Foodenator

ShotCakes is a Food Source 3.0 restaurant offering up ice cream injected cupcakes at moderate prices. Located deep in Massachusetts, at the Burlington mall Food Court.

This reviewer was not intimidated by the heavy set people waiting in line to order this mall delicacy. Luckily by the time I made it to the front of the line, there were still a few ShotCakes available. Most of the time, when the over-weight crowd doesn’t get there before you do, there is a large variety of ShotCakes to be eaten, such as the Red Velvet ShotCake or the Golden ShotCake.

A ShotCake client can order any regular cupcake and get it INJECTED with ice cream (Vanilla or Chocolate), which transforms the regular cupcake into a ShotCake.

When I got to the counter, there was one Tiramisu cupcake available, just sitting there begging to be injected with ice cold cream. I said, ‘Gimme the Tiramisu cupcake and inject it with vanilla.’ The woman behind the counter said, ‘you. got. it’, and complied with my demand. She then demanded $3 and some change… close to $4 bucks. Being a Foodenator.com reviewer, I am well off… very well off… so I reached into my expensive alligator wallet and pulled out some cash. It took approx. 1 minute to find some ones amid my twenties, fifties, and tens. She accepted my money and I was off to the other end of the counter to pick up the mall delicacy.

After a less than a minute wait time, I had my ShotCake in my right hand, my spoon in my left, and also a napkin in the right hand as well. I could sense the Cupcake was cold, and the ice cream was saying ‘I am in you’ to the cupcake. Found a table really close by to devour the ShotCake…

Tiramisu ShotCake is not as light as a regular tasty tiramisu cake, but it had a good taste. The tiramisu and its vanilla ice cream companion combination was outstanding… it was almost like… eating cake with a scoop of ice cream. Unusual, but true, I ate the entire ShotCake, and enjoyed doing so. I was tempted to get another, but I held back since the line was filled with people having difficulties making up their mind.

I recommend the ShotCake experience.

******** 1/2 — 8.5 out of a possible 10

More Info:
ShotCakes

Popularity: 48%

Taking a break from Pizza today, two of the editors from Foodenator decided to check out Qdoba located in Harvard Square. While one of us was too busy smiling at all the complements she received on her Mohawk…I ordered three chicken tacos.

I opted for two crunchy tacos and 1 soft taco. The taco was filled with marinated chicken, pico de gallo, white cheddar cheese and lettuce. I also threw a little hot sauce on the top. First of all, the flavors were great together. It’s a hot day and overall it felt like a healthy light meal. However, the soft taco shell was a little “slimy” so we would suggest sticking with the hard shell if that suits your taste buds. We like the efficiency of the assembly line at the store, its very “subway-esque” and helps the line to continually move.

Definitely an Americanized version of Mexican food but great for something that is fast and on the healthier side.

Babies love it too!

Popularity: 43%

One of my favorite pizza places in Boston is Santarpio’s Pizza, located on Chelsea Street in East Boston. Unfortunately for many people, East Boston is a little out of the way unless you are making a trip to the airport. We really wish they would open a more central location!!!

They have been voted to the “Best of Boston” numerous times and have an endorsement from Rachel Ray on their website.

Their pizza reminds us a lot of the flavor that you might find in Regina’s Pizza because the flavors that you get in the pizza indicate it’s top of the line. We really liked their crust, it was a perfect combination of crunchy shell with softer dough on the inside. The cheese is bursting with flavor, we don’t know what kind they use but it is definitely a mix. The staff will drop your pizza down on a warped metal try but they still smile and are friendly to their customers.

We are giving Santarpio’s our first ever FIVE STARS!!! *****

This is worth a trip to East Boston to try this slice of heaven.

Popularity: 24%

As a resident of Boston for the past two years, I have had multiple opportunities to check out Boston’s famed Pizzeria Regina. They have won numerous awards for the best pizza in Boston from places like Boston Magazine and the Phantom Gourmet. Started in 1926, you can find the main hub on Thatcher Street in the North End of Boston, aka the Italian Section of town.

First let’s talk about the good…Whether you order a traditional cheese pizza, one with pepperoni or all the toppings, you can be sure they will use the freshest ingredients. Their pepperoni is the best that I have ever had on a pizza and their cheese has a very crisp flavor that mixes well with the sauce and the crust. Each table also has a variety of condiments and a entire bottle of a garlic and pepper olive oil that is great to dip your crust in at the end of the slice. There is not a question at all about the overall quality and taste of this pizza. Finally, while dining you can check out all the famous celebrities adorning the walls of the eatery.

Ok so here is the bad…First, the lines at the restaurant are typically pretty long if you are going during dinner time. We have waited up to 45 minutes to get a table and because the place is small, you have to wait on the sidewalk outside. Second, if you want to go somewhere and have a friendly waitress, this is not the place. The goal of the staff is to move people in and out very quickly. We have been there where they have literally dropped the food on the table and not come back to check on us until our check is received. Finally, you may end up sharing part of a table with another couple or family if the waits are long, so don’t plan on having any type of intimate conversation.

Overall, the pizza quality is fabulous but we suggest getting take out if the option is available.

We give Regina’s 3.5 stars ***

Stay tuned for 2 more reviews of Boston Pizza!!

Popularity: 6%

This past weekend, two of the taste testers from Foodenator visited Ledo’s Pizza. This is a smaller chain, contained within the mid-atlantic region of the U.S. which offers square pizza slices.

Pictured below is the Large pizza, which is split between two different trays. We LOVE that you can order a half cheese/half pepperoni and not have to worry about your toppings mixing! They also use a unique pepperoni which is a thicker slice and each cut of pizza is sure to get pepperoni right in the middle of the slice.

The pizza is definitely loaded with grease and after eating the first 2 or 3 slices we did dab a little bit of it off, but the grease does add to the overall flavor. The first bite of the pizza is a combination of both salty flavor derived from the cheese and a fairly sweet tomato sauce. The crust is thinner with flaky and crunchy texture. The flakiness of the crust is best described as a buttery flake that will melt in your mouth along with the pizza. A large pizza is sufficient to feed a family of four, we had plenty left over for an afternoon snack.

The staff at our Ledo’s was fast and efficient…shout out to our brand new waiter!

We give Ledo’s 4 out of 5 stars!! ****

Popularity: 36%

This weekend, two of the editors at Foodenator ventured over to the Upper Crust located in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Mass.

Although the location is very small and the tables are close together, we were able to squeeze into a corner after ordering a “slice of the day” consisting of Pesto & Chicken and a slice of Cheese.  First let’s examine the traditional cheese.   They use a very thin crust that is cooked to the point where it is crispy but not burnt.  The crust is almost flaky.  For a sauce, they use chunks of tomatoes that are pretty sweet with a nice blend kick of tart seasoning.  They don’t make their slice with a tan of cheese but overall we gave their slice 4 out of 5 stars! ****

We also love that they deliver pizza’s on a bike, way to go green!

Our Second Slice, the Pesto Chicken pizza was also very good.  The crust was exactly the same as the cheese pizza.  We really liked the flavoring that we picked up from the pesto but we wish it was dispersed a little bit more evenly on the pizza.  The chicken was also very good but a little on the dry side.  Probably a result of buying it by the slice and re-heating.  We suggest if you like this type of Pizza to order an entire pie and ask for extra cheese which should help to hold some of the moisture into the chicken.  This slice gets 3 out of 5 stars!  ***

Overall we love this chain which has the feel of an individual restaurant.

Popularity: 65%

The Editors at Foodenator had the opportunity to check out some pizza in Midtown West, Manhattan recently. After searching the internet for a tasty piece of New York Pizza, we decided to check out Il Mare, located right by Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.

You can choose to purchase your pizza by the pie or by the slice and there are a variety of flavors to choose from as well. We decided to try the traditional slice of Cheese Pizza and a slice of the Tomato Basil.

First we tried the Cheese Pizza. The first bite was literally heaven in our mouth. There was a perfect amount of each ingredient and it almost melted. The crust is thinner and by the time you get to the end you just want to grab another slice before finishing the crust because the toppings are so good. The sauce used on the pizza is a little too sweet which was our only regret with the pizza.

The Tomato Basil pizza was also very good. They use several different kinds of cheese on the pizza including a fresh mozzarella. We liked that we had a variety of choices by the slice and the staff was very fast and efficient. The prices are very reasonable and you can be in and out of the restaurant in about 15 minutes.

Overall, we give Il Mare 4 out of 5 stars!! Work a trip to Penn Station to check out their pizza.

Popularity: 24%

On a recent trip to Chicago, an editor for Foodenator decided to check out the famous Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.

The restaurant chosen was Giordano’s. The restaurant has been a Chicago staple since 1974 and has since become a local chain. Patron’s have the option to dine in, carry out, delivery or ship a pizza to their homes in a different state. www.giordanos.com

We decided to check out their Tropical Delight Deep Dish Pizza, dressed with cheese, pineapple and Canadian bacon. First of all, the pizza must have weighed at least 10 pounds and we only ordered a small. The first bite was a wonderful mix of flavors but the cheese was so plentiful and stringy that we almost choked on it. The sauce was excellent, a perfect blend of tangy and sweet. There was a good amount of toppings other than cheese. However the crust left us unsatisfied. Not only was it very dry but it really didn’t contain a lot of flavor.

At over $17.00 a pizza, we give Giordano’s 2.5 out of 5 stars.

We are certain there are better deep dish pizza’s in Chicago.

Popularity: 53%

Most of the time when you are buying a frozen pizza, you are sacrificing quality and taste for the convenience of throwing the pizza in your own oven. California Pizza Kitchen has been offering several flavors of their large pizza for quite some time but more recently started to market a personal pizza made for one. The most common flavors you might see at the grocery store include the cheese pizza and margherita flavors. At first glance, the pizza appears to be the same as their larger pizzas but once you take your first bite you will know there is a difference.

1. The crust of the personal pizza is not as crisp or flaky when following either the microwave or the traditional oven directions.

2. The cheese pizza does not have the same amount of cheese as their large pizza

3. When microwaving the pizza, the edges will cook almost too much and the

center will still need additional time.

When your grocery store is having a sale on these pizzas, you can often purchase them for about $2.00 a pizza. The price and the size of the pizza make it perfect to take to work for lunch as well. Overall the pizza is a good deal but don’t go into the purchase thinking it will compare in any way to actually visiting the restaurant.

Foodenator gives this product 3.5 out of 5 stars

Popularity: 48%

You’ve seen Foodenator’s Steve’s Margarita Preview, Now, after multiple tastings, we have this Steve’s Margarita review.

First a little background on Steve’s Margarita:
After three years of formulation, testing and regulatory work, AL-RITE presents Steve’s Margarita, a ready-to-drink margarita made from blue agave wine. The 12 percent alcohol beverage comes in 375 ml, 1 L and 3 L freezable, lightweight PET bottles. The goal of Steve’s Margarita is to fill a niche of portable, RTD cocktails that consumers can enjoy anywhere without sacrificing quality.

Review Time
Foodenator was fortunate to have the opportunity to test out two forms of Steve’s Margarita, On the Rocks and Frozen. Both were surprisingly tasty, and considering the sophisticated palates of the Foodenator reviewers, this was quite a feat. The most notable margarita ingredient, tequila, has been replaced by a blue agave wine, a possible turn-off for margarita purists, but let Foodenator assure you, telling the difference is next to impossible. These margs tasted like the real thing, on the rocks and frozen. The taste of freshly squeezed lime and a perfect balance of sweetness/tartness really made the drink.

“Steve’s Margaritas transported me to the Yucatán Peninsula” -Sarah T.

It’s worth noting, frozen is the best way to enjoy the Steve’s Margarita experience. You simply place the drink in the freezer, once frozen, easily squeeze out the frozen marg.

For the lazy Margarita drinker, there is no equivalent. Steve’s Margarita easily claims the #1 spot in the ready-to-drink Margarita market.

Highly Recommended

********* 1/2 – 9 1/2 out of 10

Foodenator Choice Award

Popularity: 6%