Wawa (And Drugs) Saved My Christmas Eve, But I Give Most of the Credit to Wawa

I could feel the cold coming on the weekend before Christmas.

Which was fun, because I'd just gotten over a cold that had basically lasted since Thanksgiving and had made my head feel like somebody had injected lukewarm glue into my brain.

But this cold was different. While the previous one had lodged itself in my skull, The 2015 Christmas Cold was definitely zeroing in on my throat and chest, making it hard to sleep through the night despite the best efforts to self-medicate with everything from throat lozenges and expired Mucinex DM to pineapple soaked in vodka and several belts of Ranger IPA from my neighbor's new Kegerator.

Even The Force (or, more accurately, THE FORCE AWAKENS and a Crunchburger from Bobby's Burger Palace) couldn't stave off the inevitable, but the Vanilla Bean milkshake was damn comforting.

Alas, I was going to be sick for Christmas.

Which sucks because I really love Christmas. Always have, always will. I love the look on my daughter's face when she sees the presents Santa left, the cookie crumb stained note he writes each year and the reindeer food that inevitably gets tracked in from my in-laws' beach house deck. I love the Christmas Eve party that my in-laws throw, which has turned into a craft beer bacchanal to go along with the awesome cheese-stuffed filet that my father-in-law and I make each year.

Determined to keep the illness at bay as long as possible I loaded up on over-the-counter medicines as I struggled through a client meeting, the three-dimensional Tetris game that is packing the car with presents and gear for the holiday, and even a quick trip through New Jersey to see my niece and her husband at a cool beer bar that I wish had existed when I lived in Haddonfield and Collingswood (NJ) all those years ago.

But when I woke up on Christmas Eve morning, it was clearly not a pretty sight. I have vague recollections of fevered dreams from the night before and I literally felt like I was drowning but it all paled in comparison to the swallowing, which felt like being stabbed with thousands of tiny knives.

"How long can I go without swallowing?," I asked myself in the mirror while I wondered if the strep throat somebody at THE FORCE AWAKENS mentioned was going to be my Christmas present to one and all.

With a short last minute shopping list still in hand I decided to combine trips and make my way over to the mainland for a visit to the urgent care facility. Complicating matters was that my wife recently switched jobs so while we have health insurance we don't have insurance cards. What do people do that don't have insurance?

After declaring I was fine to self-pay and later submit bills to my insurance I was seen by a doctor, diagnosed with bronchitis and some throat malady and given a prescription for antibiotics and steroids to be filled at a nearby, albeit sketchy, Rite-Aid pharmacy where the pharmacists on duty couldn't have been nicer or more helpful, even giving me discounts to reduce my out of pocket costs.

Prescriptions filled I dashed to the car and guzzled my meds and some Day-Quil, washing to the whole grim cocktail down with some lukewarm Wawa Dark Roast that had been sitting in the car throughout my adventures in healthcare.

Though I was still pretty fuzzy and couldn't remember exactly where the nearby Target was, I fought my way through the cobwebs, attempted not to swallow, grabbed the remaining Christmas presents and craft beer samplers then made my way to the one place I knew would provide the loving care my body needed.

Wawa.

Granted, I've been a little down on Wawa of late. Our local store finally opened after about a year of longing and well, I have to admit it has been a bit of a disappointment. I hate the layout, the staff seems overwhelmed and uninspired, and I've actually had to – gasp! – cancel a sandwich order because it was taking too damn long.

But on LBI, the Wawa at the end of Pennsylvania Ave. is like our own private oasis, especially in the winter months. Barely any customers, a friendly staff, Michael almost always at the register ready to buoy my spirits about our beloved Flyers thanks to his unwavering confidence in his main man, Ron Hextall.

Eschewing my usual faves – Italian Hoagie, Egg White Breakfast Sandwich or Chicken Salad on Rye with Bacon – I eyed up the menu board and zeroed in on Chicken Corn Chowder, a remedy for a painfully sore throat if ever there was one. Add in a buttered Wawa hoagie roll and whatever illness was racking my body had zero chance of ruining my holiday.

Soon enough I was parked at the counter in my in-laws' house, warm spoonfuls soothing my throat while the chewy buttered roll sopped up every last drop. By that evening's festivities I was in fine spirits and even worked my way up to a couple beers – including an oddly delightful Smoked Belgian Stout from Flying Dog that made me feel like beer and ham had a baby – to go along with a plate of delicious, oh so rare stuffed filet.

Sure, doctors will tell you that it was the prescription meds that speeded me on my way back to the land of the living but just to be sure I asked my wife to whip up a heaping helping of Chicken Corn Chowder once we got back home to Maryland. She doesn't use the jalapeno and adds in a little cubed sweet potato but it is a great recipe whether you're dying from throat knives or not.

I hope all our readers had a very Merry Christmas (sans illness!) and I wish everybody a safe, happy and healthy New Years holiday and 2016! – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor and publisher of The Hungover Gourmet and you can follow his food, drink and travel exploits here as well as via Twitter and Facebook.

Too Good to be True? Wawa Planned for York Road in Lutherville?!

Future Site of the York Road Super Wawa!

Longtime readers of THG are well aware of my devotion to Delaware Valley icon Wawa.

Excursions to Long Beach Island to visit family usually involve at least a half-dozen trips for hoagies (Italian Shorti with Provolone, please), coffee (Kona or Dark Roast), mac & cheese (my daughter's favorite), Herr's chips (especially the addictive new line of Old Bay cheese curls and popcorn) and the Diet Lemonade Iced Tea.

My in-laws – who literally live two blocks from one – joke that I'm there more in one weekend than they are all year.

Here at our home base of Lutherville, MD, though, it's a good 40-60 minute round trip to hit a nearby Super Wawa with a gas island which means I usually have to make sure the trip coincides with a visit to a client, supply warehouse or the nearby Costco. If not all three.

But no more! As spotted by my eagle-eyed daughter yesterday, the vacant lot picture above will soon be home to a Super Wa overflowing with gas and hoagies, coffee and iced tea. Okay, well, maybe not "overflowing" but you get the idea.

Unfortunately, the location is on one of the most congested stretches of York Road near our home and my daughter's school, so we've already started figuring out more strategic routes.

Progress will be documented!

THG's Six Pack – Premiere Edition

Entertainment Weekly has their Must List. Golf Magazine wants to hip you to items on The Front 9. Even sister publication Exploitation Retrospect has their own junk culture and fringe media cheat sheet known as The Dirty Dozen.

So what's a poor food, drink, travel and fun blog/zine/website to do?

Why, start our own checklist of the things we love, of course!

Welcome to the first installment of THG's Six Pack, a weekly roundup of a half-dozen things we love from the worlds of food, drink, travel and fun. Reality cooking shows, snacks, recipes, new items, restaurants and more are all fair game. Who knows? We might even throw in – as we did below – a Dishonorable Mention or two. Got something you want us to check out? E-mail me or see the sidebar for our PO Box address.

Let's get started...

1. The Dapper Don of Reality Cooking Shows – I may have started watching FOX's Master Chef (a home cook version of Top Chef) because of Gordon Ramsey... but after a season and a half I'll gladly admit that it's restaurateur/judge Joe Bastianich (aka Joey Polka Dots) who brings me back week after week. Whether he's arriving at a challenge on a European scooter, questioning a contestant's ingredient choices or fixing a cook with his steely, withering glare, Bastianich has emerged as a household fave who – like Ramsey – should have three or four shows on the network. All Joe! All the time!
2. Boxed Wine is OK! – I was drinking boxed wine back in the 80s, though more out of convenience than any desire to blaze trails. Frankly, it cut down on trips to the liquor store and meant that a White Trash Cooler (half Mountain Dew, half boxed white wine) was just a refrigerator away. But now it appears that oenophiles are learning what I already knew – it's okay to drink boxed wine! Sure, you might have to put a paper bag over your head or pay some college kid to grab a box of some table plonk you don't want your wine snob friends seeing you hoist into the car, but isn't fresh wine without the hassle of a corkscrew totally worth it? And if you don't have a corkscrew you don't have to worry about this happening.
   
3. Halloween Candy Makes an Early Appearance – It won't be long before Facebook and Twitter will be filled with people complaining about cold weather and the fact that Christmas decorations are in stores. Sensing this ever-shorter window of opportunity, Halloween candy makers have already started stocking convenience stores and supermarkets I frequent. Though I doubt anything will beat last year's "Candy Blood Bag" I did get a kick out of the Gummy Werewolves being sold at Wawa. As old pal and fellow Joey Polka Dots fan Joe McNulty quipped, "Full supply of daily vitamins and gypsy curse".
4. Fast Food Wine Pairings – I'm not sure what I enjoy most about Snooth's series of articles in which they pair wine with takeout from the likes of McDonald's and Burger King. Maybe it's the tongue-in-cheek, yet serious, approach they take to the subject. Maybe it's the useful information I can use during my next Filet-O-Fish craving. Or maybe I just like the horrified comments from humorless wine snobs. Eh, it's probably a little bit of each. Keep it up Snooth, but please tell me what I should serve with the hammy, cheesy, burger-tastic Double R Bar Burger!
5. Tostitos Hint of Pepper Jack Tortilla Chips – I'm usually pretty change averse, so when I find something I like I tend to beat it into the ground. Like tortilla chips. Lately (and when I say "lately" I mean since they were introduced) I've been buying the Tostitos Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips, which have a slightly over-the-top blend of lime and salt that goes great with sitting on the patio drinking beer and shooting the breeze with friends. But when I discovered that our latest bag had gone stale I found myself digging in to a bag of Hint of Pepper Jack flavored chips that my wife bought while I was out of town. Oh, Pepper Jack Tortilla Chips... where have you been all my life?! These are a crunchy, creamy, cheesy, spicy taste sensation.
6. Five Ingredient Fish Tacos – Fish tacos have been a somewhat recent addition to my culinary maturation. I was introduced to them when my wife and I were first dating and I accompanied her on a trip to Cabo for a friend's wedding. That trip was one great food find after another, but I really fell in love with fish tacos. And why not? I love fish, I love tacos. Marrying the two – whether the fish is grilled, seared or battered, the toppings spicy or cool and creamy – has been an ongoing adventure. Our newest fave is – like many of our go-to recipes – torn screaming from the pages of Cooking Light. Though I felt they could have used something cool and creamy like a little sour cream or guacamole on top, this was an easy weeknight dinner that gave us a chance to use some fresh jalapenos from our summer garden.

Dishonorable Mentions: I love the bright, cheery and tasty (usually) sodas from Jarritos, but their "Jamaica" variety was a complete bust. The hibiscus flavoring made it taste like red prune juice and gave the drink an aroma that can only be described as "musty" or maybe "old person's garage" ... Our local SuperFresh recently closed its doors and re-opened as a ShopRite. Let's just say that my first trip was not overly positive. The layout is familiar but the store seems claustrophobic and exceedingly bright, checkout clerks were overly aggressive in trying to rush me out the door, and the produce section was both poorly stocked (no strawberries on a Friday afternoon in August?!) and off-putting (I picked up at least three containers of "fresh" fruit that were significantly moldy). I'll have more about the area Supermarket Wars in the weeks to come.

Ole! Wawa's Newest World Brew is Mexican Blend

It's the little things that make me happy over the holidays. The look on my daughter's face when I turn on the Christmas tree lights. The smell of pine needles and those little incense cones. Remembering my holiday decorating jobs as a kid.

And the ability to get up on Christmas morning and walk to the Wawa up the street for a cup of coffee.

This year I'll be able to indulge my South of the Border side a bit with the new Wawa World Brew – Mexican Blend. According to the website the brew features Rainforest Alliance Certified beans and a medium body with a sweet, aromatic fragrance reminiscent of roasted nuts and milk chocolate with a sweet, clean finish. But hurry, World Brew blends are available for a limited time only and this one will be gone by the time March Madness rolls around!

How much do I love getting Wawa on Christmas morning? I actually recorded me doing it two years ago.

Let's Get f'REAL

"Milkshake" and "convenience" are not words that usually go together. And while a thick, frosty shake isn't exactly what I'd call a thirst-quencher, there's something about (happily) struggling to get that ice cold, creamy concoction up a straw that lends itself to lazing about on a hot summer day.

Unfortunately, grabbing a milkshake has never been the easiest thing in the world. In fact, other than a fast food joint like McDonald's – whose "shakes" have long been the subject of dark, nasty and unfounded rumors – I wouldn't know where to get one that didn't involve making one myself (a process that would include finding our blender) or sitting down to order one. I suppose ice cream parlors (I think I'm dating myself with that terminology) serve them but it's not like they're on every corner, even if I had the time to leisurely kick back for a shake.

Enter the f'REAL, the invention of Jim Farrell, fellow milkshake lover and a man who knew there had to be a better way. I was vaguely familiar with the company's blender kiosks and squat refrigerated cases that sat in some of the Wawas I would frequent during my travels, but I readily admit that: a) I'm a Wawa purist and tend to only purchase hoagies, chips, Diet Lemonade Tea, soft pretzels, and coffee; and, b) I'm usually in a hurry whenever I'm in a Wawa and rarely take the time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

In other words, I'm a creature of habit. So when the fine folks at f'REAL offered me the opportunity to give their handy – and interactive – milkshakes a try I couldn't resist.

I'd been walking around with a couple f'REAL coupons in my wallet for a few weeks but was always in too much of a rush to get to the beach or eat my hoagie to succumb to the allure of their high-tech gadgetry. But on a recent trip to LBI the milkshake gods started nudging me, reminding me of the opportunity that lay before me. While stopping midway for gas and dinner one night the guy in front of me was buying a f'REAL... a day or so later another customer in line had a f'REAL as I ordered up my morning coffee. These were literally the first people I'd ever seen buying these.

I got the hint. It was time to get f'REAL.

Unfortunately, the Wawa on the Boulevard in Beach Haven was out of the limited edition Cookie Dough flavor. In fact, the refrigerated case seemed low on most flavors which I suppose is a good sign for the folks at f'REAL. With Cookie Dough out of the mix I opted instead for Cookies and Cream which combines ice cream with crushed Oreo or Oreo-like cookies. (Other regular flavors include Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate Malt and Mint Chip which is available from February through May.)

After choosing the plastic cup filled with the frozen blend of ice cream and dairy-fresh milk from the case, I popped the lid, chose my preferred blend (regular, one of three options) and stepped back while the blender did the rest. About a minute later I had my f'REAL.

As somebody who doesn't have a sweet tooth I was actually a little concerned that the shake would blast me with a sugary, too sweet concoction I'd be passing off. Not the case. Though the regular blend mode left some of the ice cream a bit too solid, requiring some deft work with my straw, the resulting shake was eventually creamy and refreshingly cold, like slightly melted ice cream before it turns to ice cream soup. As we drove down the Garden State Parkway I happily worked away at my shake, noisily slurping up the last bits and almost waking my daughter in the process.

Available in Milkshake, Smoothie and Frozen Cappuccino blends, f'REAL products run about $2.50 and are available at convenience stores around the country. In addition to the standard flavors, exclusive, limited edition offerings are available at selected convenience stores, such as the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup shake available now at Sheetz.

Wawa or Sheetz: Which Are You?

My love for Wawa is well documented within these pages, not to mention the pages of THG #11 which features WP Tandy's paean to the convenience store to end all convenience stores.

But it's not like The Wa is the only quick fix, one-stop shop for gas and grub. For those of us in the mid-Atlantic region Sheetz is also an option though I've never stopped at one for anything more than a quick gas up and maybe a restroom visit.

Frankly, while Wawa projects a more laid-back, easy-going experience the red and neon decorating scheme at Sheetz seems far more in your face. In other words, not the amped-up experience I need when stopping to stretch my legs during a drive. Even the Sheetz web site features an idling monster truck emblazoned with the store's logo.

Seems I'll have to be making an exploratory Sheetz trip, though. I was just checking out their web site and found out that they have an exclusive Reese's Peanut Butter Cup-flavored f'REAL milkshake! Another tip of the cap to Sheetz for their efforts to change Pennsylvania's outdated liquor laws and make it okay to purchase alcoholic beverages in the Keystone State's convenience and grocery stores. While their motives certainly aren't entirely altruistic (imagine how much liquor sales would put in the coffers of the Sheetz – and Wawa – locations in that state), I'm all for changes to such long-standing laws.

Washington Post reporter Hank Stuever digs deeper into the Wawa vs. Sheetz debate in this article from today's edition.

Thanks to THG contributor Debbie Stultz for the tip.

THG Ends Award Winning Print Run with Super-Sized Final Issue

After a two-year hiatus The Hungover Gourmet: The Journal of Food, Drink, Travel and Fun is back with an all-new super-sized 44-page issue. Unfortunately, this will be the last print issue of the zine so that we can focus more of our time and energy on our website and blog.

And what better way to go out than with a celebration of America's favorite legal drug, coffee! Our contributors celebrate – and trash, in some cases – the morning cup of joe that helps open our eyes and make us productive, or at least functioning, members of society. Check out contributions from THG regulars like WP Tandy, Aj Michel, Davida Gypsy Brier, Tom Crites and John Taylor as well as Deborah Stultz, Dara Bujon, Catherine Harris and many more.

It's not all coffee enemas and Dunkin' Donuts as we send THG into the great zine library in the sky... Bryan Senn weighs in with thoughts from The Beer Snob while THG's editor-in-chief looks at Budweiser Chelada and explains the reasons behind killing off the print edition of the zine.

But wait – in the words of the late, great Billy Mays – there's more! THG goes out not with a whimper but a resounding BANG! as the one and only Louis Fowler takes the Big Lots Challenge and finds out if one man really can survive on nothing but Rap Snacks, Guava Nectar and Toddler Cuisine... it's a fitting coda to 12 years of the food newsletter that's guaranteed to give you heartburn! (DISCLAIMER: Heartburn not guaranteed.)

So what are you waiting for?! Pre-order your copy now and be the first on your block to have THG #11: The Super-Sized Final Issue!

Happy Birthday Wawa!

It was 45 years ago today that Wawa opened its first store in the Folsom section of Ridley Township, PA. From those humble beginnings the convenience store chain has grown into one of the nation's Top 10 coffee sellers and the third-largest food merchant in the region, behind only supermarket giants Acme and Shoprite.

These days I live about 20-30 minutes (depending upon traffic) from the closest Wawa, unlike my days spent in South Jersey and Bucks County, PA when any trip I made from my home took me past three or more of the establishments in the first five minutes.

But even a 45-minute roundtrip is preferable to my dark days spent in Pittsburgh's Wawa-less no man's land where questions like "Where's the nearest Wawa?" were met with an open-mouth and vacant stare (the results of too much Sheetz or 7-11 coffee I assume).

Though my favorite items can change as quickly as the weather here in Wawa's Northeast/Mid-Atlantic stronghold, here are my current faves:

• Wawa Coffee. It goes without saying that I get a cup of Wawa coffee eight out of ten trips to the convenience giant. It's why I started going there in the first place – that and to pick up a Philly Inquirer. My standard blend used to be half-regular/half-hazelnut but these days I'm all about the Kona. And for my money, nothing beats a cup of Wawa coffee and a cream donut from Crust & Crumb located in Bay Village on LBI. (If you haven't seen it yet check out video from my Christmas day visit to Wawa.)
  
• Italian Hoagie with provolone, a little mayo, grated parmesan. While the rolls used at nearby MD locations don't match the Amoroso's rolls used in the Delaware Valley, a Wawa hoagie is still hard to beat as the perfect lunch or dinner when you're on the road or on the way to the drive-in.
• Diet Lemonade Ice Tea. Commonly referred to as an "Arnold Palmer" this is a slightly sweet, refreshing drink that packs a nice caffeine punch. Perfect for lunch on summer days spent on the beach at LBI where the closest Wawa is just two short blocks away.

What's your favorite Wawa item?

I'll Be Home for Wawa, You Can Count on Me

It's probably a good idea that the FlipVideo camera wasn't around when I was more into, um, let's just call them "shenanigans". The fact that there are only still photo records and oral histories of some of my more colorful escapades may be best for all involved.

These days I'm less inclined to be playing a drunken game of home run derby in the police station parking lot at 3 AM and more inclined to be walking up to Wawa for some Christmas morning coffee.

Knowing first-hand the heartache of not having a Wawa nearby (one of the cruelest jokes of my time in Pittsburgh) I decided to take my Flip along as I made my way up the street to the Beach Haven, LBI Wawa on Christmas morning 2008. Here's a waist-eye view complete with an apropos holiday classic playing softly over the store's loudspeakers...

Why I Love Wawa: Reason 476

Was home in NJ for Thanksgiving and there's a new Wawa just two blocks from my in-laws. Grabbed bags of Herr's snacks I've not seen in Maryland (reviews to come) and rang in my 42nd birthday with a 24-oz Kona.

But it's things like this that I think of when people ask me what's so damned special about Wawa. I stopped in the day after Thanksgiving for coffee and after checking the burners and coming up empty I spied a fresh pot of Kona behind the counter. I caught the attention of one of the workers and asked if I could have it. The woman working brought it over without attitude and I had piping hot, fresh Kona on my way back to the house. Try that at other convenience stores and see what kind of response you get.

THG #11 Update... Yes, I Said THG #11

It has been almost two years since THG #10 hit the streets and some of you may have been wondering if THG would ever see the light of printed day again.

I know I have.

Rest assured that the print future of THG looks to be back on track as issue #11 is already in production and will clock in at a whopping 48-super-sized-pages. In fact, after going through a bulging folder full of submissions and figuring out what could fit in the new issue it looks like #12 is already taking shape as well, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

Though still in the layout stages the issue is sure to be another winner in our ten-plus-year-run of food, drink and travel coverage with tons of coffee-related content plus a super-sized bonus feature that you'll have to read to believe.

Stay tuned to this blog and The Hungover Gourmet website (soon to be revised and relaunched) for more details as they become available.

Maybe I'm Not Crazy for Wanting a Wawa Tattoo

I love making the trip up to New Jersey to hang out at my in-laws' place and enjoy the relaxed seashore atmosphere. But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that at least part of the lure comes from the fact that we pass countless Wawa stores on the way and the in-laws now have one about a block away, close enough that I can walk up for my 20 oz. Kona to start my day.

I even confided over the weekend that were I to ever get a tattoo it would be the Wawa logo. Chris thinks I'm a bit daft, but at least I didn't plan to have our wedding next to the hoagie ordering screens.