Lorenz Snacks

Lorenz is a German snack food manufacturer.  As a lover of snacks, particularly ones I've never tried before, I of course snatched up a few assorted bags when in a convenience store in Poland when I was visiting.  Girl needs her evening hotel snacks after all!

Curly

"Curly are a truly irresistible treat to munch on. Whether in a quiet moment or together with family and friends … they are so wonderfully crispy on the outside and yet melt in your mouth. And just between you and me: that great peanut taste will charm a smile onto everyone´s face!"

Curly come in two flavors, Peanut Classic or Mexican Style.  I tried both.

Both flavors were the same form factor: very similar shape to, but smaller than, Osem Bamba, both in length, but more meaningfully in girth.  They were considerably more crunchy as a result, and far more greasy.  I was surprised how greasy feeling my fingers quickly got.  

Peanut Classic.

"Lorenz Peanut Curls Classic: The classic with the unique nutty taste. Crispy to the bite, but tenderly melting in the mouth, the corn snack is simply delicious. Only selected peanuts of the best quality are used for Peanut Curls. Freshly ground, they provide the unmistakable, natural taste. So they taste especially crunchy, light and delicious."

Once I got past the smaller size and texture, next up, was the taste.  I did taste the peanut I desired, and ... salt!  They really were quite salty.  I felt like the peanut flavor was stronger than bamba, and the salt level was definitely higher.  But otherwise, yes, a crunchy slightly airy corn snack with peanut coating.  I liked them slightly less than bamba mostly because they had the greasy thing going on, but I appreciated the stronger peanut taste and even the salt once I adjusted to it.  ***+.

Interestingly, the makeup of Curly vs bamba is different not in the direction I expected.  Osem bamba have peanuts as the first ingredient (49%), followed by corn, palm oil, and salt.  Just 4 ingredients.  Curly on the other hand have peanuts as the second ingredient (33%), behind corn semolina, and also have vegetable oils, salt, tomato powder, detrose, yeast extract, and "flavouring".  Given that I tasted more peanut, I was surprised to see Curly actually had the lower peanut content.  I also will admit I did not tase the tomato powder at all, and that boggled my mind a bit.

Mexican Style.

"Spicy curls. The crispy Mexican-style peanut curls will put you in a fiery mood. The fluffy peanut flips made from golden yellow corn flour and freshly ground peanuts have been refined with spicy chilli notes, giving them a particularly spicy taste. Enjoy this crispy snack at your next “fiesta” or while watching TV and get that Mexican feeling."

The Mexican style loses the tomato powder, and adds paprika, onion, chilli and ... sweet whey powder to mix, and drops the peanut content even lower to only 28%.  They looked slightly more red than the classic, but otherwise were the same form factor.  Again more greasy than bamba.

They too tasted more strongly of peanut than bamba, an even bigger surprise as they are only 28% peanut, to bamba's 49%.  They weren't nearly as salt forward as the classic, but otherwise were pretty similar, more savory than bamba, again a surprise as bamba do not have added sugar, and these do.  

Now, as for the "Mexican style" ... if you are looking for a spicy snack, these are definitely not it.  The chili was really, really, really minimal.  The faintest hit of something on the finish, but definitely not spicy in any way, and you could easily eat the entire bag and never have the heat build (gee, how could I know that fact?).

Interesting, but again I do prefer bamba.  ***+.

Side by Side Comparison.

In case you are curious, here's my (literally) side by side taste test of a bunch of peanut puffs:

Osem Bamba

Trader Joe's Bamba

My first introduction to this sort of snack.  Medium size, strong peanut, great salt, good crispy exterior but soft inside.  I really can't tell any difference between Osem and Trader Joe's branded ones.

Lorenz Curly Peanut Classic

Lorenz Curly Mexican Style

Much smaller, particularly in girth.  Way crispier.  Very greasy.  Classic have stronger peanut flavor than bamba, although actually lower peanut percentage (49% in bamba, only 33% here).  I like them less than bamba, slightly. Mexican style also have stronger peanut flavor than bamba, even more surprising here since these are only 28% peanut.  Very faint spice to them, but certainly not spicy in any way.  Fun to try something different, but the greasiness is a deterrant.

Przysnacki Chrupki Orzechowe.

Another different form factor! These are like two pieces fused together.  Overall bigger, crunchier than bamba (about on par with Lorenz Curly), and less airy.  I actually thought they were a bit *too* crunchy.  Really great peanut flavor, good salt level.  Probably the best in terms of taste. Somewhere inbetween Lorenz and Osem/TJ in greasiness. My full review.

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Talenti Gelato

Update Review, 2025

Talenti is a pretty commonly found gelato brand in the ice cream freezers at grocery stores these days, but it really is fairly decent.

Southern Butter Pecan.

"Roasted pecans coated in butter and a dulce de leche swirl give our Southern Butter Pecan gelato its premium taste. Best enjoyed on rocking chair, on a porch, with a ceiling fan."

Well, I didn't have this in a rocking chair, nor on a porch, but I was near a ceiling fan ... just not near one that was on.  I had it standing in my mother's kitchen, in rural New Hampshire, in the middle of winter.  Not exactly the same.

But, you don't care about where I had this, or where the manufacturer suggests you eat it.  You likely want to know how it tastes.

It is a fine gelato, smooth, creamy.  The base flavor is quite sweet, and almost boozy, although there is no alcohol in it.  I wonder if it was the molasses I was interpreting as booze?  The dulce de leche was sweet as expected, and a wonderful swirl throughout, and normally is an element I'd love, but the base flavor was so sweet that this was a bit much, and made it eat too sweet overall.  I don't blame the dulce de leche though, I blame the base.

The pecans were fine, large chunks of roasted buttery pecans, a bit soft from being in ice cream, yet hard from being frozen, in a way that made them a bit ... soggy-chewy ... but not in a way that was bad.  Hard to describe, but, pretty much like any butter pecans or maple walnut in ice cream?

I had quite mixed feelings on flavor, as the base gelato was clearly good, high quality, just too sweet, and it made me not as excited about the mix-ins.  ***.

Vanilla Caramel Swirl.

"Our simple vanilla bean gelato paired with our rich homemade dulce de leche blends together perfectly to create the Vanilla Caramel Swirl Gelato you’ve been dreaming of."

I loved how this one looked in the pint.  Kudos to Talenti for the clear packaging, and zomg, those swirls of dulce de leche.  You can even see the vanilla bean flecks clearly!  I could not wait to dive in.

The vanilla bean base was good - very clearly actual vanilla bean, not just generic vanilla flavor.  Great intensity.  Fairly smooth and creamy, although a bit denser than I generally like, but, that is gelato after all.  Slightly above average vanilla base, ***+.

And then the swirl. Swoon, that swirl.

Vanilla Caramel Swirl.

I do need to throw some shade at the distribution of the swirl in my pint though.  I opened the lid to find ... this.  Where was my swirl?!  I wanted my first spoonful to have some dulce de leche!  Yes, there was a big swirl that I saw from the front, but that took some digging.

The dulce de leche though was fantastic: thick, sweet, rich.  If you had too much of it it might be a bit too much sweetness, but, mixed with the vanilla bean base, it was pretty fantastic.  **** dulce de leche.

This was a flavor that ate really well (after that first top part that is).  It was good on its own, it was good as a topping with pecan pie, it was good stuffed into a warm croissant, etc.  Very versatile.  ****.

Original Review, 2016

Some people live by "an apple a day".  I tend to live by "a bowl or cone of something frozen a day".  By which I mean, I really do tend to have ice cream, frozen yogurt, or some other frozen treat nearly every day.  The fact that I work somewhere with a froyo machine helps of course, as does my very stocked freezer.

Gelato though is not something I have often, since usually you want gelato super fresh, and there just aren't that many gelato shops around (although, if you ever wind up in Hanover, NH, I have a shockingly good gelato recommendation!).  I didn't expect to find good packaged gelato, but I remember the first time I tried Talenti Gelato at a friend's house, and I was quite surprised, particularly when I learned that it isn't a local, artisinal, etc gelato.

No, Talenti is a large production, grocery store standard brand, although one made with quality ingredients - they use real Tahitian vanilla bean, Callebaut Belgian Chocolate, and even make their mint gelato green using alfalfa sprout extract.

I also love the packaging, in plastic, clear pints, which I love to save and reuse for other purposes.  I don't really understand the standard of cardboard pints that don't seal as well.

Talenti makes a slew of flavors of gelato, plus sorbettos, and novelties on sticks (dubbed "Pops").  I've never tried the sorbettos or pops, but I've had my share of the gelato, and always found it quite good, particularly for a grocery store item.

Sicilian Pistachio.

"Talenti makes this gelato classic with whole, fresh roasted pistachio nuggets and homemade pistachio butter, lightly blended together with fresh gelato to create this all-natural flavor."

I don't normally like pistachio.  I'm not sure why.  Not just in ice cream, it just isn't a flavor I go for in anything.  Yet ... I love this pistachio gelato, and it was the first Talenti flavor I ever tried.

Why would I try it, if I don't like pistachio?  Well, that is easy.  I was at an ice cream party, and there were a slew of flavors to try.  I tried just a tiny bite of this, and it ended up being my favorite thing of the night.  Who knew?

So, when I saw it at the store a few months later, I bought a pint myself.

I again liked the flavor, but not quite as much as I did in my memory.  Still better than any other encounter I've had with pistachio, but, it wasn't quite as magical as at the ice cream party.  I did appreciate the crunch from the little bits of pistachio in it, and the creaminess of the base.  ***+.

Caramel Cookie Crunch.

"Crunchy chocolate cookies are combined with Talenti’s Dulce de Leche and blended in just as the gelato is being hand filled into the jars, transforming standard cookies and cream into a luxurious treat."

I am generally all about toppings, and sundaes, so I appreciate ice cream (and gelato) flavors that come with all the mix-ins, for times when I'm lazy or just not well stocked on my own.  This flavor did have some decent mix-ins.

First was a swirl of caramel, or, I guess dulce de leche, that was sweet, gooey, and satisfying.  Next, bits of cookie added crunch, and were well distributed throughout (and for chocolate cookie bits, they were pretty good).  I would have preferred something like nuts, or cookie dough, not just crunchy cookies, but still, good.

Overall, this was fine, but not particularly memorable, or worth getting another pint of.  ***.

Caramel Apple Pie.

"Bits of flaky piecrust and apple pieces are blended into our one-of-a-kind cinnamon gelato. We lovingly kissed it with a caramel swirl and–bam!–put America into a pint."

This was very good gelato.

The base gelato was rich, creamy, and airy, and tasted more like fresh gelato than any packaged variety I've ever had.  It had a good cinnamon flavor, not too strong, but definitely such that you knew it was a cinnamon base.

And then, the mix-ins.  I loved the swirls of sweet caramel, they complimented the cinnamon base very well.  The chunks of pie crust were interesting.  I do love pie and ice cream, and the chunks were plentiful and well distributed.  But ... pie crust inside ice cream does get a bit soggy, so it suffered in similar ways to some of the Ben & Jerry's flavors I've had, like the waffle cone in Americone Dream or potato chips in Late Name Snack.

Overall though, a very complete flavor, and I was happy to eat it as is, no need for additional toppings.  It went beautifully with a warm cinnamon roll too!  ****.

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Water Grill, Las Vegas

Las Vegas has no shortage of dining options, ranging from the high end would-be-Michelin-starred (if Vegas still had Michelin stars) to those with celebrity chefs at the helm to every chain restaurant you can desire.  You want it, Vegas has it.  So we had no shortage of choice when looking for a restaurant for our group of about 15 people our first night in town.

Our organizers settled on Water Grill, which thrilled me, as it is seafood focused (as you may have guessed by the name), had an incredible menu, and gets pretty stellar reviews.  I was delighted.  I found out later that Water Grill is a small chain, with locations in a few places in southern California, along with one each in Denver and Seattle, and obviously, one in Las Vegas.  I was unfamiliar with the brand before now.

Our group was large, but we were not required to do any kind of fixed menu, which I appreciated.  Sometimes with a large group ordering a la carte from the main menu though there are issues with food actually arriving around the same time since people are getting such different things, or with dishes being served at improper temperatures (e.g. hot food lukewarm as it was clearly sitting waiting for the rest of the dishes to be ready, etc), but we did not have those problems.  Service otherwise though was quite inconsistent - sometimes attentive, but other times, we went a long time with no drink refills, nor even the ability to flag someone down to order more, as they just never looked our way.  The restaurant was busy, but not overwhelmingly so, so this was a slight mark against them.

Besides the uneven service, and strict policy around seating groups only once everyone was there, I found the experience quite good.  The food was fairly exceptional, and I'd gladly return.  The best seafood meal I've had in a long time.  To give an indication of how good the savory food was, I left, completely satisfied and happy, without getting dessert (granted, that was partially because it had gotten pretty late, but, even though I had looked at the dessert menu in advance, and really did want nearly any of the desserts too, I didn't leave feeling wanting, and that is remarkable for sweet tooth me!).

Setting

The Las Vegas Water Grill location is located inside the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, which honestly is fairly charming, although it is a bit of a maze of a mall, and can be a touch tricky to find and navigate inside.

Curb Appeal!

It is located on what basically a charming outdoor street ... but, indoors (note the fake sky).

Entrance.

The restaurant is fairly large, with a bar area, and waiting area.  They seem to have a very strict policy around not seating your party until nearly everyone is there, just, FYI.  We had some stragglers, so were not allowed to sit (even though our table was ready, and the restaurant not very busy) until most were there.  Strangely, they didn't try to get us to order drinks or start a tab while we waited in this area.

Drinks 

The cocktail menu really jumped out at me, with so many very interesting drinks made with spirits I enjoy (e.g. not just rum, vodka, etc), so I skipped the wine list and went right for a cocktail. 

A Night in Osaka. $18.50.

"Suntory 'Toki' whiskey, Amaro Nonino, amontillado sherry, maple syrup & grapefruit bitters ... served up."

This was very tasty.  Strong bitter and citrus notes, balanced by a bit of natural maple sweetness.  Not a booze forward cocktail, although it definitely had plenty in it, as I felt it faster than expected.  Just really well crafted and balanced.

I really enjoyed, and would get again.  ****.

Appetizers

The menu at Water Grill is really quite large.  The menu is a book.  And three full pages of it are all starter / appetizer / share plates to begin your meal.  

Here you'll find everything from a decent sushi lineup (which, my group did get a few rolls, but I didn't try them because they have avocado, and I wasn't able to snap a photo as they were placed further away on the table anyway, but, folks seemed to like them), to a substantial raw bar (with a zillion kinds of oysters), to a ton of chilled shellfish options (multiple kinds of crab claws, plus dungeness crab or king crab nuggets if you prefer, lobster, urchin, mussels, scallops, etc, etc), available as platters with a combo of items too (we skipped all this due to budget reasons), to some salads, chowder, and a bunch of cooked apps. 

I was excited by much of these sections, and would have gladly tried most things.  We settled on 3 cooked appetizers, and the aforementioned sushi rolls for the group. 

Bread Service (Complimentary).

Bread was brought to us moments after we sat, before we had ordered any drinks, nor even received water.  It was served warm.

I knew this was sourdough, which I dislike, so I only took a small piece that someone else had ripped off.  It was delightfully hot, and I liked the shiny top and large salt crystals on top, but, but alas, yes, very sourdough.  The rest of the group seemed to enjoy.  Nice quality butter as well.

*** for me, because I can appreciate that it was a well made roll, just not one for me.

Wild Spanish Octopus. $26.

"Charcoal grilled with fingerling potato, niçoise olives, roasted tomato, lemon and olive oil."

Octopus!

I was very excited for this.  I had heard it was a signature dish, and, well, I love octopus.  I knew I wouldn't love the accompaniments, as I don't care for olives or cooked tomato, and although I like potatoes, in this form isn't really how I find them enjoyable, but with so many raves of how well prepared the octopus is, I still eagerly dug in.

It was ... fine.  It was a very attractive dish, a large tentacle, lovingly arranged.  But it really didn't have the char and grilled element I expected, and wanted, from a charcoal grilled item.  It wasn't too tough or chewy, but I didn't find it particularly tender either.  Basically, pretty average octopus.

As expected, the Mediterranean sides weren't really my thing.  I wanted an aioli or something with it.  Also, NOT listed on the menu was the fact that the accompaniments included pine nuts, and after my experience with pine mouth syndrome about 10+ years ago, I am frankly terrified of them, and avoid at all costs, so this was a big deterrent for me, and something I wish they had included in the description, because I would have tried to have them left out.

The only real letdown of the meal, both because I had read such great other reviews, and because it just wasn't anything notable.  ***.

Crisp Calamari. $22.

"Harissa aioli and cilantro-mint sweet chili sauce."

The group also ordered calamari.  I tried it.  It was also fine?  The breading didn't fall off to easily, it didn't dominate, so all good there.   The calamari within wasn't too chewy.  I think I wasn't quite in the mood for it, but also, we had so many other stellar dishes coming, this one was a bit boring in comparison.  It would have benefited from a lemon to squeeze over it as well (and interestingly, this was the only dish I found lacked acid).

Still, no complains about the actual execution of the dish.  ***+.

Harissa Aioli / Cilantro-Mint Sweet Chili Sauce.
(for calamari).

The cilantro-mint sweet chili sauce sounded more interesting than it was.  It still just was a sweet chili sauce, which for me, was too sweet with the calamari.  The aioli was fine.  

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. $25.

"Celery root remoulade."

I love crab, obviously, as I have a label devoted to it on my blog.  I wasn't actually planning to get the crab cake at Water Grill though, because, well, everywhere in Vegas has crab cakes.  I'm glad someone decided to get several for the table, because this was fantastic.  

I struggle to explain exactly why it was so good.  It wasn't a lump style with huge pieces of crab, although it had very little filler, it was mostly shredded.  It had a light breadcrumb coating and was lightly crispy.  Moist inside.  It was really well seasoned, and used extremely fresh high quality crab.  It was just really shockingly tasty, when it looked so standard.  ****+ crab cake.

The remoulade under it was creamy, balanced it well, had a nice acidity, excellent pairing.  ****.

And finally, the little side vegetable that was pickles and red onions, nice for a bit of crispness, and more acidity, but not particularly mind blowing.  ***+.

Tied for second favorite dish of the meal, and one I'd absolutely go back for.  Recommend with no hesitation.  I gleefully took seconds and thirds when others slowed down.

Specials

The daily menu had a few whole roasted fish (your choice of charcoal grilled or oven roasted), priced per pound, including several kinds of bream (pink or black), dover sole, and black sea bass.  But my eyes were quickly drawn to the other specials, all featuring first of the season halibut.

First of Season Wild Pacific Halibut Specials.

There were two appetizer choices (roasted cheeks or tail), or a seared filet as an entree.  The entree dish did sound very appealing, served with spring peas, braised leeks, and a lemon velouté, all things I enjoy, but I actually wanted something a bit smaller, so went for one of the appetizers instead.

I was very, very pleased with my choice.

Pan Roasted Wild Pacific Halibut Cheeks. $23.

"Braised fennel, brown butter lemon sauce."

I went for the appetizer dish, the halibut cheeks, as my main course, given that we had so many other appetizers, and I knew others would have more to share too.  The portion was perfect for me at that point.

This dish was absolutely incredible.  I'll just start with that.  Incredible.  

The sauce ... ZOMG.  I'm a sucker for a good cream sauce, and this was a very good cream sauce.  So much depth to it too, from the brown butter.  It looked slightly broken, but I think that may have been additional brown butter drizzled on top.  Adored the sauce, really.  ****+.

And then the halibut cheeks.  What a lovely treat.  I haven't had cheeks all that many times, but I adore them when I do.  It reminded me slightly of monkfish cheek, but more delicate.  Slightly stringy in a way that mirrors crab, but, not quite.  Tender.  Mild.  Sweet.  Just, such a delicious protein.  Nothing I would change about the halibut cheeks.  ****+.

The braised fennel was just one small piece.  I would have liked more.  There may have been fennel in the sauce too?

Anyway, stunning dish.  Blew me away.  A rare protein to see on a menu, and just really allowed to shine.  Best dish of the night.  Get this.  ****+.

Sides

Since I was getting just an appetizer as my main, I also opted to get a side dish (and suggested a few for the table).

Sides.

I liked the sound of most of the sides: mac & cheese at a great restaurant can be incredible, and this had 7 (!) cheeses, brussels I always like, but these were even further enhanced with bacon & chestnuts, and I'm a sucker for great mashed potatoes.  But I adore asparagus, and it was just coming into season, so that was a no brainer.

Vegetarian sides are $14, those with some meat are $15.

Sautéed Asparagus Gremolata. $14.

I really enjoyed this.  Nice char to it, cooked on the grill, even though the menu said sautéed (even better!)?  Perfectly tender, no woodsy stems, very fresh tasting.  Early season asparagus, just, shining.   The gremolata accented it well.

My forth favorite dish, but again, one I recommend with zero hesitation.  ****+.

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes. $14.

Others ordered the mashed potatoes as a side, and when there was extra, of course I tried it.  This was crazy rich mash, which you can kinda tell just by looking at it, but it too was very very good.  

I was too stuffed at that point to truly appreciate, but, far above average mash, and I'd gladly get it again.  Fifth favorite dish?  ****.

Mains

And then, the main courses.  Another few pages on the menu.  Here you'll find a couple token sandwiches (burger, lobster roll), crustaceans (Dungeness crab, king crab legs, lobster),a slew of seafood options (ranging from Italian shrimp scampi or cioppino, to fish & chips, to Mediterranean style swordfish, Asian style black cod with soba, and many, many more.  Just pick your seafood, and they likely have a well curated dish with it. These dishes all generally have a specific sauce, side, and garnish.  And finally, for the non-seafood eaters, some meat: filet mignon in several sizes, new york strip, rib eye, yadda yadda, or, of course, the token grilled chicken.

The rest of my group selected regular main dishes for themselves individually, and all but one opted for seafood.  As I expected, others had plenty of extra, and let me try a few things.  I didn't get photos of all of them though, as our table was long.

Wild Ross Sea Chilean Sea Bass. $55.

"Butternut squash gnocchi, sage brown butter."

The sea bass was the dish I would have ordered if getting a full size entree myself (besides the special halibut), so I was delighted that multiple others got it, and had extra.

They raved about the fish, but said the gnocchi was just fine.  I still tried the gnocchi and actually really liked it, and think they didn't give it enough love.  I don't even consider myself someone who is generally excited by gnocchi.  It had a lovely sweetness to it from the butternut, was soft and fluffy inside, and lightly lightly crispy on the exterior.  Pretty much as good as a gnocchi really can be.  The extra butternut squash puree on the plate reinforced the flavors and sweetness, and added a lovely creamy element.  High **** for these components, maybe even ****+.

The sea bass really was expertly cooked.  Perfect sear.  Moist inside.  Mild flavor.  Infused with sage brown butter.  Yup.  Excellent dish.  My other dish tied for second place, along with those crab cakes.  I'd gladly have it again too.  ****.

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Hattie B's Las Vegas

Hattie B's Hot Chicken is a Nashville based fried chicken small chain, with locations in 5 states, including Las Vegas, where I discovered them.  I wasn't familiar with the brand before this visit.  Hattie B's Vegas location is located in a higher end food court (er, "Block 16 Urban Food Hall") of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, along with a number of other great looking places, and many with acclaimed chefs (Bang Bar by David Cheng, Momofuku, Milk Bar, China Poblano by chef José Andrés, etc).

"Plump, juicy birds flavored down to the bone no matter your heat level.  Southern sides scratch-made daily. Ice-cold beer from your favorite local breweries. Top it all off with creamy banana pudding or peach cobbler for dessert."

The menu is not particularly extensive.  Fried chicken (wings, tenders, thighs, as sandwiches or not, in a variety of heat levels, with dipping sauces) is the focus, along with both cold and warm sides, and a few appetizers (fried pickles, loaded fries) and desserts.

I focused on the sides, as I am not a chicken person, and I had other desserts already lined up (otherwise, I definitely had my eyes on that banana pudding!). Hot sides include fries (crinkle cut), pimento mac & cheese, southern greens, and grits, but I had my eyes on the cold options.  All sides (at this location) cost $5 (a la carte), or come with any of the meals.

I really enjoyed my sides, and would gladly return to try more of the menu, in particular, I really want to try the mac and cheese and the aforementioned pudding.

Creamy Cole Slaw. $5.

"Shredded carrots, red and white cabbage, tossed in homemade sweet and tangy dressing. Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free."

This was very good slaw.  Crispy, fresh, not over dressed, well seasoned.  Definitely above average.  Simple, but well executed. ***+.

Red Skinned Potato Salad. $5.

"Creamy red-skinned potato salad with hickory-smoked bacon, fresh chives and parsley. Gluten Free."

After the success of the slaw, I returned the next day to get potato salad to go along with my lunch, even though I'm not usually one for red skinned.  

This was a very distinct potato salad.  It was served skin on as expected, with a variety of sizes of potato hunks.  The potatoes were a bit softer than I prefer, but not too mushy.  It was very creamy, but not in a way that felt over dressed, and well seasoned.  But none of that is what made it distinct.  What made it distinct was just how intense the BACON flavor was.  I had no idea it even had bacon in it (I suspect the menu had a "contains pork" designation that I missed*), but, wow, this had so much bacon flavor.  But it wasn't actually loaded with pieces of bacon, just, somehow, all the taste of bacon without the hunks.  I literally couldn't find a single bit of bacon, but every bite was infused with it.  Fascinating.  As I said, very distinct.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but, I do prefer more al dente potatoes, and not red skins.  ***+.

*It turns out that the baked beans, the cheddar grits, and southern greens also all contain pork, so, beware vegetarians!

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