Fast Food

Some tasty news for gluten-free readers: Dunkin’ Donuts announced plans to roll out with gluten-free cinnamon sugar doughnuts and blueberry muffins this year. According to Bloomberg, this could make DD the first fast-food chain to offer gluten-free pastries nationwide — a feat that McDonald’s and Starbucks have yet to accomplish. “At Dunkin’ Donuts, we recognize the importance of providing our guests with many options, including alternative choices for people with food and dietary restrictions,” stated Stan Frankenthaler, the company’s executive chef, in an e-mail. The decision comes as gluten-free foods are poised to be the next major food trend (if it isn’t already) and as companies scramble to cash in by offering customers wheat-free options. Although, it’s worth it to know that just because your food doesn’t have gluten in it, doesn’t necessarily translate to fewer calories. Dunkin’s wheat-free cinnamon sugar donut weighs in at 320 calories, while its glazed donut has 260 calories. Their gluten-free blueberry muffin contains 400 calories, which is just 60 calories less than it’s standard muffin. Still, it’s a great option for those with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder affecting 1 out of every 133 Americans, and others who are just looking to improve digestion by eliminating gluten from their diets. The ultimate test will come down to how Dunkin’s gluten-free donuts and muffins actually taste, as gluten-free food in general gets a bad rep for its sometimes off-putting texture. Stay tuned, Foodbeasts. H/T Bloomberg + PicThx Dunkin’ Donuts Facebook The post Dunkin’ Donuts to Offer Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts appeared first on Foodbeast.

June 21st marks the official start of summer, but few people know it’s also National Flip Flop Day. The peeps over at Tropical Smoothie Cafe are celebrating this awesome coincidence in the tastiest way possible by giving away free 24 oz. Jetty Punch Smoothies tomorrow between 2pm and 7pm. All you have to do is show up wearing flip flops in order to score the freebie, AKA this is an automatic win for everyone living on the West Coast. And if you don’t own a pair, just borrow some from a friend, because delicious smoothies, guys! The event is also promoting a great cause: All Tropical Smoothie Cafes will be collecting donations for Camp Sunshine, a foundation that helps those affected by life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families. If you’re not able to make it tomorrow, customers can visit any location now through June 30th to purchase a $1 Paper Flip Flop or a $5 Flip Flop Key Fob to contribute to their fundraising efforts. Donations are also accepted here. The post Wear Flip Flops & Score a Free Smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe on June 21st appeared first on Foodbeast.

Well this is a big change from the Super Bacon Cheeseburger.  Today Carl’s Jr. re-released its Cranberry Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad.   The salad features apples, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, feta cheese and marinated grilled chicken on a bed of mixed spring and iceberg lettuces with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.There’s also a new BBQ Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad now available which consists of grilled chicken, tortilla strips, salsa, black beans, corn, shredded cheese, spring mix, iceberg lettuce and is served with Memphis BBQ and ranch dressings.  Both salads are available for around $5. Prices may vary by location.  $5 seems fair to me and Chick-fil-A should take notice.

After four years of intense research, a twist-off wine cork has finally been invented by the folks over at cork manufacturer Amorim and bottle-maker O-I. The invention is a long time coming and something every lush can relate to. You know what I’m talking about: That moment when you’re about to open a wine bottle and it dawns on you that there isn’t a corkscrew in sight; the awful realization sinks in and you desperately attempt to uncork it with a kitchen knife. This never works by the way, unless you want your precious vino filled with icky cork debris. The Helix cork offers an answer to these unfortunate predicaments by eliminating the need for a corkscrew. The product features a cork with a revolutionary threaded finish, coupled with a matching threaded bottle neck, that allows drinkers to both open and reseal the bottle with ease. Once resealed, the Helix creates an airtight barrier that protects the wine’s delicate flavors. The bottles will retail around $8 to $15, aiming for the “popular premium” market. Erik Bouts, O-I Europe president, assures that after extensive testing of wine stored in Helix bottles, there was no alteration to the taste, aroma or color of the wine after 26 months. There’s just one catch: It will probably be another two years before we see this product hit shelves and change our lives forever. Until then, we’ll be over here searching the office for that ever-elusive corkscrew. H/T + PicThx Business Insider, Giz The post Twist-Off Wine Corks Have Finally Been Invented appeared first on Foodbeast.

Growing up, Chalmun’s Cantina represented everything I was meant to avoid in the world: Alcohol, seedy characters, bad lighting. So while my inner goody-two-shoes shouldn’t get excited over rumors of Disney’s possibly recreating Star Wars’ infamous divebar, my outer dark side is screaming “oh f*ck yeah.” Oh right, this is Disney. Sorry, I meant “eff-yeah.” Eater reports that “’inside sources’ at Disney have confirmed plans to build Star Wars Land” at the company’s Florida resort, similar to last year’s rumors of a Star Wars Land at Disneyland Paris. Of course, both locations wouldn’t see the light of day for at least a few years, but that hasn’t stopped fans from waiting and wishing, particularly for a brand-new themed restaurant, hot on the heels of the “Be Our Guest” restaurant at Walt Disney World. Diorama photos from blog Disneyandmore help illustrate what a physical Mos Eisley Cantina could look like if rumors are true, though according to Eater, a Disney rep recently told a local news outlet that the company has “nothing to announce.” Regardless of if and when a real-life Mos Eisley Cantina is in the works, however, one thing’s for certain: I will be so sad if it doesn’t offer a shooter called the “Han Shot First.” H/T Eater + PicThx Disneyandmore The post Hopefully Not a Trap: Rumors of a Mos Eisley Cantina and Star Wars Land at Walt Disney World appeared first on Foodbeast.

It’s known as the “King of Fruits,” which is perfectly fitting, supposing the kingdom in question just happens to be a pointy sewer. Both loved and loathed all over Southeast Asia, the durian is a large, porcupine-looking fruit whose smell has been described simultaneously as “almonds, rotten onions, turpentine” and “raw sewage,” according to Wikipedia. It also happens to be McDonald’s Singapore’s newest limited time McFlurry flavor, for . . . reasons. Available at all McDonald’s Singapore dessert kiosks (because apparently they have kiosks in addition to actual restaurants over there), the new Durian Crunch McFlurry features “a mix of vanilla soft serve, durian syrup, and what looks to be some kind of crunchy cereal,” according to Brand Eating. Considering McDonald’s tendency to water down local cuisine, however, chances are the actual product will be relatively harmless – more of a publicity tool than anything, similar to a chocolate bacon sundae or Watermelon Oreos (ohohohoho). I personally have never tried durian, though growing up I did confuse it with jackfruit and couldn’t understand for the life of me what the big deal was. Several advocators on the interwebs claim that once you get over the smell, though, the actual taste of durian is absolutely delicious. They also recommend starting off with milder recipes like durian cakes or durian custard to get yourself acclimated to its glory. To that end, maybe Mickey D’s is just trying to help out the Singaporean durian market by releasing a baby version of the King to the masses. This could be stealth marketing at its finest, folks. Those sly, sly dogs. H/T + PicThx Brand Eating The post Run For Your Lives, It’s a Durian McFlurry appeared first on Foodbeast.

It’s hard to know when fruit is at its peak. One day, it’s solid and unripe. The next, it magically transforms into mush. Wait too much longer and you’ll have blue fuzzy mold on your hands, or worse, buzzy fruit flies. Offering a solution to wastefulness, design student Jagjit Chodha created a fruit bowl that detects mold before it grows. The bowl’s attached sensors detect elevated levels of ethylene (gas emitted as fruits mature or “ripen”), and a light on the sensor will tell you when to hurry up and eat those puppies before they go bad. This handy fruit container was created for the Made In Brunel Show at London’s Brunel University. While it’s not available for sale, we sure hope to see it on shelves someday. Until then, we’ll have to rely on our good ol’ guessing skills to know the average life span of a banana. H/T + PicThx Mashable The post This Mold-Detecting Bowl Saves Your Fruit, Bananas Everywhere Rejoice appeared first on Foodbeast.

Apparently, there’s only one thing that Vancouver residents love more than watching strippers work it on onstage — and that’s munching on a selection of locally-sourced Vancouver cuisine while enjoying the show. Vancouver gentleman’s club No. 5 Orange discovered the surprising overlap between local food fans and strip club aficionados when they gave their normal food selections a locally-sourced revamp earlier this year. The environmentally friendly overhaul paid off big time, and  according to CTV News, No. 5 Orange’s food-generated revenue has “more than doubled” since the changes. Of course, credit has to be paid to the local master chef that No. 5 Orange hired to oversee the switch. Chef Stuart Irving, a longtime fan of the gentleman’s club he describes as “Cheers, but with boobs,” took painstaking care to make the menu reflect the quality service and beautiful presentation that No. 5 Orange serves on and off the pole. The new menu features a series of gourmet selections including “Satay Kabobs of either free-range chicken, double-smoked pork belly, or wild sea prawn,” which will make it pretty hard to tell if customers are drooling over the food . . . or the performers. We’re going to take a wild guess and assume that it’ll be a combination of both, and we’re hoping that strip clubs worldwide follow No. 5 Orange’s example. Eat locally, strip globally? Sounds like a plan to us. H/T Eater + PicThx Dealbreaker The post Eat Locally, Strip Globally: Canadian Strip Club Offers Quality, Locally-Sourced Menu appeared first on Foodbeast.

Everyone knows the best part of a fortune cookie is the fortune, good or bad, and the opportunity to learn new words in Chinese like “bench” or “Sunday.” And with “Beijing Buffet Fortunes” by US-based designer, Caroline Brickell, you can add a whole new layer of fun and mystery to your fortune indulgence. The set of 12 collectible cookie dispensers features each of the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs, meaning you can you dig up your fortune from the belly of roosters, pigs, monkeys, and tigers. Choose your favorite! Give ‘em to your friends! Pick your allegiances! Go team snake! H/T + PicThx Design Taxi The post Chinese Zodiac Animals Double As Fortune Cookie Dispensers appeared first on Foodbeast.

Dear Foodbeast Readers, Apparently, we’ve caused a national outrage that some have deemed “the greatest controversy in recorded history.” When we broke the news that Cap’n Crunch is a Liar and a Fraud, readers were both heartbroken and shocked that we had the audacity to utter such blasphemy. Cap’n Crunch is only a Commander, not a Captain? Thanks @foodbeast for ruining my childhood. http://t.co/m6rRhWAupx #marketing — J.W. Cannon (@cannonjw) June 15, 2013 I don’t know what’s real anymore. “Cap’n Crunch Sails on a Cereal Bowl of Lies [Updated] http://t.co/BlXe8pcCdc via @RELEVANT” — rachel karman (@RKarSuperstar) June 18, 2013 While others were simply delighted Is Cap’n Crunch Really A Captain? Internet Fuels Delicious Debate http://t.co/bxkaWjfJVE via @nationalpost #CapnControversy — Dan Levy (@TheDanLevy) June 18, 2013 As you read this, you’re probably thinking, “All of this fuss and tears over a jolly bearded man in a Halloween costume?” Our answer: This is the internet, purveyor of serious sh*t. At least, serious enough to land the story and cause a plethora of temper tantrums on Huffpo, CNN, Gawker and the National Post (check the comment sections, they’re great). While we initially lamented over the discovery that the Cap’n was a commander and not the “captain” he claimed to be, many were quick to point out that anyone in command of a ship and crew, regardless of their rank, is considered a “Captain.” That being said, we apologize for not consulting America’s beloved cereal icon first. Who knew that a two-dimensional cartoon character could cause such a monumental controversy? Luckily, Cap’n Crunch himself reached out to us to set things straight. .@foodbeast All rumors and misunderstandings! I captain the S.S. Guppy with my crew – which makes an official Cap’n in any book! #CapnFacts — Cap’n Crunch (@RealCapnCrunch) June 14, 2013 No worries, Cap’n, we’ve still got mad love for ya — even if you do shred the roofs of our mouths to fleshy bits. Cheers, Charisma Unapologetic Leafs Fan & Lucky Charms Enthusiast The post Cap’n Crunch Makes National Headlines, Insists He is Not a Liar & a Fraud appeared first on Foodbeast.