Cyrus "keep your comrade warm" G.'s Profile

busy staff will probably mess up your order of small portioned, overpriced diner food. what the fuck is this doing in catalina?

this place blew my fucking mind.

i was in town for a few days last week, and couldn't believe my eyes: a new shop in the pearl, with walls and cases full of pro-level amps, guitars, and so many boutique pedals i nearly burst into tears. i walked in and was greeted by the very friendly staff, who were happy to talk to me about having just opened the storefront and what they're all about. they guided me through their incredible collection, and after I explained that it is my ambition to sound like Adrian Belew, they recommended several effects in particular that i'd probably love. i was allowed to pick any guitar in the shop (all of which are new and correctly intonated), plugged into an orange amp in a soundproof booth, and was encouraged to take my time and be as loud as i'd like. and then they handed me all of the pedals' manuals and a bottle of water.

WHAT THE FUCK!!!

the guy i worked with most was named alex. he was really helpful and honest, ultimately selling me on a pedal that they didn't even have in stock. i was encouraged to order it on my own time through their awesome website (which has their same amazing return policy and free shipping). i have never, in any industry, seen staff more sincerely interested in my own satisfaction than them making a commission.

i'd say "only in portland", but this exceeds even local standards for kindness and excellence. i cannot give it a higher recommendation. any musician who has had to resort to guitar center and apple music deserves to give this place a shot. this is your karmic reward for putting up with less.

i am well traveled and i cannot give any shop in the world a higher recommendation.

CONCEPTUAL MEXICAN FOOD: WIN.

the wicho loco burrito is the best i've had in my life. a carne asada burrito (steak, cheese, sour cream) that also has two rolled tacos IN IT. not a special order - this is actually on the menu! a transcendent burrito. like putting a waffle between two pancakes, or perhaps the mexican equivalent of kfc's double down, but without the shame or heart disease that entails.

san diego drive through mexican joints are dime a dozen, but i have never seen or heard of a place loco enough to create something like this. everything about it - the meats, the tortilla, the perfect amount of sour cream, and two moist taquitos inside . . . mind blown. i highly recommend it.

CONCEPTUAL MEXICAN FOOD: FAIL.

after a year of living in portland and losing faith in both the existence of good mexican food and the existence of mexicans in general, i stumbled upon muchas gracias and was an instant fan. it, and the vancouver location, are generally san diego par 24 hour mexican. the employees are friendly and fast. i recommend any burrito, and asking them to add sour cream.

but i ordered carne asada fries one night. now, this is a dish that everyone in the world must try, if done correctly. the dude over the drive through speaker confidently asserted that they do indeed carry carne asada "fries". after paying and leaving, i realized they'd used fucking TATER TOTS instead of french fries. they were largely uncooked and, conceptually, this is bullshit... ¡vergonzoso, desgracia!

i don't know if it's because they were out of fries, but my 3 star rating is an average between 1 for how disappointing and nauseating that experience was, and 5 for how kickass their burritos are. also, i usually don't care enough to complain this specifically, but i do think their hot sauce / salsa is a bit too watery.

i wanted to take a friend to see a psychic for her birthday. despite the little information on this page, i left raven a voicemail and got a call back a few hours later. she met with us that night, at an apothecary on hawthorne. $20 per person, with each of us getting an hour of tarot, stones, runes and discussion in a well-decorated and comfortable tea room.

as a philosophy student, i'm not superstitious. i've been known to mock friends and family that put any merit into astrology and pseudoscience, so i was very cynical going into this. it turned out to be a weirdly specific reading, and a therapeutic experience that gave me some much needed perspective on past and present rather than an unfounded horoscope of the future (though i trust her predictions on that, too - one of them happened just hours later).

raven is good. insightful and cool. she really seemed to have a personal investment into each of our readings. my friend was overwhelmed. even with my skepticism, i had a blast too, and would absolutely do it again. highly recommended.

great experience. humble place. the beaming older korean couple that owns the place were very happy to have us and their service was very fast. they knew how good their food was and wanted to make sure we got as much of it in our guts as possible. get the damn korean bbq. the spicy chicken was good too (we got both, and it was easy to share). our meal came with miso soup, tempura'ed shrimp and carrot, and gyoza dumplings. it was really cheap and absolutely delicious. clean bathroom, easy parking. i'll absolutely return next time i'm in eugene.

used to love going here every weekend. cheap, clean, occasional karaoke. last time i went here, we asked about the ever-raising prices and they explained, "yeah, basically these assholes that play kickball down the street would come in here and get drunk, so we had to stop the beer specials" or something to that effect.

my friends and i are those assholes.

sunny shade and outdoor seating. they knew what they were doing. the huevos rancheros were unbelievably good. the chefs (doug and leon) joined us for a drink after their shift and talked old school death metal with me. my crew and i slammed those bottomless pint glass mimosas until we had no choice but to stand, join hands, and dance around our waiter (brandon) while singing, "seven foot flying tom cruise, seven foot flying tom cruise".

you got rid of the rare and amazing 'medieval madness' pinball machine in favor of a fucking lousy 1994 world cup game. you turned us away because my friend because he looked too drunk (no, that is just how he looks). and there is no damn tunnel ... shanghai basement.

i dedicate this one star to your 'pimp money' atm machine.

i pulled over on a whim and marched inside, ignoring the tow warnings of the copy shop next door. the place reeks of sterilization, which would be jarring if it were a doctor's office, but is comforting when you're about to have metal shit go through your head. i think the piercer's name was jim. he was bald, giggly, and totally professional. i asked a lot of stupid questions and he was informative. everything in the shop - needles, rings, parts, swabs, etc, were individually packaged and clean. we were out in 10 minutes, with complimentary goodies and info for keeping it clean. don't tell my mom.