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FEB FILM PICK: DARK WATERS
Well folks, we’ve got some bad news – the evil American corporations have been at it again. Mark Ruffalo stars as a crusading lawyer determined to hold real-life chemical company DuPont accountable for dumping poisonous chemicals into drinking water. This is no John Grisham thriller, mind – it’s instead about the gradual accumulation of the kind of detail you need to beat the best legal teams money can buy. If you’re super into lengthy discussions of the precise toxicity of Teflon if ingested by human beings, then this sure is the film for you – and if that isn’t your thing, Ruffalo is still great, and the much-delayed payoff here is hugely satisfying. And it has the president from Independence Day in it, which is always nice. See it at Cineworld at Resorts World. Tickets & trailer
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SUMMER *IS* COMING
We've spoken to the Gods, they've spoken to the sun, and long story short, on July 11, there's going to be glorious sunshine in Brum. And you're going to be supping summery sparklings, crisp whites, light reds and chilled roses at Loki's first Summer Wine Fair. At Millennium Point, half of the 200+ wines and spirits will be outdoorsy, with the rest inside the substantial space, with plenty of room to bring everyone in should it rain. It won't. Included in your just released early bird tickets (£20 instead of £30) is the opportunity for samplings with Wines of South Africa and their Argentinean and New Zealand namesakes, each having their own stands at a Midlands tasting for the first time. Laghi's is on pizza, Anderson & Hill is on cheese. Choose from an afternoon or evening session.
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Venue: Formosa Izakaya, 115-117 Hurst St, B5 6SE; Facebook
Choice: Okonomiyaki (£7.50) Chooser: We chose this time
Oko-NOM-iyaki more like! Remember when everyone said “nom, nom,” for years? Bad times. What isn’t bad times is finding somewhere in Birmingham knocking out a very decent version of this Japanese delicacy. Picture the scene, it’s 2009 and a hungry Brummie is walking around Osaka, he spots a restaurant with shiny plastic versions of their dishes in the window and reads ‘Okonomiyaki: Japanese Pizza’. Turned out the only similarity with pizza is the shape – but, there began a love affair. The fundamentals for an Osaka style Okonomiyaki (the name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" and yaki meaning "cooked") are a batter made of shredded cabbage, grilled on a hot plate, topped with thinly sliced pork belly, Okonomi sauce — think a fruitier, naughtier version of HP — Japanese mayo, a dusting of seaweed and bonito fish flakes. You are absolutely bang on to be intrigued. Plenty of big umami flavours, and for the Insta obsessed there's prime boomerang fodder as the bonito flakes dance from side-to-side from the heat below. This was one of the bigger plates on offer alongside plenty of big ol’ bowls of broth at Formosa, which describes itself as a ‘Taiwanese Gastropub’. And beer-drinking, small plate territory is where the other good stuff is to be had — think teriyaki skewers, fried octopus balls, some gnarly fried chicken and bao. We also had a really funky, green egg. Honestly? Not really our thing. But we're going back for that Okonomiyaki which was significantly better than the Asia Asia Foodhall version. Menu
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ANDY LOW 'N'
SL-OPUS
Brum barbecue badman Andy Low N Slow is returning to Bar Opus, the restaurant that most inspired him, on March 22, with bookings from 12pm until 4pm. The Opus team were the first to take Andy under their wing and they're the reason he's committed to fresh produce and ethical sourcing. So what's cooking? It's looking a lot like a woodfired celeriac soup with wild garlic oil, plus a hazelnut and bacon crumb (£5) to start. On mains (£18), a smoked Paddock Farm Tamworth pork belly (pictured) or Dunwood Farm Aged Longhorn rump cap. Both come with beef fat roasties, buttered greens, cauliflower cheese and Yorkies. Sticky toffee pudding (£5) to finish. To book, email lownslowbookings@gmail.com.
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IT CAN BE HARD TO LEGO
Here you go, have 60 facts about LEGO that will literally (yes, literally!) blow your mind. Our favourite is that LEGO sells over 400 million tyres each year, which makes it the world’s largest tyre manufacturer. Nice, right? Stirchley Library has long held kid-only LEGO events, but howsabout a one-off, adults only LEGO sesh? Tuesday, March 3, at 6pm, it's free with donations to Friends of Stirchley Library something your conscience should probably be pestering you to get involved in. Maybe they'll even supply children who'll walk around the play area in dressing gowns, bare foot, treading on the pieces and hobbling off muttering expletives. That way the tables would finally be turned.
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