Siete

My little niece recently became gluten-free and dairy free (not by choice).  During the initial adjustment phase, my mother, and her mother, both basically bought every snack food, baked good, alternative pasta/milk/baking mixes, etc that they could find.  Most, my niece was uninterested in.  And thus, the rest of us greatly increased our gluten-free and dairy free product intake.  Not that I minded really, as I love trying things, even when they are generally less likely to be good.

Which lead me to Siete, a brand of paleo, non GMO, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan products.  The brand focuses on Mexican-American foods, including chips, seasonings, salsas, beans, taco shells, tortillas, and cookies.  We tried mostly the snacks.

Churro Grain Free Cinnamon Chips.

"“Churros...” Even the name melts in our mouth as we roll our tongues to say it! Inspired by trips to the plaza in Mexico on Saturday afternoons, walking from vendor to vendor under vibrant papel picado and piñatas, with newspaper-wrapped churros in hand, we made these Grain Free Churro Strips! Not only are they extremely delicious, but they’re also made with simple ingredients like cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bean powder, so everyone can enjoy. All that’s left for you to decide is whether or not to pair with cajeta, dip in hot chocolate, or savor straight from the bag!"

These really are quite tasty, and don't taste gluten-free or odd.  The fat strip form factor is effective: they have a slightly blistered nature, and good crunch to them.  They are very well coated in cinnamon and (coconut) sugar.  Crunchy, sweet, cinnamon-y, yup, nothing to dislike here.

They are great to just munch on, and a bag goes quickly, but I think they'd be great dunked in whipped cream or used on an ice cream sundae or pudding garnish too.  But my bag didn't last long enough to test any of those theories out.  ****.

Sea Salt Tortilla Chips.

"Tortilla chips without any grains that taste better than any regular chip you have ever eaten."

Tortilla chips are available in a variety of flavors: Sea Salt, Lime, Nacho, Fuego, Ranch, Sal y Limón, and No Salt.  We had the basic sea salt.

They ... were tortilla chips.  Triangle shape.  Some grains to them.  Very minimal salt.  Relatively thin.  Crispy.  Pretty average tortilla chips, but I guess that is success, in that they didn't taste gluten free?  Not my thing as I don't go for tortilla chips really.  **.

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The Common Man Roadside Donuts

The Common Man is a chain of restaurants (and Inns) around New England.  I've reviewed their event catering before, when they catered a reception in honor of my grandmother.  Much like dining at the restaurant, I found it a bit hit or miss, and mostly forgettable.   The Common Man also runs several fast casual locations at highway rest stops, known as The Common Man Roadside.  These venues have coffee shops with all your standard espresso drinks and pastries, market with grab and go, and delis with breakfast sandwiches, omelettes or burritos in the morning, and deli sandwiches, wraps, grilled sandwiches, burgers, salads, and fried food later in the day.  They also have pizza and pasta at some locations, along with ice cream stands.  One of them, the Millyard, has full service lunch, dinner, and brunch with greatly expanded offerings.  But although I've passed by them en route to the bathroom for a pit stop, I haven't ever actually visited one.

"You might smell the Donut Shop before you actually see it. That tantalizing smell is coming from a small building next to the Hooksett Welcome Center where irresistible apple cider donuts are made daily year-round. Come watch them being created. No doubt, you will have to eat some here while they’re still warm, and then take a bag home to share. Your family and friends will appreciate it.

The choice is yours – plain, cinnamon & sugar, maple glazed pumpkin, or chocolate. Visit once and you’ll understand why the Donut Shop is a regular destination for many. You’ll be back, again and again."

The Common Man Roadside also has a standalone donut shop at one of their locations.  Clearly, as someone who eats donuts about once a week, this has caught my attention.  But I still never visited, as it was always closed in the afternoons when I went through the area.  When my parents recently returned from a road trip to Maine, they did stop, when it was open, and of course my mother impulse bought a dox of donuts.  So finally I got a chance to try them!  I think all the donuts are cider donuts, which are rare in the San Francisco area where I now live (I think the only time I've seen them were once at Craftsman & Wolves), but are very common around New England, particularly in the fall (like the ones from Lou's that everyone raves about in my home town).

Cinnamon Sugar Cider Donuts.

My mom selected these, and opted for the basic cinnamon sugar cider donuts.

I found them ... ok.  One thing I usually like about a cider donut is the great crust on it, a nice crisp exterior, and these were just soft all over.  The base flavor was fine, slightly spiced.  Decently coated in cinnamon sugar.  They tasted fresh enough, just a bit boring.  I wouldn't get them again.  Better once I heated up to make a bit more crispy, and topped with a scoop of ice cream.  Low ***.

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Ho Ho Té, NYC

Ho Ho Té is a bubble tea and snack store in NY in midtown.  They have no website, and I think they operate primarily for delivery and tourists who stumble in.  I got a chance to try out a dessert from them this summer, when I was visiting and ordering sushi on DoorDash, and took advantage of the "add a treat" feature to add on a treat from a nearby business.  I know little else about the place, other than that they have a number of taro items, which is what caught my eye.  Give the name, I think the bubble tea is likely their primary business?

Taro Puffs. $5.50.

"Flaky taro puffs filled with a smooth, creamy taro paste, presented with a light sprinkling of sesame seeds."

The puffs arrived in a cute little package, 2 to an order.  They were not warm.  The color was sorta grey purple.  They didn't look particular attractive.

I bit in and was pretty let down.  The pastry was not very flaky at all.  It didn't taste particularly fresh.  Highly mediocre pastry, and no real flavor to it.  **+

Taro Puffs: Inside.

Inside was generously stuffed with taro paste.  It was fairly standard taro paste.  Decent flavor, not too sweet.  The taro paste was fine, but not remarkable.  ***.

Overall, a very low ***.  I wanted it fresher, warmer, flakier.

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