#And then the new era of pie cube

[pieofdeath]

You changing profile picture jumpscared me fyi :)

I keep jumpscaring myself too

[fukia]

Fun Peanuts character facts

Linus

Linus used to say “Bang” a lot before he could really talk, mostly to mess with his sister (ie, respond to her pestering) or deal with other people

He gave Violet a bundle of French fries wrapped with a rubber band once…

has a weird set of otherworldly abilities; blowing cubed balloons, talking to leaves (stars too), asking a beachball to return from the ocean if I recall correctly, petting birds and getting them to like him

Linus gets increasingly stronger and more blunt/threatening towards Snoopy for constantly trying to take his blanket

Linus wants to be a doctor most of the time

Offered to shared his blanket with Charlie a few times

Kissed Peppermint patty on the cheek to comfort her; “Like this, sweetie?”

Kissed Frieda’s hand after she expressed that carrying a blanket around isn’t a bad thing

He gives a girl named Eudora his blanket because her smile was cute - he regrets it and fails to retrieve it himself - she kisses him on the cheek, calling him a “sweet babboo” - Eudora is Sally’s friend lol

Schroeder

Charlie introduced piano & Beethoven to him

As a baby, Charlie put him in front of a real piano (as opposed to his toy one) and he cried

He specifically said baseball is one of his loves, besides playing music & Beethoven

Found baby Linus fascinating as he resembled Beethoven

Before Lucy was obnoxious to him, he told Charlie that Lucy has beautiful eyes

Threatened to beat up Lucy if she scratches his piano with her elbows

When Lucy moved briefly, he missed her presence; some say it’s out of character, [I think he doesn’t miss her as a person at all but he does miss the routine of having someone who listens to his classical playing even if it’s for shallow reasons, idk I sorta relate]

Regularly listens to Charlie Brown’s venting back in the day

The one character who stands up for Charlie Brown (multiple times)

Spoke in agreement with the girls that Charlie looked cute surrounded by dandelions

Whatever subtext in that 70’s Blue Boy strip

Charlie Brown

Was briefly a couple (of sorts) with Violet

Violet had a weird mud pie era where she’d serve them to Charlie and Charlie would consume them

Enjoyed messing with the girls back in the day, I’d say he’s capable of being a subtle tease aged up

Has gone on a carnival date with Peppermint Patty

Often cheers up Linus and defends him from Lucy

Often defends and shows interest in Schroeder’s love of music - he went out of his way to save Schroeder’s piano from the kite-eating tree and the sewers after the nonsense Lucy pulled

Was the original one to lean on Schroeder’s piano, they often engage in actual, normal conversation

Often seen reading to Schroeder Beethoven’s biography or Mozart’s

Schroeder and Charlie Brown tried to play music together a few times but they could never find fitting music for the improvised instruments Charlie would bring

Makes conversation with the kite-eating tree; has offered to feed it a kite in defeat and also bit the tree out of revenge (the tree world fall in a following strip)

Has some sort of mommy thing goin on

“Poor, sweet baby”

Edited to add: Lucy has a weird thing for Charlie’s “toesies”

Sally

Started off kinda picked on by the other kids like her brother but grows up to be more assertive

Has a penchant for comedy

She talks to a fucking school building and it “talks” to her

The school building falls for her???

She talks to the new building after the previous one fucking collapses

Marcie

Had a guy named Floyd call her “lambcake” and cute

She thinks she’s not cute

When she’s angry, she hits well

Definitely has a fighting spirit and a stubbornness that flares up

Says she doesn’t like sports but does decently at it

Speaks fluent French

Edited to add: says she’s not ready for a boyfriend but would marry Charlie Brown

Franklin

He’s like the nicest character

He’s the sanest; he left Charlie’s neighborhood thinking it was weird

I just think it’s funny how he actually finds the running gag personality traits of the others so strange, I had to include him despite his minimal appearances

Pig Pen

Got picked on a bit in the early days for his dirtiness; but he handles it better than Charlie Brown, he doesn’t seem to really mope

Apparently enjoys cleaning and taking baths, he just gets dirty real quick

Charmed Peppermint Patty into falling in love (the two enter a sort of unofficial relationship)

Peppermint Patty

Has a sentimentality that mirrors Chuck

Her dad calls her a “rare gem”

Says she likes beautiful material things, earrings, and certain sparkly outfits too

Originally pierced only one ear

Her nose is big and she’s real sad about it

Really likes to take moments with Charlie to be sentimental; often talks about how she wishes to be “beautiful”

She admits with embarrassment that she broke down upon seeing the red-headed girl’s face, because she sees why Chuck loves the girl instead of her (Linus kisses her cheek to reassure her; all around sweet strip)

Called Lucy “Lucille”

I have more to go, but those are some interesting things I’ve read in the comic strips so far.

[xasha777]

In the dim light of an ancient library, the enormous eye floated serenely within its glass cube. Its intricate web of veins glowed with an eerie luminescence, casting strange shadows across the dusty tomes and relics that lined the room. Among these treasures was the legendary Book of Kells, its richly decorated pages whispering secrets of an age long past.

Dr. Evelyn Hart, a renowned cyber-archaeologist, cautiously approached the eye. She had spent years unraveling the mysteries of forgotten civilizations and ancient technologies, but this discovery was unlike any other. The eye was said to belong to the fabled Oracle of Kells, a being of unimaginable knowledge and power, created by an advanced civilization that predated human history.

Evelyn had found the eye deep within the Bismarck Range, hidden in a subterranean chamber guarded by complex mechanisms and lethal traps. The journey had been perilous, but the prospect of unlocking the Oracle's secrets had driven her onward. Now, standing before it, she could feel the weight of its gaze, as if the eye itself was assessing her worthiness.

She took a deep breath and placed the Book of Kells on the table beside the cube. The book was not merely a religious artifact; it was a key, its illuminated illustrations and cryptic text a code that could activate the Oracle. Evelyn carefully opened the book to a page depicting a mesmerizing mandala of interwoven Celtic knots and symbols. She traced her finger along the intricate patterns, murmuring an incantation in the ancient tongue.

The eye reacted immediately. The veins pulsed with a vibrant energy, and the air around it shimmered with a soft hum. Evelyn stepped back as a beam of light shot out from the eye, scanning the pages of the book. The symbols seemed to come alive, twisting and rearranging themselves into a new configuration. The room was filled with a resonant tone, as if the very fabric of reality was being rewritten.

Suddenly, a holographic interface materialized above the eye. Symbols and diagrams floated in the air, displaying data streams and historical records from a forgotten era. Evelyn's eyes widened in awe as she realized the extent of the Oracle's knowledge. This was not just an artifact; it was a repository of all the wisdom and technology of the lost civilization.

"Dr. Hart," a voice echoed through the chamber. It was calm and authoritative, emanating from the eye. "You have awakened the Oracle of Kells. What knowledge do you seek?"

Evelyn hesitated, her mind racing with the possibilities. She could ask about the origins of the advanced civilization, their downfall, or perhaps even secrets that could change the course of human history. But above all, she was driven by a more personal quest.

"I seek the cure for the Terran Plague," she said, her voice steady despite the gravity of her request. The plague had devastated humanity, and countless lives depended on finding a solution.

The eye's light intensified, and the holographic symbols shifted rapidly. "Accessing medical archives," the Oracle intoned. "The cure for the Terran Plague lies within a synthetic compound developed by our scientists. The formula is encoded within the Book of Kells, hidden in the illuminated illustrations. To unlock it, you must complete the sequence of symbols."

Evelyn's heart pounded as she turned back to the book. The Oracle's instructions were clear, but the task ahead was daunting. She would need to decode the ancient symbols and piece together the cure, all while ensuring that the knowledge did not fall into the wrong hands.

With renewed determination, she began her work, knowing that the fate of humanity rested in her hands and the secrets of the Oracle of Kells.

[javajunkieao3]

Daisy/Sousa Fic: The New Normal

Daisy and Daniel inadvertently get left behind during a time jump.  While waiting for the team to return, they settle into a friendship and then something more.  ONESHOT

 The tricky part about unpredictable time jumps is that it always seemed like someone was getting left behind.  First, it was Enoch.  Although, being a Chronicom had its benefits, and when they happened upon him some thirty years later, he was both unchanged and unflummoxed.  Then, it was Deke and Mack.  After the Team got them back, they enacted new rules.  Better safeguards.  A more precise way of monitoring the jumps.  They seemed to have it all under control – well, as controlled as an uncontrollable entity can be - until the Zypher catapulted back to 1960s New York City, and then forward to the 2000s, except without Daisy and Daniel.

           “What do we do now?” Daniel said, still breathing hard from their unsuccessful sprint back toward the Zephyr.

           Daisy was in no better condition, leaning against a tree with her hand bracing a cramp in her side, and looked back over at him with confusion.  “What do you mean?  You’re back in your time.  Well, a bit later, but close enough.”

           “I’m also supposed to be dead.”

           “Fair point,” she said.  “I guess we just wait.”

           “Wait,” Daniel repeated.  He didn’t sound convinced, and she couldn’t blame him.  They had really only gotten Deke and Mack back because of luck, and considering everything that had happened, their luck seemed to be running out.

           “They’ll come back for us,” Daisy said with more conviction than she felt.  

           “If you say so.”

           One Month Later

            After a few weeks, it became clear that any sort of quick fix was not going to happen and if Daisy and Daniel were going to survive, they needed to start earning some money.  You also needed identification papers.  Daisy begroaned the era, telling Daniel that if she had access to a modern computer she could whip them up new identities within the hour.  But, modern computers were unsurpsingly not available in the 1960s and Daniel worked up the nerve to call up an old friend.  He used a payphone, not wanting the number to be tracked to any place that he frequented.  He didn’t know if she would still have the same number and was relieved when he heard her voice.

           “Hello?”

           “Hi Peggy.”

-----

           Daisy went with him to Peggy’s house, asking him on the cab ride over how he convinced the woman to see him when he was supposed to be dead.  

           “I told her the truth,” Daniel said.

           “And she believed it?”

           Daniel shrugged and said, “I guess we’re about to find out.  If we’re greeted with a gun, I’d say the answer is no.”

           “Well, that’s comforting.”

           Daisy crossed her legs, her yellow shift dress shifting higher up on her thigh.  She smoothed the skirt and reached down to flick a bit of dried leaf off her cream boot. “At least if I die, I got to wear these boots.”

            “You’re not going to die.  Peggy and I always understood each other.  She’ll believe me.”

           “Whatever you say.  But, for the record, I’m not above quaking the Director of SHIELD if I need to.”

           Daniel smirked.  “Understood.”

           The cab pulled to a stop in front of a house and Daniel paid the driver before climbing out of the car.  By force of habit, he went to open Daisy’s door but she was already out, striding past him toward the house.  He took a hold of her arm and said, “I think I should be the first one up there.”

           Remembering that Peggy Carter had no idea who she was, Daisy nodded and followed him up the steps to the house.  He knocked on the door and after a few minutes Peggy opened it, her eyes meticulously scanning his face.  She glanced behind him and said, “I see you brought someone along.”

           Daisy offered Peggy a small wave and said, “We’re sort of a package deal.”

           “This is Daisy Johnson.  She’s the woman I told you about on the phone.”

           Peggy nodded.  “Alright then, why don’t you come on in.”

           Daniel shuffled into the house behind Peggy, feeling just about every sort of uncomfortable as he began, “Look, I know you probably have questions.  Hell, I would have a million if I were in your situation.  Whatever your questions might be, I’ll do my best to answer them.”

           “I don’t have any questions,” Peggy said simply.

           “Really?”  Daisy said. “You have no questions for us.”

           She thought if anyone would have questions for supposed time travelers, it would be the director of an international spy network tasked with guarding the unexplained.

           “I have no questions for you,” Peggy repeated. “Believe it or not, time travel isn’t exactly a foreign concept for me.”

           Daniel looked at her with confusion and Peggy said, “That’s a story for another time.  Tell me, what do you need?”

           “We need new identities.  Or, at least I do.  Daniel Sousa is supposed to be dead.  I know Howard Stark used to have connections.”

           “Howard claims to have gone the straight and narrow now,” Peggy began, smiling slightly.  “But, I know better.  I’ll talk to him.”

           “Thank you, Peggy.  I really appreciate it.”

           “It’s no problem.”  Peggy didn’t say anything for a moment, her eyes softening, and she said, “It’s good to see you, Daniel.  When I heard what had happened before, well…it is very good to see you.”

           Daniel nodded.  “It’s good to see you, too, Peggy.”

           She cleared her throat and said, “Anyway, would you two care for a cup of tea?  Or how about something stronger?”

           “We probably shouldn’t stay long,” Daniel said. “I figure it’s best if I’m not seen too much around people at SHIELD.”

           “I understand.  Where can I reach you when the papers are ready?”

           “We’re staying at a motel over on 18thstreet.  Do you have paper?  I can write down the phone number.”  She quickly procured a spiral notebook from the kitchen and he jotted down the address and phone number.  “We’re staying there under Daisy and Daniel Johnson.”  

           Peggy nodded.  “I’ll call you when they are ready.”

           On their way out, Daniel’s eye caught on a photograph.  It was taken in front of a courthouse, Peggy dressed in white next to a tall blonde man. Daniel recognized him immediately, and when Daisy stepped next to him and looked at the photo, she said, “Hey, isn’t that Steve Rogers?”

           In a low voice, Daniel said, “Steve Rogers died in 1946.”

           Quickly realizing that Daniel didn’t know that Steve Rogers had, in fact, survived his trip into the Arctic, Daisy hurriedly explained what happened, starting to have an idea of how Peggy Carter was familiar with time travel.

           “He actually hasn’t been seen for a while. People thought he just retired or something.”  

           As the truth dawned on Daniel, he looked back at Peggy and said, “You’re familiar with time travel, huh?”

           Peggy only smiled in response.

           Three Months Later

           After they got their identification papers, wanting to stay under the radar, Daisy got a job as a waitress and Daniel worked at a local grocery store.  He stopped at the restaurant every day after work, having a cup of coffee, and sometimes a slice of pie, and then walking Daisy home after her shift.  She reminded him that she had superpowers and didn’t need a chaperone, but in truth she enjoyed the company.  Some nights they walked straight home, but on others they meandered down the city blocks, talking aimlessly about their days.  In the beginning, conversation would invariably turn to the Team returning, but after a while they both accepted the low likelihood of that happening and they filled the time instead with talks of her childhood and his return after the war.  She filled him in on the gossip at the diner, doing voices for all the different patrons.  Daniel’s favorite was an old woman name Gertie who snuck sugar cubes into her purse.  

           Three months turned into six, and somewhere amongst all those evening walks and stories of Gertie stealing sugar cubes, Daisy realized they had become friends, and then sometime later, as he pressed his mouth against hers beneath a flickering street lamp, something more.  That night, Daniel traded in the couch for his own side of the bed, although they woke up entangled in the middle, Daniel amusedly listening to her soft snores before she stirred and looked up at him with a drowsy grin.  

           Daniel kissed her and she said, “Well, good morning to you.”

           He chuckled, his chest rumbling beneath her ear. “Good morning, Daisy.”

           She wrapped her arm around around him, feeling entirely content, and said, “Is it bad to feel this way?”

           “To feel what?”

           “Happy.  I think about it sometimes – the team went off to face the Chronicoms, and we’re just here.”

           “There’s nothing more we could have done.  Going to SHIELD wasn’t an option, you know that. At a certain point, we have to get on with our lives.”

           He had a point, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty.  They had been her family for so long, and even though it hadn’t been her choice, she left them when they needed her the most.  When she told Daniel that, he said, “Your family would want you to be happy.”

           Daisy considered this for a moment and then sighed, rested her chin on his chest and looking up at him.  “You know, Daniel, you make a lot of sense sometimes.”

           “Making sense is one of my most valued attributes.”

           “Do you want to get some breakfast?”

           He nodded, gently pushing her hair away from her face.  “Sure, we can get some breakfast.”

           One Year Later

           On a dreary Saturday in December, Daisy announced that she was finished with living out of a motel.  (Both had considered getting their own apartments at various times previously, but always ended up backing out at the last moment.) When Daniel reminded her that it was the 1960s and it would be near impossible to rent an apartment together without being married, Daisy saw a simple solution, and said, “Then we should get married.”

           “Just like that?” Daniel said with a bemused smile from his perch on the bed.

           “Yeah, just like that.”

           “Daisy, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t really think we should get married just so we can rent an apartment.”

           “Why does the reason matter?”

           “When people ask us about our engagement, do you really want to say that it was for better living conditions?”

           “People have gotten married for wayless.”

           “I do agree it’s pretty cramped here,” Daniel said, looking around the room.  “But, that’s not why we should get married.”

           Daisy was getting frustrated with Daniel’s rebuff of what she considered a perfectly acceptable proposal, and said, “Fine, then we won’t get married.  Are you happy?”

           She walked past him and he grabbed her arm, saying, “Hey, you didn’t let me finish.  I said that’snot why we should get married.  But, I think there are a lot of other pretty convincing reasons.”

           She smiled softly, letting him pull her between his legs, and said, “You do?”

           “I love you, Daisy.  And I’m pretty sure you love me, too.”

           “Good instincts.”

           “That’s why we should get married,” Daniel said. “So, what do you say?”

           Daisy leaned forward, framing his face with her hands, and just before her mouth met his, she said, “Technically I asked you first –“ he grinned, “- but yes.”

-----

           Sometime after the wedding and a spacious two-flat in Brooklyn, Daisy and Daniel had unexpected visitors.  Daisy was finishing up dinner when there was a knock on the door.  She hollered for Daniel to get the door as she checked on dinner.  Cooking was a relatively new pastime for Daisy, but she had gotten relatively good at it or Daniel was a good liar.  

           “Daisy, I think you should come over here,” Daniel said.

           Something was strange about his voice, and when she went into the living room she knew why.  Standing beside their new pastel curtains was Simmons and May.  

           “Oh my God, you’re here.”

           Before she could say anything more, she was hugging all of them, surprise and confusion washing over her.  By that point, she had given up all hope of seeing them again, and it seemed almost like a dream to have them in her living room. Daniel stood off to the side, watching them somewhat warily.

           “I can’t believe you’re really here,” Daisy said. “It’s so good to see all of you.”

           “It’s good to see you, too,” Simmons said.  “You look happy.”

           “I am,” Daisy said.  She noted the absence of several people, and carefully broached the subject before Simmons assured her, “They’re on the Zypher.  They figured you’d be coming home with us, but…something tells me you’re not.”

           Daisy looked over at Daniel and shook her head. “I’m home already.”

           Simmons smiled sadly.  “I can see that.  I’m so happy for you, Daisy.”

           “Why don’t you tell the others to come here?” Daisy said.  “I’m cooking a chicken that there’s a 50/50 chance I haven’t completely dried out.”

           “I’d say it’s more 60/40,” Daniel said.  “You’ve come a long way with chicken.”

           “We’re only here for a limited amount of time,” May said.  “We’re set to jump in another forty minutes.”

           “Forty minutes,” Daisy repeated.  “That fast?”

           “I’m really sorry, Daisy,” Simmons said.

           “It’s okay.  I’m just glad I was able to see you.  Please tell everyone else – I really miss them.”

           “I will,” Simmons promised.

           Daisy gave them each another hug, and when May pulled away, she kept her hand on Daisy’s bare shoulder and said, “You really are happy.”  Daisy nodded. “I’m glad.”

           After a final goodbye, the pair left and Daniel walked over to Daisy, sliding his arm around his wife’s shoulders.  

           “Are you okay?”

           She leaned her head against his shoulder.  “Yeah, I actually am.”

[qatsby-art]

Pinkie Pie and Donut Joe were married a few years prior to starting their family. They were actually the first couples in their circle of friends to be wed; the first being Rarity and Maud Pie that had an exciting wedding planned by both Rarity and Pinkie!

Joe and Pinkie successfully bought Sugar Cube Corner from the Cake family and renovated it into a much larger bakery and party planning hub to be ran by the sugar-powered pair. Not long after this milestone, Pinkie Pie became pregnant with their first foal; a small chubby bundle of soft, white fur and bright blue eyes that the mother and father lovingly named Cutie Pie.

Cutie Pie was the light of her parent's life. Everything they did or hoped to do was for her to lead a comfortably spoiled life. Granted, Joe did most of the spoiling, turning the bubbly filly into a proper daddy's girl! While Pinkie tried teaching Cutie friendship lessons, Joe focused more on business savvy skills and techniques so one day he'd be able to work alongside his beloved daughter.

Being the daughter of small town celebrity bakers, Cutie Pie's life was often times filled with sweet treats and candied spoils. A dream come true for any young foal! Cutie Pie never went without dessert, that of which were typically more decadent than the meal itself. Due to this more sweet than savory lifestyle Cutie began to take on a more distinct physique, that more similar to her mother Pinkie Pie. She was slowly becoming more rotund, her baby fat no longer and excuse for her chubby cheeks. This of course didn't bother her for now as she loved her mother, wanting nothing more than to be just like the bouncing pink pony!

Cutie Pie loved helping her parent's customers. She made dessert recommendations, sold high end party supplies, gift baskets, you name it! She was a blessing to have around the store with her natural ability to move product! Plus her being an adorably chubby filly made it difficult for patrons to say no to; a cherry on top of the cake as her father would often say.

When Cutie Pie became of age she was enrolled into Twilight's kindergarten class at her friendship academy which was growing in curriculum to include all other course studies such as math, literature, art, science, etc. Shy as any of the other children starting school for the first time, Cutie mostly kept to herself. Though it was no longer uncommon for other species to reside within Ponyville it didn't mean she was feeling 100% secure sitting between a Changeling and a Dragon while trying to learn addition.

Though the first day is always the hardest, Cutie Pie found a great friend in the strangest classmate of them all: Ophelia Sparkle. With Ophelia practically being raised in the school she felt no fear on her first real day of class. Joyfully she ran around the classroom showing all of her new friends how a classroom ran and what was to be expected of them. Cutie Pie felt her feelings of shyness melt away when she was with the young and excitable Draconequus and very easily befriended her. It was always easier to take on life's challenges with a buddy by your side!

As Ophelia and Cutie grew up together they'd became practically inseparable. They had picnics, sleepovers every weekend, wore matching friendship bracelets, discussed school crushes, the works! Normal everyday best friend behavior! While Ophelia loved playing in the mud with frogs, Cutie Pie enjoyed using the mud as pretend spa facials, there really wasn't anything the two couldn't enjoy together. Years were shared between the two girls and unforgettable memories and lessons were made, their friendship appeared to be unbreakable, that is until... the dreadful middle school years.

Middle school can be the best ears of a pony's life or the worst years. Middle school is like a proving ground to decide who you'll be later in life: a geeky dork who enjoys card games and toads all the way up to nearly celebrity status with the popularity you were able to attain. When it came to Cutie Pie she appeared to be at the bottom of the totem pole and was a perfect target for bullying with her plump disposition and friendly status with Ophelia.

Not only was Cutie friends with a lowly peasant like Ophelia Sparkle, but she was also noticeably overweight. Her round, plump cheeks would bounce as she would skip to class and her chubby belly would peek out from her cheerleading uniform. She was seemingly okay with herself until the unwarranted criticisms from fellow ponies began.

Harsh insults would be thrown towards the young filly at ballgames while she was cheering, or vile whispers and giggles under hushed breath would reach her eras in the halls. Cutie Pie was never upset with her social status until now when the pressure of puberty and social cliques began planing dark seedlings within her mind. Something had to be done.

As the middle school years dredged on, Cutie Pie dropped Ophelia like a rock, leaving her to find new friends and battle her own schooling experiences alone. She picked up new pals that were on the middle school cheer squad like herself, that way she'd be in a larger group of like-minded girls. By doing this she made friends with a volleyball obsessed, snarky Griffon named Barbie and a bubbly Minotaur named Gertie who seemed to know everything about the in-styles of the season.

While Cutie's sudden abandonment was a hard slap to the face for the Draconequus she still actively attempted to associate herself with her former bff as well as her new gaggle of friends. This was always met with her being ignored and given the cold shoulder, or just flat out told to leave them alone. Ophelia eventually got the hint and removed her old tattered and worn friendship bracelet, just like Cutie had done long ago.

The year prior to high school Cutie and her gang got on a serious health kick. Copious amounts of exercise (borderline unhealthy amounts), a ban on everything sweet (if you were caught indulging on anything sugar related you were to be swiftly reprimanded by the other girls), binge reading on celebrity weight loss advice which often was nothing but a fad diet and trend for the week. Cutie Pie was tired of the name calling and jokes at her expense. No colt wanted anything to do with her, nopony had even asked her to the Winter Formal! She worked the hardest she ever had on her weight loss through the semester and over the summer break. Come Freshman year, puberty had hit her overnight, and other ponies took notice.

Her high school years were the best four years of Cutie's life. She was a trim, chic, womanly, and just plain beautiful. Over the summer Cutie had changed, whether it was for better or worse is up to personal opinion. She earned her cutie mark which she thought was gorgeous; a slim champagne glass filled to the brim with cake to signify her ability to plan a fun, yet elegant party. She'd grown her mane out into a long waterfall of golden blonde and salon pink, letting it cascade over the sides of her neck and shoulders. Cutie Pie had changed and developed into an entirely new pony, and she needed a new name to go with it.

Cutie Pie decided upon a name that she thought was more mature and befitting to her new personality, and much to her parent's disdain, Coffee Cake was manifested. Many ponies took notice to her changes and now gave her the attention she desired as a younger girl, but now had the power to deny them the pleasure of knowing her and she relished it. Once an overlooked chubby pony and now a head-turning mare. She had everyone right where she wanted them. Coffee Cake was climbing the social ladder and was nearly at the top.

By senior year Coffee Cake and her squadron of devoted ass-kissers were considered the socialites of the school and had turned the tables on everypony; they were now the bullies running the place. Nothing happened at the school without their knowing or explicit permission. She had quickly become formidable force among the school grounds. And if that alone wasn't enough social power under her hooves, not only was she head cheerleader, she was betrothed to the captain of the hoofball team, Casey Applebuck. She was essentially queen of the jocks and any other pony considered to have high social status within the disgusting social web that is public school, intimidating preps and athletes at her beck and call.

Her power and reach doesn't end in high school though, to this day she's still a very powerful socialite who many envy to be in the good graces of. Many gather to her bar and bakery for the parties and just to say they were near Cake and her friends! Nobody has yet to put Coffee Cake in her place, but not queen can rule forever.

[acraigmartin]

These Things You Should Know About Custom Bath Bomb Packaging

Custom bath bomb boxes have become an essential daily user to distinguish between different products. Bath bombs use a variety of different additives to bring a unique experience. Therefore, the packaging of these boxes needs to reflect the unique characteristics of each product. Now, this required item needs to be both securely packed and aesthetically pleasing. The new collection of attractive custom bath bomb boxes solves this problem for you. Easy to use and attractive looks are features you'll definitely love. Custom bath bombs have become all popular in today's era being used widely. Almost everyone is using these products as a way to inhale essential oils into the skin through a bath. It creates unique and fun experiences for customers. Therefore, the packaging should reflect the uniqueness of each bath bomb. These boxes should showcase the best and unique qualities in each bath bomb. Custom bath bombs boxes make a unique look of packaging with graphics and visual cues with the printing made on them.

Here are a few reasons why you should choose these boxes.

Different Shapes and Sizes of the Packaging:

The biggest advantage of using custom printing on retail boxes is the freedom to adjust the entire package. One way is by manipulating the size and shape of these boxes. Doesn't the uniquely shaped bath bomb box get your attention right away? The option of shapes includes a cube, cylinder, sleeve, rectangle, gable, pyramid, pie, and diamond. And many more according to the brand you’re going to order for. You might get every packaging on the doorstep where you want. All you need is to be aware of the company’s offer and your brand’s details.

Eco-friendly Packaging:

Bath bomb display boxes are very popular among customers. These hand-on storage boxes are made of environmentally friendly materials and are easy to use keeping boxes to facilitate the use of bath bomb storage boxes. Bath bombs with window boxes help protect bath bombs from water, heat, and temperature. It has a short net space beneath the box which keeps the soaps and bath bombs to stay dry in case if water goes into the box. It keeps it dry.

Add Value to Your Packaging:

Bath bomb packaging supplies provide various decorations to decorate and add effects to bath bombs customers are going to use. It helps promote various bath bombs and helps raise consumer awareness. Wholesale bath bomb packaging enables companies to benefit from low cost, high-quality bath bomb packaging with its durability and quality that different companies offer.

Bath Bomb Box Wholesale Supplier

Eco-friendly bath bomb packaging is available at wholesale prices to give bath bomb makers the freedom to choose styles, designs, and materials, and preempt appearances as you want. Production of them from kraft paper not only makes them environmentally friendly, but also provides the package with strong strength and ruggedness, and remains safe at high temperatures. A sturdy case made of cardboard material not only adds reinforcement but also provides flexibility, durability, and portability for custom bomb packaging. Because the brands tend to buy or order on a large scale from online services or by going on their own. In that case, the whole supplier plays a pivotal role and provide custom boxes with design at a low rate which keeps the trust of the buyer and the seller.

Make it Worth a While

You can make your custom box an eye-catching gadget by adding different values to it like on the kraft boxes you can have the access to decorate it with different another crafting like shells, buttons, ribbons, and laces, etc. it will just not enhance the buying rate but also give your brand speedy fame.

Speedy Delivery

People of diverse communities come from different mindset and they have a curiosity about how long it will take in delivering the order or either will it be delivered in time or no? But here are few companies that assure you in time and speedy delivery and no cash before delivering the product.

[scottellen798]

VR/AR IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY: MANUFACTURE, BUY, AND DRIVE CARS SMARTER

Lexus, Audi, Cadillac, Volvo, Nissan, Ford, Mercedes. What is common between all these car brands? Yes, these are the cars that do their job. But that`s not the right answer. The right answer is that all these companies use VR and AR to design, manufacture, and sell cars. Because it’s the era of augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in the automotive industry. You might have missed this information but you will know everything after reading this article, I assure you.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality(VR) are passing trends for the automotive industry: car companies have been using it for many years already.  They also place a bet on VR & AR  to transform the shopping experience and make it more personalized, informative and less stressful for modern shoppers. They want people to enjoy the driving; not only get from one place to another. Drivers enjoy augmented reality in the automotive industry using smart windshields and fixing problems with the help of AR car repair. Those who create cars and those who drive them have embraced VR and AR, and that’ s the good news. Because it means more comfort and more smart solutions.

It seems like you can’t do anything without AR or VR today if you love cars.

One of the most influential world banks, Goldman Sachs, has created a report on the potential of VR and AR market. The bank predicts that the market opportunity for the industry will be $80 billion by 2025, $35 billion of which will belong to VR and AR software. And the chances are high that AR and VR in the automotive industry will bite off a big piece of this tasty $35 billion pie to speed up the technological progress. Using virtual and augmented reality software for the automotive industry is the way to make manufacturing, designing, and driving cars smarter.

“Use VR to Check How Safe and Comfortable It Is”

Such companies as Ford use VR because they think that it’s fundamental to “getting things right and really collaborating well.” The company has their own lab for experiencing a prototype of a car long before it’s manufactured. This lab called FIVE, and designers and engineers use it more and more often because they can assess aesthetics and its safety and make as many changes as they want. More than that, Ford didn`t stop on using VR for cars’ manufacture. The company also uses virtual reality to unite international teams to receive an instant feedback on car prototypes. And that’s huge. FIVE by Ford Joe Guzman, an engineering group manager at Vehicle Assembly Structure and Virtual Reality Center at General Motors claims that:

“VR offers the ability to very early in the development process make decisions in an accurately represented manner in a life-like representation of the vehicle that in many years past would have required a physical property.”

So with VR, you can see the prototype of a future car in 1:1 ratio. It would take weeks or even months and the incredible number of human hours to create the physical representation of the same car for further modification. VR for car designers is the ultimate chance to experience the car and modify it an infinite number of times.

And designers and car manufacturers can do it with the help of CAVEs (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment). CAVE is a  virtual reality environment created specifically for designers and engineers,  in which projections are located in the way that they take the whole space of a cube. Actually, this technology was invented almost 50 years ago but VR in the automotive industry brought valuable changes into it. By using CAVE specialists can assess car safety, comfort, and design quality.

“Stop Checking These Reviews, Visit a VR Car Dealership”

Not everyone wants to communicate with a car dealer (I would pay additionally not to talk to him). The idea that someone is there just to swindle as much money from you as possible is rather stressing. Besides, if you know little about cars, you might feel awkward or you might drive out of the car dealership in the car you didn’t plan to buy in the first turn.

That’s why car companies are betting on virtual reality experience. If you have already bought your ticket to the world of virtual reality paying $800 for HTC Vive, car brands can offer you a cool alternative to automobile dealerships – virtual reality showrooms. The thing is that for the majority of millennial sales talk is irritating and distressing. More than that, the sales environment itself doesn’t bring the sense of trust. Car manufacturers know it, that’s why they want their car dealerships to look nothing like car dealerships at all.

Cadillac is already betting on virtual reality showrooms to compete with BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. The brand wants something exclusive, and in their opinion, no cars in an auto salon are rather exclusive. So if you decide to buy a Cadillac one day, don’t be shocked to find a completely empty car dealership and a pair of VR goggles. That’s basically all you need to choose if you want this Cadillac or no.

“Go to This VR Car Showroom even if You’re Buying a Used Car”

If you thought that VR was for luxury car segment only, you were wrong. Vroom has revolutionized the market for used cars by offering customers to visit a dealership for a test drive. Now customers in Houston, Grand Prairie, Austin, and Phoenix can choose among 15 different vehicles using HTC Vive only. So far these virtual reality car showrooms are generating a lot of hype among visitors, and Vroom is planning to open some more. Vroom is well aware of the fact that spending $15000- $25000 is a serious decision (especially if you do it online), that’s why the company wants to make it less stressful and more experiential for its customers.

It’s also a good way to avoid car-buying horror stories.

“Take a Virtual Reality Test Drive with Gigi”

Want to take a test drive of new Audi with Gigi Hadid? Come on, Gigi is waiting. You don’t need to go anywhere: just grab this VR headset and take this test drive for God’s sake.

You thought that nothing could compare to actual test drive and the roar of the engine. But no, virtual reality test drive can be the next big thing for the automotive industry. It’s as exciting as real driving and you can’t crash this brand new car. Audi created this virtual reality test drive with a supermodel to make you feel like a star.

For this, Volvo is promising a first fully immersive test drive for a full experience of intuitive and pleasant driving. What do you need for that? The company offers you to download an ar app to enjoy a breathtaking mountain drive using your smartphone and a pair of Google Cardboard only. BMW has acknowledged the fact that selling cars will be more challenging with time because as Michele Fuhs, head of BMW Group Premium Retail Experience, admitted:

“We are competing with the entertainment industry.”

So virtual reality test drives will become an ordinary experience.

Giving customers a pleasant and interesting experience is the only chance to hook them. Because there are plenty of cars that can be more comfortable or less expensive. If you can show me that your car can drive me to the Wonderland, I will be more inclined to buy it.

Just take a look at this Lexus NX first of its kind VR Car Configurator and Stimulator developed for Oculus Rift. The company offers its customers to take a ride in … a, no more no less, different dimension. In other words, Lexus wants its customers to have extraordinary emotional experience, not another one boring test drive in a company of a chatting car dealer. Augmented reality windshield is the technology that becomes the bridge between ordinary users and the world of AR and VR. Because it’s basically a browser window in your car. And this augmented reality windshield is so easy that even my grandpa can understand the concept.

So with augmented reality windshield, you can see all the necessary information for driving just in front of you. It means that you don’t need to take your hands away from the wheel or look away from the road to find out where you are. You won’t miss that message from Gigi. Your car will provide you with the all the necessary geographical information AND will tell you about today’s menu in the local pub.  Visteon, the company that creates instrument cluster displays for cars, has introduced an augmented reality windshield with simple and color-coded imagery. The graphics are intuitive and really useful: for instance, a driver sees a red circle around the car that is about to break and marks pedestrians on the sidewalks.

Use Augmented Reality Car Repair to Fix It

I’ve already told you how Hyundai is targeting millennials with smart augmented reality car repair. Now let’s talk about serious stuff. Not every car problem can be fixed easily. Sometimes even the most experienced mechanics are not able to cope with some challenging situations. Porsche is sure that AR glasses are the solution to this problem. If a Porsche technician working in the UK cannot solve some problem, he/she can contact Porsche’s Atlanta-based support team to get some ideas. The thing is the team in Atlanta will see exactly the same things via their AR glasses.

Conclusion

AR/VR and automotive industry are together for long, it`s definitely not a one night stand. There are too many perks for all the participants of the process to ignore it. Drivers receive a chance to choose a car in a virtual reality car showroom, to test drive it in a company of supermodel, to navigate it with more comfort, and to fix it if there is a problem with a help of augmented reality car app. Virtual and augmented reality help engineers and designers to model and improve a car before the first detail is even built. Modeling in VR makes the car safer, more comfortable, and more intuitive to use. And saves a lot of time and money that’s why GM, Ford, Hyundai, and other big players embrace VR and AR technologies.

[0opalita]

hey, u like nct right? well im just now listening to cherry bomb fully and i really like it, do u think u could like, rec other songs or give some info on them? they seem like a really interesting and talented group (and of course i ask this as bts drops their comeback and as im in the process of getting into exo lmao) ty!!

yeesss i love them!! and i love giving info (plus i’m really bored rn) so i’ll write a member profile for each (debuted) one of them + some song recs:

LONG ASS POST COMING

NCT (Neo Culture Technology)

A boy band under SM Ent. It has different groups aimed at diverse audiences around the globe and no set number of members, allowing for movement of members and new recruits into the groups. Even I don’t know what the hell this mean.

So far, 3 units have been introduced:

NCT U - title tracks: The 7th Sense, Without You

NCT 127 - title tracks: Firetruck, Limitless (nctzens anthem), Cherry Bomb

NCT DREAM - title tracks: Chewing Gum, My First and Last, We Young

MEMBER PROFILES

Taeil - Moon TaeIl

Born: June 14, 1994

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea

Units: NCT U / NCT 127

voice from heavens

Quiet and calm on camera, freaking disturbing off camera

Doesn’t talk much but when he does he says the weirdest shit

Choked on an ice cube once

Needs more recognizion

Johnny -

Born: February 9, 1995

Hometown: Chicago, USA

Units: NCT 127

SM kept him in their basement for 9 years

foreign swaggers 1/3

Was supposed to debut with EXO

has a cute lisp i LVOE IT

tall af

Knows daddy and how dirty nctzens really are

“Johnny’s Fashion Evaluation”

Taeyong - Lee Taeyong

Born:  July 1, 1995

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea

Units: NCT U / NCT 127

leader mum

face carved by god himself

booming system uh uh ty trACK TY TRACK

cold apparence but is actually a shy and sweet cutie pie

charismatic on stage, aegyo king off stage

cares about the members more than he does about himself

HE COOKS!! ans serves looks

Yuta

Born: October 26, 1995

Hometown: Osaka, Japan

Units: NCT 127

Is in love with winwin - sometimes thought to be a one sided love

healing smile

straight outta manga

loves attention

FLIRTY  TO DEATH

needs more lines

Doyoung

Born: February 1, 1996

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea

Units: NCT U / NCT 127

My bias

A bunny

pure sass

Drags all the members (and gets dragged) but in reality loves and cares so much about them all

Specially nct dream, careful what you say about nct dream when he’s around

Vroom vroom talk show

vocally gifted

born to MC

Ten

Born: February 27, 1996

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand

Units: NCT U

Dancing king, slayed us all on Hit The Stage

Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul

good at drawing!!

There’s a video of him as a kid playing piano, singing and dancing in a suggestively way, it’s gold

many cursed predebut pics

once said he wants to learn korean to understand what he sings

DREAM IN A DREAM

Jaehyun

Born: February 14, 1997

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea

Units: NCT U / NCT 127

Lived in America for 4 years but says 5 to impress chicks

foreign swaggers 2/3

rUDE

dimples dimpLES DIMPLES

Tries to look like he know what he’s doing but in reality he doesn’t

He’s in the 97 lines group chat with Jungkook

Johnny cal him Jeffrey because apparently he looks like a Jeffrey

- socially awkward fluff ball

WinWin

Born: October 28, 1997

Hometown: Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

Units: NCT 127

an actual child

traditional chinese dancing king

lowkey savage

but looks too innocent for nct to notice

he too loves Yuta

protect him at all costs

“woop woop”

Mark

Born: August 2, 1999

Hometown: Vancouver, Canada

Units: NCT U / NCT 127 / NCT DREAM

Only member in the 3 units

foreign swaggers 3/3

SM has slaved him but he doesn’t complain

nct dream leader

the kindest and sweetest  and mOST TALENTED person you’ll ever know

Always gets roasted

but everyone loves him

Renjun

Born: March 23, 2000

Hometown: Jilin, People’s Republic of China

Units: NCT DREAM

sweet and lovable

fluent in korean af

always translates stuff to Chenle

Loves Moomin way to freakin much

winwin’s son

soft soft soft sof soft soft

Jeno

Born: April 23, 2000

Hometown: Incheon, South Korea

Units: NCT DREAM

A prince

I’m an unloyal Doyoung stan because of him

silent

Unlike Jaehyun, he tries to looks like he doesn’t know what he’s doing bUT BOY HE KNOWS

has a lot of charms: dances, acting skills on point, sings, plays guitar, EYE SMILE, best eyebrows in kpop…

Haechan

Born: June 6, 2000

Hometown: Jeju, South Korea

Units: NCT 127 /  NCT DREAM

Visual hole? BITCH WHERRRRRRRR

Michael Jackson trash

crystalline voice

A little shit to the members

But is actually sensitive anD A RAY OF SUNSHINE

Must protect

Jaemin

Born: August 13, 2000

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea

Units: NCT DREAM

Debuted with Chewing Gum

Because of an injury had to quit

angelical smile

everyone wants him to comeback but also rest

Chenle

Born: November 22, 2001

Hometown: Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Units: NCT DREAM

Wild dolphin

So loud that you need to lower the volume every time he speaks. His screeches can make your eardrum explode

Too many predebut pictures of him that even if you try to avoid them, you’ll eventually run into them

Savage kid always up to some shit

meme lord

Jisung

Born: February 5, 2002

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea

Units: NCT DREAM

sweet maknae

do not trust him he’s actually the devil. but cute

mischievous lil shit

smol bean that grew tall way too freaking fast

his dancing skills are no joke

looks clueless 24/7

TO DEBUT: Hansol, Kun, Jungwoo, Yukhei

SONG RECS

My personal nct favourites are:

NCT U - their only 2 songs lol The 7th Sense and Without You (a bop)

NCT 127 - Baby Don’t Like It, Sun&Moon, Whiplash and Back 2 U. Sorry to be that person but Limitless was that era.

NCT DREAM - My First and Last and My Page

(+ Ten’s Dream in a Dream. it was actually the first song i listened by nct as a whole)

sorry this took so long and to be so shitty but i fell asleep last night while writing this lol hope thsi helped a bit :)

[mysmolchildrendeservehappiness]

King of the World (only by your side)

Steve was confused.

He was tired. He was under stress and right in this moment he was absolutely distraught by the enigma that was in front of him.

Anthony Edward Stark. Genius, Billionaire, Activist, Philantropist.

When Steve first woke up from the ice he was undergoing shock, but the moment he heard of the situation the world found itself in, he pushed it all to the back of his mind.

Ensuring the world’s survival was priority and all other problems could wait.

Hearing that there was an army of extraterrestrial forces currently gaining their way to Earth was not really helpful to keeping his emotions in control, he was in the future, there were ALIENS-, but he managed it.

Apparently a scorned sorceress named Amora was leading the attack, in conjunction with an army of Chitauri, and whatever they were, if Thor was to be believed, they were ‘indeed a might foe, comrade Steven’, and seeing as Thor was the only other alien they knew, though his race was known as Asgardians, they were led to trust his assessment on the threat.

When reported to Director Fury they were informed that there was a specialist coming along. A lot of possibilities came to mind. Another alien creature. A space specialist. Another socerer perhaps. But not this. Not him. Nothing could have prepared Steve for this. Not even the file S.H.I.E.L.D. had formed on the subject was enough.

Because nowhere in that file did it say how much of an egotistical, self-centered, asshole Howards’ kid had grown up to be, and that in itself was a shock -Howard had a child, Howard got married, Howard is dead! Is everyone de-, he still could not believe he was actually 70 years in the future after sleeping through decades as a glorified ice cube, and that the first person he met who was connected in some way to his past turned out to be nothing but a spoiled brat.

Steve had high expectations of Howards’ son, and the person he saw met none of them.

But see, this is where it all went wrong. Because he saw, what he was allowed to see. He saw the mask, the mask that hid the real person under all that extravaganza and glamour. Steve should have remembered that expectations are meant to crash and if you judge a book by it’s cover you’re setting yourself up for disaster.

Stark breezed through the conference room like he owned it, which in a way he did, Stark Industries was after all S.H.I.E.L.D.s’ major contributor. Yet that was not what had caught the agents attention.

It was the way he stood, the quiet air of a nobleman he carried like a birthright, the strenght roiling under his skin, the stance of a predator he took without tought. But most of all the sharp assessment in his eyes, that appraised you and found you lacking, that spark of mischief that left you with the uncomfortable feeling of knowing there was a wild card in your midst.

There were five people in the room –six once Stark joined them– and Stark managed to ignore precisely all of them with an air of disinterest. At least until he caught sight of Dr. Bruce Banner and persuaded him into a complex talk of termonuclear astrophysics that served to lower the tension in the mans shoulder –going for the biggest threat first, smart –

The meeting between Stark and Rogers could have gone better, but the Captain had still not gotten the hang of interacting with non-government employed people in the modern world. The man took the fullfillment of regulations to a different level, though he had nowhere near the level of adoration for paperwork as Agent Coulson does.

While Natasha could admit that Stark was indeed a socialite, and possessed a gross amount of money due to his company growing in all directions and having a metaphorical finger in every metaphorical pie, he was not at all what she expected.

When you search the name Tony Stark on the internet what comes up first is ‘filthy rich, LGBTQA+ spokeperson, the new SI low cost product for poor communities, and Power Couple’ and that is what they want you to see, all they want you to know.

Yet what people should look for are reports of the incident in the deserts of Afghanistan.

3 months the world mourned the death of the CEO of the most powerful company in leading technology products, they mourned the death of a voice for the communities that went ignored, they mourned the death of an idol for thousands of people, of a role model, of a good man.

And a month later the world was in collective shock while they watched a dead man walk. Theories ran amok. Millions of questions were abound. ‘Where was he’ ‘How did he survive’ ‘How did he escape’.

That was when the world met Iron Man.

That was also when a new era began. The era of heroes. 

So this is the first fic I’ve posted here and the first I’ve done in the Marvel Universe. 

Haven’t posted any fics in like 2-3 years so let me know what you think. I’ll probably be updating ever 3 days or so. I’ll try to write all I can before my inspiration leaves me. *sobs*

This is the blog I’ll be using to post my fics and art, but I’ll also link my posts to my main side blog which is @creepingsoul​  

My AO3 account is this

[loudcreationsublime]

Every advancement in graphics innovation is gone along with by a brand-new, silly method of revealing it off. Whether it’s 128 versions of Mario running around a globe for the GameCube, a million Toblerone pieces spreading around in Knack, or 1-2-Switch’s lockpicking minigame showing all those ice cubes inside the Joy-Cons, developers often create around the possibilities of powerful new tech.

Yet this elevates an essential inquiry: What regarding the food? Inning accordance with data I simply made up, we invest regarding 15 percent of our time consuming as well as one more 82 percent of our time thinking of eating. In comparison, I just spend regarding 10 mins of my time daily thinking of 128 Marios running about and getting into trouble. Do you think each Mario assumes of himself as the real Mario, and also the others as imposters? With any luck, he recognizes that each Mario has the very same right to uniqueness as himself. I’m leaving track below.

There is a criminal absence of pc gaming centered around one of the most integral part of our lives, the part where we push food in our face. Nintendo created Super Mario Sunshine around the gorgeous water simulations new equipment enabled them, but they can have made a similarly lovely milkshake simulator or acorn squash bisque-drinking challenge. Virtual Reality allows players hold online things right up in their face to examine; primarily, this is made use of to observe how numerous guns do, in reality, look like weapons. But this ability might additionally be made use of to approximate a bakeshop, with all type of different loaves of bread and also croissants to observe. Which brave programmer is mosting likely to be the initial to allow me look at a flawlessly increased sourdough loaf?

The good news is, some modern designers have actually heard my weeps. The past couple of years have been a golden era of food-simulation, with new illumination strategies and also physic systems being related to one of the most honorable of objectives: making me intend to eat while I play games. Ensure you’ve got some snacks in the kitchen, since this list is going to make you hungry.

Last Fantasy XV

I was a Boy Scout as a youngster, as well as one of the finest parts of taking place a journey was preparing all the waste my good friends and I were mosting likely to consume. The official policies of camping state that rules of nourishment don’t matter in nature; all that matters is just how peach cobbler tastes when you make it in a dutch stove while huddled around a campfire at night.

No person comprehends this better than the impeccably clothed Ignis Scientia in FFXV. Noctis as well as his young boys are spending lengthy days on the road, battling wooly mammoths and also tossing swords as well as whatever else a royal posse does on a cross-country journey. In the evening though, they work out down and Ignis gives them with some legally magnificent dish selections. Little could pull a team with each other like durable food, so it adheres to that the relationship between FFXV’s spikey-haired boys is one of the most effective parts of the video game.

One of my favored dishes from FFXV is the Taelpar harvest galette, a truly succulent remix of a basic fruit treat. A galette is a pastry that drops somewhere between a pie and a calzone. It folds in on itself enough to just allow a peek at the deliciousness that stays within. A properly made galette is downright opprobrious.

Tumblr individual “My main is a cook” devised a recipe for the Taelpar harvest galette from Ignis’ recipe book. It entails oranges, goat cheese, cinnamon, which hallmark flakey crust. Honestly, if you simply informed me it was involved and also pie-like goat cheese, I would have already been on board. Put all those active ingredients together, as well as you’ve got a dish I ‘d smack out of the hands of the prince of Lucis.

A fresh-cooked galette, thanks to Ignis Monster Hunter World Beast Hunter is a game of excess. Characters possess swords that weigh roughly 95 extra pounds and also whack dragons the dimension of house buildings around, simply for the possibility of getting a range to earn their armor prettier. Removed down to its basics, Monster Hunter stresses efficient searching by way of preparation and also preparation. One of the most vital part of searching prep? A hearty meal, certainly.

There are 2 type of living points you don’t eliminate in Monster Hunter. The first are other human beings. The 2nd are Palicoes, sentient felines that put on clothing and speak to each other that are so cute it needs to be prohibited. No person concerns the Palicoes, nor must they. This is merely an attractive globe where humans and also felines have comparable civil liberties and deal with each various other with respect.

Meowscular Chef takes fantastic satisfaction in his job Obviously, the Palicoes are fairly much better than human beings. This ought to be obvious– they have hairs and tails. Also far better though, the Palicoes have cooking abilities that our weak homo sapien minds could only imagine. Beast Hunter: World’s boss is the Meowscular Chef, an intimidating Palico with one eye that commands a small military of other felines. Working as a team, they reduced pieces of meat (do not ask which monster it originated from) on a searing rock frying pan, mix kiddie-pool sized soup bowls, and also toss in some veggie skewers completely measure. When the food is prepared, seekers tear right into it without modern-day pleasantries like flatware or eating.

The very best parts of Monster Hunter: World’s food is in the preparation. Little touches stick out; the fatty components of the meat fold over with practical weight, and blocks of cheese have an enjoyable skin. Certain, an Azure Rathalos has actually been dragging my ass around the ancient forest. However if I get to return to this sort of dish each time I shed, failure doesn’t hurting rather as much.

Link preparing to prepare some kind of poultry-stuffed pumpkin The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild I appreciate Breath of the Wild’s technique to cooking since it closely mirrors my very own: toss a lot of tasty-seeming active ingredients in a frying pan and hope they function. Link just takes a large armful of meats, veggies, as well as flavors and also tosses ’em done in. Like me, he in some cases obtains”dubious food,” a pixelated mixture which he chokes down out of stubbornness. More frequently however, those components integrated into something delicious-looking and also healthy.

Out of all these games, Breath of the Wild’s food feels one of the most sustainable for a healthy and balanced life. Consuming isn’t really a special occasion, it’s something we do each day. The mushrooms, meats, and soups that Link subsists on feeling concrete, the simple-but-hearty diet plan of a guy on the roadway. It advises me of the scene in Princess Mononoke when Ashitaka as well as Jigo sit in a cavern and eat rice gruel. The food isn’t extravagant or difficult, yet it’s made by a practiced hand and also would possibly be ideal after a long day.

Okayu(rice gruel)in Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke For my money, the seafood curry in Breath of the Wild comes out as the most effective all-rounder. With these sort of simple meals, the difference between exceptional as well as ample frequently boils down to spices. Link’s addition of some Goron seasoning pushes this one over the side; the shrimp/crab/rice combo additionally appears very loading, and also the description assures that the spice packs a severe kick.

Identity 4

Not all food is produced for the same purpose. Some offers straightforward nourishment. Some is for event, some for mourning. Other times, food is an expression of dominance. On the program Man v. Food, a single guy would certainly try to take in merciless sections of everything from hot wings to oysters to pancakes. After 7 seasons, the show continues, but the initial host has stepped down; food was inevitably successful.

It’s a tidal wave of beef In Persona 4, you have simply one food-based opponent, the huge beef dish. It is described as a”tidal bore of beef.” You’ve got the chance to check out the Aiya Chinese Diner as well as attempt to eat the entire bowl of in one sitting, a feat you’ll just accomplish with extremely high statistics. If you handle to do so, the dish

is complimentary! Hopefully, Aiya also places your image on the wall surface or something. Identity 4 has the series’typical calendar-keeping gameplay. Daily, you could hang with good friends as well as take pop quizzes as well as store, simply like non-gaming teens most likely do (I wouldn’t recognize). Numerous of these activities aren’t offered when it’s raining however. But wet days are by the way the only days when the beef bowl obstacle is readily available. I enjoy this pomposity. Everything in the whole city is closed down, the day is ruined, so why not go consume a metric lot of seared meat?

Time to knock the milkshake-drinking laugh off his face Wolfenstein 2 Have you ever enjoyed a cooking video clip on YouTube where they don’t try the food at the end? It’s irritating. Seeing somebody prepare food is an emotional financial investment, and if I can’t consume it, I desire to be able to live vicariously with a person that does. In gaming, activity capture as well as computer animation have recently brought us to an area where characters can give probably rapturous reactions to well-crafted foods items. One of the finest responses to food in video games comes from an outright item of rubbish. In Wolfenstein 2, BJ Blazkowicz need to satisfy a personality who runs an old-timey diner in the center

of the Nazi occupation of America. This restaurant has whatever: cheap burgers, coffee, and also a real vintage soda water fountain. I should aim out that a good soda water fountain isn’t the blocky thing they contend every McDonalds as well as Bojangles. It’s a flexible tool with the capacity to generate drinks like an egg lotion as well as a ginger yip, a throwback to a much more tailored period of soft drinks. The restaurant likewise has the proper kind of milkshake; individually mixed in a gigantic metal cup that the proprietor might allow you consume alcohol from once your glass is empty. When a Nazi captain who’s also more weasel-y than the typical Nazi walks right into the restaurant and also orders a strawberry milkshake, it harms me in my spirit. Not only is this punk in a state of not-being-punched, yet he’s buying a hand-made dessert that tastes the way summer season memories feel. I’ve had a strawberry milkshake or smoothie. In truth, I’ve had a strawberry milkshake or smoothie made by the precise same lime-green blender or food processor, from a location called Ox and Rabbit in Durham, NC. That place is currently shut down. So now I cannot have a strawberry milkshake or smoothie, but this Nazi can!.?. !? It’s an outright oppression. He shuts his eyes and also takes a lengthy drink, appreciating the pieces of strawberry combined in with the piercing cold of theice cream. He looks like he enjoys it. He likewise gets his brains burnt out about 2 secs later on. No milkshake or smoothies for fascists.

[feedblogspot]

Type of Venue: Restaurant, Bar Cuisine: New Orleans style food Highly Recommended: Homemade Cornbread, Cajun Seasonal Vegetables, Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Cajun Pork Belly, Ribs of the Day, Southern Fried Chicken Po’Boy, Louisiana Style Sticky Date (specials board)

Bringing some good ol’ southern hospitality to Melbourne, The Moldy Fig is a humble restaurant and bar with a rustic vibe, whose live jazz and blues music on certain nights injects a fun atmosphere into the venue. Mother Dorelle and daughter Vivian are immensely proud of their establishment, particularly as it nears its one-year-old birthday as Mardis Gras approaches.

Close to Dorelle’s heart, The Moldy Fig brings to life her passion for food and cooking, combined with her enjoyment in learning everything she can about New Orleans cuisine. Her journey in discovering more about this creative fusion cuisine began when a loved one gave her a New Orleans cookbook as a gift many years ago. Since then, countless travels to Southern Louisiana, and New Orleans in particular, has taught Dorelle about the deep-rooted traditions of this unique culture, along with authentic family recipes passed on from welcoming locals eager to show off the best of New Orleans to us, the people of Melbourne.

Always up for a party, the region of Southern Louisiana is famous for its Mardis Gras celebrations, with their liberal festivities stemming all the way from the 18th Century. With a zest for colour, freedom and life evident from their multicultural and multinational population, it is also the merging of multiple cuisines and vibrantly-designed buildings (especially in the French Quarter) that make up the exuberant personalities of the people from this great state.

Aiming to recreate a genuine New Orleans experience, Dorelle and Vivian have designed The Moldy Fig as a tribute to its various influences. The street-facing side of the restaurant-bar mimics older, French-style apartment balconies overlooking the street with its black metal railings and multicoloured lights. A brick wall facing the bar is painted with an image of New Orleans’ cobbled streets and jazz nightlife. The window pass connecting the kitchen to the main dining room is fitted with French Quarter-style window shutters, whose colour coordination was carefully chosen by Dorelle and Vivian, mimicking the enforced colour coordination choices from which residents must choose when building a house in the French Quarter, thus maintaining a certain style and look that Southern Louisiana aims to portray.

And, finally, walk down the corridor of this Brunswick venue to admire local artist’s paintings hanging along the wall. This section of the venue mirrors the real Jackson Square in New Orleans, which is a public park for local artists, musicians and street performers to showcase their talents, and thus earn a living. Consistent with her desire to support the local community in much the same way, Dorelle encourages local artists to hang their paintings along this corridor of The Moldy Fig, with 100% of the money obtained from buyers given back to the artist.

Finally, arriving at the origin of the name of this venue, it is a tribute to original jazz music, which is seemingly becoming popular again in the modern day. According to stories told amongst New Orleans locals, “The Figs” were a New Orleans jazz band made up of musicians from the improv jazz era, and were nicknamed “The Moldy Figs” due to their perceptibly ‘outdated‘ genre of music. Although a little worn and rustic in their ambience, there is nothing “moldy” about The Moldy Fig.

The menu showcases a range of dishes traditionally recognised throughout Southern Louisiana, utilising local produce to infuse some Australian influence into the American-inspired menu. Based on the ingredients commonly used from the corn maize-producing farms throughout Southern Louisiana, many of the menu’s dishes are gluten-free and/or vegan-friendly. As New Orleans cuisine fuses French, Italian, Spanish, enslaved African-American and Haitian cuisines together, customers at The Moldy Fig should expect an exciting gastronomic experience.

Serious about their cocktails, a signature at The Moldy Fig is their Pomegranate and Passionfruit Hurricane cocktail, combining white and dark rum with orange juice, passionfruit and pomegranate to produce a moderately sweet version of the intensely sweet drink popular throughout New Orleans.

Pomegranate and Passionfruit Hurricane ($18.00)

Starting with the basics, Homemade Cornbread is amazingly soft and fluffy, served freshly warm with smooth squares of butter. Choose from original, chilli and garlic flavours (or a mixture of all three) to put other drier varieties of cornbread to shame.

Homemade Cornbread ($8.00 for serving of 3pcs)

Just one of the select few dishes on the menu showcasing cajun spices, the Cajun Seasonal Vegetables arrive as organic local vegetables simply cooked and tossed in a sundried tomato and fresh herb sauce. Not just a vegetable dish, the sauce elevates the flavours to another level, also providing plenty of texture from the chopped herbs and tomatoes.

Cajun Seasonal Vegetables ($14.50)

When deciding between the stew-like Gumbo, Creole and Etouffee, taking into consideration each dish’s distinct use of ingredients and flavours, we decide to try the Gumbo (the official dish of Louisiana) with Chicken and Andouille Sausage. As we learned, New Orleans locals are adamant that Gumbo can only be cooked with either a thick or thin consistency, nothing halfway.

Dorelle’s Gumbo uses a base of tomatoes to extract sweetness and flavour, accompanied by the addition of thyme, various spices, and the base ingredients used in almost all Southern Louisiana dishes: cayenne pepper, garlic, salt and onions. The intense aromas released from this stew are beyond impressive, further cementing the diner’s admiration for Dorelle’s skilful cooking techniques, and Southern Louisiana’s incredibly intriguing gastronomic fare. The simple presentation with a mound of white rice in the middle lets the Gumbo remain the focus.

Gumbo with Chicken and Andouille Sausage ($20.00

Discerning themselves from the crispy pork belly commonly cooked throughout Melbourne, New Orleans serves their pork belly with its fat and skin maintaining a soft, gelatinous texture, starkly contrasting the firmer texture of the meat. Within a single piece of pork, streaky lines of fat interject between layers of meat, resulting in an even infusion of flavour throughout the meat. However, this textural contrast will potentially not be enjoyed by those who appreciate crispy-skinned pork belly, or who don’t enjoy eating fatty parts of proteins. Served with a side of beetroot salad covered in Southern sour cream, the refreshing beetroot cubes adequately cut through the richness of the pork.

Cajun Pork Belly ($22.50)

Showing their extremely generous nature, Dorelle brings out a half-serve of the Ribs of the Day, after we expressed our interest in trying them but decided against it for fear of over-ordering. Slow cooked in a dry rub, the ribs are then glazed in a bourbon sauce and served alongside their famous Louisiana red cabbage slaw. Again, the slaw sufficiently cuts through the rich rib meat, which is immensely satisfying to gently peel off the bone and lick the glaze from your fingers.

Ribs of the Day (half serve) ($27.50 for a full serve)

Essentially a ‘New Orleans Style Burger’, po’boys are an extremely popular food item that is more familiar to us with other venues specialising in this sandwich. Choosing from a variety of protein fillings, the Southern Fried Chicken Po’Boy gets our vote, delivering deep fried chicken whose tender meat is coated in a moreishly crispy and crunchy spiced buttermilk batter. The traditional po’boy’s require the use of ‘egg shell bread’ (house made at The Moldy Fig), whose crispy and flaky layers contribute to the crunch of each bite. This particular type of bread is also designed to be able to hold all of the fillings inside its softly fluffy centre, whilst other types of bread such as sourdough would be inadequate to retain the fillings inside.

Southern Fried Chicken Po’Boy ($14.90)

Desserts follow suit with a classic American theme, featuring traditional Apple Pie and Mississippi Mud Chocolate Cake, alongside the more unique Kahlua Pecan Baked Brie. Excited to try a traditional American Apple Pie, thinly sliced apples are stewed in a sufficiently sweetened and cinnamon-spiced sauce, encased within a house made pastry. Although brilliantly contrasting textures of (exterior) crispiness with (interior) moisture were exhibited by the varying surfaces of the pastry, the middle section of the pastry was a bit too dry for my liking. Potentially, a thinner pastry could have avoided this slightly less enjoyable aspect of this traditional apple pie.

Apple Pie ($12.00)

An item on their specials blackboard, Louisiana Style Sticky Date arrives in quite a modest portion, surrounded by a sea of rum caramel sauce, strawberry and piped cream. The moist texture of the sticky date is highly commendable, particularly thanks to the use of banana in its mixture, however it is the rum caramel sauce that steals the show, warranting a whole bowl of that on its own, with the rum elevating and balancing out the bitter-sweet flavours of the caramel sauce.

Louisiana Style Stick Date ($12.00)

Known for their intensity of spices and flavours, New Orleans cuisine is slightly modified to suit the Australian palate at The Moldy Fig, with a milder use of spices. However, the customer is given the choice of adding Louisiana-imported Crystal hot sauce to any of their dishes, or Dorelle’s house made hot sauce, the latter of which is more robust in flavour, exhibiting a complexity that exceeds the Louisiana-imported hot sauce. Another Louisiana import is the Abita beer they use, available individually or in a bucket, as well as a couple of choices of beer available on tap.

Potentially the most authentic Southern Louisiana experience you will have in Melbourne, The Moldy Fig delivers an enjoyable dining experience complete with an authentic ambience and vibe. Located along a quiet section of Lygon Street in Brunswick, it can be difficult for passers-by to be captivated by the subtle nuances that this venue has to offer. Whether a more contemporary update in the style of their venue is needed, or just more exposure to the public, their genuine offering and passion for what they do should be more widely recognised and appreciated by dining aficionados throughout Melbourne.

Note: I dined as a guest of The Moldy Fig. Thank you to Dorelle and Vivian for their generous ‘Southern hospitality’ throughout our experience.

The Moldy Fig 120 Lygon Street Brunswick East, VIC 3057 Ph: (03) 9042 7613 Hours: Tues-Sat 5pm-late, Closed Sun-Mon. Happy Hour daily between 5-7pm, and all night on Wednesday’s.

Authentic New Orleans cuisine with live jazz music: The Moldy Fig, Brunswick East. Type of Venue: Restaurant, Bar Cuisine: New Orleans style food Highly Recommended: Homemade Cornbread, Cajun Seasonal Vegetables, Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Cajun Pork Belly, Ribs of the Day, Southern Fried Chicken Po'Boy, Louisiana Style Sticky Date (specials board)

[fedorasaurus]

Dream Journal

As a heads-up, this writeup is long, wordy, and contains some mentions of war and aircraft-related death. It might be the most detail that I can remember from a dream, likely because I began to verbally recall it within minutes of waking up (thanks Flib for letting me ramble about disturbing weirdness first thing in the morning).

September 07, 2017 Part 1: I was in a club or dance party of some kind. The room was very small, maybe the size and dimensions of a trailer. The room was dark besides multicolored lights, but I could make out the appearances of the partygoers without much trouble. The fashion style of their clothing suggested that the time period was closer to the 70’s or 80’s rather than 2017. A few people down to my right was a tall woman with light skin and blond hair in a ponytail. She wore a long, light gray or tan dress with plain features. She danced along with the rest of the crowd, but I think she also mentioned something about having to leave in time to make it to class. A man appeared from where there was now an obvious door across from where I was standing. He was an older gentleman in a brown trenchcoat, thick-framed glasses, and a brownish hat. He might have spoken to the tall woman, I’m not sure. But his presence was her cue to leave the party for class (I think the implication was that this man was her professor). Before she left, she made a comment along the lines of “and North Korea is going to drop a nuke on us.” Immediately after this was spoken, the room went silent. Everyone stopped dancing, and the overhead lights came on. We all stared at this woman, as though annoyed that she had gone and ruined our fun with her fear-mongering. Being reminded of the troubled political climate made me feel tense and deeply anxious. It was a discomfort that remained even after I woke up.

(Part 2 continues below)

Part 2: A second dream that night was set during a vacation or a road trip. I was with Flib, Flib’s sister (D), Flib’s grandmother, and possibly my brother (E) was with us too, though it seemed like the dream was switching between Flib and E being on the trip.

As it started, we were in a souvenir shop, with all the usual knickknacks for sale: postcards, shirts, keychains with names on them, etc. What I was struggling with was trying to find a gift for my dad’s birthday (though IRL his birthday was several months ago). I didn’t think he would like any of these gift shop items, though I almost bought him a dark blue tie that had some writing embroidered on it with a similar shade of blue. I don’t recall what it said. But even the gifts specifically geared toward fathers weren’t especially great, and I commented to maybe D that it’s particularly difficult when my dad says he doesn’t want anything for his birthday.

The storekeeper then showed us into the back room, which was actually a whole other section of the store, and closed the door behind him. This section of the store was more like a comic book/collectibles department. But a bit more disorganized. Dim lighting, racks of books and games, lightweight card tables under which cardboard boxes were packed with miscellaneous action figures and other memorabilia. I enjoyed looking around all the books and collectibles, particularly the action figures, which were all unboxed and dirty, having seen prior use/wear-and-tear. I thought about buying some for my photography, but decided that they weren’t very posable, and moved on to a box containing lots of small metal badges. Something having to do with a fighting game, like an award or something. At the bottom of the box was a diamond ring with a gold band, which seemed out of place, until I recalled that a marriage proposal was part of the fighting game’s plot. I decided that the ring must not be REAL gold and diamond, just a replica for prop purposes.

I noticed that some of the display boxes featured characters from a video game that I recognized, though was not especially well-known. I asked the shopkeeper about it, and he expressed much genuine interest and trivia: “did you know that the main character was also in [other game]?” I was fascinated, mentioning that I hadn’t, and he went on to show me gameplay of the game in question (I don’t recall what he said the title was).

There was the protagonist, albeit in a more casual, less fantasy-oriented design. A black t-shirt had some white wording on it that was difficult to make out from the pixels (GBA-era, though it was being played on a non-portable console of some kind). I don’t know what the game was about; the gameplay I saw just featured the character walking along dark city streets, or maybe it was a cemetery. At some point, I noticed that Flib’s family had continued on to the next room of the shop, and I still had to go back and buy something for my dad! I felt selfish for forgetting about his birthday while being so caught up in shopping for things in my own field of interest.

I was then back with Flib’s family. We were getting lunch (or was it sorbet?) at a restaurant, taking the food out onto a patio to eat. Wherever this place was, it was a large city, maybe New York, though it had no recognizable landmarks. I could hear a low-flying plane overhead, and said to D that the sound made me extremely uncomfortable (this is also true IRL, and also I should mention that I live close enough to an airport that I often see and hear planes at low altitudes). Flib’s grandma mentioned that, oh yes, we were near a military base, and they must be testing out some new aircraft.

No sooner had she said this than an aircraft appeared overhead across the street from us. I definitely wouldn’t call it an airplane, although it sounded much like one. It was more like a big metal cube, with a big round hole where the engine should be. It seemed to be packed with people, presumably military personnel, who just sat in and around the thing, no seats or restraints of any kind. It looked so unsafe that just LOOKING at it made me deeply afraid. The unit wobbled in midair before tilting on its side and descending out of view with a big CRASH. And then another, similarly shaped craft flew out, this one much more elongated, and painted a shade of blue. Like a flying cargo container, I suppose, but with one side exposed for people to sit with their legs dangling out. This one also crash-landed, but very near to the restaurant, perpendicular with/on the street.

I told Flib and fam that I was done, that I wanted to go home, that we need to leave. Even as we went back through the restaurant and returned to our cars (lots of other bystanders were also evacuating), I kept repeating that: “I want to go home, I don’t want to be here, I’m done, etc.” There were two cars parked, one being Flib’s and one being D’s. I asked them which car I needed to get into to go home. We all got into Flib’s car, and started driving away. On a long stretch of highway trimmed in neon lights, two hovering aircraft flew overhead in quick succession, in the same direction we were headed. They were a little like flying saucers, but with like a yellow glass base that glowed gold. A large black helicopter went the opposite way. I was aware that these were all military craft, and that we would die if we stayed near them (whether they were deliberately attacking us was unclear, more just that the very presence of military hardware was a threat).

We drove along a winding mountain road, passing a number of touristy locations (namely a group of trees carved with cartoonish faces). Flib decided to pull off at one of these stops because, “as long as we’re on a road trip, we’d might as well see everything.” Or something to that effect. I disagreed, but got out of the car. It was a clearing in a wooded area, like a park on top of a mountain. People were seated on benches. A restroom or gift shop was nearby. I checked my phone for Pokemon GO. An Articuno raid was ongoing, but would end in about 10 seconds. I asked Flib and D if they wanted to do it. D declined, Flib was interested, but by the time I tapped on the gym icon, the raid was over. Flib made a frustrated sigh at this.

As the first raid ended, another one appeared: Ho-Oh (who, at the time of writing this, is not yet in the game). I asked Flib and D if they wanted to fight it, and they both did not. I asked aloud to the other tourists, and they replied “NO” in unison. Two young men then appeared from one of the hiking trails, carrying a tray of three pizza slices. “Please help us!” they exclaimed with a grin, indicating that they wanted to fight the raid boss too. Thanks to some dream-weirdness, their phones were what was manifesting as pizza slices. No seriously, we knew they were phones and treated them like phones, but physically they looked like slices of pizza. This is the weirdest (and possibly most disconcerting) thing I’ve ever dreamt.

I told them that I could barely keep up on my own phone, much less try to play on three at once. But by now, more people were gathering, taking slices of pizza (which at this point were a whole pie). I joked with everyone, “oh, NOW you’re interested in playing, huh?” As we prepared to start the battle, one of the tourists, who I didn’t recognize but who sort of resembled a high school friend of mine (J), started introducing me to Flib’s family… as if I didn’t already know them. It was very confusing, because I don’t think any of us knew who this woman was.

Anyway, we were feeling good and about to start the raid, when D’s phone announced a news report. The phone’s voice was like Siri, but it spoke in a sassy, sarcastic way, like it was programmed to be a smartass to the user. The report said something about how people were being transported away with severe injuries, and how there was also some kind of wound or virus in the throats of some of the victims. My heart sank, and the fear returned as I woke up. These dreams both had a theme of being unable to catch a break from an impending violent death.

[wineanddinosaur]

Why Drinks Industry Insiders Are Spending Their Weekends in Lancaster, Pa.

Having lived in New York City for nearly two decades, my family has taken just about every weekend road trip possible. Out to Long Island’s North Fork to crawl the wineries and enjoy oysters straight from Greenport’s waters. Up to the Hudson Valley to visit farm stands and orchards, breweries, and quaint little window-shopping towns. We’ve taken longer drives to Boston and Washington, D.C., all the way up to burgeoning places like Portsmouth, Kittery, Portland, and Burlington. All of these are great trips to great places with plenty of great things to drink, but this time, my wife and I were thinking we both wanted to try something new.

“What about Lancaster, Pennsylvania?” I offered. “I heard it’s pretty cool.”

“Pennsylvania?!” my wife responded. “I’m not vacationing in Pennsylvania.”

Forgive my wife’s slander, Ben Franklin.

A day later she texted me. She’d done a little research and had taken the liberty of booking us an Airbnb.

Nestled in a remarkably accessible location some 75 miles from Baltimore, 80 from Philadelphia, and 165 from where we live in Brooklyn, the south-central Pennsylvania city has deep roots; it was founded nearly 50 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. These days, Lancaster is a small town that’s hardly small, with a metro area of about half a million residents. To casual observers, it is still seen as the cradle of horse-and-buggy living, and, indeed, a large Amish and Mennonite community still dominates the farmlands around the city.

But in the last five years or so, the city has experienced a food and drink renaissance that’s thanks, in several cases, to skilled chefs from bigger cities moving home. As the culinary scene has evolved, so too has its drinking scene.

If you’re coming from the New York area, like we did, you’ll pass quite a few excellent Pennsylvania breweries, including Forest & Main in Ambler, and Bonn Place Brewing in Bethlehem. (Sadly, the locally beloved Stoudts Brewing, with its epic German-style beer hall in Adamstown, is soon closing as matriarch Carol Stoudt has decided to step down.)

If you want to arrive in town sober, however, stick with a stop at the Dutch Haven Shoo-Fly Pie Bakery for a slice of this knick-knack shop’s namesake dessert and a glass of Amish-made root beer, which offers a funky, yeasty aroma. As a sign on the faux-wooden barrel it pours from reads, “Some like it, some don’t.” Personally, I liked it. And, most everyone will find something to like during a weekend drinking their way through Lancaster.

Friday

Assuming that you arrive on a Friday afternoon, here’s where to go after dropping your bags and settling into your accommodations.

The Fridge Head out to happy hour at The Fridge. It looks like your typical suburban pizzeria, with counter-service pies behind glass, wobbly square tables and a few high-tops. But take note of one far wall, where eight convenience store-style fridges are located. These are absolutely packed with perhaps the widest-spanning and most diverse selection of beer you’ll ever see, from longtime bottled international favorites to cult cans from East Coast hot spots like Lawson’s Finest and Bissell Brothers to countless pounders of local Pennsylvania offerings. Grab some beer to go or get a few for your table to drink while noshing on a pre-dinner snack of a flatbread topped with bacon, smoked cheddar, and sweet potato mash.

The Fridge

LUCA My intrigue in Lancaster actually started due to friend and fellow drinks writer Brad Thomas Parsons — a year or two ago I started noticing, via Instagram, that he sure seemed to be in Lancaster a lot. What the heck was going on there? I wondered. As author of the seminal books “Bitters” and “Amaro,” Parsons does a yearly residency at LUCA, a wood-burning Italian restaurant that has a killer amaro program as well (try a flight of lesser-known bottles like Amaro Dente di Leone). Though the multi-level venue is large, weekend reservations can be tough to come by; when the doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday, there will already be folks lined up, ready to sprint to the first-come seats available at the lengthy bar. There are adventurous small plates like beef tongue, pasta dishes like braised rabbit pappardelle, and entrees like bone-in lamb cooked in a hearth, but you’ll want to grab some Neapolitan-style pizza as well. Chef-owner Taylor Mason spent his early cooking years in Napa Valley and he still has a passion for introducing offbeat wines like Vending Machine’s Horror Show to customers who may be more accustomed to drinking fizzy yellow beer with their pies. The amaro-centric cocktails like the Phroaigian Slip — featuring Laphroaig, Pasubio, and Chartreuse — are excellent as well.

Valentino’s Cafe Now Lancaster doesn’t exactly offer the latest late night, but that’s fine. Valentino’s Cafe keeps the lights on until 2 a.m. A barber shop that was turned into a bar room in 1937, the spot “Where good friends meet” is still run by third- and fourth-generation Valentinos. This is dive-bar drinking at its finest — pitchers of Yuengling and half-liter carafes of house wine. The cocktails on the menu are stuck at least a generation back (think Fuzzy Navels and Amaretto Sours), but at least they’re cheap, too. And, if you’re still hungry, Valentino’s is famous for its spaghetti, which can be ordered until 10 p.m. After that, as the night deepens, more and more industry folks getting off their shifts will begin filing in.

Valentino’s

Saturday

Start the day at the Lancaster Central Market, the oldest farmers’ market in the country. There’s nothing boozy among the 60 often-Amish-run stands, but there are plenty of things you can grab to aid in your future imbibing. Long’s horseradish, freshly made on site, would be perfect for a Bloody Mary, for example. Grab some citrus for cocktails. And the fresh-pressed sugar cane juice at Havana Juice would work wonders in a Daiquiri.

Cabalar Meat Co. (with Voodoo Brewery) Think of this spot as a hybrid butcher shop, sandwich shop, and brewery; it’s the place to go in downtown Lancaster for a base-laying brunch. Opt for the beef and cheese sandwich made with braised beef neck and jalapeño cream cheese (and plate of beef gravy poutine wouldn’t hurt either). Last year, Calabar also began a unique collaboration with Voodoo Brewery. One of the state’s best breweries, Voodoo now has a small satellite location in the back corner of the shop, where it serves draughts of geek-beloved beers like the Slimer-green Lacto-Cooler and Big Black Voodoo Daddy, an imperial stout.

Decades You could certainly find worse places to day drink the day away than Decades, a boutique bowling alley (only six lanes!) and retro arcade attached to a full-service restaurant and bar. The food surpasses “bowling alley” fare with offerings like crawdad hushpuppies, duck and bacon corndogs, and pulled pork sandwiches. The drinks are equally well considered, with hazy IPAs, Jungle Birds, and house cocktails like the color-changing Tesseract, made with Bluecoat gin and St. Germain served atop a butterfly pea flower tea ice cube. If you need even more fun and games (and beer), head to Spring House Brewing with its Hell’s Attic Arcade.

Decades

Horse Inn The whiskey list at Horse Inn, a former horse stable and Prohibition-era speakeasy is ample, featuring not just “unicorn” bottles but several private house single barrels, including an Old Weller Antique at 14 years old that is remarkable. The cocktails are incredible as well, often focusing on seasonal ingredients like in The Squashbuckler, made with a honeynut squash-infused rum and pumpkin-seed orgeat. “Living so close to the amazing farms that Lancaster has to offer is a unique benefit,” says co-owner Starla Russell. “Whether it is on our food menu or our drink menu, we try to follow the seasons and only use ingredients that naturally grow at that time.” Her husband and chef, Matt Russell, came up under the renowned Sean Brock in Charleston and he brings an ethos of elevated comfort food to the establishment. Tips ‘n’ Toast — tenderloin tips on French bread with red wine demi glace — is the signature dish, but their buffalo wings and fried green tomato BLT are also great. There are no reservations, so once the dinner crowd has died down, it’ll be easier to get into the door to play foosball or other bar games. By then, you’ll probably just want to grab a $2 “mystery” beer (“You get what you get!” says the menu) from the bathtub at the front bar.

Conway Social Club The recently opened Conway Social Club is an elegant space, outfitted with vintage chandeliers and gallery walls. Owner Benjamin Hash serves classic cocktails with a modern twist, often using (say it again with me) fresh, local ingredients. A drink like Jansen to Kyushu features Irish gin, matcha tea, Chartreuse, coconut cream, and pandan leaf. Another favorite, Shapes of the Carousel, is a fascinating melange of rye, mezcal, marshmallow-infused rum, pineapple soda, and popcorn foam. This is the perfect spot for a relaxed — and seated — Saturday nightcap, given that no one is admitted into the establishment after midnight.

Conway Social Club

Sunday

Sunday mornings are admittedly quiet in Amish Country, so its probably best to sleep off last night’s late night. Once you’re ready to face the world, you’ll learn that Lancaster has a pretty killer coffee scene as well with places like Passenger Coffee, Square One, and Mean Cup. But before heading home, consider stopping in the even smaller town of Lititz, six miles north of Lancaster, for a fun afternoon.

Bulls Head Public House There’s a reason that many drinks professionals call Bulls Head Public House the best British pub in America, or the best overall beer bar in America; it’s a perfect slice of Liverpool in Lititz. Like a pub across the pond, there’s no waiter service, so immediately head to one of the two bars to order a hand-pumped pint of cask ale and perhaps some fish ‘n’ chips, too. With no televisions or blaring music, and cozy seating, this is a place to while the afternoon away in friendly conversation and session drinking.

Stoll & Wolfe Distillery Located a couple blocks from Bulls Head, the new Stoll & Wolfe Distillery hearkens back to the now-shuttered Michter’s Distillery, which was established nearby in 1753 and at one time was the nation’s oldest distillery. Thus, the Wolfe family tapped Dick Stoll — the last master distiller at Michter’s — to make its whiskey. According to the Wolfes, rye whiskey was actually born in Lancaster as the farmlands around the area were then full of rye grain. Fittingly, this craft distillery produces a rye (as well as bourbon) that can be enjoyed in the tasting room neat or in a number of craft cocktails.

Stoll & Wolfe

The article Why Drinks Industry Insiders Are Spending Their Weekends in Lancaster, Pa. appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/lancaster-amish-country-travel-guide/

[johnboothus]

Why Drinks Industry Insiders Are Spending Their Weekends in Lancaster Pa.

Having lived in New York City for nearly two decades, my family has taken just about every weekend road trip possible. Out to Long Island’s North Fork to crawl the wineries and enjoy oysters straight from Greenport’s waters. Up to the Hudson Valley to visit farm stands and orchards, breweries, and quaint little window-shopping towns. We’ve taken longer drives to Boston and Washington, D.C., all the way up to burgeoning places like Portsmouth, Kittery, Portland, and Burlington. All of these are great trips to great places with plenty of great things to drink, but this time, my wife and I were thinking we both wanted to try something new.

“What about Lancaster, Pennsylvania?” I offered. “I heard it’s pretty cool.”

“Pennsylvania?!” my wife responded. “I’m not vacationing in Pennsylvania.”

Forgive my wife’s slander, Ben Franklin.

A day later she texted me. She’d done a little research and had taken the liberty of booking us an Airbnb.

Nestled in a remarkably accessible location some 75 miles from Baltimore, 80 from Philadelphia, and 165 from where we live in Brooklyn, the south-central Pennsylvania city has deep roots; it was founded nearly 50 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. These days, Lancaster is a small town that’s hardly small, with a metro area of about half a million residents. To casual observers, it is still seen as the cradle of horse-and-buggy living, and, indeed, a large Amish and Mennonite community still dominates the farmlands around the city.

But in the last five years or so, the city has experienced a food and drink renaissance that’s thanks, in several cases, to skilled chefs from bigger cities moving home. As the culinary scene has evolved, so too has its drinking scene.

If you’re coming from the New York area, like we did, you’ll pass quite a few excellent Pennsylvania breweries, including Forest & Main in Ambler, and Bonn Place Brewing in Bethlehem. (Sadly, the locally beloved Stoudts Brewing, with its epic German-style beer hall in Adamstown, is soon closing as matriarch Carol Stoudt has decided to step down.)

If you want to arrive in town sober, however, stick with a stop at the Dutch Haven Shoo-Fly Pie Bakery for a slice of this knick-knack shop’s namesake dessert and a glass of Amish-made root beer, which offers a funky, yeasty aroma. As a sign on the faux-wooden barrel it pours from reads, “Some like it, some don’t.” Personally, I liked it. And, most everyone will find something to like during a weekend drinking their way through Lancaster.

Friday

Assuming that you arrive on a Friday afternoon, here’s where to go after dropping your bags and settling into your accommodations.

The Fridge Head out to happy hour at The Fridge. It looks like your typical suburban pizzeria, with counter-service pies behind glass, wobbly square tables and a few high-tops. But take note of one far wall, where eight convenience store-style fridges are located. These are absolutely packed with perhaps the widest-spanning and most diverse selection of beer you’ll ever see, from longtime bottled international favorites to cult cans from East Coast hot spots like Lawson’s Finest and Bissell Brothers to countless pounders of local Pennsylvania offerings. Grab some beer to go or get a few for your table to drink while noshing on a pre-dinner snack of a flatbread topped with bacon, smoked cheddar, and sweet potato mash.

The Fridge

LUCA My intrigue in Lancaster actually started due to friend and fellow drinks writer Brad Thomas Parsons — a year or two ago I started noticing, via Instagram, that he sure seemed to be in Lancaster a lot. What the heck was going on there? I wondered. As author of the seminal books “Bitters” and “Amaro,” Parsons does a yearly residency at LUCA, a wood-burning Italian restaurant that has a killer amaro program as well (try a flight of lesser-known bottles like Amaro Dente di Leone). Though the multi-level venue is large, weekend reservations can be tough to come by; when the doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday, there will already be folks lined up, ready to sprint to the first-come seats available at the lengthy bar. There are adventurous small plates like beef tongue, pasta dishes like braised rabbit pappardelle, and entrees like bone-in lamb cooked in a hearth, but you’ll want to grab some Neapolitan-style pizza as well. Chef-owner Taylor Mason spent his early cooking years in Napa Valley and he still has a passion for introducing offbeat wines like Vending Machine’s Horror Show to customers who may be more accustomed to drinking fizzy yellow beer with their pies. The amaro-centric cocktails like the Phroaigian Slip — featuring Laphroaig, Pasubio, and Chartreuse — are excellent as well.

Valentino’s Cafe Now Lancaster doesn’t exactly offer the latest late night, but that’s fine. Valentino’s Cafe keeps the lights on until 2 a.m. A barber shop that was turned into a bar room in 1937, the spot “Where good friends meet” is still run by third- and fourth-generation Valentinos. This is dive-bar drinking at its finest — pitchers of Yuengling and half-liter carafes of house wine. The cocktails on the menu are stuck at least a generation back (think Fuzzy Navels and Amaretto Sours), but at least they’re cheap, too. And, if you’re still hungry, Valentino’s is famous for its spaghetti, which can be ordered until 10 p.m. After that, as the night deepens, more and more industry folks getting off their shifts will begin filing in.

Valentino’s

Saturday

Start the day at the Lancaster Central Market, the oldest farmers’ market in the country. There’s nothing boozy among the 60 often-Amish-run stands, but there are plenty of things you can grab to aid in your future imbibing. Long’s horseradish, freshly made on site, would be perfect for a Bloody Mary, for example. Grab some citrus for cocktails. And the fresh-pressed sugar cane juice at Havana Juice would work wonders in a Daiquiri.

Cabalar Meat Co. (with Voodoo Brewery) Think of this spot as a hybrid butcher shop, sandwich shop, and brewery; it’s the place to go in downtown Lancaster for a base-laying brunch. Opt for the beef and cheese sandwich made with braised beef neck and jalapeño cream cheese (and plate of beef gravy poutine wouldn’t hurt either). Last year, Calabar also began a unique collaboration with Voodoo Brewery. One of the state’s best breweries, Voodoo now has a small satellite location in the back corner of the shop, where it serves draughts of geek-beloved beers like the Slimer-green Lacto-Cooler and Big Black Voodoo Daddy, an imperial stout.

Decades You could certainly find worse places to day drink the day away than Decades, a boutique bowling alley (only six lanes!) and retro arcade attached to a full-service restaurant and bar. The food surpasses “bowling alley” fare with offerings like crawdad hushpuppies, duck and bacon corndogs, and pulled pork sandwiches. The drinks are equally well considered, with hazy IPAs, Jungle Birds, and house cocktails like the color-changing Tesseract, made with Bluecoat gin and St. Germain served atop a butterfly pea flower tea ice cube. If you need even more fun and games (and beer), head to Spring House Brewing with its Hell’s Attic Arcade.

Decades

Horse Inn The whiskey list at Horse Inn, a former horse stable and Prohibition-era speakeasy is ample, featuring not just “unicorn” bottles but several private house single barrels, including an Old Weller Antique at 14 years old that is remarkable. The cocktails are incredible as well, often focusing on seasonal ingredients like in The Squashbuckler, made with a honeynut squash-infused rum and pumpkin-seed orgeat. “Living so close to the amazing farms that Lancaster has to offer is a unique benefit,” says co-owner Starla Russell. “Whether it is on our food menu or our drink menu, we try to follow the seasons and only use ingredients that naturally grow at that time.” Her husband and chef, Matt Russell, came up under the renowned Sean Brock in Charleston and he brings an ethos of elevated comfort food to the establishment. Tips ‘n’ Toast — tenderloin tips on French bread with red wine demi glace — is the signature dish, but their buffalo wings and fried green tomato BLT are also great. There are no reservations, so once the dinner crowd has died down, it’ll be easier to get into the door to play foosball or other bar games. By then, you’ll probably just want to grab a $2 “mystery” beer (“You get what you get!” says the menu) from the bathtub at the front bar.

Conway Social Club The recently opened Conway Social Club is an elegant space, outfitted with vintage chandeliers and gallery walls. Owner Benjamin Hash serves classic cocktails with a modern twist, often using (say it again with me) fresh, local ingredients. A drink like Jansen to Kyushu features Irish gin, matcha tea, Chartreuse, coconut cream, and pandan leaf. Another favorite, Shapes of the Carousel, is a fascinating melange of rye, mezcal, marshmallow-infused rum, pineapple soda, and popcorn foam. This is the perfect spot for a relaxed — and seated — Saturday nightcap, given that no one is admitted into the establishment after midnight.

Conway Social Club

Sunday

Sunday mornings are admittedly quiet in Amish Country, so its probably best to sleep off last night’s late night. Once you’re ready to face the world, you’ll learn that Lancaster has a pretty killer coffee scene as well with places like Passenger Coffee, Square One, and Mean Cup. But before heading home, consider stopping in the even smaller town of Lititz, six miles north of Lancaster, for a fun afternoon.

Bulls Head Public House There’s a reason that many drinks professionals call Bulls Head Public House the best British pub in America, or the best overall beer bar in America; it’s a perfect slice of Liverpool in Lititz. Like a pub across the pond, there’s no waiter service, so immediately head to one of the two bars to order a hand-pumped pint of cask ale and perhaps some fish ‘n’ chips, too. With no televisions or blaring music, and cozy seating, this is a place to while the afternoon away in friendly conversation and session drinking.

Stoll & Wolfe Distillery Located a couple blocks from Bulls Head, the new Stoll & Wolfe Distillery hearkens back to the now-shuttered Michter’s Distillery, which was established nearby in 1753 and at one time was the nation’s oldest distillery. Thus, the Wolfe family tapped Dick Stoll — the last master distiller at Michter’s — to make its whiskey. According to the Wolfes, rye whiskey was actually born in Lancaster as the farmlands around the area were then full of rye grain. Fittingly, this craft distillery produces a rye (as well as bourbon) that can be enjoyed in the tasting room neat or in a number of craft cocktails.

Stoll & Wolfe

The article Why Drinks Industry Insiders Are Spending Their Weekends in Lancaster, Pa. appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/lancaster-amish-country-travel-guide/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/why-drinks-industry-insiders-are-spending-their-weekends-in-lancaster-pa

[isaiahrippinus]

Why Drinks Industry Insiders Are Spending Their Weekends in Lancaster, Pa.

Having lived in New York City for nearly two decades, my family has taken just about every weekend road trip possible. Out to Long Island’s North Fork to crawl the wineries and enjoy oysters straight from Greenport’s waters. Up to the Hudson Valley to visit farm stands and orchards, breweries, and quaint little window-shopping towns. We’ve taken longer drives to Boston and Washington, D.C., all the way up to burgeoning places like Portsmouth, Kittery, Portland, and Burlington. All of these are great trips to great places with plenty of great things to drink, but this time, my wife and I were thinking we both wanted to try something new.

“What about Lancaster, Pennsylvania?” I offered. “I heard it’s pretty cool.”

“Pennsylvania?!” my wife responded. “I’m not vacationing in Pennsylvania.”

Forgive my wife’s slander, Ben Franklin.

A day later she texted me. She’d done a little research and had taken the liberty of booking us an Airbnb.

Nestled in a remarkably accessible location some 75 miles from Baltimore, 80 from Philadelphia, and 165 from where we live in Brooklyn, the south-central Pennsylvania city has deep roots; it was founded nearly 50 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. These days, Lancaster is a small town that’s hardly small, with a metro area of about half a million residents. To casual observers, it is still seen as the cradle of horse-and-buggy living, and, indeed, a large Amish and Mennonite community still dominates the farmlands around the city.

But in the last five years or so, the city has experienced a food and drink renaissance that’s thanks, in several cases, to skilled chefs from bigger cities moving home. As the culinary scene has evolved, so too has its drinking scene.

If you’re coming from the New York area, like we did, you’ll pass quite a few excellent Pennsylvania breweries, including Forest & Main in Ambler, and Bonn Place Brewing in Bethlehem. (Sadly, the locally beloved Stoudts Brewing, with its epic German-style beer hall in Adamstown, is soon closing as matriarch Carol Stoudt has decided to step down.)

If you want to arrive in town sober, however, stick with a stop at the Dutch Haven Shoo-Fly Pie Bakery for a slice of this knick-knack shop’s namesake dessert and a glass of Amish-made root beer, which offers a funky, yeasty aroma. As a sign on the faux-wooden barrel it pours from reads, “Some like it, some don’t.” Personally, I liked it. And, most everyone will find something to like during a weekend drinking their way through Lancaster.

Friday

Assuming that you arrive on a Friday afternoon, here’s where to go after dropping your bags and settling into your accommodations.

The Fridge Head out to happy hour at The Fridge. It looks like your typical suburban pizzeria, with counter-service pies behind glass, wobbly square tables and a few high-tops. But take note of one far wall, where eight convenience store-style fridges are located. These are absolutely packed with perhaps the widest-spanning and most diverse selection of beer you’ll ever see, from longtime bottled international favorites to cult cans from East Coast hot spots like Lawson’s Finest and Bissell Brothers to countless pounders of local Pennsylvania offerings. Grab some beer to go or get a few for your table to drink while noshing on a pre-dinner snack of a flatbread topped with bacon, smoked cheddar, and sweet potato mash.

The Fridge

LUCA My intrigue in Lancaster actually started due to friend and fellow drinks writer Brad Thomas Parsons — a year or two ago I started noticing, via Instagram, that he sure seemed to be in Lancaster a lot. What the heck was going on there? I wondered. As author of the seminal books “Bitters” and “Amaro,” Parsons does a yearly residency at LUCA, a wood-burning Italian restaurant that has a killer amaro program as well (try a flight of lesser-known bottles like Amaro Dente di Leone). Though the multi-level venue is large, weekend reservations can be tough to come by; when the doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday, there will already be folks lined up, ready to sprint to the first-come seats available at the lengthy bar. There are adventurous small plates like beef tongue, pasta dishes like braised rabbit pappardelle, and entrees like bone-in lamb cooked in a hearth, but you’ll want to grab some Neapolitan-style pizza as well. Chef-owner Taylor Mason spent his early cooking years in Napa Valley and he still has a passion for introducing offbeat wines like Vending Machine’s Horror Show to customers who may be more accustomed to drinking fizzy yellow beer with their pies. The amaro-centric cocktails like the Phroaigian Slip — featuring Laphroaig, Pasubio, and Chartreuse — are excellent as well.

Valentino’s Cafe Now Lancaster doesn’t exactly offer the latest late night, but that’s fine. Valentino’s Cafe keeps the lights on until 2 a.m. A barber shop that was turned into a bar room in 1937, the spot “Where good friends meet” is still run by third- and fourth-generation Valentinos. This is dive-bar drinking at its finest — pitchers of Yuengling and half-liter carafes of house wine. The cocktails on the menu are stuck at least a generation back (think Fuzzy Navels and Amaretto Sours), but at least they’re cheap, too. And, if you’re still hungry, Valentino’s is famous for its spaghetti, which can be ordered until 10 p.m. After that, as the night deepens, more and more industry folks getting off their shifts will begin filing in.

Valentino’s

Saturday

Start the day at the Lancaster Central Market, the oldest farmers’ market in the country. There’s nothing boozy among the 60 often-Amish-run stands, but there are plenty of things you can grab to aid in your future imbibing. Long’s horseradish, freshly made on site, would be perfect for a Bloody Mary, for example. Grab some citrus for cocktails. And the fresh-pressed sugar cane juice at Havana Juice would work wonders in a Daiquiri.

Cabalar Meat Co. (with Voodoo Brewery) Think of this spot as a hybrid butcher shop, sandwich shop, and brewery; it’s the place to go in downtown Lancaster for a base-laying brunch. Opt for the beef and cheese sandwich made with braised beef neck and jalapeño cream cheese (and plate of beef gravy poutine wouldn’t hurt either). Last year, Calabar also began a unique collaboration with Voodoo Brewery. One of the state’s best breweries, Voodoo now has a small satellite location in the back corner of the shop, where it serves draughts of geek-beloved beers like the Slimer-green Lacto-Cooler and Big Black Voodoo Daddy, an imperial stout.

Decades You could certainly find worse places to day drink the day away than Decades, a boutique bowling alley (only six lanes!) and retro arcade attached to a full-service restaurant and bar. The food surpasses “bowling alley” fare with offerings like crawdad hushpuppies, duck and bacon corndogs, and pulled pork sandwiches. The drinks are equally well considered, with hazy IPAs, Jungle Birds, and house cocktails like the color-changing Tesseract, made with Bluecoat gin and St. Germain served atop a butterfly pea flower tea ice cube. If you need even more fun and games (and beer), head to Spring House Brewing with its Hell’s Attic Arcade.

Decades

Horse Inn The whiskey list at Horse Inn, a former horse stable and Prohibition-era speakeasy is ample, featuring not just “unicorn” bottles but several private house single barrels, including an Old Weller Antique at 14 years old that is remarkable. The cocktails are incredible as well, often focusing on seasonal ingredients like in The Squashbuckler, made with a honeynut squash-infused rum and pumpkin-seed orgeat. “Living so close to the amazing farms that Lancaster has to offer is a unique benefit,” says co-owner Starla Russell. “Whether it is on our food menu or our drink menu, we try to follow the seasons and only use ingredients that naturally grow at that time.” Her husband and chef, Matt Russell, came up under the renowned Sean Brock in Charleston and he brings an ethos of elevated comfort food to the establishment. Tips ‘n’ Toast — tenderloin tips on French bread with red wine demi glace — is the signature dish, but their buffalo wings and fried green tomato BLT are also great. There are no reservations, so once the dinner crowd has died down, it’ll be easier to get into the door to play foosball or other bar games. By then, you’ll probably just want to grab a $2 “mystery” beer (“You get what you get!” says the menu) from the bathtub at the front bar.

Conway Social Club The recently opened Conway Social Club is an elegant space, outfitted with vintage chandeliers and gallery walls. Owner Benjamin Hash serves classic cocktails with a modern twist, often using (say it again with me) fresh, local ingredients. A drink like Jansen to Kyushu features Irish gin, matcha tea, Chartreuse, coconut cream, and pandan leaf. Another favorite, Shapes of the Carousel, is a fascinating melange of rye, mezcal, marshmallow-infused rum, pineapple soda, and popcorn foam. This is the perfect spot for a relaxed — and seated — Saturday nightcap, given that no one is admitted into the establishment after midnight.

Conway Social Club

Sunday

Sunday mornings are admittedly quiet in Amish Country, so its probably best to sleep off last night’s late night. Once you’re ready to face the world, you’ll learn that Lancaster has a pretty killer coffee scene as well with places like Passenger Coffee, Square One, and Mean Cup. But before heading home, consider stopping in the even smaller town of Lititz, six miles north of Lancaster, for a fun afternoon.

Bulls Head Public House There’s a reason that many drinks professionals call Bulls Head Public House the best British pub in America, or the best overall beer bar in America; it’s a perfect slice of Liverpool in Lititz. Like a pub across the pond, there’s no waiter service, so immediately head to one of the two bars to order a hand-pumped pint of cask ale and perhaps some fish ‘n’ chips, too. With no televisions or blaring music, and cozy seating, this is a place to while the afternoon away in friendly conversation and session drinking.

Stoll & Wolfe Distillery Located a couple blocks from Bulls Head, the new Stoll & Wolfe Distillery hearkens back to the now-shuttered Michter’s Distillery, which was established nearby in 1753 and at one time was the nation’s oldest distillery. Thus, the Wolfe family tapped Dick Stoll — the last master distiller at Michter’s — to make its whiskey. According to the Wolfes, rye whiskey was actually born in Lancaster as the farmlands around the area were then full of rye grain. Fittingly, this craft distillery produces a rye (as well as bourbon) that can be enjoyed in the tasting room neat or in a number of craft cocktails.

Stoll & Wolfe

The article Why Drinks Industry Insiders Are Spending Their Weekends in Lancaster, Pa. appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/lancaster-amish-country-travel-guide/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/190876942609

[itsworn]

This ’68 Dodge Charger Is The Ultimate Pro Street Reboot!

For Dodge stylist Richard Sias, the 1968 Charger proved to be an amazing contribution to automotive history. A Michigan native who studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Sias was a young man on a mission when he was given the directive to put body lines to the 1968 rendering of the car by his bosses at Chrysler’s design studio. Despite mis-pronouncements by some higher-level managers, his model prevailed as the one released in late 1967. Ironically, after this amazing project, he would leave Detroit soon after and never designed another OEM combination, eventually going to Boeing for decades where he put his talent on things like airplane equipment.

The 1968 Charger, in many ways, defines this whole era when it came to muscle car styling. The curved fender bulges, turbine cues in the taillights and dash cluster, the flying buttress rear window, deeply-inset grille, and body-stamped paired scallops gave it a refined but aggressive stance. It did not rely on scoops, gimmicks, or colors; the only additional performance cue was a pair of twin stripes that wrapped around the rear as part of the Dodge Scat Pack on R/T versions. Whether Sias foresaw it or not, popular culture “got it” right away, heralding it on magazine covers and in test reviews. Indeed, even Hollywood gravitated to the design almost immediately, with the ’68 model showing up in the 1969 Steve McQueen movie classic Bullitt as well as supporting roles ranging from Cannonball to Christine.

The example here is modified, but really not a far cry from what Mr. Sias’ original vision entailed. Recently completed by builder Scott Bonowski of Hot Rods & Hobbies, a shop in Signal Hill well-noted in street rod and restoration circles, the Charger features visual tweaks on the outside and big changes under the skin. The car was actually a multi-year project for owner Darren Moore, whose background lies more in the world of prewar Packards (including a Packard-powered P-51D) and rare Ferraris. Darren wanted a muscle car that he could drive, and had always appreciated the Charger’s design.

“I had always liked the Charger since I was a kid and it is my favorite muscle car,” he recalls. “When I sold my business and retired, I had a little money and decided to have one built as a hot rod. Scott has done other cars for me, but this would be my first hot rod.”

The chase for the perfect muscle car led to a candidate that appeared to be just right. Dressed up as an R/T with a mildly reworked 440 engine, he bought the car and had it sent directly to Scott’s shop. This is when the rude awakening happened, as a lot of mechanical make-up had hidden the car’s true condition.

Scott recalls what was actually there on this so-called restoration. “Well, the car was complete but built to be sold quick,” says the award-winning car builder. “Bad blends and repairs had been made to look original but were done very poorly. So when we pulled up the carpet and took out the seats, there were no floorboards! The fenders and hood were smashed. Just major problems…”

Nevertheless, the men proceeded to come up with a plan to resolve all of this. Since driving was part of the reason for Darren’s purchase, they decided to simply go all out on making that its role. That said, there were some parameters set up going in. First, no radical body changes on the outside—no extras scoops or Daytona wings or stuff like that. In fact, Darren even wanted to stay with a 15-inch steel wheel that looked OEM rather than Cragars or the American Racing five-spokes that came on the car when he bought it. Second, since there would be additional suspension mods, the engine would become a classic gen-2 Hemi. Third, there was not to be big changes to the interior. Bonowski, whose clientele are far-ranging and well-informed, began looking at how he could complete the idea.

“Darren wanted basically a stock restoration but he also wanted to add some power, to be a real muscle car,” Scott says. “Since the engine was not numbers-matched, we looked at possible motor combinations and that 572 came up. I like the sound of that—big horsepower—but now how we make it handle then? How do we make it stop better?”

“The Hemi kind of got chosen as we went along,” remembers Darren now. “The 440 that was in it was not in great shape, and Scott decided that if we got the Hemi crate motor and had it built up, that would make this car something special.”

So for horsepower, Bonowski turned to Joe Jill at Superior Automotive Engineering in Placentia. Old-school guys may remember Joe from his Speedwin days when the ’68 Charger was new. Back then, he was in Long Island, New York, building and tuning engines for guys like Charlie Castaldo, a noted Big Apple Super Stock and Pro Stock racer. Now a long-time builder in California, Joe started with an Indy Maxx Hemi engine package with a big arm down below, bringing the displacement up to 572 cubes. Balanced and using a COMP cam he had developed, the motor pushed the dyno needle hard.

“Indy sends this block to us rough-bored. We do all of the boring, the honing, the deck work here,” Joe notes. “On these engines, we do a very exact balancing. The head work, tricks on the camshaft, and how we set that up, and a lot of valvetrain work, geometry-wise; it is all synergistic. We optimize that before we even order the cam. COMP makes the cam for us once we see where we are at on our flowchart. We tuned the EFI for the engine right on the dyno, and it made just under 800 horsepower. We like them to bring it back here once it is in the car and we can put it up on our chassis dyno and get it exact.”

FAST came through with an EFI and ignition system, bringing the engine management into the present era. As we prepared to go to press with our story, the decision has been made to use a NASCAR-style cowl-based fresh-air layout in place of the present front-routed tube design seen here.

Since this was not going to be a pinion-climbing drag car, Scott selected a well-built Torqueflite equipped with a Gear Vendors overdrive bolted on the tailshaft. This in turn feeds power to the differential and out to the massive Hoosier blackwall 29×15.5-15 tires mounted on custom steelies with pie-pan caps. This, of course, is the first indication that the car is a little more hairy than its predecessors, even from McQueen’s day.

“Darren was dead set on the 15-inch wheels. He really didn’t want it to look too hot rod,” says Scott. “However, with all the horsepower, it needed real tires in the back. Since we had to do the floors anyway, we ordered the narrowed rear and tubbed it a little bit. The tubs are four inches over stock, but the gas filler neck is in the same spot and the special fuel cell was narrowed because of the four-link.”

Working with a Reilly Motorsports Alter-K-tion front suspension, a number of changes were made both fore and aft. Up front, this Charger sports coilovers and rack-and-pinion steering. Not what the purist guys might jump into with both feet, but a design that would let Darren feel the road the way he wanted to. Subframe connectors tie those parts into a custom four-link rear suspension made from Art Morrison components. This is set into the basic OEM forward mounts, which Scott achieved with careful planning before anything was cut. The fat rubber out back meant 4-inch tubs, which in turn required a bottom mount fuel cell that still holds 20 gallons of go-fast juice. With coilovers also employed here, the heavy OEM leaf springs also ended up in the parts pile, meaning the rear view is comprised of nothing but frame rails, custom bent chrome tail pipes, and the fuel tank.

What is perhaps most impressive are the subtle changes that required considerable effort but are barely noticeable. The rear fenders are flared out by about 1.5-inch per side. The side marker lights were filled in, and the bumpers were slightly narrowed (stuff guys like NASCAR legend Harry Hyde once did but never told anyone when Chargers first showed up). The lower front valance was closed up, a custom front chin spoiler was added, and an auxiliary trans cooler was located in the area once occupied by the K-member. Most importantly, the stance of the car was not given a rake, despite the tire size differences, a direct result of careful suspension adjustments thanks to the upgrades. It looks the part of “not really stock.” Along with these these changes, most of the chrome and emblems were left intact, no graphics were added, and a deep mix of green pearl helped make this Charger appear more nasty than usual.

If Darren were to offer you a shotgun seat blast down the freeway near his Palos Verdes home, you might comment, “nice, but what’s up with this AM radio?” Not so fast, kemosabe. Everything behind that dash is modern—Bluetooth connectivity and tucked-away speakers by Art of Sound are only the start. The gauges are modern analog and digital units that tell the exact story of what is going on. The factory seats were redone in leather by Elegance Auto Interior, a Hurst T-handle is in the console, the tach redlines at 7,500, and the speedo only goes to 160 mph, which is okay considering the NASCAR guys found out at Daytona that the Charger’s grille/rear window combo meant it wanted to come off the ground not far above that margin.

You are getting a true first look at this car. After finishing third at the legendary Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, we got it into the studio before Scott had gotten a chance to actually drive it and final-tune it for delivery. Meanwhile, Darren is getting ready to see the 24-month project out on the open road.

“I have not driven it once yet,” he admitted. “I’m not really a car show guy, and I’m not a kid growing up anymore, either. I think I will probably just get on it a few times but basically just cruise it; it has the overdrive capability to let me enjoy it. A real true car guy will realize what is there as he looks at it.”

Fast Facts

1968 Dodge Charger | Darren Moore | Palos Verdes, CA

ENGINE Type: 572ci 426 gen-II Hemi Bore x stroke: squared at 4.5 (bore) x 4.5 (stroke) Block: Indy MAXX aluminum; machined at Superior Automotive, honed on a Rottler with a plateau finish for correct ring seal, deburred and painted Race Hemi orange Rotating assembly: Eagle crank and rods, Diamond forged pistons Compression: 10.4:1 Cylinder heads: Indy aluminum with Superior’s custom port modification/rework, 439 cfm flow (intake), 280 cfm flow (exhaust) Camshaft: COMP Cams solid lifter .640-/.633-inch lift, ground to Superior’s design specifications, installed on 114-degree centerline Valvetrain: Indy rockers, 2.400-inch intake valves, 1.940-inch exhaust valves Induction: Indy intake Fuel system: FAST EFI Exhaust: 3-inch diameter stainless exhaust Ignition: FAST Cooling: Mattsons Fuel: 91-octane pump gas Output: 775 at 6,000, 741 ft-lbs at 4,800 Engine built by: Joe Jill/Superior Automotive

DRIVETRAIN Transmission: A727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic with Gear Vendors overdrive Driveshaft: Driveline Service Rearend: Art Morrison Ford 9-inch, 3.70 gears

CHASSIS Construction: Scott Bonowski of Hot Rods & Hobbies Front suspension: Alter-K-tion layout, coilover QA1 shocks Rear suspension: Art Morrison components custom-fitted to OEM mount locations, coilover QA1 shocks Steering: Reilly Motorsports Alter-K-tion rack-and-pinion Front brakes: Wilwood 4-piston DynaLite discs with 12-inch rotors Rear brakes: Wilwood 4-piston DynaLite discs with 12-inch rotors

WHEELS & TIRES Wheels: stock-style steelies, 15×7 (front), 15×10 (rear) Tires: BFG 215/65R15, front; Hoosier 29×15.5R15, rear

INTERIOR Seats: custom leather over 1968 framework by Elegance Auto Interior Instruments: custom sweep-design with digital adjustment Stereo: 21st century connectivity housed behind factory design facing Steering wheel: custom refinished original Shifter: Hurst T-handle

The head-on view of Darren Moore’s 1968 Charger is the first impression that there is more than meets the eye. Yes, that front bumper is narrowed and shaved thanks to careful work by Scott Bonowski of Hot Rods & Hobbies. Shades of NASCAR tricks…

Got meat? A careful fitting of the rear end plus light fender flaring allows these big Hoosier to disappear under the car. Darren wanted to avoid the attention of aftermarket wheels, sticking with widened 15-inch steelies as a result.

One of the best styling cues done by Richard Sias and his crew were the cast turbine-style taillamps. These were unique to this single model year, and distinguish these cars from all others from behind.

Under the hood is big thunder: a FAST fuel-injected 572ci Indy-based Hemi built by Joe Jill of Superior Automotive. The induction system seen here will be superseded by a change to cowl induction in the near future.

Darren truly wanted to maintain a street look at first glance, forgoing aftermarket shiners for these 15 inchers widened to 10 inches, shod in fat, non-descript blackwall Hoosiers.

Looking like nothing to come off a 1960s assembly line, this Alter-K-Tion layout allows for modern handling accessories beneath the legendary sheet metal.

Here is what the interior appears like after a light reworking: fresh gauging, a digital stereo, and reupholstered bucket seats. These changes are all done within the original 1968 design.

Using components from Art Morrison, the view underneath from behind is as radical as that from the front. Here the leaf springs were eliminated, and the AME components are worked into the OEM mounting points.

Chrome fitted plumbing for the radiator and more make this a unique vehicle from every angle. It was this level of attention by Scott Bonowski that helped garner honors at Pomona’s long-running Grand National Roadster Show.

By using an Art Morrison aftermarket differential, the car sports DynaLite rear disc brakes thanks to Wilwood. This was again part of allowing the car to be enjoyed.

The car still appears quite stock despite the changes, again a testament to the effort by Hot Rods & Hobbies. Note that the side markers were filled in during the course of the body work.

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