The Great Debate

First off, this is the background info you need for this post:

http://jezebel.com/5496714/march-madness-the-cake-vs-pie-tournament

There is a cake vs. pie tournament, and through the discourse among friends over the initial rankings in the bracket, we determined that their rankings are WAY off. We're talking astronomically bad. We'll start off with discussion, and end with a final rankings in the bracket- skip to the bottom to get straight to those.

The Cake Bracket:

Notes/Complaints:

1) Birthday cake is not a kind of cake, never mind one that deserves the number one ranking. That's like someone telling you they had a Tuesday sandwich for lunch. The adjective does not even begin to describe the type of cake.

2) Wedding cake: See Cake, birthday.

3) There are some key cakes missing. Chocolate. Cinnamon Pull-Apart/Monkeybread. Vanilla (which really, I think was meant to be covered under birthday).

Additionally, the rankings are way off. Carrot Cake as a 7 seed? I realize some people dislike carrot cake, but enough people like it that it should be higher than a 7. You're really going to try to tell me that German Chocolate Cake is better than Carrot Cake? You would be wrong.

So, I present the proper rankings on the Cake half of the bracket (new ranking) Cake Name (old ranking):

(1) Vanilla/Standard Cake (1/NR)- The classic. While a one seed is probably too high, consider this the Duke of Cakes. Not everyone likes them, we all get annoyed with it, and it gets too much credit. I'm not happy with this ranking.

(16) Coconut (14). Who orders a coconut cake, over anything? Easily the 16, and lucky to even make the tournament. This would have been the play-in game.

(8) Angel Food Cake (8)

(9) Pound Cake (9)

Both of these were about right originally. Both are middle of the pack, sort of boring, and should be facing off in the first round, so we can quickly dispatch of one of them.

(5) Carrot Cake (7). As noted above, it's normally a love/hate type thing. But, Carrot Cake deserves better than a 7 seed, and in my mind, cracks the top five.

(12) German Chocolate Cake (4). Different from the regular chocolate cake, and by no means a top five seed. I get that some people like it, which is why it's even this high up. Could be a standard 12/5 upset, but I doubt it.

(4) Ice Cream Cake (2). Pick your own kind of ice cream, I don't really care. Whoever thought to put it in cake form deserves an award.

(13) Chocolate Cake (NR). Another standby, originally left off the list. We'll allow this to include variations of chocolate cake, such as death by chocolate, or anything else similar. If anything, Chocolate Cake got screwed by the selection committee, and should probably be higher.

(6) Red Velvet (3). Yes, this may seem a little low, but the higher ranking of Chocolate really knocked Red Velvet's seed down a peg.

(11) Cinnamon pull-apart Cake/Monkeybread (NR). Call me a homer, but this should knock out red velvet. When your only ingredients are biscuit dough, sugar, cinnamon, and butter, what can be bad?

(3) Funfetti (13). The original ranking is just WAY too low. I am yet to meet someone who dislikes Funfetti. An easy final four pick, with good odds to go all the way.

(14) Strawberry Shortcake (NR). A surprise non-ranking in the original, but definitely distinct from your typical angel food cake. Could give Red Velvet a run for the money.

(7) Coffee Cake. A perennial underdog, but delicious in the right setting. Nothing screams PTA meeting quite like Coffee Cake, but despite the negative boring associations (pun sort of intended...) coffee cake can be a real winner.

(10) Spice Cake (15). I mean, it's cake, so it's still delicious, but in a bracket form, only one of Coffee or Spice deserved to move on. Spice Cake sees a boost as a result.

(2) Cheese Cake (Pie ranking: 2). Not a personal favorite, but it deserves top three consideration. It is not a pie, though, as originally ranked. C'mon, people. Cake is in the name. I am also a sucker for a good graham cracker crust.

(15) Black Forest Cake (10). Like chocolate, but with gross jelly, right?

First one out:

Pineapple upside down Cake (11). What is this, 1972 home economics class? In 23 years of cake eating, I am yet to ever see this in a restaurant/bakery setting. And for good reason, I would imagine. The last time I saw one of these was on the battle of the sexes episode of Saved by the Bell, where Zach out-bakes the girls. Yeah, I went there.

The Pie Bracket:

Notes/Complaints:

- My main issue was including cheese cake as a pie. The rest of the field is actually pretty decent; Chocolate Cream Pie will replace Cheesecake in the field.

- I love fruit pies. I do not love cream pies, or that other nonsense. The rankings sort of take this in to account, because I feel like I'm not alone.

(1) Apple Pie (1). The old stand-by is hard to mess with. A la mode, with cheese, or otherwise, it's a slice of delicious any time of the year. A personal favorite to cut down the nets with a pie slicer, and raise the baking tin trophy.

(16) Brown Sugar (15): I don't even know what this is, but it's going against Apple, so it's irrelevant.

(8) Rhubarb (11)

(9) Boston cream (12)

Two pies that got slightly undercut by the original committee. Rhubarb has it's lovers (don't we all...), and Boston Cream is one of those pies you get when they've run out of anything else. A solid match up.

(5) Peanut Butter (5)

(12) Banana Cream (9)

Let's be honest for a moment, shall we? There aren't that many good pies out there after the top four. Peanut Butter is delicious, but it's at the point where after more than a slice or so, you're knocked out. It sits more like a cake in that respect. Likewise, Bananas are a morning food, and don't belong in pie.

(4) Lemon Meringue (13). Lemon Meringue got screwed in the original rankings. This is a top 5 pie. Even Jason Biggs would agree.

(13) Sweet Potato (14). Delicious, but not really belonging in the dessert pie category. I think of it more as a side dish; however, we could see an upset here.

(6) Pecan (8)

(11) Chocolate Cream Pie (NR)

I'm not the biggest lover of Pecan Pie, but it definitely has it's advocates. Consider it the Carrot Cake of the Pie Bracket. I was in a pie eating contest once, with Chocolate Cream Pie. Never again- that thing sits heavy. 11 is generous.

(3) Key Lime Pie (3). They had it right. Delicious, but not more than Apple or the two seed.

(14) Grasshopper Pie- an amalgamation of stuff, put in to a pie. Made with real grasshopper, if it's good.

(7) Cherry (7). I don't dislike Cherry pie, but I also couldn't justify it as any higher than a 7.

(10) Blueberry. (6). It's messy, and better as a cobbler than a pie. This hurts it, according to the committee.

(2) Pumpkin. Don't even try to argue- Pumpkin Pie with a touch of whipped cream is good morning, noon, or night. Not just for the fall, anymore.

(15) French Silk (15). See Sugar, Brown. It just doesn't matter- it's not winning.

I won't play this bracket out- not enough time on my hands, and it would cause too much fighting among all 17 readers. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Thanks for reading,

Dis

The Strip Club

I went to The Strip Club last night. It's sort of tucked away downtown; a 21+ place. I'd never been to a place like this before. Needless to say, the experience was definitely something different, and to be honest, sort of unexpected. The decor was... classy. And the food was absolutely fantastic.

Why hadn't I ever been there before? Fair question. I am 23, after all. I'd been meaning to try, especially since my mom had gotten me a gift card there for Hannukah. But, restaurant week provided the perfect opportunity to check it out. The Strip Club is a grill-your-own steak place in downtown San Diego (c'mon, you think I'd really blog about that?), and the Restaurant Week menu provided a nice little sampler of the cuisine for only $20.

I went with a buddy of mine, and we quickly realized the one flaw with the grill-your-own methodology. No, not that we messed it up- I ended up with a nice seared ahi, and Phil's steak was good- but standing around the grill, watching everyone else cook their dinner, turns in to a self-conscious pissing contest. You're sort of afraid of messing up your own dinner, not only because if it sucks there's no one else to blame, but also because you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of a grill full of strangers. The old guy to our right was definitely giving us sidelong glances like we were amateurs; meanwhile, we were commenting to each other about how it looked like the third guy at the grill was burning his steaks. While there is actually a nice community feel to standing around the grill with strangers and sparking up conversation, we found it funny the potential for disaster if big personalities stepped up to the plate. Plate of food, that is.

All kidding aside, dinner was great, and I dig the concept of a grill your own place. Portions were more than generous, and for our case, the price was definitely right. So, definitely a good first venture in to The Strip Club.

Per usual, thanks for reading.

Dis

Street Scene!

This article was written for the LA Times Sunday magazine, which is why it is sort of LA focused. I was granted permission to also publish it here.

Street Scene

San Diego’s Festival Worth a Drive South

Coachella may be Southern California’s best known music festival, but San Diego’s Street Scene has been putting on quality music for 25 years. With smaller crowds and a friendly feel, last weekend’s Street Scene offered a more intimate feel than the desert Coachella. The two night event featured forty-five bands on five stages, many of whom also played at this year’s Coachella. Downtown San Diego provided the perfect setting, capitalizing on convenient transportation, easy navigation throughout the festival grounds, and views of the sun setting over the San Diego Bay. While both festivals have a definite Southern California vibe, Street Scene offers a cheaper, more intimate way to see great bands in one place.

Headlined by hip-hop artists The Black Eyed Peas and M.I.A., this year’s Street Scene also featured great artists rarely heard over the airwaves. Girl Talk stole the show Friday, turning two blocks of downtown in to a dance party with his innovative mash ups. Coming off a year in which his album was rated #4 on the list of Top 10 Albums of 2008 by Time Magazine, his set featured non-stop beats, a video screen he used to communicate with the audience through text, and a stage full of dancing audience members. He capped his set with a fireworks display, setting the crowd off in a final frenzy.

Friday’s best main stage acts included Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, led by the former Bright Eyes singer, as well as a gritty performance one would expect from Modest Mouse. Friday also featured festival mainstays Band of Horses, and the up-and-coming Cage the Elephant, and Matt and Kim (whose single is featured in a popular alcohol commercial). Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band brought in LA staple Jenny Lewis (of the LA-based band Rilo Kiley) for one song, playing Bad News as well as the original artist. Oberst’s blend of folk and rock were a perfect fit for playing between Band of Horses and Cake, and Oberst’s strong vocal performance easily won over the crowd.

Los Angeles’s presence was felt during Street Scene, as LA’s bands No Age, Ozomatli, and The Silversun Pickups were featured throughout the weekend. Grammy-winning Ozomatli gave their usual crowd-pleasing show, mixing Latin, Hip-Hop, and Funk in to one cohesive, lively set. The Silversun Pickups also represented for the City of Angels, giving one of the weekend’s best performances. The band mixed in songs off all of their hit albums, ending their show with the new single Panic Switch, and Lazy Eye, the hit from their second album, Carnavas.

The Silversun Pickups rock was preceded by the contrasting Of Montreal performance, which integrated a variety of theater elements in to the performance. Of Montreal is as known for their over the top costumes as for their music, and lead singer Kevin Barnes did not disappoint, appearing in a fantasy-like cape and suit. The band played well, but the music was overshadowed by their incredible stage theatrics, which included a full story line played out in kabuki-style theater.

In addition to the Silversun Pickups and Of Montreal, Street Scene’s Saturday lineup featured Jack White’s new venture, The Dead Weather. Along with Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, and Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs, White put on a classic rock show. Mosshart’s vocals and emotion put this band on par with White’s prior projects, and the Dead Weather’s live shows leave nothing to be desired.

Saturday’s lineup also had a definite funk feel to it, opening the main stage with Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears and ending the side stage with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Both groups put on lively performances on the heels of Friday’s Trombone Shorty show. While Black Joe Lewis played to a small crowd as a result of being first on the bill, Ms. Jones performed at the same time as headliner M.I.A., resulting in a smaller crowd than she deserved. The two performances were both energetic and fun, getting the audience to dance the entire time.

Though LA bands made the trek down, San Diego bands also were featured throughout Street Scene. The Dirty Sweet led off Friday, which also featured Anya Marina, a former San Diego DJ. The Crocodiles played opposite Black Joe Lewis on Saturday, and local favorites The Delta Spirit finished off Saturday’s set on The Green Stage, a solar powered side stage.

While Street Scene doesn’t offer the sheer size of Coachella, it does offer the variety and talent level seen in the desert. For those who want the chance to see their favorite bands (and some soon-to-be favorites) right from the rail, Street Scene is well worth the drive down I-5.

per usual, TFR.

Dis

The Flaming Lips

In two weeks, I will have the pleasure of reviewing Street Scene for the LA Times Sunday Magazine. To perhaps get my writing up to snuff, I'm going to attempt to review the Flaming Lips show from the other night.

In short, The Flaming Lips put on one hell of a show. The stage featured a see-through half-circle screen, which the Lips played videos on throughout the show, and also used to feature Wayne (the lead singer) talking to the crowd throughout the set. They had a camera fixed on to his mic, which allowed those of us standing in back to see clearly the whole time. The screen, combined with about 50 large balloons, a stage filled with people dressed as sheep, and one human sized panda and gorilla, made the Lips set as visually stunning as it was well played.

The one thing that bothers me most about concerts is when the band is disconnected from the audience, too cool to connect to the people who are there to see them, and too good to play the popular songs. The Flaming Lips incorporated all of their hits throughout the set list, and made a point of talking to the audience throughout the show, encouraging us to sing along, and expressing their preferences for a cheap show, like the $6 one they were performing. They joked about leaving briefly to let us cheer for an encore, which while not new, is still cool.

Overall, the Flaming Lips put on a show to inspire both eyes and ears. The visually stunning performance tied in beautifully with the tight sound they put out, giving their live cuts a feel different from that of the album, but equally as good. The Flaming Lips have well earned their reputation as one of the best live bands around.

Per usual, thanks for reading.

Dis