It’s housed in a historic brick building with plenty of room. Despite the size, Angry Troll does keep busy, especially on game days, which can lead to a (thankfully not unreasonable) wait.

 

The menu here is about what you’d expect: fried apps, wings, nachos, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and pizzas. Add to that eight in-house beers (plus others available in bottles/cans), and you’ll likely find something that you like. Our personable and hard-working server, Virginia, was kind enough to offer a few suggestions.

 

It is in the quality of the food where Angry Troll stands apart. Fried pickles were cut into thin chips perfect for dipping. A BBQ chicken sandwich offered tender meat, lots of cheese, crispy bacon, and a slathering of aptly-named Sweet Heat sauce. It was a beast to eat, but it was worth every messy bite. My wife opted for a Southern Comfort burger featuring local beef, house-made pimento, and an onion ring, and it too proved tasty and satisfying.

 

Prices are moderate (burgers and sandwiches clock in at $9-$10 without sides), and the ambiance is casual. It’s a lively atmosphere with TVs everywhere, but it doesn’t get headache-inducingly loud.

 

All told, Angry Troll delivers well-executed food in a laid-back setting. It’s well worth a stop if you’re out Elkin way.

Justified: City Primeval

 

Years after leaving Kentucky for Florida, Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) is taking his daughter Willa (Vivian Olyphant, Timothy’s actual daughter) on a road trip when an encounter with a pair of dumb criminals prompts a detour to Detroit. There, Raylan butts heads with corrupt judge Alvin Guy (Keith David) and tough defense attorney Carolyn Wilder (Aunjanue Ellis). When Guy is murdered, Raylan joins Detroit police to catch the killer, who turns out to be Wilder’s client Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook), the Oklahoma Wildman. Things get even more complicated when Clement enlists his drug-addled girlfriend/accomplice Sandy (Adelaide Clemens) to dispose of the murder weapon, their friend Sweety (Vondie Curtis-Hall) sees an opportunity, and a group of Albanian gangsters comes seeking revenge.

 

City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit was the first Elmore Leonard novel I ever read and remains one of my favorites. It draws parallels between both criminal and cop who are ill-suited for a changing world and would be much more at home settling things with a duel in the streets. The cop of that book was Raymond Cruz (played in a cameo here by Paul Calderon, reprising his Out of Sight role), but substituting Raylan, he of the cowboy hat and shoot-first attitude, makes sense on paper. In practice, it’s an odd fit. The series as a whole definitely has its moments, but the inevitable comparisons to its inspirations (the aforementioned novel and Justified’s original, Kentucky-based run) do it no favors.

 

For starters, most of the original series’ non-Raylan cast is absent (sans a few final episode cameos), and Raylan himself often feels sidelined. This is justifiable (pun unintended) to an extent (he’s in unfamiliar territory and thus must tamp down his bravado), but the elder Olyphant’s talents feel wasted for how often he is asked to look bewildered. Whereas the original show could get quite dark, it also had uproariously funny dialogue and plenty of dumb criminals to mock. Here, we’re entreated to a fairly grim world, and while there are still pockets of humor to be found, there’s nary a Dewey Crowe in sight.

 

Even though the Justified elements feel decidedly off, the creative team (including original series director Michael Dinner) did a commendable job of contemporizing the novel. As with the book-to-show transformation of Boyd Crowder, Mansell here is a less boorish and more charismatic figure. He’s still a violent, impetuous killer, extortionist, and thief, but he’s also an aspiring musician, and Holbrook plays him with aplomb. Wilder’s character is also greatly expanded, and while the book version came across as a self-assured street-dumb lawyer playing with fire, Ellis’s take is smarter, hardier, and more sympathetic. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the show’s writing is Marcus “Sweety” Sweeton. In both book and show, he’s a bar owner with criminal connections affiliated with Mansell and reluctantly caught between him and the police. Here, however, he’s also a veteran musician, a father figure to Carolyn, and a man who sees all the angles. Curtis-Hall gives him both a palpable sense of regret and a quiet dignity. For as strong as these performances are, however, Vivian Olyphant and Joseph Anthony Bird (as Sweety’s partner), struggle at times to keep up with the more experienced cast around them.

 

If The Many Saints of Newark is the nadir of beloved series continuations (though that was a prequel), then Justified: City Primeval benefits from not leaving nearly as bad a taste in series fans’ mouths. It’s solidly made, but it does more to remind us of what we’ve missed rather than filling the void.

PiesOn. Pizza Co.

 

Located at 275 North Elm Street in the Stock + Grain Assembly food hall in Downtown High Point, PiesOn offers New York-style pizza, appetizers, sandwiches, and desserts. It opens at 11 daily and closes at 9 Monday-Wednesday, 10 on Thursday, 11 on Friday and Saturday, and 7 on Sunday. Online ordering is available.

 

PiesOn’s unofficial motto should be “Pizza by people who know what they are doing.” The owner, Stephen, also owns Times Square Pizza in Lexington while his wife’s family owns Elizabeth’s Pizza in High Point. There’s a pizza pedigree here going back generations, and it shows in the final product: quality toppings, good sauce, and a crust that is neither burned nor tastes like cardboard. As a New Jersey native, I often ratchet down my pizza expectations. Here, I don’t have to. I’d go as far as to say that PiesOn. is the one Stock + Grain establishment that is completely worth the food hall’s inflated prices that I often grumble about (12-inch pies are $18-$19).

 

While competent execution would be a strong lure in its own right, PiesOn. also benefits from a tantalizing and creative menu. You can still go classic (pizza margherita, a meatball parm sub, and wings are among the offerings) here, but for those looking to mix things up, PiesOn. also offers Havana-topped (ham/cheese/pickles/mustard) fries, a brie/honey/fig/thyme white pizza, and even an inverted pizza. Several of the menu items are Stranger Things shout-outs (the meaty Vecna and the Hawaiian Surfer Boy), and there are vegetarian options as well.

 

For our first visit, my wife and I opted for the Seek & Destroy (spicy soppressata/grape tomato/chili oil) and the Don Dom (white pizza with roasted garlic cream sauce, mortadella, arugula, pistachio, and burrata). Both were served fresh and were very flavorful. The chili oil wasn’t burn-your-mouth intense, but it added a welcome kick. The garlic cream/arugula combo here is right up there with the Let It Ride (shallot cream/collards) at Sticks n Stones – the pistachio adds a hint of sweetness.

 

There are other places around that offer perfectly decent pizza for less, but if I want pizza that really impresses, I may have to make PiesOn. my go-to.

Element Gastropub

 

Located at 421 Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh, Element Gastropub serves vegan cuisine, craft beers, and cocktails from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11-10 Saturday and Sunday. Food specials change regularly and there’s a brunch on weekends. Online ordering, outdoor seating, group reservations, and catering are available.

 

Conceptually, a plant-based gastropub screams “trying to be trendy,” but Element has been alive and thriving long enough to evade charges of faddishness. Its location — across from the City Center Marriot and a short walk from the Convention Center – is both a blessing and a curse: its proximate to everything but also in the thick of a restaurant-heavy area. Granted, none offers exactly what Element does, but unless you are specifically seeking vegan fare, it may not top your list.

 

Should you forgo the patio, Element offers an interior that suits its concept well: green trim (for the plant-based menu) and a “beer”iodic table graphic that add to a casual (read: seat yourself), comfortable atmosphere. There’s also a wall of taps, which looks impressive but may not include every draft advertised (it took my wife three beer requests to find one they weren’t out of).

 

Element’s menu is classic pub fare – apps, salads, burgers, and sandwiches – though the specials may get a bit more adventurous. My wife and I opted for a Carolina BBQ sandwich and a Nashville Hot Chickn sandwich, respectively, both with fries as our side.

 

As other reviewers noted, the kitchen here is a bit slow. The wait for our food wasn’t ridiculous, but it was long enough to be noticeable. The fries, however, were worth it. Element does them in a malt vinegar powder, and they came out perfectly crisp and addictively good. Ask for a side of ranch, and you’ll get a delicious, herby (mmm…dill) homemade concoction. The BBQ sandwich will raise the hackles of smoke-seeking purists, but it was perfectly tasty in its own right.

 

In lieu of a Nashville Hot sandwich, however, I ended up with a plain crispy chickn: no pickles, no sauce, no heat. The texture – faux meat is often hit-or-miss – was fine, but flavor was lacking. Our apologetic server offered a replacement, but having already taken a bite to confirm I wasn’t hallucinating, I opted to simply apply some Texas Pete.

Element’s atmosphere and location score points in its favor, and as a meat-eater, I didn’t find myself missing the real thing eating here. That said, I would probably only return for the outstanding fries.

Ghassan's Fresh Mediterranean Eats

Located at 6027 West Gate City Boulevard in Greensboro, Ghassan’s offers Mediterranean cuisine from 11-9 Monday-Saturday (closed Sundays). Online ordering and catering are available.

 

The newest location of this Greensboro institution opened recently in the Grandover Village shopping center near Publix. Those who have been to the Battleground or Cornwallis locations (or the old Coliseum-area spot) will find few surprises here. For the uninitiated, Ghassan’s serves up thoroughly average food quickly and affordably.

 

Though it doesn’t boast a huge menu, Ghassan’s offers a fair amount of flexibility. You can go light with a salad, hummus, or falafel bites, dig into a sandwich or pita, or load up on a bowl or platter. Meats include spiced chicken, kofte, and gyro (as well as a steak sub), but there are plenty of vegetarian options as well.

 

Seeking a lighter meal that would still leave me a little left over, I opted for a gyro pita with zaatar fries and added a side of tabouleh. Online ordering was easy, and Ghassan’s prices are wallet friendly ($9 for the gyro and a side, $1 more for the tabouleh). Everything was ready and waiting on a pick-up shelf when I got there.

 

For as efficient and convenient as Ghassan’s is, the food is, on average, merely OK. The zaatar fries (crispy and nicely seasoned) are quite good, but the tabouleh didn’t distinguish itself, and the gyro was bland. Unless you are brand-new to the Greensboro/Jamestown/High Point area and made Ghassan’s your first stop, you’ve likely had better Mediterranean food elsewhere.

 

All told, Ghassan’s is a great place to grab a quick and healthy lunch, but if you have the time to sit down and enjoy your meal, there are stronger contenders.

 

Asteroid City

 

In the 1950s, a television host (Bryan Cranston) introduces an adaptation of the play Asteroid City by esteemed playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton). Set at a military science installation in the desert, the play is centered on a Junior Stargazer convention to honor the inventive wizardry of a group of teen geniuses. They are joined by their parents - the emotionally numb war photographer and recent widower Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman), the famous yet guarded actress Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), and others – as well as June Douglas’s (Maya Hawke) elementary school class, singing cowboy Montana (Rupert Friend) and his band, the astronomer Dr. Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton), Augie’s disgruntled father-in-law Stanley (Tom Hanks), a motel manager (Steve Carell), and General Gibson (Jeffrey Wright), who is overseeing the convention. Another arrival (from the skies) upends the status quo for everyone. Meanwhile, amid scenes from the play, the playwright and lead actor foster a relationship while the director (Adrien Brody) loses one.

 

Wes Anderson’s latest film bears many of his trademarks: precocious yet alienated kids, nostalgia, a huge ensemble cast, an Alexandre Desplat score, and a distinctive visual style (the play scenes are in bright, highly saturated color while the frame story/interludes are in sharp black and white). To this, he adds hearty doses of retrofuturism, pandemic quarantine metaphors, and metatextual commentary on the process of creation. It is, like most of Anderson’s oeuvre, divisive (one person’s artistry is another’s puzzling pretension), and, truth be told, less than the sum of its parts, but for anyone with any appreciation for Anderson’s usual tricks, there is still a lot to like here.

 

For starters, the film handles its insanely talented cast well. Even the smaller roles are memorable and distinctive (a barely recognizable Carell fills in for a missing Bill Murray). These include all of the above plus Matt Dillon as a mechanic of questionable competence and Margot Robbie (barely recognizable as well) as an actress whose scene was cut. In some cases, the casting gleefully subverts expectations: Swinton, who so capably portrays an ice queen, is warm and encouraging as she bonds with the stargazers while the oft-genial Hanks gives Harrison Ford a run in the grumpiness department. The constant deadpanning is a source of humor (along with recurring visual puns like a never-ending police chase and a Looney Tunes-appropriate roadrunner), but though many characters are exaggerated in one way or another, those with the greatest presence also have the greatest complexity. Schwartzman plays Augie as enigmatically detached yet Augie’s actor Jones Hall in his usual anxious manner, trying desperately to find an “in” into the character. Johansson’s Midge, the subject of exploitation as well as adulation, is deeply unhappy despite her fame.

 

While the quirky characters and the striking aesthetics are enough to hold our attention, Asteroid City is narratively underbaked. The circumstances that bore it (COVID quarantine and its resulting detachment) left an imprint on the production, but the film never really rises to full-on satire. While the interlude scenes provide context for the audience, they also rob the play-within-the-movie of scenes that may potentially help it gel. Perhaps as an overcorrection, the cast awkwardly chants a mantra at the end. “You can’t wake up if you don’t fall asleep” isn’t an unworthy message though the delivery leaves something to be desired.

 

Asteroid City will not win over any Wes Anderson converts and may even test the patience of his fans, but it is worth seeing for the cast alone. It may not hold up to a lot of scrutiny, but then again, neither did the Atomic Age sci-fi that it artfully evokes.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

 

In 1944, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and fellow archeologist Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) retrieve half of Archimedes’ Dial, a device believed to reveal fissures in time, from Nazi scientist Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). In 1969, a newly retired Jones receives a visit from Shaw’s daughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who is seeking the dial despite the fact that it drove her father mad. Voller is also in pursuit, and thanks to his contributions to the American space program, he has CIA protection. Soon, Indy finds himself thrust into adventures he thought were behind him.

 

The fifth and presumably final Indiana Jones film boasts new faces in the director’s chair (James Mangold, who also co-wrote the script – George Lucas and Steven Spielberg served as consultants) and among the cast but is otherwise as throwback as throwback gets. The Dial of Destiny walks a thin line between satisfying nostalgia and shameless call-back obsession, but despite its flaws, it’s an entertaining film more times than not.

 

From Nazi villains to an overmatched archeology colleague to a Short Roundesque kid sidekick to a hulking villainous henchman, The Dial of Destiny tries to cram as many of the series staples into one film as it can get away with. Even Helena – a much younger woman – is suspiciously similar (quick-thinking, adventurous, and morally questionable at times) to the Indy of earlier films (albeit with a welcome dose of British snark). Mercifully, in its thirst to ape the past, the film doesn’t neglect Ford’s age. He’s (convincingly) digitally de-aged for the opening World War II sequence, but for the bulk of the film, he’s old, grumpy, complaining about various maladies, and (rather poignantly) saddened by losses. He still dons the hat and cracks the whip, but when Voller (a cold, bitter antagonist role that Mikkelsen plays with ease) suggests that the world has passed men like them by, he isn’t exactly wrong.

 

The lack of novelty extends beyond characterization and plotting though when it comes to the film’s production and aesthetics, this is hardly a grievance. The globe-hopping settings (France to New York to the Mediterranean) are eye-catching, and Mangold’s polished, fluid direction helps the film feel shorter than its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. A nonagenarian John Williams provides the score, and he hasn’t lost his touch. On the other hand, the film’s chase sequences feel a bit rote and the one true bit of innovation – a climactic battle scene toward the end made possible via time travel shenanigans – is ridiculous even by this franchise’s standards.

 

If it truly is the last film in the series (Waller-Bridge’s Helena could easy take up the mantle), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny isn’t exactly a grand finale. It’s a step up from the much-maligned Kingdom of the Crystal Skull but lags squarely behind the first and third films. However, it gives Ford a chance to reprise an iconic role without looking silly doing so, and there is enough of a classic feel here to give series fans a satisfying note of closure. 

Kapadokia Grill

 

Located at 5814 West Gate City Boulevard in Greensboro, Kapadokia Grill offers Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday. Online ordering is available.

 

This building beside the ABC Store in the Sedgefield area has been home to several eateries over the years, and given the prior tenants, a Turkish restaurant is definitely something different. Staying power and consistency are long-term question marks, but Kapadokia Grill has made a very favorable first impression.

 

For those well-versed in Mediterranean fare, you’ll find familiar favorites such as kebabs, falafel, and hummus. However, Kapadokia Grill also offers a few dishes not as readily available elsewhere. These include gozleme (cheesy flatbread) and tarator (a beet/yogurt/herb dip). There are plenty of vegetarian options, and for those with a sweet tooth, baklava and Hershey’s ice cream (a holdover from the previous tenant).

 

Hoping to try a little bit of everything and make our order last for a few meals, we went with a Kapadokia Sampler (kibbeh, cheese rolls, falafel, tahini), a Mezze Sampler (any four mezze selections – ours were baba ganoush, spicy red feta, tabuleh, and dolmas), and a small Doner Kebab (with rice, a tomato/onion/cabbage salad, pita, and Turkish salsa). I ordered online and everything was ready by the estimated pickup time. The owners seemed friendly, and a display case of sides near the register was a reassuring sight.

 

The food, overall, was good with the potential to become great. All of the apps in the sampler were tasty and offered a welcome crunch. While the baba ganoush may not top Odeh’s, it was quite good in its own right: creamy with a hint of smokiness. The tabuleh had an herb/vegetable-to-wheat ratio that heavily favored the former, which made for a light yet savory bite. Speaking of savory, the thin slices of kebab meat were very nicely seasoned. On the other hand, while the “spicy” red feta did have a slightly sweet red pepper flavor, it wasn’t the least bit spicy. The pita here is much thicker than what you’ll find elsewhere, closer to a pide bread. One of our rounds was a bit overdone, but it was still well-suited for dipping.

 

Kapadokia Grill is a welcome addition to the Adams Farm/Sedgefield area and well worth a visit for anyone who enjoys Mediterranean cuisine or simply wants to try something new.

Savor the Moment

Located at 274 Eastchester Drive in High Point, Savor the Moment Dessert Café offers cheesecake treats and coffee drinks from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. There is limited seating inside and out. Online ordering and catering are available as are premium memberships with monthly discounts.

 

Operated by the same folks who own Savor the Moment Bakery in Greensboro, the High Point branch offers a somewhat different concept. The focus here is on customizable stuffed cheesecakes, so don’t come looking for cakes or cookies. It’s a premise that may have a more limited appeal, but it also offers something different.

 

The stuffed cheesecakes are essentially cheesecake slices covered in a crispy shell and topped with whatever fruits, sauces, and crunchy things you desire. A la Coldstone, you can customize to your heart’s content or choose from more than a dozen preset options. There are also minis and cake sundaes/parfaits as well as hot coffee.

 

At $8.95 for most of the offerings, the stuffed cheesecakes aren’t cheap, but if you have the calories to spare, they are worth it. I went with a cherry pie (graham cracker shell topped with cherry pie filling) touched up with white chocolate and Oreo pieces. The cream cheese cheesecake base is dense and a bit tangy, but the toppings provided plenty of sweetness. There was also a very satisfying textural balance between creamy and crunchy.

 

Savor the Moment offers a clean, well-appointed, open space, and the folks who work here are kind. If and when the business grows, it could do with more seating (and more days open), but for now, it’s a welcome weekend treat destination. 

The World and All That It Holds

 

Rafael Pinto, a young Bosnian Sephardic Jewish doctor, steps away from his father’s pharmacy to see Archduke Franz Ferdinand shot and the world irrevocably altered. Plunged headfirst into the horrors of war, Pinto ends up finding the love of his life in a fellow soldier, Osman. Though enemy soldiers and political intrigue threatens them at every turn, together they fight for survival and a shared future.

 

Aleksandar Hemon’s latest novel is among his most ambitious, spanning not only decades and continents but languages as well. Though written primarily in English, The World and All That It Holds mixes in untranslated Bosnian, German, and even Ladino (“Spanjol”). To further complicate matters, Pinto is also a habitual opium user, and the line between the story’s reality and fever dream/hallucination can be tenuous.

 

All of this makes for a challenging read, but for the patient, there are rewards: the tenderness of Pinto and Osman’s relationship (and, later, that of Pinto and his adopted daughter Rahela’s) amid the savagery of their circumstances, their striking contrasts (Pinto is introspective, soulful, and sensitive but also downbeat while Osman is brave and bold, and whether in the flesh or in imagined memory, constantly an encouraging presence), richly rendered settings (from the Sarajevo of a century ago to Shanghai on the cusp of a Japanese invasion), and Hemon’s distinctively lyrical prose.

 

There are, however, frustrations as well, the biggest one of which is the intrusion of an author-narrator commenting on the historicity of Pinto’s tale. Granted, The World and All That It Holds is steeped in the telling of folktales, and so adding a meta layer makes sense, but it also makes for a somewhat incongruous presence, especially in the epilogue. A further disruption comes courtesy of a British spy who crosses paths with Pinto and seems imported from a Graham Greene novel, an amusingly larger-than-life character who nevertheless seems tonally out-of-place here.

 

The World and All That It Holds is far from an ideal entry point to Hemon’s work, and those well versed in it may miss some of his more constrained earlier efforts, but there is still plenty to appreciate in the spectacle he’s created here.

Damn Good Dogs

 

Located at 275 Elm Street in the Stock and Grain Food Hall in Downtown High Point, Damn Good Dogs offers hot dogs, burgers, and fries. It is open from 11-8 Monday-Thursday, 11-9 Friday and Saturday, and 11-6 on Sunday.

 

On food alone, Damn Good Dogs lives up to its name. It offers five gourmet dogs (in New York, Philly, or Carolina styles, topped with bacon, or topped with chili and cheese), single and double burgers, and a few vegan options as well. I went with a New Yorker: sweet onions, kraut, and spicy brown mustard. It was well-dressed (any dog that doesn't have you reaching for napkins is sad), the bun was soft, and the dog had a nice slightly smoky flavor.

 

Pointing out that Stock and Grain prices run high is beating a dead horse at this point, but even by those standards, $6 for a not-very-large hot dog was a reach.

 

If you have a craving and don’t mind the overpay, Damn Good Dogs won’t let you down in the flavor department. Chances are, however, that you can get your hot dog fix more cheaply elsewhere.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

 

Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) is struggling to keep her identity as Spider-Woman hidden from her police captain father George (Shea Whigham) when they encounter a villain displaced from another universe. Gwen is recruited by Miguel O’Hara/Spiderman 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, themselves from alternate universes, to help them track down such anomalies. Meanwhile, in yet another universe, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) finds that his activities as Spider-Man have made him appear secretive and distant to his concerned parents. His problems are compounded when Dr. Jonathan Ohm/The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a scientist whose body became infused with spot-like portals following a lab accident, blames Spider-Man for his disfigurement and vows to make him suffer.

 

The follow-up to 2018’s successful Into the Spiderverse, Across the Spiderverse is nothing if not ambitious. It’s the longest American animated feature, and it’s packed to the gills with alternate versions of Spider-Man from the British anarchist Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) to Spider-Man India (Karan Soni) to the classic Peter Parker (Jake Johnson, playing him as a middle-aged dad). Each universe explored has its own distinctive art style, and the film is a treasure trove of easter eggs and references to comic book lore. As such, Across the Spiderverse walks a thin line between being a labor of love for Spider-fans and a study in excess.

 

The central idea here is one of fatedness: would the Spider-heroes be the heroes they are if they were not shaped by tragedy? Miles seems determined to find out, but for Miguel, privy to deeper losses than the average Uncle Ben, it’s too dangerous a possibility to ponder. This is both mature turf for an animated comic book adaptation and a conceit on the verge of becoming hackneyed (The upcoming Flash movie is the latest of several properties to play around with the consequences of disrupting fate to prevent tragedy).

 

This weightiness and Isaac’s intense voice performance aside, Across the Spiderverse still manages to be solidly entertaining. The animation is varied and kinetic, taking us everywhere from a Lego dimension to a teeming Mumbattan of Spider-Man India’s realm. The early Spot sequences are pure slapstick as Ohm is a bungler who has no idea how his powers work, but a later escape sequence is full of tension-pumping adrenaline.

 

Across the Spiderverse is the middle film in a planned trilogy, and it ends on a shamelessly blatant cliffhanger, a frustrating lack off payoff for the 140-minute run-time. And yet, it offers hope that the next installment can be entertaining and visually daring just the same. 

Basil Cafe & Catering

Located at 215 East Lexington Avenue in High Point, Basil Café & Catering offers soups, salads, sandwiches, and more. It is open from 10:30-3 Monday-Wednesday, 10:30-9 Thursday-Saturday, and closed Sunday. Food specials change daily.

 

This small spot at Lexington and Hamilton has all the makings of a sleeper hit. It’s clean and more spacious than it appears from the outside. While the menu is somewhat limited and a bit basic, the daily specials (which include entrees and desserts) show more flair. Prices are affordable, and Sherry, the owner, is friendly and upbeat.

For my first visit, I took a chicken pesto flatbread and cherry cobbler (both daily specials) to go and was not disappointed. The flatbread (chicken, pesto, tomatoes, onion, and mozzarella) was excellent: tasty pesto, juicy chicken, melty cheese, and fresh flavors all around. The cherry cobbler, while less memorable, was still quite satisfying.

 

All told, Basil Café is a very promising lunch option that should not be overlooked. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

 

Seeking revenge of her humiliation at the Guardians of the Galaxy’s hands, Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), high priestess of the Sovereign, sends her artificially created son Adam (Will Poulter) after them. The Guardians are able to drive him away, but Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) is badly wounded in the process. Saving his life requires stealing a code from his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who sees Rocket as property that he is intent on reclaiming as the evolved raccoon’s capacity for ingenuity is key to his plan to build a utopia for his “perfected” biological experiments.

 

The last Marvel movie from writer/director James Gunn before he left to take over DC Studios, Guardians Vol. 3 appears to follow other recent MCU missteps: it’s long (two and a half hours), and it attempts to inject a darker tone and weighty issues (animal cruelty, in this case) into a franchise known for humor. And yet thanks to Gunn’s creative vision and the ensemble cast’s efforts, the film largely works anyway.

 

The two lynchpins of previous Guardians films are humor and heart, and both can be found here. Vol. 3 is both irreverent – Chris Pratt’s Peter “Star-Lord” Quill shamelessly bluffs his way past a receptionist during an infiltration mission and has some rather creative insults for the High Evolutionary while Dave Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer remains obliviously insensitive as ever – and sentimental with the edge of the former preventing the latter from seeming too cloying or cheesy (except, perhaps, at the very end). Perhaps it is the franchise’s facility with juggling multiple tones that allows it to absorb the unabashed horror of exploring Rocket’s backstory: a normal raccoon painfully experimented upon and threatened with destruction for not meeting an impossibly high standard. Even though these moments of animal abuse don’t crater the entire film, they do seem exploitatively protracted.

 

Gunn’s excesses aside, he still produced a stylish film that feels shorter than its run time. The soundtrack is less awash in 70s pop than that of the preceding two films. Though that decade is still represented (via Heart, Bruce Springsteen, and Earth, Wind, and Fire), the eclectic mix also includes the likes of Radiohead, Faith No More, and the Beastie Boys.

 

Most of the Guardians cast has been playing their roles for several outings now, but a change in narrative focus helps keep their performances from feeling stale. Quill is, thankfully, no longer in the spotlight, Nebula (Karen Gillan) gains a personality beyond merely being mean, and Drax is finally allowed to be more than comic relief once again. Cooper and Sean Gunn (motion capture) help transform Rocket from a mere mechanically-inclined cynical hothead into a highly sympathetic figure. There are, of course, smaller returning characters that have minimal presence: Ayesha is somehow even more ineffectual here, and Sylvester Stallone’s space pirate Stakar has only two brief scenes.

 

The newcomers leave an impression as well, albeit one that is quite different from their source material. As Adam Warlock, Poulter is powerful but also naïve and childlike. Iwuji’s take on the High Evolutionary replicates the first Guardians movie’s defilement of Ronan the Accuser: strip out the comic book character’s redeeming qualities and crank up the hammy evil. The film version shares an obsession with achieving utopian perfection, but he’s also petty, sadistic, and cruel.

 

If this is the last Guardians film – and let’s hope, for sake of quality control, that it is – then Vol. 3 brings the franchise to a memorable end. It is a far more draining experience than the first or even the emotionally heavy second outing, but it never completely loses its sense of fun.

The Basics

 

Located at 319 North Front Street in Downtown Wilmington, The Basics serves upscale Southern cuisine. It is open for breakfast (8-10:45 on weekdays), lunch (11:15-3 daily), dinner (5-9 Monday-Saturday), and weekend brunch (10-3 Saturday and Sunday). There is a full bar, and food specials change daily. Online reservations and ordering are available.

 

My wife and I were looking for a nice breakfast/brunch spot for our anniversary, and The Basics, a five-minute walk from where we were staying, seemed to fit the bill. It’s got exposed brick and vintage stools that exude retro charm. Add to that an amiable server and Led Zeppelin in the background, and The Basics provided a great atmosphere.

 

The menu offered plenty to choose from, and we ultimately went with migas (potato cake as the side) and the daily omelet (blueberry pancake on the side). Ultimately, the food rated as good, not great. The omelet (sausage, potato, vegetables) was hearty and satisfying. The pancake was tasty (good blueberry flavor) as well albeit dense and crisp rather than light and fluffy. The potato cake was more akin to a mashed potato puff, definitely not bad in its own right but perplexing for anyone expecting anything latke-esque. Accompanying biscuits were small and dry.

 

While we weren’t wowed by The Basics, we’re still glad that we gave the restaurant a try. The food doesn’t reach the level of the atmosphere and service (or its price point, for that matter), but it isn’t a liability, either.