Ballreich's Potato Chips - Smokey Sweet Barbecue

Sadly, I'm nearing the end of my journey through eating 7 different flavored chips from Ballreich's. Happily, these smokey sweet barbecue chips are definitely one of my favorites.

Like the other Ballreich chips I've tried, the chips themselves are great. Thick. Wavy (er.. marcelled, named after a popular 1920s wavy hairstyle). Crunchy. And they taste like potatoes.

Prior to smokey sweet barbecue, I'd have to say that the sour cream and onion was my favorite flavor. Ballreich's makes another BBQ-flavored chip, but it is more edgy and tangy. The smokey sweet barbecue chips are just that. Smooth, with a little smoke and a hint of sweet. This is a great chip. Great for parties or the big game, or anything.

You can find my reviews of the other Ballreich's flavors below:


Hot-n-Sassy
Sour cream and Onion
Cheddar and Sour cream
Bar-B-Q

Uncle Oinker's Bacon Mints

Always on the lookout for something bacony for me, Anita picked up a box of these mints from ThinkGeek.

How are they? Well, they're a little minty. And a little bacony! (They are bacon mints, after all!)

Perfect for that first (or 100th) date. Let that someone you love know you care by having bacony breath.

Ballreich's Potato Chips - Hot-n-Sassy

This is the fourth flavor of Ballreich's potato chips that I've tried. The first three, sour cream and onion, cheddar and sour cream, and Bar-B-Q, were on the gentler side. Time to kick things up a bit!

Look at the picture below, and you'll know that you're in from something hot. And sassy. It's going to sneak up on you, too. You'll eat the first crunchy, potatoy, yummy chip, and you might think... Hmpf, not hot and not sassy... Then WHAM! Whoa nellie! The hot and sassy arrives!

Now, I'd still take a few big bags of these chips to the next family get-together. I'd make sure your grandma stayed away from them, though. She's probably more the sour cream and onion type. I'd put the hot-n-sassy down at the other end of the table, near the beer cooler.

Like the other Ballreich's chips, these are marcelled (wavy), thick, and super crunchy. And you can still taste the potato even with all that sass. Try some and get ready for a kick!
Other flavors of Ballreich's potato chips I've tried:

Sour cream and Onion
Cheddar and Sour cream
Bar-B-Q

Ballreich's Potato Chips - Bar-B-Q

This is the third flavor of Ballreich's potato chips that I've tried. The first two, sour cream and onion and cheddar and sour cream were great (with sour cream and onion being my favorite).

The BBQ-flavored chips would be great at a party or family get-together. They're not in-your-face-BBQy. It's a very mellow, slightly tangy flavor. Not sweet, and not hot. They wouldn't offend your grandma or your in-laws like your favorite habanero-flavored chips might.

Like all Ballreich's chips that I've tried, these are thick, tasty, and crunchy. And they are marcelled (the name of a popular wavy hairstyle from the 1920s), making them rigid enough to stand up to even the thickest of dips. They are salted and seasoned just right. Try some!

Other flavors of Ballreich's potato chips I've tried:

Sour cream and Onion
Cheddar and Sour cream

His Place Eatery, Indianapolis, Indiana (Revisited)

Anita and I returned to His Place Eatery today for lunch. His Place is our favorite place to eat. The food is outstanding. Funny how we first went there with a Groupon. Those usually don't pan out. It certainly did for us.

His Place has some great lunch specials, but we had to go with the full-sized entrees. I chose one of my favorites, the smoked meatloaf (with a tangy BBQ sauce) , the green beans (you have to get green beans at His Place. They are beyond good.), and the coleslaw (a sweet slaw). Everything was soooo good.

Anita also had the meatloaf and green beans, with some dirty mashed potatoes (she passed on the good gravy). The potatoes are so yummy. You could just sit down with a bowl of them and a spoon and be very, very happy.

It's been a while since our first blog post on His Place Eatery. We can't wait to return again. I'm already thinking about getting the fried chicken again. That stuff is crazy good.

Ballreich's Potato Chips - Cheddar and Sour Cream

This is my second flavor of Ballreich's potato chips. The first, sour cream and onion, was a major winner.

The cheddar and sour cream chips are finger-licking good. You can see all of the flavoring in the picture below. Don't fear, it's not overwhelming like if you'd bite into a block of cheddar cheese dipped in sour cream. It's smooth, with a little sharp cheddar kick.

Like all of Ballreich's chips, these are thick, marcelled (wavy), and seasoned well. You can still taste the potato. And they hold up great to dip, bouncing around in the back of your car, or at a family get-together.

Ballreich's makes a bunch of other kinds of snacks besides potato chips. I'll definitely put them on my list of things to try!

Other flavors of Ballreich's potato chips I've tried:

 Sour cream and Onion

Ballreich's Potato Chips - Sour Cream and Onion

I'm continuing on my quest for the perfect chip. Well, chips. I don't have to have just one #1 you know? I'm making up the rules as I go!

This time I ordered a jumbo pack of 7 different flavors from Ballreich's chips, of Tiffin, Ohio. Ballreich's has been around since the 1920s, and I can see why. Their chips have really great flavor and texture and crunch. They have a very interesting history. Their chips are 'marcelled', which was a new term to me. Marcelled is the name of a popular wavy hairstyle from the 1920s.

I started out with sour cream and onion flavored chips.

These chips are insanely good. The salt level is just right, the crunch is great (those marcelled ridges really make for a great chip), and the flavoring is spot-on. And you can still taste the potato, an important thing in chips!

I love these chips. Of all the Ballreich's chips I tried, these are definitely at the top of my list. Not that the other flavors aren't good, it's just I think they really nailed it on the sour cream and onion variety. And the big bags are perfect for family get-togethers.

I'm looking forward to trying the rest of the flavors I ordered!

Smashburger, Hamilton, Ohio

Oh, we love a good burger, and boy did we find one. I was reading somewhere the other day that Smashburger was one of fastest growing hamburger chains, and that they have a very dedicated, almost cult, following. So, I went to their website, and lucky happy me, there's one not too far from Jungle Jim's International Market where we just happened to be going yesterday.

So off to Smashburger we went. The one in Bridgewater Falls is in a little strip mall in front of an outdoor, open mall. You order at the counter, and they bring the food out to you. Service was fast and very pleasant.

Anita ordered classic burger (American cheese, lettuce tomato, ketchup, onion, pickles, and smash sauce on an egg bun) with a fried egg on top and a side salad.

I also ordered the classic, but got it 'big' and a side of flash-fried veggie frites.

Smashburgers are made from 100% fresh Angus, smashed onto a hot griddle and cooked perfect. The toppings were all very, very fresh, as was Anita's salad. I absolutely loved my veggies. They are fried really quickly, hit with some sea salt, and served with a dipping sauce. They were really outstandingly good.

The burgers were messy, drippy, yummy, great. If I close my eyes while I'm eating, you know I'm enjoying it. Anita really liked hers too. She commented several times as to how fresh everything was.

I wish there was a Smashburger closer to Indianapolis. I think there will be soon since they are adding stores all over. I'd like to try the rest of their menu as everything on it sounds great! (Oh, and they also have beer... )

Triple XXX Family Restaurant, Lafayette, Indiana

If I was a student at Purdue University, I'd probably eat at Triple XXX a few times a week. Not because it's gourmet dining. Not because it was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. And not because of the ambiance (although, it is a cool old diner). The food is fast, and in the case of some of breakfast dishes I saw come out of the kitchen, the portions are big.

This was my second time eating at Triple XXX. I decided that Anita needed to try it out, too, so we stopped there before heading out to a local antique mall, The Leaping Leopard.

So, we both ordered the Bernie Flowers All-Pro burger with all of the toppings. The burgers at Triple XXX are ground on the spot - I saw it with my own eyes, and cooked up on a hot griddle. Topped with onion, lettuce, tomato and Miracle Whip, all on a toasted sesame seed bun. I liked the texture of the burger, and the toppings were fresh. But, the burger wasn't seasoned at all. After adding a bit of salt and pepper, I chowed down on it and enjoyed. Anita felt the same way - the burgers just needed seasoning.

I had onion rings on the side. Good, yummy, onion rings. I could have eaten two sides of onion rings. They were good.

Anita had curly fries on the side. Though good, she felt that there weren't that many on the plate compared to the size of the orders of regular fries we saw around us.

You know, I'd go back to Triple XXX again. I'd like to try their breakfasts. Everyone around us was enjoying big plates of biscuits and gravy and eggs and... well, it all looked good.

Firehouse BBQ and Blues, Richmond, Indiana

Anita and I were antiquing in nearby Centerville, Indiana, when we drove the few miles to Richmond to grab lunch at Firehouse BBQ and Blues.

Firehouse BBQ is located downtown Richmond, in an area that seems be revitalizing itself. The building is the longest standing firehouse in Richmond. There's a restaurant side, and a bar side, and a stage area for live music. From their website, it seems they keep a pretty full band schedule. If we're ever in the area in the evening, we'll swing on by for some good BBQ and music... and beer.

The old firehouse walls are exposed.

I had the brisket sandwich with a side of green beans. The sandwich comes pre-sauced, which I'm not usually a fan of, but in this case, it was good. Very good, actually. And the beans? I could've had a few more helpings. They were quite tasty. Anita had the (very good) pulled pork sandwich with a side of the cheesy potatoes, from which I stole several bites. We also ordered a banana pudding dessert, which was really great. So great that I just sort of duplicated it at home tonight. I'll be posting it soon.

You can't go to Firehouse BBQ without also admiring the painting on the south side of the building. It is very well done.

Garrett's Smokehouse BBQ, Indianapolis, Indiana

I'll eat anything that's been cooked low and slow. As a big fan of BBQ done right, I was happy to finally make it down to Garrett's Smokehouse BBQ, which is not too far from our house.

Garrett's is located in a little strip mall. We showed up on the hottest day of the year (and almost the hottest day ever in Indiana). They have a full BBQ menu - pork, chicken, brisket and even turkey. We decided to get our meal to go.

Anita ordered the pulled pork sandwich with a side of mac-and-cheese. For her sauce, she went with the mild. I had the brisket sandwich with a side of spicy slaw and sweet BBQ sauce. I was already happy since the meats weren't pre-sauced. You just never know when someone might be trying to hide poorer quality smoked meat under a sauce. Not the case at Garrett's, that's for sure.

The meats were smoked perfectly. You know how sometimes you get BBQ and only the first 1/2" or so has a smoke flavor? Garrett's BBQ had a nice (but not overwhelming) smoke flavor throughout. Both sauces were great. Really great, actually. I'm going to pick up some extra sauce next time for my own smoked ribs.

Besides the meats, the sides were also excellent. They were both made from scratch. Anita's mac-and-cheese was smooth and cheesy. My spicy slaw was definitely spicy. I love homemade slaw - there's such a difference between it and store-bought. I'm looking forward to trying their other sides.

We had a good meal from Garrett's. We'll be returning soon! It's great to see local restaurants turn out great food like Garrett's. Support your local chefs and cooks.

The Grill 2, McCordsville, Indiana

Anita and I headed up to Pendleton, Indiana, to do a little antiquing at the Heritage Antique Mall, a small place but one where you can occasionally find some pretty interesting items. We decided to stop by the Grill 2, on Pendleton Pike, for lunch. I'd heard through an ex-coworker that the food and service there is good.

I ordered the Reuben sandwich with onion rings. The Reuben was good, with plenty of dressing, and served on a really good bread. The corned beef was tender and tasty. The big winner, though, was the onion rings. These hand-breaded jewels were to die for, and you get a big ole serving of them to boot. They were good. Really good. I'll definitely order them again.
 

Anita ordered the breaded tenderloin with fries. She loved them both.

Service was friendly and prompt. We'll be returning, that's for sure, to try some other items on the menu (though I'm going to have a hard time ordering a side other than the onion rings...).

Boogie Burger, Indianapolis, Indiana

Boogie Burger has been on my to-eat list for a long time. We had this week off, so we decided to give it a try. Many of my friends have raved about it.

We both ordered the Boogie Burger with cheese.

Easily the best burger I've had. The seasoning was spot-on perfect. I really should've ordered a double. Or maybe a triple. It was just that good and it was embarrassing how quickly I ate it. I admit it. I woofed it down and moaned in happiness the entire time.

We also shared an order of garlic French fries. The fries are very addicting. They are tossed with garlic and parsley. Yes, you'll have garlic breath (and lips) when you are done, but it is sooooo worth it.

It's going to be difficult for me to return to Boogie Burger and order something different that we did this time. The burger and fries were just so good. This place is definitely going onto our normal eating rotation (and at the top at that).

Yat's Cajun Creole Restaurant, Indianapolis, Indiana

We love Yat's. It's right by our house, has great food and staff, and a constantly rotating menu. Not long ago we grabbed an order to go to the park. This last week, we stopped by and ate in the restaurant. We got there early (rumors are that you might want to get there early to get their famous spinach and mushroom étouffée).

Anita ordered two half platters. One half of spinach and mushroom étouffée, and one half of red beans and rice. Each platter comes with a piece of bread, which makes for excellent soppin'. The soppin' is one of the best parts since all of the sauces at Yat's are absolutely delicious. Anita loved her lunch.

I also had the spinach and mushroom étouffée, along with a half order of chili cheese étouffée and crawfish. The crawfish étouffée is insanely good. In fact, I'm swinging by Yat's next week to get some more. I think I might try it over French bread... sort of a crawfish po'boy. Oh, and that chili cheese sauce? Yep you guessed it. It's excellent for soppin' up with bread. And there's no shortage of crawfish in this dish. Mmmm. Tasty. My mouth is watering recalling just how good it was.

It's great to see local joints do well and turn out great food. Yat's is definitely doing both.

Hippie Chips - Woodstock Ranch

Sadly, this is the last flavor of Hippie Chips that I ordered. I enjoyed the first three, White Room Cheddar, Memphis Blues Barbecue, and specially the Haight-Ashberry Jalapeno. The Woodstock Ranch chips are lightly flavored, and healthier than normal chips.

They're pretty tasty, and smooth. They are similar to the White Room Cheddar-flavored chips, with the addition of the Ranch flavoring. It's a nice, creamy flavor. I think these would go really well with a hot Buffalo wing-flavored dip.

See my other posts on Hippie Chips by clicking on the links below:

Memphis Blues Barbecue

Haight-Ashberry Jalapeno

White Room Cheddar

Hippie Chips - White Room Cheddar

This is the third flavor of Hippie Chips I've tried. I enjoyed both the Memphis Blues Barbecue and Haight-Ashberry Jalapeno flavors. These white cheese flavored chips are smooth in taste. No bite or heat. Just a mellow chip. I'm more of a kick-it-up-in-flavor guy, so I'd have to say these are my least favorite of the flavors I have, but still, they are good.

I have to say I've really grown to like Hippie Chips. They are quite a bit healthier than a lot other chips so you don't have to feel so guilty when you eat an entire bag!

Hippie Chips - Haight-Ashberry Jalapeno

This is my second flavor of Hippe Chips. The first, Memphis Blues Barbecue, was quite tasty. I was looking forward to this flavor called Haight-Ashberry Jalapeno.

These chips are not super hot. I'd say their fairly mild, actually, but they're really good. If they sold the seasoning in a shaker bottle I'd buy it just to sprinkle on... well, everything. The seasoning is light and not overpowering.

The chip itself is made from potato flake. It's light, airy, and similar to a rice cake in ways, but better.

As an added bonus, a one ounce bag of these chips only has 120 calories and 4 grams of fat. And like many of Hippie Chip's snacks, they are gluten free.

Hippie Chips - Memphis Blues Barbecue

I've been on a quest, of sorts, to find good chips that I'd never tried or even heard of. I started with Route 11, which is a hard act to follow. This time, I ordered a case of chips from the Rock-n-Roll Gourmet.

These aren't like any other chips. They look a bit like rice cakes. And they have a similar texture. But, they are made from potato flakes. They are light and airy, and quite frankly, pretty darned healthy when compared to regular chips. I didn't feel the least bit guilty eating them.

The first flavor I tried was the Memphis Blues Barbecue. It's seasoned lightly with a sweet barbecue flavor. Sometimes I think healthier chips pour on the seasoning to hide the fact that their chips taste bad. Not here. The chips is tasty and crunchy with just the right amount of seasoning.

I was skeptical at first. Like many people, I'm used to a big honkin' deep fried chip that'd make my doctor cry (all in moderation!). But these were a welcomed change and really pretty good. I'm glad I have more flavors to try too!