Watts grocery, Hustle

We ate tonight at Watts Grocery, a relatively new restaurant in Durham. Greg Cox, the N&O's food critic gave it four and a half stars, the highest ranking (at least by my memory and that of several others) since he started his newer, tougher scoring system. We'd never dined there before, so we entered with high expectations.

Overall, Watts Grocery lived up to them. Two of the sides--the grits and the hush puppies--were superb, the grits as delicious as any I've ever tasted and the hush puppies simply the best I've ever had. Period. I've consumed more than my fair share of hush puppies over the years, so that assertion is not one I make lightly. My house-made pappardelle with chicken, bacon, vidalia onions, and various other goodies in a white wine cream sauce was outstanding, also. All the dishes, including the desserts, were uniformly strong. The only misstep was the bread basket, where the biscuits were not up to the rest of the meal (you could even taste the baking powder in them) and the rolls were good but no better.

I'll definitely go back, and I strongly recommend it.

That said, if I had to choose between Watts Grocery and Piedmont, I'd have to give Piedmont the nod. But not by a lot.

Watts Grocery is also open for brunch and late-night dining; I intend to try both.

After dinner, we finished the fourth season of Hustle. Adrian Lester, who for my money was the heart and soul of the fine ensemble cast, was not on the show this season, and it felt his lack. The writers tried to hard to play up the strengths of the replacement leader, and the results were decidedly uneven. I have to say that I understand why the BBC pulled the plug on it. That said, I will miss it, and I recommend the series, particularly the first three seasons, all of which are available on DVD.

Recent recommendations

In no particular order, here are bits of media I commend to your attention. I'm sure I've mentioned some of them previously, but I felt like doing a brain dump, so here you go:

Book: Black Man, Richard K. Morgan
The U.S. version bears the title Thirteen, presumably for the same reason the U.S. version of the British TV show, Spooks, bears the name, MI-5. If you don't know Morgan's work, give him a try. This one is a fine place to start, but so is Altered Carbon. Think Gibson of the Neuromancer era sharpened to a finer noir edge.

Video: Hustle
This British show won't strain your brain or teach you major life lessons, but it will keep you tracking the plot and entertain you enormously. A family favorite here.

Movie: Curse of the Golden Flower
Mara brought this over for Chinese and Chinese tonight, and it was big fun. Part court intrigue, part costume drama, and a small part martial arts flick--who could resist flying monkey men screaming down from the sky?--I enjoyed this one from start to finish. Its sets are amazingly beautiful, as is the framing of practically every shot.

Video: MI-5
I mentioned it earlier, and I've probably mentioned it here before, but for my money this is one of the best shows going. Start with the first season, and you'll quickly buy all the box sets.

CD: Stand in the Fire, Warren Zevon
I miss Zevon. The last song on his last album can tear my heart apart, but sometimes I have to listen to it anyway. This CD is a new issue of a live show that was hard to find for a very long time, and it showcases many of Zevon's best-known songs. I never got to see him live, so this is as close as I'll get. His hair was perfect.

Hustle and Green Snake

A couple of DVD recommendations for you:

First, a British TV show, Hustle. A long-con team of grifters are our stars, and they generally win, so the premise alone may offend some. They are also, as you'd expect, prettier, smarter, nicer, better dressed, and generally spiffier than most real criminals. The plots are fun, though not particularly innovative. Despite all that, I greatly enjoy the execution, from the odd moments in which actors step out of time to the performances of all the key stars.

Second, and with reservations, the Tsui Hark film, Green Snake, which we watched tonight at our frequent Chinese & Chinese gatherings. I'm sure if I spoke Chinese and was properly versed in this film genre I would be touched by the romantic and moral story. Instead, I found the visuals great fun and both the plot and the subtitles at times so funny that I kept watching.

Don't ask me for your money back, though, if you hate 'em both.