Quest for the Best Podcast

About Quest for the Best Podcast

Join us as we quest for the best foods. questforthebestpodcast.substack.com (https://questforthebestpodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Amy Hummel

Category

arts · comedy

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Mar 2022

Latest episode

2 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

225 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Episode 226: Twist, Lick, Vote

   OH.MY.GAWD.Guess what? We are trying more dumb old Oreos. I mean, what is the point? Nothing beats original or mint, why do they keep trying? Why?Because fools like us keep buying them.But you don’t have to! Listen to this episode and don’t waste your money! Or take those dollars you save and help us sustain our podcast with a donation. Please and thanks! Which Oreos are we trying? * Chicken and Waffles * Banana Pudding * Deep Fried Who are our Questers today? * Kris, gonna lick it again. * Matt, your vote doesn’t matter. * Amy, triple threat. A History of Oreos So the first Oreo cookie was produced in 1912 at the Chelsea Market in Manhattan. As everyone knows, an Oreo is basically a sandwich cookie made from two chocolate cookies sandwiching a disc of vanilla frosting. Oreos are actually sort of a knock off. Hydrox cookies were already on the market. These kosher cookies were introduced in 1908 as two chocolate shortbread cookies with a vanilla fondant center. These cookies had a scalloped edge and a design on the top of the cookie. Oreos and Hydrox are supposed to be very similar and Hydrox cookies are still sold today. So the original Oreo was introduced in 1912. It wouldn’t be until 1974 that the Double Stuf was introduced. In 1992 the Oreo Minis came to stores. In 2013 minds were blown by the Oreo Mega Stuf. And if Mega Stuf was not enough, the Most Stuf was introduced in 2019 which has 4x the amount of frosting as the original. The 2010s is when Oreo started releasing limited edition runs on their flavors, which is why we have the pleasure of trying out these Neapolitan cookies today. Oreo is the best-selling cookie of the 20th century. Approximately 34 billion Oreo cookies are sold each year, 92 million cookies per day - with 10 billion of those cookies sold in the US annually. An estimated 500 billion Oreo cookies have been sold since the Oreo biscuit was introduced. The Results **SPOILER ALERT!** Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet! Chicken and Waffles * Amy: “UUUUUUGGGH!!! That’s on my tongue!” 3/10 * Kris: “That is legit chemical chicken.” 4/10 * Matt: “That’s freaky!” 5/10 TOTAL: 12/30 Banana Pudding * Amy: “This smells like Banana Boat sunblock.” 5/10 * Kris: “It tastes like if Banana Pudding was 100% chemical.” 5/10 * Matt: “I’d rather have vanilla wafers and banana pudding.” 5/10 TOTAL: 15/30 Deep Fried * Amy: “It tastes like cooking oil.” 4/10 * Kris: “What is that?!” 3/10 * Matt: “Tell Oreo to come out with flavors that people want.” 5/10 TOTAL: 12/30 There you have it. We give the Banana Pudding Oreo Sandwich Cookies the Quest for the Best seal of approval. Maybe you want to give it a try? Check out their website for more information on where to find some. https://www.oreo.com/ Thank you for joining us on this episode of Quest for the Best. Let us know what you thought. Have you tried these Oreos? What were your thoughts? Don’t forget to vote. https://www.oreo.com/twist-lick-vote Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next. Help us sustain our podcast by donating! We appreciate the support! Show Notes: https://www.rd.com/article/dunking-cookies-in-milk/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe (https://questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

2. 

   25 Sept 2026

   Episode 225: Ranch Dressing

   What are the most midwest foods? Tater Tot CasseroleScotcheroosPuppy ChowSweet CornMaid RitesPork Tenderloin All good foods. But the most midwest?Ranch.So let’s see who has the best Ranch Dressing! Thanks for joining us today. As always, let us know in the comments if there is a new food you really want us to try out. Also, be a pal of the show and donate! Who are our Questers today? * Kris, listen to the squeeze. * Matt, doing shots. * Amy, can’t even handle this. Which Ranch are we trying? * Fareway * Ken’s Steakhouse * Wishbone * Hidden Valley * Kraft * Newman’s Own The Results **SPOILER ALERT!** Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet! Fareway * Kris: “There is an herb that is overpowering and I think it’s garlic.” 5/10 * Amy: “It’s not bad.” 4/10 * Matt: “I wouldn’t buy it.” 5/10 TOTAL: 14/30 Ken’s Steakhouse * Kris: “I can’t tell if I like that or not.” 6/10 * Amy: “It’s far from the flavor I’m looking for.” 3/10 * Matt: “This is smoother. It doesn’t have that vinegar bite.” 6/10 TOTAL: 15/30 Wishbone * Kris: “It’s like a diet ranch.” 3/10 * Amy: “Funky.” 2/10 * Matt: “I think it’s sweeter.” 5/10 TOTAL: 10/30 Hidden Valley * Kris: “You know what you’re getting with this.” 7/10 * Amy: “That has been the most balanced.” 5/10 * Matt: “Pretty salty.” 6/10 TOTAL: 18/30 Kraft * Kris: “The flavor is questionable.” 4/10 * Amy: “It’s like you chased your ranch with a shot of vinegar.” 2/10 * Matt: “It is like eeeeh…. zing!” 5/10 TOTAL: 11/30 Newman’s Own * Kris: “It tastes bad.” 3/10 * Amy: “That tastes like microwaved plastic.” 2/10 * Matt: “How often have you seen me spit something out? This is bad.” 3/10 TOTAL: 8/30 There you have it. The Hidden Valley Ranch receives the Quest for the Best seal of approval. Maybe you still want to give it a try? Check out their website for more information on where to find some. https://www.hiddenvalley.com/about-us/ Thank you for joining us on this episode of Quest for the Best. Let us know what you thought. Which ranch is your favorite? Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next. Thanks again for the support. Until next time, stay sane out there. Show Notes: https://www.hiddenvalley.com/about-us/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe (https://questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

3. 

   11 Sept 2026

   Episode 224: Pub Burgers

   Pub burgers are all the rage lately. So let’s try out some fast food pub burgers! Which burgers are we trying today? * Culver’s Fried Pickle Pub Burger * Wendy’s Pretzel Bacon Pub Burger Who is on this pub burger Quest? * Kris, much happy * Matt, a 10/10 * Amy, no cheese please And of course, our subscribers! Thanks to our small, yet coveted group. We appreciate the support. You too can join us on this food journey. All you need to do is… SUBSCRIBE! Help us sustain our podcast and keep us trying foods like these! The History of Culver’s As you may have guessed by the many references to the state on their menu… but Culver’s began in Sauk City, Wisconsin. It is a family restaurant through and through, being opened by Craig and Lea Culver and Craig’s parents George and Ruth in 1984. Though Culver’s was not their first go at the restaurant game. George and Ruth owned an A&W drive-in, located in Sauk Prairie, in 1961, and after getting their feet wet, so to speak, sold the A&W and purchased a business called Farm Kitchen Resort located in Baraboo, which they operated for another 6 years. Then, you may think they started Culver’s next. You’d be wrong! They bought back the original A&W, stayed for 6 years, and sold it again. What next? Back to Baraboo to a little supper club called the Ritz. Shortly after… careful now, you are going to get whiplash… it was back to Baraboo and back to that original A&W. But as they say, third time’s the charm. They disenfranchised and that A&W was to become Culver’s Frozen Custard and Butter Burgers. The first year was a struggle. People did not know what butter burgers were. They didn’t know what custard was. Not to mention that the restaurant was located right across from a Hardee’s, the fastest-growing burger chain at the time. But by 1987, the restaurant caught on and a second restaurant would open in Reedsburg and a third in Wisconsin Dells. In 1990 a Culver’s franchise opened in Baraboo and the business boomed. And a direct quote from Craig Culver… “Something my dad told me a long time ago: It’s not important how many restaurants we have. What’s important is how many good restaurants we have, and the only way you get good restaurants or good business or good organization, it’s leadership surrounding themselves with people who care.” And that is what they do. The company has purposely taken a slower approach to their expansion. For many years, Craig Culver personally trained all the new franchisees, scouted locations that had at least 10,000 cars to pass by daily, and to this day personally inspects each location. This approach has made the franchise one of the most successful to own. In 2009, the national franchise failure rate was approximately 17 percent across the restaurant board. Culver’s franchise failure rate was only 1.7 percent. Another thing that keeps them successful? Their delicious menu items, with ingredients sourced locally. The cheese for the curds and burgers comes from La Grander Hillside Dairy in Stanley, Wisconsin. Their root beer? They make it themselves. They always use fresh beef. The dairy for the custard is sourced from over 100 family farms in Wisconsin. They don’t cut corners and it shows. Today there are 867 locations in 26 states. History of Wendy’s Today we head back to November 15, 1969 where Dave Thomas opened his very first Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Why open a fast food burger restaurant? Well, the man was obsessed with burgers. In fact, it is said he would visit any and every hamburger stand he could find. So when a friend mentioned that it was hard to get a good lunch in downtown Columbus, Dave saw it as his chance. He opened the restaurant, using his daughter’s nickname Wendy. He felt that the logo of a smiling, wholesome girl with the name “Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers” would be the first place you went for a hamburger the way you used to get them, with fresh beef. The original menu included hot ‘n juicy hamburgers, rich ‘n meaty chili, French fries, soft drinks and a Frosty Dairy Dessert. And to top it off, this place did not cut corners on quality, or on their hamburger patties, which is how and why it became known for serving square burgers. In 1970 Wendy’s was another restaurant to claim that they introduced the Drive-Through window, a term Dave Thomas coined the “Pick-Up Window” so he could attract cruisers and joyriders to the restaurants. And by March 1978, the franchise was booming, with 1,000 restaurants and counting. Some other notable dates include… * The first Canadian restaurant opened in Ontario in September of 1975. * In November 1979, Wendy’s introduced the Salad Bar, which was very popular in the 70’s and 80’s, but wouldn’t last forever, phasing out in 2006. * In 1980, store number 2,000 opened up. * In 1983 Baked Potatoes were added to the menu * 1984, “Where’s the Beef?” (copyright) commercial aired, leading to a 31% boost in annual revenue. * In February 1985, the 3,000th restaurant opened. * In December 1992, the 4,000th restaurant opened. * In December of 1995, Wendy’s Acquired Canadian chain Tim Hortons. * In March of 1997, The 5,000th restaurant opened in Columbus, Ohio as a Wendy’s/Tim Hortons combo. * In October of 2001, the 6,000th restaurant opened in Tijuana, Mexico. It was a two-story restaurant that could hold 224 customers. * In August of 2006, Wendy’s added the Vanilla Frosty. * The following year they would add the Baconator. * In September of 2008, Wendy’s and Arby’s merged but a short three years later, they decided to go their separate ways in 2011. Today there are over 7,000 Wendy’s world wide. The States with the most Wendy’s are… * Florida - 536 * Texas - 454 * Ohio - 405 * And in the state of Iowa we have 40. The Results **SPOILER ALERT!** Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet! Culver’s Fried Pickle Pub Burger * Amy - “It could use more sauce.” * Kris - “I like that Culver’s burger flavor.” * Matt - “It does get a little bready.” Wendy’s Pretzel Bacon Pub Burger * Amy - “The bun isn’t giving pretzel.” * Kris - “The crispy onions are a nice touch.” * Matt - “The honey mustard is doing the heavy lifting.” There you have it. Culver’s Fried Pickle Pub Burger gets the Quest for the Best seal of approval. Thank you all for joining us on this episode of Quest for the Best. Let us know what you thought. Have you tried these burgers? Which one was your favorite? We would love to hear your rating as well. Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next. And of course, remember to subscribe to hear the latest episodes. Additionally, donate! We could use your support! Show Notes: https://www.culvers.com/ https://www.mashed.com/121017/untold-truth-culvers/ (https://www.mashed.com/121017/untold-truth-culvers/) https://www.wpr.org/whats-scoop-origin-culvers-franchise (https://www.wpr.org/whats-scoop-origin-culvers-franchise) https://www.scrapehero.com/location-reports/Culver’s-USA/ (https://www.scrapehero.com/location-reports/Culver's-USA/) https://www.wendys.com/wendys-story (https://www.wendys.com/wendys-story) https://www.wendys.com/who-we-are-daves-legacy-founding-wendys (https://www.wendys.com/who-we-are-daves-legacy-founding-wendys) https://www.statista.com/statistics/221967/number-of-wendy-s-restaurants/#:~:text=Number%20of%20Wendy’s%20restaurants%20worldwide%202011%2D2022%2C%20by%20mode%20of%20operation&text=Quick%20service%20restaurant%20(QSR)%20chain,7%2C095%20restaurants%20worldwide%20in%202022 (https://www.statista.com/statistics/221967/number-of-wendy-s-restaurants/#:~:text=Number%20of%20Wendy's%20restaurants%20worldwide%202011%2D2022%2C%20by%20mode%20of%20operation&text=Quick%20service%20restaurant%20(QSR)%20chain,7%2C095%20restaurants%20worldwide%20in%202022). https://www.zippia.com/advice/wendys-statistics/#:~:text=In%20North%20America%2C%20it%20is,Wendy’s%20in%20the%20United%20States (https://www.zippia.com/advice/wendys-statistics/#:~:text=In%20North%20America%2C%20it%20is,Wendy's%20in%20the%20United%20States). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe (https://questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

93

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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