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last week's News

DEAR FRIENDS,

LA DANSE HOLDS OVER

Thank you San Francisco for making LA DANSE a hit at the Balboa. It is so popular that we have listened to the many requests to hold it over for another week. We’ll be giving away full size posters for LA DANSE at weekend shows.

In case you missed it, the SF Chronicle wrote:
"Frederick Wiseman's astoundingly beautiful documentary, has sumptuous delights to satisfy every balletomane. "

DOUBLE FEATURE AND A GREAT BARGAIN

Two weeks ago we played the Coen Brothers’ newest, controversial film A SERIOUS MAN. The response was terrific. Good crowds, laughing in all the right places and coming out in heated discussion. We could only play it one week but have been able to get it back and paired it with another hot word-of-mouth hit, THE MAID. You get these two new films for the price of one. If you use our discount cards that is only $3.25 per film, better than video rentals, video-on-demand and any other theater we know about.

AURELIA’S ORATORIO is AMAZING

I saw this totally unique and magical show Wednesday night at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. It is unlike anything you have ever seen before, filled with visual surprises and humor, it has a rapid pace and you only wish it would continue. But the show’s creator Victoria Chaplin and her daughter who stars, Aurélia Thierrée, know to leave us wanting more. Some scenes last only minutes and none overstay their welcome. Often I see clever shows but the creators are so pleased with their creativity that they let things go on too long…like most “Saturday Night Live’ skits. With AURELIA’S ORATORIO you will just want to return with your family and friends to discover things you missed the first time. We are continuing to offer discounts for Balboa fans and your friends. Feel free to forward the information. Read More Below

The creator is the daughter of Charlie Chaplin and while they are in town we hope they will come by the Balboa where THE GOLD RUSH was one of the first films to play here when the theater opened in 1926. Chaplin made two films near the Balboa in Golden Gate Park, A JITNEY ELOPEMENT and IN THE PARK - See the locations then and now.

Free Tickets for AURELIA’S ORATORIO

We have asked for more tickets to give away. Be on the watch this weekend as we give away several pairs of tickets at showings of LA DANSE. We’ll also have a drawing for some pairs so everybody has a chance.

JAZZ BARONESS

At this year’s Telluride Film Festival we showed a documentary that became a surprise festival hit, THE JAZZ BARONESS. It is the story of a British-born heiress who befriended jazz genius Thelonius Monk and the surprising story of their relationship.
It is currently showing on HBO, if you get the cable service try to see it.

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Win a poster signed by Sandra Bullock - last days Enter our drawing in the Balboa lobby. No purchase necessary. Deadline December 11. Winner to be drawn at random.

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About This Week's Films

LA DANSE

Documentary master Frederick Wiseman’s 38th film in a career that has spanned more than that number of years, turns his attention to one of the world’s greatest ballet companies, the Paris Opera Ballet. John Davey’s camera roams the vast Palais Garnier, an opulent 19th century pile of a building: from its crystal chandelier-laden corridors to its labyrinthine underground chambers, from its light-filled rehearsal studios to its luxurious theater replete with 2,200 scarlet velvet seats and Marc Chagall ceiling. LA DANSE devotes most of its time to watching impossibly beautiful young men and women — among them Nicolas Le Riche, Marie-Agnès Gillot, and Agnès Letestu — rehearsing the choreography of Mats Ek, Wayne McGregor, Rudolf Nureyev and Pina Bausch. For balletomanes and the curious alike, LA DANSE serves up a scrumptious meal of delectable moments, one more glorious than the next, made even more precious by their ephemeral nature.

The Paris Opera Ballet is one of the world’s great ballet companies. The film follows the rehearsals and performances of seven ballets: Genus by Wayne McGregor, Le Songe de Medée by Angelin Preljocaj, La Maison de Bernarda by Mats Ek, Paquita by Pierre Lacotte, Casse Noisette by Rudolph Noureev, Orphée and Eurydice by Pina Bausch, and Romeo and Juliette by Sasha Waltz.

Visit Website

Wiseman’s Zipporah Films Site

"One of the finest dance films ever made, but there's more to it than that."
- A.O. Scott, New York Times

"Glorious! The American documentary master’s typically rigorous and compelling study of all that goes on in the rehearsal rooms, offices and finally on the legendary stage of the Paris Opera Ballet. A superb portrait of the perennial pas de deux between art and commerce."
– Jason Anderson, Eye Weekly (Toronto)

"Mr. Wiseman’s best movies, despite their aura of vérité purity, also have the heft and intricacy of great drama." - Dennis Lim, New York Times

"What Edgar Degas, that master of French Impressionism, did for the little "ballet rats" of the Paris Opera in the late 19th century, Frederick Wiseman, a master of American documentary filmmaking, has done for the radically different world of the same company in the early 21st century. In fact, he has done far more." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

"A joyous experience!" - David Denby, The New Yorker

Read Mary Ellen Hunt’s Q & A with Wiseman in the SF Chronicle.

Interview with Frederick Wiseman from arts-meme

Become a Fan on Facebook

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A SERIOUS MAN (R)

A Serious Man is the story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous acquaintances, Sy Ableman, who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man?

Rated R for language, some sexuality/nudity and brief violence – 105 minutes

Official Website

"See this film immediately."
- -Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out

"Coen Brothers’ latest is seriously humorous and heartfelt"
- Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

"A Serious Man has a script, a clarity and a tone that come from craftsmen and wits (dour ones, but wits all the same) at the peak of their game."
- Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

"Four Stars! Have I mentioned A Serious Man is so rich and funny? This isn't a laugh-laugh movie, but a wince-wince movie. Those can be funny too."
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

"A seriously funny film about an angst-ridden Jewish professor seeking the answers to life's questions and getting a metaphysical pie in the face."
- Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter

"A Serious Man is an exquisitely realized work; the filmmakers' technical mastery of their craft, always impressive, has become absolute. The script reads like a novel, densely allusive, funny, and terse."
- Dana Stevens, Slate

"Resolutely paced, impeccably staged and lensed, it's comedy for people who can laugh at poetic car wrecks, obtuse rabbis, mysterious dental messages and an endlessly drained cyst."
- Peter Howell, Toronto Star

"A Serious Man is a wonderfully odd, bleakly comic and thoroughly engrossing film."
- Claudia Puig, USA Today

"The Coen brothers continue to grow in sophistication and subtlety."
- Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

"A Serious Man is the kind of picture you get to make after you've won an Oscar."
- Todd McCarthy, Variety

VIDEO: An interview with Joel and Ethan Coen about their new movie, A Serious Man.

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes of “A Serious Man"

COENESQUE fan site

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THE MAID (NR)

A woman feels she must fight to hold on to her place in the household where she's been a servant for much of her life in this drama from writer and director Sebastian Silva. Raquel (Catalina Saavedra) works as a maid for a well-to-do Chilean family, and has been with the household so long that she's come to think of herself as part of the family. However, Raquel is also aware of the distance between herself and her employers, and though she's fiercely devoted to Mundo Valdes (Alejandro Goic), his wife, Pilar (Claudia Celedón), and their son, Lucas (Agustín Silva), she finds herself increasingly at odds with their rebellious daughter, Camila (Andrea García-Huidobro). Years of hard and unrelenting work have begun to take their toll on Raquel, and Mundo decides she could use some help; he hires a young au pair, Mercedes (Mercedes Villanueva), to assist her, but Raquel refuses to allow anyone to usurp her role in any way, and treats the girl so horribly she soon quits. Unaware of the conflict between Raquel and Mercedes, Mundo hires an older and more experienced women to work with Raquel, Sonia (Anita Reeves), and it's not long before the two domestics are locked in a fierce battle of wills.
Not Rated. 117 minutes.

Official website

"With a few brushstrokes, Sebastian Silva communicates the complicated social and moral dynamic involved in having a live-in maid."
- Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

"The Maid has that particular gift of leaving you off balance in the best possible way, and whenever something like that comes around you owe it to yourself to check it out."
- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

"You think the story's going one way. Then it goes quite another. Throughout, Saavedra's increasingly desperate measures to protect her turf are at once startling, funny and weirdly poignant, as is the film itself."
- Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

"Chilean television vet Saavedra goes through one of the most uncanny psychophysical transformations I've ever seen in a movie without the benefit of obvious makeup or other prosthetics."
- Scott Foundas, Village Voice

"The movie’s narrative design is at once simple and complex."
- Manohla Dargis, New York Times

FREE POPCORN WITH YOUR "I’D RATHER BE AT THE BALBOA" DISCOUNT CARD! NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

Now, as an added treat for our most regular movie-goers, each discount card gets you one free complimentary size popcorn per card. You choose the visit that you would like to redeem it--just bring your card to the concession stand to receive your free popcorn on us. Thank you.

For a limited time through the holidays, the Balboa Discount Card can be purchased online! The “I’d Rather Be At The Balboa” Discount Card admits the holder to five shows and costs $32.50 (plus Brownpapertickets fees of $1.74); for a gift value of $45.00! That is a savings of nearly $10.00!

Two people can use the card at each visit. Good for 6 months from date of purchase.

Order as many Gift cards as you wish. Give one to yourself too.

Upon receipt of your order we guarantee that we will mail the gift card with a classic movie gift card on or by the next business day (we pay the postage.) We make no guarantees about holiday arrivals once we've put it in the postal services hands. Please remember when placing your order to include the mailing address with zip code or we can't stuff your stocking.

Available anytime at our box office or online here:

The Balboa has the lowest prices in town and you get to see the hottest new movies in the comfort of an independently owned neighborhood theater with history…it was built in 1926…..and, we are told over and over…we’ve got the friendliest staff in town!

Just a reminder, that on your Birthday, you are our guest. That’s right. You get in free with proof of your birth date.

And at all other times you can get the “I’d Rather Be At the Balboa” Discount Card.

What a deal! 5 tickets to the Balboa for $32.50. That is only $6.50 per show. Good every day and night. And two people can use the card at once. You can go on a date even when you are low on cash with your Balboa Card. A savings of up to $12.50! Makes a perfect gift as well.

Available anytime at our box office or online here

SILENT FILM FESTIVAL

Those of you who have been reading this newsletter know that we love silent films (in fact mark your calendars for Feb. 27 to celebrate the Balboa’s 84th birthday). And this Saturday is a special day when the SF Silent Film Festival will present 4 incredible shows featuring Meriam C. Cooper’s CHANG, Abel Gance’s rare J’ACCUSE, Lon Chaney in WEST OF ZANZIBAR and one of my all-time favorite movies, Buster Keaton’s SHERLOCK JR. If you have never seen a silent film in a theater, with live musical accompaniment, you have no idea what a treat awaits you and your loved ones. Do not miss out.
Full Schedule

KINO HOLIDAY SALE

KINO is an excellent source for classic DVDs. Check out their new catalog for some holiday gift ideas!

Check out the DIGITAL EDITION of our 2010 catalog

CATHERINE GALASSO: LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES THE SAME PLACE TWICE Presented by San Francisco Film Society

December 12-13 at SOMArts Cultural Center

Tickets and program information at SFFS.org

Catherine Galasso: Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice is a multimedia dance/ theater/projected video program comprised of two performances created by choreographer, dancer and video artist Catherine Galasso.

Simmer is a solo dance performance by Galasso, an homage to her father, composer Michael Galasso. Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice is a virtual journey through the psyche of Roy Sullivan—the real-life person who purportedly holds the world record for being struck by lightning seven times. The work, featuring four dancers, covers Sullivan's many tribulations through elliptical narrative, humor and movement.

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THE HARD NUT

It’s hip. It’s hilarious. It’s utterly enchanting… It’s not your average Nutcracker.

• The Hard Nut–The Nutcracker with a Twist
• Mark Morris Dance Group
• Berkeley Symphony Orchestra
• Robert Cole, conductor
• Children of the Piedmont Children’s Choirs
• Robert Geary, director
• Dec 11-20
• Zellerbach Hall Tickets start at $36
• Ages 16 & under: Half Price for Fri, Dec 11, and Thu & Fri, Dec 17 & 18 performances

Tell Tchaikovsky the news! One of the Bay Area’s most beloved traditions is home for the holidays. Mark Morris’s whimsical and heartwarming masterpiece, set to Tchaikovsky’s complete original score, will leave you laughing breathlessly one moment and holding back tears the next through its ‘60s holiday party antics, leaping snowflakes, wayward waltzing flowers, and a deeply moving pas de deux.

Website

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A BELOVED HOLIDAY TRADITION!

ODC/Dance presents The Velveteen Rabbit

A Tale of Love, Loyalty & Hope

JOIN US FOR OUR 23rd SEASON!


Through December 13, 2009

Join us for this beloved Bay Area holiday tradition. ODC/Dance enlivens Margery Williams’ classic tale of a well-worn nursery rabbit that becomes real. Told though music, dance and a powerful narrative, The Velveteen Rabbit celebrates the unique relationship between a little boy and his stuffed rabbit, and the enduring power of love.
 
Brimming with wit, festive costumes, madcap characters and the perfect amount of holiday cheer, ODC/Dance — one of America’s most exciting and acclaimed contemporary dance companies, returns to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to present their 23rd season of the beloved Bay Area production!

More Information

A short film about ODC Dance and "The Velveteen Rabbit"

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DISCOUNTS TO SEE THE AMAZING “AURELIA’S ORATORIO

Berkeley Repertory Theatre invites fans of Balboa Theater to an intoxicating performance of Aurélia’s Oratorio—at 20% off!
Prepare for some mesmerizing illusion.

Berkeley Rep invites you to see Aurélia’s Oratorio at a special discounted price. Aurélia Thierrée literally grew up in the circus and has enthralled audiences around the world with this topsy-turvy time of tricks and transformations. Set to a quirky score of chamber music and gypsy jazz and conceived and directed by Victoria Thierrée Chaplin, this 70-minute fantasy has been described by The Australian as having “more magic than all the special effects of a Hollywood blockbuster.” Don’t miss this bewitching international sensation.

This discount is good for the following performances of Aurélia’s Oratorio:

• December 10th 8pm
• December 11th 8pm
• December 13th 2pm
• December 13th 7pm
• December 16th 7pm

For access to discounted tickets, just select one of these performances from the calendar on our website and enter the promotional code 4945 when you log in.

This offer is subject to availability. Unfortunately the discount is not available retroactively.

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MURDER, MYSTERY, MAYHEM & LAUGHS! Just in Time for the Holidays!

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have...(mystery chords!) THE 39 STEPS, Broadway's most intriguing, most thrilling, most riotous, most UNMISSABLE comedy smash! The mind-blowing cast of 4 plays over 150 characters in this fast-paced tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinarily entertaining adventure.

As a supporter of the Balboa Theatre, when you purchase tickets using special offer code 11STEP to any of the select performances below save up to $30 on Orchestra and Mezzanine seats.

A limited number of $39 seats are available for Tue, Wed, Thu & Sun eve and Wed mat, December 9-17 and $50 for Fri and Sat eve, Sat and Sun mat, December 11-13. To purchase tickets, Click Here or call 415-512-7770 and use SPECIAL OFFER CODE: 11STEP when purchasing.

To take advantage of this special offer go to shnsf.com, ticketmaster.com or call Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone 415-512-7770. Tickets may also be purchased with special offer code in person, without convenience fees, at the Orpheum Theatre Box Office (1192 Market at 8th St. , Mon - Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 11am-6pm). The Curran Theatre Box Office (445 Geary Street), will open on Monday, December 7.

Tickets subject to availability. Convenience fees apply. NOT available at Ticketmaster Ticket Centers. Offer not valid on previously purchased tickets. Restrictions apply. No refunds, cancellations or exchanges. Offer begins on November 30, 2009

"The 39 Steps,” the absurdly enjoyable, gleefully theatrical riff on Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film."
-Ben Brantley, New York Times

SHN presents 39 STEPS at the Curran Theatre Dec 9, 2009 - Jan 3, 2010. For much more information, video clips and ticket information: www.SHNSF.com

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SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK

At this time of year we usually are thinking about those less fortunate than ourselves. Unfortunately people are homeless and hungry all year. But it is during the holidays that the San Francisco Food Bank has collection barrels available for us to place in our lobby.

For several years we have had tremendous success collecting food for the Food Bank's program to feed those in need. The Balboa's audience is made up of compassionate people who want to help and we appreciate your cooperation. You can bring food during operating hours. There is no limit and no purchase necessary of course.

The foods most needed are rice, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, canned tuna and meats, soups, stews, chili, peanut butter and cereal. They must be in unopened containers and not be perishable. No glass containers or items that require refrigeration please.

From the SF Food Bank: HUNGER SHOULDN'T BE AN OPTION

Skipping dinner. Eating less - or eating less well. Giving up food in order to pay rent. This is what 150,000 people in San Francisco face every day.

The San Francisco Food Bank is the critical link between food and people. We provide food to over 132,000 people every year through 600+ community food programs.

Hunger impacts people in all walks of life. We reach them all - from working families to senior citizens. Together, we will distribute over 33 million pounds of food this year to meet an ever-growing need in our community.

Our mission is to end hunger in San Francisco. Join us today.

We also urge you to make a monetary donation. With every $1 donated, the Food Bank can distribute $9 worth of groceries, fresh produce, bread, dairy products and meat into the community.

For more information: www.sffoodbank.org

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PHOTOS IN THE LOBBY
QUANG-TUAN LUONG’S NATIONAL PARKS

Quang-Tuan Luong celebrates the splendor and variety of the natural and human heritage with his photography. He has been privileged to travel through an immense geographic range, from the top of the coldest mountain on earth to under tropical seas.

Born to Vietnamese parents in Paris, France, he was trained as a scientist (PhD U. Paris). The revelation of the high Alps led him to become a mountain climber and wilderness guide. When he came to the US to conduct research in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing for what was to be a short stay, he chose UC Berkeley, because of the proximity to Yosemite--a world class rock climbing destination.

There, he felt in love with the National Parks and decided to photograph all of them with a 5x7 large format camera, a single-handed, self-financed, monumental project that had not been completed by anyone before. To that effect, he settled in the San Francisco Bay Area and started criss-crossing this country to capture it's diverse beauty. Luong's in-depth coverage of the Parks often dictated long hikes into the backcountry, with a 75 lb backpack, and only his passion and dedication to keep him company. By 2002, he had visited each of the 58 National Parks. He subsequently left his distinguished career as a scientist to work as a full-time photographer.

His photographs have been published in many books, and have appeared in several publications from National Geographic, Time, Life, Outside, Scientific American, GEO, and many others in dozens of countries around the world. However, he reached his largest audience through www.terragalleria.com, one of the most extensive and most visited of all individual photographers websites.

In the course of researching locations for their new documentary "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" (aired on PBS), Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan saw the images on that website, and used them to help plan their production. Impressed by their wealth and quality, they used some of his images to fill missing sequences in their cinematography. Intrigued by the story of Luong's life and project, they featured him as one of the few living characters in the film, a newcomer who was deeply moved by America's natural beauty, who has dedicated his efforts to raise awareness and respect for our national treasures.

All photographs are available as limited edition prints. To view them, or contact Quang-Tuan Luong, please visit www.terragalleria.com

To learn more about Ken Burns’ THE NATIONAL PARKS

Local showings on KQED

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KIM SON VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT DISCOUNT

With Balboa ticket stub 10% off food at Kim Son. Our staff and customers think this Vietnamese restaurant in one of the best places to eat in the neighborhood. Want to eat there before the show? Buy your ticket at the box office first and then show it at dinner. Make sure you keep it to get into the theater. This is an ongoing discount so you can also use it on your next visit to the neighborhood. Kim Son is just a few doors away from the Balboa at 3614 Balboa St

Read what others say.

NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANTS

One of the strengths of the Balboa is our neighborhood. Other than the bank, all the businesses are family owned and operated. The restaurants are especially wonderful. On the outer Balboa strip there are 24 eating establishments by my count. You can eat Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian, Italian, American, Mexican, Seafood and Vietnamese cuisines. The foods are fresh, distinctive and all reasonably priced. The media food critics have only discovered a few of them but the locals know a good thing. We encourage you to enjoy a meal at one of these fine eateries while visiting the Balboa. All are within easy walking distance. And please send us reviews and recommendations we can share with our other guests. Send reviews to balboafans@yahoo.com

We love it when you send us a review of a neighborhood restaurant you've enjoyed. We encourage you all to write about your culinary adventures in the Outer Richmond.

Check out the Menu Book in our lobby and our COMPLETE NEW RESTAURANT LIST.

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BALBOA THEATRE INFO

3630 Balboa Street (37th Ave)
San Francisco 94121
(415) 221-8184
www.BalboaMovies.com

Bike Rack in front of the Balboa
Muni Bus #31 Balboa or #18 46th Ave stop at Balboa &37th., Also #5 Fulton and all 38 Geary Street buses stop two (long) blocks from Balboa.
Relatively easy Parking

San Francisco's Favorite Neighborhood Theatre
Voted by the Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, SF Gate's A List and San Francisco Magazine

General Admission: $9.00
Seniors (60+) and Children (11-) $6.50
Bargain Matinees: All Seats $6.50 for shows in ( )

SCHOOL NIGHT - Mondays are School Days and Nights. With proof of being a student, faculty or staff member, your admission is only $6.50 on Mondays.

The Balboa is Wheelchair and Handicapped Accessible

On Your Birthday, You Are Our Guest.

YOUR FAVORITE SNACK BAR

Great Snack Bar selection at reasonable prices. Your favorite candies including Dove, Toberlerone, and Ghirardelli chocolates.

We serve Caffe Trieste Coffees, fine Tazo teas, chai, hot chocolate, hot dogs, Aidells' poultry Sausages, Veggie Dogs, Dreyer's Dibs, and Delicious Cookies.

And of course fresh popcorn made with sunflower oil and real butter.

No More Naked Popcorn.

Have you tried our complimentary popcorn seasonings?

We have a wide assortment from Kernel Seasonings.

Try White Cheddar, Caramel, Parmesan, Garlic and more...

We also have Nutritional Yeast that has proven to be one of our most popular toppings. And now hot sauce!

Questions, comments, complaints, compliments, gossip? Send us a note

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