Fast Food

The ever-loveble, scrappy up-and-comer in the food industry, underground craft burger favorite, McDonald’s, has rolled out some new burgers as a part of the ‘Dollar Menu and More’ line, which I aptly noticed while huffing and puffing away at the gym, the treadmill still spinning as I leapt off and headed for the golden arches. Take that, cholesterol!The new line splits the section into two parts – ‘Dollar Menu’ featuring items for a dollar or less, and ‘More,’ with selections for slightly over a dollar. Don’t tell me you didn’t see that coming. McDonald’s is burger heavy this quarter, not only releasing three new Quarter Pounders (tantalizingly hidden behind a ‘new product coming soon!’ graphic on the menu) but adding three riffs off the McDouble and McChicken to the ‘More’ section. Pricing-wise, the premium McDoubles will cost you $1.79, while the originals are still only a buck. The Southwest McDouble, Swiss and Dijon McDouble, and Bacon Buffalo McChicken were the ones we tried last night, at midnight, along with an unspecified number of McDoubles as palate cleansers. I told The Bedfellow I wouldn’t divulge this information, but we ate no less than five burgers after we’d eaten dinner. No shame.We started with the Bacon Buffalo McChicken, which was immediately decreed as “so dangerous,” as it offers the flavor and heat of a buffalo chicken wrap for only a dollar, if you forego the bacon. It’s your standard McChicken patty, but is downright lubricated with ranch and buffalo sauce. And…no bacon. Originally, I thought this was supposed to be a cost-cutting measure and that the ‘bacon’ would be in the ranch sauce as a flavoring, but it seems it was omitted. I can vouch that the flavor of the buffalo sauce is no different than that of the sauce for the premium Chicken Selects or McNuggets, but is tasty on a sandwich, too. That being said, it’s extremely messy and the chicken loses its crisp quickly. Would it be improved with bacon? Doubtedly, as the McChicken is pretty rich on its own. The Swiss and Dijon McDouble was arguably the best of the new releases, but still needs improvement. It has a decent balance of acidic elements to counter the richness of the cheeseburger, but only contained a single pickle. A pity, as the bites with pickle were the tastiest. The mustard, while strong for an American palate, does put shame to the fine Dijon mustard of France, and is not up to snuff. Spicy brown mustard has more of a kick than this does. However, as a mustard sauce, it’s recognizable and simplistic in flavor, unmuddled by the other elements of the sandwich. Onions would be a good addition here.The final burger was a trainwreck and tasted like something I’d have come with in the sixth grade before either of my parents got home from work. McDonald’s has taken a page from last year’s Taco Bell crib notes and has incorporated Doritos shards into their burger. These taste nearly identical to those found in the Beefy Crunch Burrito, perhaps a little spicier, and are combined with white cheddar cheese and a Southwestern sauce atop two burger patties. The flavor is pretty awful. Monolithic, greasy, and devoid of any heat or spice. While I applaud the idea of a Southwestern burger- McDonald’s has always been a little late to the game as far as spiciness is concerned, these elements would be better off in a larger burger with lettuce and tomato, or even salsa. Here, they felt haphazard and cheap. The new Dollar Menu is novel and expands the variety a simple buck can buy you, but when all else fails, there’s nothing like a classic. As much as we enjoyed working our way through the burgers in the middle of the night, the McDouble still reigned supreme in our souls and arteries.

We’ve heard a lot of food-service horror stories this week (thanks, Amy’s Baking Company) but nothing restores our faith in humanity like random strangers dispensing large wads of cash to unsuspecting waitresses. We’re pretty sure that Indiana resident CeCe Bruce didn’t expect to make nearly five hundred dollars in one shift at her local Steak ‘N Shake, but after regular customer “Miss Jo” witnessed CeCe “having a hard time at another table,” she paid her $6 tab and left CeCe a $446 tip for good measure. The Steak ‘N Shake manager wasn’t surprised to see CeCe’s pleasant attitude have such a high payout, saying that she “deserves it more than anybody” for coming in early and staying late while keeping her trademark smile firmly intact. CeCe says she plans to use the extra cash to pay off some bills (figures, since she’s also a part-time student) but pretty much everyone involved in the incident can take some warm and fuzzies to the bank. H/T + PicThx HuffPo  The post Customer Tips Steak ‘N Shake Waitress $446 for $6 Meal appeared first on Foodbeast.

The moment the bakery you saw burn alive in a social media firestorm turns it around and reopens to a sold out event. Yes, after freaking out on Facebook in the year’s most phenomenal internet temper tantrum (so far) and being the only restaurant on Kitchen Nightmares to ever have Gordon Ramsay walk off set, Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro will hold their “Grand Re-Opening” on Tuesday night, May 21. Owners Amy and Samy Bouzaglo hired PR firm Rose + Moser + Allyn Public and Online Relations, aka Damage Control, to help them show the public that they’re not really those awful people who steal tips from their waitresses, physically threat customers or use an unabashed amount of caps lock to express their feelings. They’re just, you know, regular people trying to resell Walmart-hand-me-down ravioli while claiming it’s fresh. Gosh, guys. “We are very upset by what has taken place, apologize about the acrimony that has ensued but now must fight back to save our business. We hope and believe much good can result from what has transpired. We ask the public to keep an open mind as we begin to tell our side of the story,” said Samy Bouzaglo in a press release posted to Facebook. A portion of the relaunch will go to an unnamed charity that brings “awareness to cyber bullying.” Hint hint. The press release states that “Customers will be able to decide who is correct: a famous celebrity chef or the marketplace that has supported the small, locally-owned business for six years.” Dayuumm, hear that Ramsay? According to the Twitter page of Jason Rose of Rose + Moser + Allyn, the relaunch has sold out. Oh, and for the record, “wait staff is paid $8-$14 per hour, two and half to nearly five times the standard hourly wage for servers.” That’ll show the “haters,” Amy. H/T The Consumerist + PicThx Huffpo The post Amy’s Baking Company Reopens Tuesday to a Sold Out Crowd appeared first on Foodbeast.

Forget fancily decorated fingernails holding burgers. The next hot trend? Combining the two (previously very, very distinct) realms with fry fingers! We’re guessing the “fries” here are what appear to be carefully painted and placed strips of tape. As for the box — the choices are endless. From the Golden Arches to a cheesin’ star to a red-headed, freckly little girl, your nails are an endless canvas to display your personal tastes. Now if these mini fries were edible, that would take this look to the next level. You’d have the world eating from your fingertips, literally. H/T that’s nerdalicious! + PicThx NoWayGirl The post French Fry Fingernails Are the New Nail Swag appeared first on Foodbeast.

I’ve got some free McDonald’s Egg White Delights to unload.  Have you tried it yet?  I did.  Interested in trying one for free?  Leave a comment with a McDonald’s memory and I’ll draw some winners.  Good luck!  (psst… we’re also giving some away at The Nosh Show)

We’ve all had that one boss who took all our tips, called us “a poisonous little viper,” and then fired us for asking a three-word question, right? No? That’s probably because most of us haven’t been employed by Amy’s Baking Company, the Scottsdale restaurant whose famously unstable owners physically and verbally assaulted customers before telling Gordon Ramsay to f*ck off on national television. After the show aired, viewers were  outraged by chef Amy Bouzaglo’s treatment of Katy, the teenaged server who was fired on the spot for asking Bouzaglo if she was sure  a table’s order was correct — after the food had been sent back three times. That was six months ago, and Katy has taken to Reddit to assure us all that she has another job and is doing fine after being let go from Amy’s Baking Company — although she would still like her tips back. Some highlights include Katy’s thoughts on Amy’s religious affiliation: Whether or not she’s afraid of Amy’s Baking Company still has her Social Security Number And, finally, whether or not she is actually a cold-blooded reptile. Glad she cleared that one up. Thanks, Katy, for satisfying our curiosity about the insanity happening inside that restaurant. We salute you and hope you’re enjoying your viper-free work environment elsewhere. Check out her full Reddit schpeel here. H/T Reddit, PicThnx Youtube The post Amy’s Baking Company Waitress Does AMA on Reddit, Calls Her Former Bosses “Assh*les” appeared first on Foodbeast.

NY attorney general investigating Fast Food worker wage theft. The myth of healthy fast food. Just living near a fast food restaurant can make you fat. How food packaging steers us to buy. The latest farm bill doesn’t do much to address nutrition. Burger King is bringing back its summer BBQ menu. Finally an end [...]

So, apparently, at least in the world of avante-garde cuisine, “spherification” is a word, and it means exactly what it sounds like. If you’re a fan of Top Chef, or even just Iron Chef America, you’ve probably seen someone pull out a steaming tank of liquid nitrogen and instantly up the hipness level of their otherwise run-of-the-mill appetizer. These molecular gastronomy kits from Spanish chef-brothers, Albert and Ferran Adrià, seek to put that power in your kitchen. They’re called Easy Kits, and there are four of them: Spherifiication, Cuisine, Patisserie, and Cocktail. Each comes with ingredients specific to respective recipes and techniques. For instance, “Gelly” is a 200 bloom gelatine texture in the Spherification kit that lets you to make your own globular mousse. Then there’s Lecite in the Cuisine box, so you can make flavored air. You’ll be enjoying marble-shaped vinegar in no time. Easy Kits €70.15 ($90 US) @solegraells  H/T + PicThx Eater The post Molecular Gastronomy Kit is the Easy Bake Oven for Adults appeared first on Foodbeast.

For being the go-to summertime treat, it’s a little odd to think about how very little we know about ice cream. Like, how much exercise does it take to burn off a single bowl of a bacon sundae? Or when exactly does “ice cream” stop being “ice cream” and become a “frozen dairy dessert”? Check out the list of infographics below to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about ice cream – or at the very least, everything you’ve wanted to learn via infographic. We’ve got it all, from the local costs of a cone worldwide to the price breakdown of the most expensive treat at New York’s Serendipity 3. There’s even a chart on what flavor gelato you should try on your next trip to Rome, which I’m sure is bound to come in handy one of these days. Or we could always just head to Portland, whose residents apparently eat more ice cream than any other U.S. city – though it’s probably just the melted stuff. (Ba-Dum-Tss) _______________ Click to enlarge. Global Annual Ice Cream Consumption Worldwide _______________ Ice Cream Currency Calculator _______________ The Most Expensive Ice Cream at Serendipity _______________ Stuff You Didn’t Know About Ice Cream _______________ What’s In That Ice Cream? _______________ Burn Off That Bacon Sundae _______________ Understanding Artisan Gelato _______________ How Healthy Is Your Ice Cream? _______________ Follow The Path to What Gelato Flavor Suits You Today _______________ What Your Favorite Ice Cream Says About You? All infographics courtesy Visual.ly The post Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Ice Cream [INFOGRAPHICS] appeared first on Foodbeast.

As part of an impromptu barbecue session to test out a new package of grill-worthy meat from Steakhouse Elite, Foodbeast developer Rudeluv stumbled upon an insane new creation: a BBQ sauce-slathered Wagyu beef hot dog, cheese, Takis, and grilled onions. Moments later the process was published to the @Foodbeast Instagram. What seems like a mess actually turned out to work splendidly. The crunch and spicy bite of the hot dog was complimented by the sweet barbecue sauce, the melted cheese, crispy Takis and grilled onions allowed for a myriad of textures in every bite. Don’t read too much into it though, this was an office grilling experiment gone awry — but our stomachs aren’t complaining. Make sure to tag #Foodbeast in your food photos, and you could be featured here soon! The post HOT ON INSTAGRAM: Wagyu Beef Hot Dog, Slathered in BBQ Sauce, Takis, Cheese and Grilled Onions appeared first on Foodbeast.