Made in Nature Tart Cherry Fig Figgy Pops: I can’t tell if energy balls / chews are on the rise more generally or just commonly found in health-conscious Berkeley. But I have seen them creep up on more supermarket shelves over the past year and have given a few a try. This one by Made in Nature was purchased at Monterey Market in Berkeley and consists of 1" diameter balls densely packed with dried fruit (figs, cherries, dates) and cashews, all coated with coconut flakes. This antioxidant-rich snack is nourishing though not entirely... (read more) 3.5/5.0
organic montereymarket madeinnature tart cherry fig figgy pops 3.5 recommended
Mystic Muffin Banana Bread: Upon entering Mystic Muffin, I was greeted by the friendly owner Elias, who quickly handed me a warm loaf of banana bread. His salesmanship worked, and I ordered a slice which cost about $2 CAD. The banana bread is not a banana nut bread, with no trace of nuts as far as I could tell. It had chocolate chips mixed into the batter. The cake was extremely moist and delicious, and the banana chocolate mix was wholly satisfying without being heavy or overly sweet. You could eat it with anythi... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional baked desserts mysticmuffin banana bread 5.0
Mystic Muffin Apple Cake: Declared as "world famous," with newspaper clippings to support this claim, Mystic Muffin's apple cake is texturally fantastic, with an ultra moist interior and hearty slices of tender baked apple throughout. It's all topped with a sweet spiced crumble, buttery and baked such that it adds just enough tooth. The sweetness of the crumble sets it a bit over the top, but as far as cakes go, this is definitely one of the best I've had. And at less than $3 USD a slice, it's a wonderful affordab... (read more) 4.0/5.0
exceptional desserts Toronto mysticmuffin apple cake 4.0
Perrier L’orange Sparkling Water: I generally prefer Perrier to San Pellegrino because it has a higher level of carbonation and less of a salty aftertaste. This orange-flavored version is refreshing and perfect as a mid-day palate cleanser. 3.5/5.0
recommended orange citrus sparkling water perrier l’orange 3.5 drinks
Trader Joe’s Sweet & Salty granola bars: Chewy and flavor-heavy snack option combining almond butter and yogurt, along with grains and nuts. Barely a granola bar; more likely candy. Overly sweet for my palate. Surprisingly not so filling. 3.0/5.0
almond yogurt traderjoes sweet salty granola bars 3.0
Pop & Bottle Matcha green tea almond milk: A pleasant but pricy matcha-flavored almond milk whose green tea flavor is relatively mild but enough to be identifiable. Bottle is misleading wrapped in a pastel green label; in reality, the beverage is a murky brown that’s significantly less appealing. A decent choice for those looking for a new flavored non-dairy drink. 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks popbottle matcha green tea almond milk 3.5