Chop's Guide to the Galaxy

06/06/2026

Are you in the market for a new "spot?" You know, that place where every server recognizes you, say hello when you walk in, thank you when you leave, and somehow never seem to miss?

If so, Las Palmas Mexican Grill in Center, Texas might just be your place.

Over the past year we've ordered a little bit of everything, and not once have we walked away disappointed. Every meal has ranged from good to outstanding, which sounds simple until you realize how rare consistency actually is these days.

But what really separates Las Palmas from the pack for us isn't just the food.

It's the value.

We've never left feeling slighted, shorted, or cheated. In fact, there have been a few times we've looked at the ticket, looked at each other, and felt like we somehow robbed them...even after leaving a healthy tip.

The staff is second to none across the board. Friendly, attentive, welcoming, and genuinely appreciative that you're there. That's becoming a lost art, and they still have it.

As for the food? It just flat out delivers. Every single time.

Google only lets us go as high as 5 stars, so that's easy.

On the AE Radio/Chops Guide scale, where scores are handed out like a grumpy old baseball scout evaluating prospects, Las Palmas earns a 4.7 out of 5.

For those keeping score, that's tied with one of the highest ratings we've ever given a restaurant. The only other spot in that territory was a place in Shreveport that sadly closed its doors years ago.

If you're disappointed with Las Palmas, there's a decent chance you're not disappointed with the restaurant.

You're disappointed with life in general.

And that beer? It's always the coldest beer in the atmosphere.

Highly recommended.

06/05/2026

Northampton, Massachusetts

Northampton is a thriving arts town in Western Massachusetts dubbed the Paradise City, but anyone traveling here for history can visit a presidential archive bizarrely stuffed inside a standard municipal building. The city houses the official museum for Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States and a man who turned being an anti-social introvert into a legitimate political strategy.

He served as the mayor of this town while maintaining a legendary reputation for weaponized silence, famously defeating a dinner guest who bet she could make him say more than two words by simply replying, "You lose."

Also in Northampton, this is the exact birthplace of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird met here and cooked up the franchise, which grew into such a massive global obsession that local elementary schools literally had to ban "Turtle play." School administrators were forced to outlaw the trend because kids would not stop karate-chopping each other into the dirt during recess.

Chop’s Guide to the Galaxy brings you the raw history behind the pop-culture madness.

This Travel Fact was sponsored by Pippa.

Pippa is a seven months old Shepherd and Heeler mix who currently weighs 35 pounds and likely will not get much bigger, making her the ideal size for someone who wants a real companion without sacrificing the entire backseat of their vehicle. She was found wandering back in January by a kind person who immediately set her up in an excellent foster home where she has been living the good life. She is now completely fully vetted and actively hunting for a permanent couch to colonize.

Because she inherits the DNA of two notoriously sharp herding breeds, she possesses an impressive brain that functions at a remarkably high level. Her foster mom notes that she is an exceptionally fast learner who treats house manners like a breeze. She is already doing fantastic with both potty training and leash walking, which means you get to completely skip the chaotic disaster phase usually associated with bringing a young animal home. She also coexists beautifully with both dogs and cats, entirely bypassing the usual neighborhood rivalries and living room turf wars.

If you are ready to bring this sharp little companion into your life, get in contact with the Clinton Animal Shelter at 660 885 7999 or send an email over to [email protected] to set up a meeting.

Drop the guide a quick note if this write up is what convinced you to go bring her home, because knowing another great animal found a permanent spot makes the whole project worthwhile.

06/05/2026

I dare you to invite your entire friends list and mess up my numbers.

06/04/2026

Aspen, Colorado

Aspen is famous today for being a playground where ultra-wealthy people go to blow insane amounts of cash, but the town has a much weirder history. Back in 1970, legendary gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson ran a completely serious campaign for sheriff of Pitkin County on the Freak Power ticket.

He shaved his head entirely bald just so he could refer to his conservative, crew-cut opponent as "my bald opponent" during public debates. Thompson promised to rename the town "Fat City" to punish greedy developers, rip up all the downtown asphalt to replace it with pedestrian grass, and strictly ban any non-resident driving. He won almost all of the city votes and only lost the overall election because the rural parts of the county panicked at the thought of a drug-fueled writer running the local jail.

Chop’s Guide to the Galaxy brings you the real history before the billionaires took over.

This Chop's Guide to the Galaxy Travel Fact was sponsored by Velma.

Velma is a two year old husky mix who weighs 60 pounds and currently finds herself navigating the grim realities of the local pound. She showed up a bit underweight and completely unsure of her surroundings, which makes total sense because a loud kennel layout is essentially a high stress environment designed to make anyone question their life choices.

It is impossible not to wonder what kind of human nonsense she had to endure before landing in a concrete cell. But once you get her away from the constant, institutional racket of the main facility, her sweet personality completely takes over.

She is an absolute fanatic for a game of fetch, showing a level of athletic dedication that puts the average person lounging on a sofa to absolute shame. She will happily sprint after the ball, retrieve it with total precision, and drop it right back at your feet before coming over for heavy cuddles and undivided attention.

She also appears to be entirely dog friendly, though a mandatory meet and greet is always required to make sure your existing pack is ready for a new roommate. She is fully prepared to leave the pound behind and start a brand new chapter with a dedicated family.

If you want to meet Velma, get in contact with Voices of the Trumbull Pound Dogs at 7501 Anderson Avenue in Warren, Ohio, call 330 675 2787, or hit up Chop's Guide and we will see if we can help.

Send us a quick note if this sponsorship is what ultimately inspired you to bring your new best companion home, because knowing we helped an awesome animal secure a real couch completely makes our day.

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

Why Rose Flavored Oreos Are a Must-Try Treat

I stumbled upon rose-flavored Oreos at an Asian market, and wow, they're weird! Dive in for my thoughts. Also, meet our sponsor, Harley, the giant, lovable mastiff. Adopt her!...

I stumbled upon rose-flavored Oreos at an Asian market, and wow, they’re weird! Dive in for my thoughts. Also, meet our sponsor, Harley, the giant, lovable mastiff. Adopt her!

06/04/2026

I hit up the Asian World Market on a random afternoon and walked out with a package of rose flavored Oreos imported from China.

Most people buy snacks for survival, but I apparently shop for culinary existential crises. You open the box expecting a standard set of chocolate cookies to help you numb a rough week. Instead, you get something that looks like it went through a severe economic depression.

These things are paper thin wafers, perfectly round, pinning a layer of pink cream so microscopic it looks like a mere rumor of frosting. The cream distribution represents a masterclass in financial panic. It genuinely looks like the factory foreman is funding the sugar budget out of his own pocket and trying to stretch a single tablespoon of cream across an entire production run to avoid immediate liquidation.

The aroma hits you instantly, and it is spectacular, carrying the genuine fragrance of a real Valentine bouquet.

When you drop one into your mouth, a deeply strange phenomenon occurs before your teeth even make contact with the wafer. The floral scent particles immediately expand and fill the air pocket inside your mouth, forcing you to taste the literal atmosphere of your own skull.

It is a bizarre sensory collision of flower petals and chocolate v***r that makes you question your entire evolutionary trajectory. Biting down brings the ultimate revelation because the cookie tastes exactly the way perfume is supposed to taste if the liquid tasted the way it smells.

The snack is decent, providing an entertaining detour from ordinary junk food, even if I will likely pass on them during my next market run.

This unusual import earns a score of 2.7 out of 5.

This entire cookie situation highlights a massive failure in global research priorities. The brightest minds in chemistry are completely wasting their time on trivial nonsense like water desalination or universal vaccine development when they should be focusing on things that matter.

Science needs to stop trying to save the planet for five minutes and redirect every single dime of funding toward forcing high end perfume to be edible.

I know from a sequence of deeply regrettable life choices that real perfume tastes like a bitter chemical assault on the tongue.

Humanity deserves a premium blueberry muffin perfume that delivers a flawless flavor profile matching the aroma.

We need technicians to synthesize a fragrance that tastes exactly like a fresh bakery, and I need a cooperative female in the immediate vicinity who is entirely on board with letting a guy verify the results firsthand.

This Chop's Guide to the Galaxy Snack Food Review was sponsored by Harley.

Harley is a four years old brown brindle mastiff who commands a massive presence at 111 pounds. Mastiffs are built like absolute security guards who live to occupy space, and she delivers on every single metric of the breed by being fiercely loyal, protective, and loving.

If you are hunting for a tiny, low profile pet that blends seamlessly into the upholstery, a 111 pounds giant with a majestic underbite is obviously not the correct move.

Think about the sheer logistics of trying to navigate a living room where a triple digit powerhouse is running the show. She is a massive block of pure affection who is fully prepared to completely dominate your daily routine in the most adorable way possible.

When it comes to recreational activities, Harley treats every event like a full time job. She possesses a profound obsession with toys, giant fluffy mattresses, and going out on neighborhood walks.

Because of her colossal size and raw physical strength, she operates as a complete freight train on a leash, treating a standard casual stroll like she is single handedly dragging a stranded transit bus out of a muddy ditch.

You may be able to charge stranded motorists for her services and you only have to pay her in snacks.

She is always geared up for a wild adventure, but the exact second the fun concludes, she immediately drops into a state of total relaxation. Give her a comfortable place to snooze, stack a few toys within reach, and provide her with some humans to watch over, and she will be completely satisfied with life.

If you are ready to add an awesome, giant protector to your household, go meet Harley at the Humane Society of Missouri at 1201 Macklind Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, or call 314 647 8800.

Send the guide a quick message if this write up is what finally convinced you to go adopt her, because knowing a great animal scored a real couch is the entire reason we put these spotlights together.

06/03/2026

It has been a week sine this seasons last night of Trivia, I hope you will all come hang out in September!

06/03/2026

Sintra, Portugal

The entire municipality of Sintra contains Cabo da Roca, a jagged cliffside that marks the absolute westernmost point of mainland Europe. Back during the Roman Empire, people genuinely believed this exact spot was the literal edge of the world where the ocean turned into an endless void of monsters and certain death. Standing on those cliffs feels less like a scenic tourist overlook and more like staring into a giant, terrifying abyss that is actively mocking humanity. It serves as a harsh reminder that before we had global positioning satellites, humans just looked at a big body of water and assumed it would swallow them whole.

Chop’s Guide to the Galaxy brings you the raw truth from the edge of the earth.

This Daily Travel Fact was sponsored by Simba.

Simba is a five to seven year old boy weighing 61 pounds who has spent way too much time dealing with the shelter system. He was originally adopted back in 2023 and spent years living with a family until their living circumstances changed because of a new baby. Instead of managing a real solution, they tried to arrange care with a family friend, but yesterday Simba was found wandering the streets as a stray with his harness and leash still attached. It takes a special kind of incompetence to lose a 61 pound dog who is literally dragging his own leash down the road. This boy deserves real stability and a home where he never has to wonder where he belongs.

The great news is that the shelter knows exactly what kind of solid companion he is, and his track record is completely flawless. He has successfully lived with both cats and children, which means he possesses a level of patience and emotional intelligence that most adult humans cannot even fake during a brief meeting.

He is completely house trained, entirely non destructive, and does not even require a crate to stay on his best behavior when left alone. He has a laid back, gentle personality and truly just wants to park his body next to his people.

Do you have a spot on your rug for a loyal, easygoing partner who asks for absolutely nothing besides a permanent place to belong?

If you are ready to give this guy the definitive home he earned, get in contact with the County Pound at 7501 Anderson Avenue in Warren, Ohio, call 330 675 2787, or hit up Chop's Guide and we will see if we can help.

Shoot us a message to let the guide know if this write up is what finally convinced you to adopt, because making sure a great animal lands on a comfortable couch is exactly why we run these spotlights.

06/03/2026

What destination completely shattered your expectations in the best way possible?