Pie from Pietisserie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2013: Williams-Sonoma

My second encounter? Also at Williams-Sonoma.

Assorted Mini Pies.

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

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

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

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

December 2014: Munchery

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

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

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

Black Bottom Walnut Pie. $4.25 from Munchery.

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

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

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

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

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

Black Bottom Walnut Pie: Inside.

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

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

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

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

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

November 2016: Munchery

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

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

Munchery Packaging.

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

Mini Pumpkin Pie. $5.95.

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

This was a very good pumpkin pie.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mini Pecan Pie. $5.95.

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

This was another classic pie, done just right.

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

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

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

April 2017: Munchery

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

Mini Spiced Apple Pie.

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

Mini Spiced Apple Pie.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spiced Apple Pie: Inside.

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

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

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

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

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

Pi Day, March 2018

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

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

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

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

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

Whipped Cream. $6.

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

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

Savory Pies

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

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

Seasonal Vegetable Pot Pie

. $36.00.

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

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

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

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

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

Seasonal Veggie Pot Pie: Inside.

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

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

It was so flaky, so decadent, so buttery.

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

The contents were fabulous.

Veggies Close Up.

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

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

Full Size Sweet Pies

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

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

Chocolate Cream Pretzel. $26.

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

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

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

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

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

Key Lime. $26.

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

Next up, a custard pie, key lime.

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

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

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

Cherry Almond. $33.

"Semi-sweet cherries under an almond custard." 

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

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

Cherry Almond: Inside.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raspberry in a Chocolate Crust. $32.

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

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

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

Raspberry in a Chocolate Crust: Insides.

But inside?  Ah, yes, raspberry filling.

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

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

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

Blackbottom Walnut. $26.

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

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

Blackbottom Walnut: Side View.

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

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

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

Overall, very good, my favorite pie.

Pecan. $26.

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

I was thrilled, and ordered several for the group.

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

Pecan ... oozing.

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

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

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

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

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

Spiced Apple Crumble.  $28.

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

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

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

Spiced Apple Crumble: Side View.

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

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

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

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

Sweet Mini Pies

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

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

Assorted Mini Pies: $5 Each.

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

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

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

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

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

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Lord of the Fries, Sydney

Um ... I accidentally wound up at a vegan fast food restaurant, and didn't realize it, until after I had ordered.

This one needs some explanation.

Lord of the Fries is a shop on George Street in Sydney, that I have walked by more times that I can count.  It never has many people, yet I'm always quasi-interested, as the signs with sweet potato fries, onion rings, and sauces look so good.  I remember I looked it up at one point, saw pretty bad reviews, and decided to stop glancing its way as I walked by.

Until one evening, when my plans were horribly foiled (a parade left me unable, physically, to get where I was going), my fallback place went out of business (!), and other fallback was cash-only which I learned when I got there without cash.  I was walking back to my hotel, completely dejected, and as I passed by, I decided right then and there that all I wanted was fried food.  So I walked in, ordered a pile of fried goodies (and sauces!), and then waited for it to be ready.

Around that time, I noticed that you could upgrade burgers to Beyond Meat patties.  I just thought, "huh, calling out a veggie option as an 'upgrade' is an interesting way to justify the upcharge.  Then I saw the chicken burgers were called ... "chick'n".  And the fish burger ... "phish".  Same with the hot dogs.  Doh.  Ok, so all the burgers and hot dogs were vegetarian.  I see.  And the Beyond Meat was just a higher end veggie burger, truly an upgrade.  Ok, got it.

But I didn't realize the entire place was also vegan.  Which ... um, may have changed my ordering decisions, given that I went all in on mayo and cheese sauces.  Or, at least, I *thought* I was.  Doh.

So yes, Lord of the Fries is a vegan fast food chain, with locations around Australia and New Zealand.

Sweet Potato Fries / Onion Rings / Sauces. $15.50.

It also ... was awful.

What I had was a big pile of lackluster, greasy, old food.  And ... vegan sauces.  Sigh.
Such a fail.  A pricey fail.

At least the name is cute?

Fries

"Our fries are made from locally sourced, fresh Aussie potatoes, cooked with their skins on in a sustainable non-gmo cottonseed sunflower oil blend and ready to be enjoyed with any of our internationally inspired dipping sauces. They aren’t just incredibly delicious, they’re also 100% vegan without chemicals, toxic preservatives or other nasties. "

Ok, so I wasn't there for the burgers or hot dogs.  I was there for the other stuff.  Like the fries.  I was eyeing all the options, really.  Classic or thin shoestring fries or thick chunky fries or ... sweet potato fries!  Ok, I wanted sweet potato fries.

Sides

"Perfect meals are the result of the perfect side, and we go above and beyond when it comes to providing a full-flavoured accompaniment to your vegetarian fast food meal. Our vegetarian munch boxes are a crowd favourite, plus we’ve got scrumptious vegetarian onion rings and did we mention vegan milkshakes?"

And then I saw ... onion rings!  I wanted onion rings!  They also had chicken wings or nuggets, and fish nuggets.

Onion Rings Munch Box, Sub Sweet Potato Fries. $8 + $1.50.

I opted for a "munch box", after asking the server if she liked the sweet potato fries or onion rings more, and her answer was that I should just get a munch box and sub sweet potato fries for the regular fries.  A non-answer, but it worked.

Well, I'll start with the positive.  The box was generously filled.  And the food was hot.  But that's about all I have to say positive.

I'll start with the sweet potato fries, because, when I opened my box, that is all I saw.

Sweet Potato Fries: "This healthier (and extra tasty) alternative will sweeten up your day – paired perfectly with our Belgium sauce."

The fries were a mix of sizes, mostly because many were broken.  That didn't really bother me exactly, but they also just weren't very good at all.  Soggy from oil yet crispy in a dried out way, no real flavor.  They seemed old.  They were not very good at all.  Very greasy.

The "Onion Rings".

"Sliced onion, lightly crumbed and deep-fried for all your crispy goodness needs, perfectly partnered with our fresh, locally sourced golden fries. 100% Vegan."

But what about those onion rings?  My box was a combo box, 50-50 right?  HA.

I finally found some onion ... things, buried in the bottom.  I think I had 4 total.

Which didn't matter, as they were worse than the sweet potato fries.  The coating entirely fell off, they were soggy, and quite oily.

Sauces

"One of the big decisions you need to make when at Lord of the Fries is whether to get an Australian favourite (Aussie Tomato Sauce and Vinegar) or something more exotic like our Indian Mango Chutney and Sour Cream to go with your fries and sides. We have a delectable range of internationally-inspired, amazingly tasty sauces all designed to suit any taste-buds. They are all 100% vegan and 100% delicious. After you pick your sauce all you need to do is to decide whether you want to smother the fries and sides in it or have it on the side for dipping."

Yes, I'll admit that the sauce lineup is part of what drew me in.  Broken into two categories "Classic" for $1.50 or "Deluxe" for $3, and available on the side, or with your item smothered in it.  The options range from simple "American" BBQ sauce to assorted aiolis, to Mexican salsa and sour cream.  Or, well, their vegan equivalents.

I couldn't make up my mind, and kinda wanted to try a bunch, so, I did just that, ordering two Classics and one Deluxe, all on the side. 

Sauces: Parisian (Classic), Vietnamese (Classic), French Canadian (Deluxe). $6 total!

Diving into each of the sauces:

Vietnamese (bottom left): "Vietnamese food is known for its’ french influence, we took it the other way and added some vietnamese chilli to some french mayo and in so doing have created this beautifully creamy vegan spicy mayo which is a delight over our fries or sides."

I thought this was going to be, um, spicy, as it said "chilli" and "spicy mayo", but, alas, this was sweet chilli mixed in to the vegan mayo.  Which is fine, just not what I was expecting.  This one was ok, and the best with the sweet potato fries.  But clearly vegan, and missing whatever it is that makes mayo actually creamy and delicious.

Um, I also saw later that a side, yes, the side portion here, of this is 373 calories.  Um, what?!

Parisian (top right): "Inspired by our friends in France, this vegan aioli garlic mayo tastes as fancy as it sounds."

I also got the garlic aioli, and it was also ... fine.  Still missing the oomph of good mayo.  But decent garlic flavor.   The only item I finished.  This was a nice reasonable (!) 280 calories.

French Canadian: "The Lords pay homage to the Montreal classic fry topping of shredded cheese and hot gravy with this vegan version of the Canadian staple." 

This was awful!!!  The gravy was entirely flavorless and gloopy.  At least it was quasi-warm?  The vegan shredded cheese at least didn't taste vegan, and at the time, I didn't realize it was, I thought it was just "Tasty Cheese".  That said, cold shredded cheese was not at all what I wanted.  This is *not* poutine!!!

Overall, none of the sauces were particularly good, and I felt silly for spending so much on them.

 

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Cafe Vue, Melbourne Airport

Yup, more airport "dining".  Much like my review last week of the baked goods from Bar Pulpo by Movida, I visited one other location in the Melbourne Airport to acquire some goods to bring on my flight to supplement in-flight dining: Cafe Vue.

Storefront.

The moment you get through duty-free in the Melbourne International Airport, Terminal 2, there is a cafe with a bright pink neon sign.  It gets pretty awful reviews.  But clearly, attracts the captive audience, as it is the first dining establishment you encounter airside.

"If you are heading overseas, Café Vue located past customs also offers a range of quick take away meals, cakes, chocolates and pastries as well as exceptional coffee.  

Our signature Café Vue Airline boxes (for breakfast, lunch and dinner) are designed to be taken on board your flight. Full table service is offered throughout the café with a quick snack menu and a more substantial, traditional menu available as a la carte or a fixed priced Menu du Jour. This is available for lunch and dinner accompanied by an extensive wine, beer and cocktail list. Change the way you fly!"

And I still had more hope for this than even more stale food on board?

Menu.

Cafe Vue offers a bit of everything.  A cold case with pre-made sandwiches.  Pastries.  Cookies.  Coffee drinks with 5 Senses coffee, "an exclusive blend crafted by Five Senses and Vue de monde".  Beer, wine, smoothies, milkshakes, cocktails.  A menu for sit down dining with sandwiches, salads, burgers, meat pies, ect.  There were signs about "Airline boxes" too, intended as quick grab and go items, but I didn't see any actual details on these.

I opted to just get a few baked goods for my flight, avoiding the likely mediocre airport dining, and moving on to the Qantas First Class lounge for my actual meal.

Cookie jars, bottled drinks, whole fruit .

The counter area starts with grab and go drinks, fruit, and cookies.

From the jars, I got both cookies, one large peanut butter cookie, one small "yo-yo".  They were out of chocolate chip.

Peanut Butter Cookie. $6.90.

This was a large cookie, and not the style of peanut butter cookie I am accustomed to at all.  It was a hard style, with halves of peanuts in it, in a base that wasn't as ... peanut buttery as the type of peanut butter cookies I like.  It was almost more like a slightly peanut flavored shortbread, with peanut halves in it, if that makes sense.

Not my thing, but I brought it to my peanut butter cookie loving partner, who took one bite, and made a face.  Clearly, not his style either.

Yo-Yo. $3.00.

What is a yo-yo?  I have no idea.  But, why not try it?

It seemed to be a fairly plain cookie sandwich with sweet filling.  Maybe some lemon flavors to it.  Hard style cookies, very sweet overall.  Eh.

Cold Case Desserts.

From the dessert cold case, I got the granola bar and chocolate crispy thing, as the pickings were slim.

I almost got another dessert item, but I didn't think the cupcake would hold up well, I dislike citrus desserts (so no orange cake or lemon tart), and everything else was sold out.  I was sad the Fairy Bread cupcake was sold out, as I do love 100s and 1000s!

Granola Bar. $8.50.

The granola bar I purchased to enjoy layer in my journey when I would potentially need something substantial if in-flight dining failed me.

It was actually a really good housemade granola bar, loaded with nuts (halves of peanuts, slivers of almonds), seeds (sunflower, pepitas), and dried fruit (raisins, golden raisins, dates).  It was sticky, in messy fingers way, but enjoyable at the same time.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

It had a great play of textures, nice sweetness (although, much like a dessert, not really a snack), and I liked how peanut forward it was.  I'd get this again.

Valrhona Chocolate Crackle. $4.50.

The chocolate crispy crackle thing was a bit amusing.  The cashier tried to cram it into a plastic container, but it wouldn't close.  So he just mashed it in, and left the lid open, shrugging, and saying "it doesn't fit".  No solution was offered.

It was actually quite satisfying though, in the "morning" on my flight.  Crispy, slightly sticky, chocolate rice crispies.  It was kinda like having chocolate breakfast cereal, which, at the time, was not a bad thing.  It did use decent Valrhona chocolate, it wasn't just mildly chocolate rice crisps.  I nearly ordered some milk on the flight to just have with it, and really make a sweet cereal.

This was in the cold case, and solid when handed over, but, it crumbled immediately as it warmed up, and didn't hold together at all.  It required a spoon to eat, which wasn't bad, just, messy.  An odd item, but I enjoyed it at the time.  I'd get it again ... for breakfast too.

Sandwiches, Salads, Yogurts, Fruit.

I skipped all the pre-made sandwiches, salads, and yogurt and muesli pots, as I didn't need real food, and I didn't want refrigerated items.

Pastries.

The pastries line up was a bit depleted, just banana bread, one type of muffin, and raisin swirls, although the signs indicate that they normally have several types of croissants and more muffins.

From the pastries, a muffin, the only kind they had, which I was told was raspberry.

Raspberry Muffin. $5.20.

This was actually not too bad.

It was a bit dry, with quite a crisp top, but, the flavor was nice, and I liked the generous fruit, the berries added moisture and fruity bursts of flavor.  Better than those from Bar Pulpo.

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Starbucks Reserve

I've reviewed Starbucks many times before, including the sandwiches, pastries, and even the yogurt, and of course, the drinks, including new and seasonal beverages, and frappucinos.

But, not all Starbucks are created equal.  And I'm not just talking about larger stores with slightly expanded offerings, or locations with more talented baristas.  I mean, entirely different concepts, such as, Starbucks Reserve.

"Starbucks Reserve is the complete and total commitment to the immersive experience of coffee craft and the ongoing pursuit of the world’s rarest, most exalted, most sought-after small-lot coffees."

They really do offer a far premium experience.

Starbucks Reserve only has a handful of locations, in major cities around the world: Shanghai, Milan, Tokyo ... and of course Seattle, New York, and, San Francisco!  My visit was to the San Francisco location, which opened in 2018, just a few blocks from my house.

The Setting

"Apart from the full-scale theatricality of the Starbucks Reserve™ Roasteries, our bars offer a more intimate small-lot coffee experience. These are the perfect places to pick up Starbucks Reserve™ whole bean coffee, enjoy a handcrafted Starbucks Reserve™ beverage and chat with a barista about all things coffee."

Bar Seating and Ordering.

The entire front of the store has different ordering stations and bars, with one area dedicated to hand crafted drinks, another to the espresso machine, another to cold brews, another to infusions, and so on.

You can see real glassware lined up in the back. Yes, glassware, at Starbucks, for dine-in service.

Huge Interior.

The SF location is really quite large and spacious feeling.  The high ceilings add to the feel dramatically.  Everything is beautifully designed and decorated.

Light Filled.

The space really is inviting, so much light, huge wall of all glass windows.

Reserve Branded Merchandise.

You can even pick up special Reserve branded mugs, etc, plus the Reserve coffee beans, and higher end brewing equipment for home brewing.

Menu

Starbucks Reserve is not the place to get your non-fat, no-whip, skinny vanilla frappucino.  I mean you could, but, the Reserve menu offers so much more.  

Inside Menu (April 2018).

The menu at at the Reserve location does include things like macchiatos and lattes, but, rather than your standard caramel macchiato there is a vanilla creme anglaise macchiato (yes, it really has a custard in it!) and the lattes come in flavors like rose honey.   The cold brew even comes cocktail style, shaken with bitters, and topped with a cherry.

The main attraction though, at least for me, was the different brew methods to chose from, and of course, the large variety of higher end small lot coffees to pick from.

Reserve Coffees (July).

The Reserve coffees are all small batch, so they change out regularly.  The selections were entirely different at my first two visits.

Ice Cream & Flights.

Ice cream!  At Starbucks?! Yup, everything from classic affogatos to malts made with cold brew and bitters.

The final menu section is "Experiences" of flights, where you can try either different coffees brewed with the same brewing technique or the same coffee brewed different ways, to compare.  24 ounces total.

Drinks

Chemex

I opted for the Chemex as my brewing technique on my first visit, as I've never tried it before, and know it is known for yielding a very smooth cup.  I was warned that it would take nearly 10 minutes, which wasn't a problem for me.

Chemex in Action.

"This distinctive hourglass-shaped brewer prepares coffee that's unparalleled in its smooth, crisp clarity."

Everything was weighed out, and prepared with care.  Available in one size only, 24 ounces.  You are warned when you order this that it is more than 20 ounces, and the barista confirms this is ok.  Since I was sharing once, and ordering decaf another time, this was, indeed ok, but Starbucks decaf packs more caffeine than most ...

Interestingly, my second visit, I was told Chemex, and press pot, aren't eligible for rewards, since they are designed to be shared (24 ounces only), and only "single" serving items are available with the reward (so it also excludes the flights).  How a $20 venti crazy Frappuccino creation counts as single and $12 Chemex doesn't could be a great subject of contention ...

And even more interestingly, on my third and fourth visits, Chemex was again an option.  I think the barista that told me it wasn't must have been misinformed, or Starbucks very temporarily switched their policies?

Chemex Brewed Sun-Dried Ethiopia Haile Farm. 

"Aromatic florals with candied citrus and orange peel flavors."

Since I got my coffee to-go, it came in a paper cup, but if I were planning to consume it there, it would have come in a real glass.  Still, no standard Starbucks cup here, the dark color and logo matched the feel of the entire place, far more classy.  My barista apologized that she had no matching reserve lids, and had to settle for the white one.

As for the coffee, I went for an Ethiopian selection, given my affinity for the region in general.  

And ... well, it was an incredibly smooth cup of coffee, as promised.  It wasn't necessarily a very complex coffee, nor a very dark deep flavor, but, it was pure and it was clean.  I enjoyed it.

Decaf Costa Rica Hacienda Alsacia.

"Sparkling acidity balanced by citrus and milk chocolate flavors."

On this visit, I was looking for a decaf, and the only option was the Costa Rica Hacienda Alsacia, which I had before as a pour over (see below), and didn't love it.  The barista who prepared it then strongly encouraged me away from the Chemex, but the one this day this other barista said it was good that way, so, I gave it another try, using Chemex, since its not like I had another choice for decaf anyway.

It was ... fine?  No funk, no staleness, not too high acid, but again, as in the pour over method, it just wasn't anything special, and I certainly didn't find myself really wanting another cup.

It also left me incredibly jazzed.  I know it was decaf, but I think Starbucks packs some punch in their decaf ...

Siphon

My second visit, I was not allowed to pick a Chemex or press pot per some rule changes on reward redemptions, so I went for the pour over.  My server said, "hey, since it is free, why not do it as a siphon?  Way more expensive and much better method too.  Maximize your reward!"

I liked his style and eagerly took the offer, I didn't actually realize they did siphon brewing, the menu only listed Clover, pour over, press pot, and Chemex.

Siphon In Action!

Of course it looked like a science lab, fire! beakers!, and folks did like to see it in action.  I think the server had a bit of fun too, I don't think people order these that often.  It seemed faster than Chemex actually?

Siphon Brewed Hawaii Ka'u.

"Creamy milk chocolate flavor with an almond sweetness."

For my bean choice, I went with the Hawaii Ka'u, from the south side of the Big Island.  I was drawn in by the tasting notes of creamy chocolate and almond sweetness.

It was a lovely coffee.  I don't have the proper language to describe it, but it was incredibly smooth.  Not a hint of harshness, acidity, or anything.  But not boring in any way, there was a complexity and depth, just not jarring ones, if that makes any sense.  It was a intense brew, I generally drink lighter styles, and originally thought I'd water it down a touch, but actually, as my pallette opened up, I embraced the depth.

I really enjoyed this.  I don't know if it was the variety of bean, the brewing method, or combination of both, but I was really impressed, and would get it again in a heartbeat.

And this time, I did get a signature black lid.  Such stylish cups, seriously.

Pour Over

All Starbucks locations will do pour over if you ask, so this is not unique to the Reserve locations, and is not what I normally opt for.  However, on this visit, I wanted decaf, and I asked the barista for his recommendation on preparation style.  He told me that he thinks pour over is the best as it brings out the nuttiness, or even just as espresso.  He seemed to genuinely not believe the Chimex, which is how I was going to order it, yielded as good of a result.  I took his recommendation.

Decaf Costa Rica Hacienda Alsacia.

"Sparkling acidity balanced by citrus and milk chocolate flavors."

This was ... fine.  It didn't taste like a decaf, that is for sure.  No funk, no acidity, etc.  And it was decently complex.  But it was a bolder, darker style that wasn't quite what I tend to prefer.

I'd consider getting it using another brew method if it was the only decaf available, but certainly wouldn't intentionally seek this out.

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