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Hell's Kitchen, located at 124 Granby Street in downtown Norfolk, is the new attraction for Norfolk, even though it has only been open a short time. The hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. The "Hell in a Hand basket" delivery service operates from noon to 4 p.m. Don't get too excited though, Virginia Wesleyan is out of the area for delivery service. Hell's Kitchen atmosphere consists of the hot "Hell" food, the people and the lively music and movie selections on the flat screen televisions.
The interior looks like it came straight out of New York City. To go with the Hell's Kitchen theme the interior design is pitch black: black spiral floors, black tables with crème marble tops, black chairs, right down to the black napkins. All the light fixtures follow the modern look to create a city feel and an intimate setting. The brick entrance walkways and background walls add a touch of old architectural design. Bright framed pictures align the walls throughout the restaurant, making it an easy atmosphere to hold conversation.
There are two flat screen televisions on either side of the restaurant that play movies that go along with the restaurant’s theme. During my visit The Matrix was playing, allowing you to feel like you are at the cinema in the restaurant’s dark atmosphere. Hell’s Kitchen is a very open restaurant as you are able to watch the chef cook your meal from a distance. The signature recipes are easy to identify by their names, such as Hell Frozen Over classic milkshakes and Rootbeer floats, Fire Pasta for the pasta lovers, and Hell's Wings, which are as hot as the atmosphere. For those who enjoy going to a bar at night, the menu called “Hell's Hydrant” consists of several draft beers that can quench your thirst.
The price of food is not bad for the college student, with an average cost of $6 for appetizers and $7 for entrees. The biggest expense seen on the menu is $21 for the New York Strip Steak. The atmosphere is great for all people who enjoy the modern look from lunch to dinner and continuing the nightlife ringing in the morning at 2:00 a.m.
"I enjoyed the atmosphere right down to watching The Matrix on the flat
screen televisions," said senior Rebecca Hopkins. "I ordered the chicken
burrito and the burrito was even red to go with the Hell's Kitchen theme."
Hell's Kitchen proved to be the hot new spot in downtown Norfolk.
Have you ever gone into something without knowing what to expect? Fearing the unknown is a feeling you will experience when watching Dreamcatcher. Lawrence Kasdan directed the film, which is based on a novel by Stephen King. The movie gets its name from a native American tradition. The dreamcatcher is supposed to take all the good dreams floating in the air and let them flow to the person sleeping below. But nightmares are caught in the web and held until they perish in the first light of day.
Although it is categorized as a horror flick, the film has several different elements that move it away from this categorization. The beginning sequence is good, peeking into the lives of the four main characters of the story, who are Dr. Henry Devlin (Thomas Jane), Professor Gary Jones/Jonesy (Damian Lewis), Pete Moore (Timothy Olyphant) and Beaves (Jason Lee). The four are childhood friends who have managed to keep in touch throughout the years. The caring, brave boys save a mentally handicapped child from bullies and he, in turn gave them mind-reading capabilities. The friendship and bond of the men gave the movie a warm feel, which is one of the strong elements of the movie.
At their cabin in the mountains in Maine, where the friends visit for one week every year since their childhood, Jonesy encounters a man who claims to be a lost hunter in the woods. He and Beaves notice that the man is ill and overly bloated. They put him in bed and laugh about the man's gas problem, but they soon discover something unbelievably horrible. It turns out that all the people in the town have already been infected by this unknown illness. It is at this point the movie drags downhill. Military forces come in to deal with the mess and quarantine the town so the illness does not spread. This causes the film to turn into an action/military flick. The five friends then use their special abilities to perform heroic acts, but first they have to overcome obstacles preventing them from saving the world.
Lee and Olyphant provide the comic relief in the film. Damian Lewis is especially brilliant in playing split personalities and Thomas Jane plays a genuine, depressed yet likable character. Their acting abilities, along with their characters’ childhood flashbacks are what help save the movie and made it worth watching. Dreamcatcher should be seen at least once, to get the unexpected horrid moment, which comes late in the film. It gets one and a half stars for its scare factor, which was a little disappointing considering the trailer made it look like a great horror film.
In two years John Mayer's popularity has soared, and his records sales have put him at the top of the charts. The Connecticut native crashed into the music scene with hits like "No Such Thing," and "Your Body is a Wonderland." His emotionally charged lyrics and bluesy guitar riffs are helping to bring singer/songwriters back into the spotlight, a pastime long forgotten by today's "pop" culture.
After spending a few months at Boston's Berklee School of Music, Mayer dropped out and moved to Birmingham, Ala. where he started to play the area's local club circuit. Mayer's first album was released without the help of a major record label and it was not much more than Mayer and his guitar. The songs on his solo release became the blueprint for his major label debut. While his studio-produced album is good and has made him popular, it is his latest release, Any Given Thursday, which really lets the listener hear the talent of the 27-year-old. It is a double disk live album that was recorded at Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Birmingham, Ala., in the fall of 2002.
The CD contains tracks from his first two albums combined. Songs like "Man On The Side," and "Why Georgia" highlight this album, and there is not a bad song on it. Mayer put together a great set list making the album interesting to listen to from the first song to the last. There is also a version of the old Police song, "Message in a Bottle." There is definitely a “Dave” feel to some of Mayer's songs. Mayer and Matthews both have the ability to captivate an audience without a band. Mayer's solo performances on Any Given Thursday are amazing. Even if Mayer's music is not your style, it is undeniable that he is overflowing with musical talent. Some of his songs contain entrancing blues scales, reminiscent of the late Stevie Ray Vaughn. While other songs are complicated chord progressions.
Listening to a live album always brings something extra because you can hear the crowd. Mayer refers to them as the "B-Ham Choir." The "choir" is mostly comprised of teenage girls who know every word to every song. It is good to see someone in the mainstream with musical talent. It's rare to see an artist who writes all of his own music, and plays the instruments, too. Mayer has brought that trait back into the limelight and his new CD, Any Given Thursday, is a testament to his musicianship.
Ben Harper released his fifth studio album, Diamonds on the Inside, in March. The album is filled with 14 soulful blends of folk, blues, R&B and pop rhythms. He adds funk and rock with sweeps of his twelve string and pedal steel guitars. Harper's signature instrument, the Weissenborn guitar keeps him close to a folk and blues/rock feel. The Weissenborn guitar has a hollow neck, no frets and it is played across the lap, slide style. Harper also uses violins, the harp, piano and accordion to create his ballads.
He covers musical genres from acoustic ballads, harder rock songs, and, without forgetting his soul, reggae roots. He takes pride in the fact that his music cannot be classified into one category. He also writes songs about global themes such as religion, belief, politics, racism, pollution and social inequalities, and addresses personal themes such as friendship, love and hatred as well. Harper addresses these themes in his music to speak his mind on matters and to make others to think. His intellectual honesty makes him a unique artist in today's mainly superficial music world.
The optimistic anthem "With My Own Two Hands," is a reggae rock song that speaks of how an individual can make a difference. Harper has powerful messages throughout his music. The varieties of music genres make his songs something for everyone to enjoy.
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