Write down all of the stereotypes and things you think you know about remarkable restaurants and connoisseur cuisine. Now crumble up that piece of paper, toss it in the trash and prepare to broaden your horizons.

In no way are you required to wear a suit jacket. In no way should you feel out of place wearing your jeans and t-shirt you bought at The House of Blues last year in the dining room. In no way should you get a headache thinking about what fork to use or what kind of wine to order…at Hinterland, nothing matters but the forward flavors and the arresting atmosphere.

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My lifelong dream of becoming a model finally came true, at least for a day. Well, sort of.

My diminutive height of 5 ft. 4 in., has kept me from this dream for years, but when Tom Miller, owner of the fabulous Beauty and Cutting Group salons, asked me to do a photo shoot to help him prepare for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Style, I knew my time had come.

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Of all the places you would think an organic salon would open, Milwaukee might be one of the last places you would think of. But don’t tell that to Caroline Kreitlow.

Kreitlow has just opened an organic-lifestyle friendly salon in Shorewood called Luxe (2219 E. Capitol Dr.). The name is French for deluxe, but she can’t take credit for the name. The name is left over from a fine furniture store.

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In recent years, it seems that more people are getting married at a young age. According to 2005 United States census, the average age for a first marriage for women is 26. However, “Cosmopolitan” magazine did a survey in 2004 and found that one out of three students on a large college campus would be able to name at least one young couple they knew that were planning to marry.

Personally, I have two friends who have gotten married in the past four months, both of whom have yet to reach the legal drinking age.

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Visceral, poignant, and perhaps far overdue, director Ridley Scott’s new film “American Gangster” (2007) takes viscous aim at the glamorization of violent street life and gangster culture in America. Adapted from the “New York” magazine article “The Return of Superfly,” the film presents the true account of one man’s disturbing American success story.

Set in New York City during the final years of the Vietnam War, Denzel Washington plays Frank Lucas, driver and protégé of the notorious real-life Harlem gangster Ellsworth ‘Bumpy’ Johnson, played briefly by Clarence Williams III. Coincidentally, Williams also starred in “Hoodlum” (1997) featuring Laurence Fishburne as a young Johnson during his own rise to power in Harlem during the 1930s.

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We’re all aware of the trend of computer animated cartoons in the movie industry today. In fact, there seems to be a formula for making such a film: Take a couple of big name actors, place them in leading roles, and hype it up.

“Bee Movie” is no different. In fact, the voice of nearly every single character is someone identifiable. And the hype! If you didn’t catch the Bee Movie TV Juniors on NBC, then you’re probably not a regular viewer of that particular network.

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The five finalists from last season’s “Last Comic Standing” took the stage this past Thursday night at the Pabst Theatre. “Last Comic Standing” is a reality show on NBC that follows the same format as “American Idol.” Except this time, America is trying to find the nation’s funniest comedian.

Ralph Harris played MC for the event and entertained the nearly sold-out crowd throughout the show. Harris loved to poke fun at the audience, continually teasing two girls who showed up late to the performance. You could say they were asking for it though because their seats were front and center.

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Britney Spears’ fifth studio album, “Blackout,” plays out like your typical party album and shies away from being too serious.

“Blackout” is not terrible like other critics have been claiming, but the album is definitely the pop stars. For one, “Blackout” lacks creativity in following the same approach that 2003’s “In The Zone” did.

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Within seconds of talking to pat mAcdonald, one can immediately tell that they are speaking with a deeply enigmatic man.

When asked how growing up in Green Bay affected him as an artist, he responded with a chuckle, saying, “How did living on Earth affect me as an artist…you might as well ask me that.”

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Back in 2002, there was a large group of Nirvana fans who renewed their hatred for Courtney Love when she published sections of Kurt Cobain’s journals and notes. Then in 2006,Courtney Love decided that her journals and diaries were just as entertaining and published hers as well in the book entitled, “Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love.”

Before reading this anthology of Love’s writings, I already had my own set views of the female rock star. Basically she’s crazy, she ruined Kurt Cobain, and she needs to go to rehab desperately. But this is the opinion I get from the media and her infamous appearance at “Comedy Central’s Roast of Pamela Anderson.”

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“Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock” has developer Neversoft taking up the reins of the Guitar Hero franchise for the first time, now that Harmonix jumped ship to work on “Rock Band.”

Any players that fear the new developer messing with the old style of game play can put their fears to rest. The game features 71 playable songs from classic rock such as Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and the Sex Pistols, to modern rock artists including Weezer, Queens of the Stone Age and Muse. Players will find a nice music lineup with a mixture of different genres of rock.

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In years there will be video games that are not limited by controllers, but rather your imagination. I’m sure that some sort of apparatus will be stuck to your head as you cruise through tunnels in a racing game or swing a sword in a mythical world. Until then, we have this thing called reality; maybe you’ve heard of it?

With games like “World of Warcraft” slowly taking over the world, it’s easy to see how kids (and adults) can lose touch with reality. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but which one is really good for the long haul?

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There was a time in the early days of Nintendo when parents would go out get the mail open their letters, cards and bills then promptly turn around and scream at their children.

Why you ask? It’s really quite simple, the kids in their infinite wisdom decide that since they couldn’t find that mysterious seventh dungeon in “Zelda,” they call that number on the back of the their Nintendo - you know the one that asked kids to get their parents permission before calling?

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