FOOD TIP

Cajun salmon

Rustic Café, 516 Boston Post Road, East Lyme

I know that Rustic Café has an array of burgers that are pretty hard to resist. But try to resist if the Cajun salmon is on the specials menu. The pan-seared salmon filet I had was fresh and delicious, and the Cajun seasoning gave it just the right kick; it didn’t overpower the fish but provided a nice complementary flavor. And with apple-pineapple salsa on top, it became a celebration of the idea of mixing savory and sweet. With sides of dirty rice and steamed broccoli, it was a big meal for $19; I happily enjoyed leftovers the next day.

– Kristina Dorsey

CD Tip

“Want That Life”

The Fixx

Not long ago, I wrote in this space about “Every Five Seconds,” the humbling and fluidly great new album by The Fixx. It’s so good that, on the rare moments lately when I’m not listening to it, I’ve dived into the refreshing and eternal stream of Fixx-ness, revisiting their old records in heavy rotation. Somehow, I stumbled across an album they released in 2003 called “Want That Life.” How could I never have heard of it?! One possible reason is that it was released on the small Rainman label and is now out of print. That makes me very sad because this is ANOTHER world-class effort by a premiere ‘80s British band whose work should be recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and never will be). Give a listen – online, of course, because the only copy of “Want That Life” I can find for sale is on eBay for (yikes!) $70 – to “Are You Satisfied?” It’s one of those “hit repeat and let it play” miracles that The Fixx has always pulled off despite never garnering the fame they deserve.

– Rick Koster

MOVIE TIP

Nope

Jordan Peele is a genius at creating an eerie atmosphere in his films. So it goes with “Nope,” set on a desolate California horse ranch where strange things start happening. Daniel Kaluuya holds the center as a man of few words who becomes a man of action when it seems that something alien is lurking in the sky with sinister intent. His character, OJ Haywood, and sister Emerald are holding onto the horse-wrangling business for films and TV that their late father had been running. Keke Palmer is all energy, attitude and rat-a-tat dialogue as Emerald. Although “Nope” does serve, in part, as a critique of show business, I miss the level of social commentary that loomed large in Peele’s “Get Out.” And the buildup in “Nope” takes too long. Even so, this is a first-rate suspense flick, flecked with deadpan humor.

– Kristina Dorsey