Snacks from Little Debbie

Ah, Little Debbie treats.  Always the best part of my lunch box.  

Well, actually, I had an amazing mother who made fresh baked goods all of the time, so I didn't have them that often in my OWN lunch box, but I could barter for them :)  I thought these would fall in the category of snacks that I should let just remain as memories, and that trying them again as an adult would ruin them forever.  But ... in this case, I'm glad I tried them again.  It turns out, *some* Little Debbie is still delicious!

Oatmeal Creme Pie. (2017)

"This is the Little Debbie® snack that started it all! Oatmeal Creme Pies have been satisfying families since 1960 as the very first snack baked under the Little Debbie brand name. Whole grain oats, molasses, and irresistible creme filling combine to create this classic treat."

One of my strongest Little Debbie memories, and apparently their first item, around since 1960.

The cookies are super-soft, just like I like them.  They don't have a very strong oatmeal flavor however, and have a slight plastic flavor to them.  They are so soft though!

The filling is just crazy sweet, exactly as I remember.  The ratio of cookie to filling is perfect.

These really haven't changed.  I don't love them, and won't get them again, but they sure are a classic.

Mini Frosted Donuts. (2017)

"Don’t let those busy mornings get in the way of breakfast! Start your day off right with some delicious Mini Frosted Donuts from Little Debbie. The perfect bite-sized food for a quick breakfast, this bag of donuts will take care of those early morning sweet cravings with their yummy chocolate icing covering a cakey vanilla donut. Pick up a bag for a group breakfast or keep them all to yourself. Be sure to re-close the bag so they stay fresh until they are all gone!"

I don't think I ever actually had these growing up, even though I clearly love donuts, as we always got the Entenmann's ones.  But these just sound so good.  Who doesn't love chocolate frosted donuts?

But ...

Mini Frosted Donut, Cross-Section

The cake was, like Entenmann's, a strange, unnatural, yellow color.  It was fairly unremarkable, not really moist nor dry, not really having any particular flavor.

The chocolate shell was similarly flavorless.  I wanted it to be chocolatey, I wanted it to be a bit crunchy, but it wasn't really anything.  The Entenmann's version had a much richer chocolate flavor.

Meh.  Would not get again.

Pecan Spinwheel. (2017).

"A pastry of cinnamon and spice rolled with pecans."

"Reach for a package of comforting nostalgia with the perfect blend of sweet dough, cinnamon spice and pieces of pecans. Flavorful Little Debbie® Pecan Spinwheels are the perfect way to start any morning! Whether you like to unroll them and eat them piece by piece or just take one big bite, these fun treats pair perfectly with a tall glass of milk or a warm mug of coffee. A perfect quick snack to pack in your lunch or when you need a pick me up, take one along as you start your day!"

I thought I remembered these as being one of my favorite items, although I was confused when I opened the box.  What I remembered came in totally different packaging ... I remember individual little plastic boxes.  And I thought they were more caramelized and more loaded with pecans.  Am I remembering something else? Did these change?  Am I totally making this all up?

Anyway, these weren't good.  Moist dough that was kinda gummy and strange.  I didn't find any pecans in it, although there was some gritty substance in with the cinnamon that must have been the pecans.  There was some cinnamon flavor at least.

My co-taster says, "It tastes gluten-free, like made with cashews.  Or maybe vegan.  That was gross.  Why did you make me eat that?"

Least favorite of the items I tried.

Nutty Bars. (2017).

"Classic crunchy wafer bars, full of the great taste of peanut butter enrobed in fudge".

"How do you describe the sensation of a Nutty Buddy wafer? Is it the classic crunch as you snap into your first bar? Is it the layers of delicious peanut butter creme in every bite? Maybe it’s the fudge coating lightly covering each bar so the iconic crisscross pattern of the wafers shows through? Or is it because there’s always one to share with a friend? Whatever the reason, Nutty Buddy wafer bars are fun for everyone!"

Nutty Bars were probably my second favorite as a child.   

Like most of the treats we'd been trying, I expected to take a bit of one of them, and then hand the rest over to my partner, who was busy exclaiming how great they were.  "Yeah right," I thought, "low quality waxy milk chocolate, peanut flavored paste, and some stale wafers.  I'm sure they are great!"  

How wrong I was!  Sure, those things may have been true, but they were still really tasty.  Classic chocolate and peanut butter, always a great combination.  And a nice crispy wafer.  Yum!

I ate them just as I did as a kid - layer by layer, rather than biting right into them.  I love separating them like that.  I haven't seen anyone else eat them this way, but it feels so natural to me :)

We both really liked them, and if I was really going to purchase more Little Debbie snacks, these would surely be the ones. (My partner did of course did purchase them a few more times after this first encounter, but I think he is sick of them finally).

Boston Creme Rolls. (2020).

"Boston cream pie isn’t the official dessert of the state of Massachusetts for nothing! Even though our cakes travel well, you don’t have to book a flight to Boston to enjoy Boston Creme Rolls. Savor the thick, custardy creme filling, encircled in a traditional yellow cake and lightly splashed with fudge topping. Perfectly paired with a delicate light roast coffee or a nice cold glass of milk, Little Debbie Boston Creme Rolls are the perfect snack to reach for on a rainy afternoon, a busy morning or as a midnight snack."

I picked these up as a special treat to my father, who *loves* Boston Creme things.  Or at least, he always requested "Boston Cream Pie" for dessert after dinner when we were growing up, which he rarely, rarely ever got.  I think it was almost more of a joke than anything (don't get me wrong, my mom made fresh desserts *all* the time, and he never had a cookie jar not full of homemade cookies), but "Boston Cream Pie" was the constant request.

So I grabbed a box of these when I saw them, as a special treat for him.

Of course I took one.

Um, wow.  I guess it has been a long time since I've had a packaged snack cake, but, uh, there was nothing redeeming about it.  Stale, dry, highly processed tasting "cake".  The cream filling was just sweet, not a custard cream as the description said, and as should be present in Boston Cream.  It was just ... sweet.  Like Twinkie filling or any other generic "creme" filling.  The chocolate drizzle was pretty lost on it, but the best part?

I was shocked by how not tasty this was.  Corn syrup, sugar, and a whole lot of processed chemicals.  And that is what it tasted like.  And how was this tiny little cake nearly 300 calories and 12g of fat?

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Simply Sinbad / Sinbad's Sweets

Update Review, 2020 Tastings

Sometimes, you really just want a sweet, crispy treat.  And when that craving hits, baklava is certainly a good pick.  I've been impressed with Sinbad's baklava before, just packaged mass produced "bites" even, so I was excited to try more of their products.

Spoiler: they really do make good items, and best of all, shelf life is great!

Classic Baklava.

"Luscious bites of flaky buttery pastry filled with walnuts bathed in a golden syrup."

This is good baklava.  Really quite good baklava, particularly for a not fresh product with a long shelf life (12 months in the fridge! 6 months at room temp! 18 months frozen!)

There is nothing earth shattering about it, just layers of fillo dough, some cinnamon and walnuts, and tons of sticky sweetness (a combination of honey, corn syrup, sugar), but the fillo is crispy and flaky, the layers all seem to have just the right balance of fillo and fillings, and it is definitely sweet, but somehow in a decently balanced way - not too much honey, not too much cloying corn syrup, etc.

I really enjoy this, when in the mood for a sweet flaky treat like this.

Mini Assortment: Assorted Mini Nut Tarts (Pecan, Almond, Cashew).

I was fairly excited for these, given that I have liked other Sinbad's products, and they looked like something I'd like - gooey sweet filling (like pecan pie?), assorted nut toppings, and crispy fillo shell?  Totally something I'd like, particularly with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

But ... I didn't care for these.  

The shell was fine, flaky, fairly standard fillo shell.  The nuts also were fine, but didn't taste particularly fresh, nor did they seem roasted to bring out better flavor.  It was interesting to me that the almond ones all had 3 full size almonds, the pecan ones had two full size pecan halves, but the cashew were chopped.

It was the filling I didn't like.  It tasted like ... just corn syrup, sweet but with no depth, and it had a strange chew to it, like caramel, just without any of the buttery flavor of caramel.  I wanted something more gooey like pecan pie filling, or something richer like caramel, this just offered nothing, and made up the majority of the treat.

Caramel Pecan Turtle Shell.

"Filled with creamy salted caramel sauce and toasted pecans, bathed in a rich chocolate coating and topped with a pecan half."

This is a very, very, very unique item.  It was not at all what I expected, given the look, and given the description.  I thought it was going to be a chocolate, with filling. Which, I guess it was, but, when I bit in, and the crunch turned flaky, I was quite surprised.

Let me explain.

The outside was chocolate, rich, creamy, smooth, thick layer.  It was good.  And on top, yes, a pecan half, also good.

Inside though ... not just the creamy salted caramel and nuts I was expecting.  There was ... fillo dough inside!  How did they not mention this element?  It does fit in with the rest of the product line more sensibly this way, but, I found it very surprising to bite into.

Once I got over the surprise though, I loved this item.  It was almost like bakalva inside, flaky fillo and sweetness, but the sweetness came from salted caramel rather than traditional honey, which I greatly preferred, and the crunchy bitss were chopped pecan rather than traditional walnuts, which I also preferred.

In the end, I loved this item, my favorite product from Sinbad's Sweets.  Thick chocolate coated better-than-baklava inside.

Original Review, September 2017

Sometimes, learning about products to write these little intros is harder than others.  Like, when a company doesn't seem to exist, but is a near match to one that does.  Which is the case with "Simply Sinbad".

I had a package of little baklava bites, with the "Simply Sinbad" brand on them.  I went to look them up, and couldn't find ... anything really.  Just the Instacart page for Costco.  But I found plenty of information on "Sinbad Sweets", a company that makes, among other things, classic triangle baklava. And a huge baklava assortment, with all sorts of options like chocolate drizzled orange syrup flavored baklava, rolled baklava covered with sliced almonds and chocolate, "basket" shapes with pecans or almonds instead ... but no bites.

I dug and dug, and finally found that Sinbad Sweets introduced the baklava bites for grocery and convenience stores in 2013.  Why they changed the brand name I do not know.  I got my package a party where the hosts shopped at Costco, so, clearly they distribute there.

Anyway, they turned out to be great.  Hence why it worth the research to me!

Baklava Bites : Top View.

"Hand-crafted mini baklavas are perfect for both long time baklava lovers and first time tasters. The combination of decadent flavors and handmade preparation truly make our baklava premium. Our fresh almonds and walnuts are rolled in between layers of delicate, buttery fillo pastry leaves. Next, they are baked slowly to perfection for a great artisan taste and crisp texture. The final touch is the drizzling of our honey syrup to provide just that extra bit of decadence."

The bites come individually wrapped in packages with two pieces each.  Note: each piece is actually more than one bite, unless you have a really big mouth ...

I didn't really detect the drizzle of honey the description says they have, but, I also think that would have made them soggy?

They weren't soggy at all, instead were perfectly crispy.  Very impressive how crisp they were for a packaged product.

Baklava Bites: End View.

As you can see from the end view, they are hollow, a rolled item, rather than tranditional layered form.  This meant there was only one layer of chopped nuts (a mix of almonds and walnuts), but they were sweet and crunchy, and I prefer to pistachio versions.

The fillo was certainly the star though, buttery, flaky, crispy.  Again, impressive for a packaged product, and I'd gladly consume these again.

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110 Grill

 "Modern American Cuisine in a Trendy Casual Atmosphere"

Such is the tagline for 110 Grill, a chain of restaurants on the east coast (with locations in MA, CT, RI, NY, and NH).

110 Grill did not exist when I was growing up in NH, but during the second half of 2020 I spent 6 months living with family to "escape" the COVID conditions in San Francisco, and the restaurant caught my interest.  Not because I was craving "modern" American food, and certainly not the "trendy casual atmosphere", since we were only doing takeout (they were open for dine-in, but my parents were not comfortable dining in), but because it seemed to actually get decent reviews.  And had a very, very appealing menu, not only for me, but for *all* my family members, which is no small feat.

"Whether you are looking to enjoy a nice glass of Cabernet and a ribeye with business colleagues dressed in suits, grab a burger and a beer at the bar in shorts and a T-shirt, or sip sangria with friends by a roaring fire pit on a summer evening, you will fit right in."

It really does sound like a great place to hang out during "normal" times.

Mediocre Takeout Feast.

After some initial research, I started proposing going there (originally during the summer to dine outside on their big patio!), and later to just get takeout, but neither of my parents had ever been, hadn't heard anyone talk about it, and had their set of goto places to get takeout from (e.g. Ziggy's Pizza - ok, they have great dipping sauce and bread rolls, but otherwise, meh!,  Mickey's - horrible, review coming soon, or, you know, Subway).  Eventually I succeeded in getting takeout for us all, but ... it didn't get rave reviews, from any of us.  Pretty mediocre, really.

I'll also note that our order was not ready at the specified time, and I had to wait an additional ... 20? 30? minutes past the pickup time they had set.  I was annoyed. And most of the food was not actually warm, even when I tried it in the parking lot immediately.

Setting

Every 110 Grill has some key features: a distinctive bar, an open kitchen, outside firepits, and more.

Horseshoe Bar.

Each 110 Grill features a large, open, horseshoe bar area.  During non-COVID times, I can imagine this being a big draw, a vibrant place, and major feature of the restaurant.  Alas, when I was there, only a few people were seated at the bar area, mostly just watching the TVs and, yup, eating burgers.

Every 110 Grill also features a large outdoor area, with firepits and all.  I wished we had been able to dine in the summer out on the patio!

Dining Room.

There is of course a traditional dining room as well, overlooking an open kitchen, yes, another feature of all 110 Grills.

Food

The menu is divided into many sections, none of which are clearly appetizers nor mains, but you can generally figure it out.  Appetizer/sharing options are "At the Start" (traditional appetizers, all very share-worthy, not individual things), "On the Dough" (flatbreads, very unclear if these are personal pizzas, or sharing plates, or what ...) , and "From the Garden" (salads), although you really could make anything from the later two categories entrees too.  More classic entrees are broken down into categories like “By the Chef” (I call these "opinionated" composed dishes, designed entrees with specific sides and sauces), "Between the Bread" (sandwiches/tacos), "Off the Hook" (seafood), and "In the Cut".  There is an additional lineup of sides, a separate vegetarian section (pastas, etc), and an entirely separate gluten-free menu and kids menus.  Oh, and dessert of course ("At the Finish").

In addition to the regular menu, they offer seasonal specials that change every few months, spanning all areas of the menu (including desserts!).

Let's just say, the menu is sizable, and has options for ... everyone.  If you can't find something here, then ... I really don't understand.

At the Start / On the Dough / From the Garden

To get your meal started, there are a slew of tempting "At the Start" items, mostly ridiculously crowd pleasing, Instagram worthy, sharing plates, all quite decadent, like chorizo totchos (yes, nachos but with tator tots instead of chips, and chorizo, although a more classic chicken nachos options is there too), fried pickle chips and dipping sauce, a bunch of dips (cheesy spinach dip, creamy crab rangoon), fried asian calamari or firecracker shrimp, wings, and, randomly, uh, tomato soup.  If I was dining in, the Firecracker Shrimp, or perhaps fried pickles, had my name all over them.

The menu next lists "On the Dough", a couple flatbreads, that aren't quite clear if these are intended to be a pizza-like entree, a share dish, or what.  Next comes the salads, "From the Garden", and some of these sounded pretty great, and can be made into entrees by adding protein.

Bread & Butter. Complimentary.

When you dine in, you are provided bread and butter, which I knew, and had read good things about.  I appreciated that the menu actually had the bread and butter as an option item during the checkout flow (along with utensils, mayo, mustard, ketchup, etc), and they also offered a gluten-free version.  No charge to add this on, I just had to say how many people it was for.

The bread rolls were pretty lackluster to be honest, even if they looked ok.  Not warm, fairly hard, just, yeah.  Not great.

But that butter?  ZOMG.  That was good butter.  Garlic herb butter (I think?), very very flavorful.  And this was not nearly enough for the 7 rolls (for 6 people?) they provided.  This amount of butter was good for ... 1-2 rolls.  Honestly.  Soooo good.

I'd skip the rolls in the future, except, well, I really wanted that butter!

Rolls: *

Butter: *****

Kale Brussels Salad. $11.50.

"Shredded Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage, Radicchio, Carrots And Golden Beets With Arugula, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds And Diced Gala Apples, Tossed In A Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette, Topped With Goat Cheese."

I got this as an extra dish to have for lunch the next day, so I asked to have the pumpkin seeds separate so they wouldn't get soggy, and the goat cheese separate as I do not care for goat cheese and planned to just give that to my mom.

This was actually really quite good.  One of the best salads I have had in a long time.

The crunchy pumpkin seeds to top it were just plain pumpkin seeds, but I liked the crunch they added.  I can imagine if I liked goat cheese that it really would go fabulously, but alas, I do not.  I added Sweet & Spicy Pecans (from Trader Joe's) on top of mine at home and really enjoyed it that way.

And the dressing?  Actually good, and I'm not a vinaigrette girl.  A thicker style, which definitely helped, maple mustard vinaigrette, tangy and a touch sweet, and really did compliment all the other ingredients.  I liked it more than the honey mustard dipping sauce.

Kale Brussels Salad: Close Up.

Here you can see the makeup of the salad itself, really, quite beautiful looking.  There were so many textures, and I loved all the crunchy veggies, even the hunks of apple.  The shredded style for carrots, cabbage, broccoli stems, radicchio, kale, etc works really well.  There were a few chunks of slightly larger brussels sprouts, but only ... 2?   I did want more of a brussels sprouts component, as it is a "kale brussels salad" after all.  Oh, and kale was definitely lost in it too, just shredded.  More arugula than kale, but not all that much arugula either, but it provided a spicy, peppery base.  But this base was fabulous, I don't care what it was called.

The menu said it would have golden beets, which I didn't find, but also didn't mind, as I don't particularly care for beets anyway.

Overall, this was actually a really nice salad, very well thought out, composed, colorful and great to "eat with my eyes", and, really quite nice to eat in general, just so many textures at play.

I really do recommend.  I think if you like grilled salmon, it would be great topped with that too, the salmon and maple mustard vinaigrette I could see going together really nicely.

****

Shrimp, Cajun. $9.

To turn a salad into an entree, 110 Grill offers a number of add-ons, and I was glad to see *not* just chicken! (of course, grilled chicken is an option).  I could also add seared yellowfin tuna, grilled salmon, and grilled shrimp.

I went for the shrimp, as I had really been craving it.  The shrimp came on the side, and were warm, wrapped in foil, a large portion of 9 fairly large shrimp.  Shrimp is usually served just grilled with garlic butter on top of a salad, but I knew I could ask for cajun style instead (offered for all the "Off the Hook" selections, next).  I, uh, didn't quite think through what I was doing though, as cajun spice, while it sounded awesome, totally clashed with my base salad.  Ooops.  I quickly realized this, and didn't use the shrimp for my salad, opting to add my aforementioned Trader Joe's Sweet & Spicy Pecans for some protein instead.

But back to the shrimp, and I did try one while it was hot and fresh.  The cajun rub was very generously applied, good enough cajun flavor.  The shrimp were probably the one item that stayed nicely hot, the foil really helped (side note: why was just this in foil? It really would have been great to have the other seafood done this way too!).  It was ... fine?  Not remarkably succulent, kinda a bit chewy but not that bad.  Just, fairly average.

I ate it the next day with some cheesy grits and roast brussels sprouts, with a bit of horseradish aioli, and it worked quite well that way, but the shrimp themselves really weren't anything special.

Anyway, fine, nothing special, but fine. ***.

By The Chef / Between the Bread / Off the Hook / In the Cut / For the Vegetarian

As I mentioned, "By the Chef" features all the "chef" composed dishes.  This includes everything from chicken pesto pasta, fish and chips, meatloaf, thai pork chops, and really, everything in-between (the pulled pork mac and cheese gets a lot of raves!).  This is the largest menu section, with more than a dozen options.  Each comes with sides that are appropriate, many of which are not listed as a la carte side options.  

"Between the Bread" offers up burgers (beef or turkey or chicken, with toppings, etc), pulled pork, steak & cheese, a cubano, and, uh, fish tacos (I guess that is "bread").  These come with one side of your choice.

“Off the Hook” and "In the Cut" are for the more simple seafood or beef options, three options for seafood (salmon, swordfish, or shrimp), and meat eaters can enjoy “In the Cut” offering up steak tips, NY strip, and ribeye steaks.  The seafood is available in two styles, either simply grilled with garlic butter, or rubbed with cajun spices.  Beef items allow you to add mushrooms, onions, demi-glace, or shrimp. Both categories allow the diner to pick 2 sides of their choice, from an extensive lineup.

Vegetarians have a decent selection as well, spanning everything from stir fry to pasta to veggie burgers.

Off the Hook: Salmon, Grilled with Garlic Butter. $24.

"North Atlantic, Oceanic Raised. Prepared Cajun Style Or Grilled With Garlic Butter."

My mother went for a simple selection from Off the Hook, the salmon, and opted for the grilled with garlic butter.  We requested mid-rare.

It was decently cooked, but medium, even maybe medium-well.  Definitely not rare in any way. It had nice grill marks, I liked the crispy bits.   It didn't actually come with garlic butter, nor could we see or taste any, but, it was cooked with something I guess. The fresh lemon to drizzle was needed.

Overall, very boring for me, she rated it fine, and stole some of my lemon butter sauce to make it more interesting.

She had her choice of two sides, and went for mashed potatoes and fries (for my dad), reviewed below.

**+.

By the Chef: Prosciutto Wrapped Cod / Lemon Butter Sauce
Parmesan Risotto.  $20.

"Baked Seasoned Cod Wrapped With Prosciutto, Served Over Parmesan Risotto And Broccoli, Finished With A Lemon Butter Sauce. "

I also opted for seafood, but I had my eyes set firmly on the cod, a standard fish in the Northeast, but a treat for me, as Atlantic cod is quite different from the Pacific cod I am more exposed to (and do not care for really).  I could have my cod as fish and chips, or fish tacos, but I didn't want it fried, and it is not available in the Off the Hook section, only in this composed chef's creation, wrapped in prosciutto, and served with parmesan risotto and broccoli, with a lemon butter sauce.

I don't generally go for rice, or risotto, but it looked good in many photos, and people say it really makes the dish.  Plus, my mom was eager to try it, not available as an a la carte side, so I kept it as is, but did ask to sub out the broccoli, as I really didn't want that, and got slaw for myself instead.  I also asked for the sauce on the side, in case I didn't like it, but also for ease of reheating.  All my modifications were handled appropriately.

The cod really was lovely.  A large piece, delicate, flaky, mild fish, exactly what I wanted it to be.  Decently moist, as the prosciutto surrounding it helped keep it moist, but a touch dry too.  It also wasn't really warm, even though I gobbled up a portion immediately in the marking lot.

The prosciutto was a nice touch, and it was crispy, but for me, it was too much.  It entirely surrounded the large piece of fish, and I found myself tiring of it quickly.  A little was nice, but this was overkill.  It did help keep it moist I'm sure though, and likely added a good salty component, but, yeah, too much.

The lemon butter sauce I was similarly mixed on.  It was creamy, rich, and I do love a good butter sauce.  However the lemon was really, really strong, and it got to be just too much for me.  It did go well with both the cod and the risotto though.

And then, the risotto.  This really was good risotto, for risotto.  Very creamy, very rich, nice parmesan flavor.  The rice was well cooked, not too mushy nor al dente.  Odd that it isn't offered as a regular side, I think it would go great with any Off the Hook selection.  And again, went great with the sauce.

Overall, this was good, but not amazing.  I'd consider it in the future, but sub out the risotto and broccoli, again, just personal preference, and get a different starch and the brussels sprouts that I really did want to try ... 

***.

On The Side

The lineup of sides is largely what drew me in to 110 Grill.  Honestly. They have an amazing selection of sides, and nearly every entree (besides the more curated, opinionated By The Chef items that have sides picked with them), allows you to pick 1-2 sides of your choice.

There is something for everyone: healthy options like steamed broccoli or roasted brussels sprouts, basic carbs like jasmine rice, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, fries, sweet potato fries, and more fun things like onion strings and a chilled asian noodle salad.  All are also available a la carte, for $5-6.  You can also go for a half salad instead (Cyprus or Caesar), for $4 more if included normally.

We tried several, all were fine, nothing was "ZOMG worthy".

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

The roasted garlic mashed potatoes let me down a bit, as, well, I tasted no garlic at all.  I expected an amazing roasted garlic flavor!

But they were very rich, very creamy, very decadent potatoes.  A touch gloopy, but, definitely decent enough.  My mother liked them.

The portion seemed rather small for these.  I wouldn't get again.

***.

Cole Slaw.

The slaw I was very excited for, really in the mood for slaw, but alas, I didn't like this at all.

I really did like large chunks of cabbage, and it was fresh and crisp, but I didn't care for the dressing, kinda tart-sour, and the red onion was harsh.

**.

Regular Fries.

My father wanted regular fries, I tried one.

Standard thin fries, skin on the tips.  I didn't care for them, not particularly crisp, not particularly ... anything really, and not all that well salted.  He seemed happy enough.  Not my thing anyway.

**.

Sweet Potato Fries.

The sweet potato fries were the one I picked, I had been *seriously* craving sweet potato fries, and when I looked through social media, the sweet potato fries at 110 Grill looked fantastic - a large thick style like I like, crispy, slightly blistered ... I was really excited for these.

They were above average, decent sweet potato flavor, well salted.  I did really like the form, the large size, but they were softer than I hoped.  Of course, this was takeout, they were in a box, and I know that affected them, even if I ripped the box open as soon as I got to the car and devoured on the spot.

My mother really liked them.  They made me just crave Kitchen 56 sweet potato fries, some of the best I've ever had {LINK}.

***+.

Sauces

Sauces are not a separate menu area, or called out as something you can order, but, I'm a sauce girl, and of course I added on sauces to our order, drawing from all different areas of the menu.

These were mostly average.

Tartar Sauce / Honey Mustard / Sriracha Aioli.

Ours meals did not come with any of these sauce, but, I ordered them to compliment our items, knowing they were all on the menu (tartar with fish and chips, honey mustard with fried pickles, sriracha aioli with numerous dishes).  All were pretty generic, standard quality, not sure they are really house made or fresh.

Tartar Sauce: Standard tartar sauce, bits of pickle in it, but had a tanginess I didn't quite care for.

Honey Mustard: Pretty generic, average honey mustard.  Thick style, sweet and very mustard forward too, not really my thing.

Sriracha Aioli: Good enough, but more of a spiced mayo than an aioli really.  Seemed like it would work better in a sandwich than as a dip.

At the Finish

I say the sides drew me in, but, the desserts did too, although not really what you'd expect from me.  But you know me and dessert!

The lineup really does have some ridiculous creations, what you'd expect from a chain restaurant, a warm oreo brownie sundae with ice cream, hot fudge, yadda yadda, a totally reasonable ~1500 calorie portion ... or the ridiculous Peanut Butter Cascade, also featuring a warmed brownie, but this time peanut butter fudge sauce and reese's chunks, clocking in a more respectable 1200 calories ...  Of course they had crowd pleasing flourless chocolate cake (gluten-free), with toppings, a classic apple crisp (yup, a la mode), and simple sorbet as well, plus the only non-traditional item, their spin on a key lime pie.  They always have a seasonal dessert as well.  These are all colossal chain restaurant sized, $9-10.

But again, none of these are really things I care all that much about.  But I read soooo many great reviews of one that I knew would be good for takeout, and, I can't resist a seasonal special ...

Coconut Key Lime Pie: $9.

"Toasted Coconut And Graham Cracker Crumble, Topped With A Key Lime Custard And Fresh Whipped

Cream, Served In A Mason Jar, Finished With Toasted Coconut, A Lime Wheel And Zest."

Here you have it.  The one unique item on the regular dessert menu: the Coconut Key Lime Pie.  This is the dessert every raves about.  And I knew what to expect, in particular, *not* a pie.  In the restaurant, it comes served in a mason jar with a handle, a large mason jar, full to the brim, a layered creation.  For takeout, it came in a standard takeout container, layers of the key lime custard and crumble, whipped cream and a slice of lime on the side, slightly less stunning.

So, to back up.  Things I like?  Pie.  Pudding.  Mixed textures.  Crumble.  Things I don't like?  Citrus desserts, particularly key lime.  Pretty sure I've never liked a key lime dessert in my life.  Graham crackers.  I don't ever want to eat a graham cracker, and I generally dislike graham cracker crusts.  I often dislike toasted coconut.  Yet, I ordered this, knowing it would not have any pie crust, and feature ingredients I do not like.  

Why do I get it?  Well, soooo many people rave about it, I do love pudding and knew it was predominantly a pudding, and, of all the desserts this seemed most takeout worthy. 

The pudding really was good, very thick, rich custard, and yes it had tang from key lime, but I did not dislike it, except that it was really, really sweet.  The consistency was really fantastic.  But as I said,it was very, very, very sweet, far sweeter than even I wanted, and I needed to mix it with copious amounts of whipped cream, and the small little container they provided on the side was not nearly enough (luckily I have plenty at home).  The provided whipped cream was also sweetened, considerably, so that did not help.

Coconut Key Lime Pie. $9.

The crumble too was good, there was a layer within, and this layer on top, that stayed more crisp.  I appreciated the texture it added, there was crumble bits and coconut shreds, and yes, it was graham and coconut, but, they both worked with the key lime, and again, this was all about texture for me.  I loved being able to mix in little bits of the crunchy top, and the interior layer was more soft, almost breaking down like a cake.

Overall, it really was good, but, too sweet.  I broke this into many servings, sharing with my mom, and having several myself, and we both needed to basically cut it half and half with plain whipped cream just to mellow the overwhelming sweetness.  I also added plain crumbled Bugels (easiest thing I had on hand), for a bit more savory element and crunch.

I see why people rave about this, and I do recommend, but beware of sweet.  I would not get again, but I am glad I tried.

***+.

Seasonal Special: Cinnamon Poached Pears. $9.

"Served with a warm cinnamon donut and hazelnut mascarpone, finished with whipped cream and sea salt caramel sauce."

Of course I do not ever get just one dessert!  The seasonal special also isn't quite something you'd normally expect from me, as I don't generally go for pears, but, I also knew it featured two things I adore: a donut base, and flavored mascarpone!

Since this was a special, and it had *just* be rotated onto the menu, I hadn't seen any glamour shots, and didn't quite know what to expect, but when I asked the person taking my order she said it was much like the cinnamon apple donut special they had right before.  That I had seen, and it did look good, but I was a bit confused as that one was an a la mode style item, and didn't have any mascarpone.  Anyway.  I couldn't resist this one.

I did expect a few things though, in particular, that the donut would be warm, as their other items, like the brownie based sundaes, and the previous donut special, were all warm.  This ... was not.  I also expected traditional poached pears, large chunks or even a whole pear, soft, stewed in something.  These ... were small chunks, and were crisp, not soft.  They did have a flavor to them, so clearly stewed in some way, but certainly not what I expected, and I wasn't really into the flavor.

The "donut" was ... interesting.  It was very, very hard, almost too hard to cut into with my plastic knife, and definitely a dry, cake style.  Really, this was more of a donut shaped cake than a donut, and a very dry one.  It did have a nice flavor to it though, tons of cinnamon, and once I brought it home and warmed it up, it did work, with (also warm) pears, that got softer when warm.  It wasn't awful that way, but as served, it was certainly not a winner.

The hazelnut mascarpone on the other hand was pretty awesome (top right).  I didn't taste hazelnut exactly, but it was flavored, and soooo very rich.  Not diluted with whipped cream, this was just rich, thick, hazelnut mascarpone.  I was very excited to have this to play with for my own dessert creations at home.

The whipped cream was the same as with the Coconut Key Lime Pie, just, no lime piece stuck into the container.  The sea salt caramel sauce was missing, which certainly would have helped with the dry cake.

So overall, um, "interesting"?  I certainly was happy to have the mascarpone, and once I warmed it and made a "perfect bite" with donut, fruit, whip, it was tasty enough, but I can't really recommend this in general.  The "donut" did have good flavor though ...

**+.

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More Jamba Juice

Update Review, Baked Goods, 2021

Jamba Juice is most certainly known for, um, the juices.  Or, smoothies to be precise I guess (and more recently, trendy smoothie bowls).  I've reviewed these all many times (original review, seasonals, and below).

Food

"Baked Goods, Flatbreads, Snacks, Wraps. No matter the time of day, whether alone or alongside any of our drinks, each one is better-for-you perfection."

But did you know that they also have some food items?  The breakfast lineup includes breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and oatmeal.  But it is the "Snacks" or "Bites" part of the menu that drew me in, filled with not just any food items, but one of my favorite categories: baked goods!  

Baked Goods

The baked goods lineup is not exactly extensive, just 4 items, 2 styles of pretzel (apple cinnamon or sourdough parmesan), a "twist" - bready stick with cheddar and tomato, and, a belgian style liege waffle.

The waffle looked really, really good, and you know how I feel about waffles, but, I had a ton of flavored honey walnut cream cheese at home to use up, and I thought the apple cinnamon pretzel would make a nice base for it ...

I wish I had picked that waffle.  Next time?

Apple Cinnamon Pretzel.  $2.49.

Yeah, this didn't look good.  But people said they were good, so I still went for it.

I am not sure why I thought I'd like this.  I don't like ... cinnamon (raisin) bagels, or anything like that.  And I knew this would be much like those kind of items.  

And it was.  Basically a bagel, just, shaped like a pretzel.  I did like the shine to it, but inside was really just bread.  Definitely nothing like a pretzel, besides the shape.

It tasted like ... apple cinnamon.  As advertised.  Like applesauce, actually, which makes sense, as it is made with applesauce.

Jamba Juice offers to warm it up, but otherwise, the "pretzel" is served just like this.  No toppings, no dipping sauces, etc available.

I did try toasting it, and adding my own honey walnut cream cheese, but it didn't make me like it any more.

**.

Update Review, 2019

After years, literally, years, of not having, nor even thinking twice, about Jamba Juice, I finally tried it again.

It was a hot day, and somehow, my brain said "smoothie time!" and ... I was walking by Jamba Juice.  That is the only explanation I have for why I went in.

I expect it will be years before this happens again.

White Gummi.  Small.

"Peach Juice Blend, Pineapple Sherbet, Soymilk, Lime Sherbet, Orange Sherbet, Mangos, Raspberry Sherbet."

My first thought when trying this: "Why is it called a white gummi, when .... it isn't white?"

I still don't know the answer to that.  I also don't understand the gummi part either really.  I'd just call it a tropical fruity smoothie ...  I kinda ordered it for the name without really reading what it was.  I thought it would taste like a gummy bear?  (Side note: the source code for the website that lists this drink calls it a "Peach & Pineapple Smoothie", which is totally more accurate!)

It was ... fine.  Sweet.  Fruity.  With so many fruits in there (mango, raspberry, orange, lime, pineapple, peach) no single fruit was very obvious.  Kinda a muddled mix of sweet fruit flavors.  Very sweet.

Add since so many of the ingredients were sherbet, it was very thick.  It melted poorly, with just some juice on the side, and a fairly solid core.  I think it was blended up fine, but ... yeah. I don't really see the appeal to a drink like this.

Original Review, 2014

If you've read my blog for a while, you know that a few years ago I was on a mandatory liquids only diet for a while.  During that time, I had far more than my share of smoothies, many from Jamba Juice.  So I've reviewed it before.  Once I could eat regular food again, I did not return.  But, after several years of eating regular food, I finally did, mostly to check out some of the newer offerings (like fresh squeeze juices) and the elusive Matcha Green Tea Blast.  I'm still just not really into this place.  I don't understand why anyone would choose to Jamba beverage over something else.  Maybe I'm just scared from far too many smoothies.

Creamy Treats

[ No Photo ]

Matcha Green Tea Blast®

The last time I reviewed Jamba Juice, you may recall that I really wanted the matcha green tea smoothie, but it had been discontinued.  Well, it came back, so I got to try it.

It is made with soymilk, nonfat frozen yogurt, plain sorbet, and of course, the matcha green tea.

I was so eager to try it, but ... I didn't like it, at all.  It was very icy, not at all creamy.  Even as it melted, it never went through a phase of being a consistency I liked.  It did have a slight matcha taste, but overall, this was not good at all.

Sadness, after all that anticipation!

Fresh Squeezed Juices

Orange Juice, Large, $4.89.

This was fresh squeezed.  Decent orange juice.  But still ... just orange juice.  $4.89 seemed very expensive for a glass of juice!

Carrot Juice, Large, $4.89.

And, another fresh squeeze juice.  The fresh squeezed part was legit, I watched her put whole carrots into the juicer, and produce my juice.

It tasted like ... carrots.  I've had a fair amount of carrot juice recently, and this somehow tasted less sweet.  I wonder if they use a different kind of carrot?  I actually prefer it a bit sweeter.

But yes, fresh juiced, nice and frothy on top, but again $4.89 felt pricey for a juice.

Classic Smoothies

Peach Pleasure Make-It-Light, Small.  $4.49.

Made with peaches, bananas, orange juice, dairy base.

Apparently the peach idea has appealed to me before, as I found my notes that I'd gotten this, although not the light version, twice before.  Once I thought it was too sweet, once I thought it was ok.

This one, I really didn't like.  It tasted way too banana-y.  And, I didn't realize it had dairy in it, so I was confused by the sorta yogurty taste, although that part makes sense now.

It wasn't refreshing, it wasn't tasty, and I certainly don't want another.

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Marsh Brothers Deli at the Little Store

I'd heard about the Marsh Brothers Deli at the Little Store for years.  A small deli/sandwich shop, in the town I grew up in.  Actually, located in a building that used to be a tiny convenience store (The Little Store), which was right down the street from where I went to elementary school, the near houses of several friends, and somewhere I used to visit for candy fairly regularly.

Somewhere along the way, The Little Store closed, but, the Marsh Brothers (yes, real brothers), bought it, and transformed it into a deli.  People rave about their meats and sandwiches.  Known for the house smoked meats.  It has been on my radar a while.

But I haven't spent substantial time in my hometown, usually just a week at Christmas, a week in the summer, and somehow visiting there never took priority.  Until this past year, living in a COVID world, when I spent 6 months (!) in New Hampshire.

I finally got a chance to try it myself.  I wished I had visited more, but it is only open during the week, morning and lunch hours, and I was working full time remotely, and I didn't have a car to get there, so rarely did I have a chance to go.

Epic Visit: 3 Little Pigs Special Sandwich, School Street Poutine.

My mom and I did get to go for lunch one day, when she was home (with a car), and I had a break in my schedule.

Yes, on the same visit, I ordered two specials, both, uh, heavy in their decadence.  And both insanely delicious.  The sandwich features 3 of the Marsh Bros Deli smoked meats (and cheese, slaw, etc), and the poutine, well, yeah.  Just look at it.

I was splitting both with my mom, so this sounded reasonable in my head, just splitting two items, right?  Until I saw them both of course, and realized we were eating a huge pile of carbs, fats, and cheese.  

But you know what? I regret nothing.  Both were insane.  And so very, very tasty.  This pretty much sum up an ideal Marsh Bros Deli experience.

A more reasonable approach would be to split one of these sandwiches OR poutine, and pair with a salad, and perhaps feel capable of doing something, anything, the rest of the day.  We both spent our afternoons wanting naps, and as dinner approached, we both groaned and couldn't imagine eating again.

My mother picked up goodies for me a few other times, so I also got to try some deli salads and baked goods during my time in NH.

Setting

The Little Store is, well, a little store.  When it was a convenience store, I remember how jam packed everything was, yet they seemed to have so much (at least in my childhood memory).  It seemed like they had soooo much candy!

Now, it is a deli.  There are a few other items you can purchase, but all are just things to go with your sandwich mostly.  They kept the name I think for history, but this is really a deli.

Inside is tiny - there is a slot at the end of the kitchen where you can place an order (once you figure out where to go), a register to pay at (once you figure out to pay rather than stand in the line that is kinda just people milling about waiting for food), and, the same place you pick up your order.  There is very little space to move around, and, its packed.

I *will* admit I was a little horrified by the lack of COVID cautions being taken.  Unlike most establishments, there was no sign saying masks were required to enter.  There were no 6' markers.  People were definitely not staying 6' apart.  There was no sanitizer.

But I was also used to San Francisco, and, well, NH really did have a very different approach to COVID, and far fewer cases.

Curb Appeal.

The place is adorable in a tiny town sort of way.

Smoker out front, tables, a clock, and the sign featuring their signature cubano.

Picnic Tables.

They only have two tables out front to dine, but are just a half block away from a popular children's playground with seating (at a site that used to be my elementary school!), and a few blocks from the town green with extensive seating options.  But the business is takeout focused for sure.

They do a *seriously* steady stream of business at lunch time, often with a significant wait.

Smoker.

The majority of the menu revolves around their smoker.  I think it is their pride and joy, and I know see why after tasting the smoked meats.  These guys seriously know their meats.

The smoker is usually going during service, and the aroma is just incredible. I loved how my hair smelt like smoke all afternoon, and dining with that smoky air ... loved it.

The Kitchen.

Once inside, you can see the kitchen.  It, like the store, is small, but, it does occupy half the space.  It needs to.  It is where *all* the action is.

There is a frying station, with 4 baskets, used to make the appetizer items (fries, motz sticks, etc), and I assume the fried fish and chicken when on special.

The flat top is where most of the action is, cooking up eggs in the morning, and all the meats at lunchtime, including burgers.  A few pots on the stovetop have items like chili, gravy, etc.  

The salamander is standing by to really do the flourishes that make their sandwiches unbelievable, melt cheeses, toast buns, etc.

A chef's counter is the assembly station and mise en place.  

This area is run by only 3 people, one of whom is taking orders.  They are *busy*.  Very very busy.  Constant activity.

Deli Case.

Depending on when you get there, you might find goodies in the deli case, ranging from deli salads like potato salad, slaw, macaroni salads, to grab and go fresh salads, to house smoked meats.

It was pretty wiped out at this point, just with macaroni salad remaining, and their own cold storage for tuna salad, pickles, tomatoes, etc for sandwiches.

Drinks.

At the end of the store, one cooler case is devoted to beer.  I think when they were open different hours (past 3pm, and on weekends), this was likely a big draw.  Do that many people stop in in the morning or lunchtime for beer?

There is also a case with basic soft drinks, bottle water, iced coffee, and some local smoked cheeses and pepperoni.  Not much else.

I wouldn't really call this a convenience store, as the offerings are basically just what you need to go with your deli items, no more.

Snacks.

The rest of the store has pretty limited products, but what they have is well curated: a slew of flavors of Deep River chips (classic sandwich pairing), a couple sweet sugary things (giant pixie sticks!), granola bars, and a handful of local items (bbq sauce, maple syrup, cutting boards, fudge).

Baked Goods

You know how much I loved baked goods, and donuts in particular.  Marsh Brothers posts photos of their donuts many times a week, and they always look so glorious, the variety changing out as they please (sometime with lemon zest, sometimes fritters, etc), always classic New England style fried cake donuts.  Made fresh there in the morning.

Donuts also are known to sell out early, as in, get there by 8am early, and on my visits to town I was always dealing with jetlag, and that was just ... uh, prohibitive.  But one morning I sent my mother, who arrived before 8am, and scored the bounty.  She was home with fresh donuts, just as I was staggering down the stairs to make coffee.  Perfect timing.

I saw the greasy bag in her hands, and I knew exactly what I was in for.  *Very* oily donuts.  The style of the area, no question.

Plain Donut.

Well ... this was a very classic New England style fried cake donut.  Exactly what is in line with what folks in the area want.

It was very very oily.  Very very fried.  Crispy exterior.

The flavor was good, but it was so so fried.  I didn't really enjoy just eating it plain.  It was kinda nice dunked in coffee, but, for me, just, too fried, much like the town cult favorite, Muriel's Donuts.

I would not get again. **.

Sugar Coated Donut.

The sugar coated donut was the same, just, coated in sugar.

Again, very very oily, crispy, and good for this style of donut, but, not what I was after.

The sugar, combined with the extreme crispness, made it almost like a churro to me.  With cinnamon added, it really would be churro-esque.  I wonder if they ever made churro donuts?

Again, a good donut for this style, but I wouldn't get again. ***.

Sugar Donut Holes.

The donut holes were, well, the same, except due to the increased surface area and the small size, it was even more extreme in the just fried, and just crispy nature taking over.  It was like a cinnamon-less churro bite.

I would not get again, my least favorite of the donuts. **.

Deli Items

Signature Sandwich Menu.

The deli offers made to order sandwiches, both breakfast style and lunch, along with some appetizers, burgers, hot dogs, and daily specials that sound amazing.  They also clearly proclaim that if they have it, they will make it, so, you can go totally crazy making up your dream dish.  I had so many ideas, but, hard to stray from a menu that is great already, and constantly changing specials!

The signature sandwiches are all raved about by, well, everyone.

The cubano, with their woodfired pork, salami, and ham is the most well known, but the "Brother's Rueben" with their house brined brisket and house made made "999 Island Sauce" also gets many accolades.  As does the pulled pork, with their woodfired pulled pork, and housemade carolina bbq (or Bullseye BBQ if you prefer).  Oh, and the pastrami, again, housemade, wood fired, etc.

Can you tell, they are serious about the meat?  You can build your own sandwich too, which can be a deli basic.  Want egg salad with lettuce on a bulkie bun?  You can get that too of course.

Oh, and the daily specials?  Generally, insane.

Smashed Potato Salad & Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.

Every day, the deli makes fresh potato and pasta salad, rotating through all styles, particularly for the pasta - sometimes creamy, sometimes corkscrews, sometimes featuring things like bacon and ranch ...  

The first time I had them, was a classic smashed potato salad and Hawaiian inspired macaroni salad.  Both were fabulous.

Smashed Potato Salad.

The potato salad is a unique style, half-smashed.  It was really creamy as a result, without being heavy from tons of mayo.  It also had small chunks of potato, skin on.  No egg or other real additions in here, just some herbs and basic seasoning.

Fairly simple, but, clearly made with care, and it was one of the better store / deli bought potato salads I've ever had.

It was very good potato salad, and I'd get it again when I want potato salad.  My father liked it too. ***+.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.

The macaroni was Hawaiian style, which usually means it has visible chunks of pineapple in it, and is a sweeter style, but theirs deviated from the "normal" Hawaiian mac.

Like the potato salad, it was very clearly made with care, the mac cooked really well, not too mushy but not super al dente.  It had a slight heat from serrano (?) chiles, which I loved, and was unexpected.  It was also quite herb forward, which I also loved. And again, very perfectly dressed, no dominant mayo flavors.

The Hawaiian element though was a bit too sweet for me.  There were no visible chunks of pineapple, but, it was a sweet style.  When I mixed it with other things that was fine, but to just eat the mac, that sweetness was a touch too much.  

So again, for mac salad, this is very very good, top notch, and I'd love to try non-hawaiian.  My father loved it.  ****.

Cole Slaw.

I loved the looks of the slaw - nice big chunks of cabbage and carrot.  Not overdressed.  Possibly under-seasoned.

I was surprised when I took my first bite though - it was a sweeter style?  I'd call it "Hawaiian" too.  I wonder if this style is just the Marsh Bros way, and can imagine the sweeter style going well with some of their meats in particular.

I gave it a second try, but, it was not the slaw for me for me to eat on its own, sadly.

When I had it later though, in a sando with pulled pork? And buttery oil soaked brioche bun?   It was perfect.  ***.

Clam Chowder (Special).

Every day features a soup, chowder, or chili, and although not a soup girl in general, I eye the soup special all the time, as it often is far more exciting that "soup", e.g. burnt ends chili with cornbread.  Oh yes.  And on this day?  Clam chowder.  I had just run out of my Yankee Lobster clam chowder (review), seriously so good, and I wanted more clam chowder on hand.

Sadly, it really let me down.  It was not rich and creamy and decadent.  Which is ok, I don't need chowder to be *the* most unhealthy thing ever, and do often thin out other chowders to make them less decadent, or pair them with greens or steamed fresh veggies, but, it had a blandness to it as well that I couldn't overlook.  Definitely under-seasoned, and lacking depth of flavor.  Sadness.  The potatoes in it were also softer than I like.

Clam Chowder: Clams!

The clams inside were fantastic though.  Plenty of clams.  All different pieces and parts.  Chewy in the right way.  I loved the clams.  But didn't like the chowder.  

I ate all the clam bits I could possibly extract, used a little chowder sorta as a sauce with some greens, and gave up, added potatoes and bacon, and gave it to my dad.  "Hey dad, I got you potato bacon chowder!".  Sssh.  He'll never know.

**.

Wood Fired Bologna.

Bologna.  Oh bologna.  Such an underrated meat!

Yes, I love bologna.  I remember coming home from school, and making little rolls of bologna, slices of cheese, TONS of mayo.  And, once I got a bit older, some mustard or pickles or relish too.

My love of good quality bologna continued into adulthood, although I often went more for mortadella as my tastes "matured".  I also discovered frying slices of deli meat, or broiling them with cheese, and, well, yeah.  The love continued!

When I heard they had a special one day with their own house made wood fired bologna ... I needed it.  Stat.  But, alas, I was stuck in meetings and really couldn't make it there.  My parents were both working too, so I couldn't beg anyone to go on a "mission" for me.

And then, the next day, my mom got an unexpected day off.  I had one thought: wood fired bologna!  I called the store to find out if they had any left, and indeed, they did.  Very little, and only for those who knew it seemed, since no longer in a special, nor on a menu.

I sent my mom to score me some (thank you mommy!).

She came home with my prize, and when she handed it over, and I opened it up ... oh, wow.  The smoky aroma was insane.  It was sooooo smoky.

One bite and I was in heaven.  It was seriously quality bologna, no strange texture or bits, and the smokiness was just unbelievable.  I loved it, I loved it so much.

The slices were all cut to different thicknesses, which worked out great.  Medium thick ones I could roll up, sometimes with cheese, or mayo, or pickles, or mustard, or relish, or onion jam ... sometimes just alone, and devour, just as I had as a kid.  I loved it this way.  Thin ones I used in little sandwiches, but that was my least favorite, as the incredible bologna wasn't quite as fully featured.  I also slathered one with fancy mustard and a slice of swiss and broiled it like I used to do too, and it got crispy and greasy and was good, but again, the roll ups still the best.  And then there were super thick "steaks", just full of bologna goodness, best to just chop up and throw into a great salad, with plenty of remoulade and pickles and juicy tomatoes to compliment it.  I imagined heating these up too, like ham steaks.

Basically, delicious in all ways, yes, it is still bologna, but it is seriously, seriously good bologna.  The best I've ever had.  I'd get it again, obviously.

****+.

Friday Special: School Street Poutine. $6.99.

"Handcut fries, house gravy, + cheddar." 

Ok.  I'll start with the obvious: no, this is not authentic Canadian style poutine.  There are no cheese curds in sight.  But you know what?  I don't care.  Because this was DELICIOUS.

The base, french fries.  Handcut fries, always on the menu at Marsh Bros Deli.  They had some skin on, were average thickness, and nicely fried, a style that was both soft and crispy at the same time, not too greasy.  You could actually taste the potato.  I think the fries would be fairly good, as just fries, dunked in ketchup, bbq sauce, hot sauce, etc normally, if you are a fries person.

And then ... the house gravy.  Swoon.  Zomg.  It was excellent.  Seriously, gravy perfection.  Beef base, likely with their own drippings from their roast beef, pastrami, or brisket.  Solid roux.  Lovely spicing.  Honestly, the best gravy I've had in ... years, in any application.  Gravy perfection, and there was plenty of it, soaking into the fries in all the good ways.

The fries, smothered in the gravy, were, well, just insanely delicious.  The fries were soft of course, but they should be in poutine.  Since they actually tasted like potato, with the gravy, had the flavor profile of the best mashed potatoes and gravy you've ever had, but, in a far more fun form factor.

Ok, and now for that cheese.  No, it was not curds.  This was called "School Street Poutine", after all, giving the license to do them as they pleased (School Street is where they are located).  And in their world, that meant cheddar (white cheddar).  Perfectly melted on top.

Haters can hate on the use of not curds.  I do see the appeal of not using curds, just due to the fact that it was so melty instead, and unmelty curds are a peeve of mine.  The cheddar flavor was strong, likely sharp Cabot cheddar.  It did go well with the gravy and fries.  But ... there was a lot of it.  Now, if I was pairing this poutine with a salad, or something lighter in any way, I think I'd be all in for the cheese here.  But I was (totally unreasonably) pairing it with a pork belly / pulled pork / ham / swiss / etc, decadent sandwich special, and had my cheese and more fats needs met very well there, so the cheese here was a bit much for me.  I can't blame them for my poor decision making though!

I could not stop eating the fries and gravy, even though I had an equally delicious sandwich as well.  Seriously, that gravy.  So perfect.  I may or may not, have, in public, licked, literally, the foil they came in clean to get every last drop of that gravy.  Insanity.  I'd get it again in a heartbeat, although I think I'd likely leave off the cheese (or get minimal?).  Or maybe leave off cheese and get pulled pork on the side and call it a meal ... (not sure the pulled pork and gravy would go very well though ...).

****+.

Special: 3 Little Pigs Sammie. $9.99.

"Woodfired pork belly, woodfired pulled pork, ham, swiss, dijion mustard, + cole slaw." 

Oh, man.  Seriously, the poutine was good, and we got this the same visit, but, it was equally good.  And equally a carb and cheese and grease fest, in a glorious way.

Another special from the menu that day, even though I was planning to get the more reasonable cubano (also has pulled pork, ham, swiss, dijion mustard, but has pickles instead of slaw, salami instead of pork belly, and is just in a toasted bun, not a buttered brioche ...).  How do you resist something with pulled pork and pork belly and cheese and slaw ...

My eyes went wide when I saw it, terrified, but also, absolutely thrilled.  I mean really, look at the cheese, the meat and slaw spilling out, and the mustardy goodness dripping down the sides.

Since I was splitting with my mother I asked to have it cut in half, which was done for us, but with difficulty.  I'm glad I asked though, there is no way we could have done it.  The result was a bit messy (ok, a lot messy), and not 100% equal, but, it worked.

It was a sloppy, juicy, creamy, fatty, decadent, fairly glorious creation.  We both ended up eating our pork products/slaw/cheese/etc bits with a fork though, and just ate the bread separate, keeping it as a sandwich was impossible.

It didn't matter, it was delicious this way anyway.

Let's dive in, starting with the bread.  The specials menu didn't list what kind of bread it would come on, and, not being a sandwich girl I kinda assumed it would be a throwaway component for me, just some kind of sliced bread, but I should have known better.  I planned to try it of course, but thought I'd mostly be taking the meats out, and getting my carb fill from the poutine anyway.  This was *not* a throwaway bread component.  It was a brioche bun, already a winning item in my book, and prepared perfectly.  Slightly toasty, nicely warm, and, um, I'm pretty sure buttered, even though there was soooo much fat and richness in the 3 meats, the cheese, and the creamy mayo laden slaw.

Honestly, I adored the brioche bun, just smothered in mayo from the slaw and all the juices it soaked up.  I had no "favorite bite" at Marsh Bros Deli because sooo many things were insanely good, and I know this sounds crazy, but I found bites of the bun (and everything stuck to it/soaked in), just as glorious as the fries and gravy in the poutine, or, the fillings inside the sandwich.

So very very very good.  *****.

But let's dive in.

Special: 3 Little Pigs Sammie: Top Layer.

The top bun, as you can see here, was nicely grilled, and as I said, I think buttered.  And delicious.

Against it was creamy mustard (mustard aioli? or was there just so much mayo from the slaw ...), crunchy well dressed creamy slaw, and I think melty cheese, plus the layer of pulled pork, in all its fatty, juicy deliciousness.  Under that?  More cheese, more creamy mustard ... and many more meats ...

The slaw was literally the only vegetable we had in our meal (ok, potatoes are vegetables, but you know what I mean), and was most welcome.  The sweetness that I hadn't liked in the standalone slaw was absolutely fine here, and in fact, just paired quite nicely with the pulled pork.  As did the mustardy goodness.  Excellent components, again, so very tasty with that brioche bun.  I piled on the slaw that slid out, and truly enjoyed my open-faced bun smothered in that stuff.

And used my fork to eat the pulled pork.  It was juicy, smoky, flavorful.  Some bits pulled like you can see here, some thicker, meatier chunks.  All a bit crispy, and so very moist.

The pulled pork was my favorite of the three meats, no question.  I instantly wanted to try the pulled pork sandwich next visit (or the cubano, they both have it).  I also really wanted bbq sauce to pair with, and went back in to get some, as I knew they had it.  It was even better with some of that too.

Special 3 Little Pigs Sammie: Pork belly, ham.

Here you can see the other two pigs, the pork belly (top right) and the ham.

I went into this thinking pork belly, as in the style that is a thick juicy fatty delicious piece of belly, with a crisp crackling skin.  I was confused at first as I dug through my sandwich.  Where were the slices of pork belly?  And why was there flabby bacon in my sandwich?  Yeah, ok, n00b.  That was clearly the pork belly, just not the style I was expecting.

I'll admit that I don't really care for pork belly of that style.  I felt bad, as I had convinced my mom to split this with me, rather than the cubano that she wanted more because she doesn't like pork belly, and I proclaimed that she just hadn't had good pork belly.  Oops.  I saved mine mostly, and took it home to try grilling it up.

The ham also let me down a bit, but only because I don't really like ham that much, as in, an Easter ham has zero appeal to me.  But a thin sliced or shaved smoked deli ham I do like from time to time.  This was somewhere in-between, a much thicker, ham steak style than I was anticipating.  It did have a lovely aroma to it, and ham and swiss go so very well together, but oops, not what I was wanting exactly.

Under the final meats was ... yup, another layer of slaw, another layer of creamy mayo, and the rest of the bun, equally soaked in deliciousness.  You can bet I adored that bun just as much, if not more.

It may sound like I just liked the bun, pulled pork, and condiments, which is quasi-true, but really, when I combined it all, added some bbq or hot sauce, it really was delicious.  My *ideal* meats were a different style, but this was damn good.  Certainly the best sandwich I've had in years.

I left, inspired to return for the pulled pork sandwich, to return for the cubano, to return for ... well, anything really.  The deliciousness level this deli is capable of is quite clear.

Hot Sauce / Bbq Sauce.

I think the hot sauce and bbq sauce are both commercial brands (the bbq is Bulleye?), but they do make some sauces/spreads in house as well (like the carolina bbq).  

Both were good quality though, and great to dunk any of the smoked meats in.  Highly recommend getting them on the side (or in your sando if you prefer).  The bbq was particularly "bold", if that makes sense.

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