16
Februar»-
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Entertain Yourself
Good restaurant vital for Valentine's date success
u R oya
elizeh ________________
co-Editor-in-Chief
With Valentine's Day
quickly approaching, having
a perfect dinner for that
Wednesday night is key.
Looking past the obvious
restaurant choices that many
couples usually choose, here
are a few suggestions to
make your romantic dinner
more memorable.
The best local dinner date
experience:
Grill
■ ' Yly:
a go-to
dinner, Lil' Cooperstown
is perfect for the teenage
couple who isn't looking
to spend a lot of money.
Located in downtown
Willamette, the restaurant is
a prime spot to spend time
with a loved one and have a
quick bite to eat. This sports-
themed restaurant offers a
casual dining experience
with no fuss. A local favorite,
LiT Cooperstown has a
wide selection of burgers,
sandwiches and salads
which are all inexpensive.
The only downfall to
this local restaurant is that
parking can be somewhat
limited. Also, stick with
the easy to make dishes.
Finger foods like french
fries and mozzarella sticks
and "pub" style foods are
what you should stick to
at this low budget place. A
cheeseburger with fries runs
about $6.95 while a caesar
chicken salad is about $8.95.
With sports games on the
many televisions through
out the dining room and a
very friendly staff, your date
night at LiT Cooperstown is
guaranteed to be great.
The best dinner date
experience:
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
7463 SW Bridgeport Road
Tigard
(503) 430-3020
Located in the massive
Bridgeport Village, this RF.
Chang's is certain to please
your date. With a wonderful
atmosphere, the dining area
of this huge restaurant really
sets the mood. Filled with
paintings and big circular
booths, your date will be
quite comfortable and come
out satisfied. The Chinese
food at P.F. Chang's is the
best, and the ever-changing
menu doesn't disappoint.
Favorites are the pan-fried
vegetable dumplings, the
honey crusted chicken and to
finish the evening, the "Great
Wall of Chocolate." Served
family style, be careful not
to order too many dishes
and be sure to share with the
ones around you. Parking
and seating can be somewhat
tricky so it is wise to make a
reservation. The restaurant
has an upscale feeling
perfect for a romantic dinner
on this cold Valentine's Day.
The best eccentric dinner
date experience:
■
McMenamin's Kennedy
School Courtyard Restaurant
5736 NE 33rd Ave.
Portland
(503) 249-3983
With eclectilpEntemsi^,,
in a dark setting, this
converted elementary school
is a great place to take that
special someone. Located
in northeast Portland, the
building was once used as
a school from 1915 to the
late 1960's. It contains the
restaurant, 35 hotel rooms
from converted classrooms,
and a movie theater. The
restaurant is a typical
McMenamins complete
with its signature burgers
and traditional favorites,
which are all decently
priced. Unlike most of the
McMenamins chain, the
Courtyard Restaurant also
serves pizza.
calzones,
'e and are
between two
the dining
was the
school's cafeteria) don't
reserving
¡Phe halls of the
tedy School are filled
dth historic photographs,
murals, paintings, and
artifacts from the school's
alumni. You will be set back
and time by exploring this
building that was to be torn
down. You might also view
a movie before or after your
meal. Indie hits such as
"Little Miss Sunshine" have
been featured.
With a setting like the
Courtyard restaurant in
the Kennedy School, you
are guaranteed to have fun
eating and enjoy seeing the
history of Portland.
"The Departed" favored at 79th Academy Awardç
u C hristopher E rbin __________
Staff Reporter
Every year on the last
Sunday of February, those in
the entertainment industry
from around the world
gather to celebrate the best in
filmmaking. On Feb. 25, Ellen
DeGeneres will host the 79th
Annual Academy Awards
at the Kodak Theatre, in the
capital of entertainment,
Hollywood, Calif.
Factors to take into
consideration prior to the
Oscars, by category include:
Best Picture
In a category featuring
many different and unique
films, the most prestigious
award of the night might
come down between "The
Queen"
and "The
Departed,"
two of the best
drama films of
the year. While
"The Departed"
was challenged
by the hype
of it's star-
studded cast,
"The Queen"
will likely fall
second at the
Oscars for one
single and
disappointing
* factor: it was trashed by
the English press; who
obviously took offense to
the film's interpretation of
Queen Elizabeth II. Expect
the technically sound film to
fall second to "The Departed"
which may be the end to
director Martin Scorsese's
search for his first Academy
Award.
Best Actor
Actors headlining this
category are Will Smith ("The
Pursuit of Happiness") in
a slight underdog role to
Leonardo Dicaprio, who's
part in "Blood Diamond" is
being talked up as one of the
best dramatic performances
of the year. Smith, on the
other hand, will need better
votes from the Academy than
those he received from the
box office. His first serious
acting role in a big time
movie was neither raved
about or grilled
by reviewers
across the
world.
Best Actress
Although
she received
the most direct
criticism from
the English
public, Helen
Mirren took
it in stride s'
and her
-
performance,
interpreted as
"outstanding"
by the "New York Times,"
should be enough to
outshine the efforts of some
of the younger nominees.
A dark horse to look for in
this category is Meryl Streep
("The Devil Wears Prada")
who, despite being a veteran,
has taken home the hardware
for Best Actress just once in
1982 ("Sophie's Choice").
Best Supporting Actor
By far the most wide
open of the major categories,
Eddie Murphy will be
the actor to beat for his
role in the film "Dream
Girls." Murphy headlines a
large group of contenders
who are vying for a first
Academy Award. Actors
Brad Pitt ("Babel") and "Ben
Affleck" (Hollywoodland)
are two actors who pose
potential surprises in this
category, and because their
movies were released later
in the year, their strong
performances may remain
clearest in the minds of
voters.
Best Supporting Actress
It appears Simon Cowell
had rejected his invitation
to this year's Oscars, but
can you really blame
him? Cowell was frowned
upon for his comments in
season three of his show
"American Idol," for his
harsh comments about
finalist Jennifer Hudson.
Racism, sexism and other
controversial topics were
tagged to Cowell's image,
but Hudson, the first time
Oscar nominee, has had
very little to do with Cowell
since her role in the hit film
"Dream Girls" has caught
the attention of millions.
Her voice, her comedic
sense of humor and her
natural acting ability has
made her the frontrunner
for best supporting actress,
although many argue that
she deserved a nomination
for best actress.
Best Director
Anybody who follows
the Academy Awards
closely knows the pain and
suffering which Martin
Scorsese has endured. Five
times Scorsese has been
nominated, and not once has
he walked away a winner.
However, his quest for an
Oscar is as strong as ever,
and his search should end at
this Academy Awards. Past
attempts included "Gangs
of New York" and "The
Aviator," both movies that
could have been legitimate
winners any other year, but
the Oscar eluded Scorsese.
This year, he made yet
another push, coming
out with his film "The
Departed," which includes a
cast that is deserving of an
Oscar in itself. Although he
should walk home a winner
on Oscar Night, all eyes will
be on Scorsese, as he makes
what could be his final
attempt to become part of
Academy Award history.
Oscar night already
holds the promise of
surprise and excitement.
First time winners and
emotional victories should
be expected. Go to www.
Oscars.org for up-to-
date predictions and
nominations.