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Gaming column: 'The Beatles: Rock Band,' 'IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey'
Some may deride this release for being about just one band, but really, if you could choose only one group's catalog to base a game on, the Beatles would have to be near the top of your list. Perhaps no band in music history has had such a storied and diverse musical career as the boys from Britain.

Marilyn Bauer: Fall means that events calendar starts to fill up
You can already feel the season about to change. Not only has there been a slight cooling of the weather, but more cars on the road and more events in the calendar.

Peter Pringle: Riverside Theatre's ticket offer ends Sunday
The curtain will fall Sunday on Riverside Theatre’s “2-for-1” subscription offer for the 2009-10 Mainstage season.

Restaurant critic review: Simple fare is best at Squid Lips
The crowd is young and carefree at Squid Lips, the Sebastian restaurant overhanging pilings on the Indian River Lagoon. Simple fare is the best bet here. As we watched smiling patrons enjoying drinks and eating baskets of fried food at the large bar, we enjoyed our own. Mahi fish and chips is the perfect meal, crisp and finger-licking fresh.

Olympic Diner keeps 'opa!' alive in Palm City
Between the 1950s and ?70s, Greek immigrants opened more than 600 diners in the New York City area, bringing their cultural influence to the menus of that industry. It?s not surprising then that, at Olympic Diner, you can find BLTs and Reubens coexisting with a wonderful selection of Greek specialties. It?s the ethnic dishes that have made me a fan of this Palm City restaurant, though.

Out to lunch with Diana Foote: Practical advice for cooking applicable to life, as well
When Kathleen Finn's job is eliminated, she heads to Paris, to fulfill her lifelong dream of attending Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She wrote a book about her experience, ?The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry.? The title refers to only one of the many practical cooking tips she imparts ? if your knife is like a razor, chopping onions will be much easier. But perhaps the greatest tip is more philosophical. Life is not a dress rehearsal. It?s a lesson none of us should forget. Go for your dreams, says author Finn. It?s good advice, but oh so difficult.

Peter Pringle: 'Under the Oaks' named a top show in the nation
Vero Beach Art Club’s “Under the Oaks” Fine Arts and Crafts Show has been ranked 57th in the Top 200 art and craft shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine. Earlier, it was named the state’s Best Arts & Craft Festival of 2009 by readers of Florida Monthly magazine.

Marilyn Bauer: Cuban-born artist revels in the natural world
We all know what a talented painter Cristina De La Vega is. Her Florida landscapes have that special something — call it a soul, a spirit behind the canvas, a certain glow that makes the viewer lean farther into the painting, not caring if they ever come back.

Gaming column: 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy,' 'Guitar Hero 5,' 'SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny'
Dissidia: Final Fantasy: Perhaps the best aspect is the game's role-playing add-ons. You are constantly given upgrades and skills, plus new costume features and other unlockables that make it nearly impossible to stop playing.

Out to lunch with Diana Foote: Yami's a yummy treat any time of the year
One of the greatest things about living in Florida is that you can eat ice cream year-round without feeling foolish. And now that I?ve discovered Yami?s in Vero Beach, it may well be every day of the year. There are 27 flavors in total, including my favorites so far in the ice cream category: eggnog, pistachio, mint chocolate and a rich coffee. In the fruit bars, I love tamarind, the flowery hibiscus, and a bracingly good lime with chili.

Restaurant critic review: Dena's service, sandwiches get an 'A' rating
Dena?s Cafe, a landmark in Jensen Beach since 2000 seems to be one of these love-it or hate-it places, so I set out to get the scoop. This would be a good stop on the way home from the beach. The patio gets a wonderful breeze off the Intracoastal, and you might catch a glimpse of some dolphins playing nearby. I?m in the middle with Dena?s, but their service and sandwiches get an A.

Restaurant critic review: Sonya's has a formal but welcoming feel
I never associated fine dining with Walt Disney, but I?ve changed my mind after eating at Sonya?s in the Walt Disney Resort in Vero Beach. Sonya?s is an intimate dining room with wooden wainscoting, dark blinds and Tiffany-style windows, which give it a formal feel. The menu is not large, but the dishes are well-conceived.

Gaming column: 'Batman: Arkham Asylum,' 'Professor Layton and the Diabolical Boys'
Instead of tying the game to a film and having it be utterly disappointing, we get a full-fledged Batman game as it was meant to be. Other comic-book characters would weep for such treatment, and it would be a dream to see more iconic characters get this much love in video-game form.

Marilyn Bauer: Line dancing classes appeal to diverse crowd
Oscar Wilde once advised, ?Try anything in life once, except incest and folk dancing.? Until a few weeks ago, I would have agreed. But after an experience or two line dancing at the Lonestar in Stuart, Oscar Wilde and I have parted ways.

Peter Pringle: Vero Beach Opera plans 4 concerts next season
Despite the demise of several opera companies around the country, and the cancellation of the 2009-10 season by the Treasure Coast Opera Society, opera in Vero Beach is flourishing.

Restaurant critic review: Pig and Whistle retains pub feel in larger location
The Pig and Whistle Pub has moved into larger quarters in the water view spot vacated by the Red Garlic Bistro in Sebastian, but it has retained its British feel in the new and airy space.

Out to lunch with Diana Foote: Meals, like friends, make great memories
Blanka and I have been there for each other through thick and thin, and the phone calls weren?t enough anymore. Our friendship is long and deep. We have lots in common, but nothing more important than our mutual love of food. We needed to break bread together. There is no one with whom I would rather share a great meal than Blanka.

Restaurant critic review: La Borgata brings Italian comfort to table
It was a warm summer evening at La Borgata. We skipped the pasta and tried something lighter, in the air-conditioned comfort of the dining room. This restaurant, owned by a family from New Jersey, offers a whole range of foods ? from traditional Italian entrées, pastas and pizzas, to wraps and panini.

Gaming column: 'Wolfenstein,' 'Madden NFL 10'
'Wolfenstein' is not the most complete first-person shooter on the market, but it does have its advantages. A solid variety of guns -- from the realistic to the fantastic -- is at your disposal, and with a new upgrade system resembling that of RPG games, there is a good deal of depth to explore.

Peter Pringle: Andy Williams recounts life at Vero Beach High's arts center
Andy Williams will recount his rise from Depression-era Iowa farm boy to international singing star at 2 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center. He’ll also perform with piano accompaniment some of the songs that have earned him 18 gold and three platinum albums in a career spanning eight decades.