As a long time Doritos fan, I’m always going down the chip aisle at the grocery store. Not that long ago, I found the original Taco Flavor had returned, which I loved and still do. This last store visit, I found a new flavor – Doritos Tapatío – yes, that Tapatío the hot sauce you put on eggs and just about everything else.

Damn, that’s a lot of seasoning

The chips are the same size as all the other Doritos flavors, but heavily coated with a red flavoring that is obviously laced with much Tapatío [assuming it's not just something that's imitating that Tapatío taste]. I hadn’t seen this much seasoning heaped onto a chip since Doritos made the Four Cheese flavor.

The taste is good, but the hot kick is what happens a good 30 seconds after eating your first chip. The hot burn keeps going if you stop after one chip. And everyone knows you can’t eat just one. So you keep eating…. and the burn gets stronger with each additional chip consumed.

That’s just from one chip.

Then I look at my fingers and they are red in color. The above photo is my fingers after just one chip. After a good 20 or 30 chips, I could turn anything I touch into a red hue. And while I prefer Tabasco green over Tapatío when spicing up my eggs, on a chip, this was actually pretty flavorful.

Did I like them? I did, but the burn was a bit much after a while, but yet I couldn’t stop eating them. Not a problem… I endured the continued burn. But I admit that I probably won’t be buying them again as I prefer the other flavors and want to enjoy a nice taste without feeling like my mouth is burnt to a crisp.

Freestyle

As I have posted previously, it’s no surprise that I love soda. Even with my cutback to just one a week, I make that soda count. Recently I found out that Coke was expanding their test market for their Freestyle soda machine into Utah. A co-worker was kind enough to tell me where it was located and I took a visit.

This machine is like a smorgasbord of different flavors of Coke products: Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Mr. Pibb, just to name a few. There are over 106 unique flavors that can be made. I decided to try as many as I could, without giving myself a soda overload. Since the Freestyle machine was located at a movie theater, I paid a movie theater price for a refillable cup ($3.25). So I wanted to get my dollar value from this experience. Below are a couple of videos of me testing this awesome machine out.

Making a Grape Sprite

Making a Coke with Lime (the sugar one, not the inferior diet version)

Freestyle Thoughts

The Coke with Lime was nice to find, since they discontinued the HFCS version of it in cans and bottles [only the diet version remains, which is horrible]. Unfortunately, this concoction was not the right mix. It was good, but overly sweet, drowning out the Coke from the Lime. The Grape Sprite I tried was just right. Not too sweet, a well-induced grape flavor that went down nicely.

In addition to the above, I also tried Fanta Peach, Cherry Sprite and Mr. Pibb. But when all was tasted and sipped, I ended up liking Raspberry Coke the best. The mix of the flavor with real coke with a good mix of raspberry was extra tasty.

I have found another Coke Freestyle machine via their Facebook page with cheaper soda prices and will expand on the different flavors in a sit down setting, giving me more time to experiment. If you get a chance to try this, it’s very cool and for any soda lover – especially Coke products – you will be very pleased. Check the location listing at their Facebook page to see if there’s a Coke Freestyle near you.

I love soda. And for years, I’ve drank a lot of soda. The last four years, I’ve had to cut back a lot, due to doctor’s orders. While I’ve felt healthier since doing so, I admit that I still love to have a soda every so often. And in today’s market, there is no shortage of soda types and flavors. Recently, there have been two cherry-flavored concoctions that caught my eye at the store and I thought I would try them to see if they passed my taste buds.

Cherry Crush

Cherry Crush

As a kid, I always loved Orange and Strawberry Crush. Getting a glass 16 oz. bottle at the corner store was a treat for me. I still find a bottle at the grocery store and “crush” all over again. There have been many types of Crush flavors over the years, in addition to the two afore-mentioned: Grape, Pineapple, Peach, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Lime… so when I saw this Cherry Crush, I had to buy it and try it.

First off, it’s pretty sweet… much sweeter than I was expecting. Strawberry Crush is sweet, too, but this had an extra kick of sweetness to it. The cherry flavor was good, though. Very natural tasting and something that I didn’t feel was some sort of “trying to be cherry” taste. Highly recommended if you are a Crush fan and are curious about trying this new flavor. I liked it and will buy this flavor again, but still, for purely nostalgic reasons, Strawberry Crush will always be my favorite.

Cherry Vanilla Pepsi

Cherry Vanilla Pepsi

In the cola wars, I’ve been a Coca-Cola fan ever since I can remember having my first cola-based soda. I’d try a Pepsi here and there, but it was always too sweet. In 1985, Cherry Coke came out and I loved it on the first taste. Pepsi responded a few years later with Wild Cherry Pepsi, and while it was ok, it was just too sweet. There have been other Cherry Vanilla sodas over the years, notably Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, which I really liked a lot. It’s been discontinued now, so the news from Pepsi that they would have a Cherry Vanilla soda got me curious to see what it was like.

It’s pretty sweet, like most Pepsi products are. But the taste and flavor is good. Nothing to rival the Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, but it’s still pleasing to my taste buds. It’s more vanilla than cherry, but that makes the two tastes go very well together. It’s got a small bite to it, but it does go down smoother than expected. Too bad it’s only around for eight weeks this summer. And it’s too bad they don’t make a sugar version of it. [replacing the high fructose corn syrup] Regardless, it’s something I will try again before it goes away, taking into consideration there is no Coke-variety equivalent to choose from.

What sodas have you tried and liked over the years? Have you tried the above two flavors? Thoughts and opinions welcome in the comments.

Frosted Cherry Pop Tarts. Oh, how I love these. But don’t take my word for it. Watch as Dawg and Poppy not only thank me for my suggestion, but also enjoy eating them.

Now go check it out…. NOW!

Back in October, I posted about Mother’s Cookies going away after the company closed it’s doors. There was much sadness [and much purchasing of the remaining stock of Circus Animal Cookies] and I feared it would be the last time I would ever taste those frosted little treats.

Is That You, Mother’s?

Then in March, while at the grocery store, I saw something that got me excited…

*sniff… sniff* can it be? or is it an impostor?

I had to buy them, wondering if Nabsico was going to revive an old favorite. Taking them home, ripping open the bag and shoving several cookies in my mouth, I began to chew…

*** BLECH ***

WTF, Nabisco?? Trying to pull a fast one on us Mother’s lovers. Fuckers. I quickly expelled any remaining cookies I was chewing. [I'll spare you the photo of the train wreck] The bag is now sitting the cupboard, still very full of bland and tasteless cookies. Once again, I thought my beloved Circus Animal cookies were gone forever, until two days ago….

The Real Deal

I was having an extra shitty day, thanks in large part to many bad things going on in a short period of time. My wife sent me to the store to pick up a few things. Turning the corner towards the checkstands, I looked over and saw something very familiar….

Oh my precious cookies, how I’ve missed you…

OMG… there they were. In all of their pink and white colored glory. Thanks to the Kellogg’s Corporation and Keebler [who is owned by Kellogg's], they purchased the rights to the original recipes of all the Mother’s brands and brought them back on Mother’s Day [sly marketing people] to the delight of Mother’s Lovers everywhere.

Opening the bag as fast as I can, I immediately crammed placed several cookies into my mouth for consumption.

*** YUUUUMMMMM ***

They are exactly as I remember them. So good. No more rationing or placing the remaining stash into locked and hidden areas.

So if you are a fan, rejoice and go spend all of your remaining cash to purchase your favorite type of Mother’s Cookies. And to help you out, they’ve even provided a 55-cent off coupon to help get you started back into the savory goodness known as Mother’s.

Home page: Mother’s Cookies

One of my favorite chain restaurants is closing a location, after 20 years in business. T.G.I. Friday’s, via their owner Slaymaker, made the decision to shutter the first Utah location of this popular eating establishment.

Starting in 1989, I’ve been going to this location and enjoying a good meal. As the years progressed, I’ve taken ex-spouses, my daughter, friends, dates and my current spouse to this location. Sure, I’ve visited the other Friday’s locations here in Utah, but this particular location was always a favorite.

One last visit

Hearing of it’s closing brought some sadness. I told my wife that we needed to go pay one last visit this past Saturday [which was their final day in business]. The two of us had been there at least 60 times in the last seven years, obviously a favorite place for us to eat. For myself, I can say I had logged over 300 visits, collecting and redeeming thousands of points that we used mostly for free appetizers – not to mention the many wonderful drinks I’ve enjoyed being served.

“Uh… you need to change this sign”

The closing of this location was brought on by the 2008 demolition of the Cottonwood Mall. This Friday’s location was supposed to remain open throughout the entire project, sticking around for the rebuild, to be completed in 2011. But obviously, the lack of regular mall visitors took it’s toll on those who visited Friday’s. Slaymaker, the owner of the Utah T.G.I. Friday’s locations, made a business decision to close this location.

As we walked into the restaurant, the manager was greeting all of the customers. We told him how long we had been coming to this location, mentioning my twenty-years of visiting and how sad we were to see it close. After all, this was the one of the first Utah restaurants to have a full service ball. [yes, Utah can be a bit behind the times when it comes to alcohol]

We were seated and our waiter took our order [both drinks and food] and we enjoyed a couple drinks [berry mojito for me, top shelf margarita for my wife] and two great meals [I had the pork chops, my wife has a sirloin steak]

As we finished our meals, the manager came up to us and mentioned that the news was there and would we mind being on camera. Of course we agreed.

On The News

With the camera pointed at me, then at my wife, we were asked how long we had been coming to this location, how sad were we that it was closing and then some general follow up questions.

Below is the video clip. This was the Top Story on the 10pm news on Saturday night [March 28, 2009]. It was part of a larger story about how many businesses were affected by the delay during the mall rebuilding project.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Click here for a link to the written story: “TGI Friday’s in Hollday closing“

NOTE: To those that read the story before, my last name was misspelled. It has since been corrected in the text story, but in the video clip, it’s still spelled wrong.

15 Seconds of Fame

It was cool to see my wife and I on the news. People talk about their 15 minutes of fame. Well, this was our “15 seconds of fame” [for each of us], but still exciting, none the less.

Psst… the service at the Southtowne location is better than the Foothill location. Just sayin.

As for those who are curious, we will still frequent other Friday’s locations here in the state [they are building a new location this August at another mall], but will always use this location as a barometer for great food, awesome drinks and a memorable atmosphere.

XXX – The only way to go

However, there are times when I go to find this flavor and the particular store I’m at is out of stock. Instead of going into a panic and thinking I have to drink one of the other craptastic flavors, I have decided to see if there’s another brand, a substitute if you will, for my adored Vitamin Water.

Life Water by Sobe

In this mass market of competing beverages, it turns out that Sobe has created a brand called Life Water. They have a plethora of flavors, just like Vitamin Water and are about the same price [about $1.59 if you buy them in single form, or $1.00 each on sale]. There is no exact equivalent to the XXX Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate Vitamin Water flavor, but there is one that’s close – Pomegranate Cherry, or Zingseng as they call it.

This is the only flavor I have tried so far and I really like it. It’s light, not too sweet and it’s got cherry in it. It’s a really good substitute for my Vitamin Water and I’ve been able to find it in most stores I’ve visited. It’s definitely going to be a flavor I will drink and keep around. I may actually purchase it instead of the Vitamin Water XXX flavor if I want a change.

Tilt 8%

Now onto something alcoholic. It’s been some time since I posted about my love like for Tilt 8%, which is pretty much the only beer-like beverage I will consume. But thanks to the wacky liquor laws here in Utah, you can’t buy this brand here. I must purchase as many as I can during my twice-a-year visit to Mesquite, NV. At only $1.30 a can, it’s a great deal.

The quick solution to getting your buzz on

But something has changed. Thanks to a bunch of worry-warts in elected positions, energy beers such as Tilt have sparked a controversy about mixing caffeine and alcohol, despite the fact that most of these energy beverages complied with all of the regulatory rules. In legalese speak, that means they were forced to change the formula. Now my beloved Tilt 8% contains no caffeine, taurine and guarana. Could this mean a change in taste? I had to know.

The can on the left is the new formula – NOTE: contains alcohol – NO SHIT!!

I did a side-by-side comparison, since I still had a couple cans of the original formula left in the fridge. I had to clear the palate between each swig to ensure I wasn’t going to confuse the two. After finishing off both cans [and feeling really good, I might add], I determined that flavor wise, the new formula was a bit sweeter and it had a slight after taste. Not enough to keep me from buying these, but enough to notice something was different. Of course, the caffeine advantage is now gone, so it’s just the 8% alcoholic content doing it’s job [the "get the party started" buzz hasn't changed, thank goodness]. I’ve got at least 20 cans of this left, so we’ll see how repeated intakes of the new Tilt 8% will prove to be…. *hic*

No Soup For You!

Three soups, all the same, but different labels – very confusing

I’m not much of a canned soup guy. Oh, I’ve eaten my fair share of Cream of Mushroom and Chicken Noodle over the years. And I’ve used them to make things like beef stroganoff and turning ramen noodles into more of a meal. But for the most part, it’s not something I consider an entire meal.

But things change when you find the right brand and style. Campbell’s has these Select soups that are actually not bad. Paired up with a grilled cheese sandwich, this makes a cold night at home at bit more pleasant. Although that pleasant feeling goes out the window when you go to restock the flavor you’ve become attached to and it’s not there.

Case in point: Campbell’s is notorious for changing labels on their top-tier soup brands. Take the above photo. Over the course of 7 weeks, the four grocery stores I frequent had these three different soups. Notice any difference? The can in the middle was the one I had been purchasing until I could no longer find it on the shelf. The can to the left is the one that I found after 20 minutes of pulling soup cans off the shelves. The can on the right is the one I found two weeks ago, after looking for the previous label marked “Mexican Style Chicken Tortilla“

WTF Campbell’s… are you trying to deter people from buying your soup? At least the photo used on the left and right cans is similar, which helped. And I’m not against a soup called “Tequila Lime Chicken and Rice“, but confusion is not something I want when looking for a soup.

So what’s the difference between all of them? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. They all taste the same with the same ingredients and flavors. Even the Tequila Lime doesn’t have any lime in it, at least none that I tasted. I now must scout out each one of these the next time I go to purchase soup at the grocery store. Of course, at this point, maybe I should just stick to eating one of my all-time favorite soups – Chili’s Chicken Enchilada soup. See, I can even make a batch of it at home with this recipe I found. Yum! I know what I’m making this weekend.

The best soup ever!

So now the big question is: did I make you hungry?