Product Review - Gravel Road Goodies
7.6.08
Products: Buttermilk Banana Bread, “Dirt Clods”, Little Bits of Gravel Road, Chocolate Gravy, Mud Pie, Peanut Butter Dirt Dobber

Who is Gravel Road Goodies?

Gravel Road Goodies, located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, is a producer of upscale gourmet confections, sweets, and snacks with a Southern “down-home” feel. Gravel Road Goodies currently sells their products online at Etsy.com and iBuyGourmet.com.

Packaging/Labeling: Sometimes the finest things come in the simplest of packages - which is exactly the case with Gravel Road Goodies. All of Gravel Road Goodies’ products come packaged in raffia-filled, brown cardboard boxes and brown paper bags with simple-yet-classy labels describing each item - reflecting a simple Southern homemade look with upscale gourmet quality. Overall, we really liked the presentation and agreed that the unique Southern down-home look really offers a nice break from the cookie-cutter presentations and packaging themes inundating the marketplace.

Taste/Consistency/Quality: With each product we tried from Gravel Road Goodies, it was apparent that no corners were cut when hand-producing these delectable treats. Each product was fresh, rich, and perfect in presentation - reminding us of Mom’s home-cooking as children.

The “Dirt Clods” (the label claims that city folks call them truffles) were absolute perfection; hand made sweet, rich chocolate truffles lightly rolled in semi-sweet cocoa powder that creates a heavenly duo of sweet and dark/bittersweet chocolate. Unlike most mass-produced truffles with waxy consistency, these were a breath of fresh (chocolate) air. Each bite of the smooth and rich “dirt clod” confirmed the fact that only the highest quality ingredients and handmade care was used in making them.

Like the “Dirt Clods”, the mud pie shared an equally impressive combination of rich chocolate taste and perfect texture. Served in a handmade flaky pie crust, these mud pies were extremely rich and moist - leaving us craving more after each bite.

Probably the biggest surprise was the “Little Bites of Gravel Road” - a unique snack/treat made with toasted walnuts and almonds baked in meringue and butter. The result is a very addictive combination of softened almonds and walnuts (with a slight crunch) and a salty/sweet coating of melt-in-your-mouth meringue. Unlike anything else, this snack became an instant favorite and is sure to satisfy anyone’s sweet, salty, and crunchy cravings in one fell-swoop.

Almost as surprising as the “Bites of Gravel Road” was the “Chocolate Gravy” - a dry mix that, when heated in a saucepan with water or milk, creates a rich chocolate sauce with the same consistency of typical gravy. What really makes it so unique is the way in which it is served - over a plate of hot biscuits. The “Gravy” itself was fabulous, but when served over the biscuits even better - creating an entrée that can only bring a smile to your face (for breakfast or as a treat!).

Finally, our unanimous favorite was the Buttermilk Banana Bread - ridiculously moist and rich banana bread that is the best we’d ever had. We got an idea of what was in store when we first unwrapped it; the loaf must have weighed five pounds! This banana bread was so thick and moist that it took a little extra effort when cutting slices, which gave us a nice giggle of excitement before even trying it. This banana bread had it all - delicious banana and buttermilk taste with a baked-to-perfection texture creating a moist and dense loaf of banana bread heaven that we couldn’t get enough of.

Uniqueness: Gravel Road Goodies fared well on the uniqueness scale with their one-of-a-kind “Bites of Gravel Road” snack, dessert-for-breakfast “Chocolate Gravy”, and their wonderful Southern/down-home/gourmet packaging.

Summary: Gravel Road Goodies has created a superb lineup of delectable handmade gourmet products with top-notch quality and freshness, packaged in a very attractive down-home presentation with upscale appeal. Excellent products for gift-giving as well as self-indulgence!

How to purchase: Consumers can order directly online at www.iBuyGourmet.com/GravelRoad or at www.gravelroadgoodies.etsy.com