Clif's Edge

Today's mini Chocolate Brownie Clif Bar was brought to me by Transportation Alternatives. These were given out to bicyclists on a recent Bike to Work Day.

The flavor and scent are sweetly plastic and the texture is dense, moist, and grainy, like partially chewed brownie stuffed with uncooked rolled oats. Throughout the lengthy chewing of this tiny brick of "nutrition for sustained energy," my tongue burns slightly and my jaw grows weary. Still, I like Clif Bars so much better than other energy bars I've tried.

There are other Clif Bar flavors I prefer, but I actually would eat this again if there were only worse options and I had to choose something (is that faint praise, or what?). It's reasonably filling and compact without much of that artificial, "diet" sugar substitute taste.

To make a general comment that is not meant to be brand-specific, I have been repeatedly reminded that while chocolate covers up a wealth of sins, it usually doesn't hide all of an energy bar's warts.




By the way, I broke this warty baby out of Snack Jail, where Dan had left it on the 14th. I should have earned my own that day, but I don't like biking in NYC. Drivers are really aggressive around here and I don't own a helmet (yet; I'm working on it). I barely ride in my neighborhood, and I definitely don't bike to work. All that said, I support the initiative, respect bicycle commuters, and thank TA for the freebie.