Throwdown: Chipotle Burrito Bowl vs. Taco Bell Cantina ...

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Showing posts with label throwdown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label throwdown. Show all posts

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Delish Ice Cream Throwndown: Trace vs. Penn

Posted on 3:22 PM by rockroll
I love ice cream and I love Celebrity Apprentice. Tonight I'll be watching the season finale to see which celebrity will win $250,000 for their charity of choice - country singer Trace Adkins or magician Penn Jillette. Either charity is a well deserved recipient of the donation; Trace is playing for American Red Cross and Penn is playing for Opportunity Village. Ice cream will be the deciding factor in who is crowned Celebrity Apprentice by Donald Trump.

Each finalist had to create an ice cream flavor for Delish, carried in Walgreens stores nationwide. The finalists and their team of celebrity helpers also had to make a short promotional video, and throw a star studded fundraiser.


Since Walgreens is carrying the 2 Delish flavors created by Penn and Trace, I knew I had to give them both a try. It's nice to be able to have a tangible of piece of the show instead of just seeing it on tv. I decided a "throwdown" post would be the perfect way to try each of the flavors.

The competitors:
Trace Adkin's Maple Macadamia Mash Up vs. Penn Jillette's Vanilla & Chocolate Magic Swirtle

The challenge:
Whose Delish ice cream flavor is better?



Cost:
2 for $5 at my local Walgreens with a Rewards membership - $4.00 per pint without Rewards membership

Flavor:
Trace - Creamy maple ice cream with roasted macadamia nuts.
Penn -  Rich vanilla ice cream with a sea salt chocolate swirl and fudge caramel candy pieces.

Smell:
Trace's Maple Macadamia wins without contest when it comes to smell. The smell is very similar to Butter Pecan ice cream. I personally love the smell of Butter Pecan so it was an easy decision. The Swirtle didn't have much of a smell at all.


Taste:
Trace - I am not a big fan of maple so I really didn't expect to like Trace's flavor. It was smooth and had a very distinct taste that stays with you. The macadamia nuts were large and well dispersed.
Penn - I was really disappointed that the chocolate swirl wasn't a fluid swirl in my pint. I was thinking it would be like the flowing caramel in Ben and Jerry's Phish Food, but instead it was like a solid swirl. Maybe mine was frozen too soon but it was a bummer. I got a little bit of the sea salt flavor but not overbearing. The Swirtles were super cute, and just the right size. They weren't too hard like some candy pieces tend to get in ice cream.


Overall:
Trace's Mash Up wins my Throwdown challenge. Not only is the flavor more original, but it is very unique. It's a light pick-me-up flavor that makes you want to eat the whole pint in 1 sitting. The Maple Macadamia ice cream would make a fantastic milkshake! Maybe I'll make one tonight while watching the finale.

Who are you rooting for tonight - Trace or Penn? If you've tried the ice cream let me know which one you like better!

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Posted in ice cream, throwdown, TV | No comments

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Throwdown: Chipotle Burrito Bowl vs. Taco Bell Cantina Bowl

Posted on 7:25 PM by rockroll
If you haven't watched tv, listened to the radio, or driven past a Taco Bell lately, let me fill you in: Taco Bell recently released their new Cantina Bell menu items. Chef Lorena Garcia (I know her from the now cancelled "America's Next Great Restaurant" on NBC)  partnered with Taco Bell to create a new line of fresh and gourmet inspired Mexican dishes. They are even using the tag line "Can Taco Bell do gourmet?"

After I read the description of the Chicken Cantina Bowl, I instantly thought of Chipotle. There is nothing featured here that I couldn't already get at my local Chipotle: "Citrus herb marinated chicken, flavorful black beans, guacamole made from real Hass avocados, roasted corn and pepper salsa, a creamy cilantro dressing, and freshly prepared pico de gallo, all served on a bed of cilantro rice."

Today I decided to tackle both the Taco Bell and Chipotle bowls to see how they stacked up. Are you ready for a throwdown?

Who will be the winner?


The competitors:
Taco Bell and Chipotle (fast food/quick service Mexican food)

The challenge:
Chicken Cantina bowl vs. chicken burrito bowl

Cost:
$4.79 Taco Bell and $6.25 at Chipotle

Taco Bell Chicken Cantina Bowl

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl


Flavors:
The Taco Bell Cantina bowl is standard (see description above) with a choice of chicken, steak, or meatless.  You can customize at Chipotle. Substitute black beans for refried or brown rice for white, take or leave the lettuce, choose from 4 salsas and the protein of your choice (chicken, steak, barbacoa, carnitas).

Service:
I love the convenience of a drive thru that Taco Bell offers (especially during the crazy afternoon storms we've been having) but the team at my local Chipotle can't be beat!

"Chipotle: Like Subway but with Mexican food"


Taste:
The best parts of the Cantina bowl were the corn salsa and guacamole. I really could do without the cilantro dressing which had a tang to it. My first bite of rice was crunchy which was a disappointment. I did not see or taste any cilantro in the rice at all. The chicken was bland and I could not tell it had any marinade on it at all. It seemed like just a bigger piece of same old chicken that Taco Bell has been using for years. 
I would be happy with just rice and guacamole mixed together in a bowl from Chipotle. I love the fresh cilantro pieces I encounter in my bowl, and the chicken is packed with marinade. The corn salsa is not roasted, but after today I wish it was.
Chipotle offers sour cream and cheese which are not featured on the Cantina bowl.

Overall:
The Taco Bell Cantina Bowl is a quick and easy lunch option at an affordable price. However, if you have more time and a couple extra dollars to spare, visit Chipotle instead.

So... can Taco Bell do gourmet? Not quite as good as Chiptole, but I will not be taking Chef Lorena on her money back guarantee either.

Chipotle bonus - amazing chips perfectly suited with their fresh guacamole

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Posted in fast food, Mexican, tacos, throwdown | No comments

Friday, January 27, 2012

Macaron Throwdown

Posted on 1:29 PM by rockroll
Are you ready for a throwdown?



French macarons are believed to have come to France from Italy by the Medici's in the 1700s. Since then, the French macaron has been an iconic and tasty staple on the French pastry scene. Today, macarons are gaining popularity in the US and taking over the cupcake as the newest dessert trend.

Macarons contain simple ingredients - ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar. Making them is a skill and often takes a few attempts to get it right. The macaron cookies are flavored to gain their signature colors, and filled with a cream, ganache, or frosting. 2 macaron cookies stuffed with delicious frosting equals one fabulous treat!

St. Petersburg is now catching onto the macaron trend. Within .1 miles from each other, Le Macaron and Cassis American Brasserie are serving up these pretty French delights! To celebrate my love of all things French, and the opening of Le Macaron, I decided to have an impromptu macaron throwdown.

The competitors:
Le Macaron and Cassis American Brasserie

The challenge:
French macarons

Packaging:
Le Macaron carefully wrapped the macarons in tissue and placed them in a box, sealed by a sticker.
Cassis threw them in a big box, no wrapping. The logo was stamped on the box and not quite as pretty.




Cost:
$0.95 each at Cassis and $1.80 each at Le Macaron

Accomplices:
Le Macaron is a simple store - macarons, chocolates, and croissants.
Cassis has a rotating menu of cakes, tarts, truffles and more (including a special treat for dogs). They also have a full restaurant next door.

Flavors:
Le Macaron had about 14 flavors of macaron available, while Cassis had 6.

Service:
Le Macaron had 2 French gentleman helping guests. The French accent really adds to the experience. For a moment I felt I was at Laudree or Hermes in Paris.
Cassis had 2 people working behind the counter at the bakery. I was greeted with a smile, but no French accents...

Taste:
All of the macarons were delicious!

Overall:
I am happy eating Macarons from either location. Both have French owners and know how to make macarons well. Le Macaron has the edge of making you feel as if you are at a small shop in Paris, but Cassis is better if you want more of a variety of sweets. I did prefer the variety of flavors at Le Macaron (fresh mint, walnut, coffee, chocolate, chestnut, and more!) to those at Cassis (banana, raspberry, lavender, caramel).'
A quick photo of the stars at Le Macaron
Gourmet chocolates and croissants
Some of the treats at Cassis
Cassis has a large variety of baked goods to choose from
Banana and lavender macarons from Cassis
Pretty packaging from Le Macaron
Chocolate macarons are my favorite, if you couldn't tell

Check out these great sweet shops!

Le Macaron
203 1st Street NE - St. Pete

Cassis American Brasserie
170 Beach Drive NE - St. Pete
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Posted in French, St Pete, throwdown | No comments
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