REVIEW: Little Caesars Stuffed Crazy Crust Pizza

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Remember when Little Caesars pizza was available in Kmart stores? You could celebrate a Kmart Red Light Special with a hot and ready pizza for five bucks. Then Kmart went bankrupt and was purchased by Sears, which also went bankrupt. But those events weren’t enough to kill Little Caesars, which still stands tall. Pizza! Pizza! Its latest product is the Stuffed Crazy Crust Pizza.

The round offering features a stuffed crust brushed with the chain’s signature Crazy Crust, a buttery-flavored garlic spread sprinkled with Parmesan. Pepperoni and cheese versions are being advertised, but if you create your own pizza, it’s available as a crust option. I decided to go with the pepperoni. Also, this review will focus only on the Stuffed Crazy Crust since there’s nothing new about the pepperoni and cheese.

Before trying this, the only question I had was, “If an end crust hater stole this pizza from me, ate only the inner parts of the pizza while I chased him around in an abandoned Kmart with Yakety Sax playing on the PA system, and then gave back the box with only the stuffed crust, is what’s left tasty enough that I would eat it instead of discarding it, feeding it to birds, or pressing charges against the end crust hater?”

Well, if that wacky hypothetical series of events ever happened, I’d be perfectly fine with eating just the Stuffed Crazy Crust because I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is.

For this review, I purposely chopped the end crust off two slices and ate them. While I wish the garlic spread was strong enough to make me self-conscious during a conversation, it’s relatively noticeable. Also, the garlic does enhance the rest of the pizza if you take a bite of the crust and follow it up with a bite from the other end. But the Parmesan is quite mild. Although, as you can see in the photos throughout this review, it wasn’t sprinkled liberally on my order. The mozzarella inside provides some salty, cheesy goodness, but its flavor is milder than the Parmesan. As for its texture, there’s a slight crispiness in some areas, but for the most part, it’s similar to regular stuffed crust.

Overall, end crust haters are gonna end crust hate, but I think what Little Caesars’ Stuffed Crazy Crust Pizza offers might be flavorful enough to make some end crust haters think twice before tossing it back into the box.

Purchased Price: $11.99*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/8 pizza) 393 calories, 21 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 49 milligrams of cholesterol, 990 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Burger King Shroom n’ Swiss Melt

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From now on, every mushroom and Swiss burger should be called “Shroom n’ Swiss” because it’s so satisfying to say. Go ahead and repeat after me. Shroom n’ Swiss. Don’t forget to shape your lips like you’re going to kiss someone when saying “oo” in shroom and “sw” in Swiss. See. Fun.

Burger King’s latest addition to the limited time only BK Melts line is the fun-to-pronounce Shroom n’ Swiss Melt. (Don’t forget to shape your lips.) It features two flame-grilled beef patties, two Swiss cheese slices, roasted mushrooms, and Royal Sauce between two toasted bread rounds. This was my first time dining on a BK Melt, so I was a little disappointed to learn it uses Whopper Jr. patties. But there are two of them, so it’s still quite meaty.

Yes, it looks like a hot mess. But it’s a tasty hot mess. Although, it’s not that messy because none of those usually slippery mushrooms fell out of my burger. I guess I should thank the Swiss cheese. It may have holes, but it won’t let anything get past them when melted. However, when it comes to flavor, the Swiss is a miss. But thank goodness for BK’s Royal Sauce, which I’ve praised in the past and does a lot of the heavy lifting in this burger to make it taste good. Its cheesy and savory taste makes up for what the white cheese lacks, and could be confused for the cheese.

As for the roasted shrooms, their savory, earthy flavor comes through with every bite, and they provide that familiar chew they’re known for. Finally, the toasted bread rounds held everything together without falling apart, but they added nothing flavor-wise.

Burger King’s Shroom n’ Swiss Melt (Don’t forget to shape your lips.) is an enjoyable continuation of the BK Melts line, but it doesn’t reinvent the mushroom and Swiss burger. It looks a little different, thanks to the flat toast pieces, but the flavors are mostly the same as those that have come before it.

Purchased Price: $11.99 (meal)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 860 calories, 57 grams of fat, 25 grams of saturated fat, 0.3 grams of trans fat, 170 milligrams of cholesterol, 1060 milligrams of sodium, 38.3 grams of carbohydrates, 4.2 grams of fiber, 8.1 grams of sugar, and 48 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Holiday Cold Foams (Peppermint Chocolate, Chestnut Praline, Sugar Cookie, and Caramel Brulee)

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The holidays are here, and it’s time to zhuzh up your Starbucks drink with a new holiday cold foam! As many Starbucks enthusiasts know, Starbs (does everyone else call it that? Just me?) likes to really expand its cold brew/cold foam line with new offerings, and these new options align with the four popular holiday beverage flavors. You’ll find Peppermint Chocolate, Chestnut Praline, Sugar Cookie, and Caramel Brulee.

When trying each of these, I chose to add them to a standard cold brew with no other flavors. You could add them to any other drink of your choosing, but for consistency in my review, cold brew it was.

I’ll run down my thoughts on each, and as you can see from my ratings below, I had quite a range of feelings. Note that I first tried a taste of each cold foam on its own to get the full flavor before taking a sip of the drink.

Peppermint Chocolate

If you gave me a spoonful of this stuff, I’d swear it was a chocolate mousse. On its own, this cold foam definitely gives a Peppermint Mocha vibe, and I felt it was more chocolate than peppermint. It distributed nicely into the cold brew as it settled, but it didn’t quite enhance the drink as much as I would have liked. But it is a nice alternative to a Peppermint Mocha if that’s too strong or chocolatey for you.

Chestnut Praline

Womp, womp. My least favorite of the four. This had barely any Chestnut Praline flavoring and tasted too much like a basic vanilla cold foam. I *did* pick up a tiny bit of nuttiness as I went along, but nowhere near as much as I would have liked to consider this a holiday delight.

Sugar Cookie

An iced Sugar Cookie Latte is one of my go-to drinks, so I was super eager for this one, and it didn’t disappoint. When I tried the foam alone, I got a nice, strong flavor from the Sugar Cookie syrup. Just like the Peppermint Chocolate, this one didn’t affect the flavor of the cold brew too much – it was still pretty strong. I would definitely try this one again, and will likely add the Sugar Cookie syrup to the cold brew for even more of the flavor.

Caramel Brulee

HOLY COW! This one was a surprise home run. The irony is I am least likely to order a Caramel Brulee drink out of any of these holiday flavors, yet this was my favorite. It had an amazing caramel taste that really made its way into the cold brew and lasted through my entire grande-sized beverage. I am 100% getting this one again and happily recommend it to others!

One other thing to note: If you’re ordering through the Starbucks app, a friendly reminder that these cold foams need to be added to your drink and are not part of a featured drink on the menu. You’ll find it if you choose “Customize” and then scroll down to the “Toppings” section.

Happy holiday sipping!

Purchased Price: Adding a cold foam to your beverage will cost you an additional $1.25 on top of your existing drink price.
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Peppermint Chocolate), 4 out of 10 (Chestnut Praline), 7 out of 10 (Sugar Cookie), 9 out of 10 (Caramel Brulee)
Nutrition Facts: Not available.

REVIEW: Popeyes Honey BBQ and Roasted Garlic Parmesan Wings

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Popeyes has three new chicken wing flavors — Honey BBQ, Roasted Garlic Parmesan, and Signature Hot. Unfortunately, for this review, I was unable to purchase the Signature Hot one (it’s not available at my local Popeyes for some reason), but fortunately for my mouth, I don’t have to experience its burn.

Popeyes’ website says the Honey BBQ and Roasted Garlic Parmesan are two flames on the chain’s five-point spiciness scale, one below its Ghost Pepper Wings. But the Signature Hot is four flames, so both ends of my digestive system are delighted that they had no contact with it. As for the two chicken wing flavors I did try, they would also be two flames on my five-point heat scale. Although I found the Honey BBQ one has a slightly stronger kick and a more lasting spiciness.

To be honest, spicy garlic parmesan wings are a bit weird to me, and the heat distracts from the flavor. It’s odd because every garlic parmesan chicken wing I’ve had up to this point in my life has been the non-mouth-burning kind.

They smell like Caesar salad dressing and have a parmesan-heavy and sometimes mild garlicky taste. But that cheese hits my tongue hard like it’s being used to shave the parmesan onto a Caesar salad. While I enjoyed the gloopy white sauce with minced garlic, I wish it was just one flame on the Popeyes heat index and a tad less salty.

As for the Honey BBQ, it’s sweet, peppery, and spicy. While it has some heat, the honey’s sweetness helps cut through it. It’s also thicker and stickier than the garlic parmesan one. This sauce was my favorite of the two, and I liked it enough that, after finishing every wing, I found myself sucking on my fingers to make sure I wasn’t wasting any of it. Also, BONUS, after eating all six wings, there was still a pool of it sitting in the tray they came in, which I saved and used as a chicken nuggets dipping sauce the next day.

Several years ago, pre-Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, the chain was known for creating creative sauces. It seemed like there was a new one every other month. Rajun Cajun BBQ, Garlic Herb, Cajun Creamy Garlic, Smokin’ Pepper Jam, Wild Honey Mustard, Spicy Pepper Ranch, Red Hot Honey, Creamy Cayenne, Smokin’ Pepper Ranch, Spicy Orange, and Ghost Pepper Ranch, just to name more than a few. While the current wing flavors seem like a good start, I hope Popeyes gets creative with sauces again and comes up with more for its wings.

Purchased Price: $13.99*
Size: 12 wings
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Roasted Garlic Parmesan), 8 out of 10 (Honey BBQ)
Nutrition Facts: (6 pieces) Roasted Garlic Parmesan – 1040 calories, 81 grams of fat, 24 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat, 240 milligrams of cholesterol, 2860 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 48 grams of protein. Honey BBQ – 880 calories, 46 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat, 210 milligrams of cholesterol, 2230 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 45 grams of sugar, and 46 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Mini Cinnis

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While Jack is known for his huge head, Jack in the Box has a history of mini-ing things. If I had a dollar for every time the fast food chain called something “mini,” I’d be able to buy a Sourdough Jack. There have been options like Mini Corn Dogs, Mini Churros, Mini Cookies, mini chicken sandwiches, and mini cheeseburgers. Oh, and let’s not forget about other finger foods, like Jack’s Brownie Bites and Pizza Bites. The latest are these Mini Cinnis, a name I’m surprised no one has trademarked.

Available in five or ten-piece orders, the treat features bite-sized classic cinnamon rolls served warm and topped with icing. Jack in the Box says they are the “perfect end to a meal, or start, no judgment.” Perfect? They are not perfect.

Don’t get me wrong, I like them. So much so that I’ve ordered these Mini Cinnis twice. But some of the dough in a few of the pieces in both of my orders were dry, which might not be an issue with a huge honking Cinnabon or Costco-sized cinnamon roll, but with one that’s the width of a half-dollar, it’s a slight issue.

I say “slight” because there’s more than enough cinnamon and sugary icing to make me almost forget about the dry dough. Also, that dryness isn’t preventing me from wanting to dip these into one of Jack’s shakes. They are significantly better than a pre-packaged convenience store cinnamon roll that has been microwaved for seven seconds but pale in comparison to anything a particular cinnamon-scented mall food court staple offers.

Jack in the Box’s Mini Cinnis aren’t going to make you wonder if you accidentally stepped into a Cinnabon or make your stomach feel as if you’ve eaten a whole Classic Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll. But they are a sweet end to a meal or start, no judgment.

Purchased Price: $2.50*
Size: 5 pieces
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 290 calories (No other nutritional information is available on Jack in the Box’s website).

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

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