Milling About

Milling About visits Blue Sky studio, the creators behind Ice Age, for a behind the scenes tour of the making of Epic, now available on Blu-Ray and DVD. Starring the voice talent of Colin Farrell, Amanda Seyfried and directed by Chris Wedge, Producer John Donkin takes host Robin Milling on a guided tour to the departments that are responsible for making Epic. John says it takes about three years from inception to screen overseeing the creative team for theatrical and home video release. He tells Robin there's nothing more rewarding than when the movie appeals emotionally to parents as well as to kids. They are wary of off-color jokes so Denis Leary, the voice of Diego, had to be wrangled in so his kids could watch. Senior Character Technical Director Sabine Heller's job is to put anatomy into the characters about nine months before the animator puts them in motion. With a click of the mouse she makes Nim Galuu smile or move one of his many arms and legs. Sabine says she does her homework learning everything a

Let's Do Lunch! visits Isabella's in Lynchburg, Virginia with executive chef Sean Meeks who served up a delicious seafood bouillabaisse brimming with shrimp, mussels, scallops and squid over sun-shaped pasta in a spicy broth. A spoon is well needed to gather every last drop. Sean says it's a dish that is normally served in the fall but the hearty flavors still work in the spring. Most everything at Isabella's is farm to table including the beef for their Sunday brunch burger. 'Getting something shipped in from a third world country just doesn't have the flavor. If you know the farmer, the food just tastes better automatically,' Sean tells host Robin Milling. The dish depends on the season getting fresh local vegetables to inspire the meal. Patrons don't seem to mind if it's summer or winter, ordering signature dishes like lasagna bolognese and walnut crusted salmon and savory parmesan risotto. Save room for dessert as their homemade baby cannolis are a taste of Italy. Living in the south of Lynchburg, Sean

The life of lightweight boxing champion Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini reads like a Greek tragedy which is why it makes the perfect movie, 'The Good Son.' During his rise to become a champ he was struck down by the death of his brother Lenny which only propelled him to get back into the ring. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen did - - Duk Koo Kim died following the match that gave him his title at Caesars Palace on November 13, 1982. Any other man might have thrown in the towel; but not Ray. Instead he chose to deal with whatever obstacles life gave him with grace and dignity. In the film you see his life come full circle years later when he meets Kim's family. Celebrating his success at the premiere party he tells host Robin Milling, 'everyone takes their shots and you got to keep moving forward. My faith kept me from jumping off a bridge.' Ray is certainly moving forward. At 52, he has re-invented himself in the wine business launching three new wines from Napa under the name South Paw; named for bei

Not all marriages are meant to last forever – some of them don't make it to a year. That was the inspiration for the comedy about romance, I Give It A Year by writer/director Dan Mazer. Dan tells host Robin Milling he went to an elaborate wedding where the guests were wagering it wouldn't last past six months, and it didn't. Married in Morocco, Dan is going on eight years with his wife which he says works because they are right for each other. Comedy ensues in the film when Rose Byrne, married to the wrong person, is wooed by the stunning Simon Baker who turns out to be Mr. Very Right. Dan confesses he has a huge man crush on Baker who had everyone on set melting over him. “Simon Baker could turn me! Honestly I had feelings that I never felt before when I would be in the room with him. He is mesmerizing. And the hair is something to behold! As Josh the character says, 'I could drink him in!'” Fellow Aussie Rose Byrne tells Robin she actually grew up mooning over Baker watching him play a heartthrob on Austr

Milling About visits Sans Soucy Vineyards in Brookneal, Virginia for a delicious wine tasting hosted by owner Paul Anctil. A French Canadian, Paul says growing up he'd turn anything fruit into wine. His six acre vineyard offers daily tastings from bold and dry reds to light and sweet whites. Once a tobacco farm, some reds take on a smoky tobacco finish like Petit Verdot, with hints of dark cherry and vanilla. There's a dish of semi-sweet chocolates to compliment the bold reds. The wines are named for their pets. Cab, a black Lab dons the label of their stellar Cabernet Franc perfect with T-bone steak. The light summer red is Chateau Weuf de Pup. The family cat is on Chat-O, blending Traminette and Viognier for honeysuckle notes. Paul's military time in the hot summers of Spain inspired the Tempranillo featuring raspberry and blackberry tones; the unique Ginger wine comes from the British Marines, made from whole ginger root. The Bark & Wine festival in June donates their wine tasting fees to a no-kill ani

Milling About visits Acorn Hill Lodge in Lynchburg, Virginia. Driving up the path you're greeted by a family of Shih Tzus, followed by their jovial smiling owners Wanda and Robert Crocker. A great couple, their relationship began in 1992 with a chance meeting at Valley View Mall in Roanoke. Nineteen years ago they bought what was to become Acorn Hill Lodge, a 1910 home sitting on five acres. Intending it as a medical massage therapy center, the lure of a B&B was hard to resist. Plus hospitality runs in Robert's family as his grandmother had a boarding house in Brooklyn. A former hospital worker specializing in massage therapy and a talent for construction, he rebuilt the lodge and spa from the ground up. Accented with acorns everywhere, there are 11 suites with a European flair as Wanda was a former nuclear energist who spent time abroad. Wanda and Robert urge New Yorkers to visit as it's a short train ride away. During hurricane Sandy 16 dogs and 35 people did just that!

Jon Tenney continues climbing the TNT ladder starring in his own series King & Maxwell where he and Rebecca Romijn play former secret service agents turned private investigators. Jon tells host Robin Milling he's enjoying the scruff of Sean King compared to clean cut FBI agent Fritz in The Closer, who will be making an appearance in the spin-off show Major Crimes. For King & Maxwell, the fun has begun. Already Jon and Rebecca have been stuffed in a trunk and almost blown up by an exploding building chasing bad guys. Jon says most of the hard stuff is done by stunt men. He's embarrassed to admit he got injured by a camera while running after a suspect! He recalls, 'I did a U-turn into the steady cam and smashed my head open and that wasn't too good!' The chemistry between Romijn and Tenney is undeniable. Jon says throughout the course of the series their relationship may take a 'Moonlighting' turn, but he prefers the question continuing. For those of you who are missing Fritz and Brenda (Kyra Sedgwi

Let's Do Lunch! visits Main Street Eatery in Lynchburg, Virginia; named for the street it resides on. Serving only dinner, married owners Michaela and Urs Gabathuler, also the chef, came from Switzerland to realize their dreams. Settling in Lynchburg, they fell for the house on Main Street dating back to 1875.  Converting it from a men's store with their son's help, they stripped it down to it's original brick making it homey with a romantic glow. The menu features seafood specialties like Sea Bass Velasca with baby shrimp and crabmeat, and all-you-can-eat mussels prepared five different ways. Urs tells host Robin Milling the reigning number to beat is seven courses.  He expertly marries Swiss influences with local lamb, rabbit and goat cheese melted on crostinis with chunks of garlic and tomatoes.  The veal is Zurich-style with a chardonnay creme fraiche and mushroom sauce. Urs is a people person and welcoming so the kitchen is exposed. The only way to the bathroom is through the kitchen where you are greete

Milling About visits The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Lynchburg, Virginia. Located in historic Daniels Hill, the house dates back to 1878 when it was owned by hardware store magnate Richard Watts who had 11 children. The mansion was restored to it's original grandeur by owners Kathy and Mike Bedsworth. Celebrating their 10 anniversary in the house; it was originally meant for Mike's pet project. He tells host Robin Milling he stripped 1800s paint off the mantels to their original woodwork, keeping features like a winding staircase with coffin corners, and claw foot bathtubs. Hoping to find attic treasures, Kathy says they found 18 inches of pigeon poop! Each of the four rooms is named for a Watts. Mike says a child is haunting the house, "We've had a little girl speak to some of the guests." Paranormal experts recorded her saying, 'Come here...I'm dead.' Staying in Richard Watts' room, Robin swears she felt someone tickling her toes in the middle of the night! It seems the ghosts are friendly and a

Milling About visits with Amanda Selwyn of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater for rehearsals of 'It's A Game,' celebrating their 13 season at New York Live Arts. Amanda tells host Robin Milling she was initially inspired by Alexander McQueen's exhibit at the Met featuring models dressed as chess pieces. She later learned he was inspired by Harry Potter which spoke to the Potter fan in her, expanding the dance to games asking, 'what it means to roll the dice and have uncertain outcomes.' 'It's A Game' features dancers abstractly moving amongst life-size props of chess pieces and fuzzy dice, becoming  inspiration for creative movement.  At times the dancers become the chess pieces, bringing them to life. Having very tall male dancers in the duet 'Check Mate' was a plus for the breath-holding lift where the female dancer does a big flip into a swan dive backbend, swirls between his legs and unravels back to the ground! Amanda jokes, 'it gets close to a crotch grab but it has a grandiose look in a big theater!' In Amand

Gary Busey wants you to get into The Busey Zone,  interactive webisodes where you ask Gary questions and learn from his unique perspective on life, like 'A Moment With The Hobbits.' Gary tells host Robin Milling he's visited Middle Earth in his dreams through body projection. He says, "I time travel in my dreams." These observations come from a Harley Davidson accident when the curb split his head open and he died after brain surgery, seeing the other side. He jokes, "I could tell you more but it's like explaining an orgasm to a 10 year-old; you can't really discover it all!" There's three books in the works from the mind of Busey including his autobiography, "360 Ways To See An Elephant;" meaning there's more than one way to see something. Plus a two- volume collection of his Buseyisms; Gary takes the letters from a word and creates a definition. His buddy Donald Trump is 'Taking Redirection Understanding Massive Power.'  And from the man who played Buddy Holly, will be his book of lyrics 'Song Poetry.' For

Milling About visits The Sagamore Resort in Lake George, New York, an idyllic property on Green Island in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains.  Everywhere you turn is a view of the lake and the mountains. General Manager Tom Guay who grew up in the area tells host Robin Milling guests can hike the surrounding mountains as well as relax. There's a serenity with the sweet smell of pine permeating from the year-round lobby fireplace. Just outside is the Veranda terrace where brides begin their matrimonial walk down to the lake to say, 'I do.'  The 385- room resort in existence since1883 is rumoured to be haunted, especially Room 209. Director of Sales Lori Rehm tells Robin about the resident spirits. There's a 1930s maid whose affair with a guest caused the wife to smother her with a pillow. Lori says some guests have seen someone in a maid's outfit standing in the corner or felt the blankets being tugged down by someone, and when the lights were turned on there was noone there! Visit www.thesagamore.com 

Southside Johnny joins host Robin Milling to talk about his new CD Songs From The Barn. Branching out from the Asbury Jukes with The Poor Fools, it features a collection of styles from country to samba, bluegrass to honky tonk. Many of the songs are co-written with Jukes' keyboard player Jeff Kazee which John says he's most proud of to date. He tells Robin the songs are inspired by experiences he's had with a touch of added color. Living in El Paso, Texas back in the 60s, he laments about love lost at the border in Mexicali Waltz. He says, 'we would cross the border to Juarez and try to find trouble and we usually did find it. There were all these beautiful girls there and I was attracted to many of them. We were young and wild so my fantasies would take over and I would dream about these girls for decades to come and write about them in these songs!' After almost 40 years with the Jukes, The Poor Fools gives Southside the chance to play for fun in smaller venues like converted churches. John recalls the old

Let's Do Lunch! visits 95 Ocean at The Nonantum Resort with Executive Chef Steve True, celebrating his 10 season, for a food and wine pairing. Food and beverage director Mark Wozny, who just returned from a trip to Italy, to shop for their extensive wine cellar, expertly matched reds and whites to compliment the delicious three-course meal. Chef Steve, who's family is from Maine, began his love for cooking in Connecticut where he began making pizza at 15 and still uses the same recipe for his sauce today. He is a natural having never studied cooking in school; bringing his culinary creations to 95 Ocean. One such delight is Topaz; a chorizo sausage with a fresh date wrapped in apple with smoked bacon topped with a balsamic glaze where sweet, smoke and heat melt in your mouth. Their signature Lighthouse Salad has local greens, dried cranberries, walnuts, and goat cheese topped with warm crunchy onion rings right out of the oven and homemade raspberry viniagrette. Steve deserves bragging rights for his open-fac

Let's Do Lunch! visits Cappy's Chowder House in Camden, Maine with chef Peter Gelman. Peter is an import from New York City fine dining, bringing style to homier cooking; local blueberries make their blueberry steak sauce. Peter tells host Robin Milling there's an international twist to lobster like Panko Crusted Lobster Nuggets.His love for Vietnamese cuisine is shown in the Pistachio Crusted Salmon, and there's a cajun kick with spicy sausage to Seafood Stew from Peter's time in New Orleans. Cappy's is named for a local ship captain whose portrait still hangs upstairs in a former barber shop where the barber chair still sits. For the best chowder in town visit Cappy's or shop www.cappyschowder.com

Gillian Anderson joins host Robin Milling to discuss The Fall, her first lead investigative series since The X Files. Playing a detective superintendent investigating a serial killer in Belfast, she jokes she's had nine years of medical school as Scully.  The Fall is shot in Belfast and the tourism board has Gillian to thank as room 203 in the Hilton Hotel, where her character stays in the series, is booked through the winter of 2014. Gillian tells Robin she's got a bit of an identity crisis, being born in Chicago and moving to London. In grade school she used her English accent to make friends, but kids can be cruel so she adopted an American accent. Now she says she can't escape 'the Britishisms' and calls London home. You can also see Gillian on the NBC series, Hannibal as Lecter's therapist, and the upcoming series Crisis.

Ask anyone where to go in Rockland, Maine for a great meal and you'll hear, Cafe Miranda. Let's Do Lunch! took that advice for Sunday brunch and chef/owner Kerry Altiero didn't disappoint. He's a character well known for his gift of gab, and his gift of cooking. Kerry became a chef out of necessity, joking his mom overcooked La Choy eggrolls! There's always a story to the creative menu items. Homemade hummus sans the tahini was born out of a Thanksgiving party adding chick peas for color, to become 'Hummus Goes To Italy.' The foccacia was a happy accident when loaves caught on fire in his wood-fired oven. Kerry's been doing the farm to table thing 'before it was hip' as all the wood and veggies come from the Headacre Farm where he lives. Cafe Miranda, named for his dog, opened in 1993 when Maine was a culinary wasteland. The fanciest dish was shrimp cocktail so Kerry changed that with classic comfort meals with a robust twist. Beef Groce is Thai-influenced beef salad with just the right kick. Try Fish Cake B

Gary U.S. Bonds joins host Robin Milling to talk about his new book, By U.S. Bonds, That's My Story. Written with a foreword by Steven Van Zandt, it's an autobiography that's a love story, according to co-writer Stephen Cooper who helped Gary organize his life into 20 chapters. Impossible as that seems, the stories are classic such as meeting Bruce Springsteen and forming a friendship that still thrives. As Gary recalls Bruce came to his show in New Jersey circa '76 and years later called him to record Dedication. Gary tells Robin he repaid the favor, gifting Bruce a '57 Chevy with 'Dedication' emblazoned on the fender. Bruce still proudly drives it around Jersey. Gary's career began during the racially charged '50s where music might be color blind but the world certainly wasn't. He says he'd perform at all-white clubs, painfully aware of the segregation, but blended in as an entertainer and never had a problem. It was only touring with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars in the early '60s that he experienced rac

Let's Do Lunch! visits La Bella Vita at The Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine. There's more to Maine than succulent and sweet lobster, which host Robin Milling discovered courtesy of the delicious tasting prepared by Executive Chef Tim Pierce. Cooking is not Tim's only talent. He tells Robin about his award winning ice-carving sculptures such as a life-size mammoth, and gingerbread holiday creations.  Tim grew up in Boothbay Harbor and says he was hooked by the kitchen with his first job as a dishwasher, joking that he's still doing dishes! He began cooking as a teenager out of necessity due to his working parents with skills so impressive he was making baguettes by nine and preparing dinner parties for the family. At the early age of 20 he became an executive chef. Lobster is a must on the menu but there's always an Italian twist starting with Antipasto Della Casa featuring Italian meats and cheeses garnished with house-made mustardo, fig jam, and juicy raisins still on the vine. The Swedish inspired crispy

Milling About visits The Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine which is rich in history dating back to 1884 when Henry Heckman built a stately home overlooking the Kennebunk River to honor his ship's captain brother David, lost at sea. The name Nonantum is Algonquin Indian meaning 'rejoicing;' fitting for the resort celebrating over 125 years. The lobby of the Carriage House is homey with a welcoming fireplace and fresh baked blueberry scones, featuring Maine's finest fruit. The original old-fashioned elevator with iron gated door and manual lever is refurbished, and is still used to ferry guests. General Manager Tina Gordon, celebrating her 21 season, joins host Robin Milling to talk about the hotel's newest finds which have been discovered through renovations such as the original hotel safe, and a priceless stash of letters from guests to the innkeeper found inside horsehair plaster in the walls from the early 1900s. Tina says there is a resident ghost Sadie who likes to hang out by the fireplace, and ki