Born as a side project between two prominent emo bands, Chris Conley of Saves the Day and Max Bemis from Say Any­thing, this album also features other members from each group and covers the same standard fare for the genre with songs about breakups and couples reuniting. The album fea­tures 13 tracks of mostly short dura­tion with a few longer tracks mixed in. Fans of either group and fans of emo music in general would be well served to give it a listen.

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Ooh baby, its cold outside. When it is this chilly, most people, including me, crave carbohy­drates. When I think carbohydrates, I think pasta.

Growing up in an Italian town, I am a huge fan of pasta. However, it can be difficult to impress me, because I like cooking my own pasta. If I can make it myself, I am unlikely to want to pay for someone else to make it for me. When I heard about the pasta buffet at Pestos, I thought I should try it out for those of you who do not enjoy mak­ing your own pasta. The buffet is open on Wednesdays from four o’clock until nine o’clock.

I must say, I had never heard of a pasta buffet. It seemed like a bad idea to me, as most delicious pasta dishes involve ingredients that would either dry out on a buffet or become slightly congealed. I was slightly apprehensive of what would be served at this buffet. I have always enjoyed my meals at Pes­tos in the past so I had high hopes for the buffet there.

My review of Pestos Italian Res­taurant follows.

1. Ambiance

The first thing you notice when you walk into Pestos is a fountain in the middle of the main room. Every­thing is lit by twinkle lights, giving a romantic glow to the space. The tables are set with plenty of space between them, so you have an element of pri­vacy that lends itself to cozy evenings. However, we were shown to the seating beside the bar. We sat in a booth, which had slashes in the upholstery, making us wonder who brought knives in their pockets. Other than that, the music was tasteful, although Gus said it made him a little sleepy.

2. Service

Of course, since we were eating from the buffet, we did not have as much contact with servers. Still, our server introduced herself to us by name, and our drinks were never empty. Also, there is a staff person attending the buf­fet at all times, helping you serve your­self and answering questions about the food. Overall, the service was excellent during our time at the restaurant.

3. Cost

Usually, Italian food tends to be on the expensive side. However, at twelve dollars a person, the buffet was fairly affordable. For that twelve dol­lars, you were able to enjoy everything from salad to dessert. And, of course, it is all you can eat, so you have plenty of opportunity to eat your money’s worth. So if you intend to partake in this buf­fet, get ready to carbo load and come hungry.

4. Taste

We both started with the salad, and quite frankly, it was nothing to write home to mom about. It was simply ice­berg lettuce, with a few traditional top­pings to eat with. The breadsticks were tasty. They were simple twists of white bread, brushed with butter and sprinkled with parmesan. I recommend dipping them in the marinara that is served with the pasta on the buffet.

Gus tried the pesto crusted salm­on, and said that it had good flavor, but it was a little dried out. I tried the veal parmigiana, which was prepared in the traditional way, breaded and served in marinara with mozzarella on top. Gus also tried Italian sausage, and said that it was very traditionally flavored.

There were four pastas served on the buffet, therefore you could taste a little of each if you are indecisive like me. I tried the tortellini caprese first. I enjoyed the fresh vegetables served with it and the lightness of the oil sauce. Gus really liked the roasted garlic chicken, which was penne with chicken and broccoli in a cream sauce, but he did say there was very little chicken in it. That was a problem that the chicken marsala also suffered from, as it tasted primar­ily like pasta in a mushroom sauce. However, the butternut squash ravioli in a brandy sauce won the evening, as Gus’s comment on it was “I think I am addicted to this ravioli.” I thought it was a touch too sweet for a main course, but it was very fun to try on the buffet.

Once I had tried all of the pasta I could, I moved down the buffet to the pizza. There were four pizzas avail­able, which were five cheese, barbeque chicken, pepperoni, and mushroom gar­lic. I tried the five cheese, and thought it was very tasty. The crust was crispy and the cheese was delicious, but not over­powering. It was not by any means the best pizza I had ever had, but it was very good for a buffet.

My favorite thing on the buffet was dessert. Pestos served a bread pud­ding with pecans, topped with what the server called homemade whipped cream. However, it was a little less than whipped for my taste. It made more of a sauce than a whipped cream. Still, it was delicious, and finished off the meal on a pleasant note.

Conclusion:

Our meal was satisfying and worth the price of the buffet. It was nothing out of the ordinary, with very traditional Italian dishes being served. Still, it is an excellent way to feed your carbohy­drate craving on a cold winter evening. I would recommend this buffet to anyone who loves pasta, but does not love pre­paring it themself.

Kirsten is a 3L and can

Baffled. I found myself absolutely stumped this time around with what many Americans purport to be a “Scottish Ale.” After some quick research, I found that “Scottish Ale” is a fictional category drawn by American beer amateurs that somehow has made its way into the mainstream. Actually, the term “Scottish Ale” only refers to a beer originating or brewed in Scotland. Many (including me up to this point) assume that this term, in fact, is a legiti­mate distinction among beers from the British Isles. This confusion more than likely originates from a misinterpreta­tion of the term “Scotch Ale,” which actually does confer a meaningful con­notation of an ale whose grain is malted from the flames of native Scottish peat.

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One of the most difficult things to do in all of sports is to correctly predict which teams will re¬ceive at-large bids to the Men’s NCAA Tournament. By now everyone knows teams like North Carolina, Connecticut, Duke, Pittsburgh, UCLA, Oklahoma and Michigan State are locks to be danc¬ing in March. The true madness though comes from teams that were either not expected to make the tournament at some point during the season or snuck in at the last minute due to an impres¬sive run in the conference tournament or upset win over a nationally ranked opponent. If you are looking for teams capable of springing a first round upset you have come to the right place. Read the rest of this entry »

(Update: My patients are doing well. Also, as a result of the increasing popu­larity of this column the doctor has had to make a few house calls.)

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Three Stories:

Mildred Loving. On May 2, 2008, Mildred Loving died at age 68. In the landmark case Lov­ing v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967), the Supreme Court overturned Virginia’s miscegenation laws which prohibited interracial marriages. Loving, a black woman, was basically guilty of falling in love with Richard Loving, a white man.

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Let the endless comparison to real-life couple and singer-song­writer duo Mates of State com­mence with this much anticipated fol­low up release for Matt & Kim. Their new album, “Grand”, checks in at under 30 minutes and a start to finish listen makes the album sound even shorter. This is unfortunate because the album is hard to ignore as an upbeat call to arms for all other 2009 releases in the indie scene.

The opener, “Daylight”, is abra­sively contagious with its pounding drums, steamrolling vocals and subtle effects all coming together to create a dangerous mix of sound. Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare”, with its piano intro and clap-drumming combination continues the duo’s progression of near­ly dance happy tracks that are layered with vocals almost anyone can sing-a-long to while dancing simultaneously. Not to be outdone, “I Wanna”, features the electronic underpinnings of an old school Nintendo videogame, and at just one minute and thirty-eight seconds, impatient music listeners may pass over the it without giving the track its due.

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 (Note: The Juris Doctor has his B.A. in Lust, his M.S. in Romance, and his Ph.D. in Love.)

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With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, a com­mon thought on many minds is where’s a romantic spot to go and celebrate? I know what you are think­ing…how can you review restaurants for Valentine’s Day when your article has to be to the editors of the paper in January? Well, Gus and I willingly took one for the team and had a romantic din­ner a little early to celebrate the night we met six years ago.

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There are few things I would rather be doing that reviewing a barley wine. On a day when you either have nothing to do, or that’s been so bad you have to look down to make sure you’re not in fact wearing a postal uniform, that’s the day to purchase and savor one of these. Sit back, take your time and enjoy all that this type of ale has to offer.

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