The Magicians: A Review of Two Great Novels

Take one look at Lev Grossman’s website and you will discover he is everything a young New York author should be. He is witty, humble and a wee bit sardonic. He wasn’t an overnight success – he actually had to work for it.

Although I don’t read a lot of fiction, I stumbled on his two-book series (I understand it is soon to be a trilogy). So far, the series is comprised of The Magician, and The Magician King. Both have made it to the New York Times Bestseller List, and with good reason. These are some of the best books ever.

The Magicians is an urban fantasy. True confession – I had never heard of the genre before I picked up the book. Apparently an urban fantasy is a fantasy story in a modern context. It requires some skill from the author to suspend our disbelief. Grossman is that skilled. He had me completely bought in to real human magicians from Brooklyn, and a dragon living in the canals of Venice.

The Magicians is sort of Harry Potter for grownups, with the Narnia Chronicles thrown in. Our protagonist is Quentin Coldwater. At the start of the series he is a high-school senior from Brooklyn.

Quentin is the kind of kid with whom we all identify. Either we were him, or we knew someone like him. He is an intelligent, awkward geek with a crush on his best friend’s girl and a penchant for stage magic.

This is one of the reasons these books are so likeable. Grossman creates believable characters with real depth, and puts them in fantastical situations. Quentin’s story is a fantasy of magic and mayhem, and a classic tale of a boy’s struggle to become a man.

Quentin is recruited to become a student at a secret college of magic. While there are some similarities between Hogwarts and Quentin’s school, Breakbills College of Magical Pedagogy, there are many differences, too.

First, since it is a college, there is opportunity for alcohol abuse and sex. That’s what college is really always about, right? Second, Grossman dives into the spiritual aspect of magic. One thing that always bothered me about the Harry Potter books is that, beyond the eternal struggle of good and evil and the triumphant power of love, religion and spirituality are largely ignored. The kids celebrate Christmas, but we have no idea what they believe in and how that squares with magic.

In The Magicians, we find there are scientific magicians, Wiccan magicians, and even Christian magicians, all trying to discover the true source and essence of magic itself.

At the heart of the story is Quentin’s love of a series of childhood books about a magical world called Fillory. The similarity between the Fillory and Further series and the Chronicles of Narnia is too striking to be happenstance.

But rather than feeling like a cheap copy, the exquisitely detailed Fillory stories felt familiar enough that I inherently understood Quentin’s fascination with the childhood books. How would I feel if I had a chance to actually visit actual Narnia?

As with most things in life, what fascinates us does so for a reason. As so it turns out that Quentin’s fascination with the Fillory and Further series, and with stage magic, is prophetic and meaningful.

Quentin is a real magician, and on his magical journey he discovers an important fact. Fillory exists.

Along the way, Quentin discovers other things, too. Love, greed, laziness, friendship, sacrifice and the true meaning of heroism are all part of Quentin’s magical journey.

In these two books Quentin travels from his boyhood home of Brooklyn to the elite and protected halls of magical academia and all the way to Fillory, with stops in the realms of underground magicians in cities around the world. I can’t wait to see where he goes in the next book.

Grease is the Word

I am not a huge fan of the Standard American Diet (SAD for short).  One of its mainstays, the burger, has always mystified me.  I just don’t get it.  Out of all possibilities, a burger is the last thing I am likely to order in a restaurant. 

So when Grease opened on Clematis Street, I wasn’t interested.  Grease is an upscale restaurant and bar that is dedicated almost solely to the burger.  The name bothered me, too.  Honestly, food that is greasy is the opposite of good.

But, since I have friends who like burgers, I have been to Grease a few times since it opened.  In fact, I was there just last week.  There are a few non-burger items on the menu, but each time I have been there I’ve gone with the signature product – the burger.

It turns out that a good burger is a great thing.  Eating at Grease has taught me this.  On the menu are a few specialty burgers, and the opportunity to craft your own burger with the toppings of your choice.

Although I am also not a fan of fries, onion rings are another matter entirely.  The onion rings at Grease are wonderful, although last week they were sadly a little greasier than usual.

Grease has a fully stocked bar, friendly staff and a great atmosphere.  It is perfect place to meet friends after work, or to sit at the bar and watch a game.  Its dark lighting makes it romantic, but I wouldn’t choose it for a first date because the burgers are too big and juicy to eat neatly.

Grease is not a place to “grab a quick burger.”  Grease is a place to savor and appreciate the American institution that is the burger.

South Florida Fashion Decoded

After being a South Floridian for four years now, I am beginning to understand some of the fashion peculiarities of the region.  I’m not talking about Palm Beach society fashion; that is the stuff of legends and glossy magazines.  I’m talking about what normal people really wear down here.

The rules seem a lot different than they were up north.  Some of that is simply that the rules have relaxed everywhere, but South Florida is more relaxed than anywhere is.  We all know it’s now okay to wear black to weddings, and colors other than black to funerals, no matter where you live.  But here in SOFL, we have some special rules all our own.

 The fashion attitude of South Florida is easily summed up by this story.  I was in the Macy’s dressing room trying on a low-cut dress with a halter-top.  I asked my dressing-room companion what she thought about it.  Her answer was simple.  “It’s summer in South Florida, honey.  Go for it.”

 So here are the rules, at least as much as I have been able to figure out.

 Rule 1.  The Little Black Dress (LBD) is appropriate for any situation.  As long as you have the right accessories, you can wear your LBD to the office, to a party, to a nightclub or to the beach.

 Rule 2.  Cool weather clothes such as boots, hats, sweaters, faux fur and scarves are fashion accessories to be worn on any occasion, regardless of weather.  It is perfectly okay to wear a scarf with a sundress, or boots with shorts and a wooly hat.  During the five days of cool weather each year, you can wear all your cool weather clothes with pants and long sleeves.  The other 360 days of the year, you can consider them funky, ironic or a fun splash of color and texture.

 Rule 3.  While it is inappropriate to wear your bathing suit without a breezy cover-up anywhere except the beach, in the heat of summer your halter-top can look an awful lot like a bathing suit top.

 Rule 4.  The length of your dress or skirt does not dictate its level of formality.  Niether does its fabric.  Satin and lace are not reserved for formal wear.

Rule 5.  It is perfectly acceptable for women to wear halter-tops, strapless tops and braless tops regardless of their age or weight.

 Rule 6.  The right women’s shorts can be part of a classy formal business outfit.  Men’s shorts only work for business casual.

 Rule 7.  There is no time or place where open-toed shoes are not appropriate.

 Rule 8.  Every woman must own at least one pair of white pants.  These are worn at any time throughout the year, and as often as possible, even though they are unflattering to many women.

 Rule  9.  There are at least twenty beaches and resorts in Florida where social nudity is the norm.  That’s more than in most other states.  This offers a whole other fashion option for those who dare.

Asian Explosion on Clematis Street

Everyone knows that Clematis Street in West Palm Beach offers a variety of dining options.  In other words, those on diets should just stay away – there is nothing for you here.  Recently, two Asian restaurants have opened – Kabuki and Palm Sugar, and a third, Fuku, will open soon.

I love Asian food – or at least, I love the American version of Asian food.  I am smart enough to know there is a huge difference between the two.

Kabuki is right next to Don Ramon.  It does a great lunch and happy hour business.  Its ratings online are high – most people give it five stars.

Kabuki serves sushi  and Thai food.  Its prices and specials are good.

My friends and I enjoyed our sushi and Thai lunch combos very much.  The service was somewhat haphazard during the busy lunch hour.  However, one of the four of us had some unpleasant after-effects from the meal.  Perhaps the tendency for haphazard service had spilled into the kitchen as well.

Recently, we learned that Kabuki has been cited with no less than fourteen health code violations, many of them critical.  Probably those with weak stomachs should consider avoiding this one in the future.

Palm Sugar has opened more recently.  It’s on the corner of Clematis and Dixie.  You would think that would be a great location for a restaurant, but its predecessor, Bahama Mama, didn’t last very long.  My friends and I noticed a lot of street noise that disturbed the vibe – perhaps that was part of the problem.

Palm Sugar is an Asian Grill and Dessert Bar.  Hallelujah!  The only problem with Asian restaurants is they seem clueless about dessert.  Palm Sugar wants to rectify that.

My friends and I took them at their word and stopped by for drinks and dessert one evening.  The atmosphere is a little schizophrenic, with the words “Palm Sugar” in an irritating red tag cloud all over the walls and the traffic noise a stark contrast to the classy lighting, music and wood furnishings.

The dessert selection was interesting.  The best of the bunch seemed to be a soft cheesecake parfait, complete with fresh fruit at the bottom, and a chocolate cookie, strawberry and mint garnish.  There was also crème brulee in three flavors.  That’s interesting, except two of those three flavors were weirdly tea-based.  There was a nice selection of cupcakes, but most of the chocolate ones were polluted with nuts, coffee and green tea. 

The presentation of the desserts was fabulous, and the dessert wine selection was wonderful and affordable.

The dinner menu seemed to be primarily noodle dishes.  I’m not in a hurry to try them, but I am in a hurry to get back there for another glass of Muscadel.  I know my priorities.

When Fuku opens, I will be first in line to try it out.  I have to say that Palm Sugar and Kabuki have not set a very high bar for Fuku to beat to become the very best Asian restaurant on Clematis Street.

Prayers

Prayers—where do they come from, and where do they go?

Many of us pray for help when we are deeply troubled.  We pray when we are afraid. We pray for others to be safe, and to be healed. Prayer is an everyday event in so many of our lives.

But, what exactly is prayer, and who does it go to? There are so many religions in the world, and so many gods and goddesses, great spirits, and other higher beings people pray to. What happens to prayers if one does not believe in any of these organized and established religions and deities? Does being a non-believer make the prayers mute and useless?

Prayer need not follow traditional rituals. True prayer comes from deep inside your heart and soul.  It is a healing thought, or wish, you send out into the universe to reach and help those in need, and sometimes to help yourself. It is an honest desire to stop the suffering of those you care about and love, whether a family member, a friend, a stranger, or even the earth itself. It is your way of saying, I wish you love, healing. happiness, strength, and all it takes to weather you through your storms and trials. It is your silent message of love and caring.  It is strong, it is powerful, and it comes from your true essence of love and compassion.

Reef Road Rum Bar: The Flavor of South Florida

I have had the pleasure of dining at Reef Road on Clematis Street on two occasions, the most recent being just last week.  I really enjoyed myself both times.

In preparing to write this review, I checked out other reviews of Reef Road, and found that, on one review site, the restaurant had received only one measly star out of a possible five.

The complaints included poor service, pricey food and small portions.  I asked my dining partner if he thought there was any merit to these complaints, and he agreed with me that, in our experience, there was not.  We thought Reef Road provided a lovely evening out, and we both look forward to returning.

Reef Road offers musical entertainment on some nights – the night we were there, they played recorded reggae.  That got me off to a great start.

The décor is terrific, very appropriate for a rum bar in South Florida.  they offered a special on a dark spiced rum called “Sailor Jerry.”  Sailor Jerry is ninety-two proof and delicious with pineapple juice.

For many years, I had been on the search for the perfect spinach and artichoke dip.  I always ordered it as an appetizer in every restaurant I visited.  I fantasized about writing a book solely about the many different spinach and artichoke dips I had encountered throughout the United States, and the journey that brought me to them.

What really happened was I gained enough weight to decide that wasn’t a particularly smart Holy Grail for me.

Had I continued my search, it would have ended last week at Reef Road.  I really believe their spinach and artichoke dip to be definitive, quintessential, the best ever. 

For a main course, my friend had blackened chicken, while I had linguini with white clam sauce.  Both of us were very pleased with the portions and presentation.  The blackened chicken came with plantains and coconut rice.  The linguini came with clams still in the shell.

While I am leery of the poor reviews on-line, I would still recommend Reef Road as a great place for a casual-but-special meal with real South Florida flavor.

But who am I to say?  They had me at five-dollar rum and reggae.

What I’m Watching This Season

Several folks have asked why I have discontinued writing about Glee and SNL this television season.  I hate to say it, but it’s because my two favorite shows of last year have flat-out failed to inspire me this year.

After years of refusing cable television service, I wondered what would happen when we moved into a condo with free cable.  Well, here’s what happened.  We still don’t watch TV.

We still watch Hulu and Netflix.  We have also started buying downloaded episodes of Archer and Dr. Who from Amazon.  Now that’s a great deal.

I guess my main objection to television is that you have to watch it at a specific time.  My clients may dictate my schedule for me, and that’s fine.  But my television never will – end of story.

So, what have I been watching?

Well, I am still following Glee.  It’s gotten marginally better than it was in September.  I’m happy that Santana is out of the closet and it was great to meet Rachel’s gay dads.  I especially love that Jeff Goldblum plays one of the dads.  I am also glad that one of my favorites from the Glee Project, Simon, is appearing as a freshman Christian who has been homeschooled all his life.

I’m watching SNL, too.  Lately it has been pretty lame, except that Jason Sudeikis does a great Mitt Romney, and it was terrific to see Maya Rudolph come back and host a few weeks ago. 

What I’ve really been watching is the entire series of Star Trek: Voyager on Netflix.  I missed it the first time around, and it’s pretty good. I am a scifi geek after all.

In terms of actual network TV right now, I have two favorites.  The first is Archer.  I am embarrassed at how much I enjoy adult cartoons.  My second favorite, perhaps even more embarrassing, is The Voice.

Oh my goodness, how did THAT happen?  I resisted American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, and all the other network talent contests.

I like The Voice because there are no judges, only coaches.  And the coaches are pretty cool – Adam Levine, Celo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton.  I also really like that the coaches choose their teams using blind auditions.  And I like the host, Carson Daily.  The Voice is a Mark Burnett production.  He is the king of Reality TV and all.

So, yeah, I’m watching The Voice this season.  But I’m still watching on Hulu.

A Fun Time at the Wine Dive

Last week my friend Lisa came to town.  Lisa is a die-hard Bostonian.  Each time she visits I lobby her to move to South Florida, but no dice.  It’s probably a good thing – if she lived here she would be my best friend and neither of us would ever get any work done.

So Lisa and I had one chance to have dinner together.  Lisa is a restaurant connoisseur; in fact I think her middle name is Zagat.  We spent all afternoon touring West Palm Beach and deciding which downtown restaurant would fit the bill for our special night.

We settled on two possibilities, right next to each other on world-famous Clematis Street.  We would either go to one of my regular haunts, Don Ramon, or its new next door neighbor, Kabuki.

On the way there, though, we walked past  Wine Dive, and were drawn in by its unique vibe.  We sat at a high-top table in front, so we were in the shelter of the restaurant and dining alfresco at the same time.  Ah, the beauty of South Florida in the winter!

We loved the atmosphere, and the interesting menu, which featured exotic martinis made with pear juice and lychee and food choices like wild boar and rabbit.  Of course, the wine list was extensive, and the tapas menu was varied.  I was excited to see my favorite offering, falafel, on the menu.  Joy!  I was going to have a contestant on my search for the perfect falafel.

We ordered our martinis and got into the serious business of choosing our food.  I let Lisa steer – she is the consummate expert.

Our server, who was friendly and adorable, came back to tell us they were out of the ingredients needed to make our martinis, and to make any of the exotic martinis, other than the chocolate one.  Neither of us wanted a chocolate martini before dinner.  We both agree that chocolate martinis, though wonderful, are dessert drinks.

Well, we decided that since the place was called Wine Dive, maybe we better order wine.  I have to admit, the wine was lovely.

We ordered an assortment of tapas to share.  From column A we ordered four-cheese flatbread with truffles, from column B a “warm dive salad” and from column C my beloved falafel and some tuna tacos.

Our server told us they were out of the rabbit, which we didn’t care about.  He also thought they might be out of the ingredients for our salad, and they were definitely out of my falafel.  Oh no!  So of the things we ordered, at least half of them were not available.  That’s weird, right?

As it turned out, our salad was available, and was delicious.  We also got the lobster mac and cheese, which was to die for.

As our meal went on, we found that everything was mighty tasty, plentiful enough, and fun to share.  The background music was perfect, and the food presentation was divine.  Had our server not disappeared for most of our meal we probably would have drunk some more wine.

My friend Lisa would make a meal at McDonalds a fun and classic experience, so it is probably hard to give a fair review to the restaurant itself, but here goes.

Wine Dive gets an A for atmosphere and food quality and a D for food availability and service.  With all the great choices available on Clematis, unless you are willing to spin the wheel and maybe get what you want, or unless you have a hankering for wild boar, you might want to think twice before bringing a first date or a business associate there.  For an evening out with a great adventurous friend, I recommend it.

But I Don’t Feel Miserable

Well, the verdict is in.  Forbes Magazine has rated three South Florida cities in the top ten of the “Nation’s Most Miserable Cities.”  Ringing in at number one, as the most miserable city in the United States, is Miami.  At number four is West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale is number seven.

Now don’t I feel silly?

At great time, trouble and expense my family and I purposefully chose to move here to West Palm Beach, the fourth most miserable city in the nation.  And, if I were to relocate right now, I would most likely choose either Miami, or Fort Lauderdale.

Where are the other miserable cities, you might ask?  Well, a good number of them are in Michigan, a few are in Ohio, and some are in California. 

But how is it that Forbes could find Miami to be more miserable than Detroit (number two on the list)?

Forbes used a number of factors to calculate misery, including foreclosure rates, unemployment rates, violent crime, political corruption and tax rates.  They even threw in things like sports teams, weather and commute time.

Apparently, the joy brought to Miami by LeBron James was not enough to offset the poor performance of Miami’s other sports teams, and the recent recall of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

I am certainly not contesting the fact that South Florida has been hard hit by the real estate crash, or that taxes are high and jobs are hard to find.  I have real sympathy for my friends and neighbors who are struggling.

But I really have to ask – did no one at Forbes visit Bridgeport, CT, or Scranton, PA?

Yes, I am aware that here in South Florida I live in the shadow of the 1%.  I see their yachts when I eat my lunch by the waterfront.  Sometimes, they patronize my business, and I appreciate that.

Perhaps my misery calculator is different from other people. 

Why do I find South Florida my number one place of joy?  Well, let’s see.  There is always something fun to do, there is a great deal of cultural diversity, and no one will ever tell you that you are too old to do…anything.  For a creative person, a spiritual person or an entrepreneurial person, South Florida rocks.  For someone committed to honoring their inner child, it is the best place in the world.

It may be that South Florida is not a great place to own a home, or work a jobby-job.  But if you like drum circles, art shows, free concerts or sunny days on the nude beach in January, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here.

Sand hill cranes, peacocks, lizards and palm trees make me smile, a lot more than smog and snow storms do.  My response to Forbes Magazine is this.  I am going to tip back a cold drink and thank the Unofficial Patron Saint of South Florida, Jimmy Buffett, that I found my way to this imperfect paradise.

Dining Downtown- Grimaldi’s a Winner, Luna Lounge a Loser

Since I live and work in downtown West Palm Beach, I have at my doorstep some of the best restaurants ever.

I haven’t tried all of them yet, but I plan too.

For an evening meal, there are a number of possibilities, in a number of price ranges.

Recently, a friend and I tried the new Grimaldi’s pizza at the end of Clematis, near the waterfront.

Although we are both from the Northeast, neither of us had been to a Grimaldi’s, which has locations throughout New York and New Jersey.

I have to admit, I am a pizza snob – I’m from New York and New Haven, two cities known for great pizza.  It takes a lot to impress me, but Grimaldi’s absolutely did.

The atmosphere is classic Italian restaurant ala Billy Joel, with red-checkered table clothes and wine bottle lamps.  The service was impeccable, and the food was divine.  From the plentiful salad to the personal pizzas and the sinful cannoli for dessert, I was in complete restaurant heaven.  The meal was affordable, and the view of the water magnificent.

Grimaldi’s is a fine place to bring your friends, your parents, your kids or your date.  I will definitely be back.

Last night, that same friend and I decided on a place I have been eager to try since they opened, Luna Lounge on Clematis.

Luna Lounge advertises its offerings as Turkish cuisine.  Well, I’ve never been to Turkey, but I worked at Mamoun’s Falafel Restaurant in New Haven, and I grew up in the Greek section of Long Island, so I have a sense of some of the region’s delicacies.

When my friend and I walked in, the staff pointedly ignored us, although we were not dressed any differently than some of the diners already there, and the restaurant was not busy.

Finally, the girl who was functioning as both hostess and server came and greeted us in the most unusual way.  She said, “How can I help you?”

How can I help you?  What a strange way to greet guests in a restaurant at dinnertime!  Do you suppose we might be there for… dinner?

When we asked to be seated for dinner, she ignored the fact that there were many empty tables in the dining room, and sat us at an uncomfortable table in the bar.

She had to be prompted to tell us the evening specials.

Even before we had our first bite, we knew we would not want to return.  No matter how good the food might be, no one wants to pay money to be treated like crap.

As it turned out, the food really was quite good.  The arugula salad was magnificent, although the server did not know how to pronounce “arugula.”

I am on a continuous search for falafel that might rival the amazing falafel of Mamoun’s in New Haven and New York.  I have to admit, the falafel at Luna Lounge is interesting – different than any I have had before, and quite delicious.  But, my search continues.

Overall, the atmosphere at Luna Lounge is nice, the food is good, if pricy, but the lousy service left nothing but a bad taste in my mouth.  I won’t be back.