Oreo S'mores

Oreos, what are you trying to do to me!?

The Attraction

Oreos new flavor + Me = going home with new Oreos

The Review:
Oreos and I have a love / hate relationship. I love to eat 'em, but hate what they do to my midsection. Even at that, when an iconic cookie like this comes out with new flavors, you have to stand up and take notice. Yes, yes, I have been a sucker for many of Oreos new iterations of it's cookie. Whether it be Red Velvet, a "Thin" version or good ole' Peanut Butter, I have been there for Oreo every step of the way. Minus the occasional misstep, Oreo's cookie game has been on point. Will they keep on keeping on or will they take a slip? Let's find out.

In case you don't know me, I can be cheap when it comes to snacks sometimes. I've had my eye on these for awhile, but I waited until these were on sale. As luck would have it, I got these essentially for a 2 for 1 price, but then I happened to have been abstaining from sweets for a month due to a co-worker roping me in...etc, etc....so basically I've been staring at these in my pantry for a month waiting for the clock to tick down. I was pretty psyched to sample these.

You can see a hint of that creme swirl

I peel open the package and the sweetness of these cookies come pouring out. I couldn't quite pinpoint the smell other than it being sweet. I bet it was the smell of graham crackers from the cookie shell. I also then immediately noticed how the creme filling was a swirl as opposed to most other one flavored cookie sandwiches they offer. I guess that would make sense as they need to emulate the flavor of marshmallows and chocolate. Visually, it's a clever thing to do. It makes these Oreo S'mores feel much more like a "S'more".

Better view of the creme concoction

I pick out a lucky Oreo and take a bite. I can tell quickly that the cookie shell is the same graham flavor composition used in the Red Velvet Oreo. It tastes as good as I remembered. Next, the white creme slides in and even though it's supposed to be marshmallow-flavored, it's the same creme filling you find in a Oreo. Not a bad thing, but interesting to note.

This is what a cookie trying to look sexy looks like

When the chocolate creme kicks in, it definitely throws a nice monkey wrench in the works. As a consequence of it's presence, even though it adds another dimension to the cookie, it also adds a richness to it as well. Don't get me wrong, it tastes great, but it makes you oh so aware that you are eating a cookie...and not a "it'll do your body good" one either. You might hit your cookie max at 3-4, if you are like me. It also doesn't taste like a s'more, but it does taste good.

The Sweet:
All the textural things you love about Oreo, but now in S'mores flavor!

The Bitter:
A bit more rich than the standard Oreo

Conclusion:
You have to hand it to the folks at Oreo; they are brilliant. They invest the time to make other flavors and then figure out how they can leverage those new flavors to make other flavors. Somehow they are able to do this while maintaining what makes an Oreo an Oreo, yet still bring something fun and interesting to the table. Oreo S'mores are no exception.

At this point, it's almost like when you find "the" suit or dress. You know, the one that fits just right and makes you feel like a million bucks? Then you look around some more and find out that they offer the same outfit in other colors or patterns you love. Did you ever really stand a chance to not buy in? Ring me up, I'm sold...but I'll have to put it on lay-away.

Video of the Week 

"How about you get your own damn slippers, Dave?"

Yes, the folks over at Boston Dynamics are at it again, As if this robot wasn't scary enough, they have created a robot pet that can do cool/scary things like climb stairs, right itself when it falls over, and get you a beer. I'm perfectly fine to get my own beer if it means I won't wake up in the middle of the night with my throat in its jaws. These robots remind me of something...oh, I remember now.

Insomnia Cookies Oatmeal Raisin / Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

The things I must do for this blog

The Attraction

I've been hearing a lot about these cookies, so when I was finally within striking distance to try some, it was time to see if it lived up to all the hype.

The Review:
One of the many wonderful things of living in NYC is having access to all these varieties of food at a given time. Due to the large population here, it always makes us an attractive area for new and upcoming food-related companies to consider opening a new location at. This is also the case with Insomnia Cookies.

Although they have a bunch of locations here, I came across one within walking distance from my office. First I heard about how their company came to be and then I ran into a very excited women going down the elevator to pickup a order she placed. After that run-in, I thought to myself, "Can it really be that good?"

Come to daddy

When I walked into the very small storefront and placed my order after peering at the menu, the woman taking my order opened a warming drawer at the front counter and pulled my requested cookies out. Whoa...that's a nice touch. Previous to that, I had only been to a place that would warm up cookies for you, after they had been out for a bit.

I decided to go with my favorite cookie, an oatmeal raisin cookie and a "deluxe" cookie; the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup cookie, as the second course. I really planned to only get one, but I love peanut butter, so I couldn't resist. What made this cookie a "deluxe" was the size. It's about double the size of their standard cookie (also about double the cost), but both sat nice and warm in my hand as I took them back to my office to have a "private moment" with.

Mmbrrmr

I take the oatmeal raisin cookie out first and I could already tell it was going to be good; in addition to being warm, it was nice and soft. I've never really been a fan of crispy cookies, so they really had my attention now. I take a bite and it's reminds me of the type of cookie that has a homemade recipe, but executed by professionals. It's a good cookie with just the right ratio of plump raisins to cookie dough. What I love about oatmeal raisin cookies is it's simplicity. There's no flash, no fancy ingredients to take your eyes or taste buds off of. It's just you and the cookie. It doesn't overwhelm you with sweetness and doesn't take you on a flavor roller coaster. Which interestingly, is a direct contrast to my second cookie course.

Looks like a delicious chocolate growth

As simple as the oatmeal raisin cookie was, the peanut butter cup cookie was like it's bigger, brasher bolder, meth-addicted cousin. It's physically larger then the standard size cookie and it has a larger grouping of it's ingredients, in this case, peanut butter cup, in it. All of which, I assume, made it a "deluxe" cookie on Insomnias's menu. I break off a piece of the cookie and I was greeted with smooth peanut butter flavor incorporated into the dough. That on it's own was very good. Where it goes off the rails in a meth-filled frenzy is when you get to the pb cup portion.

The chunks are so big and poorly distributed that it completely wipes out the the smoothness of the peanut butter in the cookie dough and you are greeted with a raunchy intermission act between the first and second half of Shrek. It's like eating a peanut butter cookie and then picking up a peanut butter cup and then taking a bite; sounds good on paper, but the reality isn't nearly as subtle as one might think. I wish Insomnia made a plain peanut butter cookie, but be it as it may, they don't and if their oatmeal raisin cookie was Ohio, this peanut butter cup cookie was Las Vegas.

I had to take this quick before gravity
broke this cookie....again

The Sweet:
These are delivered deliciously warm from a "warming counter".

The Bitter:
Their deluxe cookies are decadent to the max.

Conclusion:
Now, decadence isn't necessarily a bad thing, but for me, I think what a makes a snack great is the ability to ride that fine line between being satisfying, yet leaving you wanting for more. If you like to leave your snack exchange without feeling like you overdid it, I would try to limit your selection to something in the standard cookie category. Having that deluxe cookie, as much as I enjoyed the peanut butter portion, it left that, I-think-I-had-too-many-Krispy-Kremes-feeling (somewhere between piggish and insulin shotville).

Keep it to the standard and you will be rewarded with a cookie that brings the great homemade fresh out of the oven feel without the mess.

Video of the Week 

They are back! (Sorta)

I'm a little late to the game, but I recently discovered this new track by Johnny Gill. As cool as Johnny is, the real draw is the reunion of New Edition with him on this single after no new material by them since 2004. If you are a fan of NE like I am, this is great news. The song is old school awesome and they still have their dance moves. Somehow I don't look as good them when I do the steps in the shower.

Lays Wasabi Ginger

Darn you, Lays, you got me again.

The Attraction

I didn't really think much of wanting to review this new flavor offering from Lays, but my snack buddy G, swore that these were tasty. Was she just trying to josh me? Let's find out.

The Review:
After going through quite a few of Lays newer flavor chip offerings, both locally and abroad ( Mac and Cheese, Greektown Gyro and Thai Spicy Crab) I was content to take a break for awhile. I also didn't see any new products of their's that really called out to be tested. After an endorsement from a trusted snacking companion, I knew it was time to get back into those Lays waters.

Upon opening the bag, the smell of wasabi was very evident. I wasn't sure if the wasabi flavor would be sinus-clearing, but that initial smell certainly raised that possibility. In addition, would the ginger be too strong? I don't always eat the gari or pickled ginger when I have sushi, so would I enjoy the flavor of it? Will one overpower the other? Did I really just buy a bag of this?

Looks like the standard fare

No more time to stall, it was time to taste. Because these were Lays Kettle Cooked line, the crunch of the chips were great, as to be expected, however the wasabi was the first flavor that greeted me. It was obvious, but not over the top and was quickly followed by the ginger chaser. Hmm...did this chip really capture the taste of eating sushi? I have another and it confirmed by first thought; Lays does an excellent job of capturing the wasabi-ginger aspect of having sushi. I still can't quite believe how accurate it taste even after several chips. They also do a great job of balancing the two sometimes unwieldly flavors to strike just the right balance to recreate the famous Japanese staple.

Didn't see that coming

The Sweet:
Surprisingly reminiscence of actually having sushi.

The Bitter:
Doesn't sound like the most obvious flavor choice

Conclusion:
It was a bit of a tough sell for me at first, but after a few chips, I was sold. I'm still amazed how accurately Lays was able to capture the wasabi-ginger flavor. It's truly astounding. Will I go on a scavenger hunt at midnight to go find the grocery store that has a bag of it? Probably not, but it will certainly be on my list of approved and surprisingly tasty snacks of 2016

Video of the Week 

No, it's not album art for a group called "Insider"

Doesn't a 4-story roller coaster sound exciting to you thrill seekers? Yes, well what if I told you it was a pedal coaster in Japan? Oh...and there weren't any guardrails....safely, shmafety. Let's go!

Bissli BBQ

What I wouldn't do for a kosher
bbq snack right now

The Attraction

Part of that bounty of snacks my pal Grace delivery last week included another product by Bissli. In this case, it's Bissli BBQ! 

The Review:
After the huge win last week of Bissli Falafel, I couldn't wait to dive into another Bissli snack that I had in my possession. I made pretty short work of that bag of Bissli Falafel, so I was eager to see if Bissli had another hit on it's hands with Bissli BBQ.

As was last week's Bissli item, these bbq bits also didn't conform to the conventional "chip" shape. These BBQ snacks are more along the lines of the dried pasta "rotini" shape. Interesting, but not really a deterrent to me since I love pasta. What I also did notice when I cracked open the bag was the smokiness of the BBQ flavor that came through. No it wasn't super strong, but it was noticeable.

I've had my fair share of crunchy, bbq snacks such as these Kettle Brand Potato Chips, so I was curious if a kosher spin would net any noticeable difference, aside from the shape.

How about some fried rotini?

As I finally bite into a rotini-shaped chip, the crunch was very serious. Bissli knows a thing or two about making seriously crunchy snacks. Flavor-wise, the smokiness comes through immediately, but as would expect most bbq flavored chips to begin to make a right turn towards Sweet Street, Bissli chose to keep going straight down Smoky Boulevard...to it's detriment. The smoky flavor seems to keep going and going...like that never ending family road trip. It all seems like a reasonable idea until you are stuck in the car with your father after he's had 2 chili cheese dogs. Its only then that you realize that this ride had gone on way too long as you are getting "smoked out".

Off-topic, I need a vacation

The Sweet:
Serious crunch and smoky flavor

The Bitter:
The not as sweet as most commercial brand bbq flavor really brings out the smokiness...too much so

Conclusion:
It's tough to follow an act of a product that you enjoyed so much. Although this snack matched the awesome crunch of it's sister product, where it fails to live up to expectation is in the flavor department. The smokiness comes through, perhaps so much so that without the sweetness to reign it in, at points it felt like I was licking an ash tray.

Maybe my palate has been trained to expect bbq snacks to have a sweeter finish, and if that's something you never enjoyed, you may have found a winner here, but for me, it's more smoke flavor than I care for in a bbq flavored anything.

Video of the Week 

Pretty Obvious, huh? Wait til level 5

I know my vision isn't perfect, as illustrated by my need to wear glasses. However, I thought my ability to see color was fine, if not perfect....well.......maybe not after taking this color test. I feel like I need to reevaluate my whole wardrobe now. Does my tie really match my slacks?

Bissli Falafel

Gosh, another falafel-flavored snack?

The Attraction

Over the last several weeks, my pal Grace has heard me complain about not being able to find any new and interesting snacks to review. She then took it upon herself to hook me up with some new and interesting snacks so I would shut up. Well played, bud.

The Review:
I've previously reviewed a Kosher snack, Zetov Bamba, last year, but I didn't really think about sampling more kosher snacks until this bag of falafel flavored crispy things were presented to me. Falafel flavor, really?

In case you haven't tasted a falafel before, it's a fried ball made up of ground up chick peas and fava beans. It can be served in a pita with usually some lettuce, tomato and some hummus.

I enjoy falafel quite a bit, I probably even have a falafel sandwich once a month during my lunch break, but a falafel flavored snack wasn't really on my snacking wish list. However, now that its here, I am curious as to how this sucker would taste.

I look like fried worms!

The bag opens and immediately the smell of falafel fills the air. It's amazing how similiar the smell is to the actual thing. I take a peek in and these snacks look like curly fried potato strips. I pickup a small handful and pop it into my mouth. As I bite down, the crunch is serious. It's not jaw breaking, but it's a nice, serious crunch. As the smell would have indicated, it also taste remarkably like a falafel. These snacks do a incredible job of capturing the fried flavor of a falafel along with the crispy fried exterior of one.

I pack a flavor punch

The Sweet:
Genuine falafel flavor and crunch

The Bitter:
You won't find this at the corner bodega or Walgreens

Conclusion:
It's not everyday you have a hankering for a falafel..or at least not for me, but these Bissli Falafel snacks are so tasty that even if you weren't thinking about it, it pleases that savory, crunchy snack itch. This even more so if you are a falafel fan.

Though not the most readily available snack in town, these crispy critters are highly addicting.

Video of the Week 

Party like a rock star...sorta

My friend Chris is getting hitched this week. She and her future husband decided to forgo the pomp and circumstances of a lavish wedding and kept it simple. The one thing I won't miss is the possibility of a photo booth at the wedding. Over the years, this has become a bit too cliche for me.....but alas there is a new variation....the Slow Motion Booth. (Congrats to Neil and Chris!)

Chips Ahoy Brownie filled Cookies

Am I a brownie or a cookie?

The Attraction

Look up in the sky, it's a cookie, it's a brownie, no it's Chips Ahoy Brownie filled cookie! Taking two fan favorites and combining them can only make one incredible item, right? Umm...I'll be the judge of that. This sounds too good to be true.

The Review:
I've had my eyes on these for awhile. Chips Ahoy has been making some varieties of their cookie masterpiece for several years now. I even reviewed their peanut butter chocolate chip cookie not too long ago. The difference this time is that instead of adding something different into the cookie recipe, they are building their cookie around a brownie center.....whoooaaaa. It's like a cookie version of a turducken, if you will.

I'm like a transformer; first a cookie...

I take a good look at a cookie and from the outside there is no indication of the madness that lies within. If you were to mix this into a regular batch of chewy Chips Ahoy cookies, I don't know if you would be able to distinguish them other than it's slightly larger size. Maybe you would think you just hit the cookie lottery and have a giant cookie from the batch.

I do the obligatory cookie split in order to see what's under the hood. Sure enough, there's what appears to be a brownie inside. It sure smells like it too.

I take one half of my cookie and indulge. The first wave is the unmistakable chocolate chip cookie flavor that you get from a Chips Ahoy cookie, but as you continue to chew, the flavor is quickly overwhelmed by the brownie flavor filling on the inside.

Yes, you have the chocolate chip outside and the filling does capture the brownie taste on the inside, but mixed together, there was a odd flavor I didn't expect as a result, it tasted salty. Perhaps it was the sweetness of the brownie contrasting against the chocolate chip cloak that brought out the saltiness in the cookie batter. It was odd tasting until the brownie sweetness eventually washed away the saltiness.

..then boom! A brownie

The Sweet:
Can't decide which cheat snack to have? You have 2 in one cookie!

The Bitter:
Never really blended well.

Conclusion:
I'm sure when the folks over at Nabisco cooked up this idea, it sounded amazing and to a degree, it still does. The actual execution and the end result leaves much to be desired. I don't think it's anything Nabisco can really fix. It's just too much going on to really enjoy one or the other.

What makes a brownie really great is all the little nuisances that come along with it; the gooey / moist nature, the crispy crust on top and in some cases, the crunch of walnuts mixed in to add to the contrast. What Chips Ahoy did here was take the flavor of a brownie and made it into a cookie, but at the cost of all those delicious little nuisances. The end result tastes like having a moderately-sized bite of Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip cookie in your mouth and then taking a nibble of a lackluster brownie at the end.

These are two iconic snacks. Mixing them only takes away space from each other to take their rightful place to shine on the snack center stage on their own.

Video of the Week 

Want sweaty palms? Watch this.

Sergey Devlyashov is a crazy Russian mofo that has built up a reputation for free climbing high and scary stuff. As if climbing them weren't enough, in some cases he takes it a step further and does some crazy stuff while on top of said scary high structures. In this case, he's on a crane and has some bungee cord. A regular bungee jump would be too boring / safe.

Lotte Toppoki Snack

That's one big mouth dog

The Attraction

Maybe it was the red shiny dog on the outside of the packaging or it was the unusual amount of hits I got from people checking these dukbokki snacks I previously reviewed. Anyway, I thought it was fine time to try see what a spicy version of what that snack might taste like. 

The Review:
I must apologize; I know I've been doing a lot of Asian snacks lately, but it's been awhile since I found a snack that caught my interest at the local supermarket. (I can see my friend Gabby's eyes roll as she sees this product. I'll work harder to throw some more diversity to my snack reviews, OK, damnit?!

I open this bag and immediately there is a sweet / fried smell creeping out of the bag. It's almost as subtle as that shiny red dog on the outside. I take a peek inside and I see these "chips' that look like mini-churros or penne. Interesting. hopefully they taste like dry, uncooked pasta.

I pick a lucky toppoki from the bag and give it a bite. There is a nice crunch and as expected, there is a sweet flavor that comes through first and at the very end...a slight spiciness.

Pasta time

"What!? That's it?! That's the 'Crazy' heat indicated on the outside of the bag?!"

I must have become the Superman of spicy snacks if that was considered spicy. I plop down in front of my computer and start to form my review while continuing to munch on these snacks.....next thing I notice is about 7-10 pieces later the heat has built to the point where I'm starting to salivate a good amount. That is what is tricky about the spicy-sweet combo....sometimes it just sneaks up on.

The heat seems to build steadily at about 10% increments until it gets to the point where your brain finally tells you, "Hey, this is sorta spicy, homey"

I'm a hottie (when I'm with my friends)

The Sweet:
Great snack if you like a sweet / spicy mix

The Bitter:
Need to string a bunch of these together to start feeling the Bern, burn.

Conclusion:
If the heat you were getting from the other Korean style snacks like this wasn't doing it for you, start munching on a few of these and it's only a matter of time before your mouth starts sweating. It's actually remarkably similiar tasting to other dukbokki / toppoki snacks, but this item punches up the heat about twice that of other similiar products I have tried.....all doing it while it's slightly sweet flavor gives you a false sense of security. This is like that date you meet on Craigslist that joins you for dinner, have great conversation with, only to have them ruffie you and take your watch later; it's stealthy, but good.

Video of the Week 

How quickly can we get to Shanghai?

Now, I don't know the movie Tron terribly well, however, the visuals are quite memorable. That's why without even seeing the movie or it's sequel, I would consider flying to Shanghai to check out this ride in the Disneyland over there. That and check out it's skyline and eat like a beast. Did I mention the food?