Alex Reviews All

Author: Alex

  • Double Trouble Caffeine & Cocktails

    Double Trouble Caffeine & Cocktails

    Prepare for trouble and make it double! To protect the world from bad coffee! To unite all peoples within our blogfee! Alex! Amelia! Team Review blasts off at the speed of light!

    We stopped by after visiting Sigs Lagoon for some record shopping. After going crazy and buying four records we decided to keep that same energy with both coffee and shots.

    We ordered the double shot combo and two cappuccinos. The aesthetic inside is immaculate with the tropical modern look. After receiving our drinks we carried them outside and let me tell you, that front door is a pain to open with full hands. I ended up bumping my elbow on the way out and spilled a good bit of my cap 😦 At least that log fire burning will keep my spirits warm.

    This is ultimately a coffee review, so let’s start with just that!
    🎶If you liked this cappuccino put your hands up🎶
    🎶yeah yeah put those hands up🎶
    🧍🧍🏻🧍🏾🧍🏼‍♂️
    hmmmm I’m not noticing any hands

    Neither of us were too impressed with our caps. Not only did they taste weaker than SpongeBob lifting marshmallows, but they lacked that foaminess you’d usually expect. There was only one other patron when we came this fine morning, so our initial thought is that this place is meant to be more of a cocktail bar than your standard coffee spot. Good thing we still got those alcoholic bevvys to try.

    Cold brew, coconut, vanilla vodka, and cointreau make up our Too Loco for Coco shots. We opted to sip them instead of downing in one go to let the enjoyment last a little longer. It was a tropical easy drinker. Amelia said it was reminiscent of her college days drinking Malibu. I never drank that back in my heyday so I can’t comment, but I enjoyed the vanilla coconut notes. As a double shot combo it was a good deal, but it wasn’t good enough to want another of.

    As a coffee shop I wouldn’t recommend, but I have a feeling that an espresso martini enthusiast would find a spot here.

    Rating : 231/1000

  • Mercantile

    Mercantile

    Make sure you get your mom a card for mother’s day. Wait a second.. card… mom… cardamom! I’ll take the cardamom latte please.

    Mercantile is a neighborhood spot with locals hanging both inside and out. It’s open and spacious enough that people will walk their large dogs here and enjoy a cup while the pupper chills. The baristas here are also the friendliest I’ve encountered and wished me an enthusiastic hello and goodbye.

    Let’s start off a little differently this time with the mug. It was a wooden material that felt rough and grating on the skin. The actual liquid inside was made up of their house made cardamom syrup, white chocolate, and cinnamon.

    It was herbaceous in a way that felt like you brewed a mint tea and added espresso to it. I’d say the cardamom tasted in-between authentic and artificial. The white chocolate & cinnamon added a holiday-leaning twist that helped enhance the syrup. The mug was deeper than my enjoyment lasted, but it got the job done.

    Rating: 653/1000

  • Rental Family

    Rental Family

    There’s some movies you walk out of completely drained and spent. Then there’s other like Rental Family that leaves you feeling reinvigorated with a happy soul.

    First off, the cinematography was beautiful. It brought me back to my own Japan trip with waves of nostalgia constantly engulfing me. Brendan Fraser plays a struggling actor named Phillip who ends up employed with a rental family agency. We see him try and grasp the whole concept with his first employment at a wedding. He played the soon to be husband in a wedding for a woman to have her parents welcome him in the family. After, we learn that she is actually in a relationship with another woman and this was their way of coping with that as a family. It got me emotional right off the bat.

    The rest of the film mainly follows his relationship with a child and an old man close to losing his memory. I couldn’t see how they were gonna develop these storylines with everything being “fake” but it was handled beautifully. Especially taking the old man back to his home where he dug up old photos of his love. He was glad to see her one more time and said that even after so much time elapsing he still remembered her so vividly 😭

    It’s not a movie that is going to win awards, but regardless I adored it all.

    Rating: 856/1000

  • Eureka Heights Tinsel Trousers

    Eureka Heights Tinsel Trousers

    I recently had Shiner Holiday cheer and that got me in the festive beer spirit. A light night girl dinner run with my partner later and we “somehow” ended up in the HEB beer aisle. They had 3 holiday beers in their stand and I had to cop them all. Eureka states that this one is an ode to their favorite holiday cookie and brewed with Madagascar vanilla, cinnamon, and lactose. Good thing I’m not intolerant cause I want my trousers to stay blue.

    Surprisingly, it does taste just like a holiday cookie at first. However, they took the name of their can too literally. The tinsel is snickerdoodle-esque with the cinnamon and vanilla replicating those warm flavors. Then come those pesky trousers. I didn’t realize it was 7.3% ABV and that very bitter aftertaste brought me to the can logo. I was hoping I would get used to it over time, but a third of the way through I couldn’t take it anymore. Coal in my stocking because I hate to see beer go to waste.

    Does it feel like Christmas? Yes, it brings back those feelings of having some nice warm cookies straight out the oven. Then the oven catches on fire and burns down the kitchen.

    Rating: 102/1000

  • poppi – Cranberry Fizz

    poppi – Cranberry Fizz

    A while ago I tried the orange flavor of poppi and wasn’t a fan. I’d compare that experience to the time I learned that Santa isn’t real inside of an Olive Garden. I’m hoping for a different experience this season.

    I drank this while watching Champagne Problems and it fit the vibe nicely. That artificially produced flavor was replaced with a more realistic spiced cranberry feeling. It tasted like a cranberry limeade with hints of cinnamon that invokes the feeling of snow melting off a tree basking in the winter sun.

    I wouldn’t necessarily want more of this when the season is over, but I’m happy I bought a 4 pack for when I’m in the holiday mood. It brings the Xmas vibes and having only 5g of sugar is that cherry on top.

    Rating: 746/1000

  • Undercover Holiday Chocolate Quinoa Crisps

    Undercover Holiday Chocolate Quinoa Crisps

    I’m always so happy when I get an extremely mini bag of these on a plane and then sad with how quickly it’s finished. It’s a tease that should be illegal. When I saw this Christmas version with peppermint at Whole Foods I knew I had to try it.

    These crisps are made with premium chocolate, crispy quinoa, and crushed peppermints. I’m a fan of all three and can’t see how this could go wrong. The issue with high expectations is that the fall is long enough to hurt.

    I can’t put my finger on it, but these aren’t cravable. It doesn’t invoke that feeling you get with a bag of lays. Each bite sized crisp is okay – you get a ton of that crunchy peppermint with the dark chocolate lingering at the end. It’s a great combo with nothing necessarily wrong with it… just my indifference.

    The bag is small and they’re easy to eat. The bag includes 3 servings with each one being 8 pieces. 24 bites and you’re done. My mentality with sweets is usually that I can’t stop after starting. Therefore, I already accounted for the nutrition before indulging, but I was over it about halfway through. They just don’t have that oomph.

    Do they at least feel like Christmas? Eh, I guess. It has peppermint and that’s definitely Xmas. It just feels like I got something from the bottom of my wishlist.

    Rating: 391/1000

  • Shiner Holiday Cheer

    Shiner Holiday Cheer

    My first beer review ever and I’m ready to dive right in. The bottle states that it’s brewed with pecans and peaches. Unlike a wine, I was able to instantly hone in on that. Secondarily, does that photo look like Comet is behind the stable or hanging on Santas wall?

    Even with those flavor notes it manages to keeps that classic shiner flavor. It’s light and easy. I’d say that there’s a 5% artificial taste included in every sip, but it doesn’t hinder the beer too much. For the most part it stays true to their brewing process.

    Does it feel like Christmas? Oh yeah baby. If I was the only one drinking this, the a 6-pack would be perfect to enjoy through December. After that I’d be ready for a regular brewski.

    Rating: 747/1000

  • Champagne Problems

    Champagne Problems

    Another Christmas season means new Netflix releases. If that gets tiring to you, then turn that pain into Champagne.

    I was a Minka Kelley fan in Friday Night Lights and was excited to see starring here. The beginning of the movie was extremely cute and “before sunrise” esque. Sydney travels to Paris for a work presentation and spends her free night exploring the town. At a book store she thinks Henri is an employee and he becomes enamored with her and offers to show her around town. If they somehow made that the whole movie I would have been happy. However, we need some problems.

    They sleep together and the next morning she runs off to her meeting she overslept for. Sydney works for a corporation trying to buy a local vineyard and is competing with other buyers to make the best offer while staying true to the wine. In the meeting… surprise! Henri walks in and is actually the owners son. He learns who she is working for and instantly changes tunes.

    The movie was an easy watch for the most part and I enjoyed the tension between the two. I loved the shots of Paris and it brought me back to my visits. What really disappointed me was the amount of tropes they started shoving in our faces near the end. It felt original and unique, then they resorted to all the cheap tricks that I was hoping they’d deviate from.

    Cheap tricks:
    1. Sydney instantly knows how to fix the car of the owner who’s been trying for years.

    2. The vineyard is sold to the party guy who appreciates the wine and thinks $60 mil is a drop in the bucket.

    3. Henri overhears the conversation between Sydney and her colleague (that’s out in the open for some reason) about how the corporation is gonna cut out his dad and right before Sydney criticizes that he walks away.

    4. Sydney leaves in the morning and Henri is able to still catch her right when she’s leaving the bookstore.

    Maybe my expectations became too high because in the end it felt like your average light-hearted Christmas movie. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but I also wouldn’t dissuade you to check it out.

    Rating: 473/1000

  • Little Debbie Gingerbread Soft Cookies

    Little Debbie Gingerbread Soft Cookies

    Growing up these used to be my favorite treat of the holidays. Somehow, I’ve made it through 8 reviews with these at the ready, and now the floodgates are open.

    As a reviewer it’s my obligation to keep indulging until I can accurately review the product. If I have to individually unwrap four of these to correctly describe the tasting notes, then that’s my duty to both my fellow readers and little debbie.

    Eating my first one brought back waves of nostalgia. The last two years I can’t recount buying these and the time elapsed worried me. Those worries can be put to bed because of course they taste the same. They have the perfect amount of gingerbread flavoring that just breaks down in your mouth as you suck in all the flavors. It’s insanely cravable and the icing with those festive sprinkles just melds in like Santa going down the right sized chimney. I need an advent calendar with one of these in every door.

    The downside is that every gingerbread man has 90 calories with 7g of sugar. If I’m gonna eat the whole box in one sitting I have to be ok with those 56g. Obviously it’s not meant for that, but my self control is why I stay away from these things usually.

    The final question is if it feels like Christmas? Does Mariah Carey own the holidays?

    Rating: 902/1000

  • Zoa Energy Dwanta’s Holiday Punch

    Zoa Energy Dwanta’s Holiday Punch

    I recently got a visit from Dwanta clause and he gave me one of his zero sugar energy drinks. “Dwanta what is so special about this?” I asked. “Our energy fuels both the naughty and nice with 160mg of caffeine from green coffee & tea, electrolytes, amino acids, b & c vitamins, and camu camu extract” he replied. “Get out of my house you corporate shill” I responded.

    I enjoy the caffeine level as I find that 200mg is a little overkill for me and I feel that most energy drinks aim for that target since it sounds nice. Taking out that 40mg makes a difference.

    This is my second holiday energy drink of the season which is surprising to me. I saw Dwanta giving me that cheeky smile at my local HEB and I knew I had to respond. It’s holiday punch with fruit flavors which I was happy to see after my last energy drink being so secretive over its tasting profile.

    Yes, it does have that fruit flavor with it leaning heavily on the cranberry side. Unfortunately, it also features that classic artificial energy drink flavor that really hinders the enjoyability of making it through the whole can. The best comparison I can make is of a cranberry ginger ale mixed with Red Bull. If that sounds good then I’d encourage you to give this a shot.

    Does it feel like Christmas? Let’s just say I’m a believer in Dwanta Claus after today. I wouldn’t ask him for another gift, but I didn’t mind what he gave me.

    Rating: 541/1000

  • Trader Joe’s Peppermint Foaming Hand Soap

    Trader Joe’s Peppermint Foaming Hand Soap

    Walking through Trader Joe’s was like a Christmas wonderland… if you want a sweet treat. Most of the items were a little too snacky for me to go crazy buying, but I did find a few fun goodies such as this. The season of giving is perfect for my first hand soap review.

    Most of the hand soaps I keep on deck are more on the liquid side so it’s a treat to get that foamy consistency. It lathers well and does the job with each wash. That’s all pretty standard stuff you’d get with your average soap, so I want that peppermint to shine. I’m disappointed to say that it’s muted and doesn’t linger like I wished for on Santas lap. You can guess what it is with a smell test, but it’s not going to make you rave.

    I’d say that it does feel like Christmas with the branding and foam, but again it doesn’t scream it.

    Rating: 504/1000

  • Jingle Bell Heist

    Jingle Bell Heist

    My first Christmas movie of the year was a rom-com. However, this ain’t your usual big city moving to a small town story. We’re robbing the rich, baby.

    Sophie and Nick are both two people who have been wronged by the system. Sophie’s mom was impregnated by her boss, Sterling, and then fired. They had moved to the states before her mom got sick and then had to move back to England due to medical bills. Likewise, Nick was hired by Sterling to revamp his security system. Sterling framed Nick for breaking in after completing that system so his insurance would payout for his “stolen” goods and he could double up. Nicks marriage ended due to this and his ex is iffy on letting him continue to be around their daughter.

    Nick and Sophie end up teaming up to commit a heist that keeps getting more and more complicated. At the end of the day they end up teaming up with Sterlings wife to break into his safe and put his stolen goods in there. Then when Sterling hears that it was broken into he brings the police and is caught when they see the jewelry he used for insurance fraud. Everyone else gets their happy ending and a Merry Christmas was had by all.

    This is categorized as a romcom although I wouldn’t say I laughed at anything. I also didn’t really see much chemistry between the two protagonists and it felt shoehorned in there. You definitely need to suspend your belief on how the heists play out, but it’s mostly enjoyable. I’d get nervous throughout which is a good sign that I was invested. Overall it was an enjoyable mix-up of your average Netflix Christmas rom-com.

    Rating: 523/1000

  • Buying a Xmas Tree at Houston Garden Center

    Buying a Xmas Tree at Houston Garden Center

    It’s a cold, muggy, and rainy day but it’s also time to get a tree. Nothing can get in the way of Christmas spirit.

    I’ve always used a fake tree since moving into my apartment and have always been content. I’ve always felt it was a hassle both price and care wise to get a real one every year. However, my girlfriend really wanted one this year and it’s usually a romantic thing in the movies.

    I did some online scouting before I went and it wasn’t a good idea. I filtered reviews by “Christmas tree” and it was plagued with 1 stars. Trees not taking enough water in, bugs, and dead branches infected my thoughts. Maybe this isn’t a good idea? On the flip side, how many people are gonna take the time to write a 5 star review on having a normal Christmas tree? Only one way to find out.

    We walked in and they had rows of Christmas trees to check out. If we saw one we liked we’d take it out of the row to get the 360 view, stamp it down, and see what we thought. They’re all pretty light to move around, but I did wish I had a long sleeve or gloves on. We honestly didn’t take too long to find a tree that we both agreed on. The main things we sought out were having enough height, having branches fill in most of the space, and a pretty top. A lot of those trees are quite ugly when you look all the way up.

    After picking our tree a worker takes it to the front where we pay. We paid for both the fresh cut and water bucket attached to it. The tree was $90 and the add-on was another $20. All told it was about $120 which wasn’t as bad as I expected. The workers cut it, stabilize the base with wood so it stands straight, and then ties it to the top of our car. It was pretty seamless and after stopping at Home Depot for lights we headed home to set it up.

    Setting it up at home was just a matter of untying it off the car, carrying it up the stairs, and plopping it down where we wanted. Overall it was a chill experience and it’s nice having that real tree smell in the apartment.

    Rating: 852/1000

  • Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

    Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

    For some reason I thought Grisham wrote murder mystery or detective type books. Instead I got a wholesome hallmark movie about the spirit of Christmas.

    The story follows couple Luther and Nora Krank (just realized this is what “Christmas with the Kranks” is based on) after their daughter Blair goes off to Peru to work for the peace corps. Luther has that accountant brain and calculated that they spent $6,100 on Christmas last year. Why not skip out on the festivities and spend less money on a 10 day luxurious cruise? Their daughter won’t be there so what’s the point? Not as easy as it seems when you’re stubborn and you live in a festive neighborhood.

    People are shocked when they hear. Some are jealous, but most are just dumbfounded. The Krank’s are going all in with their no Christmas decisions. The Boy Scouts stop by to sell a tree, policemen and firefighters drop in to fundraise, and every house on the street puts a frosty on their roof (see book cover.) The Kranks decline absolutely everything. Luther tells people stuff like “hey come back in Spring and I’ll donate $100 to the cause.” People don’t care.

    A big chunk of the book is them trying to rationalize their decision and stay strong against all of their advisories. Their neighborhood loses the decorating competition and the local newspaper writes about the Kranks skipping out. Carolers stop by and sing outside their house while all the neighbors congregate and join in. They were getting harassed like crazy. Regardless, Luther kept doing things like walking around his neighborhood to prove a point. All they had to do was make it to Christmas and they were off on their cruise. When they return, who cares anymore?

    We all know that they aren’t getting on that cruise. Surprise! Blair calls them on Xmas eve with news that she’s flying in with her new partner. Double surprise! They’re engaged. She asks on the call if they’re doing their annual party and in her shock Nora says yes. Cue the frantic chaos.

    After reading so much about all the people they denied, the switch-up is incredibly awkward. They fail in every way possible getting the house decorated, food bought/prepared, and inviting guests to attend their last-minute party. The day was saved by none other than those pesky neighbors. Mr. Krank has a scary fall from his roof while trying to covertly put up his frosty and the cord saves him from splatting. The neighbors see and hear about Blair coming home. In a true Christmas miracle they all unite to scramble together one heck of a party.

    I have to say that summarizing the story really makes me hate the characters. Almost every single one. The neighbors were absolutely off the heezy with the way they treated the Kranks. There was a mention early on about a family who doesn’t celebrate Christmas moving out and I can see why. They probably got ran out of town. The Kranks were also pretty extreme with their no Xmas rules, but hey it’s their lives. If they want to go on a cruise then great. It’s also crazy that Blair come the day of with almost no notice… and with a fiancee!

    Overall not my favorite story or one I’d recommend, but the writing was great.

    Rating: 448/1000

  • Chobani Flip Peppermint Perfection

    Chobani Flip Peppermint Perfection

    In my spare time I love to do a casual front flip or backflip, so why not carry that same mindset into my yogurt? I’ve always been a huge yogurt fan and this excited me. For years I’ve ate a mix of yogurt, fruit and granola. It’s only the past month that I’ve switched to oatmeal. Time to flip back.

    Opening it up you get two compartments. The yogurt and the toppings to mix in. This includes dark chocolate cookie crumbles, peppermint chunks, and dark chocolate chunks. Double trouble with that dark cocoa.

    Pre flip
    Post flip

    The dark chocolate is most pronounced of the flavors. The cookie crumbles mix in with the yogurt compared to the solid components announcing themselves as I chew. The peppermint definitely takes a backseat to the chocolate chunks, but it’s still an involved passenger. What you end up getting in most bites is that classic creamy greek yogurt followed a half second later by a chocolate bark with peppermint crumbles on top. Just like the cover of the container depicts.

    Does it feel like Christmas? 100% yes. It leans more on the sweet treat side versus a normal breakfast item, but I think that’s pretty obvious to begin with. Although I wouldn’t seek this out again, it also left me feeling satisfied and guilt free on the indulgence. Now time to get back to the back flipping.

    Rating: 773/1000

  • Alani Nu Winter Wonderland

    Alani Nu Winter Wonderland

    It’s Christmas time and with that comes Christmas reviews! My first review of the season should pack an energized punch with its 200mg of caffeine (equivalent to two cups of coffee.) I’m judging this not only on the product, but how much it encompasses that Xmas spirit.

    I was surprised at how un-holiday my first sip was. It tastes like a normal energy drink without much sprucing up. My best comparison would be a sprite with the flavors dialed down. Looking at that chill snowwoman on the front of the can I expected something 100x more wintery.

    Speaking of the can; I don’t see anything on it describing what this should taste like. It tells me that they’re so disappointed in whatever they came up with that they just threw in the towel and made a cute design. I finished the can, but it was boring. The good thing is that it can only go up from here.

    Rating: 163/1000

  • Super Coffee Vanilla Latte

    Super Coffee Vanilla Latte

    I used to treat myself to these on occasion when things would get busy in the office. With 150mg of caffeine, 1g of sugar, and 10g of protein it always felt like the perfect pick-me-up when I grew tired of the work coffee machine. Now a year has passed and it’s time to see how it holds up without all of those factors in its favor.

    The bottle has a pretty short blurb about super coffee starting in one of the three brothers dorm room. One was a student athlete in need of healthier energy and thus the drink was born. Nothing super inspiring, but all ideas start somewhere.

    My first sip wasn’t as smooth as I remembered it being. The drink feels chalky and the vanilla tastes artificial. The coffee/latte flavor also isn’t pronounced and overall it all just tastes fake. Instead of an indulgence it feels more like a chore to finish. I think my stressed out and tired brain used to just block all this out because now that I’m focusing on the flavors I’m more awake than I’ve ever been.

    Rating: 113/1000

  • Spellslinger

    Spellslinger

    Spellslinger – the book that blends in perfectly with my kitchen table. This is a YA fantasy book about a young mage who’s about to turn 16 and have to take mage trials. If you pass all four you get to keep your powers and status as a Jan’Tep. Fail and you become Sha’Tep (basically a slave to the mages.)

    The main issue with the protagonist Kellen is that he’s gone his whole life without being able to invoke magic. Each child has six rings engraved on their arms for an element that they can learn to invoke (with there being a seventh forbidden shadow element.)The book starts off strong with Kellen using street smarts to win a duel against another mage. Being resourceful and witty is his main magical ability. It keeps up that pace well and never really lulls for too long in any one plot point.

    There are a lot of cool reveals that I’m now going to quickly go through. The first one was when Kellen sees that he has part of the shadow black on his eye. When his parents see that they drug him and decide to remove his six magical bands. They can only remove one each night and Kellen would scream and beg for mercy while his parents kept telling him it was for the best. Then we learn that they already knew he was corrupted and were suppressing his magic throughout his childhood to try and stave off the mark. He went his whole life striving to unlock his abilities while his parents secretly prevented it. Luckily, he gets rescued before the final band is disabled.

    Part of being a child in a world such as this is learning that not everything is always so kosher. Another such awakening was about the mahdek. Growing up he was taught that this tribe was evil and would summon demons against them. They wanted their land. Turns out that they were actually the natives of the land and the Jan’Tep attacked the mahdeks children to distract them while summoning demons to finish the job. The shadow black was a self inflection from using that void magic. Victors always write the history.

    He also learns more about the Sha’Tep from how he’s being treated without powers. His uncle and dad were close growing up, but his uncle became Sha’Tep and lost all his respect and autonomy. Now he has to serve the family. We later learn that he’s part of a rebellion to try and sabotage the current children’s magical abilities. Generation by generation they were getting treated more like slaves and no amount of arguing was helping their cause. The Jan’Tep only cared about people with magic. The lights of the town only turn on for mages at night. The town was expanded and built like slums for Sha’Tep to live in. The underground system they use to mine is poorly built with constant casualties.

    My favorite character was the “squirrel dog” named Reichis. He was fun with his snarky comments and always wanting to get into the action. Ferius was also a mysterious and cool character, but it got annoying how convenient her appearance always was.

    Going in I had no idea this was YA, but it quickly became obvious. Something about the writing, dialogues, and prose felt simple. Still, I loved the concept, reveals, and quick speed that I could read at without having to fully engage my brain. It was easy to get sucked in and I’m sure I’ll be continuing this series for that.

    Rating: 704/1000

  • bohemeo’s

    bohemeo’s

    This may just win the award for the hipster cafe of the year. Located as far in Eado as you can get, it makes you feel like the coolest person in town being here. The outdoor garden, the music, and the clientele ooze’s trendy hipness (I think that was a cool way to describe it?)

    They had both honey and honey comb flavoring which confused me. After asking I learned that the comb has more of the raw sugar in it. The barista wasn’t giving me open vibes so after that I opted for the honey latte. I can’t blame her with my visit being on the day before Thanksgiving.

    The latte came out and didn’t look as pretty as other recent coffee visits, but I never judge a book by its cover. My first sip scared me with how sweet it was. However, it mellowed out quickly enough that by my third sip it was more balanced and left a pleasantly sweet aftertaste. I still wouldn’t say it was an especially memorable honey latte, but it got the job done.

    This is one of those places where the vibes elevates the drinks and score considerably. I came here and time flew by reading a book. If I didn’t have plans I would have continued in that beautiful outdoor area after the temperature warmed up on this cold morning. Regardless, I’d love to come back with friends or my girlfriend to hang out and feel like one of the cool kids for a bit. They also have beers on tap and a food menu, so there’s plenty of options for visitors.

    Rating: 811/1000

  • Dancing With the Stars Season 34

    Dancing With the Stars Season 34

    The 34th season was my first for a show that has more seasons than I years. If I made it this far to 30 then they must be doing something right as well.

    It was a show that grew on me the more I got to know the stars, professional dancers, judges, and hosts. I was most familiar with Robert Irwin, Andy, the Pentatonix singer, Topenga, and the lady from Parent Trap. A lot of people kept saying that this was the most talented cast yet and I could see why. Week 1 most of the new dancers are rigid, stiff, and uncomfortable. By the end you can see the growth and confidence of everyone who made it that far.

    Robert was easily my favorite and I was so happy for him to win. He has such a wholesome and fun personality that is very reminiscent of his father. Jordans final freestyle went hard in the paint and I had to go get my phone to give her 10 votes as well. I know she didn’t have a shot popularity wise, but she did the best in the finale.

    I was equally impressed with everyone’s instant dances where they had to put on a routine to a 1/4 randomly chosen dance style. They were given a song and 5 minutes to practice before performing. All 5 finalists killed it and it was hard to believe how little prep time they had. The freestyles were also great for all 5 and if I was any of them I’d rewatch my dance on the daily till death do me part.

    Andy was another fun watch that I’m glad made it as far as he did. Obviously it’s my first watch, but he feels like what the show is all about. He’s progressing every week and providing heartfelt dances. He shouldn’t have to feel guilty about staying over someone else because of that. I was also annoyed at Derek one dance for saying something to the effect of “we’re about at the halfway point so you know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ” He basically told him that he should be out which rubbed me the wrong way.

    Speaking of, the main thing I disliked about the show was the judging. Sometimes the judge would say a dance was incredible, amazing, absolute perfection. Then it gets a 9 instead of a 10? Other times someone would give a criticism (mainly Carrie-Ann) and then start addressing the crowds booing instead of being confident in the critique. Yes, we get you are giving feedback. Stop wasting your very short judging time trying to defend yourself instead of providing that feedback. Bruno also annoyed me near the end with his constant buzz word spewing, but I know that’s his shtick. There was a woman guest judge one episode I didn’t know, but she killed it with the scoring and advice. She told people to “work on this” or “improve this” in an extremely tactful way that made it obvious how bad the other three were at consistently doing that.

    Overall it was fun to watch over 11 weeks and I’m sure I’ll be watching next year with my girlfriend and her sister.

    Rating: 814/1000