Wendy's Strawberry Frosty: Is It Worth The Hype?

As most of you know, Wendy’s recently (June 6, 2022) came out with a strawberry-flavored frosty, and it has had mixed reviews so far. A frosty is a crossover between a milkshake and soft-serve ice cream. It is one of the 5 original menu items at Wendy's, and it has been a staple at the Ohio-based fast food chain. This is my take on the Wendys' Strawberry Frosty. Prices: Junior Size: $1.39 Small Size: $2.29 Medium Size: $2.69 Large Size: $2.99

Nutrition Facts: Nutritional Info - Wendy's Frosty (Small) Calories - 350 (from Fat - 70) Fat - 8g (Saturated Fat - 5g) Sodium - 150mg Carbs - 61g (Sugar - 52g) Protein - 8gReview: I think that it is actually worth the hype. In my opinion, it is just as good as the Chocolate Frosty, if not, then better. However, it is for sure much better than the Vanilla Frosty. It has a smooth, silky texture, but, it tastes like it has artificial strawberry flavoring. My only problem is that it has a good amount of added sugar, but not too much. It also has a tiny bit of trans fat, which is horrible for you. I think it is perfect for when you are looking for a sweet, quick, and cold treat!

Final Rating: 8.7/10 Would be 9 if nutrition was improved. | Would be 10 if real strawberry flavoring was added.

Written and reviewed by Mael Jerez, 2022

Heavenly Halal

If you’re looking for something new, Halal is probably where you should start. Halal is an Arabic word that translates to permissible. It is lamb or chicken often served on rice or a pita. They also offer non-meat options, usually falafel which is a chickpea patty. These things are very good on their own and are made better by their toppings. I got lamb over rice topped with BBQ sauce at all three restaurants for consistency.

Starting outside of Sachem at Flame Halal Gyro, located by Dick’s and Michaels at 499 Sunrise Highway in Patchogue. Their location makes it very convenient to go shopping while your food is being prepared. Their lamb is well cooked but not dry and mixes very well with the BBQ sauce. The rice was very light and did not get stuck in my teeth. The only complaint that I had was that this restaurant had the longest wait but was definitely worth the trip.

Located closest to Seneca on Main Street, Shah’s is next. Many people say it is very good but I couldn’t even finish my meal. My first words were, “Uh...mushy”. The only thing that had flavor was the rice but not enough to carry the dish. The BBQ sauce was just smokey and nothing else. Overall I was very disappointed and would not recommend it.

The last restaurant located at 630 Portion Road in Ronkonkoma is Hamza and Madina Halal Food. The lamb has a slight chew but not chewy like Shas. And the fact that it is fried on a flat-top makes the outside crispy. They also have a wide selection of salad toppings including chickpeas, cucumber, green olives, and more. Their plain pitas are also very good.

All three places were priced at about $8 per plate. Hazma and Flame Halal Gyro are both very good and I recommend them.

Written by Logan Wilson

Best Burgers in Town

A burger topped with bacon, BBQ sauce, and onions… sounds strange? A lot of people like it that way, but if that doesn’t sound appealing you can just pay attention to the burger part of this because who doesn’t like burgers?

Starting off out of Sachem, on Lakeland Avenue is Joe’s Sirloin Burger. Joe’s has a decent sitting area with pictures of famous outlaws such as Jesse James. Their large and fresh patty sits upon their fresh bun like a crowning jewel. What's not crowning anything is their cheese; which is next to nonexistent. Their BBQ sauce is nice and smokey. The flavors blended magnificently. If you don't want a burger you have a choice of chicken or steak sandwiches, tacos, hot dogs, and salads. They offer kids' meals if you have a younger sibling. There is also the possibility of it being very crowded depending on when you are there. They have outdoor seating on a patio.

Second is Chubs Burgers, Burritos, and Heroes at 625 Horseblock Road. Chubs gets their delicious meat fresh from their own butcher shop on Route 112 in Medford. I would also put the bun in the delicious category as it is soft and it's topped with sweet BBQ sauce and cheese. SO MUCH CHEEEESE! One downside is that to get this delicious burger you have to wait outside because they are too small to let people inside due to Covid. They did have some outside tables. Another small plus is that the tacos come in a holder. Definitely my favorite and I’m definitely going back.

The last place I will be reviewing is called Boxcar Burgers which is right outside the Ronkonkoma Train station. This is good because you can eat right before or after your train ride. It has a large sitting area and cool chairs with footrests made of bike pedals and a chain. The burger was the size of a kids meal at a fast-food place. Although their service and overall quality is definitely better than that of a fast food restaurant. The BBQ sauce was sweet and there was a lot of it. There was also not a lot of cheese and it was not melted very well. But going back to the sauces, they had a special sauce called “track sauce” which was a mix of condiments and tasted like a spicy Thousand Island sauce. It was a good option if you don’t like BBQ sauce. Overall it is really good for a quick, inexpensive bite before going to the City.

Best bang for your burger buck: Chubs and Joe’s were about $10 each and Boxcar Burger was $5.50.

Bagels & Long Island are like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Do you like bagels? I do too, they are crusty and bready yet also pillowy on the interior. The shape is cool too, it’s fun all a-round! (See what I did? No one? Alright) We all live in New York, where bagels are a staple, simply tasty and filling breakfast. So today we are going to try 5 different bagel places generally near the school and at least 4 stars, by me and the internet. This includes: Paul's Bagel Cafe, Holbrook Bagel Bakery, Gourmet Bagel, Bagel Brothers, and returning for a comeback, Strathmore Bagel from BECKSP. These bagels will have to meet a few criteria to grab the top spot. At each restaurant I will get 2 bagels. The first will be a plain bagel with cream cheese, and example of a control group. Any other fillings or seasonings may mask the flavor of the dough itself, a cheap tactic if you ask me. The other will be a specialty bagel with special cream cheese. I chose what I believe was the most delicious pairing out of the menu. I'm going to judge based on: pure quality, flavor, variety, and I will give a total score out of 5.

First off is Strathmore Bagel at 1879 Lakeland Ave, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779. Now, I planned on going to the other location at 601 Portion Road but it only has an extra 0.2 star, so its fine. The plain's top was golden brown and crunchy, with the bottom very fluffy. For some reason, it tastes like every seasoning they have even though it is only a plain. A touch of cinnamon and saltiness from some everything seasoning. They add a lot of cream cheese, which slightly overpowers the bagel, but not by much. My advice, get 2 bagels, one with cream cheese and one without it, sharing the cream cheese between them both. The egg everything bagel with scallion cream cheese was very tasty. It had so much seasoning with hardly any plain spots, that you need all the cream cheese! By the time I am a quarter through my breakfast, I really needed the cream cheese from my plain bagel! The scallions in the filling were big crunchy chunks and much fresher than say, Panera. Cost wise, the plain cream cheese bagel was $3.20 and the flavored egg everything with scallion cream cheese is about $3.85. The bagel was very tasty and at the same time a nice plain base welcoming additional flavors. On a variety rating I would give a 3.5, since I didn't see the actual selection because I couldn't go inside. The website has a nice variety, so I'll count it. For the flavor category, a 5/5, actually almost a 6/5 for the delicious powerful flavors this has.

Our next place, the Gourmet Bagel at 1360 Lakeland Ave, Bohemia, NY 11716 . When I ordered, they didn't have a gourmet bagel or cream cheese, as I read on their website. So, we had a mishap. I accidentally gave my parents my bagel and kept their bialy, , but they described it to me. Its flat with no hole and very thin, which is why I believed it was something else. As for our other bagel, a french toast bagel with cinnamon raisin walnut cream cheese, it was sticky as it should be. It was dusted with...almost non existent powdered sugar. The cream cheese had many more raisins than I expected and within my small bagel, I found a few nuts. Similar to the plain bagel, this had a very minuscule hole I could hardly see. I just want to mention the bagels were on display like donuts at Dunkin.

(okay, halfway through Sophia, we can do this.) Our next stop on this carb-filled journey is the Holbrook Bagel Bakery at 1073 Main St, Holbrook where I will judge a plain bagel, as always and an egg everything bagel with lox cream cheese. At first glance, this bagel looks beautiful and handmade, like they are handcrafted and you can tell by each little difference. when you take a bite, the bagel goes down and springs back up. Now compared too strathmore, the egg everything bagel has a moderate amount of seasoning. I know different places do lox spread differently. Some places mix in the lox really well, to the point the cream cheese is a pink color throughout. Others, like Holbrook Bagel Bakery, have chunks of lox throughout the spread, with a clear difference of what you are biting into. Now look, I recently had cancer (story coming soon!)and I hadn't eaten lox or sushi for a while. Luckily, I am better and have been enjoying sushi much more often but not really lox. The bagel, as an egg bagel was a yellow orange. I couldn't take much, but it was delicious!

Second to last is Bagel Lovers located at 499 Sunrise Highway North Service Rd #3, Patchogue, NY 11772. I am getting my control bagel and a bacon egg bagel with vegetable cream cheese! Actually, A sachem family own Bagel Lovers! That means I've had it many times before, on field trips in elementary school, but only as a mini bagel with butter.There is plenty of space in the restaurant, which is great, accounting for all the people in there. It feels very welcoming. Today we are cranking it up quite a bit. The bacon specks are tiny, though I am still hoping for good things. (When I reviewed this, it had been 2 days so I might not be the best judge comparing to others) Lets see how it tastes: amazing. It has a small hole, yet noticeable, which I am a fan of. I personally don't like those big holes where you get a bite of pure cream cheese. There are so many seeable bubbles this bagel's crust, an amazing thing! I pick up the bacon and egg bagel, and before biting I get this wafting scent of meat pass my nose, even with the small amounts at the top. The flavor in this is impeccable, in a different way compared to the rest. Not as overwhelming as Strathmore, not dessert like as Bagel Cafe, just nice and subtly meaty. Previous to this adventure, I always pictured vegetable cream cheese as julienned (matchsticks) vegetable in cream cheese, but here it is diced instead! I like it, because I'm trash, but I understand if others dislike it. Some may believe that without the long thin matchsticks, the crunch is now nonexistent. But that is false, and the cubed shape allows for a more even spread for vegetable distribution. This simple breakfast tastes like a warm comforting dinner, you have bacon as meat, bagel as carbohydrates, vegetables as themselves, and cream cheese as dairy! It didn't feel as filling as a thanksgiving roast, though. I am shook and don't have the words. Bagel Lovers, I am coming for you!

Lastly, thank God, is Paul's Bagel Cafe at 4801 Patchogue Holbrook Road, Holbrook. Whenever I want a good hearty bagel, I go here since it is across the street from my house.I promise, I'll try to be as non-biased as I can. On google, they have a 3.7 rating compared to the 4+ ranks of the rest. Here the unique bagel category, we have a sweet. It was going to be an IMHO overrated bagel, a rainbow bagel with strawberry cream cheese, but they didn't have it so I got a sprinkle bagel. It of course looks gorgeous, but how does it taste?The plain bagel had a somewhat golden brown top with small crackle bubbles, as it should. The inside was fluffy as well. Cream cheese was slightly tangy but not overly so, which was enjoyable. On the other hand, the strawberry cream cheese was the farthest thing from tangy. It's appearance was a baby pink with chunks of the fruit mixed in. The flavor combination really reminds me of strawberry ice cream or some other artificially strawberry product, especially with the sprinkles. It dies out more towards the end of the bite, a plain bagel taste left in your mouth. The first few bites taste artificial, but starts tasting realer, especially with the chunks of strawberry. I infer the strawberries are glazed, like if they were in a pie or a topper for a cheesecake. Still this is dessert for breakfast, the perfect morning starter for an 8 year old. The hot chocolate was watery and for a few minutes undrinkable, almost burning my hands just from the car to my kitchen, even with a sleeve. No decadent drinking chocolate, more like a "sure, I guess I'll have it"

In conclusion, I am not sick of bagels. They are still delicious and unique depending on where you are going, and most in NY have perfected the art. The ranking: Strathmore and Bagel Lovers tie for 1st place with 4.5/5, Holbrook Bagel Bakery and Paul's Bagel Cafe tie for 2nd with 4 stars, and in 3rd place is Gourmet Bagel. I guess I just didn't realize I don't like sweeter bagels, probably my fault. SO ,thanks for reading my random food opinions!

Written and reviewed by: Sophia Espiritu

Bacon, Egg, Cheese, Salt, Pepper, Ketchup

BECSPK: Bacon, egg, cheese, salt, pepper, ketchup the New York special. Sold at delis and bagel stores it's a great way to start the morning.

First up is Handy Pantry though should be renamed the soon-to-be-not-hungry-pantry because it has a deli and a small grocery store. The bagels don’t really hold the toppings well, but they do ask how you want your toppings; in this case bacon and eggs. Their ingredients were fresh and my mom said the roll was too. At $4.30 it is not very expensive. While there was not much cheese and they did not have a breakfast special menu, it is very close to Seneca and is across the street from Davinci’s pizza which I reviewed previously. Overall it was very good.

Next is a market that is just a walk down Patchogue Holbrook Road from Seneca and like Handy Pantry has a grocery store as well. The Community Market, located at 480 Patchogue Holbrook Road is relatively close to the Handy Pantry in price at $4.25 but unlike the Handy Pantry it is very cheesy (in a good way). One disappointment was the bagels were not fresh and there was not a wide selection. The eggs were bland and they didn’t ask how you wanted your eggs cooked but you could really taste the bacon. They did offer pancakes if you aren’t an egg sandwich fan.

Last is Strathmore Bagel and if you go to Sachem North you’re going to spend a lot of time here. The line is long but it moves fast so it’s not an issue. After ordering your sandwich, which comes with a choice of four drinks(coffee, tea, lemonade, and chocolate milk), you can sit in the large sitting area. They don’t ask how you want your eggs cooked either but the lemonade didn’t have too much ice which is nice. The bagel and bacon are soft and the bacon is smokey. Like Handy Pantry they don’t add much cheese and they do charge extra if you pay with a credit card but the flavors go really well together so it's worth it in my opinion. Out of all three this one was definitely my favorite. Although I’m not sure you can go wrong with a BECSPK!

Right Coast Taquiera

The first place isn't a restaurant but a food truck, Right Coast Taqueria. They have another restaurant in Deer Park but they didn’t cut the cheese as there is a lot of it. They are currently located in the parking lot of Tag Beverages at 960 Main St, Holbrook, NY 11741. The beef has a great classic flavor but all of the cheese makes it dry. Their fresh flour tortilla was toasted, which was very nice. I would recommend the Mongolian Beef taco. It was very flavorful.

Swell Taco

In the Village of Babylon is Swell Taco. There's a hint of spice and smoke but it’s not too strong. The actual heat of the meat melts the cheese. The herbs in the mixed greens topping added a freshness and crunch that is very welcome. If you dine in, they give you chips and salsa while you wait. The salsa was very fresh. As Guy Fieri would say, “I would eat that on a flip flop”.

Senor Taco

Senor Taco is closest to Seneca at 480 Patchogue-Holbrook Rd, and if you live in Woodgate Village it is within walking distance. While their tacos are very good the fun part is the multicolored chips. The original taco is a good size but the shell cracked almost in half after just a few bites. The seasoning is very good but it might be hard to taste because of the tons of lettuce. Because of this it does spill a bit but it is not at all greasy. Overall I would recommend any one of these for your Cinco de Mayo dinner.

Local Pizza Review

It originated from Italy but has since become an American classic. Pizza has practically become easier to get than air. But who has the best local pizza? That is the question to be answered today.

The first contestant in this contest of deliciousness is Joe's Pizzeria and Restaurant, located at 346 Union Ave. in Holbrook. Joe’s recently expanded and is looking better than ever. Their large display holds many different pizzas including stuffed and specialty pies. My sample plain slice held the cheese very well while having a nice cheese pull. It also wasn’t too cheesy or too saucy. One complaint is the end crust was very large, leaving a small but very noticeable void of toppings.

Up next is the farthest of the three from Seneca, Alberts Pizza, located at 601 portion Rd. Ronkonkoma. Alberts has a slightly cramped restaurant but very friendly service. Their plain slice is very greasy and the cheese falls off very easily. The good news is it reheats very nicely. It also has a medium selection including a few specialty slices.

Last but not least is Davincis pizza, which can be found at 1191 Grundy Ave. Holbrook. Because of its location, Davinci's is the most convenient as it is within biking distance of Seneca. Once you get there you can enjoy year-round outdoor seating. It is small in size and price with one slice costing less than two dollars. It has a small selection with limited specialty slices being offered. Davinci's pizza has almost no grease and tastes fresh.

by Logan Wilson