I gotta say, I'm starting to like this whole beer on can trend we're seeing these days. What used to be college kids' method of choice for their Natty Ice has now become an easily stored container for craft brews. Plus getting a correct pour seems to be simpler with cans than bottles.
Monk's Blood is not just a great name, it's also a great dark Belgian ale. Crack the can open and pour it and the beer looks like... Well... It doesn't look like blood, unless that from monks are abnormally dark brown. Regardless. The head is fine and it laces the glass -- a tulip is recommended -- no problem.
Give it a smell and you'll notice strong hints of both sugar and spice and, indeed, all things nice. A sip reveals a bit of sweetness as well as sourness. There are some undercurrents of a metallic flavor to the ale. The medium body doesn't reveal too much of the 8.3% ABV.
It's definitely a drinkable beer, Monk's Blood. Not too mindblowing, but still has plenty of depth and good taste to make it an excellent dark Belgian, and probably the best you'll find in a can.
A few months back we had a silly little showdown between El Mercado del Pueblo and De Leon where both were declared winners. Hey, there's nothing wrong with having options.
Since its opening, Pueblo has matured and is getting close to living up to the promise of its already strong start. Strides have already been made in its Achilles' Heel, the deli. I mean, really, De Leon pretty much pushed Pueblo's face in the mud when comparing the two there before. This, thankfully, has changed. De Leon still reigns supreme, but Pueblo has bulked up. It has gone to the gym, pumped iron, gone jogging, had its protein shakes. It has danced Zumba, and is now a contender, with a nice selection of meats for tortas and tacos. The enchiladas are excellent. And there are plenty of salsas to choose from, and even homemade sour cream.
As far as their own products go, though, the bakery is where Pueblo truly shines. The bread -- also used by Tacos Tumbras now -- is great, excellent for tortas both in-store and made at home. Add to that the selection of sweets, and I'll go out on a limb and name Pueblo the best Mexican bakery in town. Yes, I went there.
The grocery section is as good as it always was. An excellent selection of dried peppers, canned goods, and perishables. They also carry marinated meats. I would go so far as to say you could easily make Pueblo a market where you could do your day to day shopping.
El Mercado del Pueblo is excellent; the deli might not be perfect yet -- the selection is smaller than De Leon's and they need a register for those who only are using the deli -- but the bakery makes up for it. Good stuff.
OK, so "URM" isn't exactly what one would call "sexy" or "mindblowing" or even "exciting." You won't see your wannabe hipster friends clamoring for a membership there. That's fine, really, particularly since you don't need a membership to shop at URM. A perfect excuse to tear up that COSTCO card, in fact.
URM is about bulk, but not necessarily the crazy sizes the Sam's Clubs of the world carry. They feature some local products and the prices are good. Selection wise, too, there are many things to like about URM. I might have a one track mind, but the beer aisle here is excellent, and you can find the cheapest six packs of Deschutes in town. As low as $5? That's a good thing.
They also have a good pick of packaged and boxed items, and even a large selection of hot sauces. I kid you not. Cheap too. There's also an office supply section that holds a high quality.
URM, in a sense, is Rosauers on steroids. Heck, URM owns them, so yeah, keep in mind that this is a local business. Not a local business that gets much love, but a local business none the less.
There's a lack of organic products and you can forget about finding any fresh goods. That's not really the point of the place either, and I don't think anyone would argue URM would be a one stop shop. But it's good for what it is.
I will preface this by saying you could substitute "Willamette Dental" with pretty much any dentist offices out there. I'm sure most dental workers are swell people outside the office, but when you put those scrubs on them and give them devices intended for torture...
See, I honestly think Little Shop of Horrors got it right. You have to be at least a little sadistic to go into the dental profession. I don't know about you, but I can't remember waking up wanting to spend my days poking sharp objects into people's gums.
That in itself is bad enough, but the really sadistic part of it is the talking. You know. They put four of five apparatii in your mouth and start scolding you. "So, do you floss at least twice a day?" There are only two ways to answer this question: "No" or lie. Go with the latter and they will know, instantly. Go with the former and at least they will spare you the chiding for lying, and go straight to the lecture.
Oh, the lecture. The tone of voice you usually save for elementary school children. It's all for naught, of course. I know I should floss. Of course I do! I know that it's just laziness that makes me floss once every three week, and that's in an extremely good month.
I suppose it's a good thing that somebody goes into the profession. Lord knows I wouldn't make my gums raw and tender myself. Plus there's that whole "health" thing, not losing teeth, and not looking like an idiot with brown teeth and all that jazz.
But other than them helping with those minor inconveniences, I have a hard time recommending Willamette Dental as a casual spot to spend your recreational time.
For discussion: What's the best dental office in Spokane? Respond in the comments or on Twitter!
