Netflix & Grill: Bloody good night with must-see original, local fish & chips
Entrée
Is there a more British meal than fish & chips? Maybe, but I needed an excuse to check out Pat & Gracie’s new downtown location.
The fish and chips consisted of four pieces of buttery, light and fluffy deep fried cod, crispy and fresh fries and a blue cheese based coleslaw and was a smashing success all around.
You would also be well served by ordering the Double Boned Pork Chop. Prepared with a sugar marinade and apple cider glaze and served with brown sugar butter and candied pecans, the pork chop was perfectly grilled and by the end of the meal, I was slightly envious of my wife’s choice (also, sub out the mashed potatoes for the rich and creamy risotto). We enjoyed the ambiance, food, drinks and service and will be back soon. Speaking of drinks…
Drink
I chose a Rhinegeist Krue Kohsch, a crispy lighter beer with a slight malt that paired well with my fish and chips and my wife had a glass of 19 Crimes Cabernet to accompany her pork chop.
After dinner, I stepped up my game with a Pat & Gracie’s specialty entitled ‘The Seneca.’ Consisting of Watershed Gin, muddled orange, fresh orange juice, simple syrup, orange bitters and Cointreau, The Seneca seems is delicious and packs a punch and would seem at home at Buckingham Palace. Enjoy!
Vinyl
Let’s honor The Crown by spinning the London based rock quartet that is Queen. I usually don’t endorse Greatest Hits albums, but this is 60 minute spin that changes genres like the Queen changes gloves. Roger Taylor (drums) and John Deacon (bass) combine to form a powerhouse rhythm section, Brian May is a guitar virtuoso and front man Freddie Mercury, well…you know who he is. During Queen’s reign, every member penned a #1 song, truly making them Rock and Roll royalty.
Streaming
Set between 1947 and 1963 and focusing on the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh (Matt Smith), The Crown is a deeply rich character study that examines the human side of the British Royal Family. After just two seasons, The Crown has established itself as a Netflix powerhouse for a multitude of reasons (casting/directing/writing) but due largely to the onscreen chemistry between Foy and Smith.
Foy and Smith are the most palpable on screen couple since Edie Falco and James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), have incredible chemistry, and are the heart of the show..Still, The Crown excels the most when focusing on the trials of marriage and how those trials are exacerbated when being part of the Royal Family. In short, being a member of the British Monarchy is portrayed as a blessing and a curse in a field that is always greener on the other side.
Aside from also having a hip 1950s aesthetic, elaborate sets and incredible production values, The Crown has many other talented players, including:
John Lithgow as Winston Churchill. Lithgow was mesmerizing and if not for Gary Oldman’s recent Oscar winning turn as Churchill, would be the belle of the historical drama ball.
Jared Harris as King George VI. Harris plays a loving and supportive father of Queen Elizabeth II and steals most scenes. If you are a television junkie, you will recall Harris’ ill-fated stint as Mad Men’s Lane Pryce. Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth’s hard living, naive and jilted younger sister. Kirby simultaneously brings party animal energy and a charming vulnerability to every scene.
Alex Jennings as former King Edward VIII. The scenes Jennings shares with on screen wife Lia Williams are some of the series most entertaining and heartbreaking.
The only complaint I can muster is that the Season 3 will reportedly have a completely new cast as the series makes a time jumps to the late 1960s and 1970s. Foy and Smith are lightning in a bottle and leaving them behind seems counterintuitive to the success of this, or any other series.
If you watch one Netflix original series in 2018, make it The Crown.
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