Pretzelized Snacks

Regular readers of my blog know that I love snack foods.  I'm always eager to try new brands and products, which lead me to a fairly new company, Pretzelized Snacks.

"Pretzels are one of the oldest snacks in the world: they’re classic, tried-and-true, and, if we’re being honest, in dire need of an update.  Sure, they’ve been flavored with salts and seasonings, but other than that, there’s been no real shake up to the salty, golden, beloved pantry staple. The same story applies to most classic snacks, too: that’s where we come in."

Their process is to start with a classic snack (crackers or pita chips), soak them in pretzel brine, then bake them, and finally, sprinkle with salt.  Basically, yes, "pretzelize" them.   Although they have two product lines, pretzel pita chips and pretzel crackers.  I tried only the later.

Pretzel Crackers

"They’re more than just a pretzel…they’re two favorite snacks in one! Made with a crunchy pretzel outside and real cracker inside, these bite-sized snackers are ideal for enjoying on the go, at home, and everywhere in between."

The pretzel crackers come in 3 flavors: sea salt, cheddar, and honey mustard.  I had a variety pack with boxes of all three flavors, but my parents got to the sea salt before me, and they were, well, gone instantly, so I was only able to try the other two.

The form factor of all was the same: bite size (or two bite, if you bite small), very crispy, very munchable.

Cheddar.

"You cheddar believe it: these Cheddar Pretzel Crackers are made with real, robust, bold cheddar for a reimagined spin on a tried-and-true classic."

Since I couldn't try the plain sea salt, I started with the cheddar.  

I was pretty instantly drawn to the form factor.  They were sooo crispy, and I loved how some of them had puffy blistered bits.  Single bite, just, so easy to keep popping into your mouth.  I think it would be very easy to accidentally eat an entire box of these, or at least a half box, without realizing it.  I thought they were plenty tasty just on their own, but I suspect they'd work great with a dip.

They trended far more on the cracker side of the spectrum, and surprisingly, I really liked that (I don't usually get that excited for crackers, and would pick most pretzels over most crackers).  The pretzel taste only really came through on the finish, otherwise, the cracker dominated.  The flavor was very savory, complex savory, with a great hit of salt too from the large crystals.  They were far less cheesy than something like a Cheez-It, but you could tell they were cheesy.  The seasoning had cheddar cheese of course, but also buttermilk, parmesan and blue cheeses, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and a bit of sugar.  Very complex and something that kept drawing me in.

Overall, I quite enjoyed these, but I don't think I'd order them again, as I prefer other sorts of snacks most of the time.  3.5/5.  

Honey Mustard.

"These Honey Mustard Pretzel Crackers balance the perfect amount of tanginess and zest, making them a flavor-packed crowd-pleaser."

Honey mustard is a natural pairing for pretzels, so I was looking forward to these.  

The form factor was the same, although I felt that I tasted far more pretzel and less cracker in these, which made them less appealing to me.  The seasoning was present, savory and slightly complex, but it wasn't particularly strong.  I definitely wanted to taste more honey mustard.

Basically, an interesting shaped, mildly honey mustard flavored, mild pretzel ... not very compelling to me.  2.5/5.

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Miette Patisserie & Confiserie

Update Review, 2025

When I first moved to San Francisco, I visited Miette fairly regularly for the cupcakes, but somehow they fell off my rotation until last year.  It had been probably 10 or so years since I last had goodies from there, when I had a few cakes and cupcakes at my office and found them acceptable, but not memorable (as you read about then, below).  But another year has gone by, and I found myself drawn back to Miete one more time.

Rose Macaron. $3.25.

"This delightful little cookie is what put Miette on the map. Although macarons have enjoyed popularity in France for decades, they were virtually unknown in the States until we brought them back from a trip to Paris. Since then, they’ve become our most beloved treat.  Our macarons have a unique density and chewy texture that melts in your mouth. Crafted with coarsely ground almonds, we take pride in using no food coloring or processed flavorings, allowing the natural flavors to shine through.  We believe our macarons are among the finest in the world—fresh, natural, and distinctively Californian."

I'll never be super excited about a macaron, definitely just not my sweet treat of choice, but, I have to admit,  Miette makes a pretty exceptional macaron.  The shells are perfectly smooth and shiny, are slightly chewy inside, and have truly a unique texture that isn't quite soft nor crisp.  Reasonable almond flavor.  Pretty textbook.  Clearly fresh. 4/5 for execution, although again, not really the item I get excited for, so more like a 3.5/5 for me.

The fillings are another strong point for Miette.  The rose one blows me away every time I have it.  It is just such a lovely, complex, sweet but not too sweet, and definitely not too floral flavor.  My favorite flavor, always.  4/5.

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Dulce de leche Macaron. $3.25.

The dulce de leche is less successful.  Chewy, sticky, sweet, pretty basic dulce de leche, but I felt it overpowered the delicate nature of the macaron.  I wouldn't get this again.  2/5 filling.

Yellow Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream. $5.25.

"Indulge in our classic yellow cupcake, made with rich butter and egg yolks for a moist yet light texture. Topped with velvety vanilla buttercream frosting, this delightful cupcake offers a perfect balance of sweetness and buttery goodness, making it an all-time favorite for any celebration."

It had been a while since I had a Miette cupcake.  

At first I was a little surprised by how relatively unassuming it was.  Just a standard, smaller size cupcake.  No elaborate decoration, no overly abundant frosting.  Just, a simple cupcake.  It looked almost like one that a really good home baker could make, or like you'd find in a grocery store.

It tasted however better than a home baker or grocery store cupcake.  It wasn't earth shattering, but a very enjoyable cupcake.  The cake was moist enough, well baked.  The yellow cake was a simple, basic flavor, no interesting tang, nothing particularly unique, just, classic yellow cake, done well.  The frosting was definitely my favorite part, and the reason I always did enjoy Miette cupcakes in the past, super smooth, sweet but not cloying, buttery, just, pretty fantastic buttercream.  

What amazed me the most was that even though I had not had a Miette cupcake, literally, in close to 10 years, I instantly felt compelled to rip the cake in half horizontally, and sandwich the frosting with it.  That is how I always used to eat these cupcakes, and it just felt ... right that way.  I think the ratios of frosting to cake are just ideal for sandwich style.

Anyway, I enjoyed this, and would get it again.  A classic, not too sweet, done well.  3.5/5, maybe 4/5.

Update Review, Late 2023/Early 2024 Tastings

Chocolate & Mocha Cupcake. $4.

"Double Chocolate Cake with a swirl of coffee buttercream."

It had been years since I last had a Miette cupcake, which is surprising given the proximity to my office.

This is a pretty good bakery quality cupcake.  The cake is moist and fairly light.  Not remarkable, not a super deep rich chocolate, nor any tang to it, but, better than a grocery store cupcake.  Average decent bakery quality.  ***.

I did love the fluffy sweet buttercream, sweet but not cloying, and no overly strong butter element.  Only mild coffee flavor however.  **** for consistency, *** for flavor.

Overall, a satisfying cupcake, but not one to go out of my way for. ***.

French Vanilla Birthday Cake.

"Of course this cake can be served at any occasion, but we wanted to offer a quintessential birthday cake, perfect with candles and an inscription. This cake is three layers of our tender Hot Milk Cake and frosted on all sides with French vanilla buttercream, made with organic egg yolks and pure Bourbon vanilla. And we know it will pair extraordinarily well with a chorus of Happy Birthday to You...!"

Hot Milk Cake sounds more interesting than this was for me.  For me, it was just, well, fairly plain cake.  Reasonable crumb structure, reasonable density, reasonable moistness, but, nothing really remarkable nor interesting about it.  The frosting was similarly a bit boring, although it was a nicely made buttercream, well balanced in sweetness and butteriness.  

Overall, just boring, but not bad.  ***.

Milk Chocolate Birthday Cake.

"Of course this cake can be served at any occasion, but we wanted to offer a quintessential birthday cake, perfect with candles and an inscription. This cake is three layers of our tender Hot Milk Cake and frosted on all sides with milk chocolate buttercream, made with organic egg yolks. We know it will pair extraordinarily well with a chorus of Happy Birthday to You...!"

The milk chocolate birthday cake is the same cake, just, different buttercream.  The cake was again fine, but not noteworthy.  Fairly plain cake.  The buttercream was very mild chocolate flavor, not particularly interesting.  Overall, just, boring.  Better than a grocery store cake, but, not special in any way.  ***.

Scharffen Berger Cake.

"This cake gets its name from Scharffen Berger Chocolate, the small-batch chocolate makers who were our original neighbors in the Ferry Building. We developed this cake using their raw cocoa powder because it delivers a huge chocolatey flavor. The cake itself is dense and moist, and we glaze it with two coats of smooth-as-silk bittersweet chocolate ganache. It's a lot of chocolate, yes, but it's never overwhelming because of the surprising variation in textures and flavors."

This cake was indeed very chocolate heavy.  The cake was dense and rich.  The ganache was thick and richer.  Definitely paired best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  But I still didn't find it particularly compelling.  ***.

Original Review

Miete is one of the first bakeries I ever discovered in San Francisco.  Er, patisserie & confiserie that is.  Even better.  Baked goods AND great candy.  My kind of place.

"San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop including macarons, made-to-order cakes, licorice, candy, and artisanal chocolate."

Miette has a shop right in the Ferry Building that I used to frequent, and, given the proximity to my office, their macarons regularly showed up when co-workers brought in treats.  The macrons are their most famous item, but I was always drawn towards the cupcakes, and candy, which features a very pricey but well curated range from many other countries (not housemade).  They have the best salty licorice collection I've found around town.  The main location in Hayes Valley carries even more candy, and is really quite adorably decorated.

The baked goods all use high quality local ingredients when possible, like Straus cream and butter and Scharffen Berger chocolate

As more and more cupcake shops have opened I visit Miette less frequently, but it still holds a special place in my heart for all those early visits when I moved to the area.

Cakes & Cupcakes. 

Cupcakes are the main draw to Miete for me.  The lineup always has their famous gingerbread cupcake, along with basic chocolate and yellow cakes, and a carrot cake.  No other wacky flavors, besides sometimes seasonal icing.  $4 each.  Some are available as full size cakes as well.

The full size cake lineup also has a lovely Princess Cake and crowd pleasing chocolate forward Scharffen Berger cake, along with layered versions of basic cakes.

The chocolate cake base is "double chocolate", made from both unsweetened Scharffen Berger Cocoa Powder and 70% Guittard Chocolate, an interesting choice to mix and match, but, clearly, they found what they like!

Old Fashioned Cupcake.

"Double Chocolate Cake with a puff of sweet marshmallow icing and topped with a candy-coated peanut."

The old fashioned cupcake is my strongest memory of Miette.  My partner absolutely loved this thing.  He doesn't care for buttercream ever really, but adores the glossy boiled icing on this.  When we used to go to Miette as a large group, it was always a point of contention to see what style others would like - would they fall in his camp and love the Old Fashioned, or mine, and go for buttercream? (The answer?  Generally, split!).

Not that I don't like the Old Fashioned, don't get me wrong.  It uses the same chocolate base as the rest of the lineup.  The marshmallow-like topping is quite delicious, and I love the candied peanut, I just like the buttercream more.  I have to admit the boiled icing does look really, really tempting, so in the looks department, this one does win.  The icing is pretty sweet, so not a good choice if you are going for something less sweet.

This flavor is also available as a full size cake, which I of course got for his birthday one year.  That one has a cherry rather than a tiny candy coated peanut though, which is a better size, but, I missed the crunchy candied nut!

A great cupcake if you aren't craving buttercream.  ***+.

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake. $3.25.

"Our double-chocolate cupcake with a swirl of vibrant raspberry buttercream made from fresh, organic berries."

I have had a lot of Miette cupcakes in my day, but I've never really been that excited by their chocolate ones.  Sometimes I get a chocolate base as part of the Old Fashioned, since they only put the boiled icing on the chocolate cake, but given the choice, I always pick Miette's yellow cake over the chocolate.

I'm not sure quite what it is about the chocolate cake that doesn't do it for me.  The cake is chocolately, very consistent, not quite moist nor dry, just somewhere in between.  Unremarkable to me, as I prefer moister, or a crispy top.  The vanilla cake is the same in that way, but has a rich vanilla flavor.

For buttercream frostings, Miette makes classic vanilla, chocolate, and a seasonal flavor, often raspberry or strawberry.  This one had a sweet fluffy raspberry buttercream.  Again, not that remarkable.  It wasn't too sweet, had good raspberry flavor, but overall, it was just there.   That said, the frosting to cupcake ratio on these is perfect for my liking.

I probably would not get this again, as I prefer the yellow cake.  ***.

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake.

"Double Chocolate Cake with a swirl of chocolate buttercream. ".

I picked this up for my partner one day when they were out of Old Fashioned, but of course I snuck a bite.

The same base chocolate cupcake as the Chocolate Raspberry and the Old Fashioned, but this time with chocolate buttercream.

The buttercream was pretty tasty, slightly sweet, nice milk chocolate flavor.   Again, great amount of frosting for the amount of cake.  But I still just rarely go for their chocolate cupcakes.

***.

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Yellow Vanilla Cupcake

"Golden yellow cake with vanilla buttercream."

As boring as it sounds, the vanilla is, hands down, my favorite.  The cake is still a bit dry for my taste, just like the chocolate cake, but the flavor is buttery and rich.  A really great flavor in that base.

I love their vanilla buttercream.  Sweet, simple, creamy.

Yes, my absolute favorite cupcake there is the yellow cake with vanilla buttercream, by far the most basic one they make, and I always enjoy it.

****.

Gingerbread Cupcakes (back row). Carrot Cupcakes (front row)

Gingerbread: 

"Our all-time best selling cupcake.  Made with a dark stout beer, molasses, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom then topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting." 

Now, I know people who go nuts for this cupcake.  Food Network dubbed it the "Best Cupcake in America".  I could care less about it.  

The cake flavor is rather mediocre, the frosting a bit sour.  I've tried it several times, and still haven't ever liked it.  To each his own right?  I still love the Yellow Vanilla!  This one is also available as a cake.

**+.

Carrot:

"A little cupcake chock-full of carrots, walnuts, & currants, topped with a creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting."

So, I have strong opinion on carrot cake (I LOVE my great aunt's recipe), so I didn't expect to love Miette's version.  I avoided it for years, until I was at an event with only gingerbread or carrot to choose from.  Since I hadn't cared for the gingerbread before, I figured it was worth trying the carrot.

It was a very boring carrot cake.  Yes, it had shredded carrot, some little bits of walnut, and little currants in it, but, the flavors didn't pop.  It wasn't dry, it wasn't moist, it just was what it was.  Homogenous, a bit oily, and boring.  

I did like the cream cheese frosting though, very, very rich, thick, and tasty.  This one is also available in cake form.

***.

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Princess Cake: 

“White chocolate fondant drapes over a sponge cake soaked in eau de vie syrup, layered with homemade raspberry jam, pastry cream and a mound of lightly sweetened Straus whipped cream.” 

I was excited when someone brought a Princess Cake in for a birthday at my office.  I had wanted to try it for a long time, but since only available as a full size cake, I wasn't ever able.

It was a nice buttery moist cake (super moist from the syrup), with layer of flavorful raspberry jam, subtle layer of pastry cream, and tons of whipped cream. These things all combine together beautifully.  The outer fondant shell was just sweet and gross though.  I understand that it is part of a traditional princess cake, but meh.  

***+ overall, only the outer layer brought it down.

$60 for a 6 inch cake.

Cookies

By now you probably know how I feel about cookies.  They are "ok", but generally more of a snack than a "real dessert", in my world.  I don't seek them out often, but I've still managed to try many of Miette's offerings, as they show up at my office frequently.  Miette's cookies are all a crisp style, not soft fresh baked cookies.  They make several flavors of shortbread, sablés, and snap.

Chocolate Wafers. $8.50.

"This cookie is based on the chocolate wafer cookie that is used to make the famous Icebox Cake. The Miette version is crisp and buttery, with an intense cocoa flavor that is highlighted with both sweet and salty accents. We use brut cocoa powder, a type that is especially dark, and it makes the cookie almost black. Each cookie is cut by hand, sprinkled with sugar, and baked to crispy perfection."

You may have noticed that I often review chocolate.  That is partially because I run a very informal chocolate tasting at work, where I bring in different chocolate, and make everyone try it with me.  I enjoy hearing other's reviews of the chocolate, and it also enables me to get through many more bars than I normally would on my own.  Anyway, one friend knew I was into chocolate tasting, so she brought me a container of Miette's Chocolate Wafers to feature at my next chocolate tasting.

These had a very rich dark chocolate flavor.  They were crispy, buttery, and sprinkled with sugar. Really quite good, and everyone enjoyed them.  They were actually a bit bitter, but so buttery that it cut the bitter nicely.  And then hold up for quite a few days if you keep them sealed.

****, and a nice surprise as I tend to go for softer style cookies.

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Chocolate Sablés: 

"Pierre Hermé of Paris is the inspiration behind this cookie. The Miette version replicates the same experience of biting into a crisp, sandy cookie with bits of pure, soft chocolate. This recipe calls for both cocoa and chocolate. When you bring these two ingredients together, you get a resounding chocolate taste, much more complex than if you were to use just one or the other. Each bite-sized cookie is carefully packaged by hand into our signature polka-dot bag."  

The sablés are thicker and less crispy than the wafers, but also have a deep chocolate flavor.  Basically a chocolate shortbread.  Not really my thing, but my mom loves them, and brought a package home after her last visit to San Francisco.

***.

Chocolate Chip:

"There are so many great versions of this all-American favorite, and here's ours: petite chocolate chips, crushed toasted walnuts and coarsely-ground oatmeal incorporated into a crisp, buttery cookie. Each bite-sized cookie is carefully packaged by hand into our signature polka-dot bag."

Eh. This was just a dry boring cookie, hard style.  I think fairly shelf stable, which just isn't a selling point for cookies for me.  Also, beware, it is oatmeal based, no traditional chocolate chip here.  **+.

Lemon Shortbread: 

"This cookie takes the tart, fresh flavor of lemons and contrasts it beautifully with the richness of butter. The zest for these cookies comes from the year-round supply of organic lemons we have in California. Each bite-sized cookie is carefully packaged by hand into our signature polka-dot bag."

Decently buttery, but I didn't really taste the lemon.  An ok shortbread, but not likely something I'd go back for.  **+.

Lavender Shortbread:

"Bite-sized and delicate, this buttery shortbread cookie has a restrained floral taste that will remind you of summer. The lavender is picked from the fields at Eatwell Farms in Dixon, California. Each bite-sized cookie is carefully packaged by hand into our signature polka-dot bag."

Like the lemon, decently buttery, crispy.  The lavender was subtle and nice.  But still, just a shortbread, not really my thing.  Would probably be very nice with a cup of tea! **+.

Macarons

A category of their own, the macarons.  Displayed in glass jars atop the pastry counter at Miette.  A centerpiece of the store, no question.

"This unusual little cookie put Miette on the map. Although it's been popular in France for decades, they were virtually unknown in the states. After a trip to Paris, we decided to start making them at Miette and they've been our most popular item ever since. Our macarons are dense, chewy, and meltingly light. They are made with coarsely ground almonds with the skins intact. We do not add any food coloring or processed flavorings, so they are distinctly rustic and natural."

The macarons are all assorted colors, available in a slew of flavors: chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut, pistachio, dulce de leche, rose geranium, raspberry, chocolate orange, lemon, and more.  I've had these many times over the years, but seem to have lost most of my other tasting notes.  

The macarons are fairly classic: the cookie part has a nice give to it, shiny on the outside, a little texture from the almonds inside.  The fillings are creamy and infused with flavor.  Yet somehow they never wow me.  Maybe that is because macarons in general are just not all that interesting to me (well, unless they it is a black sesame and foie gras mouse macaron!)  The only sweet macarons I've really enjoyed are from Sugarie, although La Boulange makes a few decent ones, and everyone's are leagues above the ones from Tout Sweet.  Even the famous ones from Confiserie Sprüngli in Zürich did not impress me. 

That said, if someone brings a box of Miette macarons, and there is a rose geranium one, I'll still go for it, my favorite.

Macarons!

One of my co-workers decided to randomly bring in macarons from Miette.  I tried a few:

• Raspberry: Classic almond cookie with raspberry buttercream filling. The filling had a really nice raspberry flavor if you had just the buttercream, but it was too easily lost when eating a whole macaron, the flavor masked by the cookie. ***.
• Rose Geranium: Same basic cookie, rosewater and geranium infused buttercream.  This is always my favorite!  Everyone else seemed to hate this flavor, saying they tasted like soap.  I continue to love the subtle flavor and the sweetness from the rosewater. ***+.

Other

The rest of the baked goods lineup at Miette is varied, with some tea cakes, puddings, tarts and tartlettes.  This lineup seems to have really dwindled in the Covid days, now I rarely see these available.

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Banana Cream Tartlette:

"A buttery pâte sucrée crust filled with chocolate ganache and ripe banana slices and topped with pastry cream." 

Wow! This was a pâte sucrée tart shell, covered with a layer of chocolate ganache, then a layer of fresh banana, a layer of pastry cream, whipped cream, and topped off with chocolate shavings.  It far exceeded expectations. 

The tart shell had a nice flavor, perfectly buttery.   To be honest, I expected to throw out some of the crust, since tart shells are always fairly boring, but this was just too good.  Perhaps the best tart shell I've ever had.  

The fresh banana had great taste, the pudding was super banana-y, the chocolate layer was subtle but added a nice chocolate component, and whipped cream was good.  This came together far better than I imagined! $6.50 for a tartlette, $27 for a full tart.

****+.

Lemon Tea Cake: 

“Our buttery, lemon pound cake is glazed with zesty lemon icing.” 

This had decent lemon flavor, was fairly moist, and was good for what it was, not something I'd normally pick, but someone brought it in, and I had a slice with a cup of tea.  There was lots of very sweet icing on top.  I wouldn't get it myself, but I'd eat another slice if if showed up in front of me.  $7.50 per mini loaf.

***.

Pumpkin Walnut Bunt Cake: 

Pretty standard and generic.  It was moist, good chunks of walnut, but nothing standout.  Then again, how exciting is bunt cake?

***.

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Cava

Cava is yet another entry in the "bowls for lunch" fast casual scene, featuring Mediterranean bowls and wraps.  It is a brand I have seen all over the place whenever I visit Boston or New York, alongside Sweetgreen, Dig, etc, but not one that has really been on my radar as they don't have any locations in San Francisco where I live.  They do have locations elsewhere in California, and across the US. They are all company owned (not franchised)

The concept is pretty simple: build your own bowl (with grains, greens, or both, as a base), or a pita sandwich.  Or pick from their curated offerings.  They offer a few simple sides/desserts, and drinks, and that is it.  Mostly all takeout.

During my recent month in New York, I finally gave it a try, opting to try a salad bowl, and a dessert.  I was relatively impressed, and would return.

Salad Bowl. $12.85.

For my salad, um, I loaded it up.  This was my creation, with:

• 1/2 SuperGreens & 1/2 SplendidGreens®
• Roasted Eggplant Dip
• Full Portion Roasted Vegetables
• 2x Fiery Broccoli, 2x Fire Roasted Corn, 1x Pickled Onions, 2x Salt-Brined Pickles, 2x Tomato + Onion, 1x Tomato + Cucumber, 2x Cabbage Slaw, 2x Shredded Romaine
• Yogurt Dill, Skhug

Or at least, that is what I ordered.

It was missing both of the tomato options (so, 3 out of 14 toppings), was missing the broccoli (another 2 toppings), and seemed to have as much pickled onion as other toppings (even though I doubled the others, and not the onions), and I'm not sure if there was any slaw or shredded romaine (another 4 toppings), so I think I only got 5 of my 14 toppings.  Grr.

It came all mixed up, which I wasn't expecting as well, but this was my first time.

That all said, I did enjoy it, a good bowl experience and something a bit different from your standard salad bowls (overall, low 4/5), and I'd try Cava again, but maybe go in person for order accuracy reasons?  (The sticker on my bowl had everything listed, it just didn't actually have the items ...).  Diving into the components ...

Greens.

For a salad bowl, you have a choice of 5 kinds of greens as the base, and can pick any two.  I skipped the more simple arugula, baby spinach, and romaine options, and opted for the two branded mixes.

Super Greens

"A hardy and crunchy proprietary blend of raw cabbage, chicory, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale."

I enjoy everything in this mix, and thus, I was pretty pleased with this offering.  All were fresh and crisp, great crunch, and this was a good hearty base.  The kale, if you are curious, is curly kale, and NOT baby kale.  The kale slightly dominated, which I didn't mind, and the raw brussels sprouts slices added a very good crunch.  I'd definitely get this again.  4.5/5. 

SplendidGreens

"Our CAVA mix of crisp chopped greens: romaine, radicchio, escarole, chicory, and endive."

Another blend of all things I enjoy.  This was a more flavorful, but less hearty set of greens, if that makes sense.  Some slight bitterness from the chicory and radicchio.  Chopped into smaller pieces.  I'd gladly get this again too.  4.5/5.

Dips & Spreads.

Moving on to dips & spreads, which sound a bit odd in a salad bowl (e.g. dips for chips, yes, spreads on sandwiches, yes, but ... in my salad bowl?).  Here I had 6 choices, and could pick 3.  I only wanted one, as I don't care for hummus (3 of the choices), feta, or harissa.

Roasted Eggplant Dip

"Roasted eggplant that's emulsified with olive oil and lemon juice. Plus, parsley, onions, garlic. Sleeper hit!"

The eggplant dip was good.  Reminded me of babaganoush.  Nice slightly smoky flavor, well seasoned.  But a bit odd to have such a mushy component mixed in to my salad.  Likely works better on a grains bowl or in a salad.  3/5.

Mains.

For main, I wasn't particularly interested in any of the 7 options, from which I could pick 2.  Two styles of chicken (do not like), two styles of lamb (hate), steak (eh), falafel (meh), or roasted veggies.  I do like roast veggies, but more in a warm dish, not a salad.  Still, I went for them.  Since our order was delivered an hour before eating, I'm not sure if the veggies are normally served warm, as they were not when I got to them.  

Roasted Vegetables

"Brussels sprouts, carrots, and cauliflower all simply roasted for a great caramelized exterior."

I was a bit surprised to see brussels sprouts in the middle of summer, but I guess they don't switch this up seasonally?  It seems like this mix was better designed for winter (and I'd love to see winter squashes in the fall too).  Anyway, the veggies were fine.  Decent size pieces. Decently roasted.  But again, just as a textures thing, I didn't love having soft veggies in my salad. When I have cauliflower or brussels in a salad normally, I grill them, so they are more crispy/charred, not just roasted.  I dislike cooked carrots, so those were lost on me, but luckily were minimal and small.  3/5.

Toppings.

The toppings lineup isn't your standard salad shop mix of simple raw ingredients, but rather, all are generally dressed in some way (usually with olive oil or some kind of vinaigrette and herbs/spices).  For example, you don't just pick tomatoes, you can pick between diced tomatoes/cucumber/parsley or marinated grape tomato halves with onions. There are 13 options total, all vegan besides the feta.  You can select up to 14 toppings, doubling up on any items you choose (but not more than doubling, even if you don't want other things).  

I loaded my bowl up fully, and selected 8 different items, doubling up most.  However, I only received about half of them.

Fiery Broccoli

"Fresh broccoli with a bite. Chilies and red wine vinegar deliver bright, smoky spice and a pop of texture."

This was missing from my bowl, even though I ordered 2x.

Fire Roasted Corn

45 Cal

"Inspired by Greek street corn, our fire-roasted version is tossed with herbs, spices, and garlic dressing."

This was good.  I like corn, and this had a bit of char to it.  Good for textural element as well.  4/5.

Pickled Onions

20 Cal

"In-house pickled onions with a welcomed sweetness. A CAVA menu staple—guests would mutiny if they disappeared!"

I actually really liked the pickled onions.  They were juicy and had a nice acid level, not too pungent.  I only ordered 1 portion, but I was glad they were so generous with them in bowl.  Would get these again.  ****.

Salt-Brined Pickles

5 Cal

"A mellow pickle brined in vinegar that banks on savoriness over saltiness. Great crunch."

Great pickles.  Smaller size, sliced.  Crunchy and not mushy.  Would get these again.  4/5.

Tomato + Onion

20 Cal

"Grape tomato halves mixed with diced red onions, oregano, and red wine vinegar for a nice sweet tang."

Ordered 2 portions, but was missing entirely.  I really missed the fresh juicy component this would have added.

Tomato + Cucumber

10 Cal

"A go-to Mediterranean pairing, plus parsley for extra freshness."

Ordered one portion, but was missing entirely.  Again, I missed the fresh juicy element these would have added.

Cabbage Slaw

35 Cal

"A crunchy, colorful, and slightly tangy cabbage slaw tossed with olive oil and lemon juice."

I ordered 2 portions, but I think this was missing as well.  There was a bit of cabbage, but I think that was from my SuperGreens base.

Shredded Romaine

5 Cal

"A fresh and simple green that's great for adding crunch and texture."

I ordered 2 portions, but I'm not sure if I actually had either.  It might have just been lost amongst the SplendidGreens, which did include romaine (although bigger pieces).  I didn't find any romaine that I thought was really shredded.

Dressings.

There are 8 dressing options, you may select up to 2.  On the side, light drizzle on top, or full serving on top are the options.  I quickly ruled out everything with tahini or vinaigrettes, as I don't care for either.  This left me with 3 choices: yogurt dill, garlic dressing, and skhug.  I picked two, on the side.

Yogurt Dill

"A refreshing dressing with Greek yogurt, lots of dill, cucumbers, lemon juice. It brightens up everything."

This was very dill forward.  Very very dill forward.  Great if you love dill!  Light yogurt base.  Not what I wanted with my bowl actually, but I gladly used it later as a dip for veggies.  3/5.

Skhug

"There's so much herby goodness happening in this jalapeño-laced dressing. Skhug for president."

This was good.  Flavorful and herby.  Mild heat.  I'd get it again.  3.5/5. 

Side Pita.

"Our warm, fluffy, and perfectly chewy pita is made exclusively for CAVA by Brooklyn-based Damascus bakery."

Much like Sweet Green and others, Cava gives a free piece of bread (in their case, pita) with your order.  I got it to try, and was not really impressed.  Made by a local bakery, but it didn't seem special in any way, nor that fresh.  It was just ... pita.  Thin style. 2/5.

You can also opt for pita chips or a full size pita for an upcharge.

Greyston Blondie. $2.80.

"A blondie with a super soft, almost-gooey inside. Handcrafted by Greyston Bakery for CAVA."

I ordered online, so I didn't realize that the dessert I picked (and probably all 3? The others are a brownie or cookie) was a packaged item.  

It was a pretty reasonable blondie.  Fairly soft.  Small chips, not tons of them, but enough.  Sweet but not too sweet.  Slightly buttery.  I didn't really detect butterscotch or other notes I'd expect from a blondie though.  Kinda small size.  3/5.

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