Steve Carell as Phil Foster and Tina Fey as Phil’s wife Claire are your ordinary New Jersey couple with kids. They go to work, come home and deal with their kids. Once a month, they have a date night. They go to the same restaurant and have the same food all the time. After finding out their good friends are getting a divorce, they start thinking about their marriage and decide to mix things up by going to a new place for date night. They head into the city to try out a hot, new place. In order to get in, they claim to be another couple, Taste (James Franco) and Whip It (Mila Kunis), who have missed their reservation.
Come to find out, the other couple stole from a big mob boss, Joe Miletto (Ray Liotta), and everyone thinks Phil and Claire are their assumed identities. On the run, trying to get to the truth while avoiding getting killed in the process is what awaits the Fosters on their date night...
Willie’s Cajun Grill brings that southern cajun taste to the Panhandle. Willie’s offers a variety of entrees from raw oysters to fried crawfish accompanied by cajun cuisine.
The seafood is fresh-tasting, much different from what you normally find in this area.
For the less adventerous seafood eaters, Willie’s also provides specialty po-boy sandwiches and the homestyle burger. Wiliey’s is locally owned and family-operated...
Cowboy Gelato serves up some iced delights, burgers and genuine entertainment along Amarillo’s Sixth Street. The family-owned business has that old-town feel, creaky wooden floors and copper panels on the ceiling.
Spaghetti western movie posters run along the walls along with lots of tables for a cozy meal. Step right up to the register, look over the menu and make your order. Varieties of fried appetizers, pickles, jalepenos, onion rings, corn and green beans are offered.
Most menu items have spaghetti western movie references such as the “Bronson” burger, a flagship entree with double quarter-pound beef patties and stuffed cheese in between, or the “Hill,” a Philly steak and cheese sandwich topped with green chilies. There’s also the “Van Cleef,” a barbecue pork sandwich with your choice of sourdough bun, and then the “Comanchero” plate, which comes with fried Indian bread pouches stuffed with pork and a mildly spicy sauce for dipping.
Veggie versions of the entrees are available for the vegetarian diner along with salads for the lighter appetite.
The menu changes frequently as the staff experiments with the dishes.
All the white, wheat or pepperjack sourdough buns are baked on site. Spices and dips are created in-house, too.
The gelato is created in a separate area called “the Lab” where gelato masters mix the flavors into the sorbet and gelato. They offer two styles of Italian iced delights: sorbet, less butter fat and smooth on the palate, or gelato, with a milk or cream base and richer, softer texture that makes it much more dense then traditional ice cream.
The fruit flavors are made with fresh fruit puréed into the base.
Some sorbet flavor choices include lemon, banana chocolate chip and lime. Some of the gelato flavors are pineapple, rum raisin, biscotti and mint chocolate chip...
Each week during AC's 80th year, The Ranger is publishing a photograph from one of our past issues. We hope you enjoy looking back on days gone by
Caption: "Standing guard: Justin Dawson, proprietor of Washington Street Junction at 22nd and Washington, stands guard over his rear parking lot. 'Actually, I wouldn't mind the students parking in my lot if they'd just come in and buy something once in a while,' Dawson said."
Restaurant perfect match for college student lifestyle
Anyone with a taste for Asian cuisine never should shun the eateries on Amarillo Boulevard. Especially if you find yourself growing bored of Chinese food, the trip to the northeastern edge of the city will not disappoint you.
Super Bowl Noodles, tucked away behind a Toot‘n Totum at 810 Columbine St., is an absolute gem, especially for college students. If any of the stereotypes are true, it’s the one that we’re all poor and starving that hits the hardest. Super Bowl Noodles will remedy the malnourishment with hugely portioned items. And don’t let those low menu prices fool you. A $6 plate of fried rice will suffice for a couple of meals for even the heartiest eater. Top that off with friendly, reliable service, and there’s really no reason not to eat there at least twice a week.
At Super Bowl, finicky eaters will have no trouble finding something “safe” to consume. Lo mein, fried rice and pad thai all are tasty options. If you’re into trying new things, however, give pho (pronounced “fuh”) a shot. This Vietnamese rice-noodle soup, one of Super Bowl’s most popular dishes, will have you on a blissful sensory overload. Follow these recommendations to dress up your soup and maximize the flavor.
n Choose your pho: The varieties at Super Bowl Noodle include beef, combination (beef, meatballs and shrimp), seafood and chicken (although you won’t see that last one on the menu). I prefer the chicken, but the combination is the most commonly ordered. The dish comes in two sizes, but be warned, even the small bowl is gigantic...
Animation is not just for the kiddos. How to Train Your Dragon is a movie any age group can enjoy. Thrills, one-liners and humor are what await moviegoers who see this film. Vikings and dragons are two things children (and people who think like a child) love to watch. The hero of our story, Hiccup, is a misfit in his village, because anything he does backfires on him. The others in the village – especially his father, Stoick – always have to clean up after him.
All Hiccup wants to do is to fit in and kill dragons to please his father. What he ends up doing is something that takes more guts and courage to do.
The characters are memorable. Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel, is a kid with a lot of brains but is lacking muscles, which is what Vikings are proud of. Stoick, voiced by Gerard Butler, wants his son to be a great Viking and kill some dragons. Craig Ferguson voices Gobber, who is in charge of training the new recruits so they are ready to kill their first of many dragons. Astrid (America Ferrera) is tough and outdoes everyone...
If you follow the white rabbit, more often than not, upon falling down his dank and dirty rabbit hole, you may stumble upon a Tim Burton movie.
The whimsical and popular classic written by Lewis Carroll has been an imaginative success for both children and adults. The recently released film, Alice in Wonderland, brings the story to new heights.
We find ourselves back in Wonderland with an older but still impressionable Alice, played by newcomer Mia Wasikowska, who once again traipses after that white rabbit in a waistcoat.
The plot lingers in the beginning, leaving the viewer somewhat dazed and wondering, “Where is this going?”
Once the white rabbit appears, it begins to pick up, and we see Alice go back to Wonderland. Only this time there are some changes.
This time around, the filmmakers have ditched plain old animation or claymation for CG special effects and flesh and blood actors.
Starring a bountiful cast including Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Crispin Glover, Burton finds a way to recreate old characters and bring new ones to light.
Of course, all the beloved characters are present; the caterpillar, the Cheshire cat and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, all of whom are lent the voices of masterful actors such as Alan Rickman and Stephen Fry...
To most people, country music equals the twangs of banjos, guitars and the foot-stomping good time of people dressed in pearl snaps.
What most people don’t realize is that behind the twangs and two-steppers are possibly the most honest lyrics in music today – simple and to the point.
That is exactly what Miranda Lambert’s new album, Revolution, is all about.
Released last September, it is her third album and possibly her best.
The first song on the album, “White Liar,” is No. 1 on the country music charts, and the album itself has snagged six Academy of Country Music nominations.
Finally, there is a place for Amarillo College Moore County Campus students and faculty members to go watch sports and enjoy fantastic food.
Last Sept. 1, Dumas welcomed its first sports bar, 287 Roadhouse, to open inside the city limits.
The atmosphere is awesome, with stainless steel-top tables and huge flat-screen television sets located in just about every corner of the sports bar so no sports fan will miss a single moment of their favorite sport.
To quench your thirst, 287 Roadhouse offers everything from cold beer and cocktails to tea and sodas. The reasonably priced food comes in pretty good-sized portions. You definitely will get your fair share of food.
The menu makes your mouth water as you try to decide what to order. The calf fries appetizer is the best I have ever tasted. The calf fries are the Roadhouse appetizer specialty.
If you’re the kind of person who wants to eat healthy, then the salads are just what you would want...
As a fan of foreign food, I always am delighted to come across a new restaurant. I recently had the pleasure of discovering one called Kabob.
The experience was a bit awkward at first. We walked into a large room that was mostly empty, with a small buffet along the back wall. After standing there for a minute or two, one of the patrons flagged us over and told us to just grab a plate and help ourselves, adding that he doesn’t actually work there but just dines there a lot.
While we picked up our plates, a pleasant young lady came out, greeted us and took our drink orders.
The L-shaped buffet consisted of naan, six main entrees and rice lightly dusted with saffron. At the end was a salad/dessert bar.
The main entrees being served my first visit around were the chicken kabob, dal hyderabadi, kubedia kabob, chicken khorma, mixed vegetable khorma and khorma kofta. They continued to rotate dishes throughout the buffet hours.
I quickly filled the bottom of my plate with rice and then piled a little of the chicken kabob, dal hyderabadi, kubedia kabob and chicken khorma on top.
The dal hyderabadi is a yellow lentil that is pureed with tomatoes, cilantro, mint leaves and cumin, then cooked down. I am used to Indian dal, which is not pureed, so the texture was different from what I usually have. But the flavor was perfect.
Next I tried the kubedia kabob, which is ground beef filled with onions and spices. Compared to the other Persian food I have tried, it was cooked correctly and the flavor was nice, but it was a little tough for me, and I did not enjoy the unsuspecting crunch of onions, so I ended up pushing the beef aside...
Finally, there is a place for Amarillo College Moore County Campus students and faculty members to go watch sports and enjoy fantastic food.
Last Sept. 1, Dumas welcomed its first sports bar, 287 Roadhouse, to open inside the city limits.
The atmosphere is awesome, with stainless steel-top tables and huge flat-screen television sets located in just about every corner of the sports bar so no sports fan will miss a single moment of their favorite sport.
To quench your thirst, 287 Roadhouse offers everything from cold beer and cocktails to tea and sodas. The reasonably priced food comes in pretty good-sized portions. You definitely will get your fair share of food.
The menu makes your mouth water as you try to decide what to order. The calf fries appetizer is the best I have ever tasted. The calf fries are the Roadhouse appetizer specialty.
If you’re the kind of person who wants to eat healthy, then the salads are just what you would want...
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s . . . It’s . . . The archangel Michael? Come to save humanity from God’s wrath?
The 2010 fantasy/thriller Legion promised heart-pounding action, frightening ideas and a semi-all-star cast.
After seeing the film, I think a valiant effort was made to achieve all three, but in some form or another the film just couldn’t quite obtain its goal.
Nine souls hanging in the balance is enough to make anybody just a little nervous.
Add an army of the condemned and the Almighty ’s judgment, and one would think the excitement and fear would be too much to contain. Somehow though, it is all lost in translation.
The archangel Michael (Paul Bettany) defies God’s wishes to lead the charge to eradicate mankind and execute a child.
It is never made clear what exactly makes this child “humanity’s last hope,” which turns out to be the first of many holes in the plot.
Even worse still, I couldn’t make a connection to any of the characters despite their seemingly endless dialogue.
Dennis Quaid comes off as quaint at best, which may have been intended but takes away from every scene he is in.
The final straw is the film’s inability to end. Michael’s nemesis, Gabriel (Kevin Durand), simply cannot be defeated by the now-mortal archangel...
Creating an action movie with good cinematography is difficult. Most are too focused on the action and not enough on how the movie looks or feels.
However, French director Pierre Morel does just that.
In From Paris with Love, Morel’s second American film, he manages to take a mundane movie and make it enjoyable to look at.
Starting out as a cinematographer in many films, Morel switched to directing in 2004 with the movie District 13.
Using French film techniques, Morel brings a different feel to what could have been just another action movie.
The shots are short and fast, yet Morel still gives you the complete story without overdoing it.
He also focuses on the soft, yet sharp colors that bring a Parisian feel to the film.
Despite the film’s aesthetically pleasing look, the plot and acting leave much to be desired.
The plot, following an almost generic route, focuses around Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ character, James Reece, who works as an aide to the French ambassador.
However, he also holds a job as a low-level, undercover CIA agent.
Finally getting to work on a senior mission, he is paired with Charlie Wax, played by a bald John Travolta, who is completely opposite from Reece...
I love ethnic food. Thai is a particular favorite of mine.
But the problem I have with the search for my favorite food in Amarillo is that the main Thai restaurants are heavily Americanized in order to appease the tastes of their patrons.
For the past year that I’ve lived in Amarillo, I’ve bemoaned the fact that there aren’t many ethnic restaurants that hold true to the made-from-scratch, scarily bizarre-looking, intricately spiced and seasoned dishes that I have a sentimental spot for.
Then one day, my boyfriend and I walked into Bangkok.
Located on the Boulevard in a non-descript beige building is Little Thailand.
With the telltale Formica tables, cast-off diner chairs and agitated foreign chatter coming from the kitchen, I knew we had struck gold. We didn’t have so much of a server as a petite, impeccably dressed woman with a heavy accent who bustled around our table with absolute authority and charm.
The Thai teas we ordered were homemade and served in generous glasses.
For an appetizer we ordered the sticky jerky: a plate of five Thai-style fried chicken pieces and a basket of sticky rice which you scoop out and roll up the chicken in, along with two phenomenal dipping sauces...
It always seems to happen. Directors see that a movie was a huge success, and they try to recreate that same magic with a sequel, or in the case of Shrek, a four-peat.
However good that first movie is, that sequel or subsequent parts of the series just never quite measure up.
But every once in a while, movie magic is recreated and in the rarest of situations, exceeded.
Troy Duffy has recaptured the illusive success of a sequel in The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.
The movie picks up the lives of the MacManus brothers, Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy MacManus (Norman Reedus), 10 years after they brought the corrupt underworld of Boston to its knees. It begins by showing the MacManus brothers living a quiet life as shepherds in Ireland...
On April 23, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070 into law. The bill requires that police detain any person suspected of being illegally in the state of Arizona.
A week later the law was modified to state that police could only detain an individual and question them about their alien status while the were committing another offense, such as speeding, or loitering. SB 1070 also says illegal immigrants cannot be present “on public or private land in the state” or be traveling through the state of Arizona.
That is the biggest insult to human rights since separate but equal was said to be legal. This law is a slap in the face to the civil rights marches of the 1960s. The people who are immigrating to the United States are doing it for one of three main reasons: to make a better future for themselves and their families, to escape persecution from their homeland or to start a new life, whether through education or marriage.
The Arizona government is telling these immigrants that it doesn’t matter why they fled their country. It is not important to them that they left behind all they knew, possibly leaving behind family members so they can work jobs that we don’t want to do...
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