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Top 50 The 25 best restaurants and the 25 best gastrobars in Spain In association with 1 The 25 Best Restaurants in Spain Here is a selection of the 5 best Some top restaurants, grouped by Spanish restaurants, compiled by Autonomous Communities, do not figure Rafael Ansón, a great culinary among the best 25. In Aragón: La Venta expert (page 4). del Soto and Taberna de Lillas Pastia. Cantabria: El Cenador de Amós. Castile Of the 25 restaurants, 8 are in the & León: Estrella del Bajo Carrión, Vivaldi Basque Country, 6 in Catalonia, 3 in Ma- and Ramiro's. Galicia: Casa Marcelo and drid, 2 in Castile-La Mancha, 2 in Asturias, Solla. La Rioja: El Portal de Echaurre. 2 in Andalusia, 1 in the Valencia region, Murcia: La Cabaña. Navarra: Rodero and and 1 in Extremadura. Maher. Balearic Islands: Tristán and Es Others establishments have received Molí d'en Bou. Canary Islands: M.B and high ratings in some of the guides. In El Duende. Catalonia: the Hispania, Lasarte and Vía In the selection of the 50 Best Restau- Veneto. Madrid: Horcher, La Terraza del rants in the World there are five from Spain: Casino and Zalacaín. Basque Country: El Bulli, Can Roca, Mugaritz, Arzak and Mar- Guggenheim. Navarra: Rodero. Balearic tín Berasategui. And between places 50 and Islands: Tristán. Canary Islands: M. B. de 100 are Etxebarri, Pedro Subijana, Carme Martín Berasategui. In most of these cases Ruscalleda-Sant Pau, Quique Dacosta and the owner is also the head chef. Can Fabes. Haute cuisine AkelArre ArzAk There are several reasons to justify a Eating at this restaurant is one of trip to this restaurant, founded by Pe- best culinary experiences possible. dro Subijana in 1970. One is its location, To speak of Juan Mari is to speak of the atop Monte Igueldo, with magnificent views dean of Spanish haute cuisine, a master over San Sebastián and the Bay of Biscay of masters. Since his beginnings in 1966, from its lovely panoramic dining room, Juan Mari has produced exceptional and modern and elegant. Another is the love of authentic Basque dishes, with a clear idea: cooking that Pedro brings to his creations, to adapt tradition to new times.This temple which are full of innovation and personality, of gastronomy, with modern and elegant dishes based on excellent raw materials and decor and excellent lighting, has an assured executed without any stridency. Another future: Elena Arzak has shown herself to be reason is the perfect functioning of a dining room team headed by Perfe Prol, Pedro's wife. Their excellent garden and the fine wines are another source of pride. Paseo Padre Orcolaga, 56. San Sebastián www.akelarre.net✍ 4 Spain's star chefs are among the best in the world The S. Pellegrino List of the World's 50 Best Restaurants is increasingly prestigious (www.theworlds50best.com). Among the top 10 in the 010 edition are El Bulli in Roses (chef Ferran Adrià), down one spot from its previous four straight years as número uno (he was declared Best Chef of the Decade 000- 010); Mugaritz in Rentería (Andoni Luis Aduriz), El Celler de Can Roca de Girona (Joan Roca) and Arzak in San Sebastián (Juan Mari and Elena Arzak). No other country comes even close to Spain. And then as professional as her father, Juan Mari. there's Martín Berasategui, in Lasarte (Guipúzcoa), in a magnificent thirty-third position. Avda. Alcalde José Elosegui, 7. But there are many other chefs, some of whom oc- San Sebastián cupy leading positions, such as Bittor Arginzoniz at the www.arzak.es✍ Asador Etxebarri, in Axpe (Vizcaya); Carme Ruscalleda, of Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar (Barcelona); Pedro Subijana, at San Sebastian's Akelarre restaurant; Santi Santamaría from Atrio Can Fabes in Sant Celoni (Barcelona); Quique Dacosta, Created by Toño Pérez and José A. at El Poblet in Denia (Alicante). And others: Sergi Arola, Polo and elegantly and soberly deco- Paco Roncero, David Muñoz, Dani García, Fermí Puig, rated with classic works of art, this Carles Abellán... In addition, there are chefs throughout Spain who are restaurant has an intimate, welcoming long on experience and skills, and while they haven't yet ambience. There are linen tablecloths, received international stardom they merit the highest Riedel crystal, fine silverware and porcelain recognition.This would be the case in Madrid with Paco and excellent service organised by José. In Roncero, Sacha Hormaechea, Ramon Freixa or Abraham García; in Galicia, Pepe Solla or Marcelo; in Asturias, Pedro addition, it has one of the finest restaurant and Marcos Morán, Miguel and Isaac Loya, and Nacho wine cellars, which has won important Manzano; Castile-La Mancha, Manuel de la Osa or the awards. Toño, also a prize winner, is one of Rodríguez Rey brothers; Francis Paniego in the Rioja; the great chefs. His continual quest to learn Koldo Rodero or Enrique Martínez in Navarra; Raúl Aleixandre at Ca Sento in Valencia, and Dani García, the has allowed him to wed the best of haute best in Andalusia. cuisine with typical Spanish cooking: he has 5 Haute cuisine kept alive the typical dishes of western tacular vista of the sea and the blue sky.The Spain by skilfully transforming them. He service is attentive to the smallest detail. In will soon move this culinary temple to the addition to the ample wine list there is a old part of town. large cheese wagon, sweets and teas, and a Avda. de España, . Cáceres range of breads and virgin olive oils. www.restauranteatrio.com✍ Hotel Gran Melia Don Pepe. Avda. José Meliá, s/n. Marbella (Málaga) CAlimA www.restaurantecalima.com✍ Dani Garcia began at the Cónsula de Málaga hostelry school, continued in CAn fAbes the kitchen of Martín Berasategui and Santi Santamaría is a real gastronomic has now created Calima. Based on the institution in Catalonia and the rest traditional flavours of Andalusia, the cuisine of Spain: one of the biggest of the big is full of contrasts, and employs advanced chefs, and a versatile creator. For more techniques such as the use of liquid nitrogen than 30 years he has been demonstrating in several of its dishes. The lovely modern his skill at Can Fabes. This is haute cuisine dining room is warm and elegant, with based on Catalan traditions and prod- views of Dani's kitchen, which can also be ucts from the fields and the sea: recipes observed from the terrace, with its spec- have been updated to bring out the most 6 authentic flavours and textures. One of knowledge comes from personal experi- the pillars of the operation is Santi's wife, ence with the products of the Maresme Ángels, who efficiently runs the modern region, which are the basis of her cuisine. dining room. Rounding out the top-flight Her two dining rooms, which are run by professional team are Cándido Tardío and Toni, are the incarnation of elegance and Juan Carlos Ibáñez. good taste. In her efforts to demonstrate C/ Sant Joan, 6. Sant Celoni (Barcelona) her qualities and knowledge, Carme has www.canfabes.com✍ written several books on food. C/ Nou, 10. Sant Pol de Mar (Barcelona) CArme rusCAlledA – sAnt pAu www.ruscalleda.cat✍ Since 1988 the Carmen Ruscalleda- Sant Pau restaurant has occupied a CAsA GerArdo 19th-century building with a garden When it opened in 188, this was a and views of the Mediterranean. Over humble restaurant and stagecoach the years the team of Carme Ruscalleda stop. At the end of the 1970s, Pedro and Toni Balam has worked hard to pro- Morán took over, and his kitchen was soon duce culinary results that have placed this a sanctum sanctorum of traditional Asturian establishment at the very top. Carme never cooking, starring the fabada (bean stew) went to a professional cooking school: her and the rice pudding. Marcos, representing 7 Haute cuisine the latest generation, is developing things haute cuisine in the Asturias region, with further with creative versions of this north- a special sensibility for local products ern Spanish cuisine, although he's in no and flavours: the broad beans, the pitu hurry. The basis is still the quality products de Caleya (free-range chicken stew), the from the land and the sea.The very pleasant tortos (a cornflower, meat and egg dish)... classic yet modern dining room with good There is a pleasant, comfortable dining service, as well as a large wine list, make this room with stone walls and a beamed is a must when visiting Asturias. ceiling, a rustic setting that contrasts with Ctra. AS-19, km 8. Prendes (Asturias) the elegance of the linen, silverware and www.casa-gerardo.com✍ crockery. The careful service and excel- lent wine list are overseen, respectively, CAsA mArCiAl by his friendly, highly professional sisters, Located in a farmhouse in a rural Olga and Sandra. setting in the Sierra del Sueve area C/ La Salgar, 10. Arriondas (Asturias) close to the Fito observation point, www.casamarcial.com✍ Casa Marcial has become Nacho Manzano's gastronomic temple. He diverxo was a star pupil of Víctor Bango (Casa This restaurant run by David Muñoz Víctor – Gijón) and is the leader of raised great expectation in Madrid 8 The important culinary events Spain currently has more top-level gastro- nomic events than any other country. They at- tract the celebrity chefs who, along with other Spanish masters, are among the best cooks in the world. Buoyed up by the international success of Spanish cuisine, these congresses are springing up all over the country. Between the last months of 009 and the first ones of 010, many such events have been held with different aims, although with one thing in common: good eating. Some of the key events, starting in September 009: Andalucía Sabor (Seville), Congreso de Gastronomía de Castilla-La Mancha (Albacete), Club Millésime (Madrid), Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía (Alicante), San Sebastián Gastronomika (San Sebastián), Madrid Fusión (Madrid), and soon became an obligatory Fórum Santiago (Santiago de Compostela),Alimentaria and Barcelona Vanguardia (Barcelona), Salón Internacional del stop for food lovers. His blending of Club de Gourmets (Madrid) and España Original (Ciudad aromas and flavours, as well as his use of Real), the latter gathering held in early May of this year. the most varied products, demonstrate Some of them have probably been left out of this long the high degree of creativity of the dif- list, but there is one that must be included —though its aims are quite different— in part because it is very impor- ferent menus. Another important factor tant for the Royal Spanish Academy of Gastronomy, which is the charm and professional approach helps organise the event along with the Secretary of State of Ángela Montero in the dining room. for Tourism, headed This is a large, attractive room with a by Joan Mesquida: the I European Con- glass wine storage container overseen by gress of Tourism and Javier Arroyo.The efforts of David and his Gastronomy, which team earned him Spain's 2009 National was held in Madrid Gastronomy Prize. from to 5 May, and which attracted C/ Pensamiento, 8. Madrid some of the impor- www.diverxo.com✍ tant international experts. drolmA So Spanish haute cuisine will continue Top marks for this establishment: to be popular in the cooking by Fermín Puig, the 010. 9 Haute cuisine wine cellar run by Josep Puigcor- el bohío bé and the dining room headed Located halfway between Madrid and by Alfred Romagosa. More than 10 Toledo, this family business founded years ago the Soldevilla-Casals family in 190 is today run by the third made a commitment to creating a generation: José and Diego Rodríguez luxur y restaurant inside a hotel, in Rey. They've made it into a Mecca for spite of the risk of such an opera- food lovers. José's cooking is a blend of tion, but it's been a complete success. the traditional and the modern, based on Drolma is now a culinary point of ref- local products and flavours. This technical, erence in Barcelona. Fermin's neoclas- auteur approach has captured the essence sic haute cuisine, without any modern of Castilian cooking.The small classic dining extravagance, has been defined by the room is directed very professionally by Di- exper ts as cultivated cooking based ego. His wine list includes on seasonal products (white truffles, more than 600 offerings game...) that are prepared with knowl- from all over the world, edge and care. among them local offer- Hotel Majestic. Paseo de Gracia, 70. ings, thus making it one of Barcelona the finest restaurant wine www.drolmarestaurant.com✍ cellars in Spain. 10 Avda. Castilla-La Mancha, 81. Schilling until today, it has never ceased Illescas (Toledo) to surprise. www.elbohio.net✍ Cala Montjoy,s/n. Roses (Girona) www.elbulli.com✍ el bulli El Bulli is the sanctum sanctorum of el Celler de CAn roCA creative cuisine, run by chef Fer- The Roca brothers have become ran Adrià, who has received world a culinary point of reference both recognition. This cooking has been inside and outside Spain. Glass, wood described as "the fruit of imagination, and views of a lovely garden lend a mod- creativity and wisdom." Add to this the ern, luminous, elegant touch to the trian- natural setting at Cala Montjoy, the atmo- gular dining room that harmonises with sphere in the dining rooms attentively run the old Catalan farmhouse. This is the by Juli Soler, and the teamwork between setting for enjoying Joan's cooking and them and the kitchen, and the result is Jordi's pastry, which together have been that El Bulli a unique gastronomic temple defined as a cuisine of sensations, both that all food lovers should be familiar salty and sweet. Before sitting down at with. It is more than a restaurant, and table, make a visit to the wine cellar, a from its beginnings in 1981 with Marketta real monument for both its design and 11 Haute cuisine the variety of bottles. Josep is in charge while Zigor Gutiérrez is responsible for of the drink and the smooth functioning the always current wine list. of the dining room. Avda. Abandoibarra, 4. C/ Can Sunyer, 48 Girona (Palacio Euskalduna). Bilbao www.elcellerdecanroca.com✍ www.etxanobe.com✍ etxAnobe etxebArri Opened in 1999 in a beautiful loca- Víctor Arginzoniz is the driving force tion, the Euskalduna Palace, this behind this establishment set in the establishment has a luminous, spa- middle of the Valle de Axtondo, in the cious, modern dining room, while its Basque Country. It occupies a fine stone terrace offers fine views of Bilbao. farmhouse, with a bar and kitchen on the The versatile Fernando Canales is a tele- lower floor and the dining room one flight vision personality, a culinary advisor and, up. Víctor has invented different grills and of course, a chef. Seconded by Mikel utensils for handling the excellent products Población, his haute cuisine is based on (oysters, baby eels, chops...), and uses differ- the best products and traditions. The at- ent kinds of wood for fuel. tentive professional dining room service Plaza San Juan, 1. Atxondo (Vizcaya) is overseen by María Ángeles Elizondo, www.asadoretxebarri.com✍ 1 Traditional cuisine and creative cuisine Cooking in Spain is currently undergoing a simplification, with a give-and-take between supporters of invention (creative cuisine) and those conservatives who preserve tradition (popular cooking). The great success of Spanish cuisine in the early 1st century comes from the fact that its chefs have opted for dishes made from ba- sic natural products of great quality. But there's another reason: the attention to the country's traditional recipes. Precisely because the good things from the past have been maintained and improved, today we have a wiser, healthier and even more tasty cuisine. Travellers in Spain can choose traditional or creative cooking. The Paradores (www.parador.es) network pro- motes local food in its more than 90 establishments all over GAiG the country. It recently presented its bocados de España ('Spanish titbits'): tapas that are representative of the food Carles Gaig traces his culinary roots in the different regional autonomous communities. back to the Horta neighbourhood The best way to find out about all this is through the in Barcelona, where the Gaig family culinary guides, starting with the most prestigious one, the had earned fame and prestige from Repsol Guide to Spain and Portugal (www.guiarepsol.com) with a complete listing of the best traditional and creative their restaurant as early as the 19th restaurants, material also covered in the Gourmetour Guide century. That explains his love of the (www.gourmets.net) and the El País Aguilar Guide (www. trade. In 2004, he moved things to a elpaisaguilar.es).Together, they reveal the great sanctuaries two-storey locale on the city's Eixample of good Spanish food. thoroughfare. The dining room, on the upper level, is elegant, classic, modern and comfortable. C/ Aragó, 14. Barcelona www.restaurantgaig.com✍ lA AlqueríA A marvellous 10th-century farm- house is the setting for the Ho- tel Hacienda Benazuza and La 1 Haute cuisine Alquería restaurant. A somewhat lAs rejAs rustic dining room has become one of Any food fans passing through this the prettiest and most elegant in the town in La Mancha, considered the province of Seville. The cuisine bears world garlic capital, shouldn't miss Las the stamp of the eminent Ferrán Rejas restaurant. One comfortable din- Adriá, and has been executed by one ing room has a magnificent fireplace, while of his faithful disciples, Rafael Zafra. there is another less formal one, modern Mediterranean haute cuisine with and minimalist. Chef Manuel de la Osa is the clear Andalusian touches, colourful greatest exponent of vanguard Castilian- presentation and excellent results, in Manchego fare based on traditional recipes a set menu served only in the evening. and local ingredients, with some highly The excellent wine cellar, flawless satisfying results. The partridge, garlic and ser vice and magnificent breakfasts saffron are never are among the other attractions of far from his surpris- this hotel. ing creations. There Hotel Hacienda Benazuza. are excellent wines C/ Virgen de las Nieves, s/n. from the cellar of Sanlúcar la Mayor (Sevilla) Victoriano to match www.elbullihotel.com✍ the service. 14 C/ General Borrero, 49. C/ Loidi, 4. Lasarte (Guipúzcoa) Las Pedroñeras (Cuenca) www.martinberasategui.com✍ www.lasrejas.net✍ muGAritz mArtín berAsAteGui Andoni Luis Aduriz has trained with Martín Berasategui has extended his the great chefs and now joined them culinary wisdom from his restaurant with his restaurant, a reference point in Lasarte to several establishments inside and outside of Spain. It is lo- that he directs or advises in the rest cated in a lovely Basque farmhouse sur- of Spain. He is among the biggest of the rounded by nature —including the herb big. His work has been defined as studio garden— and decorated with modern cooking: research and technique that have touches.There is also an attractive terrace made for highly creative results. He's been for summer dining. His stated aim: to bring attracting attention since his beginnings at out the flavours of the natural products the Bodegón Alejandro in the old part of in a cuisine based on pure flavours. He San Sebastián. As he himself puts it, the aim thus calls his restaurant "a place to feel, should be for the customer to feel right not to eat." at home, a real achievement thanks to his Aldura Aldea, 0. Rentería (Guipúzcoa) constant work. www.mugaritz.com✍ 15 Haute cuisine quique dACostA sAntCeloni The former Poblet de Dénia res- This is the 'Madrid branch' of the gas- taurant has adopted the name of tronomic temple of award-winning its current owner and head chef, Santi Santamaría (Can Fabes - Sant Quique Dacosta, who has made it Celoni - Barcelona), and is directed by into the top representative of haute a highly qualified team that has in turn won cuisine in the Valencia autonomous its own prizes: Oscar Velasco in the kitchen, community. This vanguard cooking has its Abel Valverde in the dining room, and David roots in the land. He is dedicated to adopt- Robledo in charge of the wines.The elegant ing new techniques, to doing research minimalist design by Pascua Ortega is en- and to local products: rice, the red shrimp hanced by the ample space between the of Dénia, and the orchards and flora of tables, a real luxury nowadays, which lends south-east Spain. The modern building is intimacy. The modern, controlled cuisine comfortable, surrounded by nature and by Oscar —prepared with the advice of close to the beach. There is an excellent Santi— always makes the best use of mar- dining room staff that makes a visit a real ket-fresh products. pleasure. Hotel Hesperia. Paseo de la Castellana, Ctra. Las Marinas, km .5. Dénia (Alicante) 57. Madrid www.elpoblet.com✍ www.restaurantesantceloni.com✍ 16 The world's first gastronomic I+D+I programme: the Basque Culinary Center The Royal Spanish Academy of Gastronomy is going to work actively with the University of Mondragón and the Ministry of Science and Innovation, headed by Cristina Garmendia, to launch the Basque Culinary Center, which in 011 will become the first university Faculty of Gastro- nomic Sciences in Spain and the second in Europe. The project has received the support of eminent Basque chefs —including Juan Mari Arzak, Martín Berasategui, Pedro Subijana, Karlos Arguiñano, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Hilario serGi ArolA GAstro Arbelaitz and Eneko Atxa— along with that of important Sergi Arola's years as a faithful disciple local and regional institutions in the Basque Country and of Ferran Adrià, along with his own associations such as Euro-toques. culinary technique, have won him The Basque Culinary Center (www.mondragon. edu/bcc) will become the world's first institution for fame ever since he opened La Broche gastronomic I+D+I (Investigation + Development + in Madrid. Today his establishment is a Innovation). It will satisfy the need in Spain for an official point of reference, with a modern design university-level culinary training programme, one that will in its two different levels. His wife, Sara Fort, provide the market with qualified and highly competent professionals, as is the case in other areas of knowledge. runs the dining rooms, backed up by a fine The future Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences of the team that includes the excellent sommelier, University of Mondragón, based in San Sebastián, will Daniel Poveda. Sergi offers his specialities in award the Diploma of Culinary Arts, a degree adapted to different set menus that vary each day. the European Higher Education Area, and will have four main areas of knowledge: Techniques of Kitchen-Dining C/ Zurbano, 1. Madrid Room-Sommelier, Business Management, Science and www.sergiarola.es✍ Technology, and Culture and Art. In addition, it will offer post-graduate courses for both culinary professionals zortziko and people from other fields who want to specialise in the gastronomic area. There will also be a dynamic The zortziko is a typical five-day I+D+I centre that will become an international point Basque dance by army recruits in of reference. their village square. Since its establish- 17 Haute cuisine ment in 1989, the García family has wanted much-deserved success. This pretty guests to enjoy their culinary experience Basque farmhouse, perhaps the oldest from start to finish. This house has thus in the area, has been turned into a lovely become one of the best and most emblem- restaurant, rustic but elegant, with walls atic restaurants in Bilbao. Daniel's auteur painted blue or of stone: a comfortable, creations are full of flavour, technique and enchanting place. There is an excellent his personal touches. Located near the terrace covered with wood beams that Guggenheim Museum, it's elegant dining is a window on the surrounding nature. room boasts excellent service directed by Hilario's cuisine is based on tradition and Oscar. An ample wine list with more than seasonal ingredients, and demonstrates 600 offerings, both Spanish and interna- good sense and technique, eschewing tional, is overseen by Mikel. passing fancies or sophistication. Examples: C/ Alameda Mazarredo, 17. Bilbao roast sardines with tomato and basil, or www.zortziko.es✍ the poached eggs with purée of foie-gras and truffle. The dining room and wine list zuberoA are overseen by Eusebio, ably backed up Hilario Arbelaitz in the kitchen by Arantxa Urretavizkaia. and brother Eusebio in the dining Pza. Bekosoro, 1. Oiartzun (Guipúzcoa) room have brought Zuberoa some www.zuberoa.com✍ 18 The 25 best gastrobars Along with the 25 Best Restaurants, A gastrobar is more comfortable, more it is logical to include the 25 Best tastefully decorated and makes it possible Gastrobars. to eat at the bar while seated on stools, or dine at more or less informal tables. The Spain has always highly valued its bars, basic thing is to offer simple cooking in the taverns, tapas places and informal restaurants shape of tapas, small servings of food or serving traditional native cooking —places miniaturised cuisine. In this style of eating that are attractive not least for their com- the accent is on quality and basic ingredi- pany and conversation. In addition, they ents, which are presented in traditional or had a bar at which to stand up and have creative recipes. an aperitif, eat lunch or have a dinner of Curiously, one of the pioneers in this tapas and wine. new gastrobar formula was Joël Robuchon, a Some of the country's best restaurateurs, French chef, who created his famous L'Atelier who already run haute cuisine operations, some years ago in Paris, from where the have decided to reproduce this old snacks idea spread to different cities and countries formula in an updated and more attractive around the world. setting: what have been called gastrobars. In Spain, most of them are located in the Some of them are in old locales that have regions of Andalusia, Madrid, Asturias, Cata- been modernised, and others are in newly lonia, the Basque Country, Castile-La Mancha, created settings. Castile & León, the Rioja and Valencia. 19 Tapas A fuego negro Adolfo colección Amaia García, Edorta Lamo and This uninhibited and informal estab- Iñigo Cojo are the three founders lishment is located in the centre of of this locale that features music, Toledo, in an early 20th-century build- design and modern decor. It's the ing just 50 metres from the Cathedral. 'in' place in San Sebastián to eat It has a modern, vanguard design by Adolfo meals and tapas, seated or stand- Muñoz, who has a well-deserved reputation ing, in a youthful, informal, relaxed in the sector. It is managed by his daughter atmosphere. The cooking is Basque, Verónica, who is always on top of the small- with original and creative miniatures. est details. There are The menu is as original as the decora- two levels. On the tion, with salads, rations and tapas, some lower one is a shop of them sweet at desser t time, and selling culinary prod- wine and liqueurs. As dedicated wine ucts and a wine cellar. lovers, they offer a number of wines of The upper floor has different grape varieties and appellation high tables with stools and a kitchen in view contrôlée. of the public. 31 de Agosto, 31. San Sebastián Nuncio Viejo, 1. Toledo www.afuegonegro.com✍ www.grupoadolfo.com✍ 20 The world's best virgin extra olive oils Spain has the best virgin e x t r a o l i ve oils in the world, for both quality and variety. There is one for every dish, and assuming one knows their com- parative quali- ties, choosing the right one for each occasion becomes an exercise in culinary creativity. To learn more about oils, the book Los aceites de oliva en la gastronomía del siglo XXI (Everest) analyses them from all perspectives: experts in cuisine, scientists and nutritionists reveal why this is one of Spain's greatest culinary treasures. If there is a single essential ingredient in 21st- century cuisine, it is doubtless olive oil. It is the most noble of the fats, unsurpassed for its gastronomic, Aris bAr nutritional and dietetic qualities. And it has always meant much more than other foods, because in reality Juan Pablo Felipe has created a it is more than simple nourishment. relaxed, informal space at the en- In addition to the basic Spanish oils made from trance to El Chaflán, an opportunity the Picual, Hojiblanca, Empeltre or Cornicabra olive to sample his Mediterranean cook- varieties, the Arbequina can be found throughout the country. Also notable: the recovery of the Arbosana ing less expensively by means of a (the best is from La Boella. www.laboella.com) and new concept in tapas or miniature even the introduction of foreign varieties such as cuisine. The bread with Torta del Casar Koroneiki. And then there are offerings based on cheese and truffles are a good example. local varieties such as Manzanilla from Seville, the Verdial from the Extremadura region, and Arróniz The tapas are more traditional —bread from Navarra. crumbs (migas) with fried eggs, for ex- In total, Spain has more than 660 varieties that ample— while the mini-creations are are more or less fruity, sweet, bitter, strong, smooth, another alternative. All this accompanied spicy, etc., although the liquid always tastes like fresh olives. And then there is a whole secondary range by a good selection of wines and an of enriching subtleties that evoke apple, lemon, pear, attractive list of cocktails, currently so almond, hazelnut, fresh grass... The Aceites de Pago popular in Madrid. (www.aceitesdepago.com) have contributed greatly to Hotel Aristos. Avda. Pio XII, 34 the resurgence of this sector and to a greater offer in quality. And there's also LA Organic (www.laorganic. Madrid es), from designer Philippe Starck and oenologist www.elchaflan.com✍ Michel Rolland. 21 Tapas AsiAnA nextdoor a lot of attention both in Gijón and The very special Asian-Peruvian outside the northern city. Located in cuisine prepared by Jaime Renedo the Hotel NH Gijón, it has brought the comes in the form of snacks served gastrobar concept to a very traditional in a relaxed, modern, slightly rustic area that has not developed much in the setting. There are such attractive dishes culinary sense. Javier Loya, from a restaurant as the sea bass with yellow pepper and family in the neighbouring Asturias region, wasabi, the different ceviches (citrus-mari- offers vanguard cooking with clear Asturian nated seafood), the jasmine rice and —why roots, excellent basic materials and careful not?— a certain Mediterranean touch with preparation. All this is reflected in a menu the Ibérico ham or the Greek-style solterito with tapas large and small or in the different with grilled octopus and black olives. The set menus.The offer is rounded out with a desserts are European in style. A whole select wine list, some fine cheeses, excellent range of aromas and flavours. cocktails and a magnificent terrace. Travesía de San Mateo, 4. Madrid Hotel NH Gijón. Paseo Doctor Fleming, 71. Gijón AvAnt gArden This place has been going for less bAby grill rubAiyAt than a year but is already receiving Belarmino Fernández, who has res- 22 taurants in different countries in bArrA siete South America, came to Spain and is On Victoria Beach in Cadiz, this now very successful with Baby Beef relaxed establishment has mini- Rubaiyat. After his success here, and in malist decor and views of the line with current fashions, he added this sea. It's a small, bright place with small locale behind the main restaurant a pretty semicircular bar and high and separated by a large inner glass wall tables for sampling a new and dif- that makes it possible to watch activity in ferent offer based on tapas and the kitchen. Simple decor features wood servings, with the culinary quality of in the bar, tables and stools. When the José Manuel Córdoba (of the Ven- weather is good the terrace is used. The torrillo el Chato establishment). menu —including hot and cold bread- Shrimp salads, rices served as tapas, based tapas, full servings, salads and some fried fish, Iberico cured ham prepared meats— makes it possible to have an in different ways, payoyo cheese... There informal lunch or dinner with the quality are good desserts and an appropriate of the original Rubaiyat. wine list, short but well selected. Special C/ Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, 11. mention should be made of the good Madrid service, directed by Julián. www.rubaiyat.es✍ Amilcar Barca, 17. Cadiz 23 Tapas becerritA burlAdero, el The surname Becerra is synony- Located next to the hall of the mous in Seville with good food Hotel Colón, this modern gastro- served in pleasant surroundings. bar has become a meeting point Jesús María Becerra, the son of En- for informal lunches and dinners. rique, is a good example of this. Any It bears the stamp of Dani García (Cali- gourmet walking in the Ronda de ma – Marbella) in its offer of tapas and Capuchinos area should visit one of cheeses served at the bar and at tables. the city's most typical bars. Some typi- Potato salad with tuna fish, Iberico ham cal local tiles provide the decor for some products... traditional Andalusian tapas and serv- Hotel Gran Meliá Colón. Canalejas, 1 ings, accompanied by a wide selection Seville of local wines. Potatoes garnished with www.granmeliacolon.com✍ virgin extra olive oil, bull tail croquettes. It can be argued whether this is really a comerç 24 gastrobar, but it doesn't matter: its success Carles Abellá was an outstanding is guaranteed. student at the Barcelona Hostelry Recaredo, 9. Seville School, and after training at several www.becerrita.com✍ restaurants, including El Bulli, he's 24 Acorn-fed Iberico cured ham, the king of Spanish food Pure acorn-fed Iberico cured ham is something magi- cal, whose quality is dependant on careful, traditional production methods. To learn everything about this wondrous world, the key reference book, for both its photos and text, is El jamón ibérico en la gastronomía del siglo XXI (Everest). Four regulatory councils control the process in the four production areas.There are three Denomination of Origin (DO) controls: Dehesa de Extremadura (www. dehesa-extremadura.com), Guijuelo (www.i-guijuelo. opened his own place com) and Jamón de Huelva (www.jamondehuelva.com), in Barcelona. He says it's a and one Specific Denomination, called Jamón de Los gastrobar that's "like a tapas Pedroches (www.jamondelospedroches.com).All of them guarantee the quality of the process. bar, with a bar and tables There are some recommendations to guarantee the that offers the comfort of most enjoyment of this special ham experience. If you a classic restaurant with an buy a complete piece, it should be consumed within three elegant, cosmopolitan air." months; if not, it can become too dry and lose a large part of its aroma.As for the best way to cut it, this can be This is creative cuisine in done either by hand or by a machine. Cutting by hand is miniature, very original and always to be preferred, especially if this is done by a good carefully prepared and presented in serv- professional with the right kind of knife so as to bring out ings that can be shared. He uses advanced the ham's true essence. And once it has been cut, the meat should be consumed quickly so as to maintain that techniques and the highest quality in- magic moment, and always at room temperature. Pure gredients. He has another locale, more acorn-fed Iberico cured ham is a real delicacy; to bring informal, called Tapas 24 (Diputación, 269. out its enormous potential, it should be accompanied by Tel. 934 880 977. Web: www.tapas24.net), a good dry sherry from Jerez. which is considered one of the best tapas The best offer comes from Real Jamón (www.re- aljamoniberico.com). It presents the best quality from bars in Barcelona. each DO, hand-cut by Florencio Sanchidrián (a ham Comerç, 24. Barcelona ambassador to the world) and packed under optimum www.comerc24.com✍ conditions in packets of 100, 50 or 25 grams. 25 Tapas el Atelier d'enrich el plAtó Víctor Enrich, a young and well- This bright, modern functional and established chef, is backed up in informal establishment is in the the dining room by his wife, María heart of Madrid, near the Open-air Vega de Seoane. Following a refurbish- Museum of Modern Art. There is ing, there are two different parts of the a terrace for dining in fair weather, with restaurant: Enrich –a traditional, now views of the studio of the Intereconomía smaller culinar y operation— and its television channel. The cooking of Andrés new gastrobar, El Atelier, with a more Armero, who is advised by Pedro Lar- carefree ambience and a pleasant ter- umbe, is traditional, and is offered in full race. It has a bar offering food prepared and half servings; the Iberico pork is special by Víctor, and served at a small number (meatballs, hamburger, jaw). By night, the of tables. At both the bar and the tables cocktail bar is full. there are servings to share along with Paseo de la Castellana, 36. Madrid Víctor's more traditional dishes, making www.elplato.es✍ it possible to eat at more affordable prices all day long. el sAlón de lA chimeneA Estafeta, 2. Plaza de la Fuente. The Echaurren is the fullest expres- La Moraleja (Madrid) sion of cuisine in the Rioja region 26 of northern Spain, both in the tradi- estAdo puro tional cooking by Marisa and in the Facing Madrid's Plaza de Nep- more modern version by her son tuno on the ground floor of the Francis Paniego. This is also a fine hotel. Hotel NH Paseo del Prado is an The town of Ezcaray is an important establishment with three areas: a centre for rural tourism and for skiers. bar, a ground floor terrace, and a This has led the Paniegos, in their efforts dining room with a ceiling full of to perfect their food and advance with ladies' ornamental combs. At this the times, to create a new, less formal gastrobar Paco Roncero is respon- dining space: El Salón de la Chimenea, sible for the cold tapas (for example, a gastrobar that Francis defines as "the potato salad with regañá bread) and union between the traditional and the the hot ones (brochette of pickled modern, in the tapas version." In other pork), in addition to the salads (eel words, all kinds of tapas and rations from and pineapple with orange sauce), both ways of cooking in a free-and-easy hot and cold bread-based tapas, and setting, but it's only open at night. sandwiches. Hotel Echaurren. Padre José García, 19. Hotel NH Paseo del Prado. Ezcaray (La Rioja) Plaza Cánovas del Castillo, 4. Madrid www.echaurren.com✍ www.tapasenestadopuro.com✍ 27 Tapas inopiA clAsic bAr l'AleznA tApAs Modern decor and a relaxed and Pedro Martino, along with the cosmopolitan ambience in a small Villabrille brothers (of the Valles Barcelona locale where customers del Oso cheese operation), cre- must wait their turn so as to avoid ated this locale in the Barrio de crowding. It's a good approach, and makes Montecerrao in Oviedo for a wide it possible to enjoy the place and the food. public. The luminosity and decor are Proprietors Joan Martínez and Albert the perfect complement for the creative Adriá define it as "a classic Spanish bar". furniture. Even though Pedro Martino Everything revolves around the large bar, has left, this is still a high-quality op- with the exception of a single table that eration based on simple dishes very must be reserved.Traditional rations, tapas carefully prepared from the best local and brochettes with the Adriá stamp. Po- products. The result is a succulent selec- tato salad, anchovies in vinegar, homemade tion of tapas and miniaturised cuisine, cured ham croquettes... An army of friendly along with a good selection of wine waiters circulate along the bar taking cus- and cheeses. Raúl Villabrille directs op- tomers' orders. erations in the dining room and advises Tamarit, 104. Barcelona about wines. www.barinopia.com✍ Celestino Álvarez, 5. Oviedo 28 The rise of Spanish wines Spanish wines are at the top of their form. Until recently, to speak of Spanish wines was to speak only of the Rioja region (www.riojawine. com), such as the Ama- ren from Luis Cañas, or of the Ribera de Duero (www.riberadelduero. es), such as the Loess Collection. But today there are Denomina- tions of Origin all over the country such as Toro (www.dotoro.es), Priorat (www.doqprio- rat.org), Somontano (www.somontano.es), Bierzo (www.crdobierzo.es) and Valdeorras (www.dovaldeor- ras.com) among many others: they're terroir or estate wines of unquestionable quality. And it's not just the reds that are great: there are exceptional whites such as those from the Rias Baixas (www.doriasbaixas. com), with the notable Pazo de Señorans Selección lA morAgA from Añada, the Penedés area (www.dopenedes.es) or the Rueda region (www.dorueda.com). Also Castile-La In the centre of Malaga. Modernity Mancha with its Hipperia de Vallegarcía wines. in the decor by José Luis Galán Today there are extraordinary wines from regions and the cooking designed by Dani that had traditionally been of little interest: when García (Calima–Marbella) and skil- looking for quality it's time to go beyond the obvious and seek out other parts, on both the peninsula and in fully and precisely executed by Jesús the islands. As for grapes, in addition to the permanent Barrera. Cosmopolitan ambience in a success of Tempranillo or Verdejo there has been a re- designer locale, with high stools and a naissance in Mencía and Garnacha, and among outsiders few tables, a wide bar-refrigerator display such as Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon: they now seem almost Spanish for the way they have adopted to our with cold tapas (almost as if this were a climate and soil. pastry shop), and walls with glass cases To learn about wines, one must sample a great va- full of wines. Also hot dishes, croquettes, riety of different offerings to discover new sensations, fried items, stews...They're all original and and talk with other people who share our interest. It's also necessary to read about wines, because nicely presented. In the same city there's this makes us want to sample them. The best way is another Moraga, at the Corte Inglés de- through the guidebooks, outstanding among which are partment store, with similar characteris- the Guía Repsol de los Mejores Vinos de España (www. tics and commercial hours. guiarepsol.com), the Guía Peñín de los Vinos de España (www.grupopenin.com) and La Guía Todovino (www. Fresca, 12. Malaga todovino.com), edited by Custodio López Zamarra. www.lamoraga.es✍ 29 Tapas lA morAgA ibéricA le cAbrerA The moraga is a summer festival in This recently opened establishment Malaga province that's held on the has quickly become one of the popu- beach, where families roast sardines lar Madrid spots, a place to see and be on a spit. And that's what Dani García seen. Luis Galliussi has produced a modern is after in his establishments: that the visit design for two different areas: on the lower be a party for the customer in a modern floor, cocktails by bartender Diego Cabrera, and relaxed setting. A low bar and com- a faithful follower of Arola in Barcelona and fortable seats allow for an informal meal Madrid. On the street level, a tapas bar with without any uncomfortable barstools. stools that is run by Benjamín Benssousan, There are also some tables. Behind the the right-hand man of Sergi Arola, where bar, José Antonio Carmona successfully diners enjoy Benjamín's culinary offerings executes Dani's creations with precision. as uniquely designed by Sergi.. Half-servings and individual tapas where Bárbara de Braganza, 2. Madrid Ibérico pork is the star: little hamburg- ers, jaw in sauce, flamenquín... La Moraga lizArrán Sweet was recently opened on the same A different concept of informal street (Tel. 952 815 652). food based on tapas and bro- Ramón Areces, 1. Marbella (Malaga) chettes, combining tradition and 30 imagination to make snacking a nArru surprising experience. This large In its three years of existence, this franchise chain is not only in Spain but establishment has become a point in the rest of Europe and on other of reference in San Sebastián. Located continents. Tapas and rations, both cold in the heart of the Gros neighbourhood and hot, of miniaturised Spanish cuisine: close to Zurriola beach and the Kursaal it's based on quality raw materials, many auditorium, it has modern, minimalist decor. of them products with an appellation There are two distinct areas: the restaurant contrôlée. Spanish omelette, codfish, itself, with a more extensive menu, and the Andalusian squid... and all washed down bar area.The latter, luminous and warm, has with beers and wines. Rustic decor: bar, high tables. Its tapas are the big attraction, tables, stools and wooden chairs from miniaturised cuisine based on the day's which to sip an aperitif or enjoy a tradi- fresh products and presented on demand tional meal in a casual setting. in front of customers by the creative Iñigo Comess Group de Restauración S.L. Peña. To accompany them, there's a good C/ Enrique Granados 6. Edificio B. selection of wines, which can be enjoyed by Complejo Empresarial Imce. the glass. Efficient and attentive service. Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) Miguel Imaz, 10. San Sebastián www.lizarran.es✍ www.narru.es✍ 31 Tapas óleo simún Vicente Patiño has opened this In the Cerro del Águila, facing place in front of the Museo de the entrance to the Polígono las Atarazanas and next to the Hytasa, is this Seville neighbour- headquarters of the America's hood spot that has been run Cup in the port. There are two for 15 years by Paco Simún, of- separate areas. On the lower level, fering coffee and toast in the a restaurant for more formal dining. morning and a daily set menu At the entrance, a gastrobar, the first for lunch. But now there's a new to open in Valencia. It has an elegant proposal for the evening: the gastro- bar and high stools for the informal bar, where tapas are the star. Pablo consumption of some modern tapas Jiménez, Paco's son-in-law, prepares (which he calls 'oleotapas') made in some vanguard offerings with a per- Vicente's inimitable style, along with a sonal touch, based on his extensive few more formal dishes and his des- culinar y experience in Andalusian erts. All this washed down with some kitchens. The basic ingredients are of wine by the glass. the highest quality, purchased in the Juan Antonio Benlliure, 9. Valencia wonderful local market. www.restauranteoleo.com✍ Avda. Hytasa, 71. Seville 32 The importance of DOP and IGP The Denominations of Protected Origins (DOP in Spanish) and Protected Geographic Indications (IGP) now represent almost 300 quality brands throughout Spain. They recognise high quality, a result of special characteristics that stem from the special geography of the places they are produced and the raw materials that go into the products. These certifiers of approval are of many sizes, from villA pArAmesA tApAs the wines of Rioja (www.riojawine.com), the Ribera If you want something different from del Duero (www.riberadelduero.es) or the Jerez areas (www.sherry.org), to Manchego cheese (www. the traditional Castilian roast baby quesomanchego.es) or other tiny production areas pig, this is a good informal alternative that seek to survive. But each one has its place in in Valladolid. It's en establishment with the sun, although some, for their small size, would unique touches: fine crockery to present the do better if they went hand-in-hand with other neighbouring products through different initiatives different taps, and wines by the glass served that have been set in motion. from magnums. José Ignacio Castrodeza, This system to defend the quality of food and who has a restaurant of the same name produce is important, and is currently regulated in Villanubla, is the man behind this charm- by rules approved in 2006. So accustomed have we become to the system that we often assume it has ing locale, with its pleasing ambience and been in place forever, when in fact this is a relatively friendly attention.There is a fine selection of new legal guarantee aimed at protecting the produc- succulent servings, and designer tapas and tion of some of Spain's unique assets. In fact, the most other traditional ones, all well prepared and internationally accepted definition was not estab- with his personal touch.They're on view in lished until 1985. The DOP and IGP (there are also Specific Denominations and Guaranteed Traditional a covered display case like jewels. Specialities certifications) are meant to individualise Calixto Fernández de la Torre, 5. merchandise based on its origin. In this way they help Valladolid preserve the personality and legacy of each region, in www.villaparamesa.es✍ addition to bringing cultural benefits. 33 Tapas yebrA Rafael Ansón Yebra has achieved something of a This guide was compiled by Rafael Ansón, founder and cult status for tapas in Seville. In a president of the Royal Spanish carefree and informal setting, its offers Academy of Gastronomy. spectacular tapas and servings, based on With the assistance of Javier the often unconventional preparation Carretero. of haute cuisine. Placed in the centre of the table, they can be shared among several diners. While the restaurant is off the usual tapas route in Seville, it's worth the trip to get here. It is located in the Triana neighbourhood, just a few steps from the church containing one of the city's most venerated religious images, La Macarena. There's a notable wine cellar with a large selection. Medalla Milagrosa, 3. Seville 34
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I Spy
103 Fans
A pair of agents go undercover as a tennis pro and his trainer. Kelly Robinson is the man with a racket, Alexander Scott is, among other things, a polyglot. The creation of the Cinemobile for location shooting enabled far-flung episodes in Hong Kong, Europe, Mexico, etc. The writing is of a standard that would be very difficult to match in any circumstances, or as Scott & Robinson might say, the wonderfulness of its marvelousness is only equal to the marvelousness of its wonderfulness.
I Spy Season 1 (1965-1966)
|1x01 So Long, Patrick Henry
A defector in old Hong Kong claims the attention of Robinson & Scott.
|Sep. 15, 1965
|1x02 A Cup of Kindness
One of their own has joined the adverse party, so Scott & Robinson are sent to Hong Kong after him.
|Sep. 22, 1965
|1x03 Carry Me Back to Old Tsing-Tao
A businessman in Hong Kong owes the IRS; Robinson & Scott carry the loot.
|Sep. 29, 1965
|1x04 Chrysanthemum
A French spy hampers the search for missing files.
|Oct. 06, 1965
|1x05 Dragon's Teeth
A murder happens in front of them, and Robinson & Scott must investigate a mysterious organization.
|Oct. 13, 1965
|1x06 The Loser
A nightclub singer is a pawn between drug smugglers (who have kidnapped Scott) and the pair.
|Oct. 20, 1965
|1x07 Danny Was a Million Laughs
A bodyguard assignment for a very unpleasant sort of fellow.
|Oct. 27, 1965
|1x08 The Time of the Knife
An agent is killed, the microfilm is missing, his girlfriend is threatened.
|Nov. 03, 1965
|1x09 No Exchange on Damaged Merchandise
A prisoner exchange requires a search for a double agent.
|Nov. 10, 1965
|1x10 Tatia
Vietnam has not seen three agents assigned there, and Scott suspects Robinson's girlfriend.
|Nov. 17, 1965
|1x11 Weight of the World
A Tokyo seminar on obesity is threatened with a new form of Chinese plague.
|Dec. 01, 1965
|1x12 Three Hours on a Sunday Night
Missing microfilm must be paid for or Scott will be killed, but where to get the shekels?
|Dec. 08, 1965
|1x13 Tigers of Heaven
An anti-American group in Japan menaces the last of the aristocracy.
|Dec. 15, 1965
|1x14 Affair in T'Sien Cha
An American schoolteacher, an ancient walled city, a missing train and a valuable cargo lost in China.
|Dec. 29, 1965
|1x15 The Tiger
A definitive mission to Vietnam in order to rescue the daughter of a physician.
|Jan. 05, 1966
|1x16 The Barter
Russian defector for American girl: good business or not?
|Jan. 12, 1966
|1x17 Always Say Goodbye
A womanizing American hampers efforts to protect a Japanese economic conference from Communist sabotage.
|Jan. 26, 1966
|1x18 Court of the Lion
A Zulu (Oxon.) who trades diamonds for revenge, a gangster dominating a small village, and radioactive isotopes.
|Feb. 02, 1966
|1x19 Turkish Delight
Who is kidnapping the great agronomists in Mexico City?
|Feb. 09, 1966
|1x20 Bet Me a Dollar
They bet each other a dollar that one can evade the other for a week, but he's been contaminated with anthrax and must be found in 24 hours.
|Feb. 16, 1966
|1x21 Return to Glory
An exiled South American dictator has plans, or has he, really?
|Feb. 23, 1966
|1x22 The Conquest of Maude Murdock
A redoubtable Embassy figure in Mexico deals them a turn.
|Mar. 02, 1966
|1x23 A Day Called 4 Jaguar
Quetzalcoatl has appeared in the Mexican jungle, or is it an AWOL cosmonaut pursued by his old comrades?
|Mar. 09, 1966
|1x24 Crusade to Limbo
Infiltrate a revolutionary South American group, with Hollywood connections, that's the assignment.
|Mar. 23, 1966
|1x25 My Mother, the Spy
An agent abroad and pregnant with information must report to the boys back home after her affair with the adverse party.
|Mar. 30, 1966
|1x26 There Was a Little Girl
Bodyguard work for a VIP's daughter. She buys an objet d'art, and hell ensues.
|Apr. 06, 1966
|1x27 It's All Done with Mirrors
Robinson is brainwashed to kill Scott, whose orders are to kill Robinson.
|Apr. 13, 1966
|1x28 One Thousand Fine
Gold fever among old friends in the jungles of Mexico.
|Apr. 27, 1966
« previous1next »
Season 1 Characters
[More Cast]
Season 1 Videos
28 One Thousand Fine (50:15)
15 The Tiger (50:47)
2 A Cup of Kindness (51:18)
7 Danny Was a Million Laughs (51:09)
[More Videos]
Season 1 Quotes
|Season 1 / Episode 19: - Turkish Delight
Alexander Scott: Well, see, I have this friend of mine who makes a habit of showing up whenever things get worse, so...
Dr. Rachel Albert: Really?
Alexander Scott: That's right.
Dr. Rachel Albert: Well, what does he do?
Alexander Scott: Well, that's what he does, see, he shows whenever things get rotten.
Dr. Rachel Albert: Well, then where is he?
Alexander Scott: [nervous chuckle] Well, he's coming. I hope.
|Season 1 / Episode 22: - The Conquest of Maude Murdock
Kelly Robinson: [Thanking their faithful taxi driver Jaime for waiting, even after getting beat up] You stuck with us, my man. You're all right.
Jaime: That's why I'm hanging around with you, because I'm learning about love.
Kelly Robinson: Oh, yeah? What do you think about it?
Jaime: It is madness.
Kelly Robinson: And it hurts too, doesn't it?
Season 1 Trivia
[More Trivia]
» Back to I Spy Wiki


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Original oil painting by American artist Michael Creese.
mmmmm michael… looks so good
and would love one…. a beautiful painting… : )
Thank you Mimi. I think that's the way they make their cosmos at this bar. They all look that color so it must be their own recipe. They are very good! Your comments are always greatly appreciated! – Michael
– Michael Creese
Beautiful artwork….!
w0w! amazing painting sweetheART love it – inst fave ;} happy hippy hugglez
refreshing and yummy…………..
beautiful painting!
Mmmm, I could just do with one of those! Fabulous painting
oh yummy! this is delicious! i love your style and technique
fantastic painting ~ amazing light, especially that candle! i love the glasswork and shadows. Gorgeous!!
Looks good, both drink and painting.
this is excellenty. Thanks.
I can see myself now, sitting back in a lounge at a bar somewhere, sipping away…ahhh


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Updated Nov 30, 2012 - 5:23 pm
One hospitalized in Glendale Hazmat situation
A 43-year-old man is in serious condition after inhaling nitric acid fumes on Friday, the Glendale Fire Department said.
Six one-gallon bottles of nitric acid were found by the man near a dumpster at mobile home park near 67th Ave. and Glendale.
"The park manager, who discovered the bottles, picked one of them up," said Michael Young with Glendale Fire. "One of the bottles was leaking nitric acid and he did inhale some of the fumes which made him very ill. He has been transported to the hospital."
It is unknown who left the bottles.
Glendale Ave. was shut down between 63rd and 67th avenues while Hazmat crews investigated. It was reopened about 5:15 p.m.
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Best viewed LARGE
sorry what a terrible comment I'm just tired! I meant to say love this work and great perspective. Looks awesome as a t-shirt.
hehehe at lara … yeah, awesome!
great t really works very well!
haunting and beautiful.
Wow, this really is a stunner Kits.
Cool idea for a t-shirt and really unusual compared to most. I love the way it draws you in.
Nice shot for a film opening K!
…to where? another thought provoking work! Love it!!!
Very nice work


text:
Only people who have either:Originally Posted by Kikinaki
A) Never tried a FPS
B) Failed miserably while trying a FPS
would say such a thing, I'm sure you would never last a chance against any of the more advanced players even if given ample time to learn the controls. These games are about strategy, skill, teamwork, and a little bit of luck. Anyone who says otherwise is full of themselves.


text:
Archive for Entertainment
The Justified BullyPosted by: | Comments
In the 1980s, HBO presented a comedy series called "Not Necessarily the News." In it, pretend anchors used real news clips but altered them for laughs.
Cleverly inserted shots that the HBO show produced, interspersed with the actual clips, would be used for gags.
Of course, the notion of fake news on TV was hardly new at that time. "Saturday Night Live" began the trend in earnest with its signature Weekend Update segment not long after "SNL" debuted in 1975.
While "NNTN" was playful and Weekend Update was very sarcastic, always delivered with a wink and a smirk, there was still further to go in the fake news genre.
Enter Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."
Where "NNTN" was produced sporadically and Weekend Update was weekly (during the "SNL" season), "The Daily Show" was exactly that—daily.
But that's hardly where the delineation ended.
"TDS"'s Jon Stewart was not part of a host rotation, like Weekend Update's, which helped make stars out of everyone from Bill Murray to Dennis Miller to Seth Myers.
Weekend Update has always been presented in a breezy five minutes or so, while "TDS" has always been 30 minutes in length.
Stewart is one of two hosts that "TDS" has ever known (Craig Kilborn began when the show began in 1996 and Stewart took over by 1999), and he stunned his audience with the announcement this week that this will be the year that he steps down.
Kudos should continue to go to Kilborn, the ESPN grad whose smarmy delivery would forever brand "TDS," but it was Stewart's intellectually sharp, biting humor and longevity that cemented "TDS"'s perpetual place in television comedy history.
"TDS" has been guested by a gaggle of political figures and other celebrities over the years, many of whom have been eager to share the stage with Stewart and engage in the ensuing repartee.
Such was the popularity of Stewart's show that it spawned spin-offs, like Stephen Colbert's "The Colbert Report" and "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore."
Stewart never hesitated to point out the absurdity and hypocrisy of politics, social issues and celebrity. He used his host's chair as a bully pulpit, but it always seemed that those he bullied deserved it. Stewart possessed the incredibly difficult knack of being biting but not mean-spirited. He never tweaked anyone just for cheap laughs.
I believe that the ability to jab someone in a pointed way but sans brutality added to the humor of "TDS." Stewart was no insult comic—he wasn't Don Rickles sitting behind a desk.
Stewart was so entrenched as "TDS" host that it was easy to forget that he wasn't one of the mainstream news anchors, but instead a gifted comedian and an actor/director whose career on the big screen is nothing to sneeze at either.
Comedians will tell you that the beauty of their craft turns up when their material practically writes itself.
Stewart didn't have to try very hard to pull laughs from the daily headlines; so much of what goes on is good fodder. But that doesn't minimize his contribution to television comedy.
Jon Stewart's "TDS" not only poked fun at the news and newsmakers, it illuminated the injustices, ridiculousness and shamelessness bubbling just below the surface of them both.
Stewart pulled no punches, but at least those he tattooed had it coming.
A True Miss AmericaPosted by: | Comments
Today's Miss Americas serve their term and then they're never heard from again. Or so it seems.
There's no prerequisite, of course, that the winner of arguably the most famous beauty contest of all time needs to stay in the limelight when she hands the crown over to her successor.
But there was a time when Miss America was often the springboard to bigger and better (or, at least, more profitable) things.
Mary Ann Mobley was one of those Miss Americas who stuck around in our consciousness long after she sashayed down the runway.
Mobley, 77, passed away the other day after a battle with breast cancer.
She was the first Mississippian to win the legendary contest, and she parlayed that distinction into a pretty decent stage and film career as an actress.
Like so many other women of her era, Mobley was able to star opposite Elvis Presley on screen, and like her brethren, she out-acted him.
Mobley had a smile that went from ear-to-ear and her dark beauty was a stark contrast to the blond, lighter handsomeness of Gary Collins, an actor and game show host (and fellow Mississippian) who she married in 1967.
Mobley captured the Miss America crown in 1959 and six years later she was a winner again—this time with a New Star of the Year Golden Globe.
But despite all her credits on stage and screen (big and small), it was in charitable causes where Mary Ann Mobley was a true Miss America.
She served on several councils and contributed to many charities and her work was exemplified by the naming of a pediatric wing after her, at a hospital in her hometown of Brandon, Mississippi.
Mobley and Collins formed one of television's most well-known couples, particularly in the 1980s. For many years they were both in our living rooms in some way, shape or fashion, with Mobley doing turns on shows like "Falcon's Crest" and Collins chatting up folks on talk shows and helping them win money on game shows.
Mobley was the first woman to be inducted into the University of Mississippi Hall of Fame.
But Mobley's sweet-as-pie good looks and her Mississippian, southern belle demeanor shouldn't have fooled you, because she was also a very competent filmmaker.
You heard me.
For years, Mobley documented the "young victims of war and starvation in places like Cambodia, Ethiopia, Somalia and the Sudan," according to a release from Warner Brothers.
That probably doesn't sound like the Mary Ann Mobley with whom you're familiar.
The Chairman of Miss America, Sam Haskell, sang Mobley's praises after word of her death reached him.
"She challenged me, she loved me, and she made me laugh! I shall miss her!"
Mobley once spoke of her ever active life, when she was knee-deep in acting, fundraisers and volunteer work.
"I'm home about two days a month, and on those I have to pack."
Alco-HaulPosted by: | Comments
My bar-hopping days are long gone, so maybe I know not of what I type.
So call me naive, but do we need bars to be open until 4 a.m.?
A hurried-through bill by the Michigan State Legislature would allow some bars to stay open until 4 in the morning on weekends.
According to the bill's sponsors, it's a matter of competition.
Senator Virgil Smith (D-Detroit), the bill's sponsor, says the measure is needed so Detroit can compete with other big cities, like New York.
Come again?
We are going after the lush crowd? Tourists will decide their destination based on bars being open further into the wee hours?
Another legislator said that the bill merely gives businesses that serve alcohol the option to stay open later.
"Who are we to tell bars how late they can stay open?" was the quote.
That seems to be a shocking display of being short-sighted. I mean, we aretalking about alcohol consumption here. There figures to be some degree of consequence to this bill, one would think.
As you would imagine, the law enforcement folks aren't crazy about this, for multiple reasons. One is that the 4 a.m. thing just happens to coincide with when police staffing is thin. Another is that those stumbling out of bars and taking to the roads will now start to overlap with the people who leave early for work.
Ah, but there is a financial component to the bill. Money talks, as you know. Usually.
The bill lets bars and restaurants that pay a $10,000 annual fee sell alcoholic drinks until 4 a.m. Eighty-five percent of the money would go to local police, 10 percent to the state Liquor Control Commission and 5 percent to the communities where the permit is issued.
But even though the police are the beneficiaries of the extra cash, they are down on the bill.
What does that tell you?
Why stop at 4 a.m., by the way?
Some bars open as early as 7 a.m., which is a whole other blog post. So those establishments could close at at four and re-open three hours later. Seems kind of silly.
The bill passed in the Senate, 22-14. It now moves to the House.
Supporters like Smith say that the extended hours would help put illegal "blind pigs," which are open past 2 a.m., out of business.
Not so sure about that. Seems to me that blind pig patrons will stay blind pig patrons, for the most part.
Nico Gatzaros, whose family owns Fishbones and the London Chop House, lauds the bill because it will help certain businesses, like taxis.
That reasoning should be filed under the "if you don't laugh, you'll cry" category.
In other words, with this bill, we hope the taxi business booms, driving home the soused.
Nothing from Gatzaros about how he proposes to get the drunks to call a taxi to begin with. Gobs of alcohol isn't exactly a precursor to common sense and wise decisions.
But hey, who is the state to tell bars how late they can serve booze?
It's not like it's a public safety issue or anything.
Cos and EffectPosted by: | Comments
In 1984, Bill Cosby helped save an entire television network.
Thirty years later, he's toxic to an entire industry.
It was in '84 when NBC, lagging far behind brethren CBS and ABC in ratings to the point of being a national joke, brought in Cosby and built a sitcom around him.
Cosby was 46 years old and though he'd been canceled in the past with other television vehicles, his star power on TV was still heavy. Viewers still had "Fat Albert" and Jell-O commercials fresh on their minds.
The sitcom idea was novel. NBC decided to cast Cosby and his TV family as well-to-do African-Americans living in a tony brownstone in upper Manhattan. This was no "Good Times" scenario.
The presentation on TV of blacks living a life that wasn't in poverty wasn't new (witness "The Jeffersons"), but Cosby was a doctor and his wife was a lawyer. With all due respect to dry cleaner moguls, this was different. Plus, Cliff and Clair Huxtable had kids—lots of kids. George and "Weesie" Jefferson's TV lives were pretty much presented sans children, even though they had a son, Lionel—but he wasn't emphasized.
So here came Bill Cosby to save NBC in the fall of 1984.
It worked.
"The Cosby Show" ran for eight seasons (1984-92) and was a phenomenal hit for NBC. The case could be made that Cosby did, indeed, save the network at a time when it was floundering.
I grew up with Bill Cosby, as did tens of millions of Americans. I am old enough to remember his "Bill Cosby Show" of 1969-71, when he was high school gym teacher Chet Kincaid.
I owned a couple of his comedy albums. I saw him perform live at Pine Knob in 1985. I must have watched his video special, "Bill Cosby: Himself" at least a dozen times. I liked that he was into sports, as well as having played football at Temple University.
I have history with Bill Cosby.
It would have seemed unfathomable to me as I grew up with Cosby's comedy, to think that one day he would be toxic.
But he is.
As accusations swirl that Cosby drugged women to have sex with them, dating back to the 1960s, no one on TV wants to have anything to do with him.
A potential new sitcom featuring Cosby, to be aired on NBC, has been scrapped.
TV Land has pulled reruns of "The Cosby Show" indefinitely.
Think about that last one for a moment. TV Land doesn't even want Cosby's likeness on its airwaves from a show produced 30 years ago.
This is O.J. Simpson-like toxicity.
Precious few in the entertainment business have come to Cosby's defense. He and his camp have been mostly silent as one woman after the other comes forward with a "Cosby drugged me and sexually assaulted me" story.
In America you are innocent until proven guilty.
That's in the courtroom. In the court of public opinion, it works the opposite.
Right now it seems that too many women with nothing to gain, really, from fabrication, are coming forward for at least some of this disgusting behavior to not be true.
There often isn't a "smoking gun" when it comes to sexual assault allegations, particularly when the alleged incidents happened many years and even decades ago. It's classic "he said/she said" stuff, except that in this case, it's pretty much all "she said."
Cosby's radio silence is ear piercing.
All we've gotten from the Cosby people is that they're not going to dignify these allegations with a reply.
That may be good enough if it was just one woman calling Cosby out. But there seems to be a whole cadre of women allegedly victimized by Cosby. The sheer number of women coming forward makes it no longer acceptable to just roll your eyes and shake your head, if you're the Cosby camp.
Could there be one crackpot looking for a buck or her 15 minutes? Possibly. But do you really think there is a growing faction of crackpots? Or is it a growing faction of victimized women feeling empowered now that the first domino has been tipped?
The answer is probably the latter.
Personally, I feel victimized as well—though not at all to the extent of the women that Cosby allegedly sexually assaulted.
I'm in that other boat of victims—the fans who, like me, have fond memories of Bill Cosby's comedy attached to our childhood hips.
I don't know about you, but I certainly can't look at Cosby the same way again. How can you?
Now, you can stick to your legal guns and urge everyone to wait until the courts have at this brouhaha before we render judgment.
You would, technically, be on the right side of the argument if you took that tack.
But emotions and memories and gut feelings don't ride technicalities.
I am sure that many of us have tried and convicted Bill Cosby in our minds. That's our prerogative, frankly. We are all entitled to our opinions.
The challenge now is to put aside our personal disappointment in Cosby, should these allegations prove to be true, and focus our empathy on the women he may have victimized.
If Cosby is proven to have drugged and sexually assaulted even one woman, it's Olly olly oxen free. All bets are off and his image should be sullied forever.
If Cosby did these despicable things, we've all been victimized. We've all been made fools of, for decades. We would have fallen in love with a fraud and a sexual predator.
But we still would not have suffered as his alleged victims have, for lo these many years.
Let's not forget that.
Smile! (Or not)Posted by: | Comments
Allen Funt created television's Candid Camera. But he was not the star.
If Funt were alive today, he would concur.
Funt, who took the idea of a roving microphone capturing unguarded moments from the days of radio and turned it into a TV phenomenon, also never liked the notion that his show made fools out of unsuspecting people.
Funt preferred to think that Candid Camera was more of a series of case studies on human behavior, rather than a gag-filled half-hour.
Regardless, the star wasn't Funt, though he hosted the in-studio segments and often appeared during the hidden camera "case studies."
The stars of Candid Camera were always the people—the folks whose behavior was being chronicled in a very unfiltered and unscripted way.
Therefore, the laughs that resulted were always from the audience's glee at the reactions of the unwitting, caught by Funt's hidden camera.
But that was then.
TV Land has trotted out a new version of Candid Camera, hosted by Funt's son, Peter, and actor Mayim Bialik.
As in Allen Funt's original version, the hosts in the studio don't matter. Not that the younger Funt and Bialik do a poor job (they don't), but they aren't the stars.
The new version, however, falls flat.
It's not the fault of Funt and Bialik. It's the fault of the people. And that's not even fair, really.
The charm of the original Candid Camera was not only watching normal people in abnormal situations, it was in the reveal—that moment when Funt, et al would finally let the unsuspecting in on the joke.
"You're on Candid Camera!"
But back in the original show's days, there weren't cameras all over the place. There weren't cell phones and tablets and the like, all equipped with cameras that could be whipped out at a moment's notice, ready to capture just about anything the possessor wished to capture, newsworthy or not.
Today, people aren't stunned or shocked by the presence of a camera, even if they didn't know one was trained on them for a case study.
So the reaction to the reveal in the new version is, well, muted.
And a muted reaction isn't very entertaining to the TV viewers.
Now, that might not be so bad if the situations the people are placed in made up for the less-than-spectacular reveal reactions.
But they don't.
Candid Camera debuted in 1948 and there have been a few relaunches along the way. So we're talking 66 years, essentially, of the show's existence. That's a long time and it's hard to come up with fresh new stuff.
Allen Funt, back when this notion still had the power to amaze
But again, the society in which we live makes it awfully difficult for us to be flabbergasted anymore by what we see going on in front of our eyes.
Whether it's a soap dispenser at a market that doesn't stop dispensing or a retail outlet that charges a $10 fee to shop in the store as opposed to online (both used in the new version), does anything really surprise us anymore?
The charm of Candid Camera was rooted in two certainties that existed decades ago that simply don't anymore—a much more impressionable public and a genuine amazement that a hidden camera could be set up. The people were video virgins, so to speak.
Today's society is far less impressionable and there are cameraseverywhere anymore. In fact, it seems like we are all on camera more than we aren't, when you add security cameras and the like into the mix.
I think it would be more of a surprise if the revealing person shouted, "You're NOT on camera now!"
Still, I give TV Land credit for trying to appeal to those of us who remember when an evening with Allen Funt and company was truly a special event. The situations were comical, the reactions were priceless and the reveals were the cherry on top.
However—and it's not TV Land's fault—today's society is just so damned hard to amaze and impress. And we are certainly not aghast at the notion of a camera lens shooting us through a hole in a wall.
The result is that watching the new Candid Camera is like dusting off an old Jack-in-the-Box and failing to be stunned by the clown popping out—while being wistful of the days when it did.
Editor's note: The following e-mail arrived from none other than Peter Funt himself, who saw this post, on October 1, 2014:
Funny thing about the "original." There's no bigger fan of my Dad's work than me, and I never suggest that my stuff is as good as his was at his prime. However, I find that our memories have a way of distorting and condensing and selecting from the past. I think what you and some other viewers are, in effect, saying is: When I recall the handful of fabulous reveals that Allen got over decades – perhaps seen in highlights or "best of" packages – they're better than what Peter gets week in and week out. How true!
Tears of a Class ClownPosted by: | Comments
I suspect that comedians and actors who cause moviegoers and viewers to feel a wide range of emotions are often feeling wide ranges of emotions themselves. Their roller coaster sometimes makes one too many bumps and they fly out of the car.
Tall, Dark and OklahomanPosted by: | Comments
James Garner was once asked if he'd ever do a nude scene on camera.
"I don't do horror movies," he said.
Rim shot.
Garner, who died on Saturday at age 86, was a Hollywood leading man but a humble Oklahoman at heart.
"I got into the business to put a roof over my head," he once said. "I wasn't looking for star status. I just wanted to keep working."
And work he did, especially in the 1960s, when Garner was often teamed with the biggest female names in movies, such as Doris Day (Rock Hudson is more famously connected with Day, but Garner did his fair share with her as well), Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and Kim Novak.
The film boom for Garner was set up by his work in TV's Maverick, in which he starred from 1957-60, playing old Western card shark and ladies man Bret Maverick. The show went toe-to-toe on Sunday nights with The Ed Sullivan Show and The Steve Allen Show, more than holding its own.
If you were a casting director and could mail order a leading man, Garner would arrive at your office.
He was tall, dark and handsome, and possessed a self-effacing style bereft of cockiness. His Oklahoma lilt, which he never tried to disguise, added to the down home feel that just about all of his characters had.
Garner, for a brief time, even dabbled in auto racing, an interest that was piqued when he co-starred in 1966′s Grand Prix. Garner thus joined Steve McQueen and Paul Newman as actors/racers.
But mention James Garner, and even today the first thing likely to spill from peoples' lips is The Rockford Files, NBC's series that ran from 1974-80. Loosely based on Garner's Bret Maverick, brought into modern times, the private investigator Jim Rockford character landed Garner an Emmy Award in 1977.
Some old-timers like yours truly will also recall Garner in a popular series of Polaroid TV commercials in the late-1970s, early-1980s, sharing the screen with Mariette Hartley. The chemistry between the two was so genuine that many viewers thought the pair was married in real life, even though the commercials never really suggested that they were playing a wedded couple.
Garner left The Rockford Files in 1980, not because of poor ratings or disenchantment with the show, but because of the physical toll. Garner, who was an athlete in high school (football and basketball), insisted on doing his own stunts, and the result was significant damage to his knees and back.
In his later years, Garner really used his tall Oklahoman stature to his advantage, often playing rugged, wise cowboys and fatherly and grandfatherly figures. His characters would occasionally fall in love as well.
Speaking of falling in love, Garner did that well, too—and fast. He married Lois Clarke in 1956—just two weeks after they met. He remained married to her until his death.
Despite his own stable marriage, Garner once offered that "Marriage is like the Army. Everyone complains. But you'd be surprised at the large number of people who re-enlist."
And to show how much Bret Maverick resonated in Garner's hometown of Norman, Oklahoma, the city unveiled a 10-foot tall bronze statue of the actor as Maverick in 2006, with Garner present for the ceremony.
Garner once explained his acting theory, such as it was.
"I'm a Spencer Tracy-type actor. His idea was to be on time, know your words, hit your marks and tell the truth. Most every actor tries to make it something it isn't [or] looks for the easy way out. I don't think acting is that difficult if you can put yourself aside and do what the writer wrote."
Here's the irony in Garner's words: he may have been acting and "putting himself aside," but to watch him on screen was to have the feeling that James Garner was just being James Garner.
He could have done much worse. And so could have we.
Movies No-Longer-On-DemandPosted by: | Comments
The corner video store has turned into the city video store.
Time was that you couldn't walk much more than 500 feet in any direction without running smack into a joint that rented VHS tapes. Then, you couldn't walk much more than 2,000 feet without running into a place that rented DVDs.
Now, you can drive for most of a Sunday afternoon without seeing more than a couple video stores.
They close all the time these days, but locally there is a closing that might tug on some heart strings.
I used to go out of my way to venture into Thomas Video. So did everyone else, because there was only one Thomas Video—literally and figuratively.
Thomas Video, the favorite of the intense B-movie fan, is closing up shop. To many, this is like the news of a loved one with a terminal disease passing away. You knew it was coming.
Thomas Video has been located in Royal Oak since 2009, but I remember visiting when it was on Main Street, south of 14 Mile Road, in Clawson.
Like I said, I went out of my way, even when I lived in Warren from 1995-2007.
I went out of my way because there was no place like Thomas Video (TV).
It wasn't so much about renting movies (maybe that was part of why they went out of business) as it was just taking it all in.
The lighting was drab, the place was littered with old, museum-like television sets and the videos were stuffed onto shelves in a sort of haphazard way. But the appeal was great.
Thomas Video was a destination spot because they carried movies and shlock that no other so-called "big box" store would dare touch.
I'm not talking about Godzilla movies from the 1960s. That was child's play for TV.
You had to be a hard-core movie historian or dweeb to have heard of half the titles that TV stocked.
There were also shelves upon shelves of hard-to-find industry magazines and books. There was also an impressive selection of comic books, almost as a complement to the movies—or maybe to keep with the nerdy theme.
Personally, I only rented a few titles. I mainly went there to browse. Maybe in a way I am partly responsible for the store's closing.
Even TV's owners saw the writing on the wall.
"We probably should have done this a long time ago," co-owner Jim Olenski told the Detroit Free Press. "Business has been really bad over the last few years."
TV started in 1977, right about when home video started to take off. But Olenski blames video-on-demand, NetFlix and other movie-viewing platforms for chomping into TV's customer base.
Thomas Video co-owner Jim Olenski in the late-1990s
The sad irony is that while those methods of watching movies have indeed taken down a bunch of video stores, TV prided itself on notbeing one of the bunch.
The appeal of Thomas Video was that you could find titles there that literally no one else offered. Yet that novelty wasn't enough to keep TV going, apparently.
TV wasn't just a store for hard-to-find titles. It also functioned as an intimate location for cult celebrities like The Ghoul and actor Bruce Campbell ("Evil Dead") to hang out and sign autographs.
Olenski put it best, in a self-tribute to him and partner Gary Reichel.
"We wanted to be the last video store standing, and we almost were."
Olenski and Reichel did better than many others who didn't have the guts or the vision to stock the titles that Thomas Video offered.
In fact, maybe that's why they survived for as long as they did.
Later, DavePosted by: | Comments
It's not easy to be a trailblazer when so many of the trails have already been blazed, but David Letterman somehow managed to blaze one anyway.
You may think that late night television was an already-mined resource by the time Letterman, 66, came along in 1982, hosting "Late Night with David Letterman" on NBC.
It's true that TV at the witching hour was nothing new in 1982, having been first attempted some 30 years prior and being refined for 20 years by Johnny Carson when NBC gave Letterman a late night slot, following Carson's "Tonight Show."
But it turned out there was still plenty that Letterman found to do that not even the iconic Carson managed to discover.
Letterman announced today, somewhat shockingly during the taping of "The Late Show with David Letterman," that 2015 will be the year of his retirement.
"This (retirement) means Paul (bandleader Shaffer) and I can finally get married," Letterman said to a crowd that seemed to need the laugh to digest the news. But Letterman was serious—about the retirement part.
The longtime late night host said he had a phone conversation with CBS president Les Moonves not long before tonight's taping and informed Moonves that 2015 would see the end of Letterman's run on "The Late Show."
Letterman was a morning loser when NBC gave him a mulligan—a big time mulligan—and put Letterman where his milieu clearly was, in late night.
Letterman's morning show, which lasted just a few months in 1980, was a critical success of sorts (two Daytime Emmys) but a ratings disaster.
But he was back less than two years later, after midnight.
Where Letterman was able to forage—and where Carson either chose not to go or simply never thought of going—was in the mostly unexplored forest of pulling life's non-celebrities into the party.
While Carson would occasionally interview folks like an old lady who collected potato chips that looked like people and animals, Johnny's genius was in his gregarious chats with the famous and in his sketch comedy bits.
Letterman made 15-minute celebrities out of the every man with bits like "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "Stupid Human Tricks." He also made Larry "Bud" Melman—real name Calvert DeForest, a little-known actor but his day job was working for a pharmaceutical company—famous with Larry Bud's strangely humorous appearances, which many times made it seem like the joke was on Melman.
While Carson ventured into the crowd for bits like "Stump the Band," Letterman took it one step further and blended crowd games with cameos from comedic actor Chris Elliott, with hilarious results.
And while Carson had Doc Severinsen and Tommy Newsome leading the "Tonight Show" band and functioning as occasional kibitzing partners, Letterman and Shaffer formed almost a tag-team comedy duo, chatting during the first 10 minutes of each show like they hadn't spoken with each other all day.
It's no coincidence that pretty much every late night show after Letterman's employed a band with a leader who tried to be Paul Shaffer Light.
Sid Caesar and company started doing "Man on the Street" bits in the 1950s (something Carson never really did), but Letterman again turned it up a notch, beseeching the regular folks to partake in stunts and pull pranks on other unsuspecting folks—their colleagues, so to speak.
There are many other directions that Letterman took late night comedy and talk, but they are too numerous to mention here. Suffice it to say that while the genre had been discovered, Letterman took that block of clay and molded it.
"The time has come," Letterman said today in announcing his retirement a year hence.
He wasn't emotional, he wasn't melancholy. He sounded like a man comfortable in his place and with his timing.
It was as if he was saying, "My job here is done."
Which, it is.
Oscar's WeinersPosted by: | Comments
The distinctly debonair, razor-thin, legendary British actor was in the middle of his scripted bit of monologue when suddenly the crowd was in an uproar.
It was 1974, in the middle of an American craze that inexplicably had caught on ever-so-briefly, as so many other American crazes seem to do—-inexplicably.
This particular craze was called "streaking," or running naked through a very public place. The nation's ballparks and football stadiums, to name just a couple venues, were being overrun by those sans clothing, making their mad dashes.
And now the Academy Awards show was being interrupted by a streaker. He was male, even if just barely.
David Niven, startled by the sudden burst of hoots and howls from the audience, turned and looked to see what the commotion was all about. A streaker was moving behind him, across the stage, flashing the "peace" sign with his fingers.
Straying off script, Niven commented with spot-on—as they say in his country—comedic timing.
With typical British cool among chaos, Niven quipped, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen… But isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?"
The Academy Awards—better known as The Oscars—are on this Sunday. Niven's streaker incident was hardly the first time that the Awards were used to showcase one's, ahem, views. Nor would it be the last.
Actors have used their acceptance speeches to push political agendas. Marlon Brando sent a supposed Native American (it's been widely suspected that she was merely another actor, ironically) to refuse to accept his Best Actor Award for "Godfather", purportedly in protest of the country's treatment of American Indians.
George C. Scott declined his Best Actor Oscar for "Patton" because he didn't like the political machinations of the Awards themselves. So he stayed home and watched a hockey game. True story.
Woody Allen made news by deliberately declining to attend the Oscars when "Annie Hall" was up for Best Picture, so he could keep a weekly clarinet-playing date in a New York club.
Those are just a few examples.
Others have put their foot in their mouths accidentally in acceptance of their awards, blurting out curse words or other untoward, awkward things.
And who can forget Sally Field's, "You LIKE me! You really LIKE me!"?
Personally, I enjoy watching the Oscars, but mainly to pick them apart. I guess I'm masochistic that way.
I hope to be entertained and laugh along the way, however. With Ellen DeGeneres hosting this year, the odds of that happening are good.
I also look forward to the montage of those in the film industry who we lost since the last Oscars. Invariably there's someone about who my wife and I will look at each other and say, "(Fill in the blank) DIED? I didn't know that!"
Even the montage has angered me in the past. The omission of Farrah Fawcett several years ago still rankles me.
Yes, the ceremony is notorious for running long and some of the speeches are boring and still others will make you squirm a little, but there are also some kick-ass ones as well.
Watching the Oscars is probably like sitting in the kitchen and eating ice cream right out of the carton, but it only comes once a year, so view with impunity.
Now…if they could only move it to Saturday night. The damn thing goes past midnight and people have to work the next day, don't you know!
Oh, and here's the famous Niven clip.


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