DRIVING MISS DAISY AT THE CARNEGIE

From stage to screen to stage, The Carnegie presents the tale of the legendary Southern belle who wouldn't let age or changing times stand in her way. Driving Miss Daisy begins in 1948 Atlanta, Georgia, with 72-year-old Daisy Werthan returning home after totaling her second car in a matter of weeks. Too old to drive and too big of a risk for the insurance company, her son Boolie takes away Daisy's keys and hires a chauffeur: Hoke, an African American who previously worked as a driver for a judge.

Photo provided by The Carnegie, Mikki Schaffner

If you haven't seen the movie, you can probably tell where the plot is going: The South, Civil Rights era, an affluent white woman's independence now intertwined with a black man's career. Whether it was prejudice or stubbornness on accepting her age, Miss Daisy and Hoke get off to a rough start. Determined and optimistic, Hoke makes the best of the situation no matter how fussy Miss Daisy becomes. From trips to the Piggly Wiggly to longer journeys visiting relatives out-of-state, the pair form an unlikely friendship over the course of the next 25 years.

Photo provided by The Carnegie, Mikki Schaffner

Differing from the silver screen, The Carnegie interprets the most meaningful scenes from the film into a fast-paced 90-minute show. There are some significant plot points left out due to having a working cast of three, but the story comes together just as easily without. One thing I enjoyed was how the actors referred to different neighborhoods and streets in Atlanta, perfect to create a visual for anyone who has traveled there. Little Five Points? That's where you can grab a burger and beer at The Vortex. Forsyth Street? The new Atlanta Streetcar route crosses there. Small details like this gave the play a down-home feel; something that the film version overlooked.

Photo provided by The Carnegie, Mikki Schaffner

A simplistic set and minimal cast, The Carnegie pulls off an entertaining show without all the bells and whistles. Miss Daisy is portrayed by Dale Hodges, Cincinnati's Jessica Tandy. I've seen her in many roles as an older woman and she does a magnificent job whether tugging at the heartstrings or being a feisty curmudgeon. As Miss Daisy, she flawlessly pulls off both. Reggie Willis would make Morgan Freeman proud in his role of Hoke, who openly conveys the difficulties of being a black man in a white man's world. Likeable, honest, and loyal, Willis's character provides a stark contrast to Boolie, played by Randy Lee Bailey. The successful son at his wits end with his aging mother, Bailey delivers a strong supporting role showing that compassion makes a stranger more relatable than kin.

Driving Miss Daisy runs through Nov. 16 at The Carnegie in Covington
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25 adults, $18 students.
859-957-1940 and www.thecarnegie.com

ST. PATRICK'S DAY ROUNDUP

Looking for some weekday ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? One of my personal favorites is celebrating the Cincinnati way by going to Skyline Chili and ordering a green four way. All day long, the spaghetti is dyed green! Same great taste, festive in holiday color.

Starting at 11:30am on Monday, Fountain Square kicks off it's all-day Celtic celebration with live music and traditional Irish food from Cheeky Meat Pies for both lunch an dinner. Of course, green beer will be available as well.

Music Line Up:
11:30AM: Blue Rock Boys
5:00PM: Roving Rogues
6:30PM: Dulahan

Vietnamese restaurant Quan Hapa transformed into O'Hapas for St. Patrick's weekend.

For some Northern Kentucky fun, head over to Molly Malone's in Covington, where the party spills out of the bar and into the street. Irish dancers perform alongside The Emerald Society Police & Fire Pipes & Drums as Celtic music is cranked out all day long. Irish pub food will be served, and yes, there will be green beer here too.

Interested in a historical experience? The Irish Heritage Center located in the East End hosts family-friendly festivities including performances by Silver Arm, Ceol Mhor, Dark Moll, Celtic Font with Mick McEvilley and Mai Hernon, Clark & Jones, Lauren Holt and Donny Rolfes, Green Key, Erickson Academy of Irish Dance and the McGing Irish Dancers. The event starts at 1:30PM. at 3905 Eastern Avenue and includes a St. Patrick's Day Mass at 3:00PM.

How will you be celebrating this St. Patrick's Day?

CITYBEAT'S BOURBON & BACON

Two foods that pair better than an alliteration: bourbon and bacon. Thanks to CityBeat, locals were about to get a taste of of the region's signature liquor and the nation's favorite salty snack. Hundreds piled into The Carnegie to be a part of this delectable event.

Django Western Taco served my favorite drink of the evening: a bourbon cocktail with sweet notes of honey that was refreshing and warmed the spirit. Located in the Northside Taco District, Django was also dishing out bites to eat: braised pork belly with zesty poblano corn, topped with guacamole garnished with a fried tortilla chip.

My favorite dish of the night was possibly the most simple: a deviled egg topped with bacon and bourbon glaze from Chappy's Bourbon Bar, a new restaurant in Old Milford. Chappy's opens with their full menu on January 1, 2014. If their deviled egg is any indicator, their menu is well-worth the drive.

Closer to home, Over-the-Rhine eateries Holtman's Donuts and Grandma Debbie's Kitchen cooked up more treats worth bragging about. Naturally, Holtman's brought their famous Maple Bacon Donut, but also showcased a Bourbon Glazed Donut which is soft, flavorful, and only available at the event. Grandma Debbie whipped up her seasonal Bourbon Baked Beans with Bacon, doing double duty with one dish. Available at her shop in Findlay Market for the holidays, this side dish will leave your loved ones drooling for seconds.

Two kinds of ribs were served: Memphis style prepared by Walt's Hitching Post and Kansas City style prepared by City Barbeque. The difference is in the way the meat is cooked: Memphis is seasoned with a dry rub and is more about the flavor of the meat than in the sauce. Kansas City is fall-off-the-bone tender doused in BBQ. Then there were Eli's BBQ samples of pulled pork with BBQ sauce topped with coleslaw. I'm big on sauce, so latter two were my favorites.

Back to the bourbons, the selection featured a mix of well-known names and craft distillers. Maker's Mark, Old Forrester, OYO, and Four Roses poured samples of their top shelf bottles. Maker's shared their newer bourbon, Maker's 46, which is a slight twist on their traditional label with more noticeable cinnamon and warmer notes.
 

 

Then there was Pogue Bourbon, which made me excited to try a brand with a name akin to a punk rock band. How was it? More like Pogue-My-God. My lips burned, my mouth burned. Everything burned! At first I thought it was due to my novice approach to bourbon, but my connoisseur friend took a sip and commented that his 5:00 shadow instantly grew to a 5:45. If you like a strong bourbon that puts hair on your chest, Pogue is the way to go.
 

In a unique twist, Roebling Point Bookstore had many Kentucky cooking and bourbon books for sale. Old 502 Winery also put a clever perspective on bourbon with its Bourbon Barrel Red, a blend of red wines aged in a bourbon barrel for an added oak flavor. This was a pleasant surprise, along with sampling their other varieties such as the chocolate wine, and four blends of whites.

With full stomachs and warmed spirits, CityBeat's Bourbon & Bacon event was a smashing success!

BOEING BOEING AT THE CARNEGIE

Quite possibly the most humourous play you will see all year, Boeing Boeing at The Carnegie in Covington will keep you flying high with laughter. Set in 1965, Parisian bachelor Bernard is engaged to Gloria. And to Gabriella. And to Gretchen. All three ladies are beautiful flight attendants hailing from the United States, Italy, and Germany. Each have regular layovers in France, precisely enough that has allowed Bernard to juggle three women without them finding out about one another.

But when Boeing invents a faster aircraft engine and all three fiancees return home on the same evening, it leads to a series of slamming doors, hidden women, and nick-of-time maneuvers as Bernard tries desperately to save his perfect bachelor fantasy.

Caught in the midst of Bernard's lovelife are his traditional-valued friend visiting from Wisconsin and Bernard's cratchity French maid. Both become wound up in the lies and have very different ways of handling the revolving doors of women.

 

Boeing Boeing is a delightfully hilarious play that caters to all types of humor: from clever to crass, there's a character for everyone. Men will give this their stamp of approval, so if you've been looking for the perfect show to get your mate interested in theatre, this is it!

Boeing Boeing runs through November 24 on Friday and Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are only $24.00.

LEAFPEEPING IN KENTUCKY

Throughout the season, I've heard talk about Kentucky fall foliage rivaling the views one can find in New England. Having went leafpeeping in Boston last fall, I decided to check out a park close to home to see how it compared.

An urban oasis resting high above the hills in Covington, the winding roads of Devou Park transport visitors out of the city and into the serenity of nature. The main landmarks include the Drees Pavilion scenic overlook and the Devou Park Golf Course, both of which are surrounded with a burst of colors. Leafpeeping in Devou can be explored by car or on foot. A single lane road slowly wraps around the park creating Sunday afternoon drive nostalgia. There are also an assortment of hiking and bike trails for all experience levels.

Foliage canopies, woods in the distance, sitting under a Red Oak for a picnic, or going for a leap in a leaf pile; all of these are possible right here, just south of the Ohio River. With bursts of yellows, oranges, and breathtaking reds, Northern Kentucky provides a close-to-home spectacle of the East Coast leafpeeping season.

SUGAR RUSH

Hundreds sank their sweet tooth into candies and baked goods from local confectioners at the third annual Sugar Rush, presented by CityBeat. The event raises funds for the Cincinnati Ballet, and at only $10 a ticket guests could eat as many desserts as they could hold.

Two of my favorite sweeteries were on the ticket for tonight: Holtman's Donuts and Donna's Gourmet Cookies. From frosted sprinkle to red velvet cake, Holtman's delivered their exceptional, best-in-the-city donuts in yet another flavor I had yet to try. Donna's featured her signature chocolate chip cookie that are as sweet as Donna herself.

A third contender took me by surprise: SugarPlums Cupcakery. With a booth positioned right next to the front door, they stole my appetite and exceeded all expectations of the perfect cupcake. Creamy frosting, moist fluffy cake, and some even came with fillings in the center. I tried the Buckeye Cupcake, Apple Pie Cupcake, Red Velvet Cupcake, Cherry Cheesecake Cupcake, and Cotton Candy Cupcake. While the cherry cheesecake was bursting with fresh fruit, the cotton candy took the cake... er, cupcake. It was full of flavor, but not overly sweet. A perfect medley of baked good and childhood treats!

Red Velvet cupcakes arranged as a cake

Cotton Candy Cupcake

1215 Wine Bar served up dessert wines, both a red and white, while neighboring booth Camp Washington Chili handed out their famous cheese conies. Camp Washington cheese conies are my favorite out of all the chili parlors, and I was elated to come across their booth.

I lost count of how many samples I tasted throughout the evening, although I'm certain that numbed exceeded ten. Fortuantely, when our stomachs got full, vendors came prepared. Holtman's and SugarPlum handed out takeaway bags for our leftovers, or to put samples in that we wanted to taste, but just didn't have room for.

 

A delightful evening in a setting reminiscent of Candy Land and a Katy Perry music video,  Sugar Rush was a decadent time.