Dang Chipotle Garlic Onion Chips: Berkeley-based snack company that uses whole caramelized sliced onions, crisps them so they're almost chip-like but much lighter in texture, and seasons them for additional flavor. Prominent sweet onion taste without the heaviness of additional cornmeal or flour (like Funyuns or other onion ring-like snacks). Chips at the top of the bag had just a hint of smoke and spice, but those on the bottom were more robust, so shaking may help distribute the coating. Few servings in a bag and kind ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended safeway dang chipotle garlic onion chips 3.5
Taiwan Bento Soymilk: When it comes to beverages, the Taiwanese just do them better. Classics like Apple Sidra and Hey Song are much less sweet than American sodas, taste crisper, and are simply more interesting. What I'm rating today isn't a bottled or canned product, but it's representative of the same qualities. At Taiwan Bento, a shop close to the 19th street Oakland BART station that specializes in Taiwanese street food like gua bao and five-spice fried chicken, they make an excellent housemade soy milk. ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks taiwanese taiwanbento soymilk 4.0
180 Snacks Cranberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch: One of the more healthful vending machines available at work. Cubes of almonds, dried cranberries, and pistachios. Crunchy, not chewy. Oven baked to perfection is a bit of an overstatement. Decent. 2.5/5.0
trailmix fruit 180snacks cranberry pomegranate trail mix crunch 2.5
Beard Papa Strawberry Cream Puff with Vanilla Cream: As far as I know, the Westfield mall in SF is a no-mans land as far as snackable foods go. Not wanting to spend much money and not willing to walk all the way to Chinatown, I purchased a strawberry-flavored cream puff from Beard Papa, located in the mall's foodcourt. The strawberry icing is sweet and tart – a bit like strawberry Pocky but with a less waxy mouthfeel. The puff itself was slightly crispy but generally light, while the vanilla flavored custard was quite rich and just a little... (read more) 3.0/5.0
pastries desserts beardpapa strawberry cream puff vanilla 3.0
Trader Joe's Ancient grains and nuts granola: Crunchy granola clusters with whole roasted oats, chia seeds, walnuts, and coconut oil. Clusters are good for snacking out of the bag - mash them up to use as a topping for yogurt. Coconut flavor elevates it from your ordinary granola product, but it's also neutral enough to pair with many fruits and flavored yogurt. 3.0/5.0
traderjoes ancient grains nuts granola 3.0
Almdudler Soda: Considered the national beverage of Austria, Almdudler is a caramel colored carbonated drink that comes in a glass bottle with two dancing figures printed on the side. It doesn't taste much like anything, to be honest, with faint traces of fruit, caramel, and herbs, but none prominent enough to carry the soda towards any particular identity. Purchased at the German restaurant Suppenkuche in San Francisco. 2.5/5.0
drinks soda austrian almdudler 2.5