Arby's Fish Sandwich

The other day, my wife and I received an Arby's flyer in the mail announcing that their Fish Sandwich was back. We hadn't been to Arby's in a while, so that was our lunch choice for today. I like fish sandwiches, although the ones offered at fast-food places have always left something to be desired. Until now. I really liked this sandwich! It's made very simply: a nice-sized fish patty, sesame-seed bun, a tasty tartar sauce, and shredded lettuce. The fish was nicely cooked and light tasting, my guess would be cod. The ratio of sauce to fish was perfect, and the bun was just the right size to contain, but not overwhelm, the other ingredients. It is a good-sized sandwich, and with curly fries and a drink would be a satisfying meal for a moderate appetite. The regular price is $2.99 for the sandwich alone, or $4.00 for a combo. I consider it well worth the money, and will be eating one again soon!

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Wendy's Cheesy Cheddarburger

I'm just gonna put it out there: I REALLY love cheese.

As a matter of fact, most of the items I've reviewed on this site have cheese listed as one of their ingredients. When I heard about Wendy's new Cheesy Cheddarburger, I knew that this would be the closest I could get to experiencing a "Juicy Lucy," unless I were to make it myself, of course. The difference here is that the melted cheese is on the outside. So, how did it taste? Well, pretty much just how I imagined it. The cheese sauce was spectacular and reminded me of macaroni and cheese... for some strange reason. It was nice and thick as well. The meat patty itself was juicy and delicious. Some people might have a problem with how plain it is, but it didn't really bother me too much. I'm sure it would be really easy to request additional toppings for it anyway. And yes, it may be sort of small but a few of these would prove to be a satisfying snack. Kudos to Wendy's for creating a unique item that tastes great as well as saves everybody some money.

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Cheez-It Mozzarella

You expect a mozzarella cheese-flavored cracker to taste like it has some mozzarella cheese in it, right? And, you expect that there would be a decent amount of mozzarella cheese in it too, wouldn’t you? So, I don’t know what the folks at Cheez-It are thinking with new Cheez-It Mozzarella. Sure, they have a cheese flavor. But, it’s not the flavor of mozzarella cheese. It’s just a generic, amorphous cheese flavor. It could be one of many cheese flavors. One look at the ingredient list on the side of the box explains why. Mozzarella cheese is listed there, but it’s not the first type of cheese in the list. In fact, it’s not even the second type of cheese on the list. Sadly, mozzarella cheese is third on the list, behind white cheddar and cheddar. This is why the crackers don’t taste like mozzarella cheese. It also explains why the crackers deserve the lowest Phoood rating. It’s not because the crackers themselves aren’t perfectly edible, but because as I ate them I had the feeling that I had been duped.

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Burger King French Fries (New Thicker Cut)

Burger King recently introduced new french fries to their menu. I recall that the last time Burger King did this - over a decade ago, if my memory is correct - they went with a skinny, crispy fry similar to those offered by McDonald’s. Nowadays, Burger King thinks that thicker fries are the way to go. They couldn’t be more wrong. They must not be familiar with the First Law of French Fries, which states “Skinnier fries are always better than thicker fries because skinnier fries have a better ratio of crispy exterior to fluffy interior.” See, a great fry isn’t the one that has a lot of fluffy potato on the inside, even if the fluff tastes great. It’s the one with the delicious, crispy exterior and just the right amount of fluffy potato within. Get the exterior/interior ratio wrong, and the fry will never be great. The Second Law of French Fries states “If you are going to make a thicker fry, leave the skin on because the overall flavor will be better.” Burger King violated this law also. All this being said, Burger King’s new fries aren’t bad. My order came with a generous amount of salt on them and were cooked to a nice, light brown. I prefer fries that are cooked a bit more (to a “golden brown”), but light brown is okay. And, I must admit that the fries had a nice potato flavor. Overall, they’re not bad fries, but they aren’t great either. If Burger King was aiming for the best fries in the fast food marketplace (and I assume they were), they came up short.

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Taco Bell Beefy Crunch Burrito

Now this is what I'm talking about.

Just recently, Taco Bell has decided to bring back the Beefy Crunch Burrito for a limited time. The first time the Beefy Crunch Burrito was introduced to the Taco Bell menu, I almost immediately fell in love with the combination of textures and flavors. And when I finally ordered two of them today during my lunch break, it was as if I had been reunited with an old friend. Everything I enjoyed about it the first time has come back immaculate and untouched. The crunchiness provided by the Flamin' Hot Fritos balances well with the beefy, gooey mess found in the rest of the burrito. There's not much more to say other than the fact that you get a perfectly adequate serving size for such a very cheap price. Maybe I'm just crazy, but I have to say... this is probably my favorite thing from Taco Bell. Here's to hoping that they make this a permanent addition to their menu in the future!

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Phoood Hall of Fame: It’s-It Vanilla Ice Cream Treat

There are few things that I find to be as delicious as an It’s-It. First, I love oatmeal cookies. I also love vanilla ice cream and chocolate. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two oatmeal cookies, cover it in chocolate, and I’m in heaven. It just doesn’t get much better. Straight from the freezer, an It’s-It will be pretty firm. As you eat it, it gets softer as the cookies and ice cream thaw a bit. By the end (if you don’t eat it too fast...), you may have ice cream dripping down your hand. Don’t be embarrassed if you have the urge to lick your hands like you are a cat - it’s normal. In addition to vanilla, It’s-Its also come in chocolate, mint, and cappuccino flavors. I’m a traditionalist, so I stick with vanilla. Look at the ice cream treat section of your supermarket some time. There’s a lot of choices and many of them are very tasty. However, I think It’s-Its are the best of them all.

If you live outside of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii, or Arizona, you may have never had the opportunity to enjoy an It’s-It. Don’t fear, you can buy them directly from the company and have them shipped to you (link here). I recommend getting at least a couple of cases.

Carl's Jr. Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

I can't ever remember having a bad experience with an ice cream sandwich. After trying the Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich from Carl's Jr. today, I can still proudly say that ice cream sandwiches are one of my favorite desserts. The simplicity of the sandwich is arguably what makes it so great. The combination of the giant Oreo cookies with vanilla ice cream in between makes for a very satisfying experience. The Oreo cookies contained the unmistakable chocolate flavor associated with other Oreo products. The sandwich held together quite well, and the ice cream didn't end up melting at all. The only downside I can think of is that the ice cream didn't have much vanilla flavor, which ended up being downplayed by the flavor of the cookies. It would've been nice for there to have been a perfect balance between vanilla and chocolate. Regardless, this was a fine dessert that had me longing for another one immediately after I had finished it.

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Wendy’s “W” Burger

Wendy’s has recently introduced a few new burgers to their menu, and I like the direction that the company is going in this regard. I tried the new “W” burger, which has two patties, two slices of American Cheese, and other fixins. It’s a tasty burger, and this is coming from someone who has never been a fan of Wendy’s burgers. The meat had a nice flavor and was cooked just right (i.e., not over cooked as can sometimes be the case at fast food restaurants), and the cheese was, well … I just love American cheese on a burger! I can’t comment on the burger’s “signature sauce” (Thousand Island dressing??) as I ordered my burger with mustard and ketchup instead. The patties are on the small side, not nearly as big as those on Wendy’s new Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy burger. So, I recommend the “W” only to those with modest appetites. With the “W” and the Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy burger - which I think is a fine burger, notwithstanding Jin’s recent review on this blog - now on the menu, I'm much more inclined to eat at Wendy’s than I used to be.

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Wheat Thins Sweet Cinnamon (Limited Edition)

I’m old school when it comes to Wheat Thins. I’ve never bought any of the newfangled “flavored” Wheat Thin varieties. And, I probably wouldn’t have bought Wheat Thins Sweet Cinnamon (Limited Edition) if the company had not sent me a box to try. I’m glad they did. The crackers are like a cross between Wheat Thins and churros, or Wheat Thins and snickerdoodle cookies, although not quite as sweet. Personally, I would think they would taste better if they were just a little more sweet. Also, the sugar that is sprinkled on the crackers is ground very fine; I think a more course sugar would have made the sweetness more prominent and improved the mouthfeel. But, I’m nitpicking. Wheat Thins Sweet Cinnamon are a tasty snack and are a good choice when you want something sweet but don’t want to go overboard.

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Jack in the Box Outlaw Burger

I'll keep this short and to the point. If you want a burger with cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce, and onion rings, just go to Carl's Jr. and get a Western Bacon Cheeseburger. It's much better than the wannabe Outlaw Burger.

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Taco Bell Triple Steak Stack

As much as I love Taco Bell, I have to admit that they are one of the worst offenders when it comes to not being able to replicate the way their food looks in their advertising. This would appear to be especially true for the new Triple Steak Stack, which is said to be mounds of steak and cheese sandwiched inside of an extra long piece of flatbread. It's worth mentioning, first of all, that I didn't get any steak inside of the flatbread until at least a third of the way into it. Any notions of enjoying as much steak as the pictures suggest were immediately thrown out the window. Unfortunately, this means I had to chew through a thick layer of nothing but bread and cheese for a while. Once I finally reached the abundant cache of meat about halfway through, I was able to thoroughly enjoy every juicy bite. The combination of pillowy flatbread, tender steak, and oozing cheese was not groundbreaking, but still proved to be a delight. The biggest problem with the Steak Stack would definitely have to be the price. I'd be willing to go along with it had there been more substance to the product, but I ended up feeling a little cheated out for what I got. With a lack of content for the price you pay, it's very hard to recommend this to anyone (but at least it tastes good?).

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McDonald's McRib Sandwich

The elusive McRib has come to achieve immense popularity since its introduction to the McDonald's menu in 1981. I never completely understood why it has developed such a cult-like following, but I've always been willing to try them out whenever I happen to stop by McDonald's at the right time of year. It's worth mentioning first of all, that the McRib is definitely a unique item. If you've never heard of it before, it's essentially a pork patty slathered with BBQ sauce and topped with pickles and onions. Oh yeah, and it's also served on a sandwich roll. While trying to pick up the McRib, my hands were immediately covered in sauce. Speaking of the sauce, it was of fairly decent quality. I found it to be a good balance between sweet and tangy. The pork patty was spongy and gelatinous, all whilst carrying a distinct fattiness to it that pork is known for. 'Juicy' is the key word here. The pickles contributed an appropriate amount of sour flavor, but the flavor of the onions was a bit muted. Overall, I can't say that this is exactly worth all of the hype surrounding it, but this is definitely a great tasting sandwich that's worth trying out at least once as it's only available for a limited time.

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Carl's Jr. Steakhouse Six Dollar Burger

I was excited to try the new Steakhouse Burger at Carl's Jr., seeing as how it's apparently made by 'the god of hamburgers.' These new Steakhouse Burgers are topped with blue cheese, Swiss cheese, onion strings, and A.1. steak sauce. Blue cheese isn't exactly favored by everyone, but personally I love it and in this instance it balanced well with the sweetness from the steak sauce. This is actually the first time I've ever seen blue cheese on a fast food burger, and I was thoroughly impressed. The onion strings were definitely the least noticeable thing; and towards the end of the burger I found a little pile of onions which probably should've been spread out more evenly. Also the onion strings were not very crispy and I was disappointed at what could've been another standout attribute. Lastly, the patty itself was flavorful and very meaty- albeit a little dry. Thankfully, the creaminess of the two cheeses came into play here. Although it may not quite live up to divine standards, Carl's Jr. proves once again that it can make some of the best, if not the best fast food burgers. The addition of blue cheese alone makes this a resounding success in my book.

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Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

The chocoholics out there will disagree with me, but I believe that there is such a thing as too much chocolate. An example is Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips. They are thick, ridge-cut potato chips covered with milk chocolate. Oh yeah, they’re tasty. Very tasty. But, I can’t help think that they would be even better if the chocolate coating wasn’t quite so generous. The chocolate dominates, leaving little room for the flavor of the potato chips to come through. A little more balance in this regard would make them even more delicious. But, don’t get me wrong. You should still go buy a bag, as they are a delicious, sweet, and salty treat that I’m sure you will enjoy.

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KFC Cheesy Bacon Bowl

I have very fond memories of my dad bringing home some Kentucky Fried Chicken for my family to feast on back when I was a kid. Of course my standards for good food have gotten higher since then, and I rarely get an opportunity to eat at KFC anymore. Luckily, the folks over at KFC were gracious enough to send me a Cheesy Bacon Bowl Taste Test Kit, which included among many things, $25 in KFC gift cards for me to try out their new item. It had been a while since I've tried one of their Famous Bowls, so I wasn't too sure of what to expect out of this new one. To put it shortly, let's just say that I found a reason to go to KFC way more often. The potatoes were buttery and velvety, which provided for a very tasty glue that held the rest of the bowl together. The corn was surprisingly fresh. The chicken was soft, and the coating wasn't exactly crispy but it still added a unique texture. The cheese was initially somewhat cold, and it was interesting to taste the contrast between that and the thick, hot gravy. As for the bacon, it was definitely more substantial than your standard bacon bits- irresistibly salty and chewy. The best part is when these ingredients blend together to become a hot and delicious mess of flavor and texture. If you've never tried a Famous Bowl at KFC before, now's a better time than ever to go out and try one of the best examples of comfort food I can think of.

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Wendy's Dave's Hot 'N Juicy 1/2 lb. Double Cheeseburger

“Well, it certainly looks juicy,” was my initial thought after pulling the dripping burger out of the bag. “And, it definitely looks hot,” I thought, as billows of steam evaporated from the burger. That's what you're promised to get with Wendy's reinvention of its classic hamburger. Still, the question remains: Does it taste any better than before? First of all, I think it's worth mentioning that I've never been too fond of Wendy's hamburgers, due to the fact that I found the meat to have little to no flavor. Unfortunately, the same holds true for the Dave's Hot 'N Juicy 1/2 lb. Cheeseburger that I had. I believe that all hamburger patties should be seasoned to at least some degree but once again I found myself eating a burger that was big on meat, but small on flavor. The pickles were pretty good compared to fast food standards, but the rest of the vegetables were unimpressive. Although they tasted good, the buns were a bit soggy and didn't do a very good job in holding the sandwich together. Overall, I'd have to say that this isn't much of an improvement over the previous incarnation of the Wendy's hamburger, though I'm sure it could rank higher on my list if someone at Wendy's decided to kick the flavor on their patties up a notch.

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Stauffer's Whales

The dollar section at Target can be so appealing. I love spending only a dollar for an item. But sometimes, even a dollar is too much. Take Stauffer's Whales crackers, for example. Sure, they're less expensive than Pepperidge Farms Goldfish crackers. You save some money, but what do you get? You get a cracker that is far inferior to the iconic goldfish-shaped cracker. The cracker's cheese flavor isn't very good and they have a slightly bitter aftertaste. The crackers just taste a bit … cheap. Which they are. If you only have one dollar to spend on marine animal-shaped cheese-flavored crackers, I recommend that you keep that dollar in your pocket and pass on Stauffer's Whales.

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Doritos Fiery Fusion Sizzlin’ Cayenne & Cheese

When I sat down to write this review, I realized how many times a review has been posted on Phoood for some variety of Doritos chips. It’s because Frito-Lay, rather then just be satisfied with the success that the Doritos’ brand has had, is continuously introducing new flavors. To be honest, I haven’t always loved the flavors they have come up with. But Fiery Fusion Sizzlin’ Cayenne & Cheese (what a long name...) is one of their best. The chips combine the flavors of cayenne, jalapeno, and cheese in a way that is nicely balanced. You can taste each flavor separately, and none overpowers the other. I don’t usually like things that are jalapeno flavored, but these chips are rare exception. Those of you that like it hot will enjoy the lingering heat of the cayenne that stays on your tongue and in the back of your throat long after you are done eating the chips. It’s a reminder that these aren’t just any ordinary tortilla chips. Frito-Lay is to be commended for continuing to offer bold, interesting flavors such as Fiery Fusion Sizzlin’ Cayenne & Cheese.

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Breyer’s Blasts! Whoppers Malted Vanilla

These days, almost all the ice cream that I eat has stuff in it: cookie pieces, candy pieces, nuts, caramel, chocolate chips, etc. I just find ice cream with “stuff” in it much more enjoyable than plain ice cream. Breyer’s has a line of ice cream called Blasts!, one of which is Whoppers Malted Vanilla. It’s malted vanilla ice cream with Whoppers mini malted milk balls and fudge swirl. Okay, technically it’s not ice cream. It’s “frozen dairy desert,” which, from what I’ve read, means that it has less fat than ice cream. In the end, I don’t really care whether or not it can legally be called ice cream, as long as it tastes good. The malted vanilla “frozen diary desert” has a great flavor and the frozen mini Whoppers add a pleasing texture. I thought that the combination of malted vanilla and chocolate-covered malt balls might be to much “malt,” but the two flavors really go well together. There’s also some fudge swirl in there, but not much of it. Breyer’s should either increase the amount of fudge to a respectable amount or leave it out altogether. Ice cream lovers - or frozen dairy desert lovers - should try Whoppers Malted Vanilla for it’s unique, interesting flavor.

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Taco Bell Bacon Ranch Chicken Flatbread Sandwich

Recently, Taco Bell decided to bring back their Chicken Flatbread Sandwich along with a new Bacon Ranch variety. I had the opportunity to try the original Chicken Flatbread when it was first introduced, but I can't remember whether I liked it or not. That being the case, I decided to try out the Bacon Ranch sandwich the other day. At 99 cents, the obvious selling point is how cheap the sandwich is. However, upon first seeing it I have to admit I wasn't impressed at all. First of all, it looked comparable to something you microwave at home (just do a Google image search to see what I mean). The flatbread was sweaty and moist, and in no way did it resemble the advertisements for it. The pieces of chicken were not evenly spread out and overall the whole thing just looked like a mess. When it came to taste, I guess it wasn't horrible but at the same time I wasn't feeling any less hungry than I did before and I couldn't make out any sort of bacon flavor in the sauce. There's plenty of other cheap items at Taco Bell, so I suggest you invest your money towards something a bit more filling and memorable.

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Cheez-It Baby Swiss

Now you're probably thinking the same thing I was when I passed by Cheez-It Baby Swiss in the supermarket for the first time.

Baby Swiss?

This immediately piqued my interest and so after a quick internet search I soon realized that Baby Swiss was actually a real thing, characterized by its mild taste and smaller "eyes" (holes in the cheese). I guess that's appropriate for Cheez-Its, as they too have a signature hole in the center of their crackers. Anyway, immediately after digging into the box my first impression was that it tasted too similar to the regular Cheez-It crackers. It was only after a couple dozen more that I was able to recognize some subtle differences. It's not as sharp as the regular Cheez-Its, and it has a sweeter aftertaste. These differences weren't very noticeable though, as I had a hard time trying to find something unique to the crackers. Maybe it's due to my lack of experience with Baby Swiss cheese, but I had hoped for a little more "oomph" coming from flavor department. Either way, I always find it difficult to put down a box of Cheez-Its, so I suggest you try it at least once to determine whether or not you like it.

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Burger King California Whopper

I've had burgers in many different variations for as long as I can remember. Burger King's new California Whopper which comes with guacamole, Swiss cheese, and bacon, did not come across to me as anything fresh or original. Since I'm accustomed to seeing these ingredients put into a burger, I knew that this Whopper had a lot to live up to. Let's start with the bacon: it was crisp, peppery, and very satisfying overall. When it came to the Swiss cheese... well to be honest, I actually forgot that it was even there. I guess that shows how much it contributed to the burger.

Now let's talk guac. I'm a huge fan of it in general, and I have to say that the guacamole in this Whopper was pretty decent. It didn't carry too much of an avocado flavor, but it had somewhat of a spicy kick to it and it was nice and cool temperature-wise. It was smooth and had a good contrast with the hamburger meat and bacon. The final verdict? Well, the flavors were good and it had some variety in texture (something not too common in fast food), so I wouldn't mind ordering another one in the future. However, I can get something similar to this at any other burger joint, so let's just stick with calling it "Good."

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Dr. Pepper Ten

I’m always searching for the best tasting diet soda. My current favorite is Pepsi Max, but with about fifty percent more caffeine than other sodas I like, I only drink it occasionally because I want to be able to go to sleep at night. So, I was excited to find Dr. Pepper Ten on my grocer’s shelves. “10 Bold Tasting Calories, Same 23 Authentic Flavors” is how Dr. Pepper Ten is advertised, obviously a suggestion that it tastes similar to regular Dr. Pepper. The claim is not that far from reality. Dr. Pepper Ten has a real nice flavor that is pretty close to regular Dr. Pepper. It has a bit of that “diet soda” taste, but not much. The drink’s high fructose corn syrup (the source of the 10 calories, I would guess) probably takes some of the edge off of the aspartame taste. Dr. Pepper fans who would like to limit their calories and diet soda drinkers should give Dr. Pepper Ten a try. It’s one of the best tasting diet sodas you can find.

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Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Cereal

There’s yet another breakfast cereal on the shelves of my local Safeway - Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut. From what I’ve read, it’s a very popular cereal in the UK but only recently came to the US. I bought a box of the Golden Honey Nut variety, which has corn flakes covered with honey and topped with peanuts (it also comes in an Os variety called Roasted Nut and Honey). The honey and nuts give it a very crunchy texture, one of the most crunchy that you’ll find in any cereal. It easily stays crunchy all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Crunchy Nut is marketed as a tasty cereal for adults. Accordingly, it’s not overly sweet like kids cereals often are. On top of honey-covered corn flakes are small bits of peanuts … very small. No doubt the peanuts are the most expensive ingredient in the cereal, so they are applied sparingly. Even so, you do get a bit of peanut flavor in each bite. As tasty as Crunchy Nut is, it has a bit more more sugar compared to the cereals I usually eat, so it will probably only be an occasional purchase.

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McDonald's Rolo McFlurry

It's been many years since I've tried a Rolo. To be honest I never found them to be that great, mostly due to the fact that I always thought they were too chewy. So naturally I was somewhat hesitant to try the new Rolo McFlurry at McDonald's the other day. To my surprise, it exceeded my expectations by quite a bit. Pieces of chocolate ranging from small to large were swirled around vanillla ice cream and topped with caramel sauce. I really enjoyed how many pieces of Rolo there were- the best part being that there were several very large pieces of chocolate in there. The chewiness of the candy worked well with the soft and creamy ice cream to provide not only immense flavor but also a pleasurable texture. It definitely didn't hurt that there were laces of caramel to be found all throughout the McFlurry, which contributed to the already awesome pairing of chocolate and vanilla. While I've enjoyed slightly better tasting desserts in places such as Dairy Queen, I can say that this is one of the best desserts I've had from McDonald's. Be sure to try one soon, because they're only available for a limited time.

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