REVIEW: ALDI Fremont Fish Market Dynamite Shrimp

Not to be confused with their Boom Boom Shrimp, the Fremont Fish Market Dynamite Shrimp is ALDI’s latest frozen appetizer aimed at fans of Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp. Like me. 

When we had a BG near us, Bang Bang Shrimp was my favorite dish—a heaping helping of crispy fried shrimp tossed in a creamy sauce with a kick. Unfortunately, the dish is tougher to replicate at home that you’d think. Believe me, I’ve tried. So, when these appeared in our freezer case, they were a must buy—especially with a Thursday night Eagles game screaming for apps and cheesesteaks. 

I followed the directions for conventional oven cooking but after the specified time the shrimp looked anemic and not golden brown (not to mention undercooked), so I left them in a little longer. Meanwhile, I warmed up the sauce packets in some water and waited for the magic to happen. 

When I removed the cooked shrimp from the oven it became clear disaster awaited. Even the slightest movement caused the coating to slide off the shrimp, and once tossed with the sauce we had a bowl of slightly coated shrimp and slightly coated shrimp coating. Too bad, since the sauce was tasty, even if it wasn’t anything like Bonefish Grill’s signature sauce. 

The box also includes air fryer instructions, but did not specify if that preparation was recommended over conventional oven prep. If I was to get these again (and that’s a big if), I’d go the air fryer route. Personally, I think the Boom Boom Shrimp are much closer to the big chain fave and will be on the lookout for them in the coming months. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet and is still accepting contributions for issue #13 (due out in Spring 2025). Visit hungovergourmet.com or email editor@hungovergourmet.com for more info.

#Aldi #frozenfood #appetizers #review #foodie #hungovergourmet

Review: ALDI Buffalo Mozzarella & Spinch Pizza and BBQ Chicken Thin Crust Pizza

Thanks to ALDI, I have become the de facto pizza/flatbread provider for our Friday night neighborhood happy hours. Oh sure, I might go crazy and bring Tempura Shrimp or Everything Pigs in a Blanket, but most weeks I’ll swing by ALDI after our round of golf and select some options for that evening. 

This week, we sampled the Buffalo Mozzarella & Spinach Pizza alongside the BBQ Chicken Thin Crust Pizza. Both items were in the freezer case and though cooking temps were slightly different, I put them in the oven together (I don’t recall what temperature I settled on) and cooked for about 12 minutes. Some folks had remarked that the crème fraiche sauce on the Spinach Pizza could be watery, but we did not have that issue. 

After cooking and cooling slightly, both pizzas were sliced into smaller portion slices than advertised and hustled across the street to my neighbor’s garage where the crew was ready. Based on the empty platter, the BBQ Chicken Pizza (which featured white meat chicken, red onion, cheese and a tangy BBQ sauce) was the winner as it was almost gone before I could grab a slice. The Buffalo Mozzarella was a slightly slower mover (maybe not everyone loves spinach as much as me?) and I ended up bringing a few pieces home, which my wife and daughter scooped up for lunch the next day. I would definitely purchase both again (the $5 price points are hard to resist) but in typical ALDI fashion I believe both are already out of the rotation. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet and a quarter-carrying ALDI Evangelist. You can find him at one of his local ALDI outlets on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. And the occasional Monday, Wednesday and Thursday on his way home from work.

#ALDI #aldifinds #itsanaldithing #aldipizza #foodie #foodblogger #foodreview #hungovergourmet

Review: McDonald's Chicken Big Mac

I rarely eat at McDonald's aside from grabbing a cheeseburger if I don't feel like stopping on a road trip or my annual Filet-O-Fish. But when they announced their Chicken Big Mac I knew I'd have to give it a try. Why? Because I'm a sucker. 

I'd heard from a few folks that it was like a McNugget burger but the sandwich I received was devoid of flavor other than the "special sauce" and pickles. I thought maybe the patty would have flavor if I tried it without anything on it, but even that was flavorless. Lots of bread, no flavor (other than the aforementioned sauce and pickles). I snagged one of Ryan's McNuggets for comparison and though I'm not a fan I'd have welcomed whatever it is they taste like. — Dan Taylor

#ChickenBigMac #mcdonalds #fastfood #fastfoodreview

Contribute to The Hungover Gourmet! Deadline Extended to 11/30/24

Do you eat? Do you shop? Of course you do! Why not share your tales of shopping with the world via The Hungover Gourmet #13?

The deadline for the new issue of the award winning journal of food, drink, travel, and fun has been extended to 11/30/24. This issue's theme is "Lost in the Supermarket", but we're open to all types of relevant contributions. 

See our Facebook page (@hungovergourmet), visit our website or email editor@hungovergourmet.com for more info. 

THG #13 will be published Spring 2025. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet and he wants you to know that the deadline for the new issue is the day after his birthday. Your contribution can be your gift. Unless you also want to get him a gift.

RegionAle Sandwich Shop (Ellicott City, MD)

After a nice walk around town and some early Xmas shopping in Ellicott City, my wife mentioned she wanted me to try a sandwich shop she’d been to with a friend. We drove back towards Columbia and ended up at RegionAle in a shopping center just off Snowden River Parkway. The mini-chain—which boasts three locations in the MD/DC area—has a great concept: the founders wanted to “bring a fresh spin to classic American sandwiches” by featuring regional favorites crafted with a modern twist. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a good sandwich, whether it’s the cheesesteaks and hoagies I grew up on as a Delaware Valley native, the massive crab cake sandwiches I’ve been devouring for the past twenty-plus years outside Baltimore, or everything from pulled pork and fried chicken to Cuban and tuna sandwiches that I’ve sampled in our travels. The menu offers about a dozen sandwiches that represent both coasts (California, Oregon, Florida, NY and Philly feature prominently) plus places in between. 

I almost never eat a cheesesteak outside PA/NJ/DE (and the ciabatta roll screamed “foul”) and my crabcake allegiance lies elsewhere, so I settled on the Kentucky (?) Smashburger, featuring an Angus patty cooked to perfection and nestled in a potato bun with the works (Havarti, arugula, tomato, red onion, dill pickle, house sauce). Personally, I’d never thought of Kentucky as home of the smashburger, but it turns out they were invented at a Dairy Cheer burger stand in Ashland, KY (where my wife’s grandparents lived) more than 50 years ago! After considering the cheesesteak, my wife pulled the trigger on the Nashville Hot Chicken (shown) stacked with two juicy, breaded chicken patties, Nashville Hot Sauce, garlic aioli, arugula, and pickle slices on a potato bun. We split a side of homemade Old Bay potato chips, and I was able to order a Cryomancer IPA on tap from Baltimore’s own Nepenthe Brewery. 

Sandwich prices range from $10 to $15 and there’s a selection of soups, vegetarian sandwiches, salads and desserts. Service was friendly and quick (though I did have to wait a bit for my beer), and the location we visited had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Definitely recommended! — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet, which is seeking contributions for its upcoming thirteenth issue. Check out our website for more details or email editor@hungovergourmet.com.

Bananas in Salads from A Study of the Banana (1942)

I know it's getting late, but there's still time for me to wish you a Happy National Banana Lover's Day! For the first half of my life I was not what you would call a "banana lover". Oh sure, I loved the flavor of a banana bubble gum cigar but a REAL banana? No thanks. Maybe my mom tried to serve me Banana Cabbage Salad or Banana Peanut Fan Salad (from A Study of the Banana: Its Every-Day Use and Food Value [Student's Manual], 1942) and I blocked out the memory but internalized the horror. Either way, I finally grew to love the banana and its "bacteria-proof wrapper". I hope your holiday was merry. (Click image for full-size picture.) – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. There's still time to submit your contribution for our next issue. See the THG website for more details.

#banana #bananasalad #vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #vintagecooking

The Hungover Gourmet Meets The Food Enthusiast!

Had a blast spending some time this afternoon chatting with longtime friend Dara Bunjon on her podcast, The Food Enthusiast. We talked about zines, cheesesteaks and pork roll, grocery stores, pop culture, and much more. 

If you missed the live stream you can check out the archived video here.