Superman

A few years into his superhero career, Superman (David Corenswet) intervenes to stop the nation of Boravia from invading its neighbor Jarhanpur. In doing so, he falls into a trap set by Boravia’s financial backer, tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). Luthor uses his metahuman pawn Ultraman to attack the hero physically while launching a media campaign to turn public opinion against him. At the same time, Superman’s relationship (as his civilian alter ego Clark Kent) with fellow reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) is fraying, and he is forced to question his purpose.

For as often as he’s been adapted, Superman is a deceptively difficult character to do well. Faithful takes risk being stale and insipid while conspicuous attempts to try something different risk alienating the audience. But if there is anyone equipped to handle this balancing act, it is writer-director James Gunn, who brings both knowledge of and appreciation for the source material as well as a well-honed sense of how to make a movie fun. His version of Superman isn’t without its divisive aspects, but it’s also fresh and entertaining.

A good deal of how well this movie works can be chalked up to its impeccable casting. Corenswet (an actor of Jewish descent finally playing an allegorical Moses) bears more than a passing resemblance to the beloved Christopher Reeve. His version of Clark/Kal-El is still idealistic and powerful but also relatably human. Brosnahan’s quick-witted, resourceful Lois shows the character at her journalistic best, and the Daily Planet as a whole comes across as more relevant here than in some adaptations. Wendell Pierce as Perry White and Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olson honor the classic versions of the characters. Something of a novelty for a Superman film, Clark’s super-allies are also given a chance to shine. Spinoff bait as they may be, Edi Gathegi and Nathan Fillion are in good form as Mr. Terrific Michael Holt (a bored tech genius) and Green Lantern Guy Gardener (an abrasive space cop with a terrible haircut). Previous Gunn films were known for balancing humor and earnestness with an incredibly vile antagonist, and that trend continues here. Hoult’s version of Luthor lacks the camp of Gene Hackman or the upbeat quirkiness of Jesse Eisenberg. He’s instead a toxic brew of selfishness, intellect, smug superiority, and petty jealousy, and Hoult nails it.

For as well-cast and performed as these characters are, the sheer number of them in a two-hour movie can feel overwhelming, especially to viewers unfamiliar with the source material. The Fortress of Solitude robots and Metamorpho might get nods of approval from comic books fans, but they may also leave casual viewers wondering if they missed something.

Beyond that and a few tired set pieces – a city-leveling fight against a giant monster feels like a cliché at this point – there is little room for complaint. Superman is bright and colorful, Gunn’s direction is energetic, and the Boravia-Jarhanpur conflict echoes enough of Russia-Ukraine (and Luthor of a Silicon Valley type) to strike a relevant chord without being obnoxiously polemical.

If you’re completely over superhero films or never enjoyed them to begin with, Superman isn’t likely to make you change your mind. But if you’re looking for something to rekindle any affinity (for the genre, the character, or even for some degree of hopefulness), it just might.

Smitty's Grille

 

Located at 838 South Main Street in Kernersville, Smitty’s Grille specializes in seafood. It is open from 4-9 Monday-Wednesday, 4-9:30 on Thursday, 4-10 Friday-Saturday, and closed Sunday. There is a full bar, specials change daily, and patio seating is available.

Smitty’s is a difficult place to properly rate. In terms of what it brings to Kernersville, it’s a breath of fresh air, a fun place to grab a drink, and a reliable source of seafood options. At the same time, if you’ve traveled a bit, you’ll recognize Smitty’s as a worse version of what you can find elsewhere.

Despite the unassuming shopping center location, Smitty’s atmosphere definitely stands out. The netting and pirate flags on the walls help reinforce a beach/nautical theme. There are also a variety of seating options from traditional tables inside and out to a seat along a wraparound bar.

The menu here offers chicken and steaks, but seafood is the star. You can get it in a sandwich, in a fried platter, in a pasta dish, in a taco, in a rice bowl….you get the idea. While there may not be many types of fish to choose from, the number of permutations still offers plenty of variety.

My wife and I opted to split a fried pickles appetizer and a fried platter with flounder, popcorn shrimp, oysters, potatoes, and broccoli. Our food came up relatively quickly, and it was hot and fresh.

The quality, however, rated as largely just OK. The pickles were nice and crisp, but the accompanying remoulade had a confusing sweet note (relish, maybe?). The “famous” potatoes were buttery though they would have benefited from some herbs. The flounder was thinly breaded. Both the shrimp and oysters were good and paired nicely with the accompanying tartar and cocktail sauces.

At $9 for the app and $26 for the pick three fried platter (including a $4 upcharge for oysters), Smitty’s pricing is higher than you’d expect for its atmosphere. Servers seemed friendly enough.

If you’re in Kernersville with a seafood craving, Smitty’s has a lot to offer even if the quality is hit or miss. However, if you’re willing to drive twenty-something minutes, Full Moon does a better version of much of what you can find here.

Young Cardinal Cafe

 

Located at 424 4^th Street in Downtown Winston-Salem, Young Cardinal specializes in breakfast/brunch and cocktails. It is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Specials change regularly, and patio dining is available.

I had been wanting to try Young Cardinal for quite some time, but it always seemed so busy. During our most recent Winston trip, however, my wife and I decided to bite the bullet and endure whatever wait we had to. Fortunately, it wasn’t a long one: the quoted fifteen-to-twenty minutes ended up being more like twelve. We ended up with a patio table perfect for people-watching (and likely not as loud as inside the restaurant would have been).

Young Cardinal’s menu offers up pancakes, waffles, omelets, bowls, and benedicts (among other things) for breakfast as well as sandwiches and salads for lunch. The biscuits/benedicts/omelets offer a good deal of customizability, including vegetarian options. There is also an assortment of coffee drinks, including several spiked coffees.

After briefly contemplating the French toast of the day (a bread pudding inspired concoction with a cherry glaze – probably amazing but more dessert than brunch entrée), I opted for the hot honey chicken and pimento Benedict with hash browns as the side while my wife went with the Young Cardinal breakfast (eggs hard fried, bacon, grits, and a biscuit with a side of gravy) and a millionaire’s coffee (Irish cream, Kahlua, Frangelico, whipped cream). Given how busy Young Cardinal was, we were expecting a bit of a wait for our food, but thankfully, that proved not to be the case. Service here is remarkably efficient and pleasant as well.

 

The food was good though had I been more ravenously hungry and subjected to a longer wait for it, I might have been more critical. The Benedict was nicely plated with the eggs done just right. The chicken cutlets were a bit thin, but they delivered the expected flavors (spicy and sweet). My wife appreciated the hard cook on the eggs and enjoyed everything on the plate. Pricing was moderate: $17 apiece for our dishes.

I don’t know if the other Andrews Group establishments run as tight a ship as this, but with food and service as good as they are here, it isn’t hard to see why Young Cardinal always seems to draw a crowd.

Breakfast Brunch

Located at 4623 West Gate City Boulevard in the Sedgefield Crossing Shopping Center in Greensboro, Breakfast Brunch serves diner fare and all-day breakfast. It is open from 7-8 Monday-Saturday and 7-3 on Sunday. Family meals are available.

Laugh at the name all you want, but Breakfast Brunch offers some seriously good eats for its price point. It’s housed in a former Mexican restaurant, and the walls retain the same bright palette (reds and yellows and oranges) albeit with some farm-inspired décor. This fusion approach – a Southern diner with Mexican influences – can be found across the menu as well. Breakfast offerings include the omelets, biscuits, and pancakes you’d expect from the former, along with sandwiches, salads, fried fish, and pastas later in the day. Any place that offers chicken and waffles, fettuccine carbonara, and quesadillas has variety going for it at the very least.

For my first visit, I opted for one of the chef’s specials: the breakfast molcajete. Served in the namesake sizzling stone mortar, it came loaded with homefries, onions, tomatoes, chorizo, smoked sausage, peppers, cheese, and two eggs cooked to order (scrambled in my case). The portion was huge. As it easily yielded two meals, the $11 price felt like a steal. However, this wasn’t a case of quantity above all: it was quite tasty too. The potatoes were crisp and well-seasoned while the chorizo added a spicy kick. Throw in prompt and polite service, and Breakfast Brunch seems like a winner for anyone seeking better-than-average diner food.

Located at 4623 West Gate City Boulevard in the Sedgefield Crossing Shopping Center in Greensboro, Breakfast Brunch serves diner fare and all-day breakfast. It is open from 7-8 Monday-Saturday and 7-3 on Sunday. Family meals are available.

Laugh at the name all you want, but Breakfast Brunch offers some seriously good eats for its price point. It’s housed in a former Mexican restaurant, and the walls retain the same bright palette (reds and yellows and oranges) albeit with some farm-inspired décor. This fusion approach – a Southern diner with Mexican influences – can be found across the menu as well. Breakfast offerings include the omelets, biscuits, and pancakes you’d expect from the former, along with sandwiches, salads, fried fish, and pastas later in the day. Any place that offers chicken and waffles, fettuccine carbonara, and quesadillas has variety going for it at the very least.

 

For my first visit, I opted for one of the chef’s specials: the breakfast molcajete. Served in the namesake sizzling stone mortar, it came loaded with home fries, onions, tomatoes, chorizo, smoked sausage, peppers, cheese (feta, which actually worked in this dish, strangely enough), and two eggs cooked to order (scrambled in my case). The portion was huge. As it easily yielded two meals, the $11 price felt like a steal. However, this wasn’t a case of quantity above all: it was quite tasty too. The potatoes were crisp and well-seasoned while the chorizo added a spicy kick. Throw in prompt and polite service, and Breakfast Brunch seems like a winner for anyone seeking better-than-average diner food.

Paris Banh Mi

 

Located at 2703 West Gate City Boulevard in Greensboro, Paris Banh Mi serves Vietnamese sandwiches, coffees, and desserts. It is open from 9-8 every day except for Tuesday. Online ordering and delivery are available.

In need of a quick meal near the Colosseum, I decided to give Paris Banh Mi a try. Knowing that the gold standard of banh mis (Saigon) was just up the road, I entered this chain eatery with lowered expectations. While Ban Mi Paris’s rendition of its signature sandwich doesn’t compare favorably, it still offered a good overall experience.

If nothing else, Paris Banh Mi has menu variety in its favor. In addition to the titular sandwich, there are sandwiches on croissant buns, Korean corn dogs, apps, teas (regular and milk/bubble), coffees, vermicelli bowls, pastries, and more. Whether seeking a snack or a meal, a vegetarian or an omnivore, you will find something here. It also helps that the location is reasonably spacious, brightly lit, and clean.

 

I went with a special combination banh mi (pork roll, jambon, BBQ pork, pate, mayo, and veggies) and a jasmine green iced tea. After placing my order at the counter, there was a very short wait before it was called out for pickup. The sandwich was appreciably larger than banh mi I’ve had elsewhere, but at $8.25, it was also more expensive. It tasted fine, yet it gave the sense that something was missing: more heat from the jalapeno, more of a pickled flavor from the carrots, more flakiness from the bread. The tea was refreshing (and not at all sweet).

Paris Banh Mi wouldn’t be my first choice for a banh mi in Greensboro, but its variety and expediency make it a decent option for a fast Coliseum-area meal.