I miss the days when breakfast would be comprised of Nutella-topped powdered doughnuts and milk, or leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. Sadly, they are long gone, as are the times when I could fix myself a smoked oyster sandwich at one a.m. and then crawl into bed, stuffed and satisfied, for a good eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Nowadays, breakfast consists of All-Bran, low-fat all-natural yogurt, whey protein powder, and strawberries, and the only thing I ever eat after 8:00 p.m. is toothpaste (and inadvertently so). I wake up at 6:00 a.m. so that I can work out every morning, eat a lot of low-fat, high-protein snacks throughout the day, and watch my serving portions – not because I’m trying to get into great shape but because I need to balance my occasional culinary splurges. Indulgences like foie gras parfaits, cookie dough ice cream, and Chocoatl.
Chocoatl in Yaletown is the place to go if you’re jonesing for a chocolate fix. It offers decadent chocolate drinks and delectable handmade chocolates and desserts. Owner Themis Velger is a passionate and animated fellow, ever-welcoming and always willing to offer customers the 411 on chocolate, everything from its history to the chocolate making process itself. Like a wine connoisseur educating neophytes on the subtleties of bouquets and balance, Themis offers up a fascinating account of the subtleties inherent in the various chocolates. If you’re hankering for a hot chocolate, Themis will prepare you one based on your taste preferences. You can go spicy or vanilla or sample something with a hint of orange, or go straight chocolate and try a 33% Java or a 70% Santa Domingo. Or, if you’re feeling exceptionally brave and chocolaty, go for the extra thick, extra rich denso. On the night I stopped by with Carl, we WERE feeling exceptionally brave and chocolaty (actually, I was feeling brave and chocolaty AND I was the one ordering) Carl had the 64% Costa Rico while I went with the 75% Tanzania. Both high-quality chocolates were excellent but we preferred the slightly less-sweet Tanzania. We also sampled some of Themis’s spectacular handmade creations: milk chocolate pecan truffles, pumpkin and milk chocolate, hibiscus and Havana-flavored darks, and Carl’s “Holy Smokes kill me now and I’ll die a happy man” favorite the mokachino cups with chocolate-caramel filling.
Any chocoholic passing through town should make it a point to stop by. And, while you’re there, also check out Themis’s incredible chocolate art creations (Yup, the bust in the glass is chocolate as well).
When I host my second ever chocolate party in a month or two, I will again be hiring Themis to preside over the chocolate fountains, various chocolate offerings, and the chocolate/wine pairings. It’s already in the planning stages.
At Fondy’s behest, I include a “less-crazed” pic of myself. And speaking of Fondy, she prepared two types of steamed fish for dinner last night: a sea bass with crispy brown caper butter for me, and Chinese style ling cod with green onions for her.
Let’s see if I can field some questions –
Peter writes: “How many standalone episodes would you say are in the first 10 eps of Atlantis Season 4?”
Answer: Hmmm, hard to say. Although many are standalone episodes, they all have elements that carry over from previous episodes and will carry into others. More than any other season, we’re looking to develop arcs – both big and small – that will run over the course of multiple episodes.
Jenny writes: “In the hopefully unlikely event Atlantis is cancelled after season four, there will be no real resolution to the show, as the final episode will have already been produced before word of either renewal or cancellation arrives. As a longtime Stargate fan, I would hate for that to happen. What are your thoughts on this? Is this something you will keep in mind when you are writing the last script of the season? Or have you spoken about this with Sci Fi?”
Answer: Who knows what the future holds? But when it comes to Stargate Atlantis, given the scheduling shift and the fall premiere for season four, the show’s future may well depend on the strength of the back half of season three. Ideally, of course, it would be great to know about a fifth season pick-up before the last script has been written. We’ll have to see how it goes.
Eloide writes: “If you love european food try “bistrot-bistro” on 4th avenue at Kitsilano …it’s a french restaurant !!”
Answer: We tried it last week on its opening night. In fact, we were the very first customers served. I’m working on the review this weekend.
Anonymous #1 writes: “Hey Joe, any chance that you’ll be in DVD special features?”
Answer: I’ll be hosting the Deleted Footage special feature for the season 10 release.
Anonymous #2 writes: “With the added burden of showrunning, will you be writing fewer episodes than in past seasons?”
Answer: The fact that we will be producing 20 episodes this season, as opposed to 40, means we will all be writing fewer episodes.
Elisabeth writes: “I know that you mostly hate shippers…”
Answer: Untrue. In fact, I’ve always been a supporter of the Jack-Sam relationship and do feel it should be resolved at series end. Whenever that is.
NowIWillDestroyAbydos writes: “I need your opinion, which season of Boston Legal should I buy on DVD, Season 1 or Season 2?”
Answer: Start with season 1. You’ll want to pick up season 2 soon after.
ArcticGoddess writes: “Speaking of children, do you and Fondy have any…besides the pugs, I mean?”
Answer: No because I think pugs are cuter. For my thoughts on little tykes, check out my December 26, 2006 installment.
Dave writes: “Joe was the reason to delayed season 4 to Fall because you guys want SG-1 movies out by then? “
Answer: The decision to push season 5 to the Fall was a network decision. It had nothing to do with the movies.
Anonymous #3 writes: “Scifi is showing a show called “Stargate Mythology” before the Second Half of Season 10 starts. Do you happen to have any information about it? And who would be hosting it?”
Answer: This is something Ivon Bartok put together. It’s an overview of Stargate Mythology that will touch on everything from the Ancients to the Jaffa.
Anonymous #4 writes: “ No ground cherries Joe? Is that because they’re ground, or do you not like cherries?”
Answer: Nope. It’s because I hate most fruit or anything remotely tart.
Anonymous #5 writes: “We heard earlier a rumour, that maybe the story of the new Atlantis attraction in the Movie Park Germany will be in season 4 too as a two partner episode. Is it true?”
Answer: This is news to me.
I’m looking at my eating habits, and I was wondering what your opinion is on organic foods and locally grown foods.
Is there an episode in Atlantis that you think could be a fan favorite as Window of Opportunity is the SG1? (from episodes that have been produced, as well as any in the works for season 4)
I just wanted to comment on something mentioned by Sanssong on your last entry.
She said something about the ‘ten Shep/Weir shippers’ leaving.
I can tell you that on my LJ friends list, I have about 60 people. Most are Weir fans, many are Beckett fans, and the vast majority are also (gasp!) Shep/Weir shippers.
If you could see how many of these people are deleting SGA icons and mood themes and changing their layouts to reflect other shows like BSG, Rome and Heroes, you’d be shocked.
They’re removing all reference to SGA, most of them don’t intend to watch season four, and most have at least 60 other people on their LJs who feel the same way.
I’m not saying this to stir up trouble, just telling it like it is. You’d be amazed if you saw the fan reaction from the inside.
It’s very sad, considering how wonderful this show has been, and how much potential it has.
I sent 5 dozen handmade dark chocolate truffles to N. John Smith after the convention in March last year as a thank you for the studio tours. I always wondered if they had been received, shared and enjoyed. I know it’s a while back, but do you remember? And, if so, were they up to your standards? I always worry how they hold up in shipping.
BTW, thanks for all the news and tidbits! I appreciate them.
Oh, chocolate…now you’re speaking my language. Thanks for informing us about this place. I’ll definitely have to check it out. Assuming, of course, that I can get something without soy. Though I know that some of the higher-quality chocolates don’t have soy (most chocolate has soy lecithin at least, as an emulsifier). But I adore a nice, rich chocolate (not so much with the white chocolate, though). Stupid food allergies (speaking of which, when Vala mentioned she had some “minor food allergies”, I couldn’t help but wonder which ones…though I doubt that was actually decided).
I do hope the Sam/Jack thing is resolved before the end. It’s been hinted at (sometimes rather more than hinted at) since the very beginning. After all that time, if they don’t finally get together, I think I’ll be annoyed (though I can certainly appreciate waiting until the end).
Back to Boston Legal….Were you as annoyed as I was to see Monica Potter go? And am I the only one who finds it highly unlikely that every lawyer in Boston under 40 is supermodel-gorgeous?
I’m not very into food unless it’s chocolate. I’d love to go to Chocoatl. Have you ever been to Santa Cruz, CA? If not, I’d like to invite you to one of the weirdest cities ever where just walking down the street at night usually entails passing a shuffling man dressed all in pink with an open umbrella, a giant rat, and a Velcro-clad vacuum-pusher. There’s an organic fast food booth and restaurants featuring all kinds of cuisines, but my favorite (from my limited experience) is the restaurant Chocolate. If you’re ever in town be sure to check it out!
Here’s a review:
http://www.metroactive.com/metro-santa-cruz/02.15.06/dining-0607.html
Take care!
I just saw the comment that Sanssong posted in one of the recent entries. She said something like ‘ten Shep/Weir shippers’ will be turning off the show.
I think she’s having problems with her math because she’s missing some zeros from her figures. Considering the Shep/Weir thread at Gateworld has over a MILLION views I think she meant to say that about ten people support Shep/Teyla as the two of them have absolutely no chemistry together.
But you’re smart so I’m sure you knew that already.
hi, joe,
i was just watching this video about sam/replicarter – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck_L6YBj974 – and it reminded me how totally awesome replicarter was! since we never really saw replicarter ‘die’… is there a chance of her popping up in atlantis’ season 4?
sally 🙂
Joe,
I’m planning on coming to Vancouver for, how did you put it in a previous blog, “the white elephant” that will be the Olympics. If you had to pick a hotel to stay at what would it be? My other question is what is the restaurant that was featured in Upgrades and is it any good. Thanks
Anonymous #3 writes: “Scifi is showing a show called “Stargate Mythology” before the Second Half of Season 10 starts. Do you happen to have any information about it? And who would be hosting it?”
Answer: This is something Ivon Bartok put together. It’s an overview of Stargate Mythology that will touch on everything from the Ancients to the Jaffa.
Is this the same one-hour special that is going to be on the first movie’s DVD? Robert Cooper mentioned in an interview in December that there would be a “Stargate Mythology” special to go with The Ark of Truth.
Dude, Joe is so not cool, I’m losing online friends because of SGA. I’m extremely sad about this and what libby said is so true. People are leaving and it just makes me sad. Soon I will have noone to rant with.
Oh Yes I have a question, have you watched Heroes?
I am eagerly awaiting the Atlantis Season 2 DVD release on Tuesday. After I am able to watch all of those eps and the first half of Season 3 which I downloaded from iTunes, then I’ll have an inkling of what everyone is talking about regarding the show.
I am still viewing everyone’s Atlantis comments from a first-season perspective, and thusly don’t understand the destructive passion with which some points are made. Passion, I understand. Vehemence, not so much.
And this time I do have a real question for the man of the hour, the tower of power, Fightin’ Joe Mallozzi:
Can you give me an approximate number of people who work in your production office on any given day?
Superthanks.
I’m loving all the recent photos of chocolate and chocolate cakes, waters my mouth. Need to have a dose.
As a Shep/Weir fan here and of course an Elizabeth fan, I have no idea how you can can just give up the huge pull that the Shep/Weir relationship gives to the show. I can’t see a win in reducing or getting rid of Elizabeth. Basically you’re alienating a whole bunch of fans, not only the two biggest fan groups of SGA, Elizabeth and Shep/Weir following but also smaller fan groups like Weir/McKay, Weir/Dex or Weir/Zelenka shippers. Elizabeth is obviously a very popular character to ship with.
Have you commisioned Themis to make a Chocolate Stargate for your party, and any chance that MGM might license that so we can get a our own chocolate gate?
On a more serious note, do you know if any of the big boys at MGM have gone to the big boys at NBC/U to see if they could get a special one shot of Atlantis on NBC one night after Heroes? With the dismal ratings Studio 60 and now The Black Donnellys have been getting I think they may be applicable to some such arrangement sometime in April.. It would also make sense to have a sci-fi lead out from a sci-fi show… Maybe McKay and Mrs. Miller as it kinda re-tells what the whole Stargate program is, so it helps newcomers get into it, plus its a dang good episode…
Oh well just a couple of random thoughts..
Nate
From majorsal:
since we never really saw replicarter ‘die’… is there a chance of her popping up in atlantis’ season 4?
Are you serious? You have your favourite character in SGA and you’re wanting to have repliCarter too? Just so she can take even more time away from the original cast?
Some of us are now without our favourite characters.. I don’t think the SG1 fans understand that. They’re too excited that one minor part of their show is surviving at the expense of our favourite show.
Joe,
Do you know if the movies will be region free DVD or at least released simultaneously to those countries who have already seen S10, eg UK – zone 2?
Thanks… loving the blog BTW
Kas
hi joe i was wondering if we will ever see a ass kicking wraith queen?
Ever been to NYC? If so, where do you like to eat when you’re in town?
Some early spoilers for The Arc of Truth have been uncovered, can you give any reaction the fans comments here?
http://boards.sonypictures.com/boards/showthread.php?t=30764
Noticed you wrote The Quest pt 2, which was my favourite episode this season!
Joe,
Some spoilers that are circulating now have got me a little worried. Can you reassure us that The Ark of Truth won’t turn out to be a Mitchell-fest. I don’t hate the character or anything, but am not ashamed to say that I don’t watch the show for him. Will Sam, Daniel, Teal’c, and maybe even Jack be big players in the movie. They’re the reason I’m still watching, and I’d hate to be disappointed by their lack of development and involvement (as I was for much of Season Nine).
Thanks
SG1Rocks
Gateworld s/j shipper thread shout out and sorry for this people!
You Said that you wanted the s/j ship resolved at at the end of the series but how hard is that going to be when RDA’s participation is no longer guaranteed and the o’neill character is almost invisable in atlantis ?
sorry for the length
majorsal said:
since we never really saw replicarter ‘die’… is there a chance of her popping up in atlantis’ season 4?
anonymous said:
Are you serious? You have your favourite character in SGA and you’re wanting to have repliCarter too? Just so she can take even more time away from the original cast?
Some of us are now without our favourite characters.. I don’t think the SG1 fans understand that. They’re too excited that one minor part of their show is surviving at the expense of our favourite show.
me -majorsal- is saying:
i don’t know the names for the races on atlantis, but i know there’s a form of human replicaters that are supposed to be invading atlantis (do i have that right?). replicarter is a human replicater, so it makes sense that she ‘could’ be one of the bad guys invading.
to atlantis fans: i do care for what you’re going through. i do, also, feel a large distance from you because i’ve never watched one ep of atlantis and never would if it wasn’t for sam coming over to the show. i feel very alienated from the atlantis fans right now because of all the anger you feel/are feeling. i actually don’t know who i’ll talk to when atlantis’ season 4 starts up because i won’t want to hear nothing but negative stuff against sam and amanda.
all i can say is i feel for you. when season 9 started, i lost every single one of my fave things about the show. season 10’s improved on things greatly, but i still know what you’re going through. i do feel excited about the things coming up for sam/amanda, but i’m trying not to rub it in your wounds. all i can say is i’m sorry.
sally 🙂
Its amazing to me how many of you are freaking out about Weir without having any clue whatsoever what is going to happen to her character. It just seems that anyone calling themselves a Weir fan would (instead of talking about being distanced from the show) be that much more intrigued about what could possibly happen to her! Seriously, not watching the show because Weir isn’t a key figure? WHEN WAS SHE EVER?? She’s had less character development than many, her whole time there has been whether she would be replaced by the military or not. Where’s the emotional investment in her? I think Torri is fantastic and enjoy the character. I just don’t understand the obsession. I’d be more upset if Zelenka left the show. He’s a more intriguing background character. Weir is the Hammond/Landry of Atlantis and that’s awesome. But not going to watch the show without … what, viewers don’t know what the condition or future of her character will be. So without what, “much hope that she will hook up with someone?” Would y’all really like Atlantis if everyone just hooked up with everyone a la Friends? (This is just a general vent of my feelings, its not aimed at anyone in particular so keeping that in mind) Libby said: “… considering how wonderful this show has been…” Well isn’t that what its all about? The show IS wonderful and those who have seen all of season three can all vouch that it just gets better and better. So have a little faith… or quit deluding yourselves that you were ever truly fans.
After having red the spoilers for season 4, and especially your reply to a comment that Amanda Tapping is going to be in the main titles, I am not feeling very optimistic about the show I love being one that I will want to watch once Carter joins up with Atlantis.
I have nothing against the actress, but my intense dislike for the way Carter’s character was written, was the reason I stopped watching SG-1 during season 2. I watched the Pegasus Project (because it was a crossover) and found that I still didn’t like the character. We didn’t like Grace Under Pressure either!
I can only hope that we don’t actually see much of Carter in any of the episodes.
Also, I have to agree with libby. I have quite a few friends who are leaving the fandom, either because Beckett has been killed off, or that Weir is being sidelined – in a couple of cases for both reasons.
mmm….love chocolate! =)
When we see Teal’c, will he be in the Atlantis city itself, or will he be somewhere else (like SGC or something)
Hi Joe!
Gotta another rec for you. Here is the description from their website.
Dragon Page Cover to Cover – “Conversations with the creators of the best in science fiction and fantasy. If you love SF literature, are an author or aspire to become one, you’ll enjoy this podcast.”
I did a search on their website and they have an interview with Wilson on the book Spin and a couple interviews with Greg Bear. (Mentioned in your previous post.) The hosts have several podcasts. Most are revolving around science fiction. My personal fave is sliceofscifi.com. (Which Amanda Tapping & Damian Kindler just did an interview for.)
Anyways…you can check them out at
http://www.dragonpage.com/
Have a good one.
mimi
Any chance of us seeing McKay outsmart Carter a few times this year in Atlantis? I think you’ll agree the guy is due for victory, not that he’d ever view it as some sort of petty competition…
To Purp:
“So have a little faith… or quit deluding yourselves that you were ever truly fans. “
You are in no place to say whether someone is or isn’t a fan. You should also understand that some people have a little more information about what’s going on than others, we just choose not to reveal that, because we’ve been attacked for it in the past — for revealing things, eg. Carson dying and Elizabeth leaving before and have been attacked for it, only to find that it then happens.
What does your Magic 8 Ball say about the prospects for Jacob Carter returning in “Continuum”?
To the “anonymous” poster: with respect, I am a free thinking individual and thus most certainly “in a place” to say that I feel someone who values a character more than content is not TRULY a fan.
Think of it this way: I run across a field with sword drawn. I step on an ant-bed and then single handedly defeat 5 warriors in combat. Is my stepping on the ant hill the story? Or is it a detail (not to mention a foreshadowing clue) that when put together with the rest amounts to what most people would consider the “big picture?”
As I said, I don’t understand the obsession. Nor how anyone would say they gave up on the show itself when the second half of season three has not even aired in the most places yet, much less season four. Explain to me how Weir potentially loving Sheppard makes Atlantis Atlantis. Explain to me how a true fan of the show won’t give season four a chance because of something they fear might happen. I’m open to learning other peoples views on it, I’ve given mine, so lets hear yours.
BTW, from everything I understand (which is admittedly little, I claim no “insider information” 😉 P-Mac loves the show, was grateful to be on it, and left with grace in a fabulous episode. Having seen (and LOVED) First Strike, I saw no indication that were Torri’s character to be completely written out that it wouldn’t be executed in just the same spirit and respect to the fans. Maybe Torri and Paul really do want fans of the show to stop watching because they are vain and self-centered and considered their individual characters more important than the entire scope and overall legacy of the series… maybe. But I personally doubt it very much, and will choose to believe that even if they can’t be a part of it any longer (and who knows that? Only time!) that they would still want and hope fans would continue to enjoy the show and the magic that they helped to create. Because lets face it, if not… then it wasn’t ever that magical to them and it was just another job. So why should we care? They are both talented enough to get another job. Not giving Weir’s character a chance in season four when it’s already been said she will play a part is disrespectful to the character y’all claim to love. You don’t get pissed when your friend tells you they are going off to war and there’s uncertainty if you will ever see them again! You throw them a party and send them off full of your love to hopefully help them through the trials ahead. Just food for thought. (I am SO witty! 🙂
Nutella ? where ?