Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.
10. Abigail (Universal Pictures movie on VOD & Amazon Prime)
Formerly known as the mysterious Untitled Monster Movie from Universal Pictures with a final Angus Cloud performance, this plainly-titled film packs a visceral punch. The story revolves around idiot criminals kidnapping the daughter of an underworld kingpin, and unfortunately for these dumbasses, she ends up being a vampire, and of course, Giancarlo Esposito is there to make everything feel even more ominous. His character locks the group inside, where they must survive 24 hours at the hands of a bloodsucking monster, and yup, this sure looks planned, but at least Melissa Barerra is able to get her onscreen horror fix on after leaving the Scream franchise.
Man, Apple TV+ loves those trippy shows. This series adapts Blake Crouch’s New York Times bestseller and stars Joel Egerton as a physicist/professor who gets kidnapped by an alternate reality. He works to make it home while encountering other alternate lives, and this isn’t nearly as fun for him as it might sound on paper. Jennifer Connelly co-stars, and she probably won’t enjoy it much either when Egerton’s character has to save his own family from the Villain Dad that he has apparently become. So stressful.
Seriously, is Robert Downey Jr. going for EGOT status? He recently won an Oscar and has already demolished the Golden Globes a few times. He will soon make his Broadway debut, and in this series, he embodies four roles: CIA operative, film director, congressman, and professor. The show is a riveting viewing experience about Vietnam War-era spy (Hoa Xuande), who encounters RDJ’s pivotal characters during this successful adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s same-named Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Emmy, perhaps?
7. Anyone But You (Sony Pictures Releasing film on Netflix)
Sydney Sweeney is gearing up to portray the “Female Rocky,” which gives her another arena to conquer after delivering a sleeper of a romcom with this modern take on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. As a producer, Sweeney also helped stoke the flames of rumors about herself and Glen Powell, and her intuition about the film’s prospective audience has helped ensure certain longevity for her career. Glen’s not doing so bad, either! Watching both of their careers hit new highs is a rare joy for the love ’em and leave ’em industry of Hollywood.
6. Love Lies Bleeding (A24 film on VOD & Amazon Prime)
Rose Glass (Saint Maud) directed this project, for which Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian bonded over cat pee before production began. Kristen is Lou, a gym manager, and Katy is Jackie, a ripped-as-hell bodybuilder, and their romance gets sidetracked then they are sucked into the town’s criminal underworld due to Lou’s father (Ed Harris, who has seen far better non-hair days). Expect murder, mayhem, and tons of hair, baby.
Jerry Seinfeld might never have another hit show about nothing like Seinfeld again, but even though this film has somewhat divided audiences, people still cannot resist checking in how the former sitcom king has done with his directorial debut. The story is silly as hell, but this film does not aspire to be a masterpiece. Instead, it travels back to the 1960s Pop-Tart birth, where that still-overrated breakfast-snack food first had its heyday. Look for Hugh Grant, Bill Burr, Maria Bakalova, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, and Seinfeld himself before the credits roll on this absurdity.
The season began with high tension between the central duo, but do not forget the most important part: that Tom Cruise Christmas cake. Next up? Deborah Vance will be roasted in an event that will be nearly as legendary as the comedienne herself. The season hasn’t yet revealed the sexy Christina Hendricks episode, but there’s already been enough heat for Ava. Get ready for even more for both ladies, physically with other people, and mentally… with each other. Also, it’s lovely to see them back in the non-lovely Las Vegas, here’s to hoping for more of this.
Walton Goggins didn’t exactly enjoy his initial prep for being The Ghoul, but he loosened up, as did the prosthetics routine, and this contributed to video-game adaptation magic. Ella Purnell is also the newly crowned Queen of the Video Game Show, and good news is on the horizon for everybody involved. Amazon put this into fast-track mode for a second season, so get ready for more noseless Goggins. He truly is everywhere these days, even in Thailand!
The masses cannot help but be charmed by Anne Hathaway portraying a cool Coachella mom who ends up attracting the affections of a 24-year-old pop star (Nicholas Galitzine), who is definitely not Harry Styles. The May-December story joins the several adaptations of same-named novels (in this case, by author Robinne Lee) that are crossing into the TV medium with great success. And fortunately for audiences, the romantic attraction in this film is sizzling.
Nearly a month after streaming release, the momentum continues for Richard Gadd’s stunning dramatization of his real-life trauma spiral. Audiences remain transfixed by how Gadd, as “Donny,” has laid his own experiences on the table in this adaptation of his one-man show that won’t be leaving your brain. The limited series appears to be as destined for award recognition as it has been for followup controversy, but the creator and star isn’t taking it easy in the shadow of his own success. Instead, he’s already leaping head first into his next project while viewers stay obsessed in a true-crime way with what he’s done here.
Kentucky is bourbon country, but let’s be honest in 2024 – the rest of the country is catching up. To the point that some of the world’s best bourbon is made outside of Kentucky. Bourbon may not be peated (minus a few exceptions) but in a matchup of Kentucky vs. the world, these 10 bourbons want ALL the smoke.
From cities as far-flung as Brooklyn, New York, Charleston, South Carolina, and Seattle, Washington there are distilleries today proving that the best bourbon in the world isn’t limited to the Bluegrass State. Give ’em a taste and you’ll find that the rest of the country isn’t just trotting along trying to keep up with the greatness produced in Kentucky. In fact, in a race to the top, these are 10 bourbons that can easily be considered some of the finest in all the land.
Prepare to have your horizon broadened and, if you’ll allow it, perhaps even have your mind changed. These are the 10 best bourbons made outside of Kentucky in 2024, ranked
10. Jimmy Red Bottled In Bond Bourbon 10th Anniversary
Jimmy Red Bourbon is made using a unique corn varietal, Jimmy Red, which the brand helped save from the brink of extinction. Ecological heroics aside, this isn’t your garden-variety bourbon – it utilizes locally grown grains, is likewise proofed with local water, and is made according to the exacting standards of the Bottled in Bond Act.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Immediately fragrant and grain forward, which you like to see when a whiskey utilizes a unique grain varietal, the nuttiness of Jimmy Red corn is on full display here. Spiced orange peel and cinnamon bark dance delightfully in the background while brioche, star anise, and a light sugary top note take care of the rest.
Palate: Once across the palate, this bourbon is oily with all of the nosing notes finding their way into the mouth with the prominent addition of brown sugar, vanilla pod, and buttered popcorn. There’s also the savory sweetness of honey to be found on top of the doughy flavor of brioche that rewards the patient sipper.
Finish: With a medium-length finish that leaves you sucking your molars and searching for flavor long after your final sip, you’ll find gentle allspice notes along with youthful oak and maple candy.
Bottom Line:
High Wire Distilling out of Charleston, South Carolina has done a lot of heavy lifting to resuscitate Jimmy Red corn and give it a place of prominence in the bourbon world. The results of that work are on full display in their 10th Anniversary Bottled in Bond Bourbon, where an impressively mature mouthfeel and lush flavors pass the “it has potential” test and rise to the level of promise fulfilled.
9. Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Cask Strength Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Southern Distilling Company is helping to put the North Carolina bourbon scene on the map with their fleet of impressive wheated bourbons but none are as remarkable as their Single Barrel Cask Strength offerings. Made with a mashbill of 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley, this is a whiskey that despite being produced in limited batches is making a major impact among bourbon drinkers in the know.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sticky orange marmalade comes wafting out of the glass set against an earthy backbone of nutmeg, robust barrel char, and the floral, musky aroma of jasmine.
Palate: On the palate one can expect the pleasure to increase tenfold as chocolate truffle dust graces the tongue before walnut meat and sassafras kick things into high gear. Those semi-sweet, earthy notes are then bolstered by a treacle sweetness accented by cardamom and a sprig of mint.
Finish: On the finish it’s the sweetness that overtakes the robust earthy character of this bourbon with apple skin, clover honey, and vanilla extract to be found along with a touch of white pepper to balance it all out.
Bottom Line:
Boldness with balance is really the right way to describe Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Bourbon. Despite being new to the stage and facing stiff competition in the wheated bourbon category, this is one expression that proves North Carolina deserves a seat at the table when discussing superlative cask strength bourbon.
New York has no shortage of promising distilleries right now, and Finger Lakes Distilling, located upstate, is certainly among them. Featuring a mashbill of 70% corn, 20% hard red winter wheat, and 10% malted barley and aged for a full four years under the Bottled in Bond standards, McKenzie Bourbon is proof positive that the north New York region may soon be known for its whiskey as much as its wine.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel-coated melon kicks things off, an unexpected duo that prepares your senses for the journey you’re about to take. From that auspicious start, you’ll also find milk chocolate, marshmallow fluff, lemon zest, and dried cranberries hanging in the air above the glass.
Palate: Again, milk chocolate holds significant space on the palate and it’s joined by more red berries – this time more akin to semi-sweet raspberries – while lemon tartness and savory pecan flavors soon follow.
Finish: The medium-bodied texture allows plenty of runway for a surprisingly lengthy finish that crescendos with mellow baking spices and gently undulates away leaving custard and almond extract in its wake.
Bottom Line:
Both affordable and exceedingly easy to enjoy this bourbon is even more impressive than Finger Lake Distilling’s award-winning rye. McKenzie Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a surprisingly well-rounded whiskey that utilizes an atypical grain recipe and subjects it to the Bottled in Bond standards to satisfying results.
Rising Tide Spirits is a non-distilling producer founded by industry icon Ed Bley, who is indeed based in Kentucky but sources the liquid for this release from an undisclosed distillery out of West Virginia. For batch 1 of their playfully named “Old Stubborn” expression a blend of 10, 11, and 13-year-old bourbons are mingled to produce a wheated bourbon that treads off the beaten path.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vegetal notes like oregano and sage rise to greet the nose at first before a dollop of sticky caramel, dark chocolate, and mature oak blossom and offer a sturdy foundation for those top notes to grow.
Palate: Caramel candy is far more pronounced on the palate here and it’s accented by a layer of cinnamon and clove that deftly relegates the vegetal notes from the nose to the background, allowing them to shine as secondary players to the nuanced sweetness and the flavor of semi-bitter barrel char.
Finish: On the finish you’ll find walnut shell, allspice, and a touch of mint emerging in lockstep with red chili pepper skin and the semi-bitter barrel char note that’s only faintly evident at midpalate.
Bottom Line:
Old Stubborn excels by marching to the beat of its own drum and eschewing the comforting familiarity of most wheated bourbons on the market. Mellow sweetness is supplanted by self-sure vegetal notes that play well with your standard confectionery flavors to produce a truly unique sipping experience.
Frey Ranch Distillery, tucked away in the mountains of Nevada, are relative newcomers to the American whiskey world but they’ve been farming since 1854. All of that agricultural know-how finds its way into the bottle as they utilize their own sustainably grown grains in each of their products, putting nearly 170 years of experience on full display in their farm-to-glass bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leather and cinnamon bark come roaring out of the glass as the impressive proof in this whiskey makes itself known vis-a-vis its burly aromas. Buttery pastry notes and a sweetness reminiscent of port wine adds refinement to the affair with custard and torched blood orange elevating it as well.
Palate: The interplay of grain – with corn pudding playing the role here – with tropical fruit, tobacco leaf, black tea, and clove is mesmerizing in every sip. Be sure to suck your teeth as an invitation for toasted almonds and overripe dates to join the party.
Finish: The finish showcases a delicate balance – though this whiskey is anything but delicate – where leather, dates, and big black pepper vibes all claim equal ground and cling to the roof of your mouth for dear life.
Bottom Line:
Believe it or not, Frey Ranch Distillery has been around for nearly 20 years, having been founded in 2006. What time has wrought is a level of expertise coupled with high-quality grains to produce a robust bourbon loaded with fulsome flavor notes and a silky mouthfeel that you’ll want to experience over and over again until your bottle, like mine, is nearly depleted.
5. Old 55 Single Barrel 100% Sweet Corn Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
Newtown, Indiana is home to Old 55 Distillery who is deploying proprietary enzymes and producing both a wheated bourbon as well as some truly magnificent, albeit extremely limited, 100% sweet corn bourbon. Cask strength is where their sweet corn bourbon shines brightest, as it showcases all of that unsprayed, organic sweet corn in all its glory.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s an earthy aroma reminiscent of tree bark that is quickly supplanted by gobs of sumptuously sweet corn pudding, melon, white peach, and overripe apricot.
Palate: On the palate the viscousness of the liquid is immediately remarkable, which lays the foundation for corn pudding, blackberries, vanilla ice cream, and cinnamon bark to coat your tongue in nearly equal measure.
Finish: On the finish you’ll find the kick of cinnamon bark, cola nut, and jammy blackberry sweetness kissing you goodbye after every sip.
Bottom Line:
Producing 100% sweet corn bourbon is not only more labor-intensive but it’s also extremely expensive — which goes to explain the high sticker price for Old 55 100% Sweet Corn Bourbon, but the results are so damn worth it. Not only is this one of the more unique bourbons on the market from a production standpoint, but it really goes to show the potential of bourbon as a category when the cost is thrown to the wind and talented distillers set their sights on one simple goal: flavor.
Wyoming Whiskey, nestled out west in Kirby, Wyoming, has a flavorful portfolio of bourbons in its lineup but the 10-Year Anniversary expression should be considered its crown jewel to date. To honor their 10th calendar year, in 2022, they united their original master distiller and their master blender to create this special release using the oldest barrels in their inventory to produce this high-rye bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A duo of apricot and pear find themselves fused with caramel, hay, and a bit of bubblegum – but the ride doesn’t end there. Dig deeper to find a savory note reminiscent of smoked brisket alongside orange blossom, brandied cherries, and baklava.
Palate: Citrus kisses the tip of the tongue before allowing bubblegum, creme brulee, and a stout oak presence to enter the fray. This succeeds by being spry on the palate despite containing a depth of rich flavors commensurate with 10-year-old bourbon.
Finish: The finish contains the herbaceousness of bay leaf and honeyed mint tea along with white pepper and a final dash of barrel char.
Bottom Line:
Wyoming Whiskey’s 10th Anniversary Bourbon features a delightfully refreshing bouquet of aroma that is only outdone by the flavors found on the palate. It is one of those exceptional – and rare – bourbons that can succeed by being multiple things at once, and that’s worth some serious applause.
3. Starlight Distillery Mizunara Reserve Bourbon Finished In Japanese Mizunara Barrels
Starlight Distillery, located in Borden, Indiana, can comfortably be considered one of the best craft whiskey distilleries in the entire country. For this mouth-watering Mizunara-finished release they take barrels that were initially earmarked for their premium “Family Reserve” lineup, age them for at least 4 years, and then rest them for an undisclosed period of time in exotic Japanese oak casks. The resultant whiskey carries a 7-year age statement.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cinnamon-specked fried apple pie aromas waft out of the glass along with candied ginger, orange pith, and root beer. It all makes for a mesmerizing melange that, at 116 proof, comes across as surprisingly approachable.
Palate: On the palate this whiskey bursts with bright cherry and cedar that swiftly clears space for vanilla buttercream, cinnamon, and charred green apple skin.
Finish: A healthy helping of allspice helps to focus, rather than curtail, the wonderful sweet flavors on display in this whiskey.
Bottom Line:
Mizunara is an infamously difficult oak to use in whiskey production due to its extreme porosity — which can cause those casks to spring a leak. Without that knowledge, it might also be difficult for the layperson to imagine why it isn’t more widely used because the flavors it can wring out of bourbon – particularly one with the sumptuous baseline provided by Starlight bourbon – are stellar.
This delicate whiskey achieves a depth of flavor typically reserved for bourbon twice its age, making it well worth the expensive barrels it was finished in.
This 18-barrel blend from Holladay Distillery came about thanks to a unique collaboration with Bourbon Lore, the brand-new enthusiast community that’s already shaking up the American whiskey world. This collaboration was helmed by Master Distiller Kyle Merklein along with the illustrious group of Mason Walker, Clay Risen, Emerson Shotwell, David Jennings, and Ryan Alves.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes are driven by the aroma of aged leather books, raspberry fruit parfait, and the faint influence of cinnamon. Those aromas are further fortified by notes of milk chocolate and a bit of herbal tea.
Palate: As this whiskey splashes across your palate you’re immediately greeted by the creamy mouthfeel. Expect to find raspberry and sarsaparilla along with shades of white pepper, cream soda, and clove set against a sturdy backdrop of oak.
Finish: On the finish this bourbon defies its age, coming across as a 10+ year-old product courtesy of its rich oaky character accented by Aleppo red chili flakes.
Bottom Line:
The social media hype resulted in this whiskey being sold out almost instantly, but it will leave a lasting impression on both your palate and your opinion of Holladay Distillery. It checks every box and drinks dangerously below its proof while tasting like bourbon with a significantly higher age statement. Rest assured, this probably won’t be the best bourbon Ben Holladay ever releases, but it’s also safe to say this is the best stuff they’ve ever bottled to date.
Your house, that is, because if not then Kings County Blender’s Reserve needs an introduction. This particular batch produced 269 bottles and featured the very last of the distillery’s 5-gallon barrels in a blend that was aged for at least 7 years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Well-aged leather furniture, Mexican hot chocolate, and coconut flakes are all initially resplendent on the nose. There’s a good bit of evident ethanol, but it’s not overpowering, and once acclimated there are notes of marshmallow with the faintest touch of orange rind and deep oak to be found.
Palate: An incredibly dense mouthfeel introduces spoils like the Almond Joy and Tootsie Roll candies, marzipan, plus rich oak which are all on full display along with gentle accents of tobacco leaf and orange zest.
Finish: A bounty of barrel char and baking spice – namely black pepper and nutmeg – emerge on the finish which is exceptionally long-lasting and warms your chest through every savory sip.
Bottom Line:
Kings County’s Blender’s Reserve stands in remarkable defiance of the notion that the best bourbon in the world can only come from Kentucky. Utilizing anything-but-industry-standard 5-gallon barrels in this blend along with Kings County’s signature 80% New York corn, and 20% malted barley mashbill, this is a bottle that charts its own path to flavor town yet arrives with all of the gusto its hefty proof would indicate.
Simply put, if you want to prove that the best bourbon doesn’t have to be made in Kentucky then you should pour a glass of Kings County Blender’s Reserve.
Fast food is getting expensive. So much so that we’ve been talking about it all year. The brands know it too, which is why so many of them are scrambling right now trying to figure out how to get customers back to the drive-thru.
One way to win us back is by expanding value menus. Taco Bell is doing it well, but the big cheeseburger brands can’t seem to figure out how to make it work. Luckily, there are a few affordable burgers out there that manage to be cheap and delicious. But what about flipping the conversation to talk about expensive cheeseburgers. Are they better? Are they really worth it?
The short answer is “not always.” Sure, some burgers are, but for every expensive burger that tastes so good the price is justified, there are at least two lesser burgers from other brands that have us scratching our heads as to why they’re so expensive. So to help guide you to the best burgers in fast food, we’re ranking all of our favorite expensive burgers.
What does expensive mean in this case? Over $10. I think once you get into double digits, you’re getting prohibitively expensive for a lot of people, so that’s our threshold. If a burger is less than $10 — it didn’t make this list.
6. Umami Burger — The Double Umami Burger
Umami Burger
Price: $11.95
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. More than a decade ago, Umami Burger was in the running for the best fast casual cheeseburger on the market. It tasted elevated and unique, savory to the point of being decadent. And then in 2016, Umami Burger was acquired by a holdings company that owns a bunch of other food brands, and the quality immediately dropped.
These days, the burger tastes like it was made in a ghost kitchen (because it is), it lacks character, and tastes shockingly bland. All the fixing are still here, the burger is made from two smashed patties, with dashi onions, American cheese, pickle chips, and the brand’s umami sauce. But when you bite into it, all the magic is gone. It tastes like a shell of what it once tasted like.
It’s bland, under-seasoned, and way too expensive for what you get.
The Bottom Line:
The only burger on this list that isn’t worth the money.
5. Wendy’s — Baconator
Wendy
Price: $12.31
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This one hurts. I love Wendy’s, it has one of the most consistent menus in fast food. Almost everything on it is great. But compared to the fast casual chains that make up this list? It’s struggling to compete.
Here is what I love about the Baconator — it’s super juicy and meaty with a strong smokey bacon flavor that tastes wonderfully savory. The way the fatty, smokey, and slightly sweet bacon mixes with the rich beef and savory ketchup and mayo creates a delicious umami finish (take that Umami Burger) that penetrates your tastebuds in the best way.
But if I’m being picky — which for this list, I need to be — it’s way too f*cking salty. Eating this burger feels like a health risk, and that’s not always something you want, especially when you’re paying a premium price.
The Bottom Line:
Delicious, but way too salty.
4. Smashburger — Double Classic Smash Burger
Smashburger
Price: $10.09
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Smashburger just made this list by 9 cents, and the price point of $10.09 is what you’ll find in Southern California, where I imagine fast food is a bit more expensive. So if you can get this burger for less than $10, it’s a no-brainer.
But even at $10.09, what you get is great — two Angus beef smash patties, two layers of American cheese, a single leaf of green leaf lettuce, juicy tomatoes, sweet red onions, pickles, Smash sauce, and ketchup, on a toasted bun.
The patties are thin, so thin there is an audible crunch to every bite. While thin, they still provide some great beefy flavor but not quite as much as I want. Smashburger would rank highly for me if it were just a bit beefier.
The Bottom Line:
If you love smash burgers, you’re going to love Smashburger. They do the style right, though the patties are on the thin side. So if you want a beefy burger, maybe look elsewhere (or add another patty).
3. Fatburger — King Burger
Fatburger
Price: $11.99
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
You always hear about In-N-Out, over and over and over. I admit, I’m part of the problem. In-N-Out is amazing, but so is Fatburger, and the latter is massively underrated. The Kingburger is my go-to when I want a giant cheeseburger made from fresh beef.
This burger is topped with a thick grip-full of shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, mustard, pickles, American cheese and relish, plus one giant 1/2 pound patty. A fat patty if you will.
The burger is juicy, nicely charred, and beefy, but the secret weapon here is the relish, which is bright, zesty, and shockingly spicy. While it doesn’t come stock on the build, I like to add some chili and bacon into the mix to really take this burger to the next level.
The Bottom Line:
It doesn’t enjoy the hype that In-N-Out has, but it’s just as good.
2. Five Guys — Patty Melt
Zach Johnston
Price: $15.47
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Five Guys gets a lot of criticism for being overpriced, and I think that’s pretty warranted. The standard double cheeseburger (which to confuse people, is just listed as “Cheeseburger” on the Five Guys menu), will run you over $15. For a burger that’s wrapped in foil and thrown in a greasy brown bag, that’s too much money. But… it’s delicious. And some days, totally worth it.
The key to ordering from Five Guys is to take advantage of its customizable menu. If you want to roll into Five Guys and get a cheeseburger with all the ordinary fixings, it’s a rip-off, but if you’re willing to get creative, it’s absolutely worth the money. Our favorite is the secret menu patty melt. Simply order a grilled cheese and add grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, and two beef patties. The bun will be flipped inside out, allowing the bottom portion to be buttered and grilled, giving a crispy bite that pairs excellently with the umami-rich earthy mushrooms, sweet caramelized onions, and layers of perfectly melted American cheese.
This combination of ingredients is so wonderful, savory and juicy that you don’t even need burger sauce for this one. My suggestion is to order a side of BBQ and dip when necessary to add a bit more smoke and emphasize the sweet character. Another add-on I like is adding grilled green and jalapeño peppers for some peppery vegetal heat.
The Bottom Line:
Yes, it’s expensive, but if you take advantage of the customization options, it starts to make sense why you’re paying a premium.
1. Shake Shack — Double Shack Burger
Shake Shack
Price: $12.69
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Shake Shack’s Double Shack Burger sits in a perfect price point in my mind. Yes, it’s pricier than all of the big chains, but the quality of the ingredients justifies it. Would I like it more if it was $2 cheaper? Absolutely, but it’s not so prohibitively expensive that I feel like I’m getting ripped off.
The ingredients are exceptional, the produce is crispy and ripe, the tomatoes add an umami-rich juiciness, and the lettuce balances the brightness with a hint of bitterness. The Shake sauce is tangy, rich, and adds an extra level of savoriness to the burger. The potato bun is soft and spongey and soaks up the burger juices nicely. But the real star of the show is the meat patty.
No other burger melts in your mouth like Shake Shack. Once you bite through the sweet caramelized Maillard crust, you’re met with a depth of flavor that somehow tastes meatier and juicier than every other burger in fast food. While the less than $10 single version of this burger is tempting, price-wise, stick with the double — the ratio of meat to bread is much better here, allowing you to enjoy the flavor all the more.
The Bottom Line:
Not just the best cheeseburger over $10, it’s the best cheeseburger in all of fast food.
College football fans have gone from waiting years for any sort of update on a video game to impatiently waiting for as many details as possible about EA Sports College Football 25. The successor to the wildly popular EA Sports NCAA Football series that ended in 2013, EA Sports College Football 25 is one of the most highly-anticipated sports games in quite some time, and slowly but surely, information has been coming out about the game over the last few months.
On Friday, fans got maybe the most exciting bit of news yet, as an apparent accident on the PlayStation Store revealed the Deluxe Edition cover of the game. It forced EA Sports’ hand, as it was revealed in a tweet that the company was caught off guard, but as a result, both covers of the game will officially drop on May 16.
While we’ll have to wait and see how EA Sports handles the regular cover (or covers), the Deluxe Edition features a number of players in uniforms. Six of them, however, have their nameplate on the back, and today, we’re identifying who they are in the aftermath of the cover leaking.
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
A 4-star quarterback recruit in the class of 2020, Beck patiently waited behind Stetson Bennett to take over under center for the Bulldogs. His opportunity finally came in 2023, and the Florida native was one of the top signal callers in America, throwing for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns to six interceptions while completing 302 of his 417 (72.4 percent) of his passes. Beck also ran for four scores on the ground. He’ll be a high pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but for now, he’ll look to build on a second-team All-SEC campaign in which he led the Bulldogs to an undefeated regular season, a berth in the SEC Championship Game, and a blowout win over Florida State in the Orange Bowl.
Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan
Edwards has spent his time in Ann Arbor behind Blake Corum on the depth chart. That hasn’t meant all that much, though, as he’s been a productive running back over three years, toting the rock 294 times for 1,662 yards and 15 touchdowns with another three scores coming through the air. The former 4/5-star recruit has put up big numbers in some big games, too — he ran for 216 yards and two scores against Ohio State in 2022, won the MVP of the Big Ten Championship Game against Purdue a week later, and carried the ball six times for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Michigan’s national championship game win over Washington last year. Now, Corum’s off to the NFL, and Edwards should be the centerpiece of the Wolverine offense in the first year of the post-Jim Harbaugh era.
Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
One of the most highly-regarded recruits in college football history, Ewers famously spent a year as a backup at Ohio State before transferring to Texas, where he originally committed in high school before flipping to the Buckeyes. His first year in Austin was up-and-down, but in 2023, he started to tap into the promise that made evaluators view him as a future NFL signal caller from the time he was in high school. Ewers was one of the driving forces behind the Longhorns winning the Big 12 for the first time since 2009 (he was named the MVP of the conference title game) and making it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, going 272-for-394 (69 percent) with 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns, six interceptions, and five rushing touchdowns.
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
There is not a more talented player in the sport than Hunter, the former 5-star recruit who made waves when he committed to Deion Sanders when he was the head coach at Jackson State before jumping ship when Sanders went to Colorado. He’s an outstanding wide receiver (the best on the Buffaloes’ offense) and an outstanding cornerback (the best on the Buffaloes’ defense), as he was a consensus All-American last year as an all-purpose player. Hunter is, alongside QB Shedeur Sanders, the most important building block for what Coach Prime is trying to do in Boulder this year, and of all the players on this list, he is going to be the one fans have the most fun using, in large part because he never comes off the field.
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
There’s one player on this list who has never taken a snap for his current team. That would be Judkins, the former Ole Miss standout who transferred to Ohio State this offseason. Judkins has a strong claim to being the best running back in America, and he should be able to put up big numbers alongside TreVeyon Henderson in the Buckeye backfield under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. There are incredibly high expectations in Columbus this year about the team’s ability to win a national championship, and Judkins — who’s coming to town with 545 career carries for 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns — is a major reason why. This should be a 1-year stint before he goes to the NFL, but at least he got a video game cover out of it.
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Kalen DeBoer is taking over for Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, which will not be an easy task. Fortunately for him, the Crimson Tide have a signal caller in place, as Milroe was one of the best players in the country at his position last year. A second-team All-SEC selection and the sixth-place finisher in Heisman voting, Milroe throws one of the best deep balls in the country, as he averaged 10 yards per attempts while completing 65.8 percent of his passes. He had 23 touchdowns through the air and another 12 on the ground for the SEC champions last season. This season, he’s expected to be one of the best QBs in the country, and because of his ability to beat teams with deep balls and his ability to run it, you can bet he’ll be one of the most popular players to use in EA’s new college football game.
Kicking off a pair of performance, Vampire Weekend started with their song “Gen-X Cops”
While on stage, lead vocalist Ezra Koening sat cozy on a cushioned seat, next to a Yamaha piano. Koenig’s vocals were flawless, syncing well with the rocking sounds by his bandmates. He delivered a quick piano solo near the bridge of the song, not missing a beat.
In their second performance of the night, Vampire Weekend delivered a soft, light performance of “Capricorn.”
Once again taking center stage, Koenig shined with sweet, smooth vocals. Playing his acoustic guitar, Koenig gifts the audience with somewhat of a smooth lullaby as the show begins wrapping up. Toward the bridge, fellow Vampire Weekend members Chris Baio and Chris Thompson perform some electrifying bass and guitar solos.
Over the years, Vampire Weekend’s sound has evolved, especially as one of the founding members, Rostam Batmanglij, left the band awhile back. But the group has continued to maintain their rockstar momentum.
This Mother’s Day, we’ve gotta thank our moms for always being there for us — even in the most uncomfortable sitautions. In a painfully relatable sketch on tonight’s (May 11) episode of Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph receives a call from her daughter, who is at a slumber party of which she no longer wishes to be in attendance.
Though it is late, Rudolph comes to the party to pick her up.
“Kaylie needs to come home,” says Rudolph to the host dad, played by Mikey Day.
“How come?,” he asks.
“Her grandma’s having a funeral,” she replies.
Confused, the host dad asks “at 2 a.m.?”
“Her wish was for a night funeral,” says Rudolph.
In another scenario, Rudolph pulls the classic move, of pretending the kid is in trouble. The daughter goes along with it, telling Rudolph “Mom, you always do this. You’re embarrassing me in front of my friends.”
“I don’t care,” says Rudolph. “You’re coming home, young lady.”
“Why?,” asks the daughter.
“Because, I’m your mother, and I’m a b*tch,” Rudolph says.
Once the host mother is out of earshot, the daughter tells Rudolph “thanks Mom.”
The clips then ends with a special thankful message to the moms that have helped us out of awkward situations.
Beyoncé can do it all — singing, dancing, acting, and recently, launching a haircare brand. And even though she carries hot sauce in her bag — as she noted on her 2016 hit single “Formation” — it’s possible that even she can’t handle the spice level of the wings on Hot Ones. In a Saturday Night Live sketch tonight (May 10), Mikey Day played Hot Ones host Sean Evans in a parody of the iconic YouTube show. Joining Day was tonight’s (May 11) host, Rudolph, as the one-and-only Beyoncé.
Hot off the release of her latest album, Cowboy Carter, Rudolph’s Beyoncé reminds us that she’s a southern country queen. But the flavor and heat of the wings proves to be too much — even for the Queen Bey.
Rudolph’s Beyoncé takes to the first few wings pretty well. But by the time she tries the “Sergeant Sphincter’s Volcanpeño sauce, with a Scoville rating of 530,000,” she appears to meet her match.
“This wing is stompin’ my ass,” she said. “Damn, my bones are hot. That wing was a real one.”
But thanks to the help of Bey’s loyal assistant, De’Raphael (Kenan Thompson), the world, perhaps, might never see Beyoncé in this rather humbling scenario.
There is never a shortage of scorecard controversies in the world of boxing, as the subjective nature of judges scoring a fight can lead to some wild and shocking results. The sport doesn’t need the help of others to create moments of confusion when reading off the scores, but that’s exactly what it got on Saturday night in Australia courtesy of ring announcer Daniel Hennessey, aka Lt. Dan.
Nina Hughes and Cherneka Johnson battled for 10 rounds in the bout before George Kambosos and Vasiliy Lomachenko’s title fight in Perth, and went to the cards in what looked to be a win for Johnson. However, Hennessey announced Hughes as the winner, to the confusion of everyone — including the referee who first tried to raise Johnson’s hand. That turned out to be a La La Land moment, as he quickly had to bring the two fighters back to the center of the ring to redo the announcement, reading the cards again and correctly noting it was in favor of Johnson.
The fight was broadcast stateside by ESPN, and the commentary team of Joe Tessitore and Timothy Bradley had seen enough of Hennessey’s shenanigans by this point, leading to Tess absolutely tearing him a new one.
Joe Tess unloads on the “absolute clown show garbage amateur hour” ring announcer and gets the corrected results pic.twitter.com/d1czlIp3B1
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) May 12, 2024
The cards did indeed say that Johnson won, so there was no real controversy here aside from a bad reading.
This is the official scorecard that confirms @TheSugarNeekz victory over Nina Hughes for the @WBABoxing bantamweight world title despite the confusion caused by the ring announcer initially crediting the wrong fighter with the win. pic.twitter.com/NEPi4AooWN
If you thought that might embarrass Lt. Dan out of any more antics, you’d be wrong, as he kicked off the main event by littering the ring with index cards.
Ring announcer throws like 50 index cards in the ring before Kambosos-Loma fight lol pic.twitter.com/fAxwi3tMHE
Maya Rudolph made a grand return to Saturday Night Live tonight. Having had a long run from from 2001 to 2007, Rudolph has long been a fan favorite SNL alum. Though it’s been nearly two decades since she left the cast, she continues to make scene-stealing guest appearances. Tonight (May 11) marks her third time hosting SNL.
During her opening monologue, Rudolph acknowledged Mother’s Day, and noted that she’s a four-time mother. But not only is she a mother, she is also mother — per Bowen Yang. Afterward, she received a formal introduction by a drag persona played by Kenan Thompson. When the camera panned back to Rudolph, she was surrounded by a group of fabulous dancers, as she began to command the room in pure ballroom fashion.
During her song, Rudolph sent a shoutout to all the moms out there.
“Today we celebrate all kinds of mothers,” said Rudolph. “Stepmothers, godmothers, mothers from another brother. Dance moms, octomoms.”
Chloe Fineman chimed in, asking “What about dog moms?”
To which Rudolph replied “Honey, that’s not a dog, that’s a b*tch.”
Elsewhere in the clip, she lists off famous mom characters, while grooving to a dancefloor track, guaranteed to slay the house down boots.
Rudolph currently plays multibillionaire Molly Wells on the Apple TV+ series Loot. She also has a voice role in John Krasinki’s upcoming animated feature film, IF.
But tonight, we are excited to see her back on our screens on the SNL stage.
You can see a clip of the opening monologue above.
For the second straight series, the top-seeded Celtics entered Game 3 tied 1-1 after a rather stunning Game 2 loss. This time, though, it was against a Cavs team that has more firepower than the Heat and poses a bit more of a threat to make things really interesting in this second round series.
That meant it was important for the Celtics to squash any feeling of positive momentum in Cleveland with a Game 3 win. However, to do so, they’d have to figure out how to slow down Donovan Mitchell, who has been on an unbelievable heater over his last four games and continued that in the first half of Game 3, putting up 23 points in the first 24 minutes.
Spida with the step-back 3 to open the scoring in Game 3!
The Celtics had an answer on the offensive end in the form of Jayson Tatum’s best game of the series, as he was hot early, scoring 18 points in the first half.
JT knocks down his first 2 attempts from downtown in Game 3
The difference in the half was Tatum getting more support than Mitchell, led by Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday combining for 28 first half points as Boston took a 57-48 advantage into the break.
The Cavs would stabilize some from there and keep it to a more manageable deficit, but every time they threatened a third quarter run, the Celtics would hit a shot to keep them at arm’s length.
Despite all the effort to hang around, the Cavs just did not have give Mitchell enough offensive support to make things close late, as Boston pulled away for a 106-93 win.
Mitchell finished with 33 points, cooling off some in the second half as the Celtics sent some extra attention his way to force others to beat them. Unfortunately for the Cavs, none of their others were really capable of stepping up in those moments. Evan Mobley had another nice game with 17 points (7-of-11 shooting) and eight rebounds, while Caris LeVert pitched in 15 off the bench, but that was about it in terms of positive support. Darius Garland’s cold shooting playoffs continued with a 6-of-15 night (1-of-6 from three), while Max Strus (2-of-8) and Isaac Okoro (1-of-7) were non-factors. As a team, the non-Mitchell Cavs were 5-of-24 from three on the night, and that’s simply not a formula for success.
For Boston, seeing Tatum get going with a 33-point, 13-rebound night was a welcome sight, as he’s gotten off to a bit of a sluggish start to this postseason as a scorer. Jaylen Brown was sensational alongside him, scoring 28 on 13-of-17 shooting to go along with nine boards. Jrue Holiday, whose postseason shooting struggles continued to start his Celtics tenure, also had a big night with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting (most of which came in the first half) to provide a lift to their star duo. It wasn’t a dominant night from Boston aside from their run to open the third quarter, but that was enough to take care of business and restore some order in the series with a 2-1 lead.
Game 4 of the series will be Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT, with Cleveland hoping to figure out how to get more from their supporting cast to try and send things back to Boston knotted up at 2-2.
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BOS-CLE on ABC 
Jrue 
