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Monday, November 15, 2010 • 9
LIFE&ARTS
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Dusty Somers, life & arts editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-5189
RESTAURANT REVIEW
Hidden eatery serves authentic Italian dishes A new Italian restaurant has sprung up in Norman and is so tasty, it could easily give Victoria’s Pasta Shop — the college student favorite — a run for its money. Italian food is plentiful in Norman, but Gaberino’s Homestyle Italian Restaurant may give its patrons an idea of what Italian food actually tastes like. Gaberino’s started cooking Italian favorites on Nov. 4 for its grand opening. This new eatery inhabits a space in the Redbud Plaza strip mall located near Sam’s Club. The biggest downside for the restaurant is that it’s hidden away in this strip mall, and cannot be seen from the road. Once found, the restaurant is a treasure trove of goodies. The space it occupies is rather small, and only about 20 tables have been placed inside. This succeeds in making Gaberino’s a quaint and intimate choice for lunch or dinner. Tables in the eatery are STAFF COLUMN MN adorned with red-checkered tablecloths and flowers in Carmen vases. The most unique aspect Forman of the décor has to be the light fixtures — light bulbs above each of the tables are encased in large jam jars that bathe the tables in a soft glow. The tasty aroma that assaults patrons when they walk through the front door is an accurate depiction of how delicious the food tastes. Instead of opting for serving interesting new dishes, Gaberino’s has chosen instead to offer excellent classic Italian entrées. Gaberino’s offers customers their choice of classic pastas, such as lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccine and chicken Parmesan, or one can choose to make his or her own pizza with toppings that range from pepperoni and Italian sausage to red bell peppers and mushrooms.
If you go WHAT: Gaberino’s Homestyle Italian Restaurant WHERE: 283 34th Ave. SW, Norman HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily PHONE: 405-310-2229
I created my own pizza, and the result pleased both my stomach and my eyes. The marinara sauce contained a hint of spice and plenty of flavor to enlighten my taste buds. I also sampled the fettuccine, and the combination of the rich and creamy sauce along with the homemade noodles made for a delicious meal. As for the garlic bread that came with the pasta, it featured enough garlic and butter to give the bread a delightful taste, but did not leave one’s mouth able to repel a vampire. My one regret for the restaurant can easily be summed up by the fact that I had no room for desert. The eatery’s Italian cream cake tantalized me as waiters carried it to other tables. Affordability is another selling point for Gaberino’s — a meal can range from about $5 to $10. Be forewarned — those looking for alcohol may be disappointed, because Gaberino’s currently only offers domestic beers, but said it will soon carry wine and high-point beers. CARMEN FORMAN/THE DAILY
— Carmen Forman, University College freshman
A pizza sits on one of the red-checkered tablecloth-covered tables inside Gaberino’s Homestyle Italian Restaurant. Gaberino’s opened Nov. 4 in the Redbud Plaza strip mall at 283 34th Ave. SW.
VIDEO GAME REVIEW
‘Force Unleashed II’ full of unsatisfying elements In recent years, “Star Wars” games have been rather hit-or-miss. The better ones usually focus on the expanded universe beyond the movies, but most of the games try to cash in on the latest movie or TV show (see the current “Clone Wars” series). The first “Force Unleashed” was far from a perfect game: repetitive combat, unsatisfying button-mashing boss sequences, poor targeting and glitches hindered a great new story and environment from the “Star Wars” universe. That story carried the first game; its sequel, “Force Unleashed II,” has almost the same gameplay problems, but without as good of a story to prop it up. After apparently being killed at the end of the first game while saving the Rebel Alliance’s leadership, Starkiller, the main character, wakes up at the cloning facility on Kamino. Darth Vader claims that this Starkiller is a flawed clone of the original,
STAFF COLUMN MN
AJ Lansdale le
but after having memories of Juno Eclipse, the first game’s love interest, Starkiller escapes Kamino to attempt to save leaders of the Rebellion, find Juno and determine if he is real or a clone. The ending of the first game was satisfying, so this entire story seems unnecessary and crammed into the series’ continuity. Plus, it’s absurd, even by “Star Wars” standards. (Spoiler: Why would Vader want to clone someone who nearly killed him in the last game?) The game itself is short, which is good in regards to keeping the action from becoming repetitive, but the story takes a back seat to the actual gameplay. On its own merits, the very idea of being able to shoot things with lightning or grab and push things at will is interesting, at least
for the first couple of levels. Ultimately, the combat does become rather repetitive — either slash the lightsaber away at the numerous Stormtroopers or use various Force powers to take them down. There is a good deal of novelty to be had from these powers, but it ends well before the game does, and that’s not a good thing for a six-hour game. In some ways, the game could have benefited from slowing down a bit and adding more to the narrative elements, as well as including some puzzles or other mental tasks. The difficulty tends to fluctuate at times depending on what comes at you. There are some enemies that provide a challenge, but it becomes more tedious than satisfying in most cases, especially with the boss fights. The big strength that “Force Unleashed II” does have going for it is the mechanics behind the game. The Havok physics engine comes out in full force, and watching a Stormtrooper fly
off into the distance flailing his arms in terror is good for a laugh. The soundtrack is the typical John Williams score heard in all “Star Wars” media, but the quality lives up to the standards the series has set. And the visuals are appealing to the eye, from the environments to Starkiller’s powers, but even those get tiresome eventually. All in all, “Force Unleashed II” isn’t much beyond a generic beat-’emup game with “Star Wars” elements. The concept may be strong in the force, but I find its lack of proper execution disturbing. — AJ Lansdale, professional writing senior
Stay connected with The Daily’s life & arts desk for features and entertainment news from the Norman community
PHOTO PROVIDED
Starkiller, the protagonist of “Force Unleashed II” fights off Stormtroopers. The LucasArts game is in stores now.
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