REVIEW: Burgatory's "Apple Pancakes & Bacon" Shake

To quote my cousin, they musta known I was comin'...

A recent dinner at a Pittsburgh-area restaurant called Burgatory introduced me to the concept of a "hard" (i.e. containing alcohol) milk shake.  An interesting concept in and of itself, what a delightful/shocking surprise to discover that one of the options was the "Apple Pancakes & Bacon" Shake.  The menu describes it as "Gala Apple and Caramel Vodka with Caramelized Apple Pancakes and Bacon"; well, in my world, the carmelized apple pancakes is more than enough to get me in the door, but once you add bacon, well, it's ON.

Did it live up to the hype?  Well, yes and no.  Although garnished with a full strip of perfectly cooked (i.e. not too crispy) bacon, the bacon flavor couldn't really be detected in the shake itself.  However, when the shake itself is loaded with the flavor of carmelized apple pancakes, who the hell cares?!  It was absolutely heavenly and it was one of those rare times when I was able to feel that I got more than my money's worth of alcohol.  What's not to like?!

On an entirely separate note, while not relevant to this blog, it would be cruelty plain and simple not to inform my public that the "Morty's Steakhouse" burger was perhaps the best hamburger I have ever eaten.

REVIEW: Burger King Bacon Sundae

After a much anticipated two-week wait, here is my overdue review of the Burger King Bacon Sundae... 

In a word - FANFU**INGTASTIC.

Despite my passion for bacon, I was reluctant to get very excited about this intriguing new concoction because it sounded so odd; however, my concern was completely unfounded... Much like the delicious salty and sweet combo of chocolate covered pretzels, it was a taste sensation!!!   The chocolate sauce covering the bacon was wonderful enough, but once the caramel was introduced, it was game over.    After sampling it in a variety of copious combos (e.g. lots of chocolate, a little caramel, lots of bacon; lots of caramel, no chocolate, medium amount of bacon, etc.), there was only one set of variables that was unpleasant - lots of bacon and very little sauce of any kind.  In other words, lots of sauce is IMPERATIVE.

And a word to the ladies: at the risk of sounding vulgar, almost every single female I know who sampled this savory sensation offered up the following information - this would be the PERFECT remedy for those once a month cravings...

WARNING!!!  If this pork-laden treat sounds at all like anything you'd be interested in sampling, then make sure you do so by September 3rd, 2012, as this is the last day they are scheduled to be available.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

REVIEW: Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix

I'm all for making tasty desserts from scratch if they actually taste better that way, but in this case, minimal effort is required to achieve a damn good pumpkin spice cookie.  Betty Crocker's Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix is generally available in stores from late September to late December and I find that after slightly undercooking them (approximately 8 - 9 minutes, removed from oven while still quite doughy), flattening them with a pancake flipper, and letting them cool/harden slightly, you will have a melt in your mouth fall taste sensation.  When I make a batch I usually keep half of them plain and frost the other half with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with nutmeg per the "serving suggestion" on the package.  Either way they are FAN-tastic!!

P.S.  A helpful hint if you find that you even remotely enjoy this product: hoard as many packages as possible during the brief period they are available - you never know when you'll crave pumpkin spice cookies in the middle of summer.

Burger King To Debut Bacon Sundae - TOMORROW!!!

How fortuitous...  From today's news:

Would you buy a bacon sundae? Burger King is betting you will.

The fast-food chain famous for the Whopper will introduce the limited-time dessert on Thursday as part of its new summer menu. The 510-calorie sundae—vanilla soft serve topped with fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and a piece of bacon—has 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of sugar.

Earlier this year, Burger King rolled out an expanded menu with healthier fare—fruit smoothies, wraps and salads—with an advertising campaign featuring soccer star David Beckham. The bacon sundae, available through Sept. 3, would seem to be a strategic move in the polar opposite direction—and something akin to Jack in the Box's 1,081-calorie bacon milkshake, which debuted in February.

It also seems to be an attempt to answer Taco Bell's wildly popular Doritos Locos Taco, which became "the most successful product launch in the chain's history" after 100 million were sold in the 10 weeks following its launch in March.

Taco Bell, for its part, is going "upscale." The "Cantina Bell" menu, debuting in July, will have "fresh ingredients such as black beans, 'fire-roasted' corn salsa, cilantro rice, pico de gallo and citrus- and herb-marinated chicken that many consumers have come to associate with Chipotle," according to Advertising Age.

Burger King's summer menu also includes a Memphis pulled-pork BBQ sandwich, Carolina BBQ Whopper or chicken sandwich, Texas BBQ Whopper or chicken sandwich, sweet potato fries and frozen lemonade.

The bacon sundae, it's worth noting, is downright healthy compared to the Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburger—a 1,500-calorie behemoth that replaces the buns with doughnuts.

That burger, popularized by Paula Deen, originated at a Massachusetts state fair.

REVIEW: Twinings Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea

It would hardly seem coincidental that on the very morning I start my pumpkin-themed blog someone who's never before given me a gift happened to bestow upon me a box of Twinings Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea.

As a lover of, but most infrequent consumer of chai-flavored products, I was most eager to discover what a pumpkin/chai combo would taste like.  Well...  In this case, nothing special.  At the risk of appearing ungrateful for my thoughtful gift, it pretty much just tasted like cloves and cinnamon with no true pumpkin essence to be detected.  Certainly not bad-tasting, just nothing I feel the need to try again.  Sorry, Twinings!!

SURVEY: Best brand of bacon commercially available?

"What is the best brand of bacon commercially available?"  There will be few questions more important than this that one will ask oneself in one's lifetime.  The best I have encountered thus far is Sugardale Thin Sliced Bacon, which I must say, came as one hell of a surprise.  As someone who is out, loud, and proud about his overindulgences, I would've expected thick sliced bacon to be the best - simply because who wouldn't want the most meat per capita?  However, what I discovered was that thin sliced bacon creates a much more "melt in your mouth" experience, especially when slightly undercooked and allowing the fat bubbles (or "marbling" as those who can't admit they love consuming pure fat call it) to remain as juicy as possible.  I would be delighted to hear any feedback from you all regarding YOUR favorite brand of bacon.  I fully intend to run multiple taste tests based on your recommendations so as to either verify I have already found the best or to change my life exponentially by finding something even better...

And so today it begins...  My finally taking the advice of the tons of people who've told me I should start a blog on three of my favorite things: pumpkin flavored products, bacon recipes, and where to the find the best damn dessert-flavored martinis in the universe...

Whoever becomes my first follower, you will forever hold a special place in my heart...