Avatar: A Romp Through a Fantastical World with Ewokian-like Creatures

I loved the movie Avatar... saw it last night with 3-D glasses on. Had to run, really fast, to the bathroom mid-way so I wouldn't miss the scenes of Jakesully riding on his huge-winged dinosaur creature. The parts where he's learning to walk on gigantic branches made my palms sweat, literally... I don't like the idea of falling into rapids hundreds of feet below (which he does at one point) only to be eaten by some sharp-fanged monster. The colors and movements of the flora and fauna were gorgeous, and the creatures in the forest were really fun to watch with sharp teeth, drooling jaws, skinless bodies, fast, tough... a reminder of those awful dogs in "I am Legend". They did seem to borrow a lot from some other movies we have all loved and enjoyed, like Star Wars, big time (remember the Ewoks?). Beware, though, if you're older... it's a long movie, and by the time I got up to leave, I couldn't walk b/c my knees had cricks in them and my leg muscles were stiff.

The difference between Pho Hoa and Com

After thinking about the blog I posted yesterday about Pho Hoa, I realized what it was that caused me to stop patronizing this noodle shop: It was my finding another Vietnamese hole in the wall a bit further South on Buford Hwy called "COM". The difference is that Com serves up a more nutritionally balanced meal for just a couple dollars more and with a nicer atmosphere. There are actually paintings (or at least pictures that look like paintings) on the wall of Vietnamese women dressed in traditional garb; there are booths (which I prefer to regular tables) which lends itself to a cozy feeling; there is a greater sense of "cleanliness," if you know what I mean.



My favorite dish at COM is the Bun/Rice Vermicelli dish served with grilled shrimp, roasted peanuts and fried onions, and a super yummy fish sauce called Nuoc Mam Sauce. The entree that my family likes is the "make-it-yourself burrito" called Banh Hoi which includes large circular tortilla-like rice sheets that you fill with soft vermicelli noodles; your choice of meats including beef, chicken, shrimp, lamb or pork; and a huge assortment of veggies like cucumber, pickled turnip, zucchini, Thai basil, mint, cilantro and lettuce. There are two locations in Atlanta for this restaurant, but I've only been to the one on Buford Hwy. It also has its own website, but you'll have to look at the Dunwoody location for a sample of the menu: http://www.comgrill.com/.



So, I hope I've explained a little better my reasoning for leaving Pho and going to Com ... value, freshness, quality of food, greater variety, and atmosphere. Now go and try them both for yourself and tell me what you think!

Restaurants in Atlanta come and go

Our family used to frequent a little hole in the wall restaurant on Buford Hwy called Pho Hoa which served simple, vermicelli noodles with chicken in a light broth with veggies on the side. When the kids were little, we piled into the restaurant and sat on the right side of the huge open room lit only by incandescent lights here and there. On the right, because that little section was the NON-SMOKING area; the other 2/3 of the restaurant was filled with smokers. Do you remember way back, during the 70's/80's when the airlines would have the non-smoking section on the plane? Because I was still young back then, just traveling to and from college, I was usually placed in the latter part of the area in non-smoking, only one measley row in front of the smokers. Hack! Those were awful times to travel in a plane! I'm so thankful that we've eliminated smoking in airplanes completely... what a relief!



Tonight, CMLB sat with me and chatted while we slurped our Pho topped with bean sprouts, sliced chicken (all white meat),green and white onions, Thai basil, and fresh squeezed lime juice. I had vowed years ago not to enter this place after it seemed to have lost its "fresh" quality, but I guess the chill of the night mixed with the hot soup and noodles banished all memories of the boycott from my mind. I told my eldest that I'd give this restaurant a reprieve and recommend it again to others. I'd even tell my husband that he could go back... he had been so heartbroken every time I found another Asian place to go to instead. So here's to you, Pho Hoa, for filling our bellies tonight with good soup and noodles, helping us to regain our warmth, and helping us re-up another Buford Hwy hole in the wall!

Here's to a first, to a new day, a new experience, and a New Year!

Monday, Dec. 28, 2009



I've finally started a new blog, one that I wanted to start nearly two years ago. Two years ago, the farthest I got was entering my name and email address. This time, I'm going to put forth the effort that this type of thing takes (I think). I can do this tonight because I'm currently HOME ALONE... no one else is here except Marley, my nearly perfect miniature Golden Doodle. I have exactly 50 min. before I have to pick up a child from one of her friends' house.





I told someone today that the reason why I'm doing a blog is because of what I call "The Universal Desire of Women": That is, to know and to be known. That's it... in a nutshell.





So here goes, and I'm hoping for the best!