Grey area

I am a huge fan of Grey's Anatomy. I've watched as Meredith & McDreamy got together, fell apart and reconnected with unmitigated glee. I almost had a seizure during the season finale last year when they hooked up at the "prom".

Tomorrow is the premiere of the new season, and in anticipation of that ABC has launched possibly the weirdest tie-in I've ever seen. While reading my Marie Claire this month I happened upon a New York and Company ad featuring Ellen Pompeo & Patrick Dempsey. They are posed quite casually, as if they just walked toward the photographer. They are smiling and laughing. He has his arm around her waist, his hand covering hers. I know this all sounds so romantic. Until...you realize that they are "in character". Ewww! These two actors are in serious relationships! He's married with a kid, and she's living with her boyfriend. Creepy!! So creepy! ABC you need to fire that PR intern.

Dinner & a movie - redux

Soluna Cafe and Lounge has come up with a great way to kill a boring Monday night. Not only can you dine in style, now you can join them for "movie night". Every Monday in Sept/Oct they are showing a double feature. You can release your inner critic while swilling green tea cocktails. What could be better?

Upcoming doubles:
- Clockwork Orange/Eraserhead (9/18), for that bizarre first date
- Bennie & Joon/Cry-Baby (9/25), for you Johnny Depp addicts out there
- Hairspray/Serial Mom (10/2), for all you closet John Waters fans, and
- Showgirls/Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (10/9)

Look for me at this last one. Showgirls is one of my all time favorite guilty pleasures.

Brick

I had dinner this evening at Brick. A relatively new addition to Polk Gulch, they are located at 1085 Sutter at Larkin. The interior is austere. Subdued colors on the walls, minimalist art, parsons tables and seats at the bar. With a small plates menu it is the perfect place for a first date or a business person having dinner on their own.

The food is inventive. We had the seasonal summer salad to start. A blend of many unidentifiable greens, peppered cress (tastes for all the world like fennel), sea salt and tomatoes. The main course was braised short ribs (the house favorite), and the pork hamhocks. Both were absolutely delicious. Our ribs came with a side of creamy baby spinach and a wonderful pastry with some kind of vegetable concoction on top. Unidentifiable flavor, but good nonetheless.

An extra treat: our waiter looked like the love child of Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey. Dinner for two was about $50 without drinks.

Marvelous Martha

I was recently paging through my fall fashion issue of Harper's Bazaar. After enjoying all of the pouf dresses, wide legged pants, and layer upon layer of bad sweaters I happened on to a sight I will not soon forget. It's Martha Stewart under the banner headline, "The Seductive Side of Martha". I am not kidding folks.

It's like calling Mother Theresa "sexy", and p.s. it's just weird! I'd buy the "softer side of Sears" before I'd buy a softer side of Martha Stewart. She's a harpy, but that's what makes her great. Even under fire from the SEC she went balls out defending herself in court. She did jail time as well. Now show me a corporate CEO or insider trader who has that kind of guts. They don't exist!

I can understand the American need to rehabilitate its celebrities. But really, I ask you, is this "...a good thing"?