What's the opposite of "To The Rescue?"

Happy Halloween!! Fat Mike would like to introduce you to:

The Nightmare King!!

In case you missed the online ad campaign that ran prior to the sandwiches Oct. 24th release: click here. Did you watch it? Is it odd that the fact that they only focus on whether the sandwich will ACTUALLY give you nightmares only made the experience more intriguing to the Fat? Is that wrong? Probably.  But Fat Mike charged at the sandwich anyway.  Little did he know that he'd inadvertently stumble into one of the most unique experiences of his life.

This sandwich was OBVIOUSLY released specifically for Halloween, so Fat Mike had to make sure he didn't miss the "limited time" opportunity to consume his Nightmare. He found himself coordinating with friends around lunchtime to chase down this burger at a BK on the corner of 36th and 7th Ave right in the heart of NYC. Fat Mike usually avoids this area of town, but this proved to be a valuable part of the overall experience, so I've got to share this part first.

This was easily one of the NICEST Burger Kings that I've ever been to. It's not that it was "dressed" any differently than a traditional BK, but the FIRST thing that I noticed was that the BK had 2 floors and advertised in the window that if patrons decided to sit upstairs they'd be able to order a beer with their meal. A BEER! It was like being in Europe (or so I've heard, from Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction). Next, as we walk in we're greeted... [pause]... GREETED by someone who notices that we have 4 people and guides us upstairs where there is more seating available. WHAT? That's basically Maitre D' service at BURGER KING which is unheard of.  Once we get upstairs, that same individual kindly asks people to move to accommodate our group, sits us down, provides menus and informs us that someone will come to our table to take our order. I was baffled. I had no idea where I was. This was already unlike any experience I'd ever had at a BK before. Now that I've set the stage for what was to come, and separated this BK from others I can better weave in the "nightmare-ish" food experience so it won't sound SO crazy.

Once at the table, we were able to share our order and the food was brought to the table. Please keep in mind, that the delivery was the same as if you were at the counter. The food was brought to you in a paper bag and placed on the table. Nevertheless, as I looked around this crowded dining room, I couldn't help but notice that I was the only one consuming a green burger. Wait... you didn't see the picture above?? Oh s#!t. please hold. Guess I got carried away and forgot what I was supposed to be doing...

The Nightmare King: One 1/4 burger with American cheese, topped with an all-white fried chicken filet, topped with bacon, garnished with mayo and onion and then this is all encapsulated in a GREEN sesame seed bun.
Disclaimer: if you are a dedicated reader of Faturated Sats, you may recall the last BK Halloween Burger. There will be no upcoming references to poop, the act of pooping, the results of pooping, or anything related therein.

The thing that struck me as AMAZINGLY innovative as I opened the sandwich was the green bun.  Somehow, BK made the bun appear shiny, or slimy. I immediately rubbed the exterior with my fingers to see if the bun had been brushed with butter or anything like that and my hand came back dry.

Look at that shine??

There was no consistency issue with the bun, no sliminess to overcome during the eat. No evidence of tampering with a regular sesame seen bun in any way. Impressive.

You would think that the Nightmare King might bring a little bite, or spice, but nothing. Howevever, that did NOT create a disappointing experience. As a matter of fact the sandwich was DELICIOUS. 

Hold on a tick... remember when I was going on and on about this wacky BK experience? Well, there's one more thing. Once we opened up our sandwiches and started eating, we were approached by this lovely, young woman:

Look closely...

Yep... that's a "don't mind if I do" condiment tray. Boom! They just strut that over to the table and let you pick everything you need for your BK experience. I was impressed.  Ok, back to the sandwich.

The Nightmare King got DEVOURED. It was delicious. Even the members of Fat Mike's entourage who didn't have the courage to order the sandwich for themselves tooks tastes during the meal and agreed with the Fat (for the most part).  Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to heal one of the more hungover members of the crew, who was able to provide the title of this Halloween blog post when he took his bite and uttered the words, "BK... um, what's the OPPOSITE of 'to the rescue'?" Hilarious. Sometimes fast food does NOT heal all wounds. Nevertheless, this sandwich was a GREAT innovation on the part of the King and Fat Mike was very happy with the end result.

Perhaps not everyone KNEW about it? Perhaps I was one of a limited few who had a chance to find and enjoy the online ad campaign that drove me in the door? Perhaps people are skeptical of eating green food? Whatever the reason, I can tell you that a lot of folks missed out. If you're reading this, I hope you weren't one of them. This sandwich was only available for a limited time through Halloween, so you can't run out and fix your life now. Too bad. The Fat took the fall for you, as usual.

GO TO THE BK on 36th and 7th in NYC and experience THAT for yourself, though. It's truly surreal.

Until the next nightmare...

PS:

I know you are all wondering... "Well, Fat Mike, did the sandwich give you nightmares?" The human mind is a curious place, and since I didn't immediately go to sleep after my eating experience I couldn't confidently say whether any nightmares could be attributed to the sandwich itself. I only recall dreams on rare occasions. However, after years of late-night fast food experiences, Fat Mike would likely argue that taking down a fast food meal before bedtime will typically cause the human mind to work in mysterious ways. Could this be more prominent in the Nightmare King? Perhaps, but I think the clown and the redhead could probably give the King a run for their money in any sleep study. That's just one Fat's opinion.

Happy 90th Birthday, Mickey!

OMG, it's been so long...

What better excuse to get Faturated Sats back in gear than with a 90th birthday edition of birthday cake flavored Oreos?

                               

First, I'll open with apologies. I have no excuse. Wait, yes I do.  It's been a super busy year for the Fat. Looking back on the last post, dated SO long ago, I'm confronted by the reality the second kid has added a lot more to the "busy-ness" of life which causes things like recreational blogging about snack eating to take a back seat.  However, I want to offer reassurance that Fat Mike has still been scouring the market and collecting opinions about some great and not so great snacks that have been swirling around the market. So, if you'll forgive my absence, then I promise to get you back up to speed as soon as I can.  

Let's start here.  I assume that you've seen these on the shelves?? Curious? Don't be, they're awesome.  They're not an original idea. Just a cool tribute to a great, animated mouse. If you've had the birthday cake Oreos (with the white cookies) that are on the shelves most of the time, then you know the taste. However, they did this cool thing where each cookie got a cool, individualized design and it tastes delicious. Obviously, I'm just kidding... but if you close your eyes while you're eating, you can taste the happiness just a little bit.  Look, the long story short is that it's a cool idea where the gimic is so slight and virtually unnecessary that it's nice to participate and know that Nabiso feels like tipping their caps to the mouse for the big 9-0.


On a personal note, I just liked having two of my favorite things in the world collide, head-on into each other.  It's not a secret that Fat Mike loves the Dis, so I was contacted on numerous occasions asking if I'd gotten my hands on these bad boys.  After having them shared with me, and then brought into my own cabinets I couldn't help but feel like this was a sign that Faturated Sats had been neglected for too long and it was time to get the Fat back in the game. Those tasty, colorful flecks of birthday cake got to me, folks. They hit me right in the heart. Some would say, the arteries mostly, but after my 40th I went and got checked out and it looks like the Fat has nothing to worry about yet. Eat well, folks. I'll be back soon with more.

Eat & Meet & Greet

I've been overwhelmed with texts, emails, and queries about this specific food topic lately.  So, who wants to get naked?

Taco Bell's Naked Chicken Chalupa

N.C.C., how can I explain it?
I'll take it frame by frame it
To have y'all all jumping, shouting, saying it
N is for naked, C is for chicken, scratch your temple
Why's it so good? Well, that's not that simple - huh
It's sort of like, well, another way to call a food a taco
The shell is made of chicken and it's tasety... yeah
Get it for any fun occasion and it's perfect if you're gaming
It seems I gotta start the explaining, bust it...

If you are a regular reader of Faturated Sats then you know that I fervently try to keep up with whatever genius Taco Bell is releasing into the market. Unless you've been living under a rock for last month you should be aware that The Bell has just released a wondrous creation called the "Naked Chicken Chalupa." Make no mistake, what you're about to read is a glowing review of this wonderous food creation and I am encouraging every single person to go out and eat it RIGHT NOW!

First, however, I want to introduce Faturated Sats' official west coast correspondent only to be known as "The Baconado".  Like a bacon tornado, but really a person like Fat Mike who likes to eat stuff. Faturated Sats always appreciates fans, and always welcomes guest contributors.  This meat flavored twister sent me a review of the NCC and we're going to open with the west coast perspective on the NCC as an intro.  Don't worry, Fat Mike's voice will be heard after.  In the future, our hope is that Baconado will be able to swirl through here once in a while to keep us up to date on items exclusive to the WC.  

Thank you for your your contribution, Baconado.  We look forward to great things from you in the future.  Now, it's Fat Mike's turn.

It is apparent that Taco Bell has taken the time to consider everything about this wondrous creation. From conception, to the assembly, to the advertising and even down to the packaging. The moment that you open up this fantastic snack you can tell that you're about to embark on a glorious journey of deliciousness.  I mean, look at the picture (left)! My west coast colleague did nail it with what makes this a stroke of GENIUS.  There's NOTHING in this thing!! It's an optical illusion of food.  Brilliant in it's simplicity, yet complex in execution.  Dare we think about the "how" of making chicken into a taco shell? No. Absolutely not.  But it works.  It works SO well.  There are, however, a couple of KEY things that help the NCC stand alone aside from the brilliant taco shell substitute.

At the bottom of this glorious "chicken" shell is a spicy jalepeno, avocado ranch sauce that is just divine.  It packs a better punch than your typical, bland sour cream and just adds to the overall dining experience in the perfect way.  After all, you can't just dump cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes without some kind of binding ingredient.  This is it.  Additionally, Fat Mike insists that there is some kind of nacho cheese flavoring that is in the crispy batter used to crisp the chicken shell. There's a hint of "dorito-ness" going on in this bad boy that had me at "hello".  I can't be positive, as the flavor is pretty subtle, but if that is an intentional move by the GENIUS BAR GEEK SQUAD at Taco Bell?? Then I applaud you and all that you stand for in the world. Brilliant.

As one final point to round this out, I'd like to comment briefly on the packaging.  I typically don't give a rat's a$$ about how food is dressed up, but I immediately appreciated how The Bell conceived of eating this wondrous contraption.  The NCC comes in an easy to handle, hot pocket-like sleeve that is perfectly sized for taking the first bite.  As the taco comes wrapped in the typical TB paper, you're not sure how you're going to handle an all-chicken taco shell, but The Bell gots you covered.  That's a mindfulness that any customer should appreciate.  As a regular eater, you feel appreciated by the big wigs that make this magic happen.  As you're eating, you think to yourself, "yeah... they made this just for me. Thank you."


To sum up, this is amazing, stupendous, and skrumtrulescent.  Seek it out.  Eat it in (never take The Bell to go #fatmiketips).  However, I do have it on good authority that it travels well if that is your only option #pirateSteve.  There you have it world. Enjoy.
















PS - On a side note, I'd like to point out (in case The Bell is watching) that focus is still required on the classics. Obviously, Fat Mike wouldn't get the NCC by itself. I mean, c'mon. However, my Quesarito was WILDLY disappointing.  


Stack the burrito, folks.  Stack it.  Look at my Rito, and look at the picture!! Haphazardly disproportionate, and inevitably unfortunate.  Don't forget your roots, TB.  Keep the menu strong throughout.  You're better than this.  Don't forget your roots. I know that it can't be perfect all the time, but...

Nuff said. Don't let it happen again.

2016 - Domestic News (pt. 2 of 2)

Welcome back to the 2016 wrap up...

Oh, you thought that I was just hopping around the food globe at the end of 2016? Nay... I took down my share of domestic treats as well.  The breadth of the journey may not be as substantial, but there were a couple of items that need to be noted.

Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts (or PPPT for short):

You gotta love the fall. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin candy corns, pumpkin booze, and on and on and on. Rumor has it, this is even embraced overseas where Japan once offered The BK Pumpkin

Laughing Squid found these seasonal monstrosities from Burger King Japan, which include the “Pumpkin Bomb”: a burger topped with lettuce, bacon, creamy nut sauce, and ten slices of fried kabocha.

NO! I didn't eat that!! Fat Mike's never been to JAPAN except in Street Fighter (where he kicked some major ass).
I'm just trying to make a point that there's pumpkin all around us in the fall and it's easy to get caught up in the noise and miss something once in a while.




Send in the PUMPKIN PIE POP TART!!

What a fantastic way to wake up in the morning.  Yes, Pop Tarts are meant to be a morning pastry so that's how Kellog's intends for you to START your day.  After all, breakfast is (supposedly) the most important meal of the day, so why not ingest a 200cal toaster pastry. Wait... there are 2 of them?? Oh, ok then, a 400cal toaster pastry.  Excellent.

Nevertheless, this tasty treat goes PERFECTLY with morning coffee and isn't pretentious enough to claim to have "real pumpkin" hidden anywhere inside.  There's no claim of being "made from real pumpkin" or having "farm raised organic pumpkin ingredients".  This is simply an artificially flavored pumpkin bomb that explodes in your face with the sugary goodness of vanilla frosting and colored sprinkles as the perfect compliment to round out the meal. DELICIOUS.  Seasonally appropriate, easy to prepare, and enough to get anyone steered toward a successful day of... whatever.  This was an LTO folks, so I'm sorry that you can't run out and grab it now, but definitely keep it in mind when you're deciding to embrace the fall of 2017.  I don't endorse Pop Tarts as a regular go-to, but this is a GREAT way to "treat yo self".  However, as with ALL things you can find them on the iNterNet if you don't want to wait.

Stuffed Reese's PB Cups:












Spoiler alert: These are disappointing.  Since this is a 2016 wrap-up, I'm not gonna worry about build up, lead-in, or teasing.  When I started seeing commercials for the stuffed Reese's cups, I thought to myself, "It's about time! Wait, this was MY idea. Sh#t, it's about time!"  I ran out and grabbed me a pack of these obvious chocolate saucers of success. Unfortunately, my hopes were shattered by shock and disappointment. This rocked my world to the core in a sad way.

Look at the picture on the package:

Now, look at the thing:

C'mon.

I'm not going to get any deeper into this.  The pieces were non-existent.  There wasn't even a candy shell crunch to enjoy during the eat. The entire point of the pieces was to enhance the experience of the cup, but if the pieces aren't discernable from the rest of the cup, how can the experience of the cup be enhanced??? This made NO sense.  A complete failure in EVERY sense of the word. Demoralizing, depressing, and frustrating. I almost didn't eat my second cup out of disgust... almost. But I'd still purchase this over the Butterfinger cups.

Whole Grain Cheddar Cheese Goldfish:

Even looking at the words "whole grain" in the title above is making me a little uncomfortable. The fact remains that I stumbled across these appetizing treats by accident when shopping for "kid food" in the grocery store.  I'm a Pepperidge Farm enthusiast for sure.  You put a sack of ChessMen in front of me and I'm going to devour those things in a moment's notice.  The same goes for their bread, for their Milano cookies, and it should be noted that I had to ween myself off of those chocolate chunk varietals years ago.  They may have killed me.  I never would have thought that when they decided to tackle a whole grain version of the classic Goldfish that they could create a whole new perspective for me on "healthier" snacking.  But here's the great news... they're NOT healthier, they just taste better. WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT?!?!?!?

If given the choice, you should ABSOLUTELY get the whole grain Goldfish. Somehow, Pepperidge Farm stumbled on a deeper cheddar flavor and grainier cracker that makes the overall eating experience deeper and more pleasurable overall.  Trust me, the moment that I had a handful of these whole grains I immediately ran to grab a traditional version for a side-by-side comparisson (classic Fat Mike). I needed to make sure I wasn't taking crazy pills. After eating the two, I compared labels and found that although the calorie count was different, the overall snacking balance of ingredients are exactly the same. That is to say, salt, dietary fiber, sat fats, etc. balance out to equal each other.  The whole grains just, STRAIGHT UP, taste better. That's why it was worth Fat Mike sharing. This is not a "healthy alternative". It's just a better option. Eat it.

2016 Wrap up - World News (Pt. 1 of 2)

Happy 2017 everyone. So far, it's been a doozy, and you can rest assured that Faturated Sats will have some great stuff on the horizon, but there's some catching up to do first.

Before January passes by, Faturated Sats wants to wish all you loyal readers a HAPPY New Year and share big news both food related and in the world of The Fat.  I think we'd all agree that it's important to start the year (especially this one) with a clean plate, er, um... I mean slate, and so I'm gonna lay it all out there for you now.

In Fat Mike news, another kid showed up in October of 2016. YAY! He serves as the primary excuse for my absence and lack of posts to finish up 2016.  Aside from the New Edition (not a misspelling, click the link) Fat Mike also started a new job soon after, which I'm SUPER pumped about, and THEN The Fat got a lesson in how to survive the holidays with 2 kids. Whew...  But you know what they say, "excuses are like a$$holes, everybody's got one."  Just because I was crazy busy doesn't mean that I wasn't eating stuff!! Now that balance has been restored to the force, I'm back to sharing updates about new eats.

So before we get to heavy into 2017, let's breeze through a 2016 wrap up.  Unlike most posts, we'll cover a lot of ground and share little tidbits of some exciting food that entered Fat Mike's face.  This will be the first installment, with a second soon to follow.

Wasabi Kit Kats

That's not a misprint. As a very thoughtful and welcome gesture, these were given to me after a colleague returned from a trip to Japan.  I couldn't believe my eyes. Everyone around me cringed when they saw them, but Fat Mike wasn't concerned.  I love wasabi, and I love Kit Kats.  How could that go wrong?

Skeptics, be damned!! This little candy was surprising, satisfying, delicious, and (believe it, or not) addictive.

The wasabi is mixed into what tastes like white chocolate and creates a smooth, bright flavor.  Anyone who's had wasabi with their sushi knows that there's a kick to that special green paste, but the spice from the wasabi only lingers on the back of your palette after the chocolate and wafer have served their purpose and drifted away.  The subtlety of the wasabi is what makes the whole experience so magical. It's like putting a leash on a dragon and then walking it through a dog park. People would be like, "Is that natural? I've seen that before, but something's different."  The wasabi Kit Kat is a marvelous take on a classic snack and if you want to spend $18 on Amazon or eBay, you can bring this nifty little bite to your door.

In brightest day, in blackest night,

No snack shall escape my sight.
Let those who doubt this wafer's might, 

Beware the power, Green Kit Kat's light!!!

 — Hal Jordan  (I think may have said this once)

Okoge Rice Crackers

This hidden gem came from the same overseas snack pack as the Kit Kats.  Normally, a rice cracker wouldn't be worthy of garnishing the virtual pages of Faturated Sats, but this crispy vessel was totally badass. Unlike the bland, gummy rice cracker counterpart that is found here in 'Merika, this Muji cracker is crisp, hearty and touched with a bit of soy to create a luscious, salty, smokey flavor that's baked all the way in.  If you go to the Muji website the only description is, "Savoury rice crackers baked using unique method for natural flavour."  Nuff Said.

At first glance, I thought it was going to be a grainy cracker, so I decided to try it the day that I brought some homemade tuna salad for lunch. Being the innovator that I am, I brazenly broke off a piece and scooped it through my container of tuna.  When the mixture of the soy flavor hit my tongue I couldn't get enough.  This cracker was unexpected and wonderful.  It complimented the tuna perfectly and ended up rounding out what would've been an otherwise boring lunch.  BIG find.

Impressive. Most impressive.

      — Darth Vader 

To finish up, I turn the focus to the folks at Lay's who just keep upping their game.  In addition to the "Do Us A Flavor" contest in 2016, Lay's decided to roll out the "Passport to Flavor" where snackers could collect "miles" by eating limited edition chips to potentially win a trip to one of the exotic destinations that inspired the unique flavors.  I'm never one to chase after prizes, so I don't know the specifics, but it yielded some interesting eats to take advantage of. Admittedly, this could have stood alone as another chapter in Fat Mike's obsession with Lay's products, but in the midst of my child rearing and holiday madness I consumed one of the flavors without taking pics or retaining any thoughts. #eatforeatssake, #daddyfatsgottaeat In my defense, the overlooked flavor was wavy style and anyone who's into Fat Sats knows my feeling about that.  Excuses, excuses. Anyway, you'll have to do without. Since these are no longer in-market, I'll try to keep each rundown brief:

Brazilian Picanha

Was anybody reading when Fat Mike found out Wise was getting into the food truck flavor game?  These are like those. (click here to look back) Believe it or not, I think I liked the Wise chips better.  These were just boring, smoked and "been there done that".  I'm sure someone won a lovely trip to Brazil to taste what REAL Picanha tastes like, and I hope it wasn't this.  There was a little bit of spice, but it didn't really entice you to go back for more.  Sure, I ate the whole bag, but that's just because I can't NOT do that. Overall, not the greatest achievement Lay's has put out there.

Indian Tikka Masala

THESE, on the other hand, were AMAZING.  I really wish that I'd gotten to you guys about this one when it was on the shelves.  HOLY S#@t were these good.  I couldn't put them down.  Lay's captured flavor of a Tikka Masala perfectly.  The cumin, the black pepper, the garlic, and even a hint of clove somewhere in there, but it may have been that good that my taste buds were filling in the gaps.  Such a great achievement.  If I were a more dedicated snacker I would petition that this flavor is manufactured full time and on every grocery shelf year round. Amazing.  I think I consumed this bag in an afternoon.

Chinese Szechuan Chicken

This was a tough one.  I liked it, but there was not as resounding an enthusiasm as with the Masala counterpart.  My wife thought that the Chinese was disgusting and would have nothing to do with them, but it's not often we see eye-to-eye on snacking.  I just want to share a viewpoint from a more layman snacker.  This Szechuan chip had a tangy thing going on that took a little getting used to.  Not like the tang of a diesel Salt & Vinegar chip, but something that was muddied by the other, spicy ingredients.
That may be why it struck my eating partner as so undesirable?  There is such a thing as too many ingredients and I think this chip may have suffered from a lack of editing.  I couldn't really nail down what it was supposed to be and how it tasted like chicken or the typical Szechuan style of seasoning. I love the idea of this flavor, and if it were a matter of consuming that specific chip to win a trip to China, then I'd put the effort in. However, that would be the sole motivation.  Perhaps next time we're diving into asian flavors we could consider a General Tso, or even the simple, yet divine egg roll? Back to the drawing board Frito Lay team.  See you with some new suggestions for 2017.

ALL CAUGHT UP?? Not quite... stay tuned for part two!!

Explore all options

Now that November 8th has come and gone, if you're considering migration, Faturated Sats is going to share a couple of gems from our lovely neighbor to the north.

Canadian Lay's and Canadian Oreos

Ok. So Nabisco would most likely sue me for the title that I posted above regarding the cookies, but that's basically what they are (Canadian Maple Cream Cookies is too much of a mouthful).  Please don't sue me Nabisco... I'm worth nothing. 

I hope you can appreciate
how I got all artistic with
a chip pic resembling the
surface of the Moon.

First, we have the Montreal Smoked Meat Lay's potato chips.  This was the winner of the "Do Us A Flavor" competition in Quebec.  If you recall, the 2016 American counterpart was a Reuben sandwich so I thought there would be a striking similarity.  However, there was a unique flavor to this chip that outdid the American competition.  Where the Reuben came up short was the promise of mimicking the full sandwich experience.  In their simplicity, the Canadians NAILED it by simply calling out the smoked meat on its own.  This chip definitely embraces the slight pepper and deep smoke that you would look for in a chip that claims this flavor profile.  I was very happy that they didn't decide to take on too much or dig too deep with the flavor.  There was no worry about committing to the caraway flavor of rye bread, or tanginess of a russian dressing.  This chip was delicious and DEFINITELY allowed for eating large quantities in a single sitting.  Lay's can occasionally put out a rich flavor that bets you can't eat just one, and then caps the consumption out at about 20 chips. This is NOT one of those cases.  You could whip through this bag in no time.

Next, we have the maple leaf cookie. I didn't expect much from this.  The components are pretty simple and unoriginal to say the least.  However, what I was very impressed by was the willingness of the cookie maker to create a big cookie, with big ingredients, and not shy away from over delivering in order to have a more enjoyable eat.

The cookie is your typical white, sugar cookie with a hint of maple syrup.  Not too overwhelming, but just enough to make sure you pick up on that fragrant sweetness.  You know it's there, but it's not cloyingly sweet.  Especially, once you consider the fact that this is a cream filled cookie as well.  Keeping in mind, that when I say "cream filled cookie", I really mean cream FILLED cookie.  Just LOOK at this:

For those of you out there who haven't explored the market as I have, that is a substantial amount of filling.  The best part is, the vanilla filling is silky, soft and tasty.  Other cookies that offer this abundance of filling do so because they are a "no frills" knockoff that needs to overcompensate with dry, sugary, unappetizing filler.  What I learned from this cookie is that the Canadians don't skimp.  As you could see, this thing is LOADED with vanilla goodness.  The application onto the cookie allows for clean separation, but the consistency is velvety and runs smoothly along the tongue when a solid lick is applied.  This cookie provides a solid eating experience all the way through, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I was able to cruise through about half the package in one sitting.  Instead of just being a simple throw away, with a "tip of the cap" to the Canadians, this quickly was reminiscent of my yearly GSC (girl scout cookie) gorge.  A very successful cookie.

So, just remember as you reflect on the events of that past week, or are constantly thinking of hard choices awaiting the unknown future, just know that there are options out there. Just saying.

Barbacoa Constrictor

Get Wise!

That one-eyed owl has always been lurking in the shelves of the snack isle since as long as I can remember.

Is he winking at me? Does he know a secret that I don't? Is he watching me to make sure I make the right snacking decisions? Is he judging me? Is his eye piercing my very soul to entice me to try his flavorful fantasy world? Yes... yes he is. Mr. Owl? How many licks does it take to get to the Toosie Roll center of a Toosie Pop? Sorry... wrong guy.

Anyway...  I digress.

Guess what? The owl's still got it.  Wise decided to step out of the nocturnal shadows and share a new idea with the market.  I can only hope this is a reaction to the new market forcing new flavors and innovative approaches to snacking.  Wise got wise and decided to compete, and you know what? It's a valiant effort.

The Wise Beef Barbacoa Tacos flavored chips are really a refreshing choice from an otherwise "traditional" chip producer.  For YEARS, Wise has provided stable snacking with their traditional potato chip, cheese doodles (the originals, make no mistake) and BBQ varietals.  However, this is the most unique flavor profile that I've seen Wise take on since the Honey BBQ escapade which is no longer on the market.

Look at the pic on the bag! They did their homework. Granted, they're not pioneers in taking on "food truck flavors", but they picked a strong and unique one. Addtionally, after extensive searcing this bag is only available in "snack" size and no larger. Not a plus, but that's only because they're good enough to enjoy a full sized bag. There are zesty spices and great seasonings to assist in replicating the proper flavor profile.  Smoked paprika is noticeable in each bite, but there is a great overall blend that assists in feeling like you're taking down a nice southwestern taco.

As usual, Wise doesn't overdress their wares.  This is a simple chip as most wise are.  There's something to be said for not needing to kettle cook the chip in order to impart a stronger flavor, or more pleasurable eating experience.  Wise always just sits on the sidelines and waits to step into the game at the exact right moment to have an impact and take the eater by surprise.  Anyone out there ever seen the 80s classic "Lucas"?  It's a Corey Haim classic.  This chip is like that.  It runs out onto the field and gives it EVERYTHING it's got.  It gets CLOBBERED by the more athletic, more capable chips out there, but you applaud them for the effort considering the daunting task that they decided to take on with wild abandon.  I was happy to stumble across this and thought I'd share with you fine folks to remind you to take a chance on the little guy every once in a while. Stay Wise.