Grains of Truth

Snacks.  While I have met a few people who claim to not really snack, I am not one of them.  I'm definitely a snacker (to the point that co-workers regularly mention how I'm munching on something all day).  I love my snacks.

"The truth is, we all love to snack, so we created Grains of Truth, bite size whole grain clusters made with tasty all natural ingredients."

I was drawn to Grains of Truth by the hope of at least picking something a bit healthier than my standard snacking options.  They make whole grain snacks in several varieties, but, after trying one, I wasn't compelled to seek out others.  

Coconut Banana Whole Grain Snacks.

These are made from fairly simple ingredients: whole grain cereal, dried coconut, dried banana, sugar, salt, rice bran oil, and, randomly, rosemary extract.  Really not a scary ingredient list at all.

But ... wow, I really did not like these.  I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting.  I think something crunchy and like granola chunks.  Instead, they were more like cereal, with puffed wheat?  Not as crunchy as I wanted.  I also do like coconut and I do like banana, and these tasted very strongly of both coconut and banana, but I did not like the flavor at all.  Maybe it was the odd rosemary in there muddling things?

I loved the idea of these, since I do love munching on chunks of granola or cereal, but these just weren't for me. **.

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Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages

Fancy soda.  It is a thing.  I expect this in some locations, but, Maine?  Yup, Maine.  Home of Maine Root Beverages, a producer of fair trade certified, 100% organic sugar sweetened, sodas.  I wouldn't call them healthy, just, a touch fancy and more nicely packaged than most.  And of course, a touch pricier too. 

I haven't ever seen their beverages on the West coast, but, I encountered them a few times when visiting New England.  I remember having their classic root beer, and their ginger brew, but alas, I never took notes on those.  If you are looking for slightly fancy soda, they are an interesting choice.

Mandarin Orange Soda.

"The Deathstar is complete. We added our latest flavor after many requests for a third brother to our fruity flavored offerings. Here it is, Mandarin Orange! Light, drinkable and thirst quenching. Mmm."

This is easily the fanciest orange soda I've ever had.

It had a nice amount of fizz.  It felt a bit funny to be drinking orange soda out of a bottle, it seems far more fitting for a can :)

The mandarin flavor was quite nice, a more sophisticated version of orange soda.  But overall, I found it a bit too sweet.  ***+.

Pumpkin Pie Soda (Seasonal).

"It doesn’t have to be autumn to appreciate this delicious beverage. We’ve bottled the flavor of everyone’s favorite gourd-based dessert for your year-round enjoyment. You’ll be thankful you tried it."

I really had no idea what to expect from a "Pumpkin Pie Soda".  I got this during the height of pumpkin-flavored everything season, mostly out of the novelty.  Sure, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins, etc all make sense, but pumpkin pie soda?

It was ... strange.  It didn't taste like pumpkin pie.  It seemed more like a mild root beer, but with different spices.  I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't get another.  A fried took one sip, made a horrible face, and didn't want anything to do with it.

I give them creativity points here, particularly for joining in on the pumpkin-spice all the things bandwagon, but I can't say this was a success.

**+.

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J. M. Rosen Cheesecake

Cheesecake.  A fairly common dessert, one that is generally pretty good, no matter the source.  One that has some unique styles, e.g. lighter Italian style with ricotta, decadent dense New York style, fluffy bouncy Japanese style, and more recently deeply caramelized Basque.  It can have a sour cream tang, a fruity topping, incorporate Asian flavors like matcha, or be seasonal with pumpkin.  A pretty diverse dessert, when you think of it.  I've definitely had my share of cheesecake over the years (you can read about them all here), and, although I don't do much cooking nor baking myself, cheesecake is actually something I learned to bake as a teenager, using my mom's no fail recipe (that uses a box of vanilla cake mix, part for the crust, part for the cheesecake itself).

Since it is so common, and so generally average, it takes a lot to impress me with a cheesecake.  Particularly a mass produced cheesecake.  But J.M. Rosen cheesecake did just that.

"Unlike any other desserts you will ever experience. While others say that about their own desserts, we don't. It's our customers who say those words and flock to our wholesale bakery to knock on the door and hope someone will answer to grant their wish for a whole cheesecake to take home. This is our inspiration and continued success. We've been a wholesale bakery for years, now anyone can order online. It's our pleasure to share these fantastic desserts known to Californian's for 35 years. Surprise your family with a new tradition this year, something special, order the best desserts available online."

J.M Rosen is a wholesale cheesecake distributor, based in Northern California.  So, sadly, you can't just walk in to one of their stores to order one, but, you will find them around the area, as they distribute to many restaurants (such as Joyride Pizza, where I had it).  J.M. Rosen is probably most known for their classic New York Cheesecake, a hefty, rich creation, but they also make a "Chocolate Fantasy" version with a layer of regular cheesecake, chocolate mousse, AND chocolate cake, all in a chocolate shell, a Neapolitan cheesecake with a layer of regular cheesecake, plus layer of strawberry mousse, and a chocolate cake layer (yes, just like the ice cream), and a mocha cappuccino variety (plus seasonal eggnog, cranberry, and pumpkin).  They also make a epic looking many layered carrot cake, and a chocolate fudge cake.

I've only tried two of their products, but I'd gladly try more.

Classic NY Cheesecake.

"The best "New York Style Cheesecake'' outside of NYC! Made by master baker J. M. Rosen right here in Northern CA. The same cake Frank Sinatra would order when he toured SF. Luscious, velvety textured cheesecake filling makes this the perfect meal time finish, celebration treat -- or anytime snack." -- Joyride Pizza

"Our "New York Style Cheesecake" is the best cheesecake recipe you can buy. This is the infamous New York Cheesecake with the original Shortbread crust New Yorkers flock to when they visit California. It's our Cheesecake. It's that good! This New York Cheesecake is filled with pounds of the most luscious, thick, dense, velvety textured cheesecake filling you have ever tried. It's dense texture is divine cheesecake lust so we've been told. The dramatic impact of the the robust size, thickness, and original flavor of this New York Cheesecake does not compare to any on the market. NO KIDDING. You don't need a topping but there's always variety in life. Once you try it, you decide how and when you like it, we mean LOVE IT. Honestly, Frank Sinatra ordered (this exact cheesecake from exact baker and company) when he would come to California!" -- J.M. Rosen

I started with the simple, basic, classic NY cheesecake.

Ok, so, this cheesecake gets some accolades.  This I knew.  And I've had very good cheesecake before.  I expected this to be good, but perhaps not quite as magical as everyone seems to think it is.

But, wow, this is very, very, very good cheesecake!  I was blown away by just how smooth and creamy and luxurious it was.  Shockingly smooth.  Shockingly creamy.  Absolutely incredible.  "Velvety" as they say.  The flavor was fairly, well, classic NY cheesecake, certainly cream cheese flavored, and sweet, and sorta vanilla (they use quality Nielson Massey vanilla), and just, well, simple and delicious.  There isn't much more I can say.  

The crust was also notable, not a dry, crumbly, cardboard like graham crust that I so loathe, but rather, a shortbread crust, sweet, just the right thickness, easy to cut through with a spoon but didn't break apart too easily.  The crust extended up the entire backside.

This is certainly one of the best classic cheesecakes I've ever had.  And yes, it is a hefty creation: the 6'' cheesecake weights 3-4 lbs (6-8 slices), and the 9" is 6-8 lbs, 16 slices, so, definitely not a light and fluffy and airy style, for sure.

****+ and I'd gladly get it again and again.

I got a slice for $9 at Joyride Pizza, you can purchase a full 6" cheesecake from J.M. Rosen directly for $79.95, or 9" for $119.95.

Snicker's Cheesecake.

"Guittard Chocolate shell, caramel, perfect shortbread crust, nuts and Snickers Bar chunks... this cake makes your mouth smile and your heart sing. Amazing quality, flavor, and mouthfeel. You'll definitely want to order more than one slice!" -- Joyride Pizza

"What do you get when you cross a Snickers Bar with our Secret Recipe Cheesecake Filling, Guittard Chocolate Shell, Caramel, Famous Shortbread Crust, Nuts and Chunks of a Snickers Candy Bar? Your looking at it! It tastes better than it looks. Certainly, enough to change anyone's mood from "bad" to "great". Bet you can't have just one piece. Try it now! When you wake up looking like Marilyn Monroe you know, it's authentic snickers and you ate too much cheesecake last night! Order while it's hot!" -- J.M. Rosen.

Next, I moved on to the Snicker's cheesecake.  

Here we had the same shortcake crust, along the bottom and the full backside.  Again, far superior to standard graham cracker crusts, sturdy but not too hard, sweet, not too crumbly.  A nice base.

The cheesecake itself was sweeter, I believe it was actually caramel cheesecake.  Still incredibly creamy, insanely smooth, but definitely sweeter, and richer, from the caramel flavor.  On top was a reasonably thick layer of nice quality dark chocolate ganache (Guittard), and little bits of chopped Snickers for a bit of crunch and additional caramel and peanut elements.  There was a thin inner layer as well with some chocolate, nuts, and maybe Snickers.  It definitely was true to the candy bar nature, even though these elements looked fairly minimal at first glance.

This was a slight letdown from the classic NY, but, if you are a Snicker's fan in general, you might really enjoy it.  And don't get me wrong: it was a good cheesecake, I just thought the extra embellishments detracted from the cheesecake goodness.  ***+.

I got a slice for $11 at Joyride Pizza, you can purchase the 6" for $89.95, or 9" for $109.95 from J.M Rosen.

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Cellarmaker House of Pizza San Francisco

Cellarmaker is a local brewing company, with brewery locations in Berkeley, Oakland (soon), and San Francisco.  The San Francisco outpost also houses their "House of Pizza", pizza restaurant, that slings Detroit style pies alongside their brews.  As a non-beer drinker, the brews side of the establishment isn't interesting to me, but, they do have quite a line up of interesting sounding selections, that change frequently, with plenty of sour beers and large format options, along with guest ciders and beers.  

My experience with Cellarmaker was on the food side of things only (surprise, surprise).  I did not dine-in, but rather, ordered for delivery.  Rather than ordering through a third-party (e.g. DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc), I ordered directly with the restaurant, hoping to support them more directly, and potentially save extra fees.  I wish I could report a good experience, but, alas, it was a bit of a disaster.

Ordering online on their website was easy - they use Toast for both delivery and pickup orders.  The menu was clear, yadda yadda.  Delivery is done via DoorDash silently in the background.  The delivery fee turned out to be higher than the one via DoorDash ordering directly, and menu prices weren't actually any lower. It turns out, it would have been cheaper to order on a third-party site, which surprised me.

Anyway, my order was immediately confirmed, and prepared quickly.  A delivery driver from DoorDash was assigned, and picked it up within 20 minutes.  I was given a reasonable delivery estimate.  But ... it then took 2.5 hours to get to me.  I'll spare you all the details, but, I could sorta follow along and saw the driver literally not move for a full hour, not far from the restaurant.  Since it wasn't an order directly through DoorDash, I couldn't contact their customer support.  After a full hour of no movement, I realized I could call the driver directly.  I did so.  He apologized, and told me the map was wrong.  I confirmed my address.  He said he had to go, hung up, but, at least started moving towards me.  I truly do not know what he was doing for a full hour, just sitting there, not moving, with a wrong map?  Another half an hour elapses, and he's finally in my neighborhood.  But then ... I watch him kinda circling around on the map.  For another 30 minutes.  It has now been 2 hours since he picked up my order.  I call again.  He apologizes again, and says he can't find it.  He repeats my correct address to me.  I give even more clear instructions with landmarks.  Another 25 minutes pass.  And then he shows up.

As you can imagine, this didn't bode well for my food.  2.5 hours post pickup.  The hot food was stone cold, the chilled food warm.  Likely not food safe.  I still risked it, and tried a few bites of each.  Not a smart decision on my part, as I woke up in the middle of the night with severe GI distress.  I spent the entire next day regretting those bites.  Sadness.

The delivery woes aren't Cellermaker's fault exactly, and I'd consider ordering from them again, although sadly not directly.  I'd like to actually try their pizza, they make some fun sounding creations like a Cubano pizza ...

Fried Calamari. $13.

"Buttermilk Marinated Water 2 Table Local Calamari, Onions, Micro Cilantro & Lemon. Served w/ a Remoulade Sauce."

"Dive into a world of crispy perfection with our tender calamari, marinated in rich buttermilk to ensure every bite is bursting with flavor. Each golden ring is delicately fried to achieve that irresistible crunch. And as if that weren't enough, we've paired it with a delectable remoulade sauce that adds a zesty, tangy kick. This dish will have you hooked from the first bite!"

A pizza joint, that partners with a local seafood company like Water 2 Table?  Yup!  On the night I ordered, they had two special appetizers, both seafood based, this, and a local halibut crudo.  Not your typical pizza joint options (nor brewery for that matter).

I'll start by saying it is a bit hard to give this a fair evaluation, given that it was literally stone cold when it arrived, 2+ hours post pickup, and, packaged alongside a cold cider and sparkling water.  

The calamari was nicely battered, and the coating was tasty, it reminded me a bit of onion rings, lightly flaky.  Good salt level.  I suspect it was crispy at some point.  The ring pieces were pretty chewy however, kinda the texture that makes people think they don't like calamari.  The tentacles were better, and also held more batter.  Decent distribution of rings and bodies.  As I had it, this was really just **+ though, *** once I reheated it, but, I think it may have been much better served at the restaurant.

I appreciated the lemon wedge to squeeze over it.  The remoulade however was not very flavorful.  No real zing to it.  No bits of caper.  Sorta seemed just like mayo.  Below average.  **+.

Panna Cotta. $10.

"Sweet Panna Cotta served with a Cherry or Strawberry Compote."

Panna cotta.  Oh yes.  Something near and dear to me, such that it has its own label on my blog.  I love a good panna cotta (or any style of pudding, really).  This is the only dessert that Cellarmaker offers, but, it is all I wanted anyway.  It had been a while since I had panna cotta!

The panna cotta was ... well, um, very cream forward?  I know panna cotta *is* cream after all, but, that was all I could taste here.  Lovely cream, but, just cream.  No hint of vanilla, no buttermilk tang, just, cream.  Sweetened cream.  To be fair, they don't advertise it as a vanilla bean or buttermilk panna cotta.  The description just says "sweet panna cotta".  So, it is what they say it is. The consistency was good, smooth, not grainy, thick set.  A skin on top that I actually liked.  Nice jiggle.  But ... besides cream, no flavor to it.  Nice execution, but no flavor, ***.

The panna cotta is available with either a cherry or strawberry compote topping, I opted for strawberry, which came on the side.  This was definitely needed to add some flavor to the dish.  That said, I didn't really love the compote.  It was sweet, but also a touch acidic, almost like a mostarda.  Nice soft hunks of berry though.  **.

I ended up topping mine with fresh strawberries and raspberries, plus some sprinkles, and a little coconut crumble, and enjoyed it far more that way.  **** in the end, with my additions.

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Perfect Bars

Update Review, 2023

I've raved about Perfect Bars for years now, but I just tried another flavor, and thus, an update review is in order!

Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp.

"Say hello to your new bestie: Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp! With its creamy blend of peanut butter, hazelnut butter, crunchy crisps, and dark chocolate chips, these protein bars are just what your life is missing. "

Chocolate + hazelnut can be a bit of a over-done pairing, and although I do like both chocolate and hazelnuts, I seem to be one of few people who doesn't adore Nutella, so I wasn't entirely sure about this flavor.  The idea of crisps inside my Perfect Bar drew me in however.

This was one of the more unique Perfect Bars, mostly due to the crunch from the crisps.  The base was otherwise much the same as others - lightly chocolately, reasonable peanut and hazelnut butter flavors, slightly crumbly texture, enjoyable.  The crisps give it little bits of crunch, like a Nestle Crunch bar almost.  It definitely helped make this feel a bit more like a candy bar than a reasonable healthy snack.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, particularly when I dunked it in whipped cream, and I'd get it again if I was in the mood for a reasonable candy bar replacement.  I still would like a stronger chocolate element though, like a coating, rather than integrated throughout.  ****.

Update Review, August 2022

I've long been a fan of Perfect Bar products, as you've seen in my original reviews.  While normally I'd jest at their lofty name, in this case, I do kinda endorse it.  The peanut butter based Perfect Bars in particular are about as perfect as any healthy nutrition bar is going to be.  Protip: cut into hunks, coat in chocolate, roll in cocoa nibs, and keep a stash of chocolate covered peanut butter protein bar bites in your fridge or freezer at all time.

Anyway, I've tried nearly the entire range of Perfect Bar bars, and clearly have my favorites.  This review however is for something new: the peanut butter cups!  I had to buy them the moment I saw them, because, that is basically what I was creating at home anyway.

Peanut Butter Cups

Oh Perfect Bar.  You did it.  You made the product I always pretend your bars actually are.  Peanut butter cups.  But, healthier peanut butter cups, with protein and superfoods of course.

The peanut butter cups come in 3 flavors (milk, dark, or mint chocolate), and, just like the bars, require refrigeration.

Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt.

"Indulge in you for a change. These better-for-you sweet snacks are crafted with clean ingredients like freshly ground organic peanut butter, honey, and 20+ organic superfoods then covered with rich fair-trade dark chocolate. With 7g of whole food protein in each 2-cup pack, get your sweet kick on the run and feel good from the inside out. This cup's for you."

I opened my pack with glee.  I did, however, slow down a bit once I saw the cups, as they made me laugh.  The shape was quasi familiar, but, not quite.  They were thinner than I expected, and, uh, kinda ugly?  And the cup was inverted from their common candy counterparts.  But I still dug in eagerly.

The dark chocolate shell was dominant, and it was reasonable dark quality.  I tend to use dark chocolate when I make my custom Perfect Bar chocolate coated bites, and I like the chocolate I choose more than this, but, this was better than average dark chocolate.  I loved the generous sprinkle of salt on top.

And inside, the peanut butter filling, much like the peanut butter flavored Perfect Bars themselves.  It was good, but, a bit hard to taste, as the chocolate was so dominant.

Overall these were good, although the chocolate to peanut butter ratio was a bit off for me.  It turns out, I just prefer to make my own with the peanut butter Perfect Bars, high quality dark chocolate I like, and, usually, cocoa nibs for crunch. They did inspire me to add a touch of fleur de sel next batch I make, the salt really does help the flavors pop!

***+.

Original Review, June 2021

Perfect Bar doesn't beat around the bush.  They believe that they make the best nutrition bars out there.  And thus, the self proclaimed brand name: "perfect".

I of course had my doubts, mostly because try as I might, I rarely end up liking protein bars, particularly those with delicious sounding names (show me a 'cinnamon roll' or 'birthday cake' bar that even comes close to the real thing ...), but also because Perfect Bars are also more ... complicated than most.  These aren't the kind of items you can just keep in your pantry, stash in your bag, etc, as refrigeration is mostly required.  I say "mostly required" because they are fine for a full week out of the fridge, but recommended storage is in the fridge (with a shelf life of nearly 9 months!), otherwise the oils will separate and quality will go down.  Because they use fresh real ingredients (they like to say the only preservative used is "cold").

Perfect Bars are also of course amazing for you, non-GMO, kosher, gluten-free, filled with protein and "expertly-hidden" super foods, and they only use complex carbs as sweeteners (organic honey or dates), yadda yadda.

I've watched the brand blossom over the past few years.  I remember when they first launched and carried only a small handful of flavors of bars, all fairly basic.  Now they have ... well, something for everyone.  Fruity, nutty, chocolatey, some even almost head in the "brownie" direction.

Perfect Bars now come in two sizes, regular full size bars and smaller "minis", plus bags of "bites", a children's line, and even ... peanut butter cups (!!!).  I've tried an extensive range of the offerings, and highly recommend.

Minis

Minis are only available in a reduced flavor set, basic nuts butters.  These are bite sized little treats.

Minis.

The minis are portioned at .74 ounces, about 100 calories, 4-5 grams of protein.  Little bites for a quick pre/post gym snack, but not a full meal.

Peanut Butter.

"Creamy organic peanut butter meets organic honey and 20 expertly-hidden whole foods."

I started with their original product, the simple peanut butter.

I had zero expectations for this.  Yes, I love peanut butter, but, nutrition bars usually don't live up to the taste I want, and the "expertly-hidden whole foods" scared me away when I looked at the wrapper and saw that in addition to peanut butter and honey, I had "dried whole food powders" that contained kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, and spinach to look forward to.  How all those would *possibly* combine together and not 1) taste awful and 2) mask the peanut butter was beyond me.  And don't get me started on the rice protein, and slew of oils I had waiting for me (flax seed oil, sunflower seed oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, and pumpkin seed oil).

And then I took a bite.

Well, huh.  This was one of the best nutrition bars I've ever had.

The texture was slightly crumbly, but still held up well.  Smooth.  The peanut butter flavor was basically all I tasted, along with a touch of sweetness from the complimentary honey.  It was ... good.  Like the inside of a peanut butter cup.  Or a peanut butter blossom cookie.

I wanted chocolate with it immediately though.  If they made this dipped in chocolate, or with chocolate chips, wow, it would be such a hit.  (Which, of course they realized, and added to the full size line up.  Keep reading ...).

I immediately made a note to take a box of them and dip them in chocolate, and eat them that way instead.

Peanut Butter Perfect Bar + melted dark chocolate + cocoa nibs.

Which of course I did.  I assure you, this is a winning move.  I now regularly take a box of minis, temper some dark chocolate, coat them in chocolate, and roll them in cocoa nibs, and then stash back in my freezer or fridge.  Amazing little bites of joy, that I get to feel good about eating, since, hey, protein!

When I'm less prepared, even pairing with a piece of chocolate works, but I find dunking in a thick chocolate ganache or hot fudge works best.  You can make a bunch at a time and freeze them too, like buckeye cookies.  Sure, not healthy little snacks anymore exactly, but really quite tasty.  I get these regularly.

****+.

Almond Butter.

"Why should peanut butter lovers have all the fun? We blend creamy almond butter with organic honey and 20 expertly-hidden whole foods to get the perfect combo of taste and nutrition. Get ready to take your almond love to a whole new level."

The almond butter version I tried next.  I'll admit that even though I loved the peanut butter one, I expected to hate this one.  I was done being skeptical of all the other ingredients, but, the primary one, almond butter, is not something I'm generally a fan of.

And then I tried this.

It too, was ... well, good.  The peanut butter one didn't have distinct bits of peanut in it, but this one did have bits of chopped almonds, which added texture and crunch that I really enjoyed.  The honey also seemed stronger, which tasted great with the almond, but, was a bit too strong for me, resulting in a bite that was sweeter than I really wanted.

Again, I wanted to just coat it in dark chocolate.  I didn't mind these bars, but I prefer the peanut butter.

***+.

Full Size Bars

The main product range is the full size bars, good for a snack, pre/post workout item, or perhaps a meal replacement.  Some of them are quite good for breakfast on the go ...

These come with bases made from the original peanut or almond butter, or more recently, also cashew.

Full Size Bars.

Full size bars mostly clock in around 15-20 grams of protein, and range around 250-350 calories, depending on the variety (cashew bars have lower protein).  I've tried many.

Peanut Butter Base

After the success of the peanut butter mini, I was ready to dive into the expanded product range, all formed around that basic base.

Carob Chip.

"You’ll love this blend of creamy organic peanut butter, rich and velvety carob chips, organic honey and 20 expertly–hidden whole foods."

Given the success of the basic peanut butter, and my desire to have chocolate inside, I was pretty excited to try the carob chip, even though carob < chocolate.

At first glance though, it looked much more like any standard nutrition bar, strangely shiny, strange texture.

And ... it tasted about as it looked.  Fairly bitter (carob? chia? flax?). Strangely sweet.  I was pretty confused by this, since, at least on paper, looked like it should be *exactly* the same as the peanut butter one, but with carob chips.

Anyway, the least successful bar for me.

Update Review: I tried another, and almost liked it.  But the sweetness level was just a bit strange for me.

Another Update Review: I again tried another, again almost liked it.  Peanut butter good, but just the wrong sweetness, and, eh, carob.  My mom did think it was chocolate though.

I wouldn't get this again, and they discontinued it anyway.

**+.

Fruit & Nut.

"Mix it Up. Creamy organic peanut butter meets organic honey mixed with plump raisins, crunchy walnuts and 20 expertly-hidden whole foods – with no chemicals, preservatives, or junk to ruin the awesomeness."

This bar was not a looker.  But, it was a taster!

I'm notoriously anti-raisin, as they are usually just hard chunks of meh inside my otherwise tasty products, but, they worked here, as they were soft and added a nice chew.  I was a bit disappointed to find that they were the only "fruit" though inside my "fruit & nut' bar.  Why wasn't this a "raisin & nut" bar?

Actually, it should have been a "raisin & walnut" bar, as there was also only one type of nut: walnuts (besides the peanut butter base).  Walnuts were a unique choice though, and I liked the crunch they added.

The base was the standard peanut butter and superfoods, great peanut flavor, again still a bit too sweet from the honey.

I liked this one more than plain peanut butter, as the raisins and walnuts both added good textural components, but, I'd greatly prefer basically any other dried fruit, and there are far more exciting nuts out there.  Cherry and pecan!  Apricot and macadamia!  Come on Perfect Bar, get more exciting :)

Still, my favorite so far ...

*****.

Coconut Peanut Butter.

"It's no secret our original Peanut Butter Perfect Bar is a crowd favorite, so we decided to take it up a notch and pair it with fresh coconut flakes for a taste that will rock your world. It's time we give our peanut butter lovers a reason to go coco-nuts."

"We’re a bit nutty around here, but this island-inspired recipe has us going completely coconuts! Kick off your shoes and enjoy this blend of creamy organic peanut butter, organic honey and real shredded coconut pieces."

Oh, this was good.  Very good.  I was highly skeptical of the coconut and peanut butter combination (both things I like, but, not a common combo).  But, they worked.

The base was the same peanut butter base that I've enjoyed plain, and the shredded coconut added some texture.

Like many of the bars though I found it a touch too sweet, and needed to mellow it out with some chocolate to dip it in.  Which, I have to say, was even more amazing.

Still not a light item though, 340 calories per bar, 21 grams of fat, 19 grams sugar, but it does have the 16 grams of protein and tons of great-for-you-stuff inside that you somehow don't taste at all (kale, flax seed, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, carrots, spinach, dulse ...)

Overall a winner, and one I'll gladly have more of, particularly when I have some chocolate alongside.

****.

Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter with Sea Salt.

"This one is a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and just the right amount of nutty! Our original Peanut Butter Perfect Bar recipe – creamy organic peanut butter, organic honey and 20+ nutrient-dense superfoods - receives a foodie-approved upgrade with the addition of Fair Trade Certified dark chocolate chips and a pinch of sea salt."

If there was any bar I was most eyeing, this was it.  Peanut butter base is the best base.  I always want chocolate with it.  And, dark chocolate?  Sea salt? Even better.

When I opened the bar, I was *thrilled*.  It looked exactly as I hoped, loaded with little chocolate chips.  This was a healthy item?  I could eat this giant pb cup in bar form guilt free?  Yes!

And, it was basically exactly as I expected.  Soft, crumbly, slightly-to-sweet pb base with good peanut butter flavor.  Lots of chips, although they were entirely on top and not distributed throughout.  The chips were dark chocolate, which is the chocolate I generally prefer, but actually, with peanut butter, I do like creamy milk chocolate a bit more.  The chocolate flavor also somehow didn't turn out as pronounced as I hoped and expected.  I also didn't really detect the sea salt.

That all said, it was still a good bar. I think I prefer to just have the classic plain peanut butter, and pair with my own creamy milk chocolate however.

****.

Cranberry Crunch.

"Sometimes, you just want to lighten up. And this is the Perfect Bar for that occasion. Creamy peanut butter meets organic honey blended with organic cranberries, naturally light crispy puffed rice and 20 expertly-hidden whole foods. 35% fewer calories—100% incredible."

This bar is the only one dramatically different from the rest of the product line.  It is designed as a lighter option, lightened up by adding puffed rice cereal, so it has less of the nut butter and protein mix.  It really is a lighter - even though the same dimensions, it weights 45g compared to the 71g standard bar.  Ok, I know they mean nutritionally, not literally talking about the weight. It is lesser in all these regards too: 220 calories, 12g fat, 14g sugar, 9g protein (compared with 330 calories, 18g fat, 19g sugar, 16g protein).

Anyway, the result?  Not successful for me.  But I kinda just don't like rice crispy puffs in my products (or anything like that, it reminded me of some Ben & Jerry's mix-ins that I wasn't thrilled with either).

Yes, the brown rice puffs add a crunch, but, its a strange kinda soggy/soft crunch.  I don't like it.  My second to least favorite bar, better only than the carob chip one I really disliked.  Like the carob bar, this one was also discontinued.

**+.

Chocolate Walnut Brownie.

"One bite of this plant-based bar and you’re off to brownie bliss! We crafted this whole foods nutrition bar with creamy organic peanut butter, sweet organic dates, crunchy walnut pieces, organic Fair Trade dark chocolate chips and 20 organic superfoods. With 10g of plant-based protein, this fudgy delight is a nutritious nosh and deletable treat all rolled into one!"

And then, I saved the best for last, it turns out.

Chocolate Walnut Brownie.  Sounds like one of those nutrition bars that has a tasty name, promises dessert, and instead still leaves you with protein bar meh.  Plus, dates?  Sorry, but I never like bars with dates.

And yet ... yup, another surprise enjoyment.

It was the most chocolate-forward of any of the bars, truly chocolatey, with chocolate integrated throughout the entire base, and in distinct chips.   I loved the crunch from the chips, and even more, from the pieces of walnut.  Did I taste dates?  Nope!  Nor did I taste the hemp protein, rice protein, chia powder, sunflower, flax seed, any of the whole foods powders (kale, flax, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach).  But I tasted peanut butter and chocolate, and they were fantastic.

I'm surprised peanut butter isn't in the name of this one, as really, it was like a giant chocolate peanut butter brownie, with bits of chocolate chip and walnut in it.  Sure, the texture wasn't brownie, not cake-like, but it was still soft, the texture from the mix-ins was excellent, and most important to me, it was delicious.

I may or may not have had it for breakfast, and felt like such a rebel eating a brownie for breakfast, but I actually think I'd be satisfied with this as a dessert item too, which is truly saying something. 

Hands down winner in the "dessert" category.

****.

Pumpkin Pie.

"This seasonal-batch recipe talks the talk and walks the walk with a fall favorite like you’ve never tasted before. Our bar is crafted with freshly-ground organic peanut butter and honey, along with organic dried pumpkin and spices to make for a pairing that will have your taste buds craving this delicious pumpkin pie combo all year long."

Yes, even Perfect Bar jumped on the Pumpkin-Spice-All-The-Things bandwagon!  

So, first up.  If you are expecting strong pumpkin flavor, or traditional pumpkin spice flavors, this is not the product for you.  In fact, I had to do a double check to make sure I had opened the pumpkin bar ... as I just didn't taste it.  If you search for it, the pumpkin spicing is there, very mildly, on the finish, but otherwise ... I mostly tasted the signature peanut butter base (which, makes sense, peanut butter is still the first ingredient).

The bar was slightly sweet, had the same crumbly dense texture as others, and was pleasant, but, pumpkin forward it was not.  I appreciated the subtle light spicing as something different, but pumpkin and peanut butter aren't really a popular combo for a reason ...

***.

Almond Butter Base

Since the basic almond butter mini was decent enough, I explored the almond butter based product line too.

Maple Almond.

"Maple plus Almond Butter equals perfection, eh? Delish for breakfast, dessert and every meal in between, it’s the perfect bar for hiking adventures and cool-weather bonfires, or a great pick for your Sunday morning pancake fix. So much YES!"

I had high hopes for this one.  The plain almond butter one was almost great, and I adore maple, so, this sounded like the bar for me.  I hoped the maple would address the sweetness issues I had as well.

But ... I ended up not really caring for it.  Much like the plain almond butter, it had grit to it and bits of almond, so, lots of texture.  And it wasn't strangely sweet, although I didn't quite taste maple exactly.  Which sounds like I should have liked it, but instead it just tasted like almond butter to me, the kind of almond butter I never like.

Update: I tried one more just to be sure, but, yes, this is not the product for me.  I think my favorite of the almond based bars, but I just don't care for almond butter taste.  And guess what?  Discontinued!

**+.

Dark Chocolate Almond.

"This silky smooth criminal is made with creamy almond butter, organic honey and 20+ nutrient-dense superfoods. We blend that recipe with rich cocoa powder and vanilla, and topped with Fair Trade Certified dark chocolate chips."

If I wanted chocolate with my almond butter bar, this was the one for it.  The bar itself was much darker, as it had cocoa powder blended in, and then, actual chocolate chips, dark ones at that.

This was the first almond butter bar that didn't have a strange sweetness to it, I think all the chocolate helped balance it out.  But it was still an almond butter base, gritty, and, well, very almond butter forward, which at this point I have realized just isn't for me.

I did appreciate the real, plentiful, dark chocolate chips.  I expect that almond butter fans will enjoy this one quite a bit.

***.

Almond Coconut.

"The protein bar dating scene is full of nuts, so let us introduce you to the plant-based protein bar of your dreams. Organic almond butter blended with organic dates, dried cranberries, 20 organic superfoods and yummy shredded coconut make this a happily ever after for your taste buds!"

I was very surprised when I opened this.  Why was it dark?  Why did it have chunks of fruit?  I thought this was going to be just almond butter and shredded coconut, as it was called the "Almond Coconut" after all.

But instead, it was loaded with dates.  Dates are the primary ingredient.  I hate the taste of date.  The dark color came not only from the dates, but also from a bit of cocoa (totally unexpected) and cranberries.

I really disliked this one.  You guessed it.  Discontinued!

**.

Other

For those who don't want peanut butter or almond butter, there are far fewer choices, not a direction Perfect bar seems to have expanded much.

Blueberry Cashew.

"This bar is a dreamy blend of creamy cashew butter, almond butter, bursting blueberries and a hint of vanilla. We're beyond excited to add another nut butter to the family, and with real blueberries and vanilla, it's truly our most delectable bar yet!"

I have a strange relationship with cashews.  Every once in a while, I decide I love them.  But generally?  Strong dislike.  Particularly to cashew butter.

But hey, I'm always up to try things.

This however was not the bar for me.  Cashew and almond butter were not a match I liked, both fairly bitter.  If you *like* cashew and almond flavors though, they were both pronounced, the cashew stronger than the almond, but only slightly.

Blueberry is a good match though, and I did like the little dried blueberry bits.

Nice to try, don't want again.

**+.

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Atlantic Fish Co, Boston

Boston is a city filled with nice seafood.  From low key lobster shacks, to classy oyster bars, and everything in-between.  When I was recently in Boston, I focused on seafood for every meal, starting with an *incredible* non-traditional lobster roll from Eventide Fenway, getting some mediocre crab cakes from Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar, and concluding with the best clam chowder I've ever had in my life (and a very generously stuffed lobster roll) from James Hook & Co.  But also on my list was getting just a nice piece of haddock or Atlantic cod, both everyday seafoods around the Boston area, but, treats for me, as they are essentially never seen on the West coast. 

My research into nice seafood restaurants led me to Atlantic Fish Co, which has been around since 1978.  They source the fish daily from the docks, yadda yadda.  Open for lunch and dinner daily, brunch on weekends.

The dinner menu is essentially all seafood, starting with raw bar classics like shrimp, crab, and lobster cocktail, moving on to seafood soups (clam chowder, lobster bisque, seafood stew), to salads to which you can of course optionally add grilled seafood (or chicken).  Appetizers have all the usual suspects: tuna tartare, crab cakes, bacon wrapped scallops, crispy calamari , fried clam fritters, fried oysters, clams, mussels, etc, etc.  I was fairly tempted by their lump crab cakes, particularly after the lackluster ones from Rosebud, or by the grilled octopus with chorizo, but, I had my eyes set on things further down in the menu.

The main entrees are again what you may expect - yes, fish & chips, lobster rolls, steamed lobster dinner, lobster ravioli, lobster risotto, crab cake entree crab crusted haddock, bouillabaisse, seafood fra diavolo, even lobster thermidor!  

A second seafood section is the more simple dishes, the "Fresh Catch", where you select a seafood, and two sides of your choice, rather than composed dishes like the rest of the entrees.  Here you have a nice lineup: halibut, swordfish, tuna, haddock, salmon, and even a whole branzino.  Each is prepared slightly differently, with the details given, e.g. halibut is pan-roasted and has an herb crust, swordfish is grilled and has a citrus marinade and salsa verde, tuna is seared, etc.  With these, you have your pick of any two sides from the fairly lengthy side menu.

The sides lineup is full of heavy hitters: fries, mashed potatoes, and potato gratin for those who need their potatoes, fancy mushrooms, corn pudding, rainbow chard, and asparagus for those who want an interesting veggie, and spinach or broccoli for the real simple green veg.  When purchased individually, the sides range from $9 for most of the simple veggies (spinach, broccoli, swiss chard) and simple potatoes (mashed, fried), to $11 for more interesting veggies (mushrooms, asparagus, corn pudding), to the most expensive, potato gratin, at $12.

Non-seafood eaters do have a couple options ... a single steak, game hen, and pork chop round out the menu.  No vegetarian entrees.  This really is a place for seafood.

On the sweets front, Atlantic Fish also puts up a nice lineup: cheesecake, key lime pie, creme brulee, tableside baked Alaska, and classic Boston cream pie.

I was interested in nearly all the seafood, from the apps to the mains, most of the sides, and the desserts.  However, I kept it reasonable, and just ordered the haddock I so desperately was craving, along with my top pick of sides.

I ordered my delivery on DoorDash, which was quite easy and customizable.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

Overall ... there were some highlights, but, they weren't what I was expecting.  I'd still consider ordering from Atlantic Fish again, to try the crab cakes this time (and maybe a dessert ...).

Bread & Butter (Complimentary).

I was surprised to find a second package in my takeout bag, not with cutlery as I had thought it would be (none was included, luckily I had some in my hotel room), but rather, a fairly sizable half loaf of bread and butter.  

I'm not usually one to fill up on bread, but, this actually was really quite good.  Lovely crust to it, good chew, nice flavor.  I consumed nearly all of it ... and it really was a large (half) loaf.  Thank you Atlantic Fish for including this with takeout!  I wonder if this is the same bread they use for the bread bowls for the chowder?  The size and shape would make sense for that.

I later read reviews online, and saw that yes, this bread gets everyone's accolades.  I am not alone in thinking this was definitely above average bread, ****.  The highlight of my meal, truly.

Fresh Catch: Haddock $32 at the restaurant, $35 DoorDash.
Asparagus, Corn Pudding.

"Broiled, scampi butter."

Haddock.  For those who live in the northeast, and everyday fish.  For me, now living on the west coast, a treat.  We never have haddock.  I was so excited for it.  The haddock comes broiled, with scampi butter (and a lemon to squeeze over).  

I was pretty thrilled when I opened the container.  The portion of haddock was generous.  It looked to have some light herbs on top, although I didn't see anything I'd identify as "scampi butter".  I quickly dug in, pushing aside the comically large parsley garnish.

And ... well, I didn't care for it.  The taste was just ... odd.  I can't describe it.  It wasn't fishy, it didn't taste not fresh or anything, but it had such an odd taste to it.  It must have been the "scampi butter" that I wasn't liking?  That said, it truly didn't seem buttery at all, I didn't really taste shrimp/prawn, and it did have what seemed like a light gremolata on it.  I sorta wondered if the preparation was different than advertised?  The fish was nicely cooked, moist, and I tried to squeeze lemon over it, I tried to add my own leftover tartar sauce, but I just couldn't get past the odd taste.  It really, really let me down.  *+.

For my sides, it was a bit hard to narrow down, as I wanted to try their potato gratin, definitely wanted the corn pudding, and was really craving asparagus.  Corn pudding was my top choice, so, deciding to not go for two decadent sides at once, I opted for the asparagus over the potato gratin.

The asparagus looked great, although, a laughably small portion of only 4 spears.  They were large, juicy spears, nicely grilled.  But ... the asparagus was extremely over cooked, soft, mushy.  Entirely without seasoning.  It desperately needed salt and pepper to liven it up (and a drizzle of the lemon).  So, mushy and under-seasoned, not really a winning side dish.  **.

The corn pudding was the star though.  It was nicely crispy on top, moist and a bit souffle-like inside, with whole kernels of corn.  A loose style, as you can see the corn spilling out, not as cornbread or stuffing like as other versions I've had (like the incredible version at Truth BBQ in Houston), but more firm than the very loose creamed corn version I had at STK last month.  I enjoyed this dish, but it too didn't really have much seasoning.   I'd get it again if in the mood.  ***+.

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Alaska Airlines First Class Dining, SFO - SEA

My first flight on Alaska Airlines.  Just a short flight, so not tons to evaluation, but, I was reasonably impressed.

Flight Details

Flight: AS 1099

Aircraft: 737-800

Departure: SFO, 5:45pm

Arrival: SEA, 7:57 pm

Seat: 1C

Cabin and Service

This adventure, my first on Alaska Airlines, did not start out favorably.  The evening before my flight, our aircraft, planned to be a 737-900, got swapped for a smaller 737-800.  It had fewer rows.  Including the one I had booked.  When I went to do online check-in, exactly 24 hours before takeoff, as I diligently do, I was met with an error message, no seat assignment, and instructed to bring my travel documents, and see a gate agent.  Doh.

I did use chat with the Alaska Airlines staff online, both that evening, and the day of the flight, trying to get more info, but all I knew was that the flight was now very oversold, and they couldn't give me any indication of where on the list I was, or what my chances were of getting a seat assignment.  They did tell me that status mattered, and since this was my first flight with Alaska, I clearly had none.

Anyway, much stress, getting to the airport early, etc, etc, and I did get a seat.  1C, so no under seat storage, no foot rest, but, hey, it was a seat, on my originally scheduled flight.

Flight attendants were reasonably friendly, although did require I put away my Chromebook, even when converted to tablet mode, for takeoff, because it had a keyboard.  Most airlines don't care if it is in tablet mode (particularly if flying a premium class).  

There were no pre-departure beverages offered, although we did have boxed water waiting at our seats.  Alaska has gone no plastic, just like SFO airport itself.

Meal

Even though it is a relatively short flight, <2 hours, Alaska does offer a meal service in First Class.

Menu.

The menu was pretty boring.  All cold meals.  Two kinds of cheese plates, either with crackers, fruit, and a truffle, or with naan, ham, and labneh, a salad, or wrap.  I was interested in the labneh that came on the protein platter, but wanted an actual meal, and I'm allergic to avocado (which was in the wrap), so, I had really only one choice: the wedge salad.   I pre-ordered in advance, as did nearly every passenger.

Straightaway Oregon Old Fashioned.

"The Old Fashioned is revered for its versatility and simplicity. This variation on the classic speaks to wistful days spent in Milton-Freewater, OR, and we’ve transposed our fondness for the Pacific Northwest bouquet into our own bitters. Whether consumed around a mountain-top campfire or from the safety of your drawing room, tradition has it that one’s first Old Fashioned should be served by a friend."

Drink orders were taken very quickly once underway.  Assuming the domestic red wines would be lackluster, and excited that they had canned cocktails from Straightaway, a Portland based brand.  I was even more excited they had the old fashioned (often my cocktail of choice anyway), I opted for that, along with sparkling water.  Both came served in glasses with tons of ice.  My seatmate went for the other canned cocktail, the margarita, but made skinny, e.g. mixed with some soda water.  Those were the only cocktails available on the flight, but Straightaway also makes a slew of other great sounding cocktails (bottled or canned).

The cocktail was good.  Very boozy.  Basically, well, a reasonably made old fashioned.  I did lament not having a cherry or citrus zest garnish, which Straightaway even says you should add if you are "civilized".  ****.

Wedge Salad.

"Roasted red potato | red onion | blue cheese | roasted tomato | Applewood bacon | vinaigrette."

I had read reviews of the salad, all of which mention that it was quite small, but I still wasn't prepared for how tiny it was.  The amount of lettuce was remarkable ... in that there was barely any.  This was an appetizer sized salad, and I often think portion sizes are ridiculously large, but this, yeah, wow.  It was a snack salad.

That said, it was a good salad.  The lettuce was crisp.  The thin sliced red onion added a nice acidity.  The potatoes gave it a bit of substance, some needed carbs.  The "roasted tomato" seemed more like sun-dried, but they were flavorful and fairly juicy.  I don't generally get excited for blue cheese, but this too was actually fairly good, not too funky, just enough, and it added a slight creamy element.  The bacon was pretty greasy and flabby and not very good, so I salvaged the most crispy bits and ditched the rest, a bit of a shame.  But overall, it really was a good salad, just, so tiny.  If I could add anything to it, besides a larger portion, I'd add something for crunch, maybe some candied nuts?

The salad didn't come with anything else (besides some crackers), which I knew to expect, so I brought my own chips.  There was also no dessert (besides a chocolate), so I brought my own fruit and cookies.  I assumed I wouldn't like the vinaigrette, so of course, I had my own condiments - a different dressing, furikake, salt & pepper, onion and garlic powder, and steamed asparagus and broccoli jazz up the salad and round it out.  #alwaysPrepared.  The vinaigrette was fine, but, yes, a vinaigrette. It seemed to have some parmesan cheese in it maybe?  I did end up drizzling it over my broccoli and asparagus.

So overall, yes, good, particularly when I added to it, but, beware of the small size, and don't count on this for a full meal.  ***+.

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