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Ridiculously Oversized Snack Foods. A cocktail mixed with processed cheese. And a fine dining establishment for cat lovers.
In the year By 2022, there were plenty of restaurants, food manufacturers and at least one art group trying to get away with their shenanigans.
These food shows were often outrageous and sometimes regrettable. But “wait what? Why do you do that? Who will eat that?” And, occasionally: “That sounds really cool.”
This is what caught our attention this year.
For the summer, Kraft Heinz (KHC) introduced a new cocktail: the Veltini, a martini made with Velvetta-infused vodka, olive brine and vermouth, garnished with Velvetta-covered olives and Velvetta-covered shells. The concoction has been available for some time at BLT steakhouses in New York, Washington. DC, Charlotte and elsewhere.
The drink was part of a wider effort by Kraft Heinz to revive the Velveeta brand after seeing sales of the cheese made during the pandemic plummet. To help Velveeta make a comeback, the brand launched a new ad campaign, tweaked its logo and sold cheese-scented nail polish.
Veltini made a splash, even though (or maybe because) they weren’t brave enough to try.
“It’s like a goofy cheese monster, with olives like beady eyes and a oozing rim of velvety cheese like a goofy mouth,” said one Washington Post writer. Hoda Kotb of the Today Show reluctantly tried it on air and was not a fan. “Yikes,” she said, “no girl, no.” Colleague Jenna Bush says country isn’t bad.
To be clear, this is not an orange juice cereal: it is a cereal designed to be consumed with orange juice instead of milk. OJ maker Tropicana sold Honey Almond cereal for a limited time in May in honor of National Orange Juice Day.
The brand admits that people may not be in the mix. “Whether you love it or hate it, you never know until you try it,” says Tropicana. “It may not be for everyone.”
One reviewer who gave it a try for breakfast described it as “not bad,” adding, “I can’t imagine eating a bowl of this every day.”
Plus, she says it doesn’t taste as good as it should, especially with orange juice. “There is absolutely nothing different from other grains.”
In August, Oscar Mayer, owned by Kraft Heinz, introduced the “Cold Dog”: a hot-dog flavored popsicle. The item was sold for a limited time at PopBar locations in New York City, New Orleans and elsewhere.
The idea came from Oscar Mayer’s post on Instagram in June, where he asked his followers if the idea was “genius” or “stupid.” Comments on the post ranged from horrifying to interesting. Enough people were interested in giving Oscar Mayer the green light.
“After the incredible fan enthusiasm for our beloved cold dog, it was a no-brainer to make this hot dog-inspired frozen pop a reality,” said Oscar Mayer spokeswoman Anne Field.
So how did it taste? According to at least one reviewer, very good.
“I had no idea how to make a hot dog popsicle taste good. And somehow they did!” A writer at Delish explained that Popbar uses gelato as the base for its pops. “The gelato has a very creamy and strong smoky flavor that balances the sweet sweetness of the popsicle. A sweet ‘mustard’ drizzle makes it taste more like ice cream.”
In late June, Taco Bell tried something called the “Big Cheez-It Tostada.” As the name suggests, the Big Cheez-It—specifically, a Cheez-It 16 times larger than a regular Cheez-It—is a tostada that uses it as a starting point. The chain also tested the “Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme,” which included a giant Cheez-It in a wrap.
The items will be available at one Taco Bell location for a limited time. On July 3, within a week of its launch, Taco Bell reported that the items were already sold out. “The Big Cheez-It Tostada and Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap are in such high demand that our limited supply is no longer available,” the chain said.
Reviewers who tried the item were mixed. “Very cheesy, mm,” said one. Another concluded: “It’s not bad, it’s weird.” Some have noticed that even though Chez-It is big, it is not strong enough to support the weight of the fingers.
Big Cheez-It was also used by Pizza Hut in 2019, when the pizza chain introduced its stuffed Cheez-It pizza. The limited-time item includes “four baked jumbo squares” topped with cheese or pepperoni and cheese and comes with marinara sauce for dipping.
Unlike the Big Cheez-It Tostada, the Big Fruit Loop is an unauthorized creation by artist collective MSCHF.
A loop weighs about half a pound, has 930 calories and recently went on sale for $19.99. MSCHF tried to make the big loop taste like the real thing as much as possible, says MSCHF co-founder Daniel Greenberg.
“We look at things in the culture and see how we can twist it,” Greenberg previously told CNN. The thinking behind the project was straightforward: “Let’s create a big fruit round and that was it. According to the MSCHF site, the item that went on sale on December 19 is already sold out.
Kellogg’s, which makes actual Froot Loops, isn’t into it.
Kellogg Company spokesperson Kris Bahner previously said, “Kellogg Company is not affiliated with MSCHF and we are not involved in the creation of the Big Fruit Loop.” CNN said in a statement. The campaign doesn’t exactly define the Kellogg brand.
Bahner added: “In case of trademark infringement and unauthorized use of our brand, we have reached out to the company to seek remedial action.”
Over the summer, Fancy Feast invites people to answer the question: What does cat food taste like? Well, sort of.
The cat chef briefly opened a restaurant called Gatto Bianco by Fancy Feast in New York City in August. Gato Bianco was only open for two nights, with four seats per night.
The restaurant’s dishes range from Fancy Feast Medleys, cat food itself inspired by human food like Salmon Primavera and Turkey Florentine. The restaurant’s menu was created by Amanda Hasner, in-house chef for Fancy Feast, as well as restaurateur Cesare Casella, a Michelin star winner, according to a Fancy Feast press release.
Hasner said in a statement at the time: “Food has the power to connect with others in a meaningful way and take us to places we don’t know. “The same goes for our cats.”
Hasner added: “The treats in Gatto Bianco are designed in ways that help cat owners understand how their cats experience food – from taste, texture to composition.” On the menu, according to OpenTable, were baked sea bass, spare ribs, salmon, roast beef and, for dessert, panna cotta, almond cake and affogato.
“The food is delicious,” reports a Mashable reporter who dined at the specialty restaurant. “The design of the restaurant itself is a cat-obsessed Instagram post, with decorative cat wallpaper, gold-embellished festive textiles and cat art (as in, artwork by cats, not art by cats). ”
As a permanent addition to the Papa John’s menu, no-crust, just-Papa Bowls aren’t technically a stunt.
But when it launched in August, the menu offering was so controversial that we had to give it up ourselves.
The bowls were designed to combat pizza fatigue caused by the pandemic by giving Papa John’s customers an option next to pizza. The company also hopes to avoid a “veto vote” when the restaurant is removed because it doesn’t have enough options for everyone in the dining party.
The bowls come in three varieties: Chicken Alfredo; a trio of Italian meats with pepperoni, sausage and meatballs; and vegetable garden. There is also a build your own option.
The ad was amazing. Comedian said Jon Stewart, who took repeated jabs at Arbys. They apologized to the chain. When watching the Papa Bowl news. At least one YouTube reviewer slammed the bowls for being harsh and thin. But some people think it’s a good idea.
And during the November analyst call, Papa John’s CEO Rob Lynch said the dishes were “good and in line with our expectations.”
— Zoe Sottil and CNN’s Jordan Valinsky contributed to this report.
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