March 16, 2011

Quiznos Prime Rib on Garlic Bread

primeribongarlic.jpgFull disclosure: The nice folks at Quiznos sent me a gift card so I could try one of their new prime rib sandwiches that they recently introduced to their menu. I decided to get the Prime Rib on Garlic Bread. The prime rib was surprisingly tender, but didn’t have the amount of flavor that you get from prime rib at a nice restaurant. The meat was moist, but not juicy. Juicy is what I was hoping for. You know, juice running down your chin kind of juicy. And although the sandwich is advertised as having extra meat, it didn’t seem to me that there was any more than a typical sandwich. To be fair, I didn’t actually compare the amount of meat to another sandwich (I had left my scale at home…), so my observation is purely subjective. The sandwich also had cheddar cheese on it. My favorite part of the sandwich, surprisingly, was the garlic aioli. It was delicious! I’d lather the creamy aioli on just about everything I eat if I could. The aioli made a good sandwich a little bit better. There’s a lot of sandwiches on the menu at Quiznos, but the Prime Rib on Garlic Bread is a good choice if you are like me and prefer a straight-forward, meat and cheese sandwich.

Phoood rating: Good.gif

Posted by Jim | Comments (4)

March 13, 2011

McDonald's Shamrock Shake

shamrockshake.jpgFew fast food items from my childhood stand out to me as much as the Shamrock Shake from McDonald's. I've only had one or two in the past, but the minty flavor was so distinct back then that it was an unforgettable treat. Internet research has led me to find out that the shake has somewhat of a cult following, much like the McRib. I also found out that McDonald's altered their recipe for the Shamrock Shake about a year ago by adding whipped cream and a cherry- to the disappointment of many fans. People have also commented that this new version of the shake isn't as minty as it used to be, so I decided to go try one out for myself. Sure enough, there was a mound of whipped cream and a cherry on top of my Shamrock Shake, but I didn't mind at all. I'm pretty sure you could ask for it to be excluded from your order anyway. As for the shake itself, I was relieved to discover that this was the same dessert I had enjoyed years ago as a kid. Perhaps McDonald's experimented around with a different recipe in the past, but apparently they decided to go back to the way things were. If you want to enjoy a thick and minty drink, go ahead and try one of these out. Any purists out there may want to order theirs without the new additions though.

Phoood rating: Good.gif

Posted by Jin | Comments (5)

March 6, 2011

Ruffles Loaded Chili & Cheese

rufflesloaded.jpgI like Ruffles because they have ridges, and more ridges means more potential for flavor (at least in theory). And, they have a better crunch than most other chips. Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream have been a favorite of mine for years. While perusing the chip aisle at the supermarket recently, I spotted Ruffles Loaded Chili & Cheese. The picture on the front of the bag - Ruffles covered with chili and cheese - reminded me of chili cheese fries at Tommy’s in Southern California or Sacramento’s own Tommy’s knockoff, Willies. My mouth watered as I stood in the isle. The chips were on sale, so I just couldn’t pass them up. The chips do an okay job of capturing the flavor of chili cheese fries. I could definitively taste the chili, but the cheese flavor was not as prominent. The chips also have the flavor of onions and peppers, which wouldn’t be found on any chili cheese fries that I would eat. All these flavors mixed together make for some very bold-flavored chips. So bold that you’ll want to brush you teeth a couple of times after eating them unless you don’t mind having strong chili-onion breath. I think, however, that there’s just too many flavors going on at one time for the chips to really succeed. I really wanted to like them, but they just didn’t live up to the picture on the front of the bag. At the end of the day, the important question is whether I would buy the chips again. I wouldn’t, which is why they only deserve a “So-so” rating.

Phoood rating: So-so

Posted by Jim | Comments (1)