Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 550

February 5, 2011: And back to Vancouver!

Just in time for Superbowl Sunday.  I'll be cooking up some Berkshire pork chops with thyme, rosemary, and rendered bacon for the big game which I'll be watching with Ivon and co. Given the time, I may even attempt a tiramisu.  But given how I'm feeling right now, it's a long shot.  I feel as though I'll be sleeping in 'til kickoff.

Today was a travel day.  But, mercifully, the best kind of travel day.  The kind that sees you sleeping late, checking out at noon, then catching a flight back to the west coast and gaining three hours in the process.  It's 8:35 PST time as I write this entry but my mind is on Eastern Standard Time, so just in case I start making less than usual, please forgive me.

I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with Paul and Alex this morning.  That simplicity of that bowl of a oatmeal was a much needed respite from the upscale dining I'd enjoyed during my stay.  We sat back, chatted, and considered possible scenarios ranging from the possible to the highly unlikely.  There's still a good chance we'll be involved in the production, though perhaps not to the extent we'd originally planned.

Still, regardless of whether we come back or not, I will say I had a very good week – much better than I'd expected.  And one of the high points was getting to know this guy -

Writer/Exec. Producer Alexander M. Ruemelin.

Didn't know anything about him going in and I was admittedly a little nervous since there was a good chance I'd be working with the guy for an entire season.  As it turned out, I was mightily impressed.  He's terrific in the room, has a great story sense, and – bonus – is one hell of a funny guy.  I'll miss him.  The other day, I received an email from Carl Binder who decried the fact that he'd already been replaced in the writers' room by an equally ranty German.

Lots of pre and post-flight emails and text messages certainly made for an interesting day – and holds the promise of an equally interesting Sunday and, possibly, Monday. Something tells me Paul and I may be convening to discuss action set-pieces after all.

Meanwhile, for all those wondering – which I assume is A LOT of you – the Stargate situation remains fluid, and the tidbits of information I've received continue to sound very promising for a conclusion to the SGU story (in addition to a few more goodies).  It's slow but positive progress.  Hopefully, I'll know more this Tuesday when I go in to watch the Day 1 mix of Blockade and Day 2 mix of Common Descent.

February 4, 2011: Toronto Day #4!

Today, we went out for little test drive.  Wow!  What a sweet ride!  Beside handling like a dream, this little baby was outfitted with so many bells and whistles you would think it was on loan from M's private reserve: front, rear and side sensors, keyless entry, night vision, and what appeared to be a pedestrian targeting system. I want one!

For lunch today, the room was torn between wings and Vietnamese.  And so, we decided to split up, take out, and reconvene back in the conference room.  Paul, Alex, and I headed over to Wild Wings (?) two blocks down from the hotel.  The place was packed!  I informed the manager that we wanted to take out.  Well, no sooner had we started perusing the menu than a woman marched up to the guy and let him have it: "I realize we're a big group, but we've been waiting an hour for our food!".  As the manager scurried back to the kitchen to find out what was up, we decided that an hour was fifty-five minutes longer than we were willing to wait for wings, so we left, opting for Vietnamese instead.

Well, Vietnamese.  And Chinese.  And Thai.  The place, Spring Rolls, is one of those Pan-Asian restaurants that do a lot of everything.  Except, evidently, Korean.  We caught up with Rob and Mathias, added our order to the take-out list, then returned to the conference room where we settled down to the worst Asian food I've ever eaten in my life.  And – trust me – I've eaten a lot.  The chicken was doughy and devoid of flavor; the broccoli a taste-trifecta of sweet, sour, and corrosive.  If pressed to guess the main seasoning for the pad thai, I'd go with laundry detergent.  Had the chef suddenly strolled in at some point and kicked me in the groin, I would have accepted it as a distressing yet thematically consistent component to the Spring Rolls dining experience.

There were plenty of leftovers.

Mathias looks forward to lunch. In retrospect, we would have been better off eating that plant.

We spent the afternoon talking writers, directors, stunts, visual effects, and tight TIGHT TIGHT schedules.  Then, it was time for Klaus to bid us all a fond farewell.  But not before presenting us with a gift -

A mainstay of most writers' room, the "logic grenade" will get tossed in to a spin session with horrific consequences: shattered acts, severed arcs, fractured character motivations. This will, of course, require emergency measures like narrative bypasses and idea transplants.  In extreme cases, the amputation of entire scenes may be necessary.

All systems go for Klaus.

Since we're flying out tomorrow, we said most of our goodbyes today.  Klaus headed off to catch his flight, Sue and Fred left to tend to other production matters, and Rob elected to spend some quality time with his family, leaving Paul, Alex, Mattias, and me to fend for ourselves.

Fortunately, there were still a couple of restaurants on my Toronto Top 10 list I hadn't gotten around to visiting.  And so, for dinner tonight, we went to Splendido Restaurant. Highlights included:

Gnocchi with Parmigiano Reggiano and Molise Black Truffle. Sublime. One of the most paradoxically intense yet refined truffle dishes I've ever enjoyed – earthy, aromatic, buttery delicious.





Suckling pig with boudin noir, sweet potato puree and roasted shallot. Another perfect dish.





Both Alex and Mathias had the elk striploin with boudin noir, Niagara cherries, parsnip and chocolate. And they were very happy with their choice.

Paul and I split two desserts: the salted caramel and chocolate tart with dark chocolate gelato and peanuts (good but I found the chewy caramel a little difficult to negotiate) and an ice cream sandwich made up of broiche ice cream and Lindt chocolate biscuit (also good).

Service was good though a little disinterested.  Still, it was the best meal I've had in Toronto.

So, for those keeping count, of the top tier restaurants I visited on this trip, they would rank: #1: Splendido, #2: George, #3: Nota Bene, #4: Colborne Lane.

I was going to call that gnocchi dish the highlight of the night – until Mathias, at the wheel of the dream car, stalled it out halfway through the execution of a bold mid-street u-turn, blocking traffic in both lanes.  In the back seat, a mortified Alex launched into a rambling, extended apology that continued for as long as it took Mathias to finally regain control of the situation.

Sigh.  Alas, just before dinner I received word that we weren't able to reach a deal on this show.   It's too bad because I had a great time this week in the room breaking stories.  In fact, I had a MUCH better time than I expected I would.  Oh well.  L.A., here we come!

Finally, an extra special thanks to Robert Cooper and Alex M. Rumelin, two very talented guys, whose involvement will ensure this series will kick ass regardless.

Today's blog entry is dedicated to 2cats, because it's her birthday, and das, just because.

February 3, 2011: Toronto Day #3!

Today, we were back at the production offices/killing fields to finish beating out episode 2.  We arrived to find Rob waiting for us.  Also waiting for us was our second treat in as many days, compliments of Mr. Cooper.  This time: bagels, cream cheese, and rugelach that, as far as I could tell, came in five different flavors: delicious chocolate, delectable cinnamon, tasty apricot, alright cherry, and abysmal crisco.  Then, the wonderful Anna, who gifted us with an assortment of chocolates on Tuesday, gifted us with another assortment today.  As I munched on dark chocolate-covered marzipan, thoughts turned to lunch and the veal cutlet sandwiches we'd heard so much about from California Sandwiches.  It was at this point, that Alex launched into one of his most entertaining rants of the week -

Alex in rant mode.

According to Alex, he's never met people so food-obsessed.  If we're not talking about what we're going to eat for breakfast, we're talking about what we want to eat for lunch.  If we're not talking about what we want for lunch, we're talking about what we'd like to have for dinner.  And if we're not talking about what we're planning to eat, then we're talking about what we recently ate.  Alex felt the need to point out that we'd enjoyed the hotel's breakfast buffet followed by bagels with cream cheese and rugelach followed by chocolate followed by, in all probability, a veal cutlet sandwich for lunch!  He made it clear that while he would accompany us to California Sandwiches, he would, in all probability sit out lunch.

The big-ass veal cutlet sandwich Alex ate at California Sandwiches. And, yes, he ate the whole thing.

We returned from lunch to discover more treats awaiting our arrival: chocolate chip cookies and chocolate toffee brittle, compliments of Anna again!

Anna presents...Treat Time III: The Quickening!

As I started snacking on the cookies, an incredulous/disgusted Alex declared he couldn't watch and was going out to walk off his sudden onset queasiness.

Amateur.  Give him two months with me and he'll be eating like a pro!

Anyway, besides eating, we did manage to finish breaking episode 2 which is going to be A LOT of fun.

Later, we were joined by Sue, Klaus, and Matthias (who was delayed a day by the "snowstorm".  Apparently, Air Canada had informed him that they were under no obligation to get him on another flight to Toronto – this despite the fact that AIR CANADA had cancelled his original flight!) and we spent several hours discussing scripts, scheduling, stunts, visual effects, and North American vs. European location shoots.  We'll be picking up the conversation tomorrow but, regardless of how that chat goes, Paul and I have a pretty good idea of our game plan at least.  For now, all we have to do is write two scripts and a bible in two weeks.  Oh, and, hopefully, get a deal in place.

Tonight, I had dinner with Fondy.  Alas, Black Hoof (they of the brain ravioli) don't take reservations and Fondy didn't want to chance heading down and risking an unbearable wait.  I guess I'll have to save Black Hoof (they of – if a certain Toronto foodie is to be believed – the "hipster doucebag" clientele) for my return visit.  Instead, we had okay thai, then followed up with tea and some tea place.  I got to check out the T.O. property and, as a superfantastic bonus, also got to see kids…

Brie. What a big girl!

Stewie. Look at the size of those ears!

Tagged: french bulldogs, pugs

February 2, 2011: Toronto Day #2!

All I've been hearing about for days is "the snowstorm".  "The snowstorm is coming!"  "Big snowstorm on the way!"  "Get ready for the huuuuge snowstorm!".  Well, it finally hit last night.  And, this morning, I woke up to this -

That's it?  THIS is the result of "the snowstorm"?  I can't tell you how disappointed I was.  I was expecting snowdrifts as high as my hotel window (I'm on the 18th floor) and, instead, was woke up to little more than a light dusting.  What a rip off!  On the bright side, the expected snowstorm caused us to relocate today's spin session to one of the hotel conference rooms.  I was able to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading up to the second floor and wandered about in search of the right room.  Eventually I gave up and headed over to guest services where I was told that whoever reserved the room had requested the name of the production be kept quiet.  Ooooh.   Super secret stuff.  To all those asking, no, the super-secret show is not science fiction – nor is it any of the shows you've guessed yet.

I was directed to the right room -

I was the first one there.  Klaus arrived soon after.  He took slight umbrage to my referring to him as "the numbers man" in yesterday's blog, then redirected his ire to the infernal coffee machine that, apparently, was a disgrace to coffeedom.  I'm not a coffee guy but I could sympathize.  I feel somewhat the same way about supermarket chocolate.

Rob was the next one in, and he came bearing treats -

Who's the hungry writer/producer?

Macarons!

Chocolate croissants!

Madeleines and brownies!

Finally, Paul and Alex arrived and we got to work, spinning episode 2.

Alex has his morning coffee and is rarin' to go.





Rob's "I can't believe you actually think that's a good idea" look.





A pic of Paul only uploaded to prove his isn't a figment of my imagination.





The numbers man goes with "three".

We made some great progress on what promises to be a fun story, beating out a couple of acts before running out of steam.  And time.  Alex was especially pleased with the way the day went, less for our show-related accomplishments than the fact that lunch was much more downscale than our recent meals.  We went to Fran's Diner where he was finally able to enjoy a burger.

I've never seen him so happy.

Dinner was very different however.  We headed over to Colborne Lane, another one of the restaurants on my Toronto Top 10 wish list.  Still, reveling in the warm afterglow of that hamburger, Alex allowed me to order for him.  I thought about getting him the foie gras, but ultimately decided to go with some menu items I figured he'd enjoy.  And he did. He loved both his scallop appetizer and his beef tenderloin.  In fact, all of my fellow diners enjoyed their dinner.  I, on the other hand, thought the plates good but overcomplicated.

Squash soup with duck confit, brown butter, maple, and asian pear. The confit lay at the bottom of the bowl, hidden beneath a thin maple sheet that melted once the squash soup was poured over top. I quite liked the soup and brown butter combo, enjoyed the duck, but found some of the maple bits a chewy distraction. I also thought the pieces of a asian pear an odd textural addition to the dish.

Wild mushroom risotto with reggiano, whipped mascarpone and black truffle. Oh, and the wholly unnecessary addition of watercress.

For dessert, Paul and I, ever the romantics, went with the liquid nitrogen ice cream for two – served tableside, natch.

White chocolate creme fraiche ice cream. No discernible white chocolate sweetness but more of a pronounced creme fraiche tang - which I like if it's being served as an accompaniment to another dessert, but on its own doesn't really carry the dish. An odd assortment of accompaniments including a bizarre pumpkin flan I couldn't finish.

Sadly, the storm has passed so it looks like we'll be doing our spinning in the production offices tomorrow – back to that desolate tundra where the Russian mobsters ditch nuisance corpses.  On the bright side, Rob says he's bringing bagels.

February 1, 2011: Toronto Day #1 and #2!

I can't sleep well the night before I fly or, apparently, the night before I have to get up early for a big meeting – which is the all the more problematic when your that early wake-up call works out to a 4:30 a.m. rise and shine west coast time.

But I'm not on the west coast.  I'm in Toronto where I am enjoying (?) the ear-numbing chill of the type of winter I left behind long ago.  Following an uneventful flight (mostly spent reading Jeffrey Steingarten's immensely entertaining It Must Have Been Something I Ate), we touched down in Toronto early and caught a cab back to the hotel where the gang awaited us.  After checking in and dropping off our stuff, we headed downstairs where we joined Rob, Sue, Alex, and Klaus in the lounge for drinks and talk of cars, ice driving, Tokyo, Paris, and, of course, brain ravioli.  Paul, my writing partner, belittled my choice of cocktail (the moscow mule), then proceeded to order himself a "Manhattan with a twist", one of those drinks only ordered by characters in old Dashiell Hammett novels.

After drinks, Rob, Sue, Paul, and I headed to one of my Top Toronto picks: Nota Bene.  The highlights of the night…

Rabbit, Pork, and Pistachio Terrine with grainy mustard, cornichons, and toast.

Taglierini Pasta with shaved black truffle. Buttery rich, earthy, and phenomenally aromatic. Paul instantly regretted his decision to go with the scallops instead.

Rob's beautiful B.C. Black Cod with butternut squash puree and savoy cabbage.

Dessert #1: Broiche doughnuts and lemon curd with blueberry sorbet. My tastes tend toward the sweeter, but everyone else really enjoyed these.

Dessert #2: Sticky Toffee Pudding with pecan praline and spotted dick ice cream. No. For real. And excellent.

Dessert #3: Peanut butter brittle ice cream. Both ice creams were great. I regret not having gone with a fourth entry - pistachio ice cream.

Rob gives me the "I told ya so/I can't believe you ate that/Do you really want to end your third act with that?" look.

This morning, we were picked up and shuttled to the temporary production offices located in the far outskirts of the city.  It was, I suspected, a place popular with mobsters looking to clean up loose ends and make bodies "disappear".

Turns out we weren't the only production in the neighborhood…

We settled in and spent the morning discussing broad strokes: our main character, his backstory, his various relationships, how his past influenced his present, how events in the pilot will influence his future, and network demands.  Then, after lunch, we started beating out the pilot, managing an impressive Tease and three acts before running out of steam (due in no small part due being gifted a whack of chocolate bars including some dark chocolate-covered marzipan).  As much as I've enjoyed my time off, I've got to admit – it was fun to be back in a room, spinning stories.

 

Spinning with Rob. Just like old times!





Alex, who has done a huge amount of work to get the project this far, fights off jet-lag to pace and pitch.





While Klaus, the numbers man, discussed budgets and schedules in the next room.

 

Rob prepares to juggle ideas by the white board.

For dinner tonight, we headed to George where we enjoyed another excellent meal…

 

A perfectly situated table allowed us to check out all the Hell's Kitchen action.

There's Rob with that look again.

The bread platter. Fresh, fragrant and delicious - especially the focaccia.

L'Amuse Bouche: a tasty little duck terrine.

Whey fed pork belly with ricotta cavatelli, matsutake mushroom.

Rack of venison with potato perogies and mint yoghurt topped with pan-seared Quebec Muscovy foie gras. Perfection.

To finish: Chocolate mousse with coffee meringue and banana tempura. The pomegranate seeds studding my mousse were a nuisance but otherwise a great dessert.

The magnanimous Klaus picked up the tab for tonight's outing.

It was a short, albeit unbearably cold walk back to the hotel where we retired back to our respective rooms to await the coming snowstorm.  I hear it's going to be a BIG one.  To avoid having to brave the potentially treacherous conditions, they've wisely decided to relocate tomorrow's spin session from the remote stoolie-silencing fields of Don Mills to the quaint and cosy environs of the hotel conference room.

Pros: Love the show and all those involved I've met to date: Fred, Sure, Alex, and Klaus.  Would, of course, jump at the chance to work with Rob again.  So far, the Toronto restaurants are two for two.

Cons: Toronto aint growing on me.  It's cold and, without a doubt, the ugliest city I've ever visited.  And I've been to Jersey.  Also, it remains to be seen whether we'll be able to make a series deal.

Still, so far so good.  Looking forward to tomorrow's brainstorming.  And the brain ravioli at Black Hoof.

Tagged: George Restaurant, Nota Bene

January 31, 2011: Toronto-bound!

Okay.  All set and ready to fly!

Looks like it'll be an all-travel day, so I've lined up a few things to keep me occupied:

On my kindle:

The Boys from Brazil, by Ira Levin

Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain

Medium Raw, by Anthony Bourdain

It Must've Been Something I Ate, by Jeffrey Steingarten

The Men in the Jungle, by Norman Spinrad

On my laptop:

Six scripts for "the mystery project".

One set of network notes for "the mystery project".

One pilot script for the "untitled Carl Binder project".

On my iTunes:

Breaking Bad, season 1

Top Chef, season 2

Mother (Dir: Bong Joon-ho)

Transporter 3

It's a six hour flight to Toronto so, hopefully, between my stockpile and the in-flight entertainment, I won't be bored.

This week looks to be interesting as we assemble to discuss the show's direction and, more importantly, Paul, myself, and the production try to figure out whether we'd be a good fit.  It's kind of like a blind date.  A four day long, involved, occasionally argumentative, take-out-lunch-blessed blind date.  And, like any blind date, it will either culminate in a commitment and relationship, or an excuse to use the facilities followed by an attempt to sneak out the tiny window in the men's room.

January 30, 2011: Ready for T.O.! Cautiously optimistic! Things I made! Recommend me a Bat book!

Tomorrow is a travel day and that, of course, means a sleepless night spent tossing and turning, worrying about whether or not I've set my alarm properly.  It's an 11:30 flight so chances are, even if I do sleep in, I'll be able to get to the airport with plenty of time to spare.  I'm only gone for a week, so I'm traveling light.  That means only the barest of essentials: socks and underwear, toiletries, back-up suit, and chocolate.

I'm actually looking forward to going to Toronto for a week (which, please note, is very different from moving there), seeing Rob and Fondy (and Brie and Stewie), checking out some of the city's top restaurants, checking out my second home, and discussing the creative on the super-secret project.  To all those who've offered guesses: no, no, no, and no. It's not an existing series and I've only seen mention of its rumored development on a couple of websites about a month back.  Other than that, it's off the radar.  For now.  But I'm sure it'll have plenty of buzz once things really start to come together.

Speaking of buzz – I exchanged emails with Brad today and he reports another major hurdle has been cleared.  Almost there, Stargate fans.  Again, this is show business, so even the most promising of scenarios can go sideways fast (and dead-end scenarios turn around just as quickly).  Nothing is written in stone but things are looking MUCH better now than they did last week when things looked much better than they did the week before.  Meetings are still ongoing and I, like most of you, am really beginning to feel antsy.  Hopefully, by the time we head back into the office for the Day 1 Mix of Blockade, we'll have something more substantial to discuss.

Recent things I've made:

Frittata two-ways.

Kasu-Sake ice cream

Uni (sea urchin) capellini

Soup dumplings (actually, Akemi made this one).

If you've been tracking my Recent Reads in this blog's right sidebar (and I can't imagine why you wouldn't be), you'll have no doubt noticed that I've been on a Batman kick of late, working my way through a slew of dark knight-focused graphic novels.  Read some good ones, some bad ones, and plenty in between.  Last year, Lou Anders suggested I check out Batman: Year One Hundred which I did and greatly enjoyed (thanks, Lou).  Any other fans of the Bat out there who would be able to recommend a title?

January 29, 2011: Help me avoid a chocolate crisis! Sugar rush! Your Stargate dream team!

Oh, dear lord!  Breaking news!

Expert: World will run out of chocolate in a few years

World 'faces chocolate drought in 2014′

Chocolate Prices on the Rise

Cocoa price surges amid threat of Ivory Coast export ban

Time to rethink my annual chocolate party (April 18, 2010: The Greatest Chocolate Party Ever!).  Maybe it's just as well given that Stargate has ended and I may soon be Toronto-bound.  Okay, so if chocolate is going to be a problem, help me come up with an alternate food theme for the evening.

Some suggested subsititues:

Joe's Annual Carob Party!

Joe's Annual Pastry Party!

Joe's Annual Ice Cream Party!

Joe's Annual Peanut Butter Party!

Joe's Annual Marshmallow Fluff Party!

Joe's Annual Condensed Milk Party!

Joe's Annual Candy Apple Party!

Joe's Annual Bread Pudding Party!

Joe's Annual Doughnut Party!

Joe's Annual Halva Party!

Joe's Annual Crisco and Sugar Party!

Let me know which one you think is the way to go.

Got the travel memo and the game plan for next week in Toronto.  Fly in on Monday, dinner and downtime.  Then, Tuesday to Friday it'll be Paul, Rob, Alex and I talking character, story, scripts, and arcs.  Fly back to Vancouver on Saturday and then…who knows?  For now, what I do know is that I've got quite a bit of reading to do before I hit Toronto.

This afternoon, I met up with my friend Denise for a little dessert.  And when I say "a little", I mean "a lot".  We met at Thomas Haas and, over the course of the hour we spent chatting, we put away…

Two hot chocolates, extra thick.

Four macarons (two chocolate and two pistachio).

One almond mascarpone cake.

One stilton cheesecake.

Two salted caramel chocolates.

Four chocolate sparkle cookies (one pictured).

After which I went home and had dinner.

Now, for some reason, I'm feeling a little dizzy.

Anyway, in my sugar-addled state, my thoughts turned to Stargate.  I wondered: Given a most unlikely scenario in which I was given carte blanche to assemble a dream team from the franchise's three incarnations (SG-1, SGA, and SGU) and write a script based on their adventures, what might that team look like?  Well, in my case – pretty darn crazy. So crazy, in fact, that I doubt they'd let them off the base.

Team leader?

Master Sergeant Ronald Greer.

Tough, capable, dependable, courageous, yet totally unpredictable.  His out-of-the-box approach to most any situation would make for some very interesting developments.

Team science expert?

Dr. Rodney McKay.

He's snarky, smug, and annoying as hell but – damn – he is good at what he does.  And what he does is use his smarts to save the day.

Team strategist and quick-thinker?

Vala Mal Doran.

If you're in a tight spot, there's no one with better improvisational skills – or a talent for self-preservation (so stick close!).  Guaranteed to make any off-world outing VERY interesting.

Team muscle and survivalist?

Ronon Dex.

Sure, he's big, strong, and driven, but he's also smart and shown he's capable of weathering the toughest of  challenges, surviving the most daunting of scenarios.  He never gives up and he's always got your back.

Overseeing operations back on Earth and occasionally joining the team for the odd off-world jaunt?

Richard Woolsey.

Sometimes, the biggest threats are not alien in nature but hail from more familiar surroundings like, say, the corridors of power right here on planet Earth.  That's when you want a guy like Woolsey in your corner.  Diplomatic when he wants to be, ruthless when he needs to be, the former lawyer and company man has the savvy to keep operations running smoothly on the home front.

So, that's my dream team.  What do you think?  Should I start work on scripting their first adventure?

Given the same unlikely opportunity, who would make up your Stargate dream team?

January 28, 2011: Just wake me up if I have to go to Toronto! Lunch with Ryan! Still no word – in case you're wondering! Clearing my DVR!

So, to recap: 1. An opportunity presents itself that would take us to Toronto.  I agonize over the prospect of upending my life and moving back to the east coast, suffering sleepless nights, dizziness, stomach problems, and hives in the process.  Friends and business associates tell me I'd be a fool to pass up this opportunity.  Eventually, I come to terms with the possible location change and even, dare I say it, begin to look forward to the prospect of doing something new.  Then – 2. The opportunity seems to fizzle overnight, going from an-almost-sure-thing to unlikely.  I'm genuinely disappointed BUT simultaneously relieved.  I shift focus to my pilots and setting up some meetings in L.A.  Then – 3. Things turn around and, suddenly, we're back on track. Anxiety returns. How the hell do I get my dogs across the country without flying them cargo?  What do I do about my house?  Where the hell am I going to find good chocolate in Toronto?!  My writing partner talks me down.  Further conversations with Rob Cooper renew my interest.  We make plans to go to Toronto for a week where we will meet the main players, discuss creative, and find out whether we're all on the same page.  I look forward to it.  Then – 4. Things appear to fall through.  A deal seems unlikely.  Now I'm annoyed.  I wanted to try the brain ravioli at Black Hoof!  Fine.  Moving on.  Then – 5. We've got a deal! For next week anyway.  We ARE going to Toronto after all.

Still no definite word on the Stargate front although I am being cc'd on the various emails concerning meetings, etc.  Alas, a third season looking less likely, but there are other scenarios that would allow us complete this incredible journey.

Today, I had lunch at Refuel with Ryan Copple, Executive Producer of Riese.  Very smart, very ambitious guy with a ton of stuff on the go.  As it turns out, we have a hell of a lot in common, sharing an affinity for pugs, french bulldogs, science fiction, Japan, and anime.  Regarding the latter, as our meal wrapped up (I highly recommend the extra messy pulled pork sandwich by the way!) I suggested we come up with a short list of anime properties, hunt down the rights, and develop them as live-action propertiessomething I started to do twelve years ago before I was sidetracked by a little something called Stargate.

 

Ryan patiently humors me, allowing me to snap some pics for the blog while his parsnip soup gets cold.

Chocolate Pot de Creme with with caramel mousse and peanuts. Delicious and delightful in its textural contrasts. One of the two best desserts I've had at Refuel.

Sugar Pie with pear puree and vanilla ice cream. As a Montreal boy, I really appreciated this one. One of the other two best desserts I've had at Refuel.

Once I got home, I realized that I had to make some room on my DVR for the shows I want to record while I'm away next week (ie. Top Chef All-Stars), so I watched Pandorum. Meh.  Did like the ending though.  On the to-watch-as-soon-as-possible line-up: Coraline, Shutter Island, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Drag Me to Hell, Crank: High Voltage, District 9, Hot Tub Time Machine, Julie and Julia, two episodes of House, and two episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.  Looks like it's gonna be a busy weekend!

January 27, 2011: Not so fast!

I love this business.  Always expect the unexpected.  So after spending the better part of two weeks anxiety-ridden over the prospect of having to move to Toronto, I finally made peace with the possibility.  I listened to the assurances of friends, family, and representation.  I did more research on the franchise and, had to admit, it looked like a lot of fun.  I met the major players – over the phone – and found them smart and committed to producing a really great show.  This morning's conference call went swimmingly, the final hurdle before our big week-long pow wow in Toronto that would get the ball rolling.  Actually, not the final hurdle.  The second to final hurdle, the final hurdle being, of course, a general agreement on our deal. Nuh uh uh.  Not so fast!  The deal-making process has hit a bit of a snag so I'll hold off on unpacking that winter coat for the time being.

Damn.  I'd even gone through the trouble of putting together a preliminary restaurant list for my five night stay.  Thoughts?

The Black Hoof: Specializing in offal (that's organ meat, kids!).  Menu highlights include brain ravioli, duck heart tartare, and thinly sliced tongue sandwich with tarrragon mayo.  #1 on my list.

George: Highly recommended by none other than Robert Cooper himself.  Menu highlights include pork belly with ricotta cavatelli and chocolate mousse with coffee meringue and pumpkin butter.

Lai Wah Heen: High-end Chinese.  Menu highlights include wagyu dumplings and lobster dumplings.  But given all of the terrific Chinese restaurants in Vancouver, it's doubtful I'd make time for one in T.O.

Sushi Kaji: High-end sushi.  Unfortunately it's only omakase so there's no online menu to check out.  Also, Vancouver is chock full of great Japanese restaurants.  See above.

Splendido: Named one of Toronto's Top 10 New Restaurants of 2010 by Toronto Life.  Menu highlights include venison raviolo with porcini mushrooms, and foie gras parfait.

Nota Bene: Popular with Toronto "in crowd" (which is, I suppose, both good and bad).  Menu highlights include the stilton beef brisker burger and molten chocolate cake with peanut brittle ice cream.

Scaramouche: Thirty years old and still considered one of the city's best.  Menu highlights include red wine braised beef short ribs, lobster ravioli, and soft pistachio meringue.

Canoe: Fine dining with an awesome view of the city skyline.  Menu highlights include tea-smoked duck breast with foie gras, pork with lavendar and crispy pig ear, and warm sticky date pudding with whisky sauce and toffee bacon crunch.

Buca: An honorable mention in that Top 10 New Restaurants list, Buca serves up "artisanal Italian".  Menu highlights include fried pig ear and eel, and house cured salumi and lardo.

Colborne Lane: High-end, innovative dining.  In addition to a ten course Chef's menu, the restaurant offers a fifteen course kitchen table tasting menu ("Hey, you, eating the soup. Can you come over here and stir this risotto for me?").  Menu highlights include wild mushroom risotto with whipped mascarpone and black truffle.

Well, I'll know either way come tomorrow afternoon.  Plenty of time to book that Monday flight – and make those dinner reservations.

Still no word on the Stargate front.  Sorry, gang.  When I do hear, either way, I promise you'll be the first to hear.

Just got a text from my old Tokyo drinking buddy, Ivon, who is at home, replicating some of the cocktails we enjoyed at Star Bar.  He's already done the gin and fresh pear juice, now moving on to the Moscow Mules.  I told him that, just the other day, I invented my own drink.  I mixed together every fruit-based liqueur in my liquor cabinet (banana, watermelon, raspberry, grapefruit, lychee, and peach schnapps) and called it a"Fruit Cocktail".  Also, tonight, I'll be experimenting with Jaegermeister and Apple Fresh dishwashing liquid.  According to Ivon, that one's called a "Bubbly Lady"!