Cookshop

Cookshop is an American farm to table restaurant in New York, located a few blocks away from my office there.  There isn't a lot about it to make it stand out in particular - no celeb chef, no fancy decor or vibe lighting.  It somehow manages to be located in a touristy area (near the Highline, near Chelsea Market) and yet has a casual, neighborhood feel to it.  It is always busy but not hard to get reservations.  In short, you'd probably never notice it, if you didn't live or work nearby.  

I noticed Cookshop only because they are available on Doordash for delivery, and I was really craving liver one day, and they were one of the few results to come up.  The menu overall was quite appealing to me.  So I ordered from them (after doing a modicum amount of research to make sure people generally liked the place).  It was great.  A year later, I attended a work event with pre-organized small group dinners, and my group was assigned to Cookshop.  I was excited to get the full restaurant experience, but I found it really quite average.  I don't see any reason to return, but I wouldn't be opposed if someone wanted to drag me there.

They are open daily for lunch and dinner, and on weekends for brunch.  Both of my "visits" were at dinner.

Visit #1: August 2024, Delivery

My first "visit" to Cookshop was when I was really craving chicken or duck liver, and ordered just that for delivery.  I was really pleased with it, and vowed to order, or visit, again soon.

Chicken Liver Mousse. $14.

"Pickles, focaccia crackers."

This was really quite good mousse.  Remarkably smooth and creamy, no graininess to it at all. It was sprinkled with a little bit of something on top, that I couldn't quite identify. If I had any criticism, I would say it needed a touch of salt, but that was very easy for me to add some nice large flakes fleur de sel. Really top notch liver mousse, really. 4/5.

The pickled red onions had a great harshness to them, and the acid helped cut the richness of the mouse. I usually like to have a sweet element to a liver dish though so I did miss that. 

The crostini weren't interesting, very hard and abrasive, drizzled with a lot of olive oil. I didn't end up using them, and opted for some truffle brioche toast that I had instead and greatly preferred that combination. I generally want a light fluffy brioche as my carb component for any kind of liver.  2/5 For the toasts, but I still give the dish a 3.5/5 overall. 

My Creation.

The next day, I made my own little creation with the rest of the mousse.  I was VERY pleased with what I made: chicken liver mousse + my great aunt's homemade dilly beans (for acidity to cut the richness) + fresh blackberry (sweet component that is always nice to have with pate/mousse) + sprinkle of smoked sea salt (to make it all pop), on a truffle brioche toast (major upgrade from their crostini).  This was 5 star all the way.

Visit #2: August 2025, Dine-In, Dinner

My next encounter with Cookshop was a full year later, when I went in person, for dinner, with a group of 7, for dinner, at 6pm.  The food really didn't live up to my expectations though, and was really quite mediocre.  Themes were far too much olive oil on everything, and underseasoning.  Service was average.

Patio Seating.

In nice weather, there is a fairly large patio space for outside seating, which I suspect is a big hit at brunch in particular.  However, it was dreary and cool the day we visited, so we were inside.

The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived, but quickly filled up.  It was extremely noisy within, I failed to get a photo, but there was just nothing to dampen the sounds, and it was impossible to hear each other even at our own table, across from each other.  Service was ok, not neglectful, but not super attentive, infrequent check backs.  They did try to hit some higher service points, like crumbing the table between courses, bringing out fresh cutlery between courses, etc, but didn't really deliver on a high service level experience.

Oven.

One feature inside is the big wood fired oven, where you could see pizzas and roast meats being cooked.  I was surprised that the menu doesn't call out the wood fired items more explicitly, as that seems like a unique feature.

Menu.

I was excited to order from all areas of the menu this time, as there were appetizers, mains, and desserts all jumping out at me when I looked online.  Alas, some of the menu changed the day I got there.

Cabernet Sauvignon. $20.
Trig Point 'Diamond Dust' Alexander Valley, California 2022.

The wine list was pretty short, for reds, there were four options: an Oregon pinot, an Italian, a Spanish, and a California cab, which I went for.

It was a very boring wine.  No real structure, nothing really to it. Not high acid nor tanin, but just ... boring.  Low 3/5.

This is a $30 bottle that they were selling for $20/glass.

Appetizers

Most of my group was fairly hungry when we arrived, as we were at a work summit all day, and, unlike me, they relied on the event catering, and hadn't eaten in 6+ hours.  They quickly ordered some appetizers for the table, doubling up on most of them per the server's recommendation for our group of 7.  We went for mostly hot apps, and skipped the single raw bar option, oysters.

I was heartbroken when we arrived to see the menu.  The dish I was planning to order for my appetizer, and probably NOT share, was gone!  My precious chicken liver mousse that I had before.  It was literally on the menu the day before, but rotated out that day.  I decided to still ask the server about it, who initially told me "if it's not on the menu, it means we changed the menu, and don't have it anymore", in a polite enough way.  I did ask her if she'd still check with the kitchen to see if they had any left, and she sorta non-comitally acknowledged my ask.  She returned several times to check on us, deliver drinks, etc but didn't mention the liver.  I asked again if she was able to ask, and she said no, she hadn't, and this time at least said she would.  I think she could tell I was going to be a bit annoying. She never got back to me this time either, BUT it did work out ...

The appetizers arrived in a couple waves, with a few min lag between waves.

Focaccia. $12.

"Whipped ricotta, olive oil, lemon, rosemary."

The hungry carb lovers really enjoyed the focaccia.  I never care for focaccia, so I skipped it, but tried the whipped ricotta.  I thought it was fine, not interesting, but the group really liked it.  The pool of olive oil on top seemed unnecessary, but set the tone for the rest of the main, which was very olive oil heavy throughout.  It was attractively presented on the cutting board.

Deviled Eggs. $14.

"w/ tuna salpicon."

The group also ordered a bunch of deviled eggs, which came 4 (halves) to an order.  I do like deviled eggs, although rarely order them out (and yes, deviled eggs went through *such* a phase in SF a few years back where ~everywhere had them on menus, with fun toppings/seasonings/etc, so this is not novel to me).  I think I ate way too many deviled eggs in college, where making them myself in the dining hall was my fun hack (as we had hard boiled eggs available in the salad bar, mayo and mustard and pickles in the sandwich bar, etc).

They had a somewhat unique presentation, with the eggs perched on top of extra yolk filling, and the filling clearly applied inside and out with a piping bag.  They were sliced the opposite way of how I slice them when I make them myself, but I suspect this allowed for more generous filling (and they seemed to use more yolks than whites per piece).

I tried one when there were still several left.  The filling was entirely average - it wasn't particularly creamy, it wasn't particularly seasoned, it was just generic deviled egg filling.  The tuna salpicon on top was a nice touch though, it added a salty briny pop to the eggs, much like roe does (another common bougie-up deviled eggs topping).

The tuna was unique, but still just 3/5 as there was nothing compelling about these.

Tempura Vegetables. $17.
w/ lemon aioli.

The server told us all about the vegetable tempura, which changes out based on fresh seasonal vegetables.  She recommended it, and told us it had squash, okra, squash blossoms, and I think a few other things.  I wasn't particularly interested as none of the particular veggies called out, but the group ordered it.  It was a fairly sizable portion, so I did try a few pieces.

It wasn't very good.  The ratio of batter seemed way off, far too much coating, which I wouldn't have minded if the flavor was good, but the batter also didn't really have much flavor.  Nor were they well seasoned.  Kinda greasy.  The pieces were nicely crisp however.  Eh.

The lemon aioli was standard, not particularly strong lemon.  Others dunked their tempura in the ricotta instead.  2/5.

Crab Beignets. $19.

"Carolina lump crab, smoked bluefish, corn, tartar sauce."

We finally got to an appetizer I ordered, not because I was that excited for it, but because it was the most appealing thing on the available menu (as the liver was not an option).  I knew from having read reviews that people were pretty lukewarm on it, and that in particular I should not expect a beignet, but rather, basically a crispier ball shaped crab cake (that also had corn and bluefish in it), so my expectations were set accordingly.

And yeah, the reviews seem accurate.  The balls were very crispy, perhaps a touch over fried, and definitely nothing beignet like about them besides the shape.  They came on top of what was dubbed a tartar sauce, and I usually love tartar sauce, but I wasn't into this.  It seemed more like a watery relish, with lots of chunks (good), but far too much red onion/acid, no brininess, and was just strangely liquidy.  I was excited to dredge my crab in it, until I took one bite, and changed my mind. 1/5 tartar sauce.

Crab Beignet: inside.

Inside was indeed a generous amount of crab, but also bluefish that had a pretty strong flavor, and masked the more delicate crab.  It was fairly fishy.  The corn I didn't actually notice while eating them, but the kernels were there.  So crispy, yes, but again a bit greasy, and the taste just wasn't very good. 2.5/5.

Charred Bread (for liver).

A few minutes later, another server emerged, and put a bread board on the table. We had not ordered another bread, but he quickly explained that it was a gift from the kitchen.  The bread was toasted fairly crisp, and was a kinda generic rustic/peasant loaf style.  Kinda average, not good nor bad, but also not something any of us really wanted.  3/5.  

I later realized this was intended to go with the liver (when I had it previously, it came with little crostini.  I'm not sure if their preparation changed, or if this is just how they improvised given that the liver was no longer on the menu).  

Off-menu Liver!

And behold, my liver!  Although it was not on the menu, and although my server definitely never indicated that they could still indeed whip this out for me when asked, it did show up, with a smile (from another staff member) and a mention of being a special gift from the kitchen.

It came served just as I had it a year ago with pickled cucumber and onion, plus a slightly odd garnish of an herb I couldn't identify.  That herb showed up later on my scallop dish, looking equally, if not moreso, random.

It was creamy, richy, and quite good, but I again felt it was missing salt to make it pop (harder to solve there in the restaurant than at home where I had nice finishing salts handy, and they had no salt or pepper on the tables and I was too lazy to ask), and missing a sweet component to balance it out. The pickles were quite harsh and highly acidic, but did cut through the richness of the liver a bit.

So, the liver itself was easily 4/5, probably 4.5/5, but the composed dish was more like a 3/5.  It wasn't a problem as I had ordered the other appetizers, and just took this home to play with.  I served it on top of fluffy toasted brioche one night, and on truffled brioche crackers another, and added fresh blackberries and fancy salt, and really adored it again.

Salads / Sides

The menu has a trio of salads, only a super basic little gems (literally, just lettuce and radishes in, you guessed it, olive oil dressing), a stone fruit salad, and heirloom tomatoes.  For sides, there are four vegetables, one of which is another raw tomato dish (this time beefsteak tomatoes, but I'm not sure what else is different from the salad version, as both has oil and basil and little else ...), plus romano beans, eggplant, or corn on the cob.  The middle two options didn't seem particularly seasonal, which seemed odd, given the farm to table nature of the restaurant, and the fact that it was peak summer.  I found it interesting that there were no carbs/starch side options, no token mashed potatoes or even fries (although the later did come with a few dishes).

The server tried to encourage ordering some vegetable sides for the table, but no one was interested.  No one wanted salads either.  I however really did want some vegetables, so I ordered one of the two tomato dishes, randomly picking the heirlooms (considered a salad) as it seemed perhaps a bit nicer?

Heirloom Tomatoes. $18.

"Olive oil, salt crystals, basil, red onion."

The dish was basically exactly what it seemed it would be.  Assorted colors and sizes of heirloom tomatoes.  Some thin sliced red onion.  A bit of basil.  And of course, lots of olive oil.  Like other dishes, they needed salt, despite salt crystals being an explicit ingredient.

I didn't find any of the flavors of any of the tomatoes to be nearly as intense as I hoped.  They were vibrant, and it looked great, but the flavors were fairly average.  My office salad bar had more flavorful tomatoes.  Absolutely nothing remarkable about this dish, and certainly not worth $18.  3/5.

Mains

The dinner menu has only 8 main dish protein choices, pretty much the basics: burger, steak, roast chicken, and slightly more interesting pork chop for the meat & poultry eaters, two kinds of fish, scallops, and lobster.  They came as fairly fully composed dishes, the burger and lobster with fries, the steak with potatoes, and others with some kind of minor vegetable side.  The majority of the group, myself included, ordered the scallops, although we had one person get each of the fish (tuna, bluefish), and one person get steak.  I was curious about the bluefish, as I've never had it, but I can never pass up scallops.

There are also two pastas and one pizza, all vegetarian, and it was unclear if these were main dish portions or smaller dishes.  We didn't get any, although one diner was tempted by all of them.

Pan Roasted Sea Scallops. $33.

"Fresh corn pudding, oregano, roasted red pepper relish."

My heart kinda sank when the scallops were placed in front of me.  This was perhaps the least attractive dish of scallops I've ever seen!  But aesthetics aside, I had issues with the execution too.

First, the scallops were sliced horizontally 2-3 times, so although there were 7-8 slices, I think it was only 2, maybe 3, full size scallops.  I know this is a style, and one even Gordon Ramsay does at his restaurants, but, I really like whole scallops, with a hard sear, and mid-rare center.  Particularly for a main dish, not appetizer portion, this prep seemed odd.  These were cooked fine, not rubbery, but barely any sear, and obviously fully cooked since so thin.  They were fine, but just not the style of scallop prep I would prefer.  3.5/5.

Then there was the "fresh corn pudding", that was a sorta chunky corn puree of sorts.  I loved the sounds of this, as I adore summer corn, and the natural sweetness of both scallops and corn seemed like they'd pair beautifully, but it was strangely bitter.  The texture/consistency was good, but the bitterness really somewhat ruined the otherwise delicate nature of the dish.  Another dinner who also ordered this commented that it was bitter and seemed like maybe it was made with just too much olive oil, which can make things bitter.  So, great concept, not great execution. 2/5.

The roasted red pepper relish I actually was sad to see on the menu, as I don't care for red peppers usually, but this was fine, and did compliment both the corn and scallops well.  It was fairly oily though, like many things in this meal.  3/5.

The random herb garnish seemed entirely out of place (the same garnish that came with my liver).

So put it altogether, and it was great concept of a dish, but alas, just not great in actual taste.  3/5.

All Natural Sirloin Steak. $44.
(partially consumed).

"Crisp potatoes, brava sauce, garlic, smoked paprika, salsa verde."

The server told us the steak was her favorite dish, and really sold it.  The diner next to me ordered it, and definitely thought it was oversold.  She thought it was fine, but not particularly great, and definitely not the patatas bravas style dish that was enthusiastically described.  In particular, she was let down by the sauce, that seemed like just gochujang.  She offered me what was left (pictured here), and of course I tried it.

The potatoes were decent - *very* crispy, very oily.  They reminded me of the style of potatoes that are frequently served in Australia, except that the interior wasn't as creamy.  The salt level was good on them.  But they were kinda dry, besides the oil, and I felt myself wanting something to dip them in (even ketchup would have helped!).  And, just swimming in oil on the plate.  Low 3/5.

The condiment provided was a "brava" sauce/spread, that had a bit of smokiness to it, but also just wasn't very good.  It seemed to be lacking something, not quite sure what, but it just wasn't very balanced nor enjoyable. 2/5.

Dessert

After the dishes were cleared from our main course, the table was crumbed again, and we were presented dessert menus.  Even after a kinda ho-hum meal, of course I wanted dessert.

Dessert / Cheese / Drinks.

The desert lineup is fairly small, with just three real desserts (a fruity one, a chocolate one, a cheesecake), plus cookies, ice cream, and sorbet.  Our group all mostly ordered the same thing (shortcake!), although two people opted for just a simple scoop of lemon sorbet, and one selected cookies.  I was disappointed that no one ordered the cheesecake, as I did want to try it (although, it was goat cheese!).  

We were strangely all given spoons only for our dessert, which was difficult to use to eat the shortcake.  Several of us asked for a fork instead.

Summer Berry Shortcake. $12.

"Jersey strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, vanilla whipped cream."

The shortcake was good.  It wasn't quite a traditional shortcake, at least, not how I grew up with it with a biscuit (generally cut in half), topped with macerated (or fresh) berries, topped with whipped cream, but rather it was a layered tower with the shortcake biscuit split in half, with layers of whipped cream between the pieces and on top, and then more of a berry coulis or sauce than fresh or macerated berries spooned over it all.  In fact, the number of sliced or whole berries was fairly minimal.

But it was still decent.  The shortcake biscuit was fairly firm (and nearly impossible to eat with the spoon they gave us!), but it had a decent flavor to it, a slight tang, and some sugar crystals on the outside to accent it.  A fine, but average fine, biscuit.  Not memorable, but it certainly didn't detract if that makes sense.  3/5 biscuit.

The whipped cream was above average, very thick, rich, not overly sweetened, and just tasted like really good fresh cream.  It reminded me of whipped cream you'd get in Japan where the taste of the fresh milk/cream is the dominant feature.  4/5 whipped cream.

The berry element, the least traditional aspect of it, is what I liked most.  The coulis was super fruity, very sweet yet somehow not cloying, and just really intense berry.  I wanted to lap up every last drop of it.  I did sorta miss having more actual berries, but this was too tasty to really be mad at.  4/5 berry stuff.

The plating did feel a bit like they were trying to elevate a classic comfort food homemade dessert to restaurant level, and failed slightly, as it did look messy (and not in a rustic charm way), and the mint sprig was just sorta there.  Overall though, very enjoyable, low 4/5.

One of my fellow diners was smart enough to order vanilla ice cream with theirs, which I got to try as well.  It was good - fairly creamy, quite strong vanilla bean flavor.  Not something worth getting on its own, but so great with that sauce. 3.5/5.

Oatmeal Dried Cherry Cookies. $10.
(+whipped cream, berries).

"White chocolate, pumpkin & sesame seeds."

The cookies actually came with 3 to the order, but the person who ordered them had only one, and passed the rest along to the rest of the group.  No one wanted to even try them, so of course I couldn't let them go to waste, even though cookies are definitely not what I consider a real dessert (particularly when I had my glorious shortcake!).  She also asked for basically the shortcake toppings with her cookies, basically wanting the berries, and was given a small bowl of the berries (which you can see she enjoyed!) and whipped cream that she did not have.  I was more than happy to take the extra whipped cream too!

The cookies were ... fine?  Fairly soft but still crispier around the edges than I like.  Pretty hearty, kinda healthy tasting cookies from the seeds and oats, yet plenty sweet from white chocolate, dried cherries, and sugar, the base cleary was a regular sugar content style cookie, not a healthier style.  I really wanted to like them more than I did, as I do love white chocolate, but I just didn't find anything particularly special about these.  Some slight lemon notes to them as well.  Low 3/5.

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Mendocino Farms

I'm a huge fan of Mendocino Farms, which, if you know anything about it, may surprise you.  

"At Mendocino Farms, your favorite food experience awaits. Our creative sandwiches, salads and more take you on an unexpected culinary adventure with fresh ingredients and fearless flavor combinations."

It is a sandwich/salad shop basically (even if their own description sounds more exciting!), not really the sort of place I get excited about (particularly as my job has lunch provided daily, so I don't seek out places that are primarily lunch venues). They are a chain mostly in California (LOTS of locations in the LA area, San Diego, Orange County), but have more recently expanded into Northern California, and a few other western states.  I remember trying it for the first time, years ago, when I was on a business trip in Southern California somewhere, and I was blown away by some of their deli salad side dishes.  I was thrilled when I heard we were getting one (now two!) in San Francisco.

My First Visit to Mendo!

My first visit was for a pre-opening event at the first San Francisco location, and I (with a few others) ordered a variety of items to try.  I left very satisfied, and thrilled to have Mendocino Farms finally in SF.

Menu.

The menu at Mendocino Farms is basically sandwiches, some entree salads, and a few sides like deli salads and soups.  They take an approach of having highly curated sandwiches/salads (e.g. pre-defined ingredients, not tons of customization).  The menu has signature items that never change, along with seasonal offerings.

Sandwiches

If you ask someone what Mendocino Farms is, they will likely tell you a sandwich place.  I believe that is their main selling point for most people.  The menu always has the same core 11 sandwiches (mostly chicken, a couple turkey, steak, veggie). These staples have changed only slightly over time, as they have retired a few and promoted a few others to menu mainstays, but largely stay consistent.  They also generally have 1-2 seasonal specials.  They are fairly curated sandwiches, with only a few modifications available.

Stack of Sandwiches?

I visited, along with many other food bloggers/influences for a pre-opening event.  I did not do this with my sandwiches, but someone else did, and I thought it was too funny not to take a photo myself.  All for the 'gram ...

This person had a stack of sandwiches, they looked to be, from top to bottom:

• Nam’s Charity Chicken Banh Mi (Seasonal)
• Summer Heirloom BLT (Seasonal)
• Peruvian Steak Sandwich + Avocado
• Mendo’s Original Pork Belly Banh Mi

I was pretty impressed with slices of heirloom tomato in the seasonal BLT special, seriously wondrous looking!  And of course, seeing the pork belly in the famous banh mi was pretty tempting.

Foodie Favorites: “Not So Fried” Mary's Chicken. $11.95.

"Shaved, roasted Mary's free range chicken breast topped with Mendo’s krispies, herb aioli, mustard pickle slaw, tomatoes, pickled red onions (640 cal) on toasted ciabatta (260 cal) with a side of our chipotle BBQ (80 cal) or mustard pickle remoulade (120 cal)."

The first thing I tried?  The "Not So Fried" chicken sandwiches.  This is one of Mendocino Farm's most popular sandwiches.

Yes I, Julie, the girl who "doesn't like sandwiches", got a sandwich.  I, Julie, the girl who doesn't like chicken, got chicken.  A chicken sandwich.  Yeah, what?

Why?  Well, because there were just way too many things about this that sounded amazing.  "Mendo's krispies" looked so good in every photo I saw.  I love sauces, and this had herb aioli in it, plus chipotle BBQ and mustard pickle remoulade on the side.  It had a fascinating sounding slaw (mustard pickle)?! I like pickled red onions, and fresh, in season, tomatoes sounded great.

Basically, I wanted everything inside, except the chicken.  And, this wasn't one where I could sub out the chicken  ... if I wanted the crispies.

I could have gotten it as a salad of course, but, the aioli, bbq, and remoulade seemed like odd toppings for a salad.  I did almost change it out to the pretzel roll, as that was something I might possibly like, or for a wrap, to minimize the bread, but, I decided to leave it unmodified to fairly evaluate.

It was a massive sandwich, cut in half, where I kinda felt like one half, plus all the sides I sampled on the way to the register, were a full meal.  The sandwich weighs in at 14.8 oz.  You can get this one as just a half sandwich paired with a side actually as a Blue Plate Special, which seems far more reasonable to me.

Anyway, the sandwich.

The bread was not really toasted even though it was supposed to be.  Not hot, not crisp.  Just ... ciabatta.  One side seemed slathered in something very oily.  I'm not sure what, but it was really, really oily, almost like it was buttered in herb butter.  The other side was spread extremely generously with herb aioli, which was tasty.  (Oh, warning, this was not a light sandwich, in any way, if you weren't picking up on that already).

It comes with chipotle bbq or mustard pickle remoulade on the side, or both, which of course I asked for.  My order came with the bbq on the side, but not the mustard pickle remoulade, but that was easily remedied with a quick trip to the pickup window, where one was handed over immediately.

I'm all for sauces, and dipping sauces, so this sounded amazing to me, but the sandwich was loaded with sooo much stuff, including the aforementioned generous aioli, that I'm still not quite sure what their purpose was.

The chipotle bbq was fine, a thin style bbq sauce, decent flavor.  It was fine bbq sauce, but I didn't find it standout in any way.

The mustard pickle remoulade though that I worked so hard for ... I hated.  Like, really hated.  The mustard was just not a style I like, and way too strong.  I didn't taste any pickle.  I really really did not like this.  So, good it comes on the side right?  Well ... I almost think the mustard pickle remoulade was already spread inside, as I tasted it inside too.

“Not So Fried” Mary's Chicken: Cross Section.

Here you can see the cross section and all the fillings.

Starting from the bottom, adjacent to the bread, the aforementioned generous amount of herb aioli.  It was creamy, flavorful, and good.  I liked that they put it against the tomatoes, as, in my world, tomatoes are always best consumed with mayo or aioli.  The tomatoes themselves were boring though, not fresh juicy amazing things I was hoping for.

Above them was the slaw.  Mustard pickle slaw.  A standard cabbage slaw base with cucumber pickles brined in rice wine vinegar and mustard.  The cabbage and pickles were fine, but it had the same mustard taste I hated in the remoulade.  And it was front and center.  Literally.  Tons of it.  It collided with everything.  I tasted it immediately.  And, just like as the side sauce, I hated it.  Ooph.

Above that was the pickled red onions (fine), and then the coveted chicken and "Mendo’s krispies."  Now, the krispies were everything I wanted them to be, made from fried bits of buttermilk batter.  Yes, literally the best part of fried chicken, really.  Crispy.  Seasoned.  There was tons of them.  I loved them.  But they were contaminated with the slaw.  Sigh.  The chicken was fine, white meat, moist, tender, quality chicken.  But I don't actually like chicken.  From visual inspection, it kinda looked like they just put on a layer of krispies, then chicken, then more krispies, and that they don't actually pre-coat the chicken, so maybe, just maybe, I could just get krispies?  With pork belly instead?  Mmmmm.

And then, the top layer of bread, as I mentioned, was strangely really oily.

The net result?  I did not like the sandwich, but I tried so hard to.  I really, really did.  And I think the sandwich has tons of merit, if you like sandwiches, and if you like the mustard flavor.  It had juicy ingredients.  It had crunch.  It had creamy stuff.  It came with dipping sauces.  But ... this was really, truly not for me in any way. *+.

"Not So Fried" Chicken Sandwich.
(2025 Event).

"Chicken, Mendo’s krispies, mustard pickle slaw, tomatoes, pickled red onions, herb aioli, on toasted ciabatta with a side of golden BBQ sauce or mustard remoulade (900-1020 cal)."

Years later, I was at an event with Mendocino Farms catering (yay!) but alas, they had only two kinds of sandwiches available: the "Not So Fried" chicken or a pesto chicken caprese.  Both chicken and not very appealing.  Still, I decided it was a good opportunity to try the "Not So Fried" again years later, to see if my feelings had changed at all.

And luckily for me ... they did!  While I still didn't love the sliced deli meat chicken (it is chicken after all), I actually liked everything else quite a bit.  The juicy crisp slaw didn't turn me off as it did before and I liked the mustard flavor, as it went great with the tomato. The tomato was fresh and juicy.  Pickled red onions great for acidity.  The crispies were excellent.  It was dripping in creamy aioli.  I even liked the lightly toasted ciabatta, as it tasted really quite fresh, was lightly crisp on the outside, and had nice base flavor.  It was a bit of a mess to eat, but in a fun good way.

Great flavors, textures, kinda decadent really.  I liked it, more than most sandwiches, no question.  ***+.

Summer Heirloom BLT. $10.95.
Summer Seasonal.

"Heirloom tomatoes, nitrate-free Applewood smoked bacon, habanero honey, Sir Kensington’s mayonnaise, arugula (560 cal) on toasted rustic white (320 cal)."

Another visit, and I got another sandwich.  Again, I'm not generally a sandwich girl, but, I was drawn in by the food porn I had seen of this sandwich, featuring thick sliced, juicy juicy juicy, heirloom tomatoes.  So one day, when kinda craving bacon too, I decided to go for it.

Wow.  This is what every BTL *wants* to be.  The super thick, generous slice of tomato was as glorious as I hoped, very fresh, flavorful, quality tomato.  It made the entire sandwich oh so juicy.  The crisp arugula was a nice compliment.

And then the bacon.  So much bacon.  They did *not* skimp on this, and it was the kind of bacon I particularly like, crispy, not flabby.  It provided a fantastic crunch to the whole thing.

And then, the condiments, not a throwaway afterthought, they really enhanced the sandwich.  Very generously applied mayo (on both sides of the bread) gave the creamy quality and extra smooth fattiness, and the habanero honey (!) just sealed the deal with a hint of spice and underlying sweetness.

This was a sandwich that just ate really, really well.  Fresh and juicy and crispy and everything all at once.  The only thing I didn't love was the bread, just because it was kinda boring, and I'd prefer something like dutch crunch.

Overall though, a very good sandwich.  ***+.

Vegan Bahn Mi. (Half).

"Organic marinated, baked tofu with vegan aioli, sweet chili sauce, housemade pickled daikon & carrots, cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro (390 cal) on panini-pressed ciabatta (260 cal)".

Another visit, another sandwich.  I got the vegan bahn mi as part of a Blue Plate Special, where you can pick a half sandwich and then either a deli side or soup to build your own combo.  The sandwich options for the Blue Plate Special are limited however, just a few choices, mostly the simple, classic sandwiches.  I was thrilled to see a bahn mi on the list, as I wanted to try that one for ages, but alas, only the vegan (tofu) version was an option, not the pork belly.  Still, I tried it.

The bahn mi comes on ciabatta, not exactly a traditional bahn mi, but it was nicely pressed, with visible grill marks, crispy.  That said, sadly, because of an issue with another item in my order, it wasn't still warm when I got it.

Vegan Bahn Mi: Inside.

While the bread used isn't traditional for a bahn mi, the insides mostly were: pickled daikon & carrot, cilantro, cucumbers, jalapeño.  These were all fine, the cucumber nicely julienned, crisp enough, fresh enough.  The jalapeño did add a nice kick.

Bahn mi for me is made delicious usually by tasty spreads (and pate!), and while pate was not an option, it did come with vegan aioli and sweet chili sauce, spread on one side of the bread, and, unlike many other sandwiches from Mendocino Farms, seemed applied with considerable restraint (particularly compared to the Heirloom Tomato BLT and Impossible Burger ... both of which was smothered in sauce!).   They were fine, added a touch of sweetness and creaminess, but, I really did want more from them.  The pork belly version has a chili aioli instead, which I wonder if is better?  In particular, I wanted some spice from it.

And finally, the tofu.  I actually do enjoy some tofu, usually soft tofu, or firm tofu when I throw it on to my panini press to make it super crispy, so I didn't really have high hopes for this tofu, although I thought the marinade may jazz it up a little.  It ... didn't really.  It was just, firm, baked, tofu.  Meh.  I expect the pork belly version to be considerably better.

Overall, I was glad to get to try a bahn mi, and I think if I were vegan, this would be great (the pedigree was all there), but, since it was toasted but cold, lacking as much sauce as I wanted, and, uh, tofu, it certainly isn't something I'd get again.

**+.

The Impossibly Good Impossible Burger. $13.25 + $5 (extra patty).

"House-seasoned Impossible burger patty topped with plant-based smoked provolone, roasted umami mushrooms, caramelized onion jam, tomatoes, shredded romaine, roasted garlic aioli (600 cal) on a toasted plant-based brioche bun (210 cal)."

The vegetarian (and vegan) options at Mendocino Farms are extensive, including ... yup, the Impossible burger.  Note that they don't even have a regular beef burger on the menu, only the vegetarian one.  It comes loaded up with fantastic sounding goodies (roasted mushrooms, caramelized onion jam,  roasted garlic aioli), and a vegan cheese that I was a little skeptical about (but hey, smoked provolone does sound good ...).

To the burger you can add a second patty, which I did.  Like most of the menu, no option to add anything else, like bacon, avocado, etc.

I have to admit, this burger looked pretty awesome.  The toasted brioche bun had a great shine to it, it was oozing with aioli-jam-cheese, and, zomg, the patties.  I was expecting much smaller, and thinner, patties (hence the double up!), and wow, each one was a substantial patty.  As you may imagine, it was quite the mess to eat.

Now ... here is where it gets hard to write this review.  My burger was hot and ready, right on time, but another item in my order had a mistake (which the staff caught before bringing me any of my order), and thus, it sat there, getting cold, as they re-made the mistake item (had I realized what was going on, I would have asked for the burger!  I could see it!). So, alas, it was not only not hot, it as honestly pretty cold, and for a burger, that just isn't great.  Disclaimer: I was there for a training day, so, mistakes and things like this were expected, and I wasn't upset, just, unfortunate.

The bun was better than average - it tasted fresh, was fluffy, and was lightly toasted.  This is the only item on the menu that uses the bun.  For low carb option, the burger is also available as a lettuce wrap.

The bun was smothered, really smothered, on top, with the roasted garlic aioli, the caramelized onion jam, and the melted vegan provolone cheese.  It oozed out, it made the whole thing very messy, and quite creamy. I wish I had asked for the aioli (and maybe the jam) on the side though, as they really did overwhelm, and there was something in the taste, I think of the onion jam, that I didn't quite enjoy.  And the vegan smoked provolone ... reminded me of goat cheese.  As you may recall, I dislike goat cheese.  It was beautifully melted, but even smelt a bit goaty.  This was odd, as I've had (and really don't mind!) many kinds of vegan cheese before, but this was just not a winner for me.  So sadly, these toppings, the things I expected to adore, just weren't winners for me.  I think if I were to get this again, I'd get the aioli/jam on the side, and maybe opt for 1000 Island instead (like special sauce), and I'd certainly swap out the cheese.  

The roasted umami mushrooms however were a surprise hit - I thought it would just be some sliced button mushrooms or something, but these were nice, meaty, assorted wild mushrooms.  They added a great chew.  Definitely a winning element, and I wished you could add these on to salads and other sandwiches.  The shredded romaine was just that, and the single piece of sliced tomato was highly average (very different from the thick sliced glorious heirlooms on the seasonal BLT).

And finally, of course, the patties.  As I said, they were very sizable - both in girth and thickness, and were different from other Impossible patties I've had elsewhere.  They seemed heavily seasoned, and there was visible herbs in them?  There was more than just the burger meat in them it seemed, and the result was a patty that didn't taste quite as beefy.  They were decently moist, but lacked any char to them.  I also really just enjoy my Impossible meat with ketchup (and optionally, some mustard), and I found myself really, really wanting some for my burger.

So overall, a mixed bag for me.  I loved the concept, it was a great looking burger, and elements like the bun and mushrooms were above average, but, I didn't actually like it all put together all that much.  I'll say **+ overall, and this is clearly a case where the parts didn't add up for me, and, I think the coldness definitely didn't help.

Salads

Mendocino Farms is known mostly for the sandwiches, but, salads are a legit part of the lineup, with 5 different signature entree salads on the roster, and again, 1-2 seasonal specials.  I've heard that salads are actually 1/4 of their sales volume.  Lesser known fact: you can get any sandwich made into a salad if you prefer!

Salads come with a whole wheat tortilla on the side, and there is also an option to have your salad itself turned into a wrap, which I assume uses the same whole wheat tortilla.  Just like the sandwiches, it is clearly marked which can be made entirely gluten-Free (some, like the Impossible Burger based taco salad cannot since the Impossible Burger itself contains wheat gluten, and the Chinese salad has fried wontons, etc), and those obviously leave out the tortilla.  Vegetarian options are also clearly marked, and many have vegetarian or vegan versions as well (using tofu instead of chicken).  Like the sandwiches, there isn't really much of a customization option, with just a few modifications possible.

I was drawn in by a number of the salads.  The Impossible Taco Salad for sure, as I wanted to try the Impossible Burger again (and it has "housemade superfood krunchies", which sound fascinating, made from crunchy fried quinoa, millet, heirloom red rice, and nutritional yeast.  And it comes with vegan cashew chipotle ranch ... yes, I really do like these sort of things sometime.)  Mama Chen’s Chinese Chicken Salad also called out, as I love cabbage, slaw, bean sprouts, and crispy wontons, which were just some of the ingredients.  Even "The Modern Caesar 2.0" sounded like a fun version, with kale, more of those superfood krunchies, and more.  And I did consider the pork belly bahn mi sandwich as a salad.

But ... I went for the Asian Spring Roll Salad as I was really craving peanut satay, and it featured a peanut satay dressing.  I still want to try all the others listed above.

Asian Spring Roll Salad (Seasonal).
Chicken on the Side, Add Fried Wontons. $12.65

"Shaved, roasted Mary’s free range chicken breast, carrot and zucchini noodles, red cabbage, red onions, mint, toasted cashews, spicy Fresno chilis, Scarborough Farm’s arugula, chopped romaine, fried shallots (360 cal) with peanut satay cilantro-lime vinaigrette (260 cal). Go Vegan! Substitute our organic marinated, baked tofu in place of the Mary’s chicken! (710 cal)."

Since I don't actually like chicken, or tofu, I got the chicken, but asked for it on the side, so I could give it to my partner, who does like chicken.  A random gift, "hey hun, I got you some shaved roasted free range chicken breast, uh, enjoy?", but hey, it was better than eating around it, or not getting my full value of my salad!

I also asked to have fried wontons added to the salad, since they were the key component making me consider the other Asian style salad.  They asked if I wanted them mixed in or on the side, and I quickly decided to put them on the side, so they wouldn't get soggy.

The wontons were a highlight for me.  Crispy, large sizes, far bigger than I was expecting actually, and great dipped in things.

When I ordered togo, the person taking my order said, "I'll put the dressing on the side, since you are getting togo, ok?", which I really appreciated.  Freshness!  The dressing was good, I liked the peanut aspect to it, but it was a soy based (I think) vinaigrette still, appropriate for salad, but what I really wanted was thicker peanut satay dipping sauce, like Koi Palace Express serves with their Asian chicken salad.

So. Much. Salad.

The salad, by the way, is insanely large.  If the volume wasn't obvious in the first shot, here it might be.  So. Much.  Salad.

I felt so victorious once I finally reached the end - which was the next day.  I smartly didn't dress the whole thing and saved half, once I realized how large it was (particularly given my sides too!).  I wouldn't recommend saving this one though, the zucchini and carrot were moist, so they made the greens wilt pretty quickly, and, the fried shallots got soggy, and the cashews soft.  I still enjoyed it once loaded with dressing and fresh crispies on day 2, but, it certainly suffered.

Asian Spring Roll Salad Base: Close Up.

So, what did we have in the salad itself?

Arugula and romaine were the base, fresh and crisp, decently sized pieces, good balance of each.  The arugula was a bit of pepperiness against the more boring, but appreciatively juicy, romaine.  Shredded red cabbage and red onions both added vibrant purple color and a bit of crispness.  The carrot and zucchini noodles were long thin shreds of each, more interesting than just standard shredded carrots or zucchini, but I'm not a huge fan of zucchini in my salads.  I also found at least one kinda fun carrot spiral in the mix.

The mint was a nice touch, amping up the flavor and calling out the spring roll nature a bit.  I really appreciated bites that got a full mint leaf in them.  The Fresno chilis gave pops of red color, but not the promised heat, they were more sweet to me.  Toasted halves of cashew added texture, but I found myself just wanting them to be peanuts to mirror peanut sauce play on spring rolls.  Finally, the fried shallots were crispy little bits of fried goodness, but of course I wanted more, and far more crunch.  Good thing I had the wontons on the side!

Overall, it was a good salad.  Fairly light, fresh, colorful, with interesting textures and components.  It was nice to order it togo because I could shake it up in the plastic container and get it really nicely dressed.  The dressing and other components did work well together. ***.

But ... it was just a salad, and I was let down, I think because I ordered it mostly because I really just wanted amazing peanut sauce, which this didn't really have.  I think I'd probably prefer the other asian salad, the Mama Chen's Chinese version, with its more interesting base (napa cabbage and kale), more interesting veggies (carrots and bean sprouts), and of course, the crispy wontons.  I am not excited about the mustard sesame dressing either though ... and none of the other dressings really seem like they'd go with it ... uh, the vegan cashew ranch?

Build Your Own.  $10.95 + $2 Bacon.

"When you build your own salad, the item price includes one cheese, two accents, and three fruits or veggies."

As I've mentioned, you can't customize the signature salads/sandwiches much, and, although they have a build your own option, it is very limited.  You cannot stray from the set salad formula of just one cheese + two accents (sauces) + three total fruits/veggies.  What kind of decent salad has only 3 real ingredients besides the base?  No ability to add an additional ingredient, even for an upcharge.  It is really quite limiting.  My creation:

• Protein: Braised, Caramelized Pork Belly
• Base: Kale & Chopped Romaine
• Dressing: Miso Mustard Sesame (on the side)
• Cheese: Smoked Gouda
• Accents: Aji Amarillo Sauce, Smokey 1000 Island (on the side)
• Fruits or Veggies: Krispies, Superfood Krunchies, Wontons (on the side)
• Premium add-on: Bacon

A base salad is $8.25 with no meat, or the different meat options range from $9.25 for bacon up to $12.45 for an impossible patty.  There is no option to double up.  I selected the pork belly.  And just the fun crunchies as my "fruits/veggies", so I literally had no vegetables in this besides the base.  Sauces/dressing + fatty meat + crispy things.  That's how I roll.

The pork belly was ... well, simply put, glorious.  ZOMG.  I know people rave about it, and I know it *is* pork belly after all, but, I wasn't expecting it to be this good!  It was hot, clearly cooked to order, big hunks, small enough that you didn't necessarily need a knife, but plenty big to feel substantial.  The exterior was crispy, the inside moist, it had just the right chew, and the marinade was delicious.  Seriously.  That pork belly.  It worked great on top of a salad, but I imagine the pork belly bahn mi, its original home, is fabulous too.

While you can't select two proteins (e.g. pork belly and steak), you can however select "premium add-ons", such as avocado, bacon, prosciutto, and more.  I added bacon, for $2, because, um, bacon.  The bacon I knew would be delicious, from the seasonal Heirloom Tomato BLT, and, yup, it was great bacon.  Crispy, not greasy, caramelized ... I'd call it glorious, really, but the pork belly wins that title.  Like other ingredients, cut up into nicely bite sized chunks, but not too small.  Did my salad need bacon and pork belly?  Of course not.  But was it porky deliciousness?  Absolutely.

From there, you pick the green base: romaine, either alone or with arugula or kale or mixed greens, or just mixed greens, or, for $0.50 more, spinach.  I went for the kale and romaine option, but really wanted kale and mixed greens, which isn't an option.  The base was good, plenty of it, fresh and crisp, perfect sized pieces, no knife required.  Not much to say about it.

Next, dressing and your choice of cheese from the extensive lineup (or avocado instead of cheese, if you prefer).  The cheese inclusion is a bit odd for a salad vs sando, but, I wasn't unhappy to add some gouda on there.  I had no idea what the salad cheese would be like, but it was just torn (or cut I suppose) up in to pieces and strewn about.  Because the pork belly was hot, it was slightly limp and sweaty, which was fine, even if it looked less than idea.  It seemed like average gouda, not particularly smoky.

**** for all this together.

Dressing & Accents: Miso Mustard Sesame Dressing,
Aji Amarillo Sauce, Smokey 1000 Island.

For dressing, I usually go for something creamy, but opted for the dressing usually used on the pork belly bahn mi salad, the miso mustard sesame.  All dressing comes on the side by design, and the containers even have a built-in dressing holder!  The dressing was fine, some light sesame flavor, but it was a vinaigrette, just not my thing.  I didn't taste the miso. **+.

The accents choices are ... well, odd for a salad.  You'd expect this to be things like nuts and seeds or crunchy toppings as "accents", but actually, this is just a selection of sauces and condiments, again, a bit odd for a salad.  I randomly picked two good sounding sauces, and opted for them on the side,  mostly just to try them, and likely use later.

The Smokey 1000 Island came in a full size dressing container, like the miso mustard sesame, even though it is considered an accent (it is used in the "Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Reuben" sandwich).  It was pretty delicious, slightly tangy, creamy, and, as promised, extremely smokey.  I really liked it, certainly an amped up version of standard 1000 Island.  I'm sure it is great on the reuben, and I think it would be fantastic on the burger too.  ****, a nice surprise and unique 1000 Island.

The aji amarillo sauce (used on the "Peruvian Steak" sandwich normally) on the other hand came in a smaller container.  It was fine, fairly standard aji amarillo, and likely a good pairing for the steak it normally comes with.  ***, fine.

"Fruits & Veggies": Krispies, Superfood Krunchies, Wontons.

And then, the real body of most salads, toppings, the fruits and veggies.  ... which also includes nuts (honey roasted almonds or cashews) and grains (quinoa & millet) and crunchy toppings, which, uh, I entirely opted for.  Again, you can't add any extra, even for a fee, which I found fairly frustrating.  These are normally mixed in, but I asked for them on the side.

I opted for the crunchy toppings rather than normal salad additions like fruits and veggies because I had plenty of produce at home, and these all sounded unique.  Plus, um, I love wontons?

The wontons came in a slightly larger container, which makes sense, as the tiny ones would only fit like one wonton.  These normally come on the Mama Chen’s Chinese Chicken Salad.  These were crispy, crunchy, and a great textural element to add to a salad, but weren't otherwise remarkable.  Still, I liked them.  ***+.

The two other items came in smaller containers, and I'll admit I didn't really know what I was ordering, but the "Superfood Krunchies" seemed to be the top leftmost ones, and quinoa was involved?  This comes on two Mexican inspired salads normally.  The quinoa was clearly toasted, and it was all seasoned well, quite flavorful.  Again, a great textural addition to a salad.  I think it would be great to mix in to yogurt too ... ***.

And finally, the "Krispies", which are different from "Krunchies", and do not normally exist in salads, but rather are the signature element of the “Not So Fried” Chicken sandwich, one of the OG items that really put Mendocino Farms on the map.  Think of ... little bits of fried chicken coating, but, a healthier version, and that is what you have here.  Again, great textural element, a bit lost in a salad, but highly effective in the sandwich. ***+.

I was pleased with all my crispy additions, and they really added unique elements to my salad.  I'd get any again.

Whole Wheat Tortilla.

Salads come with, optionally, a tortilla.  No other bread choice.  The tortilla ... honestly seems kinda random.  It came in its own little bag, and was just, well, a tortilla.  I suppose I could have made myself a little wrap with it, but, cold plain tortilla was an odd thing.  I expected it toasted or something? **.

Whole Wheat Tortilla (2021).

I had another a few years later.

I appreciated that it was warm this time, maybe it is supposed to be warmed normally?  

I did use it to make a little wrap with my side salads, but I still am just not really into whole wheat tortilla. **.

Sides

The deli sides are really my favorite thing about Mendocino Farms, and are what drew me in the first time.

It was pre-pandemic, and in that era, they always had samples of the deli salads readily available, and even pushed them on you.  I love samples, and I found so many of these sides that I really enjoyed.  They always offer a pasta salad and a potato salad, which rotate between a couple choices, and change weekly.  The others are seasonal, and frequently return from year to year.  Two soups are also always available, one core, one seasonal.

Sides are available in 3 sizes: small (serves 1, $2.85), medium (serves 2, $4.50), large (serves 3-4, $8.50), although prior to 2021 they came only in two sizes, the small was larger than the current small.

Side Salads.

Mendo offers 6 salads at a time: 1 rotating vegan potato salad, 1 rotating pasta salad, two seasonal salads, and a few staples like an amazing cous cous (seriously, trust me!).  I've been shocked by how much I've enjoyed several, so the very generous sampling methodology really does work.  I never would have tried ... any of these, besides maybe the potato salad.

Summer Watermelon & Feta (Seasonal Salad)
"with cucumber, mint, shaved red onion, scallions, and chipotle vinaigrette."

Since I'm allergic to watermelon, I never sampled, nor ordered, the watermelon offering, the seasonal salad for summer.

I've tried all others though.

Healthiest Side Salad Ever.

"Raw Beet, Ginger & Carrot Salad with Kale, Black Rice, Golden Raisins, Toasted Hazelnuts & Oranges."

I sampled this one day, and was really surprised how much I liked it.  More than the entree salads I ordered, actually.  The shredded beets, ginger, and carrot were crisp since raw and were quite flavorful together.  I loved the crunch from the black rice and hazelnuts.  I not only tolerated, but even kinda appreciated, the raisins and oranges, both ingredients I normally scoff at, but here they worked, adding juiciness, sweetness, and and acidity.  A beautifully balanced and designed salad, and I'll totally order this myself sometime if I'm not ordering an entree salad as I was that day.

Update Review: So, I got it again, as a side.  And ... I hated it.  Everything felt out of balance.  Way too much ginger, it tasted like I was eating a healthy juice shot, the ginger just overtook everything.  And those raisins and oranges?  Yeah, I wanted nothing to do with them either.

I'm not sure what changed here, me or the salad, as it really did seem very unbalanced, but it didn't leave me wanting to try it again.

This salad seems to have been dropped from the lineup, so, clearly I was not alone.

Curried Couscous (small - pre 2021).

"with Roasted Life’s a Choke Farm’s Cauliflower and Carrots."

It was my first sample of this that made me give Mendocino Farms a shot in the first place.  I walked in one day just to check out the menu and look around, while down in SoCal (I think it was in Irvine? I don't recall really), and the friendly staff made me sample things, even though I walked in, saw it was a sandwich, salad, and soup spot, and was turning around to go elsewhere.

I don't even really like cous cous, but she was so friendly and had cous cous salad in my hands before I could say no.  And, um, I loved it.  It was creamy and incredibly flavorful, and my notes from that visit said, "I don't understand, I don't like cous cous, or curry, but, wow, really tasty.  Get this again."

And so I did get it again.  And I continue to.  Basically ... every time I visit?  It is, hands down, no question, my favorite thing at Mendocino Farms.  If only they'd like me throw some of the magical krunchies from the "Not so Fried" chicken on top, and then I'd be all set.

The cous cous is large Israeli pearl cous cous, with a slight chew, but not al dente, just, kinda perfectly cooked.   The carrots are cooked, al dente, little cubes, and they give awesome crunch to contrast with the softer cous cous.

I'm not sure how it is dressed exactly, it is a creamy curry dressing, and the creaminess is amazing.  The curry is a bit spicy, super flavorful, and a unique flavor.  I think there are likely a slew of spices in here.  And mayo.  There must be mayo.   It isn't actually a light side, as the small container says it is 2 servings, each about 300 calories.

I adore this every time, and I'm surprised, every time.  Creamy, perhaps healthy-ish, and crunchy?  Yes, please. ****.

Spicy Curried Couscous (Small). $2.85. (2021)

"Roasted cauliflower & carrots with Mendo's signature spice mix (vegan)."

As I said, I adore this.  I get it every time, usually not as part of my meal, but as something to take home and eat later.

It is creamy, it is flavorful, the cous cous has the perfect texture, love the crunch from the carrots ... just, love it.  

Sometimes I find it a bit much on its own, but, when mixed with some greens (it works great with kale!), I really like it.  ****.

More Spicy Curried Cous Cous (Small). $2.85.

Like I said, I like this, and get it all the time.

It is so consistently good.  ****.

Spicy Curried Cous Cous over Curly Kale
Grape Tomatoes / Pickled Jalapeño.

"With a splash of pickle juice and soy sauce, topped with Mom's homemade Chex Mix Crumble."

And behold, how I often have it.  Over some greens (curly kale and romaine in this case), with some fresh tomatoes and pickled things (jalapeños here), a splash of pickle juice and soy sauce, and crispy topping (Mom's homemade Chex mix ftw!).

It balances it out, creates a fun side dish.

Spicy Curried Cous Cous with Crispy Chickpeas
over Romaine / Baby Spinach / Kale

"With a splash of pickle juice and soy sauce, topped with bacon bits & Everything But The Bagel Spice."

Another winner. Love having a nice mix of greens as a base, I always add a little soy and pickle juice, and then whatever else sounds fun.  The crispy chickpeas worked great, chickpea and cous cous and curry were very complimentary flavors.

Pickles & Dill Vegan Potato Salad (Small).

Mendo offers a vegan potato salad that rotates weekly between a Spicy Dijon and Pickles & Dill.  Somehow they always had the Spicy Dijon when I visited, and although I like the style, I don't really care for the flavor.  The mustard strikes again.

Anyway, both are the same fascinating style, where they incorporate a lot of mashed up potato into the mix, along with chunks (very large chunks!) of cooked potato.  It is more like a cold mashed potato mixed with potato salad, if that makes sense.  It is creamy in a different way, and fairly unique.  Certainly not mayo-laden, which is the style I would normally rave about, but this lighter feeling option does work.  And, I guess, its vegan too?  I like it.

I was thrilled when I finally visited and they finally had the pickles & dill potato salad.  Pickles? Check.  Dill? Sure.  These are things I like in my potato salad!

And, the result?  Good potato salad.  Bits of red skin in the mix too, plenty of dill for a nice herby quality, and some pickle, but I certainly would love even more pickle.  The dill is legit though, very, uh, dill forward.

I'm not sure I'd order it often, but if I was feeling in the mood for potato salad, this one is tasty enough. ***.

Pickles & Dill Potato Salad. (Vegan). Small. $2.85.

I have gotten the potato salad again a few times, again, not one I go for all that often, but sometimes I just really want potato salad, and this one is always good enough.  Not great, but "fine.

I don't taste pickles, but the dill is strong.  Love the creamy, basically mashed potato quality to it.  Besides dill though there is not tons of flavor, again, like mashed potato really.

I did try it once warmed up, with pulled pork and ribs, and bbq sauce, thinking I could pretend it was mashed potatoes, but that wasn't actually very successful.

***.

Spicy Dijon Potato Salad. (Vegan). Small. $2.85.

The potato salad rotates between the Pickles & Dill and the Spicy Dijon.  I'd tried a sample of the Spicy Dijon once, and didn't care for it, but decided to finally give it another try.

It was ok.  Again red skin potato which I don't prefer.  Again does have mix of well cooked (e.g. not mushy) hunks of potato and then creamy mashed potato like part.  Kinda tangy from dijon.

Its ... ok.  Not really something I want more of.

***.

Marinated Red Beets & Quinoa Salad. (Seasonal). (Small). $2.95.

"With citrus, green apples, dried cranberries, honey roasted almonds, baby arugula in a honey lemon champagne vinaigrette."

Ok, so, beets.  Not my thing.  Quinoa, generally not my thing.  Let's just say, it took *years* before I finally tried one this one, even though a regular item on the Mendocino Farms sides lineup.

I picked it up during COVID days, so, without being able to see (nor sample!) it, so was surprised when I saw it.  I was expecting far more beets, less, uh, "quinoa forward", but I was not upset to see that they weren't dominant.  (Side story: amusingly, the description *has* changed, it used to be known as the "marinated red beets salad", sans quinoa in the name, but quinoa listed in the description alongside the others.  Clearly, either they changed it to be more quinoa focused, or, got feedback that they needed to include that little "detail".)

Anyway.  I took a bite, prepared to hate it, and, well, I kinda liked it.

The quinoa was crunchy, crispy, not soft and soggy.  I liked the texture quite a bit, but I can imagine it being far to "al dente" for some.  The beets were fine, cooked well, but yeah, they are cooked beets.  They didn't dominate though, only in color.

I loved the (chopped up) honey roasted almonds - the flavor, the texture, and the crunch.  Awesome.

Some of the salads that I have disliked have just been too heavy in the dressing, or not a style I liked, and I feared that with the vinaigrette, but this turned out fine.  Slightly sweet, lemon flavor mild but present just to accent the rest of the flavors.

I didn't even mind the apples (they did provide a good juicy bite!) or the citrus (even juicier!), although I could do without the dried cranberries.  The arugula was minimal, but, the rest really did work to create a pretty satisfying dish, although I preferred to put a big scoop on top of a salad (and add more crunchy toppings) rather than eat it as is.

***+.

Collard Greens / Green Leaf Lettuce / Baby Spinach / Fresh Mint
Marinated Red Beets & Quinoa Salad

"With a splash of pickle juice, soy sauce, and topped with shredded parmesan, chopped almonds, and Mom's Homemade Chex Mix."

I've ended up getting the beets and quinoa many times, and quickly settled on a "recipe" I loved.  I throw a scoop on top of a bed of assorted greens, usually with something juicy and crisp like romaine or green leaf, biter greens like chopped collards or kale, and baby spinach to round it out.  I find the bitter greens really help offset the sweetness from the beets, apples, and dressing.  

Then I add a lot of fresh mint - I think it compliments the flavors in the base salad beautifully.  I hit it with a splash of pickle juice for acidity and soy sauce to round the flavor out.

Then, toppings!  I sprinkle on parmesan (or whatever cheese I have around), add more chopped almonds, and, uh, then I generally go rogue and throw on whatever crispy topping I have around - in this case, it was my mom's homemade chex mix, but wonton strips, chow mein noodles, crispy chickpeas, etc often make an appearance.

This is how I like to eat it, using the beets & quinoa salad to just pull it all together.

Update: I also have found that I like to *roast* this, the marinated red beets and quinoa salad, until the quinoa grains get all crispy, and top it with melted fontina cheese.  So random, but I really do enjoy it that way.  It goes very well with pumpkin seeds, pears, and other complimentary ingredients as well.

Pasta Shells of the Week: Basil Pesto. Small. $2.85.

"with feta, grape tomatoes, parmesan & Scarborough Farm's baby spinach."

The first time I tried this was just for completeness, and because they offer samples so generously.  I thought that perhaps I'd love the pesto, as I sometimes do.  I didn't end up getting it then though, and remember thinking it "fine" - the pesto was fine, the pasta was fine, the grape tomatoes were fine ... but not really my thing.

A few years later, I decided to give it a real try.

I liked the grape tomatoes, but only had one in my small container.  It was juicy and flavorful though, and went great with the pesto.

The pesto was decent, not too oily (there is lots more oil under here that was just in bottom of container, so needed to be stirred up).  As feta isn't really my thing, the feta chunks, decent size chunks, and plenty of them, were something I kinda avoided.  The shells were fine, not too mushy, not al dente.  There was also a lot of parmesan.

Overall, probably, if you like pasta salad, if you like Mediterranean flavors like feta, this is a winner, but it isn't one I wanted more of, which I pretty much expected.

**+ due to personal preference.

Pasta Shells of the Week: Almond Romesco.

"with roasted peppers, Parmesan and Scarborough Farm's baby spinach."

The first time I tried this, I wasn't planning to write a blog post, but did take a note: "meh, not my thing."  I really don't remember what I didn't care for though, so, sorry to be vague.  That said, it doesn't really sound like something I'd like, red pepper, and thus romesco is often just not the flavor I go for.

So I didn't get it again, for years.  Plus, it seemed rarely offered, certainly not as frequently as the basil pesto shells.

But eventually, I decided to give it another try.  I knew my tastes can always change too.

It was about as I expected.  The shells are the same as the pesto version, little shells, well cooked, not mushy, not underdone.  But just kinda boring plain pasta shells.  Maybe I'm just not really a pasta person, except for crazy fresh pasta, and only when it has delicious sauce anyway.

The romesco wasn't particularly flavorful, and there were only a few pieces of baby spinach and roasted red peppers throughout.  The cheese too was pretty lost, since it was just tiny shreds.

So mostly ... rather bland cold pasta shells.  It didn't taste bad, but, well, I guess "meh, not my thing" sums it up pretty well.

**.

Update: But of course I got it again, this time, with an idea: turn it into hot pasta!  So I heated it.  And I added a bit of my favorite marinara sauce.  And some chopped up marinated roasted red peppers.  And chopped up onion.  And chiles.  And I melted on plenty more parmesan cheese.  And added garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  Now I had a nice bowl of flavorful Italian pasta ...

Is this how they intended me to eat their cold pasta salad?  Of course not.  But I liked it that way ... *** with my "advanced" prep.

Kale & Apple Rainbow Salad. (Small).  $2.95.
Winter 2021 Seasonal.

"Kale, granny smith apples, rainbow carrots, candied pecans, dried cranberries, toasted coconut, Thai basil vinaigrette."

One of the two seasonal salads in winter 2021 called out to me, as I adore kale, was going through an apple phase (although, I do dislike granny smith ... ), and really, really love candied pecans.  The dried cranberries did make me skeptical, and I could care less about the carrots and coconut, but Thai inspired dressing also sounded promising.  

I wasn't quite sure what the salad would be like though, as a pre-made, vinaigrette based salad clearly would not be fresh, crispy kale.  But kale stands up well moisture, and often is marinated, so, it sounded ... interesting at least.

I almost loved it.  It was pretty, and the textures of everything worked really well together.

The salad was not really a kale base, not an entree style salad, but rather torn, smaller pieces of curly kale as one of the many ingredients.  The kale, as I expected, was basically lightly marinated, a bit soft, but not mushy.  Shredded rainbow carrots added pops of color and a bit of texture.  The little chunks of green granny smith apples were great to crunch on, and made it taste fresh and juicy overall.  I loved the crunch from the tiny bits of pecan.  These things were all quite good, and I liked the "eating experience" of it.

But ... the cranberries.  Ruined it for me.  Just far too many cranberries, and they were both tart and way too sweet.  Again, I appreciated the textural element, a lovely chew, but, they were too sweet.  The vinaigrette base also perhaps was too sweet?  The apples and candied pecans also added to the overall sweetness.  Just, well, too sweet.

It was better when I mixed it with additional greens, or with the cous cous salad, but, sadly, this is not one I'll be getting again.

**.

Kale & Apple Rainbow Salad. (Small). $2.95.
Winter 2021 Seasonal.

Yeah yeah, I said I wouldn't get it again, and, I got it again.

It took months for me to try it again, but after really turning into a Mendocino Farms fan, I decided to give it one more try, hoping that perhaps I just had a badly prepared batch before.

But alas, it was exactly the same.  Or at least, my feelings towards it were.  Vibrant colors.  Complementary textures.  Great mix of ingredients.  Almost good ... besides, um, the taste.

It was strangely tart, and strangely sweet, and again loaded with too many cranberries, although not quite as bad as before.  I did really love the huge shreds of coconut though.

So again, self, don't get this one again.  You don't like it.

**.

Chopped Italian with Farro. (Small). $2.85.
Winter 2021 Seasonal.

"Salami, provolone, kale, rainbow carrots, grape tomatoes, red onion, sweet hot pickled peppers, green olives, grana padano, in a Calabrian chile vinaigrette."

The next week, I went for the other Winder 2021 seasonal, the "Chopped Italian with Farro".  A kinda odd pick for me, but I was going through a phase of craving pork products, and salami sounded wonderful.

The salad came loaded up with goodies, indeed, all chopped.  Small slices of salami and provolone, a few bits of kale, shredded carrots, red onion slices, and slivers of hot peppers and green olives.  It was supposed to have grape tomatoes too, and perhaps they were really finely chopped and I confused them with sliced hot peppers, but I didn't really find these.  I was hoping they'd be bigger and actually add some freshness.  I guess there was grana padano in there too, but it was easily confused with the provolone.

This stuff was all fine, basically, um, an Italian sandwich, just chopped up and mixed with farro.  The farro was fine, not too mushy.

So that was all good enough.  The problem with it, much like the other winter seasonal, for me at least, was the dressing.  Calabrian chile vinaigrette sounded great, ok, well, I don't generally like vinaigrette, but the chile sounded good, and this was just fairly heavy and oily.  Again I wished for bigger chunks of grape tomato to add something to offset the heaviness.

I ended up making a salad base myself of mixed greens, kale, and romaine, adding fresh grape tomatoes, adding some other seasoning and creamy dressing, and transformed it and enjoyed it.  But ... not exactly what they had in mind.

I liked the salami though ... I think I really was in a mood.

**+.

*Another* Chopped Italian with Farro. (Small). $2.85.
Winter 2021 Seasonal.

I know, I didn't love it before, but this time, I tried ... roasting it (after soaking in water to remove the vinaigrette), literally, just roasting for a while in the toaster oven.  I liked it this way!  The farro got really crispy, the cheese melted in, the salami got all crispy ... really enjoyable, actually.  

I was clearly in the mood for Italian flavors, and this really worked. Warm toasty farro ... yum!

***+ now ... roasted.

Chopped Italian with Farro: Tomato!

I did also find a single tomato in this container, just one, so likely I just missed out last time due to luck of the draw.

Chopped Italian with Farro (again).

And somehow ... the Chopped Italian with Farro made it on to my regular rotation, amusingly.  

I always roast it at home, and pair it with other Italian food (I love it alongside creamy mashed potatoes, steamed green beans or asparagus, with a nice piece of crusty bread ... or sometimes I pair it with shrimp ... it really works with many other dishes!).

I no longer remove the vinaigrette when I roast it, I find it really helps crisp it all up, and the flavors don't bother me once roasted.  I adore how crispy the deli meat gets, and I remove the cheese chunks originally, and put them back on near the end, so I can melt them on top perfectly.

I love this creation, warm roasted italian farro.

****, my way.

Chopped Italian with Farro
Broiled on Whole Wheat Bread.

While I often roast the italian farro, one day I had the idea to stuff it into fresh baked white pita bread I had on hand.  This was great as the bread was able to soak up all the oil, making the oily nature less of an issue, and it was a very satisfying Italian sandwich in this way.  Sorry, no photo.

So the *next* time I got it, I decided to combine the two ideas - sandwich and roasting - and put it on top of a piece of whole wheat bread, and broiled it.  I deliberately used as much of the oily juices as I could from the container so it would soak into the bread, and as much of the cheese, salami, and peppers in particular as possible, to make it more ... pizza like.

I paired it with a side salad and cheesy puffs for a really easy, shockingly satisfying, lunch.

Beets & Black Barley. Small.
Winter 2022 Seasonal.

"Roasted red beets, oranges, granny smith apples, black barley, red onions, toasted pistachios, pickled golden raisins, and honey & herb marinated goat cheese in our farmhouse balsamic vinaigrette."

I eagerly awaited the menu change for winter the next year.  I couldn't wait for the Chopped Italian with Farro to come back.  But ... alas, Mendocino Farms changed it up.  No farro.  Instead, a barley side, with ... beets (boo), oranges (meh), apples (meh), pistachios (meh), raisins (boo), and goat cheese (wah!).  Not only was it not my precious Italian farro it was nearly all things I didn't like.

I ordered this for a friend, but tried a bite just for completeness.  It was basically exactly as I expected.  The balsamic vinaigrette was way too strong and tangy, and, zomg, goat cheese permeated the whole thing, even though not really visible.  The kale was the only surprise, as it wasn't in the description.

This likely is nice if you like the ingredients, lots of textures and flavors, but, wow, not for me.

*+.

Farro-Tabbouleh-ish.  Small.
Spring 2021 Seasonal.  

"Sweet hot pickled peppers, cucumbers, mint, parsley, cilantro, scallions, pickled golden raisins, and sumac yogurt dressing."

I'll admit that I was ready to hate this.  I hated it in principle as it had replaced the winter farro that I loved so much, the Italian one with salami and provolone, that I discovered makes for a lovely side dish when you roast it.  This one didn't sound like I could roast (e.g. fresh cucumbers, fresh herbs, scallions, yogurt dressing ... not really roasting friendly), and, well, it was also loaded with basically nothing I liked, besides farro and I guess scallions.

Still, in the interests of completeness, I ordered it.

It really grew on me.  Flavors are really strong, and none of the ingredients are things I like all that much, and they don't really make sense ... but, it all works together in some strange way.  Has a slightly Mediterranean/Mexican/Middle Eastern vibe to it, if that makes any sense.  The cucumbers and mint gave the Mediterranean feel, the cilantro and yogurt actually seemed sorta Mexican - like sour cream, then sumac and mint take things in a middle eastern direction ...  then there was ... sweet golden raisins, balanced by the acidity of pickling them, and spicy pickled peppers ... yeah, so many flavors, so many things going on.  And yet, it works.  I'm so fascinated by who would have thought to combine all these ingredients ...

A very interesting dish, and I'm glad I tried it. 

***+, as served.

Roasted Summer Corn & Farro Salad. Small.
Summer 2021 Seasonal.

"Roasted corn, tomatoes, red onion, arugula, basil, shredded Grana Padano cheese, and farro in a basil-dijon vinaigrette."

I sadly only got to try the Spring seasonal farro dish, the farro "tabbouleh-ish", once, before it was replaced by the summer offering, featuring roasted corn and tomatoes, the summer bounty.

This sounded fabulous, but I was also still a bit in "mourning" over the previous two farro salads that I had liked so much.

One bite of this though and I was sold.  It was the first that I really liked served as is, cold.  It was the first that didn't seem overdressed either.

The farro base had the same great chew to it as always, the arugula added a bitter note, and the sweet corn was just lovely, roasted so it too had some chew (and was similar in size to the farro).  This salad ate really well.

My portion had just the single tomato, which was a shame, I think more would have brightened it up and added acidity too, and corn and tomato are such a great pairing.  I didn't taste any basil, another element that really could accent the corn and tomato if it was more generous.  I had a few large shreds of grana padano cheese, which were fine, but actually kinda unnecessary.

The vinaigrette was barely noticeable, likely adding some background flavor and acidity, but it wasn't over dressed and oily like the other varieties.

Overall, a nice summer-y salad, and I enjoyed it.  And of course, I couldn't wait to try it roasted!

***.

Roasted Summer Corn & Farro Salad. Medium.
Summer 2021 Seasonal.

I tried another batch, and this time, it seemed overdressed again.  I was pleased it had more tomatoes though.

So I roasted it, with asparagus, peas, and mushrooms, topped it all with parmesan cheese, and served it with roast chicken and warm bread.  Was a very summery meal, and, like the others, this one roasted well.  

***.

Farro-Tabbouleh-ish as a Salad.

Base: Collards, kale, baby gems, carrot greens.

Additional Veg: Chopped cucumbers, poblano peppers, tomatoes, red onion.

Garnish: Trader Joe's Mediterranean spiced cashews and dried olives.

But of course, I liked to jazz it up.  As a cold farro dish, it worked ok, but I preferred to throw it on top of greens, and round it out with additional veggies.  Oh, top with Trader Joe's Mediterranean spiced cashews and dried olives for even more crunch.  Add all these elements, and it turned into a really satisfying salad, full of so many textures, and with a fascinating sweet, spicy, creamy, acidic thing going on ... I really enjoyed.  **** with my additions!

Like the other Mendocino Farm's grain based dishes, I also tried roasting it.  It was good that way too - almost like an Indian curry at that point, with the warm yogurt base, the grains, etc.  I wonder how it would be adding cooked greens, and pairing with warmed flatbread or pita?

French Green Beans & Feta. (Spring 2021).

"Shaved fennel, kalamata olives, and toasted almonds in a creamy lemon salsa verde dressing."

The second spring seasonal salad was another that didn't really appeal to me by nature of the ingredients.  I like fennel, almonds, and green beans, but not feta nor kalamata olives really, and definitely not lemon salsa verde dressing ...

But by now I knew I should try all the salads offered, and, when in doubt, I could always roast it.

As served, it was about as I expected.  The beans were cooked well enough, not too mushy, and I did like the crunch of the nearly whole crunchy almonds.  But besides that ... eh.  It was a hodgepodge of Mediterranean and French flavors, and didn't really work for me.

Togarashi Green Beans & Tofu. (Fall 2021 Seasonal).

"French green beans and edamame with roasted oyster mushrooms, tofu, cashews, fried shallots, scallions, and black sesame seeds in a togarashi tamari dressing."

In the fall, the seasonal side salad brought back green beans, this time, in an Asian inspired dish.  While I'm not really that into tofu, or edamame, the roasted oyster mushrooms, cashews, fried shallots, and togarashi tamari dressing called out.

It was ... ok.  The beans were again decently roasted, the tofu chunks (firm tofu, meh) were minimal, as were the edamame.  I did like the oyster mushrooms, as I expected, and never really found cashews nor fried shallots.

The dressing was good, it had a slight kick to it, but, it was vinaigrette style, so it trended a little too overdressed for me, as I don't like vinaigrettes.

So overall, about as expected.  I liked some things, could do without the others.

I decided to turn it into a stir fry - heating it up, adding bok choy, onions, more mushrooms, and kale, and topping it with crispy fried shallots, and it was a little better I guess, but I wouldn't get this again.

***.

Togarashi Green Beans & Tofu. (Winter 2022).

Because I like to give things another chance, and this had some promise, I tried it again many months later, when it was still on the early winter menu.

I can't say that consistency is Mendocino Farm's strong point, as this one was different - last time I found no cashews, this time my portion had plenty, probably 8 in the small container.  It also seemed to have the fried shallots, although they were soggy from dressing.  What it didn't have is much mushroom, just a single piece.  

Otherwise though, it was fairly similar, soft beans, firm tofu, edamame, all fine, and a tasty dressing, just, too much of it for my tastes since viniagrette.

I plucked out the cashews and single mushroom, and handed the rest off.

**+.

Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Apples
(Fall 2021 Seasonal)

"House-roasted butternut squash and apples, caramelized onion jam, cranberries, toasted almonds, Grana Padano cheese, and wild rice in a farmhouse balsamic vinaigrette."

Well, huh.  I guess this one is my own fault, but this was not what I was expecting.  I thought it would somehow be more about the greens (kale?), and less about the rice.  Not because of the description, which doesn't even mention the greens, but from their own photos.  So I was rather surprised to find something so "rice forward", but, after all, it *is* named a wild rice salad ...

Anyway, it suffered the same way many Mendocino Farms side salads do - way overdressed with vinaigrette that was far too heavy in the balsamic.  The rice was mushy.  And the overall flavors were very muddled, with caramelized onion jam in there too, and a few sweet chewy cranberries (and apples that I never found).  I did like the crunch from the toasted almonds, but besides that ... eh.

Too bad, as I do really like butternut squash and this sounded seasonally appropriate.

**.

Corn Chowder, Cup.  $4.50.
Seasonal (Summer 2021).

Soup changes seasonally, at the same time the rotating deli sides swap out.  There is usually just one available.  In the summer, it was a corn chowder.  Soup is available by cup or bowl, the cup is an option with the Blue Plate special.

I was a little surprised by how small the soup was - the cup of soup seemed to be the same size as the small deli side, and it wasn't really full.  This was odd, as it is priced the same as a medium deli salad, and seems lower value.

Anyway, the soup was quite corn forward.  Thick.  It didn't seem to have much besides the corn in it though, and it reminded me more of creamed corn, than a soup (which isn't a bad thing exactly, just, not what I was expecting).

I wouldn't get it again, but it was nice to try, and likely quite tasty alongside something like the seasonal Heirloom Tomato BLT.

***.

Kid's Meals

"Served with a kids beverage + choice of sliced apples or carrot & celery sticks (organic milk add $1.25)."

Mendocino Farms has a pretty cute kid's menu, consisting of simple, kid-friendly sandwiches (pb & j, turkey & cheddar), warm cheesy goodness (grilled cheese or cheese quesadilla), and chicken tenders.  All come with either apple slices or carrot/celery sticks, and a drink.

Crispy Chicken Tenders. $7.35
w/ sliced apples, vegan ranch.

The chicken tenders come as a serving of 3, all nicely crispy, well breaded, white meat chicken.  If I liked chicken, I'd honestly consider getting these even as an adult!  They come with your kid's choice of ketchup or vegan ranch to dunk.

Apple slices were pretty generic sliced granny smith (not my apple of choice) but seemed fresh, no browning.

The (vegan) ranch was highly ... boring.  It didn't have much of a ranch flavor to it, no herbs, nothing.

Desserts

The only desserts offered at Mendocino Farms are cookies (which I don't even consider "real" desserts!), but they do have a few unique options that always catch my eye.  I sadly missed out on the "Corn off the Cob" cookie (!), but they really have a diverse lineup of options, including an oat hemp date cookie for the healthier types.

Lemon Cheesecake Cookie. $2.

This was a super random pick from me, but, it sounded unique.  The cookies are all a good size - certainly big enough to feel satisfying, but not strange monsters.

I was pleased to see how soft the cookie was.  Perfectly soft.  It was sorta like ... a soft version of a shortbread meets sugar cookie ... with lemon accents?  Hard to describe.  The powdered sugar all over it made it quite sweet, this was certainly a sweet cookie.  I'm not sure what was "cheesecake" about it though - I certainly tasted the lemon, but not the cheesecake.

***+, and I'm glad I finally tried a cookie, and would gladly try some others next, the softness in particular of the cookie really drew me in.

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