I first came across Swiss Miss instant cocoa back when I was a kid. We used to drink chocolate milk every afternoon, after coming home from school, made from Nesquik or Toddy powders and hot or cold milk, depending on the season. My dad would prepare it for us and I can still see us, waiting at the kitchen table, while dad mixed it. I can’t recall exactly when or how, the little packages of Swiss Miss came into our lives, but I know they had mini-marshmallows – something I’d never even heard of before. Perhaps my aunt Grace brought them from America when she came to visit my grandmother before she died. Or perhaps my father bought them in Buenos Aires, circa 1979, when Argentina’s currency was artificially strong (just like right now) and the country opened up to imports. In any case, we liked it – but as we were used to mixing the chocolate mix with milk, rather than water, that’s how we prepared it then and how I’ve prepared Swiss Miss mixtures all my life.
The problem is that Swiss Miss powders already have dry milk inside them, so when you mix them with actual milk, the result is a sweet liquid that has very little chocolate taste. Upping the amount of mix simply makes it too sweet to handle.
Come Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate. It ups the amount of chocolate (or chocolate flavor), and while it’s still too sweet, at least hot chocolate made with it tastes like chocolate. The sweetness makes it a very special occasion treat – just thinking about it most of the time makes my stomach churn -, but perfect for when I actually want a lazy hot chocolate.
Tag: reviews (Page 1 of 34)
They looked good…
My husband got me a box of these heart-shaped stuffed madelines ($10) for Valentine’s Day and it was such a lovely gesture. The box came with six red, raspberry jam filled madelines and three nutella-filled ones. I love madelines and was very intrigued. Alas, the idea was better than the reality.
What makes madelines wonderful is their subtle flavor, the slight caramelization of its surface, and their spongy texture. Here, the flavors of the fillings were so strong that you couldn’t taste the madelines themselves. The filling made them very thick, and perhaps for that reason, very dry. It robbed the madelines of their “madelineness” and just made them into a generic jam or nutella filled thick and dry pastry. I just wasn’t a fan.
Unusual and tasty ramen-style noodles
I’ve been eating ramen since college – and I still do from time to time – but I pretty much missed the ramen revolution of the last decade or so. I’ve seen the new ramen styles at the grocery store and read vague reference to them, but I never paid much attention. Filled with carbs and fats, ramen is not particularly healthy, and when I crave it, I want the old, familiar blocks of Top Ramen or Maruchan, with a lot of cheese added for an Argentinian touch.
Still, I saw a box of A-Sha Meteor Noodles with Danzai Sauce on sale in the Grocery Outlet flyer, and I figured I could dip my toes into the ramen craze by trying these. While the ramen was good, I don’t think I’ll hurry to put my whole foot inside it.
These noodles are air dried, rather than fried, so they don’t have much flavor on their own. They have to be boiled in water for 5 minutes, but rather than add a powder to the boiling water to create a broth, you drain them and mix them with the sauce that comes in the pouch. All the flavor comes the sauce. And I just can’t really describe the flavor. It’s savory, maybe somewhat meaty in the way that mushrooms are, but not really tasting of mushrooms, and fully of MSG-produced umami. It’s tasty enough, but not memorable and I can’t imagine myself craving it. If anything, it made me miss regular ramen.
My husband liked it more and had it a couple of times. I don’t think we’d buy it again after we finish this box.
I think we paid $6 for the box of 12 at Grocery Outlet, but its official retail value is $20.
Better than expected and a great (now expired) deal
It’s been a couple of decades since I last ordered pizza from Domino’s, despite having an outlet not very far from my home. Domino’s is definitely not what I think of when I imagine quality pizza, and I had the vague memory I was boycotting it for some reason (apparently, its anti-abortion founder has long divested from the company, though there might be a grassroots boycott due to the behavior of Domino franchises in Israel). Still, I couldn’t remember why and when I saw an ad for large pizzas with up to 7-toppings for $10 ($11 here in the Bay Area), I was tempted. We have pretty much stopped getting take out due to the exorbitant prices, and I been on a cooking strike as of late.
We ended up getting Domino’s a couple of times while the promotion lasted. I was surprised to find that Domino’s pizza is pretty good. The pizzas are nothing to write home about, but they are pretty solid in comparison to other chains and mom & pop pizzeria pizzas – and at $11 while the promotion lasted, they were far, far cheaper. My only real complaint is that the pizzas could have stronger flavors, maybe some oregano would help.
We tried both the handtossed and pan pizzas – the handtossed are on the thin side, and pan are what used to be a normal thickness a few decades ago. The handtossed only comes in medium, which I imagine is a 12″ – the others come in 14″ / large size.
I wouldn’t order Domino’s at the regular price, but I just got a promo for a 2-topping large carryout pizza for $7, and given that I mostly buy pizza for my children and they prefer just cheese pizza, I’ll probably get these at some point. Hey, at that price they are competitive both with 7-11 and supermarket pizza.
I like that Domino’s lets you pay online when you order, or use cash and pay at the store and, of course, that it’s close enough that we can save all fees by walking to get them. Note that this is not a restaurant, there is nowhere to seat, just a kitchen with a counter to pick up pizza.
Domino's
1768 E 14th St
San Leandro, CA
(510) 351-3301
M-Su 10:30 AM - 12 AM
High prices and average food in a town with few choices.
A few weeks ago, rather late in the season, we visited Death Valley to see the spring wild flowers. We decided to come back up north through the road that hugs the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and that’s how we ended up in Lone Pine for the night.
There isn’t much to the little town, but its location is breathtaking. Lone Pine is just one of a plethora of tall, snowy caps that greeted us the next morning and accompanied us much of our way home – if you haven’t driven up 395, I fully recommend it. We arrived in Lone Pine hungry and tired, and went to The Grill simply because we saw it and we were running out of town. I didn’t take any pictures – we were probably just too hungry to think about it.
The Grill is a pretty casual place, with wooden tables and metal chairs in a mostly undecorated dining room. The low lighting at night made it look nicer, however. We sat by the window but this is not a very high-traffic town.
The dinner menu featured sandwiches and burgers, pastas and a sprinkling of other American favorites. The prices were on the high side for this sort of restaurant – but it’s understandable given the remoteness of the location. Still, the quality of the food did not match the prices, even when the quantity did.
I got the Linguini Bolognese ($25), which consisted of a large plate of linguini with a mild meat sauce. I felt that linguini was the wrong pasta to use with this sauce – the noodles were too slippery and did not hold on to the sauce well. The sauce was quite thin and the mince fine enough to slip within the tines of a fork. The flavor was OK, nothing to write home about, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a commercial sauce. The portion was very large – but it still felt like a very overpriced dish.
They offer both a veggie and vegan burger. The former consists of a black bean patty while the latter of a Beyond (or maybe Impossible) burger. My daughter ordered the latter, but the waitress misheard and brought her the Veggie Burger ($20) instead. It was fine, just your typical veggie burger. If you are a vegetarian, you are safe ordering this.
My husband had the Chili Size ($19), a burger smothered with chili. Now, this wasn’t what he expected. He thought it’d just be a chili burger. He should have read the description better as it was, indeed, a burger fully smothered with chili (on top of the bun). It was a total mess but he thoroughly enjoyed it – particularly compared to the “chili” he got for breakfast the following day.
Service was fine, and the experience was overall positive. We’d return, but I wouldn’t order pasta.
The Grill
446 S Main St
Lone Pine, CA
(760) 876-4240
M-Su 9 AM - 8 PM
Blah, just blah, very blah
Our very short trip to see the wildflowers in Death Valley had us in Bishop for breakfast a weekday morning in March. We stopped at Jack’s Restaurant because it was there, clearly visible from the road as we drove through the city. Alas, I think – I hope – there are better choices to be made.
Jack’s Restaurant is your typical coffeeshop/family restaurant. It has dinette seating and booths, and it’s decorated with huge taxidermy fish and other fishing gear. It did bring up the question of just how you preserve a fish. While it’s ran by Latinos, it features your typical all-American breakfast – or perhaps the cartoon version of one. It was affordable, but just not good.
I, as usual, ordered the French Toast ($9). It was made with white sliced bread and served with corn syrup. It was as average as it gets. It wasn’t bad, and the portion was filling, but it was what you’d expect a hurried mother to whip together in a few minutes.
I did also order a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice ($7), and while it really wasn’t large (more like 6 oz), at least it was fresh and quite good.
Mike had the Texas chili and cheddar omelet ($15), which was served with hash browns and your of toast & jelly, biscuit with gravy or muffin, he chose the latter. He was totally disappointed. The “chili” was anything but, it had no beans and no heat, it was just mildly spiced minced beef. Still, the beef did manage to block the natural flavor of the omelet, so the whole thing was just unpleasant.
The hash browns lacked seasoning, but were otherwise OK. The muffin, on the other hand, was a joke. It had the consistency and sweetness of a heavy cake, rather than of a muffin, and I very much suspect it was made with Jiffy mix – it brought me back to my college years when that’s all I could afford. I ate it for nostalgia’s sake, but everyone else passed on it.
My daughter had the pancakes ($7.25 for two). She said they tasted as if they were made from a dry mix. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were.
There are other breakfast places around, so I wouldn’t go back if we find ourselves in Bishop again.
Jack's Restaurant and Bakery
437 N Main St
Bishop, CA
(760) 872-7971
M-Su 7 am - 2 pm
A visit to the Porter Ranch location shows how bad food dooms a restaurant
Once upon a time TGI Friday’s was a happening chain. It was cool, even somewhat hip, offering good burgers and cool drinks. I have a vague memory of going once or twice to the Jack London location (since closed) and not thinking too badly of it. But things have changed in the last few decades, and TGI Friday’s has now become a tired, unappealing chain only to be visited when you are stuck at the airport with no better choices. Indeed, I had an OK meal at the Miami airport location a few years ago.
Still, we were in LA visiting family, and my brother suggested we go to dinner there – he had a coupon. As he can be picky about what he eats, I figured we might as well and so we headed there a week night in March, 2026. It was even worse than I expected.
The restaurant itself doesn’t look too bad, but it’s just tired. It looks like it did back in the 90’s, but with the same wrinkles and sagging we acquired ourselves. It’s as low energy as it gets – pretty much the opposite of what it once signified. The service, however, was very good. Our waiter was extremely patient as my brother tried and failed, time after time, of applying the electronic coupon (here is a hint: order first, and apply the coupon after you get the bill).
I had the boneless wing basket ($11). I wasn’t very hungry, but I wanted to try their famous (as per the reviews I read) whisky sauce. You choose the flavor of the wings and a side – obviously, I went with onion rings.
The 8 “wings” (boneless wings are really just breast slices) were OK, a bit dried and overcooked but I did like the whisky sauce, which was sweet and not too intense. It reminded me of Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, but better. The onion rings were pretty standard. But it was a tired meal, the sort you’d expect from a diner anywhere in America.
My brother had essentially the same thing, only that instead of the “basket” he ordered the small appetizer of boneless chicken wings, as that’s what his coupon was for. Normally, this costs $14 and you don’t get a side, so check under “Meal Deals” to make sure you are not overpaying by ordering from a different part of the menu.
My husband went for the Friday Feast ($32), and it actually hurt paying so much for such a mediocre meal. He chose whisky glazed ribs (half a rack) and fried shrimp, with broccoli and slaw as sides. He thought his meal was just “fine,” – there just wasn’t anything remarkable about it. For the price, there should have been. Indeed, I think the ribs I had at the Miami airport a few years ago were better.
In all, we left unsurprised that TGI Friday’s went bankrupt. And while they have since announced a revamp, it seems to be at the planning stages only. Personally, if I had to go back to TGI Friday’s, I’d stick with the value menu (so at least I’m not paying too much for mediocre food) – but I’ll probably only go back if I’m stuck at an airport without better choices.
TGI Friday's
19855 Rinaldi St
Porter Ranch, CA
(818) 831-2324
M-Su 10:30 AM - 1 AM
Trader Joe’s frozen entrees vary in quality, but I don’t think any are as bad as its Chicken Adobo ($4.30). I’ve rarely had such a bad frozen meal.
It’s hard to know what to say about it beyond the fact that it doesn’t taste at all like chicken adobo. The chicken itself had no flavor, and I think it was probably cooked without seasonings by itself. The sauce was watery, and just not pleasant. The portion looked small, but it was so bad I couldn’t even finish it. In all, just a bad dish.
A nice brunch at this Berkeley institution
For her birthday, my daughter wanted to go out for brunch. This seemed like a lovely idea except for the fact that her birthday fell mid-week, she didn’t want to wake up early enough for breakfast, and she didn’t want to go to a coffeeshop/chain restaurant sort of place. That didn’t leave too many options, so I was happy when a google search reminded me of La Note, a quaint French restaurant in Berkeley. Now almost four decades old, La Note has reinvented itself into a brunch place, serving breakfast and lunch from early in the morning to 2 PM everyday. Exactly what we needed.
I’d been to La Note several times over the decades, both for breakfast and dinner, though apparently the only review I wrote of the place was from my first visit back in 2006. The restaurant has a smallish but very cute and crowded dining room, and a busy and funky decore. It’s more low key than country French, but I like the vibe well enough – my daughter wanted something cuter. We got very lucky in that we were able to snatch a window table – they are elevated and you get to enjoy more light. During weekends, you can stare at the people in line to get in. There is also a patio, though it apparently doesn’t open until 11 AM. This was a rainy, somewhat cool day, so indoor dining was best anyway.
We had a reservation and were seated promptly. We got lemon water and were given adequate time to peruse the menu. We started by sharing a kouign amann ($5), and incredible Breton pastry. This was only the second time I’d had one, and we were blown away at how delicious it was. Unfortunately, they were sold out so we couldn’t get any more. It was so good that I think if we go back, we’ll just order pastries.
For breakfast proper, I had the Pain Perdu au Chocolat ($20), French toast filled with chocolate hazelnut spread (aka Nutella). It was served with butter and a little jar of lavender honey. It was just OK. The bread was just too dry. It probably needed more egg. The portion was very large, and half of it would have been plenty for breakfast. I don’t think I would order it again – or even make it, for that matter.
My daughter had the Brioche Pain Perdu ($20), a French toast made with cinnamon brioche dipped in orange blossom water and accompanied with the same lavender honey and butter. She really liked the bread but wasn’t crazy about the lemon water flavor. At least, this toast wasn’t as dry as the other one. She did decide that she likes cinnamon bread French toast, but would probably order something else next time.
My husband had the Cote Est ($22), a dish of scrambled eggs, choice of pancake and either home fries or bacon. He liked the eggs, they were light and fluffy and cooked perfectly. He was also very fond of the lemon gingerbread pancake he selected. It was served with three slices of poached pear and a little blueberry compote and the whole combination worked very well. It was probably the highlight of his meal. He chose the homefries (not pictured), and these were remarkably tasty. The herbed cubed potatoes might have been baked rather than fried, and they had an amazing consistency, crispy on the outside and melt-in-your mouth inside. They were very nicely seasoned and the portion was quite generous.
We also shared a side of bacon ($6 for 3 slices). It was very tasty, definitely high quality bacon, but it was a little too crispy for our taste.
Both my daughter and I had the mocha ($8.25) but we differed in our assessment. I thought it was pretty good, though I found it a little strong for my taste – though that dissipated once I mixed in the whipped cream. It’s served in a handle-less bowl, and I liked the primitive feel of drinking it. My daughter disagreed completely – she pointed out that even ancient pottery comes with handles and disliked having to use two hands to drink it. She also felt the mocha tasted more of hot chocolate than of coffee. She drank it, but wouldn’t order it again. I might.
Service was friendly and competent – but I was unhappy that a surprise 3% surcharge was added to the bill. Upon enquiring, we learned that it was a tip for the kitchen, as the waitress does not tip out. I guess this means you can leave the waiter 3% less than you planed to, though most people, like us, won’t. Thinking back, it leaves a little of a bitter experience. Just increase the price of each item by 50cents or a dollar and don’t try to deceive customers! I should note, however, that prices have gone up $1.50 to $2 per item (drinks included) vis a vis the menu posted on their website.
In all we had a lovely breakfast. If we returned, however, my daughter and I would probably just order a basket of pastries and eat bacon and potatoes off my husband’s plate.
La Note
2377 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA
(510) 843-1525
M-F 8 AM - 2 PM
Sa-Su 8 AM - 3 PM
But only available in cheese and pepperoni
I had a $10 Doordash credit that I could only use to pick up stuff at 7-11, and we figured we’d use it to try their pizza. I had first heard about it a few years ago, when a cousin was visiting from abroad and found 7-11 pizza an affordable and easy way to feed a picky child. Still, with frozen pizzas available at the supermarket, and lots of pizzerias around, I never had an actual reason to buy it at 7-11 – until now.
I failed to take a photo of the pizza before we ate it – and the photo of the slice is after microwaving it a day after -, but it looked like a normal pizza. It wasn’t bad. My daughter felt it tasted like frozen pizza, but I liked it better than most commercial brands. It has a good amount of garlic in it, which helps flavor it. I wouldn’t necessarily seek it out – but I can see having it again, either to use that $10 credit again or if we wanted something while on the road. The slices, once they cool down a bit, are pretty firm and not too messy.
One of the cool things about 7-11 pizza is that you can buy it cold and have them heat it up for you. This means that you can use EBT (food stamps) to buy it, despite the fact that EBT doesn’t work for hot foods. Given how many people on food stamps don’t have access to a kitchen – or might want to give their kids the “treat” of a “real” pizza, I love this option. I’m not sure whether you save tax if your order it that way too. As I ordered it through Doordash, the pizza was hot and taxed.
The 14′ cheese pizza was $8, so about the same price or cheaper than a frozen/refrigerated pizza at the supermarket.
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