ba-nom-a-nom Watermelon “soft serve”: Specializing in “soft serve frozen fruit,” Ba-nom-a-nom is a Denver-based ice cream truck serving dairy-free, 100% fruit soft serve that falls somewhere in between sorbet and Italian ice. The soft serve has a whipped yet smooth crystallized texture. It tasted like fresh watermelon, which is exactly what it was. No added sugar. I was surprised at the texture since I didn’t know it wasn’t traditional soft serve, but it was a refreshing treat nonetheless. Pricy ($5) but decently generous. 3.5/5.0
icecream softserve denver banomanom watermelon “soft serve” 3.5
Mr. Wish Mango slush with aloe: Right next to the Flushing Main St subway station is Mr. Wish, a Taiwanese fruit and milk tea stand that has excellent frozen beverages. Their mango slush was a perfect solution to the summer heat, with diced mango mixed alongside aloe pieces (the latter of which I added for an additional toppings fee). If you find yourself in Flushing, I highly recommend this alternative to the more ordinary Coco and Quickly chains. 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks flushing nyc mrwish mango slush aloe 4.0
Hu Wang Roasted Seaweed Prawn Crackers: From Taiwan, these shrimp crackers are much lighter than the multi-color prawn crackers sometimes served at American-ized restaurants. They taste much better too, with a slightly sweet shrimp flavor dusted with powdered nori, which adds salinity without being overly salty. According to the packaging, "nutrients intact!" Recommended if you can find them... 3.5/5.0
recommended seafood chinese huwang roasted seaweed prawn crackers 3.5
Ripple Unsweetened original pea milk: I decided to try this plant-based milk after months of seeing it in the dairy-free section of the milk aisle. I’m not lactose intolerant but enjoy alternatives like soy milk and almond milk. This pea milk doesn’t taste like any milk I’ve had before. I expected it to have a fairly sweet flavor like fresh green peas, but instead it had an off putting bitter aftertaste that I would describe as what I imagine burnt hay may taste like. It’s really unpleasant to drink and I keep trying find ways t... (read more) 1.5/5.0
avoid drinks ripple unsweetened original pea milk 1.5
State Bird Seed Almond Rosemary Puffed Quinoa, Seeds, Almonds & Herbs: State Bird Provisions and The Progress are two restaurants I always recommend to people asking me where they should eat in San Francisco. I heard that the chefs behind the restaurants came out with a line of snacks and fortuitously found them stocked at Berkeley Bowl West. There was only one flavor on the shelf when I went, an almond and rosemary savory "granola" combining quinoa and sunflower seeds. Sadly, I found that it had a bitter aftertaste, almost like it the granola had been baked... (read more) 2.5/5.0
statebirdseed almond rosemary puffed quinoa seeds almonds herbs 2.5
Pomo Tierra Farms Hot Apple Cider: When I stopped at Cheeseboard this morning to pick up some breakfast, I saw a handwritten sign for seasonal hot apple cider from Pomo Tierra farms. I purchased the drink, then saw a man pour apple cider from a bottle of Bernie’s, a local apple cider brand they sell at various East Bay shops. I asked to clarify-was it Pomo Tierra Farms or Bernie’s? They told me they were the same thing. Then I had a sinking feeling that I had become That Berkeley Person, challenging exactly which organic app... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks cheeseboard berkeley pomotierrafarms hot apple cider 3.5