Taste Test

Savoring the foods we have sampled

By Times Staff Writer
Published July 18, 2007

The taste buds of the Taster's Choice panelists have already had a workout this year. Cheese sticks, malted milk balls and butter were just some of the items on the plop-plop, fizz-fizz menu.

For a few weeks, the gang even went on the road to test fast-food milkshakes, egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwiches and iced coffee.

We're past the halfway point of 2007, a good time, we think, to look back on what we've sampled this year. We'll print the complete list for the year in the Dec. 26 Taste section.

For Taster's Choice, we shop at Publix, Sweetbay, Albertsons, Wal-Mart and occasionally Gordon Food Service Marketplace Stores, a discount bulk food store with locations in Clearwater and St. Petersburg, and Target.

As you go through the list, know that most major brands are available at multiple grocery stores. Store brands that do not have the same name as the store are noted.

We appreciate suggestions from readers for ways to improve the column and also about grocery store foods to try. If you have suggestions, please e-mail them to Kathy Saunders at subkat@aol.com. Put SUGGESTIONS in the subject line.

Suggestions also may be mailed to Taster's Choice, Newsfeatures, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

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Coleslaw

1. Albertsons

2. tie Reser's (Albertsons), Wal-Mart

3. Winn-Dixie

Canned clam chowder

1. Campbell's Select

2. Publix

3. Campbell's

Supplement bars

1. South Beach Diet

2. Detour

3. Luna

Frozen fried cheese sticks (All from GFS)

1. Moore's

2. Gordon Food Service

3. Brew City

Cream-filled cookies

1. Hannaford (Sweetbay)

2. Newman's O

3. Country Choice

Capers

1. Fragata

2. Bella Capote

3. Alessi

Breaded Onion Rings

1. Alexia

2. Hannaford (Sweetbay)

3. Ore-Ida

Sweet, unsalted butter

1. Plugra

2. Breakstone's

3. Publix

Roasted, salted peanuts

1. Publix

2. Hampton Farms

3. Albertsons

Green olives

1. Lindsay

2. Publix

3. Albertsons, Bella (tie)

Fish sticks

1. Great Value (Wal-Mart)

2. Mrs. Paul's

3. Hannaford (Sweetbay)

Feta cheese

1. Publix

2. Kolios

3. Mt. Vikos

Malted milk candy

1. Whoppers

2. Brach's

3. Necco

Honey

1. Albertsons

2. Winnie the Pooh

3. Billy Bee, Sue Bee (tie)

Extra-virgin olive oil

1. Lucina

2. Colavita

3. Albertsons

Frozen mixed vegetables

1. Green Giant

2. Publix

3. Hannaford (Sweetbay)

Fast-food milkshakes

1. Chick-fil-A

2. Burger King 3.

Evos

Iced coffee

1. Starbucks

2. Dunkin' Donuts

3. McDonald's

Egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwiches

1. Chick-fil-A

2. Burger King

3. McDonald's

Fruit and nut granola bar

1. Publix

2. Kellogg's

3. Albertsons

Hot dog buns

1. Pepperidge Farm

2. Arnold

3. Wonder

Grape jelly

1. Hannaford (Sweetbay)

2. Welch's

3. Smucker's

Wheat crackers

1. Kashi

2. Keebler

3. South Beach Diet

Yellow cake mixes

1. Great Value (Wal-Mart)

2. Pillsbury

3. Betty Crocker

Italian-style bread crumbs

1. Hannaford (Sweetbay)

2. Vigo

3. Great Value (Wal-Mart)

Corn bread mix

1. Betty Crocker

2. Great Value (Wal-Mart)

3. Jiffy

White bread

1. Monk's (purchased at Publix)

2. Arnold's

3. Pepperidge Farm

[Last modified July 16, 2007, 16:26:34]