Saffron Road Bombay spice crunchy chickpeas: Fried chickpeas tossed with a dry savory spice mixture (it’s proprietary and thus not listed in the ingredients, but my best guess is garam masala, turmeric, cumin, ginger, and cinnamon). A bit awkward to eat because they coat your hands. The flavor was a bit too strong for me, so I never wanted to eat more than a handful. 3.0/5.0
wholefoods indian saffronroad bombay spice crunchy chickpeas 3.0
Osem BBQ Bissli: Israeli snack that is similarly shaped to spiral Fritos, but with a darker color, which I think is due to mixed grains. Same crunchy consistency. A fairly neutral bbq flavor - neither too sweet or overly smoky. 3.0/5.0
osem bbq bissli 3.0
Tartly Ginger pear shrub: Purchased from quality but pricy SF-grocer Bi-Rite, this bottle of ginger pear shrub is from California Brand Tartly. On their site, they describe the origin of the company: “One late summer day in California, two health-conscious foodies got together for lunch.” Sorry, but can there be a more generic template to describe every artisanal/small-batch/environmentally-conscious food company based in California?! Back to the soda-it’s sweeter than other shrubs but has a satisfying ginger and app... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks sodas tartly ginger pear shrub 3.0 birite
Saigon Bakery Che Ba Mau: I’ve always been curious about the array of brightly colored pre-made beverages / desserts at Saigon Bakery in the Tenderloin District of SF and decided to finally try one. This one was a pastel mint green color, but others were a muted violet. They are typically covered with saran wrap, even though there is a plastic lid on the cup. The drink itself has an aggressively sweet coconut flavor, and on the bottom is a mix of chewy and soft textures, including green gelatinous strips (similar ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks vietnamese dessert saigonbakery che ba mau 3.0 sanfrancisco
Trader Joe’s Cornbread Crisps: I love cornbread, so I was especially excited to try this snack from Trader Joe’s. The chips are thickly cut and triangular, in a similar vein to Stacy’s pita chips. The flavor does bear a pretty strong resemblance to cornbread, but it leans more savory than sweet. I was missing the distinct gritty texture of cornmeal. I recommend Milton’s corn bread crackers if you want an altogether better cornbread snack. 3.0/5.0
traderjoes cornbread crisps 3.0
Trader Joe's Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies: A seasonal version of Trader Joe's Pink & Whites (which, in turn, are knock-off animal crackers with sprinkles), these yogurt coated shortbread cookies are more distinctive, with a spiced ginger flavor and pumpkin-pie-flavored coating. They're really sweet, but given that the serving size is 4 cookies, you probably won't eat much at a time. I'm sure they graced many Halloween parties this season. Happy Halloween! 3.0/5.0
traderjoes halloween seasonal petite pumpkin spice cookies 3.0