At Play 04.29.10

By Submission For The Southside Times

Legal Advise • The Southeastern Church of Christ is working with The Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic to offer legal services to low income clients. | When: The first and third Thursday of every month from 6:30 - 8 p.m. | Where: The Southeastern Church of Christ, 6500 Southeastern Ave. | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 352-9296 for more information. Meeting • Perry Township Democrat Club will hold a meeting. | When: April 29 at 7 p.m. | Where: Communication Workers Meeting Hall on the northeast corner of Shelby and Epler. Safe Sitter Class • Baxter YMCA offering nationally recognized instructional program to teach boys and girls how to handle emergencies while caring for children. Course includes a kit with a manual and bag. Be sure to bring a sack lunch. | When: May 1, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Where: Baxter YMCA Meeting Room, 7900 S. Shelby St. | Cost: Facility Members $45 Program Members $65 | Info: Ages 11 – 14. Contact Sara Noyed at (317) 865-6473 or snoyed@indymca.org for more information. Meeting • Indiana Daylily-Iris Society. Public welcome. | When: May 5 at 7 p.m. | Where: Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Springmill Road. | Info: For more information call (317) 327-7180. The Quilt Meeting • The Quilt Connection Guild will be having their annual Auction where visitors are welcome to bring their quilts and related items. | When: May 6 from 6:30 – 9 p.m. | Where: The Greenwood United Methodist Church, 525 N. Madison | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 787-4010 for more information. Lewy Body Support Group • Families of people diagnosed with Lewy Body meet to learn more about the degenerative dementia disease. | When: May 10 from 1 – 2:30 p.m. | Where: Traders Point Christian Church, 6590 S. Indianapolis Road, Whitestown. | Cost: free. | Info: Contact Pauline Reeves at (317) 769-3415 for more information. Contract Hope Morgan at (317) 893-4324 for transportation to meeting if needed. Martini Night Fundraiser • The Wildflowers Aveda Salon at the Greenwood Park Mall will be hosting their annual Earth Month Martini Night Fundraiser to raise money for The Hoosier Environmental Council. Stop in for $5 Martinis and a chance to win a basket filled with a variety of products and make a bid in the Stylist Service Auction. | When: April 29 from 5 – 9 p.m. | Where: Wildflowers Aveda Salon at the Greenwood Park Mall | Cost: $5 per Martini | Info: Call and speak to either Jenni or Rachel at (317) 865-0187 for more information. Orchard in Bloom • The Orchard School and Indy Parks sponsors garden, art and community show. Indiana Daylily-Iris Society will participate. | When: April 30, May 1 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and May 2 from noon to 5 p.m. | Where: Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Springmill Road. | Cost: Adults - $12 at the gate, $10 presale, Children – 14 and under, free. | Info: Call (317) 251-9253 or go to orchardinbloom.org for more information. Driveone4urschool • Beech Grove Band Boosters is joined by Ray Skillman Ford of Greenwood and Ford Motor Company in a fundraising event. New Ford vehicles will be available for test drives and chance to win Gateway Netbook. The school receives $20 for each test drive up to 300 for the day. There will be a car wash, music, games, activities and food. | When: May 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Where: Beech Grove High School, 5330 Hornet Ave. Cost: Free to attend. | Info: go to driveone4urschool.com or beechgroveband.com for more information. Country Breakfast • Prospect Lodges Breakfast Club monthly breakfast. Everyone welcome. | When: May 1 from 7:30 – 10 a.m. | Where: Prospect Breakfast Club, 2901 S. Meridian St. | Cost: Adults - $5, Children - $3 Adult Night Out • The Baxter YMCA is offering to watch the kids while you and yours hit the town for a special night out. Please register prior to event. Dinner and snacks will be served. | When: May 1 from 5 – 10 p.m. | Where: The Baxter YMCA | Cost: $35 non-member; $20 Y Member | Info: Call Amber at (317) 881-9347 for more Information. The Amazing Acrobats • This show will feature some of the best feline performers you and your family have ever seen. | When: May 1 - 2; 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. | Where: IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St. | Cost: $12 | Info: Call (317) 721-9458 for more information. Garden Celebration • The Johnson County Garden Club and Purdue Master Gardeners of Johnson County will be hosting their 6th annual Garden Celebration featuring guest speakers, workshops and other plant-related services. | When: May 1 from 4 – 9 p.m. | Where: Scott Hall at the Johnson County Fairgrounds | Cost: $2 or a non-perishable food donation. | Info: Call (317) 736-8080 for more information. Music Collectors’ Convention • Music sale and show open to the public. Bring music-related items to sell. | When: May 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Where: Ramada Inn, 7701 E. 42nd St. | Cost: Adults – $3, Children: 12 and under free. | Info: For information about convention or booth space, call Gerald Ruark at (317) 882-3378. Journey Through Asia • Artist from the Indianapolis Art Center will lead a program in which visitors can learn an ancient art form of Japanese calligraphy. | When: May 6 at 6:30 p.m. | Where: The Franklin Road Branch Library, 5550 S. Franklin Road | Cost: Free | Info: Registration is not required, but recommended, by calling (317) 275-4380. Free Tree Give-Away • The Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation & Development Council, Indianapolis Power & Light Company and the Indianapolis/Marion County Tree Board is teaming up to give away 1,000 Norway Spruce trees. | When: April 30 from noon to 1 p.m. | Where: Monument Circle. | Cost: free | Info: Limit one tree per family, go to IPLpower.com or plantamillion.org for tree information.

Restaurant of the Week 4.22.10

By Lindsay Irwin

With all the Mexican restaurants on the south side of Indianapolis, it’s hard to tell which ones are the real deal. Good thing places like El Puerto are here to set the record straight. This restaurant is nestled into a small strip mall off of Emerson Avenue, and while it does look modest on the outside, the food is anything but. One of the best things about this place is the salsa. It’s light and fresh, but still has a bit of a kick to it. I had the chicken chimichanga for dinner the last time I went and I can’t complain. The chicken was moist and the shell was extra crispy. I dipped mine in the Queso, which could be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It was absolutely one of the most delicious chimichangas I’ve ever had. Also, I must say that the cherry on top of this Mexican restaurant was the fried ice cream. I couldn’t resist and I certainly couldn’t eat it all by myself. A pound of ice cream, topped with a mountain of whipped cream. Yum. I definitely would recommend this dish any day of the week. To sum it up lightly, El Puerto is one of the better Mexican restaurants on the south side and definitely worth trying out for yourself.

At Play 4.22.10

By Submission For The Southside Times

Christian & Katalina • This husband and wife duo perform a variety of tricks in their show, including mind reading and generating a ghost. | When: April 23-25; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday | Where: Indy Fringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St. | Cost: $20 | Info: Log on to indyfringe.org for more information. Quilters Meeting • All Quilters are invited out for the Out to Lunch Brunch luncheon. | When: April 22 at 11 a.m. | Where: Jonathan Byrd’s Restaurant | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 881-1494 for more information. Southwest Perry Civic Association • This month will involve the cuts in education in Perry Township and the upcoming election of School Board candidates. | When: April 22 at 7 p.m. | Where: The Fire Station, 1925 W. Edgewood Ave. | Cost: Free Meeting • Bruce Bye from the Dispatch Task Force will speak at The Beech Grove Republican Club meeting. Officer elections will also be held. | When: April 23 at 7 p.m. | Where: Hornet Park Community Center, 5245 Hornet Ave. | Info: Contact Chris Duffer at (317) 908-5202. Kiwanis Meeting • The Perry Township Kiwanis will feature guest speaker, December Warren, to discuss the Mentoring Partnership. | When: April 29 at 7 a.m. | Where: The International House of Pancakes, 7521 U. S. 31 South | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 432-0421 for more information. Card and Raffle Party • St. Paul Hermitage will be hosting a Spring Card Party & Raffle where attendees are encouraged to bring a $5 door prize and canned goods. | When: April 22 from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Where: The Benedict Inn & Retreat Center | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 885-5098 for more information. Power Recycling Weekend • This is the Indianapolis Zoo’s second annual Power Recycling Weekend. Everyone is encouraged to bring electronics like old cell phones, computers, etc. to be recycled. | When: April 24-25 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Where: The Indianapolis Zoo | Cost: Free to donate and regular zoo admission for entrance into the Zoo. Info: Call (317) 630-2001 for more information. Free Movie Night • The Beech Grove Public Library is showing “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” to kids of all ages. The movie is rated PG. | When: April 29 at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. | Where: The Beech Grove Public Library | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 788-4203 for more information. Spring Choral Concert • The University of Indianapolis will team up with Christ Church for their annual Spring Choral Concert. | When: April 25 at 4:30 p.m. | Where: The Christ Church Cathedral, 125 Monument Circle | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 788-3255 for more information. Songs of Our Faith • Southport Presbyterian Church Fine Arts Ministries will present “Songs of Our Faith,” a free concert intended for all to attend. | When: April 25 at 4 p.m. | Where: In the Worship Center at the church’s McFarland Campus, 7525 McFarland Blvd. | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 536-7247 for more information. An Evening Serenade • This free chamber music concert will feature the Indiana Wind Symphony. | When: April 25 at 6 p.m. | Where: The Irvington Presbyterian Church, 55 Johnson Ave. | Cost: Free | Info: Call (317) 356-7225 for more information. Benefit Breakfast • Beech Grove Masonic Lodge will host all-you-can-eat breakfast fundraiser. | When: April 24 from 7 – 11 a.m. | Where: Beech Grove Masonic Lodge, 617 Main Street. | Cost: Adults $5, children $3. | Info: Proceeds to the Shop With a Cop program in Beech Grove.

‘They’re Your Parents, Too!’

By Terri Schlichenmeyer - The Bookworm

All through your childhood, your dad was Superman. He could fix anything. He told the best jokes, kept important secrets, and he was pretty good in the kitchen when he had to be. Much of what you know, you learned from him. Now you notice Dad hasn’t been the same since Mom died. He’s forgetful and unfocused and you’re concerned. You’re wondering if your siblings have noticed it, too. Author Francine Russo says you’re not alone in the hard choices you make when caring for elderly relatives. In her new book They’re Your Parents, Too! she writes about how adult children can ask for and get help from the rest of the family in dealing with an aging parent. [ad#single-post] A century ago, says Russo, it was rare for someone to live beyond his 50s and if someone did reach ‘elderly’, they had few options. There were no assisted living facilities, no all-inclusive nursing homes and few retirement communities. The best a senior citizen could hope for was to move in with a daughter or a son whose wife would assume responsibility for his care. Today, there are dozens of choices, depending on the senior’s abilities. Despite the wealth of options, though, the decision seems harder to make. Parents and siblings have opposing ideas and desires. Though children have been adults for several decades, childhood issues and sibling rivalries flood back. Remember this is a big change for the entire family - Russo calls it a Twilight Transition - and with patience and understanding, everyone can get through it together. There are many things to keep in mind. Russo reminds readers caregivers should ask for help when they need it and accept it when given. Caregivers must make time for themselves and try to give the new role some meaning to help them avoid feeling trapped. Non-caregivers should not feel guilty and help to do what needs to be done. Try to see and understand what siblings see and don’t argue. You’re from the same family, but that doesn’t mean you view or deal with everything the same way. Using case studies and true examples, They’re Your Parents, Too! takes adult children step-by-step through the minefield of providing parental care. While I saw some cautionary information, particularly in the chapters on wills and power of attorney documents, I sometimes thought author Francine Russo’s guidance was a bit simplistic and too touchy-huggy. On the other hand, her advice about knowing yourself and your own personal issues is wise and useful at any stage of life. Overall, this book begs for introspection as well as understanding, and it can only help anyone who finds himself in the parenting-a-parent role. Whether you already care for Mom and Dad or you gratefully allow a sibling to do so, you may find They’re Your Parents, Too! to be a resource to help your family with this challenging issue.

From ‘Happy Days’ to ‘Valentine’s Day’ — and before

By Sara Gentry

[caption id="attachment_5049" align="alignleft" width="460" caption=" Director Garry Marshall, right, talks with Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts on the set of New Line Cinema’s romantic comedy Valentine’s Day, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by Ron Batzdorff"][/caption] TV and film icon Garry Marshall lights up Hollywood with a star-studded addition to his first-rate career The living room set on The Dick Van Dyke Show was painted beige. This fact may seem inconsequential to the general public, but to me, it’s a pot of gold. When interviewing Garry Marshall became a very real possibility, I had to harness my enthusiasm into a manageable number of questions — questions that didn’t make me look like a crazy person — and finding out the color of the set topped my list. It’s in black and white, so I always wondered. (Trust me — compared to some of the questions I initially wrote down about minute details of my very favorite television show, that question didn’t look crazy.) As I’m only 26, being such a passionate fan of a show that ran from 1961 to 1966 may seem odd. But even as a kid, Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner and Garry Marshall were household names to me. [ad#single-post] Writer/director/producer/actor Garry Marshall and his writing partner, the late Jerry Belson, wrote 18 episodes during the third, fourth and fifth seasons of The Dick Van Dyke Show, and they consulted on many more. He went on to write for other sitcoms, including The Lucy Show and The Odd Couple, and to create and produce Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley (starring sister Penny) and Mork & Mindy (which basically means he discovered Robin Williams). As a director, his film credits include Overboard, Beaches, Pretty Woman, The Other Sister, Runaway Bride, both Princess Diaries movies and Friday’s Valentine’s Day. Not bad. You’ve heard of ensemble casts, but check this one out: Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Anne Hathaway, Shirley MacLaine, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Hector Elizondo, Kathy Bates, George Lopez, Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Jessica Alba, Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner, Eric Dane, Jessica Biel and Emma Roberts grace the screen in Marshall’s new flick.

Valentine’s Day

Directed by Garry Marshall Friday, February 12 PG13 • 135 minutes www.valentinesdaymovie.com

The film takes place over the course of one day — three guesses as to which one — and follows several integrated story lines. Valentine’s Day, as Marshall said, is a controversial holiday. Some love it; some hate it. Among the advantages (many of them obvious) of having such a large, mega-watt cast: “Nobody can be a diva,” Marshall said. One challenge was keeping all the stories straight. “It was a lot of fun to do all the different ages,” he said. But accurately portraying a modern-day teen romance isn’t like it was in 1974, when Happy Days premiered. “Today, young people often make love with their thumbs,” Marshall said of the rampant texting in teen society. “They fall in love looking down at something, so we shot a lot of inserts.” One such teen romance involves Lautner and Swift, who play young athletes in love. “He’s a very interesting guy to work with,” Marshall said of Lautner, chuckling. “He seems to work a lot with his shirt off.” Marshall and Swift found they had something in common: an “unlucky” lucky number. He has a shirt emblazoned with the number 13, and she has the numerals tattooed to her wrist. When I asked him about her towering height and whether they had to make any adjustments for it (as I’d read has happened with tall actresses in the past), he said, “Tall people don’t stand up straight until they’re 25.” The adult love stories, more in his comfort zone, were nothing he couldn’t handle. Cell phones weren’t exactly a factor in the Elizondo-MacLaine plot. Looking at his resumé, it’s clear that Marshall likes to tell love stories. “I don’t blow much up,” he said. “Some people will tear up, but from happiness.” The important thing, he said, isn’t casting the right stars; it’s casting the right couples. The two biggest stars in the world will fall flat if they don’t have chemistry. He didn’t have to worry when it came to casting Anne Hathaway’s other half. After she signed on, they had formulated a list of available young actors. When she saw Topher Grace’s name on it she gushed, “Oh, I used to have a crush on him!” After that bit of information had been disclosed, there was no question as to whom the role should go. The subject of Grace brought us back around to The Dick Van Dyke Show. As a self-confessed, lifelong super-fan, I have been mentally casting my TDVDS movie for years — choosing to ignore the fact that the movie versions of classic TV shows don’t always fair well at the box office — and Grace is one of my top picks for the main character, Rob Petrie. For those who have never seen an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show — and by now I’m sure you’ve realized your life is desperately incomplete without it — it centers around Rob (played by the limitlessly talented Dick Van Dyke), a television writer for the weekly Alan Brady Show, his wife (played by Mary Tyler Moore), son (Larry Mathews), co-writers and producer (the hysterically funny ensemble of Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam and Richard Deacon) and, often times, his close friends and neighbors (Jerry Paris, who often directed the show and worked again with Marshall as a director on The Odd Couple, Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley, and TV wife Ann Morgan Guilbert). The sitcom was created by comedy icon Carl Reiner and was based on his life while living in New Rochelle, N.Y., and working on Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows. Marshall came to TDVDS with Belson after writing night club acts for comedians like Joey Bishop and for the Jack Parr-era Tonight Show. He said Reiner was hesitant to trust the duo at first because they were “jokesmiths” and weren’t as adept with visual comedy as the show’s creator deemed necessary. (Reiner, Marshall said, could fix a flat scene in a flash with a good bit of visual comedy.) But they gained their sitcom chops with Reiner and crafted some of — in my expert opinion — the show’s very best episodes. The writing staff, often consisting of Reiner, Marshall, Belson and writers Bill Persky and Sam Denoff, would build shows around the men’s most embarrassing moments, Marshall said. “And none of us were suave guys,” he added. The Dick Van Dyke Show was innovative. It pushed boundaries and made physical comedy — even slapstick, at times — intellectual. From their first episode, the viewer can see that Marshall and Belson had their own style. Each of their episodes has at least one semi-obscure comedic reference, often too intellectual or too dependent on a show-biz perspective to connect with the general audience. The two often discussed how only a handful of people were going get their jokes about Machiavelli, Ingmar Bergman or homosexuality. “More than enough!” Belson would say. One of the most elemental themes of TDVDS involved the antics of Rob’s wife, Laura. In the course of the show, she dyes her hands black, gets too curious with her husband’s mail, appears with half-bleached hair, has multiple instances of insane jealousy, is presented with the gaudiest necklace in existence, opens a secret bank account, dances for The Alan Brady Show, exposes Brady’s baldness on national television and overdoses (not harmfully) on her neighbor’s “calming-down” pills. And those are just a few. In more than one episode, Rob is in the doghouse for using her antics in sketches (which consist of, as Rob explains to his son’s first-grade class, a series of comedic ideas with an underlying theme). As it turns out, Marshall’s wife was the inspiration for a few of his sketches. At one point, he even started paying her for ideas — she got an extra $25 any time he used one of her experiences on a show. Marshall and Belson enjoyed including the Alan Brady character (played by fellow Renaissance man Reiner) in their scripts. Reiner had always played the star of the eponymous variety show, but it wasn’t until the fourth season that Alan Brady showed his face. (Keeping the comedian somewhat anonymous allowed Reiner to play — dexterously — some of the most eccentric bit parts in television history.) In the fourth and fifth seasons, Brady was featured more prominently in the show’s plots and his rapid delivery and sharp tongue fit perfectly with Marshall and Belson’s quick-fire style. In “Baby Fat,” a fourth-season episode, Brady agrees to star in the new play by a Tennessee Williams-inspired playwright. It’s an important achievement for him; he even considers ditching his “hair” (his toupée) for the part. But when the play isn’t funny enough for him, he asks Rob to do an under-the-table punch-up (something Marshall had done with scripts in his early days). Hilarity ensues. Rob is required to pose as a tailor, a sardine sandwich flies through the air and a dog is referred to as “a widower.” Marshall and Belson outdid themselves — all in under 30 minutes. In Valentine’s Day, Marshall said he included a joke about poet e.e. cummings, even though he knew the joke might not resonate with his audience. He thought, “Four people are going to get that joke.” And in his head, he could hear Belson proclaiming, “More than enough!” Valentine’s Day opens nationwide tomorrow. The Dick Van Dyke Show Complete Series is on sale right now at Amazon.com for $182.49. It includes a DVD commentary by Marshall of the Baby Fat episode, and it’ll be the best $200 you’ll ever spend — short of seeing Valentine’s Day 20 times, of course.

01/10/10

By Brandon Gentry

Mudd Flatt Missionary Quartette – Beech Grove, IN – 01/10/10 – Spotlight Players

By Brandon Gentry

Roker’s literary effort is fun, if not original

By Terri Schlichenmeyer - The Bookworm

One look in the mirror confirmed it: Yep, you looked as bad as you felt. Cold, flu or just some nasty bug? Didn’t matter. You croaked in sick to work, then hunkered down on the sofa beneath a warm blanket, with some daytime TV to sleep by. Could there possibly be a better place to recuperate? [ad#single-post] Did you ever wonder — once you felt better, of course — what goes on behind the scenes of those TV programs? In the new mystery, “The Morning Show Murders,” by Al Roker and Dick Lochte, Chef Billy Blessing works hard backstage on Wake Up America! but the chef’s goose is about to be cooked. Billy Blessing has his plate full. Folks across the country recognize him for his cooking segments on World Broadcasting Company’s Wake Up America! There’s a reality show in the works, and elite New Yorkers know Chef Billy by the signature dishes he serves in his restaurant. But Chef Billy hasn’t always been successful. His past is riddled with minor crimes and shady characters; so much so that it’s easy for the cops to make Billy the number one suspect when Rudy Gallagher, the network’s head man and Billy’s nemesis, is found poisoned. It didn’t help matters that the tainted food came from Billy’s bistro. But there are plenty of people who have reason to want Rudy dead. Gretchen, Rudy’s supposed-fiancée, doesn’t seem too mournful that her intended was killed. There are a lot of women who have been cozying up to Rudy — a new one every few days — and any one of them could be the murderer. And then there was that time Rudy was in a bar in Kabul, where he narrowly missed being in the middle of a bloodbath… When it becomes obvious that detectives don’t believe he’s innocent, Chef Billy goes in search of clues but soon wishes he hadn’t stirred the situation. Rudy Gallagher — and the other dead men who follow — was in plenty of hot water, and the evidence points to a mysterious international killer who calls himself “Felix the Cat.” And Felix is about to pounce on Chef Billy. Doesn’t it sometimes seem like every TV celebrity fancies him- or herself as an author? Guess what? Al Roker really is. “The Morning Show Murders” is a pretty decent whodunit with some nice plot twists and a few characters that are so unredeemable that you almost can’t wait to see them dead. I also thought it refreshing that Billy Blessing is a chef who happens to be on TV and just wants himself exonerated. Authors Al Roker and Dick Lochte didn’t make him out to be some part-time meddlesome detective wannabe, and I liked that. My sole complaint about this book was the ripped-from-the-headlines tiresome Middle Eastern tie. Lately, it seems like every mystery/action novel contains one and — hello! — it’s getting stale. Still, if you’re hungry for a reason to stay up late, reading on the sofa, this book will do the trick. “The Morning Show Murders” is delicious fun.

Restaurant of the Week

By Lindsay Irwin

If you’re anything like me, you need to have a cup of coffee in the morning to get you moving in the right direction. Furthermore, not only do you need a hot cup of coffee, but you can’t settle for just any gas station-worthy cup of Joe. We need something hot and rich, preferably with some type of pastry or breakfast sandwich on the side. It is for these exact reasons that I started frequenting the Hula Bean in Greenwood. I was tired of the same old thing and I desperately needed to change it up. [ad#single-post] Now, when I step into the Hula Bean I have a mental argument with myself when I try to decide between the Chai Latte, Kona Coffee, the Breakfast Panini or a flaky Croissant. Luckily enough for me, they open early and close late. This way, I can make multiple trips and satisfy all my cravings. Now, you’re probably asking why I would go to a breakfast café at night. Well, they actually offer many more options than just those of the breakfast variety, like the Tuna Melt, the Grilled Cheese and Bacon or different soups. This, in my opinion, is the perfect little shop for that person who needs a jolt of espresso early in the morning and that night owl who likes to sit around with friends while enjoying a light sandwich. I would recommend this local restaurant to anyone, so make sure you check it out for yourself.

Restaurant of the Week

By Lindsay Irwin

To all those who are unaware, I consider myself to be a Mexican food connoisseur. Basically, I know my Mexican food, and I know it well. Lately, I’ve been frequenting Fiesta Ranchera Mexican Restaurant for my burrito/taco/fajita fix, because I know that if I go there, I will be served quickly and effectively and will have a full belly and fat wallet at the end, which are all basic components that I look for when deciding on where I should go to eat. One of the things that I like about Fiesta Ranchera is the large menu selection. Sometimes when looking at a Mexican restaurant menu, it seems that you’re looking at the same thing over and over, but I don’t get that feeling here. They have an extensive selection of House Specialties, as well as Combination Dinners for the diner who can’t make up their mind between a enchilada, chalupa or taco. This way they can just order the No. 1 combination dinner and get all three at one low price, and the food is to die for and come in large portions. So, basically, if you’re as serious about your Mexican food as I am, then I definitely recommend Fiesta Ranchera for your Mexican fix.