In a battle of graphic artist champions, Adam Schellenberg fended off Clint Omelaniec in an attempt to gain creative dominance and bragging rights in the game known as Layer Tennis.
RULES:
One player sends their opponent a Photoshop PSD, with instructions to build upon what they have done, and send the project back ASAP.
10 rounds, no more than a 24 hour turnaround.
The first composition was Clint’s, then Adam’s, and so on.
Please let us know in the comments who you feel came out on top.
1. Presentation:
We’ve all been to a White Spot before, and understand that despite their somewhat recent franchise wide decor upgrade, the restaurant itself don’t leave upon it’s patrons feelings of admiration or wonder. The presentation of the burger is plain enough, served on a white plate and fries on the side. The burger itself was well structured with ingredients all in view from the side.
2. Ingredients:
The standout in the White Spot burger would definitely be the “OOO” sauce, a creamy vinegar mayo with relish mixed in. Fattening for certain, but this reviewer hardly had that factor in mind when he dreamed up this beef tour idea.
3. Bun quality:
The bun was soft, lightly toasted, and tasted light and fluffy. The bun directly under the pickle was soggy, but thats tradition for White Spot, and to be expected.
4. Beef:
A friend of mine had recently told me that the beef at White Spot had recently taken a downhill swing, but I found that not to be so during my visit. The meat was tender, flavorful, if not slightly overdone. It felt like it should, and just as I remember from years of legendary burgers in my extreme youth.
5. Taste:
The White Spot Bacon Cheddar Burger tasted like best diner burger you could ask for. White Spot, being an extremely old franchise, somehow manages to hold onto some of that history with the way they prepare and serve their burger. It tastes like it would be right at home in the 1950s, and it’s juicy ingredients and crispy bacon make this burger a winner and able to stand the test of time.
Vancouver is a fantastic place to eat, with fine cuisines from all over the world available at every street corner. Anton’s Pasta on Hastings St. serves enormous portions of delicious pasta and has a line outside the door every night of the week. Stepho’s Souvlaki on Davie provides a very reasonably priced meal for with a line longer than Anton’s Pasta. Finding sushi in Vancouver is probably easier than finding sushi in Japan, with Samurai Sushi on Davie being a personal favorite. But there are times when none of these dishes will fill the hunger that builds inside. Times when something more hearty, more succulent, more cow-like is required. There are times when the only thing that will quench one’s hunger is a mouth watering hamburger.
Vancouver certainly has its share of hamburger joints, each with their own pro’s and con’s. Finding the best hamburger in Vancouver is what this series is about. I’ll be dining in all of the best hamburger restaurants in Vancouver over the summer, on a daring quest to proclaim the restaurant with the best burger in Vancouver.
I’ll be ordering a bacon cheddar at each establishment, or whatever similar variety of burger they have available. Each burger will be judged on the following:
1. Presentation.
2. Ingredients.
3. Bun quality.
4. Beef.
5. Taste.
Feel free to suggest a restaurant that’s not on the list, although I can’t guarantee I’ll make it to every single burger serving restaurant in Vancouver, just the ones that are notable for their burgers. Below is a list of all restaurants currently included in the Summer of Beef tour.
Moderne Burger, Vera’s Burgers, The Cactus Club, White Spot, The Red Onion, Splitz Grill, Burger Heaven, Milestones, and Jap-a-dog.
If you’re in the city and want to accompany me to one of these establishments please let me know. Otherwise, enjoy the series and enjoy your summer BBQ’ing.
I always enjoy videos of police interacting with people. There’s something incredible about the exchange. The system of laws and governance under which we live applied in action with mixed results. Sometimes cops abuse their power, and I’m always pleased when they’re caught on film for our enjoyment. The video above however, shows an officer using surprising restraint, in what could have been a much more difficult situation. Good job Officer.
Those who know me well know I have a certain affinity for Ray Ban sunglasses. The kid in this video has a plethora of Ray Bans, but that’s not the most fascinating part of this video.
I once heard that in business the trick to sustainability was to be remarkable. Not just in the sense of standing out or being the best, but in really being remarkable – being mentioned in conversation, worth discussion, consistently surprising and innovating. This is what Pixar has been able to achieve these last 15 years. Feature after feature, Pixar is a company that has not only realized how to be remarkable, but they have monopolized the trait in the animation industry, and done so with indelible consistency.
My first paragraph has no doubt betrayed my thoughts on this film, but let me say it was incredible. Up isn’t and never does feel like a movie pushed to theaters by studio focus groups, aimed at children, that’s designed to sell the wacky side-kick action feature. The film plays beautifully from opening to credits, never dragging its feet or devolving into a series of uninspired and utterly unnecessary musical numbers. This movie is simply a fantastic example of what a film can be with the right direction and studio support.
Pixar’s movies never begin without giving you more than you paid for in the form of a clever opening animated short – some of which are more enjoyable than full length features seen recently. The opening 10 minutes of Up are likely the strongest of the movie, giving the audience an important context from which to view the rest of the film. The protagonist Carl, married an adventurer, but got caught up in life and never made that daring South American trip they had always promised they would. As anyone who’s seen the preview knows, Carl decides to fulfill his promise and uses the home he and his wife built together to do it.
One much appreciated aspect of Up, and most Pixar features, is the fact that they choose to include genuinely dramatic themes in their movies. There are scenes with blood, divorce is implied, death and tragedy are dealt with, and characters mourn after receiving terrible news. So often films like Up contain the most simplistic of narratives and themes with such black and white moral structures that any three year old you explain all aspects of the film to perfection. Up assumes more than a base level of intelligence and maturity from its audience. Perhaps a film not fully understood by the 4 year old, but much more deeply meaningful to the 8 year old than Pocahontas 3 will ever be.
The plot itself has a resounding strength which is, at it’s heart, a love story. Without treading on old ground, Up delivers a compelling adventure, a satisfying resolution, and a heartfelt conclusion. Watching this movie it’s easy to get caught up in the nonchalant flow of the story without taking a step back to appreciate the painstaking process the movie went through years and years ago to bring Up to the screen. Pixar, famous for their long-term vision, first revealed production plans for up as far back as 2004. Their vision for story and commitment to their characters has paid off time and time again.
It’s hard for me to think of Up without looking at the stream of quality feature films Pixar has produced consecutively. They must have some incredible process for vetting their stories or simply some absolutely stellar talent as Up, like almost all Pixar movies before it, delivers an innovative story with exceptional grace and style.
