Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2005)
8* thtiACKAMAsprint____ Aprii20, Arts ¿f^Entertainmen Mac grill offers low-priced eat town Portland has much more to offer than a bowl of Kraft Easy- Mac™, and might even be one of the finest Italian restaurants in Oregon. Upon entering “The Grill,” I was greeted with soft, earth- toned paint, a ceiling-mounted sound system offering some light background music, and a nice, warm fire. There is a wall of col ored glass behind the bar to the right, a ceiling-high wine rack in the back of the main dining room, and everything is lit softly by strings of outdoor-style patio lights hanging in rows across the ceiling, giving the entire place a feeling of romanticism and com fort. As if that wasn’t enough, the whole experience was topped off by an exposed kitchen in the back o f the restaurant where the cooking and waiting staff could be heard shouting food orders back and The Clackamas Print forth in light-hearted Italian, giv ing it an authentic Roman feel. Romano’s Macaroni Grill on The waiter, Greg, was imme SW 3rd and Yamhill in down- diately attentive and began by pouring olive oil and some fresh ground pepper into a small saucer for the bread, which he happened to be already holding. There were several appetizers, making the choice a bit difficult, but I settled on the mozzarella alia marinara followed by a deli cious Caesar salad topped with parmesan cheese grated from a block right at the table. The entrée menu offered a large variety of Italian and Italian-inspired food. Baked chicken, fire-baked pizza, and many combinations of pasta and sauce were just waiting to be complimented by any number of sausages or meats of my choos ing. It may have been a bit stereotypi cal, but I couldn’t resist the meatbail lasagna. Beyond the size of the Karlin Johnson Clackamas Print portions and the impressive Romano’s Macaroni Grill is locate on SW 3rd and Yamhill and offers delicious low-priced Italian food. Jeff Sorensen presentation, the taste is, “The Grill” should really; pride in. The lasagna was ily the most memorable din I’ve ever paid for on sheer t alone. The meatballs were sn enough to be cooked between six layers of pasta and chee and all of it was topped in a tomato-meat sauce that wa refreshing relief from the ta and often-misused marinara. So what does this an« experience cost? Roughly 201 cent less than the popular 0 Garden (before the tip) ... a that Grill Manager John Hasl is actually quite proud of. “There’s something everybody here,” said Hash “Children are welcome ... sen are welcome. [It’s] a downto restaurant experience without price.” Romano’s is a restaurant 6 chise that plans to build more in Tualatin and Clackan While they do reserve a g portion of the restaurant walk-in business, they takei ervations as well, and Hasl recommends getting your i ervations early on Friday Saturday nights, even though says getting reservations it impossible. Documentary tackles evil genius in ‘Abel raises Caini before being uncovered as a com plete fabrication. It continues by humorously The Clackamas Print showing his later work, which includes a mockumentary called What would you think of a “Is There Sex After Death?”—a campaign called “Society for Campaign to ban breast feeding— Indecency to Naked Aiumals” claiming that women receive erot with the intent to force all people ic experiences from breast feeding to clothe their naked animals? their children and his most famous How about the first International hoax, the aforementioned SINA. Sex Bowl? Not just focusing on his acts, These topics (among others) it goes in depth to the reason and the evil genius who brings behind his jokery—to show the them up are tackled in the doc utter absurdity of the system by umentary “Abel Raises Caine.” mocking it, without it even real The evil genius spoken of is no izing. He is quoted in the film other than Alan Abel, professional that SINA and the campaign to hoaxer on a mission from God: to ban breast feeding was actually keep the media honest by lying a mockery of the religious right to them. movement which was waging war Directed by Alan Abel’s for any and every cause for a little daughter, Jenny Abel, the film is publicity. anything but the expected sappy His whipping boy of choice love-letter to daddy. On the con was the media, who would line up trary, it is a laugh-out-loud funny and take the bait hook, line and yet deep exposé on the antics of sinker, especially if they thought a man who has never held a 9-to- they would be witnessing the first 5 job, and thrives off of humor, annual International Sex Bowl, and who has duped papers even complete with announcer and ref outside of America (the U.K.’s eree, or a tell-all confession of an respected Daily Mirror was one of Iranian man involved in the Iran- his targets). Contra scandal, and is now trying The doc uses recent footage to return several billion dollars to of his daily life as well as clips the United States. from the past talk shows and newsH Detailed in the film is his reports which were products of his career in politics, especially when handy work. he acted as campaign manager for The film begins with his first Yetta Bronstein, a Jewish house large-scale hoax, Omar’s School wife from <the Bronx who ran for Beggars, a fake institute which twice for president—losing both gained nationwide recognition times by a landslide, although she . Bon Maras 11 received a handwritten note from President Richard Nixon. Pretty good for someone who didn’t even exist. The high point in the film is when Abel, is approached by a Hollywood company for the rights to make a movie about his fife. On his way to negotiations he heard some businessmen involved in the negation, unaware who was in the elevator with them, saying that they should wait until Abel died so that they could buy his estate for “next to peanuts.” Sadly, just weeks later Alan Abel’s obituary ran in all of the nation’s large newspapers, reading that he had suffered a heart attack while skiing. The Abel estate’s phone was ringing off the hook from the company wanting to close negotiations. Unfortunately for them, this was the first time that the papers would have to retract an obituary—Abel had duped them again. All negotia tions were off. Apparently famous film companies can’t take a joke. So what did this journalist think about Abel’s using die media as his personal tool for his own exploits, at the expense of seri ous news? It’s a good thing he’s alive—the so-called fourth bn of the government (the me needs someone to keep then check, and his abuse is a welc addition to keep reporters ho and on their toes. Abel Raises Caine is ea one of the best documentaries would ever see, and deserve ‘A’ for intimate directing witl seeming amateur and never d ging despite the almost two-l runtime.. Of course I could be lyinj could be terrible. So go rei when it comes out on DVD few months and see for yours Creative Arts at Western Oregon University. Transform yourself through art, dance, music and theatre. www.wou.edu/las/creativearts creativearts@wou.edu 503-838-8340 art • 503-838-8275 music 503-838-8462 theatre/dance WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSÏTŸ ABEL Photo courtoty of alanabel.com
