Vin – Page 13 – The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Sonic Fried Cookie Dough Bites à la Mode

Vin / October 10, 2022 / Reviews / 2 Comments

Wouldn’t fried cookie dough just be… a cookie?

That’s the thought I had when I heard Sonic was releasing Fried Cookie Dough à la Mode. Well, that and, “When can I get it, and how quickly can I shove it down my gullet?”

I thought a bit more, and realized I had no idea if I’ve ever had a fried chocolate chip cookie.

Do any of my favorite cookie brands swim in a vat of oil before they hit the shelves, or are they all baked? I guess it’s possible an unhealthy few might be fried? Either way, the only freshly fried cookies I’ve ever had were state fair-style Oreo, and those are great, so I was pumped when I saw Fried Cookie Dough finally pop up in the Sonic app.

How would I describe these things?

Well, let’s say you let your tray of cookies spend the last three minutes of cooking time roasting under the broiler, and they somehow came out of the oven with a crispy exterior while retaining the piping hot center. That’s Sonic Fried Cookie Dough.

I’ve never attempted to air-fry cookies, but this is what I imagine a cookie “baked” in an air fryer might be like. They’re a little burnt and maybe a tad greasy, but they taste great.

It’s basically a balled-up version of a traditional chocolate chip cookie, but the fact the gooey chocolate and mushy dough center is encased in a fritter-like shell makes this a slightly fresh take on a cookie.

These may be the first cookies I’ve ever had that were equal parts soft and crispy while still being hot.

The three cookies are served with a tiny cup of vanilla soft serve, which quite frankly isn’t anything special, but it does the job. It’s not terrible or anything, but Sonic’s vanilla has always tasted like a poor knockoff of McDonald’s to me. Still, it makes for a nice pairing with the warm cookie dough bites, and the small size of the entire order is more than enough.

You wouldn’t even have to tell me where these came from, because they’re distinctly Sonic, and they’re a strong addition to the menu.

Sonic has always done a good job peppering said menu with weird little fried snacks. If you saw these with no prior knowledge, you might even think they were overdone tots, or fried cheese curds or something.

Side note: If any higher-ups at Sonic are reading this, you should add corn fritters to the menu.

Anyway, I’m not gonna sit here and call Fried Cookie Dough revolutionary. They didn’t reinvent the cookie, but it’s definitely a nice spin on an old classic.

When I ordered these, they were an app exclusive, but they may already be rolling out on the restaurant menus near you. If not, check out the app because I also got a free little “Wag Cup” of whipped cream for my dog. From what I can tell he rated it a 3 out of 10, but you’re here to read about cookie dough.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 3 Bites
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 440 calories, 25 grams of fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 410 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of total carbohydrates, 10 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Snyder’s of Hanover Snyderfest Beer Cheese Pretzel Pieces

Vin / September 27, 2022 / Reviews / 7 Comments

What is it?

While certain corners of the internet were campaigning to “Release the Snyder Cut,” I was yelling at anyone who would listen to “Release the Snyder Pieces!”

Well, it appears someone at Snyder’s of Hanover heard my cry because it has dropped a new Beer Cheese flavor just in time to celebrate Oktoberfest.

Thank you, and you’re welcome.

How is it?

I’ve always been a fan of Snyder’s Pieces because there aren’t many flavored pretzels on the market. I used to snack on the brand’s wide array of flavors all the time, but that was before I lost my dental insurance and got extremely paranoid about chomping down on rock hard pretzel pieces.

It’d been a while since I’d carefully indulged, so when I heard about these, I figured it’d been long enough and decided to put my molars back at risk.

Guess what? They’re good. Obviously. Do I really need to sell you on cheese-flavored sourdough pretzel pieces?

The flavor here is basically cheddar with the hint of a sweet lager.

I was afraid these would be a bright orange, generic “cheese” tasting mess, but the flavor is more along the lines of a soft white cheddar. It lets the pretzel pieces breathe, making for a balanced flavor trio of cheese, “beer,” and the bready pretzel itself.

Anything else you need to know?

I find that the beer gets lost in some so-called “beer cheese” dips, so I was excited by how much it shined through. It made for a unique flavor blend you don’t often get in the snack aisle.

Also, I could be wrong, but the pieces seemed softer and not quite as treacherous as I remember. It’s also possible I was enjoying them so much that I stopped caring about my chompers.

Conclusion:

I think I kinda loved these, but I should warn you, they’re ridiculously salty. I mean, it’s a cheese-flavored pretzel, so that’s to be expected, right?

I’m not encouraging anyone to drink, but a nice Oktoberfest brew would counteract the salt pretty well. Just have one though, and be safe.

Prost!

Purchased Price: $3.59
Size: 10 oz
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 260 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Pretzels Snyder's of Hanover

REVIEW: Burger King BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Vin / September 20, 2022 / Reviews / 22 Comments

Update 11/22/22: We also tried the Italian version! Click here to read our review.

If you’ve browsed Burger King’s menu recently, you may have noticed that the Ch’King is Mis’sing.

That’s right, it appears Burger King has deserted the paper-pouched Chicken Sandwich Wars with the discontinuation of the Ch’King.

Now I don’t know how you all felt about the Ch’King, but I’m not gonna miss it. I’m gonna miss saying it out loud and sounding like a confused rooster or an old-fashioned cash register, but I didn’t think it stood up against the Popeyes or KFCs of the world. It was ok, but it felt like BK was a little out of its element.

The higher-ups must have felt the same way because the new BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwiches are more in line with the traditional fast food chicken sandwiches that existed prior to Popeyes’ game changer. These are less substantial than their big-ticket predecessor but, in my opinion, taste better.

The Classic version consists of a “crispy” white meat chicken fillet topped with lettuce, tomato (not mine. Never mine), and a savory “royal sauce” nestled between a toasted potato bun.

While my chicken wasn’t as crispy as advertised, it was still good. I don’t think it’ll be as highly regarded as the big fat Ch’King patty, and it pales in size to all the other soldiers of the Chicken Sandwich War, but it still passes for a “premium” fast food chicken sandwich.

The big draw of the BK Royal Crispy Chicken was definitely the “royal sauce,” which I think is brand new. I couldn’t find confirmation, so for all I know, this could be a sauce BK has used in the past. Either way, it’s killer. It’s slightly peppery and tastes a bit like parmesan cheese. The flavor profile fits that of a fancy Caesar dressing, and it lives up to its regal name.

Potato buns are just flat out better than the standard sandwich bun, so using them is always a win. Its flavor and texture definitely kicked the sandwich up a notch.

The lettuce was just kinda slopped on my absolute mess of a sandwich, but it was a necessary ingredient. It made this seem like a chicken sandwich topped with a nice savory Caesar Salad.

I imagine the BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwiches may not be as popular as their predecessor, but at least they come in multiple flavors such as Spicy, Southern BBQ, and the Classic topped with Bacon and Swiss Cheese. I’m of the opinion that bacon and cheese do almost nothing to enhance a chicken sandwich, but even I think they all sound pretty damn good.

The original long boy Chicken Sandwich still stands as my BK gold standard, but this new sandwich is a strong showing. So, don’t feel so bad if you are bummed about the Ch’King. This BK Royal sandwich is not as big and flashy, but you can still get a classy chicken sandwich at Burger King. Also, let’s be real, in two years, the chain will probably just ax these and start a “Return of Ch’King” campaign anyway.

No matter what happens, I just hope Burger King lets the royal sauce stick around as an add-on or dipping sauce.

Purchased Price: $5.19
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 670 calories, 41 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 1080 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 23 grams of protein.

Burger King Fast Food

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Blood Orange Refresher

Vin / August 29, 2022 / Reviews / 4 Comments

I’d like to share a joke with you that I distinctly recall reading on a Popsicle stick.

What was the vampire’s favorite fruit?

G’head and take a few seconds to think.

Ready? Here we go. The vampire’s favorite fruit was…

“DRACberry!”

Yeah. It was, uh, it was the Dracberry. Look, it’s a weak joke. They always are. The fact that the answer wasn’t “blood orange” kinda made me want to chisel that popsicle stick into a stake and go vampire hunting.

I guess ol’ Vlad and the boys don’t like citrus? That’s a real shame because that probably means they won’t be trying Dunkin’s new Blood Orange Refresher.

I only look like a vampire, so I tried it, and I have some thoughts.

Just to refresh you on Refreshers, they are Dunkin’s line of B vitamin and green tea-infused fruit drinks, and they mostly live up to their name. Mostly.

Blood orange is a solid flavor addition to the menu, but I’m not sure it’s a worthy “Refresher.”

I’ll cut to the chase; the Blood Orange Refresher is basically just Dunkin’s attempt at an Orangeade. It smells and tastes like orange-flavored green tea. That’s not necessarily a bad thing –- mission accomplished. After the first sip, I thought it was the most refreshing Refresher I’ve tried.

While the orange flavor was vibrant and landed right in a sweet spot between typical fresh Tropicana style orange juices and the more sugared up fare that have to be labeled as “drinks,” I don’t necessarily associate “_____ades” with the word “refreshing.”

I could be alone here, but lemonade isn’t refreshing. It might be for a sip or two, but then it starts to dry my mouth out and just makes me thirstier. That’s exactly what happens here. This should be the drink that peps me up and quenches my thirst, not one that makes me wish I also bought a bottle of water.

With that said, it’s still a good flavor, and the green tea does the job. I think you can get away with replacing a coffee with one of these and get that boost of caffeine you crave, but once more, you’ll probably just be thirsty again once you finish.

I’d also be lying if I told you this was distinctly “blood orange.” I’m not even sure I could articulate the subtle difference I was expecting, but it’s basically just “orange” flavored, so don’t assume any crazy new flavor experience.

So, in the end, this might be the least refreshing Refresher I’ve tried to date, but I guess I still give it a light recommendation. You can also order it cut with coconut milk, which might actually curb that sour drying finish a bit and help with the thirst problem.

I imagine using “blood” orange might be a thinly veiled Halloween tie-in, so I’d expect this flavor to hang around for at least a couple months. If not, get it quick because it could be replaced by “DRAC-berry” any day now.

Purchased Price: $3.69
Size: Medium
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 130 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of total carbohydrates, 29 grams of sugars, 0 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein, and 100 mg of caffeine.

Dunkin Dunkin Donuts Fast Food