Marie Callender's - Chicken Parmigiana

Real talk -- I bought this because it was on sale and I wasn't allergic to it. So even though it wasn't very good, I can't say I was disappointed. I was really hungry when I ate this and I got basically what I expected. It was fine, but not good. There's a little bit of wet brocco and carrot, which was edible but pretty flavorless. A very little bit of mushy penne with cheese and red sauce, which I enjoyed because c'mon it's pasta. And a decent size breaded chicken patty, which made me only a little soy-protein-itchy (not too bad). If you like frozen chicken patties then you'll be fine with this, it's pretty standard. Probably won't rebuy this unless it's my only option, but it's perfectly serviceable. Way worse than takeout chicken parm though, (obvi).

Overall
Cost: 7/10 (2.50$)
Taste: 5/10

Mama Mary's Original Pizza Crust - Mini

I sure eat a lot of pizza! Anyway, I'm not a big fan of Boboli crust, but these are much closer to my ideal. The taste is floury-er, doughier, and the texture is also drier and less bendy. This is a small pack of 3 crusts, which just barely all fit on to a cookie sheet. They cook in about 9 minutes, and are kind of hard to cut with a knife but are really easy to tear. I've gotten these twice now and they're definitely going to be my go-to pizza crust in the future (unless I make my own).





Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Hershey's Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate Eggs

Only a month until Easter! That means it's time to move on from our heart shaped candy into our egg shaped candy. I always used to like these chocolate eggs as a kid, because they're 'extra creamy' so they taste better than the normal nugget/kiss chocolate Hershey uses, and the egg is also what seems to be a larger piece of candy than a kiss. Plus they're cute and of course nut-free. These didn't do that much for me this time around though. They're still good, and I ate them all, don't get me wrong, but I think the creamy Dove chocolate is a little tastier/creamier. These are still a little chalky or bitter in comparison (but still good and better than regular Hersheys). They are also very dense, so a better suck than chew for me. Very cute in a candy dish, also. (My roommates are moving out soon so I can think about such niceties again!)

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10

Callaloo Trinidadian Kitchen

This newish resto is getting a ton of recent buzz in the central PA media! They're a fusion of some Indian-y and some Island-y flavors, which is apparently what Trinidadian food is (who knew). Sounds tasty, but I was worried it'd be super nut-y, especially since they have a hot drink called 'peanut punch' (D:). But I sent them a message and they actually said that none of their menu at the time had any nuts in it (which looked true). I also asked when I got there and the server checked for me. The place is very small, but we got there right at opening time and were able to take up the bar seats (there are exactly 6)! Everyone was really nice. We got the app of cassava fries, which were OK (good crisp outside, nice and salty) but a little mealy, perhaps the nature of cassava. Came with a fun cilantro sauce (bright green)! For my meal I got the jerk pork ribs, since all the curries had chickpeas. It was a ton of meat, like 9 ribs, very tender and a little spicy, and a 'corn pie', which was like mashed corn with whole corn (awesome) and some pickled veg (fine). Overall it was really tasty and felt like good quality food, but the fact that they had peanut punch did make me a little nervous, to be honest. I would go back but it wouldn't be my first choice just because of anxiety, even though I was totally fine and the food was good!

Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 7/10

Pagoda Pork Potstickers

Whether you call them potstickers or dumplings, I'm generally a fan. However, this frozen meal was not doing it for me (and it's not because it was frozen, I enjoy the Tai Pei frozen potstickers a lot more). Maybe I don't like pork in general, but these made me a little itchy and the taste wasn't great, just like processed lump meat. The sauce is also weird and orange and not soy sauce, which is what I really want. They also hardly give you any of it! 😛 The noodle outside is fine, standard noodle, but the sauce is bad and inside is bad. One perk is that this comes in 2 individual 5 potsticker bags with separate sauce packets, and the cooking is very quick and easy. If only they tasted great it would be perfect!

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 5/10

Souvlaki Boys

Because I am, in fact, a huge fan of both souvlaki (thanks to the Mediterranean Grille in Newark) and boys, I was eager to try this place. We got some takeout ordered online, but they do also have a parking lot (at the non-food-truck location) so I was happy to see that. I got chicken souvlaki which came with buttery rice and a greek salad, and I enjoyed it. I think next time I might get a gyro or something else, because the kabob was just meat and it was good but not amazing, maybe a little dry/boring (I wish it had veg on there too). Oh and little bits of pita were included, which was tasty. There's also tzatziki but I didn't use too much. Anyway, thinking back, it was a nice platter! The employees are also very friendly and were happy to help with allergy issues (most everything is nut free except the obvious desserts/salads). I would happily return, even though the food didn't wow me. It was solid and I think potentially could be really good!

Pork kabob: I think I like this a little better than the chicken, taste-wise. The chicken is moister but the pork is tastier. Pretty similar though, to be honest. I should try something else, but I do like the salad/rice accompaniments a lot.

Gyro platter: This tasted good for sure, but the meat was fattier than kabob meat and makes me anxious about a stomach ache! It also made me a tiny bit itchy but I'm not sure why. The salad was great as ever, pita was fine, rice is nice and moist. 7/10

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Fat Pigs BBQ

OK, this place is extremely confusing. It's a BBQ/misc restaurant but it's inside of a bar/venue called The Brickyard which doesn't have any food of its own, so in effect these are the same two places, but with two different names? It's also called Fetty Wootz or something I truly just don't understand. Their specialty seems to be meats and BBQ, but they also have general bar foods, burgers, mac and cheeses, etc. We went here for trivia and it was really empty and the trivia was bad and the waitress seemed like she hated us for existing, so it wasn't a great time. We won a free app of chicken thighs(?) which were fine, fresh, but nothing earth-shattering. I ordered the veggie mac and cheese, which is OK, but nothing better than my homemade cheese noodle with frozen veg. I should have just got a pulled porker or something. Maybe it was just bad timing and bad ordering by me, but I was really unimpressed. That said, they apparently don't have any nuts except for in desserts, so this is pretty good news. I would go back if I could convince someone to go with me (but I'm not sure if I could, because it was not very impressive).

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

Dove Milk Chocolate Hearts

I think these are the same product as the non-heart shaped Dove pieces (what are they called? squares? tidbits? I don't remember!) but somehow the cute heart shape is more fun than normal, a bit thicker maybe, and very seasonal (although let's be clear, I bought these in a post V-day sale). The chocolate is a little creamier than your standard Hershey's kiss/bar (one of the only other nut-free chocolates available in the USA), and tastes a bit like a Red Symphony Bar if you've ever had those, pre-nut-warning. It's very tasty and even though these are portioned for me, it's hard not to eat more than 1 or 2. They also have cute little phrases on the wrappers, like "Sleep under the stars tonight" (no thanks) or "Do something spontaneous" (hmmm). I like this fun little touch, it makes them like the fortune cookies of candy, which is a smart move. I guess like conversation hearts, but actually societally considered tasty. I'm a fan! When my roommates finally move out this summer, I'll keep a candy dish full of Dove chocolate most of the time, for sure.

Overall
Cost: 6/10 (2.50 on sale)
Taste: 7/10

Edwards Hershey's Chocolate Crème Pie

For you Burger King fans out there, this is what's known as their Hershey's Sundae Pie. I was all about those as a kid once the apple pie gained a peanut warning. Now I think this pie has a nut warning, but only at BK! (The same is true for Arby's turnovers vs. the boxed Pepperidge Farm version). Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure that the product is exactly the same. We're talking a cold pie with a dense crumbly chocolate crust, vaguely chocolatey moose, and some whipped topping with chocolate drizzle. It's very sweet and pretty fun to eat, although the saturated fat levels on this baby are next level. I do like that these are in single-serve boxes, though; that's very convenient and encourages me to buy it over something like an entire pie. The taste and texture for me are just OK, and I get a little sick of it by the end, but I also crave these sometimes. Classic pie!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

crispy fruit - banana

These taste just like the freeze dried bits in cereal or oatmeal. But they're big slices, so it's fun to eat and ultimately still tastes good even if freeze-dried. Definitely a strong pure banana flavor. These are also more satisfying than the apparently similar Brother's All Natural dried fruit pieces for some reason. I also like the cool packaging, it's like space food!







Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

The Spice Hunter - Coriander Lime Global Fusion Rub

This smells REALLY good, like a delicious milky curry. It contains coriander, lime (duh), garlic, cumin, a little salt and sugar, and that's basically it. I applied this liberally to some rice/veg/pork, and it was nice, but maybe I didn't put enough on because it wasn't nearly as strong as I expected. (I used like 2TBSP though!). The flavor I did get was mainly lime and a little bit of garlic and coriander, but nowhere near the intensity you get from smelling it in the jar. Even when cooking, it smelled vaguely good but not that strong. Anyway, if you need a seasoning for some generic meats or something, this is a nice choice, even if it didn't have as much of a pop as I expected. Warning: the container has a scary peanut recipe on it, but there are no nut ingredients in the spice mix!


Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 7/10

Made Good Vanilla Crispy Squares

If you're thinking this is basically a Rice Krispie Treat -- you're right! And therefore it's pretty awesome. The differences are subtle, but they exist: this is less marshmallow/goo-ey, which is too bad. It's also a little sweeter, if that's possible, and maybe in an off-putting/artificial way (but just a little). There's also vegetable powder randomly in here, though you can't taste it at all, so that adds a tiny bit of nutrition, which can only be a positive. The portion size is small but satisfying, and this is a nice, sweet, nostalgic crunchy snack.



Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Brother's All Natural Fruit Crisps - Asian Pear

Although I like regular pears better than regular apples (not that I review "pear" or "apple" on this blog because both are obviously great, duh), these freeze-dried pear slices really tasted a lot like the freeze-dried apple slices. Just soft, airy, slightly sweet chunks. Again, I enjoy the texture, and the taste is certainly pleasant, but it didn't shout "PEAR!". Maybe because they are Asian pears, and I don't know if that's different than the .... Barlett? pear at my local grocery? Seems more likely that it's because they are freeze dried. Anyway, these are good but not very filling or super satisfying, although I'll always happily eat them if I have them. I think I like apple better just because it's what I'm used to, and I wanted MORE from this.


Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale

I really like this, it's a strong pumpkin/pumpkin spice flavor, but still a mild beer (not hoppy, malty, spicy, sour, sweet, anything like that). This is the Yuengling of pumpkin beers, but that's a good thing in my book. It's very refreshing and seasonal and makes me feel warm and safe and like I'm back in college. Very chill vibe. Definitely better cold, but the flavor is your pumpkin spice latte in a beer, you can't go wrong with that.







Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Nature's Bandits Apple Veggie Fruit Stix

These are dense little rectangles of apple puree, basically. They apparently also have carrot and pumpkin juice in there, but it really just tastes like a strong apple flavor. They are really much denser than other fruit snacks, but not too sticky. Eating this is kind of a weird experience -- I never ate small hard rectangles of firm apple before, but I think I like it. Plus the raccoon on the front is a cutie.






Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Boboli Thin Crust

Yes!! I really don't like regular Boboli crust because it's WAY too many calories, and too sweet and thick and just not great. But this solves many of my issues by being fewer calories, thinner, tastes somehow better (I guess because there's less of it), and is still very convenient to dress up and bake. The taste is not necessarily good, it's more that I couldn't taste the crust much at all. Which really, is what you want in a pizza, right? A nice crispy bottom. That's what I got here! Nice addition to the line, Boboli.




Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Boboli Pizza Sauce

I'm not a huge fan of the Boboli crust, so I was skeptical of this pizza sauce, but I actually ended up liking it quite well! This comes in a little plastic packet (3 per box) rather than a jar, which I initially I judged because it's like a lunchable, but then I realised (a) I like lunchables and (b) it's super convenient because then I can wait a few weeks in between pizzas (crazy, I know!). So this format is nice. The amount is pretty much perfect for a regular sized pizza, and the color cooked to a nice dark red. The taste was good! It is sweet, but not too too sweet, and I added a little garlic and red pepper flakes to mine but I think even without that it has a decent salt/spice profile. A perfectly non-objectionable sauce, and I think it's better than any jarred sauce I tried. Nice work, Boboli!

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Firehouse Subs

You can never have enough fast-casual chains with online allergy menus, in my opinion. This place has a fairly small menu, about 15 subs or so, which reminds me of Primos except that all of these subs are hot and firehouse themed. They also generally come with LTO and mustard and mayo, which is a little weird and maybe not what I'd always want, but that's life. And of course you can request variations on that. The smell of this place is not at all your bready subway smell, but more of a hot-oil Jake's Wayback burger smell, which is intriguing but also nice. They take your orders to your table if you want to eat in. Also, they have a 5.55 medium sub of the day, which is great because that's right around what I think is an appropriate sub price, and it also makes my ordering decision much easier. I tried the "Hook and Ladder" which was ham and turkey and those other things mentioned, on wheat bread. It was definitely tasty and filling, but I think next time I would get no mayo and maybe no onion. The mustard is a subtle brown mustard and not your yellow mustard, which I like. They also cut it in half, which I like. They box it in foam, which I don't like, but that's common, I suppose! Anyway, I would definitely go back, although the service is slower than a Subway or Chipotle (I guess because everything is baked).

Cherry Limeade: Don't get this, it's way too sweet and not complex. 2/10

Firehouse Steak and Cheese: I got this on wheat with no mayo/mustard and with mushrooms, and it was really nice and didn't make me feel gross at all. Shockingly one of the least greasy cheese steaks I've ever had (surprising given their general calorie info)! 7/10

Smokehouse BBQ Brisket and Cheddar: I got this on wheat with no mayo and it was OK. The BBQ sauce is good and the cheese sauce is obviously good. The brisket was tasty and fatty, but it made me feel a little like trash (even though I only ate half at a time!) Would eat, but wouldn't be my first choice. 5/10

Engineer: I got this on wheat and it was OK, but hardly had any mushrooms! And the few mushrooms that were there were a little weird, almost chipotle flavored. I probably should have gotten no mayo too. I got a medium but still felt gross! I like the pickle and the meat though. 5/10

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Q says: My sub was pretty good after I took the mayo I accidentally ordered off. Slow though.

Barilla Roasted Garlic Sauce

I tried their marinara sauce once and was surprisingly happy with it, and I love garlic so I thought I'd give this a try. Sadly, I don't like it as much, although it is still perfectly serviceable. It tastes strongly of garlic, which is impressive, and there are actually noticeable little chunks of garlic in it too! The rest of the sauce doesn't have any other flavor notes, though, and there are no other chunks of things like tomato or pepper or onion which I think I would want. The texture is really smooth. It just isn't my style, but it is the most garlicy red sauce I've ever had from a bottle, so that's something.




Overall
Cost: 6/10 (on sale for 2.50$)
Taste: 6/10