Utz Quality Foods

Update Reviews, 2021

Can't. Stop. Eating. Utz. Pub. Mix.

I think that sums this up nicely.

Pub Mix.

"Looking for the perfect snack to serve at your next party or get together?  Our Utz Pub Mix is a sure crowd-pleaser. This savory blend of honey mustard twists, cheddar cheese twists, honey roasted sesame chips, oriental rice crackers, pretzel stix, nacho bagel chips, and worcestershire rye chips is "crunch-tastic". 

Danger. Danger. Danger.

This mix, which I have reviewed before, and know I like, just spells, D-A-N-G-E-R to me.  The container claims to be 20 servings (!), which, um, perhaps you can not tell, but this is NOT a big container.  I don't have any idea where they get 20 from, even assuming small snack size portions.

I blame my mother for picking it up when I was visiting.  

It really does have everything going on.  There are many products like this out there, but what sets the Utz one apart is that it is actually, um, good?  Every element actually is decent.

I'll start with the most boring, and work my way up to the ones that I think are the best.  But really, I had no problem eating any of these, alone, or as a mix.  #addicting.

• Pretzel stix: Even the basic pretzel sticks, er, "stix", were good, although they are just pretzels.  Extremely buttery, crispy.
• Worcestershire rye chips: These are ok, good for what they are.  Nearly all of these were in-tact, full round pieces.  They taste a bit like Chex mix from the Worcestershire flavoring.
• Nacho bagel chips: Probably my least favorite thing of the mix, they are ok, but not really my thing.  Strangely no whole ones anywhere in the container, all were broken.
• Cheddar Cheese Twistix: Great form factor, zesty, cheesy.  If you want cheesy things, these are good. Sorta tasted nacho though which is less my favorite.
• Honey Mustard Twistix: Yum.  Same twisty form factor as above, very savory, salty.  Sometimes WAY too addicting.
• Oriental rice crackers: Good!  Just rice crackers, assorted shapes, but crispy, not stale, and well flavored.
• Honey roasted sesame chips:  I always want to like these, in snack mixes or random brands we buy, and just usually don't like ... any.  I don't know why.  Well finally some I like - in this mix!  Super sweet, larger than most, crunchy, slightly savory from sesame ... just very very good.

Add it all up?  Yes.  DANGER.  Let's just say, this is not 20 servings for me.

****.

Utz Poker Mix: The Ultimate Blend with a Touch of Spice.

"It's no bluff when we say that Utz® Poker Mix is sure to be a winner at your next gathering or game night! This blend contains an assortment of Rice Crackers, Pretzels, Honey Sesame Chips, Cajun Corn Sticks, Chili Cheese Corn Jax, and Wasabi Peas with a touch of spice!"

Next up, "poker" mix.  You know, different from what you eat at the pub ... This mix was a mixed bag.

The downside?  It was VERY pretzel heavy, with pretzel twists in a variety of shapes, plus big darker pretzel rods.  Given that I am "eh" on most pretzels, the fact that it was more than 50% pretzel was definitely a downside.   The regular ones were nicely buttery, but still not my thing.  The dark ones turned out to be pumpernickel, which was as least unique.  If you love these, Utz produces a standalone version of these as well.

But the rest was good.  The asian rice crackers and honey sesame chips were the same as in the Pub Mix, and I liked them there, and felt exactly the same about them here.  The rice crackers came in a few shapes, and were well seasoned.  The honey sesame chips were sweet, crunchy, and fatter than the shapes found in other mixes, but I liked that too.  They too are available as a standalone product.

New to this mix were the cajun corn sticks and wasabi peas.  The corn sticks were fine, good crunch, zesty seasoning, a nice shape to add to the mix.  The wasabi peas were top notch, exactly the kind I like, great zing.  I never found any chili cheese corn jax ...

Overall, I enjoyed digging through it for all the pieces I liked, and may or may not have left behind a barrel of pretzels for my mom.

***+ overall.

Update Review, June 2017

Several years ago, I discovered Utz at Phat Philly, as I wrote about in my original review of the chips.   I tried a few varieties, thought they were good, and, moved on with life.  I love snack foods, and the chips were good, but, I didn't go seeking out more products.

And then I tried the pub mix.  I love snacks in general, but my absolute weakness is mixed snacks, where I can rummage through a mix, picking out the items I want most at that moment (hello, Chex mix, in all its varieties!).  The pub mix delivered on this as well.

So I took a step back to finally learn about Utz.  They are based in Pennsylvania, which I knew.  But I didn't know they are the largest independent privately held snack maker in the US.  Nor did I know that they started as a husband and wife, in the 1920s, with her making chips by hand in their house, and him delivering them to stores.  I think they've come a long way since then, like buying Zapp's, who's unique flavored chips I've tried before.

Chips (regular, kettle, or even lard based) and pretzels are their primary products, but they also make puffs, popcorn, tortillal chips, pork rinds, snack mixes, even crackers and dips.  This time around, I tried a snack mix, and pretzels.

Barrels

"When you’re ready to party and entertain, there’s nothing better than Utz Snacks – and we’re totally down with that! That’s why we make giant barrelfuls of all your faves, so you don’t run out!"

Utz makes a number of different snacks packaged in barrels, including all the crowd pleasers: cheese balls, caramel corn, pork rinds, and, savory snack mixes.   The mixes are dubbed poker mix, pub mix, and party mix.  I have no idea how they decided which mix is more "poker" appropriate vs "pub", as all are a mix of assorted shapes and flavors of pretzels, corn snacks, cheesy snacks, and chips.  The "Party Mix" is more chip focused, with 4 different types of chips in the mix, but the other two are near equals in variety, just with totally different choices.  Party Mix also comes in smaller sized bags, for when barrels aren't quite what you need.

Pub Mix.

"When you’re ready to party and entertain, there’s nothing better than utz pub mix. Contains honey roasted sesame chips, nacho bagel chips, oriental rice crackers, pretzel Stix, seasoned pretzel twistix, and Worcestershire rye chips."

I had the pub mix, although I was not in a pub.

I really liked this the.  I liked each element for different reasons, and although they combined together nicely, I preferred to just eat one type at a time.  The sizes of each item made for easy eating, only a bite or two each, and I liked the variety of shapes, as it encouraged my picking through the mix in a way I enjoyed.

I was amused how my choice of items changed based on mood.  Some days, I *really* wanted the cheesy nacho bagel chips, others I adored the sweet sesame chips, and others, I just wanted simple rice crackers.  The only item I never wanted?  The pretzels.

Sticks: Pretzel Stix, Cheddar Cheese Twistix, Honey Mustard Twistix.

The only element I didn't care for was the simple "pretzel stix", since I just don't care for pretzels.  They were, well, pretzel sticks.

The "seasoned pretzel twistix" were two varieties, honey mustard and cheddar cheese, both about the same length as the pretzel sticks, but twisty-style, and not really pretzel-y, as in, they didn't have a white interior and brown exterior, and they were softer.  I liked both flavors, although I didn't realize the honey mustard was supposed to be honey mustard until I read this description.  It seemed more like ... herby?  The cheddar cheese ones were coated in orange powder, that of course got all over my fingers, and had a good (fake) cheese quality to it.  Still, these were my last two picks, besides the pretzels, and not an item I ever found myself digging for.

Chips: Honey Roasted Sesame, Worcestershire Rye, Nacho Cheese Bagel.

There were three types of "chips" - honey roasted sesame chips, round flat nacho flavored bagel chips, and round flat darker Worcestershire rye chips.

Most of the chips were broken into smaller bits, but even full size pieces were still bite size.  The sesame ones were the only sweet element in the mix, and I appreciated them for when I felt like something sweet rather than savory, and I liked the texture from the seeds.  I also sometimes kinda loved them mixed with the cheesy elements, in a Chicago popcorn kinda way.  Overall, the honey roasted sesame chips were probably my first pick.

The Worcestershire rye chips reminded me of the flavors of Chex mix, and made me quite nostalgic for my mom's homemade Chex mix.  They were particularly good used as crackers with some soft triple cream cheese.

The bagel chips were cheesy just like the twists, but better coated, and had a tiny bit of additional zesty (I guess nacho?) spicing to them.  These were often my favorites, when I was looking for something besides the sweet sesame chips.

Oriental Rice Crackers.

The final element is oriental rice crackers, in an assortment of shapes, sizes, and colors.  They were fairly standard rice crackers, slight soy sauce flavor, good enough, but not particularly interesting.

Typical Handful.

Most of the chips and twistix were broken pieces.  The rice crackers and pretzels seemed less prone to the breakage.  The distribution of items was great, nothing dominated (I hate it when mixes are majority pretzels!).

This shows a typical handful, in terms of assortment, and piece sizes.

Country Store Pretzel Stix.

I also tried a barrel of just pretzel sticks.  I didn't seek these out, obviously, since I didn't like them in the mix.

These tasted exactly like slightly bigger versions of the stix found in the Pub Mix.  I'm not sure what made these "Country Store", or what was different, besides the size.  Meh to these, but I'm not one for hard style pretzels anyway.

Original Review, February 2015

The other day I reviewed Phat Philly, a cheesesteak shop in the Mission.

Along with their signatures cheesesteaks and fries, they also carry a few Philly classic treats, like Tastycakes and Utz Chips.  I hadn't ever heard of Utz before, but apparently they are a big thing in Philly, and they make a variety of chips, pretzels, and snack mixes.  Since I always love trying new varieties of chips, I couldn't resist grabbing a bag to take with me, to enjoy later.

"The Crab Chip"

"Dive into the unique and delectable flavors of Utz "The Crab Chip" Potato Chips. Inspired by the rich culinary heritage of the Chesapeake Bay, these chips capture the essence of the region's love for seafood. Each chip is infused with a special blend of seasonings that create a savory and slightly spicy taste, reminiscent of a mouthwatering crab feast.

Crafted with care and precision, Utz "The Crab Chip" Potato Chips offer a delightful crunch that will keep you coming back for more. The flavors are perfectly balanced, allowing the natural sweetness of the potatoes to shine through while delivering a hint of Chesapeake Bay-inspired seasoning. Whether you're enjoying a beachside picnic, hosting a backyard cookout, or simply seeking a snack to satisfy your seafood cravings, Utz "The Crab Chip" Potato Chips are a must-have."

I had to pick the most interesting sounding flavor: crab.  What on earth is a crab flavored chip?

It turns out, the answer is: a chip seasoned with Old Bay.  So no, they did not taste like crab.  Instead, they tasted like Old Bay.  Or basically, like a barbecue chip.  They looked like a barbecue chip too, in color.  They had the same slightly sweet, slightly tangy thing going on that a barbecue chip does.  If you gave them to me without a label, I'd say they were just a slightly different barbecue.  The seasoning was very heavy in the salt, perhaps too much.  But besides that, I was intrigued enough to easily finish the bag.

The chips themselves were decent, thin sliced, crispy.  Not kettle style exactly, but not certainly not baked.  Better than most brands at this price point.

I ate several of them plain to taste the flavors, but then decided to try something out.  In my head, I thought, "well, people eat chips with dip" and "I love my barbecue chips dipped in onion dip, or even yogurt, and these are basically like barbecue chips".  So, yes, I wanted to dip them in something.  I'd just finished a crab louie salad, which is what made me inspired to dig the crab chips out of my pantry in the first place, as I wanted more crab.  If crab goes with louie dressing in a salad, and chips go with dip, then, doesn't it follow that crab chips would be great dunked in louie dressing?  Don't judge.  They were awesome this way.  Creamy dressing, tangy chips ... perfect.  The bag stood no chance once I discovered this combo.

I wouldn't go out of my way to find Utz chips, but if I were ever somewhere that had them again, and I wanted a crunchy, salty snack, I'd get them again. ***.

Salt 'n Vinegar.

"Embark on a tangy adventure with Utz® Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips. Crafted with the perfect balance of zesty vinegar and savory salt, these chips deliver a bold and tantalizing snacking experience that is sure to satisfy your cravings. Each chip is thinly sliced and expertly seasoned to create a crispy texture and a burst of tangy flavor in every bite. The combination of salt and vinegar creates a taste sensation that will leave your taste buds tingling with delight. Whether you're seeking a flavorful snack to enjoy on your own or looking to add some excitement to your next gathering, Utz® Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips are the ultimate choice. Elevate your snacking game and let the zingy and savory flavors transport you to a world of deliciousness."

 Well, I found Utz again :)

This time, I was craving salty, so salt 'n vinegar it was.

Again, basic crispy, thin style chip.  They somewhat reminded me of classic Lays.  Tangy vinegar was the prominent flavor, with some salt.

Nothing wrong with these, but not particularly exciting.  ***.

Sour Cream and Onion.

"Treat your taste buds to the creamy and tangy goodness of Utz® Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips. Each chip is perfectly seasoned with a savory blend of sour cream and zesty onion, creating a flavor combination that is both bold and satisfying. The crispy texture of these chips adds an extra layer of enjoyment with every bite. Whether you're snacking on the go, hosting a gathering with friends, or simply satisfying your cravings at home, Utz® Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips are the go-to choice. Discover the delightful taste that has made this flavor a classic favorite among chip lovers. So, grab a bag and let the creamy and tangy flavors tantalize your taste buds."

 These looked exactly like the salt 'n vinegar.  That is, they had no visible specs of something green indicating onions, nor white powder indicating sour cream.

And ... they tasted pretty plain.  Not even very salty.

I do like the thin style, but these were majorly lacking in the flavor department.  **+.

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Jane the Bakery

In 2011, a new cafe opened in Pacific Heights, right on Fillmore St.   I couldn't wait to visit, even though not a convenient location for me.   Knowing me, you likely suspect they had some epic dessert on the menu, or amazing baked goods, but actually, my reason for seeking it out had nothing to do with food.  I know, shocker!  It was actually for the coffee I made my first venture, and more specifically, for a barista that I knew from his previous post, who was now working at Jane.  His obsession with quality and brewing techniques produced some of the best cups of coffee I've ever had, and with Jane offering up a variety of brewing methods, I knew I was in for a treat.

Fast forward a bit.  I went to Jane several times during that first year, always for the coffee, but I remember enjoying some treats as well.  The cafe seemed to flourish, with looong lines, and raving reviews about everything from the coffee to the savory lunch items to the baked goods.  Success was fast, and a second location opened two years later.  And 3 years after that?  A full bakery opened as well.  

"At Jane we bake everything in house - pastries, breads, cookies - if it's baked we bake it. Everything is baked fresh each day."

Let's just say Jane takes the bakery program seriously, with a separate head baker for each specialty (bread, pastry, viennoiserie).  And their products are good.  Very, very good.

At this point, you may suspect that the owner, founder, a baker, someone was named Jane.  The best I can tell, um, no Jane was involved.  I don't understand the name, but I know it stands for quality.

Pastry Boxes.

I got to know Jane very well a few years after those initial visits, when a group in my office added Jane to their regular catering rotation.  Every third week or so, we'd get HUGE boxes of items from Jane.  Boxes and boxes of them, filled to the brim.  Let's just say, over the years, I have had the chance to try nearly every item on Jane's bakery menu.  

Spoiler: some of these are definitely worth going out of your way for.  And if you ever spot a Jane box in your office ... RUN towards it, as fast as you can.

Large Assorted Pastries. $85.

"4 each: cinnamon roll, fruit muffin, bran muffin, citrus brioche, banana bread, chocolate chip coffee cake."

We always had a huge lineup, including assorted muffins (with a separate box of vegan,  gluten-free  offerings), banana bread, coffee cake, brioche, and of course, cinnamon rolls.

Jane also makes scones, croissants, danishes, morning buns, oat cakes, tea cakes, and biscuits, which we often had as well. 

I ... tried everything in this box, and subsequent ones.  And, for the most part, I really liked it all.  The kouign amann are among the best I've ever had, the healthy birdseed muffins and breakfast cookies became my surprise favorites, and the muesli I'm more than willing to go out of my way for.  The muffins, scones, croissants, twists, cakes, etc are always interesting, and a unique aspect is that while the items don't always look, nor sound ,particularly remarkable, they all have really nicely done bases, and texture contrasts between the interior and exterior that I really appreciate.  They are items that "eat well" if you know what I mean.  

Even though I got Jane goodies regularly for years, I never grew sick of them, as seasonal offerings kept constant new additions to the lineup.

Muffins

Jane makes a wide variety of muffins, including seasonal fruit muffins (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cranberry, or mixed berry), hearty muffins, and even vegan, gluten-free options.

I've tried many (yes, even the vegan/gf ones), and was pleased with nearly all of them.

Raspberry Muffin. $4.

Jane always has a fruit muffin on the menu, but it changes with the seasons.  You never know what kind of muffin it is, as they always look the same on the outside, dusted with plenty of powdered sugar.  The first one I tried was raspberry, 

The raspberry muffin was not much of a looker, besides that it was quite large.  No visible fruit on top, and even once I cut into it, I didn't really see fruit.  To be honest, it wasn't a particularly "fruit forward" muffin.

But it was a good muffin.  The top was really crispy in an awesome way, I appreciated the powdered sugar on top, and the base muffin flavor was quite good, even if it had minimal raspberry.

After taking just a slice to try it, I quickly claimed the rest of the muffin.

****.

Cranberry Muffin. $4. (June)

Another morning I eagerly grabbed a whole muffin, after learning that they were good last time.  The muffin looked to be bursting with fruit, I suspected blueberry or other seasonal summer berry (as it was June), but ... it turned out to be cranberry.  Doh.  Not my fav.

The muffin was still good form - crispy top, very moist inside, sweet flavor to the insides, and loaded with juicy berries, but, cranberries are not really what I like.

***+.

Blueberry Muffin. $4. (July)

I never know which variety the muffin will be, until I dig in, as they are never labelled, and never have visible fruit.

As always, the top was crispy, I liked the powdered sugar, and the base flavor was lovely, a slight tang, and very moist and fluffy.  It was certainly a sweet muffin though, almost more trending towards cake, particularly with the additional powdered sugar on top, so it sweet muffins aren't quite your thing, this might not be for you.

Blueberry Muffin: Side Profile.

And what was in it?  

Blueberries.  Juicy little pops, but, like many of the Jane muffins, not really loaded down in berries.  I would like more fruit, but, the fruit that was there is good.

***+.

Blueberry Muffin (August 2019).

I had a blueberry muffin again few weeks later, and loved it just as much, if not more, as before. 

Fabulous crispy top, light moist base with complex flavor, and of course, berries.  I could imagine pairing with fresh berries, and ice cream or whipped cream to easily transform into a dessert item. ****.

Update (September 2019): I had another, and again just loved it.  The flavor to the base, and the crispy top, really set this apart. ****.

Update (November 2019):  Again.  <3.  This is such a great, sweet, fluffy, moist, muffin. ****.

Update (Jan 2020): I think the allure of these is fading.  Still moist, still fluffy, but the flavor isn't very compelling nor complex.  ***.

Update (Feb 2020); Yeah, I'm over these.  They are good, but, not quite what I want for breakfast, if I want sweet, I prefer the iced cinnamon roll, and if I want hearty, I adore the birdseed muffin.  They are good for dessert later in the day, with ice cream or whipped cream, but, I find they don't hold up as well as I expect. ***.

Birdseed Bran Muffin $4.

Eventually, I moved on from the sugar coated fruit muffins, and I tried the "birdseed bran" a smaller, less lofty, far healthier looking muffin.  I'll admit that I was skeptical on this one.

But I really liked it too!  A dense, hearty muffin, nice bran flavor and texture, and a sweetness that clearly came from something other than just sugar ... molasses?  The oats and seeds on top added tons of crunch and interest.

Birdseed Bran Muffin: Inside.

Inside was dried fruit - raisins, both golden and regular, and I believe dried apricot.  The dried fruit was all quite plump, and I liked the texture and sweetness it added.  Yup, I even appreciated the raisins!

I don't always go for the less sweet, heartier muffins, but I enjoyed this quite a bit.  I think it would be great warmed with some jam or butter too, but it was good enough just at room temp.  One of the best healthier muffins I've ever had.

****.

Birdseed Bran Muffin #2.

I'm really glad I discovered these muffins.  Everyone else seems to reject them, always the last to remain, always plenty left even at the end of the day.  I'm happy to take the rejected muffins, as I know just how they good they are.

And, I do enjoy the hearty muffin from time to time.  Warmed up with a touch of butter, they go nicely with a cup of coffee in the morning, on the rare days I'm not craving sweets.  A dollop of jam can accent the dried fruit inside, but isn't needed.  I've also had one sliced and served cold alongside a salad, and it really helped augment the meal.

I'm always happy to take these! ****.

Vegan, Gluten-Free Banana Blueberry Muffin.

After many months of adoring Jane muffins, I finally tried a vegan, gluten-free muffin.

I waited until these were clearly just the rejects, as I am not vegan, gluten-free, nor do I like banana baked goods, so this was not a particularly compelling muffin for me.  These had a very different look from the regular muffins, with pearl sugar replacing the powdered sugar, and big juicy blueberries visible on top

It ... was probably ok, if you like banana.  Which does not describe me.  For me, the banana was far too pronounced, although I'm sure it added moisture.  At least this was not a dry, cardboard-like gluten-free muffin.  The texture wasn't bad, although it did not compare to the regular fruit muffin.

The blueberries were as good as they looked, juicy, lovely pops of flavor, but, the banana just dominated this one too much for me.

**+.

Vegan, Gluten-Free Banana Raspberry Muffin.

I'm not sure why I tried another variety, the next month, featuring raspberry.  I think I like Jane's regular fruit muffins so much I still wanted to give them hope.

But ... again, it tasted like banana.  I don't like banana.  And it was pretty dry.  Did not like anything about it.

**.

Vegan GF Pumpkin Muffin.

When I grabbed this, I thought it was my favorite birdseed muffin, given the pumpkin seeds on top.  I wondered why it was in the special gluten-free box ...

But it turned out to be a vegan, gluten-free, pumpkin muffin.  Not what I was going for, but I still tried a chunk before handing off to a gluten-free friend.

I loved the pumpkin seeds on top, and the muffin was actually pretty good.  It was clearly not a normal muffin ... it was dense, almost like a bran muffin, except that, well, it wasn't bran.  Slight pumpkin flavor.  Crispy top that I liked, not moist exactly, but, not dry.

Overall, a nicely done muffin, and if I didn't have other things (e.g. a kouign amann!) right there, I certainly would finish it.

***.

Breakfast Buns / Cakes

Next up, other morning appropriate items, like cinnamon rolls, morning buns, and coffee cakes.  The kind of items that you feel a bit guilty grabbing at 8am as the first thing you eat in a day, but make for a perfect treat around 10am with an additional cup of coffee ... 

These items tend to go fast, clearly they call out to my coworkers as the perfect grabbable treats as they dash between meetings.

Cinnamon Roll.

I started with the item that, looks aside, was most likely to be up my alley: a cinnamon roll.

The cinnamon roll didn't actually look very special.  The glaze looked a bit hard, as did the entire thing, really.

But it was quite good, I ended up liking the crisp exterior, and inside was perfectly moist.  The cinnamon-sugar filling was noticeable but not too spiced, and the sweet glaze complimented everything well.

Overall, a very good cinnamon roll, and I wished I had time to warm it up, as I'm sure it would be even better that way.

***+.

Cinnamon Roll #2.

So, when another box of pastries with cinnamon rolls showed up, I decided to do just that.

It was, as I suspected, even better warmed up, and even better when topped with a scoop of coconut gelato, candied pecans, and drizzled with salted caramel.  Yes, I made myself a fabulous dessert from this!

***+.

Cinnamon Roll #3.

I had another the *next* time they arrived, and did warm it up, but found it not as exciting.  I still liked the glaze, but the base itself was more boring than I remembered.

I've had these again several times since, and the glaze really is my favorite part.  It is, the, uh, "icing on the cake"?

And some days, a big chunk of this, with plenty of icing, is just a lovely treat.  ***.

Citrus Morning Bun.

The morning bun was ... boring in comparison.  The dough didn't have any particular loftiness, there wasn't much flavor to it, and it just seemed kinda dry.

Well coated in cinnamon and sugar though.

I would not get this again.

Update: I tried another batch, when there was an abundance and someone cut a few up, and ... yeah.  Very much not my thing, just kinda dry and boring.

**.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake.

Then it was time to try the coffee cake, never my first choice, but I did have a cup of coffee in my hand ... what choice did I have, but try the breakfast cake?

Jane makes several coffee cakes: plain, fruit, cinnamon streusel, or, as we had, chocolate chip.  The slices are ... generous to say the least.

Much like the cinnamon roll, I wasn't that impressed by the outward appearance of it.  Sure, it had lots of chocolate chips and tons of powdered sugar on top, but it looked like ... well, I guess just kinda boring coffee cake?

But like nearly every item, it was the textures and contrasts that drew me in once I tried a small slice.  I went back to claim a full slice soon after.

The top was crisp, the inside moist.  The streusel and chocolate combination on top was a good one.  The base flavor was good, not quite plain.

Overall, a really quite good slice of coffee cake.  I'm curious to try the fruit versions as well. ****.

Update: I tried this again another time, and wasn't quite as into it.  I did like the chocolate chips on top, but the base was more boring than I remembered. ***.

Blueberry Coffee Cake.

This was a unique coffee cake.  Really, I'd just call it a crumble cake.  Moist, lemon blueberry cake base, much like a muffin, sweeter style than normal for breakfast, but not quite decadent dessert cake.  No spicing to it like a coffee cake, but the lemon was strong, and the blueberries abundant and juicy.   It was also an entirely different form compared to the sliced chocolate chip version.

As I don't care for lemon, the lemon ruined this for me, but I did like the crumble top, and the berries. ***.

Croissant Base: Croissants, Danishes, Tarts, Kouign Amann

Jane's lineup of croissant products is quite extensive, and are well regarded among those who rate "the best" croissants in the city.  All use traditional laminated croissant dough, but they come filled with many things.  Jane makes the standard offerings of chocolate, twice-baked almond, and ham & cheese croissants, but they also have a Louisiana hotlink croissant if ham & cheese is a bit boring, a buckwheat chocolate croissant to jazz up the standard chocolate croissant, a buckwheat almond croissant to up the ante on the regular almond croissant, etc, and then a slew of fascinating savory options, like a "brunch croissant" with a fried egg on top, and a smoked salmon and everything spice version.  Seriously, the croissant line up is pretty impressive.

In addition to croissants, Jane offers danishes, tarts, twists, and kouign amann, all of which use the same croissant pastry base.  I've tried many of these.

This is where Jane's goodies really shine, in both quality and uniqueness, particularly of some of the unexpected savory items.

Traditional Croissant. $3.50.

The traditional croissant is a fairly standard execution, flaky messy exterior, moist, well laminated layered interior.  Not particularly outstanding, but certainly not bad.

***.

Almond Twice Baked Croissant. $5.

Next up, the almond twice baked croissant.

I have this problem with twice baked almond croissants.  I always think I like them, and then ... rarely do.  I need to get it out of my head that I like these.

I think it was a fine pastry, exactly as intended.  Topped with frangipane and sliced almonds, powdered sugar, crispy on top and crispy on the edges, as it was twice baked.  Kinda spongy inside, but generously filled with frangipane.

I've realized I just don't like the twice baked style though, so this isn't Jane's fault, it is mine.

**+.

Ham & Cheese Croissant.

I moved on to the fairly standard ham & cheese croissant, the perfect pairing alongside a light salad for a lunch.

The croissant was decent, like the others, flaky enough (e.g. messy), and was quite sizable.  The herbs on top added a further savory element.

Ham & Cheese Croissant: Inside.

The inside was the interesting part, well filled.  Seemingly decent quality ham, and I could taste both it and the cheese easily.

A decent ham & cheese croissant, but not particularly remarkable.

***.

Spinach & Feta Scroll. $5.

I moved on to more creative offerings, like the Spinach & Feta.

This one certainly looked exciting, although I knew that savory pastries and danishes aren't usually my favorite, I didn't know what this one was when I tried it.  I was drawn in by the scroll design.

It turned out to be filled with spinach and feta, which, was a pretty big strike for me, as I don't really care for feta.  Ooops.

I liked the sprinkle of sesame seeds on top, it was nicely made, but, not for me.  My partner loves these.

** for me, ***+ from him.

Savory Vegetable Flat. $4.

The savory vegetable flat was very lovely, but I didn't try it, knowing it was unlikely to be for me.  Kudos to Jane on the presentation though.

Seasonal Special: Cranberry Mascarpone (?). January 2020.

I moved on to sweet options.

I took this one with NO CLUE what it was, but, it was a new shape, and certainly looked like a sweet danish, so I was eager to try.

The pastry was similar to the croissants and savory danishes I had tried - good quality, layered, nicely laminated, crispy.  Not the best I've ever had, but solid.

I liked the icing drizzle too, sweet and satisfying.

Seasonal Cranberry Mascarpone (?): Inside.

But of course, I cared about the fillings.  I could see a berry filling, that turned out to be a generous amount of cranberry compote.  It was tart, but sweet, and a lovely seasonal offering.

The sweet fruit was balanced nicely by the layer under it - it seemed to be mascarpone perhaps?  It might have just been a cream cheese custard, but the flavor seemed more unique.

I really liked both fillings, and they complimented each other nicely.

Overall, a nice pastry.  Not something I'd go seeking out in particular, but quite satisfying.

***+.

Seasonal Twist: Vietnamese Coffee. $5.

This one was a looker as well!  I had no idea what kind it was, just labelled "seasonal twist", but it turned out to be Vietnamese Coffee, twirls of croissant dough wrapped with a cold brew filling, complete with bits of coffee beans for crunch, and topped with pearl sugar.

Not being one for coffee flavored items (I really like coffee, just not coffee flavored things, not really sure why), I handed this off to a friend once I identified the flavor (not chocolate or black sesame as I hoped!), but it was a fairly stunning item.

***.

Seasonal Twist: Olive Tapenade (November 2019). $5.

Uh ... this one took me by surprise.  I thought it was a sweet item.  It was not.  It was savory.

Imagine my surprise when I bit in to something that I thought was chocolate, cherry, and pistachio, to find ... olives and olive tapenade.  Doh.

The pastry was flaky and decent, but it is hard for me to really give this a ringing endorsement, as I really don't care for the strong taste of olives, particularly when it was so unexpected.  But if you like olives ...

**+.

Seasonal Twist: Passionfruit Chocolate Popcorn? (December 2019). $5.

Another month, another ridiculous seasonal twist, and another one I had no idea what it was when I grabbed it.  All I knew is that I saw caramel corn on top (YES!!!) and what were clearly little chocolate pearls, so at least I knew it was certainly a sweet option.  It also turned out to be a total surprise ... uh, it was passionfruit!

I did love the sticky, sweet caramel corn, and of course, I snatched up all the extra caramel corn in the box that fell off the others.  I appreciated the chocolate, and the slight crunch from the crispearls.

Underlying all that though was kinda mediocre croissant pastry, and ... yeah, passionfruit goo.  Chocolate and passionfruit were a really odd combo for me, and the caramel corn made no sense with it either.

I warmed it up and enjoyed the pastry more than way, but I certainly wouldn't get this again.

*** for uniqueness?

Meyer Lemon Poppy Turnover. (February 2020).

"Layers of pastry filled with Meyer Lemon Marmalade and topped with Poppy Seeds."

Yes, yes, I don't like lemon pastries, but this was a new item, and I like to try #allTheThings.  Plus, someone cut one open, so I didn't need to feel wasteful, just taking a small chunk.

The turnover exterior was good, flaky, buttery, above average, better than the croissants.  I did actually really like the crunch from the poppy seed crust.

Meyer Lemon Poppy Turnover: Inside.

And inside, yup, the part I didn't care for, the meyer lemon marmalade, which I liked more than a lemon curd for sure, but was still more citrusy than I prefer.

A unique, well done item, for citrus lovers.

***.

Kouign Amann. $4.

And then ... behold, the mighty kouign amann.  These are also formed from the same base croissant dough, and then ... just transformed into the king of all pastries.  Imho.

I was excited, but still cautious, as I dove in for one of these.  I adore a good kouign amann, but sometimes ... they just slightly disappoint.

This was a good kouign amann.  A very good kouign amann.

The exterior was perfectly flaky and messy, in all the right ways.  Well laminated moist layers within.  Crispy pearl sugar on top.

Kouign Amann: Bottom.

But the beauty of course lay in the caramelization of the base.  Here you can see the bottom, just ... as caramelized as it gets!

This was truly a fabulous kouign amann, and I place only b. Patisserie above it in my rankings.

****+.

Kouign Amann (August 2019).

I got a chance to have another a few months later, and even though I went into it with high expectations, it was just as good as the first.

So crispy and caramelized, it looked quite dark, a few moments longer and it would have been burnt, but it wasn't, it was just caramelized goodness.

Jane has nailed these.

****+.

Kouign Amann: Bottom (August 2019).

I mean, really.  Look at the bottom of this thing.  Perfection.

Kouign Amann (September 2019).

Another month, another perfect kouign amann.

I mean really.  The caramelization.  The flaky layers.  A++.

****+.

Seasonal Kouign Amann: Kumquat Pecan (February 2020).

Um.  Jane's Kouign Amann are already life changing.  And I adore pecans.  So when I saw the pecan on top of this I was already drawn in, but realizing it was stuffed with kumquat nearly made me exclaim with glee.  I had no idea how this would possibly work, but, I was in.

The pastry, as expected, was just insane.  Buttery, sugary, caramelized, flaky, decadent, top notch.  Seriously.  So so very unhealthy, and so very very well done.  And yes, I loved the sugared pecan on top.  Because, you know, a pastry with a fully caramelized bottom, that is coated in sugar on top, clearly *needs* more sugar elements.

 Kumquat Pecan Kouign Amann : Half Section.

And then inside, a fascinating pecan kumquat marmalade like substance.  A bit hard to describe, but, basically tons of cooked down kumquat and chunks of pecan, in a jam-like base.  I kinda loved it, but I kinda didn't like it at the same time.  I liked the kumquat, and I loved the pecan, but it didn't feel quite right inside my kouign amann.  It almost detracted from the glory that was the flaky caramelized layers, and didn't seem to compliment it that well.

I ended up eating the kouign amann around it, and then eating the filling with some ice cream later, and enjoyed it that way, but, I wouldn't want this filling again given a choice.

***+.

Brioche

The brioches are equally impressive as the croissant based items, offered in a huge range, savory and sweet, and often seasonal.

Don't get me started on how much I want to try the salted caramel twist or matcha knot ... but alas, our boxes have never contained these.  Still, I've tried many, many of the brioches, although they tend to look better than they taste.

Citrus Brioche. $4.50.

The first brioche I tried was the citrus brioche, which I didn't know what it was until I read the label on the box.

Well, it looked great, but, I don't tend to like citrus baked goods.

This was actually good, but, the citrus aspect of it, as I expected, wasn't quite for me.  But the item itself was unique, again, crispy exterior, although a bit gooey too from moist sugar, with folds of more moist sweetness (citrus flavored), and a slightly caramelized exterior.  As with all the other items, I found the base flavor good, and I liked the crispy, sticky, sweet combo.   I just wish it didn't taste like citrus.

**+.

Update: I did try a chunk anther time when they showed up, and, knowing it was citrus, I was able to appreciate it much more.  I still would prefer that it not have the citrus, but the crispy caramelized exterior was fabulous, and I almost appreciated the soft citrus insides.

***.

Seasonal Brioche (November 2019).

This was a seasonal item in November, and I'm not quite sure what name Jane has given it, but it was the same signature brioche roll, same shape and style as the citrus, with a plain base.  A bit dry for me, and not particularly special.

Between the rolls was what seemed to be a pumpkin seed spread, and it was garnished with more pumpkin seeds and icing.

I enjoyed the very top, with all the sweet icing and pumpkin seeds, but the rest, like most of the brioche rolls, was just a bit too ... boring.

**+.

Raspberry Brioche.

The next brioche I tried was an entirely different looking item.  It was labelled, so I knew it was a brioche, otherwise I would have never realized it from looks alone.

This was the seasonal raspberry brioche, a brioche round, filled with pastry cream, raspberry jam, fresh glazed raspberries, raspberry powder, and lemon zest, with a ring of streusel around the edges, and a dusting of superfine powdered sugar over it all.

Um, yeah, that is a lot to take in, and I loved the attention to detail this item had.  You got the light fluffy brioche dough, the creamy pastry cream in the center, the raspberry 3 ways (fresh glazed, jam, powder), the balance of the tiny hit of lemon zest, the crunchy streusel ... it had nearly everything.

That said, I found this item only ok.  The brioche was fine, the streusel was crisp and sweet and enjoyable, the fruit was fresh and sweet but ... I somehow wanted it to add up to more than it was.  I found myself actually just wanting more of everything - more cream! More streusel! More fruit!  I think the having it all approach actually took away slightly for me.

Still good, but not my favorite.

***.

Raspberry Brioche (September 2019).

I tried it again a month later, again drawn in by the beauty.

I again liked the crunch from the streusel.  But everything else just fell short.  A boring item, which makes no sense, given the complexity.

***.

Raspberry Brioche (January 2020).

I tried one more time, again drawn in by the looks, but, besides the juicy berries in the center (which I really do love!), this item just isn't for me.

**+.

Nutella Filled Brioche.

Next up, another brioche, and another one that looked entirely different.

At first glance, it kinda looked like a muffin or coffee cake, but luckily it was labelled so I knew it was not only a brioche base, but also that it had Nutella hiding inside.  On top was a full cap of the same streusel and powdered sugar that the fruit brioche had around the edges.

This was my favorite brioche - the larger brioche form factor allowed the light fluffy brioche to shine, and I liked ripping off pieces of it.  So much lighter than a muffin, which is what you want sometime, but more exciting than just a slice of brioche.   It reminded me a little of panettone.  At least to me.

I adored the streusel, crispy, sweet, fabulous, and since the entire thing was coated with it, I was able to enjoy it more.  I liked the contrast of the brioche itself and the crispy top.

And inside, a generous portion of soft Nutella.  Classic Nutella, which is never the most exciting thing to me, but is nice alongside coffee in the morning.

****.

Update: I had another a few weeks later, and was less into it.  The brioche was just ... light fluffy bread, and I was in "eh, I don't like Nutella" mode, so that wasn't interesting to me either. ***.

Perfect Brioche Bite.

Of course, I'm not one to settle for a pastry without whipped cream, so I set about acquiring some whipped cream to really create my "perfect bite" - brioche, Nutella, whip.

This was better, 'natch. ***+.

Seasonal Brioche (December 2019).

Another month, the seasonal brioche was kinda crazy looking, so ... against my better judgement, just given how blah I find these in general, I still tried it.

The dough was again light, fluffy and bo-ring.  The few bits of blackberry didn't really help much to liven it up.

Note to self: it doesn't matter what they look like, you aren't into brioches :)

**+.

Scones

Jane makes a savory and a sweet scone at all times, rotating with the seasons.  Sometimes they are square, sometimes triangle, but always a harder style, not soft biscuits.

The scones I've tried are all fine, above average, but aren't really signature, go-to items.

Sweet Scone: Currant. $3.50.

The seasonal sweet scone the first time I had a chance to try one was ... currant.  Boo.  I dislike raisins and currants for the most part.  Alas, it was winter, not berry season, so, currants it was.

The scone was decent, a crumbly texture, a bit of tang to the base, but not much.  I actually prefer a buttermilk base scone, just so the base is more interesting.  The currants were well distributed, and there weren't too many, so they didn't take over, but did at least provide something quasi-interesting inside, and they weren't too hard, but still ... not my thing.

I loved the generous pearl sugar on top, and these were perfectly cooked, not a burnt edge in sight (soooo often the edges of scones, even from reputable bakeries, are burnt!).

Overall, certainly above average, just not a variety I was excited about.  I spread it generously with clotted cream and jam, and appreciated it much more that way.

***.

I never got to try the citrus scone that came next.

Savory Scone: Cheddar Togarashi. $3.50.

The savory one looked even more exciting.

I took it, not knowing what kind it was, but assuming it was savory, and spying what looked like one of my favorite things: furikake on top!

It turned out to be togarashi, spicy with a kick!  A bit of legit heat to it, in addition to the sesame seeds and seaweed.  Flavorful topping, no question.

The scone itself was savory, cheddar, cheesy but not overwhelming, and studded with spicy togarashi as well.  More kick.  It was a crumbly harder style much like the sweet scone.

Overall this was good, fine for something different, but I prefer Jane's savory biscuit to the savory scone (keep reading!).

***.

Savory Olive (?) Scone (Feb 2020).

Next up, another savory version.  These seemed to be ... olive?  Fine, but not really great.  Not flavors I go for.  I'd love to catch the mushroom gruyere when it is offered again.

**+.

Tea Cakes / Breads

Jane makes all the standard tea cakes (banana, lemon, pumpkin, carrot), plus a gluten-free banana version.  Not generally my thing, so it took me a long time to try them, but I'm glad I finally did.

Banana Bread. $4.

The regular banana bread was ... well, banana bread.

Super thick slices, moist.  But, banana bread is just not something I love anymore (which is sad, I used to love it, I grew up eating it warm with butter or cream cheese melting in, and always really liked it.  And some of my favorite San Francisco brunch memories are of the warn banana bread and cream cheese topping at Universal Cafe ... ).

But these days, just not for me, but I admit this was a quality banana bread.

***.

Gluten Free Banana Bread. $4.

I did try a tiny bite of the gluten-free one as well, and it was actually a bit better than the regular, even more moist.  So if banana bread is your thing and you are gluten-free, this could be for you!

One of my gluten-free colleagues adores this.

***+.

Carrot Bread. $4.

The carrot bread was a nice surprise.

Again, huge, thick slices, quite moist.

It was loaded with shredded carrot for extra moisture, and plenty of nuts to ensure crunch in every bite.  It was sweet, and honestly, was just like carrot cake .... without cream cheese frosting.

It was flavorful enough to eat just as it was, but it also transformed perfectly into carrot cake, when I created a topping of cream cheese mixed with whipped cream - cream cheese frosting in a pinch!

****+.

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Blueberry Pound Cake

After actually liking the other cakes, and after I had a really good blueberry pound cake from elsewhere a few days prior, and so I was drawn in immediately when I saw the blueberry pound cake, even though in general, pound cakes are not my thing.

It was rich, the berries were fine, but, yeah, it was still pound cake ...  still not for me.

***.

Other

Jane makes a slew of other fabulous items, that I'm just calling, um, "other".

Cheddar & Chive Biscuit.

This was a very solid (as in good, not too hard!) biscuit.

Good crumb to it, slight tang to the base, and really quite savory, loaded with plenty of herbs, and plenty of cheese.  

Flavorful enough to just nibble on on its own, but I think it would make an awesome base for a breakfast sandwich with sausage and egg inside, and would be great with gravy ...

***+.

Gluten Free Honey Hemp Bar. $4.

This sorta looked like a healthy granola bar, so I tried to cut off a chunk to try it.  I couldn't.  Literally, I could not cut it.  It was rock solid.  Seriously, rock solid.  Not even a real knife could get through this thing.

So I took a full one, and tried to bite it.  Um, rock solid!  I was worried for my teeth.

It also didn't really seem very sweet (where was that promised honey?) and didn't please me in any way.

This was a real fail for me.

*.

Cookie. (November 2019).

One day, there were cookies in our breakfast assortment.  Cookies.  For breakfast.

I was not opposed.

And honestly, this *was* fitting for a breakfast cookie.  It seemed to be the cookie version of the birdseed muffin, studded with pumpkin seeds and bits of dried fruit, apricot in particular.  It was not a very sweet cookie, nor a very soft cookie, and would never satisfy me for a "real" dessert or treat, but, for a breakfast item, it actually totally worked.  Kinda like a harder, thinner, scone?

I found myself craving these for breakfast, perfect alongside a coffee, and have gotten them many times since that initial discovery, and I enjoy them every time.

****, and a really unique item I didn't even know I needed in my life!

Tomato and Cheddar Quiche.  $6/slice.

Yes, quiche.

I'm definitely not a quiche girl, at all, so I didn't try the quiche itself (it looked lovely, cheese layer was legit!), but I tried the crust.  Because, after all, I do love good pastry!

It was very good crust ... for a quiche.  Quality pie crust, just not sweet like a dessert pie.  If only I liked quiche, Jane makes a variety of flavors, and I think I would likely enjoy it.

**** for the crust only ...

Super Berry Muesli.

"Steel cut oats, cashews, almond meal, flax seed meal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, millet, chia seeds, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, barberries, goji berries, mulberries."

Jane makes muesli, normally part of their catering setup with yogurt and fresh fruit, or available as a component in their chia pudding parfait in the cafe.  I was thrilled we got it one morning.

This, simply put, was fabulous muesli.  It had a lot going on, no question, and all very healthy items, but I adore it.   Yup, chia seeds, flax seed, almond meal, goji berries ... I mean, really, who *am* I?  

This stuff is fantastic though.  I love the play of textures (so crispy! bits of chewy fruit!), I love the healthy taste even.  It goes fabulously with yogurt and honey and fresh fruit in a parfait, but I find I like it equally well with milk as a breakfast cereal, or even added on top of an ice cream sundae for crunch.  It works well, every way I have tried it.

****+, some of the best muesli I've ever had.  Jane also makes a granola, and I'd love to try that sometime too.

Protip: I discovered that it freezes beautifully, so I can always have a jar on hand in the freezer ...

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