May 29, 2010
Wienerschnitzel Big 100% Angus Beef Chili Dog
When it comes to hot dogs, I don’t want any turkey, chicken, or pork in them. For some reason, I just think that hot dogs should be made of beef. That’s why I like the Wienerschnitzel Big 100% Angus Beef Dog so much. I don’t have to wonder what kind of mystery meat it’s made with. The hot dog tastes great and is big - much larger than the standard Wienerschnitzel hot dog. Fortunately, the bun is big enough to handle the large hot dog. My only quibble is the small amount of chili that comes on it. A big dog needs a big scoop of chili! Sure, the dog is easy to eat because the chili doesn’t drip and fall all over the place. But I’d rather have more chili on the dog and take the risk of some of it getting on my shirt. Still, the Big 100% Angus Beef Dog is pretty darn good and I recommend trying one.
Phoood rating: 
May 25, 2010
McDonald's Hot 'n Spicy McChicken Sandwich
The other night I was coming home from a night out on the town and started craving some late-night dining. Like many people with this sudden inclination, I typically end up at Taco Bell. However, tonight my cravings were homing in on something more classic: McDonald’s fries. Approaching the drive-thru (again, I’m sure like many in this situation), everything suddenly sounded delicious. I ended up sticking to the dollar menu and ordered a small fry and, in a first for me, a Hot ’n Spicy McChicken Sandwich. Being a big fan of their regular McChicken sandwich, a go-to of mine when I’m dining on a budget, I was hopeful that I would have another regular item on my spend-as-little-as-I-can-on-food-and-still-be-satisfied menu. The Hot ‘n Spicy McChicken consists of the exact same ingredients--mayo, lettuce, and fried chicken patty--as a typical McChicken, except this time around the Chicken Patty has additional herbs and spices that turn the fried patty a tint of red. After my first bite I was pleasantly surprised that this sandwich actually had a bit of a kick, atypical of spicy foods at most fast food restaurants. Unfortunately, after consuming more, I just wasn’t that impressed. The McChicken is beautiful because it is simple: fried chicken, lettuce, and mayo. The addition of the herbs and spices tries to turn it into a premium offering, when the one dollar price point and therefore cheaper ingredients suggests otherwise.
Phoood rating: 
May 21, 2010
Diet Pepsi Cherry Vanilla
Dr. Pepper has their Diet Cherry Vanilla, which I’ve always thought is pretty good. Now, Pepsi thinks they can successfully combine the flavors of Diet Pepsi, cherry, and vanilla. Apparently, it’s not easy to do. The cherry flavor of Diet Pepsi Cherry Vanilla is very strong and the vanilla flavor not far behind. The two flavors are so prominent, in fact, that it’s very hard to taste any cola flavor. I guess this could be a good thing if you don’t like the taste of Diet Pepsi, but my preference would be for a more balanced combination of flavors that complement, rather than cover up, the cola flavor. According to the Pepsi web site, Diet Pepsi Cherry Vanilla will only be available for a limited time this summer. So, get one soon if you want to drink a below-average diet soft drink that will soon be long forgotten, like so many other Pepsi varieties.
Phoood rating:
May 14, 2010
Pretzel M&M’s
As if there wasn’t already too many varieties of M&M’s, now there are Pretzel M&M’s. In theory, a pretzel covered with milk chocolate and a candy coating should be pretty tasty. But Pretzel M&M’s don’t work for me. The sphere-shaped pretzel pieces are very small and don’t have much flavor on their own. They also lack the saltiness that is such an important component of a good pretzel. The saltiness of a pretzel and the sweetness of chocolate is a great combination when done right, but Pretzel M&M’s don’t pull it off. If you want a chocolate-covered pretzel, buy some Pretzel Flipz instead. They are outrageously delicious. Pretzel M&M’s, on the other hand, are a disappointment.
Phoood rating:
May 3, 2010
KFC Double Down Sandwich
The new Double Down sandwich from KFC must be the oddest fast food item ever introduced to the public. What mental case came up with the idea to make a sandwich using two chicken fillets as the bun? Maybe it was just a way to get some publicity and bring a few curious eaters like me into KFC to try it. In the middle of the aforementioned chicken fillets are two pieces of bacon, two slices of cheese, and some kind of sauce they call “Colonel’s sauce.” The chicken fillets were juicy and tasty, as you would expect from KFC. And they weren’t thin fillets, either. Each one must have been three-quarters of an inch thick, which means each bite was about an inch and a half of chicken. That’s just too much chicken for my tastes, no matter how good the chicken is. The bacon, cheese, and sauce added some good flavor but also caused my sandwich to be a slippery, gooey mess that was difficult to eat. It’s not something I would recommend that you try to eat while driving, that’s for sure. I’m glad I ate the Double Down but next time I go to KFC, I’ll be getting something else.
Phoood rating: