Gotta B' Sweet

Gotta B' Sweet.  Yes, that is the brand name.  No I don't understand the ' after the B, but I do know the founder had a previous company, Gotta B' Urban (a cosmetics company), so clearly this is part of her intentional branding.

The majority of Gotta B' Sweet products are, well, candy.  Cotton candy, gummy candy, freeze dried candy, etc.  In addition to regular retail sales on Amazon, they also do corporate branded gifts and wholesale orders.  I didn't actually have any of their candy, and focused instead on snack mix.  You know how much I love my snacks.

Yum Yum Mix: Sweet & Salty.

"Don't settle for boring candy! By choosing Gotta B' Sweet, you make both your taste buds and eyes happy."

The packaging is a core part of the product offerings.  I can't say it made my eyes happy.  But it did indeed make my taste buds happy.   The quality of the components was evident at first bite.  While the blend looked fairly generic, and the packaging honestly a bit garish, I actually loved everything in it.

"Introducing our delicious Yum Yum Mix, the perfect snack for any occasion! The crunchy texture of the pretzels is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the chocolate and yogurt. "

Gotta B Sweets makes the Sweet & Salty Yum Yum Mix in two varieties, one with chocolate coated pretzels, and one with yogurt coated.  Everything else is the same.  I tried just the chocolatey version.

The bag said 15 servings, and I assure you, having this be more than 2-3 servings would take great restraint.  

Mix Contents.

"Composed of butter toffee peanuts, pretzels, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate chip cookie gems, and milk chocolate gems, each ingredient is carefully chosen for its quality, ensuring a top-tier snacking experience."

Here you can see the types of pieces in my mix.  There are 5 different components, although clearly some of the dark chocolate melted off the pretzels and created mega clumps with other items fused on to pretzels, which I designated as a 6th type of piece.  The distribution of ingredients was well done, no item dominated (my piles here are not reflective of the original distribution).

From top left, clockwise:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Gems: 

These were the only things I didn't care for.  Just crisp little tiny chocolate chip cookies.  Yes, they added a different texture to the mix, and they were not bad, but, I just didn't really want them there.  I have not ever had Cookie Crisp cereal, but that is what I picture.  Low ***.  My little niece loved these however.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels w/ nonpareils: 

What's not to like about a chocolate coated pretzel?  Sweet and salty.  Dark chocolate to make it more classy.  And definitely bonus points for the nonpareils that added a tiny bit of extra crunch, and pop of color.  My second favorite piece in the mix.  Clearly quality pretzels and chocolate were used.  ****+.

Pretzels:

Just pretzel twists, but they picked a good brand.  Good salt level, nice butteriness, and tasted very fresh.  Better than average pretzels.  Nice to have a purely savory/salty component in the mix, which also kept the addiction level high, as I didn't get sick of it being too sweet.  Fifth favorite piece in the mix. ***+.

Mixed Pieces:

These are the pile on the bottom left, where the dark chocolate likely melted in transit, and caused other items to get stuck on to the pretzels, creating mega clumps.  I didn't mind, and liked these as special prizes, as I thought of them.  Third pick.  ****.

Milk Chocolate Gems:

Generic M&Ms, but again, a good quality brand was picked (better than actual M&Ms).  Nice snap to the shell, vibrant colors, good color distribution in the bag, creamy milk chocolate center.  They were what you'd expect.  Forth favorite, and I liked having the pure hit of chocolate.  ****.

Butter Toffee Peanuts (not pictured):

You might notice that there are no butter toffee peanuts shown here, but that is NOT because the bag didn't contain any.  It did.  It contained plenty actually, but, um, I ate all of them before stopping to take a photo.  Yes, all of them.  Yes, even those stuck on to the pretzels by melted chocolate.  All of them.  They were that delicious.  Crispy sugary buttery toffee coating on salty roasted peanuts?  Um, yes.  Loved them.  My favorite component, and nothing I'd change about them.  ****+.

Overall, a very addicting mix, definitely better than the sum of its parts, although I did wish the little cookies weren't included.  ****.

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Mikado Sushi, NYC

Sometimes, a girl really gets a craving for uni, even when she has a fridge full of food.  Sometimes this happens when in another city, such as New York.  And thus, sometimes she seeks out said uni, even though not very practical.

This uni craving lead me to Mikado Sushi. They have several locations in NY, including one in Queens and one in Brooklyn, along with a couple in Manhattan.

The menu has a decent range of starters, besides the expected miso soup and edamame, there are more interesting creations like caviar dumplings, tuna toasts, sushi tacos, and more.  Entrees cover a slew of types of donburi, teriyaki, etc, but also some interesting dishes like truffle mushroom bacon fried rice, abalone noodles, and of course, the ever trend miso black cod.  I was there for the sushi however, which includes full line up of nigiri or sashimi, hand rolls, and make rolls. I appreciate that they do not have a slew of over the top rolls with sauces galore.  The nigiri/sashimi lineup isn't huge, and mostly isn't innovative, however they do have a wagyu topped with seared foie gras, and uni with truffle pate, and thus, you can likely guess why the restaurant hit my radar.

I ordered delivery on DoorDash, and it arrived quickly.  I can't comment on the restaurants themselves, as I didn't visit any.  I'll gladly order again.

Packaging.

My order definitely was a bit worse for the wear given however my Dasher transported it, but I appreciated that Mikado included soy sauce (not just a packet), a little condiment tray, and chopsticks on the side, along with generous amount of good quality wasabi and ginger in with the sushi.

Uni w/ Truffle Pate (sashimi). $26.

I had the choice of regular sushi, brown rice sushi, or sashimi for $1 more, which I opted for.  This seemed to mean it came in cucumber cups, although in my case, one of the pieces had been jostled around such that the cup was empty.

It was good uni.  Very creamy.  No funk.  Looked vibrant.  Very large portion, each cup had 3 big, in-tact pieces.  The truffle pate was just a dot on top, but it did have strong truffle flavor, and was a little something unique.

I really enjoyed this, although I took the uni and put it on top of truffle brioche toasts instead of the cucumber cups, and made it into a fantastic appetizer.  ****.

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Vegan Rob's

As you likely know, I love my snacks.  I'm an avid snacker.  I have my favorites of course, but I love trying new products.  Which brought me to discover Vegan Rob's, even though I am not vegan.

"Take a deep breath, exhale, focus on the moment and what you are doing for yourself. Feed your inner soul by reducing stress and anxiety with the crunch! Vegan Rob’s® puffs are made with organic sorghum, an environmentally friendly, drought resistant crop. eating our plant- based snacks is better for everyone and supports your compassion for all life."

Vegan Rob's, as you can guess from the name, obviously makes vegan products.  Their goods are also gluten-free, non-GMO, organic, etc.

So what does Vegan Rob's actually make? A not necessarily enticing sounding product line of whole grain sorghum puffs.  They are available in 5 flavors, starting with simple cauliflower or cheddar flavors, and livening up a bit with beet, "dragon", and Bombay flavors.  All use the same base.  I've tried all but the beet and Bombay puffs. 

Cauliflower Puffs (2021).

"Vegan Rob’s® Cauliflower Puffs are delicious, crunchy and so yum!! They are a good source of Vitamin C and an Excellent Source of Thiamin and Riboflavin. Just one bite and you will fall in love!"

The first I tried were the simple cauliflower puffs, a few years ago.  They were actually pretty good.  

Puffy, great crunch. Don't taste odd from sorghum.  Good flavors from onion and garlic seasoning, and some nutritional yeast to make a bit "cheesy".  A nice savory crispy snack.  I found them very munchable, which is important in a snack.

They do not taste like cauliflower however, as the cauliflower is just a powder, so if you wanted something very cauliflower-y, these would not impress.

***, I don't go for r snacks like this often, but they were good for what they were.

Cauliflower Puffs (2024).

I didn't realize I had tasted these before, and tried them again 3 years later, without seeing my notes.  Very interesting to see how differently I felt about them this time.

Well ... um ... these taste healthy.  Perhaps a bit too healthy.  I really do like the puff form factor, and they are crazy crispy, but, the flavor is not one that makes you feel the tiniest bit indulgent (they aren't actually all that healthy, a bag is still 170 calories and 9 grams of fat, so not really any different from actual normal cheese puffs ...).

They taste strongly of what I suppose is sorghum, and are quite savory, with dominant nutritional yeast and garlic/onion/pepper/salt along with the cauliflower powder.  A touch too bitter for me.  They remind me of Hippeas (similar concept, chickpea based, review coming soon), although I like these considerably more.

But if you want to snack and feel a bit healthier, and want something a bit generically savory and a bit bland, they aren't bad tasting.  ***.

Dragon Puffs.

"Vegan Rob’s® Dragon Puffs are so delicious, they will change your life forever! These puffs are made with the finest ingredients including serrano peppers from Mexico. They go from smoky, to spicy, then cool and satisfy that spicy and crunchy desire to feed your inner soul. You're going to wonder how it all happened!"

Next up, take the same puffs, but make them ... DRAGON!  E.g. add some heat!  The puffs looked the same in terms of shape and size, and had the same base savory coating of onion/garlic/salt/nutritional yeast, but, yes, were a brilliant fire-y orange/red (from paprika).  The serrano chili pepper powder did the job well, these had a pretty great kick.

So, great form factor, and hit of intense flavor?  Now we are talking.  While they still do have a somewhat healthy taste to them, these I really do enjoy.  ****.

Update Review: I've found myself reaching for these more and more, and they've really grown on me.  Love the kick and the form factor.

Brussel Sprout Puffs (Discontinued).

A few years ago I also had the brussels sprouts puffs.  They have since been discontinued, which I fully support.

They basically look and taste the same as the others, but even more bitter and healthy. I'm not into nutritional yeast flavor on these.  **.

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Pinklady Cheese Tart

New York City is a great place for many reasons.  The vibe, the culture, etc, etc.  But for me, a big draw is the food.  And in particular, if you know me well, you know desserts factor highly into all decision making for me.  I love plotting out my dessert adventures in general, but in particular when I'm in a city like NY with so many incredible offerings.

My research lead me to discover Pinklady Cheese Tart, a fairly young business, about 4 years old (yup, a pandemic born success story).  The baker started by making just the namesake cheese tarts, but has expanded to include other items like macarons and even yogurt drinks (although you won't find these mentioned on the website).  Reviews are good, and it just kept popping up in my searches, due to also offering basque cheesecake, which I was craving and searching fo.

When I saw the flavor lineup at Pinklady Cheese Tart featured ube in several dishes, it was easy to move it to the top of my priority list of places to try.  I ordered for delivery from DoorDash, which went smoothly.

Tarts

"Our oozy cheese mousse is made with three types of rich cheese and cream with a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness. As for our crusts, we use double baked method in order to create crispy delicious tartlets."

Pinklady Cheese Tart is known primarily for the cheese tarts.  They are a Japanese style, so quite light, and not super sweet.  They are available in a slew of flavors: original cheese, fruity (blueberry, lemon, strawberry), black sesame, ube cheese, matcha cheese, and chocolate cheese.  

I tried two flavors, and would gladly have either again, but also would love to try more varieties.

2 Tarts. $8.
Black Sesame, Ube.

"Try it when its warm, cold or room temperature for different texture and experience!"

I narrowed my choices down to the my top two picks, which I could get as a pair for $8 (so, $4 each).  You can get 6 for $22 to save a little if you want more.  $4 each seemed quite reasonable.

All use the same style tart shell, a double baked butter shortbread.  It was a sweeter style than I was expecting, definitely sweeter than standard tarts.  Hard style, not a flaky style, not crumbly, quite crisp. It was almost like a sweet sugar cookie (I think this is pâte sucrée?).  It was better than most tart shells (which, you may know, I generally dislike and discard), but I did find it almost too sweet.  *** shell.

I found it interesting that they recommend trying them at 3 different temperatures (chilled from fridge, room temp, or lightly warmed), and of course I wanted to try all the ways.  Chilled from the fridge, the result was like a fluffy cheesecake soufflé if that makes sense, lighter and not dense like traditional cheesecake.  Warm, the filling turned oozing and nearly liquid, a delight in another way entirely.  Room temp was somewhere in-between.  I truly don't know which way I preferred.

Ube.

The ube tart was a stunning (likely unnatural) purple color.  It looked fantastic, both due to the vibrant hue, and the fluffy loft to it.

It was as tasty as it looked.  The filling was light, fluffy, and somewhat oozy (in a good way!), and intensely ube flavored, with a backdrop of the sweet cheese flavor.  Sweet but restrained.  Fantastic texture, fantastic flavor.  As I mentioned above, when chilled, it was more like a very light cheesecake, when room temp it was like a soufflé, and when warm it was akin to a molten lava cake.  

I really enjoyed this filling, and would get it again, but I liked the next one even more.  High ****.

Black Sesame.

The black sesame shared the same pedigree, same textural difference at each temperature, etc.  But the overall experience of eating it was entirely different, as it was less sweet, and very nutty.  The black sesame flavor was really quite intense.  I loved it even more than the ube.  ****+.

I'd like to try pairing one of these side-by-side with the fruity blueberry or strawberry flavors, to create pb&j vibes. 

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

More recently, Pinklady expanded to include cheesecake, if you want something bigger than a tart.  But not just cheesecake, Basque style cheesecake (and interesting choice rather than staying in the Japanese style of a fluffy bouncy cheesecake, or NY-style given the location).  Basque style is more on-trend this year, so, likely a great call, and one I was thrilled to see.  I've been really enjoying Basque cheesecake lately, even the version from Cheesecake Factory truly isn't bad (it is far better than their regular cheesecakes ...). 

Pinklady offers traditional vanilla or ube, both in 4" or 7" varieties.

Ube. 4". $13.50.

"Four inches ube flavor cheesecake. Caramelized burnt top with buttery crust and creamy cheesy center. Serve 2-3 people."

I obviously went for the ube.  I'll admit it didn't look great visually, but, this is to be expected.  It *should* have a dark top, it *should* be sorta sunken, and, since I picked ube, it should have the purple hue that, when dark, yes, looks like this.  I didn't care that looked a bit ugly.  That said, this wasn't a legit traditional Basque cheesecake as it has a crust, which gave me a moment of pause.  True Basque cheesecake doesn't have a crust ...

The size was perfect for sharing, 2 people could feel satisfied given the richness, three I think would only want to share if they also each had a tart (which, is what I'd recommend).  The cheesecakes are also available in a larger size to serve 6-8 people for $39.95.

Ube Cross Section.

I'll start with the only negative aspect: the crust.  Perhaps I was just feeling grumpy about the inclusion of the crust in the first place, and the fact that it made it harder to cut, but, I didn't care for the crust.  It was dry, seemed too dark/burnt on the bottom, and was just not a style that added anything to the dessert.  I felt it really detracted.  Boo to the crust, but, it was easy to avoid.

The body of the cheesecake though was glorious.  As you can see, it was fairly textbook in the nearly liquid oozing center, yet light and fluffy all around it.  Like the tart, it had a strong ube flavor, was sweet but not too sweet, with a strong cheesy backdrop.  The top was dark but didn't really give the caramelized taste I have experienced in other Basque cheesecakes, but that was fine, I'm not sure it would have matched as well with the ube flavor.  **** filling.

Overall, definitely good, and well baked.  I'd like to try the vanilla version too, but do wish it had no crust.  Lower **** because the crust brought it down a bit.

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Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya, NYC

I'm the type of person who always does bring home my leftovers from restaurants.  I actually love repurposing leftovers to create meals that I love at home later.  This applies even when I travel, and hotels by now know that I like to have at least one extra mini fridge and microwave in my room.  I travel with a personal panini press/grill or travel oven.  I'm that kind of person.

So this summer, when I was in New York for a month, I found myself with a bunch of side dish leftover, but no main protein.  Sushi seemed like just the answer: small quantity, just protein, and I could use up the other stuff I had around. 

I have my old favorites for sushi in New York, including Sushi Seki and Nobu if I'm being splurgy, but this time I was looking for somewhere open at lunchtime on a weekend, and neither of those were.  My research lead me to the well regarded Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya (which is not to be confused with Blue Ribbon Sushi - Soho, just a few blocks away, nor Blue Ribbon Brasserie, Blue Ribbon Chicken, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, or others in the same restaurant group).  The group also has location is Miami, LA, Boston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Philly. So, somewhat of a chain, but, not one that felt like it.  They do also have packages available on GoldBelly, which I'll admit was a slight detractment.

I was drawn in by the positive reviews of course, but also the really large assortment of options available for nigiri/sashimi.  They had a large daily specials list with unique items I don't see as often.  And better yet, the prices were quite reasonable (and even more with a $5 off discount on DoorDash).

I ordered on DoorDash for delivery, and my order arrived quickly.  It was well packaged, accurate, and included everything I needed (chopsticks, soy sauce, etc).  I'd gladly order from them again.

3 Pieces Sashimi. $26.73 (including delivery).

I went for a bunch of favorites: uni, crab, and the less common eel, anago.  I opted for sashimi for all, as I'm not really one for rice (yes, this is a very similar trio to my order from Sushi Seki last time I was in NY, with uni, anago, and lobster, just swapping out crab for lobster this time).  I appreciated that I could order each individually, and the prices were really quite reasonable.

The uni and crab came in cucumber cups, the anago just as a slice over some shredded diakon.  Standard ginger and wasabi were plated alongside as well.

California Uni (Sashimi). $11.

To satisfy my uni cravings, I went for the California uni.  Sashimi style, because all I wanted was the uni, no need for rice.  They also offer Hokkaido uni for $18.50.

The uni may have suffered a tiny bit in transit, as the top lobe was a bit no longer intact, but it was still delicious. For nigiri, it is a cucumber cup that is lined with a shiso leaf. I loved the shiso, it went very well with the uni. The uni itself was good, a more mild flavor uni, minimal funk. The portion was really remarkable for the price, I think there might have been five pieces? I'd be curious to do a side-by-side with the more pricey Japanese one, but I was very pleased with this. ****.

Anago (Young Sea Eel) Sashimi $8.

When I was first introduced to sushi I ate a fair amount of unagi, as it was a bit of an easier segue into sushi being fully cooked and covered in bbq sauce.  I still like unagi, but in more recent years, I've definitely become a much bigger fan of anago. I see it rarely on menus, so I was very happy they had it.  I think the last time I had it was about a year prior, from Sushi Seki (where it was excellent).

This piece was ok.  Not very memorable nor flavorful.  A decent sized piece.  I'd probably skip it in the future.  ***.

Kani (Blue Crab) Sashimi. $7.50.

I don't think I've ever seen blue crab on a sushi menu before, so I was very interested to see how they would serve it as nigiri. It was cooked and placed into a cucumber cup, and was a bit of a shredded style, compared to when you get king crab nigiri for example that comes as a solid chunk, which I assume is simply due to the considerably smaller size of the crabs.

It too was just ok, but not particularly flavorful nor memorable.  I have not had all that much blue crab in my life, so maybe that is just how blue crab is?  I live on the West coast, so local dungeness is my common crab, or of course Alaskan king crab if I'm splurging.  I added a little okinomiyaki sauce I had left over which helped, the creaminess from the mayo really added something to it, as it was just pretty bland otherwise.  Another one I'd skip in the future. ***.

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Ferrara Bakery & Cafe, NYC

My list of bakeries to check out when in NYC is rather lengthy, as I love desserts, and baked goods in general.  My list of bakeries to return to is nearly equally long, as I've found some I adore.  And yet, on this recent visit, I did a very un-Julie move, and decided to order a pastry from a place I only learned about that morning: Ferrara Bakery & Cafe.

Now, Ferrara is pretty well known, a classic Italian bakery/cafe that has been operating since 1892 (in its early days it was mostly a cafe).  Still family run, etc, etc.  They seem to still just focus on the classic Italian pastries, cakes, cheesecakes, and cookies.  Nothing innovative or unique, just, the standards.

Ferrara landed on my radar one morning when I was suddenly craving a lobster tail. I was plotting my DoorDash Thai Diner order for that evening (which, if you haven't had Thai Diner, and are in NY, stop everything and do that first, love it so much!), and wanted to use DoubleDash to add on a dessert from somewhere else (even though Thai Diner does have good desserts too).  In particular, I was thinking I should get a cheesecake from Venerio's, since I was leaving in just two days and hadn't had classic NY cheesecake yet, and Venerio's is a favorite of mine, but that got me thinking about the sad lobster tail I had also from Venerio's, and it made me second-guess my loyalty (to be fair, I loved the filling, just wasn't into the pastry itself, as it didn't seem fresh). This put lobster tails on my mind.

Now, lobster tails (the pastry).  If I could order a lobster tail pastry from anywhere on the planet, it would be from Mia's Brooklyn Bakery, where I had one last summer, and it was flawless.  Simply flawless.  Perfect 5 stars.  Blew my mind.  Mia's *does* have a Manhattan location, near Times Square, but ... they don't have the lobster tails. So Mia's wasn't an option.  And I didn't want to risk Venerio's again.  So of course this led me to Google search for "Best lobster tail pastry in NYC", etc, and basically all sources led me to Ferrara.  I saw them on DoorDash, and thus, it was settled.  (I'll admit I was a bit worried by the fact that they were featured on Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate, when Chef Alex Guarnaschelli listed as one of her picks, and I know that sometimes leads to over-hyped creations ...).

Box.

My pastry came in a simple but classy box.  No ribbon or string around it though, like many Italian bakeries. 

The box was quite heavy, which I took as a good sign, as it meant the lobster tail was likely both huge and loaded with filling (it was).

Lobster Tail.  $7.75.

"Crisp, flaky pastry filled with Bavarian cream."

It was a very large pastry, probably somewhere between the Venerio's and Mia's ones in size.  Definitely bigger than you really should take down in one sitting, but not quite appropriate for feeding a family of 4 like the Mia's one!  It was well covered in powdered sugar.

The pastry was fairly crispy, definitely better and fresher than the one I had from Venerio's, but not anything magical like the Mia's version.  It wasn't particularly buttery nor special.  Fresh, crispy, but fairly average.  Low ***+.

Lobster Tail: Cross Section.

But the pastry is only half of what makes a lobster tail enjoyable.  The filling is an equally essential component.  This was absolutely loaded up, and you can see how thin the pastry layer was here in the cross section (this is the small end).  The Bavarian cream was very thick, and given how well loaded up the pastry was, it explained the weight of the item (and the box).  

The filling is what I saw so many people raving about in their reviews (besides the crispy exterior).  I didn't find this to be raveworthy, or really, even all that good.  It was highly average Bavarian cream.  Very thick.  Not much actual flavor to it, no vanilla bean, no touch of citrus, just, plain Bavarian cream.  Average sweetness.  The filling in the aforementioned Mia's one was so so so good, and it too was a simple Bavarian cream (unlike the Venerio's one that had chocolate cream filling, which was the only winning element), but it was considerably more flavorful.  This one was just boring.  It seemed no better than an average donut shop filling.  Low *** cream.

Overall, this was just lackluster, but not bad.  The pastry was flaky, it was fresh, it was well filled, the cream was classic.  But I found myself bored after a few bites.  I added fresh berries, and sprinkles, and pistachio ice cream, and enjoyed it, but, it was just a bit one dimensional on its own.  *** overall.

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California Pizza Kitchen

Update Review, July 2024

As you know, I can never resist a good freebie, so when T-Mobile had a partnership with CPK offering up $7 off your order (no minimum order, works for takeout), I of course had to take full advantage.

Bread. 2 Orders.
(Complimentary).

When I previously ordered from CPK, the bread also included oil, today it did not.  Each order was two hunks, in a plastic bag that was just hand tied shut.

Last time I had the bread I noted strong sourdough taste, but this time I didn't taste the sourdough as much.  Is it possible I'm starting to tolerate sourdough?  The bread had a good chew to it, and tasted fresh.  Soft baguette style.  I kinda liked it.  ***.

Curly Mac 'N Cheese (CPKids). $6.99.

I went for a kid's meal, to stay within my free $7, but also because kid's meal portions generally I find sufficient.  I had the options of several different personal sized pizzas, pasta with all different sauces (meat, tomato, alfredo, butter), grilled or crispy chicken, or this, the mac and cheese.  I do love mac and cheese, and the CPK mac and cheese recently got a lot of attention due to a mishap made "famous" on TikTok where someone got the sauce and no actual pasta in their order, and CPK decided to use it as a marketing opportunity (which, I applaud them for).  CPK Mac and cheese was going viral, and it was on my mind.  So after seeing CPK mac and cheese raved about on social media the past few weeks, my choice was easy.

The dish didn't look all that great.  It looked ba-sic.  No breadcrumbs on top, no crispy top, not even very creamy.  But it actually really was quite good, particularly once I stirred it up.  The pasta had just the right amount of bite to it, and the shape was both fun and functional, as the sauce really did cling to it well.  The sauce was unnaturally orange, and was instantly recognizable and nostalgic for me: Velveeta!  It was cheesy, it was creamy, it was rich.  I enjoyed it, although I'm not sure how much better than a Velveeta mac and cheese box from the grocery store it really was.

This relatively small child's portion was 820 calories, and a good value at $6.99.  Like all kid's meals, it included a choice of drink.

Interestingly, the adult version is more than double the price ($15.99), but only 40% more calories (1280 calories).  So you could just get 2x kid's version = $6.99 x 2 = $13.98 and get more mac and cheese (820 x 2 = 1640 calories worth) AND get two drinks.  Cheaper, more mac, and bonus drinks.  Just sayin'.  The adult one does allow far more customizations: add chicken, bacon, salmon (several styles), sausage, shrimp, broccolini, mushrooms, tomatoes, burrata, monterey jack (interestingly, not the edamame offered to kids), or swap out the pasta for 5 different choices.  

I wouldn't go out of my way for this, but if I was craving this style of mac and cheese, it certainly did the job.  ***+.

Chocolate Milk (CPKids).
(Included).

All kid's meals come with a choice of drink.  The options are actually fairly extensive, with classic fountain drinks, but even things like a shirley temple or roy rogers, without an upcharge.  I was thrilled to see chocolate milk as an option, and went for that.

It was pretty basic chocolate milk.  I think it was made with thin style chocolate syrup mixed with regular milk, as the chocolate settled out pretty quickly.  It wasn't particularly chocoaltely.  I wanted stronger chocolate flavor, richer flavor, something.  Basically, think Hershey syrup in milk.  I'm sure kids love it, but I wanted something a bit more.  Low ***.

Update Review, August 2021

Another year, another birthday freebie dessert to redeem at CPK.  After the success of last's years Red Velvet Cake a la mode, I was pretty tempted to get it again.  And of course, I toyed with the idea of getting the pudding again, because even though my second year of getting it was mediocre, I sure did love it the first year.   But I decided to go rogue and try another new item ...

Bread & Dipping Oil (Complimentary).

Well, this was amusing.  In the days of "zomg, they charge for bread?!" outrage, CPK included it, sans my asking, in my takeout order ... which was dessert only.  Lol.  I assume they just include it standard and didn't pay any attention to the contents of my order?

The bread was two hunks, that looked hand torn.  The bread was soft, nice chew, but, ugh, sourdough.

The oil was good though, seemed high quality, good flavor to the oil, some herbs.

Sad this was sourdough, otherwise, decent quality.

Key Lime Pie. $7.49.

"On a graham cracker crust with housemade whipped cream."

I didn't ask for the whipped cream on the side, but it came separate.  The crust was broken off (and missing) on one corner.

The pie was ... well, key lime pie.  With graham cracker crust.  If you read my blog frequently, you know that I don't really like lemon nor lime desserts, and I generally call graham cracker crust "throwaway" and liken it to sawdust.

The pie was smooth and creamy, a nicely set custard, that, well tasted like tangy (sweet) lime.  The crust was fairly thick, crumbly, buttery, sweet, but ... yeah, graham cracker crust.  It was a perfectly fine key lime pie.  Probably even a good one.  I liked the slice of lime on top for garnish.  But ... it was still a key lime pie, and just isn't something I'll ever get excited about.  It was also just far too sweet on its own, and needed copious amounts of whipped cream (and, fresh blackberries that I added) to cut the sweet.

The "homemade" whipped cream I'm still skeptical of, it deflated quickly, but, it did have a decent "cream" taste to it, so perhaps it is made with real cream.

I wouldn't get this again, but, I really think this is personal preference, and this was a good key lime pie.  ***.

Update Review, January 2021

Another year, another birthday freebie to redeem at CPK.  After really hating the famous butter cake last year, I almost just went back to the tried and true salted caramel pudding, but, at last minute, I decided to mix it up again, and try something different: the red velvet cake.  I'm not normally a cake person, but, for some reason, I was really in the mood for cake ...

Red Velvet Cake. $7.99. A la Mode. $2.25.

"Frosted with hand-whipped vanilla bean cream cheese and white chocolate curls. Also available with vanilla Häagen Dazs."

Red velvet cake.  So random, I know, as I generally am not all that excited about cake, and red velvet I'm particularly opinionated on.  But ... I dunno, I was craving cake?

My order came with whipped cream (standard garnish?), and I also made it a la mode (because, cake needs ice cream!), each of which came packaged separately for takeout.

The cake was actually decent, a large slice, 3 layers, moist enough cake.  It even had a slight tang to it, like a red velvet should.  Not remarkable, but really not bad.

The frosting was quite heavy, as is often the case with cream cheese frosting, but it almost seemed like a cheesecake more than a frosting.  Very, very rich, very very heavy.  I'm a frosting girl, through and through, but I found I enjoyed this more as just the cake, with either whipped cream or ice cream.

I did like the white chocolate shavings on the backside.

The birthday reward does not normally include ice cream (you can pay extra), but, the lovely staff at my location threw it in for free - thank you!!!  It is just vanilla Häagen Dazs, but, I really do love vanilla Häagen Dazs, I think it is remarkably good, reliable vanilla.

I ended up treating this as two individual desserts - a red velvet cake (without much frosting) with ice cream and a "cheesecake" with whipped cream, basically, the frosting and whip.  I did have some all composed of course, but I enjoyed it the most in my deconstructed form.

As you may expect, this is not a light dessert, clocking in at 960 Calories for just the cake, plus 280 if you get the ice cream, and the whipped cream ... 

I appreciated my dessert, but I am not sure I'd get this one again.

***+.

Update Review, September 2019

I've long known about the "famous" butter cake from CPK.  If you do *any* research at all into what dessert to get at CPK, you will read the accolades.  People go nuts for this cake.  They have created dozens of copycat recipes.  They adore it.

I finally tried it.

I did not adore it.  I did not even like it.  I didn't even ... tolerate it?  This was so far from a winner for me.

But let me start from the beginning.

Every year, I go to CPK around my birthday (read on below for past reviews), to redeem my birthday freebie.  I've always gotten the salted caramel pudding, as, well, I love pudding, I got it once and enjoyed it, and the other menu options really don't sound appealing (key lime pie - I don't like citrus desserts, red velvet cake - kinda eh for me, and something we have often at my office,  chocolate molten cake - always a crowd pleaser, but rarely the thing I really want).

But this year, CPK introduced a strawberry shortcake to the menu, that looked classic, and, gets good reviews.  Shortcake biscuits with beautiful pearl sugar tops, fresh berries, stewed berries, whipped cream ... it sounded, and looked, great to me.  I was very eager to get it, and placed my order for it.

I waited in anticipation.  And then I waited some more.  And some more.  I sent a grumpy txt to a friend about how long I was waiting.  Around the 30 minute mark (!) I was called over and told the news: they no longer have that item.  Seasonal special.  In its place, I could have the new seasonal item: a ice cream sundae with sliced apples and caramel sauce.

Um, thanks.

I was ... let's just say a bit annoyed.  I had waited a long time AND it took them that long to realize they don't have what I ordered?  Sigh.  I turned down the suggested apple sundae (I don't like apples, and it wasn't ice cream weather), and considered my options.  Since I was making a fast decision, I decided to finally try the butter cake, given just how much everyone else seems to like it.

Butter Cake. $7.99.

"Trust us... Just try it. Served warm with housemade whipped cream."

So, here it is.  The butter cake.  The very famous butter cake.

I'll give them one credit: it was served warm.

But ... um ... this cake.  Was one of the most boring desserts I've ever had in my life.

It was ... just a cake.  It was a dense cake.  Not really moist, not really dry.  It just was.  A sweet cake, but it had no real flavor of any kind to it.  The top tiny bit was different from the rest, and it seemed like it *should* taste different, as visually it was a bit different, but ... it all tasted the same.  Plain.  Boring.

I kept thinking I was missing something.  Was there a caramel sauce or something that was forgotten?  Was there something hiding in the center that would come oozing out?  Nope, and nope.

It is just a plain cake.  A plain cake with a high butter content.  So high, that this cake, this actually kinda small, definitely single serving, little cake has ... wait for it ... 1100 calories.  Yeah, what?  How is that even possible (and 73g fat, 64g sugar, but hey, 10g protein)!

I just don't understand.  The whipped cream on the side was standard whipped cream, and really didn't seem housemade, but if they say so.  It deflated immediately.  It didn't really add anything to this cake.

Perhaps this would be better a la mode, which is an option, for $2.25 (and 280 calories) more.  I desperately wanted some kind of crunch element, perhaps some candied buttered pecans?

I wanted anything ... except this.

Update Review, October 2018

I don't often go to California Pizza Kitchen, since I'm not really that into pizza, but last year, when I had a birthday freebie to redeem, I discovered a dessert there that I loved: salted caramel pudding.  It was fabulous, as you read about them.

On this visit, I was inspired to get that pudding again, but almost went off course and opted for another dessert, as my research tells me the butter cake really is a thing of wonder.  Next time ... 

I ordered through the app for the first time, which was quite easy, placing my pickup order when I was a few blocks away.  It was being finished right as I arrived.  Perfect!

Interior.

My visit was to the San Francisco location.

The restaurant is quite large, with bar seating, a huge inside seating area, and large patio.  And at 12:30pm on a Sunday, the restaurant was nearly vacant.  Two guys sat at the bar, and two tables were occupied.  I am not sure if this is normal, but if so, how can they afford the rent in SF?!

I was getting takeout though, as was one person ahead of me with a large catering order.  The open kitchen allowed me to see the action, and they did seem to be making plenty of pizzas, all just getting boxed up.  Maybe everyone just does takeout from here these days?

Salted Caramel Pudding. $6.29.

"Rich caramel pudding, black cocoa cookie crumbs, housemade whipped cream, caramel sauce and natural flaked Maldon sea salt." 

My treat was handed over in the same kind of takeout cup as last time.  However, um, it looked quite a bit different.

Left: 2017. Right: 2018.

The ratios were all off.  Last year, the primary component was the pudding, this year, far less pudding, with an equal amount of whipped cream.  The cup wasn't full.  And where was the caramel sauce on top?

I asked the person handing it over, "isn't it supposed to have caramel sauce on top?"  He confirmed it was, and took it back.  I worried it also didn't have the Maldon sea salt on top, but that was harder to see visually.  I hoped they would fix both.

Salted Caramel Pudding: Fixed?

It came back ... with caramel, yes.  A big glob right in the center.  Clearly, whoever added it was annoyed that I sent it back.  But come on, its supposed to have caramel!

It certainly did not have the salt either, which was sad, as this is a very very sweet dessert without it.

Like last time, I found it extremely frustrating to eat.  The first spoonful, all whipped cream (and caramel glob).  I could work to dig for the pudding, but getting the crumble too, at least while eating the first *half* of the cup, was nearly impossible.  And this is a dessert that really does need all components to work.

But that was all true last time, and I still loved it.  This time however ... my experience was just not as positive.

The whipped cream deflated almost instantly.  It seemed like very light whipped cream from a can, not "housemade" and not able to hold up for even 5 minutes as I ate it.  It was necessary though, to balance the caramel pudding.

The caramel pudding was sweet.  Too sweet.  I noted that last time too, but when it combined with the cookie crumbs and whip it worked last time, although, yes, still quite sweet.  This time I just found it cloying, and one note, certainly not salted, and with just some deflated whipped cream and extra glob of sweet caramel it wasn't enjoyable.

I dug desperately for the cookie crumbs, knowing they were essential and would make a difference.  And they did.  But ... cookie crumbs tasted stale this time, all clumped together, and even almost freezer burned tasting.  Not very good.  But again, necessary, both for the texture, but also the contrast to the too sweet pudding.

Overall, this just made me very sad.  It wasn't good, and it wasn't anything like my memory of only a year ago.  Once I mixed everything together, it was certainly better, like a very sweet version of a "dirt cake" I had growing up, but really nothing like last year.

I'm not sure if I'd try it again, or venture out to try the crazy butter cake, or red velvet cake, or just give up on desserts at CPK entirely ...

August 2017 Review

My last visit to California  Pizza Kitchen was in 2013, when they had a promo for a free appetizer.  I didn't like it.  I said I had no reason to return.

But this year, while arranging my birthday freebie crawl, I saw that I could get a dessert for free.  Well, I'm a dessert girl, no matter the quality, so I quickly added it to my itinerary.

I visited the San Francisco location, and opted to get it to go, since I was coming straight from another birthday freebie, and planned to bring it home to have later.  Ordering was simple, they have a dedicated take out ordering/pickup/waiting area to the side of the bar (with its own entrance actually).

The staff were very friendly, multiple people said happy birthday, no one seemed at all offended that I was coming just to get my free dessert, not ordering anything else, and taking it to go.  They talked me to about how good the pudding was.  It was ready within just a few minutes, and handed over with a spoon and napkin.

The entire experience was incredibly pleasant, and the item I selected?  Delicious.  I'll be back. 

Dessert Menu.

The dessert menu had an assortment of tempting options.  Crowd pleasers for sure, but, turns out, that works for me.

First, "Butter cake".  What is butter cake?  I'm not entirely sure, but, it sounded possibly awesome.  Yes, the menu actually just says "Trust us ... just try it!" as the description.  If I was dining in, I probably would have gone with that option, but since it was served warm (with whipped cream or ice cream), it didn't seem like a good choice to take out.  Also, gulp, 1380 calories!

The seasonal special, not listed on this menu, was strawberry shortcake, also tempting.  I love a good strawberry shortcake, but, to be honest, I kinda doubted how fresh the berries really would be.  Even the red velvet cake sorta called out, though I'm not a cake girl.  At least I was able to easily look past the key lime pie (I'm not one for citrus desserts) and the warm chocolate souffle cake (clearly needs to be eaten there).

Which lead me to the salted caramel pudding.  As if it was really a contest, given both my absolute love of pudding, and the fact that I was not able to find a single bad review of it.  People love it.

Salted Caramel Pudding. $6.29.

"Rich caramel pudding, black cocoa cookie crumbs, housemade whipped cream, caramel sauce and natural flaked Maldon sea salt."

When you dine in, it comes in a cute little canning jar.  For takeout, they used a plastic beverage cup.  I didn't mind, as my portion easily looked twice as large as the little canning jar photos I had seen.

It was a layered creation, with the cookie crumbs at the base, the pudding in the middle, and topped with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce.

I didn't wait more than two steps out the door to at least try a bite, even though I was intending to save it for later.

My first bite was indicative of the difficulty eating it I would have.  The bite was entirely whipped cream (and caramel sauce).  It tasted like generic canned whipped cream, which is fine, but they do say it is housemade.  The caramel tasted like the standard stuff you get on an ice cream sundae, or at Starbucks.  That caramel on top didn't seem salted, and I didn't see any flakes of Maldon on top.

I dug deeper, trying to get to the pudding.  I succeeded, and came out with a bite of pudding and whip.  And ... I was impressed.  That was very, very good pudding.  It was a thinner consistency than I'd expect, almost runny, but the flavor was so good I didn't mind.  Sweet, rich, deep flavor.  I worked hard to get a spoonful of just the pudding.  The result?  Well, it was too sweet, actually.  The pudding alone was cloyingly sweet.  Even though I wasn't excited about the generic whipped cream, it did help cut the sweetness.

But the real magic came when you managed to get a bite of all the layers, including the cookie crumble, hiding at the very, very bottom.  It was extremely hard to do this, and you really just had to mix the entire thing up and not be able to get "perfect bites" with the ratio you wanted, but it barely mattered.  If you got it all, or, really, just the pudding and cookie crumble, it was really, really good.

"Black cocoa cookie crumbs."

The cookie crumble, described as "black cocoa cookie crumbs" was ... basically Oreo crumbs.  The woman taking my order even said, "Oh, do you like Oreo?  If you do, the base is all Oreo, and its amazing".   When she said that, my heart sank a little, actually.  I don't really like Oreo.  If that is why people loved the pudding, then, it probably wasn't for me.  I nearly changed my order.  But I'm glad I didn't.

Yes, it was basically Oreo crumbs.  But it clumped together in ways that it formed either loose soil or little crumbly chunks, all of which were intensely chocolately, almost like a very loose brownie.  I loved the play of the textures against the pudding.  I loved how the very dark cocoa provided the balance needed against the crazy sweet pudding.  It just worked.

This was a creation that was much more than the sum of its parts.  Seemingly generic whipped cream and caramel, pudding that was both too runny and too sweet, and crumbled cookies I don't really like, combined into something totally delicious.

I loved it.  I devoured it.  I had told Ojan I was going to share with him, but, uh, I didn't.  I'd gladly get it again for a birthday freebie, but now I am even more curious about that butter cake ...

Original Review, March 2013

I went to CPK once, when I first moved to California, because I thought it was a thing ... it was "California" after all!  The only thing I remember is that it was the first time I ever had bbq chicken pizza, and I liked the idea of bbq sauce on pizza.  I don't recall if I actually liked the pizza, or anything else.

The other day, CPK was running a promo for a free item off their small plates menu.  I was walking by, was slightly hungry, and couldn't resist a freebie!

I could select any item off that section of the menu, including small salads (meh, they weren't going to have quality produce right?), quesadillas (chicken, ugh), chips and guacamole (allergic), crispy mac 'n' cheese with cheese sauce (tempting!), or focaccia.  I picked the focaccia, as it was most like their speciality, pizza, so I figured if they were going to do any of these items right, it would be the focaccia. It was by far the cheapest of the small plates, but I wasn't really trying to maximize my freebie.

Ordering online was easy, I specified my pickup time, and then it asked if I wanted complimentary bread and utensils, and if so, for how many people.  I set the time, said yes to the extras, and went to get it.

I arrived 10 minutes early to pick it up, and it was already ready ... I guess not freshly made!  But it was kept in a warming area, so at least it was hot.  I also did not receive the bread or the utensils.  I didn't really care, but it was interesting that they have you specify that, and then leave it out.

Long rambling story short ... I have no reason to go back there.

Mediterranean Focaccia.  $2.75.

"Herb cheese focaccia baked in our pizza oven and served with Mediterranean olive oil and Parmesan."

The focaccia was sliced up, like breadsticks.  It had some type of cheese on it that I couldn't really identify, and only the middle pieces really had much on them.  It also had some herbs coating it, but there wasn't much flavor.  It was pretty unremarkable.  I love the buttery oilyness that can make focaccia delicious, and it wasn't present in this.  It was oily, but not in a nice way.  If you had handed me the plate, I would have told you it was just standard breadsticks, not focaccia.

On the side was the dipping sauce: oil and parmesan.  I liked the parmesan in it, but the oil itself was completely flavorless.  I use higher quality oil just for cooking!  I guess I shouldn't have expected more, but as a dipping oil, I definitely wanted oil with some flavor.  The focaccia would have been better with a marinara sauce or something else to dip into, but then I guess it would be too much like pizza?

Anyway, this wasn't good.  I guess the $2.75 price tag matched the quality however?  

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