Weekend - April 9, 2020 by repubnews

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Weekend

| THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

LIVEWIRE: MGM Springfield, Connecticut casinos see April cancellations, E3 OFF THE MENU: Gift card sales can bolster restaurants during pandemic, E8 WINE PRESS: What wine should I have with Easter dinner?, E10

PLUS

10 best solo albums by the Fab Four

Culture at your fingertips Virtual tours offer access to museums and more from your laptop, Page E6

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MUSIC

10 best solo albums by the Fab Four which has been covered by scores of artists, dates back to 1968 when it was then-titled “Child of Nature” and considered for inclusion on “The White Album.”

4. “Band on the Run”

From left, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

The Beatles split up 50 years ago

John Lennon, who had told his bandmates months earlier he was quitting the group, later complained McCartney had used the news to sell an album.) “McCartney” with the standout tracks “Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Every Night” By Ray Kelly rkelly@repub.com was one of many solo discs that he, along Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr ifty years ago, Paul McCartney released in the wake of The Beatles breakup. announced to the world that The As solo acts, they continued to make some Beatles had called it quits. truly memorable music. He revealed the Fab Four break Looking back over the past five decades, up on April 10, 1970, in a self-interview included with advance copies of his solo here are the 10 best Beatles solo albums in chronological order: album “McCartney.” (Songwriting partner

(1973) McCartney’s solo career stumbled a bit as he got out of the gate, but he hit his stride with “Band on the Run,” recorded in Lagos, Nigeria. Two members of his band Wings quit before the sessions began, but Macca proceeded with wife, Linda, and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. McCartney played several instruments, including the rock solid drumming. Memorable songs include the title track, “Jet,” Picasso’s Last Words” and the Lennonesque “Let Me Roll It.”

1. “All Things Must Pass”

(1970) Harrison had a wealth of great tunes in his back pocket when The Beatles called it quits. The title track from the three-record set was rejected by The Beatles for inclusion in “Let It Be.” Lennon remarked at the time the band was looking for uptempo numbers, not waltzes. (Bold talk from a guy who contributed “I Dig a Pony” to that session). Other memorable Harrison tunes on the set included “My Sweet Lord,” “What Is Life” and “Isn’t It a Pity.” Harrison’s finest solo offering and one of the best solo releases from a former Fab.

“All Things Must Pass” by George Harrison.

2. “Plastic Ono Band”

(1970) Lennon may have posed nude on the cover of “Two Virgins” with Yoko Ono, but

“Ringo” by Ringo Starr.

rtney, “How Do You Sleep.” Other musicians lending a “Ringo” (1973) hand included Nicky Hopkins, “With a Little Help From Klaus Voormann and Badfinger’s Joey Molland and Tom My Friends” is more than Evans. The album’s beautiful just a classic Beatles tune, confession, “Jealous Guy,” it is the road map for this delightful offering from The Beatles drummer. Lennon penned “I’m the Greatest,” which he performs on with Starr and Harrison. Likewise, McCartney wrote and sang on “Six O’Clock,” but it is “Imagine” (1971) “Photograph,” co-written by A critical and commercial Starr and Harrison, that is success, “Imagine” is one of the album’s standout track. Lennon’s most popular works. Other guests on the album Harrison plays slide guitar on include Marc Bolan, Robbie several tracks, including the Robertson and Billy Preston. “Imagine” by John Lennon. SEE BEATLES, PAGE E3 vicious put-down of McCathis album is Lennon truly naked. With songs like “Isolation,” “God” and “Mother,” Lennon addressed decades of pain from childhood abandonment by his father and the tragic death of his mother to the loneliness of fame and stardom. The rawness of the album was inspired by Lennon’s rounds of “primal scream therapy.”

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MUSIC

Beatles

9. “Flaming Pie” (1997)

Coming off The Beatles “Anthology” documentary series, best-selling albums, and mam“Back to the Egg” (1979) moth book, McCartney reThe final offering from leased one of his strongest solo McCartney’s successful 1970s efforts in years. It marked his band Wings is tinged with first Top 10 album in the U.S. New Wave sound and finds in 15 years. The various tracks Chris Thomas sharing the were produced by McCartney, producer’s chair with McCaLynne and Beatles producer rtney. The album cracked the George Martin. From the zany Top 10 on both sides of the At- title track to the bittersweet lantic, but did not provide any “Little Willow” to the catchy radio friendly hits. Still, there single “The World Tonight,” is no shortage of great music the album captures McCartney here from the raucous jam at his melodic best. “Rockestra Theme” with the likes of Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, John Paul Jones and John Bonham to the lovely “Baby’s Request,” which McCartney had originally penned for the Mills Brothers. CONTINUED FROM PAGE E2

7. “Double Fantasy” (1980) After a five-year absence from the recording studio, Lennon returned with an album he performed with wife Yoko One about domestic bliss. Sure, the songs aren’t cynical like “Working Class Hero” or “Steel and Glass,” but there is a tenderness instead in tracks like “Beautiful Boy” and “Woman,” which is absent in much of Lennon’s earlier solo catalog. The album finds the former Beatle at age 40 and seemingly content with life. Three weeks after its release, Lennon was gunned down in front of his New York City home after a recording session.

8. “Cloud 9” (1987)

The 11th studio album from the “quiet Beatle” found ELO’s Jeff Lynne at the controls. The cover of “Got My Mind Set on You” was a hit for Harrison, but the album had a slew of other strong tunes like “When We Was Fab,” “Devil’s Radio” and “Fish on the Sand.” Lynne went on to work with Harrison in the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison. He also produced the posthumous Harrison disc “Brainwashed” in 2002.

“Memory Almost Full” by Paul McCartney.

10. “Memory Almost

Full” (2007) Released two weeks before McCartney’s 65th birthday, “Memory Almost Full” showed McCartney was not even remotely thinking of retirement. The album has a retrospective feel with “Ever Present Past” acknowledging the shadow of his Beatles achievements, the bass-led “That Was Me” history lesson, and “The End of the End,” which finds McCartney spelling out exactly how he would like his passing to be handled. Regretfully, McCartney did only a few “secret gigs” to promote the album, rather than embark on a full tour. Runner ups As solo artists, the Fab Four have released more than 70 studio albums and live sets. There are enough good albums to fuel several “best” lists. In addition to the 10 albums mentioned above, check out Lennon’s “Wall and Bridges” (1974); McCartney’s “Tug of War” (1982); Harrison’s “Thirty Three and 1/3” (1976); and Starr’s “Time Takes Time” (1992).

MGM Springfield, Connecticut casinos see April cancellations

DD JOHN FOgerty to the list of major concert draws who will be social distancing from fans for the foreseeable future. Cancellations and postponements continue to pile up at area casinos and concert venues over coronavirus concerns. Fogerty announced through his website that two April dates on his 2020 tour – including April 25 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut – have been postponed. The former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman will now perform at the Grand Theater on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the April show will be honored for the new date. An April 17 performance from comic Tracy Morgan at Foxwoods has been moved to Oct. 31. Tickets purchased for his April show will be honored on the new date. Over at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, En Vogue has moved its April 17 show to Aug. 20 with all ticket purchases being honored as well. Closer to home, MGM Springfield has been forced to delay the Marlon Wayans performance, originally slated for April 17, to Oct. 23. The Calvin Theatre in Northampton has cleared its

Linda Perry is going online with a daily show titled “On the Air” through the We Are Here YouTube channel. (JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP FILE PHOTO)

Musician John Fogerty’s April 25 show at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., has been rescheduled to Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. (EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO)

Francisco at age 21, is best remembered for her 1993 hit with 4 Non Blondes “What’s Up (a.k.a “What’s Goin’ On).” Links to the YouTube channel are available through wearehear.com. • Fiona Apple has announced the release date for her fifth studio album. Donnie Moorhouse “Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” LiveWire will arrive digitally on April 17. It is a follow up to “The Idler calendar until May 31 when Wheel,” which was released Tom Rush is scheduled to in 2012. perform. The album features contributions from indie rock New dates for Guster and drummer Amy Wood, bassist the Journey tribute Voyage Sebastian Steinberg of the will be announced shortly, band Soul Coughing and while Peppa Pig Live! has Latin singer-songwriter Davíd been moved to July 25 and City and Colour will now play Garza. Apple earned a Grammy in on Oct. 11. 1996 for her song “Criminal.” Liner notes • Springfield native Linda • Faced with the prospect Perry is going online with a of canceled and postponed daily program. shows for the foreseeable The show, titled “On the future, Live Nation is getting Air” is promoted through involved in the trend toward the We Are Here YouTube live streaming performances. channel. Through its website at We Are Hear is the record livenation.com, the live label and artist management music and event giant has company the songwriter/pro- introduced “Live at Home” ducer co-founded in 2017. a consolidated list with links Perry, who was born in of performances that are live SEE LIVEWIRE, PAGE E5 Springfield and moved to San

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DVD RELEASES

‘Little Women’ is story we need right now By Katie Foran-McHale

From start to radical finish, Gerwig provides an astonishingly refreshing take on a well-worn story both via script and direction, and each cast member’s performance teems with life.

Tribune News Service

One family’s tale of love and heartbreak through rifts and illness tops the new DVD releases for this week. “Little Women”: The March sisters have gone their separate ways: Jo (Saoirse Ronan) to college in New York, Amy (Florence Pugh) to Europe with Aunt March (Meryl Streep), Meg (Emma Watson) to domestic life with a husband and children, and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) home with Marmee (Laura Dern). But when Beth falls ill again, we visit the former lives of the family all together, as writer-director Greta Gerwig dazzles with a nonlinear adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel. From start to radical finish, Gerwig provides an astonishingly refreshing take on a well-worn story both via script and direction, and each cast member’s performance teems with life. Ronan’s Jo is not only the feminist writer trailblazer we know and love, but a full expresser of the loneliness to which the path often leads; Pugh’s Amy brilliantly takes on a feminism of her own via economic power. Despite all this, distressingly, the only Academy Award the film brought home was best costume design (though well deserved - designer Jacqueline Durran had the actors put together their own takes on the clothes, prompting layers of sweater envy for days). But as we all weather this current storm, “Little Women” is a life-affirming film with which to hunker down.

“Like a Boss”: Two best friends who own a beauty company (Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish) consider a buyout offer from an enigmatic industry leader (Salma Hayek). Now available on Digital HD, look for it on DVD and Blu-ray April 21. “Sea Fever”: A trapped-atFrom left, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan and Eliza Scanlen as the March sisters sea crew attempts to ward off a in “Little Women.” (WILSON WEBB / COLUMBIA PICTURES) deadly parasite. Stars Connie perilous missions. Nielsen, Hermione Corfield “The Night Clerk”: A hotel and Dougray Scott. Availble on clerk (Tye Sheridan) witnesses Digital HD tomorrow, look for a murder and ends up as a sus- it on DVD and Blu-ray April 21. pect in the investigation. “We Summon the Darkness”: Three heavy metOut on Digital HD al-loving women (Alexandra “The Last Full Measure”: Daddario, Maddie Hasson and Airman William H. PitsenAmy Forsyth) face a killing barger (Jeremy Irvine) is spree after bringing back muawarded the country’s highest sicians to an isolated house. military honor posthumously. Also stars Johnny Knoxville, Now available on Digital HD, Keean Johnson and Logan look for it on DVD and Blu-ray Miller. Availble on Digital HD From left, Dr. John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.) and parrot Poly- April 21. tomorrow. nesia (Emma Thompson) in a scene from “Dolittle,” directed by Stephen Gaghan. (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)

save Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) from a serious illness. “Escape from Pretoria”: In apartheid South Africa, two political prisoners Also new on DVD (Daniel Radcliffe and Daniel “Cats”: A clowder of Jellicle Webber) attempt to break out cats decide which one will of the infamous prison. venture to the Heaviside “Madam Secretary: The Layer and return to start a Final Season”: The hit CBS new life in this CGI musical show starring Tea Leoni as directed by Tom Hooper and Secretary of State Elizabeth based on the stage musical by McCord comes to an end. Andrew Lloyd Webber. “Slings & Arrows: The “Dolittle”: A quirky doctor Complete Collection”: This who talks with animals (Rob- 2003-06 Canadian dramedy ert Downey Jr.) races to help follows the lives of a flawed

theater troupe. Stars Paul Gross, Stephen Ouimette and Mark McKinney. “Strike”: In this stop-motion animated British film, a mole’s goal to become a soccer player coincides with a mission to save his community. “Swift”: Young swift Manou embarks on a journey to find himself after learning he was adopted in this computer-animated film. Features voice talents of Kate Winslet, Willem Dafoe and Josh Keaton. “The Cold Blue”: The HBO documentary explores World War II’s Eighth Air Force’s

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VIDEO GAME REVIEW

‘Black Mesa’ painstaking recreation of ‘Half-Life’ By Christopher Byrd

Special to the Washington Post

“Minor lacerations detected. User death imminent.” It’s been more than 20 years since I first heard a robotic voice coo those words into my ear. Hearing them recently ferried me back to 1999 when I first played “Half-Life” on a PC with about six gigs of hard drive space. For those who missed out or weren’t around to play it back then, it might be hard to immediately grasp why “Half-Life” electrified the video game world. Like “Citizen Kane,” its influence so permeated its respective industry that it can be challenging to see what the hoopla was about. Put simply, “Half-Life” reset the expectations for what first-person shooters could be by balancing its shooting portions with

A scene from “Black Mesa.” (CROWBAR COLLECTIVE)

LiveWire

bring the E Street Band drummer to Boston. Max Weinberg’s Jukebox will play City Winery on Oct. 15. at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show are available through citywinery. com/boston. As the drummer for the E Street Band, Weinberg was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame. From 1993 to 2010 he led the house band on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E3

streaming during the coronavirus crisis. The page lists links to oneoff shows from artists like Third Eye Blind and Phish along with weekly series delivered from Miley Cyrus and Metallica. All shows through May at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford have been canceled or postponed. The next scheduled performance is country group Sugarland on June 6. • For those looking to stave off boredom during the coronavirus lockdown, Sonic Youth has released some archived live shows. The pioneering alternative rock band has delivered 12 archived shows through its Bandcamp page. The live concert footage includes shows from the late 1980s and the band’s final U.S. show in 2011. Sonic Youth was formed in New York City in 1981 with Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, who later married

The Dropkick Murphys will perform five shows in Boston in September. (ARISTIDE ECONOMOPOULOS / NJ ADVANCE MEDIA)

and moved to Northampton. The couple split in 2013. The band is considered one of the most influential rock groups of the 1990s. • Lil’ Kim is bringing the “East Coast Takeover” tour to Connecticut. The show is slated for the Grand Theater at Foxwoods on June 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the show are available through all Ticketmaster outlets and locations

including ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-7453000. Lil’ Kim is headlining the show with performances scheduled from The Lox, Cam’Ron, and N.O.R.E. One of raps most influential female artists, Kim has sold more than 15 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. • Max Weinberg has a planned a fall tour that will

• Forced to cancel its “Boston Blowout” shows around the St. Patrick’s Day holiday this year, the Dropkick Murphys have rescheduled the shows for the fall. The Boston-based, Celtic-influenced rock band will perform five shows in Boston in September. Along with dates at the House of Blues (Sept. 12, Sept. 13) and Encore Boston (Nov. 6), the band has added a Sept. 11 show at Big Night Live. Tickets for the Sept. 11 show are on sale though all Ticketmaster outlets and locations including ticketmaster.com

‘BLACK MESA’ Developed by: Crowbar Collective Published by: Crowbar Collective Available on: PC

puzzles, platforming and light narrative elements. The result was a polished adventure game rather than a series of glorified shooting galleries. (The game was also friendly to modders, many of whom would go on to have industry careers. Seminal games like “Counter-Strike” came out of the “Half Life” mod community.) Thanks to the work of the Crowbar Collective, an indie video game company with roots in the “Half-Life” fan community, players have a

SEE VIDEO GAME, PAGE E7

and by phone at 800-7453000. The Dropkick Murphys were one of the first groups to livestream a performance in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, turning its annual St. Patrick’s Day show into an online event.

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A statue of Springfield native Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) seems to watch over the Springfield Museums Quadrangle. The Springfield Museums are expanding their use of social media during the shutdown. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

The courtyard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. (ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO)

Art & culture ON THE COVER

at your fingertips

The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. (THE PLAIN DEALER FILE PHOTO)

Virtual tours offer access to museums right from your laptop, cellphone

By Elizabeth Román

eroman@repub.com

useums, aquariums and libraries across the state are closed and many families are working and studying from home, but there is still a way to let your imagination roam free. Log on to your favorite museum’s website and there is a good chance it has a virtual tour available. If the museum itself doesn’t have a virtual tour, check out Google’s Arts & Culture section, which has virtual tours of museums from all over the world. Here are some Massachusetts facilities featuring the works of Eric Carle, Norman Rockwell and more through virtual tours and other interactive online activities:

Northampton author Mo Willems publishes Lunch Doodles videos once a day at 1 p.m. through the Kennedy Center’s website.

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: The 40,000-square-foot contemporary building set in an old apple orchard in Amherst features the work of its namesake and other children’s book illustrators.

Willems once a day at 1 p.m. through the Kennedy Center’s website. Grab some paper and pencils, pens or crayons and join the children’s book author and artist to explore ways of writing and making together.

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems: Learners worldwide can draw with Northampton resident Mo

Museum of Our Industrial Heritage: This hidden gem in Greenfield has numerous online videos, a vast

database of uncurated photos, documents and other materials related to the history of manufacturing in the Pioneer Valley. Springfield Museums: The museums are expanding their use of social media during the shutdown. Check out their Facebook, Twitter and InsSEE VIRTUAL, PAGE E7

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Virtual CONTINUED FROM PAGE E6

tagram accounts. Berkshire Museum: Located in Pittsfield, this museum of natural history plans to offer “Daily Discovery” videos for children via Facebook. Its website features a video of the “Taking Flight: Audubon and the World of Visitors pass by murals at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Birds” exhibition. Book Art in Amherst in 2012. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

MASS MoCA: The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams features contemporary visual and performing arts. It’s offering “art breaks” throughout the day on Facebook and Instagram. The Google Arts & Culture page highlights close-up images of some of the museum’s most colorful and intricate art installations. Norman Rockwell Museum: The website for this museum in Stockbridge includes digitized paintings and an 18-minute guided virtual tour of Rockwell’s studio, as well as other videos highlighting individual exhibits. Museum of Russian Icons: This museum in Clin-

Video game

ton features more than 1,000 Russian religious objects. The Google Arts & Culture page offers a close look at many of the museum’s paintings and artifacts. Boston’s Black Heritage Trail: This virtual “walking tour” on the Google Arts & Culture page explores the rich history of Boston’s 19th-century black community on Beacon Hill. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: This Boston museum houses European, Asian and American art collected by Gardner, who asked that her collection be made available to the public for education and enjoyment. The museum does

er through which a robotic voice provides updates on his relative protection and health CONTINUED FROM PAGE E5 status — he goes to a lab room new chance to experience where he is asked by his theoretical physicist Gordon supervisor to place a sample Freeman’s famed bad day of an anomalous material on the job. “Black Mesa” is into a spectrometer. Doing so a painstaking recreation of causes a “resonance cascade,” “Half-Life” with modern-day opening a portal to an alien graphics and extensive level dimension. From there Gordon must try to survive the design tweaks. It’s a perfect alien invasion that overruns complement to my rose-tinted memories, which is to say the lab, which is exacerbated that it passed my personal test by a military assault on the of being close enough to its complex whose purpose is to source material that the visual wipe the facility of aliens and overhaul did not strike me as witnesses. jarring. Freeman, who is unusually The plot of the game is adept at firearms for a theoreteasily surmisable. One morn- ical physicist, travels through ing, the 27-year old Freeman the labyrinthian corridors of reports to work at the Black the Black Mesa — from the Mesa Research Facility. After depths of its many sewage putting on his hazard suit and ventilation systems to its — equipped with a speaknumerous departments and

not have a virtual tour on its website, but the Google Arts & Culture page has panoramic images of the museum and the grounds.

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020 | E7

scenes look at animal care, and fun activities for children. Online visitors will also find a special webpage on neaq.org to take a “virtual visit” to the aquarium, featuring video, at-home projects, and other educational resources. Massachusetts Statehouse: For a more educational tour, check out many of the rooms in the state’s most important government building. If you want to leave Massachusetts, there are plenty of other interactive activities

and virtual tours around the world, from prerecorded videos of opera performances at The Met to a tour of the Louvre in Paris, and many others. The National Museum of Jewish History in Philadelphia has a large online collection. Take a virtual tour, explore the collection and relive special exhibitions like “Chasing Dreams: Baseball & Becoming American,” “Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music” and “1917: How One Year Changed the World” on the Google Arts & Culture page.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: With more than 450,000 works of art, this museum is one of the largest in the country. It is sharing paintings from its collection throughout the day on social media. The Google Arts & Culture page has dozens of panoramic images of various exhibits in the museum. The New England Aquarium: Each day at 11 a.m., content will be posted on the aquarium’s social media platforms that includes live videos with educators, a behind-the-

A seal usually surrounded by schoolchildren on field trips and tourists is seen in his tank outside the New England Aquarium in Boston on March 24. Content will be posted on the aquarium’s social media platforms every day, including live videos with educators, a behind-the-scenes look at animal care, and fun activities for children. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)

top-secret areas. In spatial terms, the game works to instill a powerful sensation of cabin fever in the player, who is intermittently teased with glimpses of the outside world before being funneled back into the dense network of the science facility. “Half-Life” was one of the first games that made me think that the vanguard of technical innovations in the game industry had shifted from the arcade to the home. So, about two-thirds into my playthrough, I decided to pull up a walk-through of the original to see how it fared against the modern version. I was shocked at how drab the original looks two decades later. In keeping with the best video game remakes (like those in the Zelda series), “Black

Mesa” is easy on the eyes without removing the signs that mark its vintage. There are, for instance, no swimming or climbing animations. Gordon ranges over everything with a weapon clutched in his right hand but otherwise there is no hint of the rest of his body. Moreover, it’s easy to arrive at the conclusion that Gordon spends too much time as a tunnel rat crawling through air vents and sewers. Although I thoroughly appreciated my nostalgic rendezvous with Gordon Freeman, “Black Mesa” is not wholly free of technical issues. Running it on an Alienware computer with a Nvidia RTX 2080 Super graphics card, I still had to wade through plenty of load screens as well as occasional frame drops. And that’s while

running most of the game in a sub 4K resolution that rendered the screen image closer to a 4:3 as opposed to a 16:9 aspect ratio. I opted to use the narrower framing option because the artwork, to my eye, looks better as it would have appeared on an old monitor. The environments feel more claustrophobic, which suits a game about trying to escape from a sprawling institution. To play “Black Mesa” is to be reminded of a time when video games were blithely silly. Sight gags are its narrative currency rather than moments of melodramatic exposition. (Gordon’s colleagues meet numerous undignified ends.) Those with a taste for retro-gaming or lighthearted sci-fi shooters, take note: Few games with a foot in the nineties hold up this well.

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DINE & WINE

Gift card sales can bolster restaurants during pandemic

T’S NOT SURPRISING that the disruptions the restaurant industry has experienced over the past month have generated some interesting secondary trends. The elimination of on-premises dining has left the industry scrambling to deal with a new normal, and with those adjustments have come opportunities and challenges. The first of those is the sudden emergence of gift cards as a “crowdfunding” tool to help beleaguered restaurant operators. As a way to book revenue with little if any expense involved, selling gift cards as a way of enhancing a restaurant’s immediate cash flow seemed to be a no-brainer response. Once restaurants were closed down, individual operators almost immediately began promoting gift card sales via their email marketing lists. One group of Springfield

Third-party delivery services such as DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats might have expected to be beneficiaries of the shift to off-premises dining, but the contrary seems to be the case. such as DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats might have expected to be beneficiaries of the shift to off-premises Hugh Robert dining, but the contrary seems Off The Menu to be the case, with those services having the red-hot area restaurateurs even put growth they’d been experiencing slow considerably as the together a coordinated marketing campaign to sell gift COVID-19 crisis overtook the cards as a stopgap measure in industry. the face of their loss of dining In some major markets, the room revenue. That effort shift away from restaurant borrowed from recent holiday dining to pickup and delivery season gift card promotions, has even resulted in an overall sweetening the deal with an decline in business for these extra $20 in gift card vouchers third-party delivery companies. for every $100 spent. The other shift visible in Side dishes the last few weeks has been The religious holidays of one that’s counterintuitive. Easter and Passover both Third-party delivery services

have strong traditions of food and family meals attached to them, and over the past several years restaurants have worked to facilitate those traditions. In particular, Easter brunch has been an increasingly important dining out opportunity, with the majority of sit-down restaurants typically offering such a holiday meal occasion. In the current reality of social distancing and stayat-home orders, a number of operators have switched to promoting takeout holiday options. The Delaney House in Holyoke, one of the first area establishments to package pick-up-and-heat holiday

meals, is offering “Easy Easter” options, including a brunch-themed Easter Feast designed to serve four to six guests. It’s a package that features country glazed ham, chicken Marsala, French toast, and waffle wedges; several additional entree choices are available as “add-ons.” Orders, which must be placed by 5 p.m. today, can be called in to 413-535-5077. • Chez Josef in Agawam has rolled out its Chez2Go Family Meals program, a versatile distribution option for ordering full-meal packages. The facility is offering two or three menu options daily. The complete meal, which includes garden salad, vegetable, potato, garlic breadsticks, and dessert, can be ordered in multiples of two, four, or more. Recent menu options

SEE MENU, PAGE E9

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DINE & WINE

Readers respond to ‘desert island’ brews

George Lenker Beer Nut

Not surprising was the fact that there were very few overlapping choices given the golden age of beer we live in. shine, Molson Brador, Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale, Boston Beer Works Blueberry Ale, and Genesee Cream Ale (“to appreciate all the better beers more,” Michael wrote). Someone who simply signed off as “Tom” made up his own rules: He chose three industrial beers and three local beers, but he emphasized that the industrial beers reflected his tastes from the 1980s and his memories thereof. Tom gave quite a detailed commentary, which I don’t have room for here, but his list is also fascinating, including such beers as Henry Weinhardt’s Private Reserve, BBC’s Hoosac Tunnel, and his neighbor Roger’s Maple Wheat beer, made with his own maple syrup. George Jacques has some tasty choices for his list, which he said was “not easy to form,” including: Sam Adams Lager (“the beer that started my craft beer odyssey”), Rock Arts 20th anniversary IPA, Maine Brewing’s Lunch and evening Narragansett (“gotta have a ’gansett!” he wrote). Tom Zych went all in on local brews, with a impressive diversity of beers: BBC Steel Rail Pale Ale, New City GinSEE BEER, PAGE E11

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have included Salisbury steak, mesquite-grilled chicken, and bacon-wrapped tenderloin of pork. Chez Josef has both curbside pick-up and contactless delivery options. Online orders at chezjosef.com/orderonline. Its food-to-go program can also be reached by text message at 413-355-5393 as well as by voice at 413-786-0257. More details are available at chezjosef.com. • Also offering socially distanced dining services, Partners Restaurant in Feeding Hills is making its regular lunch and dinner menus available as well as special Family Heat ’n’ Serve dinners. Sue and Mark Tansey have put together an extensive menu of daily dinner specials that include fish ’n’ chips, meat lasagna, baked ham, meatloaf, and more. Ordering online is available at partnersrestaurant.com/ order. The restaurant also accepts telephone orders at 413-786-0975. Delivery is available in West Springfield, Agawam, and Feeding Hills. • Last week Richard B. Rosenthal, the president and CEO of the Max Restaurant Group, announced that, effective March 31, all the restaurants in the Max Restaurant Group would be temporarily closed. Rosenthal emphasized that even though no one in the Max Restaurant Group family has been exposed, diagnosed, or was symptomatic with COVID-19, he and his management team felt that for the protection of all it was best to suspend operations at those Max restaurants that had remained open prior to March 31. Max Catering & Events, however, will continue to operate, offering catered meals to go for Passover and Easter. The telephone

number for that division of the Max Restaurant Group is 860-566-8366. • Vanished Valley Brewing Company in Ludlow is continuing to produce and package small runs of the operation’s signature brews. To enhance safety and convenience, the brewery has scaled up its selection of canned beers and ales, offering the likes of its Pomona IPA, Orange Creamsicle Milkshake IPA, and Lost Town Chocolate Milk Stout in four-packs. Vanished Valley’s gastropub kitchen is also accepting orders to go, with both food and beer available for online pre-purchase at vanished valley.com/swag. The pub menu at Vanished Valley is an interesting read, featuring items both familiar

and inventive. Some influences from Vanished Valley’s predecessor operation, Europa Black Rock Bar and Grill, can be found in menu choices such as piri piri potatoes, wood-fired octopus, and bifana, the classic Portuguese roast pork sandwich. Wood-fired pizza is a house specialty as well. Vanished Valley Brewing Company answers at 413610-1572. • Chef Michael Anderson, who owns and operates Tucker’s Restaurant in Southwick, has expanded his “takeout” program to include online ordering. Since mid-March Tucker’s has been offering a subset of its regular menu enhanced with several daily specials. Selections are available in

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AST WEEK’S “DESert island beers” column received plenty of replies, with a pretty wide variance as to what you readers would bring with you as an end-all and be-all six-pack that you’d have to choose exclusively from forever. As I promised if I got enough responses, I’m sharing some of those today. Some folks simply sent a list, while others explained their choices and a few even provided their own rules for how they chose. I obviously don’t have room to mention everyone, but I appreciate you all writing in. Here are some of the replies (some only in part due to space considerations). Bob Whitledge wrote in to say that for his list, he “went with favorites all-time.” His list is probably the most eclectic and somewhat arcane of the ones I received. It included Saranac Darktoberfest, Long Trail Triple Bag, Pumphouse Blueberry Ale, and Alchemist Beelzebub. Bob also sounds like he’s ready to hunker down. “My beer fridge is definitely prepared for the long time stuck at home we are faced with now,” he wrote. Megan Hiersche wrote that she is “a regional beer gal … so this will be locally, mostly New England brands.” Her choices reflected that with some good ones, although her rules clearly allowed her some latitude as far as the number allowed. But she included Peak IPA, Harpoon Rec League, and White Lion’s Purrlicious and Thunder Boom. “This was hard, and of course my list could change tomorrow,” she added. Michael Moriarty sent a straight list with little commentary and it is also varied, bouncing between standard industrial brands and craft beers: Lawson’s Sip of Sun-

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single portion sizes as well as family-style meals designed to serve four. Typical of the latter are chicken Francaise, baked cod with crab, Boursin cheese, turkey potpie, and American chop suey. Chef Anderson is also featuring double chocolate cake as a regular dessert feature. The restaurant’s web address, where a link for online ordering can be found, is tuckersrestaurant.com. The telephone number at Tucker’s is 413-569-0120. • As might be expected, the limited number of new product introductions and menu changes at major restaurant brands have been driven by the “food to-go” imperative. Olive Garden locations, for instance, are promoting Buy One, Take One options for car-side pickup. Guests ordering selected entrees can get their choice of a second entree — spaghetti with meat sauce, fettuccine Alfredo, cheese ravioli, or five-cheese ziti al forno chilled and ready to reheat at home. McDonald’s Corp. has also announced some shifts in menu policy. Faced with increased demand during the dinner hour and wishing to simplify operations, the burger chain has announced that it is suspending all-day breakfast, instead limiting the availability of those menu items to their original forenoon hours. McDonald’s also anticipates the possible suspension of other menu items as it continues to fine-tune its operations during the current pandemic. Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College’s hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 45 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached online at OffTheMenuGuy@ aol.com.

What wine should I have with Easter dinner?

INDING THE RIGHT wine for Easter dinner doesn’t have to be difficult. Whether you’re having ham or turkey or another special food, there are so many great wines to go with all sorts of food. And while some people can be very rigid when it comes to pairing wine with certain foods, I’m a firm believer that many great wines go well with a wide range of foods. So if you have a special wine you really love, go for it and open that wine this Sunday for Easter. That’s what great wines are for – for special occasions with family and friends. Or in the case of this Easter, for whoever you’re sharing this unique time with at home. We all deserve a special wine and Easter’s a great excuse for opening that bottle. So if you can’t get out to a wine store before Easter, don’t worry. Just open the nicest bottle of wine if you feel like it. But if you would like some recommendations for wines for Easter, I’ve included a few of my favorite wines with certain foods. Specifically, one white wine and one red wine for ham, turkey, duck, goose and steak. And if you can’t find these exact wines, it’s OK. One of the great things about many wines is just how versatile many of them are and how well many wines go with many foods. I realize I’m being a bit vague. But I also realize many people, especially here in Massachusetts, may not be able to go out and buy wine this week. And besides, Easter’s about more than just great food and wonderful wines. It’s about remembering the sacrifices one man made for all of us roughly 2,000 years ago.

Ken Ross Wine Press

minor details. But in general, I personally think the wines recommended below go great with the often buttery, roasted flavors associated with turkey. Recommended red wine: Ken Ross recommends pairing zinfandels from Turley Wine Pinot noir from Oregon or Cellars with steak. (PHOTO BY KEN ROSS) France’s Burgundy region. often has robust flavors that Provence region. They’re There’s a reason why many are slightly salty and somecrisp, dry and refreshing. I people recommend pinot times even a bit crispy and a could recommend a dozen or noir wines with turkey. These little sweet. Pairing wine with more great ones, but if I had hearty yet refined wines go ham should be fairly easy. to pick one, I’d say a clean, great with the rich, robust Ham’s mixture of flavors go crisp, dry rose wine with a flavors often found in turkey. great with a wide range of hint of melon flavors from Here again, I could probably wines, from Beaujolais red Domaine Ott (Roughly $20 recommend a hundred great wine from France to white SRP) located right near the wines. But to keep things simwines from France’s Alsace Mediterranean Sea at the end ple, my recommendations are region. of a charming dirt road not far the 2017 Primarius Oregon Pinot Noir ($13.99 at Table Recommended red wine: from Saint Tropez, France. & Vine in West Springfield) Spanish grenache or blended or a pinot noir from Joseph red wine from South Africa. Drouhin Chambolle-MusiBoth of these versatile red gny ($55 or more), one of wines go great with ham and my favorite wine villages in a wide range of foods. For a France’s Burgundy region for Spanish grenache wine, I’d hearty red wines. recommend the 2015 Lechuza Garnacha ($15 Suggested Recommended white Retail Price), a wonderful, wine: Chardonnay from jammy wine with plum-like Chablis in France’s Burgundy flavors. For a blended South region or gewurztraminer African wine, the 2015 from France’s Alsace region. Crisp, dry white wines Lubanzi Red Blend (SRP taste great with turkey. And $15) has a dry, hearty, robust these two wines are absofinish with subtle fruit flavors. lute stunners. Chardonnays Recommended white Dry white wines like Jean from Chablis have a salty, wine: Pinot gris from France’s Marc Brocard Chablis Sainte mineral-like quality and cost Alsace region or rose from Claire pair nicely with turkey, a fraction of many chardonFrance’s Provence region. says Ken Ross. (KEN ROSS PHOTO) nays from France’s Burgundy Many white wines go great region. One of my favorites is with ham, but these wines in What wine to have the 2017 Jean Marc Broparticular can be especially with turkey card Chablis Sainte Claire fun and delicious wine pairings. For pinot gris, I recomTurkey is another versatile ($21.99 at Table & Vine), mend one from Domaine main course that goes great which has chalky, mineral-like flavors reminiscent of Zind-Humbrecht ($21 SRP with a wide range of wines. seashells and briny oysters. or more), a wonderful crisp, What can really make a What wine to have dry, white wine from France’s difference is what side dishes As for a gewurztraminer from with ham Alsace region. And for some- you serve with roasted turkey, France’s Alsace region, I recProbably the most tradition- thing completely different, ommend the 2015 Trimbach how much butter you use to SEE WINE, PAGE E11 al food served on Easter, ham try a rose wine from France’s prepare your turkey and other

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Gewurztraminer ($19.99 at Table & Vine), a crisp, clean wine with a golden finish and floral undertones. What wine to have with duck Compared to turkey, duck has more fat and often more robust flavors. It’s also personally one of my favorite foods. I never get tired of eating duck breast or a whole duck for special occasions. And personally, I find that robust red wines and flavorful white wines go great with roasted duck. Recommended red wine: Montepulciano from Italy’s Abruzzo region or Chateauneuf Du Pape from France’s Chateauneuf Du Pape region. There are so many great, big, hearty red wines that pair well with duck. But you can’t go wrong with red wines from these two, outstanding wine regions Italy’s Abruzzo region and France’s Rhone region, which includes Chateauneuf Du Pape. For the first one, I recommend the 2016 Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Martino Rosso ($23 SRP), a jammy, fleshy, full-bodied wine. As for the second one, you can’t go wrong with most Chateauneuf Du Pape red wines, especially ones that are 5 to 7 years old. Personally, I can’t say enough great things about the 2016 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve Cuvee ($48 SRP), a soft, subtle, understated, elegant wine from one of the best winemakers in Chateauneufdu-Pape. Recommended white wine: Gruner veltliner from

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ger Beer, Lefty’s Barrel-Aged Maple Ale, Abandoned Building Odin Quadruple, Iron Duke 104 Barleywine, and Firefly Hollow There Can Be Only One Scotch-barrel-aged

Trimbach Gewurztraminer is a crisp, clean wine with a golden finish and floral undertones that would pair nicely with turkey, says Ken Ross. (KEN ROSS PHOTO)

Austria or a dry white wine from Spain’s Rioja region. These are very different wines but I think they both go great with duck. Gruner veltliner remains one of the most underrated white wines. They have a crisp, clean, refreshing finish along with a hint of tart, green apple. I recommend the 2017 Huber Riesling Terrasse ($14.99 at Table & Vine), one of my favorite Austrian gruner veltliners with crisp, clear finish. As for dry white wines from Spain’s Rioja region, I can’t say enough great things about the 2014 Capellania Marques De Murrieta Rioja Reserva ($25 SRP), a stunning, earthy, buttery, salty white wine I’ll write about more in a few weeks. What wine to have with goose Often among the fattiest of all the foods described this week, goose also often has very strong, distinct, full-bod-

Wee Heavy. Mike Thomas wrote that he thought I “missed the boat” with my choices. (But if I did miss the boat, then I guess I wouldn’t be on a desert island, so …?) Anyway, Mike also had a solid list, with plenty of commentary. Some of his were

ied flavors. Don’t worry about the wine overpowering the food. Goose can more than hold its own with most wines. That’s why the wines I recommended for goose are some of the most flavorful, robust red wines along with crisp, distinct white wines. Recommended red wine: Malbec from Argentina’s Mendoza region or France’s Cahors region or older red wine from Spain’s Rioja region. When it comes to big, robust, earthy wines, red wines made with malbec grapes can more than hold their own with hearty, game meats. Most people know malbecs nowadays from Argentina’s Mendoza region. But if you can, get a bottle of malbec from Cahors in the southwest corner of France. The 2018 Gouleyant Cahors Malbec ($11.99 at Table & Vine) has a big, hearty, robust finish that taste great with goose. As for robust reds, an older one (more than 10 years

flavors. The obvious choice is a hearty red wine. But I also threw in a few curve balls below as well just to make things fun. Recommended red wine: Blended red wine from France’s Bordeaux region or Zinfandel from California’s Napa or Sonoma region. These are the wines my wife and my family have turned to over the years when we often have a great steak. There are so many great Bordeaux wines that go great with steak, but many of them cost a fortune. For a great one under $20, I recommend the 2015 Chateau Hourtin Ducasse ($17.99 at Table & Vine), a bright, lively, exuberant wine. As for a California zinfandel, nothing beats a zinfandel from Turley Wine Cellars, the name of the Napa winery founded by Larry Turley. Recommended white wine: Champagne from France’s Champagne region or chardonnay from Meursault in France’s Burgundy region. Let me say right up front that almost no one recommends anything other than red wine with steak. But trust me. These wines taste great with a steak. Don’t believe me? Try having a crisp, dry Pol Roger Champagne ($49.99 at Table & Vine) or an What wine to have earthy, buttery chardonnay with steak from Meursault (unfortuNothing says a special meal nately, they’re expensive) in like a steak. Sure, other foods France’s Burgundy region. have wedged their way into These magical, magnificent the American palate. But wines can more than hold nothing quite says a special their own with most foods, occasion like a beautiful steak including steak. Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher perfectly prepared (medium Cheers ! Himmelreich Kabinett is a rare to rare, please) in a pan or Wine Press by Ken Ross dry white wine with a hint of on a grill. A great steak like a appears on Masslive.com every sweetness that would pair ribeye, a porterhouse or a filet Monday and in The Repubperfectly with goose, says Ken mignon also deserves a great, lican’s weekend section every Ross. (KEN ROSS PHOTO) Thursday. hearty wine with big, robust old, ideally) from Spain’s Rioja region pairs great with goose. But I’m not going to bother with a specific recommendation since finding an older Rioja can sometimes be a challenges. But it’s well worth the hunt. Recommended white wine: Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Marlborough region or riesling from Germany’s Mosel region. Both these white wines have distinct, strong flavors that pair well with goose. If you prefer your white wines on the flintier side, I would go with a 2018 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ($14.99 at Table & Vine) from New Zealand’s Marlborough region on the northern tip of the south island. This crisp, clean, slightly tart wines with a hint of green apple go great with everything from goose to fresh oysters. If you prefer a dry white wine with a hint of sweetness, I would recommend the 2017 Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett ($39 SRP), a dazzling, golden white one from one of Germany’s best winemakers in the Mosel region. Let me add that I’ve never had a bad white wine from J.J. Prum. They’re all great and would pair perfectly with goose.

Lunch got mentioned twice, which makes sense, but what did surprise me was that none of the supposed most highly rated beers in the world made anyone’s list. Not surprising was the fact Anyway, thanks to all who that there were few overlap- wrote in. I really enjoyed ping choices given the golden everyone’s list, even if I didn’t age of beer we live in. Maine get to use it today.

Mike Thomas wrote that he thought I “missed the boat” with my choices. (But if I did miss the boat, then I guess I wouldn’t be on a desert island, so …?) Allagash White, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, The Alchemist: Donavan’s Red, and Dogfish Head Seaquench Ale.

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