Raphael Kluzniok

The seductive mixture of a zesty aroma and the undeniable melody of a base guitar calls customers from blocks away.

Poor House Bistro knows how to celebrate Mardi Gras right with good old-fashioned finger licking New Orleans cuisine, a family atmosphere and live music.

Jay Meduri, owner and SJSU alum said, “This is a family event. I wanted to bring New Orleans to San Jose.”

Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, a holiday that is celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

This Tuesday, the Poor House Bistro was blasting music and advertising $2.50 Jell-O shots for their adult customers excited about Mardi Gras.

The purple, green and gold-colored decorations were draped over parts of the sitting area and all over the bar area and stage.

As the evening went on, the line to place an order swung around the sitting area and sprinkled across the front steps of the entrance.

All of the friendly servers wore an abundance of Mardi Gras beads around their necks as they took orders behind the counter.

A variety of ages sat at tables surrounding the line of hungry guests and patiently waited for their orders to be prepared.

Although the bistro rarely has issues with guests, there is a friendly reminder over the fireplace as people walk in “Be nice or leave.”

Meduri was inspired to open a New Orleans influenced restaurant based on his past travels to the state as a musician.

The musicians featured Tuesday night were The Montegos, which includes artists Bob Welsh and Steve Willis from Bay Area bands.

His biggest goal once the restaurant was opened was to keep the integrity and ambiance of New Orleans, which some would say he did.

LueShell and McKenzie Mortensen said, “We came to get a Po’ Boy, it’s always busy and the music is always fun!”

McKenzie brought her mother LueShell to the bistro to enjoy the New Orleans cuisine in honor of Mardi Gras.

The actual bistro is a house made into a restaurant.

Some time in the 1940s, Jay’s grandfather purchased the house from an unknown SJSU sorority.

The house was then moved from 11th St. to 91 S. Autumn St. where it now sits for all of San Jose to enjoy.

“What we try to do here is keep it family oriented,” Meduri said.

According the numerous awards hanging on display in the venue, Mercury News voted Poor House Bistro the best live music in the Silicon Valley in 2006.

The bistro also received 12 awards from Metro, according to the Bistro’s website.

Two year server Maria Garcia said, “When I first started working here, Jay told us we were a family and that’s what it feels like.”

Regular customers as well as first time visitors are greeted with a warm welcome.

“The people that come here are really nice and fun. Sometimes Jay will get on stage and play with the musicians,” Maria said.

The restaurant has been active and running for six successful years.

According to Meduri, in May 2005 the restaurant opened for business.

After Hurricane Katrina hit in August of 2005 Meduri lost a lot of suppliers.

Although the residents of New Orleans lost a lot more business connections, Jay continues to keep his business booming with live bands, great food and memorable service.

Derik Irvin

UC Davis is currently 3-1, while SJSU is 1-2.

SJSU scored two runs in the first inning after a sacrifice bunt from designated hitter junior Caleb Natov, allowing freshman center fielder Andre Mercurio and junior left fielder Michael Gerlach to reach home.

The team almost scored again in the fourth inning, with bases loaded.

Junior right fielder Nick Schulz was walked to first base, and a sacrifice bunt by junior catcher Kyle Gallegos advanced him to second.

A walk from Mercurio then Gerlach loaded bases before an attempted sacrifice bunt from Natov ended the inning.

UC Davis scored three runs in the sixth inning with freshman Brett Fuller as pitcher.

UC Davis' short stop, sophomore Adam Young, was walked before senior center fielder Brett Morgan laid a bunt to get to first, advancing Young to second.

A base hit by senior second baseman Ryan Allgrove scored Young, with senior first baseman David Popkins hitting Allgrove in for a run right after.

Popkins would also be driven in, giving UC Davis a 3-2 lead.

SJSU tied the game during the seventh inning, starting with a base hit by senior first baseman Anthony Bona.

Jacob Valdez hit a grounder toward first, getting to the plate and advancing Bona to second.

Nick Schulz brought Bona home when he hit the ball out into right field.

The Spartans almost ended the game during the ninth inning when sophomore infielder/outfielder Matt Lopez got a base hit and was advanced to second by Valdez.

Junior third baseman Tyler Christian then hit a pop-up that ended the inning.

During the 10th inning, Schulz was walked and advanced to second from a hit by Gallegos before two outs by junior right handed pitcher/infielder Zack Jones and Mercurio ended the inning.

The 11th inning ended the game with no scores from either team, with the umpire calling off the game because of approaching darkness and the fact that there are no lights at Blethen field.

Walks were an important aspect during the game, with the Spartans drawing eight walks within the first six innings.

"We focus more on quality of bats and the results," Schulz said about the walks.

After the second extra inning, Schulz was not discouraged by leaving without the win.

"We're going to have tight games all this year," Schulz said.

Bono had the same thoughts.

"The walks helped us out," Bona said. "We had our opportunities."

While it was frustrating that the team didn't get the win, head coach Sam Piraro felt it was a well-played game.

"We just had that one breakdown for one inning," he said.  "They put in some pretty good pitches."

Piraro said they had a couple of chances to score and end the game.

"You just hope a couple guys get hot," he said.

Bono also said they had their opportunities to score during extra innings.

The Spartans will play UC Davis again on March 17 in San Jose, which will be a part of a three-game series March 16-18.

Students who score less than 50 on the Entry Level Math exam and less than 138 on the English Proficiency Test will be required to take the necessary remedial classes during the summer, according to the Early Start website.

The program comes from Executive Order 1048, mandated by the board of Trustees, said Tom Reisz, project coordinator for Early Start and Early Assessment Program coordinator.

“There has been a long term of wanting to improve student performance from the Chancellor’s office toward creating a successful student body," Reisz said.

More than 60 percent of first-time freshmen enrolling in the CSU system each year do not show entry-level proficiency in math and English assessments, according to the Cal State website.

California juniors can use the Early Assessment Program test to see if they are ready for college-level math and English, according to the Early Start website.

Results are available at the beginning of students’ senior year, allowing them to see what they need to work on, according to the Early Start website.

The planning group for the program includes, but is not limited to, the testing office, the math and English departments, Undergraduate Studies, the Early Assessment Program, Developmental Studies, the Institutional Research group, and admissions and financial aid, Reisz said.

The chancellor's office accepted the plans from different campuses to see what similarities there were and to give feedback, according to Reisz.

Every campus has its own version, and there has to be ways of enrolling students across systems and tracking completion, Reisz said.

“We ran a pilot program last summer,” Reisz said.

This summer will be the official start of the program, Reisz said.

Some CSU campuses have course listings on the Early Start website, however, SJSU’s schedule will be finalized and posted by March, said Elizabeth Chapin, public affairs assistant.

There is debate on whether the plan will help in the end.

It sounds like a good idea, said Anthony Sewell, a sophomore computer science major.

Sewell believes if you come to a CSU, then you should be prepared before starting freshman year.

Sophomore animation major Angela Ong said she has friends who didn't pass their LLD classes, and then had a really hard time getting into upper division classes because they hadn't taken English 1A.

Linguistics and language development includes academic English I and II, the classes students who score low on the English placement test have to take, according to the SJSU website.

"Students that test low will have to arrive on campus earlier, and pay extra for the program,” stated Stefan Frazier, coordinator of the Academic English program (LLD 1-2).

Frazier said he  believes starting classes earlier will not be beneficial compared to starting in the fall.

“This will disadvantage them in relation to other students,” Frazier stated. “Since students in that lower category are disproportionately lower-income, the program is discriminatory.”

The price for the classes will be $182 per unit, Chapin said.

People who apply for a fee waiver through FAFSA will get one if their estimated contribution is less than $5,000, Chapin said.

Students will probably give up income they would have gotten from the summer work they were supposed do, Frazier stated.

“Most likely, they will be placing into the same classes during the regular fall semester that they would have anyway,” Frazier stated.

Writing experts and administrators are against the Early Start Program, Frazier stated.

“The order came from the chancellor's office and the CSU Board of Trustees, who appear alone in believing that the program will do any good whatsoever,” Frazier stated.

Brian O'Malley

Spartan Squad students getting rowdy during the SJSU football team's homecoming game against Hawaii. The Spartan's comeback win was immediately followed by the Spartan Squad and other students storming the field.

"I don't go to any games or anything, but I do take pride in being here," she said. "Maybe encourage (students) to go to events, then maybe I'd go too."

SJSU's Spartan Squad, a student-sport booster program that supports SJSU’s sports teams and promotes school spirit on campus, is one organization targeting students like Nguyen.

Chanell Schamber is an assistant event program coordinator for SJSU as well as being in charge of the university’s Spartan Squad.

“Showing school spirit is something that makes your college career even better,” Schamber said, “There’s always something going on around campus; either through associated students or campus life or whatever. There’s always something going on, so if a student wants something to do then they definitely have that option.”

Despite not everyone going to campus events, Schamber said, in general, spirit seems high.

Senior Amanda Schatz, a kinesiology major, believes spirit has improved since her freshman year, but still feels there is only a moderate amount of spirit on campus.

"I wear all San Jose State clothes, usually," Schatz said. "I support the athletic teams (and) I like to go to the functions that San Jose State holds."

Schatz suggests making more events during school hours, since SJSU is a commuter campus.

She also suggested the university might consider trying to connect the north campus, which is mostly the classrooms, with the south campus, which is hosts most of the university's athletic facilities.

She said she feels like this would help get more students to take pride in their school. 

Anna Towata, a junior sociology-criminology major, believes that spirit on campus is low due to people being busy with work and studies.

"I grew up in the Bay Area and I like it here, the people are friendly, and it's very diverse," Towata said.

Trevor Kastrup, an assistant event coordinator at SJSU, believes spirit on campus is relatively high.

"I talk to a lot of veterans of San Jose State and they really appreciate their time here and I know, for me, that's really what I try to do," Kastrup said. "My job's all about making sure other people's time here is really enjoyed, not only academically but also spirit-wise."

"I think (spirit) really boosts a sense of community here as its a pretty big commuter school, so some people aren't as linked in as they could be," Kastrup said in response to why spirit is important on campus.

President Qayoumi's new campaign "Spartans Supporting Spartans" plans to target faculty and staff members to "highlight what makes us proud to be Spartans and provide an easy way for faculty and staff to give to what inspires you," according to an email sent by the Office of the President.

Academic Senate Chair Beth Von Till and Director of Financial Aid Coleetta McElroy are scheduled to host two rallies, the launch events for the new campaign on March 8 and 9.

The March 8 rally is scheduled to take place in the Duncan Hall Breezeway and the March 9 rally is scheduled to take place in the Engineering building rooms 285 and 287, according to an email sent from the Office of the President.

Janikke Klem is the director of alumni engagement at SJSU, which works to keep in contact with alumni and bring them into the alumni association as members as well as to raise funds.

"I was a student here back in the 90s and I actually think (spirit) now is better than it was then," Klem said.

Klem said she sees a lot of students around campus wearing SJSU shirts and SJSU colors.

"I think that people are more proud to be San Jose State students, there's a lot more involvement on campus," she said. "So the idea of school spirit has changed from what we traditionally think of it as, people going to football games, to there being a greater involvement in the university."

Jeremy Infusino is a Spartan Daily copy editor. His column "Big City Kid" appears every other Wednesday.

I enjoy watching television, but since I have a busy schedule it is hard for me to watch shows when they are being aired.

This poses a problem for me.

When I was growing up, I would set aside hours that I dedicated for watching shows on TV.

I can't do that anymore.

In college I have papers, tests and studying that needs to be done and the majority of my time is dedicated to making sure that those are done well.

This is why I think that streaming websites are good.

TV shows that are streamed online give people more of a chance to watch their favorite shows at a time that is convenient for them.

There are basically two types of websites where streaming can be watched: sites with shows streamed illegally and sites with shows streamed legally.

I prefer to watch shows that are streamed legally, but if a show isn't on one of those sites where content is legally posted, then I will go to a site where the content is illegally posted.

Websites such as Hulu give me the option of watching shows at a time that is convenient for me.

Some people will argue that watching TV shows online on a computer screen is not the way they were intended to be watched and, for the most part, I agree with them.

I prefer to watch shows on a TV screen as opposed to on my laptop, but if I'm too busy to watch in the first place, the next best option for me would be on my laptop.

I think the main reason I can't watch shows at the time when they originally air is because I know I will have a second chance to watch the show.

For example, if I miss an episode of "Family Guy," I know I can watch it online later because it will be posted somewhere.

The days of having to watch something as it happens or record something on VHS are over because it exists somewhere on the Internet.

Some people will say that by no longer watching shows on television, quality shows will no longer be on the air.

To that I say, if a show is good, people will watch it.

I don't have a problem if terrible shows like "Whitney" or "Basketball Wives" is taken out of that station's lineup.

I think streaming might even improve the shows on television because the shows on television will have to be entertaining in order to keep a loyal audience.

I wouldn't mind setting aside an hour or two a day if I knew that all of those programs I liked were going to be on one after the other in order to actually watch the shows on television.

Unfortunately, I don't see this happening anytime soon.

Streaming gives me the option to pick and choose.

I even prefer the ads on streaming websites as opposed to television.

A show will go to commercial on TV and I don't know how long it will be until the show comes back on, but when I watch a show online they give me a countdown until my favorite characters are back on the screen. Some websites even give me the option of choosing what type of ad I like or even if this ad is relevant to me — features I don't consider necessarily bad, either.

If I had the option to watch the show as it aired I would, but streaming is a nice alternative.

I enjoy watching television, but since I have a busy schedule it is hard for me to watch shows when they are being aired
I enjoy watching television, but since I have a busy schedule it is hard for me to watch shows when they are being aired

This Thursday, two of the most popular popular metal bands will thrash the eardrums of eager fans at the Event Center.

Megadeth is on its seventh leg of Gigantour, their giant amalgamation of metal and heavy rock bands old and new. This also marks the first appearance of Giagantour ever in San Jose, and at lest Megadeth’s third — they visited the Event Center in 1995 and 1997.

This time around, Megadeth has recruited Motörhead, with its always-candid singer-songwriter-bassist Lemmy, to shred along 2012’s North American tour.

And yes, by this point, you’re wondering why you should care — metal, to you, is flat and one-dimensional. You see yourself at this week’s earlier “Big Time Rush” boy band quasi-opera.

Well, you’re wrong — metal is a complex beast and frequently evolving.

Arguably there are more than 45 distinct genres of metal, including fringe hybrids with punk and hardcore.

Samm Dunn, a metal music star and anthropologist, co-directed a film in 2005 entitled “Metal: a Headbanger’s Journey.”

Dunn describes metal as a culturally specific and frequently evolving genre. From Iran’s deathcore band, Death Fuse, to the Nintendocore group, Horse the Band, to Japan’s Mono, an instrumental post-metal band.

There is a huge global appeal to metal. And though you may haven’t heard the shrills from the guitar of an axe man from Norway, there is a great chance that people all across the globe are death metal devotees who will travel hundreds of miles for the opportunity to see their next favorite band.

Driven by a dark sound themed by macabre lyrics, religious symbols, dysfunctional relationships and holistic apathy, founded in hits such as Iron Butterfly's 1968 release, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” and 1970's Black Sabbath records “Black Sabbath” and “Paranoid."

While hair bands began to boom in the early ‘80s, the earliest of the thrash bands begin to coalesce. The underground scene is where Dave Mustaine and Metallica founders James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich would meet. Mustaine was Metallica's original lead guitarist, bringing along several songs, and arguably a certain joie de vivre from his previous bands.

Before Metallica recorded its pivotal album “Kill ‘Em All” in 1983, Mustaine co-wrote several Metallica songs, including fan favorite “The Four Horsemen” and the heavy hitter “Jump in the Fire.”

Mustaine, though, had a problem with drugs and alcohol and went his own way. Fired from Metallica, Mustaine went on to start another pivotal thrash metal band, Megadeth.

And like Metallica, Mustaine led his band by rocking the boat. And though epic solos and stacking arpeggios are found on tracks like 1992’s rock out, “Symphony of Destruction,” or the beautifully composed “Hangar 18” released in 1990, Megadeth had been driven by its conflicts.

The distinctive speed thrash metal that evolved out of the more than 20 band members that join and leave Megadeth over its first 20 years is driven by cocaine, heroin and alcohol, as well as the anger that these cause.

It produced a distinct, volatile sound fueled by substance abuse and clash.

The most famous beef involving Mustaine is his anger toward his former Metallica bandmates. One of his points: Metallica has won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance six times since the award was introduced 22 years ago. Megadeth, despite being nominated nine times, has not won.

It can be argued quite effectively that Mustaine didn’t play anywhere near his potential until he stopped playing.

In 2002, he triggered radial neuropathy, a form of cellular death, in his arm when having a kidney stone removed. At that point, Megadeth was disbanded. A pivotal metal band had finally met its end.

After a four-month recovery, he relearned how to play the guitar, arguably better, and learned to control himself. Post-Born-Again Christian, he had a new Megadeth that didn't tour with satanic bands and had a more "positive" message.

Three years later, he, with new band members, released “The System has Failed.” It was different than the metal he had played before, and, though not all the original fans were happy with its more technical sound, it solidified this new Megadeth as a part of the major American metal landscape.

That same year, Mustaine set off the inaugural Gigantour, featuring thrash metal co-founders Anthrax as well as mathcore’s best and scariest, Dillinger Escape Plan, progressive metal godfathers Dream Theater, and a slue of equally fantastic metal bands.

Mustaine has since become a quasi-political and cultural figure, announcing that, as a part of his alcoholics anonymous process and whatever other excuse he chooses to give, he is now a born-again Christian, disavows gay marriage, thinks President Obama is a divisive politician and believes that Rick Santorum would make a great new president. (But does not formally endorse him.) I’m not sure why it seems so many metal bands, especially the most macabre, end up becoming extremely religious and conservative. (See: Korn or Insane Clown Posse.)

The annual global tour has featured many sold-out dates and produced several CD’s and DVD’s of Gigantour live performances. I argue each year’s iteration since has not had as potent of a lineup, but this is the closest it’s gotten.

Motörhead will provide a colorful gritty set as co-headliner, and Danish rock band Volbeat and nu-metal group Lacuna Coil will provide support as opening acts.

If you find yourself in need of a headbanging moment or desire to thrash around in a metal pit, tickets are still available for $39.50.

It will be loud, and you will go deaf. Rock on. This Thursday, Megadeth and Motörhead will rock the Event Center.

Samantha Clark, Spartan Daily

Luis Sandoval, Nicole Bundy and Amy Huttlinger sing in the Newman Catholic Club's choir during the group's Sunday mass.

The Newman Catholic Club and SJ Spirit will both celebrate Ash Wednesday, the start of the Christian Lenten season, with a distribution of ashes.

The Newman Catholic Club will celebrate mass at the Newman Center, and SJ Spirit will hold an all-day prayer service at the Spartan Memorial.

“If you come to Mass, you’ll be able to get ashes,” said Susie Redmond, president of the Newman Catholic Club. She said people of all faiths are welcomed to the Mass.

Cathy Bui, president of SJ Spirit, said people of all faiths are also welcomed to Spartan Memorial to pray and receive ashes.

According to Roger Wharton, chaplain for SJ Spirit, the group is likely the oldest religious organization on campus, and the group can trace its history back 120 years.

“It started as an Episcopal group, but 12 years ago, (the club) switched (its) mission to be open, affirming and progressive Christians (who) welcome and explore all religions and spiritual traditions,” he said.

According to Wharton, SJ Spirit has offered an Ash Wednesday service for 10 years.

“The students, staff and faculty will come to the chapel,” he said. “We have several clergy people there from different denominations. They come up to the (clergy people), enter a brief conversation, prayer requests are asked for and the administer will pray with the person individually and distribute the ashes.”

Susie Redman, president of the Newman Catholic Club, said the ashes represent that people are all mortal and were created out of the dust from the earth.

Wharton referred to the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible that tells the story of how God created the world and how God blew the breath of life in people from dust.

“The ashes come from the palm branches from last year’s Palm Sunday,” Redmond said. “Palm Sunday (commemorates) Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem and is celebrated the Sunday before Easter.”

According to Nicole Bundy, a freshman humanities major, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day Lenten season, which is 46 days before Easter (Sundays are excluded).

On Ash Wednesday, Christians receive an “Imposition of Ashes” — the putting of the ashes on the forehead in the sign of a cross, according to Wharton.

Redman said Lent is a Christian season of observance and reflection that culminates to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

She added that during Lent, many people fast and give up something to mirror Christ’s sacrifice as he walked alone in the desert and fasted for 40 days.

“For Lent, I plan on giving up Ben and Jerry’s ice cream because I want to challenge myself to be healthier,” said Michael Panelli, a junior justice studies major. “Let’s see if I can do it.”

Amy Huttlinger, a fifth year kinesiology major, also said she wants to challenge herself and plans to give up Facebook.

Luis Sandoval, a senior forensics major, is the secretary of the Newman Catholic Club and said he plans on giving up sugary cereal as a sacrifice.

“It might make me a better person,” he said.

The Newman Catholic Club will be holding mass at 12:30 at the Newman Catholic Center on the corner of 10th and San Carlos streets.

SJ Spirit will be holding an all-day prayer service from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Spartan Memorial.

“This is something that has been vaguely talked about for ten years now,” said Katrina Swanson, Associated Students director of student resources and ISA member. “We really want to at least put the hammer down on this because it is something that at least the members of instruction and student affairs committee believe it’s about time to be done.”

Swanson said online SOTEs are a common trend among other California state universities.

Junior film major AC Sico said he is content with the current format of SOTEs.

“I think that more people wouldn’t do it,” he said about the potential of a  online process.

Tanmay Sharma, A.S. Director of external affairs and ISA member said the main reason to consider the change is to save the school's money.

“Right now it costs SJSU almost $55,000 every year, annually,” Sharma said. “Once we go to online SOTEs, it is supposed to be something under $5,000. It’s a huge change economically."

Sharma said he thinks the change would be a good step because the money saved will be helpful in this economic state.

Swanson said another benefit of online SOTEs is it would save time at the end of the semester.

“Especially towards the end of the year, a lot of professors really need that 15 to 20 minutes to go over review stuff, so that time taken out of class is really valuable time,” she said. “It’s not like the beginning of the semester when you’re just kind of doing intro.”

That isn’t the worry of senior kinesiology major Amanda Schetz, who said she thinks students won’t take the time to go online during finals.

“It might be easier to do online, but I don’t think it would be a good idea,” she said. “To me it doesn’t seem like it takes too much (class) time.”

Sharma said he feels the online SOTEs would reduce the work load for university staff.

“Right now they have to make photocopies of all those SOTEs because they have to give it to the department as well as the faculty,” he said. “So it’s a lot of paper usage and it’s a lot of manual work load on part of the staff that has to deal with it. There is too much going on that has to be done manually, which can all be saved if we move to the online SOTEs.”

Sharma said SJSU tested the online SOTEs a couple years ago in a pilot program.

“Based on the pilot program that we did, obviously, the response rate by students was a bit lower than the paper SOTEs, which was expected in any sort of online program once you move to online,” he said. “We see that as to be a gradual curve. It would take some time before the students are more comfortable and willing to give their responses online.”

Swanson said ISA is contemplating incentives to encourage students to fill out the SOTEs online, which could include access to grades earlier or raffle with prizes.

Another benefit of online SOTEs would be the flexibility faculty and staff would gain, Sharma said.

“If certain department or certain faculty wants to include some more questions or modify questions in a different way or pose in different way that is something that cannot be done with the template that we already have of paper SOTEs,” he said. “It’s just those sort of questions all the time. This can be customized to better understand student needs.”

Sharma said the next step to transfer SOTEs online is to get approval from the Academic Senate.

Not lost among the countless Chinese restaurants and sushi bars, Korean food is up-and-coming in the Bay Area.

Food bad boy Anthony Bourdain said, on an episode of “No Reservations” featuring South Korea, that it was strange Korean food is not more popular because the sweet and spicy flavors of the cuisine are not all that unfamiliar to the American palate.

Korean food is beginning to make its mark by broadening its audience.

Restaurants across the Bay Area are making Korean cuisine more accessible and less intimidating through the innovative fusing of the familiar with traditional Korean elements.

Chef Dennis Lee, who learned to cook from his mother, will serve Korean-California cuisine in an izakaya-style. Izakaya is like Japanese tapas — small, shared appetizer plates.

A few of the menu's dishes have been released: potato croquettes with Korean chili aioli and kimchee, fried Brussels sprouts in brown butter with ponzu sauce and bonito flakes and pickled and grilled beef tongue.

Hye Escobar of Big Grill Teriyaki BBQ in Morgan Hill celebrates her culinary talents by cooking Korean dishes beyond the traditional.

“I don’t cook what I don’t like,” Escobar said. “Many of my dishes are of my own creation.”

Her banchan, always-present side dishes, include Korean-inspired potato and macaroni salads, her take on the traditional American barbecue side dish.

She serves them alongside kimchee, Korea’s iconic spicy fermented cabbage, and japchae, a glass noodle vegetable stir fry.

Escobar tweaks dishes for the non-Korean without losing out on integrity.

The cold soba noodle dishes and hot ramen bowls occupy a huge portion of the Big Grill menu, providing a platform for Escobar to combine her creativity and culinary heritage.

Cool and refreshing, slurping soba feels melodic — whether it be traditional naengmyeon, a cold soup, or her original Summer Noodle with Tofu, an invigorating dish featuring the high in protein and nutritionally dense soba buckwheat noodles served on crunchy romaine lettuce, julienned cabbage, cucumber and apple in a sesame oil and soy sauce broth and plated in an artful minimalist fashion.

Korean ramen noodles are not the same as the Styrofoam-trapped thirty-cent instant noodles — they are stronger and thicker.

Escobar’s Seafood Ramen is a menagerie of mussels, shrimp, octopus and calamari swimming in a deep and flavorful daily-made broth.

The ramen arrives bubbling in a traditional granite bowl called a dolsot, which means “stone pot.”

Used for centuries in Korea, dolsots stay hot for a long time and can undergo temperatures up to 615 °F.

The stone absorbs oils, imparting extra flavors to the food.

Dolsots are traditionally used for piping hot dolsot bibimbap, meaning “mixed meal,” — a classic dish of steamed rice, colorful julienned vegetables, a fried egg and meat.

At Bowl’d, a restaurant in Albany, which celebrated its first anniversary last week, customers can choose the build-your-own, customized dolsot bibimbap rice bowl The Sizzling Rock or The Works by choosing their choice of rice and meat.

The rainbow-hued raw vegetables cook sizzling against the hot dolsot — quick cooking ensures high nutritional value retention.

The dish embodies a broil-like toasty texture, and the rice turns golden and crunchy.

“The restaurant name Bowl’d is a play on words,” co-owner Jessica Oh said. It refers to the rice bowls and reiterates Oh’s philosophy, “Be bold. Try Korean food.”

Oh described Bowl’d as “training wheels,” meant to expose customers to traditional Korean food in a welcoming, comfortable environment.

The English menu is descriptive, and Korean names are listed in parentheses, so customers can take their new Korean gastro-vocab to other Korean restaurants.

There’s good news for the chopstick-impaired: Spoon usage is encouraged.

“My father used to get mad at me when I ate rice with chopsticks because, in Korea, you use a spoon to eat rice,” Oh said. “I tell customers to go for it.”

Another way to dip your toe into Korean flavors is to try the spicy and subtly sweet wing sauce flavor Angry Korean at Wing Wing’s in San Francisco.

“The base of its sauce is the Korean condiment gochujang,” chef-owner Christian Ciscle said.

The savory and intense staple Korean condiment is a fermented paste that consists of red chili, soybeans, rice and sugar or honey and spices up traditional octopus dishes, bibimbap and Escobar’s spicy-sweet pork bulgogi.

“I wanted to do a Korean sauce,” Ciscle said. “My partner’s (Lisa Shin) parents thought it was weird using gochujang for fried chicken.”

Ultimately, the sauce’s recipe was partly adapted from Shin’s family recipes, a mix of Ciscle’s innovation and a tried-and-true Korean base.

You can’t talk Korean food without talking Korean barbecue.

The Bay Area’s insanely popular mobile gourmets KoJa Kitchen and MoGo BBQ use fun fusion to create an approachable menu.

KoJa Kitchen’s, a Korean-Japanese truck, signature sandwich is toasted rice cake buns with a Korean BBQ filling.

Korean BBQ beef, kimchee, green onions and Japanese sweet mayo top their crisscut Kamikaze fries.

MoGo uses handed down family-recipes in hip food truck fashion and offers gal-bi (smoky smelling short ribs) sliders, tacos and burritos filled with kimchee fried rice. 

One MoGo cashier called it “still Korean and satisfying for everyone.” Korean-Mex? Yes please!

Caption: Bowl'd serves up its banchan in the traditional shared style to encourage intimacy, and the sweet Glazed Potatoes are Oh's take on Korean-inspired “french fries.”

Nicholas Cage stars as Marvel Comic’s Ghost Rider in Columbia Pictures' movie Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Photo courtesy of allmoviephoto.com.

The first "Ghost Rider" film was entertaining and fun.

However, "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" failed to impress me.

The movie is a sequel to "Ghost Rider" that came out in 2007.

Unlike that movie, this one was not even entertaining.

Nicolas Cage should have not reprised his role as the demon riding soul taker.

Not only was the movie unentertaining, but even the special effects were terrible.

The worst part of the effects is that at times the movie goes from live action to an animation illustration that reminds me of a graphic novel.

In the movie, this transition takes place about three or four times and gets more annoying each time it happens.

When the Ghost Rider is laughing it sounds unrealistic.

The movie flashes back to an earlier time where a woman is dying and in exchange for her life Roarke will have her bare him a child who is a half breed.

Roarke does this so he can inhabit his son on Earth so can he use all his power.

Roarke is supposedly the devil in human form.

Johnny Blaze, played by Cage, is recruited by a priest to save the child and prevent Roarke from inhabiting the child.

The priest offers to remove the curse of the rider in payment for bringing the child to a sanctuary.

Another problem with the movie is that Roarke gave Blaze his power.

So why doesn't Roarke just take it away to prevent Blaze from stopping him?

The movie doesn’t explain who this priest is or why he recruits the Ghost Rider.

Also a huge problem with the plot is that Blaze wants to save the child, and in the first movie he was just trying to consume souls.

However, these are not the biggest problems in the plot.

The biggest problem is the child is half pure evil and it is never explained why he wants to be saved.

This movie does have good action scenes, but the bad special effects are distracting.

As in some action movies, this one just has the plot as a side bar to keep the action coming.

The acting is also terrible, by Cage, Violante Placido and Ciarán Hinds.

Placido plays Nadya the mother of the boy and Hinds plays Roarke.

I understand that the acting is not supposed to be great in action movies, but this was just plain awful.

The movie then has the Ghost Rider tracking the child by the scent of him. This makes no sense at all.

The movie then has Nadya’s ex-boyfriend, Ray Carrigan played by Johnny Whitworth, tracking her and her son for Roarke.

It is never explained why he is in league with Roarke or what actual connection Carrigan has to Nadya or her son.

Once Blaze has brought the kid to this sanctuary he then embarks on trying to get rid of the Ghost Rider and goes into a secret cellar at the sanctuary to get rid of the Ghost Rider curse.

The tale of how the Ghost Rider came into being is shown in the movie. It explains why he is evil and why he has a lust for souls.

Next the movie tries to portray the Ghost Rider in a good light and that there might be a way to bring good about with the rider’s power.

This is completely ludicrous. He is a demon from hell, with his powers granted from Roarke. How can any good come out of that?

Cage can sometimes make good movies and has even won an Oscar for “Leaving Las Vegas," however his recent movies have not been his best work. Ghost Rider rides off the screen into a pit of terrible effects and acting. Ghost Rider rides off the screen into a pit of terrible effects and acting.