This is more like it! the Generalissimo cried.
Id made the mistake of having the great sunglassed one over to my place for an evening of cheese Danishes and fine boxed wine. Unfortunately, the first Danish I pulled out wasnt a Danish at all, but a cheese croissant. He wasnt amused. This offering, also from Albertsons, was a true cheese Danish, and he seemed much more inclined to enjoy it, right until he put it into his mouth.
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This is not a cheese Danish! the Generalissimo said. You promised me cheese Danish! I salute your deception!
He saluted.
It wasnt much of a deception. When I went to Albertsons, I bought two things that looked like cheese Danishes, only one of them turned out to be a cheese croissant. No big whoop. Wed try it, and if he liked it, then all was right with the world. Except, I made the mistake of trying it first.
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Prairie City Bakerys Creamy Cheese Danish isnt as bad as it could be. Compared to some of the other Danishes weve tested, its fantastic. The flavor is nothing special, the bread isnt the best out there, and the frosting isnt provided in enough quantity to make it relevant, but the filling…wow. Creamy and soft, with just enough tart to keep it interesting. The flavor reminds me of homemade, and that isnt a criticism.
But Prairie City gets serious bonus points for the volume of cheese filling. The center core was almost three inches in diameter, and three quarters of an inch deep. That may not sound like much to you, but in the world of cheap Danishes, thats a lot. Easily twice what Ive seen on other Danishes, and almost twice what our local bakery puts out.
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The Versa isnt my kind of car. Dont get me wrong. Its cheap, which I can get behind. The sedan we tested was the base model with no options, not even a stereo, which is why it only costs $9,990. Plus tax, of course. But still, ten grand for a car? Nice.
But theres a cost to getting it cheap. The lack of a stereo is just the tip of the iceberg. The cloth interior is something youd get out of the recycle bin at Wal-Mart. Durability was the least of the interiors problems, however, as the lack of stuff made me think motorcycle with seatbelts. No ABS. No A/C. The rear seat doesnt fold down. This is car making at its most basic, most primitive.
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Let me begin by saying how much I enjoy writing wine reviews while actually consuming the beverage in question. Yeah, so my typing skills go south rather fast, but it makes for a much more entertaining evening.
Quit bogarting the box! the Generalissimo said. Well, maybe he slurred it just a bit. Wed been going at it for a few hours.
Kiss my ass! I said.
Thats the spirit! He slapped me on the back, hard enough to knock the box of Hardys 2008 Riesling out of my hands.
Im a big fan of the Riesling. Its sweet. Its nice when chilled, and equally so when not. No one hates Riesling, making it an ideal wine to bring to someones house. But mainly, its a pleasant drink before, during, and after dinner. Cant say that about most other wines. Well, except for the fortified ones, but those dont really count, and they dont go all that well with paella. Riesling? Lovely with paella.
Tell them about the wine!
I am. Im not. My bad.
Its yellow. Its slightly sweet, but not like a desert wine, or even an off-dry Riesling. Its not too tart, not too pungent, and it doesnt leave my esophagus reaching for the Tums. Its not the most flavorful wine Ive ever had, but its got alcohol in it. And really, whats more important than that?
Tell them about the wine!
I did!
Did not!
Did too!
Vive a France!
What he said. The box says that it is, A refreshing, crisp wine with intense lime and lemon flavor and a soft lingering finish.
Sure. And Im the Queen of Norway. The only lemon or lime I tasted came from the Jell-o we had for dinner. The fact is, its not going to win any awards for complexity or its subtle nose of citrusy goodness or its palate of mooseberries. Its simple, its easy to dink, and its cheap when you think about how many normal bottles are in that Mylar pouch.
Drink it. Dont drink it. I dont care. Now leave me alone. The Generalissimo is trying to get Zak the intern to join him in a spirited game of Twister.
Put your pants back on you crazy bastard! I yelled. Ah, screw it. Wheres that box of wine?
This is the worst pastry Ive ever eaten. Bon Appetit, you are officially on my list. The Generalissimo not only refused to try it, but whipped out his Colt Anaconda and punched a pair of .44 holes in my plate, putting me out of my misery. And the antique table the plate was on. And the floor. Did I mention he uses explosive tipped rounds? Can you say shrapnel wound to the shin?
No frosting.
The bread was generic, bordering on useless.
The filling was gooey, flavorless, and made my stomach do a Triple Lindy off the 10M board.
I have but one question: are you effing kidding me? Because Im not.
F
Im a big fan of Top Food and Drug. I do quite a bit of my grocery shopping there, mainly because its close, but also because they carry a lot of odd items I can only find in trendier places (think Metropolitan Market or Whole Foods). And as we dont have either of the other two, Top works for me.
I rather enjoy their individual pieces of carrot cake. The cake tends to be moist, the carrots are rarely rancid, and the cream cheese frosting is sublime. So it goes with their cheese Danish.
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I really liked the Mercedes Benz GLK. I shouldnt for any number of reasons, starting with its lack of a manual transmission option, to its excessive price tag, to its abysmal fuel mileage.
But still…
The ride is excellent. The steering response it firm, with just a hair of roll in the corners brought on by being an SUV (if you find an SUV, big or small, that doesnt lean in the corners, call me). The brakes were solid. It looks like a serious SUV, but in a more compact package. Id call it rugged looking, but theres just too much chrome for that. The interior was up to Mercedes standards, meaning lots of quality plastic and high-grade leather. For some reason the drivers seat felt cramped, even though the overall space was more than adequate. The central command center seems to squeeze the legs a bit more than necessary, but it isnt something Id worry about for too long. I mean, come on, this car is plush. An when youre driving it, all you can think about is bounding through the Sahara, chasing Leftist rebels while your buddy working the turret gun sends them a jaunty hello.
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