Dan:

Read // A very neat piece on Rob McClanaghan, who went from a walk-on basketball player at Syracuse to become one of the most influential skills trainers in the NBA. The part that is really cool is how he figured out how to make a business outside of the traditional way. Rob wanted to give consistency to players like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, John Wall, and Russell Westbrook. As a trainer he has did just that.

Look // Sports Illustrated launched a badass virtual 360° video of high school dunkmaster Zion Williamson. If you are a basketball fan, get ready to be hearing about this guy all the time when he makes it to college/NBA.

Devour // On Saturday I went with friends to grab drinks. The place we went down the street had a Seattle Brew on special for $3. It was called Space Dust IPA from the Elysian Brewery. While I am not much of an IPA fan, it was a good deal so I started with it. Man, it knocked my socks off and I will say it was much more refreshing than I had expected. It was a little hoppy for my liking, yet after a few that piney taste was still not as bitter as most IPAs. The Space Dust was pleasantly much more balanced than I thought it would be. If you get a chance, definitely test it out.

Kyle:

Read // As someone who grew up on the border between Texas and Mexico I’m always fascinated by issues that affect the border region. This article highlights the plight of the Tarahumara tribe from the interior of Chihuahua in Mexico who are known worldwide for their distance running abilities that have been put to use by Mexican drug cartels.

Look // If you’re in the Dallas area and you’re looking for interesting art the Nasher Sculpture Center has an exhibition of glass sculptures by Roni Horn that runs through August 20th. The glass pieces come in various shapes and sizes and are always sure to impress kiddos.

Devour // In my summer travels through Colorado my family ended up in a small town called Buena Vista that sits on the banks of the Arkansas River. The town is the launching point for lots of rafting and kayaking companies for Central Colorado. We happened to stop at a burger restaurant on the side of the road called K’s Dairy Delite. The burgers and fries were excellent and the desserts are even better. Be sure to arrive early because early in the afternoon the line to get a treat wraps around the building.

Michael:

Read // Amy McCarthy with Eater posted an article about the history of queso and how it can be traced back to San Antonio. However, one of the most interesting facts is that the oldest recipe using Velveeta came from Lubbock in 1939. This article had so much importance to me that I posted it on Facebook only to be told that “no real queso is ever made with Velveeta.” My response was that Velveeta is the building block that brought queso to the masses. It’s the Model T of queso. I stand by this and will eat and probably love queso made any which way.

Look // Documentary Now! is a silly show on AFC starring Bill Hader and Fred Armisen that spoofs well-known documentaries and documentary styles. There are two seasons, and both are available on Netflix. Most episodes are ridiculous, funny, and downright strange. However, I just happened to watch “Juan Likes Rice & Chicken” (S2, EP2) this past week and was surprisingly moved. Check it out, as it’s a great showcase of fathers, sons, and a passion for food.

Devour // This week will be an all-food edition from me, and it probably won’t be the last. We made the trip east to Weatherford to visit family, stopping at Mary’s Cafe in Strawn along the way. MY GOODNESS. The chicken-fried steak lived up to the hype. Just before they bring out your food, they bring a bowl of gravy and set it on the table. I can’t fully describe how that felt. It was as if we were royalty being presented with a gift. It was an honor to just sit there with this bowl of gravy for the next 30 seconds. There are three sizes of chicken-fries: small, medium, & large. You get your choice of potato on the side, be it fried, mashed, or baked. The chicken-fry itself was perfectly tenderized to an even thickness, fried to the point that the bottom of the steak had just a bit of char and gave every bite some crunch and added flavor. On the way back the next day, we hit up Baker’s Ribs for some fried pies. This has become a new tradition whenever traveling to/from the DFW area. I wholeheartedly recommend pecan.

This is the medium, and I am now food drunk. Strawn is heaven on earth. pic.twitter.com/nc2NBqY5QF

— Michael (@LSRR07) August 12, 2017

Brian:

Read // PopSci has a cool little write-up on how breweries are seeking to balance brewing & the environment I’ve always been fascinated with how people can harness natural systems, and seeing it be done with one of my favorite industries never fails to make me happy. And thirsty

[Ed. note by Seth] This quote is the gosh danged truth:

Henry David Thoreau once said that a glass of beer would “naturalize a man at once — which would make him see green, and, if he slept, dream that he heard the wind sough among the pines.”

Look // Speaking of, a couple of breweries that have opened gorgeous new sustainable facilities, namely Smuttynose in New Hampshire & New Belgium’s Asheville outpost.

Devour // During my years in exile on the west coast, I used cooking as a way to deal with missing home. Stumbling upon the Homesick Texan my first year there was an absolute godsend. I’ve never had a bad Lisa Fain recipe, and both cookbooks I have from her are covered in various cheeses & hot sauces. Speaking of, she has a new book all about queso (aptly titled Queso!) coming out in September.

Seth:

Read // There was a really good discussion on STP recently about letting your kids play football and I thought that this article from GQ’s Luke Zaleski was a good look at one father’s decision about the subject. The author also loves the game of football, which makes the decision that much more complicated. I love watching the game, so you know, the conflict of the situation is thick.

Look // I’m a sucker for this.

Devour // I’ll probably be linking to the Skillet’s Claire Lower for her fantastic series, “Will is Sous Vide,” but Lower’s mixing of La Croix with various alcoholic drinks was pretty good and since my wife drinks a ton of La Croix.