BLOG.NEWTONLOCKE.COM

BLOG UPDATE

Patrick Arenson — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:22:00 GMT

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your continued interest in my blog. I really appreciate all the great comments that you've been leaving me.

Over the last year, I have been designing a professionally made blog that will truly revolutionize blogging as we know it, and will involve the readers even more! It will be finished within the next week. As soon as it is perfect, I will post the link online.

Thanks again!

UPDATE

MY WEBSITE IS CALLED

WWW.THESTINC.COM

We are looking for college students who would like to be contributors. Please visit www.thestinc.com for more information, and to sign up so you can begin writing!

Sam Sifton is a Softie

Patrick Arenson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:26:00 GMT

I've been a follower of the Food and Wine section of the New York Times since I was in 7th grade, and as food lover myself, I have a few bones to pick with Sam Sifton.

Its very interesting how someone can take a perfectly good restaurant experience, and turn it into a day a church. Every couple of sentences, between his praises and songs, I feel myself falling asleep. His stories are hopelessly dull and uninspired, and I leave myself wondering, where the hell is Frank Bruni?

I understand the motivation between trying to distinguish yourself from Frank Bruni, but in the process, you are alienating any clientele that he managed to bring in with his thoughfully crafted food adventures. If his restaurant trips were safaris, your stories are strolls down main street.

In many ways, I'm happy Sam Sifton isn't over compensating to try and fill Bruni's shoes, and for that, he should be commended. At the same time, he is sucking life out of the story. For a $150,000 dollar food budget, every restaurant I ate at would be accompanied by fireworks, or hand grenades, sunshine and clouds, and metal spears. Can we up the ante? This is the New York Times for God's sake! Please give me something interesting, or at least provocative, otherwise I'm cancelling my subscription.

Gees. Please, someone, give this guy a drink! I want to be kept awake after his restaurant reviews; pretty soon, I might just stay home and cook for myself.

The X Factor

Patrick Arenson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:32:00 GMT

I love watching the X factor auditions, because I honestly think these people are better than the American Idols. Check them out. They are amazing.

Look out for Stacy and Daniel. I don't like Daniel as much as Stacy: there is just something about the Brit girl singers. Completely Amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzj9z8QDTfU- Daniel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz0GOlLoeBQ- Stacy

I also noticed when Simon laughed when Stacy said she was from Dagenam. Thats a part of London in Essex County, and the girls there are comparable to our valley girls. I wonder why...

CD to look out for: Shayne Ward- previous winner of the X Factor, sounds like Usher and looks like JT.

What do you Think?

Miami Restaurants are Slipping

Patrick Arenson — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:52:00 GMT

I have a bone to pick with some restaurants in Miami. I've been going to you guys for years and I really enjoy you, but as of lately, you've been really sucky.

First of all, Ortanique. I really love Ortanique and I've met Cindy Hutdson, the owner, but I have to say, I wasn't impressed by the bouillabaisse: the sauce was weak, the rice was boring, the bread didn't have any bacon fat like it usually does, and the rum cake wasn't fresh like the bread pudding. What are you guys doing to yourselves? You're angering me.

Next victim: Pascal's on Ponce. I went for Miami Spice and I was excited. But the cauliflower soup was uninspired, the bread was the same that I can buy at the cafeteria at Mercy Hospital, the duck confit sandwich had so much blue cheese in it I thought I was inhaling asbestos, and the chocolate mousse could have been one of those amazing chocolate souffles that I saw the other table stuffing their faces with. You guys are getting lazy and careless and cheap!

Now I went to Sergios expecting a fantastic meal. But what the hell? I get stuck with the same rude waitress who held our check last time for thirty minutes because she made a mistake with the bill and didn't want to come over and talk to us. She looked like her eyes are going to roll into the back of her head every time we said something. My friend ordered the fish ceviche and not only do you forget to tell him that there is no fish ceviche, you get pissed off when he doesn't want to eat the ceviche he gives you. I love the bistec empanizado, I really do, but this one was burned. And no one gave us Cuban bread. What happened to the Cuban bread? This is a Cuban place.

I feel bad, but seriously this hasn't been fun for me either. Everytime I go to Paciugo, I tell everyone its the most authentic italian gelato in town. But you guys don't even have nocciola. You have soy hazelnut. What! Soy, seriously who goes to a gelato restaurant with soy in mind. And everything was watered down and old. You were using leftovers that tasted like it had been frozen at least twice. What are you playing at?

And Villagio in Merrick Park. Everything was pretty good until you tried to stick us with that piece of crap ricotta cheesecake that seriously needed a knife to cut through. It should have been a door stopper.

I hope you guys pick it up.

Metrostation...

Patrick Arenson — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:48:00 GMT

I don't want to be mean here, but I think someone needs some attention from their parents.

Photo from http://img.mediaspanonline.com/6241/3566770.jpg

Cookies

Patrick Arenson — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:49:00 GMT

I made these cookies and I want to start selling them because I think they're great. I need money to start my microloan. If you like these cookies and would be willing to pay say $2 a cookie, please tell me. They're about 6 oz each.Here are some pics:

The Good and the Stupid

Patrick Arenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:19:00 GMT

I watched 17 Again for the first time, starring Zac Efron, Leslie Mann and the guy from Friends, and I have to say, I thought it was really funny. I was honestly expecting a couple dance numbers to show up every fifteen minutes, so I was happy when they didn't. PS I think Leslie Mann looks better than the girl who was playing her when she was 17. And the Audi that Zac Efron drives in the movie- what! If I ever met someone with that car, I would fake a heart attack just to be rushed to the hospital in it.

Other funny movies- The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. I almost took a dump in my pants when I saw Sandra Bullock booty dancing to "get low". Betty White is hilarious, especially on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I don't know what the hell they do to convince her to be on that show, but I like it. After watching The Proposal, I even kind of wanted to visit Alaska. Kind of. So far, it hasn't changed my perspective on editors.

I was dissappointed with Harry Potter. Someone needs to give Dumbledore some Midol because he's definitely a wreck. And what happened to that last battle scene? What an ending-someone might as well stopped the movie half way through because that's how I felt.

Everyone needs to watch Alice and Wonderland when it comes out soon. That movie looks like it could disorient a LSD addict! Im psyched for Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, even though she kind of scares me.

I began watching Swimfan, and then I realized why I never watched it in the first place.

THE BEST THING I READ THIS WEEK

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Ivanka Trump is asked about all her favorite things, like her favorite soap, where she gets here eyebrows done and her favorite place to eat fried chicken. When asked about what kind of watch she wears, she responds:

I don't wear a watch, and yet I am remarkably punctual.

Are you kidding me! Jump off yourself.

American Misery by Andy Rovira

Patrick Arenson — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:23:00 GMT

We are happy to announce our newest novel, American Misery by Andy Rovira. In a bold debut novel, Rovira tells the story of the lives of four Americans, and how everything changed on the day that still haunts us all.

From NewtonLocke.com:
The morning of September 11th changed the fate of our country and gave new meaning to the word terrorism. Enter the world of American Misery, two weeks before the morning we will never forget, a much simpler and sager time and witness the lives of four Americans who are victims to their own miseries, and victims to a much greater fate just a few days and sins away. The firefighter, The Guardian, The Alcoholic and The Patriot. These are the characters of their own untold stories, each carrying with them a different theme pertaining to their lives. Witness the America we once knew. The miseries, hardships, love, victorious moments and laughs that will never be the same again.

About the Work
American Misery by Andy Rovira
Miami, FL
Genre- Drama
Favorite Authors- Richard Matheson, Neil Gaiman, Philip K. Dick, Cormac McCarthy, Michael Crichton, Steven King, Chuck Palanhuik, Mario Puzo.
Favorite Books- The Godfather, What Dreams May Come, Fight Club, The Road, The Green Mile, Jurassic Park, Sphere, Little Children
Favorite Genres- Science Fiction, character studies, action/adventure
My writing style is similar to- Depending on who I am reading at the time.
This book is intended for young adults and above.
People say my book reminds them of Jesus' Son
Read my book when you are- willing to delve into the lives of complex characters destined to die on September 11th.
I am currently working on another novel.

This novel is currently availible on NewtonLocke.com for purchase. http://www.shop.newtonlocke.com/product.sc?categoryId=2&productId=9

Dolores Lolita Miami...More than a Name

Patrick Arenson — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:15:00 GMT

I went to this extremely long winded restaurant in Mary Brickell Village called Dolores but You Can Call Me Lolita, in the renovated fire house across the street from Perricone's. It is, in essence, a restaurant, a lounge, and a coffee shop, although I don't know how that justifies the name. I actually went here once for dinner, and twice for dessert (which may I add are extremely affordable when it comes down to it...$2.50 each) but besides what is truly a very fantastic setting, in a building that screams what tourists probably think of Miami, it all boiled down to several things.

First, the service on all three ocassions, sucked. The people are rude, and seem to act like they in fact own the restaurant instead of work at it. They are saving the world one patron at a time. The meal, which again is extremely reasonable, brings an appetizer and entree for either 18 or 23 depending on entree, was highly inconsistent. The serrano ham croquetas, which sound amazing, are merely cheese croquetas with scraps of ham that may or may not be serrano ham. The braised short ribs SUCK, and taste like cafeteria food. The lobster ravioli were enormous and two of them covered a plate that was 14 inches in diameter. When the waiter gave me the wrong food, I politely pointed it out to him, and he barked at me. Literally. I almost hit him in the face. Across the table from me, another waiter poured a giant bottle of water on one of the customers accidentally, and then had a crew of 12 people cleaning it up. Seriously? Is this a play. I expected them to start a chorus line with "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word".

So, my recommedation, save yourself the agony. The prices are good, and everything Italian on the menu tasted very good but the service sucks and you leave there wanting to punch the people in the face. Everytime.

It may look nice on the outside, but Dolores is every bit as painful as its name. She is a prostitute that won't go away from what may be one of the nicest areas in Miami to spend an evening at.

My rating for Dolores: A (She's a bitch).
A
AA
AAA
AAAA
AAAAA

Better food: Go to Michael's Genuine Food in Design District- EXCELLENT

Rihanna and Chris Brown

Patrick Arenson — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:38:00 GMT

Dear Rihanna and Chris Brown,

WOW! You guys are retarded. Seriously?

Best Songs of February 2009

Patrick Arenson — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:25:00 GMT

Here are some of the best songs to come out in the last month.

1) I'm Yours by Jason Mraz
2) Lucky by Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz
3) My Life Would Suck Without You by the newly revised Kelly Clarkson
4) Kiss Me Thru the Phone by Soulja Boy
5) Circus by Britney Spears

Kobe Club

Patrick Arenson — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:47:00 GMT

Frank Bruni, the famous New York Times restaurant critic, visited the Kobe Club in NYC and basically tore it a new one (perhaps with one of those 2000 or so razor sharp samurai swords that hangs above diners as they sample $100 cuts of kobe beef). Never having met Frank Bruni, I'd like to input my own two sense about the Kobe Club.

The food, it should be noted, is excellent. Intriguing enough to be different, but not a departure from the norm, it can appeal to seasoned eaters and newbies alike. From the amuse-bouche, a 'pig in a blanket' of kobe beef sausage wrapped into puff pastry, to the chocolate and cheesecake sampler that I suspect was purchased elsewhere, Kobe Club nevertheless intrigues and surprises. I sampled the pork chop and the salmon, which were both perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. The wasabi potatoes, a staple of the company, delivers with a smooth, silky, unparalleled texture that my fellow diner described as "like marshmallows", but I must admit that my creamed spinach beats theirs. The popovers with the white truffle oil and parmeasean cheese were as excellent as you can imagine, and I would have paid for them even though they accompany the meal. Having been to the Kobe Club before, it is always on my list during Miami Spice season. Had I paid a-la-carte, my meal would have been around $150. But hey...it is what it is.

Now a note on the decor...in many ways, it feels like it belongs in Miami Beach. Go there, and you'll know what I mean. Note, there are about 1000 swords that hang above where you eat. As far as know, no casualties have been reported.

Ask for the booths. You might not get them, but if you do, you've just earned one of the best seats in the house. The best: a corner booth right across from the bar, but reserved for larger groups.

My rating for Kobe Club- AA
Would I go back- definitely!

Pascal's on Ponce

Patrick Arenson — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:52:00 GMT

When you see Pascal's on Ponce from the side of the road, it looks like a veritable hole in the wall, tucked between two other places that you learn to ignore. Stepping inside, there is a soft music playing in the background, and a wait staff eager to help seat you.

From Open Table
Award-winning Pascal’s on Ponce, the 55-seat, upscale, yet unpretentious French restaurant in Coral Gables has wowed critics and diners for years by virtue of its delicious fare, impeccable service and charming atmosphere. The restaurant’s success is owned by critically acclaimed chef/owner Pascal Oudin (45) who insists on creating an elegant French dining experience without the fussiness and reminiscent of a classic Parisian bistro. The restaurant boasts sublime contemporary French cuisine, featuring local ingredients and utilizing the classical French techniques. White tables draped with crisp, white linens sport fresh flowers bouquets for an aromatic touché. This unpretentious, yet elegant atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for Chef Oudin’s stellar talents which shine throughout his magnifique menu. Wine Spectator Award and Wine Enthusiast Magazine Distinction Wine List.

~}{~

In my personal opinion, Pascal's offers unparalleld French food that you just can't find it Miami. The soup of the day, a mushroom soup, was the best I ever had, creamy and perfectly salted but still with the distilled taste of mushrooms throughout. The boeuf bourguignon was as simple and yet as perfect as you would expect it to be. It was the ideal beef stew, one you might find in a french home, but with the attentive-touches of a great restaurant. It was simply served in a large bowl with an impossibly rich sauce (not a reduction) and with thin homemade pasta that were almost translucent. I ate the profiteroles, which were served with a sweet vanilla ice cream and slightly bitter chocolate sauce, in three minutes.

For Pascal's, I offer no jokes or sarcastic observations. The food, which spoke for itself, was unpretentious and yet sophisticated, a study in restraint without the deprivation. Everything was excellent.

If you go into Pascal's in a bad mood, just eat anything, and you'll start smiling again because of how insanely good the food is.

My Rating for Pascal's- AAAA
It is one of the best restaurants that Miami has to offer, not because of what is put into its food, but what is left out.

George Bush

Patrick Arenson — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:41:00 GMT

A lot of people know leaders by their nicknames. Richard Nixon was dick, Catherine was the Great, Ivan was the terrible, Clinton was the womanizer, so what would George W Bush be?

Fratelli La Bufala Miami Beach

Patrick Arenson — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:16:00 GMT

I went to Fratelli La Bufala at the suggestion of my Italian teacher, and with full comprehension of the passione that Italian people have towards their food. I had high expectations.

Like any savvy restauranter-person, I checked out the website. It was all in Italian, and I knew instantly that that was a good sign. For example, the best two restaurants that I ate at in Italy both had menus completely in Italian. So there.

Secondly, this restaurant was a chain (for lack of a better word) and had places all over Italy. Another good sign. You can fool Americans with pizza, but you can't full Italians.

So, and I have to say this, unfortunately, I really enjoyed the pizza. The bufala mozzerella was extremely fresh, and the crust was chewy, thin and slightly crispy. I ate the whole thing in four bites and enjoyed it tremendously (and it was a really generous serving and the prices are AWESOME for the beach...$11 pizza margherita). I don't want to sound like an a-hole food person, but it truly did remind me of the pizza I had in Naples. The only difference was the one in Naples had a much sweeter sauce (which I can only attribute to our inferior ingredients) and was slightly crispier. But I am a realist, and for the price, location and ambience, this is the best you're probably going to get in the US.

Now for a side note: I noticed that all the waiters in our restaurant rarely smiled. Maybe they weren't happy to see me. But I was nice. I even ordered in Italian (Una pizza, per favore). I even said thank you in Italian.

Just something to think about.

Washington and 5th (Right hand corner coming from 395)

My rating for this restaurant: AA
A very authentic Napoletano style pizza, you probably won't find a better one anywhere else. I will DEFINITELY go back.

Katie Perry

Patrick Arenson — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:06:00 GMT

When I first heard Katie Perry talking about kissing a girl or whatever, I had to pull over my car and wonder what the world had gone to. The strange thing was radios kept playing it, and for the whole duration of summer 2008, this song could do no wrong. I thought for sure that this would be last time I would ever hear of Katie Perry.

Now here comes Hot and Cold, a song so stupid and insipid that one has to wonder, who the hell wrote this? Was it Barney Benton from Mrs. Mildred's class? How could any reputable record producer bring this into a studio, play it for a company, and think, yeah, I got this. And to my dismay, people are eating this song up. Are we listening to the same thing here? People, are you retarded!

Katie Perry is very easy to love, and you get glimpses of that when she does interviews. She's candid and real, and very charming. But her songs...ugh! People will come out of comas just to tell her to shut the hell up!

Fortunately for her, my opinion matters very little, because her song is doing one hundred weeks on the billboard top 100 and my book has yet to be featured in a newspaper (The Little Boy Story, NewtonLocke.com $15). So, a tip to the hat to you Katie Perry, for proving to us that the tween market yet again, defies reason.

We can hope that she'll never break The Eagle's Greatest Hits or I'll throw away my iPod.

Now, about that stupid guy from Tokio Hotel....(Do they spell Tokio differently in Germany, or is your hair interfering?)

Cafe Boulud, Palm Beach

Patrick Arenson — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 04:21:00 GMT

I went to Palm Beach for the first time in my life several weeks ago, and it was in many ways everything I expected it to be and more. First of all, the city is beautiful, and there is such a huge abundance of grass and carefully manicured lawns that the daily maintenance budget could probably feed a medium size third world country. The day was perfect, there was very little traffic and every one was friendly. Wow, I thought, are we still in Florida? If Miami and Palm Beach were a drink, it would be a mud on ice, served in a gold plated martini glass and accompanied by a waite, a food stylist and a dog walker (why dog walker: because it can).

First of all, the food was very good. I had a duck confit that was on a bed of white beans (which weren't that interesting and a little bit less than al-dente). But the vicchysoise was excellent, and the dessert extremely chocolately, so much so that I felt my tan getting darker. I also sampled the butternut squash ravioli, which were some of the best that I had ever tried. The bread was very good, the service was excellent and very attentive, and we sat on the patio (PS Sit on the patio. Only losers sit inside). It was a great day, and it was the perfect restaurant to go to take in the Palm Beach experience.

But I can't stop with the food, because the ambience needs to be addressed. My group (three college kids, two of them with tans) were as much out of place as a fish in the spectator seats of Sea World. If you were born in Palm Beach, you would know what I mean. People aren't born in Palm Beach, they just materialize when they turn 60. Age also seemed to be a very esoteric approximation, if we were to deal with people as parts of a whole instead of when they were born. No one was tan. No woman there was completely real (cough cough lady in front of me, aren't you a little too old for collagen?). Think of the Golden Girls meets Nip Tuck, and you get what I mean. Plus, everyone was rich. They just were.

I was really excited to note that I was sitting next to Anne Rice. Or atleast, someone who was big Anne Rice fan. The woman who I am speaking of us had very taught hair, a very taught face, and a very emotionless expression. I couldn't stop staring, partly because my vantage point was in her direction, and partly because I always imagined literature coming to life. Behind us, was the Ya-YA Sisterhood. Next to us, a very stern looking woman and old man who looked like they owned Palm Beach, or perhaps were part of one of the first families to ever settle planet Earth.

But c'mon. It's an experience. I would definitely go again, if not just for the food, but just for the people watching. Top this Miami Beach.

My rating: AAA- Once you're in the restaurant, you know its a hot spot for the rich and famous. I mean, rich and old.

Slumdog Millionaire- THE BEST MOVIE IN THE FIVE YEARS!!!

Patrick Arenson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 02:58:00 GMT

Good movies come around once in a while. These are movies like Batman. Theyl keep you on the edge of your seat, take you into the story and allow you to become part of them, even if it is just for a second. But as soon as you leave the theater, the feeling is gone, and life continues as it should.
Then there are great movies. These are the types of movies that keep you coming back to the movie theater for a second or third time, and these movies make you wish that the what you saw truly existed or truly happened. This movie stays with you long after the ending credits have finished, and you sometimes stay up at night dreaming of you saw, felt or experienced, trying to clinch onto the drifting memories of what amounted to an incredible experience. Disney had a string of great movies, the last of which I saw was Finding Nemo.
And then, maybe once every three years, there are magical movies. These movies pull you in and and don't let go, ever. They are relentless, and jaw-dropping and you remember them for years. You find that every now and then, life will trigger an image of the movie and not the other way around. These movies are few and far between, and may be sad or happy or thought provoking, but they nevertheless spark something in the you that the you've never felt before. While watching Slumdog Millionaire, I couldn't stop thinking to myself, aren't I lucky to be alive to experience a movie like this. Not kidding. I've only felt like that in seven other scenarios- The Harry Potter series. Movies like these are testaments to human achievement, and make you believe in something more than reality. They show you life in its purest form, both simple and complex at the same time.
From the opening scene of what appears to be a torture sequence, to the closing scene of a typical Bollywood dance, Slum Dog Millionare is nothing short of exceptional. Movies like these rarely come around, and I think the last magical movie that I witnessed was Finding Neverland, and before that, Cinema Paradiso, and before that Titanic and The Lion King. That covers the last magial movies that I've seen in the last ten year. I haven't seen a movie that I've enjoyed so much in a long time. Even as I am writing this, I am still pulled into the story line that I can't let go, and even seeing the picture of Latika and Jamal triggers a memory and I have the sudden urge to watch this movie again. Like I said, I felt lucky to have experienced such an enchanting movie like Slumdog Millionaire. Words honestly cannot describe my enthusiasm- it was so fresh, so unexpected, and yet so approachable that you feel somewhere around the world, these events are really happening.
Once you start watching this movie, beware, YOU WILL NOT WANT TO LET IT GO.

My rating for this movie (I am a tough rater)- AAAAA (My first AAAAA rating ever!)
AAAAA- You're an IDIOT if you don't watch this movie!!!

Ellen Degeneres

Patrick Arenson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:36:00 GMT

My goal right now is to try and get on the Ellen Degeneres Show, to speak about my website. If any of you know any way that will increase my chances, I am up for anything.

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/

I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

Patrick Arenson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:08:00 GMT

In I Am American, Stephen Colberts represents many different aspects of what exactly makes up America. Neither too serious, but always with a hint of truth in every sarcastic line, it is written exactly like America is represented. Covering anything from politics, to religion to the family, to Hollywood, Colbert's book felt like in many ways, it was just written to cover up 240 pages. Full of pictures and graphics, and exclusive interviews (often with inanimate or imaginary objects) it was like a very, very long episode of The Colbert Report.

I love the Colbert Report (Coll-Bear Re-Pour) and I found the writing style almost exactly the same as the writing style from the show. But, at least for me, it got old very quickly. I don't think this book was meant to be read in a single sitting, and should be enjoyed slowly, as though to give enough credit to what probably was a very time consuming inner-monologue. Imagine a five hour portion of his show, and you'll understand exactly what I mean. The humor wears off.

It sounds very strange, but I approached the book expecting a plot point. The first page was extremely funny, and in a seemlingly impossible task, I found the book unable to maintain that pace. I still appreciate every Colbert and the book, and like his show, the book always had a glimmer of truth attached to every outrageous statement and I appreciated that throughout. I don't think I could read it again.