Category: Reviews

REVIEW: California Pizza Kitchen BBQ ‘Don’t Call Me Chicken’ Pizza

Marvo 3 Comments

California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Don t Call Me Chicken Pizza Full

What is the California Pizza Kitchen BBQ “Don’t Call Me Chicken” Pizza?

It’s CPK’s Original BBQ Chicken Pizza, but with a plant-based chicken substitute. So it has the same smoked Gouda, red onions, fresh cilantro, and BBQ sauce as the original, but the bawk bawk meat has been replaced with a 100 percent meatless vegetarian product that’s made from soy and wheat.

How is it?

California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Don t Call Me Chicken Pizza Closeup

Well, it tastes like a California Pizza Kitchen Original BBQ Chicken Pizza. Although, not EXACTLY like one. The flavors of the cheese, onions, cilantro, and especially the BBQ sauce do an admirable job at masking the fact that the protein is not chicken. Even when biting into the plant-based meat with the other ingredients, it’s difficult to tell it’s something other than chicken.

But, with the pizza I ordered, I thought the barbecue sauce flavor wasn’t as bold as what I’ve tasted with the many regular Original BBQ Chicken Pizzas I’ve had. Of course, maybe it was just with my order, and you may have a different experience. But, overall, I did enjoy it, and most eaters won’t be able to tell it’s faux faux meat.

California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Don t Call Me Chicken Pizza Soy

However, that changes when one tries to eat the plant-based meat on its own. It looks marinated, but it tastes like what I imagine a soy and wheat product would taste like. In other words, it’s a bit bland. So, Public Service Announcement alert, don’t eat the plant-based chicken by itself.

Anything else you need to know?

Plant-based meats haven’t been about being a healthier option for us. It’s been about being a healthier option for our planet. Holy cow! I mean, holy faux cow! Did I write that? That is deep. Sorry. It’s about using fewer resources to produce the plants to make the meat substitute than what it would take to raise animals for meat.

California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Don t Call Me Chicken Pizza Slice

But if you’re curious, a slice of this has roughly the same nutrition numbers as a slice of The Original BBQ Chicken, except the one with real meat has ten more calories, ten more milligrams of cholesterol, ten fewer milligrams of sodium, and one more gram of protein per slice.

Also, at least at my local CPK, a $1 premium over the original version.

Conclusion:

California Pizza Kitchen’s BBQ “Don’t Call Me Chicken” Pizza is a delicious vegetarian version of its classic menu item.

Purchased Price: $17.99*
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 slice) 180 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 490 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Frankford Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar

Sean 8 Comments

Frankford Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar Wrapper

What is the Frankford Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar

The oldest surviving cereal based on a TV show gets a modern portable makeover from the leader of branded candy. It features Frankford’s white creme packed with Fruity Pebbles.

How is it?

Frankford Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar Top

This bar is simple and absolutely excels in its simplicity. Fruity Pebbles have an extremely unique and sharply fun flavor and aroma that erupts when opening the package. That familiar zing of lemon-lime-citrus with a heavy dose of sugary sweetness translates perfectly from the scent to the taste, with an excellent crunch to boot.

Frankford Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar Bottom

The white creme foundation is an impeccable support system for the technicolor cereal pieces. It brings the creaminess of milk and a huge flourish of extra sugar that makes this taste like the sweetest bowl of cereal you’ll ever have.

Anything else you need to know?

Personally, Fruity Pebbles has always been the best fruity cereal, but its only weakness has been getting soggy quickly. This bar alleviates that problem and then some. Never gets soggy!? Am I dreaming?

Conclusion:

Frankford’s Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar is straight forward and straight fire. If you’re a fan of the #1 cereal during the prehistoric age and aren’t afraid of a little sugar rush, you need to get to Walmart and buy this immediately.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 2.75 ounces
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 bar) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 17 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Pizza Hut Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza

Marvo 7 Comments

Pizza Hut Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza Box

As I was going through the options to order my Pizza Hut Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza online, I thought about getting an order with half regular Italian sausage and half Beyond Italian sausage to compare.

But then I thought, “How will I know which is which if they’re supposed to be alike?” Also, I thought, “Why would I do this?” It’s not as if I don’t know what Pizza Hut’s Italian sausage tastes like. I’ve eaten my current body weight in it over my lifetime, so I’m pretty sure I know what it tastes like. So I went all in with the meat substitute.

Pizza Hut Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza Whole

The pizza features Pizza Hut’s usual cheese, sauce, and crust, but it’s topped with Beyond Meat’s plant-based Italian sausage. The meat substitute company has planted it plant-based flag in several fast food products over the past two years from Dunkin’, Carl’s Jr., and Del Taco.

After picking it up, the first thing I noticed was how it didn’t smell like a Pizza Hut pizza with Italian sausage. Even during my trip home in an enclosed 2003 Toyota Corolla and after peeling back the box’s lid when I got home, my nose couldn’t sense the familiar aroma of spices.

Pizza Hut Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza Closeup

While it lacks the aroma that accompanies Italian sausage, it certainly looks the part. I could even see dried rosemary peeking through some of the chunks. Wait. Is that dried rosemary or a tiny sunflower seed?

Update: I have been told on Twitter that it’s a fennel seed.

Pizza Hut Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza Closer Up

As for the flavor, I found the plant-based Italian sausage to be noticeably less flavorful than The Hut’s regular Italian sausage. All the right seasonings are there, but at 70-80 percent potency of the regular version’s flavor. But if I wasn’t someone who has eaten my body weight Pizza Hut Italian sausage, I probably wouldn’t have noticed a difference, especially when it’s swimming on top of cheese and sauce.

What was even more noticeable was the texture of the sausage substitute. Compared with the regular stuff, the pieces were slightly dried out after being in Pizza Hut’s proprietary super ovens. Also, and I don’t know if this has anything to do with what I mentioned above, the plant-based sausage seems a lot less greasy.

Despite the lack of aroma, being less flavorful, and having a slightly dried out texture, I enjoyed the Pizza Hut Beyond Italian Sausage. I guess all those issues aren’t complete dealbreakers to me. Although I recognize that for some (or many) of you, they might be.

Pizza Hut Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza Slice

How I feel about this is the same as how I feel about the Impossible Whopper. It’s not as good as the original, but it’s good enough that I’d order it again. At this time, I don’t expect plant-based meats to equal the real stuff, but I do expect it to come close, which this does.

Purchased Price: $16.99*
Size: Large
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Not available at time of publication.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

Click here for our previous fast food reviews.

REVIEW: Stuffed Puffs Chocolate Peppermint Bark Marshmallows

Marvo 1 Comment

Stuffed Puffs Chocolate Peppermint Bark Marshmallows Bag

I like to think peppermint bark was created by someone who was frustrated with attempting to tear open the tight wrapper around candy canes.

They got so annoyed that they smashed every candy cane within sight with a sledgehammer, leaving behind a trail of white and red peppermint candy shards that were sharp enough to pierce through the wrapper that their nails and teeth couldn’t penetrate. Not wanting to waste those minty fragments, they decided to use it as a chocolate topping.

And the name “Bark” doesn’t come from it looking like snow-covered tree bark. Instead, it’s the loud cry the peppermint bark’s originator let out with each anger-releasing sledgehammer swing.

With Stuffed Puffs Chocolate Peppermint Bark, you don’t have to worry about hard-to-open wrappers, swinging sledgehammers, peppermint shards, or loud crying. They feature cocoa marshmallows with a pink peppermint-flavored filling, and it’s the first seasonal variety from Stuffed Puffs. (Sorry, pumpkin spice. Maybe next year?) It follows the original Stuffed Puffs (regular marshmallow with a chocolate filling) and Chocolate-on-Chocolate Stuffed Puffs (cocoa marshmallow with a chocolate filling).

Stuffed Puffs Chocolate Peppermint Bark Marshmallows Innards

I’ve always found the flavored interior of Stuffed Puffs to be unappetizing to look at. It appears crumbly and chalky. But, fortunately, its texture isn’t. When the filling melts in my mouth, it becomes creamy. The sweet peppermint flavor is mild, and there isn’t any cooling sensation from it.

Stuffed Puffs Chocolate Peppermint Bark Marshmallows Coating

While the mint is mild, the cocoa marshmallow coating has an even milder flavor. Actually, I don’t notice any cocoa notes while chewing it with the filling. I mean, if I told you to close your eyes and trust me to put something in your mouth, and this time I promise it’s not slimy, super spicy, or alive, you would probably think I’ve put a peppermint-flavored marshmallow that was either red or white-colored, but not cocoa-flavored.

The back of the bag encourages us to also roast, toast, bake, or melt it. Sure, I could add it to some hot cocoa, toast it over an open fire, or fill a water barrel, dump a bag of these into it, and go Stuffed Puffs bobbing. But I’m okay with popping one into my mouth. Not two, though. And definitely not three. I tried, but my dainty mouth couldn’t fit three.

Stuffed Puffs Chocolate Peppermint Bark may not have the cocoa flavor I expected, but they are a pleasant holiday treat.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product. (Thanks, Stuffed Puffs!) Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8.6 oz bag
Purchased at: Received from Stuffed Puffs
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 pieces) 140 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Chai Oatmilk Latte

Holly 5 Comments

Dunkin Chai Oatmilk Latte Cup

Much like that dramatic period piece movie that comes out in the 11th hour for Oscar consideration, oatmilk has come to win over all our hearts in the tail end of this year.

While I was familiar with it from the wall of milk substitutes in my local stores, it really grabbed my attention when Dunkin’ started to advertise it heavily. The chain has gone through an extensive rebrand over the last year. Even my closest store just reopened from a lengthy remodel. So I was excited to give the new drink and Dunkin’ a chance.

The siren call of oatmilk was too loud to ignore when I saw they were offering a Chai Oatmilk Latte. According to Dunkin’, it’s a lightly sweetened blend of chai spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, combined with oatmilk. You can get the tea drink hot or cold, but since we’re going into full fall/winter cozy mode, I opted for hot.

Upon first getting the drink, I took a moment to take a whiff of it. The blend of spices was strong. Don’t mistake my saying “strong” with overpowering. Chai is successful to me when it has a bold scent and flavor that is enjoyable without feeling like I walked into a Bath & Body Works. Oftentimes when you are getting drinks poured from premixed concentrates, the chai flavors don’t balance and can be completely overpowering or completely overpowered and bland from too much sugar. In this case, the drink exceeded my expectations for a fast food chai. I think this is also due, in part, to the oatmilk.

When I tried oatmilk on its own recently, I found it to have a sweet and earthy flavor. It is almost the perfect companion for coffee/tea drinks in that way. Most creamers (particularly flavored ones) add a sweetness that overshadows the coffee or tea. Oatmilk, on the other hand, seems to make the beverage better while not taking over the show.

Dunkin Chai Oatmilk Latte Foam

Each sip of this Chai Oatmilk Latte was smooth and rich without being heavy. I really appreciate how well the oatmilk in this drink foamed! Many milk substitutes don’t get as foamy or don’t manage to last longer than the first sip, but here the oatmilk foam hung in there through the whole drink. Even giving me just a little of that “bottom of the cup” foam.

My only real criticism was that it wasn’t piping hot. I don’t think it was sitting long (I used mobile ordering), but the store was cranking out orders, so it’s possible.

Dunkin Chai Oatmilk Latte Sign

Also, and this is a minor annoyance, my husband’s iced gingerbread latte came in the cute holiday cup, but mine was in the everyday Dunkin’ cup. So much for getting those super cute pics for “the ‘gram.” Lastly, I opted for a medium even though the app defaulted to a large. I’m glad I did as I think (especially since the temp was a little off) by the end of a large, I would have experienced major diminishing returns of my enjoyment of the item.

Dunkin’s Chai Oatmilk Latte was excellent, and I’m excited to add this item to my rotation of special seasonal drinks.

Purchased Price: $3.89
Size: Medium (14 oz)
Purchased at: Dunkin’ Donuts
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 250 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 33 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Click here for our previous fast food reviews.