GrubGrade

Quick question: We all know curiosity killed the cat, but did it kill the foodie?

Quick answer: No, it only made him stronger.

Let me explain.

I am your classic Grocery store browser. You know what I mean. The kind of guy who spends an hour slowing pacing up and down the aisles of the ethnic foods sections and bargain areas, carefully scouring the shelves for that one ingredient or item that just “hits” him. It being Lent and all (and I being a Catholic living in a landlocked state which is about 90% LDS), my weekly travels up and down the aisles have taken me increasingly toward the canned fish section, with the ubiquitous metal tins and pouches of tuna no longer sufficing my curious culinary mind.

Canned salmon? Eh, too in-style. Smoked mussels in cottonseed oil? Ugh, not on sale this week. Anchovies? Sardines? No, too predictable.

Then it hit me, like a solidly built fishing boat in the North Atlantic Sea hits an oncoming wave. Reaching up on my tippy toes (yes, I am rather short) I snagged a tin of Brunswick Seafood Snacks with eager anticipation. Did I have any idea what a golden smoked boneless herring fillet tastes like, much less looks like? Dear goodness no, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t willing to try out the Canadian made product. (more…)

It has been months since the last time I had a burger.  Crazy right?  I knew the streak had to end at some point and what better way to end it than with my favorite kind of burger.  I’m pretty predictable when it comes to burgers.  Sure, I will try just about any style, but I will always have a special place in my stomach for a “western-style” burger.  It seems extremely long overdue that a place like Roy Rogers now comes out with one of it’s own.  This new burger is in test phases in select restaurants and they call it the Tumbleweed Burger.

If you aren’t familiar with Roy Rogers or Roy Rogers restaurants, just know that it’s a place for cowboys like myself.  Fried chicken and burgers are the main players at Roy’s and the western-theme is strewn all over the place.  Cowboy hats, cactus murals, wagon wheels etc.  Slap some BBQ sauce on just about anything and you can fit in quite comfortably with the “western” name tag.  The Tumbleweed Burger is a brand new creation from Roy’s, but doesn’t really break any new ground.  This is a good thing actually and I’m glad that Roy’s went in this direction. (more…)

When you think Arby’s, chances are you’re thinking roast beef. Likewise, if you’re thinking fast food ‘popcorn chicken,’ I’m guessing you’re either imagining KFC or Popeyes. But did you know Arby’s does fried Popcorn Chicken too?

I didn’t, at least not until I received an ad in a recent paper that came chock full of Arby’s coupons – including one for a free regular size order of Popcorn Chicken with the purchase of a fountain drink. Arby’s has been pushing a number of new menu items and concepts as of late (including a $1 Value Menu) but up until now I’ve never really given the chain much thought outside of their ubiquitous (but tasty) Roast Beef sandwiches. Nevertheless, having been on a chicken finger kick for weeks (and it being a ‘Fried Food Thursday’) I decided to scope out my local Arby’s. Let’s check out the ‘official’ designation’:

What’s better than something bite-sized, cripsy and tasty beyond belief? Popcorn chicken dipped in your choice of tangy BBQ Sauce or Sweet Honey Mustard. They’re ready to be eaten by the handful, so try some today!

I was sure glad I brought my coupon after scanning the menu board, because at $3.49 for a regular order these seemed to be a bit on the pricey side. To be fair, you’re getting significantly more chicken pieces than you would get in an order of Burger King’s Crown Shaped Tenders or McDonald’s McNuggets, and the meat definitely seemed to be of a higher quality than the stuff your getting at McDonald’s (interestingly enough, Arby’s doesn’t tout this product as all ‘white meat’). The ‘popcorn’ pieces themselves contain what I would describe as a home-style breading, which is of moderate thickness and brimming with specks of black pepper. (more…)

It is now the season of Lent, which means GrubGrade’s “Fish Fridays”. Last year, we reviewed a different “fish” item from various food establishments and posted them for your viewing on Fridays. One fast food restaurant that we didn’t get to review is Roy Rogers. They have dipped into the ocean to provide us with an alternative for the season. Introducing the “Fish Sandwich” from Roy Rogers.

I have had this sandwich in past years and really liked it. Last year was an exception to that and this year is not much better. The sandwich is not the quality that I have come to expect from Roy Rogers. Of course, they are famous for their Roast Beef and their Gold Rush Sandwich and it would be like comparing apples to oranges to compare the fish sandwich to them. The main thing that stands out is that the fish patty itself lacks flavor. (more…)

Well my friends, it seems like my chocolate infused sugar-rush a couple weeks ago at Einstein’s has gotten the better of me. I know I’ve professed to being only moderately interested in vanilla’s yang, if you will, but lately I just can’t get over a chocolate craving. Thankfully my Italian Grandma was right on the spot with a recent package of Nonni’s Decadence Biscotti.

It seems appropriate that my Grandmother should send me these, since the word “Nonni” itself is Italian for “grandma.” The company proclaims that these sweet treats are “born out of the Italian tradition” and made with “real eggs, butter and gourmet bittersweet chocolate.” Never one to pass up the chance to act the snooty food-critic, I have to admit that I felt rather enlightened and dare I say sophisticated with my willingness to indulge. (more…)

With a new McNugget sauce hitting McDonald’s restaurants for a limited time, I’ve had McNuggets on the brain for a couple of weeks now.  If you’ve got a dollar, a 4-piece is in your future.  While I’m sure that a majority of the readers know all about McNuggets, I still thought it would be fun to revisit this classic and feature them in a review.  Every kids favorite and yet another food I have yet to grow-up from, McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets.

For a lot of you, McNuggets were probably your introduction to the world of McDonald’s.  As a kid I can remember sitting in the back seat of the family station wagon on a Saturday afternoon, patiently waiting for my Happy Meal with McNuggets.  It’s really such a simple item and that’s likely why it appeals most to kids with simple tastes. (more…)

Einstein Brothers has been on a full court press as of late, introducing a host of new menu items and promotions. Not only has the popular fast casual chain launched a facebook page, but they’ve introduced a line of limited-time only ”Twisted” bagels and a Double Chocolate Chip bagel just in time for Valentines Day (read our review here). But by far and away their most seasonally appropriate item has got to be the brand spankin’ new Double Chocolate Chip Bagel Poppers:

A chocolate blast in every bite! Our latest bagel creation bursts with three kinds of chocolate for all kinds of fun!

Both Ryan and I have reviewed various flavors of the Bagel Poppers before, with my personal favorite being the fall-themed Pumpkin Cream Cheese Poppers (sadly, no longer offered.) For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the bite-sized treats, the best way to describe them are basically as bagel ‘holes’ covered in either a corn syrup-based glaze or cream cheese. (more…)

Once upon a time, I scoffed at the idea of going for a burrito bowl over a burrito. These days, it’s not unusual for me to go without the tortilla and it’s not so bad.  I can’t really say that less carbs, calories and fat is my main reason either.  I always seem to order a side of chips and end up using them as my utensils.  I’m a big fan of Chipotle because they have very good guacamole.  California Tortilla on the other hand has very bad guacamole.  At Chipotle, my move is to scoop some guac and let it act as the spackle  for the burrito bowl dig.  At Cali Tortilla I just go guac-less and the experience is still pretty solid.  My bowl of choice at California Tortilla is the Low Fat Caribbean Bowl and guacamole isn’t needed because the mango sauce is on the main stage.

With “Low Fat” in the name, some might consider it not very tasty right off the bat.  Just because there is no cheese or sour cream doesn’t mean it’s not a tasty choice.  The Low Fat Caribbean Bowl consists of grilled marinated chicken breast, Mexican rice, black beans, low fat Caribbean mango sauce, fresh salsa and romaine. All the ingredients are generously portioned and always fresh in my experience. (more…)

Ok, an honest call to all you GrubGrade readers out there. August might be the official “National Sandwich Month,” but I want to know what’s the best sandwich you ever had. Yea, as in like EVER. Why do I ask?  Because I think I just finished eating the best sandwich I ever had. Have a gander:

I give you the Sugar Spiced Pork Baguette from Elements Restaurant in Logan, Utah. After raving about their woodfired pizzas, I just knew I had to get back to this contemporary American eatery ASAP. I did, and this time made it around for lunch, where their exotic and innovative selection of sandwiches made picking just one almost an impossible task. I ended up splurging on the $8.00 sandwich above, which featured generous portions of perfectly brined and roasted pork loin, crispy tobacco onions, and a savory-sweet combo of barbecue sauce matched with a whole grain ‘creole’ mustard. All jammed inside a crispy french baguette. If this wasn’t perfection between two slices of bread, I don’t know what would be!

So I’m asking you GrubGrade readers…What is the best sandwich you’ve ever had? It can be as simple as your first Burger King Whopper, or something as complex and sophisticated as an Italian panini. I’m not here to judge, I’m just hungry!

It’s February, which means love (and chocolate) are in the air.  What fast casual business venture isn’t apt to capitalize on the season of sweet treats? Einstein Bros. Bagels sure is, as the Colorado-based chain continues to roll out distinctly ’seasonal’ offerings for both their cafe and breakfast menus. Among the winter offerings? Double Chocolate Bagel Poppers, Twisted Bagels, and the new Double Chocolate Chip Bagel.

I loved EBB’s Pumpkin Bagel poppers with all the intensity of a fat kid contemplating on a Twinkie, but I’ve yet to try the Double Chocolate Poppers. While I’m not nearly the chocolate fiend as some in my family are, I recently did try their Double Chocolate Chip Bagel. It was a fairly adventurous choice considering my usual “go-to” are more on the savory side (Pumpernickel, Potato) but a free coupon — courtesy of the restaurant’s new and dare-I-say swanky Facebook page spurred me on.

If you liked their regular Chocolate Chip Bagel, the Double Chocolate Chip bagel should go down well. Otherwise, I can’t say it was very distinguishable for the company’s ‘regular’ product, except for what seemed to be a slightly musty and darkened color that may have hinted of cocoa. While the ingredients and nutrition of the bagel have not been disclosed, it’s more than likely that the only “double” chocolate part of this bagel is the addition of cocoa powder to the plain bagel base. Still, it’s an Einstein Bagel so you can’t go wrong (especially for 99 cents), although I would recommend a trip in the toaster (to melt the somewhat small and scattered chocolate chip pieces) and the application of your favorite sweet cream cheese (I like their pumpkin flavor) to boost the flavor.

Einstein Bros. Bagels’ Double Chocolate Chip Bagel is only being offered for a limited time, so get them for your sweetheart before the season is over!