Upon beginning my position as the new food critic for The Forum, it is my honor to discuss a necessity that binds us all together no matter what background. That of course is eating. Now granted a person can take any boring form of nutrients and survive, but what separates us from the animals is our ability to turn food into art. Yes readers I am well aware that it might be possible to teach Apes to cook or that an Octopus has a notorious taste in food, or even that the movie Ratatouille’s main character is rat who is also a gourmet chef. Save those comments for the opinion page. But I digest…
I decided to start the first restaurant review of the new school year off in style by reviewing Bistro 157 on 157 E Lincolnway, Valparaiso. Bistro 157 is one of several restaurants that participate in Eat Up, Wind Down every first Thursday of the month. On that day Bistro 157, Bon Femme, Paparazzi, Pike’s, and Don Quijote participate in discount drink specials and meals. Bistro 157 serves a rich menu of French, Asian, and American cuisine prepared by its head chief Nicole Bissonnette, who study at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute, in France.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, I first noticed that the service is a bit slow in the beginning of the evening around 5 but quality improved as the evening continued. For all potential visitors I would plan on eating after 6. The atmosphere was that of a relaxing Jazz club, close, but still comfortable. The staff was pleasant as well as knowledgeable about the menu. This is a must for any inquisitive dinner. As part of their Eat Up, Wind Down menu, Bistro 157 offers several drink specials including Asian Pear Martini’s, Chocolate Martini’s, Hang Time Chardonnay, and Bouchard Pinot Noir. Sampling the Pinot Noir, I found it refreshing and strong with earth flavors, good for a red wine, but very difficult to pair with any non-beef dish so I’m not quite sure why they didn’t place a Merlot on the drink special menu instead.
On the other hand, the food itself was superb. For an appetizer, the escargot with onion and herb seasoning was delicious and made even better with a little pepper and olive oil. The escargot was tender and not tough and the added tomatoes matched well with flavors of the rest of the dish. If you don’t enjoy eating invertebrates, Bistro 157 offers a variety of appetizers as part of its Eat Up, Wind Down menu including duck pot stickers, smoked salmon pizza, crispy polenta with lemon pepper goat cheese fonduta, and grilled lamb kefta pita.
The main course was Grouper in a Thai peanut sauce with cilantro and ginger. The visual appeal of the dish matched its taste, which is to say the dish was a sensation to the palate. You could taste all the flavors of the sauce and the taste of the ginger and cilantro paired well with the addition of Puerto Rican rice and asparagus that was also served with the Grouper. Further, the peanut sauce did not in itself overpower the natural flavors of the fish, which sauces often do.
Finally, for dessert I had the Sorbet that included wild berry, citrus melon, and coconut key lime. The dessert was delicious and light, although the coconut key lime was a bit too sweet for me. The total price of the dinner was $41, which makes more of a once in a semester dinning experience. However, the specials were all around $5 and the main course by itself was $24. It is perhaps more suitable dinner for a celebration or a romantic evening. Bistro 157 has seasonal outdoor dining with live music acts. In conclusion, Bistro 157 offers fine cuisine and a delightful dinning experience. In the Bon Appetite rating, I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
John Bayard can be reached at forum@valpo.edu

Staff Writer

This month I met with Professor Vandercoy and discussed many aspects of his law career and life.

John: So Professor Vandercoy why did you decide to give up your flourishing career as a folk singer and become a law professor?
Professor Vandercoy: I found it was easier to lip sync to a class of law students than to sing real music in front of a live audience. I also heard that you get higher admission prices with law students than concert attendees. It was a natural move since most of songs are about legal ethics anyway.

John: While you were here at Valparaiso University School of Law, you created a new sport involving Law Students. Can you tell our readers more about it?
Professor Vandercoy: While I actually created two sports. The first involves not placing enough seats in the law library and than watching as students struggle to find a place to sit. The second is actually a running bet between the faculty in which I place answers to exams in several of the tort books in the law library and see how long it takes for students to find them. As of this date, no students have even opened those books.

John: Can you describe the time you managed to take down a 500 lb Grizzly Bear using only the rules of evidence?
Professor Vandercoy: What a fun time that was. First I confined the bear with hearsay evidence rules and then smothered him with the new pocket part of Title 16 of the United States Code. However I realized that the statute I was smothering the bear with was a new subsection of 16 U.S.C. §1538 which prohibits smothering of Grizzly Bears with the United States Code. Fortunately enough for myself I was walking my man-eating shark at the time (I was a bio-engineer before becoming a great folk singing legend and had been able to engineer a shark that can breath out of water) and the shark fought off the bear for me. Congress is currently amending the statute to prohibit law professors from bio-engineering man-eating sharks. What’s next, prohibiting law students from bio-engineering man-eating sharks?

John: What do you feel is the best teaching method? Teaching students while scuba-diving or while sky-diving?
Professor Vandercoy: Personally, I prefer scuba-diving. The oxygen rich breathing suits really help the students focus more. Further, they are more incline to answer questions quickly when surrounded by my bio-engineered man-eating sharks.

I like to give my thanks again to Professor Vandercoy for agreeing to have this interview.

John Bayard is a 2L and can be reached at forum@valpo.edu

This month I interviewed Professor Sy Moskowitz. Professor Moskowitz has been a Law Professor at Valparaiso University School of Law for over 30 years. Originally he never thought that he would be a Law Professor. His interest was in labor law and civil rights. It is these interests that drove him to become a lawyer. After graduating at Harvard Law, where one of his classmates was Justice David Souter, he started and was the first director of VUSL’s clinical program. During his time as director, he developed an interest in teaching law.
When asked about teaching, Professor Moskowitz said, “Some teachers changed my life and forced me to think about my own ideas. Teachers should make students think about their belief and make them challenge their own beliefs.” Moskowitz added that teaching is a sacred calling.
Moskowitz teaches administrative law, constitutional law, family law, and also teaches family law practicum with a sitting judge. Moskowitz stated that the most important thing students should learn in law school is how to become professional students. “This includes an increased demand upon students and obligations to serve clients with that sense of professionalism.” Moskowitz said. For those students looking for employment, Professor Moskowitz said the more a student is involved with lawyers and the practice of law, the better they know what it means to be a lawyer. His final advice was to 1L’s saying that they should aim at maintaining a balance in life between work and enjoyment in order not to be overwhelmed.
Besides teaching, Professor Moskowitz enjoys a variety of other interests. He enjoys hiking, rafting, camping, and yoga. He also loves listening to music, especially jazz and classical. He still involves himself with some law cases in Indiana.
Originally from New York, Moskowitz has four children of which three are married. He also has four grandchildren. His oldest daughter is a lawyer who works in IP law. His wife was an attorney and later became a nurse and midwife.
“Some of the things I enjoy most about being a teach is being with students and colleagues. I learn about things myself through research and writing and teach people how to learn. I think teaching people how to learn is the most important part of law school. Once students know how to learn, they can go out and learn anything about the law on their own.” Moskowitz said.

John Bayard is a 2L who can be reached at forum@valpo.edu

John Bayard
Chaplain, Christian Legal Society

John is a 2L and can be reached at forum@valpo.edu.