after dinner sneeze

t says: So I read the other day that Metropolitan Bakery makes the “best” granola as determined by a blind taste test (at least according to epicurious.com’s review).  Intrigued, as I had my own favorite brand in mind (that was not included in the test), I bought a bag.  This is what it looked like …

The Champion

The truth about the “Best” granola:  It tastes “ok”.  But that’s it.  Actually, it kind of tastes “healthy”, having little sugar, a lot of nuts, and some sesame seeds to add a meaty flavor.  Maybe this is why people like it.  Not me.  This is my favorite:

Better-than-the-champion.

Ok, so I will be the first to admit that I have a sweet tooth.  And yes, the above granola does have chocolate in it.  BUT – it’s not just about the chocolate, as there are other flavors of Michele’s that do NOT (including plain), and I still prefer them to Metropolitan Bakery.  It’s about the texture – Michele’s has a better texture in every way.  With Metropolitan, I feel like I’m eating some kind of chex mix – it’s a lot of components that are distinct, but just happen to be put in the same bag.  With Michele’s, the components are stuck together better, so it’s chunkier, and it feels more cohesive.  It’s way better.  So if you happen to see a bag of this stuff, give it a whirl.  I find mine at Whole Foods.  Actually – I don’t even like shopping at Whole Foods, but if I find myself near one, I’ll go in just to grab a bag of this – it’s worth it.

And I totally agree with Epicurious’s review – Bear Naked brand granola totally blows.

smn says:  Michele’s is THE BEST granola. I keep trying to find a healthier and/or less expensive brand but nothing compares (and now I just have a bunch of half-eaten bags of granola lying around). No need to go to Whole Foods for your granola fix- Di Bruno’s carries it!

t says:  YEA!!  I had half-eaten bags lying around too! (but then I threw them away when g wasn’t looking – she hates throwing away any kind of food … but I guess the cat’s out of the bag now …)