Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: ABSOLUT MANGO

I'm definitely a vodka kind-of-gal, but not sure this is the vodka for me. Tried it with a variety of accompaniments: lime seltzer, Crystal Light lemonade, grapefruit juice (definitely the best of the three). Perhaps it was a bit too tart, which doesn't really say mango to me.

Better Late Than Never Reviews: Tomboy - Panda Bear

Tomboy - Panda Bear

Timing is everything.

Such is the lesson learned upon listening to Tomboy, the fourth studio album by Noah Lennox, one-third of the indie pop group Animal Collective. Four years ago, Lennox created Person Pitch, a collection of borderline chants that melded Brian Wilson-era sonics and vocals with looped instrumentation and samples, turning Pitchfork on its ear and pretty much creating its own (much aped) musical genre. Then, in 2009, he went back into the studio with Animal Collective. When the band emerged, it had the unquestioned album of the year and perhaps one of the best of the first decade of the 21st Century, a piece of work called Merriweather Post Pavillion. Listen to songs like "My Girls," "Also Frightened," and "Brother Sport," and you will hear sounds that seem utterly foreign yet strangely familiar. In other words, the group combined their singular sonic perspective with elements of pop and songcraft to create something utterly phenomenal.

Better Late Than Never Reviews: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two - Beastie Boys

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two - Beastie Boys

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, the new album by Brooklyn's finest rap trio, Beasties Boys was supposed to be released in 2010, but was delayed due to a medical leave by the group's Adam Yauch (aka, MCA). However, Yauch overcame his struggles with throat cancer, and returned with cohorts Michael Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) and a sound that merges the strongest aspects of hip-hop, punk, reggae, and any other genre that can sound spectacular when done right. Highlights abound on this album (it is a truly complete listen and one of the best of the year; plus, skits are kept to a minimum), but standouts include the serious throwback "Nonstop Disco Powerpack," "Say It," which starts off with something resembling a distorted buzzsaw and only gets more brutal from there including a speaker-blowing beat and massive chorus, and "Long Burn the Fire." The latter, which after many listens has been designated the album's instant classic, starts with dueling guitar/keys, only to evolve into a chorus that takes an old-school 70s sample and renders it unrecognizable and funky via particularly deft DJ work. Yauch starts the song proclaiming it to be "some nasty sh!t," and he is not spouting empty rhetoric. If you are not a fan of original, exhiliratingly executed hip-hop music, move directly to "Lee Majors Come Again" for energetic, surging punk, or see "Funky Donkey" for a bassline that is pretty much the epitome of...well, funk (the steel drum is quite awesome as well). When it comes to experimenting with musical genres, Hot Sauce Committee Part II has something for everyone. And it is all tasty as hell. Thank God for MCA's doctors.

A New Piece: Paradise Pizza Whole Wheat Crust

Every time Memorial Day weekend rolls around, I find myself dreaming of suntans, sand, and of course, a slice from Mack & Manco's. But this holiday weekend is one we're spending at home sweet home and I must say that we are doing a pretty good job of making it a holiday. Late night Scrabble on the deck (which we made into a mini-oasis complete with cafe lights) and mango vodka cocktails certainly help.

We're still on the diet good foot, but at bit lax because it is a holiday weekend. So we decided to pick up a pie from Paradise Pizza, a spot we reviewed back in February and have since visited a few times. And I couldn't help but notice a small handwritten sign on the counter about the availability of whole wheat crust. If I had suggested we try it a few months ago, the hubby would have laughed me out of the pizza shop, but he's pretty committed to the whole diet thing and agreed to test it out.

A Very Civilized Night at Chap's Taproom

Chap's Taproom is definitely the best bar in the Norristown area. They have a very diverse, rotating selection of beverages. They have the requisite large televisions for viewing of the local sports teams. They have a very friendly, accomodating bar staff. They have a very good menu, with the Works roast beef and the wings serving as the unquestioned highlights. Hell, they even have a set of attractive twins working as servers!!! (I don't know...it's just cool to think about when bombed.)

But the really awesome thing about Chap's is that they are always looking for that next thing. They don't remain static. Sometimes their ideas are misses (from what I heard, their first venture into Comedy Night was an unmitigated disaster), but sometimes they really hit the right notes. And with a little work, the event we went to the other night could really be a hit. It was a beer dinner, and in this post I will give you the play-by-play of this inaugural event.

Course 1

When myself and the wife first rolled in (we were meeting our friends V and D - names omitted to protect our anonymity), we were greeted by our pal, a bartender named Mark, with a Samuel Adams Boston Lager. At first, we were really worried that the beers we would be served would be thimble-sized to preserve the aura of true fanciness. Instead, we were each poured a full 16-ounce glass. The food course that this beer accompanied was a cheese plate, along with grapes. Personally, I am not a big cheese person. But I ate it. It was fine. And the grapes were...grapes. I've yet to meet a person who could f*ck up grapes. So no complaints...other than the fact that I don't consider Sam Adams to be a very good beer. It is really just a step above the Miller Lites and the Bud Lights and the Yuenglings of the world. I would have liked a little more at a beer dinner.

Tale of the Pie: Victory Brewing Company

What a day it was on Sunday!

Me and the missus, along with a number of our closest friends and the Little Man in jogging stroller, competed in Victory Brewing Company's Run for Ryan. I think this was some sort of charity, although I have no idea who Ryan is nor what his particular ailment is. All I knew is I was out there to run 3.2 miles, and when the race was finished I would be allowed to drink beer and eat barbecue. Yes, the lady allowed me to break away from my diet for this affair!

So with the lady relegated to the jogging stroller, I busted out of the blocks with Beastie Boys' Hot Sauce Committee Part II blaring! Thanks to my time-honored technique of pretending that masked revolutionaries had kidnapped my dog and threatened to kill him if I began to walk (it got me through the Broad St.), I ran the entire time through wobbly legs and rickety breathing apparatus. In fact, I sprinted the last quarter-mile like a man who would be handed a beer at the end of his toils...since I was. I finished the race in 23:59, pretty much a 7 and a 1/2 minute mile average on the button and good for 115th out of approximately 500 runners. Not bad.

Overall, a Very Good Thyme!

The other morning, we decided to go out for breakfast, and as our destination we chose a place near us called The Thyme Cafe. It is a nice, small spot (maybe eight tables) in Norristown that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (it is a BYOB). We are, of course, on a health kick, and since they have some healthy options on their menu, it seemed like this was the place for us.

I ordered the Breakfast Burrito, a very tasty selection with egg, black beans, and steak, while the lady had Huevos Rancheros, which came adorned with chorizo...and some other stuff (I have to work on my foodie retention skills, and, unfortunately, I don't believe they have a website to access a menu). For the little guy, we ordered the blueberry pancakes. The breakfast burrito was very good (I have actually had it several times and it is a quick go-to), and wifey reported that the Huevos Rancheros was also quite satisfactory (although probably not a good choice directly before a 5K race). I did steal a bite of Lil' Man's pancakes as well. Although these delights are probably persona non grata during my pursuit of the body of Adonis/less obese hemoglobin, I can say that the chomp I had was pleasing indeed. So basically, The Thyme Cafe has the food bit down. The owner, a guy named Andrew, has spent several years in the restaurant business and it seems like he puts a great deal of care into every meal that is released from the kitchen.