The Gault Millau Guide is suggesting that "schwarz. Das Restaurant" (that's the exact - if you ignore the typeface - presentation of the restaurant's name) is the best restaurant in Heidelberg, awarded with 16 out of the 20 possible points (although the guide always insisted that 20 points are reserved for God - if he ran a restaurant anyway...). One might expect Heidelberg's best restaurant to be located near the old castle (Schloss) or the old town centre (Altstadt), but instead it is within spitting distance of the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) inside a modern tall office building that's wrapped into an energy efficient glass hull. After checking in with the restaurants separate reception desk in the lobby, we are sent to the 12th floor in a glass elevator that already raises (no pun intended) expectations; the ride is not for people with high anxiety though.
schwarz presents itself with a modern interior and great views over Heidelberg and the surrounding areas (including a very tall industrial chimney standing right between the restaurant and the castle. The maÎtre'd greeted us in a friendly way and was slightly surprised when we chased our order for an aperitif with the question what Gins might be available to chose from. With a mildly puzzled look he suggested there would be a Frederiques (the spelling is owed to the distinct French accentuation of the word) and, of course (this was suggested with an almost undetectable disapproving scoff) Gordons. We felt adventurous and went for the unknown French gin, only to find out a minute later that it was indeed Hendricks, as the head waiter confirmed with an apology. We were very happy with that turn of events, but since the gin was served just with ice and tonic, I asked whether it would be too much trouble to be served with a couple of slices of cucumber. When I saw the surprised look I hastened to add, rather undiplomatically, that Hendricks was usually served with cucumber. The maÎtre'd complied without hesitation, but seemed a little wary of what other strange demands we might come up with during the next couple of hours; indeed, I couldn't help the feeling that he was a little hurt in his professional pride to be found to offer a service short of perfection.
The lunch menu offers limited choices but changes on a weekly basis. With a couple of choices each for starters, main dishes and desserts, a 2 or 3 course menu option offering different dishes and a daily special, there are still sufficient choices to be made. We decided for the à la carte option and ordered Vitello Tonnato, perfectly cooked to medium-rare (more rare than medium) and served thinly sliced with a light tuna sauce and some rocket and fragrant cocktail tomatoes, and Scallops on a pineapple curry, in my view the by far best dish we experienced on the day, due to it's imaginative nature, perfect balance of fresh, tangy flavors and impeccable preparation and presentation: the roasted scallops sat on a handful of pineapple pieces flavored with a Vietnamese-style curry boasting the fresh aromas of lemongrass and ginger, with the sauce presented in a "spuma" that is probably about to go out of fashion again but nevertheless worked perfectly for this dish. The touch of genius were the baby shisso leaves (the purple variant) that gave the dish yet another exotic, fresh flavor that accentuated the other aromas in perfect harmony. A 19 points dish in my book, to use the Gault Millau scale on this occasion. The main dishes consisted of saddle of lamb served on a pleasantly crunchy mix of beans with potatoes (a good dish with a slightly overcooked lamb that was closer to well-done than medium, but still juicy, tender and full of flavor) and a suckling pork shank in a rich dark-brown sauce, nicely glazed and with very delicate, tender meet that practically fell of the bone, served with cabbage and a dumpling. The main course offered classic dishes updated to the modern ways of cooking and prepared with professional attention and unquestionable craftsmanship. The brilliant inspiration that was evident in the scallop starter was not to be found here, but then again one cannot expect a miracle when enjoying what would typically be served as a business lunch at a very reasonable price of 20 Euro for the main course (the starters ranged between 9 and 12 Euro and the desserts were in the same price category). We ordered a 2003 Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) Auslese from the Pfalz region from the extensive wine list, which offered good value for money at 59 Euro for the bottle and managed to convince my rather skeptical friend David that the Germans can actually produce a decent bottle of red wine! By this point the maÎtre'd had lost his initial caution after the "Hendricks incident" and allowed us to order the dessert from the Set Menu (apple tarte with raspberry sorbet - yummy) - but just because we were nice!! I decided to have the Tartlet of Nougat with Baileys Ice Cream, the latter not very imaginative and even available from Häägen Dasz if I'm not mistaken, the Nougat Tartlet though being surprisingly delicate with a wafer thin biscuit crust filled with light, nutty nougat mousse - here was that creative energy at work again! We finished with a couple of espressos (my choice of a single espresso was greeted with a playful scoff of the maître'd, suggesting that only a lightweight would give the double espresso a miss) and we were presented with a bill of 173 Euro that we felt provided good value for money.
My final comments are dedicated to the service staff: although the restaurant was almost empty, the staff found the exact right balance between being attentive and keeping in the background. It would have been tempting to "over-serve" us, which did not happen once and we appreciated the efforts of the excellent maître'd to make up for his Hendricks "mistake", again without going over the top or getting disconcertingly nervous. I will look for an opportunity to return for the 7 course tasting menu (120 Euro) and will wait with applying a score until then (if pushed, I would probably go for a 7.5/10 for now, as a result of the average between the two "9" dishes and the other "7" dishes).
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Film Review: An American Crime (Blu-Ray)
Ellen Page and Catherine Keener headline the cast in this film which is based on true events that took place in Indiana, USA, in the mid-60s. The film is horrifying, sad, upsetting and almost unbearably intense, but it asks a range of painful and important questions about why people look the other way or even willingly participate in obviously wrong acts of cruel violence. Keener is one of the top Drama actors of her generation and her performance in this film is again flawless. The real discovery though is Ellen Page, who starred in this film in 2007, the same year that she had her breakthrough with Juno. She walks a very thin line in her portrayal of Sylvia Likens and manages to get the balance right through an almost underplayed approach to the role that is unsettling and almost heartbreaking. The casting of the support roles is very solidly done, too, with James Franco (127 Hours, Spiderman 1-3), Bradley Whitford (Josh from The West Wing) and Ari Graynor (who also starred with Ellen Page in Whip It!) being the most prominent names perhaps. 8/10, but be prepared for your mood to sink significantly.
Ellen Page and Catherine Keener headline the cast in this film which is based on true events that took place in Indiana, USA, in the mid-60s. The film is horrifying, sad, upsetting and almost unbearably intense, but it asks a range of painful and important questions about why people look the other way or even willingly participate in obviously wrong acts of cruel violence. Keener is one of the top Drama actors of her generation and her performance in this film is again flawless. The real discovery though is Ellen Page, who starred in this film in 2007, the same year that she had her breakthrough with Juno. She walks a very thin line in her portrayal of Sylvia Likens and manages to get the balance right through an almost underplayed approach to the role that is unsettling and almost heartbreaking. The casting of the support roles is very solidly done, too, with James Franco (127 Hours, Spiderman 1-3), Bradley Whitford (Josh from The West Wing) and Ari Graynor (who also starred with Ellen Page in Whip It!) being the most prominent names perhaps. 8/10, but be prepared for your mood to sink significantly.
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Future Female Film Stars: Top 10
If you're a film buff, you will probably not find any surprises here and you will probably counter with some other names which are still much more unknown. If you enjoy movies and look for some suggestions, which actors that are currently launching their career are worth looking into, here are my current Top 10 future female stars:
5) Olivia Wilde - Born 1984 in New York, Ms. Wilde developed her career both on television (The O.C., House) and the silver screen, the latter with appearances in a wide range of films from independent productions such as Nick Cassavetes' Alpha Dog in 2006, to silly teen horror flicks (Turistas, in the same year) and more recently big budget productions such as TRON: Legacy and Cowboys & Aliens. Her name is already attached to 10 future projects, including Andrew Niccol's In Time (with Justin Timberlake - Mr. Niccol is best known for his brilliant first film, Gattaca) and a rumored remake of Tomb Raider.
4) Elle Fanning - the youngest in this list, at 13 years old four years younger than her sister Dakota (War of the Worlds, the unbearable Twilight Saga), this is probably the biggest gamble. Although Elle Fanning has already appeared in 18 feature films, that includes films as early as 2001 (I Am Sam) when she was three years old. Her breakthrough came with Sophia Coppola's wonderfully slow paced and melancholic film Somewhere, in which she played Stephen Dorrf's character's daughter Cleo. She since appeared in Super 8, JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg's summer movie that pretty much tanked at the Box Office, and will appear soon in Ms. Coppola's Dad's latest film Twixt, followed by Cameron Crowe's (Say Anything, Singles, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) newest film, We Bought A Zoo alongside Matt Damon. I think Ms. Fanning will be the much better actress in the family if she picks her films carefully - with directors such as Sofia Coppola and Cameron Crowe, she should be doing very well!
3) Chloe Grace Moretz - Born in 1997 in Atlanta, Ms. Moretz wowed the world when she dropped the C*Bomb in a very unexcited way in the 2010 Kick-Ass. Since then she has been in four more films, including Let Me In, which would be a great film if it wasn't for the much better original Let The Right One In. She is already linked to seven new projects, including Martin Scorsese's Hugo, co-starring Jude Law, and the currently filming Dark Shadows, directed by Tim Burton and co-starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green. One to watch very closely.
2) Saoirse Ronan - Born 1994 in New York, but raised in Ireland, Ms. Ronan starred in 10 feature films so far, including Atonement, Death Defying Acts, the rather disappointing The Lovely Bones (not her fault though), The Way Back and Hanna. She delivered great performances in each of these films, and the roles she played were all rather demanding and versatile. She also doesn't fit the usual bill of the Hollywood beauty, which makes her interesting and immensely promising.
1) Ellen Page - the 24 year old Canadian had her breakthrough with Juno, in which she starred in the title role. Before that, she delivered a brilliant performance in the horrifying An American Crime alongside Catherine Keener, a shocking and thoughtful film based on a true story but unfortunately unknown to wider audiences. After Juno, her most prominent role was as Ariadne in Inception, but she also starred in smaller films such as the funny Smart People, the surprisingly entertaining Whip It (a film about the Roller Derby League directed by Drew Barrymore - really??) and, perhaps her most whacky and surprising role to date, as Libby (aka Boltie) in the hilariously strange Super. We will see her next in Woody Allen's new film, The Bop Decameron, alongside Jesse Eisenberg (he will appear in my Future Male Stars Top 10). Way to go, Ellen!
10) January Jones (Mad Men, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Unknown, X-Men: First Class)
9) Mila Kunis (Family Guy, The Book of Eli, Black Swan, Friends with Benefits. Next: The Muppets)
8) Rose Byrne (Damages, 28 Weeks Later, Knowing, X-Men: First Class)
7) Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
6) Rebecca Hall (The Prestige, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Frost/Nixon, The Town. Next: The Awakening)
5) Olivia Wilde - Born 1984 in New York, Ms. Wilde developed her career both on television (The O.C., House) and the silver screen, the latter with appearances in a wide range of films from independent productions such as Nick Cassavetes' Alpha Dog in 2006, to silly teen horror flicks (Turistas, in the same year) and more recently big budget productions such as TRON: Legacy and Cowboys & Aliens. Her name is already attached to 10 future projects, including Andrew Niccol's In Time (with Justin Timberlake - Mr. Niccol is best known for his brilliant first film, Gattaca) and a rumored remake of Tomb Raider.
4) Elle Fanning - the youngest in this list, at 13 years old four years younger than her sister Dakota (War of the Worlds, the unbearable Twilight Saga), this is probably the biggest gamble. Although Elle Fanning has already appeared in 18 feature films, that includes films as early as 2001 (I Am Sam) when she was three years old. Her breakthrough came with Sophia Coppola's wonderfully slow paced and melancholic film Somewhere, in which she played Stephen Dorrf's character's daughter Cleo. She since appeared in Super 8, JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg's summer movie that pretty much tanked at the Box Office, and will appear soon in Ms. Coppola's Dad's latest film Twixt, followed by Cameron Crowe's (Say Anything, Singles, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) newest film, We Bought A Zoo alongside Matt Damon. I think Ms. Fanning will be the much better actress in the family if she picks her films carefully - with directors such as Sofia Coppola and Cameron Crowe, she should be doing very well!
3) Chloe Grace Moretz - Born in 1997 in Atlanta, Ms. Moretz wowed the world when she dropped the C*Bomb in a very unexcited way in the 2010 Kick-Ass. Since then she has been in four more films, including Let Me In, which would be a great film if it wasn't for the much better original Let The Right One In. She is already linked to seven new projects, including Martin Scorsese's Hugo, co-starring Jude Law, and the currently filming Dark Shadows, directed by Tim Burton and co-starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green. One to watch very closely.
2) Saoirse Ronan - Born 1994 in New York, but raised in Ireland, Ms. Ronan starred in 10 feature films so far, including Atonement, Death Defying Acts, the rather disappointing The Lovely Bones (not her fault though), The Way Back and Hanna. She delivered great performances in each of these films, and the roles she played were all rather demanding and versatile. She also doesn't fit the usual bill of the Hollywood beauty, which makes her interesting and immensely promising.
1) Ellen Page - the 24 year old Canadian had her breakthrough with Juno, in which she starred in the title role. Before that, she delivered a brilliant performance in the horrifying An American Crime alongside Catherine Keener, a shocking and thoughtful film based on a true story but unfortunately unknown to wider audiences. After Juno, her most prominent role was as Ariadne in Inception, but she also starred in smaller films such as the funny Smart People, the surprisingly entertaining Whip It (a film about the Roller Derby League directed by Drew Barrymore - really??) and, perhaps her most whacky and surprising role to date, as Libby (aka Boltie) in the hilariously strange Super. We will see her next in Woody Allen's new film, The Bop Decameron, alongside Jesse Eisenberg (he will appear in my Future Male Stars Top 10). Way to go, Ellen!
Film Review: Hanna (Blu-Ray)
So in my last post I sang the praise of British film makers. Next thing I watch is Hanna, directed by Joe Wright, born 1972 in London. Mr. Wright previously directed Pride & Prejudice and Atonement (both with Keira Knightley), followed by the American film The Soloist with Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey jr. A talented actor, no doubt. but somehow a little trapped in the "emotional drama" category? Well, if he ever was, he's not any more. Hanna is a brilliant action film starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett and Tom Hollander. I won't give any of the plot away on this one, and I hope you haven't read anything else about the film or even seen a preview. Despite the action scenes, Hanna is still a character movie, with a deliberately obvious fairy tale backdrop (which is explained quite well in some of the documentaries that accompany the Blu-Ray release). The music is written by the Chemical Brothers, which works exceptionally well for this film. The Blu-Ray delivers a crisp picture combined with a powerful soundtrack and is absolutely worth the extra money in comparison to a DVD. More about Saoirse Ronan in my next post. Absolutely recommended, 8/10.
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