Tuesday, December 30, 2025

The Club, SFO

Update Review, December 2025 Visit

I was only able to spend about 10 minutes in The Club because the line was SOOOO long when I first arrived at SFO (11:30am), it was SOOOO long when I checked back about 45 minutes later, and they no longer seem to do a waitlist?  So I gave up, went to the Alaska lounge, walked around the terminal, and then noticed there was shockingly no line right before my boarding time.  I still went in just to check it out, and use the bathroom at least.

Not much seemed to have changed since my last visit, although it was entirely full (literally I couldn't find a seat even if I wanted one), and the buffet had a long line.  I peeked and saw the same standard lineup of salads, pickled stuff, and Chinese main dish.  Spinach and artichoke dip with chips seemed to be an addition.  Same snack mixes near the water station as previous visits.  The bar no longer stocks additional (better) ones.

I grabbed a dessert, used the bathroom, and left.  Oh, and yes, the coffee maker was still out of service.  At least the elevator worked.
Pumpkin Spice Carrot Cake.
I was interested to see the dessert offering of the day, carrot cake, but, pumpkin spiced, and topped with seemingly both cream cheese frosting AND whipped cream.  Not that I'm one to say no to doubling up on creamy toppings, and often do ice cream and whipped cream, or frosting and ice cream, but it sorta looked like they took their default "put whipped cream on top" move and didn't really think about what they were doing.  It also was just kinda a mess, each little bowl had a different blob, different size mounds, differing amount of frosting.  And each one was about two bites at most.  It looked really quite haphazard and a mess.

As for how it was?  Well, better than their previous desserts, actually.  Relatively moist, had some stuff in it like bits of nuts.  Decent carrot flavor, and I was happy to not taste any pumpkin spice flavor (as I don't care for nutmeg in particular).  Very mild spicing if any really.  The cream cheese frosting was thick and fine, the little bit of whipped cream I guess a bonus.

So, not remarkable, but not bad, and I was happy to take several, as one was really truly just two bites.  Higher 3/5.

Update Review, June 2025 Visit

Another pass through SFO, another visit to The Club (after of course lining up to get on the waitlist, and waiting 20 or so minutes to get in).  I again utilized the private workout studio as it was entirely free during my time there, and that was such a fantastic break from the airport (see my initial review below).  The food was pretty meh, but I was happy enough with the wine and snacks, and really, just to use the space.
Chalk Hill Red Blend.
"Juicy and full-bodied, aromas of red fruits and baking spices."

There were 3 red wines available: a blend, a Pinot, or a cab.  I assumed the blend was my best bet.

It was a decent wine, not memorable, but not bad.  I didn't take notes at the time, but I recall thinking it was fine, and better than most US lounge wines.  ***.
Fermentation Station.
The seasonal fermentation area had four different pickled things.  I had them all.  They were fine but not great.  Good crunch, mediocre flavor. ***.
Golden Ponzu Chicken and Roasted Cauliflower.
"Crispy chicken, roasted cauliflower, carrots, red cabbage, cilantro in a ponzu-teriyaki sauce."

The Asian hot dish this time was another battered fried chicken, this time with some cauliflower too.  It all sounded like things I'd like, but the flavor was really just odd and not good.  I didn't enjoy this.  *+.
Spicy Buffalo Snack Mix.
I discovered a secret!  Out in the buffet area, near the drink station, there is just a mediocre dried fruit/nut snack mix, but behind the bar, the bartenders have not one, not two, but three different snack mixes!!!  A spicy version, a cajun version, and a sweet version.  I went for the spicy buffalo, although I'd love to do a trio tasting sometime :)

I believe this is the "Buffalo Stampede" mix from Truly Good Foods (as they supply all their snack mixes).  

Buffalo Stampede
"The smoky and spicy snack mix you’ve been searching for."

It was a perfectly good snack mix.  Slightly spicy.  Not too stale.  Good mix of textures.  My portion was dominated by the everything sticks, but I did find one of the buffalo nuts (coated spiced peanuts) and a few of the very tasty and unexpected butter toasted peanuts.  There were also a few average smoked almonds, and some fascinating looking green sticks that turned out to be ... guacamole bites.  Doh.  I'm allergic to avocado.  And yes, this did actually have avocado in it, because my lips started puffing up, and I was confused what I possibly ate to cause that ... until I sat down to write this review and looked up the snack mix.

Anyway, nice mix of mostly slightly spicy and interesting flavors and textures, but it won't be a repeat for me because of the guac obviously.  ***.  I'm so happy to have discovered that they have snack mixes behind the bar though!
Golden Vanilla Chai Custard.
"Chai spice infused custard, topped with cookie crumble, and blueberries."

I was excited to see what looked like a homemade dessert, rather than the pretty horrible clearly frozen food service bars that previously were on offer.

However, this was only marginally more edible.  The custard was thick and gloopy, just a strange consistency.  It was warm, as in, room temperature, and not very pleasant.  It did have aggressive chai spices (which, I didn't really care for).  The "cookie crumble" seemed like bits of Nature Valley Oats N Honey granola bars, definitely not cookie.  The blueberries were soft and soggy.  It had promise, but, alas. *.
Chocolate White Chip Cookie.
The lady next to me was *really* into these cookies.  She loved how soft they were, and was packing up multiple ziplock bags full of them, blatantly.  No one seemed to stop her, but, wow, I think she honestly took at least a dozen.  She really liked them, enough to inspire me to try.

They were ... pretty average generic cookies.  Yes, fairly soft, and well baked, and yes, they had big white chocolate chips in them, but the flavor wasn't particularly compelling for me, just a kinda one note deep cocoa.  Low ***.

Update Review, January 2025 Visit

This was my second visit to The Club, my previous was in August right after they opened (see below).  My feelings on the place are largely the same: nice space (although the tables are very close together), annoying wait list (and wait to get on the wait list, and then wait to get in once you get called back, etc), mediocre food.  At least the elevator was finally working, and I did check out some of the amenity spaces this time, and they really are nice.

Amenities

I knew the Club had a few reservable amenities, such as showers, private meeting rooms, and a yoga studio, but I did not investigate them last time.  This time, I scanned the QR code on my table, and saw the yoga studio reservations were wide open, so I figured it might be novel to check out.  It really was a nice escape, and I'd gladly do it again.

Lululemon Studio

Bookings are for 30 minute slots.  You check in with an "escort" who brings you to the room, and hands you a tablet with the app on it.  The app has a variety of workouts to pick from - the expected yoga, but also strength training classes and many that require equipment ... that they don't have.  So that was a bit odd.  The app is connected to the special mirror, which is where the class actually plays (you don't just watch it on the tablet).
Open Space.
The space is actually fairly large, and reasonably nicely decorated.  There are two separate Lululemon mirrors, but I'm not sure if they do multiple bookings at a time.  I was in there solo and really appreciated having such privacy.  Not that SFO is a busy hectic airport in general, its quite easy to find private space, but this was another level of my own tranquil space.
The Mirror.
I selected a barre workout, and got started.  The mirror showed the workout, the sound played from there, it also showed my class progress, and estimated calorie burn, while also being an actual mirror to watch my own alignment.  Kinda cool.
Water, Mats, Etc.
The room had only a few props available - yoga mats and yoga blocks, along with towels and spa water.  No weights or other equipment that many of the classes required.

Food & Drink - Mid-Day

The food lineup was largely the same as my visit back in August, even though it had been nearly 6 months.  They clearly don't rotate the menu much.  It was all pretty average lounge food, not really as nice as the space implied it might be.
No Coffee.
There are two coffee machines.  Both were broken.  The bar does not have an additional machine.  There was carafes of drip coffee, regular only, available instead.  At 2pm, I really wanted decaf, but it was not an option.  Not even instant.
Breads.
The breads are not labelled.  I read a review from someone else who tried the middle bread, thinking it was like the others (e.g. sandwich/toast sliced bread, because this area was labelled "local breads with toppings", and the toaster was next to this display), but was very surprised to find it was ... pound cake.  Like, sweet dessert style cake.  Not really bread.

And so, curious about it myself, I tried it.  Indeed.  It was pound cake.  Thin sliced like for toast though, so it looked like regular bread, but, definitely was not.  It tasted kinda stale and just very processed.  I did not enjoy it.  I don't think jam or cream cheese (the available less savory spreads) would have helped. *+. 
Pickled Stuff & Spreads.
I gave the pickled stuff another try, and tried a pickled carrot.  It was nicely al dente, but otherwise not interesting.
Salads.
The same two salads as my previous again, now with an additional chicken noodle salad.

I didn't try the California Cabernet salad it as looked soggy, overdressed, and loaded with feta, so not likely to be a success for me.  I tried the others.

The black rice and kale salad was also over dressed, and too sweet, and no longer had the peas I enjoyed last time.  I tried a bit of the cabbage and noodles but avoided the chicken, it was mediocre too. Basically, pretty generic lounge quality here.  **.
Coconut Curry.
The same vegetarian coconut curry was there from my previous visit, now with bulk rice, which seemed to work much better than last time when they had the rice pre-plated in small individual bowls.
Fruit & Wrap.
I didn't try the vegetarian wrap that had hummus as I don't care for it, and couldn't have any fruit because I'm allergic to melons.
Beef & Broccoli Teriyaki
The one major change from my previous visit was the hot protein dish changed from orange chicken with broccoli to beef teriyaki with broccoli.  And again the improvement with large format rice rather than individual bowls.

I did try the broccoli, and it was well cooked, not too mushy, but the sauce was really quite greasy.  **.
Dessert.
The dessert lineup still had the same brownies as my previous visit, but the awful strawberry mound was replaced with lemon squares.

I tried both.  The brownie was dense, chocolatey, pretty generic.  Fine, but nothing special.  

The lemon square had a tasty enough shortbread crust (and I intentionally took a corner piece with extra!).  I don't actually really like lemon desserts, so the fact that the layer above the thick crust didn't have much flavor was a win for me, but it certainly wasn't very lemon-y, and that layer was kinda just soft mush that was quasi-sweet.  I really did like the crust though. *** crust, * rest, ** overall.
Snack Mix: Healthy Trails.
2 of the same snack mix jars were there from my previous visit, one with dried fruit/nuts, and one with gummy bears, but a new one was also added, dubbed "healthy trails".  However, I believe this label was wrong, as that is the indeed the name of a Truly Good Snacks mix (and the brand The Club locations use nationwide) but ... the items in this really didn't match.

Healthy trails is described as "A classic trail mix blend of raisins, roasted almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.nuts. It is all natural and only roasted, not salted."  But this was clearly granola, and it had some goodies hiding within, like clearly glazed walnuts and ...
Snack Mix.
Yogurt pretzels!  There were just a few lurking within the jar, but, I was happy to discover those.  They were standard, average yogurt pretzels, but I really do enjoy them.

The glazed nuts were less glazed tasting than they looked.  They were fairly bitter.  Granola was granola.  Mild spicing.

Overall, not a mix I found myself wanting to munch on as finger food (besides the pretzels) but made a decent granola.  Low ***.

Original Review, August 2024

It finally opened.  The Club, at San Francisco International Airport, in the newer section of Terminal 1.  for Priority Pass members, at long last, a club we could use.  Or, theoretically at least.

Setting

The Club is located close to the entrance to the main wing of the terminal.  If you visit at what seems to be most times of day, it won't be hard to spot: just look for the line.  Access issues aside, it is a relatively large lounge.  In addition to the dining spaces I focus my review on, they did have a kid's play area, and some private work areas, along with a wellness area that was locked.
The Line!
Well, all the early reviews were right.  Expect wait times.  This ... was the line to get in the front door midday during the week.  Once through the door, you got in another line.  That line was just to put your name on a waitlist (!).  You then get a text when your spot is ready, and it is held for 10 minutes.

I waited in line for 20 minutes to put my name on a list.  I was quoted 30 mins wait at that point, but got my text within 20 minutes.  But yes, expect a line.
Fire Pit.
Inside, right at the top of the stairs when you enter, is a lovely fire pit.  It was the only area in the lounge not heavily used.  It looks great, but lacks tables or electricity, so sadly underutilized.
Seating.
The rest of the space is basically one huge room, with assorted styles of table seating, or arm chairs with side tables.

Yes, the ceiling is cool.
Bar.
I didn't visit the bar, but it was an attractive looking space.
Live Action Station.
It wasn't available during the daytime, only in the morning, but there was a live action station that serves breakfast sandwiches in the morning.

Food & Drink

The food and drink offering were pretty standard for a US domestic lounge.  Interestingly, no salad bar (just pre-made salads) and only one soup.  I've always thought that basic salad offerings and 2 soups was kinda standard fare.  There were two hot entrees.  No sandwiches, although signs indicated that there should be.  Two desserts.  Two snack mixes.  All fairly low end average quality.
Coffee / Tea.
No barista station (that I saw) in this lounge, but brewed coffee and tea bags were available self-serve.
Water Tap.
No water bottles or flavored water infusions are available, but there is a water tap with still, sparkling, or hot water.

There was also a soda dispenser with basic soft drinks.
Snacks.
No classic snack mix, but instead California Mix with assorted nuts and dried fruit, and gummy bears.
Breads.
Several types of bread, with a toaster on the side.  Basic spreads were located further down.
Soup.
There was a single soup of the day, along with some garnishes.
Fermented Station.
I eagerly tried a few of the pickled things.  The carrots were mushy and way too soft (and didn't taste pickled ...).  The radish wasn't quite as soft, but it certainly lacked any snap or crispness.  Cornichons were standard.
California Cabernet Chopped Salad.
"California kale chopped salad with cauliflower florets, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, and ricotta tossed in a Cabernet vinaigrette."

I really liked the idea of this salad, as I love curly kale as a base, I enjoy cooked cauliflower in salads, and of course, yay for tomatoes in season in summer, and ricotta for creaminess and sunflower seeds for crunch.  But it wasn't as good in practice as it seemed it would be.  It was heavily dressed, and I think had been made quite a while before, as it was pretty soggy.  The cooked cauliflower was rather soft, not roasted or lightly charred as I had hoped.  The tomatoes were tiny tiny bits, entirely lost in the rest of the mix.  It was ok, but just not great, and really suffered from the dressing (I also probably liked it even less as I don't care for vinaigrettes in general).  

Low *** for being well thought out at least.
Peas and Black Rice Salad.
"Black rice served with sheared English peas, fresh radish, and tossed in tarragon dressing."

Next up was another composed salad, also with a kale base.  This one was also over dressed, but less soggy, and everything else in it was great.  The radishes were crisp and sharp, the peas lightly sweet and not too soft, and the rice added nice texture.

I really enjoyed this one.  ****.

This area was also supposed to have a vegetarian wrap, but I never saw any during my 45 minute stay.
Curry.
There were two hot entrees, the first was a vegetarian coconut based curry.  I didn't try it.
Rice.
People waited a long time for rice, needed for the curry or the other hot entree.  It was entirely out the first few times I went by the buffet.  They definitely are having issues keeping the buffet full.  (I suspect switching to large format self-serve rice would make things better?  Curious why the entrees themselves are large format, but the rice isn't?).
Orange Chicken with Broccoli.
I'd been craving Panda Express when I visited the lounge, so I was pretty excited when a batch of the orange chicken was brought out about 30 minutes into my visit (it was missing previously).  The chicken looked, um ... suspect let's just say, as it looked more like gnocchi?  As one who doesn't actually like chicken anyway, I wasn't too upset by this.

The broccoli was large hunks, reasonably well cooked.  The chicken balls actually did have real chicken in them, just, lots of breading, and an unusual appearance.  The sauce coated everything well.  But ... the sauce was also very sweet and one-note.  This just wasn't all that good, and made me crave Panda Express even more.  **.
Fruit.
Fresh fruit on offer, even in the middle of summer was ... melons.  Not even very ripe looking ones at that.  I skipped due to allergy anyway.
Desserts.
I was happy to see a US domestic lounge that had a dessert offering other than just cookies or brownies.  Yes, they *did* have little brownies, but also an item dubbed "strawberry shortcake". 

Strawberry Shortcake: 
"With whipped vanilla cream and fresh strawberries."

When I think of strawberry shortcake, I think of a sweet biscuit, topped with macerated berries, and whipped cream.  I know some people believe angel food cake is also an acceptable base (I am not one of those people).  But I certainly think of some kind of base sweet carb topped with fresh albeit sweetened berries.  This dessert was clearly not that.  But still, I tried.

It was really quite odd.  Balls that seemed like they had been scooped with an ice cream scoop of mushed cake and some cream.  Drizzled with a cloying sweet very fake berry sauce.  No actual strawberries, despite what the menu card said.  It tasted highly artificial, and the fake flavor that strawberry sauce was impossible to get past.  Hard pass. *.
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Monday, December 29, 2025

Slicehaus Pizzeria

Does New York City need more pizza?  Um, obviously not.  But do we still get excited when there is a hot new pizza place opening up?  Yep!
"Slicehaus Pizzeria brings authentic New York attitude to every slice. It’s bold, creative, and made for people who love real food and real energy. Come for the good vibes, stay for the crunch, and feel what the city’s all about."
Slicehaus caught my eye as soon as it opened this fall (2025), partially due to all the comparisons to L’Industrie, which I tried for the first time this summer, and found their burrata slice just as exceptional, flawless really, as everyone says it is. 
"Every slice at Slicehaus carries a story — slow-fermented dough, crisped to perfection, and layered with care. It’s not just food, it’s a vibe: fresh, fearless, and made with the kind of passion that keeps you coming back for more. Think street-style cool meets handmade heart."
Slicehaus is a similar style (New York style, but with Italian basis) and is the product of L'Industrie alums, so it is no surprise people compare the two.  The dough is the focus, with 48 hour fermentation.  They offer some basic pies (pepperoni, margherita, meatball & ricotta, etc, but also some nicely curated ones like sausage & shishito or porcini & truffle).  One size only (large, 20"), the most expensive of which is $57.50.  You can also just get slices at the shop.

Slicehaus, at least this early on in its life, is far more accessible than L'Industrie: no crazy lines AND they are available for delivery.  However, I cannot say I recommend the delivery experience, and have quite a side tale to tell here ...

===
I ordered 7 pizzas for delivery on DoorDash for a group work event.  My order was quickly confirmed, and although I was given a far out delivery slot, I knew to expect this, and planned my summit schedule around it.  I was pleased when I saw that our order was ready quite quickly, despite the long time estimate given, although had to slightly scramble to wind down the formal content of our event.  I got everything set up for our pizza party.  Ended the sessions.  Folks were waiting.

A Dasher got assigned quickly.  Things were looking great.  But .. after they arrived at the shop, suddenly, I had no Dasher.  Huh.  Another got assigned. They went to the shop.  And then they vanished.  A third.  At this point, Slicehaus actually called me to say that bike Dashers kept showing up and refusing the delivery as 7 large pizzas couldn't fit on their bikes.  They suggested I contact Doordash.

So I did.  Or, I tried. Got an AI chatbot.  Kept escalating.  Got a human who ran through a generic playbook, "Don't worry, we're still working on finding a Dasher for you!", etc, etc.  Another Dasher assigned.  Another reject.  Time kept on ticking.  I *finally* got a real human on Doordash support, and explained the issue.  I asked them to send a car Dasher, not a bike Dasher.  They assured me they had assigned me, manually, a car Dasher.  They said it would take longer, as the nearest one was further away, but rest assured, a car Dasher was on their way to the store.

That Dasher arrived, and ... refused the order.  Back into the queue I went.  Another bike Dasher I got (you can see the type of Dasher by their icon on the map).  Sigh.  I tried to get back in touch with support, and this time, was never able to get a useful human.  5 more Dashers assigned, showed up, refused, left.

I called the restaurant back.  They said even the "car" turned out to be a bike.  No bike could take the order.  I asked if maybe they could at least send half the order?  They said I really needed to get in touch with Doordash.  I tried again to contact support.  Finally got a human who told me Doordash cannot split the order.  But I could cancel and order 2 orders if I wanted.  I said sure, thinking I could call the restaurant to tell them what was up.  But ... Doordash also said they couldn't actually refund my order if I cancelled, since the restaurant had already made the pizzas (!).  The best they could do is refund my service fee (!!).  

This situation went on for 2 hours.  Nearly 20 different Dashers assigned.  Pizza obviously cold and old.  My group of 25 people getting quite restless.

So what did I do?  I finally called the restaurant, and told them I was putting someone in an Uber to come pick up the pizzas.  So that is what we did.  2.5 hours after ordering, we ate our pizza.  This was a complete failure of Doordash's platform and large orders, absolutely not the fault of the restaurant in any way.  I also learned that you can order from their website directly, as they have a car service they use instead.  For next time.  Sigh.
===

The pizza came many hours after ordering, so I cannot give this a fair evaluation (and also failed to get photos of the 5 other kinds we had).  What I can say is that the crust was perfectly cooked, crisp but not too crispy, just the right level of flop, no charred bits.  The toppings were evenly applied and well distributed, the sauce and cheese to the edges as you'd want.  Really well made pizza, but, alas, I had it cold much later.
Porcini & Tartufu (half with shisitos). $55.20.
"Savory pie with porcini mushrooms, truffle, fresh basil, and melted cheese."

I quite liked the juicy, meaty mushrooms on this one, although I didn't really taste any truffle.  I added shisitos to one half since many people in the group indicated liking some spice.
Sausage & Shishito. $48.30.
"Savory sausage and shishito peppers atop a classic New York-style pizza, garnished with fresh basil leaves and a rich tomato sauce."

I also snagged a slice of the top most requested pizza for my group: sausage & shishito.  A very well made pizza, sauce right up to the edges, fully covered in cheese, good amount of both, nothing dominating.  I really quite liked the flavorful sausage.
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Christopher Elbow Chocolates

Every day of my life, I start the day with chocolate.  Ok, with a nicely balanced breakfast, a cup of coffee, and chocolate.  To me, a piece of chocolate alongside my morning coffee is just ... essential?  Often times it isn't fancy, just a decent quality piece of dark of milk chocolate, depending on my mood, but there are certainly days that a truffle or chocolate covered nut or toffee feel more appropriate (or, uh, necessary).  Anyway, I eat a lot of different chocolate, which I often don't review.

Christopher Elbow is a chocolatier that launched his own product line in 2003, after starting his career as a line cook at a country club, and eventually working at one of Emeril’s flagship restaurants.  But chocolate was his passion, and thus, a chocolate brand, in his own name, was born.  The brand is based in Kansas City, but has exactly two stores, one there, and oddly, one in San Francisco, which is where I was able to find it.  I only tried three items, but I'd gladly try more.

Confections

"From chocolate-covered nuts and our fan-favorite pecan caramels to rich buttery toffee and small-batch malt balls, these classic confections have been deliciously re-imagined with the highest quality gourmet chocolate and best ingredients from around the world."

While Christopher Elbow does make chocolate bars, it is the confections that I zeroed in on. 

Candied Hazelnuts. $15.
"Oregon hazelnuts that have been freshly roasted and coated with a buttery toffee, then covered in our gourmet milk and dark chocolate blend and dusted with powdered sugar."

The first item I tried was candied hazelnuts.

These.  Are.  Amazing.

The center is a roasted hazelnut, super crunchy, coated in amazingly sweet and crunchy toffee.  Then it is coated in a chocolate shell that is thick enough for the high quality chocolate to come through, but it doesn't overwhelm the nut.  The powdered sugar on the outside mirrors the sweet toffee inside, pulling it all together.

I loved these.  Sweet but balanced by the quality chocolate and nut, crunchy, addicting.  Clearly high quality components.

At $15 for a small bag makes them a splurge, but, a worthy one.  4/5.
Peppermint Bark.
Next up, a seasonal offering, peppermint bark.

It was a bit of a boring, particularly compared to the glory of those candied hazelnuts.

It was fine, a thick layer of white chocolate, a thin layer of darker chocolate, peppermint crunch on top.  Basically, fairly standard peppermint bark.  Some slight peppermint flavor.  It seemed no different to me than the stuff from Williams-Sonoma, or anywhere else slinging it during the holidays.

The high quality of the chocolate wasn't allowed to shine here.

3.5/5.
Fleur de Sel Caramel.
"Far and away our most popular artisan chocolate bonbon, in a box of its own! A deep and rich caramel accented with Sel Gris, unrefined sea salt from the Brittany region of France’s Atlantic coast, and enclosed in our gourmet dark chocolate shell. The perfect balance of salty and sweet, these bonbons make a wonderful gift or indulgent treat."

This had a great snappy dark chocolate shell.  The filling was a nice consistency, sweet caramel.  I wasn't in the mood for caramel, but it was good. 4/5 shell, 3/5 overall for me though

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Friday, December 26, 2025

Krolik Flips

Update Review, December 2025

I reviewed Flips, a snack food from Poland, a few months ago, and really enjoyed the strawberry flavor snacks I had then.  I thought that is all the Flips I had stocked up on when I was there, but then I found more bags, in different flavor, in my pantry!  Woo hoo.  I was happy to try more.
Toffi (Toffee).
The toffee version was the same base product of corn grits base, large girth, light and airy.  They seemed softer / less crunchy than my memory of the other flavor, or at least, compared to other brands.  I was worried they might be too sweet, cloying, like most American toffee flavored items are, but really the sweetness level was kinda perfect.  Certainly sweet, and recognizable as toffee, but just in a pleasant way.  

A less unique flavor than the strawberry, but still enjoyable, and somehow, just like the strawberry bag, this multi serving bag turned into a one sitting occasion for me.  Oops.  I don't think I'd get this flavor again though, as the strawberry was just so much more fun.  High 3.5/5, borderline 4/5.
Czekolady (Chocolate).
Next up, the chocolate version.  Same form factor, and again, they struck me as fairly soft, particularly compared to other brands of similar products.

The chocolate flavor was fairly muted, but did have a bit of a cocoa taste on the finish.  My least favorite of the flavors I tried, as they were just too mild to really be the sort of addicting snack I was looking for.  Low 3/5.

Original Review, June 2025

As a lover of snacks, particularly ones I've never tried before, I always grab a few items from convenience or grocery stores when I travel.  This interest lead me to Krolik Flips, a line of snack foods in Poland.
"Indulge in a snacking experience like never before with Flips Corn Puffs. Bursting with flavor, light on the waistline, and made with love, these delightful puffs will surely become your new favorite snack companion. So, why wait? Grab a bag today and savor the sheer joy of crunching into Flips Corn Puffs! Your taste buds will thank you!" 
The form factor of Flips is large airy corn puffs, made with corn grits.  I was curious if they would indeed be very similar to other corn puff products on the market from countries like Japan or Korea, or just entirely different, which seemed quite possible, given the different cultures.

Flips seem to come in a few flavors, including caramel or chocolate.  I tried the strawberry version.
Truskawki (Strawberry).
I was pretty happy to see the contents of the bag.  They were a similar looking concept to other corn puff snacks I enjoy, although considerably, more girth.  This definitely isn't just a Polish style, as the peanut corn puffs I had from Lorenz were probably 1/3 the size of these.  They make the Japanese Tohato corn snacks look like they are made for ants in comparison!

These were a nice level of lightly crunch and airy at the same time.  Definitely a satisfying form to eat a snack in.  The flavor was sweet but not cloying, and lightly berry flavored.  I tasted a milky component, and maybe even white chocolate.  

These were very good, and really reminded me of of the special strawberry caramel corn that was part of a Sanrio and Tohato special edition (review of those coming soon!), just, mega sized.  I devoured the entire bag except those final 4 so I could snap a photo in one sitting, so, yeah, they were very addicting!  4/5.
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Thursday, December 25, 2025

Sweet Street Desserts

"Desserts open doors, hearts, and conversations."  ~ Sandy Solmon, Founder of Sweet Street Desserts
Well, yup.  I agree.  I'm a dessert girl, through and through, so I surely agree whole heartedly with the tag line from Sweet Street Desserts, a wholesale bakery located in Pennsylvania.

I'm going to start with the punch line.  I never really loved cookies until I encountered those from Sweet Street.  Sure, there are unique cookies out there that I've enjoyed, like the ones from Milk Bar, but actually loved?  Yeah, it doesn't happen.  Cookies aren't usually "real" desserts to me, rather, just components to a bigger dessert creation.  That is, until I discovered the cookies from Sweet Street.  One in particular, gets a perfect ***** review from me.  That rarely happens, in any category, let alone cookies.

But Sweet Street is much more than just a life changing cookie maker.
"Sweet Street is the leading innovator in the dessert industry. Though our reach is global, our passion for artful food and dedication to quality remains the motivation behind every one of our gourmet desserts. We challenge ourselves to aggressively source the best ingredients. Among many milestones, we have eliminated GMO’s from key ingredients, use only hormone-free dairies and creams and removed artificial flavorings while developing house-made, natural alternatives."
They are a cookie maker that also has tried to source reasonable ingredients, although you'll note that they only use non-GMO ingredients for the "key" ingredients, which I read as having some wiggle room.  Anyway.
"We take the time to soak our gourmet cake layers in wonderfully flavored syrups, fill our deep dish pies with fresh fruits, hand-sprinkle toasted almonds atop our cream puffs, meld coconut-scatter butterscotch in our gourmet desserts bars, and-fire our premium cheesecakes, create nostalgic yet surprisingly chic coffee and bundt cakes and hand-select South American chocolates for our all-natural cupcakes."
While the cookies are what first captured my heart from Sweet Street, they actually have a huge portfolio of products, and I've gotten the chance to try many.  They tend to be far above average, although I've had a few I wasn't fond of.  They also make some killer pies, including one that ... wait for it ... ALSO gets a perfect *****.  They are just that good.  Perfection.
Sweet Street Desserts: In the Wild!
Sweet Street is not a retail bakery, but rather sells wholesale and to the foodservice industry, and they are quite successful - I've seen many high end restaurants place Sweet Street desserts on the menu to pass off as their own, several large chain fast casual businesses around San Francisco have the individually wrapped cookies on their menu (Sajj Mediteranean, The Melt, and Ike's), and the extremely overpriced market down the street from my house sells the cookies and slices of cake as if homemade to unknowing customers (to be fair, they do bake the cookies off in house at least).  
On Display: In NH!
I have found the cookies coast to coast, including in a small co-op market where my parent's live in New Hampshire.  Clearly, Sweet Street has vast reach and success.  I'm not the only one in love with their cookies.

Cookies

Sweet Street makes four different cookie product lines: Skillet Cookies, Cookie-Pie Raves™, Artisan Cookies, and Manifesto Cookies™.

The Cookie-Pie Raves are giant cookies meant to be sliced like pies ... borderline if I'd consider these actual cookies, but, hey, sure.  Skillet Cookies are large format cookies baked in skillets, generally intended to be served warm, as a more upscale dessert.  Again, not quite what I think of when it comes to cookies.
"Every batch of our freshly baked Manifesto desserts is made from simple ingredients befitting of your pantry and do not contain any artificial ingredients or GMO's. We mix in only pure cane sugar, cage free eggs and sustainably grown chocolates. Enjoy!"
The Artisan line is basic flavors, think chocolate chunk, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, etc, and made with the sort of ingredients you'd expect from a commercial bakery, whereas the Manifesto line is the more innovative innovative flavors (old fashioned peanut butter, salted caramel, "sandy's amazing chocolate chunk") and made with more real ingredients, like whole eggs, cane sugar, and non-GMO ingredients.  Basically, the premium line, even if "Artisan" also sounds fancy.

The cookie dough is sold frozen, in pucks, and is meant to be baked off to serve by the restaurant/grocery store/etc, although they also make an individually wrapped fully baked line as well.  I've tried many of the Manifesto line, and, spoiler, they are, literally, the best cookies I've ever had.  Reliably.

The only one I haven't found anywhere yet is the newer "Zoe's Crush" with toffee, almonds, toasted sesame, candied ginger, single origin Peruvian chocolate and miso (!!!), and I wish I could find them somewhere.  If you see them, let me know where!
Lemon Blueberry Manifesto.
"Our Lemon Blueberry Manifesto Cookie dough starts with all butter, pure cane sugar and cage free eggs, buttery and lemony, it is plump with wild Maine blueberries for a refreshing rebirth of our quintessentially melt in your mouth sugar cookie. "

Ok, I'll admit, this was a decent cookie.  It was the first I had from Sweet Street, and I never expected to care about their cookies.

It was fairly soft.  It was thick.  I loved the plentiful pearl sugar on top.  I liked the flavorful large blueberries throughout.  It was very buttery.  It was very sweet.

Sure, it was still a cookie, but it was soft, sweet, and very sugary, so, for a cookie, it wasn't bad. 

3.5/5.
Tray of Lemon Blueberry, freshly baked.
I had another.  I again liked it.  A soft cookie.  Like a sugar cookie, but, more interesting with the bites of blueberry and accent of lemon.  Great dunked in whipped cream. 3.5/5.

Another Update Review:
Ok, I really like these cookies.  And seriously, I don't like cookies.  Something about the buttery sweet decadence, plus the interesting flavors,  actually works for me.  Great with fresh blueberries on top too.  3.5/5.

More Updates:
It turns out, I like these best when they are frozen, and then just slightly soft.  Don't ask me why.  I've now had the pleasure of having them fresh baked, just an hour before, still slightly warm, and ... I like them better when they are then frozen, and pulled out of freezer for later enjoyment.  Sometimes I'm just ... odd.  But either way, these are a repeat order for me.  My second favorite of the Sweet Street cookie line. 3.5/5.
Salted Caramel Manifesto.
"Made with all natural toffee and milky white chocolate chunks, crisp pretzels bites and sea salt. Topped with pretzel salt and golden demerara sugar." -- GourmetXpress, Distributor

"Imagine the buttery crunch of all natural toffee and milky white chocolate chunks, alongside crisp pretzels bites and sea salt, all playing hopscotch across your taste buds. Topped with pretzel salt and golden demerara sugar, each bite of this salty sweet mashup is dangerously better than the last. " -- Sweet Street

Behold.  The most glorious cookie there ever was.  The Salted Caramel Manifesto.  

Like the lemon blueberry, this too was a really good cookie, with the same basic makeup: Soft.  Thick.  Sweet.  Buttery.

But this one was loaded with goodies.  Sweet toffee hunks, creamy sweet sweet white chocolate bits, crunchy pretzels, and, oooh, the salt on top.  Sweet and salty all at once, great textures from the mix-ins, generous, generous amount of mix-ins ...

Really quite addicting.  Which is crazy for me to say about a cookie.  The flavors pop, the textures are all there to play off each other, and, well, it is far, far too easy to devour one of these.

5/5.  Simply put, the best cookie I've ever had.
Serving size: One?
I've had the pleasure of having these more times that I can count.  I ordered them regularly for team events through my catering team, and you can be sure I saved any left over.  The beauty of being individually wrapped!  They are shelf stable for a while, and freeze beautifully too.

I like these best when they are thawed out (not frozen like the lemon blueberry!), and dunked in whipped cream, although really, they are absolutely a complete joy just as they are with nothing else added.  They are also fantastic crumbled up on top of an ice cream sundae.  Sweet and salty FTW.

Several fast casual chains in SF sell the individually packaged ones for $3-4 each, and even the small co-op market in NH has them from time to time, so even when my supply from my catering department at work ran dry during the COVID years, I was able to keep acquiring them.   By the handful.

Best. Cookies.  Ever. 5/5.  Yes, perfect score.
Sandy's Chocolate Chunk with Pretzel Manifesto.
"Everything we love about Sandy’s Amazing Chocolate Chunk Cookie with added pretzel punchiness. Mixed into our dough of all butter, pure cane sugar and cage free eggs are crunchy, savory pretzel bites that play off of sweet, giant morsels of Peruvian sustainable chocolates, milk, semisweet and dark coins, in a brown butter, caramelized chewy-crispy-edged wonder."

Next I went for what I expected to be a crowd pleaser: the Sandy's Chocolate Chunk with Pretzel cookie.  One look at it, and I knew we had another winner on our hands.  This is a jazzed up version of the Sandy's Amazing Chocolate Chunk cookie, which is actually their signature cookie, but this one has "added pretzel punchiness".  In the form of "crunchy, savory pretzel bites".  Sounded (and looked!) great to me.

As you can see, it is truly loaded with chocolate, in all varieties.  Full dark chocolate coins and halves of coins.  Chunks of milk and semi-sweet chocolate.  Chunks of milk chocolate with what I think were the pretzel bits in it.   Very chocolate forward, and the chocolate quality seemed high.

Like the others, the cookie itself was soft, with a classic butter/sugar/flour base.  I did not detect the advertised brown butter.  Not particularly interesting, but decently done.

The pretzel came as little chunks mixed in the base too.  They added a nice salty component.  I appreciated that they were small chunks, yeah for "pretzel punchiness"!

Overall, a decent cookie.  Remember that I'm not really one for cookies, so it is hard for me to be excited about this, but I give them kudos for the plentiful mix-ins and the soft cookie base.

Warning: this is not a light cookie, in actual size, nor nutrition, lol.

3.5/5.
Sandy's Amazing Chocolate Chunk Manifesto® Cookie.
"Giant morsels of sustainable chocolate grown in the Peruvian Andes, milk, semisweet and dark coins, coalesce in our Sandy's Amazing Chocolate Chunk Manifesto Cookie dough of all butter, pure cane sugar and cage free eggs. Caramelized chewy-crispy-edged wonder. "

A few months later, I had the chance to try the basic, signature cookie: Sandy's Amazing Chocolate Chunk cookie, basically, the same as the previous one, just without the pretzels.

It was a pretty near perfect cookie.  So ridiculously soft and almost gooey.  Expertly crispy-chewy at the edges.  Sweet and buttery.  And, um, loaded with chocolate.  I am pretty sure there was more chocolate than actual cookie dough in here, just like the pretzel one, with disks and chunks, milk, semisweet, and dark all included.

What would make it better?  A touch of sea salt.  But I'm just being picky.  For a non-cookie girl, this is a very good cookie, and quite high praise.

This cookie is sold by many fast casual chains around SF, generally individually wrapped.

4/5.

Bars / Brownies

Next up, I moved on the bars and brownies.  These are sold fully baked and frozen, although some can remain shelf stable at room temp, others require refrigeration.  Sweet Street makes a huge line of different bars, including some in non-traditional shapes like the Key West Bar, a star shaped key lime pie bar.
Toffee Crunch Blondie.
"It’s like sinking into a quilt of richness. A buttery blondie studded with creamy white chocolate chunks and loaded with semi – sweet chocolate and chewy pieces of Heath® toffee. Pair it with coffee and prove blondies have more fun."

This didn't look bad, and, although I don't really like cookies or brownies, I do like blondies, so I had great hope.  Particularly since they make such amazing cookies.  Also,  "buttery blondie", "creamy white chocolate chunks", and "pieces of Heath toffee" were all promises of goodness.

But ... I didn't like it.  At all.  It wasn't buttery.  It wasn't moist.  The white chocolate was waxy.  I tried to extract just the toffee chunks, and somehow even the Heath toffee didn't taste like it should.

The entire thing just tasted stale and not good at all.  2/5.

Update Review: We had them another time.  They were less stale at least.  They were actually moist, but in a "way too much butter and chemicals" sense, not a delicious sense.  Still not a winner.  I'm confused how they are such a flop.  2.5/5.
Toffee Crunch Blondie (2023).
"It’s like sinking into a quilt of richness. A buttery blondie studded with creamy white chocolate chunks and loaded with semi – sweet chocolate and chewy pieces of toffee. Pair it with coffee and prove blondies have more fun."

I've tried these before, and hated them, but they always look so good.  I do like a good blondie, and <3 toffee!  But again, I was extremely displeased with these.

The base blondie is soft, but it lacks the sweet buttery goodness I want.  Even the toffee bit on top is lackluster.  The dark chocolate pieces are ok.  I never found any white chocolate chunks.  I actively dislike these, and they disappointment so every time. 1/5.
Lemon Manifesto.
"Bright and lively, its zesty lemon freshness makes your mouth come alive, and quenches your thirst, while the buttery smoothness of its melt-in-your-mouth curd and subtle crunch of the shortbread crust satiate. Simplicity at its essence. "

I know, you've heard me say a million times that I don't like bars, and I don't like lemon desserts.  So, why would I even bother?

Well ... the "Manifesto" line with the lemon blueberry cookie *did* impress me, and that was a cookie (never my favorite thing) and lemon based, so, I had hope.  Plus, Sweet Street makes some fantastic cakes (keep reading!).

This was a fairly standard looking lemon bar - shortbread crust, curd topping, powdered sugar on top.  And ... it was a fairly standard bar.  The shortbread crust was actually pretty good, sweet, buttery.  The curd ... was lemon curd.  Not my thing.  But good texture, and I liked the powdered sugar on top.

I'm sure a winner for those who like lemon bars, but just a 2.5/5 for me.
Peruvian Brownie, Manifesto Series.
"An Intense, full bodied chocolate delivery, dense and fudgy with a chewy crust. Born from the prized Criolla bean, this unique and sustainably sourced Peruvian chocolate adds a delicate fruity edge upfront and is deep and rich in its finish. Sophisticated flavor up and down the tongue…a brownie like no other. " 

These were pretty good brownies.  Indeed, as described, dense and fudgy.   Very rich, very chocolatey, very dense, not a cake-like brownie.  I liked the chocolate chunks in it for some texture too, and they were quality dark chocolate.

Overall, yeah, a decent brownie, good at room temperature, better dunked in whipped cream, and even better (or, just different, really) warmed up and served a la mode.

3.5/5.
Rockslide Brownie.
"Chunks of rich brownie piled with caramel and pecans on a light texture brownie base."

"A light textured Brownie topped with butter-luscious caramel, piled high with Brownie cubes, toasted pecans and drizzle with milk chocolate ganache."

Well, these looked a bit ridiculous, quite decadent.

But this is a case where the ridiculous toppings did not pay off, at least for me.

The base brownie was a bit dry, not as intensely chocolately nor as quite as good as the simple Peruvian brownie, but fine enough.  The toppings though just didn't add up.  The caramel was sweet and thick, a bit too chewy.  The nuts were fine, but just pecans, they didn't seem toasted.  I wanted the crunch, sure, but they were fairly eh.  And ... why have chunks of brownie on top of a brownie?

Overall, it was just a less good brownie, with lackluster toppings, that seemed like it was trying way too hard.  I greatly prefer the Peruvian brownie.  2.5/5.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Stack (2022).
" Ooh la la, the tastes and textures. Sweet and salty peanut butter crunch, light and creamy milk chocolate and buttery caramel, all layered twice on our lighter-than-expected brownie cake hybrid. Finished with crunchy honey roasted peanuts."

"Sweet, salty peanut butter crunch, creamy milk chocolate and buttery caramel, all layered twice on a Brownie cake hybrid."

So much promise.  Chocolate.  Peanut butter.  Salty.  Creamy. Crunch.  

But ... this was kinda eh.  Or at least, it was a sum of its parts not serving each other well.

The main component that failed for me was the "lighter-than-expected brownie cake hybrid", which, the best I could tell, was just, um, a dry dense chocolate cake.  It lacked the moisture and crumb structure of a good cake , it lacked the intense chocolate flavor of a good fudgy brownie.  It was very, very "meh".

The layer above the chocolate "hybrid" cake-brownie was sorta thick and creamy milk chocolate ganache that was decent, and a creamy peanut butter layer with crispy bits, which, did taste peanut buttery and did have a really unique crispy nature to it.  I also liked the crunch on top from the honey roasted peanuts.  The caramel, on its own, was also quite tasty - thick, rich, sweet, buttery, intense quality caramel.  But the caramel was so sweet and strong it wiped out the peanut butter taste for me, and the caramel and peanuts just weren't a good match (yes, I know it works in a Snicker's bar, but it just didn't here).

So ... yeah.  Dry boring cake, clashing peanut butter and caramel components, not a real success for me as it was served.  That said, I of course deconstructed it, ate the cake warmed up and moistened served a la mode with a scoop of coffee ice cream, ate the creamy chocolate and pb crispy layers together to really appreciate the peanut butter, and then just enjoyed the caramel on top of ice cream later.  Each component, besides that cake, was 4/5 worthy, just, combine to a ... 2.5/5.

[ No Photo ]
Sweet Street Lemonberry Jazz Bar (2022).
"Lively lemon curd and light lemon mousse punctuated by wild Maine blueberries, white chocolate, and buttery shortbread."

When I picked this item, it was mislabelled by my cafe, so I thought I was getting a raspberry item (even though it didn't look that way), but I definitely didn't realize I was getting a lemon item, because, well, I wouldn't have grabbed it.

One bite though and I realized the error.  Gah.  Lemon curd.

But the rest of the bar was actually good - the soft shortbread base was buttery and flavorful, the white chocolate drizzle on top was sweet and tasty, and even the lemon mousse layer was decent - very cream cheese forward, basically like a whipped lemon cheesecake.  The lemon curd layer though ... pretty much ruined it for me.

Oh, and the wild Maine blueberries?  Tiny, not really enough to notice.

For the components I liked, 4/5, but 2.5/5 overall, because, lemon dessert.

Gluten-Free Bars

I eat plenty of gluten myself, but ordered several of these for our group as we have a number of gluten-free members.  The gluten-free items come individually wrapped.
Honduran Chocolate Manifesto Brownie.
"
Taste the “good” in every bite of our rich and fudgy certified Gluten-free 
Manifesto™ Brownies. Baked with only cage-free eggs, our own blend of 
gluten-free flour, sustainable chocolates and ingredients free of gmo’s and 
artificial additives– yet the star of these irresistible brownies is the purely 
dark Honduran chocolate mixed into every batch. Sourced from a small cocoa 
collective of women farmers, this chocolate supports the advancement of 
these women providing them with the skills, education and income necessary 
to bring success to their families and village"

These were fine brownies, thick, rich, fudgy, but ... they did have a bit of gluten-free funk to them.  The flavor and texture was not as awesome as the regular brownies.  I think for a gluten-free item they were on the better end of the spectrum, but I prefer the regular brownies.

One point lost to the two tiny tiny chunks of chocolate on top ... it was just a tease!  I love chunks in my brownie, but these just made me angry, because I wanted more.  I'd honestly prefer zero!

2/5.
Chewy Marshmallow with Brown Butter & Sea Salt (GF)
"Marshmallow cream folded with gluten free crispy rice puffs and mini marshmallows. A touch of browned butter is added to bring a subtle caramel note, sea salt to make it come alive."

I don't think I've ever actually wanted or liked a rice crispy treat in my life (not that they call them that, they are called "Chewy Marshmallow" as the product name, and don't actually mention the crispy rice puffs in any way ...)

I opened one to try it so I could review, then planned to promptly hand it over to friend (which I still did), but I'll admit, they are far better than I expected.  I did take a second bite.

I still don't like or want a rice crispy treat, but the brown butter really adds a richness and depth of flavor, the salt punches it up, and they have lots of full mini marshmallows in them, which does totally change the texture and eating experience considerably.  They are truly ... "chewy marshmallow" as named,  more marshmallow forward than normal crispy treats.  They put Rice Krispie brand ones to shame, and probably any bakesale mother's versions too ...

So, if you like marshmallows, gooey chewy crispy treat things, and more grown up flavors like brown butter and sea salt ... give one a try.

3.5/5.

Cakes

Moving on, Sweet Street also makes a variety of styles of cake, ranging from 6 layer full size cakes (literally called "The Big Line"), to cheesecakes, to cupcakes, and individuals too.  I've tried an assortment, everything but cupcakes, some more successful than others, but all do look pretty fabulous.  These, along with pies, are the items that nicer restaurants tend to put on their menus, when they don't have an in-house pastry team.
Flourless Chocolate Torte.
"When you crave a knock-out chocolate punch in an unassuming delivery, the flourless chocolate torte is for you. It is also gluten-free." -- Sweet Street

"Simple, elegant and timeless. This flourless and gluten free chocolate torte is made with a blend of chocolate and finished with a ganache topping." -- Gourmet Express, Foodservice Distributor

This is a very, very rich chocolate cake, a 10" cake, pre-sliced into 16 slices, which looked a bit small at first, but turned out were plenty large, as it was sooo rich.  This cake is gluten-free.

The texture was good, creamy yet dense, and I liked the ganache on top, but I wasn't really into the chocolate cake itself.  Then again, I'm not generally that excited about cake, or chocolate desserts.  

I added whipped cream, and liked it more that way.  It really needed a thick cream to cut the sweet.

3/5.
Flourless Chocolate Torte (2022).
Flourless chocolate cake.  Something many people go crazy for.  But me?  I'm always ... "meh" on it.  I really need to be in a specific mood to want it.  

A few years ago I had the Sweet Street version, called a torte, and I remember thinking it was fine (see above), but, yeah, it was a flourless chocolate cake, and I wasn't that into it.  But one day it showed up again, when I was in the mood for chocolate ...

The slices looked tiny to me, but I quickly realized they were appropriate.  This was so, so rich.  Smooth, creamy, decadent, and so, so rich.  It screamed out for needing a balance of fresh whipped cream, some strawberries or raspberries, even a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce, something to cut the rich.

I liked the thick chocolate ganache layer on top more than the cake itself.

It is a fine product for what it is, but, just not really the dessert I'm crazy for.  3/5.
Chocolate Lovin' Spoon Cake.
"Layers of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and creamy chocolate icing." -- GourmetXpress, distributor

"A giant mouthful of chocolate pudding between two layers of dark, moist chocolate drenched chocolate cake." -- Sweet Street

Next up, the well named "Chocolate Lovin' Spoon Cake".

This was another very, very rich chocolate cake.  Sliced small by the cafe, but still hard to get through a full slice as it was just so very rich.  And I like big dessert portions!

The chocolate pudding/frosting layers were very sweet, very thick, and just, too much.  The cake helped cut it, but, overall, just, too much.  I wanted whipped cream to cut the chocolate and sweet, but that seemed a bit ridiculous to add.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream I think would work perfectly.

I liked the nuts and little chocolate chips on the exterior.

3/5.
Lemonade Cake with Meyer Lemon Curd
"Layered lemon cake with a luscious, cool lemon mousseline and Meyer lemon curd."  -- GourmetXpress, distributor

"Using lemonade as an inspiration, we've layered lemon cake with a luscious, cool lemon mousseline and Meyer lemon curd to create the ultimate lemon cake."  -- Sweet Street

Lemon desserts.  Never my favorite.  Cakes.  Never my favorite.  But I still tried it.

It was better than I expected, actually.  A layered cake, with three layers of cake, one layer of lemon mousseline, one layer of curd, and topped with both the mousseline and curd.

The cake was decently moist.  It said lemon cake, but I didn't detect the lemon here (and preferred it that way, actually).  The "mousseline" was creamy and just a bit lemony.  The curd was tangy, not too eggy, but a bit gummy.  The mousse and curd went well together.

Still a cake, still not my pick for desserts, but not awful.  2.5/5.
3 Layer Iced Lemonade Cake with Lemon Curd (2023).
"Using lemonade as an inspiration, lemon cake with a luscious, cool lemon mousse and Meyer lemon curd to create the ultimate lemon cake."

I'm not wild about lemon (or other citrus) desserts in general, and definitely went many years really not being into citrus curds in particular, but, as I've grown older, I've started to quasi-appreciate these types of desserts.  I blame it (er, credit it?) to a stunning key lime cheesecake from Fillings and Emulsions in the SLC Airport of all places (seriously, so good, worth a layover there, really!).  And so, when I saw the lemonade cake from Sweet Street on the menu at Lemonade, I gave it a try.

It was decent.  The cake itself was only faintly lemon flavored, and wasn't particularly moist, but it was sweet and the crumb structure was good.  A bit better than generic grocery store cake.  The lemon mousse filling and topping had more lemon flavor, and were nicely creamy.  The lemon curd layer was more like a gel, and was the most intense lemon flavor in the cake.  It all came together to deliver a reasonably strong lemon flavor, a trio of components with different textures, and overall was decent.

I added fresh blackberries and whipped cream, and enjoyed it more that way.  Not an item I'd go out of my way for, but I easily finished it, and I would recommend to those who do like lemon desserts. 3.5/5.
3 Layer Iced Lemonade with Lemon Curd (2024).
"Using lemonade as an inspiration, we've layered lemon cake with a luscious, cool lemon mousseline and Meyer lemon curd to create the ultimate lemon cake."

I got this from Lemonade in San Francisco, where I've gotten it in the past.  The staff member opened the fridge to fetch my slice, and had to dig around for a while.  He plucked it from the far back, which I didn't think much of, until I opened it.  It looked like this when I got it - missing a hunk from the base, the topping pulled off of it.

So, it didn't win any awards on looks, but I still didn't think there was a problem until I took a fork full of the cake.  It was so dry.  It tasted like the inside of a freezer.  Stale, dry, freezer burnt.  Um. Not that this is usually amazing cake, but, this clearly was either 1) old or 2) wasn't stored properly.  The top layer was possibly even worse ... it was rock solid, and it should be a softer mousse.

I did extract the two middle lemon layers, but they were considerably more solid than they should be.  I even tried cake from the middle, but it too was just bone dry, and tasted like freezer parts.

Sadness.  I don't think I can properly evaluate this, as I think Lemonade definitely did something wrong by serving this to me.

Salted Caramel Crunch Cake: Side View.
"A showstopper, brings sweet and salt cravings to perfection. Buttery, vanilla flecked pudding cake with rich waves of caramel. Layered with caramel crunch, creamy custard and more caramel." -- GourmetXpress, distributor

"Light, buttery vanilla-flecked cake has waves of caramel cake and layered with salted caramel crunch and a creamy custard layer." -- Sweet Street

I'm not a cake girl.  You know this.  But, this promised sweet and salty, it promised "waves" of caramel, and it promised crunch.  It sounded like perhaps a cake form of the salted caramel manifesto cookies almost.  I had to try it.

It was fantastic.  I expected the vanilla cake to be entirely throwaway for me, since, like I said, "eh, cake", but the base cake was even good.  The vanilla flavor (they use Madagascar Vanilla) was intense, and the "pudding cake" aspect of it meant it was really light and fluffy.  The layers of vanilla cake also had little half moons of caramel cake, not mentioned in the description, but those too were good.  Maybe it was just a "rich wave of caramel" that infused the vanilla cake, rather than a separate type of cake?

Between the bottom cake layer and the middle cake layer was a very thick layer of caramel crunch.  This was sweet, gooey, and a great texture.  The "crunch" wasn't nuts as I first expected, but actually, I think bits of hard caramel inside the thick caramel sauce?  Super sweet, but tasty.  There was only one layer of the crunch which made me laugh a little since it was supposed to be a "crunch cake" after all.  One layer was plenty though.

The upper layers were instead separated by custard.  Creamy, rich custard, again, good vanilla flavor.  Far more exciting the standard buttercream between layers.

So far, so good, 4/5 ... but there was more!
Salted Caramel Crunch Cake: Top.
The top was covered in another very thick layer of the caramel, this time without crunch.  Sweet, good consistency, who says no more more caramel?  It upped the sweetness level once again.

The backside was coated in a white fluffier frosting, not the same as the thick custard layer, and a graham crumble.  The fluffy sweet frosting was again a nice contrast, and better than most standard buttercream.

Overall, everything here had its place, and worked.  Good quality cake, nice custard, great caramel, bit of crunch, fluffy frosting.  Complete winner in both taste and texture.

Don't ask about the nutrition, or ingredients used in it though.  It is ... impressive how many things go into it.  Food science almost!  Seriously.  Both butter and margarine.  All the sweeteners: sugar, rice syrup, brown sugar, honey, liquid sugar, corn syrup, and glucose.  All the dairy: cream, milk, buttermilk, nonfat milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk.  And of course, a slew of oils and lecithin.

But wow is it good. 4.5/5, really a great cake.

Update: I've had this several more times, and have been impressed every single time.  The second time I had a slice I was worried my expectations were now high, and it wouldn't live up.  Except ... it did.  I still loved it.   Such great textures, flavors, and components. 4.5/5.
Chocolate Nut Torta with Nutella.
"Layers of lightly roasted almond and hazelnut cake "sandwiched" with the creamiest milk chocolate. Hand-decorated with milk chocolate Nutella icing." -- GourmetXpress, Distributor

"Old meets new in this Gluten Free classic nut torta that sparkles with roasted hazelnuts and almonds and a milk chocolate icing and hand-slathered with Nutella®." -- Sweet Street

If you like cake, and you like Nutella, then, this is the cake for you.

I ... don't, really, so, it wasn't really my thing.  The cake layers had texture from the nuts, and were a bit dry.  Also, gluten-free, if that matters to you.

The frosting/filling was super rich, fudgey, thick, and sooo much of it.  Bonus Nutella layer on the very top as well.  Again, if you love Nutella, yay.

I think this was probably good, if it is your sort of thing but for me, meh. 2.5/5.
Pomegranate Parfait Cheesecake.
Seasonal.
"Surprising pops of brilliant-red, tart pomegranate sauce provide a delicious contrast to the creamy coolness of cheesecake times two. A layer of creamy White Chocolate Cheesecake marries a layer of refreshing pomegranate-infused cheesecake; all topped with smooth, white chocolate drizzle and fresh pomegranate arils."

This is a seasonal offering, festive with the red colors from pomegranate for the holidays, and the drizzle of white chocolate all over the top.  Ours did not have the "fresh pomegranate arils" from the description, or from the stock photos I saw, with them beautifully placed on top.

I liked the sound of white chocolate cheesecake, and of the "parfait" style, but, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about all the pomegranate.  I also thought maybe one layer would be a mousse, not both cheesecake, because, calling it a "parfait" seemed a bit odd if its really just a two layer cheesecake?  I guess it was layers, and it was fruit?

Anyway, I ... didn't like it.  It turns out, others didn't either, and it was discontinued in November 2021.
Pomegranate Parfait Cheesecake (Slice).
Here you can see a bit better the layers.

First, the crust.  It was horrible.  Mushy, stale tasting, like cardboard graham crackers.  I did not like it at all.

The cheesecake was thick, rich, smooth, but I didn't taste white chocolate in the bottom layer.  I know cheesecake is always rich, but, this seemed too rich.  Perhaps that was the white chocolate influence?

The pomegranate cheesecake layer was a pretty color, it too was thick and creamy, but I didn't care for the flavor.

I somewhat wonder if I just really wasn't in the mood for this.  I can't pinpoint why I really didn't care for it at all.  2/5.

Cupcakes

Red Velvet.
"We fill our classic cake of the south, with a creamy chocolate truffle and swirl it with cream cheese buttermilk frosting. Topped with a nonpareil-covered chocolate."

For a frozen and defrosted product, these really did look quite fresh.

It was a decent cupcake.  The cake itself was moist, didn't taste stale, and had a nice crumb structure.  It didn't have much flavor though, not as strong as many red velvet are.  I wanted more of a cocoa element or tang to the base cake.  It did however have a "creamy chocolate truffle" center, which really was just a chocolate ball in the very center, which was ... just a bit strange really.  It wasn't soft enough to be like a molten center nor was it more like a chocolate sauce or pudding or anything that you'd normally fill a cupcake with.  Just a bit odd, not bad, but odd.

The frosting was great - super thick, rich, strong cream cheese flavor.  Everything you want in a cream cheese frosting.  I liked the semi-sweet dark chocolate nonpareil on top as well, decent quality, nice crunch.

So, better than average, particularly for a frozen product, and I gladly finished, but not something I'd seek out. Higher 3/5, maybe 3.5.

Individuals

We also sometimes get the individual items, rather than sliced items, for ease of serving.  Sweet Street has expanded offerings in this range more recently, likely to adapt to the Covid market.
Chocolate Molten Bundt.
"Chocolate bundt cake enrobed in chocolate and filled with dark chocolate truffle." -- GourmetXpress, Distributor

"Deeply chocolate, enrobed in chocolate and filled with a dark chocolate truffle. Serve wickedly warm, unleashing a rush of molten chocolate to your customers’ wild delight. Your plates will be dressed to kill." -- Sweet Street Tip Sheet

"Our moist dark chocolate cake enrobed with dark chocolate … filled with a dark chocolate truffle that melts out when heated." -- Sweet Street

Molten chocolate cake.  Key word: "MOLTEN".  Except ... our catering team missed that word.  They also seem to have missed all the handling instructions that make it quite clear that this is not a room temperature item.  We were presented with not only room temperature, but actually chilled cakes.  Um.

So, first, I'll explain the chilled cake.  It had a hard chocolate shell with a decent snap.  The cake itself was decently moist, but, just chocolate cake, and with no frosting nor whipped cream, it was just fairly boring chocolate cake, strangely surrounded by a chocolate shell, with ... a big hard chunk of chocolate in the center that connects to the disk you see on top.

Clearly, I had to fix this.  I read the manufacture's instructions, with how to heat in microwave or hot box, and then of course added ice cream (and whipped cream, to compare!).

It was dramatically different, as you'd expect.

The cake was better, more moist, nice warm.  But still just chocolate cake, not something I go crazy over.  But that molten core?  Oh, wow.  It really did melt into oozing chocolate deliciousness.  Rich chocolate oozing deliciousness.  Paired with cold vanilla ice cream, this was an insanely good (and decadent!) treat.  Whipped cream worked too, but the hot molten center was a much better match with the cold ice cream.

3.5/5 once I prepared it properly, uh, 2.5/5 otherwise.
Vanilla Bean Brulee Individual Cheese.
"Creme Brulee custard with Madagascar vanilla cheesecake on an oat crust." -- Gourmet Express, Wholesale Distributor

"We cook a vanilla bean crème brulée custard with macerated Madagascar vanilla pods and fold it into our cheesecake batter, intensifying the vanilla flavor and giving it a silky, airy lightness. The crispy, baby oat crust laced with even more vanilla is gluten free." -- Sweet Street Bakery

Both the baker, and the distributor, call this "Vanilla Bean Brulee Individual Cheese", which just makes me laugh.  Not cheesecake, but, "cheese".

Anyway.

It sounded, and looked, better than it was.

The crust was oat based, and tasted like cardboard.  Gritty cardboard.  Fairly thick, but very uneven, layer as well.

The cheesecake was ... ok.  The consistency was good, creamy, and it had visible vanilla bean specs, but, the flavor wasn't particularly interesting.  The "brulee" top didn't really have flavor either, it seemed to just be a gel on top.

Fine, but, just nothing special. 2.5/5.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake.
"For our caramel, we cook sugar until dark amber, then we stir in fresh whipping cream and butter. It’s blended into the graham crumb crust, folded into a layer of the cheesecake batter and then salted and dolloped on top. Bruléed for a golden caramelized edge."

Another one that looked better than it was.

This one had a graham crumb crust rather than oat.  Then a layer of brown cheesecake that I guess was supposed to taste like caramel, and then another layer of plain cheesecake, that they bruléed for some reason, even though there was then caramel poured on top too.

I didn't like the cardboard-like base.  It was way too thick and mushy.  The brown cheesecake didn't taste distinguishable from the white.  All very plain.  Not very cream cheesy.  The caramel on top was tasty though it really seemed more like dulce de leche.

Fine I guess but very eh.  2.5/5.
Basque Cheesecake (2023).
"Originating from the Basque country of Spain, Basque Cheesecake does not have a traditional crust. This cheesecake is baked at a high temperature to form a delicious, caramelized exterior that serves as a natural crust, which encompasses the entire cheesecake protecting the smooth, creamy interior. Crafted with real cream cheese, a touch of heavy cream, and cagefree eggs, our soufflé’d cheesecake is the lightest and most delectable of all cheesecakes"

"Soufflé’d cheesecake forming a caramelized exterior, serving as a natural crust, with a creamy interior and notes of wood fire."

I'll admit I was skeptical about Sweet Street pulling off a basque cheesecake.  But I laud them for jumping on board this trend.  They make this in an "individual" size, which my cafe choose to cut in half.

The look was reasonably legit - a lightly caramelized top, no crust.  It was remarkably light and fluffy, very soufflé-like as they say.  The flavor was good, not too sweet, fairly strong cream cheese flavor.  It was an above average cheesecake.

But ... it did not have the signature creamy, gooey interior that a basque cheesecake really should have.  It was also quite plain, I recommend serving with a little fruit compote, or fresh fruit and whipped cream.

For a true basque cheesecake, I have to give this just 3/5 for lightness, but lack of creamy center and not particularly strong caramelization on top, but for a generic cheesecake, it was above average, 3.5/5.  I enjoyed it.

Pies

The pies from Sweet Street are another winning category for me.  Not only are they fairly unique varieties, but, wow, there were some shockingly good items in this lineup.  These too I see on restaurant menus around town, or at nicer pizza places in particular.  Most are massive, either deep dish style, or just loaded with goodies.
Caramel Apple Granny.
"Buttery caramel and toffee studded custard embrace tart apples in a shortbread crust." -- GourmetXpress, distributor

"Buttery caramel and toffee-studded custard hug fresh Granny Smith apples piled high in our melt-in-the-mouth shortbread crust." -- Sweet Street

First up, the Caramel Apple Granny.  This is not ordinary apple pie.

Everyone loved the look of this one.  The caramel coating dripping down the sides was a crowd pleaser, for sure.

I'm not a huge fan of apple pie, but, this looked too unique to miss out on.
Caramel Apple Granny: Cross Section.
As we dug in, we discovered that this was no standard apple pie, and not just because of the caramel topping.

The crust was not traditional flaky pie crust, instead, more of a shortbread cookie, thick, sweet, buttery.  It was double crusted, which wasn't obvious at first, but, the layer under the caramel coating was also crust.  And a bottom and back crust.  Lots of crust.  The crust was buttery, soft, sweet, and actually really quite good, at least, the blond parts of it.  I didn't like the very outside edge, darker, and kinda mealy.  But the rest of it, great component, just not traditional pie crust.

The caramel topping was indeed great.  Smooth, sweet, more like toffee flavor than caramel.  Very good.

The inside too was fascinating.  Soft, spiced apples, but also a bit of custard.  Hmm, custard inside apple pie?  I didn't necessarily taste the caramel and toffee inside, but the topping had enough of those elements to make up for that.  The apples were nicely cooked, not mushy, good sized chunks, and the spicing was just right, very "seasonal", but not aggressive.

Overall, this was decent, and certainly one of the more unique apple pies I've ever had ... non-traditional crust, non-traditional topping, non-traditional filling.

I enjoyed it at room temperature, and didn't even add whipped cream.  I wished I had taken another slice, as I wanted to try it warm too.

4/5.
Caramel Apple Granny: Again!
We've since had it more times, and each time, I think about taking the time to warm it up as I usually do with apple pie, but, it actually just works well at room temperature, or even chilled.  The apples are perfectly cooked, not mushy at all, and so well spiced.  And, of course I love the sweet caramel on top.  But what really continues to surprise me is how much I like the shortbread crust.  Buttery, sweet, tasty, and particularly with some whipped cream.  Overall, a crowd pleaser, every time.  And yes, great with whipped cream too.

More update: I finally heated a slice up.  I liked it that way too, particularly when paired with vanilla ice cream.  But I think I like it cold more.

So basically, good as served, good with whipped cream, good warmed up, good with ice cream, good for dessert, good for breakfast ... just, well, good!  4/5.
Irish Cream Bash. 2018.
"White chocolate mousse with chocolate cake crumbles, fine Irish cream and white chocolate chunks in a brownie shortbread crust." -- GourmetXpress, Distributor

"White chocolate mousse and delicate chocolate cake crumbles, tipsy with the finest Irish cream." -- Sweet Street

This was a very tasty pie.  And, uh, a decadent one.  It came pre-sliced, into what I consider *very* small slices, and then I saw that they are 440 calories.  For tiny slices.  I planned to have at least 2 in a sitting ... 

Anyway, why the high cal load?  Let me, uh, run through the ingredients.  In order.  Cream.  Cream cheese.  Sugar.  Margarine. White chocolate.  Flour.  Eggs.  Chocolate.  Irish Cream.  Sour Cream.  Evaporated Milk.

Uh, yeah.  Not that I expected this to be healthy, but, wowzer.  Cream + cream cheese + Irish cream + sour cream + evaporated milk?!

The result though?  A tasty pie.

The crust was the weakest element, at least for me.  It looked like a slightly thick chocolate tart shell, but it turned out to kinda be a rather stale tasting brownie.  The kind of brownie that makes you say, "meh".  But it was just a crust.  The rest was fantastic.

It was filled with rich, creamy, white chocolate cheesecake-like mousse, studded with chunks of moist chocolate cake, and topped with chocolate drizzle.  It was fluffy, it was sweet, it was boozy, it was, well, tasty.  The chocolate cake chunks were useful in breaking up the consistency and I was glad they were moist, but, I'm not sure they were really needed.

Overall, it was very enjoyable, and I'd gladly have it again. 4/5.

Update: I had it again in 2018, for St. Patty's day.  I liked it even more that time, so rich and fluffy, and that time, I even liked the brownie-like crust.  The crust was far more moist, more like a fudge component, and I appreciated the contrast of the chocolatelyness against the sweet fluffy cream.  4.5/5.
Irish Cream Bash. 2019.
The next year, I ordered it again for St. Patty's in 2019.  And again, adored it!

This time, I liked every component.  The "crust" was just a thick fudgey brownie, and, unlike the first time, wasn't stale at all.  It was firm but moist, and complimented the cream very well.

And the cream ... so very good.  Fluffy, rich, creamy, boozy ... just oh so good.  I even loved the large shards of dark chocolate on top.  Dark chocolate and Irish cream turn out to be a really great combination.  The only element I wasn't excited about was the chocolate cake pieces mixed in, they were fine, good to break up the mousse I guess, but, not as good as the crust, and I didn't think I needed them, when I had all the crust too.

4.5/5, we are nearing pie perfection.
Key Lime Cream Pie.
"Authentic Florida key limes smothered with a lacy white whipped cream." -- GourmetXpress

"Authentic Florida Key Lime…tartly refreshing in a granola’d crust." -- Sweet Street

This was my least favorite Sweet Street pie, but, that makes sense, since I don't tend to like lemon or lime desserts.

The crust was the part I thought I might like, but didn't, as it seemed almost sawdust like. Compressed sawdust, but not a texture I cared for.

The key lime custard was creamy and tangy, and I'm sure if you like that sort of thing, it was fine.  The whipped cream on top was fairly standard.

Others seemed to like it, it just wasn't the pie for me, given personal preference. 2.5/5.
Bourbon St. Pecan Pie.
"Toasted pecan halves on a pecan filling with the smooth flavor of Jim Beam Bourbon." -- GourmetXpress

"Mammoth toasted pecan halves in an intoxicating filling, laced with Kentucky bourbon." -- Sweet Street

Pecan pie is always a favorite pie of mine, but also one I have strong opinions on.  As a result, I always approach pecan pie with a bit of apprehension (and, in case you are wondering, I'm totally pro-Karo syrup.  I like other kinds of pecan pie too, but, classic corn syrup laden pie has its place!).

This was a good pecan pie.

The crust was the weakest element, again more of a shortbread rather than traditional pie crust, but not like the one I liked in the Caramel Apple Granny.  It was a bit hard and dry.  The filling was sweet, gooey, and had a lovely bourbon flavor to it, and a bit of depth from molasses and brown sugar in the sugar mix.  The top was loaded with pecan halves that really did look as if they were placed by hand.  The apricot glaze on top was a bit odd, a technique I see in other pastries but never before in pecan pie.  It wasn't bad exactly, just more sweet goo, but, a bit odd.

Overall, this was a pecan pie I was happy to eat, and I liked the bourbon aspect.  It was pretty standard awful-for-you pecan pie though, made from corn syrup + invert sugar + refined syrup + molasses + brown sugar + white sugar + butter + margarine ... It came pre-sliced in 14 slices, which is far fewer than I'd slice it into, and those tiny slices were, uh, 530 calories and 31g of fat eacg, so, perhaps it is a good thing they pre-sliced it.

I liked it more warmed up, and served with vanilla ice cream.  Really, what I loved was just ditching the crust, and warming it up completely and serving it over a big scoop of ice cream, as a topping.  Sweet, gooey, and perfect pairing. 4/5.

Update: I've had this a few more times, and sometimes the bourbon element doesn't quite please me.  Or actually, I think it is the apricot glaze that I don't really care for.  Something in the flavor just sometimes I don't like .... 3.5/5.
The Big Blitz with SNICKERS® BAR Pie
"Chocolate, peanuts & caramel combined into one of America’s favorite taste combinations." -- GourmetXpress, Distributor

"The original pie that eats like a candy bar! Large chunks of Snickers® bars, fudgy Brownie, caramel, peanuts and a tart cream cheese filling" --Sweet Street

Well, hello, decadence.  I know I've said that about others, but this one really defined it.

No matter what angle you took this in from, it was clearly just loaded with goodies.

From the top, covered in thick chocolate ganache, drizzled with more chocolate and caramel, topped with peanuts, chopped up Snickers bars, and chocolate chunks.  Basically a Snicker's bar, a salty sweet combination, and plenty of chocolate.
The Big Blitz with SNICKERS® BAR Pie (Side Profile).
More reasonable from the side?  Nah.

Here you can see more layers - crust at the bottom, chocolate/caramel filling with chunks of Snickers, a layer of cream cheese filling, and then the layers that you could see before from the top.

The crust wasn't particularly interesting, although it actually was nice to have something a bit flaky and less sweet than the rest of the pie.  It kinda needed the crust (and really would have benefited from some whipped cream too).

Because everything else? Sweet and decadent.  Very rich.  The filling layers were all very sweet, but loaded with textures - creamy cream cheese layer, crunchy nuts, chewy bits of snickers and caramel ...

A fun pie, for sure, but a little goes a long way with this one. 3.5/5.

Update: Of course, I had more of this another time.  And I took my own advice, adding whipped cream to lighten it up.  Except that time, I didn't find it necessary.  Hmm.  Maybe I got used to the richness? 3.5/5.

Update: I had another slice a year or so later, and ... I really didn't care for it.  At all.  The top was Snicker's, the cheesecake lackluster compared to others, I didn't like the nutty base layer, and honestly, the only thing I really tolerated was the crust.  No idea why my impression changed so radically ... 2.5/5.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with REESE'S® Peanut Butter Cups.
"The popular candy bar in a pie! Dark chocolate and peanut butter mousse full of Reeses' Peanut Butter Cups." -- Foodservice Direct, distributor

And then ... there was this.  Similar idea to the Snickers pie, but featuring Reese's Peanut Butter Cups instead.  O. M. G.

Do you know what happens when you combine cream (literally, #1 ingredient in this pie!), all the peanut products (peanut butter, Reese's peanut butter chips, peanut drops, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups), chocolate, sugar (regular and brown), evaporated milk, margarine, and a host of other additives ...

You get magic.  That is what you get.  Calorie laden, fat laden, but INSANELY DELICIOUS magic.  Rich, indulgent, magic.

That is what the wizards at Sweet Street have created here.

No, really.  This is insanely, insanely, insanely good pie.  But oh-so-rich.

It honestly is one of the best desserts I've ever had.

Ok, let me calm down enough to review this.  Starting with the base, graham cracker based, just a crumble/margarine/sugar mix, it actually had a nice grit to it that provided a bit of crispy/crunchy in with the creamy elements.  A good choice for this time.  Also the most boring layer of course.

Above that, the chocolate layer.  Thick, creamy, perfectly smooth, and very chocolately.  Intense and rich, not too sweet.  It is everything you want in a thick thick chocolate ganache.  This alone, with the crust, and some whipped cream, would make for a very satisfying pie to be honest.  But this is a chocolate peanut butter pie after all.

The middle is where the peanut glory kicks in.  Um.  Yeah.  Peanut butter mousse of dreams.  Much like the chocolate layer, the flavor was incredibly strong.  So much peanut.  It was also incredibly smooth, a slightly less thick consistency, and so, so, so rich.  Basically, um, just peanut butter and cream, made with crunchy peanut butter, plus additional Reese's peanut butter chips and drops.  The little bits of crispy peanut in here were a nice touch. Seriously, insane.

Above that a sweetened cream layer, crosshatch of more chocolate and peanut butter sauces, and, oh yeah, hunks of Reese's peanut butter cups.

I mean, come on.  To say a bite of this came together as a perfect package is an understatement.  You have creaminess, richness, a bit of crunch, and chocolate peanut butter galore.  A indulgent, perfect, truly could not be improved in any way, bite.

Although this slice was tiny, which made me scorn it at first, it turns out, a person really could not deal with more ... in a single sitting.

I actually added whipped cream to balance out the richness, and some fresh strawberries, just to feel slightly less, um, weighed down the second slice I had (of course I got two, they were tiny!), which I highly recommend.

5/5, top 3 frozen desserts of all time, any brand, no question.

Pastries

So far I've focused only on the desserts, but Sweet Street also makes a number of other baked goods and pastries.  I've tried fewer of these, and they offer only a handful, including basic croissants, coffee cake, and loaves. 
Classic Coffee Cake.
"This classic coffee cake for one is studded with pockets of gooey cinnamon smear and topped with crispy crumbs." -- GourmetXpress, Distributor

"Raise your expectations. This classic coffee cake is studded with pockets of gooey cinnamon smear and topped with crisp crumbs. A tender, buttery and indulgent treat." -- Sweet Street

This was ... ok.

The base cake wasn't exciting.  A bit dry, just, well, plain cake, with a cinnamon layer about halfway through the bottom.

The "gooey cinnamon smear" was flavorful, and it was gooey, but it truly was just smeared on top.  

The crispy crumble was likewise decent, yes, crispy, and I liked the texture, but, not particularly exciting.

Overall, a fine product, but not worth a repeat. 3/5.

Breakfast Breads

Loaves are available in a number of pullman varieties, and a few are offered as individually wrapped slices as well.  Breakfast breads are never my go-to, but, as with many products, it turns out, Sweet Street does a great job with these too.
Farmer's Market Blueberry Oat Pullman.
"Fresh Maine Blueberries are swirled in a moist buttery, yogurt cake, abundant with blueberry flavor. Topped with nutrient dense rolled oats."

This was a shockingly good breakfast bread.  It didn't necessarily look like anything special.  Just a breakfast cake.  Studded inconsistently with blueberries.  Oats on top.  It looked skippable.

But I'm glad I ordered (and tried!) it.

A dense style, really a pound cake, not a breakfast quick bread really.  It was amazingly moist from the low fat yogurt used inside, and studded with what turned out to be a decent distribution of blueberries, juicy little pops of flavor.  It was sweet for sure, like I said, more of a pound cake than a quickbread.

Overall, this was quite enjoyable, as a breakfast item alongside a coffee kinda like a blueberry muffin just a bit more naughty feeling, or as an afternoon treat.  It wasn't so sweet or cake-like that it seemed like it should be dessert.

3.5/5.
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