North Branch Pizza & Burger Co

The road trip has arrived in Chicago, and next to our hotel (actually in Glenview, north of Chicago) was this pizza/american bar. I wanted to try a deep dish pizza, so sat outside and went for it. It was pleasant to eat outside, and I got a blue moon and chips and guac too. The guac was great, the salsa was weird and tasted like pasta sauce, and the chips were like bag tostitos (fine). The deep dish was good! Buttery and soft crust, with lots of crust. Tasted like Pat's square pizza but butterier and with more cheese, which was good and very filling. 7/10

Then we went back another night, because we are lazy, and sat inside and it wasn't as good. I got some pasta with chicken, which was OK but made me feel a bit ill. I didn't eat the garlic bread that came with it out of fear. I got a pineapple cider which was fun but not super chuggable, since they were out of Crispin pear which is what I actually ordered. The waiter was kind of salty to us, I guess because we were old and un-hip, but I didn't appreciate it one bit. The meal was also really expensive, I guess because of tax but also just expensive to begin with. So the second trip was our last.

Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 6/10

Four Seasons Family Restaurant

Road trip time! We stopped here on the way to Chicago; it was at the very west end of Ohio, in a desperate phone search by me to find anything since the turnpike doesn't label food at exits (absurdly). This diner-esque resto was OK. They had a very big menu, which I like. Fox News was also on, but the waitress was nice. I got a hot turkey sandwich, which had weird yellowish gravy but tasted fine on a bed of two white bread slices and some good deli-like turkey. There was also a mashed potato ball (fine) and green beans with baco and onion that I didn't eat 'cause they're beans. Came with a salad that was totally normal and boring. Dad got cole slaw that I tried and it was pretty good/zippy. In all it was not great, but serviceable.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10

Starbucks

I've never reviewed Starbucks? I guess I really am a Dunkin' girl for life. Starbucks makes lots of weird nut food, so I can only get basic dinks there. Although I think the first time I went was with my allergy bud Rach and we got Java Chip Frappuchinos (spelling??), which was amazing (9/10) and didn't kill me. But also so expensive and bad for you, and also I keep reading blogs about how ordering fraps at Starbucks is selfish and makes the workers hate you, and then I get lost in thought and jealousy for a while. Anyway, there are also Starbuckses at lots of rest stops, so I stopped off on my recent Chicago road trip.

Sweet cream cold brew: This is tasty, better than Dunkie cold brew but also like 4+$. It also gives me heartburn without fail, which is unlike cold brew, but I usually get Starbucks when travelling so that may be why. 6/10

Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 6/10

Olive Garden

Unfortunately, I think I like the idea of Olive Garden a lot more than the reality. Also their new (or once-new) logo is so childish looking. But anyway. I like Italian food and chains, and they even have an allergy menu, and once David took me on my birthday after we went to the DMV (lol). But the actual pasta is mostly not good, a lot of things have surprise nuts, and it's bad for you and your heartburn too. My most recent trip was also not great, it was with my dad's family but "for my birthday" but I didn't pick it, my mom did, but she said I liked it but I wasn't hungry and I just wanted to go home. So I was in a mood. But anyway, the salad and breadsticks are always good. Or rather the salad is good, the breadsticks are way too salty but I like bread so I like that there ARE breadsticks, and that they'll bring more if asked. I also really like the andes mints at the end of the meal! Dad got salmon and hated it with the passion of 100 suns, but dad also hates Italian restos (inexplicably).

Cheese ravioli: This I don't like. I got because it was lower calorie than other noodles, but for ravioli it's bad.

Watermelon Sangria: Good but not very much alc in it, and also pricy.

The lesson I learned is that next time, I should just get a soup. Or maybe ziti and just eat a lil bit. 

Takeout Covid-era Olive Garden was better. They put the salad in a little plastic container, which contains a lot of salad (probably 3 bowls worth). And the croutons ("may contains") were packaged separate, along with the dressing. They also give you 2 breadsticks per meal, which is decent, and I like the breadsticks a lot right now. The meal itself was eh though. 

Chicken Parmesan: I got this with ziti, which was just "eh", and the chicken itself was also "eh" for me -- it had kind of a weird mushroom taste? I've definitely had better chicken parms. Luckily I didn't get too itchy from it, and it's a lot of food (2 breasts). But I'd maybe try eggplant parm next? Or something else?? (Is there anything else?!) Overall takeout experience 7/10, but this meal, maybe 6/10.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup: Yes!! This is it! I found something tasty and soy free at olive garden, and it isn't even super heavy (although it is, unlimited,,,). Very pleasant soup. 7/10

Berry Sangria: Also good, 7/10

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Sun Chips Garden Salsa

These are very classic. They're salty, thin, crispy, a little tomatoey, and have a fun wave shape. I can eat a ton of these at once and often do. I'm not sure if they're any healthier than regular chips, but they definitely taste better.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Darlington House

A friend recommended this restaurant, and I was excited because Italian food is safe and I like it. I made a rezzo and showed up and . . . we were the only table in the whole place. On a Saturday at dinnertime. It was super weird. Also super expensive. There was a basement bar (called DIVE) that we went to before dinner and it was great - cool, quiet, and the bartender was nice. But upstairs the restaurant was just super weird. Even though no one was there, the service was slow and not very friendly. I got ravioli, it was OK. The drink I got wasn't strong at all, but the same drink in the basement was. The dessert limoncello was TOO strong. Ultimately disappointing.

Overall
Cost: 3/10
Taste: 6/10

Enjoy Life Crunchy Mini Cookies - Double Chocolate

I wasn't expecting these to be crispy! I'm so used to getting the little soft ball ones. I think I like these better than the soft ones, which is contra my usual cookie preference. They tasted sweeter/buttery and more like a normal cookie than the soft balls, and there was only a tiny hint of that weird gluten free spicy taste. Pretty "yummy".

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Yoplait Dunkin' Apple Fritter Yogurt

I thought that this was definitely better than the Boston Kreme yogurt; it had little apple chunks in it just like that light yoplait apple cinnamon yogurt I like. But this one was a bit of a funny taste to it, which I don't like. So it is better than the other dunkin' yogurt, but not great. Still curious about the other 2 though!

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 5/10

Brothers All-Natural Fruit Crisps - Strawberry & Banana

These were fine, but not very filling. There were also a lot of crumbly bits at the bottom, which is frustrating 'cause that's just wasted fruit crisps! It was also kind of messy to eat in general. I'm not sure which component I liked better of the banana and strawberry, but they do go together well. Maybe strawberry has the edge. Would rather eat a real berry though (duh).

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Yoplait - Dunkin' Boston Kreme Donut Yogurt

When I heard about this dunkin' + yoplait collab, I was super excited and checked every store by me, but none of them had any of the four flavors. But my boyf got me this one, which is sweet 'cause he hates yogurt and also shopping. Anyway, this tastes like "yoplait" to me, and not really "dunkin", which is a shame. It does smell like the Creme in Boston Creme, but it tastes like those weird yellow custard yogurts yoplait (used to?) make, in the yellow containers. The taste is sweet and a bit artificial. No real chocolate or donut flavors that I could sense. It was OK, but I'm still curious to try the other three flavors someday if I ever see them.


Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 4/10

Ruffles All Dressed Chips

I love these! Not just because they're quirky and Canadian, 'cause they're available in my dumb US grocery store now, but because they taste like sweet BBQ chips. I like all the flavors but I always wish chips had more seasoning on them, so this is perfect for me. All the seasoning. BBQ is definitely the most prominent note, maybe a little tomato too. Chips are bad for you is the downside.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 8/10

Wild Made Veggie Go's Mango, Apple + Pumpkin Strip

This new-to-me snack was only 35 calories, so not very filling. The thinness did make it fun to eat, though. I thought it tasted fine, basically like a fruit strip would taste, and it did have just 4 basic ingredients. So it was fine, but not really what I'd call "food", you know?

Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 6/10

Anna de Codorníu Brut Rosé NV

Huh. I was very excited to get bubbly! But this was not the sweet white champagne I expected. It was like... red champagne? Pink? I'm not sure what exactly this was. And I think maybe mine "went off". I also didn't save the topper so I couldn't store it well. It was also scary to open. To be honest, this drink was a stressful situation in general. But it tasted OK, and of course bubbles are fun.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Levengoods of Lancaster

This is a cidery (cider brewery), which is cool because my boyf hates beer and likes only cider. It's also good for gluten free peeps of course. It was a pretty cute place, crowded but nice. The bartender was also friendly. They do have some food (cheese, pretzels) but I didn't want to bother asking about allergy stuff so I didn't get any. I got the dry cider, which was decent (not crazy sweet) and not too pricy (I think 5$ each). Seems good if you like cider!


Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10

Charleston Chew

I never had these before, I think because I only saw them as fun-size without ingredients and I assumed there were nuts in it (like Bit-o-Honey, which looks nutty). But it's actually made by Tootsie, and all their stuff is nut free! This was texture-wise a bit like a Laffy Taffy, but chewier, and it was flavored kind of like Tootsie Roll + marshmallow. It was better than a tootsie roll but not amazing. Still candy though!



Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 5/10

Marie Callender's Beef Shepherd's Pie

I can't find this anywhere! I randomly got it somewhere in PA but I haven't seen it since. Which really stinks, because this was good! It's only 300 cals, is tasty, didn't make me itchy, and was nice and warm and good. The only downside is that it takes a while to cook and also I can't find it anywhere.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Tate: 8/10

Destihl Wild Sour Series - Here Gose Nothin'

I got this at the Stone Balloon, and I'm glad! It smelled good, was refreshing, and a tiny bit sour and sweet. A great gose.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

thinkfruit - cinnamon apple slices

These were fine, but not as tasty as I thought they would be. The texture was kind of chewier than I expected, and they were overly sweet. I was hoping for more of an apple-pie-apple kinda deal. Makes sense that they are from the makers of fruitcake cherries & etc, but on their own this is too sweet and chewy for a snack in my opinion.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

Idahoan Steakhouse Creamy Potato Soup

Soup! I love soup, when I'm not allergic to it and when I don't need to use a blender to make it. This was so easy and convenient. Just add water and cook. It also made a lot of soup! And it tasted pretty good; it was creamy as advertised and not too gross like mashed potatoes but wet would be. A tip for me: I shouldn't eat it all at once. Also it was a little monotonous, maybe I should try putting something in there (like carrot, or maybe broccoli or corn?). Anyway, it was good and filling, though fattening. I would buy it again if I ever saw it at the store, but I haven't seen it anywhere.




Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10