Where We Eat: Farmacy Vegan Kitchen & Bakery

It is 7:45 on a Sunday morning. Both Z-Bot and our newest addition, Special K, are making lots of noise. J-Fur is pounding my back telling me to wake up and do something so that she can sleep a bit longer. I take a deep breath and I wonder what a vegan daddy of two should do so early on Sunday. Church? Nah, still too early for that. A run? Special K is still too young to put into a jogging stroller. Then it dawns on me. Creative Loafing. That's where it's at.

A recent edition of Creative Loafing, Tampa's free newspaper that has everything about everything that is happening in the world of Tampa, ran an article about the opening of a new vegan bakery and quick service restaurant located inside Duckweed Urban Grocery in downtown. The joint, called Farmacy Vegan Kitchen + Bakery, features a bevy of desserts (think donuts, muffins, raw cheesecakes, brownies, cake pops, cobbler, breads and power balls) all made sans meat or dairy. Farmacy also serves a handful of vegan meals including lentil soup, Avocado BLT and a hummus wrap, kale salad, lentil salad, Shepherd's Pie, veggie lasagna and black bean meatballs. So here we are, Sunday morning, with two kids craving a new adventure. Let's go get ourselves some vegan treats.  

When we arrived on the Farmacy scene, I realized quickly that deciding on one thing wasn't going to be an easy task. There was a lot to like (by the looks of things). Z-Bot made her decision quickly, a vanilla donut with sprinkles. I went with a vanilla donut with Oreo cookies and caramel and a sticky bun. Special K was fine just drinking breast milk.

Our assortment of donuts and sticky bun

The donuts were really good. Their consistency reminded me of the vegan donuts you can get at Buttermilk Provisions in Wesley Chapel. They were soft and moist and held together well. They had a consistency that I normally associate with cake. Unlike Buttermilk Provisions, which glazes all of their donuts, Farmacy's were topped with chunks of fun (be it Oreo or sprinkles or something else). The toppings added a subtle sweetness, a slight flavor contrast and a different texture to the cakey donut. I really liked that about them. Normally when it comes to vegan donuts, Z-Bot doesn't always finish them (yeah, more for me). At Farmacy, she scarfed that entire sprinkled beast down. I asked her how it was and her eyes lit up and she said "Good!" That's about as animated as I see her when it comes to food. I'll chalk her up as a fan of Farmacy's donuts as well. 

Speaking of fandom, I grew up a huge fan of sticky buns. As a youngster, that was my "breakfast dessert" of choice. But it had been years since I had eaten one. This abstinence was partially because no one else seems to have the same affinity for sticky buns as I do (and I wind up eating the whole thing myself) and partially because I haven't found a good vegan one in Florida. Unfortunately, I still haven't. That's not to say that Farmacy's version was bad or inedible. It absolute was not. I just didn't find the taste of their sticky bun to be all that interesting. I wanted a little something more, something that stood out and caught my attention. I think consistency wise the sticky bun was excellent. It showed great promise. Tastewise, eh. I found myself wishing I had selected multiple donuts instead of the sticky bun.

My goal for my next visit, yes there will be a next, is to convince the kids that they want to sleep in just a little bit longer so that I can do a sort of brunch thing that meshes Farmacy's donuts with their Avocado BLT. That would probably just about make my Sunday.

Making my Sunday's for the last two months (yes, this track has been sitting in my inbox since the end of March) is You Are Number Six's "Midnight Blue". The track has a sugary darkness to it. That's why it seems like the perfect musical metaphor to a donut topped with an Oreo.

Expect a new YANS track, "Sealed With a Kiss", sometime this week. Expect to see it on the blog sometime in September.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

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:

Where We Eat: The Vegan Hot Dog Cart

My refrigerator is currently overflowing with vegan versions of sausages and hot dogs. I blame some of this on game seven of the World Series, the rest is due to the giant squashes that covered my local farmer's market shelves. What I've found with most prepackaged vegan hot dogs is that they are really harsh on my stomach. If I eat more than one, which I sometimes get a hankering to do, I wind up with a stomach ache. As a result of this, I watch my vegan hot dog intake more than any other fake meat.

Yesterday was the annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest. Z-Bot, J-Fur and I arrived at Cotanchobee Park late in the afternoon when a lot of the crowds seemed to have thinned out. We had free reign to move about the park and explore the anti-animal cruelty product vendors at our leisure. There was one pretty long line in the park so I moved to explore it. Wouldn't you know it, Orlando's Vegan Hot Dog Cart had made the trek over to Tampa. The cart was offering three hot dog versions: the "Merica dog had ketchup, mustard, relish and saurkraut, the Olde Reliable was covered with five bean chili, vegan cheeze, onions and paprika and the Holiday dog included Florida orange-cran chutney, Carolina BBQ mustard sauce and fried onions.

I bookmarked the Vegan Hot Dog Cart (web, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)  about a year ago as a place I really wanted to try. Back in 2014 the Holiday Dog was ranked by PETA as the number one vegan hot dog in America. Seeing that it was here, right in front of me, it only seemed fitting that I would be all gung-ho about shoving a dog down my throat. But then I thought about my refrigerator. All those dogs I've been eating recently. It took all I had to pass the cart by. I wondered through the rest of the park looking for something vegetable based to eat. I passed by Ethiopian food, two Asian booths, a Caribbean stall (that had a lot of vegetables) and a falafel joint. I turned my back on BBQ Jackfruit Nachos, Banh Mis and plant based milk shakes. I reached for my wallet on numerous occasions but I always let go without purchasing anything. Deep down I knew why. I knew I was going back to that hot dog cart whether I liked it or not.

     The Award Winning Holiday Dog

I returned to the Vegan Hot Dog Cart and waited in a line that was, at this point, about six deep. The dog I longed for, the Olde Reliable, had sold out during my cruise around the park. I figured if the Holiday Dog was good enough for PETA, it was good enough for me. So I went there.

Holy f*** was this dog good. It went down much smoother than the prepackaged versions I've eaten. Texture wise, it wasn't as chewy as those versions. The dog (and bun) basically melted in your mouth. The orange-cran chutney, bbq mustard and fried onions flowed nicely with the dog. None of the flavors stood out, instead they morphed into one giant swirl of sweet, sour and crispy. Despite all the toppings, this wasn't one of those dogs that you have to clean up with a fork. They stayed nicely pillowed in between those two bun walls.

The only thing that I was less than enthusiastic about was paying $5.50 (with a credit card). This price seemed a bit steep for the size of the dog. But when you are an award winning food developer, you have a right to charge for your craft. Ultimately the price didn't deter me yesterday and it won't deter me next time the Vegan Hot Dog Cart and I cross paths.      

Pairing:
I'd pair this Holiday Dog with the swirling electro-pop beats in Erin McCarley's "Good."

Where We Eat: Market on South

I was minding my own business, surfing through some of those guns and ammo lover chatrooms, when the screen name @wmdprankster asked for a private chat. I decided to go for it, thinking maybe I could get a fire burning on some real hot gun porn. But when I entered the private room @wmdprankster had already left leaving only a video behind. I watched the video, a grainy surveillance tape with the date blurred out. It appeared to be footage of a coffeeshop in Orlando selling a vegan cheesesteak panini. I had to check this out in person, see if this video was legit.

I took a weekend and drove out to Orlando. I stopped by the coffeeshop, called Sleeping Moon Cafe, and walked to the front register. I knocked twice on the wooden counter, cleared my throat and said to the barista, "I heard you guys sell vegan." The lady hemmed and hawed for a few seconds and then responded with a "Not really." She went through the entire menu and only found one thing a vegan could eat. I ordered a wrap, not something she suggested, and asked for it without the cheese. I forked over seven dollars. Once the barista had my money, she motioned for me to lean in and whispered in my ear, "Are you vegan? If so, you might want to check out Market on South. I'm not a vegan or even a vegetarian but I appreciate how good their food is." I thanked her, ate my very mediocre sandwich, and found a hotel room where I could hole up, eat some local jams and contemplate my next move. I had already been fooled once, did I really trust a barista at some coffeeshop? On the other hand, why would she send me to a different business than the one she was working at unless she really believed in it? Eventually, I decided to go for it. That's the long story of how I wound up at Market on South.

Market on South is really the brainchild of three different vendors who were looking for a place to showcase their products. Dixie Dharma provides the southern inspired vegan comfort food, Valhalla Bakery fills the dessert case with vegan sweet treats and Humble Bumble Kombucha brews up the refreshing kombucha combinations that are found on tap.

The menu is limited, only twelve items from top to bottom, but that doesn't make it any easier to decide what to get. Do you go with a Pulled Carolina Jackfruit BBQ Sandwich? Maybe a Georgia Peach Sloppy Joe or a Tempeh Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich? I decided to go with my ol' Southern standby, the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich. The Market on South version is topped with garlic kale, chow chow and smoked eggplant remmy. As a side I ordered crispy brussels. J-Fur got the Hail Kale Salad with Smoked Tempeh Bacon. For Z-Bot, we wanted Market on South's Mac and Cheese but they were all sold out. They suggested cheesy potatoes as an alternative so we gave it a go. To wash it all down, Citra Hopped Humble Bumble Kombucha.

       Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

Market on South's Fried Green Tomato Sandwich includes two extremely thick sliced tomatoes served on bread that is also sliced thick. It reminded me a lot of Texas Toast because of how wide it ran. The top of the bread is sprinkled with paprika. While I didn't really taste anything different with the paprika dusting, it made the sandwich look really cool. As far as the taste goes, whoa baby. The tomatoes were nice and crispy and the breading held up nicely to it each bite (nothing worse than losing all the breading after just one bite). The garlicky kale and pickled veggies were a nice touch adding a punchy, slightly sour note to the tangy tomatoes. 

                  Crispy Brussels

Don't be scared away by the extra dollar price tag for the Crispy Brussels. These little bad boys are totally worth it. They are fried and seasoned to perfection and by that I mean that I've never had brussels sprouts that tasted this good before. These definitely aren't your mama's brussels.

                 Cheesy Potatoes

I don't suggest you eat these potatoes expecting them to taste like their non-vegan counterparts, you will be disappointed. That's because they are much more flavorful. While most regular cheesy potatoes do their taste making solely from the dairy, these spuds didn't have the option to fall back on that pattern. Instead the combination of spices and marinades created a nutty, umami packed flavor bomb. I'd love to say that my daughter enjoyed these potatoes but she was so set on Mac and Cheese that she didn't even touch them. Oh well, that meant more umami for me.

             Hail Kale Salad

This salad had both its good and uh, not bad per se, more like just adequate. First, the good. The homemade croutons were extremely flavorful as were the greens. I loved, loved, loved the pickled red onion and watermelon rind which contrasted the greens nicely. The greens themselves were really well done with just a hint of garlic to them. The adequate? That would be the smoked tempeh bacon. I expected something salty and contrasty, that's what I remember about bacon. This version was way too sweet for my liking. I never was a hickory smoked fan.

At this point, after the initial tasting frenzy took place, Z-Bot had a melt down. No mac and cheese meant not only was she not happy but everyone else should follow suit. So J-Fur rushed her out to the car, salad unfinished, and allowed me to finish my meal. I grabbed some sweets to go. While the whole case looked amazing I decided on, after recommendations from the cashier, a Lavender and Vanilla Bean Yolo and a fruit bar. The fruit bar was soft and moist, not overly dry like a lot of vegan fruit bars I've had. I thought the fruit taste was much more muted than I would've liked. I like my fruit bars to taste super fruity.

       Lavender and Vanilla Bean Yolo

The star of the dessert show was definitely the Lavender and Vanilla Bean Yolo. A Yolo is basically two cookies surrounding a cream center. There was definitely a lot that could've gone wrong with this dessert. The filling and cookie could've been too sweet, too dry or too oily (just to name a few). But both of them were oh so right. I could've sworn that the filling in the middle had dairy in it because it didn't seem weirdly textured or flavored in the least. There was a hint of vanilla bean that existed throughout the dessert but it was the lavender that was king. This Yolo had a strong enough to notice, yet subtle enough to not be overkill, lavender taste. If you aren't a fan of lavender, don't think this dessert will mask it. It's all there for the tasting. If you are a fan of lavender, might I suggest you find your way to the Milk District of Orlando and hit up Market on South pronto.

I was very much impressed with my accidental visit to Market on South in Orlando. Its memorable food and completely vegan menu has me counting down the days until I can return for some more. Hey, You Only Live Once, right?



The musical version of Market on South is Austin's Ultraviolet. I say this because the band's sound is a "modern spin on classic shoe gaze sounds of the early 90's" that is created by groaning guitars and ethereal vocals. It marries opposites that support each other in the most beautiful and delicately balanced way. I'd say that about sums up the triumvirate mingling of Valhalla Bakery, Humble Bumble Kombucha and Dixie Dharma.

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: Cappy's Pizzeria

One of my archaeology friends told me that they recently found a scroll dating back to the beginning
of the written age. The scroll said only four words inside: cheese + dough + sauce + topping = perfection. Yep, since the beginning, pizza has remained virtually the same. It is the sum of four
amazing parts joined together as one. Nowadays people like to mess with perfection. They subtract
or alter one of those elements to see just how dreadful the result is (who would ever forget the
crustless pizza…I still shudder from that one). I must admit, I’m one of those people. I love me some pizza. I don’t love me some cheese. I’ve tried fake cheeses and they just don’t do it right. So most of the time, I just take the cheese off. The majority of pizza restaurants don’t survive the removal of the cheese because it requires a couple things they don’t have. First and foremost, a cheeseless pizza should have a good sauce because it is now the star. It can no longer play understudy to the cheese because it is gone. The second requirement is a deep crust. Skinny pies have no substance when the cheese goes away.

The latest local restaurant to get the Tender Branson treatment was Cappy’s. Cappy’s has been a stalwart in Seminole Heights for as long as I’ve been here (8+ years). In the past few years they have expanded into St. Pete, Brandon and, their latest venture, New Tampa. Since this is just moments from our apartment we decided to give it a go for J-Fur’s birthday. We were joined by her parents, sister and her boyfriend. Z-Bot came along as well.

Not everyone in the group avoids cheese, so the table started with a plate of cheesy bread. J-Fur ate most of it. She thought it was delicious with the crispy bottom and gooey top. A side of their pizza sauce comes along with it for those who like to dip.

At this point the waitress came by to take our orders. This is when things got a bit crazy. There was a deep dish, no cheese, spinach and artichoke version for me, a spinach and garlic thin crust for J-Fur, a sausage and basil thin crust for J-Fur's sister and her boyfriend and a light cheese, garlic and spinach for her parents. The waitress got it all down without a moment's hesitation (well except for that brief
second where she assured me that she thought the kitchen would be able to make my pizza without cheese). The twenty (or was it thirty) minutes of baking time passed rather quickly. When the pizzas came out, it was fast and furious. One pie after another crash landed (delicately) on the table. When the dust had settled, two pies were hovering above the table on crazy metal holders while two sat right on the wood. At this point hands and bodies became twisted as everyone reached for what they ordered. Everyone took a bit and remarked how good their pizzas were. I was the lone holdout. I breathed deep.

Now came the true test. Could Cappy’s hold up their no cheese end of the bargain? The crust was
nice and flaky, like true Chicago style should be. It wasn’t too dry or crisp (which can easily happen with deep dish pies). In fact, I would say it is one of the better Chicago-style crusts I’ve had here in
Tampa. The sauce was tangy with a good bit of flavor. The spinach was fresh and plentiful. The artichokes still had a bit of the canned taste to them (again, no cheese to mask this) but that was my only qualm with the pizza. I’d probably do better next time with a garlic, spinach version (as
their garlic pies are really good). Yes, that’s right, next time. There will be a next time. Cappy’s crust, sauce and fresh spinach more than held up to the cheeseless test.

                      My Pie

I have long considered Cappy’s one of the better pizza places in Tampa. With their Chicago style offerings and varied toppings (as well as a really good salad) it takes pizza to a place that a lot of other restaurants in the area can’t. The new Tampa Palms version follows right in line with its sister
stores. Best of all, you can take the cheese off and still have a mostly pleasant time.



It’s easy to fall in love with a pizza like this. That’s why I paired it with the also easy to fall in love with “I Think I Love You” by Enerate. With a chorus like “I think I love the f**k out of you” what’s not to like:



The Video version:

Where We Eat: Sophie's French Bakery Eclaired by Skizzy Mars, E-Dubble and Nishwasher

Somewhere amongst the fixed gear bike riders, spirited dog walkers and gym rats that rule Hyde Park Village there is a place where sugar and fat and cream and chocolate are king. That place would be Sophie's French Bakery & Cafe. While the menu isn't all crystalline carbohydrates, there are some great soups and sandwiches that will meet the dietary needs of anyone be it vegan, vegetarian or carnivores, it is the sweets that call to you. A huge glass case right by the door that is illuminated by white lights and full of any dessert you can imagine will do that to you. I would venture to say the case, on any given day, features at least twenty different desserts to choose from including: eclairs, croissants, tarts, brownies, tortes, cookies, bread pudding, turnovers, pies, muffins, cakes, Creme Brulee and French Macaroons.

Our first trip to Sophie's happened on the way back from the beach. I had exhausted all the samples at Anthropologie and it was suggested that we visit the bakery at the other end of the village. Having never ventured to that side of the village, I had no idea a bakery existed but I shrugged and went along with it. We arrived right before closing but there was still a decent selection. I went with a Strawberry Shortcake Fruit Tart for myself and a Twice Baked Almond and Chocolate Croissant for J-Fur.

My Strawberry Shortcake Tart was pretty laid back. It wasn't hit you in the face sugary but it also wasn't super fruity either. I don't mind the sugar being toned down but I want my fruit to have some taste. Texture wise the dessert was great but it lacked any sort of taste that really caught my attention. The big winner on this visit was the croissant (which is amazing since I much prefer fruit desserts to chocolate).

The croissant was slathered in almonds and then baked around a chocolate interior. According to Sophie's website, they spend extra money to purchase European chocolate and butter (which is why their desserts are also a little pricier than other places). The fact that the chocolate was European was probably why I liked this dessert. The chocolate didn't try to compete or overwhelm the taster with chocolate (like I fear American chocolate would) but instead enhanced the dough of the croissant and, more importantly, the almonds.

A few weeks later, after a trip to the Village Farmer's Market, we decided to return to Sophie's for another go round. This experience was completely different as we arrived early and sat in the cafe rather then downing our desserts while driving. J-Fur looked over the entire case and decided on the Flourless Chocolate Cake. I went with a Raisin Covered Sticky Bun (even though the Pecan Pie Tarts called my name many different times).

Despite the look of the Sticky Bun (sugar bomb waiting to explode) I was quite surprised to find that, ready for a common theme, the Bun wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. The sweetest part was the raisins. Since raisins are overly sweet on their own, covering them with icing and layering on a sweet bun risks overkill. Realizing this, the baker's at Sophie's played to their ingredients and created a very enjoyable dessert. I had no regrets about my choice (sorry Pecan Pie).

J-Fur's Flourless Chocolate Cake was another success. Flourless Chocolate Cakes are really easy...to mess up. She's had some bad ones in the past. Even if they aren't bad, they are usually so dense and heavy that they can't be finished at one sitting. This is only problematic to people who put their leftovers in the refrigerator and forget about them until they don't taste good anymore (like J-Fur does). Sophie's version of the cake included a fresh raspberry on top. While the cake was heavy in comparison to other desserts it wasn't to the point where it was hard to finish. The raspberry offered just enough change of pace to keep the taster from being bogged down. J-Fur thoroughly enjoyed it (too much chocolate for me).

Sophie's is my type of bakery. Not overly sickening sweet, not creating desserts that taste unnatural or difficult to swallow. These creations are desserts in the sense of their ingredients but you wouldn't know it by their taste. Subtlety is an artform that Sophie's has down pat.



While we strolled through the Village towards Sophie's I had the hip hop sounds of Skizzy Mars (here and here) and E-Dubble (here and here and here) running through my mind. There are very few artists who consistently put out songs that I like. This means I have a very tempered feeling towards most. But when I see that Skizzy Mars and E-Dubble have put out a new track I get a little more excited because the majority of their songs are ones that I can listen to over and over.

At first glance Skizzy's track "Tara" has a major flaw. It is layered over No Doubt's "Don't Speak" a song that only soccer mom's enjoy these days. That being said Skizzy moves around "Don't Speak" with his signature rhymes and sampling skills making it almost (almost!) unrecognizable. While not for the faint of heart (read uptight) Skizzy Mars and his "astronuts" know how to lay great tracks with the best of them.

Tara by SkizTheRapper

E-Dubble's new track "My Last Dream" meshes an appearance by Komplex (second verse) with samples of "Weighty Ghost" by Wintersleep and his unique lyrics. The result is a much more temperate, though not less incredible, song that will have you bobbing your head and pointing your fingers while shouting out you car window "That's right. You hear that?"

e-dubble feat. Kom - My Last Dream by edubble

Nishwasher is a band that I don't know much about. I know they are from Florida, their new EP is three tracks long and it ended up in my inbox the other day. I also know that "25 Cent Liquor" is a helluva song. Its fast, messy and sprinkles your lawn even when the cops tell you there is a water advisory in effect and you need to cease. That takes some "astronuts." You can download the band's This Culture EP for free here.

Nishwasher-25 Cent Liquor

Where We Eat: Burger 21 Shaken with Alexander Ebert and the Submarines

Call me old fashioned but my first reaction when Burger 21, an upscale burger diner located in Westchase, asked me to come to a tasting was "I'd love to try your fries and shakes but I won't be eating any burgers, I'm a vegetarian." I was quickly assured that this is the 21st century and they do offer two vegetarian options at their restaurant (as most places, except Applebees, do now). I quickly hopped in my horse and buggy and made the two day trip to the restaurant.

The first thing I noticed, probably the teacher in me, upon entering Burger 21 was the diner's charity board (picture on the left). One of the core beliefs of the restaurant is that they support neighborhood charity organizations and on the 21st of each month a portion of their proceeds go towards that month's charity. July's charity is Citrus Park Elementary (score one for them before I even sat down to eat).

Enough dilly dally let's talk food. Burger 21 offers 21 types of burgers (they also have salads, hot dogs, fries and shakes) including a "Burger of the Month" which changes each month on...you guessed it, the 21st. As I mentioned before, only two of these burgers are vegetarian. The first burger I tried was the Greek burger. It is a veggie burger topped with lettuce, tomato, roasted sweet peppers, feta spread and pickled cucumbers on a whole wheat roll.

My half of the Greek

Using Lynyrd Skynyrd style southern rock as a metaphor, this burger was sort of like "Simple Man." It was very plain, nothing really stood out about it and the sum of its parts seemed like it should add up to a whole lot more. I wasn't too thrilled by it. I think if they were going this approach, the veggie burger should've been made out of something closer to Falafel. I probably would've really dug it then. If the Greek is "Simple Man" then the second vegetarian option, the Black Bean Burger, is "Free Bird." This burger banged. It was thick, full of flavor and combined a number of interesting elements that each stood out while also meshing together to create an excellent burger.

The Black Bean Burger

For the record, the Black Bean Burger is lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, salsa, low-fat sun dried tomato aioli and cilantro sour cream on a whole wheat roll. I've mentioned many times on this blog how I hate mayo and cilantro. This burger could've easily gone wrong for me but, thanks to the subtleness of the flavors, it was oh so right.

While most other participants dined on fries, neither of my burgers came with them. I didn't say anything because I wanted to save room for the shakes and the fries were shoe string which I am not really a fan of. I did try one of Carlos' (Carlos Eats) sweet potato fries. He raved about the combination of sweet and salty how they perfectly supported each other. I don't like sweet potato so I thought they were only so-so, not enough to make me do somersaults. What I did like is that the restaurant offers a sauce bar with eight sauces for dipping. They have toasted marshmallow (too sweet), apple cider (refrained from trying), chipotle mayo (abstained), mango scotch bonnet ketchup (interesting, not sure if it was in a good way or not), ketchup, mustard, honey mustard and thai ketchup (my favorite as it had a hint of spiciness to it).

Burger 21 also offers a full selection of shakes. We sampled seven of them (I only had six missing out on the Tiramisu, the monthly special). I was really impressed that the shakes weren't overly sugary or artificial tasting like a lot of shakes can be. There was actual work that had to be done in order to top these, not just pouring from a bottle or scooping from a container. If you like to drink your milkshakes from a straw, these probably aren't for you. These are thick and chock full of goodies that requires some sort of spoon use. Even with the extra fat straws, I still couldn't get it all up.

The Chocolate Malted Milk Ball Shake

Not a big chocolate fan but I really liked this shake. It includes homemade chocolate syrup (made from dark Ghirardelli chocolate), half a malted milk ball, cocoa powder and blue bell ice cream. Despite all the sugary ingredients the overall taste is not overly sweet.

Strawberry Shortcake Shake

If you like shortcake, you'll like this shake. It tastes very close to the real thing. It uses real strawberries and includes a chunk of shortcake. Probably my second favorite shake.

Ybor City Double Espresso

The coffee drinkers raved about this one. It reminded me too much of a bad tofu rub I made a few weeks ago which also included espresso. If I liked coffee I might've enjoyed this one. As it was, it was way too strong for me.

Chocolate Peanut Butter

I was really excited about this one (I mean look at my krispies). Sadly it was a disappointment as it was way to peanut buttery and not enough chocolate. Even with the crumbled Reese's on top (which are the perfect balance) the result was not great.

Key Lime Shake

A pleasant surprise. I like key lime but most of the time it is cranked the artificial lime taste is cranked way too high. This shake had only a subtle bit of lime. It probably could've used even more. But, when working with key lime, it is better to err on the side of too little.

Bananas Foster Shake

I am so over bananas. I ate one every day for like a month and I haven't eaten them since. This shake included a hot, carmelized banana, cinnamon and sugar (just a touch) and a bit caramel on top. Considering that I am over bananas and I don't like caramel I figured this would be a one and done shake. I was wrong as I sucked it completely down. I turned to my partners to see if they had any left over that I could drink but most of them had put this away quickly too. My favorite shake that Burger 21 has to offer, hands down. Well, at least until the 21st when they offer a new flavor.

Burger 21 is well worth the two day buggy ride for the Black Bean Burger and Bananas Foster Shake alone. Add the thai ketchup and the additional shakes and you've got a place that I will be returning soon.

Burger 21 on Urbanspoon

Riding off in the sunset, Burger 21 behind me, I heard the sounds of Alexander Ebert (leading man for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) and RZA. As J-Fur says "Truth" is a cowboy movie, the ending, where the hero is walking out of town with tumbleweeds and setting sun behind him. This is probably because she just watched Rango.

Alexander Ebert Featuring RZA-Truth via KickKickSnare

"Shoelaces" by the Submarines really has no logical tie in to Burger 21, I've just been listening to it a lot lately (including on the way to the tasting).

the Submarines-Shoelaces via the Music Bosses

Where We Eat: The Limousines to the Laughing Cat

(photo courtesy of Tampabay.com found under Creative Commons)

The Laughing Cat is an Ybor restaurant that specializes in "new & progressive Italian Cuisine." This means that they make their pasta from scratch and fuse the freshest ingredients together to create a unique dining experience. The restaurant, located in a tiny brick building, has a charming romantic feel to it. This is one of the reasons why J-Fur wanted to go there for Valentine's Day and why we returned last week to celebrate Lana's birthday.

Like most Italian restaurants, the Laughing Cat starts their guests with a basket of fresh baked bread. The bread is soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and goes great with olive oil and spices (though they surprisingly don't seem to have this at the Cat) or butter. It is a great thing to chew on while pondering your meal choice and catching up with friends.

The menu features an extensive collection of antipasti, insalate, zuppe, main courses and desserts. Unfortunately they don't have many main dishes that are vegetarian (forget vegan) but since the pasta is made to order it wouldn't seem to be a big deal (though it is, which I'll address a little later). On our Valentine's Day trip J-Fur and I started with mozzarella caprese and the insalata toscana (mixed greens, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, apples, nuts and gorgonzola). For Lana's birthday we skipped the appetizers and went straight to the meal.

The caprese and salad were very good as the vegetables were fresh and juicy and the balance of oil and vinegar to vegetables seemed just about right. For our main dishes, I ordered the tortellini genovese minus the prosciutto (this was at Valentine's Day) and the Melanzana Parmigiana. J-Fur went with the gnocchi patate dolci and the spaghetti primavera.

Half of my Eggplant leftover the next day

None of the main courses are cheap. They start around 13.95 (for the pasta primavera) and go to somewhere around 40.00 dollars (for a fish special of some sort). While the portion size is very large, we can always get at least two meals out of it, the food isn't amazing enough that I feel comfortable shelling out so much money. My biggest problem is the lack of vegetarian/vegan options. It has been my experience that when you combat the lack of veggie menu items by ordering a meat dish and removing the meat the rest of the dish is thrown off just a tad. My tortellini didn't have as much punch as I had hoped and it lacked a little on the pesto side. J-Fur's gnocchi was very rich and needed a decent amount of salt (or tomato sauce) to really bring all the flavors together and her pasta primavera was only so-so (but is pasta primavera really ever that great?). The eggplant, which was vegetarian to begin with, was absolutely fabulous (though I can make it at home for much less money). There aren't major problems with the Laughing Cat. There is nothing that would be reason enough for me to say that it isn't good food or you shouldn't go there. I just think that it is too overpriced and limited for the vegetarian/vegan eater.

I've heard of a few other Italian restaurants in the Tampa area that are more suitable for vegetarians. Guess I'll have to give them a try.

The Laughing Cat is located at 1820 N. 15th Street, Tampa, FL 33605.

To really give the night an accurate feel I should've arrived at the Laughing Cat in a limousine (if you gonna pay more, why not pay more). I wasn't able to arrange this but I did the next best thing. I enjoyed the indietronica sounds of California's the Limousines. Specifically "Dancing at Her Funeral" and "Internet Killed the Video Star." Both tracks come from Get Sharp which was originally released in 2010 and then re-released early this year on Dangerbird Records.

Dancing At Her Funeral by TheLimousines

"Did you hear what they said? That Rock 'N' Roll is dead? Yeah, Its like a zombie it'll dig itself back up again."

Where we eat: The Bricks of Ybor Mortared by Terrible Feelings

The let down I experienced on Record Store Day has been well documented. But it wasn't all bad. As J-Fur and I strolled around Ybor City she suggested we find some place that served drinks so that she could get an iced tea. Lo and behold The Bricks of Ybor appeared in front of us. This place looked like a coffee shop, so I figured typical trendy hipster coffee fare. But once we walked inside I realized that it wore a number of hats. Sure there was the coffee bar but there was also the alcoholic beverage counter, the live music area and even a kitchen. We sat down and J-Fur ordered her iced tea making it clear to the waitress that the iced tea was all she wanted. But that sly waitress placed a menu in front of us anyway and I couldn't help but look at it.

It seemed like a relatively normal affair. There were appetizers, salads, sandwiches and breakfast fare. Nothing that made it stand out. But then I came to the Peanut Butter Bar section and realized how wrong I had been. There were pre-constructed peanut butter sandwiches already in place (the Elvis, the Amsterdam and the PB&P) or there was a build your own section where you could choose from a list of toppings (anything from ham to cheese to hummus to your typical nutella and jelly were at your disposal). I wasn't in the peanut butter sandwich mood so J-Fur and I decided to start with the house made black bean dip and then follow it up with the deluxe grilled cheese.

The bean dip was right up J-Fur's alley. She kept saying how good it was but she couldn't place what it was that she really liked. I told her it was the garlic. That bean dip was laced with garlic. I love garlic but for some reason I don't like garlic with my black bean dip. So I let J-Fur eat most of the dip.


The deluxe grilled cheese was made up of red onions, pesto, tomato, spinach and smoked mozzarella all smashed onto a baguette. It is served with a salad that featured a lemon basil vinaigrette (a crazy fusion of sweet and sour). The grilled cheese was good, the baguette amazing. I eat most of my baguettes from grocery stores and I could tell the difference immediately. Crispier, fluffier and with a softer inside. You could've probably put vomit on the baguette and I would've loved it, that's how good the bread was. Not to say the insides taste like vomit. I mean pesto, red onion and spinach covered with cheese what can top that? In an incredible coincidence, J-Fur wasn't too fond of the cheese they put on top. Guess next time she'll eat all the bean dip and I'll solo it on the grilled cheese. That is if I don't get the blackstar bean burger instead.

The Bricks of Ybor is located at East 7th Avenue in Tampa.




While baguettes are sandwiches best served soft, Terrible Feelings is quite the opposite. Loud, dark, therapeutic and rough around the edges. The band, first blogged here and here, have a new 7 inch that features "Tied Up" and "No Meaning." The 7 inch is being released by Timmeheiehumme Records from Germany. Internationally it will be distributed by P. Trash. There are only 500 copies being pressed so get yours while the getting is good.

No Meaning by Terrible Feelings

Tied Up by Terrible Feelings

Where We Eat: Mr. Dunderbak's with The Boom Bang and Ponytail

A German inspired restaurant is not the place that a vegetarian expects to find decent food. So the first few times I found myself at Mr. Dunderbak's I put little effort into making a decision. I barely even glanced at the menu before ordering a pretzel, pomme frites and potato lattkes. I always left feeling that the next time I saw a potato would be too soon. On my fourth trip there, I can't help that my friends love the beer, I heard a fellow vegetarian order a "vegetarian rueben." Say what? All of a sudden I began paying attention. It seems that Mr. Dunderbak's had a few vegetarian options that didn't include potatoes or pretzels.

On our last visit, which came shortly after a 13 mile run and shortly before another, I went with my normal appetizer choice of soft pretzel. This time I was given a choice of a super pretzel or an actual German imported soft pretzel. I went with the German one:

I am not proud to admit that the heavy denseness of the German pretzel was too much to get past. Despite my best efforts of dousing it in mustard/ketchup mixtures and drinking lots of water I couldn't help but think 'I should've gotten the super pretzel.' I finished it but it wasn't easy.

While I was working on my pretzel, J-Fur and our friends Bob and Elizabeth were working on her appetizer staple, Pomme Frites. These fried potatoes are the best that I've tried in the bay area. They lack the sweetness and dairy of Datz, aren't too thick or thin and feature a great balance of crisp and soft. The Pomme Frites also aren't overly salted, something that most potatoes can't claim.

For the main course I looked at the menu even though there wasn't a doubt that I would be purchasing the Vegetarian Reuben. Ever since I heard its name whispered I'd been dreaming about getting my own. The Reuben is served with a pickle and more potatoes (chips) which I ignored. The Reuben is an exercise in crispy mush. The top piece of bread is baked to a toast like texture while the inside (sauerkraut, cheese and thousand island dressing) and bottom slice are soggy. I didn't mind it. J-Fur, or someone with a texture problem, probably would. There is a fine line that this Reuben walks. One that dances between too creamy and just right. I've eaten the Reuben twice and the first time it was brilliant. The second time the preparer had put just a little too much dressing on it and it punched me in the gut (for days to come):

J-Fur went with locally made potato and cheese pierogies topped with onions and peppers. They were served alongside sour cream but with their natural taste the topping was not necessary:

To bring the feast to a close, J-Fur ordered a German Chocolate Cake which she passed around the table a few times. My bites were small as chocolate and coconut aren't my thing. But the tastes were not too overpowering so that I couldn't enjoy what was taking place in my mouth. I actually would've eaten more had I not downed some strawberries and whipped cream earlier in Plant City:


From beginning to end Mr. Dunderbak's is a beer place and restaurant that I can get into. Now that I've paid attention to the menu, it is also a place I can frequent quite a few more times before cashing out all the vegetarian options they have to offer. Open late.

Mr. Dunderbak's is located at 14929 Bruce B. Downs in Tampa, FL



Are Ponytail done playing live or aren't they? It was only last year that Dustin Wong announced Whartscape 2010 would be the band's last show and rumors of a break-up began rumbling. Then the band complicated things by offering details of a new album. Will they support it? Are these leaders of the yelp revolution living on borrowed time? Should we even care about the future and just live in the present? Here's to number three and "Easy Peasy." Thanks to Pitchfork for the link.

Ponytail-Easy Peasy

The Boom Bang are a garage rock outfit that hail from Norman, Oklahoma. "Tobacula" is a dirty ditty about a smoking vampire or something like that. It sounds like it comes from the bottom of a five mile tunnel a la early Misfits. Tobacula is off the band's debut album World War Fun (out next week). You can catch these guys at SXSW.

The Boom Bang-Tobacula

Where we eat: Bricco painted with Alcoholic Faith Mission and U.S. Royalty

Here I was with punk slogans and pictures all across my jacket sitting in the same restaurant as stuffy lawyers, businessman and the governor spending his last few days in office. Needless to say, Bricco was an experience I don't get to enjoy too often. It is an upscale restaurant in downtown Harrisburg, PA. The restaurant is a collaboration between the Olewine School of Culinary Arts at Harrisburg Area Community College and the Harrisburg Hotel Corporation (which manages the Harrisburg Hilton).

Upon entrance, we were met by a hostess who offered to check our coats. I, having worn my the last six days straight, had become attached and kept mine but J-Fur and her mom and sister all checked theirs. We were seated in the dining room, right in front of the 100+ bottles of wine and in the midst of some colorful paintings. Our waitress took our drink orders. I requested water and was surprised when she said "Would you like our Natura water, either sparkling or not, or would you prefer plan tap water?" It seems that Bricco has their purification on site and they call that water Natura water. It is served in a glass bottle that is reusable. The menu says that it is a way to "promote Earth friendly ideas." So is tap water but I guess upscale needs to have an alternative for all those people that look down their noses at water out of a tap.

Our waitress brought out some bread and olive tapenade to munch on while we ordered. The tapenade combined garlic with olives and capers. A little salty for my taste but better than most tapenades I've had in the past:

Bricco has a number of small cold plates that you can start with called Sputini Freddi and J-Fur's mom and I both decided to get one. She picked a beet salad with local goat cheese and pistachios and I ordered the roasted corn, mushrooms and walnuts. A selection of two of these were six dollars. They were small mounds, beautifully arranged on a rectangle plate, and came with toasted bread. While both Freddi's were good, I liked the corn better. It was not overloaded with sauce or oil, just enough to bring out the flavor of the fresh corn and mushrooms. I plan to make my own version when corn comes back in season:

It came time to order and we all took different approaches. J-Fur's sister went with "Chesapeake Sliders" (crab cakes with lettuce, tomato and remoulade), her mom a Kennet Square Stone Oven Pizza (burrata, carmelized onion and truffle oil), J-Fur a "Soma" Margherita Pizza (mozzarella, tomatoes and basil) and I ordered Fungi Trifolati (stewed local mushrooms with Anson Mills polenta) and Bricco "French Fries" with truffle aioli:

Kennet Square Pizza

Bricco Fries

Fungi Trifolati

I'm not a big fan of brick oven pizza. I prefer pizzas with a thick crust that is not very crisp. I do appreciate the brick oven pizza places usually try different toppings and combinations that you won't find at your typical pizza place. Bricco's pizza was no exception. I ate a slice of J-Fur's and wasn't too impressed (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil will do that to me as well). The Kennet Square Pizza was much better because it had the carmelized onion and truffle oil combo which was top notch. The crust wasn't too crisp but still wasn't my thing. The Fungi Trifolati looked very liquidy when it came out, like a bunch of oil rose to the top, but surprisingly it didn't taste that way. What stood out was the fresh mushrooms that topped the dish. These were hundreds of times better than any I had ever eaten before. It made me want to take up foraging (which I've contemplated since reading Omnivore's Dilemma).

But as good as the polenta and mushrooms were it was the fries that left the best impression. They came out in a metal pedestal cup lined by newspaper print paper. Perfectly golden and inviting, the fries had a beautiful blend of crisp and soft and were neither too greasy or salty. Hands down, they were the best fries I ate all last year. The truffle aioli made me forget ketchup for one hour (which doesn't ever happen with aioli).

The prices, especially for the pizzas, might seem a bit expensive but you probably won't finish everything you order and the taste makes the extra dollars worth it. At the very least, come here and order some fries, look at the paintings and then leave without putting too much of a strain on your wallet.

Bricco is located at 31 South Third Street in Harrisburg, PA.
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Bricco signified a return to the capital of my home state. That return, coupled with the wall of wine, remind me of Denmark's Alcoholic Faith Mission (posted about here and interviewed here). The band have announced a new EP coming our way in March. To tide everyone over, they released one of the tracks, "Running with Insanity," for free download.

Alcoholic Faith Mission - Running With Insanity by Paper Garden Records

Out this week is the debut album for U.S. Royalty, Mirrors. One of the songs on the album is "Equestrian" a folksy pop traipse through the mountains with some "Ohs" and guitar solos thrown in. I've seen them compared to Local Natives and Fleet Foxes but I would disagree (mainly because I don't really like either of them and I do like U.S. Royalty).

Equestrian by usroyalty

Hopefully this will quell the tumblr community.