| Tuscan Tavern offers surprisingly authentic Italian fare
Now, how many can afford it? Whoa! Hands quickly fall. What if we offered a sampling of Italy in a somewhat nearer proximity? It won't be magnificent Firenze or Siena in old Tuscany, just old Gloucester Township. But it's probably as authentic as any Italian spot gets in South Jersey. Say hello to the Tuscan Tavern, a surprisingly good 200-seat restaurant that anchors the center of a large strip mall. We told you it wasn't Tuscany. The big boss atop the Tuscan Tavern chain often flits off to Italy, sniffing out extraordinary restaurants and returning with recipes, decor, wines, even architectural hints (each room of the Gloucester Township establishment is a duplicate of one in Italy). There's artistry at work here, from the "how did they do that?" angled brick ceiling in one of the dining rooms to the deft hands that assembled the appetizers in the kitchen.
Ringo takes a hike
The Beatles broke up 38 years ago. Ringo Starr's last appearance in the top 25 of the charts was in 1975. As far as television and today's music audience is concerned, Starr is at best a struggling artist, at worst a charity case. I'm not saying that's right or wrong. Dave Stewart, though, needs to understand he's dealing with Ringo Starr, not Tom Petty. .
Cordish joins in gaming venture
He is clearly one of the top executives in gaming in the U.S., and we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have him join us," Chairman David Cordish said in an e-mail yesterday. He added that he has known Gomes for many years. Gomes, who announced the new venture, said he will be president and chief executive of Gomes + Cordish Gaming Management LLC , a Maryland-based limited liability company. No decision has been made as to where the firm's corporate headquarters will be, Cordish said. The new company's first project will be operating a $200 million slot machine casino at Indiana Downs, a horse racing track outside Indianapolis that Cordish Co. announced last month it would develop and run for majority track owner Oliver Family Trusts. It was the first agreement Cordish has made to operate a gaming operation.
Potter split 'worse than divorce'
Author JK Rowling has been honoured for outstanding achievement at the South Bank Show Awards and told how saying goodbye to Harry Potter was more painful than getting divorced. The multi-millionaire was teary-eyed as she accepted the prize. Last year saw the publication of the seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. "It has been the worst break-up of my life - far worse than splitting up with any man," Rowling, 42, told the audience at London's Dorchester Hotel. "But it has also been wonderful to stop and draw breath and think, 'My God, look what's happened with an idea I had 17 years ago on a train'." Director and actor Lord Attenborough presented the award. He joked that he would have loved a role in the Harry Potter films: "I've got a great complaint against the recipient.
Owner's demise closes Edelweiss
A few plastic bags of sugar cookies remain on the otherwise bare shelves. A thumbed and stained recipe book rests beside cold ovens. Signs taped to the doors and windows say "Closed."
It's been 12 days since 68-year-old Hamilton baker Dietrich A. Paul died of Lou Gehrig's disease and the doors were locked on his Edelweiss Bakery and Cafe. No more German accordion music, Thursday afternoon sour beef and dumplings sessions and those legendary apple fritters, a confection one food writer called "a misshapen bear claw of bliss."
Seated on a wooden chair yesterday in the cafe was Paul's widow, the former Genevieve Miller. She had converted one of the tables into a desk and filled it with business papers.
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M. squash sweeps Midshipmen, 9-0
It's like an age-old tradition — Yale vs. Navy — and it's cool to be a part of that." After beating Penn, 5-4, to start the season, the Bulldogs have beaten all of their opponents to date, with the exception of Trinity, either 9-0 or 8-1. The Elis' impressive string of victories includes an 8-1 win over No. 9 Cornell and a 9-0 defeat of No. 6 Dartmouth. “There really wasn't a whole lot to gain from beating Navy," Ethan Oetter '09 said. “It was really just continuing what we have been doing all along this season." For John Fulham '11, the trip to Annapolis was a story of what could have been. Fulham, who had strongly considered attending the Naval Academy before deciding on Yale, recently signed a reserve contract with the Marine Corps. Fulham will spend his summers training at Parris Island in South Carolina but will only begin active duty after graduation.
Wednesday's Agenda, Jan. 23
2008 Miami Jewish Film Festival: The 11th annual festival continues through Sunday with screenings of national and international films celebrating the diversity of Jewish life and focusing on themes of alienation, intolerance, friendship, and religious identity. Today's films take place at the Regal South Beach Cinema 18, 1120 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; $11, $8 seniors and students with ID, $7 film festival members, unless otherwise noted. 1-888-585-FILM or miamijewishfilmfestival.com: • Arranged, film about the friendship between an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman who meet as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn and learn that they each are going through the process of an arranged marriage. In English: 2 p.m. • Young Filmmakers' Institute, film premieres of seven short films by Miami-Dade high school students with the theme My Israel: 5:30 p.m.
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