Alex Reviews All

Author: Alex

  • La Vita Coffee

    La Vita Coffee

    Upside, inside out 

    I’m living la vida coffee

    Café la vita appears the be a burger joint from the outside, but inside you’ll also find coffee. Parking is a little sketchy with spots located in the alley beside it, but it seems like it can fill up fast. Inside, it gives major Italian vibes from the barista to the decor. 

    There wasn’t anyone waiting when I arrived, but after I good little queue had formed. I heard someone say they saw this place on Instagram, so I guess advertising really does work. Good thing I wasn’t actually in Italy where the words iced and coffee together will earn you a blank stare, cause that’s just what I needed today. I added a bacon egg and cheese bagel for good measure. 

    My drink came out and looked beautiful with the milk expression. The espresso in here is very strong and pronounced. It’s a little on the bitter side for an iced latte but there’s also no flavorings to cover that up. Overall though it’s great and the perfect caffeine boost. I was here with the homies and everyone enjoyed their drink. 

    The bagel was delicious. As much as I love bacon I usually avoid it on a sandwich because I hate when it’s soft and chewy. However, they nailed it here and it was both crispy and smoky. The cheese also doesn’t look appetizing with the square, but it surprisingly worked well. My main complaint is that the everything bagel wasn’t 100% fresh, but it is from the Bronx so there’s gotta be something lost when freezing, importing, and reheating. 

    Rating: 794/1000

  • Squable

    Squable

    I was debating doing a riff of either the duck song or wobble using Squable as the substitute, but I think I’m ready to just get to business today.

    Squable is a fancy hip combo of a restaurant that does sharable plates. They have both cold/hot plates and entrees. I have to say that I get excited going to places like this lately because it’s fun to write about them afterward. Perfect combination for a date night.

    We showed up at our 8:15pm reservation and were seated instantly. Service the whole night was great and they always stayed on top of things such as water.

    We started out with cocktails with me opting for the Irish coffee while Amelia got a dirty martini. They have a fun option where you can pick 3 toppings and she went with a blue-cheese stuffed olive, pickled okra, and pearl onion. She loved how strong the smells were and how it made each sip taste more like the toppings. The Irish Coffee was also delicious with the whiskey blending nicely with the creamy foam.

    For food we ordered two cold plates, two hot plates, and an entree. They request that you order all at once so the chef can stagger things out. Our waiter suggested getting 3 or so small dishes and two entrees each, but we elected to mix it up since that seemed like overkill. That ended up working out perfectly with our appetites. Another fun fact we learned was that there’s a sliding drawer at each side of our table holding silverware!

    Our first course was the marinated mussels and beetroot. The mussels come out on grilled bread, are mixed in with calico beans, and drizzled with lots of olive oil. The mussels tasted fresh and the bread soaked in a lot of the flavor without taking away from the star ingredient. The beans were soft like the mussels, but it felt like something was missing to make this an amazing dish. It was still really good and (spoiler alert) our favorite of the night, but a crunch or other element was needed.

    The beetroot includes endive, honeycrisp, walnut, and blue cheese. The best bites were the ones that had everything on the spoon. It’s creamy with big bites of beets making up the majority of the flavor profile. This was meant to be our fresh veggieful dish of the night, but it didn’t translate like we hoped. We expected the ingredients to harmonize and instead they were just kinda there.

    mussel toast
    beetroot

    Next up were our hot dishes. We ordered two glasses of wine before receiving dumplings and pork collar milanese. The milanese came first so let’s start with that. It’s basically a thin fried pork topped with white anchovy, fennel, and apple. To me it tasted like something I’d get at a Cracker Barrel or Kellys country cooking. The pork didn’t have a whole lot of flavor without the toppings. However, the added freshness of the fennel and apple did make it more enjoyable. Again, just not something that I was super impressed by. It’s passable, but I expect a bit more at a place like this.

    The dumplings came up next and include sweet potato, ricotta, brown butter, pancetta, and pecan ragu. Doesn’t reading that sound like an absolute bomb is about to be dropped on my taste buds? Well, I felt like I was missing something because I just wasn’t that impressed. It tasted like someone grabbed the remote and turned the volume to about a quarter of what it should be. The sweet potato is the main component that came through and there was no shine. I should have been fiending for these and instead I was just meh.

    pork collar milanese
    dumplings

    Finally it’s time for our main course. Our waiter said chicken was one of his favorites so we went with that. Chicken is always an interesting dish to order at a place like this because it’s a hard one to make shine. Theirs is a roast chicken with potatoes, lemon aioli, and herbed schmaltz. The technique and butchery of the chicken is impressive with absolutely no fatty parts, cartilage, or bones beside the main pieces. We squeezed the lemon and loved how it was covered in a spice blend that came out with the juice. The lemon aioli with the schmaltz was delicious and the meat was best when it’s soaking up that flavor. Otherwise, it tastes like a rotisserie chicken I’d get at a grocery store. The potatoes with the sauce were great and I gobbled those up.

    the chicken
    outside

    I loved the dinner in terms of the date, but not in terms of the food. Nothing left much of an impression and it almost feels wrong to not like it. I’ve heard nothing but good things otherwise. I am a picky eater not in terms of what I eat, but in terms of value. I expect everything at a place like this to taste amazing, not good. Otherwise, the service and atmosphere was excellent for our date. T

    he final bill with tip was $216 and that’s not something I’d ever want to drop here again.

    Rating: 496/1000

  • Siphon Coffee

    Siphon Coffee

    If you could siphon coffee right into your veins would you? For me, coffee is a ritual that’s meant to be enjoyed and savored. If for some reason I could only inject it, then I’m out (after trying once of course) (if I love it then I’m back in)

    Siphon was popping on a Saturday morning and I can see why. It feels like the place to be with almost every table inside taken. One of the unique things I noticed on the menu is that they have a barista choice option. I basically just told them I wanted an espresso drink with medium to light sweetness and the rest was in their hands. For food I did the trust the Alex’s stomach option and got a breakfast sandy. 

    The barista stand was surrounded with people waiting and I never ended up asking what my drink was, so I can only go completely off of taste and feel. It can be summed up as a nutty, herbaceous, and caramel latte. It had a pleasant subtle tone with the flavors and kept me wanting more. Here’s the thing though, it came out lukewarm and I really wanted it hotter to start. I’m not sure how that happened, but it did lower my enjoyment as it initially felt like a drink usually does after sitting 20-30 minutes. 

    Now for the sandy. If you’re hoping for a better picture then I have bad news for you. I didn’t take one. You may be asking “Alex, how did you not get the name of your drink AND not take a solo shot of the sandwich??!” Well, I was with the fellas and hungry and that’s all that really mattered in the moment. Future review be damned. 

    Anyways, it was fire. The potato bread is incredibly soft while supporting the innards of the hot and fresh eggs, sausage, and cheese.  The aioli is one of the most flavorful ones I’ve had and had me wanting to request a bottle. They put a lot of love into this item and it shows. I just wish my coffee was hotter.

    Rating: 822/1000

  • Retrospect Coffee Bar

    Retrospect Coffee Bar

    Retrospect is retro in the fact that it used to be a gas station. It’s spect in the fact that I wore my spectacles today. It seems like the perfect spot for a beautiful weather day here in Houston as the seating is outdoor only. You can park in their lot with 1 hour free before it starts charging your card, or you can street park. With my luck it started raining the second I pulled up, but luckily they have a covered bar with four seats in addition to their exposed tables. 

    I saw the specialty banana foster latte and no further questions were needed. It has banana and brown sugar syrup with a cinnamon dusting on top. You get a number and once it’s called you go pick it up from the window. My first impression was that it’s a thing of beauty. I got the drink as it and I’m glad it wasn’t too sweet. The espresso is there and blends well with the banana and brown sugar.  

    Some lattes are subtle in a nice way or pack a punch in a nice way, while this is sort of in the middle. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and the more I drink the more I like it. The banana isn’t overwhelming and neither is the sweetness you’d expect from the sugar. I just wish it had more of an impact, but it’s not a drink I’ll remember. It also had the slightest syrupy aftertaste after drinking. I still enjoyed the fun drink and my time outside, but it wasn’t one I’d seek out again… especially once summer hits.

    643/1000

  • Sweet Lemon Kitchen

    Sweet Lemon Kitchen

    On a visit to Georgetown Texas with my boo thang and we need a caffeine fix before our trip home. Luckily she knows a place.

    Sweet Lemon is a beautiful cafe/coffee shop that is just what we needed. You can either get in the queue outside for a table or walk inside and order at the barista counter. Everyone here is extremely friendly and my only gripe is that there isn’t really a good waiting area after you order. We had to stand against the wall so everyone else could walk past.

    I went with their specialty lemon drop latte. They use beans from summer moon and the drink came out quickly. The drink includes lemon, lavender, and vanilla with a sweet cold foam. All three flavors are pronounced with the lemon thankfully coming through the most. I asked if it was really sweet and they said no so I ordered as is. I think it was a little too sweet for my taste, but only a smidge. The foam made this very creamy and it tasted almost like a desert. Very reminiscent of spring and if you love lemons then you’ll love this. Overall a fun drink.

    We also ordered a breakfast croissant (came with a fruit cup) and lemon poppyseed scone. I was sick this day and so that probably wasn’t fair to the food with my state of mind, but I thought the croissant tasted normal. Nothing special stood out to me. 

    I also wasn’t that into the scone. It tasted very cakey and lacked lemon flavor. Amelia agrees but also says that’s just how scones are and to picture eating it while drinking some tea. I think I’m just not a scone guy. Either way, I’m not going to factor the food too much into the score because of my state.

    Rating: 785/1000

  • AnnKello Kahawa

    AnnKello Kahawa

    AnnaKello is a little annoying to get to, but it’s worth trying out. From what we can tell, there’s no other option but to park in a garage that requires you to scan a QR code to get in and then validate with the shop if you’re over 20 minutes. At the end of the day it’s a minor inconvenience, but one that would make me hesitant to visit frequently. 

    The vibes inside are cozy and there was a decent amount of people in there on a weekday at 1pm. The baristas were helpful and we ended up ordering the AnnKello Kahawa (coffee) and the passionfruit matcha. 

    Let’s start with the coffee. It’s their name-brand drink and I asked if better hot or cold. The response was hot because the creaminess is more apparent. If you’re still wondering what this is then the menu might help clear it up with the “Perfect balance between Tanzanian beans and sweetness.”  

    First off, those beans were delicious with a flavor profile that felt both smoky and fruity. I’m not sure if that was all the beans or whatever they use for the sweetness, but I should have asked. The actual source of the sweetness from the drink eludes me and again, my duty as a reviewer is to ask. I failed. The drink is indeed creamy and everything in it works well enough. I make lattes at home and my ultimate litmus test is was this worth the extra dough? I make a pretty good cup and I wouldn’t say that my latte was worth the extra cash necessarily, but I wasn’t mad at it either. Overall a solid drink that I wouldn’t order again.

    If you’re passionate about passionfruit, then the matcha is right up your alley. The flavor is strong without tasting artificial. It’s sweet in a way that you don’t mind. The actual matcha is earthy and flavorful in a complimentary way that makes this a delicious treat.

    Overall it’s a great spot for a matcha first, then coffee second. Next time I will try one of their specialty iced latte drinks and I have a feeling that it will hit harder than the hot latte. I’d recommend a visit to anyone in the area. 

    Rating: 782/1000

  • Neuf Neuf I love Custard Cookie

    Neuf Neuf I love Custard Cookie

    My last Japanese snack review (for the moment!) Opening this up, the smell instantly reminds me of the shortbread Girl Scout cookies. It’s two shortbread esque cookies with another thin layer of custard in between. 

    Tasting it reminds me of a less delectable golden Oreo. The cookie portion tastes pretty basic and lacks flavor. The custard tastes fake and that thin layer is overpowered by the cookie. For a desert named I love custard, they really skimped on it. This box had enough for me to get a second, but I had zero desire after finishing one. Not the worst thing I’ve ever had, but not great. 

    Rating: 168/1000

  • Uji Matcha Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

    Uji Matcha Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

    Another Japanese snack review! My manager also brought these from her trip and they are reminiscent of a matcha macaroon. It’s a matcha shell with matcha filling and jam in the middle. 

    Let’s go inside out. The jam is strawberry and tastes just like it. It works well to break through the earthy matcha cream in the middle that’s matcha to the core. These components are awesome and make for a delicious treat. Unfortunately, the outer shell wasn’t my favorite. To me it tastes like they were indecisive on what they wanted this to be and thus it was bland with a texture between soft and crunchy. Despite this, I would have totally gotten another if I wanted to be unfair and not let me other coworkers have a chance. 

    Rating: 715/1000

  • Kefita Coffee

    Kefita Coffee

    It’s Good Friday and that means treating myself to a coffee treat. I came here to Kefita and loved the cozy house vibes. It’s street parking only and there seems to be plenty of options. I was greeted upon entry and my eyes instantly gravitated to the coffee flight option. The flight features 3 flavors that all use Ethiopian beans and styles. I of course also used the free water cups to palette cleanse. 

    Going from left to right, my first drink (the Kefita) was so good. The espresso is prominent and the spice on top is like nothing I’ve had. This one I’m not sure what type it is, but it leans cinnamon while still being bright and earthy. Update – it’s honey cinnamon. No wonder I love this. I’m curious if they use a different type of cinnamon or have another addition because it’s great. There’s a pleasant sweetness to it (which I now know is honey) and it’s easy to sip. I would enjoy a whole cup of this for sure.

    Next up is the Addis. This features brown sugar and vanilla and is also very tasty. I used to be a vanilla latte fiend back in my day and it’s fun to revisit. It’s a little more muted compared to the flavor-bomb Kefita, but it still works. It’s pleasant to drink although it is leaving a little too much of a vanilla aftertaste for my liking. If you love vanilla lattes though, you’ll most likely enjoy this as well. 

    Finally, the Abyssinia uses a syrup made from Ethiopian spices. The menu doesn’t say which, but it’s beautifully made with the dark coating and white flower on the top. It has an espresso forward taste with the spices add a nice dynamic. It’s reminiscent of cinnamon and has an enjoyable lightness to it. The aftertaste of this one is my least favorite and has an artificial taste that’s hard to describe. It just leaves a sugary taste in my mouth even though the actual drink doesn’t taste that way. It wasn’t enough to make me not finish it, but it was a component. 

    Overall it was a fun flight to try and I wish more shops had this option. It’s fun to review and analyze multiple drinks without buying full sizes. No surprise that the honey cinnamon was my favorite, but all three have their place and I ended up finishing all three. If you’re in the area and looking for a great hangout spot, this is a great option.

    They also have a second floor which I didn’t even realize until I left!

    801/1000

  • Tokyo Banana

    Tokyo Banana

    My manager recently came back from a work trip and brought a couple goodies for the team to try. The item that most caught my eye is the Tokyo Banana. If all my loyal followers haven’t noticed by now, I’m a banana fiend. Opening a package of this and instantly getting that aroma of authentic banana goodness made me excited to try.

    t’s soft and pillowy with a little bit of custard inside reminiscent of a Twinkie. Each bite feels light. I expected this to taste sugary, but surprisingly there’s little sweetness to it. Regardless, other than the novelty of being from Japan I didn’t care too much for it. It doesn’t have any cravability making me want another bite. It tastes dull and the strong banana smell is misleading when compared to the actual flavor. 

    Rating: 328/1000

  • Cocha

    Cocha

    Some people go to the nail salon to get their nails did. I go to get my coffee did.

    Located inside Tulipo is Cocha. It’s a Iykyk situation and the vibe represents that. It feels trendy and cool from the aesthetic, music, and patrons (me included.) Parking is easy and spacious with a shared lot. There’s not much group seating, but there’s lots of space against the wall and a few table-like setups meant for two people.

    I went with Amelia and we noticed that the menu has three sections. Matcha, coffee, and Houjicha. Of course we have to get one from all three to share.

    The Yuzu Matcha

    They hand whisk all of their matcha which goes to show how much effort they put into all of the drinks. This one ended up being both of our favorite. It’s high quality matcha with a creamy & citrusy finish from the yuzu cloud. Probably the most light and refreshing matcha I’ve ever had. We did both agree that we could have done without the wafer cookie crumbles on top, but it does make it look cute.

    Bac Xiu

    Their coffee’s are viet-style and this was the recommended order from the barista. It’s an extra creamy version and we also enjoyed this drink as well. It has a sweetness without that gross aftertaste that normal syrups can have. Condensed milk and coffee just works and my only complaint was that I wish the actual Viet coffee tasted a little stronger/bolder. That with the creaminess would have put this over the top for me. Still, pretty solid.

    Houjicha Latte

    I don’t recall ever having Houjicha and it’s delicious. It’s toasty roasted tea where that toastyness blends perfectly with the grassy/floral components to make a delicious drink. It took me a little bit to get used to that uniqueness and now that I have I want to try the other versions out. They have a version with coconut water calling my name.

    Overall

    The prices here are on the higher side with the matcha being $10, Houjicha $8, and coffee at $6. Still, we’d both say it’s worth it as we enjoyed all three of our drinks.

    Rating: 866/1000

  • Quinn Peanut Butter & Honey Filled Pretzel Sticks

    Quinn Peanut Butter & Honey Filled Pretzel Sticks

    On a road trip and I spot these at the Mecca of gas stations – Buc-ee’s. I love peanut butter. I love honey. How could I not love these?

    Simple… they’re not good. I hate to be a hater, but I’m extremely disappointed in this $5 purchase. The pretzels taste more like sesame crackers and the filling is so dry that it almost tastes like part of the cracker. You can’t distinguish the texture and thus two of my favorite ingredients somehow fall flat. 

    Appearance wise it also looks nothing like the bag. Felt like a bait and switch as it’s selling a pretzel stick with creamy, smooth peanut butter inside… not whatever this is. Me and Amelia are both snacks people and it’s extremely rare where both of us won’t eat something. 

    Rating: 39/1000

  • Starbucks Reserve Espresso Martini Flight (NY)

    Starbucks Reserve Espresso Martini Flight (NY)

    In case you weren’t aware, there’s a Starbucks reserve in New York that serves espresso martinis. Two years ago I went and had a seasonal hot honey one that blew my mind and I’ve been chasing that high ever since. Now I’m back and excited for round two.

    It’s the holiday season while I’m here so me and Amelia both order our own flight boards. It’s vacation so anything goes after all. I’ll go in order, but my initial impressions are that I’m not too huge on the espresso blend they used this year. It tasted too bitter for me to fully enjoy. The aesthetic of the board is pleasing to my eyes and they’re strong enough that I was feeling it halfway through.

    The Eggnog Espresso Martini

    I’ve never been big on eggnog and this doesn’t do anything to sway me. It doesn’t vibe with the espresso and no one wins in that battle. I will say that the cream was delicious and I couldn’t help but lick some off at the end. That’s where most of the eggnog flavor seemed to be and I have to give props on that part, it just wasn’t meant for the espresso.

    The Peppermint Espresso Martini

    This is a great combo. The drink is super pepperminty and the dark chocolate is killer. It tastes like Christmas. The barista told us that they pull 2 oz’s of espresso into the chocolate and then mix it while it’s hot. Afterwards, they sweeten with peppermint syrup. For the flights they pre-batch, but for the single order they’ll make the shot straight into that chocolate (which I would have gotten next if they weren’t so strong.) They finish it off with peppermint crumbles on top that add great texture to the liquid and foam.

    The Classic Espresso Martini

    I was surprised that this was my favorite. It’s just a good old classic and strong martini. Again, the espresso wasn’t my favorite, but I still greatly enjoyed the drink.

    Conclusion

    Looking back at my notes and writing my review from December in March, I don’t have that feeling of nostalgia that the hot honey gave me years ago. Still, it was a great time and still a must visit if I’m in that area of New York.

    Rating: 824/1000

  • Suited Coffee (NY)

    Suited Coffee (NY)

    My first out of state coffee review! Hope you’re suited up (or down if you wanna be cozy) for this one.

    The vibes here are chill and friendly. It was cold in New York, so we ordered and got a window seat to watch dripped up people walk by. Shortly after being sat, a very dapper man brought us a water carafe. The music was samurai champloo esque with hip-hop lofi type beats. I can get used to this

    I went with the gingerbread latte half sweet while Amelia got a flat white. Mine was pretty solid. It had that classic gingerbread flavor without being overwhelming. It was a great holiday drink for our visit and it easily beat Starbucks with a great milk/espresso ratio. I wouldn’t put it in the can’t get enough of category, but still a good drink. Amelia said her flat white was rich and full bodied without being too acidic. It really let the espresso shine.

    If you’re in the area I’d say stop by, but I also wouldn’t go out of my way to come here. One final note is that we overheard a girl bringing her friend in for her birthday. The barista told her that her bday drink was on the house which was a very nice gesture.

    Rating: 776/1000

  • Rigor Hill Hot Chocolate(NY)

    Rigor Hill Hot Chocolate(NY)

    Word on the streets of New York is that Rigor Hill is the place to be for hot chocolate. Amelia and I entered an extremely cramped room, made our way to the front, and ordered one to share.

    After receiving your cup, prepare to have the smell of roasting marshmallows at the campfire enter your nostrils. The large, homemade, and torched mallows are submerged in the chocolate liquid and completely soak everything up.

    Our first sip was just as amazing as the smell. It’s incredibly rich and decadent with an incredibly chocolate flavor. Due to the thickness, each sip is strong and more than enough to capture the depth of flavor that’s packed into this paper cup. The marshmallows caramel finish is the equivalent of a cherry on top. The cup was perfect to share as even with the minimal amount given on first appearance, you really wouldn’t want more even when you’re over the moon about what you had.

    We can both say that this is easily the best hot chocolate we’ve ever had.

    Rating: 951/1000

  • Fly by Jing Sweet x Spicy Noodles

    Fly by Jing Sweet x Spicy Noodles

    Fly by Jing is a premium noodle brand to make at home in just about 6 minutes (not including water boiling time.) I was craving a easy weekday lunch, so let’s see if this is something I’ll fly to the store to reorder.

    The process is simple and I followed them to the J.

    1. Boil 6 cups of water
    2. Add noodles and time for 6 minutes
    3. Drain noodles
    4. Add the sauce and dried chives
    5. Enjoy
    6. Write review
    Everything included
    Finished product

    The first thing that bounces out is the bouncy & chewy noodles. They’re at the rare level where they’re an enjoyable softness. It’s easy to chew and it soaks up the sauce perfectly. It’s tangy as advertised, but at the same time it packs a nice heat that leaves that sichuan lingering long after you finished a bite. It’s not one that will overwhelm you or have you panicking for water, yet it still will encourage you to hydrate throughout. The chives don’t stand out at all to me at all, but I also don’t care too much.

    It’s a pretty solid premium pack that retails for $4 a pack. It’s not something I’d splurge for regularly as the price is a bit high, but I can see myself keeping a pack or two handy for the occasional lazy afternoon or evening. I wanted to stay true to the noodles for the review because my instincts told me to add an egg to this. Even better would be some fresh veggies. Next time for sure, otherwise I’ll probably be hungry again after these 350 calories are indulged.

    If you’re on the verge, I’d say give this one a shot.

    Rating: 759/1000

  • The Core Cafe

    The Core Cafe

    Will the Core Cafe be a core memory? Or will it leave me feeling sore?

    We dropped in here and were in love with the aesthetic. It’s very cozy with lots of folks hanging around while chatting or working. I asked the friendly barista for the best less sweet specialty latte and was recommended the honeycomb while Amelia got a cappuccino. For food we ordered a spinach & cheese spiral alongside a beef & potato empanada.

    The honeycomb is a blend of honey, cinnamon, and brown sugar. My first impression was simply that it tasted great. The espresso comes out with all the flavor elements blending together nicely while allowing the honey to make the final impression. It was a tad sweet, so I’m glad I allow myself to get the less sweeter options cause otherwise I’d be on the floor after this. Still, it had none of that gross aftertaste sweet coffee can leave you with.

    On Amelias side her cappuccino was unfortunately burnt, but still drinkable enough for her. I personally wouldn’t have been able to do it after trying.

    Next up the food:

    Spiral and empanada
    Inside of the spiral

    I was incredibly disappointed by my spiral. First off, the bread tasted a bit stale like it had been sitting there a while. The spinach and cheese were extremely muted and it tasted mostly like the meh bread. I was expecting it to be stuffed with much more spinach, but there really wasn’t much to speak of. It had so much potential and let me down.

    Amelia’s empanada was very flavorful with lots of filling. The pastry was crisp and delicious, but the bottom was a little soft. If they had flipped it in the oven it’s be perfect. Overall a solid snack that she’d get again even though she doesn’t enjoy ground beef like that. The salsa it came with was my favorite part due to the kick and depth of flavor it added. I even put some on my spiral to help hide the staleness.

    One final note is that Amelia loved the playlist. It was mostly Harry Styles and we’re assuming someone had it playing on his radio.

    Overall it was equal part hit and miss. Unfortunately, the misses left the biggest impression for us.

    Rating: 463/1000

  • Ranking the 2026 Best Picture Oscar Nominees

    Ranking the 2026 Best Picture Oscar Nominees

    Last year I decided I wanted to get more into movies. Partly for the fun and partly to help get my attention span back from my phone. This idea grew into watching all 10 best picture nominees before the 2025 oscars and it was a blast! Me and my girlfriend decided to keep it up this year and why not mix that with my review site!

    Most of these reviews are coming from my letterboxd, but I’m going to condense so this post isn’t one billon words long. Please note that this will include spoilers for all films. Without further ado…

    10 – F1 The Movie

    The first person filming when Brad was driving was awesome and I loved the cinematography during these racing scenes. it’s incredible how fast and calculated every driver is and that tense ending scene really emphasized how even in first with no one challenging, you still have to be completely locked in.

    Other than that, I didn’t care too much for the plot. There were a few surprises, but it was mostly predictable. It’s a big budget summer flick meant for the big screen. Not a best picture contender

    Rating: 453/1000

    9 – The Secret Agent

    I was so sad I didn’t jive with this. I felt like most of the scenes didn’t mix well and I kept waiting for a Eureka moment that never came. At the same time it does a great job of depicting and making us feel for the injustice of Armando. Everything feels so real. 

    The ending scenes were tense and interesting. It was incredibly sad how we thought Armando was going to escape and then we found out through a news article that he was killed. The unfairness of it all being caused by that rich old man is depressing and I also found it interesting seeing how Armandos son ultimately fared. He doesn’t have much memories of his father and the way he describes not even recollecting the day he thought he was leaving with him was heartbreaking. 

    I ultimately wish I enjoyed the first 3/4’s as much as the last, but as with all art, I can appreciate it for what it is.

    Rating: 481/1000

    8 – Frankenstein

    Watching Frankenstein in January wasn’t on my bingo card. However, watching every best picture nominee is, so that brings me one step closer to my name-o.

    Frankenstein is divided into two viewpoints. We start off from the mad scientists POV and it was kinda a drag. Yes it’s interesting looking back now and remembering everything that led to the monsters creation. There’s some great themes about creation and living with what you make. However, it was just a bore getting there.

    Then we get to the monsters POV. This was way more interesting as we get to see everything through his eyes. He’s an outcast just trying to understand his way in the world. He sees beauty in everything and then everything keeps taking a turn for the worst. He has superhuman strength, can’t die, and appears grotesque to everyone who sees him. He either just wants to find his place in the world or the peace of death. Neither is afforded to him.

    The conclusion of Victor and apologizing to his creation and telling him to live was oddly beautiful. I didn’t fully get the switch-up at first, but being on his deathbed and hearing the monster recount his existence made him realize that he couldn’t run away from his work. He was a parent and he did what he could to give his son a chance at a peaceful life.

    Rating: 490/1000

    7 – Hamnet

    This started off pretty slow and boring to me and while it picked up, it never held my interest too hard… till the end smacked me in the face. But let’s start at the beginning.

    This starts off as a love story between William Shakespeare and Agnes. Right off the bat you can tell a lot of work with into the cinematography, sets, and costumes. They fall in love, have kids, and things are great. However, their daughter ends up getting a deadly disease while Will is away from home and it looks like she could be dying any day now. When it seems like curtains, their son Hamnet tries to trick death into taking him instead. Coincidentally, it kinda worked as he ends up dying sick instead.

    Will arrives home too late and Agnes is pissed to no end. He wasn’t there for his family when they needed him. Curtian’s closed on that relationship while curtains open on Will’s newest play – Hamlet. The movie is pretty slow paced up to this point and I was about ready for it to end.

    Agnes hears that Will’s play is about their son and has to go see it. She can’t handle them using her son’s likeness at first and then as the play goes on she gets more and more invested. Nothings really making much sense and I didn’t think I was that into it and then suddenly it hit me. Hamlet was giving some 16th century speech and Agnes felt connected to her son again. She put her hand out to the actor and the actor reciprocated. Then the entire rest of the audience puts their hands out to share in the process. It made little and absolute sense. This movie that was a two star watch suddenly elevated itself as I broke down in tears. Why am I crying? How did this movie affect me so much? Great work Hamnet.

    Rating – 626/1000

    6 – Bugonia

    I remember reading about how certain theaters were offering free tickets to people who’d come and shave their head. That now makes sense.

    Bugonia is wild. The premise is that two brothers believe a high powered CEO is actually an Adromidon. They kidnap her with the objective to get her to take them to her mothership and bargain for the survival of the human race. I couldn’t help but expect a twist of this being true, but the more the movie ran the less I believed that.

    The acting was phenomenal. You could feel Emma Stone as the trapped CEO trying to strategize her way out and that was part of why I stopped believing the twist was coming. Jesse played the conspiracy theorist to perfection and any attempts by Michelle to “wake him up from the echo chamber” were met with well thought out responses.

    It did drag a little in the middle, but I get how that was setup and suspense building towards the main climax. The rest of the movie was tense and I kept flip flopping on what to believe. Was Emma playing him or was it real? It was almost satirical when we see that everything Teddy believed was true down to the schematics of the ship. The theater was laughing at how ridiculous it felt.

    One thing I didn’t get was why Michelle was counting down from three and backing up as if she was trying to escape while Teddy was in the closet. Maybe she wanted him apprehended so she could go back to the mothership alone? I didn’t fully understand the rationale there and I wanted to.

    Rating: 629/1000

    5 – Sinners

    That one-shot music scene was peak. It invoked childlike feelings of wonder within myself. I had no idea this was going to turn into a vampire movie and all of the buildup to the party paid off big time. Michael B Jordan did great playing Stack and Smoke and the initial scene of them passing the cigarette back and forth gave me faith that the rest of the film would execute having him twice in the same scenes well. 

    Miles Canton as Sammie ended up being my standout character. Even at the end, he couldn’t drop that guitar when his preacher dad pleaded with him. The final scene of him being grown up, still playing music, and chatting with the two unaged vampires was really cool. He said that before shit hit the fan, that party was the best time of his life. That resonated with me as a way of saying to live your life because you never know when everything can fall apart. 

    Two scenes to me felt cheesy. The first was when the vampires were finally invited in and they were swarming through that door. It felt outrageous how many vampires were streaming inside versus the scenes that followed of the few humans holding out instead of being immediately overwhelmed. The second was when Smoke walked up to the clan and somehow managed to kill all of them while standing out in the open against a group of people all in cover. Badass, but it was also a trope that takes me out of any movie.

    Rating: 801/1000

    4 – One Battle After Another

    This was a wild ride. When I first saw the runtime of almost 3 hours and it was already 8pm, I was worried. My old ass wouldn’t be able to make it. Oh how wrong that was. I was enthralled the entire runtime and the constant tension made it fly.

    The movie starts with a revolution group infiltrating camps and bombing areas that are against their beliefs. One of the military higher ups becomes obsessed with one of the members (Perfidia) and impregnates her. Leo’s character is another member of the group who thinks it’s his baby and wants to stop with the dangerous missions. However, after giving birth Perfidia can’t help but continue the revolution only to get captured and eventually rat out other members of the group. Leo and his daughter flee and I’m already at the edge of my seat 40 minutes into the runtime.

    I thought the film would mostly just be about Leo running, so I was surprised at the flash forward. Suddenly the daughter is 16 and you just know things aren’t going to be sunshine and rainbows. One battle after another doesn’t just apply to the people battling, it applies to everyone related to the fighters. She didn’t choose her parents, but regardless there was a ticking time bomb on her normal life as the next battle approached. 

    There were also so many creepy characters in this film and it was a scary watch at times. The military can just completely raid and take over a small town all because a guy is worried that his interracial baby will stop him from joining his elitist/racist secret society. They infiltrated and interrogated high school students at a dance and everyone there was helpless to resist. It was uncomfortable to watch at times and yet you couldn’t look away all the way to the credits.

    Rating – 815/1000

    3 – Marty Supreme

    Marty McFly walked so Marty Supreme could run… wait let’s redo this intro. DeLorean blast off! 

    Hi there and welcome to the first sentence of my review. Marty Supreme is the ping-pong version of uncut gems. Marty thinks he’s the shit and is willing to bet everything on being the face of ping-pong in America. He doesn’t care who he has to hurt or take advantage of to get there. In his head he’s the one cursed with the gift. 

    I loved being on the tip of my toes and never knowing what comes next. Timothy Chalamet really shows why he deserves to be on the top of actors in this generation. I loved him playing Bob Dylan, Paul Atreides, and now the cocky Marty. 

    The ending was amazing. You go through the film watching Marty being a despicable, entitled, and cocky human being. Then I found myself rooting for him to beat his rival in Japan. It wasn’t even an actual game because he was banned from the tourney, but it mattered to him. Every point and rally felt intense and impactful in that game. With all the crazy twists throughout, the win felt earned because I would have just as easily been unsurprised if he lost.

    Rating: 838/1000

    2 – Sentimental Value

    I loved this movie and the way it shows how generational trauma can affect a family. I’m Still Here was my last year pick for favorite film and the lesson there is that anytime a foreign film is featured in the best picture nominees, it’s gonna be good.

    The acting was phenomenal from everyone involved. Nora Borg has become one of my favorite actresses after seeing her in this and my 5 star rated “The Worst Person in the World.” Her characters sister and father were also incredible and these three were the driving force behind everything. So many scenes were elevated by their facial expressions. For example, I loved watching the father’s (Gustav’s) reaction to Rachel Kemp practicing a scene. The cameras focused on his face and there’s incredibly subtle expressions that I could tell was him trying to make himself like it even though he knew it wasn’t right. 

    The Grandma randomly killing herself and then later learning about her 2 years of torture was heartbreaking. The film being made was similar to the play in Hamnet – it was Gustav’s way of coping with the loss of his mom that he’s never been able to express through words. The ending was just as beautiful as the beginning and I enjoyed never quite knowing where we would go next.

    Rating: 933/1000

    1 – Train Dreams

    My final best picture nominee watch ended up being my favorite. It’s a film about life and a logger who got dealt card after card of bad luck. It was an absolute beauty to watch with constant eye-popping scenery and narratives about taking from the earth and connectedness. 

    I still heartbroken for Robert. He lived with the guilt of a race based crime he witnessed and the worst moment was obviously him being away during a fire that took his wife and daughter. He spends the majority of his life after just living in that same spot on the off chance that they’ll show back up. It hits just as hard as the Jurassic Bark episode of Futurama. 

    I kept waiting for some beautiful moment to happen and at the end of the day it’s him simply being high up in the sky and looking down at a world that has passed him by.

    Rating: 952/1000

    Conclusion:

    Overall it was a fun year of watching best picture nominees. While I don’t quite get every nomination this year, it was varied enough to keep things interesting.

    Average Rating: 702

  • Di Di Coffee

    Di Di Coffee

    When we talking Di Di we ain’t talking Dexters Lab. We talking about Vietnamese iced coffees with creamy cold foam toppings and waffles. Let’s see if this science experiment pays off.

    A fancy bar that decided to serve coffee on the weekends – we came on their second week open. We got here around 9 because we expected a lot of people, but it was pretty chill throughout our stay. I ordered the egg coffee and the banana brulee croffle from the very friendly barista. The turnaround time was less than 5 minutes.

    Seating area by the window, outside, and in this corner.
    Order at the bar

    Let’s start with the coffee. The Viet portion is strong, yet works extremely well with that silky smooth egg topping. Egg cream sounds weird, but it’s more custardy. That richness cuts through the boldness of the coffee and created a flavor bomb. They use the mini crushed ice cubes that just soak up the drink, so I constantly found myself just sucking on them till they melted and released all that goodness.

    The best comparison of coffee I’ve had to this is Trung Nguyen and I rated that very highly. Looking back, I still remember that one a little more fondly, but this review isn’t over quite yet. Here comes the croffle!

    This is their Magnus opus. The smell when you open that box hits you with that waft of cinammony, sugary, banana goodness. The waffle below is crispy and the perfect palette for the toppings. It doesn’t try to be anything it’s not because the banana brulee is the star. Those caramelized bananas are torched at the end to give it that beautiful finish.

    After closing my dropped jaw and reopening to take a bite, I was in heaven. Idk what else to say except the bananas were absolutely divine. If you’re a lover of anything banana, then this is for you. The sugary/cinnamony flavor is deep and the perfect enhancement for those thinly sliced pieces of fruit and creamy custard.

    Rating: 949/1000

  • Murray’s Pizza and Wine

    Murray’s Pizza and Wine

    Date night and we decide to go to Murray’s. It’s an upscale-ish pizza spot that leans into small plates, pizza, and wine. We made reservations and were seated pretty quickly which was nice because there wasn’t a lot of standing space at the front.

    Our waiter was extremely friendly in greeting us and after asking the som, we decided to split a bottle of the Peter Lauer “No. 6, Senior” If that means nothing to you as it does to me then I’ll basically say that it’s a Riesling from Germany that is described on menu as Perfect with the Not-Hawaiian pizza. Cheers!

    The wine was brought out to use in an ice bucket and both our glasses were filled. The bottle was $70 which is in line with most of their options, but we were a little confused on the service that came with that. Whenever we were low on our glasses and someone would stop by, we didn’t get re-pours. With the atmosphere and date-night vibe we thought that was something we were paying for, so we just couldn’t quite figure out what they were going for. Of course, we just ended up pouring ourselves and didn’t even mention it to each other at the time, but it was something we had both independently thought would happen so I wanted to note it(hopefully that doesn’t sound snobbish.)

    For food we decided to order the caesar salad, meatballs, and of course the Not-Hawaiian pizza. We asked to have the plates coursed out first with the pizza following so we could properly enjoy everything.

    First off that came was the salad. I’m a big caesar fan and this one unfortunately didn’t hit. The dressing felt boring and bland. The dressing is always the star and I want it to take off and fly in crisp lettuce and crunchy croutons (or breadcrumbs in this case.) They also include a tomato-caper relish which didn’t complement the other components very well. Amelia ended up liking it more than me so I happily let her take the leftovers after our initial split. There were more unique items on the menu, so this may have just been a user error on ordering.

    Next up came our meatballs which, uh-oh, here’s our pizza too. Our waiter came by shortly after and apologized unprompted for it coming so quickly, which was nice, but there really isn’t much else to do.

    The pork meatballs are served in a tomato sauce bath with whipped herbed ricotta, fresh herbs, and parmigiano reggiano. On the side was focaccia which is a nice touch to make use of all that extra sauce. Again, I just wasn’t too impressed by these. I felt like it was just ok and lacked the flavor to make it taste special. I indifferently ate my meatball and bread before moving on to the star of the night.

    Per the menu, our pizza was made up of “Tomato sauce, four-cheese house blend, salami piccante, pickled shallot, pineapple-infused hot honey, basil.” On my first bite I was amazed at how delicious that hot honey drenched on was. The pineapple is very apparent and it’s hard to believe that’s the only source. The dough they use is baller and the crust makes it a beautiful slice from bottom to top. I didn’t quite appreciate the wine pairing, but I’ve never been one to do that anyways so I can’t ding that and Amelia really enjoyed it. Otherwise, the wine was still tasty.

    Again, the sad part is how cold the pizza already was by the time we got to it. Having the meatballs come out literally right before was a shame and we felt rushed. Even with the pizza quickly getting cold it was still great, so I just wish we could have had time to enjoy it right out the oven.

    It was a nice evening here, but I think that was more of the company than the venue. I can appreciate what they’re going for, but it didn’t hit the mark for me. Despite all that, I would 100% come back and grab one of their delicious pizzas to-go. The rest of the pizz-az wasn’t worth it.

    Rating: 443/1000