The snow is falling. You’re stuffed in layers and layers of warm clothing. Joy is in the air as you celebrate the holidays. This is all great but the best thing about this time is the seasonal specials that restaurants come out with.
Yes, Panera and Dunkin Donuts have some classics, but Starbucks truly runs the game when it comes to holiday specials. They have seasonal hot chocolate, lattes, cookies, bread and more, not counting their secret menu. Might I say that they are the Beyonce of the holiday foods.
Starbucks toasted white chocolate mocha: If you’re going to drink this, drink it fast. Initially, I was overwhelmed with how good this was. It feels like you’re 12 years old and school had just been called off because of snow. It legitimately tastes like the toasted marshmallows that you and your friends made sitting by a bonfire after a long day of sledding. The nostalgia hit me so hard I had to move on to the next item. After a while, I took another sip of this and it tasted like an egg. Candied cranberry sugar melted into the coffee creating a concoction I really didn’t enjoy. I give this product four stars.
Starbucks Christmas tree frappuccino: The barista gave me a mean look when I ordered this because I was “ordering it after the limited time ended” and that hurt my feelings a little but it’s OK. Despite this unpleasant experience, I was relatively pleased. Being Jewish I don’t know what a Christmas tree tastes like, but I wasn’t expecting this minty medley. Order this, and you’re drinking a York Peppermint pattie, which is good… if you like those. Overall, it was cute and the green whipped cream made it look like a tree. I give this product four stars.
Starbucks cranberry bliss bar: Never have I wanted to projectile vomit something out of my mouth so quickly. First, the cream cheese to bread ratio was about 3-2, making it way too rich. Second, cream cheese and cranberries should never mix. This was not a blissful experience but I appreciate the effort. I give this product one star.
Panera holiday bread: Panera is way too woke for having a bread that is not biased to any religion so it’s an automatic five. It’s 2017 and we’re respecting every religion. The bread also has a delicious crispiness and wide variety of flavors. I give this product five stars.
Dunkin Donuts gingerbread cookie donut: This was some good donut, man. In my 16 years of living I still don’t really know what a gingerbread cookie tastes like. So, despite this sugary bliss combining taste and texture perfectly, I don’t think it was truly gingerbread flavored. False advertising and slightly disproportionate ratio of dough to icing gives this three stars.
Chloe Perel
News Editor
