Banana

On to the first of five--that's right, FIVE--banana-related flavors. First up, just plain banana. I will say at the outset that I am not a big flavor of banana-flavored items. I like bananas, but even food items containing real bananas (like banana bread, unless I had a hand in preparing it) are not my ideal. Make that flavor artificial, and I often find it disgusting. Partly because the flavor is pretty strong, and partly because artificial flavors usually completely miss the banana mark.

And this was a definite banana flavor. Mitigated somewhat by the vanilla ice cream, but still stronger than the two previous flavors. At least the ice cream kept it from being overpowering, but I was still a little sick of it at the end of the shake.

P.S. Interesting variation on my name!

Overall Score: 3/5 stars

Apple Pie

Today I met a friend at Z Burger for both milkshake #2 and my first burger! And both were really good.

First, the burger. Juicy, thick, and flavorful, with a ton of toppings that come on it (as evidenced by by the receipt). Also, as shown by the receipt, they didn't actually use my name for the order this time. :)

This milkshake was like drinking a mouthful of baked cinnamon apples. And, in my book, that is a very good thing. Best part? The flavor was distinctive, but not completely overpowering. So by the time I finished the shake, I didn't feel absolutely sick to my stomach (a very important consideration, given that I was headed to the circus directly afterwards).

Overall Score: 4/5 stars!

Amaretto

Shake #1: Amaretto

Time for my first Z Burger milkshake! This was also my first time in Z Burger, so I was kind of excited. They ask you for your name as they take your order and then get right to work! They use real ice cream and milk, but the flavor comes by way of a syrup. By the way, whenever I go for food, it smells delicious!

Now, this was not a flavor that I was too sure about. I don't know that I've ever drunk amaretto, and all I knew about it was that the drink had the word "sour" in it. And when I go for a milkshake, sour is not quite what I anticipate or even really want.

But this flavor was not too bad. There was a definite side-taste (a term that I believe is of my own making) of sourness to it, but it was still pretty sweet. Plus, the flavor wasn't all that strong. The vanilla ice cream definitely helped to take the edge off.

Overall: 3.5/5 stars

Z Burger

This spring, a brand new restaurant opened in my neighborhood--Z Burger! In addition to promising lots of yummy burgers and fries, they specialize in milkshakes. In fact, they have a menu of 75 different flavors! You read that right: 75 flavors!

A list that extensive sounded just like a challenge to me. And one that I absolutely have to accept! Not desiring to make myself sick or gain about a million pounds by making my way through the menu as quickly as possible, I decided to go for one a week (perhaps two during the blistering summer months as I go to and from baseball games). Yes, I realize that means doing this for over a year (a year!), but what the hey? We'll see where it goes from there.

I also decided to start at the top of the alphabetical list (amaretto) and work through to the end (watermelon). That was the only way that I figured I 1. could keep track of my progress; and 2. would be sure to hit all the flavors, without getting stuck at some sure-fire favorites like chocolate. The restaurant doesn't have any sort of card they give you as a tracker, and I don't think there's any prize for going through the list, but I'll always be able to say I did this! :)

My friends deployed their peer pressure with great skill and convinced me to do more than do posts on Facebook about this quest, hence this blog! Enjoy the posts, and see you on the other side!