Coffeeology

NOTE: Coffeeology has since changed ownership and decor. A more recent appraisal would put it at a 7.75 to 8.

Located at 423 Tate St., Coffeeology offers waffles, crepes, sandwiches, gelato and numerous java- and non-java-based beverages. Soup and sandwich specials change daily.

More so than anything else these days, Coffeeology is a testament to the efficacy of the free market. Founded by a former employee of Tate Street Coffee, the newcomer offers a number of things you won’t find across the street: payment by credit card, an expanded menu and service sans attitude. This isn’t to say that Tate Street is without its merits. Some will be drawn in by the ambience or, barring that, the “recession-priced” cups of Joe. Instead, this is a reminder that competition gives us more choices and should be welcomed rather than dreaded.



Benefits to the local economy aside, Coffeeology has a lot going for it. The beverage selection is extensive. Not only does coffee come in numerous strengths, sizes and flavors (none of which, as a non-coffee drinker, I can vouch for), but you can get hot white chocolate and spiced apple cider (hot or cold) year round.



Like most coffee shops, Coffeeology has the requisite assortment of baked goods, including a respectable selection of cheesecake. But unlike other java-slingers, Coffeeology doesn’t limit itself to dessert. Breakfast is available all day long, making it possible to enjoy banana split waffles at the unlikely hour of 8 p.m. Or, conversely, you can take in a prosciutto and cheese panini in the morning (fresh fruit or chips are your side options).



The gelato is top-notch, which is a blessing considering its scarcity in Greensboro. Traditional ice cream flavors like cookies n cream comingle alongside the custard-like zuppa and other Italian specialties. Free samples make it difficult to decide on a flavor and equally hard to pass up.



The quality of Coffeeology’s potables would mean nothing, however, if they were priced prohibitively. Fortunately, they aren’t. Waffles, crepes and panini run between $5 and $7 and egg sandwiches can be had for less. Several of the desserts and specialty drinks go for more than $3, but for the more economically-minded, beverages can be found for as little as $2.



Free WiFi, pleasant cashiers, outdoor seating and a general lack of hassle all combine to make Coffeeology hard to pass up. Ironically, that very popularity is probably its biggest drawback. Lunchtime crowds make finding an open seat or getting your food quickly a risky proposition. Go off-peak though and you aren’t looking at much of a wait at all.



If it’s proximity to UNCG gives Tate Street a dubious culinary reputation, Coffeeology makes a compelling counterargument. Fine dining it is not, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better spot in the neighborhood (or in much of Greensboro, for that matter) to grab something to drink or a bite to eat at a random hour.



8.75/10

Trouble - Manic Frustration

Released in 1992, Manic Frustration marks a turning point for the Chicago-based doom metal pioneers. For their fifth album (and final Def American release), the tempos were sped up and the lyrical focus shifted from Biblical prophecy to drug references.

Critically lauded and commercially ignored, Trouble may be one of the most enigmatic bands of the past 30 years. They dressed like hippies, but made a name for themselves carrying on Black Sabbath’s slow and gloomy tradition. Early releases featured strong spiritual themes, while their later work contains a stoner sensibility. Despite being enormously influential on the post-1985 metal scene (Dave Grohl recruited Trouble vocalist Eric Wagner for his throwback Probot project), several of the band’s releases are currently out of print and only available as digital downloads.



Manic Frustration stands out as Trouble’s masterpiece because it perfectly embodies these quirks and contradictions. To start with, it’s as sonically and lyrically diverse an album as you’ll come across. Guitarist Bruce Franklin does his fair share of shredding and riffing on hard-rocking tracks like “Scuse Me,” “The Sleeper” and “Come Touch the Sky.” “Rain” and the album-closer “Breathe…” feature a more relaxed pace and pop-inspired melodies. The band’s newfound emphasis on 1970s-era psychedelica emerges on “Hello Strawberry Skies” and “Mr. White,” while “Fear,” “Tragedy Man” and the title track waver between social commentary and more personal concerns.



All of these disparate elements seem to come together on “Memory’s Garden,” easily one of the best 100 songs I’ve ever heard. A dreamy, Beatles-esque opening gives way to Franklin’s thundering chords while Wagner (who sounds like Robert Plant, Dave Mustaine and Paul McCartney thrown in a blender) eulogizes a dead girl with mournful, majestic urgency.



If there’s one downside to all this variety, it’s that you don’t know how to feel by the time you’ve reached the end. Black Sabbath’s debut album is consistently dark; Led Zeppelin’s is consistently soulful (the first side, anyway), but Manic Frustration is…well…manic. Still, the emotional confusion is a small price to pay for something that rocks this hard with this much purpose. One can only hope that Trouble, along with the similarly-complicated King’s X, will someday get its due.



8/10

Old Town Draught House

Located at 1205 Spring Garden St. on the UNCG campus, Old Town offers appetizers, sandwiches, salads, burgers, pizza, vegetarian dishes and southwestern fare. Food and drink specials change daily, though, as a non-drinker, I can only comment on the former.




Fair or not, being an on-campus bar carries with it a certain stigma. You would expect a campus establishment to serve up food quickly and cheaply to student clientele who value convenience over quality. But in Old Town’s case, those expectations go out the green awning-covered window.



First and foremost, the food isn’t bad at all. The burgers and sandwiches are about what you’d expect from a sit-down place, though the meatloaf sandwich – a house specialty – is well-seasoned and decidedly above par. Ditto the chili, which is great on a cold day, but only available on special. A choice of sides allows the health-conscious to sub fresh fruit for fries and the hummus and black bean burrito should satisfy meat eaters and meat-haters alike. Only the chicken fingers, chewy and flavorless, were a disappointment.



But with better-than-expected quality comes higher-than-expected prices. Burgers and many of the sandwiches will run you $7 and even a basket of veggies or fries costs $4.50. These aren’t outlandish prices, particularly when you factor in the sides, but if you’re looking for cheap, try the food court.



Service and ambience tend to fluctuate. Sometimes, you’ll be surrounded by twenty-somethings; on other occasions, you’ll see an older crowd. On a good day, you can eat outside in the shade. On a bad one, you’ll have to shoulder your way to the bar and shout out an order. The bartenders are reasonably friendly, hard-working and fast on their feet, though there are times when they seem overburdened.



As a place to go with friends after class, Old Town is as good as you can hope for. You can take in a meal without feeling like you squandered your money or punished your stomach. But factor out the convenient location and the flaws begin to show. If you’re going out for a meal, there are certainly better options nearby.



7.25/10

Ravenous

Cpt. Boyd (Guy Pearce), a highly decorated but cowardly Mexican-American War veteran, is assigned to Fort Spencer in the desolate mountains of California. He falls in with a group of misfits under the command of the bookish and jovial Col. Hart (Jeffrey Jones). A stranger named Colqhoun (Robert Carlyle) arrives, having narrowly escaped with his life. Spurred on by Colqhoun’s tale of cannibalism and desperation, the soldiers form a rescue party to seek out the remainder of his wagon train, with disastrous results.



Directed by Antonia Bird, “Ravenous” was marketed as a dark comedy, but it doesn’t really work on that level. The violence is gory rather than slapstick and the exaggerated sense of macabre comes off as convoluted and over-the-top rather than funny.



However, this isn’t to say that the film doesn’t work, period. Blur’s Damon Albarn provides a creepy, tense, sometimes idiosyncratic score. The aforementioned gruesomeness functions as an asset visually. If you’re trying to scare people, it’s better to be disgusting than cartoonish. The blood flows copiously, but it leans more toward chilling than silly.



Performances were a mixed bag. Carlyle overdoes it at times, but is consistently engaging to watch as the enigmatic Colqhoun. The normally strong Pearce turns in a subdued performance in the lead. Boyd is a character who is uncertain as to what he’s really made of and Pearce sometimes seems checked out as a result. Jones nails Hart’s perverse optimism, but it seems out of place in this film, as do comic relief turns by David Arquette and Jeremy Davies as bumbling privates. Neal McDonough fairs better as the only real soldier in the lot, though his screen time is brief. John Spencer, in his final big-screen role, brings the gravitas as Boyd’s skeptical superior.



Read as a commentary on consumerism, “Ravenous” fails because the metaphor is too deeply buried. But as a tonally-confused horror/Western/period piece, it delivers twists, tension and a taste (don’t slay me, pun gods) of entertainment.


7.5/10