November 22, 2004
Jack In The Box Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
I feel sorry for those who don’t live in one of the states that Jack In The Box operates. They miss out on some really good fast food, including my favorite fast food hamburger, the Ultimate Cheeseburger. Fortunately, I live in the land of 865 Jack In The Boxes – California – and have an opportunity to buy the new Pumpkin Pie Milkshake. It is really good, with a nice pumpkin pie flavor and just the right amount of spices (nutmeg and cinnamon). Made with real ice cream, it has the perfect thickness (thick, but not so thick that you can’t suck it through a straw). I suspect these will only be available for a limited time, so get yours while you can.
Phoood rating: 
Pepsi Holiday Spice
Here’s another product that goes in the “What’s the Point?” category. Pepsi Holiday Spice, a limited-edition soda that will only be available during the holiday season. It is regular Pepsi infused with cinnamon and ginger flavors. It tastes more like nutmeg and cloves to me, but what do I know? The soda definitely has a different and unique flavor, and kind of conveys that “holiday” feeling. It is quite drinkable, but the novelty doesn’t go very far. The spices are pretty mild, and after drinking most of the 20-ounce bottle, the spice flavor was much less noticeable. A stronger spice flavor would really get people’s attention and make the soda something to talk about. Instead, it will probably be quickly forgotten.
Phoood rating: 
November 15, 2004
am/pm Half Pound 100% Angus Beef Cheeseburger
If you live in one of five Western states (California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona), you know that there is an am/pm store attached to an ARCO gas station on almost every corner. Those of us who don’t turn our noses up at food just because it comes from under a heat lamp know that you can find some good food at am/pm. Yes, I admit it - I like food that comes from as gas station. I especially like the burgers at am/pm. They are cheap and taste OK. I recently tried the new Half Pound 100% Angus Beef Cheeseburger. It’s a bigger burger, but the taste is not much different than the regular, non-Angus burgers. The bun, as usual, is cheap and full of air, and the meat looks worse than it tastes. My expectations weren’t very high – this is a gas station, after all – but I was hoping the new Angus burger would be a little better than it is. But for $1.99, it’s a good deal and I’ll probably buy one again.
Phoood rating:
November 13, 2004
Butterfinger Crisp
Butterfinger candy bars have a unique flavor and texture that makes them one of my favorite candy bars. I was hoping that the new Butterfinger Crisp candy bar would be as good as the original. It is made of chocolate-covered crispy wafers and “Butterfinger Candy Crème.” It’s a good candy bar, but lacks the distinctive taste you would expect with the Butterfinger name on the wrapper. The Butterfinger flavor there, but it is not very strong. Overall, I thought it was just kind of boring. Buy one if you must, but don’t be surprised if you feel a little let down by it.
Phoood rating:
November 3, 2004
Bugles Salsa Flavor
Bugles are not one of the snacks I put at the top of my shopping list. In fact, they don’t go on the list at all. Honestly, they just aren’t very good. But now, there is a new variety of Bugles that are worth buying. New Salsa flavored Bugles are full of spicy salsa flavor that make them very tasty. The salsa flavor is very familiar – I think it is used in another snack food. Nevertheless, it works well on Bugles and makes them almost impossible to stop from eating.
Phoood rating: 