By Christopher Muther, Globe Staff, 12/3/01
Quick Hits
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Benefit show
It's been awhile since we've seen Alanis Morisette in these parts, primarily because the ever-thankful songbird has had little to promote. Her appearance tonight at the Mix 98.5 Holiday Hoedown at the FleetCenter signals a change. In February, Alanis releases "Under Rug Swept," so she's in town tonight to make sure you remember who she is. She joins a lineup that includes Coldplay, the occasionally annoying Cranberries, and the always annoying Barenaked Ladies. OK, now forget our catty remarks. The concert is for charity. The show starts at 7; tickets are $35 to $75.
Poetry
The Creative Writing Program at Boston University holds its annual faculty reading tonight at the School of Management Auditorium at 8. Poets include Derek Walcott... Winners of the New England Poetry Club awards read tonight at the Cambridge Public Library at 7.
FleetCenter, One FleetCenter, 617-931-2000. Boston University, 595 Commonwealth Ave., 617-353-2510. Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, 617-349-4040.
Events can always be canceled, rescheduled, or sold out; call to confirm. Go! can be reached by e-mail at go@globe.com or by calling 617-929-8257.
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On the town
The New York Times recently declared Monday the best night of the week for nightlife there, but Go! was way ahead of the curve. We've been trying to tell you for eons that Monday plans are the most effective way to sidestep three-hour waits, parking headaches, and self-important waiters rushing you out the door. At least that was our experience last Monday, when we dropped by the swanky new restaurant Blu, which is cloistered in the back of the sleek Sports Club/LA near Downtown Crossing (we refuse to call it that other name). We were grateful for the quiet dining room and the easy pace. In fact, the only obstacles we faced were the Louis Vuitton gym bags littering the path to the dining room. Pricewise, Blu is on par with eateries such as nearby Jer-Ne or Mantra, and the menu is filled with tasty dishes that include reduction of this and sundried that. But Blu's true advantage over other eateries was nicely summed up by our friend who glanced out into the twilight from the glass-walled space and wondered aloud, "Is this really Boston?"
4 Avery St., 617-375-8550.
The view from inside
Connections, baby, that's what we're all about. How else could you expect your devoted Go! to sift through so many nightlife nuggets and continually emerge with winning suggestions? It was through one of these high-level connections that we managed to snag an advance screening of the award-winning documentary "94 Years and 1 Nursing Home Later" long before it hit the festival circuit. Now we're able to wholeheartedly recommend Laurel Greenberg 's touching story about her grandmother. The Coolidge Corner Theatre screens the film tonight at 7:15, and Greenberg answers questions afterward. OK - true confession - our connection was coincidence. We happened to end up in the same French class with Greenberg, and she sweetly lent us a copy of the film. The program is $5.
290 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-734-2501.
Beer and beet salad
As a sign of just how diverse the sprawling suburban dining scene has become, we offer you these two culinary fetes tonight from both ends of the restaurant spectrum. Jake & Earl's Dixie Roadhouse hosts a Pabst Blue Ribbon Chili Challenge and Beer Tasting Party tonight from 7 to 9. The hash slingers of Jake & Earl's face off against chefs from a slew of local kitchens, including Blue Ribbon Barbecue in Newton and Kokopelli Chili Company in Brookline. For $16 you get all the chili you can stomach, a tallboy, and a T-shirt. Don't forget to bring the Tums. For a slightly calmer experience, Tuscan Grill chef Josh Ziskin leads a class at Brookline Adult Education on cooking Northern Italian dishes from the Tuscan Grill menu. Learn how to make semolina gnocchi and roasted beet salad with gorgonzola and walnuts. Taste the final product and celebrate the meal with a chocolate semifreddo. The class starts at 6; tuition is $52. Reservations are a necessity for both events.
Jake & Earl's, 220 Moody St., Waltham, 718-894-4227. Brookline Adult Education, 115 Greenough St., Brookline, 617-730-2700.
Just got lucky
We're half-expecting "Hard Knock Life" from the musical "Annie" to show up on Lucky Lee Jones 's set list tonight at Les Zygomates. The former member of the Ghost of Tony Gold (which took top honors in the 1998 WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble) has been spinning some mighty tall tales lately about a seedy past. Since Go! is a family column, we won't repeat any of them here. Suffice to say that there were several Daddy Warbuckses in Jones's past. Tonight, Jones plays tunes from his Beck-like solo disc beginning at 9:30.
129 South St., 617-542-5108.
Tough stuff
The award-winning videographer Roberto Arevalo screens a program of his video shorts tonight, with a focus on teens and young adults from Boston neighborhoods. Included in the program is "It's tough," the story of 24-year-old Jose Gonzalez, who battled drug addiction and endured imprisonment to become a social worker. The films, part of the Underground Film Revolution at the Milky Way Lounge, start at 9:30; admission is $5.
401 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-3740.
