Hey, the Super Bowl is only four weeks away, and with the Super Bowl comes Super Bowl parties that will be held all across this great nation and possibly other great nations as well. On Super Bowl Sunday, some millions of pounds of chips and other salty snacks will be consumed by hungry football fans and their friends, spouses, children, pets or that one person at every party who is only interested in watching the commercials. So, that got be thinking about potato chips, and after eating some, I decided to compile a list of the top eight potato chips and salty snacks in my opinion. So, without further adieu, here are The Canon Review's top eight potato chips and other salty snacks. Any of these would be quite welcome at my Super Bowl Party, that's for sure.
8. Tortilla Chips - Tortilla chips are usually associated with Mexican food, but a good tortilla chip can go with just about any type of sandwich, or makes a great snack on their own. Add a little salsa or some nacho cheese with some good tortilla chips, and you've got one heck of a good tasting snack. While Tostitos are the most well known type of tortilla chips, personally I don't have a brand preference for tortilla chips, as most of them that I've had pretty much taste the same, so it's all good.
7. Lay's Potato Chips - A classic potato chip for many years, Lay's potato chips have been a favorite of mine for many years due to it's fresh and flavorful taste. While companies like Tom's and Brim's make a similar chip that I have no problem eating with a sandwich, to me they fall just short of capturing the same flavor that Lay's has. Also, I must mention that of the many different flavors that Lay's have come out with over the years, my personal favorite would have to be the K.C. Masterpiece Lay's, as the chips combined a strong barbecue flavor with that classic Lay's taste.
6. Cheetos - These cheese-flavored cornmeal curls are packed full of cheesy goodness, although it does kind of suck that your fingers are all orange after eating those suckers. The original flavored Cheetos are the best in my book, although some of the other different flavors like Wild White Cheddar aren't too bad. Also, I'm not a big fan of those thick cheese puffs. Now, you might think they're similar because they have the same flavor and all, but I just can't eat those things, as it's not the same. Actually, I'm not even sure as to why I don't like those cheese puffs, but ever since I can remember, I stay away from those things like Grizzly Adams stays away from a razor.
5. Ruffles- The chips with ridges, Ruffles taste about the same as Lay's, I suppose. But there's something about the ridges that seems to make the chip more flavorful. It's also much thicker than Lay's and a little less greasier as well, so that's why it ranks ahead of Lay's. The original flavored Ruffles are the best in my book, although the barbecued flavored Ruffles aren't too bad either.
4. Baked Lay's- Yes, I did have Lay's on here earlier, but these are not the same as Lay's as they are baked, have hardly any grease on them and have a similar texture and taste to Pringles. I have found that Baked Lays are a great compliment to a sub sandwich, so every time I go to Subway or another sub shop I end up picking up a bag of Baked Lays to enjoy my sandwich with. Plus, Baked Lay's are low in fat, so that's always a positive.
3. Pringles- The chips that come in a can, Pringles have a unique taste, flavor, and shape that makes the chip so darn appealing to me. The can makes the chips stay fresher and keeps the flavor in longer, although it's damn hard to get a chip out of the can once you start running low. Pringles also come in many flavors, with the pizza and cheddar flavored Pringles being my personal favorites.
2. Chex Mix - Unlike the other items on this list, Chex Mix isn't really a 'chip' per se, which is why I had to include the other salty snacks phrase to the list. Actually, Chex Mix isn't all that salty, but nevertheless. Every piece of this snack mix, from the pretzels to the peanuts to the pieces of Chex, work in perfect harmony, making Chex Mix a top-notch snack that can be enjoyed on its own or with other foods like a sandwich. My personal favorite is the cheddar flavor Chex Mix, as I could eat that stuff as a meal of its own, and I actually have on several occasions. Yes, I could eat Chex Mix every day for the rest of the year and not get tired of it, but it's not quite number one on this list.
1. Doritos - Put it this way, if I was forced to have one type of chip for the rest of my life, then I would have to choose Nacho Cheese Flavored Doritos. Yes, Doritos come in other different flavors, some of which are better than others, but the right chip for me is the Nacho Cheese flavor. These tortilla chips are coated in nacho cheese flavor and just the right amount of spices, giving each chip a strong flavor that leaves me wanting more after every bite. Yes, all the other snacks are quite good, but they just fall short of the awesomeness that is Doritos.
Well, thanks for reading. If your favorite snack was omitted from this list, or you have a different opinion than mine on the snacks listed above, then I'd like to hear (so to speak) your thoughts on this matter. So feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you have an idea for a future topic for The Canon Review to cover, then send them my way either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Canon Restaurant Review: Steak 'n Shake, Acworth, GA
Because of reasons I won't get into in this space, I spent last night in the Kennesaw, GA area. After a while, I and my companions started to get hungry, and so at around 1 a.m., we went down to the Steak 'n Shake in Acworth because, well, it was open. Originally, I thought that the restaurant was in Kennesaw, but after looking up the address, it turns out we were in Acworth. Oh well, no biggie. In case you don't know, Steak 'n Shake is a nationwide chain operating in 22 states that is famous for its Steak burgers and a large variety of milkshakes. The interior is styled after the typical 50s style diner, with a black and white checkerboard floor, a long counter surrounded by stools at the front of the restaurant, and a number of booths. Steak 'n Shake also has drive-thru service, which I used some two months ago to get an orange cream milkshake, which by the way was probably one of the three best milkshakes I've ever had.
Like I said, we got to Steak 'n Shake a little after one o'clock in the morning. Despite that, there were quite a lot of people still dining in the restaurant, although we had no trouble finding a table. Even though there were a lot of empty tables, I noticed that most of the tables still had plates and glasses on them, and they only had one person trying to do anything about it. For our part, the table where we were sat was clean enough. Also, they had some music playing, and it was very, very loud, to the point where we could hardly hear each other talk. Plus, most of the music wasn't that good. I don't mind if restaurants play some music in the background, I just don't like it when they play it at ear-shattering levels. Our waiter was quick to get our drink orders, and a couple minutes later, we all ordered our food. I ordered the Original Double 'N Cheese, topped with mustard, pickles, ketchup, lettuce, and relish, which came with some thinly sliced fries on the side. My mother ordered something similar, only with a tomato and without pickles, while my sister ordered a cup of vegetable soup and a vanilla milkshake, as the milkshake was her primary motivation to go to Steak 'N Shake.
Maybe it was the fact that we hadn't ate in a long time, but it did seemed to take a long time for our food to arrive, considering we just ordered two burgers and a cup of soup. Nevertheless, we got our food and started chowing down. I thought the burger, even though it didn't seem to have a whole lot of meat for a double cheeseburger, was rather good, cooked nicely, with all of the toppings complimenting the burger nicely. However, the burger was coated in mustard, which wasn't that big of a deal to me, but my mother's burger also had lots of mustard on it, and she wasn't particularly happy about it. I also thought that the fries were rather good as well, as they were neither too soft nor too crunchy. My sister seemed to think that the vegetable soup was ok, while the vanilla milk shake was very good. I should know, as we ended up sharing the thing, and I must say it was rather tasty. Service was decent, as our waiter seemed to be a nice enough guy. However, it did take a while for me to get a refill after finishing my coke.
Overall, I thought my dining experience at Steak 'n Shake was ok, as it had its high points and low points. I'll give it a 6 out of 10, and if I go again, I might have to try their chili. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any comments about this or previous posts, or ideas for future reviews or posts, than share them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Like I said, we got to Steak 'n Shake a little after one o'clock in the morning. Despite that, there were quite a lot of people still dining in the restaurant, although we had no trouble finding a table. Even though there were a lot of empty tables, I noticed that most of the tables still had plates and glasses on them, and they only had one person trying to do anything about it. For our part, the table where we were sat was clean enough. Also, they had some music playing, and it was very, very loud, to the point where we could hardly hear each other talk. Plus, most of the music wasn't that good. I don't mind if restaurants play some music in the background, I just don't like it when they play it at ear-shattering levels. Our waiter was quick to get our drink orders, and a couple minutes later, we all ordered our food. I ordered the Original Double 'N Cheese, topped with mustard, pickles, ketchup, lettuce, and relish, which came with some thinly sliced fries on the side. My mother ordered something similar, only with a tomato and without pickles, while my sister ordered a cup of vegetable soup and a vanilla milkshake, as the milkshake was her primary motivation to go to Steak 'N Shake.
Maybe it was the fact that we hadn't ate in a long time, but it did seemed to take a long time for our food to arrive, considering we just ordered two burgers and a cup of soup. Nevertheless, we got our food and started chowing down. I thought the burger, even though it didn't seem to have a whole lot of meat for a double cheeseburger, was rather good, cooked nicely, with all of the toppings complimenting the burger nicely. However, the burger was coated in mustard, which wasn't that big of a deal to me, but my mother's burger also had lots of mustard on it, and she wasn't particularly happy about it. I also thought that the fries were rather good as well, as they were neither too soft nor too crunchy. My sister seemed to think that the vegetable soup was ok, while the vanilla milk shake was very good. I should know, as we ended up sharing the thing, and I must say it was rather tasty. Service was decent, as our waiter seemed to be a nice enough guy. However, it did take a while for me to get a refill after finishing my coke.
Overall, I thought my dining experience at Steak 'n Shake was ok, as it had its high points and low points. I'll give it a 6 out of 10, and if I go again, I might have to try their chili. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any comments about this or previous posts, or ideas for future reviews or posts, than share them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Canon Restaurant Review: Belle's Cooking
On Friday night, My companions and Canon Review readers Dickson S. and Maggie W. went to a restaurant out in the hip town of Royston, GA called Belle's Cooking. Belles' Cooking is in the left corner of a shopping center and can be rather hard to spot if you're not looking for it. Dickson swears by the place and Maggie and I had ate there before, so after a short discussion, we ended up eating there.
When you walk into Belle's Cooking for the first time, you might expect it to be your typical country cooking restaurant. From the name itself, to the red and white plaid tableclothes on every table, to all of the nic-nacs and old sings on the walls of the restaurant, you would probably expect to get a meal of country fried steak or fried chicken or something of the sort. Instead, Belle's Cooking is actually a Japanese restaurant, even though it has very little visual indications that it serves primarily Japanese food. Personally, I question the proprietor's reasoning for their choice of decor, but I do find it comfortable and all the stuff on the wall provides something to look at while you wait for your food, so actually I don't mind it at all.
Anyway, we get there and find a place to sit. The place wasn't that crowded, as there was only a table of four there when we arrived. Actually, the restaurant is so small that I think it would have trouble seating more than 30 people at one time. Anywho, we were able to order rather quickly, but not too quickly, if that makes any sense. Although Belle's doesn't have the largest menu around, I still had trouble choosing between a couple of dishes before I decided on the Teriyaki fried rice with shrimp. Dickson went with the Salmon Teriyaki dish, while Maggie W. went with the shrimp yakisoba. The food took about 10 to 15 minutes to cook it seemed, which wasn't too bad of a wait.
So we get our food. I've got to say that even though I'm not the biggest fried rice fan, the fried rice at Belle's Cooking is just great. It's so flavorful and cooked to perfection, plus the teriyaki sauce gives it a nice kick of flavor. It really is some good rice, let me tell you. Even if you combined the rice with brocoli, which is one vegetable I just cannot stand, it actually was pretty decent. The shrimp was decent, but I don't know if it was just me, but it seemed a bit stringy and undercooked, to be honest. However, Maggie also had shrimp and she had no complaints whatsoever about it. But if I'm calling it like I see it, I'd say the shrimp was only the second best part of the meal.
After our meal, Maggie decided to try some Green Tea ice cream. I ended up eating a few bites of the ice cream myself, and I felt it was pretty good. It wasn't the sweetest ice cream around, but I definitely wouldn't mind trying it again and would have no reservations about eating another bowl of it if somebody presented one for me to eat.
Overall, Belle's Cooking is an interesting place. A Japanese restaurant in a region that lacks both good Japanese food and, well, good restaurants in general (Seriously, there is not much to choose from in Royston, especially since I refuse to eat at a few of the town's dining facilities). But not only does it provide something different from the usual fast-food fare found in Royston, it also produces very good food. I'll give it a 7.1 out of 10. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any ideas for future posts, or thoughts about this post, than leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com. But before I go, here's a video about LeBron James for no good reason.
When you walk into Belle's Cooking for the first time, you might expect it to be your typical country cooking restaurant. From the name itself, to the red and white plaid tableclothes on every table, to all of the nic-nacs and old sings on the walls of the restaurant, you would probably expect to get a meal of country fried steak or fried chicken or something of the sort. Instead, Belle's Cooking is actually a Japanese restaurant, even though it has very little visual indications that it serves primarily Japanese food. Personally, I question the proprietor's reasoning for their choice of decor, but I do find it comfortable and all the stuff on the wall provides something to look at while you wait for your food, so actually I don't mind it at all.
Anyway, we get there and find a place to sit. The place wasn't that crowded, as there was only a table of four there when we arrived. Actually, the restaurant is so small that I think it would have trouble seating more than 30 people at one time. Anywho, we were able to order rather quickly, but not too quickly, if that makes any sense. Although Belle's doesn't have the largest menu around, I still had trouble choosing between a couple of dishes before I decided on the Teriyaki fried rice with shrimp. Dickson went with the Salmon Teriyaki dish, while Maggie W. went with the shrimp yakisoba. The food took about 10 to 15 minutes to cook it seemed, which wasn't too bad of a wait.
So we get our food. I've got to say that even though I'm not the biggest fried rice fan, the fried rice at Belle's Cooking is just great. It's so flavorful and cooked to perfection, plus the teriyaki sauce gives it a nice kick of flavor. It really is some good rice, let me tell you. Even if you combined the rice with brocoli, which is one vegetable I just cannot stand, it actually was pretty decent. The shrimp was decent, but I don't know if it was just me, but it seemed a bit stringy and undercooked, to be honest. However, Maggie also had shrimp and she had no complaints whatsoever about it. But if I'm calling it like I see it, I'd say the shrimp was only the second best part of the meal.
After our meal, Maggie decided to try some Green Tea ice cream. I ended up eating a few bites of the ice cream myself, and I felt it was pretty good. It wasn't the sweetest ice cream around, but I definitely wouldn't mind trying it again and would have no reservations about eating another bowl of it if somebody presented one for me to eat.
Overall, Belle's Cooking is an interesting place. A Japanese restaurant in a region that lacks both good Japanese food and, well, good restaurants in general (Seriously, there is not much to choose from in Royston, especially since I refuse to eat at a few of the town's dining facilities). But not only does it provide something different from the usual fast-food fare found in Royston, it also produces very good food. I'll give it a 7.1 out of 10. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any ideas for future posts, or thoughts about this post, than leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com. But before I go, here's a video about LeBron James for no good reason.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Canon Restaurant Review: Downtown Cafe (Lavonia, GA)
Earlier today, my friend Dickson S. and I went to The Downtown Cafe in Lavonia, GA for an early dinner. The place has been open for over ten years, but for some reason, I had never dined there until today. Why, you might ask? Well, it's because I tend to go out of town whenever I want to go out to eat. To be honest, I had not heard a lot of strong recommendations about this place, but I was in the mood to eat some Italian food and was curious to see what it was all about for myself.
So we get there and enter the building. Not surprisingly, since it was 5:00 on a Wednesday, the place was nearly empty, as there were a mere three people there eating when we got there. We stayed there about 45 minutes, and not many other people came in during the time we were in there. I don't know if that was because of the time of day or because of the quality of the food, but since they've been open so long I guess they're doing something right.
Anyway, we get there and take a seat at a table next to a koi pond. The decor is rather basic, but not too shabby, and there are plenty of tables there. Plus the place has a little bar that diners can sit and eat their food at if they so wish. The menu reminded me a lot of the menu from Royston's Italian Garden, which I reviewed a few months back (and has unfortunately closed since then). In fact, there wasn't much difference at all, as both places served Greek and Italian dinners, traditional American dishes like hamburgers and steaks, and a variety of subs. The waitress took our drink orders, and I asked for Dr. Pepper but I was told that they were out. Well, I found that a bit odd, but I just ordered a Mountain Dew instead, while Dickson ordered some pink lemonade. Once I got a look at the menu, I decided on ordering Spaghetti a la Venus, which basically was a giant bowl of spaghetti topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, along with sliced peppers, onions, and mushrooms. The dish came with a side salad and some garlic bread. Dickson ordered the chicken Parmesan dish, which I actually almost ordered before settling on my choice.
The salad came rather quickly, and came with two slices of tomato and a green chili pepper. Normally, the salad also would come with cucumbers, but they were out of that as well. Since I don't like cucumbers, I did not mind too much, but still it was a little odd. The salad was decent enough, and unlike other places, at least the lettuce looked clean and tasted somewhat fresh. After that, our meal came, and I was surprised at just how big my bowl of food was. It was quite a generous portion of spaghetti, I must say. The meal was really just ok, as the sauce wasn't very flavorful and it was a bit runny. Other than that it was all right. Dickson really didn't say much about his food, but from what I could tell he wasn't very fond of it. I will say that our waitress was quite attentive and friendly, so that's a positive.
Afterwards, we were bored so we decided to walk over to the Lavonia Antique Mall to see what kind of stuff they had in there. It was packed was stuff, most of which I would have no idea what it's worth or what to do with it, but it had a little bit of everything. After a half an hour or so, I ended up by a book (Billyball, by Billy Martin with Phil Pepe) and two comic books from the X-Factor series from 1987. Dickson purchased a giant aquamarine change bank so he can keep his change and fight his enemies with. Well, that's my version of things anyway.
Overall, if you're in the mood for eating out and are limited to staying in Lavonia, well there are worst choices than the Downtown Cafe. It's not too bad, and I suppose I would go again if somebody I was with wanted to go there, but it's rather mediocre I would say. Overall, I'll give the place a 4.6 out of 10. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any ideas for future reviews, than send them over to me at KtheC2001@gmail.com. Tommorow, I think I'll watch and review Starrcade 1994, so that should be excruciating for me, but it could be entertaining, so we will see.
So we get there and enter the building. Not surprisingly, since it was 5:00 on a Wednesday, the place was nearly empty, as there were a mere three people there eating when we got there. We stayed there about 45 minutes, and not many other people came in during the time we were in there. I don't know if that was because of the time of day or because of the quality of the food, but since they've been open so long I guess they're doing something right.
Anyway, we get there and take a seat at a table next to a koi pond. The decor is rather basic, but not too shabby, and there are plenty of tables there. Plus the place has a little bar that diners can sit and eat their food at if they so wish. The menu reminded me a lot of the menu from Royston's Italian Garden, which I reviewed a few months back (and has unfortunately closed since then). In fact, there wasn't much difference at all, as both places served Greek and Italian dinners, traditional American dishes like hamburgers and steaks, and a variety of subs. The waitress took our drink orders, and I asked for Dr. Pepper but I was told that they were out. Well, I found that a bit odd, but I just ordered a Mountain Dew instead, while Dickson ordered some pink lemonade. Once I got a look at the menu, I decided on ordering Spaghetti a la Venus, which basically was a giant bowl of spaghetti topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, along with sliced peppers, onions, and mushrooms. The dish came with a side salad and some garlic bread. Dickson ordered the chicken Parmesan dish, which I actually almost ordered before settling on my choice.
The salad came rather quickly, and came with two slices of tomato and a green chili pepper. Normally, the salad also would come with cucumbers, but they were out of that as well. Since I don't like cucumbers, I did not mind too much, but still it was a little odd. The salad was decent enough, and unlike other places, at least the lettuce looked clean and tasted somewhat fresh. After that, our meal came, and I was surprised at just how big my bowl of food was. It was quite a generous portion of spaghetti, I must say. The meal was really just ok, as the sauce wasn't very flavorful and it was a bit runny. Other than that it was all right. Dickson really didn't say much about his food, but from what I could tell he wasn't very fond of it. I will say that our waitress was quite attentive and friendly, so that's a positive.
Afterwards, we were bored so we decided to walk over to the Lavonia Antique Mall to see what kind of stuff they had in there. It was packed was stuff, most of which I would have no idea what it's worth or what to do with it, but it had a little bit of everything. After a half an hour or so, I ended up by a book (Billyball, by Billy Martin with Phil Pepe) and two comic books from the X-Factor series from 1987. Dickson purchased a giant aquamarine change bank so he can keep his change and fight his enemies with. Well, that's my version of things anyway.
Overall, if you're in the mood for eating out and are limited to staying in Lavonia, well there are worst choices than the Downtown Cafe. It's not too bad, and I suppose I would go again if somebody I was with wanted to go there, but it's rather mediocre I would say. Overall, I'll give the place a 4.6 out of 10. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any ideas for future reviews, than send them over to me at KtheC2001@gmail.com. Tommorow, I think I'll watch and review Starrcade 1994, so that should be excruciating for me, but it could be entertaining, so we will see.
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