When we were honeymooning in Greece, my husband started to wax rhapsodic about American fast food. In particular, Pizza Hut. Greek pizza, with its pastry-like crust, just wasn’t doing it for him. So upon our return, after he promptly came down with what we think might have been the flu, I ordered in Pizza Hut for the patient. His aches and pains and coughs seemed to vanish as he blissfully finished half a pie. The next day, he told me Pizza Hut had called back to conduct a customer survey, and he reported that he had given high marks across the board for its crust, sauce, cheese, delivery time and service.
Shudder.
I’m not a Pizza Hut hater, really. In fact, I love the crispy, buttery crust. However, if you ask me, the sauce is reminiscent of canned Spaghetti-Os and the cheese’s texture is more than slightly plastic. And we live in Connecticut, home to some of the country’s best pizza. But it made me think – do other foodies have their own pre-packaged, highly processed, chain-restaurant guilty pleasures? They must…
Some favorites I’ll admit to:
- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, especially Easy Mac. But I can’t stand the sodium-packed taste of the orange cheese powder on its own, so I always add a little milk and a sprinkle of canned parmesan. I also love the Annie’s Organic mac and cheese with the bunny on the box.
- Dunkin’ Donuts egg-white flatbreads. Yeah, I know they’re pre-frozen and tossed into a toaster oven for two minutes. But man, do they taste good with a medium French vanilla, skim and one Splenda.
- Anything from Sonic. At this moment in time, there are no Sonic Drive-Ins within 2 hours of me. But thanks to my very patient friend Kate, I’ve been able to visit an outpost in Jacksonville, Fla. Cheeseburgers. Tater tots. Onion rings. Grape slush. <Homer Simpson drool>
Your turn. Don’t be shy. Tell us your favorite foodie guilty pleasure…
This email made my mouth water. Max Fish, one of the Max Restaurant Group’s seafood restaurants, is hosting an Oyster and Wine Tasting on Monday, Nov. 2. The tasting features four types of oysters paired with four wines. Cost: $33 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Three seatings are available: 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Max Fish is at 110 Glastonbury Blvd. in Glastonbury. Call 860-652-3474 for reservations.
Call ME if you’re willing to spot me $33. Max Fish has some of the freshest oysters I’ve ever had the privilege of tasting.
A first look at the Santorinian sunset.
Honeymoons are wonderful. They exist so that newly married couples can get away together, recover from the stress of planning a wedding, relax and get to know each other as husband and wife. And yes, that’s all well and good. But when you’re me, and traveling somewhere with phenomenal cuisine – it’s ALL about the meals.
My husband and I traveled to the Greek island of Santorini for 10 days and sampled some of the most spectacular food of our entire lives. Greek food itself is amazing – fresh, healthy and rich with flavor. But Santorinian cuisine takes it one step further with the inclusion of local produce, grown in the island’s unique volcanic soil. That same soil gives birth to the distinctive grapes that become Santorinian wines: among them assyritko (white) and vinsanto (sweet/dessert.)
On Santorini, there’s no shortage of good restaurants. But it took us a few days to realize that the caldera-facing eateries with outdoor terraces and unobstructed sunset views were pretty overpriced. Tavernas, small family-owned restaurants, offered incredible dishes at prices often lower than the cost of one mixed drink at their touristy counterparts.
Here’s a rundown of our favorite tastes of Santorini:
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I love my wine and I don't care who knows it.
Welcome to Fun With Carbs! This blog will chronicle my adventures with food – my home cooking projects and restaurant experiences, as well as dining news from around Connecticut and western Massachusetts.
Who am I? I’m a recovering newspaper journalist turned nascent food writer/ blogger, in the interest of doing what I love. Fun with Carbs pays homage to my absolute favorite food group. Bread is manna from heaven, quite literally. I love cheese, too. Sometimes too much.
This site would not be possible without the hard work, expertise and great humor of Jeanne Leblanc, she of Coach Class and Digital Media Cooperative fame. Thanks a million, Jeanne!
Leeanne Griffin is a freelance writer and food enthusiast.