Cheesecake Factory At Home

Update Review, 2024

As I mentioned when I reviewed the classic Cheesecake Factory mini baguettes from their "At Home" product line, they also transform their signature brown wheat bread into dinner rolls, larger buns, and a sandwich loaf.  Although I didn't love the baguettes before, they were good for bakery bread, so I was curious to try something else.

Bakery Buns.

"Our Bakery Buns have a rich taste and soft texture with a wholesome oat topping that complements whatever recipe inspires you.  They’re sturdy enough to hold generous portions of your favorite flavors at the grill or in the kitchen."

I was really curious about these.  I like their brown bread, but it seems like it would overpower burgers, or pulled pork, or anything I'd normally put into it.    

The buns were about as expected.  Soft.  Moderately fresh.  Slightly sweet and malty taste.  Good scattering of oats on top.  But I really just wasn't sure how to use them. If I was one to eat deli meat turkey sandwiches, or grilled chicken, I could see it going well with either of those.  ***.

Original Review, February 2021

Perhaps you've been lamenting that can't go out to The Cheesecake Factory to enjoy their epic menu of #allTheThings.  Such is the COVID world.  But did you know that you can just go to your local grocery store and, most likely, get a bunch of their branded items?

"We are excited to be introducing The Cheesecake Factory At Home™ - a line of delicious products that can be enjoyed at home. Look for these exciting new products in select retailers near you!"

Is it the same as going to the restaurant with its 250 item long menu?  (Yes, really.). Clearly, no.  Most of these products aren't even replicas of actual things served at the restaurant, but, of course there are cheesecake options (whole cheesecakes, slices, or bites), and, probably the part of a Cheesecake Factory meal more people look forward to than the cheesecake even: the brown bread, along with other breads, ice cream, and, um, puddings.  A very random assortment of items, no actual entrees, nor even appetizers (I would have expected frozen appetizer line!), and, really, I love pudding, but ... that seemed so very random.

Note that this is entirely different from their cheesecake, cakes, and cupcakes available to foodservice distributors, which I've reviewed previously (along with a slew of desserts).

During the summer of 2020, while staying in rural New Hampshire with my family, I got a chance to try out some of these products.  I was pleasantly surprised by a few.

Bread

"The Cheesecake Factory® is the fantastical food experience that is absolutely certain to satisfy. Now you can enjoy our famous “brown bread” and new brioche hamburger buns– at home. Loved around the world, our brown bread baguette is a Cheesecake Factory signature taste – now available to enjoy at home in Mini Baguettes, Dinner Rolls and Sandwich Bread. Our deliciously buttery and sweet gourmet Brioche and Wheat Brioche Hamburger Buns were made exclusively for you to enjoy at home."

Yup, breads.  The famous brown bread is available in 3 forms (dinner rolls, mini baguettes, and sandwich loaf), and they also offer up two styles of burger buns.   I found these in the bakery section of my grocery store, not frozen.

Brown Bread Mini Baguettes.

"The Cheesecake Factory® is the fantastical food experience that is absolutely certain to satisfy. Now you can enjoy our famous “brown bread” – at home. Loved around the world, our brown bread baguette is a Cheesecake Factory signature taste – now available to enjoy at home in Mini Baguettes, Dinner Rolls and Sandwich Bread."

I opted for the mini baguettes as my form factor of choice.

I tried it many different ways, and always liked it, but never loved it, not quite as much as I wanted.

I found that I certainly preferred it slightly warm, not crispy, so I didn't just heat it at 350* for 5 minutes as instructed, but rather, wrapped it in foil so it would warm but not crisp.

It was ok with butter, the slight sweetness of the bread made it a touch interesting, but it didn't wow me.  I used honey butter the next day, and again, it was good, but not great.

It was better dunked in heavier sauces, it went great with Trader Joe's excellent tomato sauce found in the frozen stuffed shells, but in that case, it was just a vessel for the delicious sauce.  I think it could go well with pesto or chimichurri too.

The winner though?  No question, dunking it in anchovy oil, e.g. the oil left behind in a tin of anchovies packed in oil.  I loved that pairing!

This was a good packaged bread product, but, I wouldn't get it again.  Low ***.

Ice Cream

"Cheesecake lovers no longer need to choose between a slice and a scoop; now you can have both in one delicious dessert! Our new Ice Cream line features seven celebratory flavors with real cheesecake ingredients incorporated right into the mix."

While *most* desserts I do believe get tremendously better a la mode, cheesecake is one I've never considered that way really (adding whipped cream, of course).  I did recently discover that I do love carrot cake warmed up and paired with ice cream (even when it has tons of cream cheese frosting, yes!), so maybe ...

Nor have I ever really felt the question of "cheesecake or ice cream", or "slice or scoop" as they put it.  Both are great desserts, but rarely ones that come up as a question like that.  Anyway.  Cheesecake Factory has branched into ice cream, as a retail product, readily found around grocery stores nationwide.

As an ice cream girl, who consumes ice cream at least once per day, of course I needed to check it out.  They currently offer 7 flavors: original, chocolate, strawberry, salted caramel, cookies & cream, birthday cake, and key lime.  Basically, your basic ice cream flavors (vanilla, choc, strawberry, cookies & cream), the top selling trends (salted caramel, birthday cake), and, one wildcard (key lime).  I was a little disappointed that they didn't have any that were actually inspired by their actual cheesecakes offered at the restaurant ... at least a red velvet?  All feature the same base ice cream featuring cream cheese and sour cream, and mostly vary just by what is swirled in.

Original.

"Premium Cheesecake Ice Cream with a Signature Cream Cheese Blend, Sour Cream and Graham Swirls."

"This one’s a classic! Our Premium Cheesecake Ice Cream with a Signature Cream Cheese Blend, Sour Cream and Graham Swirls is the perfect scoop of creamy cheesecake goodness in a frozen treat you’ve been waiting for!"

I started with the basic "Original" flavor, their signature cheesecake, as an ice cream, with graham swirls.

My first impression was quite positive: it was indeed true to name - it tasted like cheesecake, a very classic, sour cream forward, tangy cheesecake.  It does have both sour cream and cream cheese in it  Would you put it on top of a slice of pecan pie?  Nah, I think it would clash.  But I immediately wanted to throw some on top of a berry crisp.  It was very very rich however.

The texture/consistency was fine, not super creamy, but not bad.  The style that freezes quite hard, and definitely needs to soften before serving.

The graham swirl worried me - I don't really care for graham, but also, so often this kind of element is gritty or mushy and somewhat "ruins" a product for me.  I didn't see much on top, but once I dug in ...

Original: The Swirl.

It was far more than a "swirl".  Huge, huge chunks of the graham cracker substance.

It was rock solid, so nearly impossible to just get a little, once you had a big chunk, you were getting a HUGE chunk.  On the plus side, it was not mushy nor gritty, and did add a nice crunchy texture sorta.  But I don't really like graham that much, so, the flavor wasn't one I really wanted.

Overall, I found myself wanting to like this more than I did.  It was so intense in its cheesecake nature, which would be great, but ... I never seemed to actually *want* cheesecake ice cream.  I need to be in the mood for cheesecake, and use ice cream as a pairing usually, and I just never felt the urge to pull this pint out.  That said, if you really like cheesecake, and like the sound of a cheesecake ice cream, I think it really was quite true to name.  **+.

Decadent Desserts (aka Pudding)

Oh, pudding.  Another of my favorite desserts.  And one so very underrated.  I was pleased to see Cheesecake Factory, fairly randomly, launched a premium pudding line, dubbed "Decadent Desserts" (which, is fairly amusing, because pudding is just not nearly as decadent as their namesake item ...).

I had pretty low expectations thought - why pudding? They don't have pudding on the menu at restaurants, it has nothing to do with cheesecake, it just seemed ... random.  And honestly, most store brand pudding, shelf-stable or refrigerated, ready-to-eat or make at home, etc is just, well, not very good. But the Cheesecake Factory at Home Pudding?  Well, it is remarkably good.  

The puddings are considerably more "real" than those on the shelves next to it, like Snack Pack, Jello, etc, and as such, carry a much higher calorie/fat/sugar content (e.g. 290 calories per cup instead of 100 or less in Snack Pack or only 60 in Jello, with 12 grams of fat instead of 3 g or 1 g, respectively, and a whopping 39 grams of sugar instead of ~10 in Snack Pack or ~15 in Jello.  Or really,  0 as most of theirs are sugar free).  Even the Jello brand "Decadent" line is <100 calories each.  Of course, this is just due to what is in it - whole milk and cream are the first two ingredients in Cheesecake Factory line, instead of water (!) and nonfat milk in a Snack Pack, or skim milk and water in Jello brand.  It really is pudding.  And you can tell.

The puddings come in 4 flavors: Vanilla Fudge Duet (vanilla bean pudding with dark chocolate sauce), Chocolate Black-Out (Belgian chocolate pudding over dark chocolate fudge sauce), Cake Batter Strawberry Royale (cake batter "inspired" pudding with sweet strawberry puree), and Salted Caramel Delight (salted caramel pudding with rich caramel sauce).

They all sounded pretty good to me, besides perhaps the cake batter strawberry (although honestly, I'd try any!), which was fine, as my local Hannaford (the only place that had them) didn't stock that variety anyway.

Salted Caramel Delight Packaging.

The puddings come as 2-packs (rather than 4-6 like other brands), and are found in the refrigerated section.  They must stay refrigerated.  Mine had about a month until the expiration date.

Salted Caramel Delight.

"Creamy salted caramel pudding over rich caramel sauce."

"Delightfully decadent! Our creamy salted caramel pudding with rich caramel sauce is inspired by The Cheesecake Factory’s deliciously decadent desserts."

I started with the salted caramel.  One bite in and I was amazed.  It was *good*.  Very good.

The pudding was very creamy, and, unlike all other brands ... didn't taste anything like chemicals.  It had no fake flavor to it at all.  It didn't taste like salted caramel, but rather, butterscotch, and that did not bother me one bit (I adore butterscotch pudding, probably my favorite flavor).  It tasted homemade, really.  It had a depth to it "like grandmas", honestly.  The pudding layer was fairly wholesome, or at least, not loaded with crazy, just whole milk, cream, sugar, corn starch, salt, "natural and artificial color", and fruit juice (for color?).

It was fabulous as butterscotch pudding, although I wanted some whipped cream to put on top.  I also thought immediately that it would go great perhaps with some caramelized bananas and a shortbread crumble.  But, the pudding alone, or pudding and whip, was plenty satisfying.

I dug down to reach the sauce in the bottom, which was also supposed to be salted caramel.  It indeed tasted more like caramel, although I still tasted no salt, and it was a nice sauce.  The consistency was great - not thin, not too thick, easy to swirl in.  There was plenty of it.  And it was *very* sweet.  Yes, of course I tried just a spoonful of it alone, and that was way too much.  But some swirled in?  Great.  The salted caramel is made from corn syrup, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, nonfat milk, buttermilk, etc, basically, what you'd expect to find in caramel sauce.

I was really quite pleased with my cup, although I found it far better to put into a bigger bowl, so I could add whipped cream (and crumble or shortbread biscuits!), and so I could mix in the caramel sauce.  It was a bit hard to get balanced bites eating out of the cup.  I was curious what it would be like to actually just mix it all up, mixing in all the sauce, sorta like fruit on the bottom yogurt, but, I didn't want to ruin it.  That pudding layer was just too good.

I would get this again in a heartbeat, and I think it truly was as good as homemade.  Shocked, really. ****.

I immediately updated my grocery shopping list to include trying a new flavor.

Chocolate Black-Out.

"Rich Belgian chocolate pudding over dark chocolate fudge sauce."

"A chocolate lover’s dream! Our rich Belgian chocolate pudding with dark chocolate fudge sauce is inspired by The Cheesecake Factory’s deliciously decadent desserts."

Next up, the chocolate chocolate one.  Chocolate pudding, chocolate fudge sauce.

This one was less successful for me.

The pudding was a very dark, very rich looking color, but the flavor wasn't particularly strong.  It was sorta creamy, but a bit grainy.  Now, granted, I had this just a few days after having a fairly mind blowing chocolate mousse, so I had that in mind, but this just wasn't anything special.  It seemed no better, no worse, than any packaged pudding on the market (although, like the salted caramel version, was made with real ingredients - whole milk, sugar, cream, whole eggs, etc).  I didn't really want it.

But the dark chocolate fudge sauce?  That was delicious.  And although technically a "sauce", it was more of a super chocolate pudding-sauce, really creamy, excellent flavor.  I tried mixing some in to the pudding to make the pudding shine more, but really, I just wanted the sauce.

I "salvaged" the second cup by just giving my dad the pudding layer, and keeping the sauce layer, adding whipped cream and brownie bits, and truly loved it.  ** pudding, **** sauce.

I wouldn't get this again obviously, as the chocolate pudding was just meh, but it made me excited to try the Vanilla Fudge Duet, featuring the same fudge sauce layer.

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Harry & David

Update Review

I had a big realization about Moose Munch, the classic Harry & David caramel and chocolate popcorn and nuts mix, which I've reviewed several times before (below).

You know when you were a child, and loved something super sweet, and adults made dramatic statements like, "it makes my teeth hurt just thinking about that"?  I never knew what they meant, and just rolled my eyes dramatically back ... until I had Moose Munch.  The caramel covered pieces in this do literally make my teeth hurt if I have more than a few.  I enjoy it, don't get me wrong, but they are just too much.  This mix really needs some plain pieces mixed in.  *** for those pieces, just, too much.  The dark chocolate coated pieces though I do truly love (****) and same with the very candied nuts (****), but those caramel pieces ... just, too much, even for me.  ***+ overall, brought down by the caramel pieces.

Iced Gingerbread.

"Our Gingerbread Moose Munch follows our classic Caramel Moose Munch, then we had bits of Gingerbread cookie pieces to create this delicious holiday treat. We add a white chocolate drizzle to remind you of the flavor of the royal icing piping."

Danger.  Danger, danger, danger.  *That* is what the warning label on this should read.  Because, zomg, danger.

I would have never sought this flavor out, not being all that excited about gingerbread, but my sister gave it to me for Christmas.  I'm so very glad she did.  But, um, oops.  Danger.

The base is the standard totally addicting and way way way too sweet caramel Moose Munch.  It is the type of caramel corn that even makes your teeth hurt from all the sugar.  And, the kind, that at least I cannot stop eating.  So, super decadent base, but then they drizzle it with sweet and creamy white chocolate, and add in bits of gingerbread cookies.  The cookies provide occasional pops of molasses flavor, the white chocolate makes it even sweeter, and it turns out even more impossible to stop devouring than the original.  I liked the assorted size clusters, some just popcorn, others with all the goodies in them.  Like the original Moose Munch, it has bits of nuts (almonds, cashews) in there too, mostly entirely candied, that make you say, "hey look, I'm being responsible, eating protein too!".

I adored this, and finished the bag, that is supposed to be something like 16 servings, in, let's just say, fewer than 16 servings.  I'd gleefully get it again.

****+.

Update Reviews, Holidays 2020-2021

Since I've reviewed Harry & David many times before, I'll leave you to read my previous reviews for general info about the brand.  This year, while I got to try a few good chocolate products, sadly, no signature Moose Munch was delivered alongside, and I missed my favorite Harry & David treat.

Truffles

Milk Chocolate Truffle.

"When it comes to memorable treats, our rich chocolate truffles represent the top tier of sweet decadence. The silky smooth center of each truffle is cloaked in a layer of chocolate that melts in the mouth with a flavor that is timeless and delicious."

Milk Chocolate
Such a rich truffle!!! A delicious truffle, but so very rich. And so very creamy. And a lovely milk chocolate flavor. Really, this was a nice product. It was almost like a soft fudge, or perhaps a slightly more solid center of a chocolate lava cake.

The shell was not what I anticipated - I expected a snappy chocolate shell, this was soft, and not that distinct from the inside. But all so good.  ****.

Milk Chocolate Mint
The mint one was even better. Same rich base, creamy, luxurious, fudge like, this time with a lovely mint backdrop. The mint was powerful but not overwhelming, and it was truly just delicious. ****+.

Pretzels

"Our premium gourmet pretzels come in an array of flavors including perennial favorites and special, seasonal flavors. Choose from yogurt-covered pretzels, peanut butter pretzels, our own delectable gourmet chocolate pretzels, and more. "

Milk Chocolate Covered Pretzel Twists.

Since these were part of a gift box, I didn't get to pick the variety, so sadly they were the kind I'd probably pick last: milk chocolate. Not that there is anything *wrong* with milk chocolate, but, with options like peanut butter milk chocolate and even dark chocolate, they seem like last place.
They were fine. Crispy pretzels, well coated in decent enough milk chocolate. Nothing particularly notable about them in any way, positive or negative.

I enjoyed them as a little treat, but I'd still like to try the other varieties more. ***.

Update Review: Holiday Season 2018-2019

Another year, more gift boxes from Harry & David (previous reviews here).

This year, along with more and more Moose Munch (yes!), I got to try a few chocolate items, and finally, the signature, famous pears.

The Moose Munch remains my favorite.

Chocolates / Truffles

"Expertly crafted in our own candy kitchen using a proprietary blend of chocolate, our truffles are a chocolate lover’s dream."

Milk Chocolate / Coffee / Cherry Truffles (front row)
Raspberry (back row). 

"There's nothing quite like biting into the creamy center of a premium quality gourmet chocolate truffle. We've been using our signature truffle recipe for over 30 years, and it hasn't changed for a reason. Made in our candy kitchen in Southern Oregon using a proprietary blend of chocolate, these exquisite treats come in an array of flavors, like milk chocolate, white coffee, and dark chocolate cherry. Timeless and delicious, these silky truffles are a chocolate lover's dream."

This box is their Signature Assortment, with one each of milk chocolate, white chocolate coffee, dark chocolate cherry, all dark chocolate, dark chocolate raspberry, and milk chocolate almond.

I tried the "Cherry" first, hoping it was going to have a juicy cherry inside, but alas, it was just a dark chocolate shell, drizzled with red white chocolate, with a mildly cherry flavored dark chocolate ganache inside.

The ganache was smooth, the entire thing was fine, but the cherry flavor wasn't that pronounced, and the dark chocolate shell didn't seem particularly high quality. ***.

Milk Chocolate Almond.

The milk chocolate almond was a lovely piece.

The exterior shell was thick, soft, creamy milk chocolate, with a few bits of almond stuck on.  This was good, but it was the filling that was great.  Such smooth rich ganache, with a slight subtle flavor to it (was it almond accented?) that I found really pleasing.

I really quite enjoyed, and savored, this piece. ***+.

Peppermint Bark: Top View.

"Dark chocolate, white chocolate, and candy canes collide in this legendary peppermint treat."

The peppermint in the peppermint bark comes solely in the form of crushed candy canes, covering the entire top of the confection.  I did not detect any peppermint flavor in either of the chocolate layers, only the topping.

The mint was intense though, but the flavor not any more interesting than your standard candy cane. ***.

Peppermint Bark: Side View.

  "Creamy white chocolate layered over rich dark chocolate and topped with crushed peppermint candy is a delightful old-fashioned sweet indulgence. This will quickly become a favorite among candy gifts."

From the side you can see the other components, the dark and white chocolate.  Both were fine, smooth, creamy.  I wanted to taste more dark chocolate however, I found the amount at the base fairly minimal, and not as ... chocolatey as I wished.

So overall, a fairly boring peppermint bark for me really, the mint just candy canes, the chocolate didn't quite deliver either.  But non-offensive.

Fruit

Royal Riviera™ Pears.

"The pears that started it all. Our founders, Harry and David, called these pears "so big and juicy, you eat them with a spoon®." That was 80 years ago, when the brothers started selling Southern Oregon-grown Royal Riviera® Pears as gourmet gifts. Royal Riviera® Pears are delicate and require warm days and cool nights to grow, making Southern Oregon ideal for cultivating this famous fruit. The sweet flavor, buttery texture, and extreme juiciness of these pears are what make them so delicious. Every one is handpicked and packed to arrive at your door in perfect condition.

It's a time-honored tradition for families to decide who gets to enjoy the gold-wrapped pear when they receive a box of our famous fruit."

I finally got a chance to try the very famous pears, even though, um, pears were not exciting to me in any way.

Every box of Harry & David pears comes with a single pear wrapped in gold foil.  It is their signature thing.  It creates an element of uniqueness of that one pear.  Who gets it?  Of course I did.

Magical Gold Pear?

"Expertly grown and handpicked, these premium pears have a soft, buttery flesh that's so sweet, you might want to save them for dessert."

I unwrapped my gold fruit.  It ... looked like a pear.  It looked just like any other pear.

It tasted ... like a pear.  Like any old pear.  It was a bit beat up, which certainly didn't help make it seem special.  It was a bit mushy.

Sorry, this pear was not magical to me in any way.  I'll stick with the Moose Munch. ***.

Moose Munch

Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn - Milk Chocolate (January 2019).

A year later, it was time for another gift basket from Harry & David, and this time, I knew I wanted to snatch up the Moose Munch.  Again we had the same milk chocolate variety as the year before.

I'll just warn you now.  This stuff is dangerous.  While the caramel bits are just *too* sweet to eat by more than one handful at a time, I found it way too easy (as in, oops, it happened) to eat every single piece of chocolate coated popcorn and every single candied nut in a single sitting.  Note that this bag was listed as 7 servings, each fairly indulgent.  Ooops.

But I really love the milk chocolate coated pieces.  The milk chocolate is creamy and smooth, a really good quality chocolate.  And the nuts, while not many in the bag, just kept me hunting for more.  I appreciated that there were almonds and cashews in here, not just standard peanuts.  Some of the nuts were caramelized, some chocolate coated, some on their own, others attached in clusters.  I sought them all out, just like when eating a bag of Chex mix, when you decide you want all of one particular item.  That was me and these nuts, and, the chocolate coated pieces.

The caramel pieces were good to sneak a few of in alongside my coveted items, but, once the other things were gone, I was left with a bag of seriously rich, seriously sweet, seriously indulgent popcorn that was just a bit too much to handle.  ***+.

Original Review, Holidays 2017-2018

Harry & David is a "gourmet gift" producer, whose products are generally sold via mail order or online, although they also have a handful of retail stores.  They mostly sell gift baskets, fruits, and chocolates.  Not exactly things I'm generally in the market for, yet sometime show up on my doorstep.

Their signature item is "Moose Munch" popcorn.  

"Moose Munch® Popcorn is not your average caramel popcorn. We pay attention to every single detail of our secret recipe. Right down to the way the popcorn looks and sticks together. We make over five million pounds a year. "

Now, 5 million pounds of anything is a lot, but particularly of a lightweight item!  Moose Munch® comes in a zillion flavors, like simple milk or dark chocolate, exotic banana coconut and apricot mango, and even some sugar free versions.  A flavor for everyone.

Harry & David leads the gift basket industry, so every year, I get to try various products when others bring in their gift basket discards to the office (one man's trash is ... my treasure!).  I often fail to write them up usually, as the products are usually already open, or I just grab a snack as I run between meetings.

But I finally got to try the coveted "Mouse Munch", thus, a proper review is in order.

Moose Munch

"Inspired by the Pacific Northwest, Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn is the anytime snack that’s almost too good to share. Carefully made in small batches in our own candy kitchen using real butter, creamy caramel, and crunchy nuts, it took over 160 tries to perfect our special recipe. Add our proprietary blend of chocolate to the mix and you have a snack made in heaven. Enjoy handful after handful during an evening in, or take along for an on-the-go boost of energy when you’re out on your next adventure. 

While you’ll want to keep it all for yourself, Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn is a great snack to share with a buddy, and it makes a delicious gift for fans of chocolate-covered popcorn and caramel popcorn alike. And with a wide array of flavors to choose from, there’s plenty to go around. Chocolate-lovers will rejoice over the many milk, dark, and white chocolate-covered varieties, while other snackers will love inventive flavors like peanut butter, orange crème, cherry vanilla, and more. There are even a fat-free and sugar-free versions."

Moose Munch is not just a popcorn.  Harry & David have build an entire product range around it.  Yes, you can get the popcorn in a variety of flavors, you can get it as part of many different gift packs, etc, but they have also turned it into cheesecake, and even flavored coffee, along with assorted Moose Munch branded gear, featuring the signature moose head (his name is Jasper, apparently). 

Interesting ...

Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn - Milk Chocolate. (December 2017)

"Our milk chocolate Moose Munch® Gourmet Popcorn is the perfect mix of sweet milk chocolate, buttery caramel, and crunchy nuts."

"Popcorn, almonds, and cashews covered in caramel and milk chocolate."

Given my love for popcorn, and caramel corn in particular, it is no surprise that I was excited to try Harry & David's signature "Moose Munch".  The standard Moose Munch is just caramel corn with candied nuts, but I tried the milk chocolate version, with milk chocolate covered pieces in the mix as well.

It was certainly decadent caramel corn.  No piece was left uncoated, no piece even moderately coated, each and every piece was intensely sweet.  I can't imagine eating just a bag of this caramel corn actually, it was just too much.  Good, but, wow, it needed some less coated pieces in order to temper it.

The milk chocolate pieces were great though.  Good quality chocolate, and again, really well coated.  The chocolate did help counter the sweet caramel pieces.

I found myself seeking out more and more of the chocolate pieces, but there were substantially fewer of them than the caramel ones.

The candied nuts were good for a bit of crunch now and then, but, again, there weren't many of them.

Overall, I enjoyed it along side a cup of bitter coffee, but, I think it would be better with some more plain pieces in the mix. ***+.

Moose Munch® Milk Chocolate Bar (August 2014).

"Moose Munch bars are crafted from a rich, smooth fudgy center, plus their signature snake - fluffy white popcorn, buttery caramel and crisp nuts all dipped in decadent milk chocolate."

"Signature snake"?  I do not know this term, but it is on all of their marketing, so I don't think it is a typo.

Cross section.

This one deserves a peak inside.

Every bite was loaded up with goodies: popcorn, nuts, caramel.  The caramel was sweet and very creamy, it almost tasted like really smooth peanut butter at times.  The nuts added a great crunch, and the popcorn ... was, well, popcorn inside my chocolate, a bit strange, but, it worked better than I expected.  It was much better than popcorn inside of other items, like inside the Circus Cookie from Goody Goodie, although it was still a bit strange to have a soft bite inside the bar.  The milk chocolate was smooth and creamy.

Overall, pretty tasty, a bunch of ingredients you don't necessarily expect together, but, I liked it.  The tasting club didn't get to try this one! ***+.

Other Treats

While Moose Munch is Harry & David's signature item, they carry a vast array of products, ranging from fresh fruit, to cheesecakes, and everything in-between.

Peppermint Tree Shaped Yogurt Pretzels  (January 2019).

"The festive meter instantly rises when this pretzel-packed bounty shows up. Premium, yogurt-covered pretzels in the shapes of Christmas trees abound. Crushed peppermint pieces have been sprinkled on the trees for added effect—and amazing flavor."

I tried these at a time when I was really on a yogurt (or white chocolate) pretzel kick.  I was randomly really loving nearly every coated pretzel I put in my mouth.  Crunchy, salty, creamy, sweet ... just loving them.  I'll admit they were often a morning indulgence alongside a cup of coffee.

So I was eager to try these minty trees when a co-worker gave up their Harry & David bounty.  First thing I grabbed.

However they were ... boring?

The coating was flavorless, slightly sweet, but mostly just waxy.  The pretzels themselves not particularly compelling either - slightly stale tasting, even though this was a fresh bag of snacks, opened right then, not old in any way.  The crushed peppermint was basically the only interesting part.

Sad, I thought I was not discriminating in my coated pretzel love at the time, but, it turns out, these were just too mediocre to be excited about. ***.

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Mia's Brooklyn Bakery

Update Review, December 2024

Short visit to New York, and one of my priorities was clear.  I needed another lobster tail from Mia's Bakery.  I still consider the one I had several years ago to be one of the best pastries I've ever had.  And ... they now have a location in Manhattan!  w00t.  With easy access to the lobster tails (via DoorDash) this was a no brainer.

Delivery Bag.

I was already excited to get my Mia's goodies, but seeing the hand drawn happy little man on the bag made me smile and genuinely feel extra-valued as a customer.

Americano. Decaf. $4.

I ordered coffee, for delivery, my first time ever really.  I had low expectations for how it would fare, particularly in a city, where the deliveries are all done by bike.  

I was quite impressed when I opened the large bag to find the americano entirely intact.  It was wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap (one under the lid, one over it), and in an box insert. It literally did not spill at all.  Wild, I guess they figured out hot beverage delivery in NY.

As for the americano, the decaf had no funk to it, but was a bit weak flavor-wise.  No complexity, but also seemed kinda watered down.  ***.

Pistachio? Lobster Tail. $8.

I was pretty thrilled to pull out my lobster tail.  I could tell as I picked up the little paper bag that it was just as hefty as I remembered.  The shape of it was actually quite different this time - much thinner, and more horn shaped, previously it had a very wide base and more triangular shape.  But it still looked quite inviting, with crispy layers, and powdered sugar coating.  I wondered if the different shape was just for the pistachio version.

I couldn't wait to get into it.

Lobster Tail: Inside.

"Flaky pastry shell filled with creamy ricotta cheese and dusted with powdered sugar."

Alas, as I cut it in half, I was met with some disappointment.  The pastry shattered beautifully, but ... it sure looked like regular pastry cream filling.  I expected it to perhaps be green, or at least tinted, or have some pistachio bits?  One taste and I knew that I sadly not received the pistachio version.  The filling was definitely just regular pastry cream.  I was disappointed, as I really did want the pistachio one ($0.50 more!).  That said, it really was a great item, just one I had already tried before.

The exterior, insanely crispy, insanely messy, awesomeness.  Really just a unique style, far crispier than any other laminated pastries, with the choux-like layer underneath the shell.  The powdered sugar gave it just the right touch of sweetness.  It was as fresh as can be really.

And inside, the cream filling.  It was loaded full of cream, all the way through.  Very thick, very rich, akin to creme brûlée really.  Their menu says it is ricotta cheese filling, like a cannoli, but it really wasn't.  This is more like Bavarian cream.  Or diplomat maybe?  I don't know my baking creams all that well.  Perhaps just standard crème pâtissière.  Anyway, thick, rich, great consistency, lovely vanilla flavor, not too sweet.  Very good filling, just sadly not the one I ordered.

Overall, this is a fabulous item, but a bit more plain that I was seeking out.  ****+.  (Side note: it made me kinda want a version with a chocolate component, either chocolate chips within or chocolate shell perhaps, sorta like a Boston cream lobster tail ...). 

Update Review, September 2024

My last day in the NY office, and I stumbled upon some extra cake.  Sadly, not my precious Empire Cakes (this was actually my first visit ever to that office where I didn't encounter extra Empire Cakes cake or cupcakes), but I was still happy to try another treat from Mia's.  While the one cupcake I had from them before (and the cake pop) were not that great, I still drool thinking about their lobster tail, which, to this day, is one of the best pastries I've ever had.

I'm glad I went running when I saw the chat about extra cake, as it proved to be another Mia's winner.

Oreo Cake (Custom Design). 10". $85.

"For All Of Us Who Want To Be 12 Forever… Chocolate Cake, Our Oreo Mousse, topped with Fresh whipped cream and Oreos."

This cake was for a co-worker's birthday, and his teammates had the photo of his own cake on the cake.  I didn't see it in its full form, but this is something Mia's does regularly.  The cake was three layers of chocolate cake, with Oreo mousse (studded with Oreos) in between the layers, and a whipped cream style frosting on top.  

It was a very good cake.  The cake was a very open sponge, quite moist, strong chocolate flavor.  The style of cake I really do like.  **** chocolate cake.

The Oreo mousse was sweet, fluffy, and tasted quite a bit like Oreos, as it had Oreos within (that were nicely soft).  The frosting on top was equally sweet, but lacked the actual Oreos.  Neither were cloying sweet, but, definitely sweet.  They made it have very strong Oreo vibes, which isn't what I normally opt for, but, this was very good. **** mousse.

So overall, yes, a very good cake, and wonderful if you like cookies and cream / Oreo flavors.  **** overall, and it made me want to try their other cakes.  It was considerably better than the cupcake I had a year prior from Mia's.

I think this was the 10" for $85, slices are also available for $9.25. 

Original Review, August 2023

When I recently spent time in New York City, I was determined to eat some excellent things, which, if you've ever been, you know it is quite easy to do there.  But on my list of tasty things was, as always, wonderful dessert and baked goods.  I had an overwhelming number of options, for every style of dessert I was craving.  As I narrowed in my research to bakeries, and in particular, to ones in Brooklyn where I was staying, two names kept coming up over and over: Martha's Country Bakery, and Mia's Brooklyn Bakery.  I made an agonizing decision to pick Mia's for my first venture into the NY bakery scene.  

I don't know much about the bakery, nor its history.  They have only two locations, the one in Brooklyn that they are named for, and an offshoot near Times Square.  The menu is seriously extensive, and I tried to hit most categories in my single order: pastry, pie, cake.  Sadly, I skipped the puddings, cheesecakes, danishes/muffins/croissants, tarts, cookies and bars.  Next time.  (And yes, there will be a next time, because this place was fabulous).

I did not visit in person myself, opting rather to get my goodies delivered.  Since it was delivery, I wanted to "make it worth it", and thus, ordered far too many things than was reasonable, but, I was not upset with this move.  Everything arrived well packaged, although the delivery took quite a while, more than 1.5 excruciating hours!  

Pastries

Mia's carries two styles of pastries, breakfast pastries such as muffins, danishes, and croissants, and more dessert style pastries, which is where I focused.

Pastry Lineup.

The pastry section of the menu includes items that I do traditionally think of as pastries, but also a bunch of custards such as panna cotta, flan, creme brulee, plus bread or banana pudding, and bars and brownies.  I was of course very tempted by all the puddings and custards, given that I have label dedicated to them on my blog, but, I had just had panna cotta the week before from Cellermaker, and had been eating incredible mousse and pudding and trifle every day at my office (they specialize in homemade puddings of all kinds!), so, I managed to look past those items.

Assorted Classics

Mia's further breaks the pastry menu down into a group of "assorted classics" that contains, well, some Italian classics such as cannoli (in two sizes, both regular or chocolate covered), lobster tails (with regular or Nutella filling), orange pie, and ... baklava.  Well, as they say, "assorted" classics.

I originally planned to get a napoleon from Mia's, one of their signature items, but couldn't stop thinking about the epic lobster tail I had seen mentioned.  Both involve flaky pastry and thick custard filling, so I didn't want both, and at last minute, I switched to the lobster tail, because it just seemed more fun to eat.

This was an excellent decision.

Lobster Tail.

Ok, wow.  Wow, wow, wow.

This lobster tail was, in a word, incredible.  First, of course, it was MASSIVE.  It may be hard to tell from the photo, but, this could feed 4 people and not leave any of them unsatisfied.  It was a monster.  A delicious monster.

The pastry was insanely crispy.  Flaky.  Delicious.  Hard to describe if you haven't had a pastry like this before, as it isn't softer/eggier choux like a creme puff or eclair, but also isn't quite like a croissant either.  It is essentially a layered laminated dough (like a croissant) with a thin core of choux, if that makes sense.  The pastry was incredible, and the powdered sugar dusting completed the deal.  ***** pastry.

Lobster Tail: Inside.

And then we get to the filling.  The filling is why, besides the sheer size, that the lobster tail weighs a ton.  It was filled, to the brim, with diplomat cream.  Here you can see the cross-section of the tiny tail end.  Stuffed.  

And the cream?  Also phenomenal.  Thick.  Rich.  Vanilla bean flavored.  Essentially, think of the best creme brulee custard you've ever had, and that is what this is.  I think it easily fit 3 full size creme brulees inside of it, just, sans torching of course.  *****, perfect cream too.

Add all that together, and you get a truly stunning dessert.  Crispy, flaky, creamy, light, rich, everything, all in one.  If I could make it just a touch different, I might drizzle it with chocolate just because I was in the mood for chocolate, but, it was absolutely stunning as it was.  Perfection.

But do note that it is 1) huge and 2) has very little shelf life, as the cream filling needs refrigeration and that would ruin the flaky pastry, so, go very hungry, or prepared to share (although I promise you won't want to).

Perfect *****, one of the best pastries I've ever had.

Pies

Whole pies (8" or 10") are available in a variety of flavors for $30-40, and most are also available in slices.  Options include your fruity standards: apple, blueberry, cherry, or triple berry (all available crumb topped or double crust), all 8", or, custard pies: key lime, pumpkin, coconut custard, or pecan, all 10".

Pie Menu. $8.25/slice.

The by the slice lineup also included a few more: banana or chocolate cream, and did not offer any of the crumb topped, only the double crust.  All slices are $8.25/slice.

I selected two slices for my order, but truly would have been happy with any.

When my order arrived, I learned that "slice" here means ... 1/4 of a pie!  Really.  These are massive slices, 2 servings according to my family's already large slice definition, and easily could be 3.  Essentially, a 10" pie is usually a round 8-10 slices, and they clearly were making it just 4.

Blueberry.

Since it was summer, a fruity pie seemed appropriate.  I first selected cherry, then at last minute swapped to blueberry, although I had a moment of remorse that I hadn't picked the triple berry.  Really, all the fruity options sounded good to me.  Although I like crumb tops, I like great pie crust even more, so was glad the by-the-slice options were all double crust.

The pie looked like a high quality homemade pie.  I was drawn in by the pearl sugar on top, and actually appreciated the fact that the back crust was slightly dark, as it made it look not mass produced.

The crust was fine.  A bit better than your average grocery store crust, but it wasn't particularly flaky, buttery, or special.  So, average for a bakery, something a home baker would be happy enough with.  *** crust.

The filling had a lot going right for it.  First, it was very generously filled.  Bursting with blueberries.  Big juicy berries.  Just the right amount of goo.  Not too sweet or cloying.  Really, excellent filling, in most ways.  But ... it had a spicing I didn't quite care for, it seemed perhaps citrus, orange maybe?  Just a touch too strong, and not a flavor I was anticipating.   So, again, just not quite my style, making this a **+ for me for the filling.

Overall, **+, not one I'd get again.

Pecan.

Next, I had a slice of one of my favorite classic pies: pecan.  Pecan is always the pie I request when my mom makes pies for the holidays.  This order was also a strategic move on my part, because I knew it would keep a few days, and freeze beautifully, and, given how much I was ordering, I wouldn't get to it right away.  

But of course I did try it right away, because, how could I not?  It was a very nice pecan pie.  You can see how loaded up with whole pecan halves it is, no skimping here.  The pecans were lightly glazed on top.  All perched on top of a sweet custard filling, not too sweet, just the right level of sweet you want from a pecan pie.  Which is sweet, don't get me wrong, but just not cloying as some generic pecan pies can be.

The crust was similar to the blueberry pie, fairly average for a bakery, not particularly buttery nor flaky, but not stale or too processed tasting.

Overall, a high quality pie, clearly well made, and full of premium ingredients.  **** overall, and would get another half star if the crust was better.

Cakes, Cupcakes, Cake Pops

Cakes, and related items, make up a big portion of the menu.  Massive layer cakes in a slew of flavors, from the classics like chocolate fudge, vanilla, black forest, German chocolate, Brooklyn blackout, red velvet, strawberry shortcake, carrot, etc, to more unique offerings like Oreo, Nutella, or burnt almond.  And then there are all the assorted cheesecakes, cupcakes, and cake pops.  And napoleon cakes.  So many choices.

I nearly went for a slice of the burnt almond cake, as it certainly seemed unique, or the well regarded napoleon cake (available regular or with berries inside), but decided in the end on one cupcake, and one cake pop, so I could try two things for the price of one larger slice. 

Cupcakes

The cupcake lineup doesn't mirror the full size cake lineup.

Cupcake Menu.

Instead, it has more basics (vanilla and chocolate, with vanilla and chocolate frosting, in all varieties) and filled cupcakes of all kinds like Boston Cream, or even a creme brulee filled and topped one.  There are a few vegan offerings as well.

Cupcakes range from $4.50 - $5.25 each, depending on the variety.

I ordered the cookie dough cupcake, with cookie dough filling inside, and a mini homemade chocolate chip cookie on top, but, alas, they were sold out.

Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake. $4.50.

"Vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting."

And thus, I got the simple vanilla-vanilla.

It looked fairly average.  Average size, not particularly large.  Average amount of frosting.  Slight decoration from a couple little white pearls.  

It wasn't my style of cupcake.  The cake itself was a very light sponge, almost akin to an angel food cake.  Which just isn't the type of cake I prefer.  I like it denser, sweeter, American style butter cake.  The frosting was nicely sweet, fluffy, but just plain vanilla, so not all that interesting.

Sadly for me, this was a meh, just due to preference in cake style really.  Those who like a lighter, less sweet cupcake would probably enjoy.  **+.  For me, Empire Cakes still makes my favorite cupcakes in New York (update review coming soon!).

Cake Pops ($3.75)

Cake pops are available in 4 flavors: chocolate, red velvet, salted caramel, or Oreo.

When I ordered, they had only the salted caramel and Oreo available, so I went with the Oreo, even though I really do not like Oreos and dislike "cookies and cream" style things.  I was really craving chocolate.

Oreo Cake Pop.

Luckily for me, there was very little Oreo about this.  If you asked me what kind it was, I would have told you it was a dark chocolate cake with white chocolate shell.  Definitely a darker style cake than standard chocolate cake, more like a Brooklyn blackout cake.  And definitely a sweet shell, but, really tasted like just standard sweet white chocolate, not particularly Oreo creme like.  Which was fine with me.

The pop was bigger than most cake pops I've had, more than a few bites, but still smaller than a cupcake.

Oreo Cake Pop: Inside.

Here you can see the inside.  Like I said, deep dark chocolate.  Nice cocoa flavor, very moist, presumably there is some buttercream mixed in here as is customary with cake pops.  Sweet and chocolately, and exactly what I was craving.

The shell was a nice thickness, good snap to it, classic sweet white chocolate flavor.

Overall, nothing earth shattering here, but, a good, slightly large, cake pop.  ***+.

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United Airlines, SFO - EWR, Business Class

My first time flying with United from San Francisco to New York (well, Newark).  This route, along with flights to LAX, are marketed as "premium transcontinental" and as such include some extra nice things like lounge access and extended dining (I've flown the reverse direction before, which you can read about in my previous post).  My flight also happened to take place just a few weeks after United *seriously* upgraded the dining experience for these routes, really putting it on par (or frankly surpassing) their offerings for international flights.  My feelings on it are a bit mixed.

Flight Details

Departure: SFO 1pm (scheduled) 1:40pm (actual)

Arrival: EWR 9:35pm (scheduled)

Aircraft: 777-200 (scheduled) 757-200W (actual)

Sigh.

So I booked this flight for the full on Polaris cabin experience (although still domestic first class of course), on a 777-200.  I booked way in advance, and scored my favorite seat (single, row 3, window, right hand side table, etc).  And ... aircraft change to narrow body, 757.  2-2 layout.  Sigh.  

I did however  "win" in that starting November 15, 2024, United revived the premium transcon routes to be a full on experience.  First meal service had an appetizer added (in addition to salad and bread), entree sizes were increased, additional dessert options added, wine list upgraded, and then ... a full second meal pre-arrival added (no more hummus plate or cheese platter), with multiple options.  For this flight, with a flight time of under 5 hours, um, this was a lot.  Salad + app + bread + generous main + dessert and then ... full second meal 2 hours later?  Uh yeah.  They over compensated for years of sadness.  But I was still excited for it.

Drinks

There was no PDB offered, although we had water bottles at our seats.  Pre-orders were confirmed (or orders taken for those who didn't pre-order) for the first meal service, and drink orders taken, while still on the ground.  Once underway, we were brought hot towels.

Wine List.

As I mentioned, the wine list had some actual decent options: one sparkling, two each of red and white.  One of the reds (the Pinot) retails for $45/bottle, so yes, this was an upgrade (the other is around $20).

Drinks, Nuts.

I asked for the pinot noir, and the FA said, "the red wine", so that made me a bit uncertain if they did indeed have two different offerings, and if I'd get the one I wanted (answer, yes, and I did end up trying both).  Drinks were served nearly an hour after takeoff, along with a small bowl of (warm, in a very hot ramekin!) nuts (almonds, cashews only).

Red Wine.

Talbott “Sleepy Hollow Vineyard” Pinot Noir, 2022

Santa Lucia Highlands, California

"A vibrant Pinot Noir with ripe cherry and black raspberry on the nose and stunning flavors of dark berries and peppery spice on the palate. Pairs best with chicken and vegetables."

This was decent.  Not too much tanin, a touch of acid, and a fairly ... round taste.  Again, decent, not great, but decent.  ***.

Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021

Napa Valley, California

"A full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant and sage that greets the senses. Layers of vanilla and cassis are complemented by cedar on the palate. Pairs best with beef."

I later switched to the Cabernet just to try it.  I actually liked it more, it had a bit more structure and just more going on overall.  I've had this before elsewhere and always found it "fine", so I was surprised that I preferred it.  ***+.

Takeoff Meal

Menu.

So for the main meal, as I mentioned, salad and appetizer, and then choice of 4 mains, and choice of 4 desserts.  So many options!

For the main dish, I was actually quasi-tempted by the Chilean sea bass, as I am primarily pescatarian and I love asparagus (that it came with), but, I was headed to NY intending to eat lots of good seafood there, and I loathe lentils (also what it came with), so I ruled it out.  I don't eat chicken, and didn't want the sides that came with it either (meh, broccolini and roast potatoes), so that was easy to rule out.  Which left polenta with mushroom ragout (that might be ok?), and the beef.  I literally never ever get beef (filet) on a flight, and I didn't actually want a giant steak at such a weird time and with such a big meal ahead, but I really wanted the sides: potato gratin and green beans!  And thus, pre-order filet it was.

Meal.

Our trays were brought out one by one.  No tablecloth provided.  Salad, appetizer, and main dish all at once, along with butter, salt & pepper, and dressing packet.  

Bread: Pumpernickel Roll.

After the first several rows were served, the FA came through with a bread basket.  He did a second pass later in the service as well.  Choices were garlic bread, white dinner roll, or pumpknickle, which I selected.

The bread was really nicely warm.  Soft, not stale tasting.  A bit boring, and not super strong pumpernickel flavor, but, not offensive.  I prefer some of United's other breads.  **+.

Salad: Baby red oak leaf arugula salad.

"Baby red oak leaf arugula salad with shave parmesan, artichokes and roasted red tomatoes."

The salad was fine.  Greens nicely crisp and fresh.  I dislike artichokes so I picked them out.  Roasted tomatoes were fine, flavorful, and likely better than the usual mealy out of season tomatoes.  The shaved parmesan was huge shards, decent, but it was too much cheese with the giant ball of cheese appetizer alongside.  I didn't try the dressing, but I know others are excited about the recent dressing change.

So, fine, but not really things I care for all that much.  Still, nice to have fresh salad base.  **+ just due to my preferences.

Appetizer: Burrata.

"Burrata with grilled asapragus (sic) and caper salsa."

Ooooh, burrata.  Now, I love wonderfully ripe burrata.  And I know burrata has become kinda a menu staple of airlines in recent years, and it generally is ... well, no better than average mozzarella.  And this was no different.

It was a huge ball of burrata.  Really too much for a single serving like this.  It wasn't particularly creamy, no bursting with fresh cream.  Basically, slightly softer mozzarella.  Fine, but not what I look for in burrata.  ** burrata.

The asparagus/caper element was fascinating, truly, a "salsa" of sorts with finely chopped asparagus, I think raw, or at least, very lightly cooked.  I love asparagus, so this was good.  I didn't taste any capers.  It was all in a bit of flavorful oil, well seasoned.  I liked this, but it didn't seem like a natural pairing for burrata, and instead, I put it all on my salad to jazz that up. ***.

Main Dish: Sautéed beef filet.

"Sauteed beef filet with green beans, sweet potato gratin and thyme demi-glace.'

And the main dish, which I ordered mostly for the sides.

The piece of meat was really quite substantial.  It was attractive looking actually, crusted with herbs, and even seemed like it had a nice sear.  It was reasonable for airline steak - cooked well done, but at least soft, and easy to cut.  The flavor was decent, not too chewy, no fatty bits.  The herb crust was flavorful.  I don't eat much steak, and definitely not well done, so I didn't eat much of it, but I admit it was better than expected.  **+.  

I appreciated that the sauce was served on the side.  It was flavorful, rich demi-glace.  It went well with the steak (even though honestly the meat was flavorful enough to not need it), and was nice to dunk bread in too.  Not really the kind of sauce I'm excited for (I'm more of a cream sauce person), but it was good for what it was.  **+.

The green beans I was really looking forward to.  I really like green beans.  These however were ... quite thin, and way overcooked.  No snappy fresh vibrant green beans here.  They were soft, soft, soft.  Little flavor.  I kept trying to like them, but really, they were not enjoyable. *.

And finally, the element I was most looking forward to, sweet potato gratin!  I had to laugh at the same portion size, although, with the rest of the feast, I really didn't need it to be bigger.

It was ok.  Soft sweet potato slices, cream/cheese binding it together, lots of "Thanksgiving" style herbs.  The spicing from the herbs was a bit too aggressive for me, much like pumpkin spice can be.  It lacked a crispy top, and anything really compelling to keep drawing me back in.  Low ***.  

Custom Ice Cream Sundae.

Tillamook® vanilla bean ice cream sundae

"Tillamook® vanilla bean ice cream sundae with assorted toppings."

Tillamook® chocolate ice cream holiday sundae

"Tillamook® chocolate ice cream holiday sundae with peppermint bark, mini marshmallows topped with fresh whipped cream."

I was pretty excited by the expanded ice cream sundae options.  Because of the special holiday sundae, the regular lineup of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge/caramel, nuts/choc chips, whipped cream, and cherry was joined by a second base ice cream flavor (chocolate), along with peppermint bark and mini marshmallows as toppings.  

I was also excited because this was my first semi-daytime flight with a United sundae (they are always evening for me!), so I was going to get to try the hot fudge.  I'm always stuck with caramel since I avoid caffeine later in the day.  I love good thick rich hot fudge.

When it arrived, my excitement continued.  It looked great!  Until I looked more closely.  What I asked for vanilla ice cream, "just a little hot fudge", almonds, whipped cream, and peppermint bark.  What I got was ... chocolate ice cream, tons of chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, almonds, whipped cream, and peppermint bark.  Sigh.  I don't like chocolate ice cream, and I realized that error before I took a single bite, so I asked for it to be remade.  I again said, "just a little hot fudge, almonds, whipped cream, and peppermint bark".

Custom Ice Cream #2.

The second version at least had vanilla ice cream, but, it too had an extreme amount of chocolate sauce (not the "little" I had requested, and definitely not "hot fudge" as advertised), and was covered in chocolate chips I didn't order.  The sliced almonds, peppermint bark, and whipped cream were correct. 

This was ... ok.  The ice cream was served hard, not a rock, but definitely not nicely soft.  This was fine, I was stuffed from the feast, and waiting a little for it to melt was not a bad thing.  Tillamook is decent enough ice cream, not great, but decent (I preferred hagen-datz!).  Pretty basic vanilla.  *** ice cream.

The chocolate sauce I hated.  It seemed to be just Hershey syrup (or something similar).  Definitely not hot fudge.  Hot fudge should be, firstly, hot.  And thick.  And rich.  This was thin watery cold syrup.  And zomg, so much of it.  Pools of syrup I disliked. BOOO.  This whole time I've thought I was missing out by never getting to have hot fudge, but, turns out, I wasn't missing out at all. *.

The almonds were fine, sliced, great for crunch, but also tons of them.  Chocolate chips were mini size, dark chocolate (or at least semi-sweet), and were tasty, but I didn't actually want that much chocolate at this point, hence why I hadn't ordered them.  Whipped cream was fine.  All pretty average toppings.  ***.

The peppermint bark was a single piece perched on top.  It was good, perhaps Ghirardelli?  Creamy chocolate, nice mint, yup.  A fun seasonal touch. 

Overall, well, some highlights, some lowlights, mostly because I didn't get what I ordered, and because the hot fudge was indeed not that.  In the future, I'd go back to caramel I guess (or, verify that they have real hot fudge, I really think I've seen it on some flights ...).

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

The other dessert option, advertised by the FA as 'chocolate cake', was a triple chocolate cheesecake (per the actual menu).  I think the triple was the chocolate cheesecake base itself (1), the chocolate fudge-like topping (2), and chocolate studding it (3)?

It was pretty decent cheesecake, very smooth, creamy, rich.  Incredibly chocolate forward.  The fairly small slice was appropriate.  It ate a bit more like a very firm thick chocolate mousse than a cheesecake necessary, as I didn't taste super strong cream cheese, but this didn't bother me.  

It was good, and definitely best served with some whipped cream on the side (which wasn't offered, but you could certainly as for, as they have it for the sundaes).  ***+.

Arrival Meal

And then, just 2 hours later, when we were about 1.5 hours outside of Newark, it was time to eat again.  In this direction (the faster direction), in winter (with the tailwinds), yeah, second meal is really not needed (although I'd love just a little togo option, as I do tend to get hungry for just a little something more once I reach an east coast destination).  But a real meal?   Yeah ... The total flight time is less than 5 hours!

Menu.

The second meal had "only" 3 options: an entree salad (with optional chicken on the side), pasta (vegetarian), or cod fritters.  There was no preorder for this meal.  All came with a fruit bowl and bread/butter.  I had seen photos of these meals, so I knew about the not otherwise mentioned fruit bowl, and asked if it had melons, as I'm extremely allergic.  It did, indeed, have both watermelon and cantaloupe.  I asked to skip it, which also seemed to result in my not getting the bread, which was fine with me.

I was actually quite excited for the fritters, or, at least I was before my flight, but I was still so stuffed I couldn't really imagine eating them at this point.  Most other passengers skipped this meal service; of the 16 seats, I think 3 of us opted for something (one other person got the same dish as me, and my seat mate got the salad).  I of course partook "for research" (and yes, I had a container with me to stash them in, on ice).  The meals were served near instantly after ordering, clearly already heated and ready to go, and I suspect mostly tossed in the trash.

Cod Fritters.

"Cod fritter with minted smashed peas and grilled lemon slices."

The dish was a lighter portion, two small size cod cakes (really cakes, not fritters ... fritters I think of as more fried, and potentially a different shape?), and just two spoonfuls of the smashed peas.  

The peas honestly didn't taste like peas, nor mint, they just tasted like ... uh .. green soft warm mashed ... something herby?  Definitely strange, and not particularly good.  *.

Also herby was the sauce that came in a little plastic condiment container.  Mayo and herbs.  It wasn't listed on the menu, but I'd call it an herb aioli probably?  It was fine, and it did go well enough with the cakes.

The cakes were decent.  Certainly not crispy, just rather soft, so not the quality you'd get actually in a restaurant obviously.  But the flavor was fine, a bit fishy but not in an off-putting way.  Seemingly a fair amount of filler.  A strange pre-arrival snack, but I didn't dislike them.  ***.

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