Chick-fil-A’s Honey Pimento Chicken Sando + Caramel Shake Review

Chick-fil-A rolled out a honey pimento chicken sandwich and a caramel shake on August 28, 2023. The sandwich is what you’d expect, a classic chicken sandwich, on warm bread with pickles. The pimento has a savory, cheese and pepper blend with a subtle honey flavor. I found it to be pretty salty considering the amount of pimento cheese on the sandwich, and I wouldn’t get it again. I did like the texture of pimento cheese and breaded chicken, however.

The Caramel Shake

This shake was my favorite item out of the 2. First off, the caramel flavor wasn’t artificially sugary sweet to me. The reason is that it’s actually more of a butterscotch flavor which has more butter and less overt cream and sugar like caramel has. Hence, the flavor profile is not overly sweet. The fun thing about this is you taste butterscotch chips in each sip, adding a soft and somewhat crunchy taste to complement the thickness and liquid texture. I didn’t get whipped cream or a cherry, but I liked it.

Yumfactor: (Sandwich): 3 tongues and a tastebuds (3.5/5 stars). Too salty and kinda mid. (Caramel shake): 4 tongues and a tastebud (4.5/5 stars).

Bonchon Slaps; Korean Fried chicken and….?

I visited Bonchon a few times and have never been disappointed. The first time I visited I tried their Korean friend chicken in soy garlic, spicy and plain drums. I was wowed. The texture was light, crispy and didn’t have the heaviness and greasiness of regular fried chicken. This has been my favorite variation of fried chicken and that says a lot considering I grew up in the South.

Yes I said it. Fight me.

The soy garlic is a milder flavor that isn’t too salty but has a nice rounded umami flavor. It pairs well with most of the menu items. The spicy was definitely spicy and boasted flavors of chili and other spices I can’t name. Sorry, you’ll have to look at their menu if you’re interested. I can’t help you there.

These are feies I made at home since I didn’t have anymore.

The plain drums really showcases the precious description of the light and crunchy but not greasy fried chicken flavor. I had all these items with their French fries which were seasoned with cheese and herbs.

My recent visit I tried soyto garlic sliders. These cute sandwiches has chicken,cucumber and a sauce on warm buns. The customer service is always good and the place is always clean. I recommend it.

Yumfactor: 4.5/5 taste buds. They can be a bit pricey but I think it’s worth it.

Chocolate Pretzel Donut

Dunkin Donuts. Hi. Remember that one time our friendship was compromised when you created the vanilla truffle donut? You’ve redeemed yourself when you make the chocolate pretzel, and now, we’re besties again. Yay for forgiveness!

I’m a sucker for salty and sweet flavor combo in sweets, and it’s an exciting thing. You’ve managed to catch on very well. The donut features a chocolate cake textured donut, fluffy and decadent. Then you guys take it to level 2 with your fancy pretzel bits. But that’s not all. No sir. You guys add caramel. Well played, Dukin Donuts. 

I love this donut because it has layers of flavors that are both strong and enticing. The chocolate cake almost mimics a dark chocolate depth on the tongue; the caramel is infused with the salt from the pretzels, and the tastebuds comes alive. Thank you. 

TheTalkingSpoon Yumfactor: 4 tongues and a tastebud. (4 and a half stars out of 5). This has become an addiction. That is all. 

What are your thoughts? Love it? Dislike it? Wanna marry it like me? Do tell! Don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe. 😊

Vanilla Truffle Donut

Dunkin Donuts new donut sounds fancier than it tastes. The vanilla truffle donut launched a few weeks ago, alongside a salted whipped cream cold brew coffee, grabbing foodies attention everywhere. I gave the truffle donut a try, but wasn’t quite won over. 

The truffle donut features curled milk and white chocolate shavings atop a bed of milk chocolate glaze. Inside wasn’t a delicate, vanilla Bavarian silken custard as I hoped for. No. Inside was what tasted like a condensed whipped cream filling. Perhaps I expected more (and how could you not with such a sophisticated name), but I wasnt thrilled. I actually gagged a bit. 

TheTalkingSpoon Yumfactor: 2 tongues, 1 tastebuds (2.5 stars out of 5) The presentation is artful, and I love the shavings. The chocolate on The donut is always enjoyable. The filling was a bit boring to me.
What are your thoughts?

Ihop’s Cupcake Pancakes 😍

If you haven’t tried Ihop’s limited time cupcake pancakes, you’re missing out. Inspired by bakery-themed sweets, this item is part of a trio of treats, including a cinnamon swirl brioche French toast and red velvet crepes. I have yet to try the other two, but the cupcake pancake features a cake-flavored batter, sprinkles and a sprinkled frosting, that is surprisingly appropriately sweet for both children and adults.

I highly recommend the combo featuring eggs, bacon and sausage (in my case, turkey bacon and sausage) with the red potato hash versus the hash browns. These are cubed potatoes with onions and peppers. Translation, a party on a plate.

Cupcake Pancake Yumfactor: 4 tongues. Addicting and fun.

Red Potato Hash Yumfactor: 4 tongues and a taste bud. A great alternative if you’re not into hash browns like me.

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Coconut Oil in My Coffee?

Sleeping Moon–one of my most favorite and frequented local independent coffee shops—maintains an eclectic menu and fun coffee concoctions. In the past, I’ve tried Turkish coffee, lavender coffee (imagine, the acidic taste of coffee, with a subtle floral finish on the last sip) and today, coconut oil coffee. This coffee has a strong base of espresso, milk and an almond flavor, with the texture of coconut oil creating a delicate drink. All favors are well combined, the espresso containing the core of the punch this coffee has, balanced with the almost sharpened nuttiness of almond; the layer of flavors is a tug of war of sweet and earthy. I added a bit of sugar, as the almond flavor was strong but not overpowering, which made for an even smoother blend of flavor.

Sleeping Moon is an artsy coffee shop in the Winter Park area known for its weekly poetry readings and local artwork. The establishment combines a global and urban mood with diverse music and a warm atmosphere. Unique treats included here are Thai tea milkshakes, and an array of exotically-flavored paninis (such as the New Zealand Bistro–a turkey panini flavored with a tangy-sweet kiwi sauce) sure to delight your spirit. The pleasant staff is knowledgeable and caters to customer’s questions and needs. I’ve also heard of people adding butter to their coffee, as well as a crushed, raw egg before brewing the cup of coffee. Have you had any interesting, out of the ordinary items added to your coffee beverage? Don’t forget to comment, rate blog posts and subscribe for more food stuff!

Why you could add coconut oil to your coffee: http://thecoconutmama.com/coconut-oil-coffee/

 

Panera’s New Dessert Item

I admit, this is not the most appetizing angle, but trust me, it’s a must try item.

Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad

Panera has introduced a juicy, ripe and sweet menu item–a strawberry rhubarb mini cake. For $2.29, customers get a moist cake with real strawberry fruit pieces and tangy rhubarb chunks. This little cake comes in a cute mini paper loaf pan and perfectly compliments the strawberry poppy seed chicken salad. Hail the succulent strawberry! 

Tip: Warm it up for 20 seconds. You won’t regret it.

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Local Eats! Cafe Tutu Tango: Aligator Meat& An Upside-down Pineapple Martini? Is This Safe? (With recipe)

A few months ago, I had the pleasure at dining at Cafe Tutu Tango, a restaurant that offers eccentric, globally inspired tapas, bohemian elements such as paintings drenched in vivid splashes of rich textures, and sometimes, live music and dancers. This has always been a special place for me, because I enjoy being surrounded by artists, poets and the like. The energy of Cafe Tutu Tango is unparalleled to most restaurants. I’ve had my fortune told to me one time (for a low low cost of $5) but it offers a fun and enthusiastic ambiance that is sure to please. This location happened to be on International Drive in Orlando, Fl. Now, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of traveling to Orlando, International Drive is home of many tourist attractions such as restaurants, bowling alleys,  museums. This area of town offers exciting and diverse opportunities to try good food and have fun.

Cafe Tutu Tango not only offers a vibrant atmosphere, but you’ll find interesting items on their menus. Offered are classic appetizers like spinach dip and hummus, but you’ll also find unique items like Alfonrno roasted pears with arugula and bleu cheese, and Goat cheese timbale- goat cheese with green apples, seasonal fruit, and toasted baguette. Pizzas are offered, as well as  dishes that include aligator meat, Grilled guava BBQ grilled pork ribs (I’ll discuss this shortly), and seasonal items, like Cajun chicken egg rolls, fish tacos, and  other interesting bites. (Check out their website:  http://www.cafetututango.com/ )

I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to try something different. Something I knew would be unique to Cafe Tut Tangos. Before I even ordered my entree, I visited the crowded bar, and looked over a drink menu that offered fun  featured drinks, like “Matisse Margarita” , “Picasso Punch”, “Munch’s

Not my original photo, but this gives you an idea of how pretty the drink is 🙂

Screaming Jalapeno Margarita” and “Upside Down Pineapple” made with Van Gogh Vodka. The Upside down pineapple martini caught my eye specifically because it was a unique drink made with vanilla bean infused vodka pineapple and caramel. I’d have to  say this drink, (only $7.25) was one of the most memorable martinis I’ve ever sipped. After tasting a layer of caramel that isn’t too thick or rich, you get to the smooth, tropical pineapple splash of flavor that is mixed in with vodka. This was a bliss I hadn’t even imagined, and I have since then dreamed about this drink. I have actually obtained a recipe for this drink as well which sill be included at the end of this post.

Now, the aligator jambalaya. I had eaten gator meat once, and found it reminded me of a mix of chicken and fish- more with a pronounced fish taste, but not overwhelmingly so. The consistency of this meat in this dish made me think of duck- lean, but a little fattening. Perhaps it was the sauce. The portion size was not the biggest for the $8, but it was still fun to try. Seasoned with poblano peppers and incorporated with chorizo, this fun dish was spicy and enjoyable to eat. The meat itself was tasty, just a little lean, and offered a light texture that filled me up without the itis. Although I wouldn’t recommend sharing unless you have others sharing with you, this dish is worth a try.

Cafe Tutu Tango is a fun, lively entertaining atmosphere that is family friendly, usually busy, and colorful as life itself. With local artists providing fascinating surrealist portraits, or funky beaded jewelry, this restaurant is sure to please eccentric crowds, foodies, children, or yuppies looking for good food, and great drinks.

Upside down Pineapple martini Yumfactor– 5 tongues! (5 out of 5 start) Smooth, decadent, and unique, this drink is sweet, and the vodka flavor comes through nicely. $7.25

Aligator Jambalaya Yumfactor– 3 tongues and a tastebud. (3.5 out of 5) This is a fun, unique dish, worth a try, but may not be a favorite for everyone. I enjoyed it, but it could be better. How specifically? That’s a great question.

Now, here is the recipe for the fabolous martini I reviewed: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink12303.html

Have you ever tried this drink? What do you think of gator meat?

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Arby’s Smokin’ Chipotle Chicken Sandwich Review

There it is...

This limited time sandwichis a hot deal! Usually, with ordering spicy flavors on food item, I find myself dissappointd, because it’s just ot hot enough. I have even ordered Arby’s japaneno poppers and though they were good, were not as hot as I hoped. 😦 Well, this is not the casr for the “Smoking Chipotle Chicken Sandwich” Firstly, the presentation is impressive. This sandwich looks exceedingly taste and delivers a hot current of savory chipotle and jalapeno spice into each bite. If you don’t like spicy flavors, please don’t try this. It is clearly not for you. Granted, I have tried spicier foods, and I’m not trying to say this is the world’s spiciest sandwich, but it offers rich chipotle spices, and smoking jalapeno peppers which offer a great change from the standard, boring “hot sauce” spice most places offer.  (‘m sure some will disagree,which is fine) The tender all white meat chicken is filling in itself, but the fun part is the where the bacon and jalapenos peppers intersect. Bacon and cheese round out the spiciness and adds another great dimension of flavor. I have a very high tolerance for spicy food and found this to be a great item to eat. It wan’t intolerable spicy, but perfect to satisfy the inner fire needing to be fueled. I enjoyed this with a tall glass of iced peach green tea and fries.

Arby’s Smokin’ Chipotle Chicken Sandwich Yumfactor: 4 tongues and a tastebud. (4.5 ouf of 5) This is just plan good.

Nutritional Content is as follows (PLEASE NOTE: If you are watching your calories, or are on certain diets, and you know you can’t eat this, please don’t. If you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and think the calories are too high, then please don’t eat this. As obvious as this is, there may be some people who state these things, (“this is not healthy!”) which is fine, as you are allowed to have an opinion, but I want to make it clear this is blog mainly reviews junk food, which we all know is clearly NOT healthy. This blog simply reviews food and states calories content,but it NOT directly created for those with certain health conditions. There are healthy food blogs out there, and that may be a better option for you.  I simply eat the food and review it, sometimes, discussing sugar content and giving health tips, but that’s it! It’s fast food for crying out loud.)  Directly copied and pasted from Arby’s website:

Smokin’ Chipotle Chicken Sandwich
Serving Weight (g)	319	Trans Fat (g)	0	Sugars (g)	7
Calories	590	Cholesterol (mg)	65	Proteins (g)	35
Calories from Fat	210	Sodium (mg)	1820	Vitamin A (% DV)	30
Fat – Total (g)	23	Total Carbohydrates (g)	60	Vitamin C (% DV)	30
Saturated Fat (g)	7	Dietary Fiber (g)	4	Calcium (% DV)	20
				Iron (% DV)

 

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Panera’s Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich- Reviewing My Obsession+Copycat recipe

Close Up

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love and often crave Panera’s Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich. Here’s why. It’s light and refreshing, healthy, full of both sweet and savory flavors, and it’s rather exotic in nature. First, let’s analyze this sandwich from inside out. Sun dried tomato and basil bread, with a sweet undertone around the crusts, a tangy hummus spread on the bread adding a nice kick of flavor and complexity,cilantro,  fresh cucumbers, lettuce, spicy Peppadew  peppers, red onions, and tomatoes…and FETA cheese!!!!  The bread is soft and full of flavor itself.

Inside Shot

And no, I’m not a vegetarian,but this sandwich is good enough to make me order it faithfully at Panera for over 5 years. I have tried other items as well, but this Panera’s Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich with a cup of their epic Iced Green Tea is all I need to have a great day. Plus, it’s under 650 calories!! (or a few little numbers above 650, but not above 670)

Copycat Recipe link!!!! alla *Debbie Does Dinner*

http://debbidoesdinnerhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/09/mediterranean-veggie-sandwich-with.html

Panera’s Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich Yumfactor- 5 tongues!!! I just only wish there were sun-dried tomatoes versus regular ones, but it’s still amazing! Cost- $6.30 including tax.