I received an e-mail this morning from my good friend Shane who happens to be in Toyko at the moment indulging in the fine art of Japanese cuisine. Shane specifically e-mailed me to inform me of what type of restaurants and food he has been experiencing daily. Yesterday seemed to be a big day for Shane after attending a Yomiuri Giants game, Shane ate at a famous Soba restaurant called Gonpachi. Soba is a type of thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. It is served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot or cold broth as a noodle soup composed of soy sauce and onions.

For those of you unfamiliar with Gonpachi, it is the Japanese restaurant which was Quentin Tarantino’s inspiration for the restaurant The House of Blue Leaves in Kill BIll. The Interior of the restaurant is apparently incredible, which is arranged by two stories with everything opening up to the kitchen as the focal point. All of the wood work in the restaurant is done in Edo Style (Medieval Japanese).

Gonpachi has two different locations. One being in Toyko and the other in Los Angeles. If your ever in either city, please do yourself a favor and gorge.

Giving the phrase “Under the Sea” a whole new meaning, the Poseidon Undersea Resort ($15,000 and up) lets you rest underneath the waves in a room made mostly of acrylic glass. Located in Fiji, the resort offers guests private plane transport from a Fijian airport to the Poseidon Mystery Island, where they’ll enjoy a week’s stay — including two nights in the underwater hotel, with a personal 1,000 foot Triton submarine at their disposal. With a coral reef to explore, beach bungalows for above-sea level accommodations, an underwater library, wedding chapel, restaurants, and more, it’s an out-of-this-world experience just 40 feet below the surface.

Source: Uncrate

We’ve all thought it while out for drinks: “Why do I have to wait for the waitress/waiter to bring us another pitcher? Why can’t we just have a beer tap right here at the table?” Well, apparently this dream has become reality in Atlanta, Georgia. This sports bar is definitely not the first of it’s kind (these tap systems have been in South America and Europe for nearly a decade), but God bless twenty-six year old Jeff Libby for bringing his version of this brilliant invention to the US of A!

The Table Tender will hopefully be coming to a sports bar near you very soon. Along with all the genius creations of the past few decades, this just might be the greatest. Gone are the days of having to communicate or even get off your ass for a beer. Cheers!

Source: 40 Cozy

“Whether you fill it with ricotta, farmer, or goat cheese, cheese curd, mascarpone, or cream cheese, the smooth taste is iconic.”

Watch The Making of Ciro Marino’s Famous Cheesecake

After watching this video, some of you might think I have a problem. I wouldn’t call it a problem, I would call it a passion. I do research daily and strive to find local eateries like this one. I haven’t had Ciro Marino’s Cheesecake YET and I already know it’s probably the best on the planet. So if your ever in Hollywood and feel like gorging cheesecake, cruise by Marino Ristorante for a slice of heaven. Check out Ciro’s famous ricotta recipe below.

Ciro Marino’s Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe

Source: Los Angeles Times

From gruesome masterbation accidents to airplane-hijacking suicide cults, Chuck Palahniuk’s novels are always centered around some crazy shit. Most famous for writing Fight Club, Palahnuik is gearing up to release his new book Snuff, which focuses in on the adult film industry.

The story follows fictional porn star Cassie Wright as she films a record-breaking sex scene with 600 men. As a promo for the book (which comes out on May 20th), they’ve filmed fake trailers for a few of Cassie’s supposed movies, including The Wizard of Ass and Chitty Chitty Gang Bang.

This incredible Black Keys Print is a preview of the new Print Tease feature on Live Music Blog. Designed for their show at The Showbox in Seattle, it is a collaboration between two great artists, Nate Duval and Jon Smith. Although Nate and Jon both have been successful on their own, they’ve done a number of collaborations under the title of 1982.

This poster effectively brings together the dichotomy of the new Keys sound, and melds the individual style’s of Nate and Jon so well. The background pattern of the poster, bisecting circles, is a Nate Duval staple. Those patterns always remind of a funky, lounge-y feeling, in line with Danger Mouse’ production flourishes. But it’s printed here in muted blues and greens that speak to the Key’s blues revivalist sound. The same can be said about the portraits of guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. They are rendered to look like stained glass (the old), but updated in a bright and fractured style (the new), with almost fluorescent colors which can be found all over Jon Smith’s Posters.

Each week LMB looks at a new poster that’s caught their eye, usually for a recent or upcoming gig. Tons of great posters are being produced every week for concerts all across the country and world; hopefully these quick posts will show you some new artists and some exciting prints. Let them know what you think about their picks, and if something has recently held your attention, Let Them Know About It.

Source: LMB

They call him Daddy Fat Sacks, General Patton, Hot Tub Tony, and, from time to time, even Billy Ocean. But on his forthcoming solo debut, you can call him Sir Luscious Left Foot or the son of Chico Dusty.

Yes, Big Boi, the rappinger half of Outkast, recently spoke to Billboard.com about his forthcoming LaFace/Zomba solo album, Sir Luscious Left Foot … Son of Chico Dusty, which he says he’s “shooting to finish… by the end of August.”

“This album is Big Boi to the extreme,” he told Billboard, making us wonder how exactly he’d characterize the decade-and-a-half of finely-tuned lyrical maximalism he’s given us thus far. “It’s like a recession special. I’m talking about what’s going on in the world, with everything from rising gas prices to the election. It’s just my insights on life up to this point.” The album will feature production with from longtime Outkast collaborators Mr. DJ and Organized Noise.

Surely by now you’ve heard the first single from the disc, that Andre 3000 and Raekwon-assisted “Royal Flush” fire. Both Big Boi and Raekwon will be shooting a video for the track with Bryan Barber in the coming weeks, though Andre’s busy schedule may keep him from the set. The second single from the disc, “The World Is Too Big,” sports a guest vocal from none other than Ms. Mary J. Blige.

Billboard also reports that Big Boi is working on taking his ballet on an international tour.

As for Andre, well, that busy schedule of his reportedly includes a new fashion line, a role in the WTO protest flick Battle in Seattle, and his very own solo album, tentatively set for a fall release.

The track below is apparently from the forthcoming album Sir Luscious Left Foot.

Source: Pitchfork Media

BoyGenius has reported that the RIM BlackBerry Thunder touchscreen phone will be available via Verizon. This hybrid handset sports CDMA EV-DO Rev. C, and GSM HSPA for traveling internationally. Unfortunately, there is no word on pricing so far. Click below for more information and/or to update your BlackBerry.

Get the latest in mobile software for your BlackBerry Pearl at Handango!
Get the latest in mobile software for your BlackBerry Curve at Handango!
Get the latest in mobile software for your BlackBerry 8830 at Handango!

Source: BoyGenius

The Kickdrums (Cleveland, OH) made a really dope remix for “Lollipop”. Every other blog is promoting the remix with Kanye, so I decided to rep Cleveland and throw this one up instead. Also, they have the sickest logo I’ve ever seen. Check out the remix below.

Lollipop Remix

Source: Mick Boogie

Idle Warship started as an idea to make a dance song for fun. It has since morphed into a full blown labor of love, with it’s own identity. Idle Warship is a dope ass group comprised of Talib Kweli & Res. They have put out some great music previously, but whats coming is beyond great. Check out the track below.

Fall Back (Ft. Chester French)

Source: illRoots