Sunday, September 30, 2012

Review: Star Pizza in Houston

Time to start my reviews of local Houston joints across the city. My first review will be for a food that Houston may not be known for, but has plenty of choices for....Pizza.

So there are a ton of Pizza joints in Houston, but there are only a few that I was told I had to try. The first of these is going to be Star Pizza. This is a local Houston place that had very humble beginnings back in 1976 in a house-turned-restaurant. It now has two locations and a very large Houston following, along with dozens of 'Best Pizza in Houston' awards. Are these awards deserving?

First I want to say I tried the location on Washington. I know with only two restaurants there is a good chance for some inconsistency between the two. On to what I got.

The Hank Medium Deep Dish Pizza

I had to try the deep dish. There are lots of places in Houston that can do NY style, but very few even offer deep dish, if master it. There is a delicate balance with deep dish to balance the crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings. Too much of any of those things and it can turn into just a big pile of slop. Thankfully Star Pizza did not make me feel like a pig eating a big pile of slop, it made me feel like a fatty that needs to be in a John Hughes movie eating really good deep dish pizza.

The crust, a crucial part in a good deep dish pizza, was perfect. It was crunchy yet soft, thick yet light, the perfect balance for deep dish. The sauce was great as well. A hint of sweetness while still having some spice. The Hank is topped with black olives, Italian sausage, and mushrooms. The olives were thinly sliced and spread very evenly across the pie. More spicy then sweet, the sausage went really well with the sauce. The chunks were uneven which is always a good sign with sausage, normally meaning it was freshly ripped up before being put on. With mushrooms the size of pepperonis, they gave the pie some extra juiciness and girth.


The cheese was rich and thick, but unfortunately not spread very evenly. Some really cheesy patches of awesomeness were followed by some of bitter baron disappointment. Also the toppings did not make it all the way to the crust which led to lots of crust only pieces, which thankfully I did not mind with such great crust but it could definitely be seen as a drawback.

Rating- 4/5 "It's Just Swell"

Overall I think it is great deep dish, especially in Houston. I will definitely be giving it another go to try some of the other pies. Best Pizza in Houston? I don't know if I am ready to go that far.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Product Review of Dollar Shave Club

IM BACK!!! 

I figured to mark my return back to my random reviews, I would give you guys something a little different. That means this week I will give y'all 'the scoop' on Dollar Shave Club and if it is really worth it or just a big money-eating-Enron-inspired-tebowing sham.


Some of you may know of Dollar Shave Club already through their viral video or through friends. For those that don't, watch the video below to get filled in by their creator/CEO (and get a good laugh too).


If that video is not marketing genius, I do not know what is. It is aimed right at its core customer, young male professionals who are trying to save some cash. Needless to say I was sold. I waited a few months until I had a permanent address and a job that required me to be groomed daily, then I bit the bullet and signed up. 

When you go to the website to sign up you have three options. The 'Humble Twin' (the double blade razor), the '4X' (four blades and a moisturizing strip), and the 'Executive' (a boatload of blades, moisturizing strip, and a trimming blade on the front). The prices are all reasonable. The basic blade is only a dollar a month (hence the name of the company) but does not include shipping, unlike the more expensive options. At the end of the day it will cost you between $4-$9 a month depending on your choice. 


I chose the '4X', a safe middle ground bet. The package came in the mail a few weeks later with a pack of four cartridges, the handle of the razor, and a funny little letter saying thanks for signing up. You get one handle, which can be replaced by request on the website. The cartridges come every month. The blades themselves are great. I have been shaving with the fancy Gillette Quatro up to this point and honestly I can't tell a difference. Very smooth, close shaves with razors that easily can last me two weeks. 

That actually leads me to my two complaints. 

The first is that the cartridges are so big that it can be hard to get those whiskers by your nose. I don't know about you but I don't want a mini mustache hanging right next to my nostrils. 

The second complaint goes back to the fact the blades last me two weeks. I was simply not using four cartridges a month. I hadn't even gotten through one cartridge before my second pack came in. 

Thankfully the guys at DSC are on top of it and sent a letter with the second pack that solved my problem. 


It looks like I was not the only one with this complaint and they listened to their customers. That's a great sign. They now offer an option for 'baby faces' to get blades every other month, which is perfect for me. I switched to that plan this morning. Genius! 

Rating: 5/5 "It's The Bee's Knees!"

I highly support Dollar Shave Club. They keep my face silky and smooth and my wallet fat and happy. If that is not a way to a mans heart, I don't know what is. 


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Im not DEAD!

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to update everyone that I am not DEAD! I just had a long transition period and am just starting to get comfortable. I am down in Houston now so expect to see lots of Houston grub in here.

Thanks for reading still!