Cantina's: Where Vibes Outshine the Guac!
Let me start by saying that Cantina's is a Mexican restaurant that knows how to set the mood. With vibrant decorations and lively music, it's the perfect place to shake your maracas and have a fiesta. However, when it comes to the food, let's just say it left me wanting more.
I ordered their rice bowl, hoping for a taste explosion, and let's just say I would've hopped over to Chipotle's bowl in a heartbeat. Sadly, it fell flat like a deflated piñata. The flavors were a bit underwhelming, and I found myself daydreaming about guacamole that could have been.
To make matters worse, the food took a whopping two hours to make its grand entrance to my table. I guess Cinco De Mayo had the kitchen dancing the salsa, but still, two hours? Any random guy at the bar could have grown a full mustache while I waited for my meal!
But fear not, dear amigos, for I am determined to give Cantina's a fair shot. Perhaps it was just the holiday madness that threw things off balance. Next time, I'll explore their menu and see if another dish can redeem their reputation. Who knows, maybe their tacos will make me do the Mexican hat dance!
So, if you're seeking a lively atmosphere and a chance to practice your salsa moves, Cantina's is the place to be. Just be prepared for a hit-or-miss food experience. And for the love of tacos, avoid going on Cinco De Mayo unless you have an eternity to spare.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

When I accepted the top order it said 10 miles.

Background:
When we started Eatin’ SLOCal, we had a dilemma. Our mission statement was to focus on reviewing the restaurants in the city of San Luis Obispo, you won’t see us posting things from elsewhere in the county, a neighboring county, LA/SF, or somewhere else in the world (unless it’s April Fools’ Day – that was fun). So while we love our local food trucks, it presented a dilemma as they often operate outside of the city and they’re often never in the same spot. Therefore, we landed on a rule – if a food truck/stall/etc. operates at least once a week within town at the same spot, they can be featured on Eatin’ SLOCal, which is why I was happy to see a handful of food trucks take up a parking spot at The Kitchen Terminal and that brings us to our final featured burger spot during #NationalBurgerMonth at Bear City Social.
\"Elote Style\" Cauliflower Taco (left) and Linguica & Eggs Taco (right)
Setting:
📍The Kitchen Terminal SLO, 4750 Allene Way, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Bear City Social is a food truck that does the Runway Wednesdays out at the Kitchen Terminal, a collection of local food trucks that have been gathering since the end of last November to put on a weekly lunch service (and formerly early dinner service too that has seemingly been axed). Their navy blue truck has been around since April of 2021, starting out by frequenting Tent City in Atascadero. At The Kitchen Terminal, they have a table with four seats out and a table with utensils, napkins, condiments, and complimentary sunscreen, which I found to a be a nice touch, there’s no real shade in the area. Check their socials for upcoming stops and hours, Runway Wednesdays are from 11 AM – 3 PM at The Kitchen Terminal.
Humpty Dumpty Smashie
Menu/Selection:
The Featured Menu has the BCS Smashie (a classically topped smashed burger), a Gaucho Bowl (a quinoa bowl), their Quesadilla Suiza, Pozole Rojo (a Mexican stew), and a BLT Salad. There is an Additional Smashie Menu, featuring their Smashie burger with 4 additional topping/dressing styles – Americano (classic burger fixings), The Humpty Dumpty (with a fried egg and bacon), the Cali (cliché avocado, swiss, and green chili), and the Bear BQ (their take on a BBQ/Western burger). You can also add or remove any toppings you want to make your own perfect burger and there is a plant based option available on request. Currently, on the Specials Menu is their tacos with 6 different options all served with cilantro, onions, and a scratch made salsa – Beef Barbacoa, Cuban Pork Shoulder, “Elote Style” Cauliflower, Santa Maria style Tri-Tip, Pollo Sobroso, and Linguica & Eggs. On the dessert menu is a Double Chocolate Brownie and a Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie. They have canned soda and Liquid Gravity Water for purchase as well.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie
What I Had:
I had an “Elote Style” Cauliflower Taco, Linguica & Eggs Taco, The Humpty Dumpty Smashie, and a Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie. The tacos, as mentioned above, are topped with cilantro, onions, and a house made salsa. The Linguica and eggs are a classic combination, with the sausage sliced and mixed in with the eggs – great for a breakfast taco. The “Elote Style” Cauliflower tacos where cauliflower seared on the griddle (I assume) topped with Elote fixings and it definitely mimicked that flavor, even the texture of the cauliflower emulated roasted corn, my only note for it (and this is a very irrelevant one) is that there was too much on it that it was hard to close the taco without it spilling out.
The Humpty Dumpty Smashie is a 1/3 pound Wagyu Beef Patty place on a hot griddle with onions and smashed flat (as flat as you can smash almost 6 oz of beef without it being too large for a bun – which is not flat at all) topped with American cheese, a fried egg, bacon, ranchero sauce, and a spicy aioli. Okay, you all know how I hate when something is advertised as a smash burger and it’s a thick boy. Normally, that’s because the burger is just a generic burger that’s been smashed yada yada yada. Now people are getting away with evoking the smash name without it being a true smash burger and apparently the new term is a Smashie. Let me just say, this burger is good. The Wagyu is fatty, but perfectly cooked in a smashed way and on the toasted brioche balances it out. That fried egg is runny and it was oozing all over before I even bit in, which plays off the bacon and the ranchero sauce and spicy aioli. The brioche is soft and all the textures are fantastic – except the for the bacon, which was cooked but not crispy in the slightest, which is not how I like my bacon. Either way, this may have been the best burger I’ve had this month. Finally, the chocolate chip cookie was good, a mound style similar to a Levain Bakery cookie, just smaller with chunks of chocolate, slightly warm. It was soft and tasty.
Would I Have It Again:
Yes, the Wagyu Smashie is fantastic. It’s not a smash burger in my opinion, but it’s no longer advertised 100% as one, it’s smashed and is a delicious burger. The Linguica and Eggs taco was a good twist on a classic breakfast for me and I’d go back for that before it leaves the Specials menu. I look forward to seeing where this truck goes, they are locally sourced, “farm to street” and it shows in the care in their dishes. The only downside is limited seating (but it’s a food truck so that makes sense). So with all that in mind, Bear City Social gets an Eatin’ SLOCal rating of – Take-Out Now!

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CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. WITH TWO CLASSIC FILMS EAST OF EDEN AND RIO BRAVO

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WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4K RESOLUTION WITH HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR)

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BUY FROM HD MOVIE SOURCE: https://www.hdmoviesource.com/Rio-Bravo-4K-Ultra-HD-p/14959.htm
BUY FROM AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Rio-Bravo-4K-Blu-ray/dp/B0C5PJHPNB
Both links help support what we do, we appreciate your support!
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Rio Bravo Trailer
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BUY FROM HD MOVIE SOURCE: https://www.hdmoviesource.com/East-of-Eden-4K-Ultra-HD-p/14958.htm
BUY FROM AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/East-of-Eden-4K-Blu-ray/dp/B0C5PK2QV5
Both links help support what we do, we appreciate your support!
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East of Eden Trailer

PURCHASE THEM ON 4K ULTRA HD DISC AND DIGITALLY JULY 18

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Burbank, Calif., May 30, 2023 – As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, two iconic classics from the Warner Bros. library – East of Eden and Rio Bravo - will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital July 18.
East of Eden, directed by Academy Award winner Elia Kazan and starring James Dean, and Rio Bravo, directed by Honorary Academy Award winner Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne, will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray™Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.
Working in partnership with The Film Foundation, both films were restored and remastered by Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services: Motion Picture Imaging and Post Production Sound. Since its launch by Martin Scorsese in 1990, The Film Foundation has restored more than 900 movies.
The Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc will include each feature film in 4K with HDR and a Digital version of the feature film.
Ultra HD Blu-ray showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.
For the complete 4K Ultra HD experience with HDR, a 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR, an Ultra HD Blu-ray player and a high-speed HDMI (category 2) cable are required.
About the Films:

East of Eden

In the Salinas Valley in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother Aron for the love of their father Adam. Carl is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, to how to get ahead in business and in life, to how to relate to his estranged mother.
The 1955 period drama is directed by Elia Kazan from a screenplay by Paul Osborn and based on the 1952 John Steinbeck novel of the same name. The film stars James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Burl Ives, Richard Davalos, and Jo Van Fleet.
East of Eden was nominated for 3 Academy Awards with Van Fleet winning for Best Supporting Actress. East of Eden was named one of the 400 best American films of all time by the American Film Institute. In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Rio Bravo

A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.
The 1959 American Western film is directed by Howard Hawks. The screenplay is by Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett and is based on the short story “Rio Bravo” by B.H. McCampbell. The film stars John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, and Ward Bond.
In 2014, Rio Bravo was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Ultra HD Blu-ray Elements
East of Eden Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Commentary by Richard Schickel

Rio Bravo Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Commentary by John Carpenter and Richard Schickel

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PRODUCT

• East of Eden Ultra HD $24.99
• Rio Bravo Ultra HD $24.99

East of Eden

• Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
• Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French
• Run Time: 117 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Physical Street Date: 7/18
• Digital Street Date: 7/18

Rio Bravo

• Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
• Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French
• Run Time: 141 minutes
• Rating: Not Rated
• Physical Street Date: 7/18
• Digital Street Date: 7/18

THE CREDITS
About Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment (WBDHE) distributes the award-winning movies, television, animation, and digital content produced by Warner Bros. Discovery to the homes and screens of millions through physical Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD retail sales and digital transactions on major streaming, video-on-demand cable, satellite, digital, and mobile channels. WBDHE is part of Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales, one of the world’s largest distributors of entertainment programming.

Back at it for Day Five of the Feis! Today's the first day split between two whisky distilleries, the island's oldest (Bowmore) and its newest (Ardnahoe). This doubling up is going to be happening more because several new distilleries are opening here (Port Ellen, Portintruan, ili, and Laggan Bay) in the next few years.
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The Kinship tasting in a handsome back room of the Ardnahoe Visitor Center

• Bowmore absolutely killed it in terms of fan service this year. Let's tick off why. First, one of the best swag bags of the week: mini-glencairn glass, lanyard, bung stopper coaster, little lock souvenir, carabinekeychain ring, and a postcard, all in a nice canvas bag. Second, although most of their tastings were bookable in advance, they kept a few slots and events for people to book on arrival, a real treat for those who couldn't snag a ticket online. Third, they had carnival games in the courtyard with nice prizes for winners, including a shuffleboard contest where the day's high scorer would win this year's Feis bottle.
• And fourth, and most importantly, Bowmore had a killer dram bar that was exactly what I hoped Laphroaig would do yesterday. Everyone got two free dram tokens good for a Bowmore 12 or 15, but the real treat was the cash bar. Want to try the 2023 Feis bottle? 6 pounds. Beyond that, they had a "last drop" menu with prices between 5-15 pounds to try expressions from the last 15 years of Bowmore's history, including a 21-year Port distilled in 1988, an ex-bourbon 21-year-old from 1989, on and on. This is why real whisky lovers want to come to Feis: to try bottles they would never see, probably never even hear about, at home. Bravo on the tasting bar, and a clear win for Bowmore vs. Laphroaig among the Beam Suntory distilleries this year.
• My only slight negative note is that Bowmore's facility isn't laid out very well for the festival which, fair enough, it's a working distillery, not a party hall. It just so happens that Laphroaig and Caol Ila have these big, wide-open spaces to allow people to congregate. Bowmore's is long and narrow, and around the back of the plant up against the sea, so it funnels people away from the bands and the live music.
• It is well worth visiting Ardnahoe on this shared day. The distillery is a stark contrast to its older siblings: ultra-modern and sleek, with huge, airy spaces, reminding me more of a high-end winery in Rioja or Napa Valley. Even the stillhouse has floor-to-ceiling windows with a jawdropping view of the water and Jura. The gift shop has dozens of independent bottlings from all over Scotland thanks to Ardnahoe being owned by Hunter Laing. Probably the best single bottle shop on the island. And it may also have the best tasting bar; the menu is a leatherbound book with dozens of offerings and low prices. 5-7.5 pounds for 20-year-old-plus whiskies, which is unheard of, at least in the U.S.
• Premium events on Feis Ile are often very good values. The Kinship tasting at Ardnahoe is a good example. Kinship is their annual release around festival time and consists of six old and rare expressions (this year's ranged from an unusually young Bruichladdich 18 to two 33-year-old Islay whiskies from Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila). While the ticket was pricey at 100 pounds, the bottles average over 500 pounds, close to 20 pounds per 25 ml pour. Doing the math, these six whiskies cost less per dram at the tasting than in the bottles.
• Ardnahoe's own single malt is coming out next year for the first time. I asked them to describe it, and they said it's supposed to be "fruit forward, smoke second," peated to around 40 ppm so between Bowmore and the Ardbeg/Laphroaig/Lagavulin trio. Only Islay distillery to use worm tub condensers and with the longest still arms in Scotland, all enhancing the fruitiness of their spirit. So excited to try it next year and hoping a few bottles make it stateside.
• We do do non-whisky events now and then! Today's was a pottery painting experience at Persabus Pottery, a small cottage shop that sells gorgeous painted pottery and also lets customers paint their own pre-made clay items, ranging from plates to tea kettles to small jugs. The cost of the experience is the cost of the item (most are in the 25-50-pound range; I did a 22.5-pound dinner plate) plus a 2-pound-per-person studio fee for the use of the paints and equipment. It's a serene interlude from a week of downing whiskies. This fun time is available year-round, so I highly recommend it. Here's my poor man's take on Machir Bay, before firing:

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Machir Bay, interpreted by a truly horrific artist

• The people here are so friendly it's unbelievable. I was hanging out in line before Bowmore opened and struck up a conversation with a couple who booked a holiday here not realizing it was Feis week. Turned out, they had tickets to a Laphroaig-run trivia night tonight and couldn't go, and they gave me the passes for free. I wish them good karma for the rest of their trip!

Another day of epic drams, and still a Laphroaig-fueled evening to go:
Bowmore Feis Ile 2023 18 y.o. - Pulled out of oloroso and PX sherry casks, this is a classic, strong example of Bowmore's distillery character. The kind of dram I'd have someone try if they wanted to understand what Bowmore aims to do. Sultanas, dried fruit, rich and sweet.
Kinship 2023 Bunnahabhain 33 y.o. - Another ex-bourbon Bunnahabhain, a rarity. Paul from Ardnahoe gave "heather honey" as a main note, and I'm not going to gainsay his description. It's a classic old ex-bourbon dram with waxy, fruity sweetness and a hint of fresh ginger on the finish.
Kinship 2023 Bruichladdich 18 y.o. red wine cask - By far the darkest dram on the table, and my wife's instant favorite. I called the nose chocolate milkshake; she said malted milk balls and root beer float. Point is: rich, dessert-like aromas, followed by an intense sweet, spicy, and tannic attack that's so characteristic of red wine-matured whiskies and almost resembles a cask-strength bourbon at times.
Kinship 2023 Highland Park 27 y.o. - My favorite of the day, with a chameleon of a nose that started out farmy and funky but transformed over about half an hour to apple pie. The palate was a little medicinal and complex, but the highlight was the finish that burst with floral and orchard fruit notes.
Kinship 2023 Caol Ila 33 y.o. - Just had an older, Douglas Laing Caol Ila 40 earlier in the trip, so it's interesting to try a Hunter Laing now. The two brothers who inherited the company from their father split it down the middle in the aughts, dividing the casks in half, so they have very similar bottlings. This one was a crowd-pleaser and won a survey of all tasting groups today as the collection favorite. Loads of lemon, and then a warming leathery/barbecue smoke on the finish.
Kinship 2023 Bowmore 27 y.o. - My second favorite, this had the most fantastic tropical fruit flavors of any whisky so far this week. Old Bowmore really leans toward that direction, and this one does it to the umpteenth degree.
Kinship 2023 Laphroaig 25 y.o. - The more Laphroaig I try, the more I'm reminded of why it's my favorite distillery. Its medicinal, maritime, yet sweet and fruity (as it matures) profile is instantly recognizable. This one didn't veer off the beaten path at all; could easily mistake it for an exceptional official bottling.
Slainte! Three days left: Kilchoman, Bunnahabhain, and Ardbeg. I wish I never had to leave.