Epic Portions

Tag: reviews

  • Epic Product Reviews: Multigrain Pringles

    Before I begin my review of Multigrain Pringles, I would like to acknowledge that we have spoken about Pringles quite often here at EP.  There is precedent for this; for example, Ernest Hemmingway once wrote a little known novel called A Farewell to Pringles.  And did you know that the original title of Tolstoy’s War and Peace was War, Peace, and Pringles?  So now that you are up to date on the noble literary tradition of writing about Pringles, let us explore the new Multigrain version of this mouthwatering muse.

    Multigrain Pringles…you are better off puting tennis balls in the can and sharing with your Golden Retriever.

    Alliteration aside, I feel I need to begin my review by saying that Multigrain Pringles ARE NOT mouthwatering.  Once every couple months I get a Pringles craving.  When I buy a can, it is usually gone within two days after my wife and son discover it.  So while shopping at Kroger last week, I noticed the addition of Multigrain Pringles to the lineup, and since they were on sale for quite a bargain price I took a chance.  Did I expect them to achieve the deliciousity of Original Pringles, or my favorite, Cheesy Pringles?  No, but I honestly did expect them to be pretty good.  They fell short of even that low expectation.

    Maybe it is the fact that they taste so unlike what I expect in a Pringle.  Maybe it is the fact that they are so dramatically inferior to the world’s number one multigrain chip, Sunchips.  But the greatest evidence of their poor taste is the fact that half the can is still in my cupboard after one week.   They aren’t awful, but the only thing I could say after eating one was…why?  What is the point?  Does anyone seek out Pringles when hoping looking for a healthy snack?

    You call them, MISTER Sunchips!

    I know why Pringles unleashed this culinary disgrace on the market.  Everything is going Multigrain.  Multigrain is the new fat free.  So, we as consumers now have to wade through a new layer of crap when shopping.  Here is a tip:  If a product you know and love is advertising themselves as Multigrain after having a perfectly acceptable product for many years, it is a marketing scam.  Why not try to wring a few extra bucks out of obese America.  We’re all so worried about our weight that we are desperate for anything, even Multigrain Pringles.

    I still don’t know why Pringles felt the need to do this.  Yes, yes, I understand marketing and grabbing a slice of the latest fad.  But Pringles already makes fat free diarrhea chips with Olestra.  Notice how they latched on to that fad as well.  Does Frito-Lay even make their disgusting WOW brand chips anymore?

    Wow! Now with 33% more abdominal cramping!

    So what can I say…avoid Multigrain Pringles.  I did try Original and not the cheesy flavor but I can’t possibly see how fake cheese powder can dramatically improve this product.  Spend an extra buck or two and buy Cheddar Sunchips.  Now if you will excuse me, I am going to return to the latest tome I am reading:  John Steinbeck’s classic, The Pringles of Wrath.

  • Epic Product Reviews: Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager

    I was at my local Kroger a couple weeks ago when I spotted a vague sign for something called Summerfest.  Without thinking much of it, I wondered if it was some summer concert series with a mismatched amalgamation of bands.  Ani DiFranco, Slipknot and Death Cab for Cutie on stage all together!  Turns out it was a beer display, which brought much joy to my heart.

    According to Kroger, summer beer begins with Bud Select, Miller Lite Chill, Bud Light and Labatt Blue.  But located on the bottom of the pile was something I had never laid eyes on before.  It read:  Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager.  I was very excited, “Look Evie, Summerfest Beer from Sierra Nevada!,” I exclaimed to my one year old daughter.  Ignoring the looks from the super judgey Moms around me, I grabbed a 12 pack and added it to my cart. 

    Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager

    Summerfest advertises itself as a “pilsner style lager” which prepared me for something new from my old buddies from Chico, CA.  This wasn’t going to be the hoppy blast of their amazing pale ale or their rich smoky stout.  I prepared my taste buds with some homemade Mexicali Dip and popped open my first bottle.

    The first drink went down very crisp, with a lemony flavor.  I could tell this was going to be a very light drinking experience, the kind of beer that demands you have more than one.  But what hit me the most was the pleasant floral finish, something akin to what you get from Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, but very subtle.  It made what was going to be a good beer, very good, bordering on great.  All in all a very solid effort, easily in the same league as Sam Adams Summer Ale and Bell’s Oberon to name two.

    If you expect a pleasurable drinking experience from Sierra Nevada Summerfest, you will not be disappointed.  Overall, I recommend that the beer loving EP readership give Summerfest a shot.  It will not disappoint, and provides a new and welcome addition to the summer beer selection.

  • Epic Product Reviews: Chocolate Cheerios

    As the parent of two young children, Cheerios are a staple at our house.  Which kind of sucks because Cheerios are pretty bland and boring.  It is, however, a healthy cereal and a nice finger food for my one year old.  We have eaten many of the other offerings from Cheerios:  Apple Cinnamon (good), Multi Grain (boring), Fruity (better than Fruity Pebbles, but high in sugar) and Frosted (pointless).  So I was quite hopeful when a couple months ago I found Chocolate Cheerios on the shelf at my local food chopper.

    Choco-Cheerios

    Thus begins a new feature on Epic Portions:  Epic Product Reviews.  Today I delve into the world of Choco-Cheerios, as my son calls them. 

    The first thing I did when I found the aforementioned Choco-Cheerios was check the nutritional information.  What I found left me pleasantly surprised, Chocolate Cheerios come out pretty favorably.  Much lower in sugar than Cocoa Puffs or Cocoa Pebbles, almost as good as regular Cheerios.  Which makes sense, and thank you to the good people at General Mills for doing what is obvious:  Just add some cocoa powder to your regular Cheerios recipe and you can add flavor without creating something equivalent to Sugar Frosted Chocolate Bombs.

    Good for Spaceman Spiff, but not my kids

    As for flavor, Choco-Cheerios are pretty solid.  If you are looking for an overdose of chocolate flavor in the morning, you may want to stick with Cocoa Puffs.  The chocolate in Choco-Cheerios is somewhat subtle, which is probably what allows it to remain relatively good for you.  And while it does leave a nice chocolate milk mixture behind, it is not as rich as Cocoa Puffs.  Kind of a shame, because one of the joys of eating Cocoa Puffs is the delicious soup of chocolate milk left at the bottom of the bowl.

    Overall, I have to give Chocolate Cheerios a big thumbs up, we have a hard time keeping it around at my house as my wife also loves it.  Good flavor, and a relatively healthy selection.  Want to up the healthy quotient?  Try this tip:

    First, acquire a large Tupperware container not unlike the one Sarah Marshall purchased for Peter in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  Then, purchase a box of Chocolate Cheerios and a box of regular Cheerios.  Pour the entire contents of both boxes into the Tupperware container.  Mix well, pour into your favorite cereal bowl and enjoy.  Now that is eating healthy, Epic Portions style.