Dinner and a Movie

Feb. 10, 2005
By Katie Kerr and Lisa Larranaga
Staff Writers

Movie: The Aviator

LISA: Soaring back into award night domination, Leonardo Dicaprio once again took a true biographical story and made it into a masterpiece.  "Aviator", which can be related in length and award nominations to "Titanic", proved to be worthy of the $8.75  fare.  I was skeptical of the movie coming in, as I heard it was too lengthy and boring.  After sitting through the two and a half hour movie, it proved otherwise.

The storyline of the brilliant, handsome and quirky Howard Hughes kept me guessing -- but to no avail.  There was no way of knowing where the story was leading, like the reality it portrayed.  Through the excellent picture the viewer got an idea of the demons Hughes battled in his mind. 

It would have been nice to have a more concrete ending, as I still had unanswered questions at the end of the picture and wasn't sure if he was still living or dead.  Other than that and a numb behind from sitting so long, the movie portrayed Howard Hughes strengths and weaknesses without letting his genius fade.

KATIE:  With all the Oscar buzz surrounding "The Aviator", Lisa and I decided that it was a movie that we had to check out.  The story of Howard Hughes was nothing short of a compelling story displayed in a different light.  Martin Scorsese directs the story of a young wealthy man who develops his career from the movie business to aviation while battling with a harsh condition of obsessive compulsive disorder.  It was interesting to see the different famous actresses that made appearances throughout the film.  Katharine Hepburn is portrayed by the astounding Cate Blanchett, and Kate Beckinsale made a short but impressive acting job of portraying Ava Gardner.  Scorsese has changed and added a new twist to his directing, which makes for an interesting view into this troubled mans life.

I was really impressed with the complexity that was added to the film and the personality traits that Dicaprio did so well to express.  Overall, I strongly suggest this movie as it is a very refreshing and different type of movie that a huge movie fan like myself can really appreciate.  Although I did enjoy the film tremendously, I don’t think it is worthy of best picture, but we will have to wait and see if the academy agrees with me!

Lisa’s rating:  4 bags of popcorn

Katie’s rating: 4 1/2 bags of popcorn 

Restaurant: Los Agaves Mexican Grill

Atmosphere:

LISA: Walking into the brightly decorated interior of Los Agaves Mexican Grille, I felt like I was stepping right off the streets of Mexico.  The curved interior structures and paintings set the mood for a cultural dining experience. 

KATIE:            From one look of the outside of Los Agaves which is located off of Brady and Kimberly, you would never know that right inside is a little taste of Mexico.  As soon as you walk in you are greeted by a western motif full of every bright color under the rainbow.  Authentic pictures from Mexico are hung on every wall along with original paintings.  The coolest part of our dinner was the actual table.  Each table is a painting from Mexico.  So as soon as you sit down you have a picture of Mexico to put you in the mood for the meal you are about to enjoy.

Food:

LISA: The menu was full of every Mexican entrée you could imagine.  I settled for the number seven combo, which contained a beef enchilada, tamale, Spanish rice and refried beans.  Our food was served within 10 minutes and looked delicious.  My plate was topped with a mild hot sauce covering my food that accented it with the perfect spices.  The enchilada was filled with spiced beef and hit the spot.  The dinner was equally filling and tasty.

KATIE:  The menu had a variety that would fulfill anyone’s Mexican craving.  As soon as we sat down, warm chips and fresh salsa were placed at our table for us to nibble on.  I decided on the quesadilla Verde which was a chicken quesadilla complete with all the normal taco toppings on the side.  My dish was prepared on a warm plate which kept my food warm for our entire meal.  My Coke was refilled before I could even finish my glass keeping my thirst quenched at all times.

People and Pricing:

LISA: I thought the pricing was very reasonable.  I got my whole meal for $8.23 -- which was a steal.  After being promptly greeted at the door and seated at our table, our waiter took our drink order and returned with our Coca-Cola products within minutes.  Throughout the meal, the waiter checked back efficiently and catered to our needs.  There was a slight language barrier, as it seemed all the employees spoke Spanish and some English, but it didn’t interfere with our dinner.

KATIE:  The people were more than friendly and since we went a little early they were able to wait on us at any time.  The whole staff was very polite and prompt which helped for us to have a more enjoyable experience.  The prices were amazing.  Lately Taco Bell’s prices have gone up and at Los Agaves I received better quality and quantity for my money.  My bill totaled $7.75 which is perfect for us broke college students! 

Complaints:

LISA:    Tamales are one of my personal favorites; however the outer cornmeal wrap was a little too heavy for my taste, but good none the less.

KATIE:  My only complaint is from the service end of the meal.  The waiter was always by our table and I felt as though we were somewhat rushed.  We were in and out of the restaurant within 45 minutes and I don’t think we had time to sit and enjoy our meal as much as we could have.  But its quality of food, cheap prices, and great location surpass any needy waiters, which makes it a restaurant you have to try for yourself!

Lisa’s rating: 4 1/2 forks

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