Food Flavored Song of the Day: Caffeine on an Empty Stomach by Tattoo Money

Current Initiatives held their Christmas in July event at Hidden Springs Ale House last night. I took Z-Bot and a box of Legos, thinking it would be a good time to teach her about the importance of caring for other people. Once we were at the bar I decided I didn't want to be that lame guy that just downs water, so I looked for something non-alcoholic on tap. The only thing they had was Commune and Co.'s Nitro Brewed Coffee. Even though I had already had coffee in the morning and hadn't eaten much during the day, I ordered one anyway. I knew I was going to die. I texted as much to J-Fur. The drive home from the bar was one of the roughest I've had. I alternated between thinking I was going to puke and feeling like I was having a heart attack. When I did finally make it home, sleep was not in the cards. Weird dreams kept me up half the night, cold sweats kept me up the other half.

When I left the bed this morning my first thought was I know exactly what Tattoo Money means when he says "Caffeine on an Empty Stomach." Based on the video and the rest of the lyrics, I don't think Tattoo Money is talking about drinking too much coffee at the bar. The video depicts everyone's desire to put Tattoo Money in a box. He is an African-American that plays guitar and owns records by Avenged Sevenfold, Arctic Monkeys and Cold War Kids. The white guys in the video want to deck him out in gold chains, Jordans and have him shot baskets. The African-Americans in the video want him to choose between Elvis and Notorious B.I.G, the white girl pop star or the African-American one and take a swig of Hennessy. There is, however, a happy ending. The end of the video finds all the haters in a field where Tattoo Money starts putting on a show. To their surprise, both the white guys and African-American guys enjoy themselves.

The video:



Just the sounds:    

Where We Eat: Love Food Central

I was ready to drive all the way to Orlando to celebrate Father's Day when I came across Creative Loafing's 2017 food issue. The issue featured a rundown of the newspaper's 50 favorite sandwiches in the Tampa region. One portion of the rundown was reserved solely for the best vegan/vegetarian sandwiches in the area (dubbed the Classics Go Veg).

Looking thru the list, I realized that I had only eaten two of the five sandwiches highlighted. So I made it a point to knock one of the other three off the list. A friend had hyped Love Food Central in St. Petersburg numerous times the past few months so I selected that as the place.

I knew what I was getting before I even walked through the door. The jackfruit bbq and a nut milk shake called to me and promised that they would do me well. J-Fur came to the conclusion that the g-mash toast (smashed garbanzos, avocado and toast) was where it was at. Z-Bot, who doesn't normally like anything we order for her at solely vegan restaurants, was slightly more of a challenge. I went over the menu three times to no avail. Just as I was about to give up and order her a piece of pie for lunch one of the employees came by to announce the father's day specials. The specials included chocolate chip pancakes. Bing, bing, bing. There it was. Z-Bot loves pancakes like squirrels love to fall in our backyard pool. That is to say, a lot.

The Pulled BBQ Sandwich was everything Creative Loafing and my friend hyped it to be. Love Food Central's "bbq" is created by smothering savory jackfruit in their homemade bbq sauce. The jackfruit is then topped with arugula, avocado and Veganaise and served on toasted sourdough. The subtle flavor of the bbq sauce, slightly peppery arugula and buttery avocado pair nicely with the creamy Veganaise. On typical bread, a sandwich like this would turn into a sloppy mess. But the toasted sourdough that Love Food Central serves (from Sami's Bakery) has some sort of magical ingredient that allows it to hold up to those creamy and saucy ingredients well. It completes the sandwich magnificently.

Pulled BBQ Sandwich

The nut milk shake didn't really do it for me. The shake consists of nut milk and Love Food Central's homemade vegan ice cream. There are a whole slew of toppings that can be added to the shake to pep it up a bit. The shake's taste was fine. It wasn't too sweet or overly strong. That I liked. It was the shake's consistency that left me wanting more. Instead of a uniform creaminess throughout, the shake was very thin in places and slightly thicker in others. That's not how I remember milk shakes being. With all the other vegan desserts on the menu, I regret that I wasted my time, money and calories on the shake.

The Nut Milk Shake

Love Food Central's Father's Day deal was a free soft serve ice cream for all fathers. Even though I had already consumed the milk shake, I wasn't going to turn down a chance to try their free ice cream. The bowl of soft serve was absolutely incredible. As wrong as the consistency seemed with the milk shake, the soft serve consistency was that right. It was absolutely spot on. The flavor was mirrored the shake in that it was not overly sugary like I've come to expect from some vegan ice creams. The flavors of Love Food Central's soft serve changes (not sure how they rotate it daily/weekly/etc.). Unfortunately I didn't catch what flavor they were serving on Father's Day.

Vegan Soft Serve 

While I sort of snickered as J-Fur ordered the G-Smash (what a simple dish!), I wound up being super impressed with this open faced sandwich. The garbanzo mixture had a nice garlicky taste to it. The creaminess of the garbanzos and avocado, offered an incredible contrast to the the toasted sourdough bread. J-Fur (and I) liked this item so much that we have recreated it at home three times since that day. Yes, that includes going to Sami's Bakery and getting our hands on their gluten free sourdough.

The G-Mash Toast

Z-Bot ate as much of the pancakes as her little stomach could. What she left, I finished. By the time I got to them the chocolate chips had melted throughout the pancakes so each bite was a rush of vegan chocolate. Texture wise they reminded me of your typical, non vegan pancakes. That's a good thing, especially when you are trying to get a four-year-old to not think that vegan restaurant food is weird.

Overall I was as impressed with Love Food Central. The only unfortunate thing, aside from the nut milk shake, is that it is such a long drive from Wesley Chapel that we won't be able to visit regularly. Maybe my letter writing campaign to get them to open a location up here near all the other places that are opening up will work. Only time will tell. If not, we always have birthdays and fatherly celebration days.

Food like Love Food Central's is the type of thing you fantasy and dream about. That's why Violet Days single "I'm a Dreamer" was played on repeat during our ride across the bay.

Where We Eat: Hablo Taco

A really big football game came to Tampa a few weeks back. This football game brought with it a lot of fancy little popup events that took place all through our downtown. I was invited to one of those popup events, probably because the masterminds behind the event know of my blogging prowess, and I took them up on their offer. I spent a few hours mingling with others in the field of blogging, getting a massage, taking pictures of myself holding a bunch of different trophies and grabbing whatever free stuff I could find.

One thing that was severely lacking in the free realm was food. Chick-Fil-A (not much vegan happening there), soda (no thank you) and popcorn (I'll pass) were all I could track down. Needless to say, I was pretty famished when I left that event. I grabbed a couple of my other blogger friends (yes, bloggers do have friends) for a late afternoon meal. One of them suggested we check out Hablo Taco. I wasn't super keen on this, I mean gringo-centric Mexican food in a part of town where everyone is young and wears sunglassess inside with shorts and a buttoned up shirt never seems to go well. Those places are usually all about the drink with the food being a distant afterthought.

We were seated and given menus almost immediately upon entering Hablo Taco. A round of guacamole was ordered as a precursor to our meal. I was intrigued to see that the place offers three different versions of guac. There is the "house" guac made up of jalapeno, lime and tomato, the "holy" guac with peppers and beans and the "sriracha" guac that includes...you guessed it, sriracha. We opted for the less fired up house version. Despite the fact that the guac contains one alarming ingredient (cilantro) and another borderline one (jalapeno) I was pleased with the flavor. It didn't lean too far in any direction. It wasn't too spicy or limey and I couldn't even taste the cilantro. So far Hablo Taco and their gringo inspired menu was a-ok.

The House Guacamole and Basket of Chips

Hablo Taco had a few options on their menu that appeared like they could be veganized. I really only considered two. One was a salad, one was a bowl. I've been sort of on a bowl kick for the last month (ordering one recently at Chipotle and Capital Tacos) so that's what I went with at Hablo Taco. Their bowl, dubbed the Bueno Bowl, typically contains black beans, queso blanco, pico de gallo, kimchee onions, and either cilantro-lime or Mexican rice. You can add guacamole and kimchee jalapenos for no extra charge. I removed the cheese and added the kimchee jalapenos. I opted for the rice that didn't contain cilantro. Wow. This bowl was a lot better than I ever imagined. The creamy salsa and beans morphed together to form a soft, chunky sauce. The jalapenos and onions retained some of their crunch while offering a pungent, slightly sour note to the dish. They also brought just the right amount of heat. The rice, which was puffed nicely, really took on the flavor of everything else. From where I stand, Hablo Taco probably could've gotten away with adding unflavored rice to the dish.

The Bueno Bowl

Hablo Taco is as gringo as it comes. The crowd is mostly white. The workers are mainly white. Know this before you go in, otherwise you will be sorely disappointed. There is nothing "authentic" in this place. California bro...don't waste your time. I don't want to have to read your review about how this "pales in comparison to taco places in California" and "these guys don't know how to make authentic tacos". That being said, I was perfectly ok with my meal. I'm not saying I would drive out of my way to go here, because I wouldn't. What I am saying is that next time some big football game is in town and the powers that be invite me to hang out with my fellow bloggers while gifting me lots of free stuff, I wouldn't think twice about paying Hablo Taco another visit.

I'm thinking LA based newcomer Ella Vos' knows a thing or two about California tacos. I mean her stunning single "Down In Flames" seems to be all about that time when someone she knows ate food that was just too spicy and spent the evening in front of the toilet aka down in flames. You don't have to be from California to be able to relate. Ella's stellar vocals float beautifully over an expansive soundscape. She is probably the first artist I've come across who can make that fiery taco end (or any end for that matter) feel like a soothing lullabye. Check it:

The City of Tampa According to Tofu: Thinh An Kitchen & Tofu

Five spring breaks ago my wife and I spent a few days in Asheville. We were spending two nights in a hostel before moving to a bed and breakfast for a night before coming back to the hostel for one more night (if you didn't catch that the first time, you have my permission to reread the line until it makes sense). When we arrived at the hostel the owner took us on an abbreviated tour. As he showed us the kitchen he said "Some local commune gave us a bunch of homemade tofu. Feel free to take as much as you want while you are here. Hell, you can even take some with you when you go." A solitary tear rolled down my face as I thought about homemade tofu and why Tampa can't seem to get nice things.

Hey, it may have taken until 2016 but thanks to Thinh An Kitchen & Tofu, Tampa finally has gotten nice things (at least in the world of artisanal tofu making). Thinh An Kitchen & Tofu is a unique place. When you walk in half of the business is a restaurant that serves boba tea, Vietnamese desserts, Pho and other traditional Vietnamese dishes. The other half of the building is a grab and go with coolers of homemade tofu, soy milk and various meats that might be necessary for cooking Vietnamese at home. There are also a number of metal trays that hold freshly made items. It was here, in these metal trays, that I found the artisanal tofu I was looking to take home.

According to Laura Reiley, food critic for the Tampa Bay Times Thinh An Kitchen & Tofu churns out seven different flavors of tofu. When I visited they had only four (ha, only four, like four flavors of tofu is a normal thing around here). These four were original, lemongrass and chili, onion and mushroom. The mushroom and onion were sliced into large rectangles. They were priced at four for a dollar. I filled a miniature plastic baggie (yep, that's how you take things to go here) with eight of each. The lemongrass and chili came in two forms, large rectangles (like the onion and mushroom) and a block similar to how traditional tofu in a grocery store is sold. I grabbed four of the rectangles and a big block. I was absolutely astounded when they lady rang me up for the block of tofu and it only came out to two dollars. The only place that I have found tofu that cheap in this city is Whole Foods (organic, $1.99) and MD Market (full of GMO's, $1.29). The lady at the register asked if I wanted any sauces with my tofu (options include chili paste, soy sauce, fish sauce and another one  that I don't remember). I settled on some chili paste.

My Plate of Different Flavored Tofu from Thinh An Kitchen & Tofu

I would love to say that I waited until I got home and ate that tofu properly but I didn't. I ripped into the rectangles as soon as I got to the car. Each tofu flavoring was subtle, it wasn't going to overwhelm you with whatever it was covered with. I liked that because it gave you the option of eating it with a dipping sauce or using it in a recipe. The different tofus had a nice chewy shell on the outside of them. Inside they were soft and creamy, almost like a custard. It was absolutely and without a doubt the best tofu I've ever eaten. J-Fur wasn't as instantaneously taken in as I was. She would not go on record as saying that it was the best tofu she has ever eaten. But when I pressed her to name a place that had better tofu, she couldn't. I took that as a motion seconded.

I used the lemongrass and chili block to make Thug Kitchen's Spring Veggie Bowl with Red Curry Lime Sauce.  I adore this recipe but hate the time it takes for the tofu to finish baking and marinating. Already marinated and baked tofu made this a total win scenario. I was very pleased with how the tofu held up when I put it in Red Curry Lime Sauce to warm. There was no crumbling or falling apart and it kept its chewy shell and creamy interior.

Where We Eat: Buttermilk Provisions

Rumor has it Dana M., owner and chief baker of Buttermilk Provisions in Wesley Chapel, used to go on all out baking binges around the holidays. She would ask anyone important enough to be worth inviting to come to her place and eat some of the hundreds of donuts that she was baking. When I asked Dana about this rumor she laughed and said "I don't do that anymore. They want my donuts, they have to come here to get them."

Buttermilk Provisions can best be described as a bakery, coffee and tea shop. The shop is located in a strip mall just north of Wiregrass Mall. While the outside screams "typical Florida business experience" and "nothing unique to see here" the inside is anything but typical. The left side of the shop is lined with couches, chairs and coffee tables. This is usually where we wind up because Z-Bot prefers her coffee and donut experiences to be of the slightly more comfortable variety. The right side includes high tables, barstools and an entire wall covered by an old school chalkboard. This board has been decorated with chalk designed donut and coffee art, propaganda and quotes. It also serves as a coffee education zone (what makes a latte a latte?) and menu board. Buttermilk Provisions offers four rotating donut flavors per day. At least one flavor will be gluten free. Some days they offer vegan donuts, other times vegans will have to forgo the donuts and try out some of the vegan banana bread. Whether it is donuts or banana bread, Buttermilk Provisions makes it a point to have at least one vegan option daily.

My first experience with Buttermilk Provisions was a slightly dry slice of vegan banana bread that my friend brought to me at work during their soft opening phase. I wasn't really impressed with it so I felt no urgency to return. This summer that same friend told me that Buttermilk Provisions had rolled out a chocolate vegan donut. She, being a meat and dairy eater all the way, had gone out of her way to sample the donut. She loved it. When a second co-worker, also not a vegan, exclaimed how good it was, I decided it was time to give the bakery another go. I rolled in with my daughter last Friday and inquired about the vegan chocolate donut I had been hearing about. Dana informed me that they had a dairy free chocolate donut that day but she had unfortunately covered it with an egg filled caramel sauce. I'm sure my face didn't hide my displeasure. What the hell? Why go halfway vegan? (She later explained that people had been clamoring for her caramel sauce and she thought pairing it with the chocolate donut would be perfect. Once she finished she realized that she had now taken her vegan donut and made it not vegan.) I was informed that they had a vegan banana bread and I, begrudgingly, ordered a piece of it. For Z-Bot, I got her one of the halfway vegan chocolate donuts.

This time around I was blown away by the banana bread. It wasn't nearly as dry as the first time. I liked how the banana bread was dense and had only a slight banana taste to it. It wasn't overly sweet. There were chunks of vegan chocolate and walnuts spread throughout. They helped break up some of the denseness of the bread and assisted in making each bite a slightly sweet, crunchy, chocolatey affair. I was so impressed with the bread that when I returned today, and they had a vegan donut, I opted to get both the donut and the bread.

Banana bread with a fancy plastic cup of water

Today's vegan donut was a chocolate glazed, chocolate donut that was also gluten free. It was baked, like all Buttermilk Provisions' donuts are. Since I ordered the donut for Z-Bot, I only wanted to break off a small piece. When I did, about half the donut crumbled in my hands. It did not hold together very well. The donut was moist, something that is often times the downfall of vegan desserts. It looked, felt and tasted more like cake than a donut. Just know this. If you are vegan and expecting a donut that feels like a donut, uh, go to Brooklyn. If you are okay with a vegan donut that acts like a cake, go for it. I was pleased that the donut did not have any weird lingering aftertaste of earth balance or something fake tasting like that (another pitfall of vegan desserts). Vegan desserts are hard to pull off and Buttermilk Provisions seems to be doing a decent job of it. I'm interested to see if Dana continues to play around with more vegan donut variations or if she sticks with the tried and true.

The vegan chocolate donut and banana bread

Buttermilk Provisions serves about ten different flavors of artisan tea from Kaleisia. Their coffee consists of a cold brew, an espresso and a hot brew all from Buddy Brew. I decided a latte was in store for today. The latte was made with Buddy Brew's Double Dog Espresso (the same one I brew at home) and almond milk. Currently that is the only vegan milk that Dana offers. She has had a lot of inquiries for coconut milk but she is just tracking demand right now. Other options could come in the future or they could not. I liked that the latte wasn't overly sweet like other versions (ahem, Starbucks). You could really taste the Double Dog. This wouldn't be a good thing if the coffee wasn't up to par but, as far as I'm concerned, Buddy Brew's Double Dog is definitely a winner. The only thing I didn't like about the latte, my error of course, was that it came out warm. On a 90 degree day, I don't want warm coffee. I want it iced. But I failed to mention that when I ordered it. I've actually done this twice in the last few weeks. I'm so used to icing my own at home that I just assume everyone ices a latte. I guess I could've sent it back to have the barista fix it but I figured I wouldn't ever learn if I constantly have baristas fix my errors.

My almond milk latte, hot. Just how it should be on a stifling day in Florida

You want to make your own tea or coffee at home? Buttermilk Provisions also offers loose Kaleisia Teas and bags of Buddy Brew for sale. The Buddy Brew is especially awesome because I don't have to make the trek down to South Tampa when I run out. It is slightly more expensive than at the Buddy Brew roastery but it is the exact same price that Jug and Bottle and some of the other places that sell it around Tampa have it for. Buttermilk Provisions also has growlers for sale. 

Prices at Buttermilk Provisions are really inexpensive. This is a bit surprising considering that they use "locally sourced ingredients" and everything is "made from scratch daily." These descriptors usually mean that a business can tack on an extra dollar or two and nobody would flinch. The coffee and almond milk run you about four and a half. The banana bread is a little bit over two dollars and the donut is a little over one. Put that together and you've got two snacks, coffee and a tip for ten dollars. I am more than okay with that.

Just like Dana perfected her donut making craft over a number of years, Future Generations' new album has been an extended process. Eddie Gore had this to say about the new album: "This album has been at least 3 years in the making and we are extremely excited to finally be releasing it out to the world. We've grown so much through this process and I have to say that is probably the biggest theme through the whole thing: Growth." The album's new single, "Thunder in the City," fits nicely into my coffee, donut and banana bread runs because, well, it is summer in Tampa. That means everyday there is a period of lightning, thunder and rain. 

Vegan in Tampa: A Guide to Eating Vegan in Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Lutz and Tampa Palms

I've been living in the Wesley Chapel, New Tampa and Tampa Palms area of Tampa for almost ten years. I have been vegan for four of them. Through research, trial and error and online recommendations I've been able to find some really good vegan friendly dishes, drinks and desserts in this area of town. Here are some of the fantastic vegan options you should check out next time you’re in this part of Tampa!

Capital Tacos #2 |  27209 FL 56 
Wesley Chapel

    

Because Capital Tacos #2 has an out of this world collection of burrito (or if you prefer taco/salad/nacho/bowl/wet burrito) flavor combinations it has become one of my go-to's when out-of-towners come visit. It is really hard not to find something for everyone here.

You want Tex-Mex? Done. Seafood? Got it. Fried Chicken? They've got those too. But what do they have to offer vegans? While Capital Tacos #2 does not have any vegan combinations on their menu as is, they are perfectly willing to adjust their two vegetarian options to make them dairy free.

The first option is the Simon Pure. This burrito contains grilled portabella, black beans, pico, bombera salsa, Mexican street corn, jack and cheddar cheese and rice. Ask for it without the cheese and Mexican street corn (cooked with butter) for a vegan version.

Even after taking off the cheese and street corn, the Simon Pure is still bursting with flavor.

The other vegetarian option is the Mean Verde. The Mean Verde consists of breaded and fried avocado, refried pintos, queso, lettuce, pico, jack and cheddar, crushed chips and poblano ranch salsa. For a completely dairy free version ask for the avocado to not be fried, replace the poblano ranch salsa with a dairy free version and subtract the jack and cheddar and queso.

Capital Tacos #2 offers a number of dairy free sides to compliment your main course. Make sure you don't leave without trying out their chips. They are not your typical scrawny little yellow tortilla chips that seem to be the standard at Mexican restaurants. Capital Tacos #2's version are deep fried and golden and much thicker.

You can't go wrong with any of the salsas (mild, medium and hot) or the guacamole. Just ask them to hold the cheese (which they will sprinkle overtop).


Kwan Ming | 27607 State Road 56 Unit 105 
Wesley Chapel

For the most part fresh and Chinese food seem to exist on opposite ends of the spectrum. Kwan Ming has made it a point to fuse the two together. They have six options that are labeled vegetarian on their menu. Some of these can be made vegan.

My dish of choice, by default, is the tofu with black bean sauce. This dish contains fresh veggies and tofu (that is not breaded) cooked in a black bean sauce. It is served alongside a plate of rice. Why the default?

Because my real number one, my bae so to speak, is the garlic fried rice. 

It is loaded with fresh cloves of garlic that are sliced and fried until they are golden brown on the outside. They are then tossed with your typical fried rice veggies to create a masterfully blended dish. Not too salty. Not too fried. Just bite after bite of blacking out in Tampa and waking up in Gilroy, California. I happily breathe this dish for hours afterwards.

The garlic fried rice is my wife's bae as well. So instead of ordering two of the same dish, I default to the tofu in black bean sauce. Make sure to ask for the fried rice without egg.


Nutrition S'Mart | 1821 Bruce B. Downs 
Wesley Chapel

Keep your eyes pinned to the ground as you walk through Nutrition S'Mart. That way you won't see all the overpriced vegan/vegetarian friendly items they have on the shelves. You don't need that stuff. You can do better (and cheaper) elsewhere.

The important part of Nutrition S'Mart is the far back corner. It is here that the Wesley Chapel location of this chain got wise and built a juice bar/sandwich area.

It is in this juice bar/sandwich area that one can procure some of the cheapest (and tastiest) kombucha on tap. One twelve ounce glass can be yours for just $2.79 plus tax. That's not a mistake, that's the real deal. 

Nutrition S'Mart serves Kombucha Tampa brand kombucha. Flavors on regular rotation include the Blueberry, Hibiscus Berry and Mango.
Don't bother with the growler as, unless my math is wrong, it is a worse deal than just buying a twelve ounce cup.

As far as the rest of the juice bar/sandwich area goes, they have a number of vegan options. These include build your own sandwiches with vegan cheese and a bevy of smoothies. I can't vouch for any of these because I've never gotten past the kombucha.


Ciccio Cali | 17004 Palm Pointe Drive 
Tampa Palms

There are a lot of things I don't like about the Ciccio collection of restaurants. I don't like their weekend brunch menus or their jacking up the prices for dinner. I don't like that they consistently seem to remove my favorite things from their menu with no warning.

Ultimately, as is the case with any restaurant, if the food is done well it can make everything else moot. I must admit, I've never left disappointed or underwhelmed by what I've eaten at a Ciccio restaurant.

Ciccio Cali in Tampa Palms has a menu that is littered with wraps, bowls, pizzas, salads and stirfrys. These items feature a large variety of fresh vegetables, some of which I've never seen offered at any other restaurant. These include kale blends and spaghetti squash.

Ciccio Cali meets the needs of their vegetarian and vegan customers by providing the option of switching out any meat for a veggie and broccoli mix (I don't understand why more restaurants don't do something like this).

My meal of choice at Ciccio Cali is the Fire Bird. The veggies are tossed in buffalo sauce, paired with rice, then wrapped in a pressed tortilla. Delicious! 

Other vegan options include the vegan, thai, fitness and citrus bowls (replace the chicken with veggies in the latter three), all the stirfrys and the entire line of side dishes.


Cappy's Pizzeria | 16019 Tampa Palms Blvd.
Tampa Palms

Since the beginning of time pizza has remained virtually the same, the sum of four amazing parts (sauce, crust, topping and cheese) joined together as one.

Some people like to mess with this perfection. They subtract or alter one of those elements to see just how dreadful the result is. I must admit, I'm one of those people. I love me some pizza. I don't love me some cheese.

Cappy's is one of the few places in Tampa that can pull off a vegan pizza. 

This is because their flaky deep dish Chicago style crust and their tangy, slightly spicy, red sauce are flavorful enough that removing the cheese doesn't hinder them.

I usually top my deep dish pizza with fresh spinach and artichokes. Make sure to specify that you want it vegan, otherwise they may sprinkle Parmesan on top of the sauce.


365 Caffe Italiano | 28211 Paseo Drive, Suite 10 Wesley Chapel

Need a vegan dessert in the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa/Tampa Palms area? 365 Caffe Italiano is the place to go. Each and every day (365/7) this shop offers at least 3 different dairy free gelato options. Some days they even go all crazy and stretch it to four.

If you are in to chocolate and mint and desserty flavors like that and are dairy free, well, you are out of luck. At 365, those all contain the animal stuff.

But if you are like me and hate those flavors with a passion, no big deal. It is the fruit options at 365 Caffe Italiano that contain no dairy. Mango and berry blast are just two of the vegan versions I've tried. Sweet, cold, refreshing and tasty.

Buttermilk Provisions | 2653 Bruce B Downs Blvd
Wesley Chapel

Buttermilk Provisions can best be described as a bakery, coffee and tea shop. The shop is located in a strip mall just north of Wiregrass Mall. Buttermilk Provisions offers four rotating donut flavors per day. At least one flavor will be gluten free. Some days they offer vegan donuts, other times vegans will have to forgo the donuts and try out some of the vegan banana bread.

Whether it is donuts or banana bread, Buttermilk Provisions makes it a point to have at least one vegan option daily.

Most days they offer a vegan banana bread. I wasn't a big fan of it during my first go round. But subsequent go rounds have me pretty blown away by it. I like how the banana bread is dense and has only a slight banana taste to it. It isn't overly sweet. There are chunks of vegan chocolate and walnuts spread throughout. They help break up some of the denseness of the bread.

The vegan chocolate glazed, chocolate donut is baked, like all Buttermilk Provisions' donuts are. The donut is moist, something that is often times the downfall of vegan desserts. It looks, feels and tastes more like cake than a donut. Just know this. If you are vegan and expecting a donut that feels like a donut, uh, go to Brooklyn. I was pleased that the donut did not have any weird lingering aftertaste of earth balance or something fake tasting like that.

Buttermilk Provisions serves about ten different flavors of artisan tea from Kaleisia. Their coffee consists of a cold brew, an espresso and a hot brew all from Buddy Brew. Lattes can be made with almond milk, currently the only vegan milk that Buttermilk offers.

Ice Dreamery | 23912 State Road 54 #2
Lutz

Ice Dreamery is an ice cream lounge in Lutz that makes small batch ice cream. That means they produce one (or is it two?) painstaking gallon(s) at a time. Why? So you can have the freshest hand dipped ice cream around.

I know what you are thinking. Ice Dreamery set up shop right across the street from Dairy Queen. If I want my chocolate or vanilla ice cream why don't I just go there? In short, you should. I mean those flavors are too ordinary for Ice Dreamery. This place is into flavors that are unique and bold. Take, for instance, their inclusion of adult only flavors. Both times I visited, Ice Dreamery's menu featured at least two different ice cream flavors that incorporated alcohol. Rum Haven, Nutty Drunken Praline and Bailey's Coffee Chip are just three of the alcohol/ice cream combinations they have featured. The kid friendly flavors are just as edgy. You could get your hand on some Butter Beer, Cookie N Dream, Mango (with a jalapeno ice cream cone pairing in the works), Chocolate Bacon Toffee or Smooth Chocolate Velvet (which features just a bit of Nutella).

So what does all this have to do with vegans? Nothing. But this next part does. Each day Ice Dreamery offers at least two different coconut based ice cream flavors that are dairy free. During my two visits these flavors were the almond joy (almond extract, chocolate powder and coconut ice cream) and a plain coconut version.

The vegan ice cream was soft and creamy with little flakes of coconut in it. I had a hard time believing that it was dairy free. 

That's how convincing Ice Dreamery was.

If that's not bold enough for you, try this on for size. Via their website or an in person visit to their lounge, Ice Dreamery will take flavor suggestions. Yep, that's right, you the customer can partially control what comes next. If they choose your suggestion, they will blast your name all over social media and let everyone know that it was you who came up with it. So go ahead, come up with something crazy, something so bold and daring that you think it can't be done. I'm sure Ice Dreamery is up for the challenge.

FYI: I've already suggested a lavender coconut vegan version so if you were thinking that, just stop now and head back to the drawing board.

Food Flavored Song: Byker Lime Slicer by Eat

On Valentine's Day my girl gave me the old wink, wink, nudge, nudge and before I could say "A vasectomy is the best form of birth control" we were seated in some Thai restaurant taking orders from a hostess who had no idea what she was talking about. As I scoured the list of food offerings available for consumption (but really what was the point, everyone knew I was leaving with a Pad Thai in my belly) I heard a rhythmic chopping sound coming from the kitchen. I turned just in time to see a teenage lime slicer doing his thing. I inquired about his role, outside of lime slicing, and the hostess told me that he doesn't have one. All he does is slice limes. At first I thought that was a bit weird. But then I remembered that she doesn't know what she is talking about. So I really have no idea if that Thai restaurant employs a lime slicer or not. Either way, I'd like to dedicate Eat's (here) latest single "Byker Lime Slicer" to that teenager. After all, in a world of visceral Pad Thai's it is the scuzz that lies on top.



Don't forget the band's previous single "Byker Drone" which is one of my favorite songs through the first two months of 2016.

Vegan in Tampa: Brunch Collaboration Between Cafe Hey and The Blind Tiger

"The idea of brunch is like viagra for three piecers. Seriously. Next time you find yourself in a room full of them just yell out 'Brunch' and watch those slim zipper trousers rise to the occasion."
-Tender Branson (Fall 2015)

One of my New Year's resolutions was to stop quoting myself so much. I made it nine days before I felt compelled to restate something from my lip's past. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, otherwise it would've been full of tiny houses and gladiator midgets. Which brings me to brunch (nothing says brunch to me like gladiator midgets). I'm not much of a brunch guy. I don't get all teary-eyed at the thought of a plateful of fried vegetables, sweet carbs, tomato drinks and baby sandwiches. There are a couple of reasons for this. I'm not going to break them all down for you here, I'm just going to focus on the absolute number one reason I hate brunch. It isn't vegan friendly. It is chock full of eggs, milk, butter, heavy cream and meat. What's in that for me? Not a whole helluva a lot.

But, when the rules of the game change, I can pull off a quick shape shift like the best of them. That change came with the mid-December announcement that Cafe Hey and The Blind Tiger would be partnering for a one off (with possibility of more in the future) vegan brunch. All of a sudden, I was all about the brunch. I heard the word in my sleep, I saw it on every stop sign, I accidentally yelled it out once during intercourse and, yes, just hearing it made my slim zipper trousers rise. So naturally I dug deep into AR's pockets, gathered forty dollars, and set J-Fur and I up for a brunch date.

              Full Plate View

The menu for the brunch was cornmeal grits with mushroom gravy, huevos rancheros and a coffee drink of your choice from Blind Tiger's exquisite coffee bar. J-Fur and I added on a blue rose kombucha (which was paid for separately). I launched myself into the grits and gravy first. I usually avoid grits for the same reason I avoid brunch. People spend too much time dressing them up with milk and cheese and butter. Because of my limited experience I can't really compare these grits to the traditional southern staple served at Cracker Barrel. What I can say is this version was super creamy and smooth. The gravy was light and flavorful, about the opposite of what I've come to expect from vegan gravies. This dish left such a mark on my heart of tastes that I immediately began planning a homemade version. 

Just the Huevos Rancheros (done in a Mephiskapheles voice)

Just like grits, my huevos rancheros history is spotty at best. I think there was this one time, after a swim in the ocean, that I found a styrofoam container full of them lying on the beach that I subsequently ate. The next day I became vegan and the rest, as they say, is history. The Cafe Hey version consisted of two corn tortillas chock full of scrambled tofu, black beans, salsa and covered with a white sauce. It was topped by cilantro (the horror!). Part of the way through, the Cafe Hey chef came around and dropped some avocado on top because he "forgot" to put it in originally. These were superb. I loved the way that all the flavors seemed to melt into one single slightly spicy, slightly salty, avocado-y texture mash. I found the creamy sauce and cilantro most interesting because neither seemed to be out of place. I could barely taste the cilantro, which I can always taste no matter how well it is hidden because I hate it so, and the creamy sauce seemed to serve more as a change of texture than any type of flavoring. This wasn't exactly the case as, when it drizzled onto my plate away from the other ingredients, I tasted it alone and realized it had a distinct flavor. My compliments to the chef who did a fabulous job of melding it with the rest of the ingredients.

             The Rose Kombucha

Just like with most brunches, the price tag of twenty dollars a person is more than I normally spend per person going out. I figure that has something to do with the National Brunch Associations tax of five dollars per usage of the word brunch. Despite the price, I didn't leave the brunch feeling that I didn't get my money's worth. It seemed right in line with other slightly more upscale brunches. I hope this isn't just a one and done deal. I'd love to see this collaboration happen a couple times a year since this meal, along with the monthly vegan one at Trang Viet, was one of the few occasions that being vegan in Tampa wasn't a complete pain in the ass.

Like brunches, The Henry Millers are a band that is really up and down. I get up when "Posies" or "Hop" comes across my speakers and anything else, well, I haven't been super into. The band's newest single "Ready" is one of those tracks that is on the up and up. My love of it comes from it's upbeat attack and sing-a-longy duo delivery. I also can't help but be charmed by the "Heys" that riddle the background throughout. Probably because it pays homage to Edward Sharpe's "Home," one of my all time favorite songs. "Ready" comes from the band's Castle EP.

Where We Eat: The Blind Tiger Cafe

My first coffee experience is something I will never forget. I was sixteen, smack dab in the middle of a trans-Atlantic flight from Washington, DC to Amsterdam, when a waitress approached me and asked if I wanted anything to drink. Following in the footsteps of some guy I saw in a movie, I asked her for a cup of coffee, black. She brought it out in a little styrofoam cup, thick enough to protect me from the scalding liquid but not so much so that I couldn't feel some of the warmth radiating from it. I took a sip. My immediate reactions were who are the people that drink this stuff regularly and why do they hate themselves so much to repeatedly participate in such a disgusting ritual. I snuck off to the bathroom and dumped the remainder of my drink down the drain.

Eighteen years later, after countless sessions of therapy and sugared coffee cups, I finally got myself to a place where I could give black coffee another go. This time, however, there would be no cheap styrofoam cups provided by some business that specializes in something other than coffee. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it right. I was going to do it Blind Tiger style.

The Blind Tiger Cafe, at the time, had one location right in the heart of Ybor City. The inside of the cafe, thanks to its largely brick and wood design, felt like something industrial and working class. It was lightyears away from the fake fireplaces and sanitized seating that make up a lot of the corporate coffee places I've visited. One of the services that the Blind Tiger provides is a class about coffee making. This class shares some of the different methods that the Blind Tigers uses to make their cups of coffee. These include the Chemex, the Melitta-Pour Over, the aeropress and the vacuum method. Each method is explained and then modeled. After modeling, samples are handed out for discussion and comparison. There was no sugar, cream or milk. It was just you, your tastebuds and a black sample of coffee. To my surprise, not only did these samples not suck (I know this because I wasn't actively seeking out some bathroom to dump them in) but I actually enjoyed them. There was a depth to coffee that I had never experienced before. These different methods brought that depth out. In only one sitting, eighteen years of tortured memories, therapy and sugared coffee cups all withered up and died.

Demonstrating the vacuum method at The Blind Tiger's Coffee Class

               They call this black?

I actually began driving to Ybor just to drink coffee. While I enjoyed the black stuff that the class had to offer, when it came down to it I couldn't completely kick my coffee sweet tooth so I began drinking regular cups of their Cafe Mocha with almond milk (they also offer soy). The drink is a latte with house-made sauce. The Blind Tiger's emphasis on selecting the best coffee and pairing it with a sauce made from scratch that is free of high fructose corn syrup becomes apparent after the very first sip. This drink is sweet but not synthetic sweet. Typically I paired the Cafe Mocha, with a plain bagel that my daughter and I would share. The bagels, unlike the pies, cookies and banana/pumpkin bread, are not made in house. They are brought in from Brandon Bagels. But just like the breads and cookies, the bagels are vegan.

        Cafe Mocha with almond milk

                   Plain Bagel

A few weeks ago, the Blind Tiger Cafe opened a second location in Seminole Heights. I paid my first (and second) visits this past week and I was shocked to find that while the name is the same, there are some stark differences between the two versions. For one, the new location doesn't have the same industrialized allure to it. I would describe it as the younger brother who leaves the blue collar family in search of a college degree and a slightly higher paying job. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that it shares a space with Christopher Wayne Home, a business that specializes in custom furniture, accessories, lighting, draperies and made-to-order linens. If the place didn't feel homely and warm, Christopher Wayne Home isn't doing their job. The bigger and more notable difference was the menu. This version of the Blind Tiger Cafe doesn't offer the specialty drinks that are available in the Ybor location (Update: According to Roberto, one of the owners, as of November 20th they do have capabilities to make specialty drinks at the new location). The Seminole Heights menu contains two black, two green and two herbal teas (courtesy of TeBella Tea Company), six types of coffee and local Kombucha on tap.

When I realized my drink wasn't on the menu, I freaked out a bit. I was in no shape to make a decision between the Chemex or French Press Method. So I channeled sixteen year old me and decided to get what I saw someone else drinking. The couple in front of me ordered a drink from a tap that looked very light and creamy. It looked like a coffee that had already been infused by milk. When I asked the barista about it, she ensured me that it wasn't milk, just coffee on nitrogen. I went with it. Whoa! The nitro-brew had a nice coffee taste to it. It wasn't bitter. It was more sweeter and less acidic than other coffees. The nitro-brew went down super smooth and super fast. The sweet tooth in me asked for a little simple syrup. That wasn't enough so I ordered a vegan chocolate chip cookie. Drink a sip of nitro-press, take a bite of cookie. Repeat until both are finished. By pairing the cookie and nitro-press, I basically created my own nitro-press cafe mocha. It was so good, I returned a second time to do it again. I tried a third time, today, but didn't make it before closing (they are only open until 4:00 on weekdays).

The Blind Tiger has created a coffee drinker where once there wasn't one. The fact that they are one of the few businesses in the Bay area that know how to pull off vegan desserts just adds to their allure and my willingness to spend my cash there. They are by no means cheap. But as their owner Roberto points out on Yelp, their prices are aligned more with specialty craft roasters not with the corporate chain coffee businesses. If the product is worth it, I'm ok with paying craft roasting prices. I am of the opinion that it is.

By the way, if you are a vegan in the Bay area I just got word that the Blind Tiger and Cafe Hey will actually be pairing up for a brunch on December 13th. The cost is 20 dollars and it is limited to 20 people. You can sign up here if you are interested in going.

Find the Blind Tiger on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram.



A trip to Blind Tiger pairs nicely with the music of Jacob Faurholt. His electro-tinged "Future Wife" is both catchy and memorable:

Where We Eat: The Vegg'd Out Vegan Kitchen

A spontaneous addition to a video I made this summer set off a chain of events, mostly of the mundane run-of-the-mill variety, that led me to the Ybor Daily Market on Saturday. It was here that the Vegg'd Out Vegan Kitchen was setting up shop for their Vegan Dessert Fest. It was an event that they had dubbed Bettersweetz.

I'm not sure why I still get all geeked out and excited when I hear about vegan desserts. I've been let down so many times by bland, overly sweetened, dense desserts that are inferior to their dairy filled brethren. I mean just last week I visited a vegan bakery set up by some famous New York baker and left feeling completely underwhelmed. Call me crazy, the eternal optimist or a glutton for punishment but when I hear vegan dessert, despite all the letdowns, my heart still pitter patters just a bit faster. I really hoped that the Vegg'd Out Vegan Kitchen and their Bettersweetz dessert fest would be different, that it wouldn't be just another link on the long chain of vegan dessert failures.

The Vegg'd Out Vegan Kitchen was established early last year as a vegan delivery, pre-paid meal plan, catering service that serves the Tampa area. The don't have a brick and mortar building of their own so they've sold a lot of their foods from the open air center of the Ybor Daily Market. They are known for their bevy of vegan treats including raw CheeseKakez, pies, CupKakez and cookies, as well as educational food prep classes. They hope to promote clean eating by including only organic ingredients in their products which are all, according to their order flyer, "crafted with authentic love." Vegan, organic, clean eating, crafted with love, all of this sounds great in theory but ultimately desserts are judged on their tastes. That would be the true measure of the Vegg'd Out Vegan Kitchen.

The Bettersweetz setup consisted of three tables. One table took care of all the payments. The other two were completely loaded with desserts. The one nearest the entrance was filled with a variety CupKakez and CheeseKakez. The other table contained the pies, brownies and cookies. I was drawn to the CupKakez first. Flavors included marble swirl, apple and peanut butter cup. I selected the latter two, although I could've seen myself taking all three home. They looked at that good. At the cookie table, I really wanted to check out the sweet kale pie but couldn't bring myself to pay the steep nine dollar a slice price. Instead I opted for an almond butter and goji berry cookie. I cashed out at 13 dollars for the three desserts. One thing is pretty clear when it comes to vegan desserts, they are definitely not cheap.

The apple cupcake was the first to cross my lips. It was a spiced cake that was topped with an apple flavored icing. I was absolutely astounded at the moistness of the cake and the creaminess of the icing. The flavors that stood out weren't the vegan dessert buzz killers of fake butter or super sugar. I tasted apple and spice. These two complimented each other well. I found myself wishing I hadn't stopped at buying just one of these cupcakes.

                The Apple Cupcake

Next up was the almond butter and goji berry cookie. The cookie wasn't thick, soft and gooey like I prefer my cookies, it was much flatter with a crisp exterior and a soft interior. The almond butter was much more subtle than a lot of the peanut butter cookies I've had through the years. I hoped for a bit more from the goji berries. If I hadn't seen them, I wouldn't have even known they were in there. A decent treat but I wouldn't do it again. If I'm going to spend, I'm going to get me something that is iced.

           The Almond Butter Goji Cookie

I stopped eating sweets for a while, took a Capital Tacos break, and then decided it was time to eat the final CupKakez. The peanut butter cup was a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter icing and a vegan peanut butter cup on top. If looks could kill, this CupKakez would be a mass murderer. It was the best looking of the three desserts by far. The cake part of it was a bit drier than the previous cupcake. I'm not sure if this was due to the way it was baked or that it sat around in the cardboard box longer than the other desserts did. But that icing, whoa baby, that was some good stuff. It was intensely rich and tasted of pure peanut butter gold. Definitely a dessert worth doing again.

                The Peanut Butter CupKakez

It has been a tough go finding good vegan desserts in Tampa. My search, as long as I can track them down on the regular, may have just ended. When it comes to CupKakez and icing, the Vegg'd Out Vegan Kitchen knows how to play the game.

The soundtrack for these desserts? Rabid Young's "Beautiful Things" for obvious reasons.

Where We Eat: Local Public House & Provisions

The voice on my GPS was yelling, in its mechanical British accent, that I needed to turn north. That is, it insisted, the only logical way to get to my dinner destination, Local Public House & Provisions (The Local House) in San Antonio, FL. But I couldn't make the turn. I was frozen with fear. Normally at this intersection I turn south. South takes me towards the back entrance to Flatwoods, the University of South Florida, Ybor City, Highway 75, Bearrs Groves, all places that I frequent on a regular basis. I know what to expect when I make that turn. North? North was a whole other ballgame. Everything I'd heard about Morris Bridge north scared the sh** out of me. For instance, there was a guy at my auto shop who told me that Morris Bridge north takes you passed the lair of a metal carving dragon. That ghastly creature custom fits all who pass with a chastity belt. He also makes them do situps, in said chastity belt, until they perish. Ms. Crickens, a really skinny lady that lives in my apartment complex, told me that a ruthless fairy blocks Morris Bridge north. This fairy has the tendency to turn people into a termite infested mangrove tree. The guy who works next to me, Chad, tells me that on Morris Bridge north, about four miles beyond Cross Creek, the horizon turns white and cars have been known to fall off the face of the earth.

It took me 53 1/2 "What Would Christopher Columbus do's" before I made that turn.

What the hell is so fabulous about The Local House that someone would be willing to fight mythical creatures and risk a fall off the face of the Earth? Well, The Local House is "a grown up pub with great burgers, po-boys, salads and snacks made with all local ingredients." What's more is that The Local House is willing to serve this locally sourced food without the attitude. They cater to vegetarians and vegans and they aren't against substitutions. This is in stark contrast to some of the "local ingredient" restaurants on the south side (Tampa).

The Local House's menu is pretty sparse. It only offers about twenty food items. Yeah, I'm counting appetizers, salads, main courses and desserts when I say that. While that might turn off some, I'm okay with that. Give me a place that does less things better over one that does a million things mediocre any day. Of those twenty or so food items, we sampled six of them during our recent visit. Our list included the rice and beans, sweet potato chips, chips and salsa, french fries, the Underground Salad and the Fried Green Tomato BLT (minus the bacon). We took the BLT with a side salad and kumquat vinaigrette.

           The Chips and Salsa

The chips and salsa and sweet potato chips were the first two items that arrived at our table. The chips were served on a board alongside The Local House's freshly made kumquat salsa and beer cheese fondue. I loved the chips. They were dark in color (they looked more like pita chips than tortilla chips) and were not greasy at all. The chips were thick, twice the size of your typical Mexican restaurant, crispy and firm. This helped them hold up nicely to the pressures of my vigorous dipping. I was disappointed with the kumquat salsa. I was really hoping to be wowed, that the salsa would stand out versus some of my favorite store-bought salsas and I'd have no choice but to beg them for a container to take home. But I didn't get that. I felt fine leaving the half eaten salsa remnants on the table and not packing it up to take home. The beer cheese fondue was a hit amongst the cheese eaters at our table, especially Z-Bot. After the chips were gone, most people moved on to other things...not Z-Bot. She took out a spoon and started eating the cheese with it. She couldn't get enough.

             The Sweet Potato Chips

My favorite appetizer of the evening was the sweet potato chips. For an extra fee, these chips can be upgraded to be covered with gorgonzola and balsamic. We upgraded, although we got the cheese on the side. I loved that the chips were super thinly sliced and crisped to perfection. Like the chips and salsa, these guys were not super oily. But what made the dish was the balsamic drizzle. That added a nice little tang to the appetizer. With the cheese and balsamic added in, these chips come out to be about nine dollars and fifty cents. The Local House is definitely not cheap but when you are eating at a restaurant that uses only local ingredients, that is to be expected. These restaurants aren't privy to the cheaper wholesale prices that are offered by corporate companies that ship national meat, cheese, fruits and vegetables.

The Fried Green Tomato BLT (no bacon)

Hello my friend. Where have you been hiding all these years? This was a very popular sandwich at our table (five of them were ordered) for good reason. It was awesome. It all starts with the bread. The sandwich is served on a roll that comes from the Jamison B Breadhouse Bakes (in Ybor). The bread was crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. It fell somewhere in the middle of the dense/light spectrum. Airy but not Wonder Bread, dense but not the sourdough I baked last summer.  The green tomato, courtesy of Green Acre Aquaponics , was nicely breaded and held up during the eating process. There is nothing worse than a breading that slides off mid-chew. The sandwich was a bit dry because it is served with no condiments (the horror?!). I counteracted that by dipping it into the kumquat vinaigrette that came along with my side salad. The dressing mixed with the tomato and bread made this a memorable sandwich. One of the best I've had in the Tampa region? It's too early to tell. Guess I'll have to go back a couple more times.  

                 Side Salad 

I left the restaurant patting myself on the back saying good call on the salad (sandwiches can also be served with a side of coleslaw, fries, fruit or sweet potato chips). Not only was the salad dressing a nice dipping accompaniment to the FGT-BLT but the vegetables themselves were absolutely divine. Crispy, juicy, crunchy, fresh. These were the adjectives that kept playing through my head as I savored each bite. You could just feel the difference between The Local House's salad and one that you get at a restaurant that doesn't source locally. Hell, you could feel the difference between The Local House's salad and the one I make in my kitchen.  

J-Fur ordered the Underground Salad which combined seasonal fruit, greens and goat cheese. Despite the fact that it was loaded with fruit, she felt that the salad needed to be just a bit sweeter. For our daughter, we got an order of rice and beans. She played with it more than she ate. The following day I ate the leftovers for lunch. Good, but not really special either. They were your typical rice and beans. 

Now that I know there aren't any dragons or fairies standing in my way and that I won't fall completely off the edge of the world, I will be paying San Antonio a few more visits. And when I do visit, you can be sure that Local Public House & Provisions will be my go to place for food.

There is an intimacy to your meal at Local Public House & Provisions. You can't get any closer at a restaurant than a customer being two steps removed from the food producer. The fact that the vendor's name is printed right on the menu makes it feel even closer. There is no where for these local vendors to hide. The same intimacy exists in "Why Let It Go" by Telegraph Canyon. "Why Let it Go" is the first single from Telegraph Canyon's intensely personal new album You From Before. Singer/Songwriter Chris Johnson has put together a collection of songs about people and relationships he's been through. Not all are romantic, some only stuck around for a day or two, but the common theme is that most of these people are no longer in his life and they've all affected him in a huge way. The album is, at times, uncomfortable in its intimacy. The same intimacy exists between farmer and restaurant, food and customer when you eat a meal at Local Public House & Provisions.