Bacon Club Chalupa
This month’s special Taco Bell offering is a Bacon Club Chalupa. One of the ways to purchase is in the “Big Box” form. The Bacon Club Chalupa comes with a beef taco, bean burrito, Cinnamon Crispas, and a drink. I’m convinced they’re reducing the overall cost of the combination so you take some of those Cinnamon Crispas off their hands. I can’t imagine anyone having a craving for these things. I’ve purchased a couple of these in the last few weeks, but haven’t taken the time to tell the world. Until now.
Big Box Contents, Do You Want My Crispas?
I also think these boxes are a way to convince people to eat their hard taco shells. I am not very fond of them, especially when there are also soft tacos on the menu. I substituted each time I’ve ordered, sometimes the switch is free, sometimes they charge me a dime. I was going to contact The Consumerist in outrage, but it’s just a dime and got me a delicious soft taco shell.
Chalupa Dissection
I am a big fan of the regular Bean Burrito, especially when the refried beans are a good creamy consistency. Not all Taco Bell’s are equal, but the one nearby normally does a great job with the refried beans. It rounds out the box nicely.
The star of the combo is the Bacon Club Chalupa. The Chalupa shell is slightly deep-fried flatbread, the fried version of Taco Bell’s Gordita. I would probably prefer the non-fried version if I had a choice. But I don’t here. This thing is filled with cubes of that Taco Bell chicken along with a tangy ranch dressing and lots of bacon bits, real bacon bits. It’s a classic flavor and works great here. This really should be a regular menu item, Taco Bell needs to embrace the bacon.
The Third Dimension
Two Integrals. Taco Bell excellence, but let’s not get too carried away with ourselves…The bacon is a great addition, for sure.
Portillo's Addison, IL
As I was sitting in my office, I was talking about my upcoming trip to Itasca, IL (deep suburban Chicago) for work. Having formerly worked in that area, a co-worker said “Good God, there’s nothing out there. I’ll find some places for you to go.” And she guided me to Portillo’s in Addison, a short drive away from Itasca.
Sausage Beef Combo Sandwich
The decor is typical ’50s-style burger joint complete with the kitschy signs and neon lights. The sausage/beef combo sandwich was recommended to me, so that’s what I got. It came out in good time and I dug in. It was served a little wet (I was told it came in 3 styles: dunked in the juice, juice ladled on, and dry. I wasn’t given any options). I got over my texture issue with the semi soggy bun and dug in. It was quite delicious. The beef is thinly sliced and nicely seasoned with Italian spices. The sausage was fairly standard and complemented the beef quite well. I also got sweet peppers on mine, which was a nice touch being that the peppers weren’t too soggy (mushy peppers are a no-no on my sandwiches). It was a hefty sandwich, and with the fries made for a nap-inducing afternoon back in the hotel room. The only other issue I have with the combo is that the sausage is on the bottom, the beef is on top, creating almost two separate sandwiches. Only those with gargantuan mouths could take an entire bite with sausage, beef, and bread all in one. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people, so it was like alternating between a sausage sandwich and a steak sandwich. Which isn’t all that bad…
Tags: chicago, italian beef, sausage
Mango Pie Filling
The New Box
This is the first pie that I’ve had in the new packaging. The clear plastic film has shrunk in size and made thicker, making the box much stronger. The pie itself is no longer hanging out in a little paper tray, getting an upgrade to a heavy duty aluminum one. The color scheme has been re-designed for the regular flavor boxes, but this special Rita’s Water Ice (Italian Ice for those of you outside of the Philadelphia area and using a proper English) Mango flavor pie gets a special box taking advantage of Rita’s signature colors. It’s also a collaboration of two of Philadelphia’s favorite brands.
The Pristine Crust
When I split the pie in half, I noticed the creamy yellow-orange mango filling. The pie seems to hold up better in its sturdier environment, the crust was in pristine shape. I’m all for the package upgrade if it keeps the crust in tact. Also, it seems as though the pie mold shape has changed. The top is a completely flat and the bottom more of a U-shape with a flat bottom, instead of the somewhat rounded oval shape Overall, the pie was the perfect sweetness, not nearly as sweet as Rita’s Mango Ice would be.
This is easily one of the best pies I’ve had from Tastykake and pushes the pie envelope in a good way. I’d love to see more exotic fruit pies from Tastykake, most definitely, and this collaboration effort is quite successful. Bravo on the new packaging, too.
The Fourth Dimension
Triple Integrals. Tastykake pie excellence.
Tags: limited edition products, mango, philadelphia, rita's, tastykake