Junk Food Nation, on Wednesday a couple of co-workers and I went out for a drink at Ruth’s Chris. Cheap happy hour, steak sandwiches – an easy sell. Our waiter comes by to take our order.  One co-worker orders a blueberry mojito, I order a Manhattan (Yes, shut up, I know its an old man drink). My other co-worker orders a beer.

Waiter, “What?”

Co-worker: “What is the happy beer?”

Waiter, “WHAT!?”

Co-worker, pointing at menu, voice raised: “BEER.  WHAT’S THE BEER?”

Good Lord, how could this guy understand blueberry mojito, but not BEER? That was our first clue that the evening was going to be odd.

On the table, since it’s Ruth’s Chris, are a pre-set number of plates, silverware, and wine glasses – both for red (huge goblet) and white (smaller goblet).  The waiter comes back and is carrying a tray – a tall glass full of blueberry mojito, a wine glass, and a metal shaker (containing my Manhattan) as well as a martini glass.  The waiter sets down the mojito, and places the beer bottle down in front of my other co-worker.

Waiter: “I’m sorry we didn’t have any chilled glasses, so you’ll have to drink it from the bottle, not from a glass.”

Which, I think we can all agree, is a weird thing to have to explain.

Co-worker: “Oh, that’s ok.”

Other co-worker, jokingly referencing the wine glasses on the table: “Oh, you could drink it like it’s wine!”

We all sort of chuckle, until I suddenly realize that the waiter is vigorously shaking the metal shaker, with my Manhattan, INTO ONE OF THE TALL RED WINE GLASSES.  And then he walks away, martini glass still on his tray.  We all stared at my drink.  Wait, what just happened?

Yep, that’s my Manhattan at the bottom of a GIGANTIC RED WINE GLASS.  We all sat there blinking at it for a few seconds, before I piped up, “Um, wait. That happened, right?”

I replayed the conversation, and even if the waiter misinterpreted my co-worker’s comment, it still should not have ended the way it did.  Why? BECAUSE ME, THE PERSON WHO ORDERED THE DRINK, DID NOT ASK FOR THE MANHATTAN TO BE POURED INTO THE WINE GLASS.  What the hell, man?

You tell me, Junk Food Nation.  Where did the phone lines get crossed.  Even as I’m typing this, THERE IS NO WAY there should have been any confusion. Why the EFF would I want a Manhattan poured into a huge wine glass?? LOOK AT THE PICTURE ABOVE! IT LOOKS RIDICULOUS.

There were more weird things that occurred that evening, including watching this same waiter struggle to scoop salad, and a person falling from a high chair at the bar almost right on top of me, but this incident set the evening off right.

Today’s junk food: Salted Caramel PopChips!

Junk Food Nation, I love Pop Chips, and have reviewed plenty of them on this blog.  Salted Caramel PopChips in a festive holiday bag? There was no question these were going in my cart.  BOOM.

I love Pop Chips, but I’m pretty sure they put flavor on the same way everyone else does – by basting their chips with powder/  Prove me wrong, Salted Caramel PopChips.

Safflower? What the hell is safflower?

When I opened this bag of Salted Caramel Pop Chips, and inhaled deeply, I could smell caramel.  Yep, it was definitely there.  Wasn’t super strong, but there was no mistaking the aroma.  A closer look at these chips revealed plenty of powder on each chip….that’s where the salted caramel flavor was.  Time to crunch.

I popped two of these Salted Caramel Pop Chip in my mouth and ZOOM I was on a ride of delightful salted caramel buttery taste when, all of a sudden, the flavor was gone.  What the.  Pop Chips does a good job of capturing the salted caramel flavor it was looking for, but maybe because all that flavor was concentrated into the powder, once the powder was washed away, the flavor was GONE. 

Now, I like Pop Chips underlying popcorn-based chips a lot, so I didn’t mind munching chewing the remaining chip, but I was a bit disappointed with the immediate drop-off in flavor.  I think the flavor itself was ON POINT, a nice salty/sweet caramel combo flavor, but wished it lasted longer.

The Impulsive Buy agreed.  I think I’d eat these again, but only if someone else bought them.

PURCHASED AT: Target

COST: $2.69

Thoughts?Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. I also have Google+!! Let’s hang out.

Sincerely,

Junk Food Guy