(blond) boss brunch

Favorite Houston eatery toasts Dolly Parton's birthday with Southern brunch and cocktails

With everyone is back from the holidays and workin’ 9 to 5, we could use deserve a little treat. Fortunately, Union Kitchen is hosting a Dolly Parton-themed brunch on Saturday, January 20, at all five of their Houston locations.

The event celebrates the legendary country singer’s 78th birthday. Since releasing her hit debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967, Parton has racked up a pile of award and accolades as tall as her famous blonde hair. In addition, she’s made her mark on classic films like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and the aforementioned 9 to 5, as well as becoming a literary activist and theme park owner.

The menu is curated by Union Kitchen general manager Rebekah Vera and chef James Lundy. Crafting gastronomic adventures based around musical icons is old hat for Lundy. In December, he put together a similar event for hometown hero Beyoncé to coincide with the release of her concert film, Renaissance.

The Dolly Parton brunch includes a selection of specialty cocktails inspired by her hits. The Jolene contains mezcal tequila, fresh lime juice, and agave, as well as muddled mandarin to symbolize the song’s subject’s luscious auburn hair. The Blond Boss hits a similar, fabulous tone with tequila, lime juice, agave, fresh muddled raspberries and lychee liqueur, and topped with screaming-hot pink glitter. For the more rustic palate, the New Cowboy in Town uses a base of browned-buttered infused Jim Beam and bitters.

Dolly Parton brunch Union Kitchen Look for specialty cocktails like the Jolene and the Blond Boss. Photo by Dylan McEwan/Scurfield Group

Naturally for a country star that hails from Tennessee, the menu will be extremely Southern style. Parton herself has a famous milk gravy and biscuits dish that is a delicious way to start the day, and Union Kitchen will be serving a breakfast sampler inspired by Parton’s recipe. It includes two eggs and bacon or sausage. The more daring will want to try the Tennessee Homesick Blues. It is eggs Benedict made with jalapeño cheddar cornbread topped with a chicken tender, hot honey, more jalapeños (because why not?) and Gouda cheese. Dessert is a banana pudding parfait.

Dolly Parton brunch Union Kitchen Get sweet on the Puddin' Parfait. Photo by Dylan McEwan/Scurfield Group

The regular Union Kitchen brunch menu will be available as well.

The brunch will be accompanied by a special playlist featuring focusing on Parton herself. Songs from contemporaries like Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynch will also be in the mix, as well as newer artists like Miley Cyrus and Kacey Musgraves, who were heavily inspired by Parton.

Parton, who is famously philanthropic, is well-known for her contributions to childhood literacy. Her worldwide Imagination Library charity was inspired by the singer’s father, who could neither read nor write. Today, her work brings free books monthly to nearly 2 million children.

In order to honor Parton’s pioneering work in the realm of literacy, the Union Kitchen is inviting visitors to bring a new children’s book to donate at the event. Collected books will go to Casa de Esperanza, a charity that organizes temporary homes and voluntary placement for young Texas children whose families are going through rough times.

Photo by Dylan McEwan/Scurfield Group

Enjoy a Southern brunch and wash it down with the Jolene cocktail.

-----

The Dolly Parton Birthday Brunch. runs 10 am to 2 pm Saturday, January 20 at Union Kitchen (All locations). For reservations, prices, and more, visit the official restaurant site.

Movie Review

Safe cracking takes center stage in new heist movie Tuner

Photo courtesy of Black Bear

Leo Woodall in Tuner.

Of all the ways that movies depict people trying to steal money and other valuables, safe cracking is among the least exciting. By design, it’s a laborious process that only those with a very certain set of skills can do. While clever editing and the right music can enhance scenes of safes being cracked, there’s a reason that the method is among the least used in heist films.

In the new film Tuner, Niki (Leo Woodall) has a job and a condition that just happens to lend itself well to committing that specific crime. He works as an apprentice piano tuner for Harry (Dustin Hoffman), usually doing the hard work while Harry schmoozes the client. Niki is well-suited for the job because he has a rare condition called hyperacusis, which makes him both sensitive to loud noises and able to hear subtle things that others cannot.

When he runs across a trio of criminals trying to break open a safe at a house where he’s tuning a piano, he helps them more out of frustration than avarice. But when Harry goes into the hospital and racks up huge bills, Niki decides to join the group to make some quick money. They soon want more than he’s willing to give, and he must find a way to extricate himself from them without losing himself completely.

Written and directed by documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher (making his narrative feature debut) and co-written by Robert Ramsey, the film has a nice pace to it despite there being relatively little action. Roher and Ramsey spend the first third or so establishing Niki, Harry, and Harry’s wife Marla (Tovah Feldshuh) as characters, letting the audience understand their relationships and how they interact with each other.

The time they devote to the personal storytelling pays dividends when Niki starts to descend into crime, as his divided loyalties — not to mention the danger of the thefts — insert tension into the plot. That stress is heightened even more when Niki starts a relationship with piano student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), as getting closer to her necessitates a series of lies.

There comes a point, though, where the plot stagnates to a degree. Niki’s end goal, if he has one, is never clear, and it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time before things start to fall apart. After starting strong in their character development, Roher and Ramsey take shortcuts as the film rushes toward its conclusion. This is most notable in a weird argument scene between Niki and Ruthie that comes out of nowhere and seems to serve no purpose in the story.

Woodall, who had a memorable turn in season 2 of The White Lotus, is on the cusp of breaking out, and this understated-but-compelling lead role should help him become an even bigger name in Hollywood. Hoffman has a small role, but he remains as interesting as ever despite the lack of screentime. Liu (Bottoms) is also an up-and-coming actor who should become a star with more roles like this one.

Tuner is a low-key thriller that succeeds because of the way the filmmakers approach the under-used method of robbery. Even if it doesn’t quite reach its potential, the film maintains a high quality throughout thanks to its storytelling and acting.

---

Tuner is now playing in theaters.

movies film