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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.

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8. Cracker Barrel — Grandpa’s Country Fried Breakfast

Price: $10.79

The Place:

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.

Find Your Nearest Cracker Barrel Here

7. Nashville Biscuit House — Full Sausage Gravy & 2 Biscuits

Price: $5

The Place:

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.

Check Out The Full Menu Here

6. Biscuit Love Gulch — East Nasty

Price: $12.50

The Place:

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.

See The Full Menu and Locations Here

5. Henley at Kimpton Aertson Hotel — Black Pepper Biscuit with Kld Farm Sausage Gravy

Price: $10

The Place:

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.

Book a Table Here

4. Husk — White Lily Black Pepper Biscuits, Jake’s Sock Sausage Gravy

Price: $12

The Place:

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.

Book a Table Here

3. Waffle House — Two Grilled Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Price: $3

The Place:

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.

Find Your Nearest Waffle House Here

2. Hardee’s — Biscuits ‘N’ Gravy

Price: $2.19

The Place:

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.

Find Your Nearest Hardee’s Here

1. Gray & Dudley 21c Museum Hotel Nashville — Biscuits and Gravy

Price: $13

The Place:

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.

Book a Table Here

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.

1. “Surrender My Heart”
2. “Joshua Tree”
3. “Talking To Yourself ”
4. “Far Away”
5. “Sideways”
6. “Beach House”
7. “Bends”
8. “Western Wind”
9. “So Nice”
10. “Bad Thing Twice”
11. “Shooting Star”
12. “Go Find Yourself or Whatever”
12. “The Loneliest Time” Feat. Rufus Wainwright
14. “Anxious” (Deluxe Bonus Track)
15. “No Thinking Over the Weekend” (Deluxe Bonus Track)
16. “Keep Away” (Deluxe Bonus Track)

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.

(Via Variety)

Remember when Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins said she was going to make” the greatest fighter pilot movie ever made?” Well, it is looking unlikely. In 2020, it was announced that Jenkins would direct Rogue Squadron, a Star Wars film about fighter pilots. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has removed Rogue Squadron from its release calendar, suggested without confirming that the film is canceled. The film was scheduled to hit theaters on December 22, 2023. Jenkins would have been the first woman to direct a Star Wars film. It was also expected to be the first Star Wars feature film since (I’m sorry to say it) 2019’s Rise of Skywalker.

Back in December 2020 when the film was announced, Jenkins was thrilled to join the franchise. “It ignited a desire in me to turn all of that tragedy and thrill into one day making the greatest fighter pilot movie of all time,” she said in an announcement video. But try as I might and look as I did, I couldn’t find the right story, ever,” Jenkins said, changing out of those skates on what looks like a runway of some kind. “I kept looking and looking but I just couldn’t find the right one. Until now.”

Rogue Squadron has had a tricky journey in its development journey, with scheduling conflicts slowing its early stages as a result of Jenkins’ busy schedule. In addition to directing Wonder Woman 3, Jenkins is directing a Cleopatra film also starring Gal Gadot. Being too busy to direct a Star Wars film? That’s icon behavior, despite how bad Wonder Woman 1984 was.

(Via THR)

If you thought Alex Jones getting hit with over $50 million in damages would stop him from spreading wild conspiracy theories, think again. And again and again and again until the heat death of the universe. While visiting the Louder with Crowder radio show, Jones took time away from claiming his new book outsold Harry Potter to accuse the judge in his Sandy Hook trial of being a “George Soros operative.”

“They’ll sue you in the jurisdiction with a judge assigned to take control. And who’s a political operative? This lady’s a Soros operative and admits she is on her our own, you know, Facebook,” Jones said. He later backed up his accusation with some truly incredible evidence: She dyes her hair blue. Case closed, everybody.

However, in a surprising bit of journalism by Steven Crowder, he pushed back on the claim that judge admits on her Facebook that she’s a Soros operative. Wildly, Jones backed off the whole thing. Via Mediaite:

Crowder began to clarify that the judge did not directly come out and declare herself a Soros operative.

“No, you’re right,” Jones agreed. “She did not say ‘I am a Soros operative.’ You are correct.”

“And you don’t know if Soros paid for her blue hair dye? We cannot confirm nor deny, but we’ll assume so,” Crowder joked.

“That was hyperbole by me,” Jones replied.

Okay, damn, maybe Jones did a learn something by being sued into oblivion. Now, if he could just work on not saying anything at all. That’s the real trick.

(Via Mediaite)

Who amongst us hasn’t imagined what it would be like to sit across from Sean Evans in our very own episode of First We Feast’s Hot Ones? Spice fanatics and hot sauce lovers all love to talk a big game about how much heat they can handle — prior to today, I was one of them. I was under the impression that I’d be able to handle the Last Dab without breaking a sweat. Now that I’ve tried Shake Shack’s new Hot Ones Menu, which comes with a packet of The Last Dab Apollo to kick up the heat… well, I’m not so sure.

Beginning Friday, The Hot Ones menu is set to hit Shake Shacks nationwide for a limited time (app users can access the menu today!) and includes a Hot Ones-inspired burger, chicken sandwich, and bacon fries — all featuring a special Hot Ones-inspired Shake Sauce.

We tried the whole menu to see whether it’s worth you taking a trip to the Shack ASAP. Let’s dive in, starting with the star of the show…

Hot Ones Chicken Sandwich

Generally, when we hit full seasonal menus, we save the best for last but I NEED to talk about this chicken sandwich. It absolutely cannot wait until the end of this article. No cap, this is the best chicken sandwich currently in fast food. Yes, that includes Popeyes and this is coming for someone who reviewed the original drop of that very infamous sandwich and has reiterated just how good it is in our giant fried chicken sandwich ranking where Popeyes took the number one spot.

Well, that article is officially obsolete. This is now the greatest chicken sandwich in fast food, hands down. Want to get real? It’s no f*cking contest.

Yes, it’s that good. Better bread (potato roll >>> Popeyes way too dry Brioche), better sauce, cheese (get on this level, Popeyes), bacon, and a way juicier and more tender white meat chicken filet that melts in the mouth. All of the flavors in this sandwich work harmoniously, melding together into this beautiful bouquet of heat, savory, and slightly sweet and tangy flavors.

The sandwich consists of a chicken breast filet breaded in Shake Shack’s lightly and flakey batter, which also serves as a great sponge for the slightly sweet and spicy Hot Ones ShackSauce, with applewood bacon adding a bit more crunch and slightly smokey notes, and a slice of melted Monterey Jack cheese adding a layer of sweet nuttiness. The sauce has that typical savory tangy flavor of the original ShakeSauce but with some added spicy notes that taste a bit like a buffalo sauce — with a lot more depth and less prominent vinegar notes.

Each bite is ecstasy — it doesn’t really deliver on the heat, even if your spice tolerance is low, but that hardly matters considering how savory it is. It’s not just a little bit better than Popeyes sandwich, it absolutely dunks on it. Once this leaves the menu, I don’t know how I’m going to go back to Popeyes and not think about this sandwich.

Hot Ones Burger

The Hot Ones Burger, which I tried as both a single and double, is delicious but I’m not going to lie, compared to the chicken sandwich this doesn’t really taste like anything special. The Hot Ones Spicy ShakeSauce doesn’t pair as harmoniously with the ground beef patty as it does the chicken. Instead, it kind of muddles the savory flavor of the beef. Burgers are rarely less savory and satisfying than chicken sandwiches, but in this case, this burger comes across as a bit lacking.

What’s interesting though is the spicy notes of the special ShakeSauce comes across as a lot spicier here, cutting through as the dominate tasting note. I’m an American Cheese purist when it comes to burgers, but I don’t mind the inclusion of Monterey Jack here instead — it adds a sweetness to this burger which balances out the heat. Salty American cheese might not have done that, so good move on the Shack.

Because overall I felt the burger lacked a bit of flavor in comparison, I used this as an opportunity to utilize a dab of the Apollo packet and I really wish I hadn’t. It’s really f*cking spicy, bringing the sort of heat that makes you feel high and totally shocks your tastebuds into submission. I tried washing the heat down with some Coca-Cola and it literally had no flavor, just a wet sensation on my tongue.

As spicy as it is, what surprised me was just how good the Last Dab Apollo actually tastes. This is by no means stunt food — it starts off sweet and settles into a bitter but interesting earthiness before it overtakes your senses. It tasted so good that I wanted to try more of it to better explore the flavors but… I couldn’t. It was too hot to manage. And I’m not someone who has any sort of aversion to spice. I eat Thai food on the regular, I make my own salsa, and even the Habanero pepper registers more as bright and citrusy to me than it does spicy.

Still, the Last Dab Apollo kicked my ass.

The Last Dab Apollo packet was made in collaboration with Guiness World Record holding chili breeder Smoking’ Ed Currie and features a special crossbreed of Carolina Reapers and Pepper X. From the small dab I had I can tell that this sauce is good and isn’t as vinegar heavy as your typical hot sauce, offering a lot of natural sweet notes, but I found it to almost be inedibly hot.

If you’re up for a challenge, definitely order this but don’t skip out on getting a shake on the side.

Hot Ones Cheese Fries/Bacon Cheese Fries

I’m sorry to end this glowing review on a slightly low note but I will never not have a problem with Shake Shack’s fries. If you like the Shack’s fries, you’ll probably like these, but if you’re waiting for a few ingredients to turn these middling fries into something delicious, keep waiting.

No amount of cheese sauce or Aleppo pepper flakes can turn these mid-tier fries into anything else. The Aleppo pepper dusting is almost flavorless, it adds the slightest amount of heat but not enough to substantially change the flavor, despite how appetizing it looks. While we always appreciate bacon on fries, Shake Shack’s bacon isn’t all that great either, it’s too thin to ever really taste like anything and works better when paired with beef or chicken than it does potatoes.

The real shame is Shake Shack has everything on hand to actually make this good. Instead of cheese sauce, they could’ve just melted Monterey Jack cheese on the fries, which would’ve added a sweet creamy, and nutty flavor instead of an overly salty mess like the cheese sauce does. The fries are already salty Shake Shack, we don’t need more salt. Just think of how good these fries would be if they used melted Monterey and crumbles of Shake Shack’s Angus beef patty in addition to the bacon and Aleppo dusting. You’d have something with a lot of depth of flavor and character, instead of this salty sludge.

Luckily, the fries come served alongside some Spicy ShackSauce which is a must-dip. Like the burger, the heat is a lot more prominent on the fries compared to the sandwich.

The Bottom Line:

You absolutely need to head to Shake Shack ASAP to order this chicken sandwich. Don’t even wait until the Friday release, drive (or walk) to your nearest Shake Shack, park, order this on the app, and walk inside and pick up the best fast food chicken sandwich you’ll ever eat.

Once you’ve tried the sandwich, give the burger a try with the Apollo packet on hand. Shake Shack almost never disappoints, but they’ve truly taken things to another level this time.

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

No matter who they are or where they’re from, rappers love a good heist movie. Bank robberies form the foundation music videos from rappers from all over the map, from Atlantans like 21 Savage and Gunna to Memphians Key Glock and NLE Choppa, Californians like Nipsey Hussle and YG, and even Brits like Skepta. So when New Yorkers Rowdy Rebel and Fivio Foreign hold up a financial establishment in the video for “Paid Off” from Rowdy’s debut album Rowdy Vs. Rebel, they’re contributing to a long, proud tradition of would-be outlaws doing their best Public Enemies impression.

Decked out in all-black Nike tech fleece sweatsuits — ’tis the season, now we can really start dressin’ — with matching Nike ski caps, the two John Dillingers menace the customers and staff with long guns while their scantily-clad accomplices tote pistols and harlequin masks. I suppose there are no worries about picking those booties out of a lineup — especially since Rowdy and Fivio are apparently in that class of rappers whose idea of a happy ending is the robbers getting away scot-free at the end.

Rowdy is clearly having a lot of fun with this whole “free from prison” thing. Now he only plays a criminal on TV, which seems a lot less risky. You can catch Rowdy (if you can) in his video above.

Sorry to say this, but it has been almost three years since The Good Place ended. Manny Jacinto, who played the dumb but lovable and extremely Floridian Jason Mendoza is coming back to our small screens, but on a big scale. Variety reports that Jacinto has been cast in The Acolyte, a new Star Wars show for Disney+. Since The Good Place, Jacinto has appeared in the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers (acting alongside Nicole Kidman’s accent and wig) and Netflix’s Brand New Cherry Flavor. Most recently, the actor had a small role in a big movie called Top Gun: Maverick. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

Jacinto joins an already intriguing cast including Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Jodie-Turner Smith (White Noise), and Lee-jung Jae (Squid Game). The Acolyte has been in the works since 2020. Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland will serve as the showrunner.

Official plot details are intentionally unknown, but what we do now is that show is set a century before the events of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. It will reportedly “depict the galaxy at the peak of the era of the High Republic, when the Jedi were at their strongest and the Sith were believed to have been eradicated from the galaxy.” With its timeline being a century before The Phantom Menace, hopefully, there will be no Skywalkers involved.

The Acolyte is expected to drop on Disney+ in September 2023.

(Via Variety)

Vladimir Putin’s wealthiest and most powerful allies within Russia are reportedly beginning to turn on him after yet another loss in his war on Ukraine. According to a report by The Daily Beast, a group of officials in St. Petersburg and Moscow have launched efforts to have Putin ousted from office, accusing him of treason and demanding his resignation. They join a number of Russian oligarchs, currently feeling the squeeze on their bank accounts thanks to UN sanctions, in vocally opposing the once fearsome tyrant, signaling a shift in power that many believe will end with Putin’s ouster.

“Putin’s image is tarnished,” Putin’s former speechwriter, Abbas Gallyamov, told CNN. “The next thing which is going to happen in Russian politics within the next like several months, maybe up to half a year, is the elites will start looking for a successor.” In an interview with Puck News, Russian journalist and opposition supporter Yevgenia Albats echoed those sentiments, explaining how Putin has lost most of the oligarchy’s backing because of his assault on Ukraine.

“Even Putin’s oligarchs—their yachts have been seized, their villas in Italy, too,” Albats said. “When I ask them, what percentage [of the oligarchs] support the war? They tell me at most 30 percent support it. That means at least 70 percent are against it. Those are the people who understand their lives are simply over. That’s why I think this can’t last too much longer. This will be a long, hard winter.”

Whether Putin is aware that the writing is on the wall is a different question. Still, he has begun pulling away from his duties in recent weeks, canceling meetings with top military generals after Russian forces continue to sustain heavy losses in Ukraine. Even China, Russia’s biggest ally, is starting to “have concerns” about Putin’s strategy when it comes to his ill-advised war. What’s worse, Russian forces are low on soldiers — having lost tens of thousands of lives early in the conflict — and Putin’s idea to recruit convicts hasn’t helped boost his winning streak. Now, rumors are spreading that the Kremlin may look to launch a “broader mobilization,” or a draft of regular citizens.

“If Putin starts making this national draft, he really faces the danger of riots,” Gallyamov continued. “Russians are not willing to go to wage this war. They are not ready to go and sacrifice their lives, especially at the moment when the Ukrainians are advancing and Russians are retreating.”

It seems like things are going from worse to untenable in Russia, which is bad news for Putin and good news for everyone else, we guess?