"It's as if a standard sour cream and onion chip took a trip down the condiment aisle"

Lay's Wavy Cuban Sandwich (Limited Time Flavor) - Walmart

In college, I worked at Panera Bread, and it was awesome. Mainly because of our epic work-family, (imagine a soup and sandwich version of Empire Records), but the food was pretty great too. I still eat there today, (which is something I can't say for another food-related job I had as a teen). Panera will always hold a special place in my heart, and my stomach. I like to recreate stuff in my kitchen all the time. Especially the older discontinued stuff, like their Cuban chicken panini. 

Americanized as it was, it was my first experience with the sandwich, and I loved it. The Panera take had focaccia bread, sweet and spicy pickle chips (closest I have found are the horse radish pickle chips from Aldi),  ham, chicken, tomato-based-whole-grain-mustard, chipotle mayo and swiss cheese, all toasted in the panini press. It is a pretty far cry from a legit Cuban sandwich, but I didn't know that back then. 

A legit Cuban has: ham, roasted pork (not chicken), salami, swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. Which looks like what this chip flavor is based on. The real deal. So, which take will taste more legit? My bastardized Panera sandwich of choice, or these chips? 

Sweet & Salty Clusters...of lies!

Chocolate covered potato chips are sweet and salty, with the added bonus of a crispy texture, what's not to love? 

Well, unlike most consumers, I have been spoiled. Aunt Charlottes, a confectionary located in Merchantville, NJ, makes the best chocolate covered potato chips of all time. 

It's true! I have tried big-brand chocolate potato chip products, and even made some attempts at my own, but none of them compare to Aunt Charlotte's. 

The chocolate used for their chips is incredibly smooth and sweet, more like European style chocolate than when we're used to in the states, and the flavor blows brands like Hershey's out of the water. (Which is basically chocolate flavored wax at this point.) Their good-quality chocolate has a lovely mouth-feel, and somehow, even after dipping, the chip stays crisp and crunchy. It is the best of the best....that said, how do these "clusters" compare? 

Triple Sweat, I Mean Threat - 3 Lay's Summer Flavors

Lay's Summer Potato Chips (3-Flavors) 

If any of you have been walking down the junk food aisle lately, you'll know Lay's has been quite busy. It released these three flavors for summer, and it just released three more wacky junk food mash-up flavors, Cheetos, Funyuns, and Cool Ranch Doritos, but in potato-chip form. I've been on the lookout for the latter three, but haven't had any luck yet, so I settled for the original summer release trio. We have Summer BLT, Wavy Jerk Chicken, and Chile Mango.  

I figured I better hurry up and review these, since it's August and all. But it's still summer so I'm not too late! 

Lay's BLT Chips - Walmart

Lay's BLT Chips - Walmart

The new Do Us A Flavor finalists have been announced and all three options have left me cold. I normally try to keep a pretty open mind, but all three flavors feel a little too safe, and honestly...boring. Unless one of the new flavors happen to fall right into my lap, I doubt I'll be reviewing them, but when I was at Walmart the other day I spotted this smaller, snack-sized, baggie of the Limited Time flavor BLT chips in the checkout lane. These sound more interesting than the finalists, and they're a convenient snacking size, so why not check them out?

Quickie Chips Reviews: Southwestern Queso & Beer n' Brats

Southwestern Queso 

Smell: They smell like normal Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chips with a touch of taco seasoning.

Taste: Tostito's salsa con queso is one of my favorite guilty pleasures, so I was hoping this would be similar, but in chip-form, and sadly, it's not. In all fairness, this claims to be "queso," not "salso con queso," so maybe I was just setting my expectations a little too high, but I'm really glad I got this little bag because I'd never finish a giant one. These taste like cheddar-chips with some paprika and onion powder. Cheddar is the boldest flavor here, and even with the hints of veggie powders (bell peppers, onion and tomato), I find them to be pretty one-note and not all that enjoyable. But, I don't like cheddar and sour cream chips either. I prefer my cheesy snacks in cracker, curl, or crunchy Cheeto-form.

Beer 'n Brats 

Smell: These kind of remind me of the Hot Dog Pringles I reviewed a while back. (Which were surprisingly good!) Already these are way better than the other beer-based chips I've reviewed. (Which smelled like stale beer left out at a party.) If I had to guess the flavoring based on the scent alone, I never in a million years would have guessed these were beer-related. Mostly these smell like hot dogs and a little sauerkraut.

Taste: The bratwurst flavoring is what I noticed first, although it tastes more like bologna lunch meat than a cooked brat, but then the more complex aftertaste kicks in. If you get a chip with a lot of powdered seasoning on it, the aftertaste is more like the stale beer flavoring I've experienced before, which I am not a fan of, but the lighter seasoned chips have more of a sauerkraut-like finish which I like a LOT more. As most of you know, I still don't like beer. (I always try them since b/f likes it a lot, but none of them ever appeal to me beyond a few sips.) So this flavor is another "meh," for me personally, but if you really like hot dogs, bologna, beer, and chips...this could be your new favorite snack!

Both flavors are busts for me and my taste-buds. With that being the case, I'm really glad I was able to find them in these mini-bags at Walmart, because I'd be really bummed out if I wasted my money on the larger bags. Everyone likes different things, so if you're a fan of sour cream and cheddar chips, I bet the queso would be a great change of pace while keeping the cheese-y flavoring you love in the forefront. Beer and hotdog (or bologna) fans, you might think the Beer n' Brats hit it out of the park.

For a cheddar and sour cream chip hater like me, who isn't too keen on beer, I can finish both of these little bags, but I can't see myself ever repurchasing either flavor. Especially not in their full-sized form.

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

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Kyushu Seaweed Lay's Potato Chips (Taiwan) - Asian Food Market

Kyushu Seaweed Lay's Potato Chips - Asian Food Market $1.69

With all the candy I've reviewed this week, I am all sugared out. I need something savory and light. Seaweed flavored potato chips should do the trick.

Olympic Games Frito-Lay's - Video Review

Sorry for the long hiatus, but I currently have a bid in on a house!! Please send me all your good house-buying vibes and reviews will be back on schedule very soon!

Lay's Creamy Bacon Potato Salad Chips - Walmart

Lay's Creamy Bacon Potato Salad Chips - Walmart

Better late than never, right? My friend Sam actually told me about these chips a while ago. Maybe over a month ago? Anyway, they sounded pretty interesting and I wanted to give them a try, so when I saw them at Walmart during my hunt for the Key Slime Twinkies, I snagged myself a bag to review.

Lay's Do Us a Flavor: Final Thoughts

Lay's Do Us a Flavor: Final Thoughts

I've already done a first impression video with my opinions on this year's flavors, but since I've been munching on these ever since, I thought I'd do a little update before I cast my official vote.

Look what I got!

Reviews coming soon!

Bacon Mac & Cheese Chips (Lay's Do Us A Flavor) - Wawa

Bacon Mac & Cheese Chips (Lay's Do Us A Flavor) - Wawa

Out of the four, this was the hardest flavor for me to find. It took me four Wawas to find this mini bag and it was the last of it's kind in the entire store. With that being said, I am fairly certain that this flavor will win this year, not because it truly tastes better than the others, but because it appeals so strongly to the average American consumer. (We Americans love cheese, bacon and potato chips. It isn't rocket science.)

It's pretty sad that the winner is already so clear, but maybe these will taste so good that they will deserve to win? Let's find out!

Cappuccino Chips (Lay's Do Us A Flavor) - Wawa

Cappuccino Chips (Lay's Do Us A Flavor) - Wawa

These cappuccino chips definitely get points for creativity, but this contest is about finding a flavor that works well and appeals to the masses. Sure, people love coffee in all forms, but will these actually taste good? Let's find out...

Wasabi Ginger Chips (Lay's Do Us A Flavor) - Wawa

Wasabi Ginger Chips (Lay's Do Us A Flavor) - Wawa

Last time I reviewed the flavor finalist that I was least excited about (which you can read here) so, instead turning my posts into a count down of least to best, I decided to jump right to my favorite of the four, the Wasabi Ginger kettle chips.

Lay's Do Us a Flavor Finalists: First Impressions

I'll be posting a detailed written review later this weekend, but for now, you can see my initial reactions to these new flavors. (And watch me make faces and feed chips to my dog.)  

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

Like Sometimes Foodie's Facebook page to keep up with all my foodie adventures!

2014 Do Us a Flavor Finalists Announced!

Do Us a Flavor is Back and I am Sadly Unimpressed

The foodie side of the internet has been exploding the last few hours with news of the new flavor finalists. I first saw the announcement posted on Food Beast, with Huffington Post and other newsie sites to follow, and I really thought these flavors were a joke. I mean it would bring a lot of attention back to the campaign and contest if they had such wacky and outlandish flavors, but these seem so...meh.

Last year's finalists made a lot of sense as far as popular flavors go, and these seem so off-base in comparison.

Out of the four, I am most interested in the Wasabi Ginger Kettle Chips, but I know I have to get the Cappuccino ones for my boyfriend. (Although the chips are said to contain no real coffee or caffeine.)

When it comes to the other two finalists, I'm really uninterested. I feel like I've had enough cheesy flavored chips, especially after last year's winner Cheesy Garlic Bread became a permanent addition to the Lay's line, so even if they have bacon in them, I'll pass. Admittedly, if the Mango Salsa ones are in any way spicy I'd love to check them out, but I am really worried that they'll just end up being sickeningly sweet.

Are any of you excited for these flavors? Or are you just as "meh" as I am?

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

Like Sometimes Foodie's Facebook page to keep up with all my foodie adventures!

My beloved Sriracha Chips are back!

Image from Lay's official facebook

That's right, Lay's are re-releasing the previous finalists from last year's Do Us a Flavor contest for Valentine's Day.

I know it's a few days late, but I just found out and I am way more excited than I should be. I loved the sriracha chips, you can read my review here, and I never got the chance to review the Chicken and Waffles version. I don't know if I'll be reviewing them during this re-release, I think that ship has sailed, but I will be buying more of the sriracha ones.

Is this a marketing ploy? Sure! Will that stop me from stocking up on the sriracha chips like a crazy person? No way.

Are any of you excited to see these flavors return?

Cheesy Garlic Bread Lay’s - Target : Delran, NJ

Cheesy Garlic Bread Lay’s - Target : Delran, NJ

I’m sure most of you have seen (or heard) about Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” competition. If not, here is the gist of it. Lay’s created a build your own flavor app on facebook. Users made their own flavors which were compared and voted upon. (I actually participated and submitted General Tso’s Chicken as a flavor.) From all the entries submitted, the final three flavors were actually put into production to be tasted and voted on by America.

The three final flavors are:

• Sriracha (My Review)
• Chicken and Waffles
• Cheesy Garlic Bread

This favor was really hard to find! I finally tracked down a bag (thanks to my friend Sean who texted me about their location) and now here is the review!

Sriracha Lay’s - Target : Cherry Hill, NJ

Sriracha Lay’s - Target : Cherry Hill, NJ

I’m sure most of you have seen (or heard) about Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” competition. If not, here is the gist of it. Lay’s created a build your own flavor app on Facebook. Users made their own flavors which were compared and voted upon. (I actually participated and submitted General Tso’s Chicken as a flavor.) From all the entries submitted, the final three flavors were actually put into production to be tasted and voted on by America.

The three final flavors are:

• Sriracha
• Chicken and Waffles
• Cheesy Garlic Bread