Let's jump right into it. Nose, first!

Oh. Oh, no. Why do they smell like this? 

Seriously, I'm pretty forgiving in terms or aroma, but had I not -just- bought these, and checked that best by date is May 2024, I'd think they'd gone rancid. 

Perhaps they were going for a sharp, provolone cheese, kind of thing here, but it smells like feet and rancid fryer oil. I hate it. And as a New Jersian, who has been adjacent to Philadelphia, the home of the cheesesteak, for 30+years...it's whiz-wit or bust, baby. 

The aroma is actually putting me off, so I am going to try a chip and hope for the best. 

Deep Dish Pizza Cheese Curls - Ollie's Bargain Outlet $1.89

 Deep Dish Pizza Cheese Curls - Ollie's Bargain Outlet $1.89

Ollie's had a trio of novelty Herr's products in stock and the prices were so low I couldn't resist buying them all! Even the flavors I was skeptical of! There were these Deep Dish Pizza curls, giant bags of Jalapeno Popper curls, and (the one I was most skeptical of) Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup curls. My pantry is overflowing with neon orange puffs, so lets see if these are worth hanging on to.

Herr's Chickie's & Pete's Famous Crab Fries Seasoned Chips - 7-Eleven

Herr's Chickie's & Pete's Famous Crab Fries Seasoned Chips 
w/White Creamy Cheese Sauce Flavoring - 7-Eleven

This is quite a long product name, maybe even the longest in Sometimes Foodie history! 

Chickie's and Pete's is a popular crab house/sports bar-chain that only exists in NJ and PA. As far as the atmosphere, it's very similar to a TGIFridays, but the menu (obviously) leans towards seafood. Fear not fish-haters, they offer non-seafood items, like hamburgers, pizza and cheesesteaks too. I mean, how can you sell food in PA without a Philly cheesesteak on the menu? You'd be kicked out of the city! This popular local restaurant chain teamed up with PA's favorite snack company, Herr's, to make chips flavored like their most popular menu item, the crab fries! Being the Jersey-girl-food-blogger that I am, I think I'd lose my east coast foodie card if I didn't give these a try. So I went to 7-Eleven and grabbed myself a bag.

Bar Hygge, Philadelphia, PA - Restaurant Review

Bar Hygge, Philadelphia, PA - Restaurant Review 

It's been ages since I've done a restaurant review! I don't really have a reason as to why it's taken me so long to get back out there and experience the foodie scene, other than I'm a food hoarding recluse, but Philly is right over the bridge and it has a lot to offer. 

Bar Hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) is one of the newest editions to the Philly food scene, and my step-dad and uncle did all it's carpentry! (Which is how I knew this place existed or how to pronounce it's name.) Bar Hygge brews it's own beer, makes unique appetizer boards and entrees (with vegan options), and the building is decorated with tons of recycled materials. It's hipster-y, which has become a dirty word in the food scene, but it all comes together nicely creating a cozy artsy atmosphere without being pretentious.

PYT Groupon Deal for those of you in NJ or PA! (Possible V-day gift!)

Burger and Fries for a year?! For only $144?

Oh man, this is a really tempting Groupon offer, and it's only available until tomorrow! PYT is a nifty burger shop that's just over the bridge from NJ. They serve some unique burgers, as well as some "adult" milkshakes. ("Adult" meaning booze-y. Although I don't know how else you could take that...)

I kind of want to pull the trigger and take advantage of the deal myself, and blog about my burger choices, but I don't know how often I'd be able to make it out there to really get the most out of this deal. I'd most likely only make the trip on the weekend, since I already drive about 2 hours to work and back each weekday, so that's be 4-8 burgers a month.

BURGER MATH TIME!

Okay let's be somewhat realistic and say I got 5 burgers a month, the value ranges from $11-$18 for a burger and fries, the average of that being $14.50.

5 (Burgers) x $14.50 = $72.50 worth of food a month (Not including Tip)

After two months of that, it's already worth the purchase... but that's a lot of bad-for-me foods, I have 24 hours to think about it. Comment below if you think I should do it.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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WMMR: Chuck Eats Fruit for the FIRST Time

This is a local radio show I listen to every day on my way to work, and I thought this segment was just hilarious. I mean, how do you go four decades without eating a strawberry? It just blows my mind!

I have met several adults like this who are extremely picky eaters and have been all their lives. Oddly enough, they were all men. I wonder if it's a genetic thing, maybe something is chemically different in their mouths/brains?

Anyway, watch a grown man eat fruit for the first time!

Summer Ice Pop Tic Tacs - Five Below: Philadelphia,PA

Summer Ice Pop Tic Tacs - Five Below: Philadelphia,PA

It's been such a long time since I've had Tic Tacs! I loved these candies as a kid and they were always inside my Easter basket or holiday stocking. Although they were marketed as a breath mint, I'd easily go through an entire package of peppermint candies in a day, which may not have been healthy, but somehow my love of Tic Tacs petered off when I became an adult.

In the last few years Tic Tac has been releasing fancy limited eidtion flavors, any I never really understood the appeal, until now. This festive little package was released this summer and it recreates on of my favorite summer time popsicles!

Are you going to go to the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival?

Click HERE to see the full list of events

It's that time of year again!

Local crafters and artists, as well as Japanese confectioneries and snack trucks, will be parked at the Horticultural Center in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park to sell their wares and (hopefully) watch the cherry blossoms bloom.

Insomnia Cookies Part 2 - Philadelphia, PA

Insomnia Cookies Part 2 - Philadelphia, PA

Since yesterday's post was getting a little out of hand, I broke my Insomnia Cookies review into two parts. Check out yesterday's post to see my thoughts on this company, the packaging, and their chocolate chip cookie.

I wasn't head over heels in love with the chocolate chip (even though it was delicious), but there are still 4 more delicious cookies to review!

Insomnia Cookies - Philadelphia, PA

Insomnia Cookies - Philadelphia, PA

I don't think I have ever mentioned this before, but I occasionally work in construction. That's right, I'm a construction worker by day and foodie blogger by night. (Sounds like an 80's movie, doesn't it?) It isn't a full time position, I occasionally do painting, finishing, sanding and detail work for my step-dad's company. I have a good eye for detail, so when he gets jobs in fancy (and insanely expensive) apartments in Philadelphia, I usually help out.

Why am I mentioning this? Well I was working with him today, doing some sanding, and there was an Insomnia Cookies store right next to our location! This is a franchise I had heard about a few years ago, and I was really excited to see that I could finally get some cookies to try for myself.

Sometimes Foodie goes to the Barcade in Philadelphia!

Barcade - Philadelphia, PA 

I was staying over my boyfriend's place last weekend when he and his roommate were invited to a last minute birthday party at the Barcade in Philadelphia. Both of them are rather fond of this place and, although I am not into "the bar scene", I tagged along.

As if the name wasn't enough of a hint, my little teaser image tells you exactly what this place is.

Shane Confectionery #3 - Philadelphia, PA

 Shane Confectionery - Philadelphia, PA

This is my last post on Shane Confectionery. (Until I go visit the Oh Sugar exhibit in Philadelphia.)

I have already reviewed 6 classic butter-cream chocolates, read those posts HERE and HERE, which were all made on site in Philadelphia using classic candy making equipment. Today I'll be reviewing this gourmet lollipop and showing you a few photos of the store itself. 

Shane Confectionery is a little candy shop that makes you feel as if you've gone back in time. Advertized as the oldest continuously-run candy store in America, it has been producing sweets for a little over a century! The current owners have done their best to recreate a candy eating experience worthy of the early 1900's, and they have done a splendid job. Looking around the store you can see that everything, from the decor, to the cash registers, is vintage.

Shane Confectionery #2 - Philadelphia, PA

 Shane Confectionery - Philadelphia, PA

I have already reviewed the walnut, lemon, and mint butter-cream candies, which were quite impressive. (Check out the first three chocolates HERE.)  I hope the next three flavors won't disappoint.

All of the chocolates I'll be reviewing today have the same dark chocolate coating, which I already covered in yesterday's review, so I'll focus on the flavored fondant centers.

Shane Confectionery - Philadelphia, PA

 Shane Confectionery - Philadelphia, PA

This started out as one HUGE post but it quickly got out of hand. So I split it up into three! Why three? Because I have 6 different truffles, 1 handmade lollipop, and the store itself to discuss.

Shane Confectionery, produces delicious sweets that are just as beautiful as they are tasty, and I'm not just talking about the packaging. Walking into the shop is just like walking back in time. The owners and staff dress in retro clothing, they use vintage silver cash registers, and the decor is covered in decorations and signs from the early 1900's. With everything being so visually interesting, I took a LOT of photos.

Just look at the chocolate packaging! Everything is so lovely and detailed.

The candy box is white with blue printing, but it also has this lovely textured semi-gloss finish that gives it a pearl-like sheen. It was really difficult to capture that in photographs, but I liken it to the shiny white jewelry boxes from department stores. I don't think I took any photos of the fluted paper wrappers, but each one features the Shane logo and a circular ornate print. Although the candies are the stars of the show, the packaging on it's own is still very well designed and thought out.

The attention to detail doesn't stop at the chocolate box.

When I made my purchase, I received an adorable, blue striped, paper shopping bag, which was tricky to photograph due to the soft sheen of the texturing, but in person it is really lovely. On the front there is a little distressed sticker featuring the company logo, and to be honest I wasn't sure if the sticker was purposefully distressed of not. Either way, it added to the vintage experience.

Enough about the packaging, although it is beautiful, let's eat some chocolate!

Oh Sugar! Philadelphia Candy Exhibit

Image © http://www.phillyseaport.org/OhSugar

I just wanted to let all of you know that there is an awesome exhibition going on in Philadelphia right now, and it features classic candy making equipment! I plan on seeing it later this month, and hopefully blogging about it, but I figured the sooner I could spread the word the better. Hopefully some of you that are close to Philadelphia can come and see it for yourself!

The Berley Brothers, who own The Franklin Fountain (reviewed here, here, and here) and Shane Confectionery in Philadelphia have put over 100 artifacts of candy making history out on display. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am pretty excited.

Check out http://www.phillyseaport.org/OhSugar for more information.

 

Watermelon Smoothie - Tea Dó : Philadelphia, PA

Watermelon Smoothie - Tea Dó : Philadelphia, PA

Sadly, summer is coming to a close. I want to celebrate my last few days of freedom (before starting my final semester of college) by posting some summery foods. Nothing says summer like watermelon, so we’re kicking things off with a refreshing watermelon smoothie.

Late Lunch - Terakawa Ramen : Philadelphia, PA

Late Lunch - Terakawa Ramen : Philadelphia,  PA

Time for another trip to Terakawa Ramen in Philadelphia.
This time I ordered… (From top to bottom.)

• Charshu Onigiri (Roast pork)
• Takoyaki
• Katsu Don

If you’ve been following me for a while you might remember that I have reviewed Terakawa Ramen before. You can read about the restaurant and it’s atmosphere HERE in my last post.

On to the food!

Pokemon Candies (Possibly Gum) -??? : Chinatown, Philadelphia, PA

Pokemon Candies (Possibly Gum) -??? : Chinatown, Philadelphia, PA  

Check out more Pokemon photos in yesterday’s post!

Time to discuss some packaging, and (prepare to be shocked) this is another item where I have absolutely no complaints or suggestions for the design! This is aimed at kids, so it’s bright and colorful, and I feel like this packaging was very well thought out. The stickers are a nice touch, which can make this a collectable item (much like the entire Pokemon franchise) or you can just enjoy the candy. There were different character strips and stickers available in the store, personally I chose this one because of Pikachu and Pidove.
This is adorable, fun to photograph, and functional. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Meiji Banana Choco -??? : Chinatown, Philadelphia, PA

Meiji Banana Choco -??? : Chinatown, Philadelphia, PA  

This was a candy I bought solely because of the packaging. Just look at it! It’s freaking adorable. (Although some of the illustrated bananas kinda look like condoms…)

Although the illustrations and color palette are quite simple, the box is brilliantly detailed. The top flap pops open to easily dispense the banana candies and there is a removable banana peel that reveals your future luck. Sadly I can’t read any of it. If anyone can translate, please send me a message.

Thank you bealuhan!

There was a lot of thought put into this design and I absolutely love it.

Pomegranate Hard Candies -??? : Chinatown, Philadelphia, PA

Pomegranate Hard Candies -??? : Chinatown, Philadelphia, PA  

Time for another, potentially yummy, Chinatown goodie review.
I don’t remember which little shop I purchased this from, but it was somewhere near Arch Street.

This time the packaging is very simple, even more so than the Airheads, but I think it is visually stunning. I love the bold red on white design and the photograph at the top of the bag is absolutely gorgeous. (Look at that splash of juice!) It is rare, but I actually have absolutely no complaints about this design. This bag is simple, functional, and beautiful. (It’s resealable to boot!)

I’m pretty familiar with the gummy candies made by Kasugai, which are amazingly delicious, but I have never had their hard candies. (I can’t imagine they’d be bad though…)