Notes on Dinner and a Movie

What do people do on a day like today? It’s snowing outside, so it’s hard to think of anything interesting. Dinner and a movie? That’s so original! If you’re going out to see a movie I suggest Notes on Scandal. I love the scene where Cate Blanchett goes screaming into a throng of press. Amour fou is so much more fun than romantic love, but if you’re looking for some kind of romantic comedy thing, Music & Lyrics wants your date money. My friend did the fun 80s graphics in that flick and my mom’s picture might have been used for background set decorating in a record shop. Let me know if it made the final cut if you see it. If you’re renting, NY Daily News published some long list of romantic NYC movies. When Harry Met Sally, blahblahblah. Just looking at the list was boring—You’ve Got Mail? Hitch? Maid in Manhattan? Gross. I think if you’re renting something, it should have some sexy mexy Gael Garcia Bernal in it. How about that sexy priest movie he did, The Crime of Padre Amaro? I never saw it, but it could be good. Seriously, here are some duh rental choices— anything with love in the title In the Mood for Love, Love Story, the Lover; anything with Sex in the title: Sex and Lucia, Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy, Sex Lies and Videotape. Or something funny: Karate Kid 2, Revenge of the Nerds, American Splendor (hey-who did I lend my DVD out to? I can’t find it.)
So that takes care of the movie part. As for dinner, as I told my buddy Greg, it’s all about Ethiopian. I speak from the girls’ pov as I am a girl, I don’t know where you’d take a guy. Hooters? Lucky Chang’s? Hawaiian Tropic Zone? Ethiopian food says, hey, I’m in the know. Movie star handsome chef Marcus Samuelsson just wrote a book on African cuisine. African food is hot right now. Ethiopian swings both ways. It says, I care that you’re a vegetarian because an Ethiopian veggie platter with its mysterious spices livening up boring old lentils is always delicious. Or it says I love raw meat, get the tartare! But most of all, Ethiopian food says, I’m sexy because I’m going to make you eat with your hands and it’s so damn tasty that you’ll lick your fingers. Between the sweet honey wine or a Castel Queen of Beers, you’ll be getting busy between the sheets right after dinner. Just make sure you wash your hands before and after. dinner.
I’ve only been to two NYC Ethiopian restaurants, Meskerem (468 W.47th St. bw 10th&11th) and Ghenet (284 Mulberry). I thought Meskerem was a little bit on the salty side, but I was fine with it. They have a terrific take out menu that’s a keeper because of the general descriptions of the dishes. When I went there with Karen, we got a veggie platter and an order of doro wat. According to the menu, doro wat is chicken pieces with onion, garlic, ginger, butter and red wine finished with berbere sauce which is ground red pepper. They didn’t say anything about the hardboiled egg, which was perfect to cut the salty but still yummy sauce. Ghenet is quite good and the décor is nicer than most Ethiopian restaurants without their prices being over the top. I haven’t had a chance to go to Meskel, but it got a great NY Times review and Chris said it was terrific.
There’s also Awash in two locations and Queen of Sheba, but I haven’t tried them yet. Regarding the picture from Meskerem above, I realize it is almost identical to the one I posted about Lalibela in DC and I still dont' really know which is what other than they are delicious and made of lentils or chickpeas. Someday I will take notes when I'm eating and I'll label the dishes on the photo.