Dinner and a Movie: Jimmy Kings, 'Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason'

Dec. 9, 2004
By Lisa M. Larranaga & Katie Kerr
Staff Writers

Dinner:  Jimmy Kings

Atmosphere:

KATIE:  Let’s just say that the atmosphere at Jimmy Kings isn’t the reason they have returning customers.  There is a dining area with booths for people who want to eat in, but there is also a drive-thru for those on the go.  Although it’s not the cleanest restaurant, it doesn’t take away from the dining experience.  They have posters up of some of the items on their menu, along with different baskets for various charities.  The great thing about Jimmy King’s is that it’s just down the street, off of W. Locust St. across the street from the Mississippi valley fairgrounds.

LISA: Katie's description of the atmosphere is agreed upon.  That's why the drive-thru is key! The posters and such give Jimmy's a nice ambience, and help you focus on other things, instead of what you may be sitting on.

Food:

KATIE:  Fantastic, that’s the only way to put it.  The menu offers anything you can grill basically…but as you may have guessed it’s more popular requested item is the gyro.  Now, being from around Chicago, I’ve had a lot of good gyros, and “Jimmy’s” overall didn’t do so badly.  The meat comes plentiful served on a pita with their excellent sauce and tomatoes and onions.  If you buy the whole basket combo which will add fries and a drink to your meal, you won’t be disappointed.  Their fries are some of the best around, and you get your money’s worth. My one complaint about the food was that the cheese for my cheese fries came out cold and not looking so good.  Other than that, I will be visiting Jimmy King’s a lot more in the near future.

LISA:  I opted for a cheeseburger, which was served with all the furnishings.  Compared to the thin, wilted burgers you receive at fast food places, this one ranks up there with the likes of my dad's from the grill.

Pricing and people:

KATIE:  Jimmy himself cooked our meal and he didn’t do so bad!  Jimmy and his entire staff are very friendly and serve the food promptly.  They go out of their way to make pleasant conversation and to make sure you have a pleasurable dining experience.  The pricing couldn’t be fairer.  My gyro basket came out to be no more than $6.00.  I not only got my money’s worth in quantity, but in quality as well.

LISA: For the price, Jimmy's is definitely one of a kind!

Cons:

KATIE:   If you’re looking for a place to eat on a date, Jimmy’s wouldn’t be the best place to stop by.  However, if you’re a college student who’s low on cash and you like really great food, Jimmy’s is definitely a place you should try out.  The only bad thing about Jimmy’s is that it isn’t the nicest restaurant on the inside or outside for that matter.

LISA: I tend to get grossed out easily by unclean objects -- so that was my only compliant.  Don't get me wrong, it's not a hole in the wall or extremely dirty, but compared to the other restaurants Kate and I have visited, this one ranks low on looks.  But, most people go to restaurants for there food -- and for that -- there was no complaints!

Lisa’s score: 3 1/2 our of 5 forks

Katie’s score:  4 out of 5 forks

Movie: Bridget: The edge of reason.

When deciding which film to view for this week’s article we decided on the Bridget Jones sequel because of all the good things we had been hearing about it.  And we agree with the critics, the movie isn’t so bad.  However, it is one of those sequels that in order to understand all of the jokes, you really have to see the original first.

LISA:  With her wonderfully entertaining bad luck, Bridget Jones struck again.  The usual craziness ensues as Bridget's life takes some strange turns.  Although the beginning and end of each movie differs a little, I felt as if that was the only difference.  Of course, Bridget finds herself in unique situations, but it's a bit predictable.  The humor and entertaining nature of Bridget is almost worth it, but truth be told -- I would recommend waiting till it comes out on video.

KATIE:  Well, Bridget Jones is back for action and if you’ve seen the first movie you already know the way that Bridget, played by Renée Zellweger , has a way of screwing everything up.  It’s just like watching a train wreck throughout the whole movie.  The second film picks up four weeks after the first film ended.  Bridget is no longer single and in a serious relationship with the love of her life Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth.  Bridget’s career is starting to blossom even with a new boss until someone from the past shows up.  Daniel Cleaver, played by Hugh Grant, is Bridget’s old boss who she used to date.  I don’t want to give too much away but some key words may fill you in about what happens throughout the rest of the movie: Jail, magic mushrooms, vacation in Thailand, fighting in a fountain, jealous rage…just to name a few.  The movie had a bunch of laughs and I would even go as far as to say it’s better than the first.  If you need a break during finals week I encourage you to spend an hour and 40 minutes catching this flick, you won’t be disappointed.

Lisa’s score:  2 3/4 out of 5 bags of popcorn

Katie’s score: 4 out of 5 bags of popcorn

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