Bistro cakes and sugar flakes

One my favorite ways to waste time during the day on the weekend is to find a yummy brunch spot and just lounge around. Although Austin doesn't have row after row of quaint pedestrian streets lined with cutesy cafes run by culinarily-gifted locals, we do have several lovely food carts that have just as much variety and homegrown flavors. The latest addition to our food cart scene is La Boite Cafe on South Lamar. Housed in a cart that seems to have been inspired by the Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic, it offers European bistro-style eats including brioche au chocolat, French press coffee, and pastries baked fresh daily.
I def. hope to spend some time there this weekend.

Lovar of the week

Happy Friday! To usher in the weekend, I present to you the first of my series of "Lovar of the week." I'd be lying through my teeth if I said my love for European things does not extend to the menfolks. It does, it does, oh my it does. A cheeseburger is a cheeseburger unless it was handed to you by a gentleman gifted with a regal old-worldly British or romantic French or even a slightly stoic Scandinavian accent. In which case, it becomes a zexy cultural artifact that a fascinating gent just bestowed upon you.
(In fact, the name of this blog, Accent Goggles, refers to the term a friend of mine gave to coolness factor of culture, places and men being elevated based on their being international in origin. We all know this to be true to some degree ;))

Anyway, my first lovar of the week is British dude Matthew Goode. I first saw him about a year ago, lookin' all good 'n posh in the remake of Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited. I saw him again recently in a terrible TERRIBLE sappy rom-com called "Leap Year," that was full of plot-holes and insults to the intelligence. However, I can almost guarantee ridiculous repeat viewings based solely on the gorgeous Irish country scenery and of course Matthew Goode's lovely mug. Then literally the next day, I saw him yet again (much to my pleasant surprise) using a Yank accent to do evil things as Ozymandias in "The Watchmen." After watching these three films, at least I know this dude can act.

I could of course also be partial to Mr. Goode (above and right below) due to the resemblance he bears to my absolute bestest guy friend (second photo, below):





Either way, hawtness abound. Mkay, time for free margs and Mexican food to kick off the weekend properly!

Year that was - Part Uno

Like clockwork, we are bombarded by 'top ten' or 'top 25' or similarly titled lists when a year wraps up. In that spirit, I want to chronicle the five European films that I really enjoyed this past year, followed by a wishlist of ten that I want to see in 2010 (get it? List of 10 in 2010? I'm so clever, harhar). I only have European 5 films from 2009 because many of them were never released in theaters domestically, and have yet to be released on DVD. Plus, I did see a good many widely-known European flicks such as "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" and "Sherlock Holmes," but given their accessibility, those hardly warrant mention.

1. In the Loop
I'm listing this one first for many reasons; it was absolutely the funniest film I have seen in a long time. The mockumentary format in which it was shot took the subject manner (spoof of Anglo-American politicos) and transformed it into a witty and sometimes shocking play-by-play of the days leading up to an international invasion. As seen through the eyes of director Armando Iannucci, anyway. Also, the re-quoteability index is ridiculously high. Check out the trailer:

2. Harry Brown
I love Sir Michael Cane. Especially when he is a gun-yielding, hard-talking vigilante justice bad ass, as he is in this film. This film is violent, yes, but still a good look at urban youth culture gone somewhat awry in Northern Ireland.



3. London River
A beautiful cinematic piece showing how in a time of terror and sorrow, religion is often just an after thought. Perhaps because of my own background, this movie really struck a cord. I hope and wish that a similar film will be made soon that covers similar subject matter in the aftermath of 9/11.
Sidenote, I've always been a fan of Brenda Blethyn, and she really nails it in this one.



4. Is Anybody There?

Lovely English scenery + Michael Caine again + coming-of-age tale = me like. Corny, but it still pulls at my heart strings.



5. Tomorrow at Dawn (Demain dès l'aube)

This was particularly hard to get a hold of but it was worth it. Being that I do posses some of the largest accent goggles ever, even though I couldn't seem to understand what was going on perfectly, I would watch this movie over and over again. The scenery is lovely and the overall message was resounding. Plus, eye candy! Yeah!



Wishlist of 'Ten to see in 2010' coming soooooon.

New Year, New Blog

I re-read this dessert blog the other day, and it made me realize just how much I miss blogging. However, I decided that if I was going to get back into blogging, it had to be for something more than just sweets. It had to be for something that excited me in more than just a gastronomical capacity. Furthermore, it had to be on a subject that I would write about just enough so that when I looked back at this blog several years from now, I would be able to get some insight into something (or rather a place, or even an idea) that really inspired me. Even if I am the only one who ever reads it.

So, in the coming weeks I am going to re-vamp this blog, and write on a topic that has been of remarkable interest to me since before the Spice Girls made their mark on cultural relevancy. That is, random European things that make me happy or incite my curiosity. This could be music, film, fashion, architecture, places, people, so many things! Blogging about these things will also help alleviate the restlessness that I am sure to have until I inevitably return to my beloved destination for the summer.

The possibilities excite me! In the mean time, here is a photo I took at the Berlin wall last summer. My favorite, to be exact.