My friend Peter and I enjoyed a very Irish night out in Hollywood last night, and it was, in a word, epic.

The night started out at Dillon's Irish Pub, with an exorbitantly expensive Patron on the rocks for me and a super cheap pint of Guinness (or two) for Peter.  We had both eaten dinner beforehand, so we just stuck to drinks, but I took a peek at the menu.  Not much in the way of vegetarian fare, but for your average Joe, who presumably would be going to Dillon's to watch a soccer or basketball (RIP NBA) game with the dudes, there were a ton of delicious looking options.  Plus, they had a page of specials with lots of Irish dishes.  The little specials menu on the table had a page of desserts, many of which featured a whiskey caramel sauce, namely the Irish bread pudding: bread pudding, topped with vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled in whiskey caramel sauce.  Oh my God I almost had to get it, but I resisted.  Maybe next time...when I'm not saving up all my cheat days for Thanksgiving!

After we finished our drinks we walked literally two doors east to grab our tickets at the Pantages box office.  This is the second time I've been to Dillon's before going to a show at the Pantages, and both times it has been a GREAT decision.  You don't have to worry about parking all over again and, even when it is crowded (like it was the first time), Dillon's is a fun place to hang out for an hour or so.

So, what were we seeing at the Pantages that night, you ask?  RIVERDANCE.  It's back for this weekend only, on the Los Angeles leg of their farewell tour!  Fifteen years ago to the day was their opening night at the Pantages, and they're back to say goodbye to Los Angeles for good-or at least for awhile.

When I think of Riverdance one of the first things that pops into my head is a scene from arguably the best episode of Friends ever:

His legs flail about as if independent from his body!  This is a true statement.  Although the Lord of the Dance has long since retired, the new Riverdance lead, Craig Ashurst, is still incredibly impressive-not only with his footwork, but also in his ability to really work a crowd.

Peter and I both studied in the Department of World Arts and Cultures at UCLA-a department that is divided into Cultural Studies and Dance Studies.  We were both on the Cultural Studies side of the department.  Strangely enough, though, Peter is an amazing professional swing dancer.  He teaches at schools and clubs all over the city, and is seriously talented.  But neither of us had ever been to or thought about going to Riverdance before, so we sort of knew what to expect, but nothing could prepare us for the epicness of the show.

Everyone involved in Riverdance is insanely talented, but the best part of the show was how passionate and super into it they were throughout the entire performance.  Keep in mind, too, that there aren't just dancers in Riverdance; singers and a live band make up the rest of the cast.  A lone drummer (Mark Alfred) kept the beat the entire show, dancing along with the other performers between two combined drum kits.  He never missed a beat.  On the opposite side of the stage were three other musicians: a fiddler (Pat Mangan) with the fastest hands I have ever seen, a saxophonist (Dave McGauran) who had a sweet number with just him and the drummer toward the end of the show, and Matt Bashford who played the uilleann pipes and low whistles.  I know nothing about traditional Irish instruments (I have no idea how a bagpipe works), but I'm pretty sure the uilleann pipes was the instrument he played that sort of sounded like bagpipes but it was a string instrument that was controlled with something that looked like a weird, giant version of a whammy bar.  He had a solo at the very beginning of the show that was really amazing.

The musicians and dancers, including Ashurst and the female lead Caterina Coyne, really know how to keep an audience riveted.  They made eye contact with people in the audience (probably including Cloris Leachman-she was sitting in the row in front of us!!), clapped to make everyone clap along (not that the audience needed help with this), shouted, and generally looked like they were having a great time.  Not one step was missed, and they made it look like fun-rather than the intense work it surely is.  Coyne glides and bounces between the other dancers like a fawn-quickly, gracefully, and smoothly.

 

Between the intense performers, the grand music, and the broad historical range of the production, Riverdance is epic in every sense of the word.  They begin at what looks like some sort of a paganistic Stonehenge-esque location and end up in approximately 1930s Harlem.  Epic and a really fun show!  It kept everyone in the audience bouncing and clapping in their seats.  My only complaint was a strange scene that involved 5 extremely impressive dancers, but left me feeling very confused.

After intermission the audience is transported to the white-sailed ships of the 19^th century and is serenaded with a beautiful song that touches on themes of inequality.  Immediately after this song the Irish folk apparently disembark the boat and find themselves in 1840s tenement New York.  For some reason, though, Ashurst and his gang run into some African American tap dancers who, it would seem, are supposed to be from 1930s Harlem.  And they proceed to have a dance off.  The dancing is more than impressive-it's nearly inhuman!  Everyone's lightning-quick footwork and humor was definitely the audience's favorite part of the show.  But it sort of changed the number into a scene from Newsies.  On the surface it added some lightheartedness to the show, but in reality it touched on heavy racial and economic class themes that, had they been more fully fleshed out, could have been fascinating (barring the lack of historical continuity).  Unfortunately, the show just doesn't have enough time to address those very important and interesting issues.

Nevertheless, Dillon's and Riverdance were both really fun.  Peter and I are both ecstatic that we were able to go!  If you haven't seen the show yet, or honestly even if you have, you're in for a treat!

Dillon's Irish Pub is located at 6263 Hollywood Blvd. in the heart of Hollywood.

The Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Blvd., also in the heart of Hollywood.

Riverdance runs from November 15^th to November 20^th.  Remaining shows include: Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 1pm and 6:30pm.

I've been petsitting my grandparents' dogs in the Valley for a couple weeks now.  I normally live about ten minutes away from our office at Crossroads of the World, but since petsitting began, my morning and evening commutes have stretched to about an hour an a half-each!  As a result, I normally have to hurry home every day after work to get back to the house and give the dogs their dinners.  Last night, though, my boyfriend, who has been very busy himself, was amazing and gave me the night "off!"  We had an early dinner at  Doomie's, and then he went out to the Valley to feed the dogs so that I could meet up with a girlfriend--who I hadn't seen since she got engaged!--at Café Stella.

Doomie's Home Cookin', in a little strip mall on Fountain and Vine (tucked way back in the corner!), is one of the most incredible vegetarian restaurants I have ever been to.  It's all vegetarian, and most menu options are vegan or can be made vegan.  I'm vegetarian and Mathew is vegan, so when I found a post on QuarryGirl about it, I knew we had to try it.  We picked up sandwiches from them on the way to a Dodgers game this summer and they were amazing.  But when the hot food arrived at our table last night, I knew it would be even better.

My grandmother used to whip up the most incredible fried chicken known to man whenever my parents and I visited her in Oklahoma City.  Having been a vegetarian for 10 years, it's been a long time since I've tasted that greasy, crispy, fried glory.  But I miss it.  A LOT.  Obviously I ordered the vegan fried chicken without hesitation and I swear I almost cried when it arrived at the table!  It came with mashed potatoes (red, with some skin on-my favorite!), corn on the cob, a dinner roll, and a small side of AWESOME coleslaw.  The chicken itself was tender and-I know it sounds crazy-incredibly juicy.  And the fried bit was totally Colonel-worthy: salt-and-peppery with a hint of sweetness, light, crispy, and just the right amount of greasy.  I know it's been a full decade since I've eaten meat, but let me tell you: not even my Oklahoma-born meat-and-potatoes eatin' father would be able to tell the difference between it and real chicken.  I was blown away!  All of the sides were awesome, except the corn--it was a little overcooked.  But I didn't miss it with all the rest of the food we ordered! 

Mathew ordered the chicken parmesan sandwich--again, because it was just that good!--and it, of course, did not disappoint.  It's big, it's sloppy, it's cheesy (he ordered vegan cheese but they have several real cheese options too)--everything chicken parm should be!  Of course he got fries on the side.  Before all of this, though, we ordered one of the most amazing menu options for an appetizer: vegan mac n' cheese!  It sounds terrible, but this is serious stuff.  They make the cheese sauce themselves, from scratch, every day in the kitchen.  It's a super secret, super awesome recipe.  One of vegan cheese's (many) problems stems from the difficulty it has solidifying.  They usually have to add a bunch of stuff to it to make it a "block" capable of being shredded, and all that stuff makes it taste "off."  The stuff they put on the mac n' cheese is strictly a sauce, though, so it thankfully doesn't have this problem.  And it is AWESOME.  I swear it's (almost) better than the real thing!  And the noodles are cooked al dente to perfection.  It's a definite must-try.

After Doomie's, Mathew went out to the Valley to test his pet allergies and I went off to Café Stella, a little French brasserie in the Sunset Junction.  If you've never been here, GO.  No vegan food here!  But no worries, we were there for a glass of wine.      

                                                                            

The restaurant has three spaces: an enclosed seating area and a covered patio, where lunch and dinner are served, and a small bar off to the side of the entrance.  The patio stays warm when its cold outside thanks to heat lamps suspended from the ceiling.  The water glasses tucked in the French armoire, the terracotta-colored walls, and the specks of greenery also add to the space's warmth.  It glistens with candle light and fairy lights strung from the ceiling.  We sat at the bar, which has only about 15 seats but a handful of 4-person booths are in the same space.  Dinner may be ordered here as well.  The bar, backed with an antique mirror, is cluttered (in an elegant, French way) with old, probably found oil paintings and French knick-knacks.  It's beautiful and welcoming.

We ordered two glasses of a newly arrived white wine.  For the life of me I cannot remember the name of it, but it was delicious.  At seven or eight bucks a pop, it happened to be the least expensive white on the by-the-glass menu.  A little steep, but it was worth every crisp, refreshing sip.  Stella is not an inexpensive place to eat or drink, but it is delicious.  The wines (white, red, rose, and sparkling) are all fantastic, and the food is insane (get the artichoke!)  I suggest going there for special occasions or, if you really want to impress him/her, a first date.  It's festive and gorgeous--in every way!

Doomie's Home Cookin' is located at 1253 N. Vine St. Suite 9 in Hollywood, CA 90038
Café Stella is located at 3932 W. Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA 90029