On a very special FGFB...

Previously, on FGFB....



It's the holidays: Christmas is just a couple of short weeks away, houses and streets are decorated, and there's a festive spirit in the air. This time of year always reminds me of being a kid... Christmas is definitely a children's holiday... and luckily (or begrudgingly) some of us never grow up.




Until we have to.

Things change: friends come and go, relatives pass away, significant others pack a bag and leave in the middle of the night like we won't notice (you'll be back Karen!)... and sometimes it can be very hard. And worse than all of those things:

My favorite donuts are going extinct!



Now, these are not some little powdered numbers you get at the 7-11 when you stop for gas on a long drive. Oh nay nay. These donuts are a STAPLE of not only my childhood, but the region that I grew up in.




cue the Wonder Years theme song...





Leavitt's Country Bakery... family owned and operated for 44 years. Sadly, will be closing their doors for good on February 29th, 2020. This is a devastating blow to the population of my home town of Conway, NH... and everyone else who was in-the-know when visiting town. All of my pilgrimages back home never felt complete until I got a Leavitt's donut (or a dozen).




























Even to this day, Leavitt's Bakery is the only place I know where a dozen donuts is under $10. Sure, maybe Dunkin' Donuts is close in price, but not in quality, or size, or the love fried right in. And I mean unconditional love... not the fickle love of a cheating hussy named Karen.

Anyway, when I was living and working in Conway, I'd stop by every Saturday morning and get a dozen for me and my coworkers (especially that one piece of ass who looked like she'd never even smelled a carb in her life... she loved donuts).












Home of so many sweet treats, it'd be impossible to list them all and not leave someone's favorite out. Pies, cakes, fritters, and of course coffee and donuts. These confections have been on this green earth longer than the writer of this article; and are equally as doughy and sweet. I don't even think the aesthetic has changed in 40 years.





All I can say is that I'll sorely miss these sweet, chewy and caky (when they should be) homemade donuts. They've been as much a part of my life as anything has. They are perfect. I've tried donuts all over, everywhere I've traveled (see the FGFB review of NYC where I visited an artisan-hipster place called Dough, or in Chicago where I had an ice cream sandwich made with 2 glazed donuts)... nothing compares to Leavitt's Donuts... not even the ones my mother made in the fry daddy for me as a wee one.

And if that picture and my words aren't compelling enough, dig this, I posted a goodbye to Leavitt's Bakery on my own Instagram/ Facebook, and received more engagement, comments, reactions and reach than any other post I've ever created. My own simple tribute to a local family and their sugary gifts to the world sparked a revolution of love and sweet sadness for the loss of something so terrific. I just wish I could've done more.





The Leavitt's have done a lot for the community, beyond their family-owned business. They've touched so many people. And everyone who's tasted their goods is a life-long fan. Commenters stated they drive over an hour just for Leavitt's products. Everyone is saying the hard goodbye to a truly special business that will be missed more than they'll ever know. And as much as I admit they deserve their retirement, it's heartbreaking that there isn't a young relative to take the reigns and keep this one of a kind little shop in business.

  These donuts get 5 stars, an A++, 10/10  

Leavitt's Country Bakery

564 White Mountain Hwy

Conway, NH 03818

Please, if you are in their area, stop by and pay your respects to the end of an era. And do yourself a real favor and purchase 30,000 calories worth of baked goods. You won't regret it. And all I can say to the Leavitt's is this...

Review by Dave

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Vegetarian Burgers? The Fat Guys Do The Impossible (Whopper)!

As many a fat guy are want to do nowadays, I've toyed with vegetarianism. I'm no spring chicken (man, I could wreck a bucket of spring chicken right now), and I'm sure I have the cholesterol of a much older gentleman. Though I do have a soft spot for animals, my interest in the diet change actually had more to do with being healthy.



Admittedly, it was hearing a post-heart attack Kevin Smith on the Joe Rogan podcast, that got me thinking. He stated that even after he gave up sugar and lost a ton of weight, that it wasn't enough to stop his cardiac scare, and he "at best, postponed it for some years". That the only way to really clear your arteries is to go meatless.



Face to face with the concept of my own mortality, I decided it was time to make a change... and being shunned by the other FGFB writers be damned! For about a month I cut out most sugars (excluding natural sugars, such as fruit), most grains (such as bread), and went meatless (save for one bomb ass turkey sandwich which will most likely be a review in the future). There was a noticeable change, but more in my mental state (much happier, less anxious) and my energy level (I actually had some). I did notice some minor weight loss, but I'm starting to think the only way I'll ever look like The Rock is if someone leaves a wax statue of him out in the sun too long.




Though somewhat discouraged, I mostly stick to that similar diet, eating as little meat and carbs as I can muster the strength to avoid. However, much like any fatty in denial, I still treat myself several times per day for my efforts in being healthy. But, I do pay attention to what other people in this grotesquely vain society we live in are doing; and I kept hearing the phrase "impossible burger." And I realized, on one of my trips to use fast food to soak up the tears of self loathing that just won't stop falling from my eyes, that Burger King serves the Impossible Whopper!




Now, I must make a quick note here because I would expect that regardless of where my review goes from here, someone would mention "well maybe you had a lucky, or maybe you had a bad fast food experience! Not all BKs are as good as others!" And this is true. So, in the interest of quality control, I go to a Burger King that is not the closest to me, but one that has proved to be the most consistent in order accuracy, presentation and quality.

Also, I got the holy grail of order numbers...



Yup, and because I'm a CHILD when the woman at the counter said "Sixty-nine!" I made her repeat it three times, much to the entertainment of the dozen or so UberEats drivers chomping at the bit to get their to-go orders. *666 would've also been cool, but without an external speaker to blare some death metal, i'm not sure my iPhone would've cut the mustard in that scenario.






Okay, now on to this damn review. The presentation was decent. I went in actually optimistic. It truly did look like a real burger... I mean, the coloring was a little light compared to that of a good ol' fashioned charbroiled whopper, and though it's a bit hard to tell, it DID look a little too perfect... and shiny almost... like when you buy a rubber squeaky burger toy for your dog. It looked so much like a burger, it looked artificial.







Upon first bite, I went "Hmm... I'm impressed!" Texture and taste appeared to be damn close to a real beef burger. I couldn't believe it.



But as I ate on, something changed. The amount of lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, ketchup and mayo that topped this Impossible patty started to become more and more apparent... as if they were hiding something sinister.



The taste of the burger began to go sour, as did my stomach. I tried to soldier on, figuring "well, it IS all plant based, it can't be PERFECT... stop being a wuss." I really did try you guys. But in the end, I quit. I did not finish the last 1/3 of the Impossible Whopper. It sucks. I hate it. It's the vaping of burgers... it's unholy, unnecessary and doggone it, a waste of time and money!

This is not some meat-loving foodie bashing all things vegetarian... in fact, since cutting out most meat, I've noticed a great reduction in how often I experience heartburn. I'm trying to focus on keeping in that zone, because the effects are all positive. But if you want a plant-based veggie burger (no soy, i'm trying to shrink my man-bosoms, not make them more perky and full), I recommend running down to your local super market and picking up a box of these:



They're not pretending to bleed or taste like the real thing, but damnit they're edible, and with a little cheese and some russian dressing, you'll more than likely enjoy the little bastards.




To get that nasty garbage taste out of my mouth, thank god Burger King have lost their minds and decided to put $1 Tacos on the menu.



Now, are these the best Tacos ever? Nope. Are they better than Taco Bell? I think not. Are they still greasy and awful for you and delicious, yeah pretty much. They have that deep-fried shell, almost like a taquito from 7-11. And much like a 7-11 Taquito, they're best consumed when you're drunk and need to launch a pre-emptive strike on a hangover. However, that being said, it wasn't bad getting the taste of the IMPOSSIBLE-TO-EAT burger out of my mouth.

I give the Impossible Whopper an F (as in FU)

I give the BK Taco a B (as in B careful how many you consume)

Review by Dave






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LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Earths Harvest Presents: The Hamma Jamma

In 2017, a small place called Earths Harvest opened in Dover, NH. Dover, which is pretty much overrun with fast food, bars, mediocre chinese food, and a decent Thai spot or two, needed something fresh, a new vision for food, a new way of preparing and serving a seacoast who's starved for something that resembles fresh food. Earths Harvest has been a go to place for me, not only can I go there and make sure I don't push an insane amount of processed food into my face, I can leave there, slightly guilt free, and know that I'm getting my money's worth in delicious farm to table freshness.

 "But FatGuyFoodBlog you don't care about eating healthy!?" is what you're yapping aloud to the screen as you read this. You're right, but we like to pump the brakes here and there and try something that isn't going to liquefy our internal organs.

So, with that, imagine my shock when on a daily special something so delicious was itemized, I needed to forgo any thought of sustainable nutrients, downshift those arteries, and step on the gas to tear ass into flavortown.

Labeled as the Hamma Jamma. Smoked Ham, with soft scrambled eggs, cheddar, ailoi, dijon, caramelized onions, on a seeded brioche.

Biting into this soft magic pile of goo was perfection. The similar textures helped add to the decadent flavor pairings, your brain gets confused on what exactly you're eating in the front of your mouth, and by the time it's moved the the back, you can discern the sweetness of the onions, the tang of the dijon, and the saltiness within the warm ham.

This is also the first time I've had a brioche that was seeded. I'm not sure what that does for the flavor, I'm much more accustomed to the cake like brioche I get at bakeries, but this brioche was a little drier. If they wanted to kick it up a notch, I'd suggest maybe going for one of those sweeter versions of brioche.

maybe?

In the end, I went to a place I go to ensure that I get something that's not going to liquefy my guts like The Stuff did to Chocolate Chip Charley (every gif I found was disgusting so, we'll leave that one out) and I ended up getting something that wasn't probably the best choice for my arteries, but absolutely was for my mouth.

I give the Hamma Jamma sandwich from Earths Harvest an 

A

Everything I get there is always stellar, 

and I'm happy I could try Chef George's forray into 

sloppy, disgustingly wet comfort sandwiches.

I encourage you to visit
Earth's Harvest Kitchen & Juicery
835B Central Ave
Dover, NH 03820

Review by Josh

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Ben & Jerry's Minter Wonderland

 Well it's been a long time eh?  Fuck it! Let's just review some food shall we?

If you have a girlfriend who likes to walk up and down every single aisle of your local Target like I do, you know that burning hot ember of rage that fills inside you, that then twists into agony, your eyes darting back and forth hoping that the next aisle has something you can stab into your own face and end the suffering once and for all. Well I'm here to inform you fellow occupants of hell, there's something located in the freezer aisle that, hopefully, will douse that all consuming rage, and will sooth your soul from that 666 mile journey,  just a little bit.

 As a long time lover of mint anything, I shrieked when I gazed upon this Target exclusive. I was pretty excited to peel off that horseshit wrapping they tie up pints of B&J's in, so after a few minutes of trying with my hands, I took out the trusty pocketknife and revealed this.

Now looking at this, and thinking of what your classically favorite ice creams look like, you're probably

But rest easy my friends, what this ice cream lacks with it's visual austerity, it makes up for with its giant taste. Within the black maw of what seemingly is an empty void of flavor, ribbons of marshmallow flow throughout the cosmic ecosystem of chocolate, weaving in between giant black ribbons of chocolate cookie flavor waves, surfed by your silver spoon, searching through this place to appease your giant, world devouring hunger.

This ice cream is stellar, and as you can see, it doesn't have the hype of needing 8000 other candies and treats to be smashed up within it, it doesn't need some boomer enticing name of a failing late night talk show or a band no one really likes to sell this. The foundation on which this ice cream is built is so solid, you could build a home on it and expect it to last for generations of nuclear attacks.  I'm very pleased to have tried this, and I will definitely pick another pint or 3 up if I can somehow figure out how to survive another 5 hour Target trip without bashing my brains on the seasonal aisle floor.

I give Ben & Jerry's Minter Wonderland an

A+ 

for giving us working men an ice cream to sit back, 

kick our feet up, and watch exposed breasts on HBO 

before it's time to go to bed. 

Review by Josh

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Peeps Oreo cookies!

An interesting thing happened the other day as I strolled in to one of my local grocery stores. Before I even made it through the door there was a massive OREO cookie display. The thing looked like they probably used a cool grand in cardboard to make it. An Oreo castle, peppered with little shelves here and there to display packages of original Oreo's. Boring right? 

But then, in the very middle of this display there two meager facings of an Oreo cookie that probably never should have been made. But my friends...they made it. 

...Why, Nabisco? WHY?

Yes, that's right. Oreo went and decided to give us a present this Easter, by mimicking a classic Easter candy treat. One that, to my knowledge, I have never met anyone who likes. Seriously. Think about it. You've probably eaten a Peep or two in your day, right? But I bet you never bought them. I bet your Mother or Grandmother put them in an Easter basket for you, and when you finally had finished all of the good candy, you would turn your sad gaze upon that box of sad little sugar birds.
Or perhaps your friends told you when you were a tot, that if you put them in the microwave, they explode like Tetsuo at the end of Akira...

When you rip the bag open your nose is instantly assaulted by the unmistakable sweet marshmallow scent. These definitely smell like Peeps. Whatever poison they add to a Peep to make it a Peep? These Oreo's have it. Perhaps that's tied into their color too. For, you see, these cookies have the brightest pink creme you have ever seen in your life, guaranteed. It's a shade of pink so vibrant that it almost hurts your eyes to look at it.

If you've heard anything about these cookies so far, it's most likely about the color. Or, at least a certain common side effect to eating them. The first few people I talked to about them all asked me the same thing. But hey, we're talking cookies, we don't want to mix in bathroom talk. But for those of you wondering if these maybe change your poop pink if you eat a bunch? Here's your answer:

But the real question, as always, is do they TASTE like Peeps? The quick answer, is hell yes. They honestly do. At first bite I thought they reminded me a lot of the Marshmallow Crispy Oreos from a couple years back. Very similar flavor!

But where those had tiny rice crispies in them to give you that familiar crunch, the Peeps Oreo's have big sugar chunks for you to crunch up. It works in two ways. One, it gives you another texture while eating them, which is always fun. But the sugar also is a throwback to how the Peeps have that strange sugary skin protecting their marshmallow guts from the outside world. They really do nail the flavor, but it seems like a slightly different marshmallow. So when paired with the cookie and the sugar crunch, you get a pretty interesting cookie!

SO BRIGHT!

There is a down side though! Most people like to twist the Oreo open and eat the creme first. Let me tell you, with these cookies, that is a mistake. I found that without the cookie to reign it in a little bit, the creme alone sort of tastes like poison. Sweet, sweet poison. Is it the abundance of food coloring? Some kind of witchcraft? Who knows. All I do know is that when I ate that creme alone, I almost spit it out! So that definitely takes these cookies down a notch, but keep them together and it shouldn't be a problem.

While I always applaud Nabisco for trying wild new flavors of Oreo, I have to say, this is one that I'll be glad isn't going to be on the shelves too long. I found them to actually be pretty tasty, when it came down to it, but I probably wouldn't get another bag. They did remind me of the Marshmallow Crispy Oreos, but the threat of the creme tasting like poison when eaten alone did knock them down the ladder a few rungs. Peeps just aren't good. Peep Oreos? Way better than just Peeps. But they are still Oreo's made to taste like THE worst Easter candy.

I give Peeps Oreo Cookies a solid C+. Worth a one time buy just for the gimmick, especially if you break them out on Easter Sunday, but you most likely wouldn't buy them again on your next trip to the supermarket.

Review by Rich Brunelle, currently writing out of sweltering New Hampshire. 86 Degrees in April. Ridiculous.

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