New Bird Enters Flock

Kevin Curtis might not be a name too many Eagles fans were familiar with before last week. But Andy Reid and company are hoping that it’s a name everyone who bleeds green will not soon forget.
The Utah State graduate, who signed on the dotted line last Thursday down at the Nova Care Complex, comes to Philadelphia after four seasons with the St. Louis Rams. While backing up All-Pro wideouts Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, Curtis was able to average 50 catches, 640 yards and 5 touchdowns the last two seasons.
The Eagles first plan was to bring back Donte Stallworth. That didn’t work when Stallworth signed a six year deal for $33 million with the New England Patriots. The Eagles signed Curtis at $32 million for six years. There was obviously something more than the difference of one million dollars going on here.
Earlier this month, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Stallworth is in the league’s substance abuse program. Joe Banner and his numbers crunchers figured that their money was better spent on a player who is 2 years older but comes without the injury history and off the field issues. The Patriots’ new deep threat has only played a full sixteen game season two times in his five seasons in the league.
Kevin Curtis is a burner who will give Donovan McNabb a down the field threat right away (that is if McNabb is ready for opening day). After playing mostly on the outside in college, Curtis was used primarily in the slot in St. Louis. This should give him experience as he will most likely be moving around the field a lot in Reid’s offensive sets. The Big Guy has always been hesitant to label a #1 wide receiver and this year will be no different.
Anyone looking for the Birds to make a big splash in free agency will be disappointed. Along with the acquisition of Curtis, Bethel Johnson was also brought in to provide some depth on offense, though his primary role seems destined to be on special teams. RB Correll Buckhalter, CB William James and DE Juqua Thomas have all re signed with the team. Don’t expect much more action until the NFL Draft in late April.

The Shins World Changes

The Shins played to a full house last Tuesday night at the Electric Factory but for front man James Mercer and company, they must have felt left out.
The crowd, which was filled with emo teenagers, frat boys, thirtysomethings and a couple over 50 patrons, was unresponsive for the majority of the show.
The anticipation once opener Viva Voce left the stage was mild at best, and after roughly a half hour wait, the band from Albuquerque took the stage to a less then wild ovation.
Opening their set with the first four songs from their new album, “Wincing the Night Away”, The Shins must be held responsible for the lackluster crowd response.
Throughout the night, the band seemed to lack focus and the intensity that is expected at a rock show. It was not until the fifth song of the night, “Kissing the Lipless” from their second LP “Chutes Too Narrow”, that the audience got into the set and sang along. A few songs later though, the band had lost the crowd again, so they went to their bread and butter.
“New Slang”, their most famous song after being featured in 2004’s Garden State, was able to grab the crowd’s attention again despite a lackluster performance. The remainder of the set was up and down.
The crowd was an odd mix. Before The Shins took the stage, one teenager upon entering the venue remarked, “There’s a lot of old people here.” There were the fans who knew every song, dating back to the band’s 2001 debut “Oh, Inverted World” and then there were the fans like the one’s standing next to me.
About an hour through the set, after guitarist Dave Hernandez told the crowd, “We’re gonna start to rock!!”, the girl next to me turned to her friends and informed them that she wanted to go home. Her friend replied she had heard everything she wanted except for “Caring is Creepy”. A couple minutes later they left.
This is a majority of the reason for the lukewarm reception The Shins received. Their performance itself was inconsistent but had enough high points, like the new song “A Comet Appears” and old song “Know Your Onion”, that an audience of paying customers should be interested.
The Shins, after two releases that fell below the radar, have broken through to the mainstream. This results in a different crowd attending their shows, like the one at the Electric Factory. It also must result in the band finding a way to please their original fans while keeping new ones interested, at the same time without compromising themselves.
Last week, they were unable to find this balance. As one of the few talented and original popular bands hopefully The Shins can find this balance or else they will find themselves left out.

Fine Dining

If you’re tired of City View Pizza or blowing your money at the Draught Horse, here is an opportunity to try something new.
The Aromatic House of Kabob, a small corner restaurant at 113 Chestnut Street in Olde City, has the ambiance of a café in the Middle East. While serving some of the best Persian food around, they offer one of the greatest gifts known to mankind, the BYOB.
“I’d say about 60 percent of our customers take advantage of it,” said waitress Helen Mojgani. She also stated that on the weekends, Aromatic serves about 150 to 200 patrons each day.
My dinner party was greeted warmly at the door and told to sit anywhere we wanted. We chose the couches against the front wall, which along with the Persian music and dimmed lighting created a relaxed vibe. The earth tone color of the walls and Persian rug added to the feeling.
A basket of pita bread was complimentary. As for an appetizer, we ordered kash-bademjan ($5.95) which is a mixture of sauteed eggplant, grilled onions, garlic and boiled yogurt. The falafel ($4.95) was rather bland.
The entrees we ordered were a good sampling of the menu. The aromatic melt ($5.95), was a vegetarian sandwich served on pita bread with melted feta cheese, mushroom, tomato, spinach and onions. A good amount of food for the price.
When you come to Aromatic, you should make sure to get a kabob. Each of the traditional dishes comes with a choice of bread, rice, salad or baked potato. Combo II ($14.95) was one kubideh (ground sirloin) and one joojeh (lamb chunks), along with rice. This was served on pita bread with lettuce, tomato and onion.
The aromatic kabob ($16.25) combined the best of all their dishes. It included chunks of lamb, chicken, tenderloin, char grilled tomato, green pepper and lettuce. I ordered the baked potato which was served with mushroom, spinach and feta cheese.
I can honestly say that the aromatic kabob was the most fulfilling meal I have eaten in years. The secret to what makes Aromatic so good is their special house dressing. And luckily for us, the beer we brought, Tupper’s Hop Pocket Ale with its rich, hop-heavy flavor, complemented our food choices.
And in the end, a BYOB should be about good food and good drinks, all at a reasonable price.

A Beautiful Day

Here are some random shots I took walking around the city today. The second day of March was unseasonably warm, to the point where I found myself taking off my hat because it was too hot. Hope this weather keeps up.