October 27, 2011
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.
Phoood rating: 
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.
Phoood rating:
October 25, 2011
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.
Phoood rating: 
October 24, 2011
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.
Phoood rating: 
October 11, 2011
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.
Phoood rating: 