Sound Sparkling peach and ginger white tea: I bought this bottle of white tea from Perelandra Natural Food Center in Brooklyn. As a fan of both peach and ginger, as well as sparkling versions of normally-not-sparkling beverages, I was excited to try it. Unfortunately, the flavor is weak and diluted, and the carbonation doesn’t hold up for long after the bottle is opened (on the order of 5 minutes). Would not purchase again. 2.0/5.0
drinks tea sound sparkling peach ginger white 2.0 organic
Morgenstern's Ginger Grapenut, Raspberry Cheesecake, and Mango Passion Rice Ice Cream: Morgenstern's, my favorite ice cream spot in NYC, has opened up an expansive shop at 88 West Houston, with an overwhelming number of flavors organized into categories like parlor favorites (including salt n' pepper pinenut and American egg), Bananas (including charred chocolate banana and banana kalamansi), and Misc (french fry, bread, and popcorn). I love options, but the menu is intimidating, even for me. This time, we tried three different scoops from three different categories. The gi... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended nyc icecream dessert morgensterns ginger grapenut raspberry cheesecake mango passion rice ice cream 3.5
Trader Joe's Matcha Almond Beverage: I was really excited to see this Matcha-flavored almond milk at Trader Joe's because I've recently become accustomed to making chia-seed pudding at home, which requires the use of non-dariy milk. As a beverage on its own, it's just ok - the matcha doesn't have the distinct bitterness of a quality matcha drink, but it does taste familiar. They're like the Trader Joe's Matcha Joe Joes - they're perfectly enjoyable as a snack but the matcha flavor is not very good if you really judge it solel... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks greentea nondairy traderjoes matcha almond beverage 3.0
Luscombe St. Clements citrus soda: Almost every time I have a Luscombe soda, I think it’s the best one yet and likely the best version of that particular flavor of any brand I’ve had. I really enjoyed this clementine soda, which has a bright, clean, yet concentrated orange and lemon citrus flavor. It’s clear they’ve taken great care to use the freshest fruit. Definitely one of the best sodas I’ve had. 5.0/5.0
exceptional soda organic drinks st. clements citrus 5.0 luscombe
Trader Joe's Ghosts & Bats Crispy Potato Snacks: These thinly-sliced potato crisps are light and definitely more like crispy crackers than potato chips. Very strong potato flavor. They taste the most like french fries of any potato snack I've purchased off the shelf largely because it has an aftertaste that is reminiscent of fried foods. The shapes are super cute and perfect for the Halloween season. If I were to bring snacks to a Halloween party, this would be it. 3.5/5.0
recommended halloween holidays traderjoes ghosts bats crispy potato snacks 3.5
Otafuku x Medetai Red Bean Taiyaki: Otafuku x Medetai is a small Japanese to-go street food shop in the East Village specializing in okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and taiyaki. Taiyaki is a classic Japanese dessert with a fish-shaped waffle exterior and different fillings inside (traditionally red bean). They make all their taiyaki from scratch here, filling their detailed custom molds with batter and producing 6 fishies at a time, all of which you can watch. This was probably the freshest taiyaki I've had -- it came out pipping h... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional nyc japanese otafukuxmedetai red bean taiyaki 4.5