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Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC - Utah's biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.  I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years.   I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen.  Follow along on Instagram too!  

Review: Jack Daniel’s Pulled Chicken

October 26, 2021November 16, 2018 by Stuart Melling
Jack Daniel's Pulled Chicken

Like a moth to the flame, the glossy and stylish packaging of this product drew me in. It’s undoubtedly a handsome package and leans heavily on the Jack Daniel’s brand …

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Categories Grocery, Refrigerated Tags Jack Daniel's 1 Comment

Review: Yummy Chicken Breast Fries

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 by Stuart Melling
Yummy Chicken Breast Fries

As I recently joked, where exactly on the chicken is the nugget? Likewise, I’d love to see the chicken that these fingers come from; that would be a monster of …

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Categories Frozen, Grocery Tags Yummy Leave a comment

Review: MorningStar Farms Chick’N Nuggets

June 29, 2019November 14, 2018 by Stuart Melling
MorningStar Farms Chick'N Nuggets

These Chick’N free nuggets are easily one of my favorite meat substitutes on the market currently. Indeed, they’re the rare case where the copycat somehow manages to beat the original. …

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Categories Frozen, Grocery, Smart Buy, Vegan, Vegetarian Tags MorningStar Farms Leave a comment

Review: Lean Cuisine Origins Sicilian-Style Pesto With Lentil Pasta

November 10, 2018 by Stuart Melling
Lean Cuisine Origins Sicilian-Style Pesto With Lentil Pasta

Probably the worst thing about this produce is the name, wow, it’s a mouthful: Lean Cuisine Origins Sicilian-Style Pesto With Lentil Pasta. I’ll be the first to confess I don’t …

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Categories Frozen, Frozen Meal, Grocery, Smart Buy, Vegan Tags Lean Cuisine Leave a comment

Review: Banquet Chicken Nuggets And Fries

November 10, 2018 by Stuart Melling
Banquet Chicken Nuggets And Fries

Why you might ask, am I reviewing this product? Simply put, this was listed as the highest selling/most popular frozen meal product at my local Walmart; not to mention it …

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Categories Frozen, Frozen Meal, Grocery Tags Banquet Leave a comment

Field Roast Miniature Corn Dogs review

August 21, 2021October 28, 2018 by Stuart Melling
Field Roast Miniature Corn Dogs 2021 package

This post updated August 2021 to reflect the new packaging – the product remains unchanged. For the longest time I thought this would be the first Field Roast product I’d …

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Categories Frozen, Grocery, Vegan, Vegetarian Tags Field Roast Leave a comment

Review: On-Cor Boneless Rib Shaped Patties

September 21, 2019October 28, 2018 by Stuart Melling
On-Cor Boneless Rib Shaped Patties

I was obviously detecting some change in the force when I grabbed these on a whim recently. No sooner had I got these rib patties home, than McDonald’s announced the …

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Categories Frozen, Frozen Meal, Grocery Tags On-cor 4 Comments

Review: Echo Lake Foods Scrambled Egg Patties

September 21, 2019October 27, 2018 by Stuart Melling
Echo Lake Foods Scrambled Egg Patties

Frozen scrambled eggs. I can’t say they’re something I’d ever find myself reaching for ordinarily. The sheer notion just seems so fraught with potential for things to go poorly. Through …

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Categories Frozen, Grocery, Vegetarian Tags Echo Lake Foods 9 Comments

Review: Ayoba-Yo Traditional Biltong Beef Slices

October 20, 2019October 18, 2018 by Stuart Melling
Ayoba-Yo Traditional Biltong Beef Slices

This snack product caught my eye while lazily browsing Amazon.com (affiliate link) one afternoon. Biltong is apparently the South African version of American jerky, a dried meat snack product. The …

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Categories Grocery, Pantry, Snack Tags Ayoba-Yo Leave a comment

Recipe: The Perfect Burger

October 11, 2019October 17, 2018 by Stuart Melling
The Perfect Burger

It’s safe to say that in the course of my food writing career the number of burgers I’ve chowed down on has easily passed quadruple digits at this point. South …

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Categories Recipes Leave a comment
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  1. Joe on Review: Kroger Pork CarnitasMarch 10, 2024

    I'll never buy again! The package contained fully 12 (out of 16) ounces of pure pork fat. Totally unacceptable. Major…

  2. K B on Review: Van de Kamp’s Crispy Fish FilletsFebruary 28, 2024

    I complained to them and they sent me a measly $4 coupon to buy them again.’they won’t be in my…

  3. Melissa on Kroger Private Selection Angus Beef Burgers reviewFebruary 27, 2024

    I like them if you add water to the hamburger. When it's cooking it won't be so much grace

  4. Pamela D. on Tai Pei Chicken Egg Rolls reviewJanuary 18, 2024

    I had some for dinner last night . The first bite was so spicy, I had trouble getting back into…

  5. Robert Whitney on Simple Truth Natural Beef Burgers reviewJanuary 6, 2024

    YES!!! I both them a little bit ago and made them but they taste like they have permanent freezer burn…

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  • Joe on Review: Kroger Pork Carnitas
  • K B on Review: Van de Kamp’s Crispy Fish Fillets
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