When did the shooter genre get so stale? We get a Call of Duty every year, although that’s changing, Overwatch doesn’t even look like what it used to be and Battlefield 2042 is only now being patched into a full-fledged game. Then there’s Splatoon 3. A game that feels so much the opposite of everything else in the genre that it can’t help but feel like a breath of fresh air.
The concept of Splatoon alone is already a unique one. Kills? Not the objective. Capturing flags? That’s so 90s. Instead, the point of each match is to cover the walls, floor, and every square inch of a map with your color of ink. The team that covers the largest percentage of the map by the end of the time period, wins. That is the base from the original Splatoon and it’s a simple concept that works extremely well. Obviously there are intricacies to each match and you can’t just ignore kills entirely, because you’ll likely lose. Still, it’s great to have a multiplayer shooter out there that consistently says it doesn’t care about rewarding players with the fastest reaction times or best aim, but instead rewards you primarily for playing the objective of each map. Players of multiple skill levels can both play and be good at Splatoon together and it’s a wonderful thing.
Splatoon 3/Nintendo
The way Splatoon goes about reducing the skill gap between players is by having so many different weapons (54, to be exact) and power-ups that pretty much everyone can find a style of play that they’ll enjoy. If you are someone that finds yourself really enjoying the game and wanting to put your skills to the test, it does feature competitive gameplay with some unique modes to mix it up. This is where many longtime players rushed to the second they could, so maybe wait a bit before jumping in if you’re a newbie, but it’s a great opportunity to see how you match up against other competitive players.
If you’re not someone that cares about the competitive aspect then fear not, because there is still plenty in this game for you to do. All the Splatoon games before this had highly regarded campaign modes and this one is no different. You thankfully don’t need to play the previous games to understand the admittedly basic plot, and it’s a very fun puzzle/third-person shooter mode. If single player isn’t your speed then team up with a friend and go play the horde mode Salmon Run. It’s back from Splatoon 2 and just as fun as last time. Finally, if for some reason all of this isn’t appealing to you, then you can give the card game Tableturf Battle a try. It’s a 1v1 card game where you use cards to cover up as much space as possible. You can collect up to 150 cards, and while it’s not quite a deck builder we may see people try to turn it into one.
Splatoon 3/Nintendo
The best part about all of these modes is that they’re available for the game straight out of the box. Nothing has been held for a patch later down the line, none of these modes feel broken or unbalanced, and instead, it’s just all there available for us to play. It feels like such a rarity today to get a full game experience for only $60, but that’s what Splatoon 3 has given us. There just isn’t really anything else out there like it and it’s a must-have for every Nintendo Switch owner.
In Hollywood, everyone says yes to things they have intention of doing, and they rave about your show to your face even if they’ve never seen a second. So how do you know if someone who looovvvves your work has really seen it?
Fresh off her Emmy win and involuntary participation in a failed Jimmy Kimmel gag, Abbott Elementary star/creator Quinta Brunson shared a surefire way to know: check in with the family.
“Henry Winkler’s wife came up and told me how much she loved the show,” Brunson told Variety. “That meant a lot to me. I love when people’s mates or family members come up and tell me that they love the show because that’s how I know they really are watching as a family. And that makes me happy.”
Granted, it’s also possible that someone is genuinely watching your show alone in the darkness without their family, but Brunson’s method here feels like a safe bet.
In the expansive post-victory feature, Brunson also provided some details about the future of Abbott Elementaryand its mockumentary goodness. The plan is to dig deeper into the characters without leaving the school too much, to lower the stakes from time to time, and to build on the goodwill of the fans.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel; the wheel works,” she said. “I’d just like to give it some spinning rims.”
In addition to politely disagreeing on the internet with Martin Scorsese and shepherding about a hundred projects in development, the Russo Brothers have set their sights on converting the Oscar-winning Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid into a series for Prime Video. According to The Hollywood Reporter, they’ve found their Butch in Regé-Jean Page and their Sundance Kid in Glen Powell. Right off the bat, it’s obvious that the show will have a different energy from the movie because both the Bridgerton and Top Gun: Maverick stars are about the same age. It’s a far cry from the outlaw mentorship program vibe between Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
The series is also meant to be the foundation for a larger universe (because, le sigh, of course it is), promising spin-offs and other series to follow. The cart is before the horse. Of course, it’s always possible that Amazon dumping cash into these spin-offs will vault them into popularity by sheer algorithmic determination.
Kaz and Ryan Firpo (who wrote Eternals) will write the scripts for every episode, but the production hasn’t secured directors yet.
The Russo Brothers are basically all over the field, making movies like The Gray Man for Netflix, this series and the worldbuilding exercise The Citadel for Amazon, Marvel movies on the side. You name it. Now to see if they can do the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang justice.
EST Gee is showing no signs of taking his foot off of the gas. After an active year of releases and features, the Louisville rapper is ready to share his next album with the world this coming Friday (September 16). I Never Felt Nun clocks in at 21 songs total and includes features from major artists such as Jack Harlow, Bryson Tiller, Future, Jeezy, and MGK.
It is worth noting that I Never Felt Nun continues a series of projects for the 28-year-old that began in March 2020 with Ion Feel Nun. Gee followed that up in December of that same year with I Still Dont Feel Nun before taking things in a different direction. In 2021, he shared Bigger Than Life Or Death, Bigger Than Life Or Death Part 2 , and then a deluxe version of its original iteration. This year, he partnered up with his labelmate 42 Dugg for Last Ones Left before the duo joined their label CMG for the compilation album Gangsta Art.
I Never Felt Nun is led by the singles “Blood,” “Love Is Blind,” “Hell,” and, most recently, “Shoot It Myself” featuring Future. With a strong backing and a lot of momentum, I Never Felt Nun could very well serve as the nitrous oxide to push his lyrical vehicle to even higher heights.
Below, find the I Never Felt Nun album art and tracklist.
EST Gee
1. “Have Mercy”
2. “Shoot It Myself ” Feat. Future
3. “Hell”
4. “Come Home”
5. “I Can’t Feel A Thing”
6. “Backstage Passes” Feat. Jack Harlow
7. “Both Arms”
8. “Bow And Say Grace”
9. “Blood”
10. “Is Heaven For A Gangsta”
11. “Love Is Blind”
12. “X”
13. “Get Em’ Geeski”
14. “Sabotage” Feat. Bryson Tiller
15. “Double Back”
16. “I Won’t Let Em’ Kill Me”
17. “Death Around The Corner” Feat. MGK
18. “Get It Going”
19. “Voice In My Head”
20. “Foreva”
21. “The Realest” Feat. Jeezy
I Never Felt Nun is out 9/16 via CMG and Interscope. Pre-order it here.
Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
There’s so much damn whiskey in the good ol’ U.S. of A. and Scotland that you might be forgiven for forgetting that there’s even more brown juice from dozens of other countries too. Australia, Denmark, Sweden, South Africa, Germany, France, Finland, Wales, Peru, and Mexico are just a few of the countries making and bottling great whisk(e)y these days. And that’s to say nothing of old school whisk(e)y hot spots like Ireland, Canada, and Japan. Taking a step back to take it all in, you realize that the world of whisk(e)y, folks, is colossal. So let’s take that step back and name some great international whiskies!
For this list, I’m pulling all the double-gold-winning international whiskies from this year’s New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (sans Scotland). I was a head judge this year, which means I double-blind judged all the finalists/double gold winners for the “Best in Class” and “Best in Show” winners. So, I’ll be providing my own tasting notes for each of these whiskies now that I know which is which.
One quick disclaimer: we’re talking about international whiskies from all over the world below, so finding these might be a little tougher than, say, running down to your local liquor store. Each bottle is gettable (click those prices), but expect some serious shipping fees on some of them.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Irish Whiskey Posts of the Last Six Months
This Danish whisky takes some local rye as a launching point and a Manhattan cocktail as inspiration. The juice is made from locally grown and in-house malted rye (70%) and malted barley (30%). Once distilled, that juice rests for a few years in oak before it’s re-barreled into ex-vermouth casks for a final touch of flavor.
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with a mix of orchard fruits — ripe tart apples and sweet plums especially — next to burnt orange zest, cinnamon bark, and a hint of salted caramel underneath it all. The palate leans into vermouth botanicals with hints of anise and clove next to more of that woody cinnamon before a sense of dates and prunes mellow toward sultanas and maybe some dried cranberries. The mid-palate peaks around some sharp black peppercorns before descending toward more orange zest and a hint of dried red chili pepper-laced tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This was an excellent sip of rye that felt both classic and fresh. Since it was made with a Manhattan in mind, stir one up with this.
Best Other Single Malt Whisk(e)y — Starward Nova Single Malt Australian Whisky, Australia
Australia’s Starward is making big waves around the world right now. Their Nova expression is a classic single malt that’s aged in Australian red wine barrels that held Shiraz, Cabs, and Pinot Noirs. Those barrels are then vatted and the whiskey is proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a burst of a fresh orchard on a sunny day with plenty of pears, peaches, and plums and a hint of orange next to woody cinnamon and allspice berries with a hint of clove cigarette. The taste leans into rip red berries with a hint of tartness swimming in vanilla cream and dusted with nutmeg and cinnamon and a whisper of caramel sweetness. The end leans into the woodiness of the spices and adds in a plummy chewiness with a hint of orchard tree bark.
Bottom Line:
This is a great entry point for Starward. It’s an easy-going sipper than also makes a mean cocktail.
Best Other Single Malt Whisk(e)y — Archie Rose Distilling Co. Good(e) Whisk(e)y, Australia
Sticking with Australia, this single malt mixes the grains after distillation. The juice is a blend of single malt and malted rye whiskies. Those barrels are balanced to create a single malt/rye hybrid that leans into the best of both worlds on the palate.
Tasting Notes:
The nose has a good hint of black pepper and citrus (more grapefruit than orange or lemon) with a solid sense of malted caramel with a hint of dark chocolate that ends up kind of woody with a wet sawdust vibe. The palate opens with a soft caramel roasted maltiness that gives way to winter spice warmth on the mid-palate. The end adds some dark chocolate oranges to those rich caramel malts with a soft vanilla underbelly and a faint rum barrel finish (slightly bitter and funky).
Bottom Line:
This is nice but pretty fleeting if you’re not Down Under. if you are in Oz, then definitely grab a bottle.
Best Other Single Malt Whisk(e)y — Seven Seals Port Wood Finish, Switzerland
This Swiss whisky combines several malt whiskies (peated and unpeated) from different barrels to make something bigger and bolder. That blend of whiskies is then re-filled into a Port cask for a final rest before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a light hint of campfire smoke with an (I swear) echo of funky melted mountain cheese next to soft creamed honey, ginger snaps, and raisin-heavy trail mix on the nose. The palate has an earthy edge that’s a little like burning moss next to dates and old gingerbread cookies, marzipan, and sultanas dipped in very mild chocolate. The end warms as it fades with sharp ginger and cinnamon and a mild sense of burning orchard wood and sweet grass.
Bottom Line:
This is an outlier for sure. If you’re into peated whiskies, then this is a must-try. If not, it might be a little funky at first blush.
Best Other Single Malt Whisk(e)y — Kyoto Nishijin Orikuro Obi World Blend, Japan
This whisky is made at the Kyoto Whisky Distillery. The actual juice is a blend of single malt and single grain whiskies made on-site and also sourced from all over the world. The throughline is that those whiskies were aged in American oak. Those barrels were vatted and that juice was re-filled into ex-bourbon barrels for a final maturation before a final vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
That bourbon vanilla comes through on the nose with a hint of lemon pudding, soft malted caramel, a drop of orange oil, and underlying layers of nearly tannic oak staves. The palate opens with an orange/vanilla pudding that leads to a warm sense of spiced malts before a hint of prune and raisin kick in. The finish has a mild dry flower note with a whisper of tangerines and honey before that almost bitter oak kicks back in.
Bottom Line:
This is a smooth whisky with a capital “S”. Is it worth tracking down? Maybe. A lot of Japanese whiskies hit this price range, but it’s still a lot to ask unless you’re really into Japanese juice.
Best Other Single Malt Whisk(e)y & Best In Class — Spirit Thief Distilling Co. Future Black Single Malt Whisky, Australia
Back in Australia, this whisky is all about the blend. The juice is made from 13 barrels that range from ex-wine casks to various oaks from all over the world. Those barrels are hand-selected for their unique flavor profile and vatted and the bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a faint sense of dark cherries next to blackberry jam on a scone with whipped butter, and a pinch of salt with some prunes and dates lurking around next to a bundle of winter spices. The palate opens soft and creamy with a dark berry pie before hitting a high note of sharp spices and ABVs. That heat drops off toward a mix of raisins, prunes, and figs with a generous dusting of sharp cinnamon, anise, clove, and a little sassafras all wrapped up in cedar bark and tobacco leaves.
Bottom Line:
This is a delicious whisky that you’re going to need to try the next time you’re in Australia. If you do find a bottle here, maybe grab two as these aren’t going to be around forever.
Best Blended Irish Whiskey — Lost Irish 6 Cask Finished Irish Whiskey
This blended Irish whiskey is all about the finish — to an almost silly degree. The triple distilled tipple is aged and then barrels are re-barreled in six different casks from each continent. That means that this whiskey is finished in South African brandy casks, Spanish sherry casks, North American bourbon casks, Colombian rum casks, Australian tawny port casks, and Japanese mizunara casks. Those barrels are then blended, proofed (way down), and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice malty nature to the nose with a hint of dark chocolate (think Maltesers/Whoppers) with a good dose of orchard fruit and a slightly spiced vanilla cream sauce. The palate leans into the creamy maltiness (kind of like a vanilla malt) with hints of old apple skins, peach pits, and maybe some old raisin boxes. The finish is light but hits on a good winter spice, orchard woods, and light notes of cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This was perfectly fine. It was a little light for my taste (I didn’t vote for it) but works as an Irish whiskey at a low proof.
Best Blended Irish Whiskey & Best In Class — Teeling Whiskey Small Batch Irish Whiskey
Teeling was the first distillery to reopen in Dublin after nearly a century of tough times for Irish whiskey. The craft distillery ages its juice in bourbon barrels before transferring that whiskey to Central American rum casks. Those barrels are then batched, proofed, and bottled in Teeling’s big, dark bottle.
Tasting Notes:
It takes a minute to find the nose on this one but there is a hint of rum-raisin, vanilla, and spiced malts in there. The palate has a slight mustiness to it with a thin line of vanilla tobacco that leads to a potting soil echo. The end is a bit warm on those malts and spice with a little bit of earthiness.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that’s perfectly fine but not my favorite (again, I didn’t vote for this one). This is squarely a cocktail base whiskey for mixing.
Best Other Whisk(e)y & Best In Show Whisk(e)y — Don Michael Black Whiskey Andean Black Corn Whiskey, Peru
This Peruvian whiskey is made from a unique mash of 60% Andean Black corn, 30% malted wheat, and 10% malted barley. After fermentation and distillation, the juice is barreled in new American oak barrels (just like bourbon). After a few years, that whiskey is bottled with a touch of Andean spring water.
Tasting Notes:
Earthy and dark corn comes through on the nose almost like a burnt corn tortilla with a hint of smolder to it next to dates and raisins with a hint of vanilla pudding, sour cherry, and dried apricot meatiness. The palate leans into the earthiness with a hint of burnt cinnamon bark next to old vanilla pods, hard raisins, dried figs, and cornmeal mixed with sweet black potting soil and wrapped in a rum-raisin tobacco leaf. The end rolls through a matrix of sharp cinnamon bark, clove berries, star anise, and cardamon pods before hitting a dark chocolate-covered espresso bean next to a whisper of salted caramel and mild nutshell.
Bottom Line:
This was just really good. It was unique while still feeling like a perfectly made whiskey. Plus, you can also actually get it in the U.S., which is a huge bonus.
After declaring that he wants out of his deal with Gap Inc. in a letter to the clothing retailer earlier today, Kanye West appeared on CNBC — a contrast to his prior interview with Fox News — to offer an edgy interview about the proposed split. An irascible interview subject at the best of times, this time, a standoffish Kanye appeared in mirrored sunglasses and sporting a 1970s beard — think Black Macho Man Randy Savage — and didn’t provide much illumination on the deal, taking the opportunity to take more potshots at Gap, as he’s been doing for the past few weeks.
On CNBC, Ye, formly known as Kanye West, discussed leaving Gap, $GPS.
He said: “I’m not going to argue with people that are broker than me about money.” pic.twitter.com/wFs15aoQlc
As the CNBC correspondent notes, Gap and Adidas’ stocks have taken a hit due to Kanye’s grumbling. Pointing out that he was once a huge proponent of Gap, even name-checking the stores in his early songs, she asks whether he believes Gap could recover. “They only have one opportunity to be able to be a big player,” he shoots back. “What do you think it is? They have one individual on the planet who could say the Gap… Sometimes, the answer’s sitting right in front of you… Don’t bring a leader in and have him not lead. I’m not going to argue with people that are broker than me about money.”
In addition, he promises that the Macho Man-esque glasses he’s wearing in the interview will “be out soon,” although, with his current retail partnership in shambles, it’s unclear how. Kanye says that Gap violated the conditions of his contract with them, but it remains to be seen whether the deal will actually be terminated before its planned expiration in 2026. You can watch Kanye’s prickly interview above.
Nashville is known for a lot of things. Well, it’s really best known as the capital of Country music — the honky tonks on Broadway, the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Theater, the Country Music Hall of Fame. The list goes on. Nashville is also very much in the South. Not the Deep South but close. That means the food scene is inspired by those old-school traditions. One of my favorites of which is biscuits and gravy.
Over the last three or four trips to Nashville in the last six-odd months, I decided I’d make it my mission to find the best plate in the city. I have a deep love and appreciation for this dish. Every summer when I’d go to stay with my grandma, she’d make me a plate of biscuits and gravy on the first morning of my stay. She was from that Depression generation, carrying a lot of Southern recipes with her even though she wasn’t from the South (she was born and raised in rural and very poor Washington state). It was more about efficiency and turning what little you had into something more. It wasn’t fancy, but it was hearty and comforting.
She’d make some quick bread biscuits with the old can of Calumet baking powder, some Land-O-Lakes butter, and fresh milk she still had delivered from a local dairy. I remember the sweetness of the cream on top of that milk to this day. Then she’d fry up some breakfast sausage links until there was a nice layer of fond on the bottom of the skillet. She’d add in some butter and flour to make a roux. She never used words like “fond” or “roux” when doing any of this — it was more muscle memory and instinct. Then she’d add more of that farm-fresh milk, some white pepper, and a little salt. That was it. It wasn’t revolutionary but it was the way she did it, and I’d kill for one more plate.
I know my grandma’s way was pretty basic. So I’m never really looking to replicate it. Plus, I have my own recipe(s). Beyond that, I always look for a good plate of biscuits and gravy whenever I go out for breakfast, and Nashville has proven to be one of the best spots to do just that.
I’ve enjoyed (for the most part) eight different iterations of the dish in Nashville. I’ve had the crazy high-end, the mid-range greasy spoons versions, the trendy spots, and even the fast-food staples. So without further ado, here’s how eight classic plates of biscuits and gravy ranked in Music City.
Check Out Our Top 5 Recipes Posts From The Last 6 Months:
Cracker Barrel is one of those places that you just get if you live in the South and/or Midwest. It’s decent comfort food for affordable prices (especially for families). The atmosphere is very agricultural and the dining room can get loud. I went when the store opened for brunch and it was actually pretty quiet and relaxing. Yes, there’s a store attached that sells a ton of kitschy crap and candy. But no one is forcing you to buy any of it.
Moreover, the staff and vibe at these places tend to be pretty chill when they’re not smashed on a Friday night. That’s why I generally only go around opening time for breakfast, especially when on the road in a place like Nashville.
The Biscuits and Gravy:
This was part of a bigger order with Country Fried steak, eggs, grits, and stuffed hashbrowns. Yes, you get two biscuits and a bowl of gravy on the side of all of that. The biscuits and gravy are always served separately with a bowl of gravy on a plate with two biscuits so you have to pour the gravy over yourself.
The biscuits are very standard quickbread biscuits with a sense of buttermilk and flour more than anything else. There’s a decent butteriness and a slightly crispy bottom. Overall, these feel pretty standard but suitable.
The gravy is more a Country gravy than a sausage one. There’s plenty of black pepper and creaminess but that’s about it. The sauce has a nice thickness and feels a lot like the one my grandma would make — it’s a utility gravy. There’s a good balance of seasoning overall and a hint of sausage does come through.
Generally, if you have two biscuits, you’ll need to order extra gravy. There’s never enough in those small bowls and the staff knows that (they always ask if you want extra when you order).
Bottom Line:
This was very standard biscuits and gravy that more scratches and itch than does anything interesting. There are no real faults — besides the small bowls of gravy — but there’s nothing really to write home about either.
This is the place that comes up when you search “Best Biscuits and Gravy in Nashville.” That meant it was a must. The actual joint is a non-descript little building next to a Krogers in East Nashville (between Greenwood and Eastwood). It’s an old-school greasy spoon with a kitchen hidden away in the back, salt-of-the-earth waitresses, and as many truckers and neighborhood locals.
The Biscuits and Gravy:
The biscuits were pretty smothered here, so bear with me. The outside of the biscuit had great buttery crispiness. There was a real crunch to counterpoint the soft interior. As far as I could tell, the crumb was soft and had a twinge of buttermilk. It was a really solid biscuit overall.
The gravy was lush and there was plenty of it. In fact, I’d say this is the only plate that had a perfect gravy-to-biscuit ratio. The actual sauce was light though. The sausage has a hint of herbal and spice presence. But the gravy really needed both pepper and salt and a fair amount at that.
Together this worked well. The biscuit was the real star of the show, by far. I did end up putting quite a few shakes of pepper and salt on this though to liven it up.
Bottom Line:
I wanted this to be amazing and it just was okay. The country ham I got on the side was excellent. Anyway, this was good greasy spoon fare but that’s about it. The place really is more about the authentic diner atmosphere, I guess. The only thing that saved this from last is that the biscuit was really good.
This is the trendy fast-casual local chain that I was told, more than once, that I had to try. I was already dubious due to that hype. Anyway, I ordered the East Nasty, which has a fried chicken thigh that was supposed to be on the biscuit but was served with the biscuit on the side, which was advantageous as it allowed me to easily judge each component on its own.
The overall vibe of the place was loud and bright. You line up to place your order, grab a number, and find a seat (hopefully). It was super busy on a Sunday morning when I was there. That meant about a 15-minute wait in line and another 15 to get food. Just be warned that this place can get smashed.
The Biscuits and Gravy:
The biscuit was a rolled-out and very well-layered flaky square. I could actually watch the women in the back rolling out massive squares of cold dough and also noticed they were using Italian 00 pizza flour. The overall taste had a very baked-butter savoriness with a hint of flour and milk. The edges were crispy to the point that it was basically puff pastry, which… puff pasty isn’t biscuit. It was really nice and buttery though, so I can kind of forgive that.
The gravy was well spiced and full of quality sausage. There was a great matrix of herbs and spices between the gravy and sausage — sage, allspice, nutmeg, sweet onion, garlic, black pepper, cayenne, and more. For as good as it tasted, it was a little thick. It didn’t really move or pour over and more sat on the biscuit or chicken.
Overall, when tasted together, it was one of the richest and fattiest bites of biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had. That said, it really paired well with a spicy Bloody Mary. Still, this was a lot. But it is hangover food, so I can see why it’s so thick and heavy… and buttery.
Bottom Line:
There was a lot to like, but the balance felt off and the gravy was just too thick. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the biscuit. It compressed a bit when cut and was more butter than anything else, flavor-wise.
The Kimpton Aertson Hotel is a swanky hotel right next to Vanderbilt University. That means that it’s close to great food and partying options in Nashville’s Music Row and Midtown neighborhoods.
Henley is the requisite lobby bar/restaurant with a good enough standing that locals come in all the time to drink and eat. The vibe is very hotel-lobby with modern art, plenty of sculpture, and plenty of space to mingle or find a quiet corner with someone. The staff is fantastic and the menus cover some great Southern classics with a decidedly modern twist here and there.
The Biscuits and Gravy:
The biscuits in this dish were pretty solid. The flaky rounds were perfectly seasoned with black pepper and salt with a hint of I want to say is nutmeg. The flake was even and didn’t compress too much when you cut through the biscuit. There was a nice butteriness but it was minor. The overall texture was soft and layered with a good spicy bite to it.
The gravy was also really well-seasoned with nice little bits of sausage. Black pepper, a hint of paprika, and some allspice (maybe) blended really well with the light herbal feel of the sausage. There was a nice viscosity to the gravy that felt airy but had heft.
The black pepper was the throughline of the gravy and biscuits, which created a nice pairing. It — amazingly — wasn’t overly peppery. Don’t get me wrong, it was pepperier than the average plate, but they made it work.
All of that said, this also needed a few more tablespoons of gravy. The last few bites of biscuit soaked up egg yolk since the gravy was already gone.
Bottom Line:
This was really good but the balance of gravy to biscuit was just off. I’d gladly eat these any time and just order more gravy on the side. It’s an easy fix.
Husk reached a fever-pitch status in elite dining thanks to the stewardship of celebrity chef Sean Brock. Today, Brock is long gone but Husk remains one of the most interesting food (and drink) programs in Nashville with an outstanding staff.
The joint is in an old house overlooking downtown. The brunch dining room is on the lower floor with two-story high windows looking out onto a garden. The tables are close but the vibe is chill. There’s a great brunch cocktail menu that changes along with the seasonal menu (and that means that biscuits and gravy might not always be on the brunch menu).
The Biscuits and Gravy:
The biscuits were super light and airy with a buttery crumb (no layers here). There was a nice sense of good flour with an almost malted grain essence to them. The butteriness was almost browned with a whisper of sourness still in there. The tops and bottoms had a nice browning with a slight touch of crispiness, which was a nice counterpoint to the ultra-soft interior.
The gravy was spot on. The sausage was nicely seasoned with a balance of herbs and spices. The actual gravy had a lush texture with a hint of pepper, salt, and maybe some nutmeg and cayenne. A small addition of chive added color and a good but minor bite of heat. There was a nice savoriness to the overall gravy that felt both classic and slightly elevated, but maybe not as elevated as you’d expect from a place like Husk (which is Michelin star-rated).
Together, the gravy and biscuit blend nicely. The crumb biscuit is the perfect delivery system for the thick and sausage-y gravy. The spices in the sausage also pair nicely with the mildly spiced gravy, creating a bigger spice matrix on the palate.
The only gripe I had was that there just wasn’t quite enough gravy. I could have used about two tablespoons more. I was left with a bite or two of biscuit without gravy, which was confounding since the biscuits were pretty small.
Bottom Line:
This was very good but not necessarily the most complex or overall satisfying.
It’s Waffle House. You will hear the staff talking about meth or prison. It’s super reliable though.
The Biscuits and Gravy:
This is one of the best deals on this list. The plate is massive. Two biscuits are cut in half and grilled off on the flattop, adding a nice layer of crispiness to the otherwise basic biscuit. The biscuit has a nice crumb and carries a floury and milk flavor profile, which is to say that it is plain. But that flattop grilling in “butter” makes up for all of that plainness.
The gravy is a straightforward sausage gravy with a good dose of black pepper. The sausage at Waffle House has a nice spice to it already and that spice comes through in the gravy with a hint of cayenne, sage, and more black pepper. Weirdly, the gravy did need a shake or two of salt though.
Together, this was a damn near perfect, peppery, and soft bite. The ratio of gravy to biscuit was also exactly right with no gravy left behind. There was also a nice textural component thanks to those grilled biscuits adding a little crunch to the overall bite.
Bottom Line:
This is way better than it has any right to be for $3. There are no bells or whistles and sometimes that’s just better.
So Hardee’s in the South (and Midwest) has all the usual burgers and chicken sandwiches and all that jazz that you’d expect. But they also secretly have an amazing breakfast biscuit program. And I really mean “program.” The chain actually has biscuit bakers come in at 4 am every day, specifically to make their biscuits at each branch. It’s the South, biscuits are taken very seriously — even at fast-food chains, evidently. When I heard this, I knew I had to try it.
The Biscuits and Gravy:
This biscuit is legit. There’s a great and soft crumb with a hint of sour buttermilk, a dash of salt, and a powdery sense of that baking powder (I don’t know how else to describe, IYKYK). The outside of the biscuit is crispy all around with a buttery vibe and just the right pinch of salt. Overall, this is a great biscuit.
The gravy, which came on the side, was a standard sausage gravy with just the right amount of black pepper. The sausage was in nice small morsels with a mild spiciness and a solid herbal edge. The sauce was just thick enough but still poured easily and draped over the edge of the biscuit (just). The seasoning was spot on and didn’t need anything. It was so good that I ended up dipping my hash brown bites in the gravy instead of the ketchup [Editor’s Note: In case you hadn’t noticed before now, this man really loves gravy].
The ratio of gravy to biscuit was good for one biscuit pulled in half (with some gravy left over). When eaten together, there was a real harmony. The crispy yet soft biscuit added a nice buttery and textural base to the well-seasoned and sausage-y gravy.
Bottom Line:
Overall, this had the best flavor and textural balance. The gravy wasn’t the most interesting but it was the most solid of the bunch. The biscuit was one of the best too. The only reason this isn’t number one is that I think the next one just did it a tiny bit better and more interestingly.
Gray & Dudley is another locally enjoyed lobby restaurant and bar thanks to it having both a great bar and food program and the huge gallery it’s attached to via the 21c Hotel.
The ceilings are tall, the kitchen is open to the dining room, and the staff is super well-trained and helpful. There are some nice and cushy booths alongside standard tables, giving you a chance to be hidden away or the center of attention. Naturally, there’s a rad amount of art everywhere and a whole museum’s worth of it is just steps away.
The Biscuits and Gravy:
This was probably the hardest biscuit to judge on its own since it was completely smothered in gravy [and yet he ranks it number one, curious -Ed.]. The biscuits were freshly baked (of course) in big squares — with a crumb instead of a flake — and then broken up. The crumb was legit and had a nice softness with a hint of sour buttermilk and almost brown butter. There was great crispiness to the outside of the biscuit that was likely providing the brown butter essence. There was just the right pinch of salt in the mix as well.
The gravy was the most interesting one by far. The sausage was basically completely broken down (with a couple of large bits) and added an interesting textural grittiness to the gravy. It also allowed the spice and herbs from the sausage to fully season the gravy. The actual sauce had a nice texture and was on the thinner side, so it spread across the plate a bit more. The flavor was a mix of sage, thyme, paprika, nutmeg, and maybe some cinnamon with this faint hint of clam juice, which gave it a kind of (very faint) clam chowder edge. I actually really dug it.
Though, come on with those slipshod knife skills on that green onion.
Bottom Line:
This was the most interesting dish I had for sure. The gravy was the most complex and the biscuit was huge and had great textural balance. There was also more than enough gravy. In fact, there was a little gravy left over to spoon up and eat on its own (maybe two or three spoons worth) [guys, I’m telling you… -Ed.]. And the gravy was good enough to do just that.
Can a record really be considered legit if it’s not listed in the Guinness World Records book? The answer is no. And now that the Guinness World Records Book 2023 edition is out, we have new record holders for wacky categories like Tallest Living Cat (18.83 inches) and The Largest Collection Of Lip Balms (3,338!) But also, a number of artists and celebrities are gracing the pages with new records that they now hold, and Billie Eilish has multiple new Guinness World Records.
Eilish now holds world records for being the female artist with the most consecutive Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, as well as the youngest person to win the film awards “triple crown.” The latter refers to her wins at the Oscars, Grammys, and Golden Globes, while she has been nominated for the Grammy Record Of The Year award in each of the past three years, winning twice for “Everything I Wanted” and “Bad Guy.”
Other artists who had records honored in the 2023 Guinness Book include Dolly Parton for most decades with a Top 20 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, the ageless Tony Bennett for being the oldest person to release an album of new material, Rihanna for becoming the female artist with the most US No.1 singles in a year, and Beyoncé is not only a record holder but has also been added to the Guinness Book’s Hall Of Fame.
In the meantime, my mom is demanding a recount on that largest collection of lip balms award.
Come next month, Carly Rae Jepsen’s sixth studio album, The Loneliest Time, will be out. In speaking of the album’s title and the meaning behind much of it, Jepsen said in a statement, “I’m quite fascinated by loneliness. It can be really beautiful when you turn it over and look at it. Just like love, it can cause some extreme human reactions.” Now the tracklist for the album has been released.
Carly Rae has done gushy, emotional pop music better than just about anyone. The early singles on The Loneliest Time, like “Beach House” and the Rostam-produced “Western Wind,” have shown a similar mastery of these tropes. Both tracks are near the middle of the 16-song tracklist (13 plus another three from the Deluxe bonus edition), and only one featured vocalist (that we know of) appears on the album in Rufus Wainwright on the album’s title track. Come October 21st, CRJ will be lonely no more, as million of fans will surely be riding the waves of the Canadian pop star’s every lyric. And they can even get started on her North America So Nice Tour, which begins in September.
Check out the tracklist and album artwork for The Loneliest Time below.
When photos of Timothée Chalamet prancing around and singing on the set of the upcoming Wonka movie surfaced, many were… shocked? Surprised? Confused? At the prospect that it would be a dark musical comedy that showed Wonka’s origins. As it turns out, Chalamet thinks the response was “funny” and that the movie is not at all what people are expecting. Sound familiar?
Chalamet insists the movie is actually good, despite the various memes and TikToks making fun of his oversized hat. Chalamet told British Vogue: “You know what’s really funny about that is it’s so misleading. The movie is so sincere, it’s so joyous,” he said, adding that he has seven (SEVEN) musical numbers.
Despite the jokes, Chalamet says that choosing a movie like Wonka helped him realize the kind of work he wants to continue to do. “I hate to say it, but the dream as an artist is to throw whatever the f*ck you want at the wall, you know? And I guess what I’m realizing is that one’s personal life, one’s adult life, can be quite boring, and the artist’s life can still be extraordinary.” We can’t wait to hear these allegedly extraordinary songs!
It’s unclear if they are original songs, or if he will get to try to belt out an even spookier rendition of “The Wonderous Boat Ride” if that’s even possible. Hey, at least he didn’t earn the nickname Ketamine Gene Wilder.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
