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| We've got deep fried Oreos, candy bars, pickles, cookie dough, Kool-Aid...you name it, they'll fry it. |
I went to the Wildwoods for the day, to spend a little time with my family and take my dog, Jack Jack, to the dog beach, and I thought it'd be fun to do a little "Day in The Life" style post with all the stuff I ate down the shore. So here we go!
James Salt Water Taffy - Wildwood, NJI have been having a REALLY hard time writing this week. I've edited tons of photos, and started writing several different reviews, but I can't stay focused enough to finish any of them. Thankfully it's the weekend (well nearly the weekend) and I am going to sit down and force myself to do it. Even if it means drinking some coffee. (Which I very very rarely do.)
This may not be a fully fleshed out review, but I thought it'd be fun to try some different flavors of Salt Water Taffy that I picked up during my last day trip to the shore.
Wiener Wednesday? I feel like that should be a thing, but I don't review enough hot dogs to make it work. Then again, this place has some really interesting ones.I saw this place last year and I instantly fell in love with how awful the name is. I mean, Grab A Wiener? Amazing! Plus, they totally did it on purpose and they run with it. They sell themed shirts and merchandise with innocent, yet dirty, slogans revolving wieners. Last year I stumbled upon it after I already ate. This year? The second I hit the boardwalk I went straight to this place to give one of their wieners a try. (Ha, wiener.)
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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Here's the last if my Jelly Fruit Slices! Check out the citrus flavors Here, and the exotic Chili Mango and Pineapples ones Here.
So far, the Chili Mango and Pink Grapefruit were the best of the bunch and I plan on buying more of them next season, but will either (or both) of these flavors make their way onto my re-buy list? I guess we'll find out!
I don't think I ever blogged about it but, a few years ago, I was quite obsessed with Pomegranates. I'd buy pomegranate candies, juices, and anything else I could get my hands on. The last few years my fruity obsession has shifted to bananas, but I love the tangy flavoring of this ruby-red fruit. I've never seen this flavor offered in jellied-slice form, so I have high hopes for this candy.
The candy slice has a ruby-red rind with a tiny bit of the white candy pith-like coating separating the two layers. The white portion for this flavor is no where near as thick as the one on the Grapefruit slices, but it's still visible, and the center is a extremely dark berry color. Just like the Pineapple slices, the candy doesn't have any distinctive scent.
I took a bite, and while the texture is the same as the rest of the fruit slices, this specific flavor is impressively rich and very different from any of the other slices I've reviewed. While this is way too sweet to ever be mistaken for a real pomegranate, the fruity flavoring for this candy is rich and berry-like, almost as if pomegranate juice was reduced into an insanely sugary syrup. There is a hint of some tangy and slightly acidic fruity flavoring towards the end, which is really enjoyable and slightly authentic, but I wouldn't say that this fruit slice really tasted like actual pomegranates. Even so, the richness of this candy did leave me wanting more, so I think this will be re-buy-worthy next summer.
Last, but not least, Pear!
The pear slice is a bit different from the others. The center "fruit" portion is a milky opaque color, so it really stands out from the rest of the candies in my bag. To be honest, I'm not sure if this flavor has a layer of white confection or not. I'd assume it does because all of the other flavors had it, but I can't really see it against the milky pear-flavored filling.
I might be crazy, but this flavor felt like it had a much softer bite than the others. Maybe whatever makes the candy opaque also makes it softer? A far as the flavoring goes, this was pretty intense. It started out with intense sweetness of the gritty sanding sugar coating, but once the white jellied candy hits your tongue it's rather tangy. To me the flavoring is like a mixture of Granny Smith apple and Goya Pear nectar. It's really sweet, there is some green-apple-like tartness, and throat burningly sweet pear-y aftertaste. Again, this doesn't taste like biting into a real pear, but as far as jellied fruit slices go, it was really different from everything else I purchased. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I was actually pretty sad when I finished my two little pear slices. I might order one or two of these slices next summer, but I don't think I could see myself ever wanting a bag of this flavor exclusively.
Both of these flavors were really interesting and different, and while I enjoyed the variety, I may only buy 1-2 slices each next summer. I still feel like the Grapefruit and Chili Mango slices are definite re-buys, and I plan on getting a full bag of those next summer to share with friends and family. If you're ever in the Wildwood Area, stop by The Fudge Factory and check out their impressive fruit slice variety. Check out the photo above to see the rest of their fruity flavors that I didn't review!
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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I may have gone a little overboard when I was buying these jelly fruit slices. (I just had to have them all!) Although these citrus flavors aren't as interesting or exotic as the Chili Mango and Pineapple flavors I've already reviewed, they were still lovely to photograph.
Today I'm going to give a quickie review on the Lemon, Pink Grapefruit and Key Lime flavored slices. Let's kick things off with a slice of pink grapefruit!
Two weeks ago I finally went to the shore for the first, and most likely last, time this year. Since I knew I'd only get one day in Wildwood this summer, I made sure to hit up all of my favorite shops and buy tons of boardwalk treats. My first stop, The Fudge Factory.
Some of you might remember that I reviewed some fudge from this shop last year, because it's the best place to get fudge on the Wildwood Boardwalk, and I got a few new flavors to review this year, but I also spotted these little jelly fruit slices. Normally I would pass these by, but there were a bunch of interesting flavors I had never seen before (at least not in jellied fruit slice form) so I had to grab a few to photograph and review.
First up, Chili Mango and Pineapple.
Okay, the package says that this is a Limited Edition product, and I had never seen it on the shelves before, but that doesn't mean it's new. About 8 years ago, when I had just started college, THIS was posted over on CandyBlog. I tried looking at the official Pop Rocks Facebook page to see if there was any kind of new promotion for this item, and there wasn't, but it is listed on their official website. (Although it just says Limited Edition and gives no other time stamp info.)
Is this an older item that's been re-released? Or am I about to eat 8 year old candy? I guess we'll find out once I open it...
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| (This windowsill is well over 100 years old!) |
My boyfriend and I spent our weekend recovering from Otakon and eating blueberry cobbler waffles with blueberry and cinnamon crumble flavored coffee.
What did you eat this weekend?
A seasonal favorite, pumpkin fudge!
It is almost time for me to fill your queues with a ton of pumpkin-y goodness. I may try to switch things up this year. I am still playing around with the idea, but I am thinking that I might schedule pumpkin related items only on certain days (like Mon, Wed, Fri) from October to November. There are some viewers who aren't on my pumpkin obsession level, so I'd like to include some non-pumpkin reviews each week. Any suggestions/objections?
Now, on to the review!
Another thing that sets The Fudge Factory apart from it's competition is that they allow you to sample all of their fudges, not just the classic chocolate and vanilla. I asked for a sample of penuche a few years ago and now it's a staple flavor in every box of fudge I buy. (I practically always get amaretto swirl, penuche, and pistachio with one wild card flavor.)
Penuche is a classic American candy that is made with brown sugar, butter, vanilla and milk/cream. Basically it's all the wet ingredients from a batch of chocolate chip cookies cooked up into a creamy fudge-like dessert.
Here's a little taste of summer now that school has started back up.
I have been going to Wildwood every summer since birth. It isn't the classiest, or fanciest, sea-side town in New Jersey, but it hold a special place in my heart.
If you have ever been on Wildwood's boardwalk, you'd know that there are tons of fudge shops and they are all having a special sale today! The sales clerks stand outside and tell you about "tonight's special," buy 2 lbs of fudge and get a free box of salt water taffy. If you live in a sea-side town you know that this is the same special that has been offered everyday since the beginning of time. (Not literally, but it's been the same special since I was a fetus. Only the prices have gone up.) If you're in town, don't get fooled by the "special." Check local papers for a coupon. Every fudge shop on the boardwalk offers them. (Fudge Kitchen, Laura's Fudge, Douglas Fudge...etc.)
Over the years I have tried every fudge shop on the boardwalk and I think Fudge Factory is the best. It is the only place I ever buy fudge from.
The shop isn't fancy by any means, it looks just like all the others. It's the actual fudge and it's flavors that make this shop stand out.
(I actually photographed a crêpe from the same shop a year ago.)
I’ve said it before, but I am not a fan of crêpes. The fillings appeal to me more than the doughy shell itself. I wanted something a little different for dessert, not the typical funnel cake or ice cream cone, and this was the only place on the boardwalk that could satisfy my craving.
Harry’s Corner takes up a decent chunk of the boardwalk block. The store is a few different shops strung together, each with their own menu. There is one shop that focuses on savory foods like pizza, fried chicken, and spaghetti, while another has fresh bakes crêpes, ice cream and cotton candy.
There were several crêpes to choose from, but I eventually picked this one which had strawberries, banana, and Nutella.
I went to Wildwood this weekend with my boyfriend and our first stop was Wildwood Bagel. Don't let the name fool you. This place has a great lunch menu. In fact, I reviewed a panini from Wildwood Bagel before. Check out this link to read my review of the Honey Mustard Chicken panini.
Does that sandwich sound familiar? It should. I recently posted a panini recipe that is very similar to this one. (A year ago I mentioned that this panini reminded me of Panera's chicken bacon Dijon, so really all three sandwiches are very similar.)
I was really tempted to get the same panini I ordered last year, but I wanted to try something new. My boyfriend suggested we each pick one and share.
So I had...
- 1/2 Honey Mustard Chicken Panini
- 1/2 Corned Beef Panini
Both sandwiches are served on ciabatta bread with a bag of chips and a pickle spear.
I’m in Wildwood, which means that I can’t write a proper update or edit photos, so I’ll post an in depth review tomorrow. For now, enjoy the delicious food porn!
- Fudge from The Fudge Factory (The best fudge shop in Wildwood)
- Two paninis from Wildwood Bagel (A place I have reviewed before)
- A delicious strawberry, banana and Nutella crêpe
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
I was down the shore with some friends and we stopped by the Route 66 diner on the boardwalk for dinner.
The building has a retro Doo Wop theme, just like the rest of Wildwood, and the servers perform choreographed dances to classic hits like Rockin’ Robin. It’s a cute place, and the atmosphere is fun, but the staff are the stars of the show. They went out of their way to accommodate us, and everyone we interacted with was extremely friendly and helpful.
For my meal I ordered one of the car themed burgers, the Galaxie, which was topped with blue cheese and hot sauce. Basically this is a buffalo burger. (I asked for the cheese sauce to be on the side, also this came with totmatoes, but I gave them to my boyfriend since I can’t really eat them.)
This was a very satisfying meal. The fries were crispy, the hot sauce was tangy, and the burger was well cooked. The cheese sauce tasted a lot like blue cheese dressing, so I just left it on the side. I usually eat my wings without any blue cheese anyway. (I’m a wing purist.) Everything down the shore is a little pricey, I got this meal for about $12.00, so the pricing at the Route 66 diner isn’t too bad.
I’d definitely eat there again, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is visiting the Jersey Shore.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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Another mini bottle I grabbed at the liquor store. This has been a big year for sea salt, and it seems like I am seeing salted caramel everywhere these days. I was wondering, would the flavor do well when mixed with drinks?
The bottle is a nice size and it is actually made with frosted glass, not plastic. I always love when bottles are made with glass, because they are usually really cute and I can reuse them in crafting project or when I make my own bath supplies.
When opened, it smells like a really good caramel. I can smell burnt sugar notes, and the alcohol makes it seem like a perfume!
Sorry for the slew of posts with bad photos, I didn’t have my actual camera on me so the last 3 posts were via cellphone camera. These next shots are a LOT better.
I went to the shore with my family, but the weather didn’t want to cooperate. So, when you can’t enjoy the beach…you enjoy the food! (Well I do that anyway…)
We went out for breakfast on Saturday to Wildwood Bagel, but I wasn’t in a very breakfast-mood. So, I ordered off the lunch menu instead. (It was about 11AM anyway.)
As I have gotten older, the shore became less about rides and more about food! Last Friday, my boyfriend and I went to Wildwood for a mini vacation. We had eggplant pizza for lunch and DQ hotdogs for dinner. (It was junk food overload!)
For lunch we went to the same pizza place we visited last year, III Brothers Pizza. Their food is VERY good! (Especially for shore-food.) The owners came from Italy so they use real mozzarella cheese! When you take a bite of their pizza the cheese pulls and gets stringy, which is just how I like it. The fried eggplant was really sweet, so I added some red pepper flakes to my slices to spice things up.
Overall I really love III Brothers Pizza, and it is my favorite pizza place on the Wildwood boardwalk. (It has been my favorite for the last 3 years.)
One of the problems with Wildwood is that there are tons of pizza places…and not much else. Since we already had pizza for lunch, I wanted something different for dinner. The boardwalk has tons of pizza places, fudge places, and snack stands…but not much in the way of dinner. So we settled on DQ hotdogs. (Mostly because they were cheap. Soda, chips and a hotdog for about $2.75)
As you can see, I always have my hotdog with yellow mustard and relish. Nothing super fancy here. The hotdogs and buns were very typical, so there wasn’t anything really special about this meal. It was just quick and cheap.
If you are at the Wildwood boardwalk and want something cheap, I would suggest the hotdog package at DQ. It is filling and inexpensive, as far as boardwalk food goes.
On this trip I also bought: soft pretzels, fudge, cotton candy, gourmet amaretto coffee, and a candy apple.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
