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Nicki Minaj owned last Friday, December 8, with the arrival of Pink Friday 2, and she will be headlining several Fridays in 2024, as she announced her Pink Friday 2 World Tour this morning, December 11. (The Barbz will appreciate that Minaj also referred to it as “The #GagCity Tour.”

The 2024 trek will begin on Friday, March 1, at Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. Minaj will weave through North America — including a March 30 date at New York City’s Madison Square Garden — before performing a few dates across the UK and Europe in May and June.

When Do Tickets For Nicki Minaj’s 2024 Pink Friday 2 World Tour Come Out?

As per press release, there will be separate sales for the North American and European/UK legs. There will be an exclusive presale for Citi cardmembers beginning on Tuesday, December 12, at 9 a.m. local time and running until Thursday, December 14, at 9 p.m. local time, and “additional presales will run throughout the week.” The general onsale is scheduled for Friday, December 15, at 9 a.m. local time.

Tickets for European and UK dates “are available now with artist presale access,” according to the press release, and “additional presales will run throughout the week.” The general sale for this leg is also scheduled for Friday, December 15, at 9 a.m. local time.

How To Buy Tickets For Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour

Find more information about the Citi presale here, and Minaj’s official website is the spot for all other ticket-related questions. However, fans interested in VIP packages will need to head here, where offerings will include “premium tickets and access to the Gag City Headquarters, Nicki’s VIP lounge with special pop-up activations, exclusive merch items, and more.”

What Are Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour Dates?

03/01/2024 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/03/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
03/08/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
03/10/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
03/13/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
03/15/2024 — Inglewood, CA @ Rolling Loud California
03/18/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
03/20/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
03/22/2024 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
03/26/2024 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
03/28/2024 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
03/29/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/30/2024 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
04/01/2024 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
04/02/2024 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
04/04/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
04/05/2024 — Hartford, CT @ XL Center
04/07/2024 — Raleigh, NC @ Dreamville Festival
04/10/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
04/12/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
04/13/2024 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
04/17/2024 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
04/18/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
04/20/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
04/24/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
04/27/2024 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
05/02/2024 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
05/09/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
05/11/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
05/12/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
05/25/2024 — Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
05/26/2024 — Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
05/28/2024 — London, UK @ The O2
06/01/2024 — Paris, France @ Accor Arena
06/02/2024 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
06/05/2024 — Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
06/07/2024 — Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena

Just a few days after releasing her long-awaited fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, Nicki Minaj has announced the tour dates for the Pink Friday 2 Tour. With the tour date announcement, she also confirmed that she’ll be performing at some upcoming festivals. One is the Dreamville Festival in North Carolina, while the other is the California iteration of Rolling Loud in Inglewood, which she was previously confirmed as a headliner for.

Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday, December 15.

Here Are Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 Tour Dates

03/01/2024 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/03/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
03/08/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
03/10/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
03/13/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
03/15/2024 — Inglewood, CA @ Rolling Loud California*
03/18/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
03/20/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
03/22/2024 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
03/26/2024 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
03/28/2024 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
03/29/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/30/2024 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
04/01/2024 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
04/02/2024 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
04/04/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
04/05/2024 — Hartford, CT @ XL Center
04/07/2024 — Raleigh, NC @ Dreamville Festival*
04/10/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
04/12/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
04/13/2024 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
04/17/2024 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
04/18/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
04/20/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
04/24/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
04/27/2024 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
05/02/2024 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
05/09/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
05/11/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
05/12/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
05/25/2024 — Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
05/26/2024 — Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
05/28/2024 — London, UK @ The O2
06/01/2024 — Paris, France @ Accor Arena
06/02/2024 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
06/05/2024 — Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
06/07/2024 — Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena

* Festivals

Nicki Minaj owned last Friday, December 8, with the arrival of Pink Friday 2, and she will be headlining several Fridays in 2024, as she announced her Pink Friday 2 World Tour this morning, December 11. (The Barbz will appreciate that Minaj also referred to it as “The #GagCity Tour.”

The 2024 trek will begin on Friday, March 1, at Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. Minaj will weave through North America — including a March 30 date at New York City’s Madison Square Garden — before performing a few dates across the UK and Europe in May and June.

When Do Tickets For Nicki Minaj’s 2024 Pink Friday 2 World Tour Come Out?

As per press release, there will be separate sales for the North American and European/UK legs. There will be an exclusive presale for Citi cardmembers beginning on Tuesday, December 12, at 9 a.m. local time and running until Thursday, December 14, at 9 p.m. local time, and “additional presales will run throughout the week.” The general onsale is scheduled for Friday, December 15, at 9 a.m. local time.

Tickets for European and UK dates “are available now with artist presale access,” according to the press release, and “additional presales will run throughout the week.” The general sale for this leg is also scheduled for Friday, December 15, at 9 a.m. local time.

How To Buy Tickets For Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour

Find more information about the Citi presale here, and Minaj’s official website is the spot for all other ticket-related questions. However, fans interested in VIP packages will need to head here, where offerings will include “premium tickets and access to the Gag City Headquarters, Nicki’s VIP lounge with special pop-up activations, exclusive merch items, and more.”

What Are Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour Dates?

03/01/2024 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/03/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
03/08/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
03/10/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
03/13/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
03/15/2024 — Inglewood, CA @ Rolling Loud California
03/18/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
03/20/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
03/22/2024 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
03/26/2024 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
03/28/2024 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
03/29/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/30/2024 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
04/01/2024 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
04/02/2024 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
04/04/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
04/05/2024 — Hartford, CT @ XL Center
04/07/2024 — Raleigh, NC @ Dreamville Festival
04/10/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
04/12/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
04/13/2024 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
04/17/2024 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
04/18/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
04/20/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
04/24/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
04/27/2024 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
05/02/2024 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
05/09/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
05/11/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
05/12/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
05/25/2024 — Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
05/26/2024 — Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
05/28/2024 — London, UK @ The O2
06/01/2024 — Paris, France @ Accor Arena
06/02/2024 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
06/05/2024 — Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
06/07/2024 — Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena

Nicki Minaj owned last Friday, December 8, with the arrival of Pink Friday 2, and she will be headlining several Fridays in 2024, as she announced her Pink Friday 2 World Tour this morning, December 11. (The Barbz will appreciate that Minaj also referred to it as “The #GagCity Tour.”

The 2024 trek will begin on Friday, March 1, at Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. Minaj will weave through North America — including a March 30 date at New York City’s Madison Square Garden — before performing a few dates across the UK and Europe in May and June.

When Do Tickets For Nicki Minaj’s 2024 Pink Friday 2 World Tour Come Out?

As per press release, there will be separate sales for the North American and European/UK legs. There will be an exclusive presale for Citi cardmembers beginning on Tuesday, December 12, at 9 a.m. local time and running until Thursday, December 14, at 9 p.m. local time, and “additional presales will run throughout the week.” The general onsale is scheduled for Friday, December 15, at 9 a.m. local time.

Tickets for European and UK dates “are available now with artist presale access,” according to the press release, and “additional presales will run throughout the week.” The general sale for this leg is also scheduled for Friday, December 15, at 9 a.m. local time.

How To Buy Tickets For Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour

Find more information about the Citi presale here, and Minaj’s official website is the spot for all other ticket-related questions. However, fans interested in VIP packages will need to head here, where offerings will include “premium tickets and access to the Gag City Headquarters, Nicki’s VIP lounge with special pop-up activations, exclusive merch items, and more.”

What Are Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour Dates?

03/01/2024 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/03/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
03/08/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
03/10/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
03/13/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
03/15/2024 — Inglewood, CA @ Rolling Loud California
03/18/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
03/20/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
03/22/2024 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
03/26/2024 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
03/28/2024 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
03/29/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/30/2024 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
04/01/2024 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
04/02/2024 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
04/04/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
04/05/2024 — Hartford, CT @ XL Center
04/07/2024 — Raleigh, NC @ Dreamville Festival
04/10/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
04/12/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
04/13/2024 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
04/17/2024 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
04/18/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
04/20/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
04/24/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
04/27/2024 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
05/02/2024 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
05/09/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
05/11/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
05/12/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
05/25/2024 — Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
05/26/2024 — Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
05/28/2024 — London, UK @ The O2
06/01/2024 — Paris, France @ Accor Arena
06/02/2024 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
06/05/2024 — Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
06/07/2024 — Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena

The Kansas City Chiefs fell to 8-5 on Sunday afternoon after a 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills in a critical game for AFC playoff positioning. The win moved the Bills closer to the Wild Card, while the Chiefs fell to just a game up on the Broncos in the AFC West.

The way the game ended was particularly wild, as a go-ahead touchdown for Kansas City on an incredible play by Travis Kelce to lateral the ball to Kadarius Toney got called back for Toney being lined up offsides at the snap. It was very clear that Toney was lined up with his foot across the ball, and for most in the moment, there was no real controversy over the call. However, Patrick Mahomes lost his mind on the sideline and torched the refs after the game, along with Andy Reid, for making what was a pretty obvious call.

It was a rather bizarre hill to die on, that the refs should have not made the call in that spot or should have warned the Chiefs sideline he was offsides — the latter especially because Kansas City was in a hurry-up so they wouldn’t have had time to fix it anyways. Toney was, quite literally, looking at the ball while he was offsides and never bothered to look to the sideline and check with the line judge to make sure he was good before the snap.

On Monday morning, that play was a hot topic of conversation, but even in the world of sports debate TV, you couldn’t find many willing to side with Mahomes and the Chiefs’ frustration. On Undisputed, Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman, and Michael Irvin provided an excellent breakdown of why that was all on Toney, with Irvin and Sherman being particularly appalled that the Chiefs tried to blame the refs for the call.

As Johnson notes in the above video, you’re taught since high school that when you are the X receiver (meaning on the line, not off the ball) you always check to make sure you’re good with the line judge and they will tell you yes or no. That’s the basics of playing the position, and Sherman piggybacked on that saying it’s the same for corners and made a salient point that with all the advantages given to the offense nowadays, to complain about being called for an obvious violation of one of the few rules that can work against the offense is ridiculous.

From there, Irvin spoke about the Chiefs receivers having a general lack of focus all year on drops and this was an extension of that, noting Eric Bieniemy’s departure is an underrated aspect of the Chiefs struggles this season, pointing out that in Washington the frustration has been how hard he’s on them, but that’s what’s needed to demand focus on the details like lining up properly. He also echoed Sherman in his disappointment with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes calling this a referee issue, when it was a clear penalty.

For how often sports daytime TV can be people yelling about nonsense, this is a really good conversation and breakdown of the basics of the position from some of the best to play it and provides valuable insight to fans about the biggest play of the day in the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs fell to 8-5 on Sunday afternoon after a 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills in a critical game for AFC playoff positioning. The win moved the Bills closer to the Wild Card, while the Chiefs fell to just a game up on the Broncos in the AFC West.

The way the game ended was particularly wild, as a go-ahead touchdown for Kansas City on an incredible play by Travis Kelce to lateral the ball to Kadarius Toney got called back for Toney being lined up offsides at the snap. It was very clear that Toney was lined up with his foot across the ball, and for most in the moment, there was no real controversy over the call. However, Patrick Mahomes lost his mind on the sideline and torched the refs after the game, along with Andy Reid, for making what was a pretty obvious call.

It was a rather bizarre hill to die on, that the refs should have not made the call in that spot or should have warned the Chiefs sideline he was offsides — the latter especially because Kansas City was in a hurry-up so they wouldn’t have had time to fix it anyways. Toney was, quite literally, looking at the ball while he was offsides and never bothered to look to the sideline and check with the line judge to make sure he was good before the snap.

On Monday morning, that play was a hot topic of conversation, but even in the world of sports debate TV, you couldn’t find many willing to side with Mahomes and the Chiefs’ frustration. On Undisputed, Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman, and Michael Irvin provided an excellent breakdown of why that was all on Toney, with Irvin and Sherman being particularly appalled that the Chiefs tried to blame the refs for the call.

As Johnson notes in the above video, you’re taught since high school that when you are the X receiver (meaning on the line, not off the ball) you always check to make sure you’re good with the line judge and they will tell you yes or no. That’s the basics of playing the position, and Sherman piggybacked on that saying it’s the same for corners and made a salient point that with all the advantages given to the offense nowadays, to complain about being called for an obvious violation of one of the few rules that can work against the offense is ridiculous.

From there, Irvin spoke about the Chiefs receivers having a general lack of focus all year on drops and this was an extension of that, noting Eric Bieniemy’s departure is an underrated aspect of the Chiefs struggles this season, pointing out that in Washington the frustration has been how hard he’s on them, but that’s what’s needed to demand focus on the details like lining up properly. He also echoed Sherman in his disappointment with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes calling this a referee issue, when it was a clear penalty.

For how often sports daytime TV can be people yelling about nonsense, this is a really good conversation and breakdown of the basics of the position from some of the best to play it and provides valuable insight to fans about the biggest play of the day in the NFL.

The Access Hollywood tape should have been the end of Donald Trump‘s presidential aspirations. Instead, it was just the beginning. On October 7, 2016, a month before the election, the Washington Post reported that Trump “bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping, and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone.” The headline-grabbing quotes: “Just kiss. I don’t even wait.” “And when you’re a star, they let you do it.” “Grab them by the p*ssy.”

Raw Story reports that Trump is now claiming that an unnamed general called him braver than any solider he’s ever met for appearing at a debate with Hillary Clinton shortly after the tape dropped.

“I went onto that stage just a few days later,” Trump boasted to some Young Republicans about his “locker room talk” this weekend. “And a general, who’s a fantastic general, actually, said to me, ‘Sir, I’ve been on the battlefield, men have gone down on my left and on my right. I stood on hills with soldiers who were killed. But I believe the bravest thing I’ve ever seen was the night you went onto that stage with Hillary Clinton after what happened.’”

What’s the chance this actually happened? Two percent? One percent? Zero percent? Let’s go with zero.

(Via Raw Story)

The distance from the road to the front door of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is roughly three miles. The drive down the tranquil, tree-lined path located outside of Austin, Texas, fills you with excitement: for lounging in the peaceful resort nestled in the Texas wilderness, for a relaxing massage in the luxurious spa, and, perhaps most of all, for sushi. The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is the home of Sushi by Scratch, a popular omakase restaurant from acclaimed chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee that’s a favorite of many, including the world’s most popular podcaster.

“HOLY FUCK was this good. Just absolutely incredible,” Joe Rogan wrote on his Instagram last year. “I can’t recommend this place enough. Just absolutely sensational.”

In another post from April of this year, he called it the “best sushi on earth.” Rogan again preached the virtues of Sushi by Scratch’s during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, telling guest Elon Musk that it’s “the best sushi you’ll ever eat” and “the best sushi of all time.”

I’m no fan of Joe Rogan (for spreading misinformation, for wanting Tucker Carlson to run for president, for claiming The Hangover is the last “really good” comedy movie) or Elon Musk (for… how long do you have?), and I would rather eat a gallon of Popeyes coleslaw than listen to them talk for three hours. But I am a fan of things being called the “best” ever.

So I made a trip to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa for my inaugural visit to Sushi by Scratch.

After walking through the aforementioned grounds and the cozy interior of the resort, you head upstairs to a waiting room where you’re greeted with a complimentary cocktail. Once it’s time for your reservation, you’re ushered into a private dining room with less than a dozen seats. Behind the sushi chefs is a board listing out that night’s tasting menu: hamachi, toro, madai, kanpachi, wagyu, melts-in-your-mouth bone marrow, etc. There were 17 courses total (with an option for more at the end), all with thoughtful flavor profiles that made me forget Austin is a land-locked city. I could taste the salty sea in the escolar; even the hotate, which I’m generally not a fan of (call me a scallop skeptic), went down easy. It was light and almost sweet.

The pacing was just right between the courses; I never felt too hungry or too full. In the dining room, there was an expectation to talk to your fellow patrons and the friendly chefs, but no pressure. The only time I heard the young duo to my right say anything, other than to each other, was an audible, Homer Simpson-style “mmm” from a guy after he finished a bite of sushi.

Sushi by Scratch, which also offers a beverage pairing with an emphasis on sake, whiskey, and Japanese-inspired cocktails, isn’t the most traditional omakase (Lee has acknowledged as such, calling himself “some young, white kid” in an interview with Eater Chicago). But between the food, the drinks, and the experience, it’s worth the cost, especially if you spend the night at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa.

Joe Rogan has been known to… stretch the truth about some things. Not here: Sushi by Scratch is as good as he claims. It completely lives up to the hype.

To make a reservation for Sushi by Scratch, click here. You can also book a stay for Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, which is currently all decked out for the holidays.

The distance from the road to the front door of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is roughly three miles. The drive down the tranquil, tree-lined path located outside of Austin, Texas, fills you with excitement: for lounging in the peaceful resort nestled in the Texas wilderness, for a relaxing massage in the luxurious spa, and, perhaps most of all, for sushi. The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is the home of Sushi by Scratch, a popular omakase restaurant from acclaimed chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee that’s a favorite of many, including the world’s most popular podcaster.

“HOLY FUCK was this good. Just absolutely incredible,” Joe Rogan wrote on his Instagram last year. “I can’t recommend this place enough. Just absolutely sensational.”

In another post from April of this year, he called it the “best sushi on earth.” Rogan again preached the virtues of Sushi by Scratch’s during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, telling guest Elon Musk that it’s “the best sushi you’ll ever eat” and “the best sushi of all time.”

I’m no fan of Joe Rogan (for spreading misinformation, for wanting Tucker Carlson to run for president, for claiming The Hangover is the last “really good” comedy movie) or Elon Musk (for… how long do you have?), and I would rather eat a gallon of Popeyes coleslaw than listen to them talk for three hours. But I am a fan of things being called the “best” ever.

So I made a trip to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa for my inaugural visit to Sushi by Scratch.

After walking through the aforementioned grounds and the cozy interior of the resort, you head upstairs to a waiting room where you’re greeted with a complimentary cocktail. Once it’s time for your reservation, you’re ushered into a private dining room with less than a dozen seats. Behind the sushi chefs is a board listing out that night’s tasting menu: hamachi, toro, madai, kanpachi, wagyu, melts-in-your-mouth bone marrow, etc. There were 17 courses total (with an option for more at the end), all with thoughtful flavor profiles that made me forget Austin is a land-locked city. I could taste the salty sea in the escolar; even the hotate, which I’m generally not a fan of (call me a scallop skeptic), went down easy. It was light and almost sweet.

The pacing was just right between the courses; I never felt too hungry or too full. In the dining room, there was an expectation to talk to your fellow patrons and the friendly chefs, but no pressure. The only time I heard the young duo to my right say anything, other than to each other, was an audible, Homer Simpson-style “mmm” from a guy after he finished a bite of sushi.

Sushi by Scratch, which also offers a beverage pairing with an emphasis on sake, whiskey, and Japanese-inspired cocktails, isn’t the most traditional omakase (Lee has acknowledged as such, calling himself “some young, white kid” in an interview with Eater Chicago). But between the food, the drinks, and the experience, it’s worth the cost, especially if you spend the night at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa.

Joe Rogan has been known to… stretch the truth about some things. Not here: Sushi by Scratch is as good as he claims. It completely lives up to the hype.

To make a reservation for Sushi by Scratch, click here. You can also book a stay for Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, which is currently all decked out for the holidays.

The distance from the road to the front door of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is roughly three miles. The drive down the tranquil, tree-lined path located outside of Austin, Texas, fills you with excitement: for lounging in the peaceful resort nestled in the Texas wilderness, for a relaxing massage in the luxurious spa, and, perhaps most of all, for sushi. The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is the home of Sushi by Scratch, a popular omakase restaurant from acclaimed chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee that’s a favorite of many, including the world’s most popular podcaster.

“HOLY FUCK was this good. Just absolutely incredible,” Joe Rogan wrote on his Instagram last year. “I can’t recommend this place enough. Just absolutely sensational.”

In another post from April of this year, he called it the “best sushi on earth.” Rogan again preached the virtues of Sushi by Scratch’s during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, telling guest Elon Musk that it’s “the best sushi you’ll ever eat” and “the best sushi of all time.”

I’m no fan of Joe Rogan (for spreading misinformation, for wanting Tucker Carlson to run for president, for claiming The Hangover is the last “really good” comedy movie) or Elon Musk (for… how long do you have?), and I would rather eat a gallon of Popeyes coleslaw than listen to them talk for three hours. But I am a fan of things being called the “best” ever.

So I made a trip to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa for my inaugural visit to Sushi by Scratch.

After walking through the aforementioned grounds and the cozy interior of the resort, you head upstairs to a waiting room where you’re greeted with a complimentary cocktail. Once it’s time for your reservation, you’re ushered into a private dining room with less than a dozen seats. Behind the sushi chefs is a board listing out that night’s tasting menu: hamachi, toro, madai, kanpachi, wagyu, melts-in-your-mouth bone marrow, etc. There were 17 courses total (with an option for more at the end), all with thoughtful flavor profiles that made me forget Austin is a land-locked city. I could taste the salty sea in the escolar; even the hotate, which I’m generally not a fan of (call me a scallop skeptic), went down easy. It was light and almost sweet.

The pacing was just right between the courses; I never felt too hungry or too full. In the dining room, there was an expectation to talk to your fellow patrons and the friendly chefs, but no pressure. The only time I heard the young duo to my right say anything, other than to each other, was an audible, Homer Simpson-style “mmm” from a guy after he finished a bite of sushi.

Sushi by Scratch, which also offers a beverage pairing with an emphasis on sake, whiskey, and Japanese-inspired cocktails, isn’t the most traditional omakase (Lee has acknowledged as such, calling himself “some young, white kid” in an interview with Eater Chicago). But between the food, the drinks, and the experience, it’s worth the cost, especially if you spend the night at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa.

Joe Rogan has been known to… stretch the truth about some things. Not here: Sushi by Scratch is as good as he claims. It completely lives up to the hype.

To make a reservation for Sushi by Scratch, click here. You can also book a stay for Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, which is currently all decked out for the holidays.