Best of 2006
Another year has come and gone, and with it comes the Best of 2006.
Restaurant
Vietnam Restaurant
227 12 Avenue Southeast, Calgary, AB T2G 1A2
(403) 263-0995
After a scare this year of this Calgary institution shutting down due to staffing concerns, the Vietnam Restaurant owners pulled a miracle and kept this joint open indefinitely. With delicious food, healthy portions and reasonable prices, it is bar that I compare all Vietnamese food to. So far, no one has come close here in Calgary or elsewhere for that matter. If they decide to close the doors in 2007, I will be in line for their recipes.
Place to be Seen/Peoplewatch
Wicked Wedge Pizza
http://www.thewickedwedge.com
For 2006, the place to be seen is the Wicked Wedge pizzeria on 17th Ave in Calgary. Not only can one hawk their home produced rap albums, the Wicked Wedge offers delicious pizza with quite often, sloshed customers. Best time to be seen is between the hours of 11pm and 1pm, where you will get to witness the comings and goings of the 17th ave crowd and get your chance to have a look at those in their finest form.
Travel Destination
Victoria, British Columbia – Canada
http://www.vancouverisland.com
Unfortunately, this old traveller didn’t get to make as many trips as last year so I can only count Victoria as my destination du jour this year. Whats’ not to like about Victoria? Mountain views, the Pacific Ocean, slow traffic and no snow (well not much…..usually) make this my place to visit of 2006.
Wine
2002 Mount Langhi Ghiran Billi Billi Creek
http://www.langi.com.au
Well, well. Wine was a difficult choice this year, however the wine that stood out was a 2002 Mount Langhi Ghiran Billi Billi Creek. Do the homework, check it out yourself if you can find any. By the way, if you can, there are people in Calgary willing to sell their souls for this one. Under 20 bones with blueberry and eucalyptus notes, this is not your typical Aussie Shiraz. If you can find it, buy as much as you can.
Energy Drink
Starbucks Coffee
After being jaded by the reps from Monster and Lost Energy drinks at this years Warped Tour, I have decided to go back to a bit more of a traditional take on my choice of this years energy drinks for 06. My choice this year is the Starbucks coffee. Not only does this stuff pack a caffeine wallop, you can use it to degrease automotive tools. It cannot be Tim Hortons, it cannot be Second Cup, it must be the rocket fuel from Starbucks.
Concert Event
RHCP – Stadium Arcadium Tour
http://www.redhotchilipeppers.com/
I saw a lot of shows this year, free and paid for. By far, the best was the Red Hot Chili Peppers show in September. So many great memories of the show; Frusiciante’s solos and his cover of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by Brenda Lee. Close seconds to The Tragically Hip, but yeah, the Chilies have my vote this year as the show of measure.
TV Show
Entourage
http://www.hbo.com/entourage/
I was introduced to Entourage on a Thursday night late in 2006 and I have been hooked ever since. HBO has a real gem on their hands with an outstanding glimpse into the world of Hollywood. Even if you can’t stand the show, it is worth watching for the one liners of Ari Gold, the slime ball agent played by Jeremy Piven. Be warned, this is not a TV show, it is an obsession and I am sure there is a whole bunch of people hopeful that a fourth season is delivered sooner than later.
Civic Decision
Smoking Ban
Ok, ok…to all smokers, I apologize. Everyone is attacking your personal addictions about giving your body an inner glow and your desire to slowly asphyxiate yourself. Thankfully, the city of Calgary has accelerated their decision and made bars and clubs smoke free for January 1st, 2007 and has now prevented you from asphyxiating others. For all those bar owners who are whining about their VLT clients that are going to go somewhere else, you should have built that smoking room sooner.
Album
MCR – The Black Parade
http://www.mychemicalromance.com
Everyone seems to hate Emo for some reason, but frankly I think its great. I picked up this album when it came out and it fucking rocks. Darkly insane in spots, chaotically frantic in others, it covers the entire gamut of what a rock album should. Charming love songs, tracks about death and my favorite about gun toting teenagers make this my recommendation for best of 2007.
Movie
Thank You for Smoking
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/
I didn’t get to make it to the theatre too many times this year, but of the couple of times that I did, the best movie I witnessed was Thank You for Smoking. This is a beautiful piece of satire outlining the tobacco lobbyist and his battle to keep the lawsuits off his client, Big Tobacco. With blisteringly funny dialogue and a storyline questioning his ethics and beliefs, our hero fights to keep his success and reputation. Rent it, you’ll be glad you did.
More from Adrian Bryksa:
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Bodegas Enrique Foster Reserva Malbec
Due to the fact that people know I drink wine, it seems to be the standard gift gesture when people come to my home as a guest. Conversely, when I go to someones house, I like to do the same.
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Clos de Los Siete
This wine is exciting with dark, inky deep purple tones to it. With the first sniffy sniff, there is a nice blackberry component poking through with some white pepper and a nice hint of toasted oak. To stand up to this wine, match it up with some hard, old Cheddar and biscuits.
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2006 Pillar Box Red
Decant, decant, decant. I find myself talking about this more and more when it comes to red wines, especially new ones.
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Château Latour – Martillac
If you cellar wine, one of the great pleasures is to pluck out a wine that you have been holding and enjoy it – preferably with friends.
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Against Me! interview with Tom Gabel
Preceding their latest tour stop in Calgary, I had a chance to sit down with Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel to talk about the tour, the past, the present and the future and also had a chance to spin a few miscellaneous questions in as well.
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Vinya l’Hereu Petit Grealo
Every time I think that I have seen all this wonderful city of Calgary has to offer in terms of wines and spirits, I encounter something more amazing and more jaw dropping than I could possibly imagine.
Other recent features:
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Sónar 2010 – Barcelona, Spain
The festival attracts a lot of outsiders, but the Mediterranean, Spanish and more specifically Catalan nature of the people makes the festival what it is. Catalan people are passionate and this passion is infectious. The atmosphere is electric in Barcelona as a city and heightened by music and intoxicants at Sónar.
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Summer Party Naval Styles at Seven RestoLounge
Oysters, like wine are affected by terroir and these Miyagi’s flavor profiles ranged with one showing a cleaner, almost tropical profile and the other being more salty, marine driven. As I was devouring the seemingly endless plates put in front of us, I sipped on a glass of fine sauvignon blanc.
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R4NT Radio March 2010
R4NT Radio March 2010 um wow it’s been far too long since the last edition edition, featuring: Hector Hernandez, The Infesticons, Blockhead, Gramatik, Emika, Thunderheist, Parov Stelar, Eddy Meets Yannah, Anti-Pop Consortium, The Slew, Lighterthief, Andreya Triana, Parasyte Woman, Mathon, Venetian Snares, and Funki Porcini.
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O Restaurant & Lounge revisited
Calgary has a diverse set of urban communities, most of which have the ubiquitous strip mall watering hole. In the South West community of Marda Loop, a reinvention of this paradigm has been established.
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Predictions 2010.. and beyond!
So 2010 eh? Almost but not quite (no year zero they say) another decade? It seems like just yesterday that the world was waiting for Y2K. R4NT started publishing in March 2001, so we’re not quite 10 years old yet, but in internet years we are already a senior citizen.
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Invictus
No matter what, the reality of Nelson Mandela is something that deserves screen time. Should this film even remotely intrigue the masses to take interest in this figure, the world would likely benefit greatly from it.