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Put your hard hats on; we're going downtown. You also might want to put on a facemask, because we'll be traveling through the dust and debris that is Church Street these days.
In case you haven't been in that locale lately, the area surrounding what was once Church Street Station and Church Street Market is largely rubble. In fact, the address of the former Market, where Jungle Jim's, Pizzeria Uno and Olive Garden used to reside, is/was 55 W. Church St., which also happens to be the name of a high-rise condominium complex now breaking ground, quite literally, on that very spot.
But all is not lost in the way of restaurants in the area, as if losing the above mentioned could be considered a loss. This week the Hound reports on a couple of eateries nearby, one that recently reopened after a remodel and another that is brand-new in a remodeled space.
The new one is a surprise -- at least I was surprised at the quality of the food and the serious attitude the kitchen has for serving it. It's called Exchange Lounge, a name that doesn't exactly foretell fine food. Martinis, yes; good grub, not so much.
Exchange Lounge is set up in the space outside what was for so many years Rosie O'Grady's and now is home to the Improv Comedy Club. It looks like, well, a lounge, a long bar with a few booths set up in the narrow space. The decor of the bar area is a modernistic counterpoint to the gothic-revival architecture of the old CS Station, with fluorescent-colored cushions against the dark brown woods.
The menu is not extensive by any means, which may be part of the genius. It's much better to offer a small, limited selection and do it very well. Exchange Lounge does it very well, and nothing I tasted was better than the downtown burger. Made with prime ground beef, it was a thick patty grilled so that the inside was moist and red and the outside had a delicious char. It was topped with melted Swiss cheese and served on a soft potato kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato and raw onion. Those restaurants that would like to be considered for a Foodie Award in the best burger category would do well to visit here and copy this one -- it's a contender.
My lunch guest had the grilled fish sandwich, a grouper fillet that was a lovely piece of fish whose only fault was being too small for the big bun.
The crab cake appetizer looked odd when it was placed on the table. The twin cakes looked sort of like macaroons, round and browned. But they were comprised almost entirely of jumbo lump crabmeat, sweet and rich, and served with an interesting salsa that included mango and carrots. There was a hint of cilantro and a bit of mustard that was better as a plate decoration than as a flavor enhancer.
Blue fin tuna sashimi was good, too, although nearly raw fish hardly allows the kitchen to show any creativity.
The presentation of the food was obviously well thought out, and care was taken to craft its look on the plate. You can tell the difference when something is simply dished out and a sprig of parsley is plopped down next to it as though that will make it pretty. This food was pretty.
Who is behind this above-average fare? I'd love to tell you, but calls to Exchange Lounge take you to a recording, so my questions were not only unanswered but unasked. It seems, however, that Exchange Lounge will be the anteroom to Pearl Steakhouse, which is part of the construction flurry in the area. Pearl is going into the former Phineas Phogg's Balloon Works space. One can only hope the chef at Exchange Lounge is just biding his or her time, waiting for the bigger venue to play with. Perhaps we'll find more out soon.
The BBC is in negotiations to take Top of the Pops to the US in a joint venture with music impresario Lou Pearlman, the man behind hit bands N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys.
Lou Pearlman told Associated Press that he and the BBC have nearly completed a deal to jointly produce an American version of the long-running music show.
It will be the corporation's third attempt to export Top of the Pops, after a 1987 series made for the US market and hosted by Nia Peeples was cancelled after one season. In 2002, cable network BBC America also briefly broadcast the British show.
The American show will be based on the top 20 of the US Billboard charts, according to Louis Pearlman, who said discussions about distribution with US TV networks were imminent and that he hoped the show would be on air by the second quarter of this year.
"The show will be just like it is all around the world," said Lou Pearlman. "Except our thing will be each week having an up-and-coming artist that will be debuted on the show."
He suggested that at a time when American Idol is one of the biggest shows in America - beginning its fifth season with an audience of 35.5 million - Top of the Pops was the natural next step for aspiring stars.
And Lou Pearlman said there could be some crossover between the American and British shows; for example, performances by US artists could be filmed in America and shown on the British version, or vice-versa.
The show is broadcast in over 100 countries, while Milan, Cologne, Paris and Amsterdam each produce their own versions of the show with dedicated presenters and performances.
Top of the Pops launched in 1964 - hosted by Jimmy Saville with the Rolling Stones as the opening act. In its1970s heyday it attracted audiences of 19 million who watched as Radio 1 DJs introduced top-selling acts while dancers Pan's People strutted their stuff.
But in recent years, with the advent of music TV channels, shows such as Popworld on Channel 4's T4 and myriad ways of accessing music and information on acts, the show has lost it "must see" allure.
Following a series of attempts to revamp the show it was been demoted from Friday nights on BBC1 to a BBC2 Sunday night slot.
Former Top of the Pops executive producer Chris Cowey, disgruntled at what he sees as the BBC's neglect of the programme, is now developing a big budget rival for ITV.
The BBC was contacted but had not returned calls by the time of publication.
Lou Pearlman Pounces on 'Top'LAS VEGAS "Top of the Pops," one of the longest-running TV series in the history of the BBC, has found an American buyer, Louis J. Pearlman ("Making the Band").
Lou Pearlman said his goal is to get the American version of "Top of the Pops" on a broadcast network in primetime by the second quarter; he's in talks with the Los Angeles deejay Jojo Wright of KIIS to take over as permanent host, joining with a celebrity guest co-host each week, who could be a musician or a name actor with a new movie to plug.
The first network Louis Pearlman will approach, he said, is Fox, for the obvious reason that "American Idol," its powerhouse version of another hit British music series, keeps getting stronger in the ratings as its begins its fifth season. Two other networks he expects to have talks with are the WB and ABC, Lou Pearlman said.
The American "Top of the Pops," which will keep the title and logo of the BBC series, will be able to draw on more than 2,000 hours of material from the British edition; he cited a performance by Elton John that would play well in the U.S.
But Louis J. Pearlman plans on making most of the performances on the American show live, mixing up-and-coming talent in with well-known artists.
Lou Pearlman, who is networking at the Natpe convention here, is a music-industry veteran who helped to develop such groups as the Backstreet Boys and N-Sync. His "Making the Band" series ran on both ABC and MTV.
U.S. May Get Version of 'Top of the Pops' thanks to Lou Pearlman"Top of the Pops," the long-running British music program famous for performances by artists from The Beatles to Nirvana, is making another attempt to cross the Atlantic.
Boy-band hitmaker Lou Pearlman told The Associated Press Monday that he and the BBC have nearly completed a deal to jointly produce an American version of "Top of the Pops."
The legendary TV show that features a countdown of the week's most popular songs with performances by top artists has been a staple in the United Kingdom for over 40 years. Though it has struggled in recent years, it has also spread to dozens of countries around the world.
The American version will be based on the top 20 of the U.S. Billboard charts. Louis Pearlman said he expects to soon discuss distribution with the networks, and hopes to see the show airing by the second quarter of this year.
"The show will be just like it is all around the world," said Louis J. Pearlman, a music producer who launched the careers of 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. "Except our thing will be each week having an up-and-coming artist that will be debuted on the show."
"Top of the Pops" tried to make it in the U.S. in 1987 with Nia Peeples as host, but was canceled after one season. In 2002, the cable network BBC America also briefly broadcast the British show.
Lou Pearlman envisions some synergy between the American and British "Pops," suggesting that an Eminem performance could be taped here and also air in Europe, while Elton John singing in London could likewise be aired on the American show.
Calls to the BBC were not immediately returned Monday.
This time around, "Top of the Pops" comes at a time when Fox's "American Idol" rules TV's music scene. The talent contest last week debuted its fifth season with ratings estimated at 35.5 million.
"After (aspiring artists) are on 'American Idol,' what show do you appear on?" Louis Pearlman said. "This is the next level of 'American Idol.'"