The Froze Bros

What’s in a name? Part two (see episode 76). If the name is Van de Kamp’s or Mrs. Paul’s and we’re talkin’ shark bites, the name doesn’t really matter. This week, this Shark Week : Van de Kamp’s and Mrs. Paul’s Shark Bites. The story: Van de Kamp's traces its origin back to a 1915 Los Angeles potato chip stand. Mrs. Paul's starts in Philly in 1946 with the infamous leftover crab cakes. Two totally different brands that, decades of corporate acquisitions later, land in the exact same place. Plus: Chow mein and fries. Jameson vs Jameson. Max’s bouncer fantasy. Jumping the shark emotions, and the surprisingly complicated question of how sharks actually reproduce. Candygram! In the closing segment: "Let It Go or Keep It, Bro" (or whatever we call it now) returns with frozen shark gummies, a candy that was never meant to see the inside of a freezer. watch this episode FROST BITES The Denny’s That Saved Van de Kamp’s Last Stand . Long before the freezer aisle, Van de Kam...

What’s in a name? If that name is Häagen-Dazs, then there’s over sixty years of misrepresentation. But will we give them a pass? This week: Häagen-Dazs ice cream . The story: Reuben Mattus, born Nifka Matus in Eastern Europe, immigrated to the Bronx in 1921. In 1960, he and his wife Rose invented an ice cream brand that they wanted to sound fancy. From there, the brand passes to Pillsbury, Nestlé, General Mills, and even Goldman Sachs. Plus: Outback steaks mate, how to do a Danish accent, a garden outhouse and a farm in Africa, Danish horror-puppet film, and a melting experiment that gets less scientific by the minute. In the closing segment: Froze or Fake. Max tries to tell the difference between real old-timey frozen food products and ones that Darren made up.  watch this episode FROST BITES It came from where? That weird puppet movie Max described is 100% real. It’s called ZombieWestern: It Came from the West (2007)—a Danish short film that holds the title of the world’s first...

Seventy-five episodes deep, and this one earns every bit of the title. A brand-new kitten in the cables. A gong-loud tissue box. Bites…no, balls…no bites. This week's recording had it all—including, eventually, Feel Good Foods Mac & Cheese Bites. Or is it balls after all? The story: Vanessa Phillips founded Feel Good Foods in Brooklyn after her celiac diagnosis, determined to bring back the comfort foods she missed. She built the company with her husband, chef Tryg Siverson, into a full gluten-free frozen lineup—and this isn't the Bros' first trip to the Feel Good freezer. Plus: a Wisconsin baseball team goes full pizza. The Iceman Cometh in Chicago—well, sort of. Summer cocktail recipes. A gluten-free bagel complaint with a happy ending. Cheesecake Factory 1390, and just how old mac and cheese really is. In the closing segment: a brand-new game debuts, and it does not go smooth as ice. Swallowed cubes, muted mics, and a whole lot of not guessing "jeans." W...

Two global contenders. One chilly showdown. This week, the Bros head to Dairy Queen to match up with the “global flavors” of their limited-time Blizzard Cup Lineup. A “Mexican-style Hot Chocolate made with ABUELITA™ Blizzard® Treat” for Darren. A “BISCOFF® Cookie Blizzard® Treat” for Max (and a taste of “Strawberry Mango-flavored Mochi Blizzard® Treat”). The story: Dairy Queen began in Illinois in 1940, pioneered the soft-serve game, and was snapped up by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway empire in 1997. These World Cup tie-ins may or may not be officially licensed, but take that up with Dairy Queen. Plus: Vintage YouTube. Carvel’s better story. Mr. Peeper is watching. Martha Stewart and freeze ray technology. The death of the mall. And more. In the closing segment: Darren rigs up a corporate randomizer so he and Max can pitch Warren Buffett a series of unhinged, high-concept cross-promotions. They’ll either secure a multi-billion dollar investment or never again be allowed at a ...