GrubGrade

There are few things more pleasurable to the palate than granola for breakfast. Whether set atop cool, creamy yogurt or mixed with fruit and nuts, granola is that All-American – if not totally hippy-spawned — staple which resonates because of its assertive, crunchy texture and sweet, nutty flavor.

It has also become a popular choice for “Not so Healthy Health Foods ” columns, like this one from EatingWell.com. And you know what, they’re right. Granola portion sizes are notoriously small, and they often contain a buttload of added sugar and fat.

But seriously folks, that’s part of what makes granola so addictive.

Well, the folks at Galaxy Granola want you to have your crunchy and sweet fix without the guilt, and have launched an advertising campaign to prove it. (more…)

The more I think about it the more I’m convinced that Pop Tarts represent the ultimate manifestation of the proverbial “impulsive buy”. I mean really. We all have these early 1990s flashbacks of kicking back to the tune of One Saturday Morning with a gooey, way-to-sugary Pop Tart stuffed in our face, and it leads us to just “have” to buy the latest and greatest flavor that Kellogg’s turns out in the line of the most popular toaster pastry brand ever.

Mmmm. Recess

Wait, I’m the only one?

I’m not trying to excuse my latest impulsive grocery store purchase of the new Pop Tarts Ice Creme Sandwich flavor, but it does give you some perspective from where I was coming from when I slapped down a cool $1.66 for the box of eight pastries and said “take me back to simpler days and Recess reruns” to the cashier at the store. Plus, given the recent debate of Serious Eats with regards to toasting Pop Tarts (yes, always, for me) I figured this was as timely a purchase as any.

First, the description. This is the fourth flavor in the new “Ice Cream Shoppe” line of Pop-Tarts, and promises “25% less sugar” than the usual run-of-the-mill toaster pastry (11 grams of sugar per pastry in these bad boys). The propaganda campaign is based on the following:

A creamy, white, ice cream-flavored filling in a dark chocolate crust, topped with white frosting and chocolate sprinkles for a fun ice cream-like treat.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Sure does, except for the fact that if I’m in the mood for an ice cream sandwich, why don’t I just buy an ice cream sandwich? (more…)

When I was a teenager I used to be the biggest bum on Saturday mornings. Lazily, I would get up at 9 or 10 AM every Saturday, flip on the TV, and shamelessly watch Pepper Ann while drinking from whatever 2-liter diet soda we had laying around in the fridge. I would also down two Einstein Brothers bagels which my dad would purchase earlier that morning. Don’t judge me. After all, a teenager can do a lot worse, you know.

Typically I wasn’t too concerned with what type of bagel he would get me. Actually, the extra one was usually supposed to be reserved for his lunch, although I think he secretly hoped I’d always eat it. These were the days of Atkins after all, and we Italians like our empty carbs. So I guess you could say that’s how I became a bagel man. Sesame Seed was a must — as was Cranberry, Asiago, and particularly the sweet bagel flavors. Pumpernickel and Sun Dried tomato? Eh, it took me a few years to develop those taste buds, but if there was one Einstein Brothers bagel I couldn’t get enough of, it was the seasonally inspired Orange Mango. (more…)

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Subway started offering breakfast nationwide this past week. As you’ve also probably read by now, the new Subway English Muffin Melts apparently suck. At least according to our friends at Would I Buy it Again? and Slashfood.com, who were both highly critical of Subway’s decision to step into the breakfast market. Despite these negative reviews I’ve long been a  fan of Subway’s healthy, construction-based approach to sandwich making, and decided to swing by my local Subway the other morning to try the Muffin Melt out. Coming in five different, yet customizable, options, I chose to indulge in the Black Forest Ham, Egg and Cheese Melt:

Helllooo delicious! Enjoy tasty Black Forest Ham, melted cheese, and egg whites all on a fresh toasted English muffin. Oh what a way to start the day!

Before I get to the sandwich itself, let me just say that my sandwich maker was very patient and helpful with my decision making process in ordering. Subway gets a bad rap for service and I guess it depends on your location, but considering I can be a fickle decision maker when thinking up my creations, I have to give this particular young lady a lot of credit.

In terms of its construction, the “Sandwich Artist” inserted the single slice of black forest ham between the two slices of cooked egg whites, and layered a hefty amount of mozzarella (I’d say about 1/4^th of a cup, but she was actually ready to add more before I told her that was plenty) between the folded-over slice of ham. I found this layout to be most pleasing once the sandwich was toasted, and felt like the salty and rich mozzarella (which I’d call “pizza-chain” grade) really gave a great kick to the ham, which despite its own saltiness did contain sweeter notes. (more…)

Our good friends at the blog Would I Buy it Again (a must read, by the way) recently asked “How do you take your oatmeal?” It’s a great question, but one which seems all too predictable for the multitude of ‘health’ bloggers out and about the interwebs today. And while I too am guilty of buying into the common standbys of apples and cinnamon and peaches and cream low fat milk, truth be told I like to try to be a little bolder in my oatmeal creations these days.  After all, what more is oatmeal than a grain, and what more is a grain than a vehicle of flavors both sweet and savory?

Case in point, one of my latest oatmeal creations: Dark Chocolate Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Bacon and Chili Powder.

Looks good, don’t it?  Not to pat myself on the back too much , but this homemade concoction was really quite good, although I did run into some problems that I hope to fix the next time I make it. (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…)

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!

There’s something new for breakfast over at Dunkin’.  Dunkin’ Donuts is introducing new Biscuit Sandwiches.  Including scrambled egg, savory sausage and cheese on their new flaky biscuit  (Note: Bacon or Ham also available).  Kind of strange that Dunkin’ now goes the super traditional route after the Waffle Breakfast Sandwich.  It seems like every restaurant that serves breakfast has some sort of biscuit sandwich.  The Sausage, Egg and Cheese on a Biscuit shown below will cost you 600 calories and 40 grams of fat. Anyone know the price?  I can’t seem to find it anywhere and the Dunkin people just told me prices vary.  No price range…thanks!

For those of us no where near a Carl’s Jr., we’ve been taunted this week by a delicious looking burger called The Big Carl.  This Big Mac rival boasts a bigger meal and smaller price.  Well what about those of us with only Hardee’s restaurants nearby?  Sadly, no Big Carl….No Big Hardee.  There is the Big Shef but it’s just not the same.  So what can we taunt the West-of Texas folk with?  How about an Oscar Mayer Fried Bologna Biscuit.  :(  Yeah…take that Carl’s Jr. people.  We’ve got a fried bologna breakfast sandwich.

Egg & cheese on top of a folded slice of fried Oscar Mayer Bologna, all on our Made from Scratch biscuit.

Nutrition Info:

Calories – 610

Fat – 43 grams

Saturated Fat – 13 grams

Cholesterol – 230 milligrams

Sodium – 1620 milligrams

Carbs – 36 grams

Sugars – 4 grams

Dietary Fiber – 0 grams

Protein – 17 grams

What has happened to the bacon at Burger King?  When I reviewed the Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch Sandwich, I complained of a lack of flavor from their bacon.  I hoped it was just a one time thing.  I really wanted to get that salty, bacon goodness when I purchased the Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper.  I walked away disappointed.  The bacon flavor was weak.  Very weak.

The Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper has been on the BK breakfast menu for over a year now.  It started out being advertised as a limited time offering, but it’s been enjoying a decent run on the menu boards.  It seems relatively simple to throw together and tortillas must be dirt cheap.  With the ongoing “Wraps” trend and consumers leaning a lot on value, it’s no surprise this breakfast wrap has stuck around.  The BK Wrapper features cheddar cheese, a cheese sauce, bacon, hash browns, and egg all inside a soft tortilla. If you couldn’t tell by the double dose description, cheese is the dominant flavor here.  The sauce is gooey and tastes great.  I really enjoyed the combination of the cheese sauce with the hash browns.  The egg is similar to the bacon in this specific case where I know it’s there, but I can only really taste it if I make a conscious effort to do so.  The hash browns and cheese flavor are definitely stronger than anything else and they have a way of making you forget that there is also egg and bacon in the mix.  When I compare the shell to the Wake-Up Wrap from Dunkin Donuts, I enjoy the tortilla from BK better.  It also could be that I prefer a softer shell over a toastier shell.

After having this breakfast wrap, I’m convinced that Burger King is using a different, weaker flavored bacon than what was used in the past. It just isn’t as strong as it used to be and as a result the sandwiches are losing points.  If the bacon flavor was stronger, this could be a great breakfast wrap.  I’d suggest purchasing the Ham Omelet Sandwich if you are looking for a slightly cheaper option that tastes a lot better than this disappointment.

• Pros - Nice cheese sauce.  Hash browns taste great with the cheese sauce.  I prefer this soft tortilla shell over Dunkin’s toasty Wake-Up Wrap tortilla.
• Cons – Where’s the bacon?  That’s really my only complaint, but it’s a biggie.

Taste:  5.00/10

Value:  8.50/10

Grubbing on the Go:  8.75/10

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GrubGrade:  5.75/10 (Mediocre)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price:  $1.39

BurgerKing.com

Nutrition Facts – Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper

Calories – 390

Total Fat – 24 grams

Saturated Fat – 8 grams

Trans Fat – 0.5 grams

Carbs – 29 grams

Cholesterol – 150 milligrams

Sodium – 1060 milligrams

Protein – 14 grams