Pat's vs. Geno's - Philadelphia, PA

These two Philly Cheesesteak institutions have gone head-to-head on just about every television show imaginable. Bottom line, it simply comes down to preference as both places are very good.

These two locations are directly across the street from each other in the Philly Cheesesteak Tourist Trap of the world. If you are in Philadelphia, add this to your list. Above is "Pat's King of Steaks" (located at 1237 E Passyunk Avenue) and below is "Geno's Steaks" (located at 1219 S 9th Street).

I went there in December of 2017, ordered one sandwich from both places, and tried them. My winner? Tony Luke's! :)

Crystal Pepsi & Deep Fried Twinkies

That's right, that weird soda from the 1990's is back for a limited time! I simply couldn't resist trying the 2016 version. Apparently it's the taste of a new generation. Honestly, it just tastes like Pepsi and we all probably won't miss it when it's gone (again).

And if that weren't great enough, Hostess just released a popular State Fair treat: Deep Fried Twinkies! I tried them and I will say they take you right back to the Midway. I actually like them better than regular Twinkies. Nice work Hostess!

The Return of ECTO COOLER!

Memorial Day 2016 marked the long-awaited return of Hi-C's Ecto Cooler. It's flying off the shelves right now and is very hard to find. As of today, the Coca Cola Co. is saying it will only be around until October of 2016.

There has been a little negative feedback because Slimer, the Ghostbusters character who appeared on the original Ecto Cooler label, is not on the 2016 versions. But hey, we have Ecto Cooler again and Slimer is just an afterthought at this point.

Ecto Cooler was a childhood staple of mine in the 80's and into the early 90's. The new Ghostbusters film has warranted many new items into the market, but the return of Ecto Cooler is by far my favorite. 6oz. boxes are being made available in stores while 11.5oz. cans, that change colors when they are cold, have only been available in Cinemark Movie Theaters and Amazon.com.

All I can say is LONG LIVE ECTO COOLER!

Ghostbusters Marshmallows

Weeks away from the premiere of the new Ghostbusters movie, GB fans around the world (including me) rejoice as new products get rolled out to support the film. One of those new products is the Ghostbusters Marshmallows. It's an appropriate fit, after all, as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was a key character in the original film. These new marshmallows come in white (they look like the SP MM Man) and green (who doesn't love Slimer?!). 

I wanted a green smore and I got it!

Mountain Dew Pitch Black

This flavor of Mountain Dew has come and gone over the last few decades or so. Pitch Black even has a die-hard following among Mountain Dew fans. But back by popular demand, it has returned in 2016...with a catch. Pepsi Co. is pitting this flavor against another interesting flavor, which can usually be found exclusively at Taco Bell: Mountain Dew Baja Blast. Fans of these high-caffeine beverages can vote online as to which flavor they want to stick around permanently. Needless to say, #VotePitchBlack.

UPDATE 7-18-16:
The results came in from the poll today and Pitch Black won! It looks like Mountain Dew Pitch Black is here to stay!

The Return of SURGE

Re-released in very limited fashion, this staple in my adolescent diet returned for who knows how long in October of 2015.

Burger King's Halloween Whopper

As I type this, it's the Halloween season and excitement hit me when I heard about this seasonal release from Burger King: The Halloween Whopper. For those unfamiliar, it's a normal Whopper with A1 Steak Sauce replacing the ketchup. The main draw for this product, however, was the black bun!

I must say, the wrapper for the burger was awesome! The burger itself is not all that spectacular. It looks amazing, but the overall flavor falls short. There is also a lot of strange news regarding this burger. You know it's bad news when the headlines don't have anything to do with the flavor of your food but rather the product your body creates after you consume it. It turns your poop Ninja Turtle green...no joke. Trust me on that one.

I am happy when anyone takes risks with their food, especially if they give it a Halloween theme. This would be the rare instance where I hope this is a one-and-done product for BK.

Arbys' Meat Mountain

This is an Arby's hidden menu item and I just had to try it. Truth be told, the Meat Mountain is delicious!

As you can see, this sandwich has every meat Arby's serves shoved in between two buns.