“Salt” gives viewers a bad taste

While school may be back in session, it doesn’t mean there is no longer time for a weekend getaway. For those looking to avoid the congestion in Ocean City, Md., they need not look further than Atlantic City, N.J.

Considered in the past just a city for gambling, this is no longer the case. One can stay at a lavish hotel, receive five-star treatment and dining, and perhaps come close to a Las Vegas experience without breaking the bank.

The Borgata is the premier hotel in Atlantic City and is located a mile away from the congestion of the boardwalk. It is a gorgeous hotel with opulent columns, luminous light fixtures, a full casino, spa, pools, a gym, night clubs, shopping and much more; one may find it difficult to leave the premises. Not to mention the fine-dining options including Bobby Flay Steak, Izakaya, Wolfgang Puck Ameri-can Grille, Fornelletto, SeaBlue, and Old Homestead Steakhouse. During my recent stay at the Borgata, I dined at the Wolf-gang Puck American Grille and Fornel-letto. Both restaurants serve delicious food, provide excellent service and present a trendy ambiance.

One definitely receives celebrity treatment while staying at this hotel. The Borgata is seen on numerous shows

including Bravo TV’s “Bethenny Getting Married,” and most recently on the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” reunion show. During my stay at the hotel, I saw several cast members, including Real Housewife herself, Teresa Giudice. According to ho-tel staff, various celebrities including Jerry Seinfeld, the cast of “The Sopranos” and Michael Phelps, have stayed and dined at the hotel.

While there are so many options at the Borgata, the fun doesn’t stop there. Atlantic City offers an amazing selection of outlet shopping along with the Pier Shops at Caesar’s palace. Be sure to take time out of your schedule to stop at some of the upscale stores including J.Crew, Coach, Burberry, Tiffany’s and many more.

Atlantic City is a major destination for shows and entertainment. Every week new musical acts and comedians come to perform at various hotels and casinos. Be sure not to miss seeing a show during your stay in this city.

Despite misconceptions of being pricey, a stay in Atlantic City could cost considerably less than a trip to Ocean City, Md. With so much more to see and do, it is really worth taking a chance on something new for your next weekend getaway.

Everyone deserves to be treated like a celebrity and receive some rest and relax-ation. So this fall be sure to check out this revitalized city that is full of food, fashion, and fun.

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Atlantic City: food, fashion and funby Ali BlaisVillager staff writer

The Villager | September 6, 2010

One of the summer’s most talked about movies was filmed right in Ste-venson University’s backyard. Rewind a year ago to when news stations and gossip sites were buzzing with pictures and sneak peaks of the movie “Salt.” Because a portion of it was filmed in downtown Washington, D.C., it made the locals eager to see a snapshot of their city in the movie.

Fast forward to July 23, 2010, the day the movie was released. TV com-mercials and radio advertisements all asked, “Who is Evelyn Salt?” Despite distinguishing herself as the main character, she is a CIA officer accused of being a Russian spy. Salt is accused and then runs away to try and clear her name. The plot couldn’t be more elementary.

Angelina Jolie plays Evelyn Salt. This is Jolie’s 37th film, and nothing she does is the least bit surprising. After returning to the big screen from the action-packed movie “Wanted,” Jolie stuck to what she knew best; kicking bad guys’ butts. There’s nothing wrong with a lot of action in a movie, but it seems it comes at the expense of the

storyline.Even though very few parts

deserved a round of applause, one scene did stand out. In the midst of CIA agents tracking down Evelyn Salt, somehow they end up in a high-speed chase. Salt frees herself from her handcuffs, fights the driver, crashes the car and gets away after jumping off a bridge onto a moving truck. Once again, the film is action-packed, but has very little storyline.

The movie also stars Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who do amaz-ing jobs portraying their characters. In the end, Schreiber’s character, a close friend and colleague of Salt, turns out to be the bad guy. If it weren’t for these strong supporting actors, the movie wouldn’t have been worth watching.

Rotten Tomatoes, a popular online movie review site, gave “Salt” a 61 per-cent. Jolie’s leading role isn’t enough to save the movie from its “predictable and ludicrous plot.”

Would it make a difference if Tom Cruise had played Edwin Salt, the male lead, the way it was originally written?

Either way, “Salt” is a visually exciting adventure to watch. The movie grossed over $109 million. Still, the $10 spent on one ticket for “Salt” could have gone towards something much more appetizing.

by Oyinade KoyiVillager staff writer

Local weekend activities leave little time for students’ homeworkby Jaclyn KellyVillager staff writer

Boordy Vineyards is hosting its last “Good Life Thursday” and “Sustainable Happy Hour” of the year on Thursday, Sept. 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. Combining food, wine, music and fun, Boordy of-fers a fun night out to enjoy the end of the summer weather and spend time with family and friends.

The night will include music by local musi-cians, the Wayfarers, and varieties of foods and organic produce from local providers, including gourmet apples from the Apple Lady, hand-made chocolate from Parfections and meats from Rumbleway Farm. While dancing and dining the night away, attendees will be sure to enjoy Boordy’s special “wines for tasting, purchasing and enjoying,” according to the vineyard’s official website.

Despite any inclement weather, the event will continue. Onsite parking will be available.

For more information about Boordy Vineyards and ticket pricing for the event, call (410) 592-5015 or e-mail: wine-info@boordy.com.

Marylanders love their crabs. Even more, they love great deals on their crabs.

Every Wednesday in September from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Phillips Seafood Restaurant is offering 30 crabs for $30. Phillips is located at 301 Light St., Baltimore, Md in the Light Street Pavilion on the first level, along the beautiful, scenic Inner Harbor.

In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Baltimore’s Harborplace, Phillips is offering the freshly steamed, generously seasoned crabs that Maryland is so well-known for, as part of the “Steam It Up in September” promo-tion, according to Harborplace’s Web site. While visiting, diners can also enjoy a variety of dishes from the restaurant’s “longstanding legacy of family recipes” and “freshest, finest seafood available.”

For more information or to make reserva-tions, visit Phillips’ web site at www.phillipssea-food.com or call (410) 685-6600.

“Let Merriment Abound!” The 34th Annual Maryland Renaissance Festival is going on now at 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, Md.

Upcoming dates include Sept. 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26 and continue into October. Festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will continue rain or shine. Several ticket options are available to attendees. At the gate, seniors (age 65 or older) pay $15; adults (ages 16-61) pay $18; children (ages 7-15) pay eight dollars. Admission is free for children age 6 and under. Group discounts are available for groups of 20-99 and increase for groups of 100 or more.

Guests will enjoy Renaissance-inspired, live music, shows, food and crafts from over 1,300 participants. Drawing about 280,000 people per season, it has become the second largest Renaissance Festival in the country, according to the festival’s official Web site.

While the site is wheelchair accessible to motorized and sport chairs, hospital-style wheelchairs are not recommended due to the uneven, natural, forest terrain. Onsite parking is available.

For more information or to purchase Fairever passes, call 1-800-296-7304 or visit www.rennfest.com.

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