IHOP, 2018

Another year, another round of free pancakes from IHOP.  Joining their e-club has its merits - a free meal for your IHOP-iversary AND a free stack for your birthday!

Pancakes: Devoured.

I was excited to go for my pancakes.  This year's coupons are for a full stack of any pancakes from the menu.  Every year, the coupon changes, although it has basically gotten more and more stingy.

The first few years it was a full combo meal with sides, like my first visits in 2012 and 2013 where I got combos with Harvest Grain N' Nut or Whole Wheat Pancakes.  The past few years it has specifically been for the Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity stack, or their equivalent value, which is always the route I went, getting more Harvest Grain N' Nut pancakes in 2014, before finally branching out to Raspberry White Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chip in 2015, to Red Velvet and Double Blueberry in 2016, and Cinn-a-Stack and more Double Blueberry in 2017.

This year though, much more restrictive.  Just a stack of pancakes.  Any kind, but no option to use the equivalency for something else, and no option to split a stack.  4 pancakes of the same kind.  Nothing else.

August 2018 Visit - Beach Street Location

I've always compared the two San Francisco IHOP locations, as the differences are striking.  The Fisherman's Wharf location just ... amazes me in how inefficient it is.  You can read all about my past experiences there (like 2014 in particular), but, they always have crazy long lines of people, half the restaurant vacant and filled with dirty tables, servers who have zero time to pay any attention, food that sits in the window of the pass for way too long getting cold, and, highly inconsistent cooking.  The Lombard Street location on the other hand, has always been amazingly friendly and perfectly operated, although the waits are always longer for me, since they don't have a counter for single diners.  

I greatly prefer the Lombard Street location, due to the quality staff and food, but, alas, it closed two weeks before my IHOP-iversary.  I had to return to Beach Street.

I'd like to report back that things got better in the past few years, but, alas, they have not.  The waiting list, at 10am on Sunday, was 18 parties deep for a table, but luckily, I was able to sit at the counter with no wait since I was alone.  As always, I was basically entirely ignored by an overloaded server, my food was fairly cold, and, the entire experience was sub-par.

Silverware Wrapper.

Basically everything about IHOP is the same as previous visits, so, I'll skip all details, except one.

One new change at IHOP.  When you sit, you are brought your silverware in an individual paper bag.  I don't understand.  Isn't this incredibly wasteful?

New International Pancakes.

The pancake specials for the summer were "International" pancakes, very fitting for, well, the International House of Pancakes.  It is a bit funny that they haven't ever embraced that before.

So what nations were represented?

First, Belgium, with the Belgian Dark Chocolate Mousse pancakes, "Four luscious chocolate pancakes take a trip to Belgium where they are filled with chocolate chips & layered with a creamy Belgian dark chocolate mousse, then topped with more mousse & chocolate chips, dusted with cocoa powder and crowned with whipped topping."  The chocolate mousse sounded great, but, since I didn't care for chocolate pancakes in the past, I moved on (although, hmm, what if I got the regular pancakes in their place?).

Next, Mexico, with Mexican Tres Leches.  More on these soon.

And then ... Madagascar?! Named just the Vanilla Spice though, the country name is dropped.  These are "Four buttermilk pancakes inspired by the warm flavors of exotic Madagascar: vanilla mousse spiced with cinnamon, clove, ginger and cardamom."  The vanilla mousse here sounded good too, but, meh to clove and cardamom for me.

If I wanted to try something new, Tres Leches it was.

Last year, on my annual visit, I used my free coupon to get a split stack, 2 of one kind to try a new one, 2 of another to get something reliable, my favorite Double Blueberry.  This was a great move, since I ended up not loving the Cinn-A-Stack ones last time.  I tried to do that again, ordering Tres Leches and the coveted Double Blueberry, but I was denied.  I explained that I had done it in the past, and my server checked with manager, but, again, denied.  Boo.  So I went with just the Tres Leches.  I was anxious.  Spoiler: it turns out, I should have gotten the blueberry!

Mexican Tres Leches Pancakes. $11.39. (Toppings on the Side).

"Four world famous buttermilk pancakes become our version of 3 milks bread when they are layered & topped with creamy vanilla sauce, then topped with more vanilla sauce & a drizzle of dulce de leche caramel sauce." 

At least I asked for the toppings on the side.  It meant that I really don't have any good food porn here, these look just like boring pancakes and some strange plastic containers of sauce, but, it meant I could experiment, and I don't think I really was in the mood for the dessert-y creation that would have come assembled.

But ... the pancakes just were ... pancakes.  They weren't lofty and fluffy, they weren't tangy from buttermilk.  They were not crispy on top, or moist inside.  They were just highly mediocre, highly generic, no better than a random buffet, kinda soggy pancakes.

Would the blueberry have been better?  I'm not sure.  These were fairly heartbreaking, to be honest. What happened to the buttermilk tang that was present in the blueberry ones, I thought it was the same base?

All The Toppings.

My pancakes came with 3 toppings: vanilla sauce, dulce de leche, and whipped cream.

And of course, all tables are set with (extremely sticky) containers of the signature syrups: blueberry, raspberry, butter pecan, and Old Fashioned.  I also asked for butter and the sugar-free syrup (Cary's).

I'm glad I asked for my toppings on the side, so I could make the pancakes classic if I needed, and just have fun with the syrups.  The syrups are part of the experience for me, and mostly, I'm just amazed how much my preferences change every time.

Starting with the toppings for my pancakes though.  The vanilla sauce was actually quite good, basically vanilla creme anglaise.  Extremely sweet though.  Rather delightful, actually, but not really what I wanted on my pancakes so early in the morning.  It needed the whipped cream to balance it out.  If you want dessert pancakes though, go for it.  I gladly saved it for later.

The dulce de leche was of course even sweeter, a bit thinner than standard dulce de leche, which makes sense for the application.  Sweet, tasty.  Again, I didn't really want it right then, but, great for later use.

The whipped cream was from a can, but they use a nice sweet brand I like.

Bites I composed as designed, with the vanilla sauce, dulce, and whip were perfectly satisfying, but, very much dessert.

I reverted back to "breakfast" mode, and asked for butter and the sugar free syrup.  The butter soaked in and gave a bit of moisture and flavor to the pancakes, but I suppose wasn't really needed.  I always like the SF syrup better than their regular Old Fashioned for some reason.  Its ... stickier?

I moved on to the fun stuff though, the table syrups.  The blueberry was fine, and I tried to make bites that were like blueberry cobbler, topped with whipped cream, but, alas, I found myself just really wanting the blueberry compote that comes with the blueberry pancakes.  Nice for something fruity, but, I wanted more.  I did have ordering regret.

The raspberry I really didn't like, no idea why, but it really wasn't doing it for me.  The Old Fashioned, fine, but I preferred the SF version.

The Butter Pecan was the winner for me, just a more interesting sweet flavor.  I used that with plenty of butter, and whipped cream, and had some decent bites but ... the lackluster base pancakes, and my regret over pancake choice, just left me underwhelmed overall.

September 2018 Visit - Beach Street Location

For my IHOP-versary, I also had to visit the Beach Street location again.  I tried to go a bit earlier to avoid the crowds, which was successful.  For the first time, I was able to sit at a table rather than counter, although they wouldn't seat me in a booth (even a mini booth for 2) or at a side window table, saying my only option was the 4 person table in the middle of the room.  Yes, there were other tables free, there was no waiting list, and they sat vacant for a while.  They clearly wished I'd just sit at the counter.  But I was hoping for better service in the dining room.

Better service I did not get.  My server had a hard time understanding that I wanted toppings on the side.  She had an even harder time understanding that I wanted butter.  "They don't come with butter, too rich", is what she said several times.  I assured her I wanted butter on the side too.  But I was lucky, a lady at an adjacent table spent literally 5 minutes trying to order a 2 egg omelette with avocado on the side.  The standard offering at IHOP is a much bigger omelette (I'm not sure how many eggs, but certainly more than 2), served with a side of toast or hash browns or a stack of pancakes.  The IHOP way.  And this lady really wanted to be healthy, pointing at the "Build your own omelette" on the menu, saying she wanted a simple cheese omelette but with only 2 eggs, no carb side, add avocado on the side.  The server wanted nothing of it.  "It comes with toast, hash browns, or pancakes, you have to have one of those, no avocado."  The lady kindly said it was ok to charge her for those things, just please don't bring them, and add on the cost of an avocado side (this *is* on the menu as an extra side).  The server still kept insisting that she get a stack of pancakes or at least toast.  And she absolutely wouldn't allow a smaller omelette.  In the end, the server quite literally demanded that she just order 2 eggs scrambled with cheese, avocado on the side.  The poor lady looked in near tears by the end, saying she really wanted an omelette, just not as big, please, just charge her whatever, just don't bring her all the stuff.  What she got?  Yup, scrambled eggs, and ... a side of toast.  Sigh.

So, pretty standard bad service at this location, pretty standard long waits, and just really staff that could care less.  I miss the old location.

Paper Bag Utensils.

I thought that perhaps the paper bag utensils thing was a counter move only, but nope, also how I was served at the table.  It again struck me as so incredibly wasteful.  I guess efficient for them though?

Hazelnut Creamer.

My table was supplied with only hazelnut creamer.  The table next to me had only regular creamer.  Next to them, only regular, but a different brand.  Uh, what?

Double Blueberry Pancakes, Toppings on Side, Add Butter. $11.39.

"Double up on the blueberries! You’ll get a stack of four fluffy pancakes filled with blueberries, then topped with sweet, warm blueberry compote and creamy whipped topping."
I was fairly surprised when my order arrived actually as I wanted.  I guessed I had about a 80% chance of either no butter, the butter already added to the pancakes, or no blueberry topping and just the butter.

But I was provided with all the standard toppings plus the butter, all in separate containers, served on an extra plate.  And unlike the dulce de leche and vanilla sauce from my previous pancakes, they even came in big bowls.  I rather think I got extra, at least of the blueberry compote!

Blueberry Pancakes.

The pancakes restored my faith in IHOP in an instant.  I'll admit, I was feeling a bit like this might be my last time at an IHOP.  With such miserable service, and not great tasting pancakes my last few visits, I was almost ready to archive IHOP away into my past.

And then I had these.

They were perfect IHOP pancakes.  Four large, not thin and wimpy, pancakes.  Perfectly crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.  Delivered to me hot and fresh. Great buttermilk tang in the base.  Juicy juicy blueberries for pops of flavor.

Yes.  Yes, yes, yes.

Toppings!

The pancakes were great enough on their own that I actually was fairly happy just eating them plain, but of course, I had to experiment with everything available: 4 types of syrup from the table as always, SF Cary's syrup, and then of course the blueberry compote, whip, and butter.

The extra plate the toppings came on was a nice touch, as I could use it to make a dipping sauce platter with all the syrups.  Which of course I did.

Simple butter was a fine option.  Since my pancakes were actually warm (!), it melted and soaked in, and the buttery richness was a nice compliment to the tangy flavorful pancake.  Adding Old Fashioned or SF Cary's syrup was even better, for classic pancake feels.  I liked both of those syrups quite a bit, not really sure which I preferred, as neither were actual real maple syrup, but both were sweet, "maple" flavored, and tasty.  With enough syrup, the butter wasn't really noticeable, so I guess not really necessary.

The other table syrups though I really didn't care for this time.  Sometimes I like the fruity strawberry or blueberry syrup, but on this visit, they just tasted fake and cloying.  Sometimes I adore the butter pecan syrup, but again, fake and cloying.  I gave them each a few tries, but, alas, not winners.

And then, the blueberry compote.  That stuff really is good.  I find it very sweet, and not what I actually want on my pancakes for breakfast, but it is served warm, it is gooey in a good way, and the berries are flavorful.  Its like what I want inside blueberry pie.  I generally save it to bring it home and warm it and spoon it over ice cream (a tip from an older gentleman dining next to me at the counter years ago!), or, I have it after my pancakes as "dessert" with the whipped cream, when I visit later in the morning and consider it brunch.  So always a component I am glad to have, just, not on my pancakes, hence my request for butter, and my use of syrup.

And then, the whipped cream.  Because, IHOP.  Of course you put whipped cream on pancakes right?  As always, I did actually really like their whipped cream.  It is from a can, and I'm sure its a cheap generic brand, but, it really is sweeter and creamier than most canned whipped cream.  It tastes almost ... marshmallow like even.  It does strangely get lumpy as it breaks down though, nothing something I've seen with canned whipped cream before.  But I still love the taste.

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Protes Protein Chips

Things I like: snacks.  Chips.  Fun flavors.  Excuses to eat chips for nutritional benefits. Enter: Protes.

"Tired of bars and shakes? Start snacking instead. 

Just like you, we’re tired of the same old protein options out there. Welcome to the world of Protes! Protein chips and popcorn are here to deliver that snacking crave you desire and the functional protein you need."

Protes is speaking my language.  Fun flavors of chips ... protein chips.  Who needs to add grilled chicken, a skewer of shrimp, etc on top of a salad if you can just have a bag of protein chips alongside, guilt free?

These sounded too good to be true.

Protes makes two products lines, both of which sounded fantastic to me: chips or popcorn.  Yes, seriously.  My favorite snack popcorn, protein-ified?!!!  YES!

I looked at the ingredients, expecting to find the common things in protein bars and shakes, including whey protein isolate, which my body does not like.  Instead, for the chips, well, huh.  Just pea protein.  I don't mind pea protein, and in fact, I even enjoy the taste (when used in Ripple milk, for example).  Well, huh.  I was eager to try.

Chips are available in 4 flavors: Tangy Southern Bbq, Spicy Chili Lime, Toasted Coconut, Zesty Nacho.  I tried one kind, and hated them.  I'd still be willing to try another flavor of chips, as I love the concept.

The popcorn though ... uses whey protein.  Sigh.

Spicy Chili Lime.

"Turn up the heat even when you’re chillin’."

Well, one bite is all it took.

Oooph.  They fell down hard.  Sure, they looked a bit funny, but that didn't bother me.  And, as I said, I like pea protein, so I wasn't scared by the ingredients.  But the taste.  Oooph.

The texture was ok, not great, crispier than a normal chip, a bit thicker too, not quite enjoyable, but not that bad.  But the flavor ... was just strange.  And the zesty chili lime flavor was clearly not the right choice for me, although they get credit for using real spices, aggressively.

I wish I had liked them, as a bag of these chips has 15g of protein in it, and the ingredients really aren't scary, just the pea protein isolate, potato, and seasonings.

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San Francisco Cheesecake

Update Review, August 2018

Since my last review in 2013, SF Cheesecake has not only acquired a storefront (yay!) in the Ferry Building, it has also rebranded as CheeseQuakes.  You can still find them in neighborhood markets though, don't worry.

The product line has also expanded, still featuring both classic and unique flavors, both sweet and savory.  The creations come in numerous sizes, ranging from big 9"ers (seriously big cheesecakes, 3 pounds, designed to serve a party), more reasonable sized 06"ers (serve a family), individuals, slices, and adorable little bites dubbed "BabyQuakes". If you visit the shop, you can also get a CheeseQuake Shake, which isn't actually just a milkshake with a cheesecake blended in, instead, they actually make a different, egg free base, with different proportions, to make it drinkable.  You can also buy, I'm not joking, bags of "Just the Crust".

With all this change, what has remained consistent?  The quality of the product.  They still make their own graham crackers and chocolate cookies to form into crusts.  They locally source the jams, chocolate, etc.   And ... make seriously good cheesecake.  The best in SF.  No question.

Sweet Cheesecakes

"Our sweet CheeseQuakes are available in a wide range of sizes and flavors. Our focus is on flavor, not sweetness, so you will enjoy rich flavor with an accompanying amount of sweetness, never a sugar bomb like the average cheesecake has. "

I won't list out all the varieties of cheesecake available, as the list is extensive. Fruity (mango, blackberry swirl, apricot swirl, strawberry swirl, key lime), boozy (beer & a shot, old rasputin, lemon champagne, chocolate fernet, double chocolate breakout stout), chocolatey (dark chocolate jamocha, triple chocolate), seasonal (egg nog, pumpkin), classic (original, ricotta, bourbon vanilla bean, snickerdoodle, banana cream, butterscotch) ... yeah, the list just keeps going.

I recommend any, really.

This review focuses on simplicity though.  Classic.  Picked up at the shop for a party.

Original SF 9"er. $45.

"Simple and delicious. Soft and creamy with a sprinkling of vanilla bean mixed in over our graham cracker crust."

The cheesecakes I've had previously from SF Cheesecake before were all flavored ones, and, if I had picked the cheesecake out, I certainly would have gone for a more decadent creation, but, our guest of honor wanted simple classic cheesecake.

I'm actually glad he picked this, as it gave me a chance to really just savor the simplicity of a good cheesecake.

And it was such a good cheesecake.  Seriously.  Soo creamy, just absolutely perfect texture.  It was almost as if it had been whipped, it was that light.  Except not light at all really, since, well, its cheesecake, and it was rich as it should be.  Great cream cheese flavor, nice accents of vanilla bean.

The crust was fine, graham cracker based, fairly thick.  I didn't really like it, but that is just because I don't like graham cracker very much.  I'm eager to try the Banana Cream version that uses Marlo's Bakeshop banana biscotti as the crust instead!

Original Review, July 2013

Mmm, cheesecake.  Such a classic, decadent, dessert.  It can be very simple, or dressed up with all sorts of toppings, flavorings, or fillings.  But, at least for me, it is a dessert that can disappointing more often than not.

I have a really easy cheesecake recipe that I got from my mom that I've been using for years.  I won't claim it is the best cheesecake ever, but it is solid, and whenever I bring it to a party, I do get rave reviews.  I won't tell you much about it, except that uh, it uses yellow cake mix in both the crust and the filling.  And when the top cracks, you just hide it with a beautiful fruit topping.  If I can make a good cheesecake, why are there so many awful versions out there?

One great thing about cheesecake, besides that it is delicious, is that it can be easily frozen and taken out when you want to serve it.  Just like I always have a freezer full of ice cream, I've been known to always have a few slices of cheesecake alongside.  So I was overjoyed when I discovered San Francisco Cheesecake.  A small, local company, that makes a variety of cheesecakes, sold at retailers around town.  They show up at artisan's foodfests, always with trays of samples.  I see why, as a single bite of one of these cheesecakes leaves you wanting more!  But the best part, is that they are sold frozen.  Easy to stock up on and pull out for "emergencies", like, you know, it is Tuesday night and you don't have any other dessert laying around.  And, they are a small size, so it totally makes sense to defrost one just for yourself.  You don't have to share.

I've really enjoyed all of the cheesecakes I've tried.  They are all nicely creamy, with a good graham crumble crust.  I was just glancing at their web site and saw a few flavors I haven't had yet that I really want to find: greek yogurt with honey and banana cream! Mmm!

I highly recommend purchasing a few if you ever see them (if you are into cheese, head to Cheese Plus, get some great cheese, and then grab some cheesecake from the freezer near the register).  They totally blow away the other cheesecakes I've had lately (like the mediocre frozen ones from Shari's Berries, the insanely awful one from Soup Freaks that Ojan even spit out,  or the flavorless thing that only sorta resembled cheesecake from Jack In The Box).  I still have a fond place in my memory of the cheesecake from Little Star, but last time I was there, they were out, and I've been too heartbroken to return.

Assorted Cheesecake Samples.

• Butterscotch: "Homemade butterscotch filling with vanilla bean over our graham cracker crumb crust with sea salt." Tasting notes: Hands down favorite.  My grandmother is known for her butterscotch pie, and this tasted sooo much like it, just in cheesecake form.  Creamy, amazing flavor.  I'm dreaming about this one!  The crust had some extra salt in it, which really complimented the butterscotch flavor well (just like salted caramel).  OMG, I want more of this now.
• Candy Cap Mushroom: "That's right.. It's a mushroom!  Wild foraged, hand picked mushrooms that taste and smell like maple when baked into our CheeseQuakes! You'll swear it's maple, but really, it's all mushroom... over our graham cracker crust. " Tasting notes: Yes, mushroom.  It was really tasty, the candy caps add a beautiful maple flavor to it.  In fact, if you didn't tell me, I would have guessed it was a maple cheesecake, and I come from the land of maple syrup!  I'm sure people are scared off by the concept of mushrooms in cheesecake, but this is good.  I had this one still slightly too frozen, so it wasn't as creamy as it could have been.
• Mint Chocolate Chip: Tasting notes: Decent mint flavor, with actual chocolate chips embedded in it, and a chocolate graham crust. It was light and refreshing, which is a funny thing to say about a cheesecake, I know, but it really was.  It would be a great ending to any meal, and an easy crowd-pleaser - who doesn't like mint and chocolate? I would have preferred even MORE mint flavor though.
• Pumpkin Spice: "Our unique blend of spices makes this one of our favorite and best selling cheesecakes! Over our graham cracker crust."  Tasting notes: This was a seasonal offering, around Thanksgiving.  Not the most pumpkiny flavor, but nicely seasoned, and not bad.
• Strawberry Swirl: "Locally produced strawberry preserves swirled into our Original SF filling over homemade graham cracker crumb crust." Tasting notes: Classic cheesecake with a really nice strawberry jam swirled in it.  The jam comes from Inna Jam, who I've run into at a variety of artisan's events around town.  Another one that reminded me of home, as my mom is known for her strawberry jam, and I rarely like other strawberry jams.
• Vanilla Sour Cream: Tasting notes: Pretty creamy, nice sourness from the sour cream, and good vanilla flavor.

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JetBlue Mint, B6 516, SFO-JFK

Flight Details

Date: June 2, 2018

Departure: SFO, 1:14 PM (scheduled) 1:18pm (actual)

Arrival: JFK,  9:23 PM (scheduled)
Seat: 4K
Class: Mint
Date: June 2018

We boarded before 12:30pm, totally leisurely, as everyone showed up.  We pushed back on time.  We took off on time.  Smoothest, most on-time, flight experience I've had in years.

Amenities

I've reviewed JetBlue Mint extensively before, so, no full review this time around.  Not much has changed, as always, a wonderful experience, both hard product and soft.

Seat 4K.

 Yup, I scored the suite.  Spacious, private beyond belief with the door shut, and plentiful power.

Amenity Kit.

Amenity kits are still provided by Hopper, colorful cases, with the standard pen/toothbrush/ear plugs/hand lotion/eye mask/glasses wipe lineup, plus some actual nice looking socks.

None of this really necessary for my day flight, but, the toothbrush I knew I'd use at hotel.

Dining

Eastbound Lunch/Dinner Menu, June 2018.

As always, menus were distributed as we settled into our seats, orders taken once underway.  The menu followed the familiar format - appetizer, choice of 3 of 5 small plates (2 chilled, 3 veggie, 1 seafood), and local ice cream.

WELCOME TASTE

• CARAMELIZED ONION DIP WITH TARO CHIPS

DELISH DISHES
Choose three. Please note: The first two dishes listed below are chilled

• GRILLED CORN SALAD: paprika mayonnaise, sweety drop peppers, cotija cheese
• ROASTED CARROT SALAD: burrata, mâche, pistachio-herb dressing
• SOY GLAZED SALMON: green pea puree, potato pancake, chinese broccoli
• MEXICAN CHICKEN STEW: cherry tomato, avocado, radish, lime
• MEATBALLS: marinara sauce, provolone, basil-feta pesto*

SWEET BITES

• ICE CREAM: Double Rainbow, San Francisco, CA

WHEN YOU RE-TREAT

• COOKIE, milk bar, NYC and beyond

This was an awesome menu for me, as I *adore* JetBlue's taro chips (as I've reviewed before) and I'm obsessed with their caramelized onion dip, and who says no to burrata?  My choices were very easy, meh to chicken and meatballs, totally yes to everything else.

Drink Menu.

And of course, a drink list with the usual beer, liquor, coffee, tea, and wine.

• Sparkling: RAVENTOS I BLANC DE NIT BRUT ROSÉ, 2015, Penedès, Spain
• White: SANDHI CHARDONNAY, 2015, Sta. Rita Hills, California
• White: VON WINNING ESTATE DRY RIESLING, 2016, Pfalz, Germany
• Red: COUNTY LINE PINOT NOIR, 2016, Sonoma Coast, California
• Red: BROC VINE STARR ZINFANDEL, 2016, Sonoma County, California

RefreshMint and Sparkling Water.

Pre-takeoff, as always, drinks were offered, and I decided to indulge in a RefreshMint.  As always, it was sweet and refreshing, and helped ease me into my travels.

Welcome Taste: Caramelized Onion Dip with Taro Chips (double).

Our Welcome Taste was delivered once underway.  I told my FA that I was excited because it was my favorite of the ones I've tried so far, and since our cabin wasn't fully loaded, he brought me a double order.  Score!

I liked it as always, crunchy nice taro chips, and that dip is just so oniony and delicious.  I still have absolutely no idea what is in it, but, I like it so much, every time.

Sandhi Chardonnay.

"2015, Sta. Rita Hills, California."

The wine menu was all different wines than I've had before, but, JetBlue does a nice job with wines usually, and I remember some really nice Chardonnays, so I went for that, also knowing it would go well with my salads and fish.

It was ... fine?  Really not much to say about it.  A bit bitter?  Not buttery?  Ok, maybe I didn't like it very much.

Lunch.

My tray arrived with all three of my small plates, the standard roll and butter, and ... a bonus!  Another serving of taro chips and onion dip.  Heh.  Much appreciated.

The roll was incredibly bad as always, and I wished I had remembered to tell him I didn't need it.  Warm, but so spongy and awful.

Grilled Corn Salad (Chilled).

"Paprika mayonnaise, sweety drop peppers, cotija cheese."

First up, a chilled salad.  This was a mixed success.

The sweety drop peppers were really fascinating, adorable tiny little things that were somehow really sweet, yet, spicy?  Really fun and tasty.

The corn itself was ... fine?  Not really grilled tasted.  The menu didn't mention beans.  Eh to the beans, but at least there weren't many.  I didn't actually appreciate the parsley on top, but, yay, garnish?

The real issue though - I love mayo based dishes, and this had tons of paprika mayo on the bottom that I was eager to stir in, but ... i didn't like the strong smoked paprika flavor.

Not a winner really, my third pick, and I certainly wouldn't want it again.

Roasted Carrot Salad (Chilled).

"Burrata, mâche, pistachio-herb dressing."

Another mixed success.

The carrots were rainbow carrots, cut in half.  Just like the corn, they didn't really have any roasted flavor, the carrots had nothing "grilled" about them really.  No grill marks, no flavor.  They were also very inconsistently cooked, some soft, some seemingly raw.  Pretty, but, meh.  Then again, I don't like carrots much, I ordered this for the burrata, duh!

The mâche was wonderful, fresh, crisp, slightly peppery.  I loved it and wished there were more.  I wanted a mâche salad, not a carrot salad!

Chilled Carrot Salad: Underneath.

Under the mâche was the burrata, a full bulb.  Seriously, what a ridiculous portion of burrata, but, when burrata is good, I can eat that no problem.

This burrata *seemed* like it should be good.  The skin was thin, it burst open full of cream.  But ... the burrata wasn't actually creamy.  It was just ... some kinda chewy mozzarella and cream.

The "pistachio-herb" dressing was a nice surprise, in the bottom, definitely more like a pesto than a dressing.  A bit oily, but the oil was nice with the burrata.  The flavor was great though, as was teh slightly chunky texture.  When it mixed with burrata cream it was even better.  I used it as a dip for more of my taro chips.

Given the mâche and the tasty dressing, I'd get this again actually, but my second pick overall.

Soy Glazed Salmon.

"Green pea puree, potato pancake, chinese broccoli."

Finally, a hot dish.  Now, I don't like fully cooked salmon (so fishy!), and I didn't expect to eat the salmon really, but everything else about the dish sounded fantastic.  Pea puree! Potato pancake!  Tasty greens!

The salmon, as expected, was fully cooked, fishy.  It also didn't really have a soy glaze, just some sesame seeds on top.  It was lukewarm.  Moving on to the parts I actually cared about anyway, all hiding under it.

Potato Pancake / Pea Puree / Chinese Broccoli.

The potato pancake was not crispy.  It was made from shredded potatoes and aggressive spicing.  The spices were really unexpected.  They seemed to be ... curry?  Indian spicing so some kind.  It made no sense at all.  I didn't like it.  At all.

The pea puree was not a puree, but a mash.  Which is fine, but, definitely not as advertised.  Not particularly great.

The Chinese broccoli though I really liked.  Just simple steamed Chinese broccoli, mostly leaves, not much stem, but, it was bitter, fresh, hot, and I added salt and pepper and really truly enjoyed it.

So, overall, I'm giving this the number 1 slot only because I really did like that broccoli.

Double Rainbow Ice Cream: Lychee and French Vanilla.

And ... dessert time!  As always, ice cream, served from a local ice cream maker from the port of departure.  For SF, this is Double Rainbow, which always makes me sad since we have so many great ice cream shops!

Our ice cream was slated to be Lychee Nut (I asked while we were waiting to takeoff, lol, had to plan ahead!), but our FA warned that they had a shortage (!) and it might be caramel.  It was the lychee, 2 scoops of that, one vanilla, with the random mint garnish as always.  I brought my own toppings.  I'm a pro!

It was served way too hard, so I had to patiently wait for it to warm up.

Lychee Nut

"Pure​ lychee ice cream intensified by lychee fruit."

The lychee flavor was ok.  Somewhat like a cross between ice cream and sorbet, fairly icy, very fruity, very sweet.  Too sweet really, but, that is lychee, and the lychee flavor was nice.  If it really had "nut" as titled, that would have been nice.  It had some little bits of lychee for texture, but not many.  Meh.

French Vanilla

"French Vanilla: Winner of  Best in America, our French Vanilla is a perfectly crafted blend of the highest quality milk, cream, eggs and vanilla."

The French Vanilla was better.  More creamy, more ice cream like, decent vanilla flavor.  Still really hard originally, much much better once softer, and with my added toppings.

I still really wish JetBlue did toppings.  American Airlines, United, etc are all about the sundaes.  Why isn't JetBlue!  I've made ice cream sandos by asking for the parting gift early, and my FA said people like to take the chocolate chip cookies from the snack bar to crumble on top, but I was the first to come with my own toppings, lol.  I'm a pro!

Decaf Coffee.

To go with my ice cream, I ordered hot coffee, decaf.

It was fairly awful.  It is supposed to be Dunkin' Donuts, but, eh.  It really tasted like instant.  It had that funk to it.

COUNTY LINE PINOT NOIR, 2016.

And I moved to red wine, my standby, pinot noir.

Much much better.  Light and drinkable.

Milk Bar Cornflake Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Our parting gift was again a cookie from Momofuku Milk Bar, the Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow, which I've had many times, like on JetBlue Mint, 334, SFO-BOS (December) (review coming soon!

My FA may or may not have snuck me extra.

They were fine.  Never as good as when they are fresh, and the JetBlue selection seems to never include the corn or blueberry ones I like, but, still, its a sweet, seriously buttery, cookie.  I liked the salty crunch from the cornflakes this time around too.

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Halfpops

Update Review, 2018

Oh HalfPops.  I last reviewed them in 2012, but I've had them many times.

I keep giving HalfPops more attemps, because I really should love this product.  I love snacks.
 I love popcorn.  I'm the girl who eats all the kernels in the bottom of the popcorn bag, and loves naturally half-popped popcorn. But HalfPops?  Meh.  Even when they make incredible flavors.  Such a shame.

Black Truffle & Sea Salt.

"We couldn’t help but get a LITTLE FANCY with one of our flavors. We know truffle is a little more unique, but it’s probably our most addictive flavor."

Great flavor.  I like truffle.  It was almost even somewhat "cheesy".

But ... I don't like HalfPops!  Which just makes no sense, because I really, really should love them. But they were just crunchy and dry.

Brooklyn Dill Pickle.

"How can you possibly improve on a pickle? Take away the jar, harness the QUINTESSENTIAL PICKLE FLAVOR and pack it with plenty of crunch."

I still kept trying more varieties.  Dill pickle flavor!  How could I not?  I love pickles so much.  I want to love Halfpops so much.

And the verdict? I hated these!

I still did not like the format, the half crunchy not quite popcorn nor corn nuts that I should I love.  And this time I hated the flavor too.  Yeah it was dill-like, but, it most certainly was not for me.  My least favorite of any variety I tried, which is sad, as it sounded so promising!

Original Review, October 2012

Halfpops are a snack food that I want to love.  They sound like they should be incredible, basically a cross between a corn nut and popcorn.  I love popcorn.  I love crunchy things.  But ... I just don't love these.  I've tried them a number of times, hoping I was just not in the right mood for them, but I'm still yet to be really impressed.  They come so close ...

Natural Butter & Pure Ocean Sea Salt.

"It’s not surprising, but this is our MOST POPULAR item, and the flavor that started it all."

Crunchy, kinda fun to eat.  These were very salty.

But ... I want to like these more than I do.  I love the concept, but this flavor isn’t really that great.  Too simple.

Update Review: I really, really want to like these, but they aren’t quite interesting enough.  Not enough butter nor salt flavor to really … pop. 

Another Update Review: These are growing on me, but still not that great.  I love the crunch, just wish the flavor was better. 

Final Update Review: Taste almost burnt, too crunchy, not enough that are ... half popped.

Aged White Cheddar

"Did you know there is actually a fear of cheese? It’s true; it’s called TUROPHOBIA! To all the people with Turophobia out there, you probably want to pick another flavor."

Nice cheddar flavor, better than butter and salt version.  Crunchy, pretty decent. 

Update Review: Wish these were better.  I want to love them, I like the crunch, I like the cheddar, but they fall short.  Not enough cheddar flavor.

Another Update Review: Decent cheesey flavor, very crunchy, not bad.

Final Update Review: Ok, I'm over these.  Too crunchy, not enough flavor, not enough cheesyness, just not great, no mater how much I want them to be.

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Air Canada, AC8462, Montreal to Boston, Business Class Dinner

Flight Details:

Flight #: AC8462
Departure: Montreal, 4:15pm (scheduled), 4:45 or so (actual, because, the navigation system went down, we had to pull over, and reset the circuit breaker?!)
Arrival: Boston, 5:37 (scheduled), 6:30 or so (actual, because, then we had no available gate. Because, sigh).
Seat: 2A, Business

I'll spare you a aircraft review, since I failed to take a photo anyway, and wasn't expecting to do a review.  CRJ-900, an actual comfortable seat, with power outlets, USB, and even wifi.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Friendly efficient flight attendant.

The flight experience itself was fine, save for all the drama ... broken nav system, no gate, etc, etc.  The quick like 45 min flight turned into much more.

But, I was pleasantly surprised by the cuisine.

Food & Drink

Before we took off our FA asked if we'd like a drink once underway, and she quickly brought them out once airborne.  We were also offered a meal, which I was not expecting at all.

It was all far better than I imagined it would be.

Sparkling Water, Sauvignon Blanc.

The wine choices were a merlot for red, or a sauvignon blanc or blend for white.  I went for the sauvignon blanc.

It was actually not bad.  Not acidic, not harsh, not minerally.  Also not too sweet.  Really enjoyable, too bad our flight was so short that I couldn't really have a second glass!

Smoked Salmon / Arugula / Potato Salad.

Along with drinks, we were offered a smoked salmon plate.  I accepted it, mostly out of curiosity.  I expected a tiny little appetizer or something.

Instead, it was a generous serving of smoked salmon, paired with undressed arugula, potato salad, and a wedge of lime.

The salmon I didn't actually care for, it wasn't smoky, and it was kinda fishy.  The arugula was fine, but, with no dressing, I didn't quite have a use for it.

But the potato salad?  Uh, I kinda loved it.  Big chunks of skin on red potato, cooked slightly all dente, slathered in a mayo dressing.  It was crazy basic, literally no other veggies, no token chopped celery, chives, or anything.  Literally, just chunks of potato in mayo dressing.  I'm sure the dressing had slightly more than mayo in it, as it seemed sorta like mayo-cream rather than just mayo, but, it certainly wasn't seasoned in any way.  And, we did not even have salt and pepper packets to jazz it up.

Yeah.  Crazy basic, generic, simple potato salad that needed seasoning.  That I liked.  I can't explain it.  Sometimes I go nuts over seriously low brow potato salad or macaroni salad.

Our trays also contained packages of salted almonds.

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Milkshakes from Boloco

Yes, Boloco is a burrito place, but I'm here to talk about milk shakes.  If you care to read about the burritos, you can read my review of the lackluster burritos I had at a catered event.

Boloco's menu is burritos, bowls, and salads.  Yes.  But if you read further, you'll find smoothies and shakes, all made with fresh ingredients.  Totally random really, an odd match, but, I wanted to try them.

Shakes are available in only 4 varieties: 3 with skim milk and non-fat frozen yogurt as the base, the final one really is a smoothie not a shake, and I don't know why they list it otherwise, as it has no frozen yogurt, and is soy milk and fruit based.  So yes, the "shakes" are healthy shakes, froyo and skim milk as the foundation doesn't scream decadence.  The smoothies are built around fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, and raspberry sorbet.

None actually sounded like a flavor I wanted.  Because, well, healthy slant, not things like mini chocolate chip, although they do have a nutella version.

So, I modified the most decadent sounding one I could find, in an attempt to make a "real" shake.  The result wasn't great, but I'd still return sometime to try a new attempt, as the quality was high.

Jimmy Carter Shake (Sub Strawberry for Banana). Mini.  $4.50.

"All-natural creamy peanut butter, banana, skim milk, non-fat frozen yogurt."

It was a hot night, still 90 degrees at 9pm (!), and I wanted ice cream.  I went straight to one ice cream shop, but ... they had their freezers fail earlier that day in the extreme heat.  So I fell back on froyo.  I went to JP Licks, my old standby.  And ... their soft machine had run out. They had hard ice cream and yogurt of course, but, I really like their soft serve, not their hard serve!

So I decided a shake was in order instead, and ventured to Boloco next door, as I have a friend who raves about their shakes.  The options were nutella, chocolate, vanilla, or the "jimmy carter", with peanut butter and banana.

I opted for the later, but modified it, subbing strawberry, which I knew they had for the fruity smoothies, in place of the banana.  I wasn't in the mood for banana, having had Magnolia Bakery banana pudding every day for 3 days prior (review coming soon!), and the idea of a PB&J in shake form sounded appealing.  It was no problem to make this change.

I ordered the mini size, not listed on the menu in the store, but listed online, the size my friend said is plenty, and that too was no problem to do.

The shake was made to order, all fresh ingredients, and took a while, appropriately. 

It was ... fine?   But I really I wished I had left the strawberry out entirely, and just did a peanut butter shake.  The peanut butter flavor was nice, it was well made, nicely mixed, creamy.  But I wasn't into the fruity nature, certainly more berry forward than peanut butter, resulting in something that tasted a bit too much like a smoothie for me.

The mini size was $4.50, and I agree, is all you need.  The price seems high for such a small, unremarkable, item.  I think simple vanilla would be better, or, really, I just need to return when I'm in the mood for something fruity.

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