A confession: I’m a bit of a foodie. I spend way too much time (when I’m not obsessing over Chuck) thinking about food, researching food, cooking food, and eating food. So, of course it seems natural that I attempt to combine my two…obsessions… er…hobbies whenever possible and thus this week’s Friday Five.
5 Foods that make me think of Chuck:
- Cheese balls – I can’t walk past a mega-sized plastic jug of these without thinking of “Chuck vs the Pink Slip”. Chuck camped out on the couch, with a mountain man beard, a bathrobe, and a huge supply of cheese balls, mourning the apparent loss of both Sarah and his career, is one of my favorite scenes. The next scene in the Buy More when Chuck goes back (in his bathrobe) to replenish his cheese ball supply and gets in an altercation with Emmett Milbarge is also memorable. “Smell that…that is putrid stench of failureâ€.
- Pancakes – the first thing Ellie can think of when she sees their dad again after so many years is how he was going to make pancakes the night he left them. Such an ordinary food, but with such intense emotional association. Ellie and Chuck (and us fans) may never be able to eat pancakes again without thinking of their father and all the tragedy that befell him.
- Sizzling Shrimp – Morgan’s determination that he was not to be denied his favorite dish from the Bamboo Dragon lead to Chuck and Sarah getting pulled into the kidnapping of a Chinese business man and Chuck ending up arranging the defection of a Chinese agent. Of course things went awry and Chuck rescued Sarah and Casey using a van full of fireworks. This episode also foreshadowed Morgan’s trip to Hawaii to attempt a career as a hibachi chef.
- Two Buck Chuck – Besides the obvious similarity in name, we got a great shout-out to this bastion of enological pop-culture in “Chuck vs the Balcony”. And for the wine snobs who think Two Buck Chuck is beneath them, there’s always the option for an upgrade to a classy French wine with “a stable on the label and a stork on the cork†as well as 500 years of French history in the bottle. [For the uninitiated, “Two Buck Chuck†is the popular name of Trader Joe’s house wines, sold under the name Charles Shaw. In California, it sells (in different varieties) for, yep, you guessed it, $1.99 a bottle. In Massachusetts, it’s most accurately referred to as “Three Buck Chuck†which doesn’t quite have the same ring to it!]
- Any item off the Subway menu – I’ve always been a fan of Subway, but ever since the Finale and a Footlong campaign, it’s becoming a bit of an addiction. Even when I’m not munching a $5 Footlong (Veggie Delight, not Tunaroni), I can’t help thinking of Chuck every time I pass a Subway (which is often, with how ubiquitous they are). The product placement has also become so blatant and expected that it’s evolved into a not-so-inside joke: “How long until Big Mike eats his Subway?â€
Which foods to you associate with Chuck?
Cay writes the “She Said” reviews of Chuck episodes each week. Check them out here.
russ
March 25, 2011
Those are 5 great choices. How about pizza with no black olives? It was touching when Chuck told Sarah that was the only real thing he knew about her, and Sarah was adorable in how she reacted to him noticing that.
micah
March 25, 2011
I don’t like olives either lol
liy
March 25, 2011
Aside from those mentioned, I’d also like to add on froyo, pickles, olives, and most recently.. apple juice!
Andrés MartÃn
March 25, 2011
Any time I eat pizza I find myself puting the olives out (I really don’t like olives) and I remember the “Vegetarian no olives” from Chuck vs. the Wookiee
Justin
March 25, 2011
Also to note on pancakes was that it was used by Casey in the Pilot episode during the roof standoff.
Aces
March 25, 2011
Hot Pockets have gotten more than one mention. Believe we’ve even seen Casey washing one down with some Johnnie Walker Black (Suburbs).
Let’s also not forget Nestle Toll House cookies and milk. First seen in Truth and most recently in Muuurder.
Christina
March 25, 2011
Let’s not forget the Nacho Sampler! I was lucky enough the cafeteria was serving nachos the day that episode aired.
Michael
March 25, 2011
Charles SHAW you say?
Subway really does it for me. And of course cheese puffs.
TiminMN
March 25, 2011
Jumbo shrimp reminds me of Morgan and his infatuation with the seafood delicacy during the boat cruise with Anna and her parents from “Chuck vs the Undercover Lover” in Season 1.
K
March 25, 2011
Klondike bar — what Morgan tells Awesome is Ellie’s favorite dessert (And Pecan Pie, Ellie’s actual favorite) from Seduction
Rice Krispie Treats and Lemon Bars — both mentioned by Morgan as specialties of Mama B
Michael
March 25, 2011
How about horseradish? When Sarah tells Chuck he has to shoot the lock and to grab the extra piece from the horseradish bin. Chuck then asks why you would keep a gun in horseradish and then realizes its because nobody ever uses it.
lis
March 25, 2011
Mini-quiche, with or without tracking bots.
Souffle – because it is never okay to murder a woman’s souffle.
And WEINERS! How can you leave off the Weinerlicious?
K
March 25, 2011
Cup O’ Noodles and other forms of dehydrated bachelor chow — I don’t think we’ve seen him eat them, but they can be seen in Casey’s kitchen. It’s nice to know he has a little variety from the hot pockets.
Doctor Bob
March 25, 2011
Cheeseburger…medium rare…extra pickles, sushi…light on the wasabe, and trolley loads of food brought to the sleeper compartment on a train out of Paris
micah
March 25, 2011
what about the schwarmas from marlin
micah
March 25, 2011
also chicken pepperoni and some martinis dirty martinis remember when montgomery was hung over with that bottle of gin lol
Dylan
March 25, 2011
How could Vegitarian Pizza not be on this list. I got it for the first time because i saw it on Chuck and ever since it is a classic Meal for fridays during Lent.
goalsf
March 25, 2011
“The Chuck Bartowski” – turkey, Muenster cheese, egg bread, grilled! And of course there is always blueberries.
Kris-10
March 26, 2011
Pastrami……we eat those all the time
Patti Vos
March 25, 2011
PINEAPPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gord
March 25, 2011
Hotdogs and of course the most important meal of the day Frozen Yogurt.
Of course also soufle, just remember no matter how nervous you are its never ok to murder a woman’s soufle.
Cay
March 25, 2011
Wow guys! I wasn’t expecting this topic to garner such a response! Good ideas, everyone. Also nice to know I’m not the only one who can’t look at a menu or grocery store without thinking about Chuck!
K
March 25, 2011
Maybe you need to put a warning label on this: May cause extreme hunger.
I don’t know about you, but I’m now craving dumplings, sizzling shrimp, and soufflé. And I wouldn’t mind one of those elderflower liqueur with muddled thyme cocktails.
Cay
March 25, 2011
I had that same problem when I was writing it.
K
March 25, 2011
Dumplings — from the restaurant in Chuck versus the First Date — nice to know you can trust Morgan’s restaurant recommendations for anything under $6.
Robin C
March 25, 2011
I’m glad somebody mentioned Nacho Samplers, that was a game changing moment it was during taht episode that Chuck created and burned his first asset as for other food how about drinking Margaritas during chuck and Sarahs first nondate in the pilot. keep it real and vote for chuck on Hulu’s Best for 2011 contest.;)
Gord
March 25, 2011
How can we forget Balsalmic Chicken or Mongolian Beef BBQ?
JARoud
March 27, 2011
If you are going to mention Chuck’s own cooking specialties–let’s not forget his famous Chicken Pepperoni.
lis
March 28, 2011
Technically, Chuck’s unseen Chicken Pepperoni was consistently terrible, according to Ellie. But Shaw’s Chicken Pepperoni was good. Which is probably why it didn’t make the list, b/c far be it from Chucksters to praise anything Shaw did well.
NVChuckFan
March 25, 2011
All of these food options is making hungry and ready for a Chuck-a-thon. LOL All great choices everyone hit the nail on the head.
Lizzie
March 25, 2011
Grape soda…on the rocks of course.
louzeyre
March 26, 2011
The noodles Sarah was eating during First Date.
Doctor Bob
March 26, 2011
Edy’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and Johnny Walker Black.
Jennifer B
March 26, 2011
I was also thinking mint chocolate chip ice cream (Chuck vs. the other guy) and the Subway tuna-roni (gag!)
Robin C
March 26, 2011
Just to send out another (yuck!!!) how about Anna’s green bean cassarole.
Vote for Chuck (Hulu’s Best show of 2011)
Steph
March 28, 2011
Pineapple.
And twinkies. From when Jeff said he would eat 45, but it was actually 90. ‘Jeff might die!!’
And Morgans grape soda.
Larry1234
March 28, 2011
First season we had lots of Pizza (no olives please)
Cassie
March 31, 2011
We are forgetting corndogs! Sarah worked at the Weinerlicious for a whole season and we didn’t say corndogs yet! And what about the breakfast one? Sausage wrapped in pancake with built-in maple syrup I think it was. Mmm! I wish I had one of those! There’s also sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Morgan’s favorite dish!
Philippa
March 31, 2011
Ellie’s thanksgiving turkey with sweet potatoes an marshmallows
Casey’s lone Chinese take-outs
Jennipoo
April 3, 2011
Love all these responses!
Am going to jot them all down too, so I can have a great list of nibblies for any future Chuck-a-Thons with all the new family and friends I’m converting to the show, hee hee! 