Pressed Juicery Apple lemon ginger cayenne pressed juice: Up to this time in my life, I have completely avoided the pressed juice craze, opting for fruit in the flesh. In fact, more generally, I haven’t bought a carton of juice from the grocery store in years. This particular bottle from Pressed Juicery was a freebie, given to patrons of the Nordstrom pop up on Melrose in LA. I was surprised by its potency, with an impressively spicy ginger and cayenne kick that will almost certainly catch most off-guard. The apple and lemon flavor was also clean t... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks fruit spicy pressedjuicery apple lemon ginger cayenne pressed juice 3.5
La Croix Passionfruit seltzer: As someone who hates beer, I’m so glad that La Croix has enough social currency to pop up as a non-alcoholic beverage option at social events. I think at every get together I’ve gone to over the past few months, I’ve grabbed a can of La Croix in place of a can of soda. This passionfruit La Croix is one of the better ones, with a concentrated tropical fruit flavor that doesn’t leave a bitter or overly sweet aftertaste. And as always, the level of carbonation is good - not overly sharp and fiz... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks lacroix passionfruit seltzer 3.5
Trader Joe’s Rice Cracker Medley: This rice cracker snack from Trader Joe’s doesn’t taste exactly like those you get at any Asian grocery store. The crackers have a glazed coating that tastes more strongly of rice vinegar than any other rice cracker mix I’ve had before, giving it a uniquely tangy and sharp flavor. Tossed in with the rice crackers is the occasional wasabi pea. Overall, a solid snack priced reasonably - would purchase again. 3.5/5.0
recommended ricecrackers wasabi asian traderjoes rice cracker medley 3.5
Urban Foods Wild blueberry and honey superfood bites: I like these grain and fruit bites from Urban Foods, which are crunchier than energy chews, falling somewhere in between a chew and a crunchy granola bar in texture. They contain a mix of quinoa, flaxseed, and chia seeds. They’re just sweet enough, with a pleasant honey flavor that doesn’t dominate. If you’re into granola bars but wish they were a bit more snackable, give these a try. Purchased from Berkeley Bowl. 3.5/5.0
recommended quinoa chia flaxseed urbanfoods wild blueberry honey superfood bites 3.5
Cheeseboard Bialy: I’m tying to reduce my carb intake (which has drastically reduced snacking). But one morning, I woke up to find I didn’t have running water in my apartment and, giving up on low-carb life for a bit, I went to Cheeseboard for breakfast. I always find the savory breads at this Berkeley institution are better than their sweet baked goods. This bialy was especially satisfying after not having any bread for a while. Tasting strongly of garlic and sprinkled with poppy seeds, the round bread has a ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
bread berkeley onion bakery baked cheeseboard bialy 4.0 recommended
Gjusta Miso date cookie: Gjusta, the sister bakery of Gjelina in Venice, LA, is apparently popular enough to not need any signage. It’s unlabeled storefront conceals a narrow counter and dining area, where patrons wait for a variety of pastries (cakes, cookies, croissants) and hot and cold prepared items (pizza, salads, pâtés). Luckily, their express line was relatively short, which meant purchasing this miso date cookie took just a few minutes. The sizable cookie contains a single date at its center. Its texture is... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended pastry sweets la losangeles venice gjusta miso date cookie 4.0 dessert