REVIEW LIGHTNING ROUND – Frank’s RedHot, Chile y Limón, and Salsa de Chile Habanero Pringles

Here are some quick reviews of limited edition Pringles we’re too lazy to write full reviews for:

Pringles Frank's Red Hot Original

Item: Pringles Frank’s RedHot Original
Purchased Price: $1.50
Size: 5.96 oz. can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Actually tastes like Frank’s RedHot Sauce. Had a strong, lip-puckering vinegar presence. Frank’s RedHot Pepper Cayenne Pepper Sauce Power listed high-up as an actual ingredient. Hot sauce flavor was not too overpowering.
Cons: Oddly uneven flavor powder distribution. Would have liked less lip-burning and more mouth-spicing. Bright red powder will stain your fingers. Vinegar may be too strong for some.
Nutrition Facts: 1 ounce (approximately 15 crisps) – 150 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 330 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar, 1 gram of protein, and 6% vitamin C.
Other Pringles Frank’s RedHot Original reviews: Junk Food Guy, Chip Review

Pringles Chile y Limo?n

Item: Pringles Chile y Limón
Purchased Price: $1.50
Size: 5.96 oz. can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Had a nice chile flavor, not just heat. Chile, vinegar and lime flavors played well together. The heat that was present was well-balanced.
Cons: Lime flavor was a bit too strong for my taste. Chile should have been more dominant. Ingredients are vague (“spice”, “natural flavor”). Please stop staining my fingers with bright red powder.
Nutrition Facts: 1 ounce (approximately 15 crisps) – 150 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 220 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar, 1 gram of protein, 2% calcium, and 6% vitamin C.
Other Pringles Chile y Limón reviews: Junk Food Guy, Fatguy Food Blog, Spoil Your Dinner

Pringles Salsa de Chile Habanero

Item: Pringles Salsa de Chile Habanero
Purchased Price: $1.50
Size: 5.96 oz. can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Habanero heat sneaks up on you, then punches you in the back of the throat. Faint tomato/garlic flavor hits first, which is nice. Legitimately hot potato crisp.
Cons: Salsa flavor is not that pronounced. Habanero may be too hot for some. You may sweat or breathe heavily if you eat these in public. More bright red finger staining.
Nutrition Facts: 1 ounce (approximately 15 crisps) – 150 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar, 1 gram of protein, and 6% vitamin C.
Other reviews: Chip Review, Junk Food Guy, Spoil Your Dinner

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 4/29/2013

Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Extra Dessert Delights Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake

I’ve never had a raspberry vanilla cupcake. But if I ever want to make one, it’s good to know Googling “raspberry vanilla cupcake” will yield hundreds of recipes. (Spotted by Eric at Target.)

Lance Graham Cracker Creations

Lance’s Graham Cracker Creations come in these two flavors. So it looks like I’m going to have to stuff my mouth with both of them at the same time to get that winning chocolate and peanut butter combo. Or just buy a pack of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. (Spotted by Nick at Walmart.)

Skinny Cow Limited Editions Snickerdoodle

These Limited Edition Skinny Cow Snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches are guilt-free. But I’d probably replace the “oatmeal cookie wafers” with real snickerdoodles so I can feel a little guilt. (Spotted by Molly at Kroger.)

Skinny Cow Limited Editions Chocolate Covered Cherry

Man, no cherry with its stem for me to tie into a knot with my tongue. Sad panda. (Spotted by Molly at Kroger.)

Weight Watchers Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches

Weight Watchers, you’re doing an awesome job at making me want to walk over to the bakery section and pick up real Red Velvet Cake. (Spotted by Molly at Kroger.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Episode 2 of The Nosh Show

NoshLogo

In Episode Two, Ryan, Eric, Dubba, and yours truly discuss Cuban Hot Pockets, another Extra Dessert Delights gum flavor, and new things from three apostrophed fast food chains — Wendy’s, Arby’s, and Carl’s Jr. We also discuss generic store brands, Lunchables, and value fast food. Plus, our picks of the week!

Listen to our latest episode on The Nosh Show website, where we also provide links to the products and reviews we mention in the episode. Or listen using the player below:

You can subscribe to The Nosh Show on iTunes or on Stitcher Radio. You can also download the episode or subscribe to the show’s feed.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 4/26/2013

Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Jolly Rancher Lemon Hard Candy

Lemon Jolly Rancher hard candies are back! I didn’t know they were gone. Also, I didn’t know there were Lemon Jolly Rancher candy. (Spotted by Rob at Walmart.)

Monster Energy Ultra Blue

Monster Energy has another low-carb energy drink. Geez, Monster should rename themselves Rabbit Energy because they reproduce like rabbits. (Spotted by Eric at Racetrac.)

Ruffles Ultimate Barbeque Dip

Does Frito-Lay still make Ruffles Ultimate chips? I haven’t seen them and they’re probably the only ultimate chips for this heavy duty dip. (Spotted by Nick at Price Chopper.)

Simply Lemonade with Blueberry

I would totally have elementary school children sell this on the side of the road in a lemonade stand and take 80 percent of their earnings. (Spotted by Amy at Giant Eagle.)

Delimex Fruit

Delimex Fruit Taquitos. Say “hello” to my good friend Cool Whip. You two should totally hang out. (Spotted by Jack at Walmart.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Flatbread Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Smoky Honey Mustard & Asiago Ranch)

Wendys flatbread_honey

If you’ve watched more than 10 minutes of live television in the last few weeks, you’ve almost certainly seen the ubiquitous commercials for the new Wendy’s Flatbread sandwiches. And if you’ve already seen the commercials, then you invariably have two questions. These are the two answers:

1) Yes, the sandwiches are actually quite good.
2) The redhead’s name is Morgan Smith Goodwin.

If you want to learn more about 2), you’ll have to go down that internet wormhole for yourself. I do, however, have plenty more information on 1).

Let’s start with the Smoky Honey Mustard Flatbread. The simpler of the two sandwiches, it’s got grilled chicken, mixed greens, two slices of tomatoes, and a whole lot of honey mustard inside the flatbread. The flatbread itself really is the star of the show here – with various grains and seeds offering some crunch to complement the otherwise thick and chewy bread, it’s tasty and filling and just feels healthier than everything else on the menu.

The greens are also useful in that regard, with leafier and presumably more nutritious varieties than plain old iceberg lettuce. All good news if maybe you’re getting a late jump on your spring diet, and maybe your friend is throwing a too-early-in-the-season-and-no-one’s-swimsuit-ready party in the Hamptons soon, and maybe your mother recently told you your pants look tight from the extra pounds in your butt. These are all complete hypotheticals, so you definitely didn’t hurt my feelings, Mom.

Wendys flatbread_honey_open

The nomenclature of these new products is weird but appropriate; perhaps the flatbread comes before the grilled chicken because there’s so much more of the former than the latter. The chicken was juicy and well-seasoned and generally very tasty, but there just wasn’t enough of it. Each flatbread contained what looked to be half a grilled chicken fillet sliced into four or five strips, which couldn’t cover the entirety of the sandwich.

I took several bites that consisted of only bread and honey mustard, particularly around the hinge of the flatbread. And speaking of the honey mustard, I couldn’t detect any smokiness at all. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was the exact same honey mustard as the dipping sauce for the chicken nuggets. I guess “smoky mustard” is one of those phrases that gets thrown around but actually means nothing, like “elegant wine” or “corporate values” or “do you know who I am? I’m Reese Witherspoon!”

Wendys flatbread_asiago

The Asiago Ranch Flatbread Grilled Chicken Sandwich has a couple more ingredients than the Smoky Honey Mustard, with three strips of bacon, asiago cheese, and ranch dressing instead of honey mustard. As you might expect, this sandwich had a much stronger taste.

Wendys flatbread_asiago_side

The excellent-as-usual Wendy’s bacon added texture and flavor, while the cheese and ranch dressing made for a very rich combination. Again, I thought there was too little chicken. Also, the extra toppings here made for a much messier eating experience, which should be an extra consideration if your spring diet is a subset to the overall life goal of being less of a slob.

Wendys flatbread_asiago_bite

I liked both of the new Wendy’s Flatbread Grilled Chicken sandwiches, and each of them would make for a decent-sized meal on its own (I bought them at the same time but saved half of each for lunch the next day). If I had to choose just one, I would probably go with the Smoky Honey Mustard Flatbread – it’s cheaper ($3.59 vs. $4.19) and has fewer calories (370 vs. 530), and its milder flavors suited my taste buds better than the richness of the Asiago Ranch. I’d recommend you go try either one for yourself. If nothing else, Wendy’s franchises seem to have lots of Morgan Smith Goodwin cardboard cutouts these days.

(Nutrition Facts – Smoky Honey Mustard – 370 calories, 150 calories from fat, 15 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 550 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 22 grams of protein. Asiago Ranch – 530 calories, 270 calories from fat, 30 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 940 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 30 grams of protein.)

Other Wendy’s Smoky Honey Mustard Flatbread & Asiago Ranch Flatbread reviews:
Grub Grade
Foodette Reviews
Brand Eating
Man Reviews Food

Item: Wendy’s Flatbread Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Smoky Honey Mustard & Asiago Ranch)
Purchased Price: $3.59 (Smoky Honey Mustard)
Purchased Price: $4.19 (Asiago Ranch)
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Wendy’s
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Smoky Honey Mustard)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Asiago Ranch)
Pros: Flatbread is thick and chewy. Grains and seeds make it feel healthier. Chicken is juicy and well-seasoned. Greens are leafier than regular iceberg lettuce. Wendy’s bacon is always excellent. Both sandwiches have relatively few calories. Morgan Smith Goodwin is an Alyson Hannigan lookalike. Celebrity DUI jokes.
Cons: Not enough chicken. Honey mustard wasn’t smoky at all. Asiago Ranch was a little too rich for me. Asiago Ranch was very messy to eat. Spring dieting. Yes, fine, I didn’t wait for lunch to finish the sandwiches. Please don’t steal any Morgan Smith Goodwin cutouts.