Fraiser, one of my Favourite TV Shows : Fraiser Reboot Thoughts?

by Shane McDonald | Oct 30, 2024 | Film and TV, Lifestyle

Fraiser is consistently one of my favourite TV shows. I love the writing, the structure of the show (very like a play), the disastrous overthinking by Fraiser and Niles, the common sense of Martin, and the school-boy chase of Niles after Daphne. I do think that once Niles and Daphne hooked up, the show started a downward trend in quality bit there are some standout episodes, including the one where Fraiser accidentally destroys Martins chair, the one where Daphne thought Martin was dying, the one where Martin ate the hash brownie instead of Niles and the one with ‘Nightmare Inn’ .

Frasier is a beloved American sitcom that aired from 1993 to 2004, centering on the life of Dr. Frasier Crane, a cultured, witty, and slightly snobbish psychiatrist who returns to his hometown of Seattle to host a radio advice show. Portrayed by Kelsey Grammer, Frasier first appeared as a character on Cheers before getting his own spin-off series and now we have a Fraiser Reboot. The show follows Frasier as he navigates his relationships with his equally refined brother, Niles; his down-to-earth father, Martin; and his quirky producer, Roz Doyle. Blending sophisticated humor with heartfelt moments, Frasier explores themes of family, love, and personal growth, making it one of television’s most acclaimed comedies. Known for its clever writing, sharp wit, and memorable characters, Frasier remains a classic, earning critical praise and a devoted fanbase.

What of the Fraiser Reboot?

Frasier is, as I mentioned, my favourite tv show. I watched the first episode of the Fraiser Reboot and I was not really impressed. Firstly, I don’t believe Freddy would be the character he is now. In the original series, Freddy was intelligent, germophobic and a similar character to a young Niles. I also feel the new Fraiser reboot is missing some elements from the original series. The layout, décor and styling of the sets and Fraiser’s home don’t reflect the taste he had in the original series. Also, he is now going to a bar where as he used to always go to Café Nervosa.

The biggest blow was that the characters from the original series such as Niles, Daphne didn’t come also into the new series. Obviously, with the death of the actor who played Martin, this meant that the ‘common sense’ that Martin brought the original serice, the tone of the show is changed. Lilith and Roz did eventually show up on an eposide or two but considering Roz was a constant, again, this changes the tone of the show.

I feel the sophistication and the clever writing of the original show has been diluted way down, so much so, that now it is a distilled and watered down version of the original master-work.

I feel a lot has been either lost or sacrificed for cost or ratings but the original Fraiser will still remain to be a master class in how to write a popular TV show.

What is your opinion of the new Fraiser Reboot? Did you like it or loathe it?

Review – Aroi Asian Street Food, Kilkenny

by Shane McDonald | Jan 11, 2024 | Reviews

The first time I ever tried Aroi Kilkenny was having walked from Bennettsbridge to Kilkenny along the Nore path. We were looking for something hearty and tasty to eat. I had been to Aroi with a work function and decided to go there.

Aroi Asian Street Food

Aroi Asian Street Food is located on Friary Street Kilkenny and has plenty of space inside while being bright, airy and a tad funky in decor. The service is very good and on a Sunday there is an option to enjoy a main course and Gelato for only 10 euros which is wonderful value.

The service on the day we arrived was friendly yet unusually curt, perhaps they were rushed off their feet but the girl who served us never once smiled, everything was very formal and overly efficient. However, we are here for the food and were not disappointed.

I chose to push the boat out and have a starter, main and ice cream. The fish cakes were the starter, one of the nicer Thai fish cakes I have tried, with a little kick of chilli present. For the main course, I had the Yellow Fish Curry served with brown rice. This curry was full of flavour and full of fish – salmon, cod, smoked cod, mussels, crab, and calamari – as well as being jam-packed with veg.

The meal was thoroughly enjoyable and was rounded off with some very refreshing ice cream. The whole meal for 2 came to under 35 euros and its a spot I will be returning to. If you are looking for a nice Asian meal then Aroi in Kilkenny is right up your street.

My Only Criticism WAS…

On most of my recent visits, was the music . In 2022 / 23 the music playing has been dreadful dance music, cover versions of actual songs. The worst offender is Careless Whisper by George Michael, covered by some dance instrumentalist who plays it at almost double speed and it just sounds all sorts of wrong. Also, we entered an almost empty restaurant early in the day, perhaps 12:30 / 1 pm and we were asked if we had a reservation; the waitress made a big deal, sighing and looking at the computer screen before seating us … it wasn’t even that busy while we were there. From a customer service perspective, this was unusual and a little offputting.

HOWEVER … in December 2023 we visited and we found that the music was now classic rock which was excellent. As a result, we will be now going back a lot more as the only thing which put us off was the music as their food is fantastic. I highly recommend it if you want a hearth Asian Fusion meal.

Location

Aroi Asian Street Food, Kilkenny

Update October 2021

I visited Ario in October 2021 and had a beautiful meal in the Yellow Fish Curry. It was really delicious and the staff were very attentive as usual. The only thing was that the music was comical. They were playing dance versions of classic songs, basically Now that’s what I can rubbish covers 2021 ; It’s a real pity because we left as soon as we cood because the music was so inane – the low-light being a crapphy version of Careless Whisper with the most rubbish brass section you could imagine. Perhaps some relaxing music might be better.

Cavan Crystal Hotel – Hotel Review

by Shane McDonald | Nov 7, 2023 | Ireland, Reviews

Cavan Crystal Hotel
A Modern and Impressive Hotel in Cavan with excellent service and a large restaurant

About the Cavan Crystal Hotel

Cavan Crystal Hotel is in the heart of the stunning Lake County in the Midlands of Ireland. The Hotel is nicely situated near many different tourist attractions and is the closest four-star hotel to Cavan Town. I walked it myself a few times with no issues and is only a few minutes from the town. You can also relax in the award-winning Zest Health & Fitness Club which features an 18-metre Swimming Pool, Steam Room, Jacuzzi, Sauna, and a fully equipped Gym – this access is complimentary when you book a stay at the hotel. You can also enjoy a wide range of delicious food from the Bar Menu or a cocktail or other libation in the Atrium Bar!

The Cavan Cavan Crystal Hotel is only 1 hour and 10 minutes from Dublin via the M3 Motorway and also includes beautiful Gardens & Children’s Playground, Complimentary Wi-Fi, and free on-site parking for all guests.

My Visit to the Hotel

Having won a trip to the Cavan Crystal Hotel on Pigsback, I was looking forward to visiting Cavan for the first time but I was dreading such a long trip. It took over 5 hours (including a stop off for lunch) to get to the Cavan hotel. When we arrived the girl on reception, Orlaith, actually remembered speaking to me on the phone earlier (very impressed with service at the hotel in general). The hotel foyer is bright and nicely decorated in modern clean designs.

The rooms are large with bigger than standard bathrooms, fruit baskets and robes were in the room (not sure if these were standard) but overall the room was very nice. Newspapers were left outside your door the next morning and a turndown service was provided around 7 pm which was not availed of. (it was a nice touch though). Overall I’m not a fan of turndown service, it just seems a bit like “servant turn down my bed for me” and I’m sure the housekeeping staff has better things to be doing than opening people’s beds.

The Opus One restaurant has a wide selection of quality dishes, from duck and venison to seabass and vegetarian options. The starter and main courses were excellent with 2 small complementary intermediate offerings between starter and main and also main and dessert. One criticism of the restaurant, however, the menu does not change, so if you are staying here for more than one night you may run out of options. I personally think that a restaurant needs a selection of daily specials, especially for those staying at the hotel for repeated days. We only ate here once as a result.

The leisure center and gym are good, with a large pool, sauna, jacuzzi, and steam room – however, it can get crowded at times (especially if there are lots of children). However there is very little privacy from the gent’s dressing area and when the pool door opens, make sure you are not getting changed nearby otherwise … oops!

There is a Spa at the hotel but strangely this is not open on Sundays, probably the main day people will be relaxing and will avail of such a service. Note, this visit was a few years ago and perhaps a revisit might be warranted to see if things had changed.

Pros: Great service, great food, attentive staff and nice rooms, comfortable sleep.

Cons: The Evening Menu in the Restaurant does not change, the spa is not open on Sundays, Bar area can lack a bit of atmosphere.

Overall: 7.5/10

Related Links :

Cavan Crystal Hotel

Pigsback

Christopher Robin & Pooh Bear Movie Review

by Shane McDonald | Sep 8, 2018 | Reviews

I think everyone grew up with the cuddly character of Pooh Bear. This Pudgy looking bear loved honey, hated Heffalumps and had spelling as good as lolcats. Over the past few years, there have been a few movies about Pooh Bear, the most recent being Goodbye Christopher Robin. This new movie is the only one which I have actually gone to see at the cinema. I can tell you that at the 8 pm showing at the Odeon, Christopher Robin had 100% of the audience over the age of 18.

Christopher Robin the Movie

The basic storyline is that Christopher Robin has grown up, been to the war and is now working in a briefcase company. He has forgotten all about his time in the Hundred Acre Wood with Pooh Bear and his friends. The start of the film brings you on a whistle-stop tour of the memories he and Pooh Bear have. This shows everything from his tea parties in the woods to him leaving for school and later the war, finally ending up in a high profile yet soul-crushing job.

He promises his family that he would go to the countryside this weekend but Christopher’s manager insists he works. His family are not pleased and go alone, Christopher Robin is left to contemplate the conflict between family and work. During a moment of stress in the local park, he utters the words ‘what to do, what to do’ and then hears ‘what to do indeed’ from Pooh Bear, voiced by the excellent Jim Cummings. Christopher cannot believe this is real and from here he has to accept that Pooh has come back, ultimately to save him.

Christopher Robin, played by Ewan McGregor and his wife Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) are not seeing eye to eye over his time spent at work. His daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael) is not seeing her father much these days and both of these relationships are in the balance. His wife has said she cannot remember the last time he smiled and his dealings with his daughter are very matter-a-fact.

Pooh Bear causes a bit of havoc in Christopher house as he tries climbing shelves and steps in lots of honey. The comedic values in the film are very well balanced with the sombre and serious discussions of work-life balance, a topic valid in today’s society.

There are some fantastic scenes in this movie, I’m not going to spoil them, but they are very nicely done indeed. It really is a feel-good movie, probably one of the best I have seen. The Movie Reviewer Mark Kermode says, if you laugh 6 times during a movie, it is a comedy. I can tell you I laughed 6 times in the first 15 minutes of this movie and a lot more after that.

If you have not seen Christopher Robin then please do – you will feel great when leaving the cinema. The trailer is below if you have not seen it.

Christopher Robin is Feel Good Movie Excellence at its Best!

Lunch at The Bay Tree Bistro, Waterford – Restaurant Review

by Shane McDonald | Jun 8, 2018 | Reviews

The Bay Tree Bistro

The Bay Tree Bistro opened in Waterford in 2015. Within a few months I was hearing about this amazing restaurant above a pub in Ballybricken. The restaurant later moved to the quays in Waterford and it has established itself as ‘the’ place in Waterford for fantastic food. In fact the Bay Tree Bistro was voted the Best Restaurant in Waterford 2018 by the Restaurant Association of Ireland.

I have eaten in the main restaurant upstairs and I can guarantee that it is a full-on dining experience. The tastes and combinations of ingredients are sublime. I will review this very soon when I return…

Earlier this year the Bay Tree Bistro started doing a lunch menu. The menu is served downstairs and is very different from the usual lunch menus. I spotted a few dishes I wanted to try and on one particular day I found myself being nearby and I just had to try it.

Lunch – Croque Madame

One of my favourite snacks / comfort foods is the croquet madame. You have bread, cheese, ham and a soft fried egg. What’s not to like? To my surprise and delight the croquet madame at the Bay Tree had 2 fried eggs. I was hoping to have the duck eggs, which are a small bit extra, but there were none on the day. The 2 eggs which were there were indeed delicious and perfectly cooked.

The red cabbage slaw which accompanies the dish is a perfect contrast to the croque – I also found that the raisins in the slaw were an unexpected taste sensation. There was also a delicious fresh side salad. The salad had cucumber, tomato, onion, spring onion, and leaves have a dressing which is fresh and contrasts with the heartiness of the egg, cheese and bread.

The relaxed atmosphere and nice music was a relaxing setting to enjoy a lunch at leisure. There was a lot on the menu which I would like to try on a repeat visit. The specials of the day were very nice also, one was an asian pork noodle dish. I later saw photos on twitter and that might be one for a return lunch.

If you are in Waterford and you don’t want the usual boring ham sandwich for lunch, then try the Bay Tree Bistro.

Croque Madame - Lunch at The Bay Tree Bistro, Waterford - Restaurant Review

The Lunch Menu

The Lunch Menu on the day I visited the Bay Tree Bistro was as follows;

SALADS

Warm Thai Chicken

Waldorf Salad

Tuna or Chicken Nicoise

Mediterranean Vegetable and Feta Cheese

Add Homemade Chips

SANDWICHES

Croque Monsieur
Croque Madame

With Hen Egg or Duck Egg
Tuna Melt Ploughman’s Vegetarian Ploughman’s

Chicken, Sundried Tomato and Smoked Cheese

Roasted Vegetable, Tomato and Mozzarella

SAVOURIES

Pork and Caramelized Onion Sausage Roll Quiche of The Day

Soups, chowders and cheese boards were also available and are very reasonably priced.

There are a few options on the menu I would love to try, including the sausage roll, the ploughmans, and the warm thai chicken. There is something for everyone on the menu and you won’t be disappointed – portion size is just right!

Bay Tree Bistro – Map Location (Permanently Closed)

Bay Tree Bistro, Waterford, Ireland

Bay Tree Bistro

16 Merchants Quay, Waterford, Ireland

Website : http://www.thebaytreebistro.com

Restaurant Detail Update – November 22nd 2018

I have just seen on TripAdvisor that the Bay Tree Bistro is now closed. I passed the establishment a few nights ago and just thought they were closed on that evening. I hope that the Bay Tree Bistro will reopen soon as I truly enjoyed the food at this great restaurant.

Lady Bird (2017) – Movie Review of Lady Bird starring Saoirse Ronan

by Shane McDonald | Feb 28, 2018 | Film and TV, Reviews

Lady Bird – Movie Review

Released: 2017
Director: Greta Gerwig
Writer: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts

I had been anticipating the release of Lady Bird for some time now. The trailer looked funny, it seemed to be an interesting film. The last Saoirse Ronan movie I saw was Brooklyn, which was good, but just good. I went to Lady Bird expecting something, wow but I have outlined my thoughts on Lady Bird with the review.

Christine McPherson likes to be called “Lady Bird”, it is her given name, given to her by herself.

Lady Bird is the story of Christine’s senior year of high school. The Story portrays the relationship she has with her mother, her friends, the friends she wants to be best friends with, male friends, her siblings and her dad. It also deals with the fact that she is going to school in a strict Catholic educational system, which she seems not to believe in. Overall, it is a multi-faceted film as it seems to try and deal with all these relationships at the same time and for me, I think the movie somewhat loses itself in trying to cater for all the people in her life.

Some of the funniest and interesting scenes are those she has with her mother, played by the fantastic Laurie Metcalf (who you may know as being Sheldon Cooper’s mum in The Big Bang Theory). There is a love-hate relationship there, with her mum being overly critical while ensuring the family needs are looked after. Lady Bird wants to go to an expensive and sophisticated college on the East Coast such as Yale or Harvard. Her mum thinks she is not good enough and that the expense would be wasted. Perhaps her route might be community college, prison and then back to college, he mum suggests. (At which point Lady Bird decides to leave the moving car…). I would have loved to have seen more of the relationship with the mother.

All during the film Lady Bird is all about trying to achieve greatness as she grows up, but at every attempt, you see her mistakes. She chooses the wrong friends, tries the wrong drinks and tells the wrong lies.

“Overly Bitty as a Movie – Not Coherent”

The film seems more like a load of scenes put together than a flowing movie with a beginning, middle and end. The story itself does not make for a fantastic movie – it is good, but by no means, a Best Picture candidate. However, I think it will appeal to an audience who can identify with it. Saoirse Ronan is very good as Lady Bird but I walked away thinking, what was all the hype about the movie – not 5 stars but a strong 4 star.

In conclusion, Lady Bird is a very enjoyable movie to go and see. I thought it would not be one which I would watch again – however, having watched the trailer again and having seen the movie, there is something charming about the movie. There are elements to it which are really nice, it is very emotional in parts … so, not all bad!

Lady Bird, Overall Movie Rating: 81% (4/5 stars)

Lady Bird – Official Trailer

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Fraiser, one of my Favourite TV Shows : Fraiser Reboot Thoughts?

What of the Fraiser Reboot?

Review – Aroi Asian Street Food, Kilkenny