All posts by TrendEngel
Rock Star Butcher Dario Checchini – What a Treat in Bella Italia
Dario Checchini is often called the world’s best butcher. Some of the boldest-face culinary names worship his work. There are requests to open restaurants in Paris, New York and Berkeley, California. Instead, Mr. Cecchini chooses to remain monarch of his tiny empire of meat in Panzano – just south of Florence: a burger joint, a steakhouse, a restaurant serving the forgotten cuts of the cow — and, supporting it all, the family butchery, where he is on most days between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
To watch him slice to the sounds of AC/DC; to see him linger in the doorway, asking passers-by “Va bene?” and offering them free food and wine; all this is to witness a man without anxiety over what might have been if he would have gone out to conquer the world.
A visit to his restaurant is unforgettable. You will never look at meat the same way. Pretty much perfect – not a trend but an hones recommendation.
Family Fang – A Weird And Wonderful Family
We need more movies about dysfunctional families like we need more movies about the tortured inner lives of artists, which is all the more reason to be unexpectedly grateful for “The Family Fang,” a sharply drawn portrait of a dysfunctional, tortured artistic family that speaks affectingly to the troubled legacy that all parents inevitably bequeath to their children. Following his raucous and foul-mouthed directorial debut, “Bad Words,” Jason Bateman shows marked progress and deepening maturity as a filmmaker with this cleverly structured but never arch or mechanical adaptation of Kevin Wilson’s 2011 comic novel, with Bateman and Nicole Kidman nicely inhabiting one of the more tender and persuasive brother-sister relationships in recent movie memory. With its rich vein of melancholy and intricate but entirely accessible narrative layers this is a triumph.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Really
First of all apologies that TrendEngel didn’t present you this book earlier. This isn’t a trend we spotted early but rather late – Having said that: We don’t care.
“In this book, I have summed up how to put your space in order in a way that will change your life forever.”
This is the ambitious first sentence of Marie Kondo’s best-selling manifesto, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Direct and devoid of clutter, this sentence rings true to her philosophy. Unlike most self-help books, there are no extraneous words, no pandering—the lack of “wink wink” gesturing reads as an appealing, authentic statement.
This is what she says: People should focus on the present, and in tidying, this manifests in the form of using present-day valuations of all of one’s belongings. People are wrong when they think that pair of jeans will ever fit again, Kondo is arguing. They’re also wrong when they think they’ll read that book again. These optimistic predictions keep people from getting rid of things they don’t need.
Sounds stupid? It isn’t It’s really fascinating.
Dice – The King is Back – Andrew Dice Clay
With Dice, Showtime’s new comedy series, Andrew Dice Clay attempts to create a vision of himself as both a private citizen and as the creator and maintainer of the stand-up comedy persona that made him such a global phenomenon in the 1980s and 90s. This would seemingly be in loosely same mold as shows like Louie and Maron, which allowed Louis C.K. and Mark Maron to mine not only the lives of skilled performers but also their distinct philosophies and perspectives. Where those shows dealt with a chaotic life in the midst of a unique career in a creative field, however, Dice deals with the struggles of settling down, less in terms of romantically than as a celebrity and, to a lesser extent, an artist.
This is a little gem of a TV show. Well done Dice. This is really cool.
Graffiti of the Week – Street Art Nr. 205
Windows Morph Into Balconies – Really
Dutch Architecture and design studio HofmanDujardin have developed an innovative window that morphs into a balcony at the push of a button.
The award-winning design has progressed beyond the prototype phase and is currently in production with the first models slated for select apartments in Amsterdam.
The balcony was engineered by French manufacturer Kawneer France and consists of durable, all-weather materials. Watch the video.
Stumptown – Sellouts or Coffee-Gods?
When legendary New York coffee brand Stumptown was sold to Pete’s Coffee last year the reaction in the social media hemisphere was drastic:
“Sellouts”
“Everyone is for sale at the right price.”
“It’s a sad day. Another Starbucks story in the making. Great for the owners but bad for the coffee quality.”
“what the effing hell. is nothing sacred?”
“Scratch stumptown off my list of coffee places to go. It’s been nice knowing ya’.”
“This is a travesty.”
Well, the truth is, Stumptwon does produce TrendEngels favorite coffee in the US and the cold brew available in select super markets in the US makes any european cold coffee product look stupid. Fact.
Porches – The Next Big Thing? – Pool
Aaron Maine of Porches has always harbored a soft spot for the melancholy. Admittedly inspired by sadness and solitude, his ability to appeal to the subconscious of his listener makes songs like the synth-heavy “Be Apart” and funk inspired “Glow” feel confessional. Pool, which is Porches first full-length with Domino Records, extends the singer-songwriter’s exploration of lonerdom and desire while highlighting the emotional and corporal tangibility of slick back beats, humming synth, and drum machines. The record feels like an electronic dream, reworking the underpinnings of convention through juxtaposition and intimate lyricism. This is a beautiful record.
Graffiti of the Week – Street Art Nr. 204
