Weekend - July 30, 2020

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For the latest entertainment news, go online to masslive.com/entertainment

Weekend

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LIVEWIRE: Darius Rucker to headline livestream benefit show, E3 OFF THE MENU: Health, safety tips available online, E9 WINE PRESS: Proper wine etiquette: the dos and don’ts, E11

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Drive-in concert in N.H., E2

‘A matter of when’

Western Mass. restaurants focused on recovering, E4

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SWANZEY, N.H.

Recycled Percussion ready to rock the drive-in Band founded in New Hampshire 25 years ago ‘to do something unique’

I

By Cori Urban

Special to The Republican

n a world full of chaos, it’s important to show kindness. That is how high-energy musician Justin Spencer, founder of the rock band Recycled Percussion, looks at life. He’s also the founder of Chaos & Kindness, a brand created to inspire people to be kind and to live life to its fullest in an often-chaotic world. The television show, Chaos & Kindness, can be seen on WMUR-TV in New Hampshire and Amazon Prime worldwide. And if you want to see Recycled Percussion in person, head to the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey, New Hampshire — just south of Keene — on Saturday. “It will be the most entertaining show. Period,” Spencer said. “We’re a (Las) Vegas-levIF YOU GO el show, the highest level of Event: Recycled entertainment.” Percussion Competing there with shows When: Saturday, 3 and 8 like Cirque de Soleil and Blue p.m. Man Group, Recycled PercusWhere: Cheshire Fairsion made a name for itself grounds, Swanzey, New with its energy. “We could Hampshire outperform anybody when Cost: $60 to $99 per it comes to energy,” Spencer vehicle said. For more info: Online at drive-in-live.com The two high-energy performances in Swanzey will be a “great mix” of rock and roll interaction. music, comedy and creativity for all ages, he added. It’s In addition to performing in not all about drumming and Las Vegas, Recycled Percussion has been featured on includes plenty of audience

(GABE GINSBERG / VEGAS KOOL.)

Recycled Percussion will play the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey, N.H., on Saturday.

“We go wherever our heart calls us. We’re doing things all the time. It feels good. It’s just who we are. JUSTIN SPENCER, RECYCLED PERCUSSION

“America’s Got Talent” and at the Super Bowl; the band has performed more than 7,000 times throughout the world, averaging 500 shows a year. The band was founded in New Hampshire 25 years ago “to do something unique,” said Spencer, who has been seen drumming on all kinds of things like ladders and barrels. As success grew, he wanted to express gratitude for a life of playing music for a living by giving to others. Acknowledging that he has long suffered from anxiety and depression, Spencer —

who describes himself as a purpose-driven individual — said when he feels like he is going into a lull or searching for purpose, giving to others grounds him, brings him back to his center: “It makes me feel good to give back.” Spencer and his cousin, Ryan Vezina (also of Chaos & Kindness) have helped people affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. “We go wherever our heart calls us,” he said. In the United States, they’ve helped the elderly, homeless, families and chil-

dren. “We’re doing things all the time. It feels good. It’s just who we are. Spencer said, “We are living in a world of chaos, and in the end, we have to find some kindness.” For more information, go to recycledpercussionband. com or chaosandkindness. com. The band’s performances at Drive-In Live on Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. are New Hampshire’s only live Recycled Percussion shows. Tickets are on sale now at drive-in-live. com. Located just across the Massachusetts border, Drive-In

SEE RECYCLED, PAGE E5


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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | E3

MUSIC ALBUM REVIEW

Taylor Swift: a pop star done with pop ‘Folklore’ is singer’s eighth album

way that mopey inferiority has often been perceived as — make that mistaken for — depth. That’s about men, of By Jon Caramanica course, but certainly about New York Times songs, too. It’s a trap that The song that catapulted whole genres are built on. Taylor Swift from too-coolNow, eight years later, Swift for-country phenom to has made, well, one of those the-world-is-not-enough records herself, or at least pop supernova was “We Are something like it. “Folklore” Never Ever Getting Back (Republic), her alternately Together,” the debut sinsoothing and soppy, pensive gle from her fourth album, and suffocating eighth album, is a definitive jolt away “Red,” in 2012. The first of her songs to top the Billboard from the last near-decade of Hot 100, it deployed country Swift’s high-gloss, style-fluid, emotionally astute big-tent references as a tease on the way to an ecstatically saccha- pop. rine, unmistakably pop hook Made from scratch in the — a universal anthem of I’m quarantine era, “Folklore” over it. was recorded at her home in

Darius Rucker to headline livestream benefit show

‘D

ARIUS AND Friends,” a live streaming benefit concert, is scheduled to air today at 8 p.m. The show will feature performances from country star Rucker and guests Clint Black and Tracy Lawrence, and benefits the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The ticketed event can be viewed through Live Nation’s “Live at Home” link at live nation.com. The performances are airing from the Grand Ole Opry. After a hit-making run with rock group Hootie and the Blowfish, Rucker has set out Darius Rucker will headline a livestream benefit concert today on a country career that has at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at livenation.com. garnered him hit singles, a (DAVID DERMER / SPECIAL TO THE PLAIN DEALER) Grammy, and an Academy of Country Music Award. While the coronavirus has Liner notes devastated the live event • If you are looking for industry this summer, and live music this summer, hop nearly all major concerts and on your Harley and head to events have been pushed to Sturgis. 2021, Sturgis rolls on. The annual Sturgis MotorcyThe event will feature cle Rally, and its correspondperformances from Smash ing concert series, is still on Mouth, Trapt, Buckcherry, for Aug. 7 through Aug. 16 SEE LIVEWIRE, PAGE E5 Donnie Moorhouse in the Black Hills of South LiveWire Dakota. It is the 80th edition of the ing crowds that were expected event and organizers expect crowds to be at 50% capacity before the COVID-19 pan(rather than the record break- demic).

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Taylor Swift has released her eighth studio album, “Folklore.”

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Los Angeles, and written and produced in remote collaboration largely with Aaron Dessner (from the National) and her go-to emotional extractor, Jack Antonoff. Choosing this approach may be purely a function of circumstance, but Swift has been due for a rebaptism for some time now. “Folklore” marks a conclusion (temporary or not, it’s unclear) to her long march into the teeth of contemporary megapop, which over the course of SEE SWIFT, PAGE E5

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Right after the song’s gleeful taunt of a first chorus, Swift drilled down on just the kind of guy she was thrilled to be rid of: “You would hide away and find your peace of mind/With some indie record that’s much cooler than mine.” Sick burn. Delivered with an eye roll — literally, in the song’s video — it announced that Swift understood the power and cool of her own music (which was not, at that point, widely conceded). And it tautly encapsulated the

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E4 | THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

‘It’s just a matter of when’ People slowly return to restaurants in Western Mass., but the industry hasn’t bounced back yet

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By George Lenker

Special to The Republican

here is no doubt that people love to dine out. And the response since restaurants have been allowed to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic – first just for outdoor dining, and now indoor – has proved that. And while part of the appeal is that food supposedly tastes better when someone else makes it for you, there is another aspect: community. “Most positive, for me, is the way everyone has come together to work at emerging from the pandemic,� said Mike Hurwitz, owner of Uno Pizzeria and Grill in Springfield. “Our staff, guests and the bands we use all summer have all been extremely patient and helpful in making

our reopening a success. ‌ people need to get out, even for an hour or two, and see other people – from a distance, of course.â€? Fred Gohr, owner of Fitzwilly’s in Northampton, agreed. “Guests have been great. Folks are so happy to be out again,â€? he said. “It’s fantastic to see our regular customers return again.â€? Although eateries are now transitioning to indoor dining, restaurateurs have been generally pleased with how outdoor dining has gone as a transitional phase, but are itching to expand when it’s safe to do so. “Well, it’s certainly not like being at capacity indoors, but it sure beats the last few months of at first being closed, then transitioning to take-out only,â€? Gohr said. “We are very fortunate to

have the parking lot next to our building and for the owner of the parking lot to have allowed us to use the property.� While Fitzwilly’s had that large space for seating, many venues do not. Joe’s Cafe in Northampton only has seven tables outside (compared to 19 indoors), which had a double negative effect. Usually, Joe’s is hopping most nights of the week, but not as much with limited seating. “We are still working on ways to fill our seven tables throughout service,� said owner Meg Sullivan. “ We might start toying with taking reservations, something we’ve never done in the past, as I think a lot of our regular customers are scared off, thinking there will be a long wait.� Sullivan started doing

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Guests enjoy their lunch outdoors at UNO Pizzeria & Grill. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN PHOTOS)

take-out early during the pandemic and said demand has been surprisingly strong, even though she started with just a limited menu, with her doing all the cooking and preparation. Now the venue is almost back to a full slate of offerings.� “We are easing into our normal menu,� she said. “I’d say we’re in ‘Phase 3.5’ of the Joe’s menu right now, as we are only missing a few items.� Deb Flynn, owner of East Side Grill in Northampton, is also easing back to full-throttle as far as her menu. She said that she was able to change the menu every day for outdoor dining. “We are slowly but surely putting items back in,� she said. As far as transitioning to

indoors, Flynn echoed what all the owners interviewed for this story stated. “People are getting used to different things, not only for dining, but just going out at all, and most people are being very polite,� she said. “And of course I don’t want anyone to ever feel uncomfortable.� Keith Weppler, co-owner of Theodores’ in Springfield, said that while there have been plenty of challenges for venues, from everyday technical procedure to the fact that the restaurant industry is a “people� business. “It is just different. All the systems and procedures we set up have changed. All of our work habits have had to immediately change,� Wepler said. “I think the biggest SEE RESTAURANT, PAGE E9

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Swift

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Lita Ford, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Night Ranger. Organizers will ask attendees to adhere to CDC guidelines but are not requiring face coverings or enforcing social distancing. The event website includes a video update from the city’s mayor that details the efforts that have gone into the decision to move forward with the rally.

four albums — “Red,” “1989,” “Reputation” and “Lover” — has paid decreasing dividends, musical and social. Becoming a true centrist pop star is a battle Swift never quite won, and is a battle no longer worth waging. “Folklore” is the first attempt at a post-pop Swift, and it is many things that Swift albums generally are not: rough-edged, downtrodden, spacey. It is a completely canny pop album smothered in places by Dessner, whose production can be like wet clothing tugging at Swift, slowing her down, sapping her vim. Swift isn’t an especially powerful singer, though she achieves a lot with a naturally jumpy tone and enthusiasm. But both of those signatures wilt here as often as not. The tart edge that she specializes in — the one that’s viciously effective when taunting, or pining — is coated with layers of gauzy strings (there is plenty of cello), austere piano, throbbing Mellotron, smeared saxophone, atmospherics that thicken the air. As Swift has long demonstrated, contemplation and exuberance aren’t mutually exclusive; nor are brightness and reflection. And so “Folklore” songs fall into roughly two camps: excellent Swift-penned songs that are sturdy enough to bear the production, and others that end up obscured by murk. Some of the album’s best songs are mildly restrained versions of familiar Swift modes. On “Betty,” she delivers teenage romantic regret with the icy, knowing vocal shiver she deploys in her most felt moments, with faint echoes of the wistful “Tim McGraw,” her 2006 debut single. The airy, earthy “Invisible String,” about trusting fate, is the only truly hopeful-sounding song on the album (and the only one about a happy, fulfilled relationship), and it features some of Swift’s most vivid lyrics: “Cold was the steel of

• Justin Bieber has a new Boston date. After having to cancel his 2020 tour due to the global pandemic, the pop star has announced rescheduled shows, including a July 8 show at TD Garden. Tickets for the previous date will be honored, and more tickets will go on sale for the newly scheduled shows beginning Aug. 6 through all Ticketmaster outlets and locations including ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-7453000.

Recycled CONTINUED FROM PAGE E2

Live takes place every Friday and Saturday until Oct. 10 in the south parking lot of the fairgrounds, adhering to state guidelines for drivein movie theaters. Social distance drive-in theater guidelines set by the State of New Hampshire will be enforced. Attendees purchase one ticket per mid-sized vehicle. Cars will have 10 feet of space between them and will be parked in a staggered fashion for unobstructed sightlines. Attendees may bring lawn chairs and sit in the empty spot to the left of their vehicle. Tickets for Recycled Percussion range between $60 and $99 per vehicle. For more information, tickets and guidelines, go online to drive-in-live.com.

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | E5

This cover image released by Republic Records shows “Folklore,” the eighth record by Taylor Swift. The standard edition includes 16 tracks and the album features Bon Iver, Aaron Dessner of The National and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff. (REPUBLIC RECORDS VIA AP)

my ax to grind/For the boys who broke my heart/Now I send their babies presents.” More intriguing are the tracks where the experimentation with tonal approach succeeds. “Seven” opens with an ethereally lustrous vocal, with Swift sighing her lyrics, landing the rhymes in unexpected places. On “Illicit Affairs,” she whispers her words like long-resented secrets — “Tell your friends you’re out for a run/You’ll be flushed when you return” — sprinkled with sunburst syllables designed to freeze perpetrators in their tracks. And then there’s “Exile,” the most atypical song on the album. A lovely, anguished duet with Justin Vernon (credited as Bon Iver), it’s a stark and unsettling back and forth of recriminations. Swift telegraphs distance and skepticism: “I can see you staring, honey/Like he’s just your understudy/ Like you’d get your knuckles bloody for me.” But it’s the end of the song, when Swift and a husky-voiced Vernon go line for line in some combination of hard-whiskey country, desperate R&B and black-box-theater dialogue, that you feel the full emotional corrosion. All

around them, pianos toll like grandfather clocks, stern and fatalistic. Given its overall dourness, the album is a retreat from conventional pop language, which is to say, it may well be a retreat from radio. Not that that much matters for Swift, who has spent more than a decade earning her fans, and may well be approaching the Beyoncé stage of her career, where cultural authority isn’t dependent on steady hitmaking. That’s the new nature of pop superstardom anyhow: mass-scale cult figures superserving their

“Folklore” is the first attempt at a post-pop Swift, and it is many things that Swift albums generally are not: rough-edged, downtrodden, spacey. most ardent followers by the millions. Seen that way, perhaps the sonic experimentation on “Folklore” isn’t really about embracing a new genre so much as abandoning any sense of duty to the ones she’s been built upon. Country, pop, ’80s rock, hip-hop: they’ve merely been vessels, weapons she knows how to trigger to advance the central tenets of Swiftiness. The desolate, stubborn, overcomposed indie rock of “Folklore,” though, is a tough thicket to tame. Sometimes she triumphs, wrestling it until it’s slack. But when it stifles her, it deserves all the eye rolls it gets.

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MOVIES

What to stream? By Michael O’Sullivan

Washington Post

of a wholly original storyteller. Aided by a substantially female creative team - including cinematographer Laura Bellingham, composer Sarah Angliss and production designer Francesca Massariol - Garai’s work is made all the more memorable by Imelda Staunton, who turns a supporting role as a seemingly kindly nun into a small tour de force. R. Available at afisilver.afi.com. Contains some strong violence, bloody images, a sexual assault and brief crude language and nudity. 99 minutes.

British actress Romola Garai caught the attention of Sundance audiences with her stylish feature debut as a writer-director, “Amulet,” in January. The visually striking feminist horror film follows Tomaz (Alec Secareanu), a homeless refugee in London Carla Juri and Alec Secareanu appear in a scene from “Amuwho is suffering from PTSD let.” (NICK WALL / MAGNET RELEASING) after serving in the military “The Kissing Booth 2” picks King) once again struggles to during an unnamed conflict. up where the 2018 original reconcile her relationships Garai intercuts between two left off, with Elle and Lee’s with Lee (Joel Courtney) and stories, each of which takes senior year, and Noah’s fresh- his rebellious older brother, a while to come into focus: man year of college. Elle (Joey Noah (Jacob Elordi): Does the first set in the dilapidated she chase her and Lee’s home in which Tomaz finds shared dream of attending shelter - from a young woman the University of California (Carla Juri) who is caring at Berkeley, or does she apply for her invalid, attic-bound to Harvard University to be mother (Anah Ruddin); and with Noah? Elle’s jealousy the second taking place in and constant recollection his past, which involved of Noah’s playboy past puts another woman (Angeliki strain on their long-distance Papoulia). Gradually, with relationship. Enter Marco plenty of icky atmosphere (Taylor Zakhar Perez), her hot involving Tomaz’s discovery dance competition partner. of an albino bat in the toilet While the kissing booth (and other nasty business), again serves as a tangential “Amulet” gels around themes plot device - in both films, of motherhood, vampirism Elle and Lee run one for a and the trauma of war. If its school fundraiser - noticeable climax doesn’t quite deliver changes suggest co-writers Jay on the promise of its hauntJoey King and Taylor Perez appear in “The Kissing Booth 2.” ing buildup, it nevertheless Arnold and Vince Marcello marks the auspicious debut (MARCOS CRUZ / NETFLIX) (who also directed) respond-

ed to criticism directed at the original. Noah’s rage and borderline abusive tendencies have dissipated, replaced with homesickness and, from what he tells Elle, unflinching loyalty. Misogynist currents are scrapped in favor of a story line empowering Lee’s girlfriend, Rachel (Meganne Young). If “The Kissing Booth 2” is watchable, viewers have Elle to thank; King remains the strongest component of a now-franchise that, quite frankly, might be beneath her. TV-14. Available on Netflix. 132 minutes. - Sonia Rao The feature directorial debut of Dave Franco, the horror film “The Rental” plays on what you might call Airbnb anxiety: the fear that the private weekend getaway you booked isn’t as private as it looks, and that you’re under surveillance by its owner. That’s what appears to be happening when two couples (Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Jeremy Allen White and Sheila Vand) rent a gorgeous cliff-side house in Northern California. Franco, who cowrote the screenplay with Joe Swanberg (“Digging for Fire”), stirs in the familiar components of many a slasher: a creepy caretaker

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NEW ON DVD

‘Orange is the New Black’ concludes seven season run By Katie Foran-McHale

30-something white woman who ends up in upstate New A critically acclaimed NetYork’s Litchfield Penitentiaflix series comes to an end in ry after getting caught for the top new DVD releases this moving drug money for her week. international drug smug“Orange Is the New Black: gler girlfriend, Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), the series was Season 7”: It’s wild to think groundbreaking in its stoabout now, but Jenji Kohan’s rytelling centering on queer “Orange Is The New Black” women, Black and Black trans premiered as Netflix’s third women, Latina women and original series in July 2013, other marginalized populamonths after the now-disgraced “House of Cards” tions. The series really found and the largely forgotten its footing after moving on “Hemlock Grove.” Originally from Piper’s melodramas the story of Piper Chapman to these far richer and more (Taylor Schilling), a privileged complicated stories. Tribune News Service

Taylor Schilling appears as Piper Chapman in a scene from season four of “Orange is the New Black.” The seventh and final season of the show is now available on DVD. (NETFLIX)

In the series’ final season, which premiered in July 2019, we see how Piper’s life struggles to bounce back after being released early from prison, a cake walk compared to many of the other former and current incarcerated women’s lives. The women most involved with the prison’s uprising after the murder of Poussey (Samira Wiley), crushed to death by a police officer, have faced far greater consequences. Daya (Dashca Polanco) is now a killer; Red (Kate Mulgrew) is losing her

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(Toby Huss), sexual tension, a character with a history of flying off the handle and drugs. There’s not much done to refresh these ingredients, and the suspense is slow to kick in. But once it does, “The Rental” is exactly the kind of dumb, fog-shrouded late-summer fun that genre fans should expect. R. Available on various streaming platforms. ConKevin Janssens and Olga Kurylenko appear in “The Room.” tains violence, strong language (SHUDDER / RLJE FILMS) throughout, drug use and some platforms. 67 minutes. In the fact-based thriller sexuality. 88 minutes. - M.O. “Most Wanted,” Josh Hartnett plays an investigative Jeff Daniels plays a PuAlso streaming litzer-winning playwright reporter who uncovers a conIn the indie comedy spiracy to sentence a man to in “Guest Artist,” a drama “Babysplitters,” two couples based on a play - by Daniels - 100 years in a Thai prison. R. hatch a plan to conceive about an aspiring playwright Available on various streaming and raise one child between platforms. Contains drug use, (Thomas Macias) who is the four of them. Accorddisillusioned when he meets strong language throughout ing to Variety, “The trials his hero (Daniels). According and some violence. 125 minutes. and travails of impending to the Hollywood Reporter, parenthood are captured The third film in a triloDaniels “brings a strong ear gy of Spanish supernatural through (writer-director for language to his exploration of jaded experience in crime thrillers based on the Sam) Friedlander’s highly collision with openheartbest-selling books, “Offering comedic filter, giving birth to the Storm” features a deto enough dazzling wit to sus- ed innocence.” Unrated. tain the gimmick.” Unrated. Available on various streaming tective investigating mysteriAvailable on various streaming platforms. 84 minutes. ous infant death and horrific platforms. 119 minutes. rituals. TV-MA. Available on Netflix. In Spanish with subtiKnown for his controver“Blood Vessel” is a nautisial, sexualized photographs tles. 139 minutes. cal vampire flick set during of women - which some World War II and centering have called objectification The New York Times calls on the survivors of a torpe- the late German photogra“Olympia” a “fawning” doed hospital ship whose life pher Helmut Newton is the documentary about actress raft comes across a seemsubject of the documentary Olympia Dukakis. At times, ingly abandoned German “Helmut Newton: The Bad the paper writes, filmmaker minesweeper. Unrated. and the Beautiful.” Unrated. Harry Mavromichalis himself Available on various streaming Available at theavalon.org seems star-struck, “to the platforms. 93 minutes. and afisilver.afi.com. 89 extent that he can’t distinguish the disarming from the minutes. A real estate developer’s banal.” Unrated. Available plans to build on a site once at theavalon.org.and jxjdc. After taking a hit of a used for human sacrifice turn mysterious aerosol, a queer org. Contains some disturbing deadly when construction dominatrix acquires the abili- violent content and terror. 100 disturbs the cursed soil in “A ty to talk to dead people in minutes. “Holy Trinity.” “Despite its Deadly Legend.” Unrated. Available on various streaming unapologetic focus on what Olga Kurylenko (“Quantum platforms. 97 minutes. some might call the dark of Solace”) and Kevin Janssens arts of BDSM and kink,” the (“Undercover”) star in “The “The Grand Unified Theory Hollywood Reporter writes, Room,” a horror film about a of Howard Bloom” is a doc“every single frame is bright, couple who discover a magical umentary portrait of Bloom, bursting with color and secret room in their new home a former music publicist for lightness in the cinematogra- that grants wishes. “Come for phy, production design and such musicians as Michael ‘The Room’s’ infinite possibilities,” writes Flickering Myth. costuming. These elements Jackson and Prince, who “Stay hooked into a narrative give it an avant-garde vibe reinvented himself as an that expands upon the one dithat stimulates the senses.” author, publishing several books on evolutionary version you least saw coming.” Unrated. Available on various streaming platforms. 98 psychology and humanity’s Unrated. Available on shudder. minutes. role in the cosmos. Unrated. com. 99 minutes. Available on various streaming

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | E7

DVD

its final aloha. “James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction”: The CONTINUED FROM PAGE E6 Academy Award-winning mind, unable to be reached director interviews legendary sci-fi directors and stars by her formal rival Gloria in this AMC documentary (Selenis Leyva); Taystee (Danielle Brooks) has lost her series. “Legacy of Lies”: An spirit. Meanwhile, a sinister ex-British spy (Scott Adkins) evil lurks: ICE has opened searches for the truth behind a holding pen adjoined to a Russian operation. Litchfield, where women, “NCIS - The Seventeenth including Maritza (Diane Guerrero), live in another Season”: The crime series returns just after Special Agent kind of prison as they are picked up one by one for their Gibbs (Mark Harmon) has been told his life is in danger. deportation trials. “The Other Lamb”: A It’s devastatingly timely, young woman (Raffey Casand a must-watch. sidy) begins to question the Also new on DVD motives behind the cult in “An Accidental Studio”: which she has grown up. Documentary explores the “The Outsider - The First beginnings of HandMade Season”: The hit HBO series based on the Stephen King Films, the studio created by novel follows an investigaex-Beatle George Harrison. tion that sprouts supernatu“Deadwater Fell”: Fourral elements. part British mystery follows an investigation after a Out on Digital HD murder in a sleepy Scottish “Deep Blue Sea 3”: Dr. town. Stars David Tennant Emma Collins (Tania Rayand Cush Jumbo. “End of Sentence”: A man monde) and her associates return to Little Happy island (Logan Lerman) heads to to study sharks as a suspiIreland to scatter his mother’s ashes with his estranged cious team puts all their lives father (John Hawkes). In in jeopardy. English and Icelandic. “Nose to Tail”: A chef with anger issues (Aaron Abrams) “Fisherman’s Friends”: must save his high-end Much to the surprise of the jaded music exec that signed restaurant by playing nice with the investors who could them, an English countryside musical group scores a help him. big hit. Stars James Purefoy, “A Girl Missing”: A home Meadow Nobrega and David hospice nurse (Mariko Hayman. Tsutsui) discovers that her “Hawaii Five-0”: The nephew has kidnapped one reboot of the classic CBS Ha- of her granddaughters. In waii-set detective series says Japanese.

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VIDEO GAME REVIEW

‘Ooblets’ is whimsical, light, but needs more work Bt Elise Favis

Washington Post

Upon booting up “Ooblets,” I was immediately taken by its cheery and adorable presentation. Everything is bright, colorful, and all its characters are warm and friendly. The virtual world is a safe, happy bubble; a respite from our grim, pandemic-stricken realities. As much as I loved its joyful vibe, though, it soon became clear that it needs more time in development before becoming something great. “Ooblets” is an early access game, after all, meaning you play before full release as its creators tinker and iron out kinks. Available on PC (exclusively through the Epic Games store) and on Xbox One via Xbox Game Preview, “Ooblets” puts you in the shoes of an amateur farmer. It takes ideas from both “Pokémon” and “Stardew Valley,” but instead of completely replicating those concepts, it blends them together to form something fresh. Your main goal in “Ooblets” is to catch, well, Ooblets. These are tiny, cute monsters that roam the world in small herds. After choosing which Ooblets Club to join, like the socially awkward Mimpins or the cocky Peaksnubs who say they’re a group for “born leaders,” you’re given a starter

monster, just like you would in “Pokémon.” From there, you fight other Ooblets in frenzied dance battles, and if you win encounters, you gain the seed of your opponent. With that seed, you plant it in your garden, let it grow for an allotted time and later harvest it to receive a new Ooblet. Combat plays out similar to the card battler “Slay the Spire.” In these turn-based fights, your cards are your Ooblets’ moves and you win by reaching a certain point total before your foe. Some cards let you stun opponents, accrue points, or power-up to make your maneuvers more effective. Like the rest of its world, these battles are dripping with charm: Catchy music plays overhead while your Ooblets dance, sometimes even twerk, their way to victory. It’s a joy to watch, but combat in practice is lackluster. The enemy’s moves are too randomized to make sense and matches are too simple, requiring little strategy. Some fine-tuning and balancing is necessary for this portion of the game to sing. Outside of fights, you can spend your time doing home improvement, transforming your decrepit shack into an eye-catching home. Everything is costly, either requiring resources or Gummies, which are the game’s main form

button to see what you reel in. To make matters worse, I encountered a long list of bugs: Areas wouldn’t load properly; my character got stuck in objects in the world; and at one point I couldn’t read a quest description because it just said, “quest description.” A key component is missing from “Ooblets” to really make it all come together; for example, everything you do feels like a side quest, with little to A scene from the video game “Ooblets.” (GLUMBERLAND) no overarching story about why you moved here or your of currency. Like “Animal enough to do. Even as the ultimate goal. Crossing: New Horizons,” world opened up to oth“Ooblets” introduces some“Ooblets” is dependent on er towns, these new areas thing special through that its in-game capitalism: You offered little other than world, and if the developers perform labor (quests, battles, some more enemies to fight in the exact same fashion. take the time necessary to scrounging for resources) so Repetition is everywhere iron out the rest and perhaps you can reap rewards in buyin “Ooblets” - most of the introduce new gameplay ing furniture, clothes, sprinquest lines require battling or to the mix, there could be klers for your garden, and so something special here. The on. It’s an addictive gameplay collecting resources - which loop but I was left starving for grows stale after a while. Side seeds of potential are there, activities like fishing aren’t and time will tell whether more. fun either, requiring you “Ooblets” blossoms into The biggest problem with to just wait after pressing a something better. “Ooblets” is there just isn’t TABLE 3 RESTAURANT GROUP

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THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM

WEEKEND

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | E9

DINE & WINE

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Health, safety tips available online Side dishes • Though the pandemic has led to the cancellation of this year’s Big E, the management of the Eastern States Exposition has put together a sample of the fair’s customary food-focused fun in the form of Big E Summer Weekends. Held in the Big E’s Storrowton Village neighborhood, the Summer Weekends feature the Big E Bakery and its hallmark cream puffs and eclairs. Housed in the New England Center, the Bakery will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with two drive-up lanes, one of which will be reserved for express pickup of online orders Online ordering can be done at thebige.com/thebige bakery.

Restaurant

worked through the pandemic. They all showed so much strength.” Sullivan echoed Weppler’s sentiments about the anxiety and uncertainty on both ends of the business but kept a positive attitude about the future “I’m confident the industry will bounce back once it’s safe, but it’s just a matter of when,” she said. Gohr agreed. “It is my hope and my Fred Gohr, owner of Fitzwilly’s belief that together we will in Northampton come through the challenges brought on by the pandemic we added outdoor dining,” he and come out on the other said. “We could also not be side even stronger, whenever more proud of our staff that that may be,” he said.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E4

challenges for the entire staff have been dealing with the constant anxiety. Everything from health to financial. The normal choices that you can make every day to improve your standing are all out of your control.” Fortunately, Wepler said that the “people” part of his business has proved to be strong. “We could not be more thankful to our loyal customers who have continued to get carry-out, buy gift cards or come back to visit us since

“It is my hope and my belief that together we will come through the challenges brought on by the pandemic and come out on the other side even stronger, whenever that may be.”

• Also open for summer weekend enjoyment, the Sam Adams Brew Garden will be hosting outdoor dining on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The menu will include burgers, sandwiches, pizza, salads, and more. Making its own contributions to the tasty goings-on, the Storrowton Tavern will be

open its regular hours during these weekends. For more details on Big E Summer Weekends, go to thebige.com. • Wheelhouse Catering in Amherst has launched Wheelhouse at Home, a subscription meal service that features locally-sourced seasonal foods. Prepared by chef Gabrielle Chapman and the Wheelhouse culinary crew, the service allows subscribers to select options that meet their particular food preferences and needs. Users of the service make weekly selections from Wheelhouse’s online store for either pick-up or delivery the following week.

Hugh Robert Off The Menu

Both omnivore and vegetarian alternatives are available. Menu listings for August 2 through 15 include miso-braised chicken with shaved carrots, roasted garlic flatbread with mozzarella and corn, and a crispy miso chickpea bowl. Menus are updated every two weeks. In addition to entree packages, Wheelhouse offers separate dessert options such SEE MENU, PAGE E10

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back of the restaurant after each cycle, he or she washes hands, changes gloves, and re-equips with new wiping towels before working through the production area, again focusing on “hightouch” locations such as refrigeration. Another NYC-based multi-location operator, David Chang, who owns the Momofuku Group, has put together an elaborate set of health and safety protocols by which the Group’s restaurants are expected to operate. His SOP Library is detailed, covering not only the obvious - handwashing, taking temperatures of employees and guests, and the like - but also addresses more involved processes, such as procedures for developing new menu items. In part, Chang developed his health and safety manual with the intent of sharing it across the industry. His hope is that other restaurant operators will use the Library as a starting point for upgrading their own sanitation-related operating procedures. Chang’s SOP library can be found online at momofuku. com/health-safety/ sop-library/.

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T GOES WITHOUT SAYing that the COVID-19 pandemic has rewritten the rules of restaurant operation, with sanitation and safety now a primary concern of any responsible chef or owner. Partly because of government mandates and partly due to general consumer uneasiness, restaurant operators have had to focus on maintaining a clean, safe environment as never before. Masks and gloves, though an essential part of pandemic protocols, aren’t enough to win the trust of skeptical patrons. One NYC-based fast-causal chain, Just Salads, has gone so far as to add a dedicated position to its operating staff. Each restaurant location now has a “cleaning captain” whose sole responsibility is to ensure the cleanliness of the restaurant environment. The cleaning captain position focuses on both the establishment’s public areas and its back-of-thehouse production facilities, following an hourly schedule of cleaning and sanitizing high-touch surfaces such as door handles, point-of-sale areas, and food handling locations. As the captain moves to the


WEEKEND

E10 | THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM

Beers for watching games at home

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ELL, BASEBALL is back, but unlike other years, there will be no fans at parks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means, of course, that you won’t be able to watch games in person while enjoying a (usually overpriced) brew. The good news, however, is that you can watch on TV and enjoy a wider (and mostly cheaper) selection of beers than you usually find at any ballpark.

Menu

And while most folks have a good selection of craft beer choices no matter where they live, I thought it would be fun to make a baseball-centric beer menu. Of course, some of these beers below are probably not available to most readers, but this is a fun column, not one recommending beers as good or bad. (I also have not had most of these beers myself.) And just to make it less cliched, I didn’t just use obvious baseball names all the time,

starting with our first entry for the Red Sox: If you’re watching the Olde Towne Team down the pike, why not crack open a Really Green Street IPA from Trillium Brewing? While this beer’s name isn’t specifically tied to baseball, Trillium is a Boston brewery and green is the color of Fenway Park, particularly the Green Monster. Plus, it’s a really good double IPA. I’d go extra innings with this one. But speaking of the Green

George Lenker Beer Nut

Monster, another great Bay State brew is Wachusett Green Monsta IPA, whose hop profile is indeed monstrous (in a good way). SEE BEER, PAGE E11

include anything from shepherd’s pie to baked stuffed lobster. CONTINUED FROM PAGE E9 Additionally, the Club as berry galette with butteroffers brunch on Saturday milk graham cracker crust and Sunday mornings from 8 and strawberry cardamom a.m. until noon, serving both hand pies. inside and out. The menu lists There are even three weekly egg dishes, pancakes, French picnic packs suitable for ontoast, and specialty items such the-go noshing. as Irish eggs Benedict, a dish Wheelhouse has established which features homemade two pickup locations, one corned beef hash. in Amherst and a second in For more information call Northampton. COVID-19 413-536-5364 or go to the compliant delivery is also Club’s Facebook Page, faceavailable in Amherst, Hadley, book.com/WyckoffCounThe Big E continues to offer Big E Summer Weekends, feaand Northampton for an addi- tryClub. turing the Big E Bakery and its hallmark cream puffs available tional $5 per order fee. for all, on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Two For more details on Wheel• Chefs and culinary drive-up lanes are offered, with one reserved for express pickhouse at Home, go to wheel professionals with a knack for up of online orders. (FREDERICK GORE PHOTO) housefarm.com or email creativity can put that talent athome@wheelhousefarm. to good use by entering the • The Collegian Court in its post-lockdown efforts around a combination of the com. 2020 OREO Cookie Recipe Chicopee continues to offer restaurant’s new American Contest. curbside pickup of family • “Built for pandemic fare and its riverside location. With a grand prize of meal options on Friday, Satdining” is the house tagline at $5,000 and a year’s supply urday, and Sunday evenings. Currently open Friday, the Wyckoff Country Club The menu changes weekly, Saturday, and Sunday for of OREO cookie pieces, the in Holyoke these days. take-out only, the Alvah contest, which is jointly spon- with options such as fish & The Club’s grillroom has sored by Mondelez Internachips, rack of ribs, and a fresh Stone offers three ordering an oversized outdoor deck as tional and Nation’s Restaurant turkey dinner typical of the alternatives - online, call-in, well as a fairly spacious dining News, is easy to enter. choices available. Meals come or in-person ordering from a area, and the Club’s manageGo to nrn.com/spon with dinner rolls, salad, and restaurant staffer stationed ment has put in place social sored-content/oreo-rec house dressing. The restauoutside. No matter how an rant also offers selected wines order might be placed, meals distancing protocols designed ipe-contest-2020, submit at $10 a bottle. to meet the constraints of a recipe that uses OREO can be enjoyed on the restaurant’s deck or taken away for Each weekend’s menu is dining out today. cookies along with a high-resOpen for lunch and dinner, olution photo of the finposted the preceding Wednes- savoring elsewhere. the menu at the Wyckoff ished product, answer a few day on the restaurant’s FaceThe Alvah Stone’s current book page, Facebook.com/ Country Club is focused questions, and the entry is menu favors small dishes thecollegiancourt. on sandwiches and salads, complete. and nibbles, although a small The Collegian Court anbut the kitchen also creates This year’s competition also assortment of entree-style options is available as well. The a nightly menu of dinner has a Culinary Student Grand swers at 413-331-4444. restaurant’s bill of fare can specials. Prize of $1,000 and four Those specials are also • With one of the most sce- be viewed at their website, runner-up prizes of $1,000 available as take-out options. in the Culinary Professional nic dining decks in the region, thealvahstone.com, where Depending on the evening the Alvah Stone at the Book- a link for online ordering is category. in question, the choices may available. Deadline to enter is Aug. 31. mill in Montague is focusing

If you’re watching the Olde Towne Team down the pike, why not crack open a Really Green Street IPA from Trillium Brewing? While this beer’s name isn’t specifically tied to baseball, Trillium is a Boston brewery and green is the color of Fenway Park, particularly the Green Monster.

Call-in orders can be placed at 413-367-5354, the restaurant’s telephone number. • Now reopened for socially-distanced indoor dining, Teresa’s Restaurant in Ware is promoting a cool summertime refresher along with the establishment’s classic Italian-American fare. The restaurant is serving frozen Italian ice martinis in lemon and watermelon flavors. The frozen cocktails can even be packaged for offsite enjoyment, with both 12-ounce and quart-sized take-out containers available. Teresa’s Restaurant answers at 413-967-7601. • In a move designed to streamline operations and speed up drive thru service, Irvine, CA-based Taco Bell has announced that it is pulling 12 items from the chain’s permanent menu. Among the menu selections no longer available are the Grilled Steak Soft Taco, the Beefy Fritos Burrito, the Mini Skillet Bowl, and Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes. Taco Bell additionally justified the reductions as a way of making menu space for plant-forward options as well as forthcoming new products. 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 at Off TheMenuGuy@aol.com.


THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM

WEEKEND

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | E11

Proper wine etiquette: the dos and don’ts

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HIS WEEK’S WINE column came to me in a flash while I was cycling this past Saturday morning. Another rider was approaching me on a winding back road. So I did what any normal cyclist would do. I waved. It’s the polite thing to do. But clearly, the approaching cyclist didn’t understand proper cycling etiquette. He rode right past me like I wasn’t even there without a wave or even a nod. Cycling isn’t the only sport with a whole set of unwritten rules. In tennis, the server traditionally sets the pace of play unless you’re Rafael Nadal and you need an extra minute or so to adjust your shorts and your headband. In skiing, the downhill skier always has the right of way. And it’s not just sports. On the highway, no one would ever dream of passing on the right hand side - unless you live in Massachusetts, where the rules of road seem to be mere suggestions. At least, that’s how it seems to this Pennsylvania native. And while I’m hesitant to call them rules, there are definitely certain ways to behave when it comes to wine. Believe me. I know how fussy the world of wine can seem to many people. So please simply think of these dos and don’ts as mere suggestions. This is simply one wine lover’s observations on how to be a gracious host, guest or customer when it comes to wine. So without further ado, here are my suggested dos and don’ts when it comes to wine. Hope you enjoy.

again, don’t push it. If they’re not that into wine, consider keeping some of your thoughts to yourself.

There’s a polite way to talk about wine and deal with wine in many different situations. (KEN ROSS PHOTO)

wines in particular. It never hurts to ask and to not assume anything. And if they don’t like wine, don’t serve them wine. It’s that simple. Keep it light: If you’re not sure what wine to serve your guests, serve them a lighter wine, especially if they say they’re not big wine drinkers. And by lighter wines, I mean certain white wines (a chilled Pinot Grigio) or red wines (Merlot served at room temperature). Save the big, bold, robust wines for your fellow wine lovers. Have a backup: If you’re having another couple over for dinner, get more than just one or two different wines. Have a few backup wines in case of one of your wines isn’t to everyone’s liking. As a general rule of thumb, plan on at least a half bottle (two glasses) per person when trying to figure out how much wine to have on hand for dinner.

Ken Ross Wine Press

Don’t overdo it: I realize this suggestion and the last one might seem to be at complete odds with each other. But it’s important to respect your guest’s limits. Don’t serve too much wine. I realize that’s a delicate balance but that’s part of being a good host when it comes to wine.

In a guest’s house The Dos Bring a bottle: If you want to bring wine to a guest’s house, bring a bottle. One bottle is fine. Yon’t need to go overThe Don’ts Don’t show off: If you know a board. Spend $15 to $20: If you’re lot about wine, don’t talk a lot about wine. Just tell your guests not sure how much to spend on the wine you’re bringing, a few things about the wine my advice is to buy one in the you’re serving, like where it’s from or how it was aged. If they $15 to $20 range. You can find Wine etiquette tips want to know more about they many great wines (especially from France’s Rhone region as wine, they can ask. In your home well as Spain, Argentina and Don’t be stingy: When The Dos parts of Portugal) that taste pouring the wine, always pour Protect your wine: Make sure your guest’s glasses first. And great but won’t break the bank. you store your wine in a cool, Talk about their wine: If your make sure you give them a dark place, especially red wine. generous amount of wine. This guests are serving wine, ask Heat and light can be fatal for them about it. Where’s the wine means you should fill roughly many great wines. from? Have they had it before? one third of their glass with Ask your guests: If you’re hav- wine. Don’t be stingy. They’re What do they like about it? ing guests over for dinner, ask Wine can be a fun topic of conyour guests. Make them feel versation between people. But them if they like wine or certain welcome.

The Don’ts Don’t open your wine: If you bring a bottle of wine to a friend’s house, don’t assume they will open your wine. They may have carefully planned which wines to serve with dinner. And your interesting wine just might not be part of their plan. Your wine is a gift and they can choose when they want to enjoy your wine. Don’t pour the wine: As tempting as it may be to pour yourself more wine, let the host decide how much everyone drinks. (Unless of course your host has made it clear that everyone should feel free to help themselves to whatever wines they want.) I realize this can be challenging if some hosts don’t seem to notice all the empty glasses around the table. But hopefully, they’ll realize when it’s time to refill everyone’s glasses. Don’t be critical: If you don’t like the wine, don’t share your thoughts - unless you know the host really well and you both talk about wine a lot together. You’re not judging a wine competition. You’re enjoying a meal in a friend’s house and the wine just happens to be bad. It’s not the end of the world. In a restaurant The Dos Ask for advice: Many restaurants have someone who works there who knows a lot about wine. Sometimes, it’s the sommelier. Other times, it’s the owner of the restaurant or your waiter. Ask them if they have any recommendations. They should know their wine list best. Get their advice. Explain your budget: Don’t be afraid to tell your sommelier or server how much you would like to spend on a bottle of wine. It’s totally acceptable and honestly appreciated by the people working in the restaurant. Trust me. I used to work in restaurants. This is completely acceptable to discuss your budget. SEE WINE, PAGE E12

Beer CONTINUED FROM PAGE E10

Down in Yankees territory, a Bronx brewery actually named the Bronx Brewery has a fun name that might raise a few eyebrows about the Bombers’ talent for hitting homers. Juiced Ball, however, is not about how lively baseballs can suspiciously be in certain years, it’s a description of the juicy flavor aspect of this hazy IPA. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Blue Point Pinstripe Pils, a session Pilsner with a classic can. Chicago has an aptly named brew for the workaday players that often support the stars. Revolution Brewing’s Everyday Hero Session IPA may not be specifically about baseball, but it reminds us that players such as Rajai Davis, a journeyman who helped the Cubbies to their first World Series win since 1908. Of course, in this pandemic-shortened season, we may see some records fall. While these may require some sort of asterisk, it would still be thrilling to see someone hit .400 again. (Although I personally wouldn’t think of that as being totally legitimate.) What better beer than AleSmith’s .394, an IPA in honor of the late Tony Gwyn, who came close to .400 in 1994, which was a strike-shortened season itself. That mark may be the closest anyone ever comes again. In San Diego, which has rarely been smiled upon by the baseball gods, Gwynn was the real deal. Luckily for the city, while it may not excel at baseball, it shines when it comes to beer. Whatever beer you drink during these (weird, fanless) games: Play ball!


E12 | THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

WEEKEND

THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM

Wine

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on a bottle of wine and how many wines you’re thinking of buying. Again, if you’re having CONTINUED FROM PAGE E11 another couple over for dinner, Offer a taste: If your served plan on buying at least three, selected a great wine for you, different bottles of wine - two feel free to offer them a taste for dinner (perhaps one red of your bottle of wine. They and one white) and a third one might say no, but it’s the polite just in case one of the wines thing to do. doesn’t taste quite right or everyone wants to dry a different The Dont’s wine. Don’t be rude: Wine is meant Always be polite: If the wine to be a fun part of having store is busy, don’t push ahead dinner in a restaurant. And of someone else or monopthat applies to dealing with the olize the employee’s time. server when it comes to order- Simply wait your turn just like ing and tasting the wine. If you everyone else. Or simply pick don’t like their recommendaout a few wines on your own. tion, simply explain the types The bottom line is a good wine of wines you normally like. store employee can be a great Hopefully, they can point you friend to have for many differin the right direction towards a ent reasons. wine your might enjoy. Don’t order for everyone: If The Don’ts you’re with a group of people Don’t be critical: If you and not everyone wants wine, disagree with a wine store don’t try to push other people employee’s recommendation, to drink wine just because you simply explain that you prefer would like to order a bottle. I different types of wines. Be as know how frustrating it can precise as possible (”I like dry be when you’re in a restaurant red wines” or “buttery white with a great wine list with lots wines with an oaky finish,” of amazing wines only availetc.). This will allow the emable by the bottle. But that’s the ployee to steer you in the right way it is sometimes. Order a direction without being critical glass instead and let everyone of their opinion. else order what they want. Don’t feel obligated: Just Don’t brag: If everyone because an employee in a wine decides to let you order the store makes a recommendation doesn’t mean you have to wine for the table, accept the buy the wine. The bottom line honor graciously and don’t is you should be the one who brag. This applies to dealing decides which wines you buy. with the sommelier or your server. Believe me. If you know That’s the beauty of going to a wine store. You get to decide a lot about wine, they’ll pick up on it. Just explain what type exactly which wines you will enjoy. of wine you’re interested in Don’t show off: If you know a ordering and let the great wine lot about wine, there’s a polite you selected speak for itself. way to say that to the wine In a wine store store employee without showThe Dos ing off. Simply explain which Ask for recommendations: wines you enjoy and why. A Here again, definitely feel free smart wine store employee to ask for a recommendation will pick up on your knowledge from an employee working in and hopefully know how to a wine store. I used to work in steer you in the right direction. Because at the end of the one years ago and knew the day, it’s always important to wines on the shelf very well. remember that learning about I also loved recommended wine should be a fun, never wines to people who wanted ending journey you can enjoy some suggestions, including your entire life. my wife, who I met in a wine Cheers! store. Explain your budget: People working in a wine store should Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every be there to help you. And part Monday and in The Republican’s of that is knowing how much money you’re willing to spend weekend section every Thursday.


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