Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.
(Spotted by Jim R at Kroger.)
(Spotted by James D at Aldi.)
(Spotted by Robbie at Trader Joe’s.)
(Spotted by Rachel C at Trader Joe’s.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
(Spotted by John W at Dollar General.)
(Spotted by John W at Dollar General.)
If we can agree on anything in these divisive times, it’s that pretzel buns are one of the greatest food inventions since Jakob Gareth Food created food in 1295.
We can agree on that, right? I know you’re nodding your heads, “yes,” so I can just move on.
In 2013, Wendy’s released the Pretzel Pub Sandwich, and it instantly knocked the Bacon Mushroom Melt out of my Wendy’s gold medal spot.
The combination of that iconic chicken, two types of cheese (Muenster and cheddar), and honey mustard on a perfectly tender pretzel bun had me coming back at least once a week. I would throw those bad boys down faster than you can say, “Sir, this is a Wendy’s,” but alas, just as the employees were memorizing my name and face, it was gone.
I’m pretty sure Wendy’s dabbled with other pretzel bun fare in the years since, but nothing ever came close to that Pretzel Pub Sandwich. Well, guess what, folks? It’s a miracle. Pretzel Pub Sandwiches are back, but this time along with the cheese and honey mustard, there’s bacon, pickles, and fried onions along for the ride.
So that’s it. That’s the review. I gushed about the OG Pretzel Pub, and this is the same sandwich with three awesome additions. It’s a 10 out of 10, right?
No, and I’m bummed beyond belief. There is just way too much going on with this sandwich. Each ingredient is great on its own, but once plopped on top of each other, none really stood out, and it made for a buzzkill of a meal.
I remember the original sandwich being a compact, tasty, and harmonious masterpiece. Here, the two gloopy ingredients (beer cheese and honey mustard) mixed with the lightly melting muenster make a gross texture with a flavor I could only describe as…warm?
I got a spicy chicken filet, and even that familiar flavor ended up being bland and masked. Honestly, the pickles had the most dominant flavor in the sandwich and kinda didn’t belong.
Now, while I’m pretty mad, it wasn’t all bad. I didn’t hate it.
The pretzel bun was still God-tier. I just love a soft pretzel’s taste and texture and believe any sandwich instantly improves with them as bread. Wendy’s cooks the best bacon in the fast food game, so no complaints there. Crispy fried onions are the most underutilized burger topper in the world, and should replace every raw onion moving forward.
Again, these are all good ingredients on their own, but combined? What a mess. There were too many cooks in the kitchen when they came up with this updated sandwich.
You can order a Pretzel Pub Burger, and I suspect all these ingredients might work better with beef. But I think the move might be to customize your own variation in the app.
I’m not even positive that’s allowed, but I’m going back to try this with two fewer ingredients. I think I might just cut the “Pub” out entirely and lose the beer cheese. Two sauces were just too messy.
I’ve probably romanticized the 2013 Pretzel Pub too much over the years, so you may like this much more than I did. It’s worth a shot, but just make sure you’re parked or at home while you eat it, because it’s a big sloppy experience.
Purchased Price: $6.19
Size: N/A
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 840 calories, 42 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 105 milligrams of cholesterol, 1780 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 42 grams of protein.
Here are some new seasonal products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.
(Spotted by John W at Kroger.)
(Spotted by Mark M at Walgreens.)g
(Spotted by Mark M at Smiths.)
(Spotted by Bianca L at Target.)
(Spotted by Bianca L at Target.)
(Spotted by Mark M at Target.)
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To apply, please email everything to [email protected] with “Grimace is so huggable!” in the subject line. We will stop accepting applicants on Sunday, September 20, 2020 at 20:20 Hawaii Standard Time.
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Editor
Update: These are now Target’s Favorite Day Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream and Apple Crisp Ice Cream.
One has pumpkin cheesecake-flavored ice cream (made with pumpkin puree) with a graham cracker swirl. The other features artificially flavored apple crisp ice cream swirled with caramel and oatmeal pieces. Both are seasonal varieties at Target.
Well, let’s start with the Pumpkin Cheesecake one. If you force-fed this pint to me and said it’s pumpkin cheesecake-flavored, I’d grab the pint from your hand, get a clean spoon (because I don’t want any indirect kissing), force-feed you a spoonful, and then ask you in the most dramatic tone I could muster, “Is it pumpkin cheesecake-flavored?”
I initially notice cheesecake tang, but that quickly goes away with the first spoonful. With subsequent spoonfuls, all I taste are pumpkin, spices, and gritty graham crackers, which, according to Thanksgiving math, equals a pumpkin pie. As a pumpkin pie ice cream, it’s delightful and accurately hits all the pie’s flavors. But without having that tang throughout, it doesn’t convince my mouth that anything cheesecake is involved.
The apple crisp ice cream base has a mild taste similar to Fuji apple-flavored products I’ve had. But when eaten with the caramel, the apple is heightened. The oatmeal pieces, when my mouth finds a whole one, have a taste and texture that reminds me of Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal. Their crunch and subdued sweetness are a contrast to the other two components.
While the Apple Crisp one is also tasty, a few spoonfuls had an off flavor. It’s not anything that made me spit it out, but it’s a striking difference to the other spoonfuls.
This is my first time experiencing Market Pantry Ice Cream. I don’t know why it’s taken me this long. It’s not as if the price is holding me back since pints cost half of any name brand. I’m also not a brand name snob because I’m typing this on a $7.99 BingoTechStyle Bluetooth Keyboard I bought on Amazon that’s no longer being sold.
Both are super easy to scoop. I’m talking frozen dairy dessert easy. Maybe air should be added to the ingredients list?
If you’re looking for high quality, dense ice cream this fall season, look elsewhere. If you want to enjoy inexpensive holiday frozen treats, Market Pantry’s Apple Crisp Ice Cream or Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream might satisfy your seasonal sweet tooth.
Purchased Price: $2.35 each
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Pumpkin Cheesecake), 7 out of 10 (Apple Crisp)
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) Pumpkin Cheesecake – 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Apple Crisp – 190 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.
