Author: Vin

REVIEW: Lay’s Flavor Icons Potato Chips

Vin 35 Comments

Lay s Flavor Icons Potato Chips Bags

This is one of my favorite times of the year.

Seriously, I love it when Lay’s does its big multi-flavor rollouts, whether it be the jealousy-inducing “Do Us a Flavor” finalists, the recent music inspired flavors, or its “Tastes of America” campaign that these new “Flavor Icons” seem to be a continuation of, I’ve pretty much enjoyed every single special chip they’ve put out.

This year, the “Flavor Icons” are chips inspired by foods from famous American eateries. As an East Coast guy, I’ve personally dined at two of the five, so I guess I can say I have a frame of reference on a couple of these flavors.

I’ll rapid-fire through these reviews starting with the two places I’ve eaten at:

Lay’s Kettle Cooked Grimaldi’s New York Style Pizza (Brooklyn, NY)

Lay s Kettle Cooked Flavor Icons New York Style Pizza Potato Chips

Grimaldi’s is a chain of pizza places that originated where I originated, Brooklyn. I haven’t had it in years, but I do recall thinking the pizza was a little overrated. Needless to say, it’s a super famous NYC pizza joint, and that was a blasphemous opinion to anyone I mentioned it to.

Anyway, these chips hit me like a massive nostalgia bomb when I popped open the bag and got a whiff of the old Keebler Pizzeria Chips. I was probably in elementary school last time I had those, but it all came back to me.

Speaking of memories, these hit me right in my taste receptors because WOW(!!!), they tasted exactly like how I remember Grimaldi’s. The chain makes a very saucy pizza, and they definitely gave their secret recipe to Frito Lay. I’d describe it as “gourmet,” with all the ingredients you’d expect from a pizza sauce – onion, garlic, oregano, basil, olive oil, etc.

I’m more of a cheese guy, so I loved the fresh mozzarella flavor and tiny bit of parmesan on the backend. I do not think they needed to be kettle-style, but it reminded me of a crisp pizza crust, so it worked. Pizza is usually hit or miss in chip form. These may be the best pizza chips I’ve ever had.

Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 7 3/4 oz bag
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (18 chips) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 180 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Lay’s Geno’s Philly Cheesesteak (I’ll give ya a hint, PA)

Lay s Flavor Icons Philly Cheesesteak Potato Chips

I’ll tread lightly because I don’t know how to talk about Philly cheesesteaks without breaking the rules. Last time I went to Philly, I got a steak at Geno’s… then I walked across the street and got one at Pat’s, so I don’t have a preference. Cheesesteaks are just awesome.

These chips start out tasting just like Cheddar and Sour Cream, but as I went on, I started to get a “meat” flavor I guess you’d classify as beefy. Beef and even a hint of peppers remain as an aftertaste. So, it starts with the cheese “whiz” (did I do that right?) and some onion, and ends with the beef and peppers. It’s actually pretty complex, and I thought these were excellent.

Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 7 3/4 oz bag
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 15 chips) 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 210 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Lay’s Wavy El Torito Carnitas Street Taco (Marina Del Ray, CA)

Lay s Wavy Flavor Icons Canitas Street Taco Potato Chips

Now we get to the places I’ve never been to. Carnitas were my go-to Mexican order before I decided to stop eating pork. Well, I broke my resolution because these chips actually have pork listed as an ingredient. They definitely taste like charred pulled Mexican-style pork, albeit weakly.

They start with a very slight sweetness that I attributed to the sauce El Torito must use to simmer the pork. There’s a little blast of lime and fresh chopped onion in there too. There’s a weird, dull “dryness” to these that I persuaded myself was supposed to mimic the tortilla. These don’t POP as much the rest of the lineup, but they’re still pretty tasty, and I love that they’re Wavy.

Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 7 3/4 oz bag
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (15 chips) 150 calories, 10 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 210 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.

Lay’s Cocina Azul Chile Relleno (Albuquerque, NM)

Lay s Flavor Icons Chile Relleno Potato Chips

Full transparency, I didn’t even know what this was – some kinda egg and cheese mix stuffed inside a pepper? Sure, why not, that sounds good. Well, after eating the chip, I’m gonna make it my duty to seek out the actual dish.

These chips smell and taste like a light queso dip. The chile pepper tastes both crisp and vibrant while giving off the perfect amount of heat. They’re not really too spicy, which I appreciated. There is also definitely an “eggy” taste, like cheesy scrambled eggs that peek out towards the finish. These are probably the saltiest of the bunch, and I imagine some may think they’re too mild overall, but I’m a big fan.

Purchased Price: $1.89
Size: 2 5/8 oz bag
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (15 chips) 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 180 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Lay’s Party Fowl Nashville Hot Chicken (Guess Where, TN)

Lay s Flavor Icons Nashville Hot Chicken Potato Chips

Now I’ve had plenty of hot chicken in my life, but I’ve never had Nashville-specific hot chicken, so forgive me if I say anything out of line.

As you’d expect, these are the hottest chip in the bunch. I’d put them slightly under the standard “Flamin’ Hot” heat, which keeps them very snackable. These are undeniably chicken-flavored, but they mostly tasted like crispy chicken skin to me.

They had that “dryness” that I mentioned in the Carnitas review, that I can’t quite find a better word for. I like it, though. The hot sauce flavor doesn’t have any particular ingredient I can pinpoint. Google tells me they usually use cayenne and brown sugar, but I didn’t necessarily get that, nor were they listed as ingredients.

There’s a pickle on the bag, but I don’t believe this has any pickle flavor. I would have loved a little splash of dill, but not a huge deal.

Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 7 3/4 oz bag
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (15 chips) 150 calories, 10 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 190 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Lay s Flavor Icons Potato Chips 2

So, there ya have ’em. I pretty much loved all five, but a couple were near perfect. I can’t be super confident that three are perfectly accurate to the specific restaurant dish they’re copying, but judging from the two I know, I bet they’re pretty spot on.

Maybe I’m just an easy (Frito) lay, but I’m really impressed. These might be the most complex flavor profiles Lay’s have tackled to date, and they nailed ’em. Basically, every intended ingredient of each dish came through for me. That never happens.

According to the bags you have until 9/10/20 to try these. Don’t drag your feet. Otherwise, you’ll have to drive coast to coast to try the real things.

Oh, and if anyone from Frito Lay is reading this, I dare you to make my last flavor submission – Onion Knish with Spicy Mustard!

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Refreshers

Vin 5 Comments

Dunkin Refreshers

What are Dunkin’ Refreshers?

If you’re looking for an invigorating beverage this summer, Dunkin’ has you covered with the new green tea-based Peach Passion Fruit and Strawberry Dragonfruit Refreshers.

Dunkin Refreshers Flavors Closeup

How are they?

I won’t bury the lede – they live up to their name, but one definitely outshines the other.

Peach Passionfruit was the clear winner.

It tasted like Peach Tea Snapple with a splash of guava that also had a few Sour Peach Fruit Rings floating in it. Well, maybe if you mute all of the previous flavors by about 33%. It’s not nearly as sweet as that description sounds, but I appreciated that.

It started with a strong peach flavor that soon got washed with a mild sourness I can only assume came from the passion fruit that I thought tasted exactly like guava. Still, peach was in the driver’s seat, and the flavors blended well, unlike, Strawberry Dragonfruit, which was just pretty dull.

Dunkin Refreshers Top

It tasted like strawberry for a split second, but immediately turned into Power-C Vitamin Water. It makes sense, since they’re both dragonfruit flavored, but this is essentially just that Vitamin Water with some faint herbal tea notes in the background. That’s it, it’s Vitamin Water.

Anything else you need to know?

Refreshers are made with iced green tea, flavored fruit concentrate, and B vitamins, so you can see why Dunkin’ chose this name. Despite not being a big fan of one, I can’t dispute the claim. These are pretty refreshing.

Dunkin Refreshers Cuvee

For all the wine drinkers out there, I went ahead and tried a little cuvée of both flavors. Sad to say, it was a non-descript mess. Somehow the sourness rose while the peach tea flavored completely died. It ended up tasting like a flat, tangy, tropical punch seltzer.

Conclusion:

Oh, that reminds me, I wish these were carbonated. I think both flavor profiles could have benefitted from some effervescence.

There are much better menu options at Dunkin’, but if you don’t feel like a coffee or a frozen fruit drink, you might get a nice boost to your day from a Refresher – just make sure to get the Peach Passionfruit.

Purchased Price: $2.00 each
Size: Medium
Purchased at: Dunkin
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Peach Passionfruit), 4 out of 10 (Strawberry Dragonfruit)
Nutrition Facts: Peach Passionfruit – 130 calories, 0 grams of fat, 15 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of total carbohydrates, 29 grams of total sugars, 24mg of potassium, 10g of calcium, 1 gram of protein. Strawberry Dragonfruit – 130 calories, 0 grams of fat, 15 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of total carbohydrates, 27 grams of total sugars, 24mg of potassium, 10g of calcium, 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Hostess S’mores CupCakes

Vin 6 Comments

Hostess Limited Edition S mores Cupcakes

What are Limited Edition Hostess S’mores Cupcakes?

If you miss roasting marshmallows around the fire pit with friends, Hostess has a new s’mores spin on its classic Cupcake to hold you over.

How are they?

All the elements are here – graham flavored cake (I think?), marshmallow cream, and that delicious sheet of chocolate with the iconic white squiggle, yet I found these ultimately disappointing.

Hostess Limited Edition S mores Cupcakes Bottom

I mean, they’re delicious, but they don’t taste THAT much like s’mores.
The “yellow” cake is clearly brownish and tastes mildly like honey graham crackers, but the box does not indicate that. Assuming I’m correct, that was a great touch. They should’ve ramped up the flavor a lot more, though.

Hostess Limited Edition S mores Cupcakes Side

The cream does taste like marshmallow, but not enough to really separate it from the standard Hostess filling. If you’re expecting Marshmallow Fluff, I’m afraid you’re burnt.

Hostess Limited Edition S mores Cupcakes Top

The chocolate is as perfect as it’s always been. No complaints here*. The weird fondant-like texture has always been delicious and reminds me of my fading youth. I wish Hostess sold these in individual slices like George Costanza’s chocolate pudding skin idea.

*Complaint here instead – the squiggle should have been marshmallow flavored.

Anything else you need to know?

With all that said, there’s still just enough here to differentiate from a regular Hostess CupCake. It’s not the “s’more bomb” (which is not an actual thing people say, well, unless you wanna make it a thing) I was hoping it’d be, but I definitely think you should pick up a box.

S’mores are a hot treat, but do what I did and freeze a few of ’em. They’re phenomenal when chilled.

Conclusion:

I’ve never had a Hostess CupCake I didn’t enjoy, and this s’mores variety isn’t changing that, but it still kinda burns my marbits that S’mores CupCakes didn’t rival my all-time favorite flavor, Orange.

Here’s the thing – these might be better than the originals, but they don’t deliver on the flavor promised enough. I guess Hostess ultimately decided to take the “less is s’more” approach so people wouldn’t forget about the O.G.

Purchased Price: $2.86
Size: 12.7 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 CupCake) 170 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 135 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of total carbohydrates, 22 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich

Vin 15 Comments

Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich

What is the Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich?

Starbucks has entered the plant-based sausage revolution with its new Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

How is it?

Burger King’s reign on top was short, because one week after claiming the Impossible Croissan’wich was my favorite plant-based breakfast sandwich, Starbucks has already dethroned it.

I’d put the new Starbucks Impossible Sausage on par with any breakfast meat – cow, pig, chicken, or plant – currently on a fast food menu.

Right out of the gate, I was relieved that the sausage patty didn’t have that “vague sagey Stove Top” flavor I always whine about.

Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich Top

Flavor-wise, I’d say it toed the line between a standard breakfast sausage and Italian butcher shop spiral sausage links, or as my mother would call them (my apologies for the phonetic spelling) “Shiv-a-lots” (pronounced with a bastardized Brooklyn Italian accent).

I took a bite of the patty isolated, and while the texture is still not 100% where I’d like it to be, it was less chewy than the others I’ve had to this point.

I give Starbucks credit for its eggs as well. It’s a fried egg, but the yolk was closer to soft-boiled, and the whites weren’t plastic, like the stuff McDonald’s serves.

Anything else you need to know?

Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich Split

I expected the bread to be the downfall because I usually think ciabatta is a trash-tier sandwich bun, but it was perfect. The shell was crispy while the inside was pillowy soft. It was like eating a bagel that came out of the oven two minutes before you ordered.

I could have easily just caught them at the right time, but every ingredient, including the aged cheddar, paired perfectly to make a delicious and perfectly sized sandwich. It curbed my hunger without that immediate fast food regret we all know so well.

Conclusion:

I won’t pretend I get a lot of food at Starbucks, but this is easily the best savory menu item I’ve ever ordered there.

We’re now at the point where you won’t even notice you’re not eating meat, and I continue to think that’s an exciting prospect for the future. Not to push an agenda, but if science can further distance plant-based proteins from real meat nutritionally, we’re all gonna be better off in the long run.

Absolutely pick up one of these next time you get a coffee.

Purchased Price: $4.95
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 430 calories, 23 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 830 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of total carbohydrates, 4 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of fiber, and 22 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Burger King Impossible Croissan’wich

Vin 6 Comments

Burger King Impossible Croissan wich

What is the Burger King Impossible Croissan’wich?

After the success of the Impossible Whopper, Burger King has brought the plant-based revolution to the breakfast menu in the form of the Impossible Croissan’wich.

How is it?

Before the McGriddle took over the fast food breakfast game, Burger King Croissan’wiches were number one in my heart with a bullet. I’ve probably eaten 200 Sausage Croissan’wiches in my lifetime, and I can happily report the “Impossible” version is about 95% as good as the old reliable I love so much.

Burger King Impossible Croissan wich Top

I’ve had a couple plant-based breakfast sausages, and this was easily the best texturally. It wasn’t chewy or gritty at all. Coupled with BK’s classic fluffy egg and croissant, it actually had the exact same bite as a regular Croissan’wich.
The only reason I won’t say it’s quite as good is because the flavor of the sausage was slightly off.

Burger King Impossible Croissan wich Patty

Burger King Impossible Croissan wich Side

This seemed to overcompensate, and pump too much of that smokey sausage gravy spice that always puts me in mind of Stove Top Stuffing. I said the same thing in my review of the Dunkin’ Beyond Sausage Sandwich (You’d think I’d know the spice I’m talking about by now).

I don’t.

Anything else you need to know?

I actually made a resolution this year to stop eating pork products*. I wanted to slowly but surely wean myself off eating meat every day, and I figured pork would be easier to kick than beef or chicken.

I was right, but man have I been craving a nice breakfast sandwich. I eat turkey bacon, but I haven’t had any sausage in 2020 until this, and it didn’t disappoint at all.

*Ok, I cheated once last month for the review of the Dunkin’ Croissant Stuffers. There was so little bacon in that, I’m not counting it.

Conclusion:

This is my favorite plant-based fast food item to date. I was right on the edge before, but now I’m a full-blown believer in “plants” as a sustainable protein source.

Between this and the Whopper before it, Burger King is absolutely leading the way when it comes to fast food plant-based options. I’m probably gonna eat a lot of these going forward.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 491 calories, 29 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 1058 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of total carbohydrates, 4 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 21 grams of protein.