Mmmore Raw Treats

When I recently stayed at the brand new W Hotel in Sydney, I got the chance to try out a local brand of healthy products: Mmmore.  Every day at breakfast had a lineup of their raw slices.  

"Good for you, your tum, your bum, and your skeptical mum."

The slices are gluten-free, refined sugar free, and vegan, as is their entire product line.  Mmmore also makes "Power Cubes", fingers, and bars, and nut butters, none of which I have tried.  All are similar products, akin to bliss balls and the like, formed around nuts, coconut, and no added sugars.

Raw Slices

Mmmore makes 8 different flavors, including some awesome sounding ones like mint chocolate, peanut butter, or caramel, but I was only able to try three more simple options.

Mmmore Slices: Coconut, Caramel? or Hazelnut. 

Hazelnut slice

"A rich, powerful raw cacao and hazelnut combo that will make you emotional (the good kind)."

On the left was one labelled as caramel, but, I believe this was the hazelnut (the caramel one has a much lighter main portion, and a coconut biscuit base, and, presumably, tastes like caramel, and this one did not).  What I had was more of a fairly healthy tasting bar, made up of dates, coconut, and nuts (hazelnuts, cashews), with a hint of cocoa.  It was lightly chewy, lightly crunchy from bits of nuts, and although it had healthy vibes, it also tasted a bit decadent, from the intense coconut.  I was glad that I didn't taste dates too strongly, they mostly just provided some natural sweetness and a binding agent.  Considerably better than most healthy date based bars.  It seemed a bit odd to eat for breakfast, but also wasn't a dessert to me, and I'd rather have as a post workout snack perhaps (which, I certainly could have done, had I gone to the gym in the morning instead of just getting up, rolling out of bed, and going to feast).  

An interesting product, but I don't think I'd get it again.  ***+.  My favorite of the three I tried.

Coconut slice

"Lush coconut filling with raw choc top and chewy almond base. Best eaten in secret on tropical island."

Next up, coconut.  It was pretty obvious which one this was, as it it is the only blonde item they make, and was coated in extra coconut.  This one had an even simpler ingredient list: the same coconut, dates, coconut oil, and cocoa powder as the previous, and just some almonds to help form the base, and additional brown rice syrup to add more sweetness.

It basically tasted like coconut.  Slightly chewy.  A tiny bit of a nutty taste.  But mostly, like coconut, like a macaroon.  I really wanted to dip it in chocolate.  Fine, but, just coconut really.  Low ***.  My least favorite.

Raw Raspberry Slice.

"Pink coconut dream. Dreamy coconut whip with tangy raspberry ripple. Low in fructose. High in love."

My last day a pretty pink one showed up, so I obviously grabbed it.  This turned out to be raspberry, with a description that seemed a bit far fetched (coconut whip?  Nope, its a solid bar ...).  It had a base of almonds, coconut, and brown rice syrup like the previous, and a body of more coconut, raspberries, and dates.

The base of this was basically the same as the coconut slice, lightly chewy, lightly nutty, a bit too healthy tasting for me.  The top was much the same too, it tasted strongly of coconut and little else, although it had a mild fruitiness to it.  I liked this one slightly more than the plain coconut, but the raspberry was pretty muted.  ***.

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Sara Lee Bakery / Chef Pierre

You may start laughing now.  Yes, I'm reviewing Sara Lee.  Yes, that Sara Lee.  The Sara Lee that had that jingle that you probably thought said ".... nobody does it like Sara Lee", but it really said "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee"?  The Sara Lee that did really start as a bakery chain named after the founder's daughter, but grew into a huge corporation that sold tainted meat that caused deaths, and at one point included an apparel business among many other ventures, but then split back down into smaller companies to re-focus on their primary market.  The Sara Lee corporation still owns many food and beverage brands, a few of which I found interesting, including Ball Park Franks, Jimmy Dean sausages, Hillshire Farms deli meats ... yeah.  Dig into Wikipedia if you want to read all about the drama.   It is a fairly interesting story, of brands you likely know.

Nowadays, Sara Lee label itself is used for bakery items and frozen sweets.  Which is where I got interested.  Desserts? Baked goods? Who cares if they are frozen and low-quality? Who cares what drama the company has been through?  I love to try anything and everything in the dessert department.

The Sara Lee product line span a few categories: pound cakes, cheesecakes, cakes, pies, and breakfast sweets, but the pies and muffins are the only items I have tried.  If I could pick another product to try though, it would definitely be the streusel topped coffee cake or the cinnamon rolls.

Chef Pierre vs Sara Lee

"Chef Pierre has been baking fresh and delicious baked goods for commercial restaurants and diners for decades. The company is dedicated to remaining true to their original values and flavors, so they use time-tested recipes and real ingredients. Today, you can find Chef Pierre bakery products in restaurants, diners, grocery stores, and retail markets all over the United States.

If you’re looking to serve items like pie, croissants, cornbread, and other baked goods that feature traditional flavors, Chef Pierre bakery goods are the ideal choice. In recent years, Chef Pierre decided to remove artificial sweeteners and partially hydrogenated oils from their baked goods, which has resulted in better-tasting and more nutritious products. Additionally, Chef Pierre bakery products are all made with local ingredients when possible, which helps give them a fresh and premium flavor." 

It turns out, it is even more complicated than my brief history lesson above.  There is another player in the Sara Lee space, Chef Pierre.  The best I can tell, Chef Pierre was originally a sister company that distributed Sara Lee pies, and has actually been the producer of Sara Lee pies since 1979. They were originally marketed in the Midwest as Chef Pierre, and elsewhere under the Sara Lee brand.  You'll see both brands used now, although Chef Pierre tends to be for foodservice distribution, and Sara Lee a bit more consumer facing.  

Desserts

For desserts, the brands offer a variety of cakes, pies, and cheesecakes.  I've only had the pies.

Pies

For foodservice, Chef Pierre makes both fully baked and bake-and-serve varieties, in 8" and 10" varieties, available pre-sliced or not, depending on what you want for your operation and amount of effort you put in.  The Sara Lee branded retail versions are all fully baked and sliced.  The Chef Pierre range also has far more variety.

There are 3 categories of pies: Crème Pies, Fruit Pies, and Seasonal Pies.  The pies are all sold frozen.  I've tried nearly all of them.

Fruit Pies

"Sara Lee® Fruit Pies feature flaky, golden crusts filled with the finest fruit." -- Sara Lee 

For grocery retail, the fruit pies are all named "Oven Fresh", aka, "Oven Fresh Apple Pie", "Oven Fresh Blueberry Pie", etc, etc.  They make two types of apple (dutch or double crust), blueberry, cherry, raspberry, and peach. All but the Dutch Apple feature the signature double crust. The fruit pies are all frozen, and fully cooked, but designed to be warmed in your oven before serving, hence the Oven Fresh name I suppose.

"Traditional double crust pie crafted with carefully sourced ingredients. A high ratio of fresh, whole fruit slices to bits/pieces creates an ideal profile and eating experience." -- Chef Pierre

For foodservice, the range expands to include lattice tops (available with apple, cherry, or peach filling), a slew more double crust varieties (apple cranberry, apple "razzberry", blackberry, peach berry, caramel apple, caramel apple nut, rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb, "Wild Berry Blast with Zesty Lemon", "Fruits of the Forest"), no sugar added varieties of many, and a few in the "Krunch" lineup with crumble topping (apple, cherry, blueberry).

I've tried many from both brands, although mostly Chef Pierre.  And, well, I like them.  My stack ranking (best to worst): Blueberry Krunch, apple, blueberry, peach, cherry.  I'd gladly eat any again actually, but, the first three are dramatically ahead of the others.

Pumpkin and Apple Pies, November 2016.

The first time I had Sara Lee pie was at my office, when I walked by a conference room with tons of pie, whipped cream, and, rapidly melting ice cream sitting in it, unattended and unloved.  There clearly had been some kind of celebration, but the attendees did not do a good job of eating their pie!

I quickly took a photo, and sent a message out to the "extra food" mailing list in the office, so people could come enjoy pie.

It was only then that I tried a bite of each of the pies, which were apple and pumpkin.  The pies didn't look particularly good, so I just took small slivers, and started to walk away.

But ... I really liked the pies.  Both of them.  This was surprising in particular as I don't generally like apple pie (too much nutmeg).  I didn't get good photos, since I wasn't expecting to like them nor write this post, but, I remember turning right back around, going back into the room, and grabbing an entire pie pan full of a "Frakenpie", made up of both types, and then running away with it before anyone could judge me.  Finders keepers?

Apple, Blueberry, Cherry Pies (March 2017).

The next time I encountered the pies was Pi Day in my office, and we had an assortment of fruit pies.  This time I knew they were worth trying!

These pies all look the same at first glance, but, are actually three different kinds.  The nearest ones are apple, blueberry in the middle, and cherry on the end.

They are all good in a really strange way.  The defining element is certainly the crust.  There is a lot of crust on these pies, full double crusts, no lattice work, just, lots of crust.

The crust is a texture unlike any other pie I've had ... it isn't flaky and buttery.  It is a bit crumbly and crispy.  It is kinda ... chalky.  But I like it.  In a strange way.  I particularly like it when warm, with ice cream or whipped cream.

I know that makes no sense.  I don't know how to better describe these.  It is strange crust, but if you don't care that it isn't standard, actually bakery fresh crust, it is good in its own way.

Cherry Pie (November 2017).

"Brimming with juicy Montmorency cherries picked at the peak of freshness."

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Cherry Pie features a light and flaky crust filled with plump, juicy cherries picked at the peak of freshness." -- Sara Lee Retail Version

I first went for the cherry (because it was Pi Day, and I already had Blueberry Crumble and Classic Apple from Three Babes  earlier in the day, so I wanted something different).

Cherry Pie: Cross Section.

The cherry filling was simple, classic, sweet cherry goo. It wasn't trying to be anything more.  It had no complex flavor, no extra magic ingredient to make it pop.  I doubt the fruit was fresh.

And yet I liked the pie.  Sometimes, a simple cherry pie just has its place.  Particularly with whipped cream to balance the sweet. ***+.

Interestingly, when I had it several months later, I didn't care for it at all at room temperature.  It was just ... generic cherry goo (although, that crust I do like).

I tried warming it up to see how that would change things.  And it certainly did.  Warm, gooey, cherry ... uh, goo, with a tasty crust.  But I only really liked it when combined with equal parts ice cream or whipped cream (or both!).  It really had to be as much ice cream/whip as pie per bite to work, to balance the sweet.  ***.

Cherry Pie (November 2020).

"Our classic cherry pie filled with tart Michigan cherries between 2 golden tender flaky pie crust layers." -- Chef Pierre Version

I didn't have it for more than a year, never opting to get that pie, given where it fell in the "goodness" lineup compared to the others.

My reviews this time are very mixed.

The first time I had it this year, I was pleased enough.  Yup, sweet, generic style.  That I do like.  Soo much cherry goo.  I didn't have whipped cream nor ice cream when I had it though, so not quite glorious.  **+.

The next day I warmed up another slice.  I didn't like it warm, the fruit tasted odd.  It had a strange ... funk to it.  It was better cold with whip.  I wasn't very happy with it either way.  **.

Cherry Pie (December 2020).

A month later though, time for more cherry pie.  I guess places like to offer cherry pie around the holidays?  Cherry was never a pie my family really had, so it is still a bit novel to me to see it so commonly available.

This time it didn't have the strange funk to it.  It was ok cold with whip, I did want it warm a la mode.  I kinda liked the top crust on this one, but not the back.  Still just **+ though.

Cherry Pie (December 2020).

I didn't seek it out again later that month, but it came to me. So of course I had it.

Conclusion? Yeah, this isn't very good. It didn't have the "funk", but just isn't good.  Crust is very ... pasty, at least the top crust.  I liked the back crust more this time.

*+.

Apple Pie (November 2017).

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Apple Pie features a light and flaky crust filled with hand-picked, sun-ripened apples tossed with cinnamon."

"Filled with hand-picked, sun-ripened, fresh apples tossed with cinnamon and sugar."

Back to the first cherry pie encounter, 2017.  When I saw there was still plenty leftover, I also took a slice of apple, to bring home and enjoy later.  And enjoy I did.

Again, same strange crust that I actually like.  The filling is sliced apples, soft but not mushy.  The apples are surrounded by sweet spiced goo, with plenty of cinnamon, but not too much.  No other seasoning.  Simple, classic, and again, it has its place.  Don't judge.  It was excellent warmed up with a little bit of ice cream and whipped cream. ***+.

Sara Lee actually makes two different apple pies, this one, the "Oven Fresh Apple Pie" which is just like the other fruit pies with the double crust, and a "Oven Fresh Dutch Apple Pie" with a streusel topping.  Even though I do like the strange crust, I'd love to try the other style sometime too, because, who am I to say no to streusel?

Apple and Cherry Pies (June 2018)

I had the apple again the next year, when we had it for Thanksgiving.  I skipped it alongside the feast (we had 11 pies to choose from, so, apple wasn't at the top of my list), but saved a slice for breakfast the next day.

I really liked it for breakfast, both cold (I couldn't wait!) and warm, sans whipped cream even.  Don't judge.  ****.

Apple Pie (2019).

The same was true later in the summer, when we had it yet again.  Great cold for breakfast.  Good warm with ice cream or whip.  It is just a winner.  Yes, we keep requesting it!  ****.

Update review: we had it again as part of our holiday pie lineup in 2019, and, although it wasn't the pie I choose to eat alongside my feast, you know I saved a slice for breakfast, and again just loved it cold in the morning.  The apples have the right "bite" the spicing is good and I do like the crust.   ****.

Peach Pie (August 2018).

"A golden filling of luscious, orchard-grown peaches fill our tender, flaky crust."

The peach pie was the last that I tried, never a top priority for me for some reason.

It looked identical to all the other fruit pies, double crusted, same crust that is just odd, but strangely good.

Peach Pie (August 2018).

I, uh, plated it up all real nice for myself, in the pie pan of one that had been depleted.  Don't judge.  Its way more fun to eat this way.  I promise.

The filling was definitely "peaches from a can quality".  They were cut the same size, were the same color on all surfaces, were soft but not too mushy, and were in a very, very sweet goo.  Very clearly not made by hand, not with peaches of assorted ripeness, just no real character to it at all.  And wow, so sweet.

It was what it was, matching the style of all the other pies, really, but this time I didn't love it.  I liked it, but, it wasn't amazing.  And needed *lots* of whipped cream to balance the sweetness!  ***.

Blueberry Pie (November 2018).

"Bursting with plump, summer-sweet, wild blueberries."

The blueberry pie was exactly like the other fruit pies.  Double crusted, tons of crust, strange crust, but I didn't mind it when dunked in copious whipped cream.

The filling is average sized blueberries (e.g. not small Maine blueberries, not large juicy ones), in a sweet goo.  Not fresh amazing fruit, no question, but, I still like it.

This was good cold with whipped cream.  It was better warm with vanilla ice cream.

This was a winner, and one I'd gladly order again.  Of the fruit pies, second only to the apple (for breakfast). ****.

Blueberry Krunch (November 2020).

"The All-American blueberry pie filled with ripe northern Michigan blueberries, finished with a rich and crunchy streusel topping."

I finally got to try a Krunch version, with a lovely crunchy streusel on top.  It was even better than the double crust version, and my hand's down favorite of every fruit pie I had.  Far better than I ever expected.

Great blueberry filling, sweet but not cloying (but yes very sweet), soooo gooey.  It was very nice warm with ice cream, just, classic and good.

And the crumble!  Buttery and sweet, huge chunks.  I really liked it.  So much better than double crust.

As for the rest of the crust (back/bottom), it was fine, a more crumbly texture than the other versions.  Not great, not awful.

The warm pie and topping, minus the back crust crust, with ice cream ****.  A better crust would have made this ****+.

Didn't try it cold with whip but I think that would be great too.

Seasonal Pies / Nut Pies

"Sara Lee® Seasonal Pies deliver the traditional tastes that have become synonymous with certain times of the year. Celebrate these seasons with the pies that are sure to please." 

The seasonal Sara Lee pie lineup is the most exciting to me, with pumpkin, southern sweet potato, southern pecan, and mince, all also dubbed "Oven Fresh".  The pecan is suggested to just thaw and serve, and the others should be baked, including helpful instructions like "The key to pumpkin pie is not to overcook it."

The Chef Pierre lineup has all of the same as Sara Lee (although their pecan pie is just "pecan", not "Southern pecan"), plus a few other nut pies (turtle - pecan and chocolate, "dream bar" - coconut, pecans, chocolate, and cinnamon walnut whiskey).

As a seasonal pie lover, this category really made me happy, although I wasn't able to try the mince ... yet.

Pumpkin Pie (2016).

"A traditional favorite with rich, smooth pumpkin and our special blend of cinnamon and spices."

Pumpkin pie has been part of my life as long as I can remember.  My mom always makes pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  She also makes about 10 other pies, and we always have TONS leftover to enjoy over the next few days, but since it has one of the shortest shelf lives (compared to fruit pies and nut pies), we always make a point of eating it first.  And for me, uh, sometimes that means for breakfast.  Really though, of all the holiday pies, pumpkin really is the healthiest!

Anyway, my mom always made the classic Libby's pie.  Not the one made with "pumpkin pie filling", but the one made with canned Libby's pumpkin, and the recipe on the back of the can.  She tried many other recipes over the years, many far more complicated, roast-your-own-pumpkin recipes, but always kept coming back to Libby's, and has determined it is the best.  So, for me, pumpkin pie is a pretty simple classic.

And this pie was very much like that.  Smooth, creamy pumpkin, with the usual spices.  I could taste the expected cinnamon and nutmeg, and the spices were fairly strong, but not too dominant.  There really was just nothing offensive about this pie.  Simple, and classic.

Well, ok, there is something offensive.  The ingredients.  Most pumpkin pie recipes call for pumpkin and spices obviously, and white sugar, eggs, and evaporated milk.  This though?  The second ingredient is whey.  The third is high fructose corn syrup.  There is also regular corn syrup and dextrose.  Clearly, a commercial product.

But still, I enjoyed this pie, more than I really want to admit.  ***+.

Pumpkin Pie (2017).

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Pumpkin Pie features a light and flaky crust filled with rich, smooth pumpkin and our special blend of cinnamon and spices."

Another year, more pie.

I liked this less this year, as I found the spicing a bit too aggressive.  It wasn't bad, just, very, very spiced.

The pumpkin was still creamy though, and the consistency was good.

Mediocre slightly cardboard like crust. ***.

Update Review (2018): I had it again the next year, and again wasn't quite sure how I felt about it.  The texture, the creaminess, those were perfect.  But it was a bit more spiced than I wanted, really, I think I was just over "pumpkin spice" at the time. ***-.

Pumpkin Pie (2019).

Another year, another pumpkin pie.  I again just was not into it as much as the other pie options.  Again, too spiced.  And this one seemed a bit over cooked, a firmer texture. **+.

Sweet Potato.

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Sweet Potato Pie features a light and flaky crust filled with tender sweet potatoes and a blend of nutmeg and cinammon."

The sweet potato is a lighter color than the pumpkin, but similar good creamy consistency.  Very mildly spiced compared to the pumpkin, with a slightly different set of spices.

The sweet potato was a more mild flavor in general too, more like, well, mashed sweet potatoes than squash.

At room temperature, I didn't really care for this that much (cold sweet potatoes is just ... strange), but once I warmed it up, it was a satisfying, slightly savory (but still quite sweet), not so decadent, treat.  Like pumpkin pie, it took whipped cream well.

I thought it was fine, but I think I preferred the pumpkin. ***.

Southern Pecan.

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Southern Pecan Pie features a delicious flaky crust filled with Southern-style rich filling and loaded with crunchy, toasted pecans." -- Sara Lee Retail

And then ... pecan.

I loved the pecan pie.  Pecan is usually one of my favorite pies, and this was exactly the style of pecan pie I like - super sweet, loaded with gooey filling, topped with full pecan halves.  Did I mention, crazy sweet?

It is all about the corn syrup sometimes, and this one delivers in that department.

It is also a pie that *needs* whipped cream or ice cream.  You have to balance the sweet with something, so, sorry, this pie, notorious for being one of the highest calorie pies you can eat, needs more.  It is glorious warm with vanilla ice cream melting in to it.

If you prefer your pecan pie room temp/chilled, or just don't want to take the time to warm it, it also works that way fine too, but in that case, I always pick whipped cream, as for me, it is all about the hot and cold combo with my pie and ice cream.  But that is just my way.  You do you. ****.

Southern Pecan (2019)

I've had this several more times, and all times enjoyed, but do always find it quite sweet, and needing ice cream or whipped cream to pair with it.  Warm with ice cream is definitely my favorite way.  ****.

Pecan (November 2020).

"A tender golden flaky crust is filled with naturally sweet filling, topped wall-to-wall with delicious pecan halves." -- Chef Pierre

Um.  Um.  This is *not* a slice of pie!!!  This is a nibble.  I know pecan pie is high calorie, and people like to take small slices, but, um ... nibble!  A nibble!  (I purchased this from a store, not my slicing job).

Anyway.  Again, a decent enough pecan pie, classic, gooey and sweet.  The crust was a little bit over cooked, and it is the hard style, I still liked it. 

There is nothing remarkable about this pie, but pretty solid standard execution. I will gladly eat more of it.

***+.

Pecan (December 2020).

Luckily, the next time I got a slice, from the same place, it was a proper size.

I again really did enjoy it.  Sweet, definitely needs some whipped cream alongside, but, I really truly enjoy it.  The filling is soft, classic pecan pie filling, gooey and sweet, and the crust, not remarkable, not flaky, but somehow I do kinda like it sometimes.

Enjoyable, but, you need the whip, and need to take it slow.  Side note: also goes great with red wine!

***+.

Cream Pies

"Whether it is ready-to-serve or thaw and serve, it doesn’t get any easier than Sara Lee® Crème Pies. Enjoy these favorites, perfect for any season!"

For creme pies, Sara Lee makes banana, chocolate, coconut, key lime, lemon meringue, and "turtle" with caramel and pecans.  I can't help but laugh at the crème vs cream distinction.  No simple banana cream pie here, nope, these are banana crème pies!  The crème pies are made to be served either frozen or thawed in the fridge before serving.  They are basically pudding pies, e.g. no real banana slices in the banana cream, and all have whipped cream on top.

Chef Pierre on the other hand is where the fun begins.  And I really do mean that.  This line up actually seems entirely different, even where there is overlap (e.g. banana cream), the topping style is different.  The offer banana, lemon, coconut, strawberry, and chocolate, all under the "Classic" style.  And some meringue versions (lemon, chocolate, coconut, key lime), and some no sugar added.  But it is the layered pies that caught my eye as more interesting, with a chocolate cream layer pie with 3 different chocolate layers and a cookie crust, or, um, the chocolate mint cream with chocolate cookie crust, chocolate layer, mint layer, and cream layer ... or the Gourmet Silk chocolate peanut butter ...

Then there is the lofter, fluffier, "Crème de la Cream" line, again with banana, chocolate, and coconut varieties (but now actually featuring more actual banana, etc), plus some stunners - like the cookies & cream or Fruit de la Cream Strawberries & Cream.  

From both brands, all are thaw and serve.

I haven't tried any of the Sara Lee offerings, but, omg, the Chef Pierre ones are extraordinary.

Fruit de la Cream Strawberries & Cream.

"We start with a graham crust, a decadent layer of strawberry cream with real strawberry chunk, finished with real dairy whipped cream."

One bite and I was sold on Chef Pierre cream pies.  

This is good.  Really good.

Crumbly sweet crust.  It didn't hold together but who cares.  Fruity creamy strawberry pudding with real bits of strawberry throughout.  Ridiculous sweet fluffy whipped cream.  Looked homemade even.

I liked this.  Really liked it.  Needed no embellishment.  Just, great as it was.

****.

Chocolate Mint Cream.

"We start with a chocolate cookie crust piled with chocolate and mint fillings, finished with chocolate whipped cream and topped with chocolate shavings."

I saved the best for last.

This was good.  Very good.

Crumbly chocolate crust, thick chocolate pudding, mint pudding, fluffy milk chocolate whipped cream, shards of chocolate.

The chocolate crust was mostly like crushed Oreo-like, not what I go for normally, but it went well in this context.  I liked to mix it in with the creamy layers for some texture.

The chocolate pudding layer was quite thin, which is a bit unfortunate, as I wanted more chocolate (although there were plenty of other chocolate components too obviously).  It was thick and chocolately, rich pudding, and I liked it quite a bit.

The mint layer was the standout, really great mint flavor, thick pudding style, and even though dominated by so many chocolate layers, this one actually really did come through.  I adored the minty flavor.  A shame this layer too was fairly thin, but also didn't extend as far back.  But so good.

And finally, the fluffy chocolate whipped cream, super sweet, but it it was sooo light and really completed the whole thing.  As did the chocolate shards.

This pie really just came together beautifully. It reminded me of dirt cake in many ways, but just so much better, and I loved the mint aspect.

Summary? So freaking good.  Minty, chocolately, delicious.  Best super chilled.

****+.

Cobbler

Chef Pierre also offers cobblers and dumplings, for a break from pies.  Cobblers come in a large assortment (apple, blackberry, blueberry, peach, cherry, strawberry), while dumplings only come in apple form.

The pies were glorious.  But the cobbler on the other hand ... not so much.  Although to be fair, the peach pie was my least favorite too, and the only kind of cobbler I tried.

Peach Cobbler.

"Ripe sweet peaches in a rich slurry, sit below a tender flaky pie crust layer, giving this cobbler a sweet homemade appeal."

This was pretty meh. 

Much like the pie, the peaches were kind of seemed like from a can, and the topping didn't have much flavor to it.

I didn't hate it, but it certainly wasn't very good.  Shockingly, it was even worse warm.

**+

Peach Cobbler: The Peaches.

Here you can see the peaches, and way too much cobble.

Meh I say.

Breakfast Baked Goods

Then there are the breakfast baked goods, including muffins, cinnamon rolls, and danishes.

Muffins

The muffins are all distributed under the "Chef Pierre" brand.   Muffins are available in a smaller 2 ounce size or larger 4 ounce full size, individually wrapped or not.  All are fully baked, just ready to thaw-n-serve.  They make all the classic flavors: blueberry, banana, banana nut, bran, carrot nut, lemon poppyseed, corn, apple cinnamon, along with fun ones like chocolate chip, double chocolate, cheese streusel, cinnamon pecan, and cookie dough.  Some in streusel topped varieties, others with whole wheat base options.  There are about 40 options total.  I've tried an assortment.  I'd gladly try more (like the carrot nut, cheese streusel, and cookie dough!)

Assorted Muffins.

These muffins are a staple of foodservice vendors, I've frequently seen them at hotels, cafes, and gas stations.  Honestly, they aren't bad.

Apple Cinnamon, Large 4 Ounce.

"Few things in life are more tempting than a soft, fresh-baked muffin. Our apple cinnamon muffin is filled with the perfect amount of delicious Michigan Rome apples topped with crumbly butter oat streusel for a sweet crunchy taste."

When I took this one, it came individually wrapped by the hotel in plastic wrap, so I was not sure what kind it was.  I expected something like banana nut, but it turned out to be ...  apple cinnamon, with a slight streusel top.

It was a decent enough muffin, quite moist.  I love a fresh baked muffin with a crispy top, and this had a soft, slightly mushy top instead, but it worked for the style.

The top obviously was um, *not* generously coated in streusel, just a slight scattering of oats and a few flecks of crumb.

Inside however is where it got interesting.

Apple Cinnamon: Inside.

Yes, inside I found that it actually was two types of muffin dough, swirled together.  Both seemed to be the same flavor, but I think the dark one was supposed to be cinnamon.  The cinnamon flavor was not very strong.

And the apple?  Instead of just little chunks throughout, it was actually *filled* with apple pie goo!  Sometimes a goo/filling like this can be extremely generic and off-putting, but this was actually quite good.  Soft but not mushy apple, well spiced.  I kinda liked just eating it with a spoon with some whipped cream.

Overall, a better than average muffin, and I liked it best warm, with butter.  ***+.

Banana Nut. 4 Ounce.

"Made with real bananas for a moist treat, topped with crunchy walnuts."

The banana nut muffin was ... well, a banana nut muffin.  Better than average hotel buffet?  It was quite moist.  Good banana flavor, present but not overwhelming.  Tasted like real banana.  Sweet but not too sweet.  Nothing tasted fake nor too processed.  Slight crunch from some nuts (pecans and walnuts), although I'd like more.

Was it a fresh made muffin?  Nah.  But it really was a petty good version of a classic, and I think anyone would be convinced it was baked on-site, that is, if they didn't have them sitting out in the wrappers like this.  ***+.

I noted that it didn't taste processed, but, reality is, these *are* mass produced highly processed muffins.  Vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, all sorts of gums and ingredients I can't make sense of *do* abound, at least in small quantities.  That said, it is certainly no worse for you than a baked good from any chain coffee shop or bakery (e.g. Starbucks, Panera), lower calorie and about half the fat.

Bran Muffin.  4 Ounce.

"A moist bran muffin base, sprinkled with natural oats for a made-from-scratch appearance."

And next, bran.  This really did look sorta homemade, with the oats strewn about the top.  

It was a reasonably average bran muffin.  No surprises like raisins, no particular depth of flavor from molasses, but, a solid, reasonable, muffin.  ***+.

[ No Photo ]

Small Muffin Blueberry. 2 Ounce.

"Sweet, juicy wild blueberries packed inside each muffin, providing intense flavor and superior moistness."

The blueberry muffin I somehow failed to get a photo of, but it was one of the mini size, and came streusel topped.  Before I found out about the other individually wrapped ones, I actually *did* believe it was baked in house at the hotel I was staying at, so, good on ya, Chef Pierre!

It too was a fine muffin.  Moist.  Juicy little berries.  I liked the bit of streusel on top, although there wasn't much.  I liked to dunk this one in sugar, how I always had my blueberry muffins as a child for some reason.

A decent muffin. ***+.

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Eventide Fenway

Update Review, Dec 2023

Another visit to the northeast for the holidays, another stop to Boston on my way to acclimate (both, temperature-wise and culture-wise) before heading to New Hampshire to be with my family.   This year I only stayed in Boston a single night, which meant I had just one Boston meal to enjoy, and used the opportunity to order again from one of the restaurants I discovered over the summer: Eventide Fenway.  

My first time ordering from them I had my mind fairly blown by the signature brown butter lobster roll and seasonal asparagus dish, and I hoped for a repeat performance.  I was again thrilled with my meal, and very happy with my choice.

Fried Brussels Sprouts (Seasonal). $11.55.

"Swordfish Belly Bacon, Apple Dijonaise, Dill."

The first time I had anything from Eventide, I had the incredible seasonal asparagus dish, which I rated a perfect 5 stars.  Since it was now winter, that seasonal side turned to brussels sprouts, which I also quite enjoy, and added swordfish belly bacon (!), which sounded all kinds of fascinating.  I couldn't wait to dig in, and appreciated that the apple dijonaise was served on the side without me asking.

The brussels sprouts were fairly heavy, deep fried, and with some kind of savory sauce.  Tasty, but, pretty heavy in the oil and certainly not particularly vegetable forward.  They were cooked well though, not mushy in any way. ***.

Then, the fascinating sounding swordfish belly bacon.  I'm not sure I've ever had swordfish belly in any form, let alone bacon.  But, it makes sense - what do you do with the fatty part of a pig?  Cure it, season it, and call it bacon.  The same could go for the fattier part of swordfish (the belly) too.  And ... it worked.  The bacon was in cube form, and really quite salty and savory.  Nice bite to it.  I loved the salt level these bites added to the dish, basically, sorta like a fancier version of a more classic brussels sprouts and ham / pork pairing.  The swordfish flavor was fairly strong though, so could be an issue for those who worry about things being "fishy".  ***.

Overall, high umami level, high salt level, high fried level, and definitely far from healthy, which is amusing given that "swordfish and brussels sprouts" so easily could be a nice light dish.

The apple dijonaise was a creamy dressing, and made sense with the rest of the dish, in the same way applesauce or mustard would go with classic ham dish.  I didn't taste any particular apple nor strong dijon, but the creamy dressing was tasty.  ***+.

Overall, a very interesting dish, and one I enjoyed, but, I don't think I'd get it again, as it really was heavier than I was looking for.  ***.  The portion was generous for the price, plenty of swordfish in here, really more than the brussels even, definitely not just a garnish.

Brown Butter Lobster Roll. $19.95.

"Warm Lobster Meat, Chive, Steamed Bun."

Last time I ordered the brown butter lobster roll, I was able to ask for it to have the lobster and roll separate so I could warm it up nicely at my hotel, but Eventide no longer allows modifications or custom requests, so I had to go with as is.  It arrived stone cold, as it was the middle of winter, so, that was unfortunate.   That said, I wrapped it in foil, popped it in the toaster oven with a little water to steam it, and within a few minutes I had a pretty much good as new lobster roll.

I went into this with high expectations given how much I had loved it before, and they were still easily met.  I forgot just how ridiculously good it was, truly.  Even if it doesn't look it, this thing is incredible, and unlike any other lobster roll.

The bun was soft, lightly sweet, complimented the lobster well, and as before, I really appreciated this style of bun, like an Asian bao but bigger.  Great, slightly unique, base for the roll.  ****.

And then that glorious lobster.  Well prepared (large hunks, not chewy, no shells, etc), but truly what sets it apart is the brown butter.  It is just so succulent and decadent and rather unreal.  Such depth of flavor, and just so many notches above your standard buttered lobster experience.  Unreal.  *****.

I was worried my first experience was just an exceptionally good one, and the novelty of the different style would have worn off, but, nope.  Still adored every bite of this, and can't wait to have another. ****+.

Cole Slaw. $6.30.

"Red and Green Cabbage, Celery and Mustard Seed, Mayo. "

To round out my meal, I also threw on a side of slaw to the order, as I do love cole slaw in general, and given that everything else from Eventide was on another level compared to other versions of the same item, I couldn't wait to see what they did with simple slaw.

The slaw wasn't as remarkable as the other items, but, it was very good slaw.  Well rounded mix of red and green cabbage, and carrot, and celery, all thinly sliced, nearly all the same size pieces.  Fresh and crisp.  Well dressed, with enough mayo to mostly coat the pieces, but not too much to weigh it down.  Well seasoned.  As good as any great slaw I've had, but, it didn't have any extra special magic element, like the brown butter in the lobster roll, the swordfish bacon in the brussels.  Still, I'd gladly get it again if I wanted slaw, and it was far above average. ****.   

Original Review, July 2023

My first day in Boston, I knew I wanted to get a lobster roll.  Cliche, maybe, but, actually, worth it, because it is so much fresher than what we get in San Francisco, and something restaurants in Boston pride themselves on.  And I say this as someone who generally finds lobster over rated, and would opt for local Dungeness crab anyway.  But, when in Boston ...

I had many, many options for where to get my lobster roll.  And of course, I had to make the very hard decision of warm with butter, or cold with mayo, both of which I like, but are completely different eating experiences.  During my searches for great lobster rolls in Boston, one place kept getting mentioned, but with tons of caveats, as it is a very non-traditional roll.  But, the accolades were hard to ignore.

Which lead me to Eventide Fenway, not a classic lobster shack, and definitely not in the neighborhood I'd normally gravitate towards either.  But, I couldn't get it out of my mind, particularly after seeing far too many Instagram posts of the lobster roll.

"A Beantown reimagining of Eventide Oyster Co., Eventide Fenway offers the tried and true classics made popular at the Portland restaurant. Whether you're grabbing lunch on the go or looking to crush a few dozen oysters and a half bottle of grand cru champagne, we’re here seven days a week! "

Eventide Fenway is the outpost of a Portland, ME based restaurant (Eventide), which gives them a bit of extra lobster cred.  Their menu however features far more than just lobster, or even seafood, and it is definitely all slightly fusion and a touch unexpected.  For example, the simple green salad has a nori vinaigrette, the burger has gochujang-talow mayo, and so on.  So while the menu may look standard at a high level, salads, crudos, hot apps like wings and chowders, burgers and sandwiches, a couple seasonal specials, the menu is actualy quite interesting once you look deeper, and, swoon, some of the specials sound amazing (skate wing tandoori, grilled black cod collar, things like that!.  They also have a kids menu, serve brunch on weekends (lobster benedict, crab on croissants, you get the deal), and have a few signature desserts, including housemade whoopie pies (or oatmeal cream pie).  

One feature of the menu is use of brown butter.  For dessert, this means brown butter soft serve ice cream, topped with maple candied pecans and bourbon caramel, that people absolutely rave about (they also have a sweet cream soft serve with chocolate shell and cracker jacks!).  But alas, I ordered delivery, and the ice cream was not available for delivery.  But back to that brown butter.  It is also used in their signature lobster roll, and is *the* reason people go nuts for this item.  It sounded potentially too trendy, too hype-worthy, but, I still gave it a try.

I ordered my delivery on DoorDash, which was quite easy.  I put in special instructions for the packaging, which were followed.  Food delivered still warm, and overall, a good experience.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

Spoiler:  this place was crazypants good.  So good, that I was tempted to order from them again the next day, but alas, only in Boston a few days, only so many things I could try.  I still have a touch of regret though, as both dishes I had from Eventide were highlights of my Boston visit.  I can't wait to return.

Grilled Asparagus. $13.

"Caesar Hollandaise, Nori, Fried Garlic."

Ok, I had to laugh when I opened my takeout bag, and found the side of asparagus.  It was in a large bowl, necessary since the asparagus spears were served whole and long, but also, mostly entirely empty, besides the space occupied by the 6 spears.  I also thought, "wow, um, $13 for 6 spears of asparagus?"

And then I took a bite.  I didn't care that the price was high for the quantity.  This was worth $2.25 per spear, no question.  

The asparagus was nicely grilled, char marks, lightly smoky flavor.  Just the quality execution on the asparagus alone made it a very good dish.  ****+ for the asparagus itself.  But then, the sauce and toppings really took it to another level.

The sauce was a "caesar hollandaise", and although I didn't necessarily taste Caesar, I certainly tasted delicious buttery hollandaise.  Asparagus and hollandaise are a classic pairing for a reason, and this worked quite well.  Add on some nori for a bit of umami, and fried garlic for a touch of crunch, and, zomg, this was just fantastic, and devoured in moments.  

There is nothing I'd change about this, beside of course that I wanted more.  *****.

The Eventide Brown Butter Lobster Roll. $19.95.
(Deconstructed, per my request).

"Warm Lobster Meat, Chive, Steamed Bun."

For my lobster roll, I went with their signature dish, the only item on the menu with their restaurant name in the dish name.  THE Eventide Brown Butter Lobster Roll.  This is what people go crazy over.  I generally prefer cold with mayo but ... I followed the advice of the masses, and I'm oh so glad I did.  Since I was getting delivery, I asked to have it deconstructed, just in case I needed to reheat it a bit, and wanted it to stand the best chance of heating up without destroying it.  The restaurant easily accommodated this.

So, the lobster roll.  The first thing to note is the use of a very non-traditional bun.  This is no split top hot dog bun.  It is not buttered, it is not grilled.  Instead, it is a steamed bun, light and fluffy, much like a super sized bao.  I know, I was skeptical too.  But it worked remarkably well.  The bun was very fresh, soft, and lightly warm.  It was almost a little sweet?  It was plain, yes, but that was needed given the richness of the brown butter with the lobster.  You can also opt for a gluten-free bun if you need.

And then there was the lobster.  Traditional rolls have drawn butter with the lobster.  Butter and lobster go together great.  But do you know what goes even better?   It turns out, brown butter.  Perhaps not a surprise, as brown butter is generally delicious, but, wow.  This lobster was absolutely smothered in brown butter.   It was crazy rich.  Intensely flavorful.  Did I mention, crazy rich?  The soft simple steamed bun complimented it well.  The lobster was cooked nicely, and it was a decent assortment of pieces.

The menu mentioned chives, but I didn't find any.  In fact, there was no filler of any kind.  Just, lobster, brown butter, and bun.  Simple, non-traditional, and a hit.  The best lobster roll I've ever had, no question.  I can't think of a way to make it any more amazing, although perhaps those chives would be a bit of a boost?  Still, truly perfection.  *****.

One thing to note is that it is on the smaller size.  The bun is probably the size of 3 Chinese bao, so, slightly smaller than a hot dog bun, and it wasn't over stuffed like many lobster rolls.  That said, the price was also on the smaller side, at only $19.95 it is considerably cheaper than most, and given the richness of that brown butter, I don't think you'd actually want a whole lot more in one sitting.

During the summer, Eventide also serves a chilled version, with mayo/lemon/dill, with the same bun, but, griddled.  I'd like to try that next.

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Crumbl Cookies

I spent many years not really being into cookies, mostly considering them a snack, and not worthy of a full fledged dessert slot.  Sure, a cookie could be an element of a dessert, but you'd never find me eating just a cookie and calling that dessert.

Sometime during the covid lockdown, I got a bit more, let's say, adaptable, and settled on eating cookies more.  Yes, I did still normally warm them up and serve them with ice cream sandwiched in-between, or I'd dunk into whipped cream and sprinkles, but, I finally started eating more cookies, and even, gasp, craving them from time to time.

This past summer, when I was in New York for my birthday, I of course did my annual birthday freebie crawl, and was delighted to have so many more venues to hit up.  One of those was Crumbl, a fairly popular nationwide cookie chain, that somehow doesn't have a location in SF.

Crumbl is a relatively new chain, started only in 2017.  They have more than 800 stores in the US now, and some internationally.  Rapid expansion, for sure.

They started out with serving literally just chocolate chip cookies, but quickly expanded the menu too.  The concept now is actually fairly unique, with 6 cookies offered every week, the same 6 at every Crumbl location, and they change weekly on Mondays.  Seasonal offerings abound.  This gives a consistent experience across locations, but, a constant sense of missing out and thus needing to visit, stat.   They have a decent loyalty program, and, yes, a free cookie on your birthday.  I'll gladly return, and wish they'd open in SF.

Daily Offerings.

Every week features a new rotation of 5 cookies (I think chocolate chip is always offered), which run Mon-Sat (they are closed on Sun, nationwide), and every store can do a "mystery cookie" of their choice, which changes throughout the week.  The lineup includes a mix of both warm and chilled cookies.  They are all quite large, bigger than average cookies (I later looked it up, and saw the serving size is 1/4 of a cookie ... doh).  They do also make some mini (e.g. normal size) cookies.

The week I visited, the lineup was: semi-sweet chocolate chunk (warm), caramel pumpkin cake (warm), chocolate peanut butter ft. Oreo (warm), key lime pie (chilled), chocolate toffee cake (warm), and the mystery flavor was another chocolate one (also warm).

Box.

Cookies are prepared to order, so, warm ones are warmed up, and *then* toppings are applied as needed (which makes sense, as the toppings would melt as the cookies are warmed, and most have some kind of frosting/whipped cream/etc on top).

Since mine was a chilled cookie, I didn't realize it too would be prepared to order, but it was filled and topped to order, and then put in a box, perfectly sized to fit the (very large) cookie.  Again, these are not normal size cookies.

Key Lime Pie.

"Our refreshing classic key lime pie rendition includes a chilled buttered graham crust, zesty lime filling, whipped cream, graham cracker crumbs, and a fresh lime wedge to squeeze on top."

If you read my blog much, you'll realize what an odd order this is for me.  I don't tend to like citrus based desserts.  But ...  I didn't want something with chocolate (as it was evening and I avoid caffeine), so, that left with me with the choice of the pumpkin cake one, or this.  As it was just barely the start of September, and 95* out (!!!), I certainly was not ready to delve into pumpkin spice themes, I was in full on summer mode still.  Thus, key lime pie it was.

I was very pleased with this "cookie".  Calling it a cookie is a bit odd, but, I guess, at the heart, the base *is* a cookie.  It was a fascinating graham cookie, not anything like a graham cracker, more, well, like a sweet sugar cookie, perfectly soft and sweet, but ... it tasted exactly like graham cracker.  Also not like a graham crust you'd find in a normal key lime pie either, it was not crumbly and dusty like that.  Really unique and interesting.  Far better than any graham cracker I've ever had, or any graham cracker crust, which I generally really do not care for.  Very thick, yet so soft.  **** cookie base.

And then, the key lime filling.  This was a little bit more runny than what you'd find in a well set key lime pie, but, it was smooth, creamy, tangy, lightly sweet.  Not a curd, which I appreciated, as I don't tend to like citrus curds.  Nice lime flavor.  Also quite good.  ****.

The little dot of whipped cream, the sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs, and the half a thin slice of lime really elevated the presentation dramatically, even if they were fairly easily lost in the end creation.

Overall, soft, sweet, tangy, unique, and definitely one of the most interesting cookies I've had in a long time.  I'd get it again, but now really want to try more of their offerings!  **** overall.

I was a bit thrown off by the fact that the sign said "180 calories" for the cookie ... that just didn't make sense, given the size, and decadent taste and fillings.  When I looked in more detail on the website, I found the reason why: the serving size is 1/4 of a cookie.  Aha.  If I was to eat the whole cookie, it clocks in at 720 calories!  Which definitely makes more sense, but also is far more than I expected.

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