Food Should Taste Good roasted red pepper brown rice crackers: This snack had done the impossible--make brown rice taste good! A rare case where a snack cracker holds its own without any dip. In fact, to pair it with a dip would mask two characteristics that make it essentially perfect. First, the red pepper and sesame flavor is pronounced, and the cracker is already perfectly seasoned. Second, the texture of the cracker is ideal: super crispy, yet just thick enough to still be substantial. This hardly ever happens, but I am at a loss at what could make... (read more) 5.0/5.0
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Mansi calamansi drink: Kalamansi is citrus fruit indigenous to the Philippines that's a cross between an orange and a kumquat. Mansi, a juice flavored with kalamansi, is remarkably refreshing, with a fantastic citrus flavor whose sharpness is balanced by a bit of honey. The website for the brand lists all sorts of health benefits for the fruit, from reduced acne to better digestive health. Regardless of whether any of this is true, the drink is one of the most memorable I've had, and something I would be happy to ... (read more) 5.0/5.0
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il laboratorio del gelato sorbet and gelato: I've known about this spot for some time because many restaurants in NYC offer their ice cream, but I never had the opportunity to give it a try until now. Located directly next to Katz's, the place has a bit of a clinical science lab vibe, with chemical abbreviations for each flavor and minimalist furnishings. The shop has a distinctly neutral scent. I think it's because there are no toppings, which I appreciated. It's really solely about the gelato here. I shared four different flavors, a... (read more) 5.0/5.0
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Bernie's Best Organic Autumn's Best Apple Cider: I live very close to Cheeseboard in Berkeley and hadn't had their pizza since I moved in. On a whim back from running errands, and noticing there was a shorter line than normal, I stopped by this popular spot to re-taste the pizza I found exceptional five years earlier. To accompany the pizza, I grabbed an apple cider I hadn't seen before from their drinks fridge: Bernie's Best. The drink lists no nutrition facts, only that the cider is made fresh with apples from Pomo Tierra Orchards in Yo... (read more) 5.0/5.0
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i-Tea Avocado slush with grass jelly: If you follow Tasty Snacking, you will have gathered that I am in love with this Bay Area bubble tea chain. I've had a lot of bubble tea in my life (an embarrassing amount, in fact), both in Asia and in the US, and i-Tea is as good as it gets. On my last visit, I ordered an insanely good avocado slush with a generous helping of grass jelly. Very fresh and creamy, and pleasantly sweet at 30%. The grass jelly had a delicious herbal flavor that complemented the creamy avocado well. Their j... (read more) 5.0/5.0
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Morgenstern's Mixed berry sorbet: Mixed berry sorbet that seems like it was crafted just for my tastes: barely sweetened, very tart, and perfectly smooth, with a dollop of cream, all topped with a sprinkling of crumble for texture. Clean raspberry and blueberry flavor. A rare snack I can find no fault with. Part of Morgensterns monthly sorbae flavor rotation. Available for the month of July. 5.0/5.0
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