Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 276

May 25, 2018: Suji!

Relaxing with dad

Suji vs. fly

Suji vs. banana chips

May 24, 2018: Fried Chicken Fight – Toronto Edition (Round 1)!

Sure, I enjoy Iberico pork and shaved Alba truffles on risotto as much as the next guy,  but sometimes you want to take a break from the wagyu and o-toro and just enjoy the simpler things in life.  Like Nutella.  Or cabeza tacos.  Or, as was the case over recent days, some fried chicken.

I’ve had a hankering for fried chicken going on weeks and so I called on Toronto’s resident fried chicken expert, Elliot Sokolsky, to lead the way.  Unfortunately, since the last time I saw Elliot, he’s adopted one of those crazy diets where he avoids sugars and starches and fried chicken, but he made an exception for the occasion. (And, I’m hearing, regretted it soon after, but that’s a story for another blog post.  Maybe on his blog.)

Ivon Bartok (who no longer eats fried chicken and, instead, opted for one of those grass and shrub smoothies) and Akemi (who doesn’t like fried chicken) joined us for moral support…

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Our first stop was Gdous Juicy Chicken House (223 Spadina Ave.), a Taiwanese fried chicken chain that opened up in Toronto’s Chinatown about a month ago.

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Since we need to pace ourselves, we simply went with the double drumstick order. It was very crisp, with a surprisingly light coating, and the meat was tender.  My only criticism – the flavors were restrained and I felt they could have used more seasoning.

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The restaurant is in the midst of a soft opening, so a lot of its menu items are not yet available, but I look forward to coming back and checking out the spicy wings on my next visit.

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Don’t we all?

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Our second stop was one of food personality Anthony Bourdain’s favorites, the venerable Popeyes (400 Queen St. West), a ubiquitous establishment I – believe it or not – have never visited.

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Akemi and Ivon = super excited!

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I deferred to Elliot, the Popeyes veteran, who ordered up some tenders and Buffalo Wing sauce.  Overall, not bad but there was a notable drop-off in the quality of the chicken from Jdous.

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Our third stop was The County General (936 Queen St. West) where we ordered their signature County Fried Chicken (buttermilk fried chicken, Texas BBQ sauce, dill ranch, honey garlic herbs, pickles, corn bread).  The chicken was delicious, although I could have done with a lot less of the accompanying sauce.  Also, not a fan of cornmeal-crusting and its occasionally gritty texture.  Akemi loved the cornbread!

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And that was a wrap on the Elliot-assist.  The next day, however, Akemi joined me for second lunch at Buldak: Home of Hot Taste (658 Blood St. West) for their Korean fried chicken.  I was, honestly, overwhelmed by the enticing offerings and ultimately elected to go with a combo that included both their regular and spicy fried chicken.  The waiter attempted to steer me clear of the spicy version, warning me “It’s very hot.”  I told him I’d be fine.

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The original recipe was very good and served with a side of salt so that customers can presumably adjust to their preferred level (I definitely thought it needed a pinch).  As for the spicy fried chicken – wow!  I rated it a 7.5 (on 10) on my heat scale: fiery yet flavorful, sweet and savory, with a great crunch.  Akemi, on the other hand, rated it a 10 and then refused to hold my hand for the rest of the afternoon for fear I’d somehow transfer the spiciness despite the fact I used two wet towelettes and throughly washed my hands afterwards.

THE VERDICT?

Home of Hot Taste’s spicy fried chicken was, hands down, the winner of this extended outing.

I fully intend to check out some of Toronto’s other contenders.  But not before I pay a return visit to Home of Hot Taste so I can sample their green onion fried chicken and their Blazing Fire chicken with cheese.  Who’s in?!

May 23, 2018: Comic Book Covers of the Week!

My favorites…

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Achilles, Inc. #1 (cover art by Daniel Maine)

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Doctor Strange #390 (cover art by Mike Del Mundo)

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Falcon #8 (cover art by Jay Anacieto)

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Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk #1 (cover art by Skan)

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Star Wars #28 (cover art by David Marquez)

What did you like?  What did I miss?

May 22, 2018: Housekeeping beats!

First off, thanks to all those who weighed in with the kind words regarding our virtual Dark Matter season 4 premiere episode.  As I said, more than anything it was, for me, an exercise that allowed me to put the story (a story I’ve been sitting on for longer than you can probably imagine) out there.  Time and interest permitting, I’ll get around to Episode 4.02 in the not-too-distant future, a heist episode that reveals, among other things: an unlikely alliance, the fate of SIX and Tash, and the future of both Wexler and Ryo Ishida moving forward.

A great day today, highlighted by what was probably one of my best pitch meetings ever.  Of course, only time will tell if one of my ideas gets the nod (I’m holding out hope for either the sci-fi pitch, the other sci-fi pitch, the other sci-fi pitch, the other sci-fi pitch, or the horror pitch), but I’m feeling good about the chances and look forward to the possibility of collaborating with some terrific heavy-hitters.

A question from the comments section –

Liam asks: “Quick question on something unrelated.  I’ve recently discovered that there is a stargate universe comic, called “back to destiny”, which continues the SGU story after the end of season 2. Did you have any input in this at all? Is it what you would have done in season 3, had it been picked up?”

Answer: I had absolutely no input into the comic book and haven’t a clue what direction they took the story.  If you’re curious, here are a couple of ways we could have gone given the chance –

Stargate: Universe Beyond Season 2 – What Might Have Been

At one point, Paul and I were in talks to adapt the Stargate: Extinction script to the comic book format (the feature that would have seen Atlantis make its return to Pegasus), but we never got the chance to tell that particular tale.

FirstName writes: “For the future story, maybe consider a novel (not graphic novel). I would buy that for the greater depth it would provide. Is that a possibility?”

Answer: Sadly, not possible.  The time and effort required of me to write novels covering the show’s final two seasons ensure this’ll never happen.

David Walters writes: “Now after Dark Matter and The Expanse, maybe people will finally realize we need a Sci-Fi channel, not the SYFY channel?”

Answer: The Top 10 Sci-Fi Broadcast/Streaming Homes

Meanwhile – Oh, hey, a buddy of mine just got his top secret show picked up!  Congrats, my friend!  Shhhhhhhhh.

May 21, 2018: Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.01, Act 5 (of 5)!

Our virtual season premiere concludes…

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And there you have it.  Everything I had planned for Dark Matter’s fourth season premiere.  It would have been a blast.

Well, I feel much better having gotten that off my chest.  Of course, it’s just 1 of the 26 episodes I had burning a hole in the back of my mind since the show’s cancellation.  Still, it was a most satisfying exercise and, who knows, should I ever again have the urge, the motivation, and the fan support, I may well offer up a second installment of Dark Matter’s Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.02 – somewhere down the line.

Thoughts?

May 20, 2018: Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.01, Act 4 (of 5)!

Our story continues!

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Tomorrow = the conclusion to our Virtual Season 4 Premiere!

May 19, 2018: Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.01, Act 3!

Our story continues…

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May 18, 2018: Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.01, Act 2

Our story continues…

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May 17, 2018: Dark Matter Episode 401 – Act 1!

I experienced a range of emotions upon hearing of Dark Matter’s surprising cancellation: disbelief, anger, sadness, and a lot of frustration at the thought of leaving this story incomplete.  As most of you know, I went in with a game plan from Day 1, a thorough narrative blueprint encompassing every story and character arc over the show’s outlined five season run.  Of course, I know fans were equally frustrated given the fact that the show ended on the promise of aliens and androids and their disappointment compounded my own.  Over the course of the eight or so months since syfy dropped the ball (and us), I’ve been keeping busy with various development projects.  I’ve written scripts and overview and takes and, while enjoyable and creatively fulfilling to a certain extent, the process made me miss my show and my characters all the more.  And then, yesterday, while perusing the Dark Matter subreddit, I happen across a thread titled Season 4 Premises.  On a whim, I clicked replied with an overview of what I had planned for the first act of the first episode of season 4.  It was incredibly cathartic.  So, I headed over to twitter, and announced that I would do the same there, in more detailed fashion, offering up a breakdown of Dark Matter Season 4 Episode 401, Act 1.

In truth, it was really just a therapeutic exercise, but the fan response was overwhelming.  And so, I’ve decided to follow up with Act 2 tonight – and Acts 3, 4, and 5 over the next few nights – to give fans a glimpse at what might have been. And, also, to finally get this story off my chest.

Depending on how things go, who knows?  Maybe I’ll do the same for Episode 4.02.  And beyond.  It won’t be season 4 and 5 on the small screen but, hopefully, at the very least, it will offer fans some satisfaction and, most importantly, a degree of closure.

So, what did you miss last night?  Here’s the rundown of Dark Matter Season 4 Episode 4.01, Act 1…

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What do you think?  Leave me a comment in the comments section.

May 16, 2018: Best Comic Book Covers of the Week!

My favorites…

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A Walk Through Hell #1 (cover art by Jose Villarrubia)

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Cold War #4 (cover art by Hayden Sherman)

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Gideon Falls #3 (cover art by Greg Smallwood, Andrea Sorrentino)

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Infinity Countdown: Daredevil #1 (cover art by Clayton Crain)

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The Mighty Thor: At The Gates of Valhalla #1 (cover art by Nick Derington)

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The Punisher #224 (cover art by Clayton Crain)

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You Are Deadpool #3 (cover art by Rahzzah)

So, which was your favorite?