Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Domino’s New York Style Pizza

Tiffany 15 Comments

Where can you find Domino’s hometown, Joe’s Pizza’s first non-NYC location, the OGs of Detroit-Style pizza, AND Little Caesars’ hometown within a 30-mile radius?

The lower “thumb*” area of Michigan, of course! And I just happen to reside in this microcosm of pizza. So when Domino’s introduced its New York Style Pizza, I felt particularly compelled to try it because of Domino’s hometown roots AND because there’s a legit NYC institution (Joe’s Pizza) down the street.

Domino’s offers five types of pizza crusts: pan, hand tossed, crunchy thin, gluten free, and now New York Style.

Ordered as-is, the New York-style pie was an X-large 16″ pizza with the standard “Robust Inspired Tomato Sauce” and a cheese blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and provolone. It was also cut into six slices, rather than eight, to enable folding.

Compared to the regular hand tossed, it was noticeably flatter and less seasoned looking. This wasn’t surprising as the hand tossed crust includes a garlic-oil seasoning blend. Unfortunately, this visual translated to a lack of flavor. It was rather bland and cardboard-like, especially with the thinner nature of it. Also, despite the robust tomato sauce (rather than the hearty marinara sauce), it didn’t impart any robust flavor.

Domino’s achieved the texture, though! It folded nicely, stayed firm, and wasn’t super greasy. I must mention that I clearly did not test it with any other toppings except for cheese, so the foldability was not rigorously tested. While I would test this further, none of the other toppings really interested or screamed NYC to me. Like, where’s the white pizza at?!

However, if we’re really nitpicking here, while the texture was foldable and structurally sound, it lacked that slight chewiness and springiness in the classic NYC crust.

If you want to switch up crusts, why not try the New York Style? I won’t stop ya. But if you’re on the fence, I don’t really find it worthy of replacing your go-to order.

*Because the physical state of Michigan is shaped somewhat like a mitten (Mitten State!), Michiganders use their hands to show where they generally reside – e.g., the thumb area, the palm area, the fingertips, etc.)

Purchased Price: $13.99
Size: XL (16”)
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (199g) 510 calories, 24 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1050 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of total sugar, and 23 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee

Erin Leave a comment

Summer is here, and with it comes the sounds of bees buzzing, grills sizzling, phones ringing, and, wait, what? Phones ringing? Yup, Dunkin’s summer menu has arrived, and at least in the case of the new Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee, the chain definitely phoned it in. The Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee is made with brewed Arabica coffee, donut-flavored swirl syrup, cream, and blueberry flavor.

The berry flavor hopes to evoke the spirit of the juicy summer fruit, while the donut swirl promises to bring notes of vanilla frosting, pastry, and donut sugar to the mix.

My first impression was that this drink looks pretty regular, and that’s okay. It’s perfectly fine that this looks like coffee and isn’t colored with blue dye, nor does it contain any bursting blueberry boba. As long as it tastes good, I don’t mind that it isn’t going to turn my mouth blue. It certainly smelled like blueberry, which I took to be a good sign. Unfortunately, the smell is kind of where the berry stops.

A few sips in, I found the blueberry less and less noticeable. It was almost like drinking regular coffee out of a blueberry-scented cup. With the blueberry taking a backseat, you might think it was due to the donut swirl hogging the spotlight, but it isn’t particularly donut-y either. The swirl brings a welcome creaminess and sweetness that wasn’t too sugary for my liking, but it doesn’t really stand out as having a donut flavor. That’s the real issue here; nothing stands out. I found it enjoyable enough, but nothing about it would inspire me to repurchase.

With National Donut Day coming up on June 7, Dunkin’s attempt to celebrate the pairing of coffee and donuts is a bit lackluster. If the goal was to mimic the taste of a mediocre blueberry pastry, I suppose it was achieved. This coffee won’t leave you with any Violet Beauregarde vibes, and I guess being spared a trip to the juicing room isn’t the worst thing. If you’re okay with a simple switch-up to your regular iced coffee, this might be worth a try. But much like Spring’s Churro Latte, it seems not special enough to be headlining a limited edition menu.

Purchased Price: $2.00 (Normally $3.69, there was a $2 medium iced coffee deal at time of purchase)
Size: Medium
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 260 calories, 9 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of total carbs, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 39 grams of total sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Lay’s Salsa Fresca Potato Chips

Julie 15 Comments

Every time I see a bag of Lay’s potato chips, I am reminded of the brand’s famous slogan, a testament to the enduring brilliance of advertising: “Betcha can’t eat just one!”

While it’s a bet most of us would lose, I have always found tortilla chips and salsa to be the more addictive snack: the salt, the crunch, the heat, the sweet and juicy tomatoes, the urge to eat an entire bowl as your meal at the Mexican restaurant while the waiter casts judgmental glares in your direction!

Merging two snack food kings into one limited edition summer flavor, Lay’s Salsa Fresca potato chips promise a rich, zesty crunch inspired by fresh summer tomato salsa. Betcha can’t eat just half the bag?

Well, there are always loopholes in self-control, and here’s one for this product: it takes somewhere between one and twenty crunches to experience this flavor fully. Deliciously light and crispy, each chip is coated with savory red tomato powder, which is the dominant flavor throughout the bag. The taste reminds me so much of SpaghettiOs—concentrated and a little sweet without being ketchup-like—but I’m not mad about it.

In the first few bites, a faint tickle of spice rises near the back of the throat. Although jalapeños are featured on the packaging, the chip seasoning captures the pepper’s spice without its earthy flavor. The result is a salty, zesty heat that builds, but very slowly. Like a clumsy person navigating an icy sidewalk, it takes its time and risks no fancy footwork. The tickle evolves to broad warmth across the mouth but never gets too intense.

In the aftertaste, I detect some garlic, as well as a little tang. I attribute the tanginess to the sour cream listed in the ingredients, a delicious side in its own right but a curious addition to salsa fresca. Every few chips, the tang turns sharp and vaguely reminds me of lime. Other flavors associated with salsa fresca—like cilantro and onion—are not present.

While the chips represent several key salsa ingredients, the flavors are simple and unfold in stages rather than as one cohesive bite. Overall, the chip is tasty, salty, and snackable, but its flavor is predominantly tomato powder with a building kick.

As a limited edition summer product, Lay’s Salsa Fresca potato chips scratch that salty, snacky itch that plagues me as I wait for my tomato plants to bloom. It’s a fun flavor, but replaceable in my snacking repertoire. I’ll gladly eat more than one (chip), but not more than one (bag).

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 7 3/4 oz (219.7 g) bag
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per serving, about 15 chips) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Takis Waves Dragon Sweet Chili and Blue Heat Potato Chips

Marvo 4 Comments

Blue 1 Lake food dye needs to be in more potato chips beyond these new Takis Waves Blue Heat. Yes, Takis Blue Heat and its color have been around for years, but despite eating all kinds of snacks for decades, this is the first time my eyeballs and mouth have experienced it. And after seeing the color in person, it makes me want to see it with more chips. Did I mention blue is my favorite color?

If you’re also unfamiliar with Blue Heat, which would be an excellent name for a Smurf fan fiction cop drama, they have an unassuming aroma, but that’s the only restrained attribute. They look like what I imagine would happen if Gargamel finally got his hands on a Smurf and used his recipe for Smurf jerky. It starts with a strong peppery flavor with a hint of lime hitting taste buds a bit later. Also, I swear there’s some soy sauce hiding among the chili peppers. It’s a tasty combo, and I understand why it’s a standard Takis variety. The packaging says these have “Extreme” heat, and while they are spicy, they’re not so hot that the flavor gets lost. My eyes are fascinated with Takis Waves Blue Heat Potato Chips, and my mouth needs something cool after trying them.

My eyes are less impressed with the new Takis Waves Dragon Sweet Chili, which come in a color we’ve often seen on cheesy or hot chips. The flavor debuted with the standard rolled Takis last year, which I enjoyed. They’re noticeably less spicy than the Blue Heat ones but are as flavorful. Here’s how I described the seasoning when I tried the rolled tortilla chip version:

Their initial flavor reminded me of Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor Twists, which is my favorite Fritos variety and not at all spicy. However, by the third chip, the taste morphed into something a bit more unique, with the garlic powder and cayenne peppers making themselves more noticeable. Throughout it all, the sweetness remained and helped cut through the spiciness.

With these potato chips, I didn’t get that initial taste that reminded me of my favorite Fritos flavor, which is understandable since these have a potato base. Instead, I immediately tasted the garlic powder, cayenne, and the seasoning’s sweetness. It too was a tasty combo.

Dragon Sweet Chili and Blue Heat are fantastic additions to the Takis Waves Potato Chip line. If you’re a fan of either or both flavors, they’re worth picking up.

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary product samples from Takis. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 0.59 oz bags
Purchased at: Received from Takis
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Dragon Sweet Chili), 8 out of 10 (Blue Heat)
Nutrition Facts: (1 package) Dragon Sweet Chili – 90 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Blue Heat – 90 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Popeyes Golden BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Marvo 2 Comments

Remember that catchy Popeyes jingle? “Love that chicken from Popeyes!” However, its chicken is not the only product I adore from the fast food chain. Its array of unique sauces is equally impressive, from tangy to spicy. In fact, there are so many that even the McNugget Buddies might be a tad envious of the variety Popeyes has to offer.

The newest, a BBQ honey mustard, is on Popeyes’ Golden BBQ Chicken Sandwich. It features the same buttermilk-battered all-white meat chicken breast, barrel-cured pickles, and butter-toasted brioche bun as the chain’s famous Classic Chicken Sandwich. So it’s the original, with the new sauce swapped for the mayo. If you enjoy the other sandwiches Popeyes offers, this BBQ honey mustard is also available in the Blackened and Bacon & Cheese varieties.

The condiment makes the menu item look more monochromatic than it usually does. If not for the pickles, it would be a golden brown chicken breast with a golden sauce on a golden bun. At least with the original, the white mayonnaise provided some contrast. But, taste-wise, the BBQ honey mustard is a step up from the mayo. Or maybe I feel that way because I’ve eaten the original multiple times, and my taste buds wanted a change.

Whoever made mine didn’t skimp on the topping, which was liberally applied to both buns. Despite the generous squirts of sauce, the soft, sweet brioche bun kept the sandwich together. The tangy and sweet sauce with a hint of smokiness is a delicious condiment that complements the crispy chicken breast and all its seasonings. There’s no kick to it, so those who are heat-adverse need not worry. While the chicken, bun, and sauce made for a tasty sandwich, I thought the pickles were unnecessary and got in the way of the creamy topping’s taste. They added their usual tanginess and crunch but were okay in this sandwich. I’d probably get it without pickles if I get this limited-time-only offering again before it leaves.

I’ve had the other saucy Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches, like the Truff Hot Sauce and Buffalo Ranch ones. But I enjoyed this Golden BBQ Chicken Sandwich more than those, and I think I might like it as much as the original.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 620 calories, 32 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 1550 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 28 grams of protein.