Dinner, drinks & a movie: Bricco, Bar Cento's Bell's Two Hearted Ale, `The Dark Knight'

Bricco

1438 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-862-2889
briccodowntown.com

There are times when Bricco can dazzle under its trendy, tangerine-drenched setting. Its pan-seared salmon ($18), caramelized golden on top, blushed with heat and moistness inside, was a bargain and rivaled some of the best I've had. Good too, if pricier, was the full-flavored 8-ounce filet ($26), married well to a rosy dab of tomato butter and a satisfying hunk of garlic mashed potatoes.

DRINKS

Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Bar Cento
1948 West 25th St., Cleveland
barcento.com, 216-344-9944

This American IPA comes from Bell's in Kalamazoo and is named after the river in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a river immortalized in Hemingway's short story, "Big Two-Hearted River." Nick Adams, the hero of Papa's fiction, would have appreciated the strong hops and floral aroma. Or, as the author would have put it: "Nick drank the beer. It was gold in color. The hops tasted bitter on his tongue. It was good."

MOVIE

"The Dark Knight"

Director Christopher Nolan's second entry in the Batman saga is an entertaining ride that stops to ask questions about good, evil and what constitutes a hero. Christian Bale returns from "Batman Begins" as Bruce Wayne/Batman, beset with the burdens of protecting Gotham City from the newly arrived Joker (a mesmerizing Heath Ledger in his last completed performance). The strong cast includes Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace. 152 minutes. Grade: B+