Cottman Avenue in northern Philadelphia is a busy but slightly down-on-its-luck urban thoroughfare that has had a strange couple of years.

You might remember the truly bizarre 2020 press conference held—for no discernible reason—at Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a half block off Cottman Avenue, where a not-yet-disbarred Rudy Giuliani led an farcical ensemble of characters in an event so weird it has been immortalized in its own, quite lengthy, Wikipedia article.

Then in 2023, a truck carrying gasoline caught fire just a block away, right where Cottman passes under I-95. The resulting fire damaged I-95 in both directions, bringing down several lanes and closing I-95 completely for some time. (This also generated a Wikipedia article.)

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• Dunkin' roasted Starbucks in its Super Bowl advertisement.
• The ad jabbed at Starbucks' long wait times and extensive customization options.
• Starbucks has recently discussed efforts to reduce wait times and simplify its menu.

Dunkin' used the biggest ad space of the year to jab at Starbucks.

The Super Bowl advertisement, which featured the actor-sibling duo Ben and Casey Affleck and the football coach Bill Belichick decked out in Dunkin' merch, depicted a competition among coffee brands.

Toward the end, the Affleck brothers and Belichick took turns roasting a group of baristas dressed in green jackets, which resembled Starbucks' signature green aprons and uniforms.

Though the trio did not explicitly mention Starbucks, they targeted some of the chain's widely publicized problems, such as long wait times and the extensive customization options that have contributed to them.

When one of the green-clad baristas addressed the Dunkin' team by saying, "About to get roasted! Like a dark seasonal roast with coriander and slight balsamic drizzle," Belichick replied, "Sounds like what's in my garbage disposal."

Ben Affleck then asked, "How much to wait a half hour to get my name spelled wrong on the cup?"

Casey Affleck piled on: "Nobody wants a goat milk double half-caff soy milk capp. You could just brew it — it's beans and water."

Representatives for Dunkin' and Starbucks did not respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

In an extended six-minute version of the ad, they also targeted McDonald's, where coffee and breakfast are an increasingly important part of the menu.

Starbucks' new CEO, Brian Niccol, has been working to simplify the chain's offerings and reduce wait times by streamlining its mobile ordering system, including by testing a new algorithm for mobile orders.

On the company's January 28 earnings call, Niccol and Starbucks' finance chief said the chain would also cut 30% of its menu items in a bid to streamline service.

A Starbucks representative confirmed to BI on Wednesday that the chain planned to lower the cap on the number of drinks customers could buy in one mobile order to 12 from 15 and remove some customization options for its mobile orders.

Niccol, who said mobile orderings had "chipped away" at the company's "soul," is trying to make Starbucks a cozy coffeehouse where customers can hang out. Dunkin', meanwhile, has long been known as a cheaper to-go coffee shop with little comfortable seating.

• As a dietitian, I follow the Mediterranean diet, but that doesn't mean my family never eats out.
• Dunkin' is an easy place to grab breakfast when we're in a rush.
• I try to avoid overly sugary drinks, but I do order the occasional doughnut as a treat.

As a dietitian who tries to follow the Mediterranean diet, I eat a lot of veggies, beans, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

However, in a pinch, my family and I sometimes have to lean on fast food, especially when we're traveling.

When I visit Dunkin' with my 9-year-old daughter and my husband, I opt for protein-rich options and try to limit any added sugar and sodium.

Here's what I ordered for everyone on our last Dunkin' run.

A hot latte gives me a kick of caffeine.

It's tempting to go for a flavored coffee at Dunkin', but some of them have more sugar than a doughnut.

For example, a small Dunkin' hot coffee with caramel-swirl flavoring has 26 grams of added sugar, while a vanilla sprinkle doughnut only has 16 grams.

Instead, I skip the added sweeteners. Since some dairy is permitted on the Mediterranean diet, a classic latte made with 2% milk gives me the caffeine boost I need without a sugar rush.

Plus, dairy milk adds some protein and nutrients (like calcium).

I'm a fan of the omelet bites.

Although they're processed — aka not very Mediterranean-diet friendly — I love Dunkin's omelet bites for a protein-packed breakfast.

Two of the egg white and veggie bites contain a whopping 13 grams of protein, which keeps me full. As a bonus, they help me get a small start on my daily veggie goals.

My husband's beverage of choice is iced green tea.

My husband, who has elevated blood pressure, enjoys an unsweetened green iced tea.

Some research suggests that green tea may help lower blood pressure, particularly in individuals with hypertension. The catechins and other bioactive compounds are associated with helping relax blood vessels, promote healthy blood flow, and reduce the strain on the cardiovascular system.

The iced, unsweetened version at Dunkin' has no sugar, and there's little to it in terms of calories and sodium, so he tends to get a larger size.

Dunkin's avocado toast is also a good pick for my husband.

Avocado toast is my husband's top food pick at Dunkin', which is convenient for his health needs and our diet.

Avocados are a good source of potassium, a mineral that's also been found to help lower blood pressure. Dunkin's avocado toast contains 371 milligrams of potassium, which is over 10% of the daily recommended intake for men.

Pairing avocado with whole-grain toast provides him with a satisfying on-the-go option that has heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, 6 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein.

Orange juice is my daughter's drink of choice.

Although my daughter doesn't follow any kind of strict diet, I often feed her along the principles of the Mediterranean diet since that's how my husband and I eat.

Even though the juice contains quite a bit of natural sugar from the fruit, I'm OK with her drinking a serving of orange juice (which I portion out from the slightly larger Simply Orange bottle sold at my Dunkin').

It provides her with nutrients like vitamin C and antioxidants. Plus, it helps her get closer to her fruit quota for the day.

She likes the wake-up wrap.

It's not very Mediterranean-diet friendly, but my daughter likes the egg-and-cheese wake-up wrap at Dunkin'.

The serving is relatively tiny, and there isn't a whole grain or veggie in sight, but I'm happy that the 7 grams of protein help keep her satisfied when we're in a pinch.

Plus, the eggs add some vital nutrients, like choline, which is essential to supporting brain health.

I firmly believe an occasional treat can fit into a balanced diet.

Although the Mediterranean diet doesn't allow for a lot of processed foods or added sugars, an occasional treat isn't going to completely throw us off.

Dunkin' is known for its doughnuts, so we usually let our daughter pick the variety and split one between the three of us.

I think it's OK to sometimes eat food purely for the pleasure it provides. By sharing, we reduce the risk of overindulging without feeling deprived.

• To find the best hot chocolate, I tried Starbucks, Peet's, Coffee Bean, Dunkin', and Krispy Kreme.
• Starbucks' cocoa had notes of smooth dark chocolate, while Coffee Bean's was thicker and sweeter.
• Here's the best hot chocolate from a national coffee chain and why.

The end of the year is upon us, and with it comes the cool winter months, which means it's time to ditch my regular order of iced coffee in favor of a warmer drink. For those of us trying desperately to cut back on caffeine, the humble classic hot chocolate is a top-tier choice. 

If you're not looking to make it yourself at home with the best store-bought hot cocoa — in which case the runaway winner, in my opinion, is Nestlé's oft-overlooked Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate — or boldly starting from scratch using a celebrity chef's recipe, it's quick and easy to visit a national coffee chain for a sip of the iconic cold-weather drink. 

I like my hot chocolate rich, but not overly sweet, with a creamy milk base. It should be topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or, even better, a marshmallow. So I tried five national coffee chains in search of the cup that felt the most like a warm hug, hitting all the luxurious chocolate notes one craves without being a one-note sugar bomb.

What I found may reveal my status as a basic coffeehouse lurker, but I stand by my assessment. You'll have to try for yourself, but here are the five cups of hot chocolate from each coffee chain, ranked from worst to best:

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

In defense of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, they have plenty of drinks and snacks on their menu that taste good. Their Black Forest blended drink beats out Starbucks' menu of Frappucinos any way of the week. But their cocoa isn't one I'd revisit — though other members of my household disagree, so, as always, your mileage may vary.

A barista at a local branch told me that The Coffee Bean's $4.25 cup of hot chocolate defaults to using nonfat milk, mixed with chocolate powder, and topped with simple whipped cream. 

But somehow, this hot cocoa had a much thicker consistency than the others, coating my mouth with a cloyingly sweet chocolate flavor that tasted like a glass of melted Cadbury milk chocolate.

While I could see someone with a sweeter tooth than mine — which is admittedly hard to come by — enjoying the taste, I couldn't take more than a sip or two.

Peet's Coffee

I had hoped for more from Peet's Coffee, expecting a velvety, diner-style cup of cocoa from the smaller chain, but what I got was just fine. Average. Plain.

I watched as my barista emptied a nondescript brown pouch of chocolate powder into a cup, adding warm 2% milk, and stirring the mixture with a spoon before topping it with canned whipped cream and handing it to me.

Tied with Starbucks as the most expensive offering at $4.45, the hot chocolate I got from Peet's Coffee offered less flourish than I would have made myself at home. 

While slightly sweeter than the cocoa at Starbucks and Krispy Kreme, Peet's Coffee's hot chocolate had a simple, inoffensive flavor — but there was nothing special about it. 

Dunkin'

Notably, the Dunkin' I visited had the friendliest staff, but that didn't impact the flavor of its hot chocolate, and let's be honest — the cocoa was mid (because Dunkin' stays average.)

The barista at the doughnut empire said the ubiquitous East Coast chain defaulted to using hot water instead of milk in its $3.69 cup of cocoa. And while Dunkin' was the only chain to offer a much-appreciated topping to accompany the whipped cream — mocha-syrup drizzle — I could tell the drink's base was made without milk. 

It also nearly burned my tongue and was far and away the hottest cup of chocolate of the day.

Without the dairy, Dunkin' hot chocolate was noticeably less creamy, though it had an intense chocolate flavor — a likely benefit of the mocha syrup on top. 

Krispy Kreme

As a chain I rarely visit, Krispy Kreme surprised me by coming in second place for its overall flavor. 

At $3.55, the doughnut chain's midsize cocoa was less expensive than the other major hot chocolate movers, but it rose above almost all of them by using a Ghirardelli powder base with steamed 2% milk.

It was served warm, not hot, and included whipped cream but not sprinkles or drizzle.

Krispy Kreme's cocoa had no frills, but offered more nuanced flavor than Peet's, Dunkin', and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf without having quite the complexity that Starbucks does.

Starbucks

I didn't want Starbucks to win — and I say that as a gold-level rewards-card member who believes in, and even evangelizes about, the value of the omnipresent coffee chain. But I wanted a dark horse contender to rise through the ranks to cinch the top spot; I wanted to be proven wrong.

I suppose I didn't want the answer to be that basic, but, alas, Starbucks made me the best cup of hot cocoa of all five I tried.

While pricey at $4.45 for a 16oz drink after tax, I guess the offering coming from the biggest US coffee chain should be the best.

Starbucks' cocoa is made, by default, with steamed whole milk mixed with house-made mocha syrup, then topped with whipped cream. Though notably missing any unique toppings such as a chocolate syrup swirl or marshmallow, which would undoubtedly heighten the experience, this hot chocolate was rich and creamy without being too sweet.

The drink had some back-end bitter notes that I could see making my opinion controversial, but having a more complex flavor made Starbucks' hot cocoa more enjoyable than the others.

Editor's note: This story was originally published in November 2023.