Tag: boycott

Barilla Campanelle Pasta Review

I call this a “review” but is it really? What can I say about Barilla campanelle pasta that would be in the least original?

Barilla is an Italian mass market brand of pasta which over the last few decades has become the largest producer of pasta in the world. It produces a cheap, consistent and satisfactory product in a variety of markets. Most products for the American market are made right here.

They offer a variety of lines but the “classic” is their standard one. The pasta is pretty neutral and does a good enough job of attaching to the sauce.

My daughter prefers to eat her pasta with butter (or butter substitute) and shredded cheese, and this shape worked well enough with that. Given the hollowness of the bell/flute shape, it probably will work even better with an actual sauce, but I haven’t tried it with that yet. I did like the unusual shape of the pasta, so it gets points for originality.

In general, I find that DeCecco pasta is superior, though more expensive – Barilla can sell for as little as $1/lb.

I’ve boycotted Barilla in the past for their anti-gay stances, and followed their support for genocidal Zionism by buying a brand from a well known genocide-supporter, I think I’ll go back to boycotting it again. Given the mid quality of these pasta, it’s one of those boycotts that are really easy to do.

Chain Restaurant Reviews: Habit Burger

BOYCOTT!

Habit Burger, like sister companies Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut are on the boycott list, as their parent company, Yum brands, invests in Israel. Please help stop apartheid and genocide by Israel by not doing business with companies that financial benefit from the killing, torture, maiming and oppression of Palestinians and who de facto support crimes against humanity.

More information as to why you should boycott Yum brands.

Chain Restaurant Reviews: Taco Bell

BOYCOTT!

Taco Bell, like sister companies Habit Burger, KFC and Pizza Hut are on the boycot list, as their parent company, Yum brands, invests in Israel. Please help stop apartheid and genocide by Israel by not doing business with companies that financial benefit from the killing, torture, maiming and oppression of Palestinians and who de facto support crimes against humanity.

More information as to why you should boycott Taco Bell.

San Leandro Bites: Joe’s Pho

I’m leaving the review below in place for memory’s sake – but Joe’s Pho is in my BOYCOTT list. The owners abuse and mistreat workers. Please read about it.

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This is not as much a restaurant review, as an overall praise of Joe’s Pho, a year-old restaurant located near Bayfair mall. I had never even heard of it until my friend Parker suggested we go there for dinner, as our old friend Eddie was back in town. I’m not a huge fan of pho (or soup in general), so I was reluctant at first – but Parker mentioned it had other food.

God, I’m glad we went. Joe’s Pho not only has an extensive menu, but the food we tried was delicious. Alas, I didn’t want to inconvenience everyone by asking specifically about their dishes – but everyone agreed they liked the food, including my vegetarian and vegan friends (there are plenty of choices for vegans).

Personally, I ordered the basil popcorn chicken appetizer ($9), and was very happy with how tender and flavorful it was. I’ll definitely order it again in my next visit. I also had the grilled beef banh mi ($6.50), a Vietnamese sandwich, and loved the marinated beef. The proportion of beef to veggies was also quite good, and I liked that the bread was a soft bun.

The place itself is large and informal. They have long tables, so it’s perfect for groups. Service was friendly and attentive.

I can’t wait to go there again with my family, at which point I’ll take pictures and write a better review.

Joe’s Pho
15070 Hesperian Boulevard
San Leandro, CA
(510) 363-9691
https://joespho.com/
M-Su 10 AM – 10 PM

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