Pickles ... from Munchery!

I love pickled things.  All the pickled things, not just your standard cukes.  I grew up in a pickling family, and really never had grocery store pickles until late in life.  Dilly beans, dilly asparagus, bread & butter mixed vegetables, etc, etc.  Loved them all, and was spoiled with talented family members who made excellent versions of all, be it sweet, spicy, or something in-between.

I'm always on the lookout for locally made unique pickles, which lead me to this offering from Bridget Batson. 

Sweet Corn & Pepper Pickles
Sweet yellow corn, baby bell peppers. $5.95.

"Soon corn will be gone so I decided to pickle it so we could all enjoy it year round. Sweet yellow corn is pickled with sliced baby red and yellow bell peppers, red onions, cider vinegar, sugar and coriander seeds. This is a great accompaniment for seafood, poultry, pork and veggies."

 

Even just looking at the jar I was excited. Beautiful, vibrant colors.

It tasted vibrant too - the corn was fresh and crisp, and even though I don't love bell peppers, the baby bells really were a nice pop of color, and were cut to an appropriate size.  The veggies really were clearly pickled at their peek freshness, and this was a nice tribute to summer.

That said, I didn't actually love the flavor, they trended a bit too sweet for me.  Still a bit tart, but sweeter overall than I wanted.  Low ***.

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Petit Pot

Pudding, pudding, pudding.  Glorious pudding.  One of my favorite desserts, so much so that my blog even has a label devoted to it.  I obviously had my eyes on Petit Pot, a local pudding maker, from their early days.

"France knows a thing or two about decadent desserts, and Petit Pot offers all of that delicious tradition in a convenient, petite jar. This delightful dessert is naturally gluten free and made with the best organic, local ingredients. With reusable jars and sustainable packaging Petit Pot is a treat you can feel good about enjoying."

At first, Petit Pot was fairly hard to find, definitely struggling to carve out this niche of higher end pudding.  Ok, not even pudding, it is french style, pot de creme.  Compared to the industry standard shelf-stable Snack Packs (which, sometimes can be quite satisfying!), these require refrigeration, but do have a shelf life of close to 1 month (!).  Eventually they were offered through Good Eggs and Munchery, and then ... they really took off, and became available at Whole Foods. 

I watched the product line expand to include more flavors, introduce a vegan version, offer up cookies for a while ... and now, I think they have stabilized on pretty solid product, for when you want your pudding just a touch less fake tasting, but don't want to prepare it yourself.  The rice pudding remains my favorite.

Pot de Creme

"Let’s talk about pudding for a second. Why? Because this is not some gelatinous powder-in-a-box pudding. This is a delightful blend of age-old French pastry practice with modern California culinary flourishes. We made all the sweet, velvety goodness of crème with the decadence and consistency of custard for a delicious, single-serve treat that’s potted to perfection. Now, all you need is a spoon."

The ingredient list for these puddings is really quite simple: milk, cream, skim milk, sugar, pectin, and salt.  This makes sense, as, well, that is all you need for pudding, but I expected to see more stabilizers, preservatives, etc.  I don't quite understand how they can have a month long shelf life if really just made with the same ingredients I would have in my kitchen.  Does that mean my pudding could keep for a month too?

Petit Pot makes 4 standard varieties (vanilla, chocolate, salted caramel, lemon cream), along with seasonal specials (yup, pumpkin spice, definitely a thing), and a vegan coconut milk version.  I've tried several.

The puddings come in little reusable glass jars.  I'll be honest: some of the draw for me to buy the pudding in the first place is so I can have more of the jars, such a great size.

Vanilla Pot de Creme.  $3.95.

"Nothing plain here. With Madagascar Vanilla and a rich texture, this work of art belongs in the Louvre."

The first flavor I tried was the simplest: vanilla.  Nothing fancy, but, pudding doesn't need to be fancy.

In addition to the base ingredients I mentioned above, the vanilla flavor has vanilla in two forms: vanilla extract and vanilla bean powder.  Nothing else.

Inside the jar: Vanilla.

I eagerly opened my jar of pudding, er, pot de creme.

It was ... fine.  A thick pudding, with visible specs of vanilla bean (from the powder?), and ok vanilla flavor.  But, really, nothing special.  I'm not sure what I was expecting though, vanilla pudding is, well, vanilla pudding.

I really wanted whipped cream, or some caramel to drizzle over, or something for some texture ...

Fine, but not particularly more awesome than say ... a Snack Pack.  Yeah, I said it.  ***.

Seasonal Special 2015: Maple Honey Pot de Creme. $3.95.

"Petit Pot made a special recipe just for you at Munchery to celebrate the holiday season! Made with organic milk and sugar, this Maple Honey pot de creme highlights the flavors of fall and is, of course, potted to perfection"

Next I tried one of the flavors developed just for Munchery, back when Petit Pot was a staple of their menu.  My choices were pumpkin or maple honey, and I was feeling a bit sick of pumpkin at the time, so I opted for maple honey, even though the idea of both maple and honey in the same dish seemed a bit unnecessary.

As with the vanilla, the ingredient list was simple, the same base ingredients, plus, you guessed it, maple syrup and honey.  Nothing else.

This one I liked more than the vanilla.  It was still very plain obviously, just the pot de creme, no texture from a crumble garnish, no whipped cream, no fruit compote, etc, but these things I could easily add.  It was also sweeter, which I guess you'd expect, given the honey and maple syrup.  However, I didn't taste maple nor honey really.  This was good in some ways, as they didn't compete, and just created a nice sweetness, but, I did also actually want to taste at least one of them, as I do enjoy both honey and maple.

The texture seemed a bit better too, firmer.  Certainly not "pudding", almost more like the consistency of a custard or flan.  I think this is because the recipe actually uses only egg yolks, creating a richer, custard-like nature?

Anyway, I enjoyed this, and quickly devoured my "petit" little pot.  If you wanted to jazz it up, I think some fresh sliced figs or a fig compote, or crumble gingersnaps would go quite nicely.

***+.

Seasonal Special 2016: Pumpkin Pie.

"Petit Pot made a special recipe just for you at Munchery to celebrate the holiday season. This traditional pumpkin pie recipe is now a pot de creme, spiced and potted to perfection!"

The next year, I decided to try out the pumpkin pie special. 

The flavor of this pudding was good, nicely "pumpkin spiced" with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, strong in the spicing, but not overwhelming, and balanced.  The pumpkin flavor was also good, it had real pumpkin puree in it.

But ... the texture was not.  It was gritty in a really strange way, I guess from the pumpkin?  It was also not as thick and creamy as I'd like.

So, good flavor, but not a winner for me overall.

**+.

[ No Photo ]

Dark Chocolate.

"Silky and decadent. Hello, ultimate treat. Elegant dark chocolate, creamy texture, and oh so French."

Last but not least, I tried the dark chocolate.  Another simple, classic pudding flavor.

It had a creamy, fairly light chocolate flavor, not too indulgent.  It tasted like what I always want a Snack Pack to taste like, aka, mild chocolate, no plastic aftertaste.

This didn't blow me away, but it was good.

***.

Riz Au Lait

"A delightful combination of naturally gluten free, organic and local ingredients, our Riz Au Lait is made to make your taste buds dance with joy. We hope that you enjoy every spoonful!"

After making only pudding for the first few years, Petit Pot expanded the line slightly, to include rice pudding.

I was thrilled, because I like rice pudding just as much smooth pudding, because I appreciate the texture.

It is available in only two varieties (for now? hint hint), classic vanilla and a non-dairy coconut milk version.  It is a winner, and I hope they keep it.

Ritz Au Lait.

"Creamy Rice Pudding with Madagascar Vanilla Seeds."

The Petit Pot jar changed shape slightly since the last time I ordered, now with a tapered neck, but otherwise, this was the same concept.  I really love these reusable jars, although this one was slightly less practical, as several of my spoons don't fit in easily!

I started with the classic vanilla.  Almost the same ingredients as the vanilla pudding, except a lighter offering, no egg yolk, since it isn't actually a custard.  And of course, with rice added.  Again though, simple ingredients (cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, sea salt), nothing scary in here.

Ritz Au Lait: Inside.

I was prepared to need to jazz this simple flavor up.  I expected that I'd need to sprinkle on some cinnamon, chop up some nuts perhaps.  I had strawberry compote ready to stir in.  Fresh fruit nearby.  Fresh whipped cream on hand.  I was ready to "save" it in whatever way I needed.

It looked, and sounded, too simple.

But I did try a spoonful straight from the jar first.

It was great.  Creamy, not too thick, not too runny, not gloopy.  Just right consistency. 

The rice was well cooked, not al dente, not mushy.  Again, just right.

The ratio of rice to pudding was perfect, slightly more pudding-forward than standard rice pudding, but I liked it that way.

And the simple flavor?  Yeah, it *was* simple vanilla.  But the vanilla flavor was deep, and the sweetness level was again, well, just right. 

I added some of the fresh strawberry compote because I had taken the time to get it ready to mix in, but honestly, preferred it plain. 

This item is perfect, just as it is (although I can imagine that perhaps I'd get sick of it if I had too many jars, and finally decide I want to add something to it).

It was gone far too quickly.  It *is* a "petit" little pot.  Certainly smaller than a normal serving of dessert for me, and I did need to follow it up with more dessert.  But if you are a normal human who cares about portion control and minor indulgences, at only 150 calories per jar, it really is quite reasonable offering.

****+.

Petit Box Cookies

Petit Pot expanded outside the pot to ... the box!  The box of cookies that is.  

"We adapted the famous French butter cookie (sablé) and fused fresh local flavors baked to a satisfying crisp. Garnished with a touch of Fleur de Sel, the most premium French sea salt, these tasty treats tickle your tongue with the perfect combination of savory and sweet."

They made three varieties (chocolate, vanilla, and lemon).  I received a box as a sample to try out.  These products didn't last all that long on the market though, and are no longer available.

Yes, a box!

Like the pot de creme isn't just "pudding", these aren't just "cookies".  They take a French spin, rather than a classic American cookie, more like a sablé.

Cookies Inside.

Each box contains 6 mini cookies, packaged into two batches of 3 each.

Inside the Box.

The box doesn't just give you cookies.  It also brings you entertainment.  Fun facts, games, and collector panels featuring different characters.  I'm not sure I really understand this, but, it was cute, and a surprise to see when I opened my box.  Do people really collect these?

Mini Chocolate Cookie.

By now you likely know that I don't actually like cookies.  Even fresh homemade ones.  Puddings I adore, but cookies ... yeah, never my choice.

But I still tried these, made with 70% dark chocolate.

And, for cookies, packaged ones at that, they were quite good.

Crazy buttery, as you'd expect from a sablé base.  Rich chocolate flavor, they really tasted like brownies.  Crumbly texture, very easy to break apart (and make a huge mess with).  I loved the little cocoa nibs inside (or maybe they were tiny chips?).  Whatever they were, they added a nice texture contrast and crunch.  I didn't taste the promised sea salt at first, but, then I found it on the finish.  It left a really nice flavor as an aftertaste.

So, overall, still cookies, still hard-style, packaged cookies, but great flavor and texture.

***+.

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Crumble & Whisk Pâtisserie

Update Review, 2018 Tastings

Crumble & Whisk is a local cheesecake company that I've been tracking for some time. It wasn't until a catering event last year however that I finally got to try them, took one bite of the Pumpkin Spice with Bourbon flavor, and realized just how much I had been missing out on. That was some seriously good cheesecake (go read that review, and company history, first).

But, as I noted in my previous review, Crumble & Whisk does not operate a storefront, so, acquiring these delights is a bit harder.  They do sell at Farmer's Markets (in Oakland!), and used to sell on Good Eggs, but finally I discovered that they also sell on Munchery.  Munchery is was a meal delivery service that offers meals designed to be reheated by you at home (aka, they aren't delivered hot).  I've watched Munchery grow, pivot, and change, as I was one of their original customers in San Francisco, their first city.  Since then, they've added cooking kits for those who like to do some meal prep and kid's meals, and they've partnered with local juice companies and coffee makers to offer interesting beverage options.  And ... they've added some amazing desserts from local merchants as well.  The other food is all made by their chef team, but they've chosen to outsource desserts, which has worked remarkably well.  They offer incredible mini Pies from Pietisserie (which I've reviewed before), puddings from Petit Pot (review coming soon), and, swoon, cheesecake from Crumble & Whisk.  You can read all my Munchery reviews using the label on my blog, but, they have shut down since I wrote this, so, alas.

I Love New York Cheesecake: Finally!

Anyway, back to Crumble & Whisk.  Munchery clearly only carries a limited number of these cheesecakes, and they seem to *always* been sold out, particularly on weekends when I want to order.  They also only offer one flavor at a time.

I watched Munchery menus daily for ages, and finally, finally managed to catch them.  (Protip: Order as soon as you see them on the menu, even if you don't end up ordering anything else.  Yes, this cheesecake is worth the delivery fee alone.  I'm not joking. )

The first time I finally managed to successfully order, the flavor was the most simple of all: I Love New York, a classic New York style cheesecake.  While not nearly as exciting as any of the exotic collection (which aren't available on Munchery), or even the strawberry or lemon versions which do appear from time to time on Munchery, it seemed like the perfect way to judge a basic cheesecake.

Munchery Packaging.

The packaging is different from anything else I've had from Munchery, perhaps provided by Crumble & Whisk directly?  The clear plastic domes make it easy to see the beauty of a cheesecake inside, but I did find the hight of the dome a bit strange ... why did I need such a big thing?  It also had a Munchery label stuck on, but unlike other Munchery items, it did not have ingredients nor nutritional information.  Which, given what I know about cheesecake, is probably a good thing.

I Love New York Cheesecake. $5.95.

"This is classic New York-style cheesecake with just a hint of tangy lemon and a smooth, creamy texture." - Munchery

"My version of the classic features madagascar bourbon vanilla and velvet sour cream and lemon juice." - Crumble & Whisk

This was cheesecake perfection.  Honestly.

It was light and fluffy, yet incredibly creamy and rich, all at once.  The flavor was deceptively simple, yes, a plain cheesecake, but, it didn't taste just like sweet cream cheese.  It had subtleness from the sour cream, the vanilla, and the lemon juice.  I couldn't pick any ingredient out, and if you were to ask me what was in it, I couldn't tell you.  They complimented each other in a way that just created an absolutely balanced flavor.

I Love New York: Cross Section.

And then the crust.  It did not seem like a classic graham cracker crust (always kinda a throwaway crust in my mind).  Instead, it was more compressed, more sugary, almost like a sugar cookie or shortbread?  It too was delightful, and I appreciated the thickness of that layer.

This was stunning, simple, and stunning.  Seriously, cheesecake perfection, and it needed nothing else.  No topping, no drizzle of sauce, no whipped cream.  Just a spoon, a moment of silence, and complete happiness.

You can purchase these in different sizes from Crumble & Whisk as well: 3" ($8), 7" ($35), or 9" ($45).  The Munchery price of $5.95 was fantastic for an individual cheesecake that was perhaps just a little bigger than you knew you *should* eat on your own, but there is no way I was about to share even a single bite of this one.

Beet & Berries (3"). $8.

"Roasted organic baby beets infused with blueberries and hint of lemon, swirled in, topped with blueberry red wine reduction compote."

Crumble & Whisk also sells their cheesecakes at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, and one day they had two of their more interesting sounding flavors on display: one was green (!) and had matcha and avocado in it, and the other with this, an innocent looking blueberry topped creation.  I love matcha but since I'm allergic to avocado I couldn't try that one, so I got the Beet & Berries, which actually sounded more interesting anyway.

I love blueberries, and I wasn't afraid of a little beet in my dessert, so this sounded like a winner.  It was ... fine.  Same creamy cheesecake, same buttery amazing crust, and lots of flavor from the blueberry elements, but I didn't taste the beet.  I wanted it to taste more special.  This was fine, but, well, not special.

Original Review, March 2016

Artisan cheesecake.

Those were the only words I needed to see.   I like cheesecake.  I like fancy cheesecake.  So when I learned about Crumble & Whisk Pâtisserie, an artisan cheesecake maker, I couldn't wait to try the goods.

Crumble & Whisk was started in 2013, I believe mostly as just a catering business.  For a while the cheesecakes were sold on Good Eggs, which is where I saw them.  I think I recall seeing them at the farmer's market once or twice as well.  But, for the most part, the business is catering.

Cheesecakes are available in several sizes, generally round (individual 3", full size 7", or large 9"), but they also are available as 2" squares for catering only.

Crumble & Whisk breaks the cheesecake menu up into 3 categories: "classic", "exotic", and "holiday".  The classics include:

• "I love New York", Madagascar bourbon vanilla and sour cream
• "Strawberry Fields", strawberries swirled inside and on top
• "Puckered Up!", lemon curd and candied citrus
• "Triple Chocolate Threat", with a chocolate crust and chocolate ganache

The exotic lineup does get a bit more interesting, including:

• "The Dirty South", with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and bourbon
• "Beet & Berry", with yes, beets and blueberries,
• "Madagascar Vanilla-Bourbon", with mmm, bourbon glaze
• "Banana Spice", caramelized banana and caramel
• "Spicy Mexican Chocolate" with cayenne and chili powder
• "Vegan Delight", made with tofu instead of cream cheese

It was the holiday menu that sounded the best though:

• "Pecan Crumble", with pecans, maple, and streusel topping.  (OMG, I love all of those things!)
• "Winter White Chocolate", with cranberry and orange
• "Apple Spice", with apples and brandy
• "Pumpkin Spice with Bourbon", pumpkin, bourbon, and caramel drizzle

By now, you may have noticed how many have bourbon.  I did, and I approve.

I always planned to order Crumble & Whisk cheesecakes the next time I made a Good Eggs order, but, alas, they were removed from Good Eggs before I ever did.  A few weeks later, I attended an event, and it had amazing cheesecake.  I eventually tracked down the caterer to learn where the cheesecake came from.  The answer?  Crumble & Whisk!  I was so glad I finally got to try the cheesecake I had been eying, but also so sad that I never took advantage of it when it was on Good Eggs.

Anyway, wonderful cheesecake, and I'd really, really love to try some of the other varieties.

Pumpkin Spice with Bourbon. Catering size.  $3.50.

"Organic fresh roasted pumpkin, with spiced pepita (pumpkin seeds) with bourbon caramel drizzle."

My encounter with Crumble & Whisk was at a catering event, so I had a 2" square piece, rather than a signature round item.

I took one bite and I was sold.  Wow, this was great cheesecake.

The texture was perfect, creamy, but well set.  There was clearly plenty of pumpkin puree in it, as it tasted almost like a regular pumpkin pie, just one that was a bit richer than usual.  So, so creamy.  It was also nicely spiced with cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg, and clove, standard "pumpkin spice" seasonings, but very balanced, none overwhelming.  I am always disappointed when "pumpkin spice" means an overdose of nutmeg or cinnamon.

So the cheesecake itself was great, but so was the bourbon caramel drizzle over the top.  It wasn't necessary, the cheesecake stood up fine on its own, but I'll never turn down a little extra sweet drizzle.

Oh, and the crust.  Sugary, buttery, crumbly, delicious.  A nice thick layer.

Put it all together, and you get a fantastic bite.  I wanted more than a 2" square!

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Pie from Pietisserie

I eat a lot of dessert.  I eat a lot of pie.  I have strong opinions on pie.  One element I care a lot about is the quality of the crust as I'm a crust lover ... when its good.  (I also have strong beliefs that you rarely just eat a slice of pie unadorned ... I usually like my pie warm, with complimentary cooling ice cream, but, in a pinch, I settle for room temperature pie with whipped cream.  Of course there are exceptions to these rules, as I wouldn't have my banana cream pie warmed up of course).  But I digress.  The key point: I care about crust.

And Pietisserie has one of the best crusts I've found. 

"Our pies are vibrant, complex and satisfying because every recipe starts with this point of view: that the best food experiences are created from the masterful application of simple ingredients."

Pietisserie also has really unique flavors, in addition to your standard apple crumble.

My first discovery of Pietisserie was at an artisan's fair at Williams-Sonoma in San Francisco, I think in 2012. 2013?  I didn't write a blog then, but I did take notes (why? I have no idea.).  My notes weren't very specific, but read: "I tried the Okinawan sweet potato and a chocolate cream pie with pretzel crust.  Both were fantastic, well flavored, and with awesome crusts - some of the best pies I've had in ages." 

That about sums up all my subsequent tastings too - fantastic crusts, and with flavors like Okinawan sweet potato and pretzel crusts ... I was drawn in.

Pietisserie is located in Oakland however, not an area I ever venture.  I still haven't visited the shop, although, they have one.  Instead, my encounters have all been either at Williams-Sonoma, or through various forms of delivery.

2013: Williams-Sonoma

My second encounter? Also at Williams-Sonoma.

Assorted Mini Pies.

A few months later, I attended the artisan's market at Williams-Sonoma again, this time armed and ready to purchase.

I bought an Okinawan Sweet Potato on the spot, remembering how much I liked it before.

 This is the first one I tried, and I loved it.  A beautiful purple color from the okinawan sweet potato.  Very flavorful, smooth, creamy, unique filling, sweet but almost savory.  The crust was really good, flaky, moist.  Some of the best crust I've ever had.

The full size version has a lattice crust, which I'd love to try, given the quality of this crust..

December 2014: Munchery

I've written about Munchery before, a meal service in San Francisco that delivers either pre-made meals for you to heat up at home, or meal kits with prep required.  I've had a range of experiences with Munchery, and I've watched the company evolve a lot over to years to find their market (food definitely got less "chefy" and more mass appeal, they added the meal kits, they added kids meals, etc).  You can read all my reviews under the Munchery label on my blog, but Munchery ceased operations in 2019, so, you cannot order from them any long.

All of the cuisine offered by Munchery, besides the beverages, is produced by their team of chefs.  But for some reason, for desserts, they have chosen to partner with local vendors like Crumble & Whisk (amazing cheesecake, which I've reviewed before at a catering event), Petit Pot (pudding!), and ... Pietisserie.

The first time I saw Pietisserie on the menu was in 2014, for the holidays I believe.  I ordered instantly.

Black Bottom Walnut Pie. $4.25 from Munchery.

"Instead of pecans, this pie features California-grown walnuts in a butter pastry shell lined with chocolate piecrust." - Munchery

"A perfectly balanced, never-too-sweet, nut pie featuring walnuts, dark chocolate, and an all-butter crust." - Pietisserie

When I opened my box, I was a bit sad by how small the pie was.  I'm used to uh, "Parent family slices", and this entire pie was less than a single Parent family slice.  That said, it was enough for an individual, but I wouldn't recommend sharing.

Recommended served cold, or warmed up.  I thought I was the only one who warmed up my pecan-style pies?

I couldn't wait to warm it up, so I dug in immediately.

Black Bottom Walnut Pie: Inside.

It wasn't exactly "black bottom" or "lined with chocolate" as I expected; rather, the center was filled with chocolate, the bottom with standard pecan-pie like sweet filling, and the edges with the nuts.  I didn't mind this fact at all, but, I was expecting a layer of chocolate against the crust, rather than in the center.

The sweet filling reminded me of my mother's pecan pie, it was nicely gooey, and sweet, but not cloying.

The nuts I didn't like all that much, as walnuts are a bit more bitter than pecans, and I'd prefer the classic.  They also seemed a bit burnt.

But the crust was absolutely fantastic.  Super crispy, flaky, buttery.  Everything a pie crust should be.  I loved it, and can't wait to try more varieties of pies.  I eagerly watched the Munchery menu for more, but, alas, they didn't show up.

$4.25 seemed fine for a mini pie, but I do wish it included some whipped cream.  If you purchase from Pietisserie, a full sized pie is $26.

November 2016: Munchery

For Thanksgiving the next year (2015), Munchery offered min pies from Pietisserie as a special offering, but, I failed to purchase one of the very limited quantity fast enough.  I was a bit devastated, and polled the Munchery page near daily, but, alas, I missed out.

The next year, again for Thanksgiving, Munchery offered mini pies from Pietisserie, and I learned from my mistakes, getting my order in as soon as I saw them available.  The only selections were classic pumpkin or pecan, and I got one of each.

Munchery Packaging.

The pies came in cute little boxes, with a standard Munchery labels.  Like with the black bottom walnut pie, the pecan suggested warming it up, while the pumpkin did not.

Mini Pumpkin Pie. $5.95.

"Hand-made, individual pies are filled with classic pumpkin custard that's been perfectly spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Add your own dollop of whipped cream or go au natural and eat it as is. Fork optional!"

This was a very good pumpkin pie.

Yes, it was just a pumpkin pie, but it was just about as good as pumpkin pie can get.

The crust, like all Pietisserie pies, was flaky, buttery, a bit crispy, slightly thicker than standard, and really quite good.  It did seem a little dried out, and perhaps not super fresh, which makes sense, I'm sure that for Thanksgiving they bake a zillion pie crusts, and perhaps bake them off a couple days earlier?  Still, it was a great crust.

The filling was thick pumpkin custard.  It was, as the description said, "perfectly spiced".  Pumpkin spices so often wind up totally unbalanced, generally way too strong in the nutmeg department, with notes of soapiness.  I generally shutter when I think about "pumpkin spice", in pies, in cakes, or ugh, in lattes.  But this spicing was just spot on.  And by that I don't mean, "phew, I don't taste the pumpkin spices!"  There was cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in there.  And I could taste them.  But they were balanced and accented the pumpkin beautifully.

While the pie was tiny, it didn't seem that way once I was eating it.  The custard was so rich, the crust so decadent, that anything more would have seemed like over indulgence.  And while the smaller form meant for lots of edge crust, and seemingly not a lot of filling, the pie was deeper than it appeared, and I never felt like there was too much crust.

Overall, just a really wonderful pie, with the right ratio of everything.

The $5.95 price, for such a petit pie, seemed high though, particularly compared to last time when I ordered and they were $4.25.

Mini Pecan Pie. $5.95.

"Hand-crafted classic pecan pie in delightfully mini form from our friends at Pietisserie Bakery in Oakland. Are we thinking of ordering a few extra to have for breakfast? Yes, yes we are."

This was another classic pie, done just right.

The crust was even more crispy and a bit caramelized, likely from the extra sugars that ran out of the sweet gooey filling.  It was again a wonderful, buttery, flaky, crust.  Pietisserie really makes some of the best pie crust I've ever had.

The filling was exactly what you want in a pecan pie.  Yes it was sweet.  It was gooey.  But it wasn't *just* corn syrup, molasses and vanilla helped balance it out.  And of course, the pecans.  I liked them more than the walnuts, less bitter.

A great little pie, and I'd gladly get another.

April 2017: Munchery

Fast forward to April.  Not Thanksgiving.  Not a holiday.  Yet Munchery started offering Pietisserie pies again!  Yes!

Mini Spiced Apple Pie.

Munchery only had the Black Bottom Walnut (which I had before), and Spiced Apple (apple is never a favorite of mine), but, I couldn't resist.  I love the crust too much to resist.

Mini Spiced Apple Pie.

As before, the mini pie came in a small box, however this time, it entirely filled the box.  I mentioned the pies being a bit on the small side before, but this was a legit individual pie.  If you compare the photos, you can tell the pie fills much more of the box than the pecan and pumpkin pies.

Mini Spiced Apple Pie / Cardamom & Brown Sugar Crumble. $5.95.

"Gravenstein and Granny Smith apples, perfectly spiced, in a flakey, all-butter crust. It's topped with an oatmeal and brown sugar crumble that adds a bit of sweet crunch to all those tender, baked apples." - Munchery

"Cardamom, brown sugar, and oat crumble atop tart and sweet granny smith apples." - Pietisserie

I think the depth of the pie was the same, far deeper than it looks at first glance.

As I mentioned, apple pie is not really my favorite.  But ... it is what they were offering.  Like the other non-custard pies, instructions said to eat it at room temperature or to warm it in the oven.  I of course did both to compare (ok, who are we kidding, I did both because I couldn't wait the 5 minutes suggested to heat it up, and just had to try a little cold while I was waiting.

The crust was again thicker than standard, flaky, buttery, and delicious, although again, a bit stale tasting.  I think I blame Munchery for that, I rather suspect it wasn't quite as fresh baked as I'd hoped.  This is really great crust, even when a bit stale.

Spiced Apple Pie: Inside.

The pie was loaded up with sliced apples, heavily spiced.  They don't call this a "spiced" apple pie for nothing.  The Munchery page clearly doesn't list all the ingredients, as the list is just: apples, cake flour, salted butter, oats, brown sugar, pure cane sugar, cornstarch, and ginger root.  Um, what about the spices?  At a minimum, I know there was cinnamon and nutmeg in there, but I think also some cloves?  And the description said it had cardamom, yet that wasn't listed ...

The spicing really was too much for me.  This was in contrast to the perfectly spiced pumpkin pie, so, I was a bit surprised to see the spicing so dominant.   If you like warm, winter spices, then perhaps this is the pie for you?  I did think the apples were nicely cooked (not mushy, not too firm), and the ratio of apple to "goo" was just right.  It was a well made pie, for sure, just, not spiced how I like.

And on top, sweet brown sugar and oat crumble.  I liked the crumble, it was the right amount of sweet, and the crumble chunks were a nice size.  I didn't taste much cardamom, but that was fine with me.

Interestingly, I preferred this pie cold.  In fact, it wasn't until I warmed it that the spices really got to me.  I was shocked, as I usually prefer warm pie, but here, cold was definitely the way to go.  I also really wanted whipped cream to go with it, but alas, Munchery does not offer this option.

Still, a well made pie, particularly if you like spices.

Pi Day, March 2018

Best. Holiday. Ever.  Well, if you love pie like I do ...

March 13, Pi Day.  For my work group of ~100 people, I was able to order from Pietisserie, delivery.  This meant I got to try many, many more pies, including savory and full size pies, finally!

Pecan, Key Lime, Cherry Almond, Chocolate Cream Pretzel, Chocolate Raspberry, Spiced Apple, Blackbottom Walnut.

I ordered every pie they had available, plus 2 off-menu classic pies.

My 7 types of pie used 4 different styles of crust, and totally and completely different types of fillings and toppings.  All were unique and memorable.

Whipped Cream. $6.

Since I didn't want to go buy whipped cream separately, I also ordered pints of whipped cream, $6 each.

It was fine, fluffy enough, but more sweetened that I actually prefer.  It went particularly well with the nuts pies, and the chocolate cream pretzel, which it normally tops.

Savory Pies

Pietisserie makes exactly two savory pies (ok, three if you count mini quiches): chicken pot pie and seasonal vegetable pot pie.

I tried the veggie, since I don't like chicken.

Seasonal Vegetable Pot Pie

. $36.00.

"Showcasing the bounty of local fresh ingredients from our CSA. A perfect winter dinner, this is a full sized 9-inch pie, serves 4-6."

The veggie pot pie changes every week, as they actually subscribe to a CSA and just use whatever they get that week.  I love this, even though it meant I didn't know what would be in my pie.

Given that it was early March though, and not exactly the time for bountiful fun produce, I pretty much assumed root veggies and potatoes.  And kale, because, San Francisco.  I was basically right, but that doesn't mean it was boring.

The pie *looked* stunning, a beautiful double crusted creation, golden on top.  I couldn't wait to break into it.

Oh, and it arrived hot, clearly fresh from the oven.

Seasonal Veggie Pot Pie: Inside.

It was seriously stuffed full of goodies, full to the brim.

And then, of course, there was the pie crust itself.  Double crusted.  Look at that crust, seriously.

It was so flaky, so decadent, so buttery.

This very buttery style went well with the savory pie, perhaps better than with the sweet pies, as it didn't feel *quite* as unhealthy eating loads of butter when it was with vegetables.

The contents were fabulous.

Veggies Close Up.

It was loaded with chunks of so many veggies: celery, carrots, at least 4 types of potato (colorful purple and orange sweet potatoes, red bliss potatoes, regular potatoes, mostly skin on), winter squash, some kind of greens (chard?), big chunks of mushrooms.  The vegetables were all nicely cooked, quite an accomplishment given the variety, none mushy, none too firm.  The huge chunks of mushrooms were my favorite, followed closely by the winter squash.  The gravy was flavorful and creamy.  Overall?  Excellent pot pie filling.

I'd gladly feast on this for a satisfying comfort food meal any day.

Full Size Sweet Pies

Pietisserie rotates flavors constantly, as fruits come into season, and as they feel inspired.  Two signature pies that I didn't order, because they weren't available, were the okinawan sweet potato and a grapefruit custard pie.

The pies use assorted non-traditional crusts (graham cracker crumb, chocolate brownie-like, pretzel crumb), or an all butter pie crust.  The later crust is a memorable one, it is different from most pie crusts in a way that is a bit hard to describe.  It is flaky, yet has a chew to it.  Its very rich, if that makes sense to refer to a crust.  It is flaky, but certainly not light.  The high butter content is ... obvious.  I find that sometimes I like it, and sometimes its just ... too much.  It is always considerably better when warm.

Chocolate Cream Pretzel. $26.

"This pie takes inspiration from the chocolate covered pretzel. Buttery, crunchy, toasted pretzel crumbs make the crust for this bittersweet chocolate cream pie."

This pie normally comes topped with whipped cream and pretzels, but since I was going to be serving the next day, they left the whipped cream off.

The filling was very good chocolate pudding, thick, rich, creamy.  It almost tasted like chocolate peanut butter to me, and I liked it.

The crust was made from compressed pretzels (and butter).  It didn't really hold together, and in some ways I didn't care for it because it gave a grittiness to the otherwise creamy pudding, but, at the same time, it added texture, the flavor was good, and the salt it added accented the chocolate well.  Far more interesting than standard graham cracker crust.

This was a good chocolate cream pie, as good as any I've had elsewhere, and the unique almost- peanut-butter flavor really did it for me.  Mid-range pie for me, 4th pick of the 7 sweet varieties we tried.

Key Lime. $26.

"Bright, smooth key lime custard pie. Graham cracker crust. "

Next up, a custard pie, key lime.

Since I don't generally like lemon or lime desserts, I almost skipped ordering this one, but Pietisserie told me it was one of their best sellers, so, I wanted to please my crowds.

I tried a *tiny* bite, and, as I expected, it wasn't for me.  The custard was well set, thick, rich, plenty of lime flavor.  The graham cracker crust was pretty standard, and much like chocolate cream pretzel kinda fell apart.

But not the pie for me, clearly.  My second to least favorite.

Cherry Almond. $33.

"Semi-sweet cherries under an almond custard." 

My final custard/pudding pie was cherry almond, a very unique creation.

From the top, it didn't necessarily look very interesting.  Classic pie crust, which turned out to be particularly chewy on this one.

Cherry Almond: Inside.

But once you got inside, things changed pretty dramatically.  It was unlike anything I've had before.

When at room temperature, as directed to be served, the filling was a far looser custard than I expected.  It wasn't like a pastry cream, it wasn't like a pudding, I guess like a chess pie is as close as I can come up with?  Sweet, loose, but not runny, and mildly almond flavored.  But the top, where it was baked, was firmer.  Really fascinating.  I really liked the subtle, delicate almond flavor.

And the cherries!  I loved them.  Big, juicy, flavorful cherries suspended in the filling.  They added so much flavor.  

It was almost like a cherry pie collided with a chess pie and an almond pudding.

The serving instructions for many of Pietisserie's pies include advice on serving warm or room temp or chilled, and this one was explicit that it should be room temp.  I had it that way, but I also had it straight from the fridge once when I couldn't wait, and warmed it slightly once when I was curious, and actually, room temp was my least favorite.  Warm was my favorite, not piping hot, but lightly warmed, it really brought the almond flavor forward a bit.  Chilled was my second favorite, it was much thicker, more like a creme brulee, but enjoyable this way too.

This pie did not need (or do well with) whipped cream or ice cream.  I'm normally all for pairings, but this stood alone well.

Really unique, and quite good.  My second favorite of the pies.

Raspberry in a Chocolate Crust. $32.

"With a dark chocolate crust and raspberries sweetened just enough, this pie is decadence."

Ok, talking about unique pies that don't look like what is inside, I bring you, the raspberry in a chocolate crust.

From the top, it looked more like a chocolate cake.  Or a brownie.

Raspberry in a Chocolate Crust: Insides.

But inside?  Ah, yes, raspberry filling.

Very, very seedy raspberry filling.  It was sweet, it was fruity, but for me, the girl who grew up with blackberry bushes that she hated because of the seeds, this was kind of a showstopper.  It didn't matter how good the *flavor* of the filling was, as it had all those seeds.  I tried so hard to like it, but I couldn't get past the seeds.

The "crust" though was fascinating, another hybrid I can't really describe, brownie meets cake meets pie.  The top layer was thicker than the bottom. It was intensely chocolately, fudgey, very different for a pie.

Another very unique offering, and if I didn't have a strange aversion to seeds, I'm sure I'd love this.  In this form though, my least favorite of the 7.  I wonder if I could convince them to do a strawberry version ...

Blackbottom Walnut. $26.

"A perfectly balanced, never-too-sweet, nut pie featuring California walnuts, dark chocolate, and an all-butter crust."

Next up I went for the full size blackbottom walnut, although I had the mini before, and almost liked it, but didn't quite care for the walnuts.  I wanted to give it another try, plus, I know this is one of Pietisserie's regular offerings, and I was sure the others would be interested.

Blackbottom Walnut: Side View.

I'm glad I tried it again.  It was much better than the mini I had before.

The filling was classic pecan-pie like goo, sweet, gooey, nice consistency.  The dark chocolate layer added a slightly bitter contrast with the sweet, and, as I've recently realized when my mom made a killer chocolate nut pie this past year, dark chocolate and nut pies are a match made in heaven.

The walnuts, the polarizing element for me before, were good this time, not bitter as I recalled from last time.  I'd still prefer pecans, or hazelnuts, or mixed nuts, but, they were good.

Overall, very good, my favorite pie.

Pecan. $26.

I also managed to get Pietisserie to make a pecan pie, even though not actually offered at that time.  When talking to them over e-mail to get my order together, I made a comment asking if they ever do pecan instead of walnut (per my earlier review not caring for walnut as much, and knowing they had it one Thanksgiving), and they said they could do classic pecan pies for me!

I was thrilled, and ordered several for the group.

The large format was different from the mini I had previously from Munchery, most notably, it had full pecan halves rather than chopped bits.

Pecan ... oozing.

Like many of my pies, it arrived warm.  It seemed to be having some oozing problems, with filling running out into the box, so I let it set a few hours, and then broke into it.  It ... still clearly hadn't set quite right.  Lots of liquid.  Tasty, sweet liquid, but not quite what I think they were going for.

The pie was good though, don't get me wrong.

That buttery, flaky, decadent, chewy crust.  I particularly liked the back crust on this one.  Sweet filling.  Lots of pecans, nicely toasted for a bit of extra flavor, none remotely burnt.

I do prefer a more set filling, as I like the custardy nature to it normally.

This was best when just warmed up and served over ice cream, kinda as a warm ice cream topping, with the pie crust on the side like a waffle cone chunk.  My 3th pick.

Spiced Apple Crumble.  $28.

“Cardamom, brown sugar, and oat crumble atop tart and sweet granny smith apples.”

I really wanted a fruit pie, and there were not any on the menu, besides the cherries in the cherry almond custard, and the raspberries in the raspberry chocolate.  I wanted something more fruit forward, and asked if they could do any special fruit pies.

The spiced apple crumble was my only option, which I had in mini form before, and didn't love, but, I wanted to give the full size, and fresh, version a try.

Spiced Apple Crumble: Side View.

I'm glad I did, but, the spice forward nature of this pie makes it not a top choice for me.

The crumble topping was good, and quite generous.  I love a generous crumble.  It was heavily spiced, particularly with cardamom.

The apples were well cooked, not too mushy, not too firm, but very spiced as well.

Fifth pick, and it took whipped cream well, and was best when heated.

Sweet Mini Pies

I've had many of the Pietisserie mini pies before, but I still ordered an assortment just to see what they were like fresh, rather than from Munchery.  Minis are available only for catering. 

The verdict?  MUCH MUCH BETTER.  I think Munchery was holding the stock for a long time, possibly freezing and then serving?  In particular, the crusts were great, really flaky and buttery.  They also were bigger ...

Assorted Mini Pies: $5 Each.

I ordered an assortment: spiced apple crumble, pecan, cherry almond, and chocolate raspberry.

Since I didn't care for the larger format spiced apple crumble, and I had a lot of the cherry almond, I skipped those.

The raspberry chocolate in this form I liked more than the larger format.  It was different though, rather than using a chocolate crust, it used a traditional pie crust, filled with raspberry filling, and then the chocolate top.  I liked it more, I think because I got to enjoy the awesome crispy flaky crust, and when I paired that with whipped cream, the fruity bits were more enjoyable.

I also had the mini pecan, which was different from the Munchery pecans, just like the full size, in that it had whole pecan halves rather than chopped pieces.  It was actually better than the full size pie, as the filling was set properly (the full was loose).  And the crust, awesome, and clearly more ratio of crust to filling with the minis than full size pies.

I think I might actually prefer the minis to slices from large pies, just because the crust was so good!

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The Impossible Burger, from Munchery

The Impossible Burger.  Perhaps you've read about it.  Perhaps you've been able to try it.  Perhaps ... you have no idea what I'm talking about.

The short version?  It is a vegetarian burger that is pretty much a miracle of food science, in so many ways.  It looks like ground beef, both when it is raw, and when it is cooking.  The texture and chew is uncanny.  Heck, the thing is juicy, bleeds, and even tastes a bit mineral-y.  You could be convinced, particularly if you eat well done burgers, and slather them in ketchup.  If this is fascinating sounding, go read all about it, from the discovery of the compound heme, to the use of assorted proteins and fats.  It really is amazing, if you care to learn.

Anyway, Impossible Burgers came out in July 2016 to much fanfare, available only a a *very* small number of restaurants in the country.  Since then, the reach has grown, but you still can't buy it in a retail store (although some big chains, like Umami Burger, do carry it).  Do not be confused with the other big name in veggie burgers from the past year, Beyond Burger, which is available at Whole Foods.

Ok, so, that is the Impossible Burger.  Available in select restaurants, still fairly limited.

Now, let me introduce you to Munchery.  Munchery is another company I am fascinated by, but for totally different reasons.  Munchery was introduced in 2010 in the Bay Area, a startup trying to change the meal delivery landscape by offering meals not from restaurants, but from their team of chefs, and not served hot, but rather, refrigerated designed for delivery and simple reheating by you at home instead.  The appeal to me, way back then, is that restaurant delivery actually always kinda lackluster in that it is lukewarm and soggy by the time it reaches you.  Munchery designed the meals to be served this way, with components separated out, proteins slightly undercooked so that the finishing process at home didn't over cook them, etc.  I used the service way back then, and I was impressed by some dishes, like their take on Heston Blumenthal's Chocolate and Cauliflower Risotto, but these fancier dishes didn't work out very well in the market.

So Munchery went for more simple options, which were pretty hit or miss for me, but I found many other hits over the years even among those, like the stuffed pasta shells I kinda still drool thinking about.   I even ordered Thanksgiving dinner from them a couple times.  Still, Munchery wasn't hugely successful, so they continued to pivot, introducing same day ordering, breakfast items, and eventually kid's meals ... which more recently pivoted to bento boxes for kids.  They added partnerships with local restaurants to craft dishes for the menus (like Dosa and Slanted Door) and local bakeries provide some of the desserts.  They now offer a slew of different concepts, including actual cooking kits and a gourmet "marketplace" full of high end provisions like prosciutto, Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, even saffron.  And Blue Bottle cold brew, Project Juice juices, etc.  I give them major kudos for just continuing to try everything.

Which finally gets to my story of the day.  Munchery got ahold of Impossible Burgers.  The moment I saw them on the menu, I ordered.

I highly recommend the experience.  In fact, if you'd like to try Munchery for the first time, I can even offer you an Impossible Burger for free.  Or, any other meal you'd like.  Or just an amazing dessert and the aforementioned bottle of saffron, if you so prefer.  Whatever you'd like, here is $20 entirely free, no strings, to try on Munchery.  (I recommend the Impossible Burger or the cheesecakes though!)

Impossible Burger by Munchery.  $18.95.

My experience was everything I wanted it to be.

Easy online ordering, on-time delivery, nicely packaged food, clear instructions, and, well, delicious and fascinating.

Munchery even went a step further and made the entire offering vegan, including the bun and the aioli.   I was skeptical, to be honest.  I was a bit sad they made the whole thing vegan.  I wanted cheese!  I wanted yummy toppings!

It turns out, the vegan-ness was not an issue, at all.  I loved the toppings, and I didn't miss the cheese (I even added some melted swiss myself, and decided I liked it better without).

Boxed Up!

"What is impossible, you might ask? Resisting the carnivorous urge to sink your teeth into this juicy burger, loaded with everything you crave (and none of the meat). This triumphantly meatless patty from Impossible Foods touts everything meat-eaters yearn for in a sustainable package—the secret ingredient “heme” gives it a trademark sizzle on the grill and glorious beef flavor. Served with a vegan herb aioli, pickled red onions, a crisp side salad, and pickle spears, become the architect of your dream burger and experience impossible."

As always, Munchery items come well labelled, with full ingredients and nutrition info, along with preparation instructions.

My box showed this meal clocking in at 960 calories, but the online nutrition stats said 760.  Not sure which was accurate, or why they disagreed by a fairly large margin.  It was also a bit surprising, given that the side dish was just a very small salad, and there wasn't cheese or anything on the burger.  It did have an impressive 44 grams of protein though!

Packaging.

The packaging was fairly impressive, nearly every component done differently.  Two items came in plastic bags, sized appropriately for each.  Two came in small plastic containers.  Another in a bigger plastic container.  Another in a smaller yet.  Everything held together in a box.

The instructions were fairly simple, although, uh, I didn't quite follow them:

"Slice bun.

In The Microwave: heat burger 2-3 minutes, toast bun separate.

In The Oven: Preheat to 350 degrees. Heat 10-12 minutes, or until heated through, add bun for last minute of heating.

To Serve: Top with onion and mayo, add dressing to salad."

Side Salad with Harissa Vinaigrette.

The burger came with a side salad, packaged up in a plastic container, with harissa vinaigrette in its own smaller container inside of that.

It was fine, a base of fresh crispy mixed greens/spinach/romaine, some shredded radish and carrot on top.  The instructions said to use this as a side salad and serve with the dressing, but the photo showed using it as lettuce on top of the burger.  Your choice.  Or do both.

I didn't care for the dressing, strong flavors that didn't seem to compliment each other - harissa paste, strong sherry vinegar, acidic orange juice, tangy dijon mustard ... but I didn't really care.  I did not order this for the salad.

Vegan Bun.

Unlike most Munchery items, the bun actually did require work: slicing.

It was actually a decent bun, not dried out nor stale, not hard, nice shine to it.  Toasted up nicely.

Pickle Spear.

Packaged up in a plastic bag, but not sealed tight, was a pickle spear.

The item description said "pickle spears", plural, so I ding them a point for just including one.

It was a very classic pickle.  Crisp, fresh, juicy, briny.  Good enough, and yes, perfect on the side with a burger.

Pickled Red Onion.

Next, a little container of pickled red onions.

These were stronger flavored than the pickle spear, tart, puckery if you ate them on their own.

They went great with the aioli and burger though, really did complete the package.

This quantity was more than generous, so I had plenty left over to use in a salad later.

Vegan Herb Aioli.

Also in a container, vegan herb aioli.  The component, besides the burger itself, I was most skeptical about.

I didn't need to be.  It was fantastic!  Creamy, herby, garlic-y, flavorful.  I think it had rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley.  I certainly wouldn't have known it was vegan.   I loved it, particularly when paired with the pickled onion.

Impossible Burger Patty.

The patty came in a plastic bag.

It was actually far bigger than I expected, hard to see here, but, a hefty burger, for sure.  More than a quarter pound, certainly.  I'm sure this is part of the reason why the entire meal has at 44 grams of protein; there isn't much in any other component, and this could easily be two normal burger patties.  Impossible Foods, the makers of the patty, say that a 3 ounce portion has 20 grams of protein, so, if this was more like 5 ounces as I estimate, that would basically add up, assuming the bun contributes a bit of protein too.

Pink Inside!

I sliced the patty in half, so I could try different heating techniques.

I'll admit, I have read a lot about this thing, I know people say it is like meat, but, wow.  Look at it!  Pink inside!

The only sad thing is that since this was through Munchery, it arrived cooked, not raw, medium.  Which would be perfect, except I needed to warm it further, so my end cook state wouldn't be this lovely medium-ish. 

Grilling ...

Munchery told me to either microwave for 2-3 minutes or heat in oven for 10 mins.

I certainly couldn't bring myself to microwave it.  I was about to put it in the oven, but at last minute,  I went rogue, and pulled out my grill.

It sizzled very satisfyingly.

Grilled (and topped with my cheese).

I pulled it off the grill, and immediately took a bite.  I didn't even wait to add toppings, assemble my burger, anything.  I was too fascinated.

The texture.  Wow.  It was ... totally like beef.  From the grill, it even got a sear on the outside.  It was well-done at this point, never how I like my beef, but, it remained quite juicy.  And, exactly like a well-done beef patty.  So crazy.

I then topped one half with Swiss cheese, and left it in a hot oven for a moment to melt the cheese.  It was fine, but strangely, I preferred it without the cheese.  I'm really not sure why.

Cheeseless Lettuce Wrap.

The other half I left cheese-less.

I'm not really a big bun-lover, and wanted to taste the burger itself more, so I opted to make lettuce wraps instead, loaded with the pickled red onions, and slathered with that delicious aioli. 

I dunked it into even more aioli.  And into my own ketchup, which complimented everything nicely.

Lettuce Wrap: Inside.

And the verdict?  It was really good.  Not a medium-rare burger like I'd normally order, of course.  But I could easily be convinced this was beef, and Munchery did a great job with the flavorful, complimentary toppings, one creamy, one tart.

How could it be improved?  Well, it would need to arrive less fully cooked, so it would be less cooked once warmed up at home.  I imagine the Munchery beef burgers suffer from this as well.  They could add more decadent toppings, some bacon jam, or cheese, but I'm not convinced any of that is necessary.  I would prefer pickle slices to add on top rather than the spear on the side, as it did need some additional juiciness, and I didn't find myself wanting other toppings like fresh tomato.

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