June 29, 2004
Nestlé Toll House Candy Bar
The Nestlé Toll House Candy Bar (Soft and Chewy Cookie variety) attempts to be a cookie and candy bar at the same time. Consisting of a soft cookie covered with chocolate, the candy bar just doesn’t work as well as you may think it would. The chewy cookie center doesn’t really have the taste of a Toll House cookie, and it is covered in too much chocolate. The wrapper indicates that there is also caramel and morsels in the cookie, but both are hardly noticeable. With some tweaking, the Toll House Candy Bar could be very good. But as it is, it’s only so-so.
Phoood rating: 
June 24, 2004
Klaster Czech Lager
While shopping at BevMo, I came across a beer I had never seen before, and it was on sale for a very good price. I couldn’t pass it up, so I bought a six-pack. Klaster Traditional Czech Lager comes from the Klaster brewery in the Czech Republic. I really like European beers, so I figured the Klaster would be good. Well, it isn’t quite as good as I hoped. It has an adequately hoppy flavor, but a finish that reminds me of an inexpensive, lower-quality beer. To be fair, it did get a little better the more I drank. By the end of the bottle, I had a better opinion of the beer then when I’d started it. I’ve had better European lagers, and I’ve had worse. Klaster Lager falls somewhere in between.
Phoood rating:
June 22, 2004
Snickers Almond Bar
I kind of feel cheated after eating the new Snickers Almond Bar. Both the name and the description on the wrapper (Almonds, Milk Chocolate, Caramel and Nougat) lead one to believe that almonds are a main ingredient. Unfortunately, the almonds were hardly noticeable. What I got was mostly nougat, with some caramel and milk chocolate, and a few puny almonds buried somewhere at the bottom. “Snickers Nougat Bar” would be a more honest name. It’s not a bad tasting candy bar. However, it does fall short of my expectations, especially considering that it wears the Snickers name.
Phoood rating:
June 20, 2004
Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Taco Bell’s Cheesy Gordita Crunch is similar in concept to their Double Decker Taco, which is one of my favorite menu items. The Cheesy Gordita Crunch consists of a crunchy taco surrounded by flatbread that is held to the taco shell with a blend of three melted cheeses. It’s hard to go wrong with these ingredients, so I was not surprised to find that the Cheesy Gordita Crunch was very tasty. The taco has a great tasting Pepper Jack sauce, and the flatbread that surrounds the taco has a nice chewy texture. Using cheese to fasten the flatbread to the taco shell (rather than refried beans with the Double Decker Taco) is a great idea, and the cheese tasted great. I found nothing to fault about the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, but I am a bit worried about Taco Bell’s lazy R&D department. The Cheesy Gordita Crunch and the Double Decker Taco are merely combinations of existing Taco Bell menu items. I would like to see some new, original products. Or, at the very least, bring back the legendary BellBeefer.
Phoood rating: 
June 17, 2004
Golden Oreos
I finally got around to buying a bag of Nabisco’s new Golden Oreos, and was not disappointed. The creme in the middle tastes the same as the creme used in the original Oreo cookie. The two golden-colored cookies surrounding the creme have a very good flavor that is surprisingly addictive – almost as addictive as original Oreos. The cookies were also delicious when dipped in milk, which is my preferred way of eating them. If you are a traditionalist and balk at the idea of a non-chocolate Oreo, it will be your loss. You’ll miss out on a great tasting cookie that can proudly sit beside original Oreos on the supermarket shelf.
Phoood rating:
June 14, 2004
Reese's White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
There’s nothing wrong with Reese's White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, it’s just that they are not nearly as good as I thought they would be. Possibly because of the white chocolate’s mild flavor, the white chocolate does not complement the peanut butter like milk chocolate does. Perhaps Reese’s is trying to go upscale by offering a white chocolate variety of their Peanut Butter Cup. And perhaps I’m just not upscale enough to appreciate it. Oh well, I’ll just stick to the milk chocolate variety. I can’t give them a completely negative review, however. After all, they are chocolate-covered peanut butter, and covering peanut butter with chocolate is never a bad thing.
Phoood rating:
June 12, 2004
Coke C2
Only a few days after I first tried Pepsi Edge, I found Coke’s new low-sugar cola, C2, in a local store. I was very anxious to taste is and compare it to Pepsi Edge, which did not impress me at all. I am surprised that C2 is as good as it is. It has a good cola flavor and lots of carbonation, which were both lacking in Pepsi Edge. C2 has more sweetness than Pepsi Edge, and I find it much more enjoyable to drink. While I probably will never buy a Pepsi Edge, I can see myself buying C2 occasionally. In the low-sugar cola wars, Coke is the clear winner.
Phoood rating:
June 9, 2004
Pepsi Edge
I came up with the idea of a cola with half the calories and sugar a long time ago. I’ve been waiting for the cola makers to steal my idea and develop a soft drink that is a compromise between a diet and a regular cola. Well, both Pepsi and Coke have done it (Coke's product was actually launced a short time before Pepsi's). Pepsi Edge claims to have “full flavor” with 50% of the sugar, carbs, and calories. Unfortunately, it does not have all the flavor of regular Pepsi. The cola flavor is on the weak side, and the reduced sweetness makes it even less appealing (although some may prefer the less sweet taste). Also, it seemed to have less carbonation than regular Pepsi. Many people will prefer Pepsi Edge over a diet cola, and for good reason. However, I don’t see much reason to drink Pepsi Edge, especially when I can have a Pepsi One (my personal favorite) instead.
Phoood rating:
June 6, 2004
Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger
Carl’s Jr’s new burger, the Double Six Dollar Burger, is a full pound of beef with three slices of American cheese. For most people, this much meat and cheese would be hazardous to their health. But to me, it is a challenge that I just couldn’t pass up. With two ½-pound, charbroiled 100% Angus beef patties, the burger was as good as just about any other burger I’ve eaten. The massive patties were cooked just the way I like it (no pink inside…), and seasoned well. The burger was very good, and definitely didn’t taste like any other burger I’ve had from a fast food restaurant. My only gripe was the bun – it was too small for the burger and could have been a higher quality bread. The Double Six Dollar Burger is not the biggest or best hamburger I’ve ever eaten (both awards go to the Quadruple French Ground Steakburger from Nationwide Meats in Sacramento, California), but it ranks up there among the best. If you have a real big appetite, or want to feed a family of four, give it a try.
Phoood rating: 
June 3, 2004
Hawaiian Punch Wild Purple Smash
I noticed this Hawaiian Punch flavor, which I had never seen before, at the local Kwik-E-Mart. With a name like “Wild Purple Smash,” I kind of expected that it would have a unique or unusual taste. I was disappointed to discover that it tastes a lot like grape Kool-Aid. Some of the other fruit flavors (there are seven in all) that comprise the drink were there, but they were difficult to discern under the strong grape flavor. Interestingly, grape is not even one of the seven flavors. A visit to the Hawaiian Punch Web site shows that there are many other flavors of Hawaiian Punch beside the original Fruit Juicy Red. After trying Wild Purple Smash, I don’t think I’ll bother to try “Green Berry Rush,” “Bodacious Berry,” or the others. I’ll stick with Fruit Juicy Red.
Phoood rating: