Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

Shameless, Season One (US remake):
This show, featuring William H. Macy as a narcissistic alcoholic dad with six kids, does a nice job of walking the "dramedy" line. The actors put out some nice performances while the tone never gets so serious as to be depressing. You'll also quickly fill your quota for nudity and sex, a difficult thing to do while Game of Thrones is on hiatus. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: B+

Chuy's in Sterling, VA:
When this Mexican chain became the fourth Mexican restaurant in a one mile radius, we didn't expect it to stand out. However, they differentiate themselves from the others with fresh ingredients, meats that have more character than the usual "100 permutations of taco meat", and free meat and queso dip during Happy Hour. We had really slow service on the deck around the time they first opened, but have been satisfied otherwise.

Final Grade: B+

Halt and Catch Fire, Season Two:
The second season strikes a nice balance between pushing the characters into their own story arcs (based on the fallout of the first season) while still allowing them to butt heads. Lee Pace does a good job of actually making his character likeable, and Toby Huss as Bosworth steals every scene he's in. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: B+

Apotheca:
This is the game we played with the Smiths last weekend. Designed for 2, 3, or 4 players (in teams), the game involves matching three of a kind on a board of hidden and revealed colors while using special cards to rearrange the board with chess-like moves. It's pretty quick to learn, takes less than 30 minutes to play, and has a nice strategic balance where it's hard to set yourself up for a win while also deterring your opponent. The game pieces are rugged and the cards have a nice artistic style. I would play it again, and in fact, I ordered it yesterday.

First Impression: B+