Dominic Armato

Est. 1976 - Alienating the people of Phoenix, Arizona, one dumb food commenter at a time.

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npub1tv2jn93vdakuyqa8ztcpj8ad02nyuszcz6g292p3yu2ykt565ymqdfu2cx

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs9k9ffjckx7mwzqwn39uqer7kh4fjwgpvpdy9z4qcjw9zt96d2zdspz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43q2uk7u0

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relay.mostr.pub

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npub1tv2jn93vdakuyqa8ztcpj8ad02nyuszcz6g292p3yu2ykt565ymqdfu2cx

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Last Notes

2024-08-11 08:06:43

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@npub15nd…t963 Very much so ;-)

2024-08-04 01:55:21

It would really be something if outrage over someone who they thought was a transgender athlete is what led some people to inadvertently teach themselves that gender is not nearly as black and white as they thought.

2024-08-02 20:15:31

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To be fair, these are absolutely cherry-picked examples and some of them exist in the context of a feed that is significantly more diverse, I just find the uniformity and commitment of this style of restaurant ad really interesting. Do they even make food? Who cares!

2024-08-02 20:11:12

This isn't necessarily a shot at any of these places — some I like, some I don't — but it's fascinating to me to watch the evolution of a certain breed of restaurant that tacitly embraces the notion that the actual eating and drinking is completely irrelevant.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/893/773/094/467/267/original/655524dc4b0072fc.jpg

2024-08-01 20:23:34

Oh, that reminds me, I need to go screw up your comically perfect ranking.

2024-07-29 10:40:12

The "weird" label lands because the entire MAGA Republican dudebro psyche is constructed around a fear of impotence. It's a political movement based on overcompensation. They're happy to be monsters. Monsters are powerful. What they fear is being laughed at.

2024-07-23 07:31:43

I’ve seen over 300 games from this seat. The last one was Game 5 of the 2016 World Series. Doesn’t feel like all that long ago.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/834/163/532/198/735/original/e185a0bc56d861c0.jpg

2024-07-16 20:33:31

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@npub1jmh…6rdu Beyond that, it isn’t as fun as it sounds. Your third BBQ tray of the week is still pretty enjoyable. Your 15th, not so much.

2024-07-16 19:36:27

Five years full-time, a year and a half part-time, and my restaurant dish count stands at 19,713. Not seeking sympathy, but this nails a facet of dining criticism that few understand: Eating that much food is physically punishing.
Happy trails, Pete!
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/dining/pete-wells-steps-down-food-critic.html

2024-07-16 06:09:53

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@npub1mc3…nkdg I bet your windshield is SUPER clean.

2024-07-16 00:23:23

https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/792/843/148/674/168/original/b39b5ba45386bb56.jpg

2024-06-29 13:22:45

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@npub1qpn…8xrx These are non-alcoholic! Some kind of yogurt drink. Or yogurt-flavored, at least. Which I suppose doesn’t preclude alcohol. But these weren’t in that case :-)

2024-06-29 13:16:50

Does the flavor change as you walk from room to room?
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/699/625/149/938/176/original/25b31138a57fc385.jpeg

2024-06-26 15:05:27

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My windshield is extremely clean.
(IYKYK)

2024-06-26 15:04:56

This is totally fine and not at all intimidating.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/683/063/231/772/450/original/ef03ba741fb7c40d.jpg

2024-06-22 14:02:50

Holy crap, bluetooth audio quality has come a long way since the last time I bought a pair of headphones. Wish I'd done this sooner.

2024-06-20 18:20:03

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@npub1kjk…l8u8 Oh... there were plenty of terrible dishes on the visits when I know they spotted me :-/

2024-06-20 17:56:01

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Y'know what really irks me? Six months after the place opened, I have to be the first member of the food media to say this. The system is absolutely broken.

2024-06-20 17:12:14

Sushi bar in Akasaka? Late night izakaya in Shinjuku? Ritzy lunch in Ginza?
Nope. Sam Fox's new "Mediterranean" restaurant.
We interrupt this Japan trip to bring you June's review. I swear I'm not intentionally timing these for when I'm out of the country.
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/phoenix-mediterranean-restaurant-thea-looks-stunning-falls-flat-19045377
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/649/589/931/743/920/original/86f99568a84fe191.jpg

2024-06-03 23:27:03

At what point have there been so many personal info hacks that more hacks actually *increase* your safety by increasing the size of the pool?

2024-05-31 03:05:32

1. Must Try
2. Hidden Gem
3. Amazing
4. haha j/k those are the only three options

2024-05-31 01:18:26

"That's it, now we're going to prosecute Democrats who commit crimes!"
Great! Got the evidence? Go for it! More accountability. Bring 'em all down. All stripes, all parties. Make politicians terrified that they might face the consequences of committing crimes. Bring it on.

2024-05-30 21:23:55

YES, YES, A THOUSAND TIMES, YES.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/531/671/186/557/626/original/a9217df0658eeb30.jpeg

2024-05-28 01:15:42

Very frustrated by sushi research in Tokyo. Super famous places are completely untouchable, which is fine. I don't need to have The Best Sushi In Japan. But it's like, coverage is either "$500/pp you must know the owner" or "conveyor belts are awesome." Where does a guy go for attainable upscale?

2024-05-24 07:23:03

A lil' Phoenix humor for ya.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/494/390/761/443/847/original/85f5a7c4d6b1928f.jpg

2024-05-21 18:42:34

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@npub15q5…sawy Disney, schmisney. Give me more Jeunet & Caro.
(No shade directed towards Domingo.)

2024-05-21 00:12:15

I was obsessed with Delicatessen in high school and I DID NOT KNOW THIS.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/475/707/246/334/248/original/1c2ee7de4254af49.jpeg

2024-05-20 22:08:44

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@npub14cv…u3lx It's the subtle but absolute apex of "IDGAF about you beyond the extent to which you can serve my interests."

2024-05-20 21:41:03

People who choose to reward wonderful people for opening wonderful restaurants by working to ensure they get as little business as possible are just the worst.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/475/115/474/528/073/original/2e39d1e3b2cac3be.jpg

2024-05-20 19:56:23

This week in Rating My Impostor:
Ooo, I'm torn. Listing the number of restaurants I've visited is totally the kind of pompous BS I would do, but mine would be an actual documented number rather than pulling something out of thin air.
4 out of 10.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/474/703/899/988/278/original/00bd7924998073cd.png

2024-05-05 07:28:41

I guess I should be flattered?
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/386/829/118/485/745/original/bcdb4261e59701a3.jpg

2024-05-03 10:19:41

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@npub1gc5…9hy6 I'm maintaining a calm demeanor, but don't worry, I'm screaming inside.

2024-05-03 02:26:40

People thought I was nuts 25 years ago when I talked up the egg salad sandwiches in Japan. Never thought I’d see the day that the most popular tourist food attraction was a combini.

2024-05-02 18:40:36

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No. Really. Dig deep. What makes you feel that people in service industries are obligated to take all of your bullshit with a smile and a "we'll do better"? And why do you feel so strongly about it that you need to tell them so? Maybe think about that.

2024-05-02 18:34:13

People dinging the restaurant for an "unprofessional response" need to think long and hard about why they expect people in the service industry to act like punching bags.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/372/459/116/991/604/original/82f706fe308c05e7.png

2024-04-25 18:47:14

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@npub13k9…lpw5 My other home team park is Wrigley Field, so I fully acknowledge that my experience is outside of the norm :-D

2024-04-25 07:22:50

Is it weird that the Bears might be getting another new stadium already, or am I just that old now?

2024-04-22 09:46:25

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@npub1fqk…0w56 I've been meaning to ask... is Pazuzu named after the Mesopotamian myth, the demon from the Exorcist, or Dr. Farnsworth's gargoyle?

2024-04-17 02:28:23

Nothing says “Yeah, we have no idea where the fuck your package is” quite like an Amazon delayed shipment notification.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/283/726/612/221/794/original/7053f3203a3bebc5.jpeg

2024-04-11 09:30:22

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Reading through comments online, they're almost never about anything food-related, and always about how it's so wonderful that he helps out struggling restaurants. And the mob scenes that follow are just an extension of that. Nobody seems to feel that he has some special ability to find or discern or teach anybody anything about great food. But mobbing the restaurants - both those he likes AND those he doesn't! - is participating in the act of charity.

2024-04-11 09:10:14

I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to see it, but I just figured out why Keith Lee's work never sat right with me. It's because it isn't food media. It's charity porn. The food is immaterial to his viewers. What they respond to is that he changes somebody's life. (Not a judgement.)

2024-04-04 17:46:25

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@npub1r2m…jsml Ha! I wasn’t aware of that :-D
(Also kind of mind blowing that I never once mentioned Koyaanisqatsi on Twitter?! Formative teenage experience.)

2024-04-04 17:42:35

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Incidentally, Godfrey Reggio didn’t exactly disguise his feelings about technological progress, which makes me wonder if it was a complete accident that he produced one of the most beautiful, life-affirming takes on urban landscapes as giant, breathing organisms ever.

2024-04-04 17:42:22

It’s a Koyaanisqatsi kind of morning.

2024-03-23 02:09:13

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@npub15xn…tshk Exactly what I was looking for. Thx. (Leaving for a weekend trip in the AM and don’t want to have to stop at the worst possible time and wait a couple of days.)

2024-03-23 01:39:54

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Completed Initiation 8, cleaned up absolutely everything, and about to pass the point of no return. Am I finishing this thing tonight?

2024-03-23 01:39:54

Hey, people who’ve finished Alan Wake 2:

2024-03-22 19:17:22

When people talk about the classic Sonoran restaurants of Phoenix, it frustrates me how infrequently El Horseshoe is part of the conversation. I think it's time we changed that.
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/el-horseshoe-restaurant-in-phoenix-serves-simple-yet-excellent-mexican-food-18521003
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/140/710/045/997/603/original/426cc612e1b5e477.jpg

2024-03-21 21:24:00

Sting in a winged speedo will always be my Feyd-Rautha.

2024-03-16 22:03:50

My father-in-law just told me he started playing Deadhead Redemption, and while I’m catching my breath, can we get somebody on actually developing this?

2024-03-14 21:28:19

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@npub1myr…excl To be clear, you need to know what you’re doing and need to be getting quality product in the first place. I don’t recommend leaving a Safeway fish fillet out on the back porch :-)
But the point is that the obsession folks in America have with “fresh” fish for sushi is both A) misguided and B) usually wrong.

2024-03-14 21:26:48

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@npub1myr…excl Yup! It isn’t uncommon for a good sushi joint to take maguro, for example, up to a couple of weeks. Under controlled conditions, of course. The times aren’t as long, but the principle is the same. I don’t want to get out of my depth with the finer points, but the same holds true for many other fish. One of the best Thai dishes I ever had was a whole fish stuffed with sticky rice and left out on the porch (covered) for three days before frying.

2024-03-14 04:08:01

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Related: Just added “Optimal Rot” to the band name list.

2024-03-14 04:06:13

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…one of multiple reasons the “Oh the fish is so fresh!” trope is so misguided. Fresher isn’t always better!

2024-03-14 04:02:24

I love that dry-aged fish is catching on as a thing, but did people not realize that’s *always* been an integral part of the process at sushi restaurants that actually know what they’re doing?

2024-03-13 07:54:11

NGL, if they could keep them coming, I'd be pretty content playing Remedy and Arkane games for the rest of my natural life.

2024-03-13 00:15:39

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@npub1mc3…nkdg @npub15c9…nd6g 💯

2024-03-12 23:25:18

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@npub1mc3…nkdg Say what you will about the old Captains of Industry, but somehow even the guys who built their fortunes on child labor and black lung understood that the least they could do was build some libraries.

2024-03-12 23:24:57

Say what you will about the old Captains of Industry, but somehow even the guys who built their fortunes on child labor and black lung understood that the least they could do was build some libraries.

2024-03-12 23:21:11

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@npub1mc3…nkdg I’m torn on this. I wish there were a way to make philanthropy cool again.

2024-03-12 18:44:48

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@npub1x5g…f7y2 Of course. What's not to like?
(As a general rule, I like anything that's prepared well. I've only ever met two foods that I had difficulty with.)

2024-03-12 01:47:36

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@npub1ftn…gy50 One of the live tracks is 10+ minutes long.
(See: Can’t feel arms, above.)

2024-03-12 01:46:24

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@npub1ftn…gy50 No, it’s a greatest hits pack and I don’t think it would be realistic to expect anything else. BUT the charts are pretty good and there are a few great live tracks!

2024-03-12 01:40:13

Beat Saber released a Daft Punk pack.
In other news, I can’t feel my arms.

2024-03-11 22:42:06

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@npub15nd…t963 I forgive you.

2024-03-11 22:11:56

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@npub14jp…hlug Cabbage has ALWAYS been cool, and anyone who says otherwise can fight me.

2024-03-11 22:10:34

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@npub1x5g…f7y2 Absolutely!

2024-03-11 21:52:04

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@npub1jmh…6rdu It's not even that part I mind. I mean, the veneer of victory by skulduggery is one I appreciate, and it's funny, but underneath that it's a story of victory at all costs, including tanking the very thing you ostensibly enjoy. It's literally taking all of the fun out of it for the sake of a joke. If I were one of their opponents, I wouldn't be pissed about losing. I'd be pissed that I didn't get to *play*.

2024-03-11 21:31:44

About effing time.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/078/953/014/257/735/original/4c902498e2c9d9d8.png

2024-03-11 21:16:24

Counterpoint: This has been getting a lot of play, and I appreciate the wit, but signing up for a softball league in the hopes that you don't actually play any softball is one of the dumbest things I can think of.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/112/078/892/574/610/473/original/3dca2ba87a141a27.png

2024-03-10 05:35:04

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The Guybrushian response here would be:
"Joke's on you. My time is completely worthless."

2024-03-10 05:31:04

One thing I will never understand is people who stand in line for an hour or longer to get a $10 free food giveaway. Even if you’re making your living working the dish pit, your time is worth more than that. You’re *losing* money on the giveaway.

2024-03-09 03:41:38

Pretty Hate Machine is older today than Rock Around The Clock was when PHM was released.
You’re welcome.

2024-03-06 21:43:34

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My son loves this system.

2024-03-06 21:43:03

Buying groceries (incl. wine) with my son:
Clerk: May I see your ID?
Me: Sure. here you go.
C: I’ll need to see his ID also.
M: Uh… he’s underage.
C: Oh, okay. (Rings up wine.)
Good talk.

2024-02-29 17:28:41

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@npub1jmh…6rdu I want to see a Venn diagram of people who grew up on Terry Gilliam movies and people who were uncomfortable with RMI’s ending. I’m betting that intersection is a sliver.

2024-02-29 17:20:16

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Of course, it didn't happen. The story is completely made up. And that title card was such a brilliant, succinct way of making a simple point. Instead of agonizing over whether or not a story is "true," the more pertinent question is this:
Does it matter?

2024-02-29 17:19:38

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As a footnote, whenever Return's ending comes up, I keep coming back to Fargo.
"The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred." (1/2)

2024-02-29 17:08:44

Anyone still unsettled/frustrated by Return to Monkey Island, give this a watch. It expresses a view very similar to where I landed naturally, and I think a skeptic might find the explanation more relatable coming from someone who had to work a bit to get there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLy0Vorgc0E

2024-02-22 22:16:43

Nothing is "the way it is."
Everything is the way we choose to make it.
And every time we use the former as an excuse, we're abdicating our responsibility to do the latter.

2024-02-19 07:18:22

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@npub1jmh…6rdu I was a little taken aback by just how routine it was. I mean, we're talking from 2008 on. It wasn't the freaking 1950s.

2024-02-19 07:04:06

I was a stay-at-home dad, and while we were out and about, I'd be asked I was "babysitting" probably 2-3 times a week.
I always told them that when you do it every day, it's called "parenting."
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/111/956/632/834/404/822/original/409aae8c3793b65b.png

2024-02-15 22:39:07

I fear my beloved food nerd potlucks may have just jumped the shark.
https://youtu.be/mqBXV92ObtI?si=5VVBp7iPEn1JoBKW

2024-02-15 21:27:35

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@npub1mc3…nkdg It’s been long enough that I don’t remember the specifics :-/

2024-02-15 20:23:26

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@npub1mc3…nkdg I consider it a testament to the show’s writers that WW can be such an empirically despicable character and yet somehow the person we emerge loathing is Skyler.

2024-02-06 04:04:03

“What the hell. I pulled up a YouTube video of Feeling Good, but it’s just a black screen.”
“Remove your screen protector.”
“………….Oh, there he is!”
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/111/882/314/778/751/893/original/396fd8a3acb84dd8.jpeg

2024-02-05 07:04:38

So many "izakayas," so few izakayas.
*sigh*

2024-01-29 08:58:13

College course catalogs should be offered in interactive format like video game character skill trees.

2024-01-26 03:34:39

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@npub1ztu…wgyc Ha! I completely forgot this existed :-D

2024-01-26 01:14:57

Guaranteed to what?
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/111/819/364/389/623/197/original/3a11622f735dc12a.jpeg

2024-01-25 00:57:28

I've gotten in the habit of using the word "hinky" a lot, which is all fine and good except that my iPhone really wants to autocorrect it to either "hunky" or "kinky," both of which have a tendency to make my texts WAY more spicy than intended.

2024-01-24 23:31:24

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@npub12zq…fvnz Best final scene since The Sopranos.

2024-01-24 17:15:25

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@npub1jj0…v6hz But we can disagree :-)

2024-01-24 16:05:09

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@npub1a33…axpd Wouldn’t the bus without S and H be the loudest?

2024-01-24 15:31:03

I know which one *I’m* riding.
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/111/811/406/117/606/408/original/3140a057f8f48be4.jpeg

2024-01-20 05:39:48

Can somebody please explain to the New York Times that seasons don't work like time zones?
https://files.idlethumbs.social/media_attachments/files/111/786/425/986/954/050/original/7ab6e983433558c5.png

2024-01-18 09:28:38

Fargo S5 finale:
*bangs fist on table*
YES. YES. YES. Straight fucking fire. Well done.

2024-01-18 06:04:50

Damnit, CAPTCHA, a UPS truck is **NOT*** a bus!!!

2024-01-16 16:47:20

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Just like the taco, I bet a little bit of charred pineapple would make that even better, huh?
QED.
(This trap brought to you by “The pineapple pizza debate is stupid posturing.”)

2024-01-16 16:46:59

Two-part question:
How does a pizza al pastor sound? Marinated pork shaved off the trompo? Seasoning mixing into melty cheese? Charred meat and crisp, puffy bread? Sound good?… (1/2)