Hiatus

Fillies and gentlecolts,

It's almost zap apple jam time, and you know what that means... I'm going to have to go away for a little while to focus on some veeeery important (and delicious) work. I know this blog ain't so big and I don't got many readers, but I thought I'd extend y'all the courtesy of telling y'all I'll be away for about a month or so to hunker down. I'll be back with more healthy and scrumptious foods than ever.

Don't be a stranger, now.

~Nina

(food)Review: Sprinkles Cupcakes

Clockwise from left: vanilla, strawberry, red velvet, raspberry (seasonal)

Now these babies really don't need an introduction. Sprinkles is probably the most popular cupcake place in the Bay Area due to their size, taste, and founder's popularity. They're on my top 10 list for cupcakes (which only has maybe 6 stores on it, but I won't tell if you won't), and my number 1 for cupcakes in a drivable distance.

I like Sprinkles for two reasons: one, their sprinkled vanilla, and two, their frosting. Almost every other cupcake place in the area has frosting that's either too soft, melty, or messy. Sprinkles' frosting is firm, flavorful, and complements the cake perfectly. The only thing I don't like about them is their dot decoration on top, which is edible but tastes like a communion wafer made from Playdoh.

Their sprinkled vanilla is probably my most favorite cupcake ever -- it has all the textures you could possibly want and they don't clash at all. The sprinkles are pleasantly crunchy, the frosting is thick and delicious and the cake is firm but tender. Their other flavors are always pretty good as well, and each month they rotate with 2 seasonal flavors, though sometimes I think their red velvet is just a little too sweet and a little too red...

(No, I won't make a Pinkamena reference.)




Sprinkle's direct competitor in this area is Kara's, and for the life of me I cannot understand why. I have had Kara's Cupcakes twice, and twice I have been disappointed. Their frosting is nondescript, but their cake is disgusting, dry, and crumbly. I always see people in Kara's and I just wonder at how they can settle for less-than-average cupcakes, even if they're conveniently located in yuppie central-I mean, Santana Row. Hopefully I have convinced you, dear reader, not to settle for less.

Overall: 9/10 big cupcakes, big flavor, big love
Pinkie's rating: sleeping off a sugar high

Sprinkles Cupcakes official website

(food)Review: NewTree Love Chocolate collection

The catty guy in the back is by Andrew Yang of Stitchmind, a local SF artist

Finally, a review of something not from a subscription box! Yes, I do have a bit of a problem. I decided to get these on a whim because I needed to make $25 on my Amazon purchase, and I think we've all been there before. I'm not quite sure why I bought chocolate though, as I'm not a huge chocolate person...

I'm a fan of their cute names, though I wouldn't call ginger "Sexy". "Fiesty" maybe. "Rambunctious," even.

I'm, however, not a fan of this brand. My standard for organic chocolate is and may forever well be Dagoba, where even the really high cacao content chocolates are still smooth and chocolatey rather than gritty and bitter. This brand falls more in the latter category. The taste isn't that bitter, but it just doesn't have enough taste to make up for the lack of sugar. Even the ginger flavor isn't quite snappy and gingery enough, and sometimes it tastes like I'm eating plastic in chocolate form. The cherry was downright gross and didn't have nearly enough cherry flavor. I ended up throwing the rest of it away and had another jonboy caramel.

It might be because I bought these from Amazon so the wrappers were a bit faded and worn out, but the general design was still okay, if a bit uninspired. However, if I judged a book by its cover, I would be right this time.

2/10: blech! three hoofs down! learn2chocolate

NewTree official website

(box)Review: Love With Food

After I found out that Foodzie was no longer doing subscription boxes I was so. very. devastated. They were my first subscription box and I usually loved every single thing I got in those boxes. I know you can still buy them off Joyus, but if I have to actually go and buy them I'd rather just pick what I'd want at Whole Foods.

So when they announced that they stopped shipping boxes in August, I went on a quest to find another box to replace my beloved Foodzie. Out of the more popular and longer running boxes I was left to choose between Love With Food and Gotham Box. I went with LWF first and I'll probably end up trying GB later, just because they seem to have the same kind of local and artisan flavor that Foodzie had.

A pony background and a Rainbow Dash. Box is automagically 20% cooler.

At first glance, the box is definitely a lot smaller -- about half the size -- than the Foodzie box and not as nicely packed, but there's no padding or filler. Most of the products aren't full size and some of them aren't even "sample" sizes; they're just individual pieces taken from a bag. The cost is also much cheaper than the Foodzie box, though, so value-wise it's not that big of a deal.

Info card. Cute graphic.

The product quality really runs the gamut from gas station munches to health nut Vegan. I'm not too picky when it comes to what I snack on, but if I'm getting a curated box I kind of want something I've never seen before and actually want to try and keep buying, not convenience store fare. Of course, I'll be doing individual snack reviews later, too, so keep an eye out for those.

Write-ups for the snacks

I do, however, give them props for explaining each snack and actually giving good reasons for what they included, even if they might not have been the "best" choice. The card is nicely designed and easy to read, unlike Conscious Box's (though they have SO much in each box that I forgive them).

I will not do a value comparison for LWF because they donate a meal for every box that is bought, and I feel like that generosity (hi Rarity!) and charity is much more important than getting "my money's worth" out of this box.

Overall: 6/10 okay food for a good cause, but you can do better LWF

PS: Speaking of Rarity, would anyone like to donate a Rarity toy to me for my reviews? I have all of the ponies and most of them styled, but no Rarity, and I have some clothing subscription box reviews coming up that I know she wouldn't want to miss. Thanks readers <3

(restaurant)Review: Little Chef Counter Sunday Brunch

Loco Moco

I had first heard of Little Chef Counter during my foie gras expedition back in mid-July. They're located in the new and happening San Pedro Square in San Jose, one of the city's best kept secrets (ssh!). This was one of the only restaurants that had foie that wouldn't involve a big to-do and an even bigger dinner bill, so Bear and I went to check it out one Saturday night. Sadly, their foie wasn't all that great (probably B grade instead of A, so it was flavorful but kind of veiny) and their poutine just wasn't gravy enough, but we decided to come back for brunch on a later day because it's our favorite -- and because they offered fried chicken and waffles.

Unfortunately, I did not take photos of the first brunch we had at LCC, but it wasn't too great for me. I got the chicken and waffles, which comes in a waffle cone rather than a traditional American waffle. I give them props for originality, but again it just wasn't gravy enough so the combination of cone and chicken ended up being really dry and a bit lacking in taste. The chicken was also a bit overcooked, so all in all their C&W was a failure in my book. Oh well, the search for 900 Grayson-quality C&W continues...

Spam Hash

Our second trip yielded much better results, seen above. I got the Loco Moco and Bear got the Spam Hash like he did last time, and we were both pretty happy with the results. The LCC version of the Loco Moco is made with a fried risotto patty, to up the salty fried grease factor (and then double it). The hamburger patty was surprisingly phenomenal with a rich, grilled, beefy taste and the combination of the egg yolk and rice and gravy made this dish a must have.

The Spam Hash seems to be made with fry-cut potatoes, spam, red peppers, with a fried egg on top. From what I tried the flavors were great, but Bear thinks it could do with a little more gravy and one more egg.

and probably some Tabasco. What, it's good!

We also had Treatbot for dessert our first night and B2 coffee for brunch. I highly recommend B2, they're great coffee with an unpretentious vibe -- not speaking for the clientele, though -- and they even do latte art for you without you even having to ask. 6 hoofs!

LCC: 9/10 improve a bit and get to stardom.

Little Chef Counter official website

(food)Review: Tea Era .Boba. .Bubble. .Pearl. Tea

I'm not gonna lie, Tea Era in Mountain View makes my most favorite pearl tea ever, so this review is going to be plenty biased (but reviews are biased anyway, so...). Their two signature teas are the roasted oolong and the roasted barley, both of which are brewed in-house and not made from powders. As such, sometimes the flavors may be a bit lighter or stronger depending on when you go and how their batches turn out, but for the most part you won't be disappointed if you like either of those flavors. The roasted barley is a nice coffee substitute for when you don't want the caffeine, and you get a nice beauty and cooling benefit from the barley, too. Oops, is my Asian showing?

Strawberry flavor with real chunks of strawberry!

Tea Era does use powders for most of their other flavors and non-dairy/powder creamer for their milk, like most pearl tea cafes. They say it's because it gives a much nicer milky flavor than milk does, without drowning out the tea. However, where Tea Era really shines are the PEARLS! These pearls are the best -- I believe they soak them in honey or some sort of light syrup so that they're slightly sweet and stay firm and QQ (chewy). A lot of the other chain brands usually soak their pearls in water or keep them for too long, making them really mushy and sticky and inconsistent. The Verde just a few blocks away is guilty of this -- I once had a cup where the pearls were all mush, and my cousin's cup had undercooked pearls that were still hard in the middle. Gross.

Roasted oolong, large size.

Tea Era also sweetens their tea just right. A lot of other places I've been to have teas so sweet that I feel like I have to drink water after, but not Tea Era's. Of course, if your tastebuds are even more sensitive than mine, you can always ask for half sweet or not-sweet. They offer a LOT of flavors and I am not even close to trying them all yet. They also offer different chewies, like konjac jelly and pudding. There are some flavors that aren't as good as others (Thai Tea comes to mind, since I don't think they make theirs fresh), but for the most part you can't go wrong.

9/10

Tea Era's Yelp page
271 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041

(food)Review: Beecher's Flagship Cheese Crackers

Just like the peanut taffy I wrote about a few days ago, these Beecher's crackers are like an adult version of our favorite childhood snacks. This came from the July (and very last) Foodzie box, which was Seattle themed. They were a little crunched up from the ride, but it still tastes all the same.

The crackers taste like a more sophisticated Cheez-it, without the salt crystals, artificial coloring, and snack-guilt. I think the comparison, though, rather than demeaning it, actually helps because it is definitely a healthier alternative to Cheez-its. The texture is more like a wafer cracker than a flaky Cheez-it, and the size is about 4 times as big so you can put toppings on it or dip it in whatever you like.

These crackers are truly all-natural, with no "flavors" or colors. They're made with real cheese (their own cheese!) and it shows in the taste. These can belong anywhere from a gamer's desk to a high-society event. I highly recommend these as a snack or as part of an appetizer or cheese plate.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese

(food)Review: JustGreatStuff bar, Organic Superberry Acai

Here we have another healthy snack review, brought to you by the July Conscious Box. Conscious Box often includes healthy raw snacks such as this one, and I'm pretty sure they're always vegan as well. The box is really great for those with allergies and restricted diets looking to discover new goodies.


Anyway, I asked Fluttershy to do this review with me but she was being a little shy, so I guess you guys are just going to have to put up with me. This bar tastes a lot like an adult fruit snack, with little hints of something else because of the unique berries such as goji and acai. The goji taste is probably what you'll notice the most, so if you're not a fan of goji, I would give it a miss. Even though cashews are first on the ingredients list, it looks and tastes like more fruit than cashews. If you've had a Larabar, think of that, except twice as soft.

As you can see from the nutrition facts and ingredients, this bar is great for natural energy before a workout, during a hike, or as a snack. There's not a whole lot of protein so it's probably more appropriate for a cardio or endurance workout, unless if you supplement with a drink or another bar. Another great thing about this bar is that it includes superfoods and uses non-white sugar, so it's a nice, guilt-free, sweet snack.

All in all, it's just a great healthy snack and a great tasting bar. Get some!

Betty Lou's, the makers of JustGreatStuff

(food)Review: Salty Road Salty Peanut Taffy

This is yet another snack from the June Foodzie box. At first I thought I would hate it -- I admit it, I usually dislike anything that is made with peanut butter, although I will eat it straight with a spoon. Luckily, this taffy tastes exactly like salty peanut butter out of a jar, but with a creamy taffy consistency.

Not all of it's salty all the way through; there are salt crystals suspended in the candy so you get a pop of flavor and texture with every bite. There is also a subtle honey and cream flavor to it, so it's not just a one-note candy. It's really both fun and sophisticated.

Like a party in your mouth?

Yup, Pinkie Pie; exactly like a party in your mouth.

Ingredients-wise, it's a toss up. It's far healthier for you than conventional candy because of the lack of artificial colors and flavors, but it does use corn syrup for consistency and, let's face it, is still largely a hunk of sugar. Still, for a hunk of sugar, it's tasty, handmade, and good for adults and kids alike.

Well... maybe just for adults. ;)

The Salty Road homepage

(restaurant)Review: Arcadia

Cocktail menu

Woohoo! It's my first restaurant review. Now, Arcadia isn't exactly a hidden gem in San Jose -- it's connected to the Marriott in downtown -- and it's also a Michael Mina restaurant. I have a confession to make; I like this place much more than the actual Michael Mina in SF. MM is a fine dining restaurant akin to Applejack's Manehattan relatives' favorite place, with small portions of nicely arranged food. Arcadia, on the other hand, is a fancy but also rough-and-tumble steakhouse in the heart of Silicon Valley. It's right next to the hotel bar, TANQ, so it can and does get a little noisy sometimes during events.

FYI, this review is actually a combination of two visits only a few days apart from each other. Why? Well, as some of you may know, foie gras was banned in California on July 1, 2012. I absolutely love foie gras, so my partner decided to take me on a foie tour of our area before the ban. Unfortunately, I only had the same foie gras dish on both visits because Arcadia actually stopped serving their foie gras sliders the day before. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Strawberry Rhubarb Royal

 Let's start with the drinks. All of the drinks I've tried at Arcadia are quite good, but they are fairly expensive. The Royal above was fantastic; it wasn't too boozy nor sweet and had a nice, distinctive flavor. It tastes a bit like something you would drink at Thanksgiving Dinner (for the Americans out there) because of its sparkling and somewhat cider-y quality.

Manhattan

Honeybear's favorite cocktail is the Manhattan, and Arcadia's doesn't disappoint. None of the ingredients were overpowering, it wasn't uber-boozy like Manhattans can be, and it was an easy drink. I normally hate them, but even I would order Arcadia's again.

Ginjo Raspberry Sake

Another drink as refreshing as it sounds. Again, it wasn't too sweet and had the perfect balance of alcohol and mixer. My partner ordered this drink and enjoyed it.

Le Bouffon

 Now this was a drink I regretted ordering. It wasn't bad per se, but it does have Absinthe in it, which makes it overpoweringly licorice flavored. Great if you like Absinthe or licorice... bad if you don't. I normally don't mind a bit of licorice, but this drink was almost like drinking straight black licorice.

Bourbon Bramble

Phew, okay, last drink. This drink, surprisingly, is the sweetest of the bunch, possibly due to the quality and smoothness of the bourbon. It comes with little bits of blackberry and orange, which I liked but could be weird for people who like their drinks clear.

Now, on to the appetizers...

Yummy butter and tapenade

Yummy, warm!! bread. I can't tell you how much I appreciate restaurants that serve their bread warm.

Lobster Corn Dogs

These. Were. Amazing! My partner wanted to try these because of the concept, even though he hates lobster. However, these were made with lobster dogs and were so tasty, we ordered them again on our next visit. They don't have the weird gumminess and sometimes artificial taste that school lunch corn dogs have, and the mustard sauce it came with accentuated it perfectly. They're both airy and flavorful at the same time and would be perfect with either a casual lunch or a fancy dinner.

Ahi Tuna Tartare

This is a dish Arcadia is famous for, unfortunately, neither of us liked it. It might have been an off night, but the dish we had was so overpowered with sesame oil that all we tasted was sesame oil with Asian pears. The fish was really fresh, though, so it was a shame that the dish was so one note.

Braised Beef Potato Skins

We ordered this thinking it would be a slightly tarted up version of the typical TGI Fridays potato skin, but we were pleasantly surprised when this came out. These were cheesy, beefy, tender, and just potato-y enough that I could make an entire meal out of them. They also came with a horseradish sour cream that took the edge off the richness and gave it a subtle freshness. Delicious.

Oysters

Lastly, oysters. I love these types of oysters as they're not as briney-salty as the typical oysters you get (the ones with the giant shells and the giant meaty parts, you know, very James Bond). I believe these are Kumamotos and Miyagis, which are smaller but chewier and meatier. The taste is much more substantial and sweet, and they hold up to sauces better than the typical oysters. I always eat them with just lemon, though. Is best. These were really small, though, so they weren't a great buy for the money.

Now, onto the entrees.

Arcadia is a very decent steakhouse. This strip steak was very decent. There's not too much else to say here.

Filet Mignon with Potato Cake, Portobello Mushrooms, Chard, and Hudson Valley Foie Gras

This is the dish I came for and ended up ordering twice because they stopped serving their sliders. The foie was perfect, if a bit small. The steak was tender, the cake and chard a good compliment. The wine sauce really tied the dish up.

Duck Fat Fries

Artichoke dish with a coddled egg

Bone Marrow

The sides were pretty good, too. The fries were really tasty, perfectly fried, and went well with or without ketchup. The artichoke dish was a little weird and I couldn't really get into it, even though I like artichokes and I love over easy eggs. The marrow was... blech. I thought they would be more like the marrow from a braised lamb shank, but instead they were pretty flavorless and came with a weird topping. If you're not used to eating marrow, I would give this a miss.

*breathes*

Well, that's the end of the review! We didn't have dessert because their dessert menu didn't look all that interesting to us, though they have pretty typical desserts for this type of restaurant. My final verdict is... go here! It's usually not terribly busy, and there's usually always seats at the bar if they run out of tables. Most of their dishes are great, and you could definitely make a meal out of the appetizers if you don't like steak or are low on cash.

8/10 almost everything is amazing, and if you're at Fanime and can afford it, definitely go here!

Arcadia, a Michael Mina restaurant

(food)Review: Hannah's Naturals Strawberry & Cream Mini-Swirl Lollipop

 

Oh, lollipops. Where should I begin? They're fun to eat, make you feel like a kid again, and are so very bad for you. Thankfully, we now have some alternatives to make us feel a little better about eating candy, because by doing so we're totally saving the world.

(Excuse the poor shape of the lollipop, I accidentally dropped it once and then left it in my car on a hot summer's day, which fused the candy into the shape of the wrapper somewhat.)

These adorable lollipops are from Hannah's Naturals, which makes lollipops using only natural ingredients, including natural food dyes. I received this lollipop in the June Foodzie tasting box, themed on carnival/boardwalk goodies. They taste just like they sound, although the cream part of it is more like a candy "cream", rather than a true, rich cream flavor you would get with a candy that actually contained cream, such as a Sees lollipop. The strawberry flavor is nice, fresh and clean tasting, unlike other conventional strawberry candies. For some reason I can't put my finger on, the flavor reminds me of Christmas.

Nutritional Facts

The size is a little awkward for people with small mouths -- which I am not a part of -- but is small enough to finish in one sitting. The texture is airy due to the baking soda, and because of that the lollipop can have a lot of bigger air bubbles, so be careful because it gets sharp near the end. The entire lollipop can last a little more than an hour, so it's perfect for a movie or a reading snack.

Since the lollipop doesn't contain coloring from beetles, it should be suitable for those on a vegetarian diet. I'm not a big fan of the corn syrup in there, but if I ever see another Hannah's lollipop in a different flavor, I may just have to give into my inner Pinkie Pie and have a taste of that colorful spiral. 

As of this writing, I could not find a website for Hannah's. The closest I could find was Madrona Specialty Foods at Candy.com.

(health)Review: Natural Vitality Energy28

Like I said I would, I'm reviewing Natural Vitality's Energy28 supplement that came in this month's Conscious Box. Unfortunately, I tried it while I was at the gym, so I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it. All of the nutritional information is here at their website, so if this interests you, go check it out!

First of all, this is a non-caffeine-based energy supplement. I know some of you out there are immediately scoffing at the idea of getting energy from anything but caffeine and sugar, but trust me, this stuff works! It contains maca, which is being touted nowadays as a vegan superfood and energy-giver, due to its abundance of B vitamins and its positive effects on hormone balance. It even purportedly increases libido and sexual function in men... ladies.

*eyebrow raise*

All joking aside, maca also contains essential minerals such as calcium and potassium, along with amino acids.

Energy28 also contains D-Ribose, which is used by the body in metabolic pathways and is the R in RNA. According to NV, D-Ribose is used up in metabolism faster than it can be produced, so supplementing D-Ribose should theoretically boost stamina and endurance.

The other two ingredients, golden chlorella and rhodiola, are plant based and provide energy through essential minerals and vitamins, as well as Omega-3-6-9 oils from the chlorella.

"But girl," you might say, "what about the taste? Does it even work?"

I'm already 20% cooler than the original Hasbro toy!

I'm getting to that, Rainbow Dash. The taste isn't exactly cupcakes and candy, but it's... fine. It's a little tart and acidic, so be careful not to hit the back of your throat when you're taking it. Since you only have to take a bit of it, you can get away with downing a spoonful without dealing with a huge can of foul-tasting energy drink. It's also nowhere near as bad as NV's liquid vitamin supplement, which is similar, with a added hit of vitamin bottle funk and a slight bitterness.

As for effectiveness, yes, it does work! I was feeling pretty blobby up until my workout time, and one shot of this really perked me up. It doesn't make you jittery and hyper like caffeine does, instead providing a stream of energy that lasts as long as you need it to.

So next time you're at the gym or at the races, if you can get over your caffeine addiction and the taste, try a shot of this and see how you do!

I'm on it!

(health)Review: Vita Rocks

I first came across Vita Rocks from the June Conscious Box, which is a subscription box that usually includes lesser known green and health products that even Whole Foods sometimes doesn't carry. The June box seemed to be energy, workout, and vitamin-themed, and included products such as Vega One, Natural Vitality Energy (which I intend to review at a later date), and deodorant. They included both a Lemon Burst and a Cherry Blast flavor, which I tried a few weeks ago as well.

Peeking inside...

First of all, taste-wise, the rocks are actually pretty tasty. It's definitely nothing like the Pop Rocks you had as a kid, if you grew up in the 90s like I did, but it's sufficiently sweet and lemon flavored, with just a slight tartness. There is some "vitamin" taste to it, but it's not too noticeable, and the flavoring does its job of covering it up. However, the Cherry flavor does have a bit more prominent vitamin taste, probably due to the cherry flavor not being as strong as the lemon. The popping takes me back to a more innocent time, when the only chance I had to eat Pop Rocks was at the local community pool.

Nutritional Facts

In terms of nutritional value, these rocks aren't bad. I would recommend either using it as a workout supplement rather than as a complete vitamin replacement, as there are some key minerals missing such as Iron, or using it as a boost due to the abundance of B vitamins. Another bummer is that it does contain lactose, so it's not appropriate for vegans nor individuals sensitive to lactose. As a closing note and a serving suggestion, I recommend pouring the vitamins into your mouth, as moisture can make the little pebbles clump and stick to the package. Happy Rocking!

Vita Rocks

Hello, my name is...

The ever scary first post! Hello world, this is my food/art/restaurant review blog, mainly based in the Bay Area. I started this blog because I noticed that, back when I was reading foodblogs, there were no prominent blogs about restaurants in the Silicon Valley, as they were all based up in SF/East Bay. I hope to rectify that with my blog.

I will also be doing green product reviews, food product reviews, and occasionally feature some local and not-so-local independent art. I am a huge geek as well, and I game, watch Star Trek and Doctor Who, and love ponies...

No, not that kind of pony...

No, not that either... although you're getting warmer.

There you go! Yes, my friends, I am a brony (or pegasister, if you prefer). My little critters will sometimes pop up in my product and food reviews to help me out, so keep a sharp eye out for them! Lastly, I hope you all enjoy and can take away something from the blog. Happy eating!