Join us on Saturday, July 22 for some lakeside munchies at the second annual OnMilwaukee Food Truck Fest. Choose from a menu of 20 trucks and enjoy the live music, games and entertainment. It's the biggest gathering of the best food on four wheels.
Did you catch the buzz over the limited release of the RITZ x OREO over Memorial Day weekend? If you missed out, you're not alone. In fact, the viral cracker/cookie combo inspired lots of DIY creations over the past week, including a brand new frozen custard flavor at Dairyland called "Puttin' on the Ritz".
Of course, both my FoodCrush Podcast co-host Matt Mueller and I find it impossible to resist a good flavor mash-up. So, we headed over to Dairyland at the 3rd Street Market Hall today to taste test the new frozen custard flavor and chat with Chef Fogle about custard, crazy Oreo concoctions & more. Watch:
Some background
Oreo is well-known for their releasing new, limited edition flavors and varieties of their popular cookie. Usually, it’s a new filling sandwiched between with its classic, ultra-crisp chocolate cookie. Occasionally, it’s a new take on the “golden” Oreo.
But, on May 26, Oreo did something it’s never done before. It released the RITZ x Oreo, a product mash-up that combined one Oreo cookie and one Ritz cracker with both a layer of peanut butter creme and Oreo creme sandwiched in between. The creation was available in limited quantities of unique six-count boxes (1,000 boxes, to be exact) which could be ordered online for free (well, with a charge of $3.95 for shipping) … while supplies lasted.
Of course, we all knew that supplies wouldn’t last. And they didn’t. Despite reported “gateway errors” on the Oreo website, the cookie-cracker combos didn’t last more than a few hours (if that), leaving countless fans wanting.
As expected, numerous entrepreneurial-minded folks began selling their boxes on eBay, with some listed at up to $600 per pack. (Ridiculous, we know.)
The thing is … this mash-up was essentially half Oreo, half Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwich Cracker. So, more ingenious (and frugal) fans simply started making their own.
And, here in Milwaukee, a local chef decided to make something even better.
An even more delicious idea
When Chef Kurt Fogle at Dairyland caught wind of the mash-up, he got to work testing out a brand new frozen custard flavor that incorporates the flavors of the RITZ x OREO.
The flavor is called "Puttin’ on the Ritz" and it consists of Ritz crackers, Oreo pieces and peanut butter fudge ripple combined in a base of Dairyland’s rich, milky housemade sweet cream frozen custard.
The new custard flavor will be available at Dairyland’s 3rd Street Market Hall location on Monday, June 6 from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. (or until it’s sold out.
Want more FoodCrush content?
Give @FoodCrushPod a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for podcasts, live tastings and more.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
