Fast Food

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.

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.

If you’ve ever been to The Cheesecake Factory you know that their menus are more of an encyclopedia of dishes than something to order off of. If it takes you 45 minutes to go through the menu once, you know there’s a problem. Lucky for us a pair of brothers over at First We Feast who frequent the chain put together a list of the top 15 dishes to help us all spend a little less time ordering and a lot more time enjoying those enormous portions. Here’s a peep at our personal favorites of the bunch: #12 on the list is the Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake. This dessert is a fusion between cake and cheesecake, with layers of Red Velvet alternating with a cheesecake stripe to bring you a four layered slice of dessert hybrid heaven. #6 are the Buffalo Blasts, don’t let the picture fool you, those actually aren’t pieces of fried chicken, it’s better. This “Frankensteined” appetizer is a spiced wrapper filled with chicken, cheese and buffalo sauce and fried until golden brown. Um, want. Now. Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake is quite the mouthful taking the #3 spot on this list. This slice of goodness is full of cheesecake, Oreo cookies, Oreo cookie mousse, and chocolate icing. If you’re worried about feeling guilty over devouring such a sinful dessert perhaps the fact that a quarter of each slice of this cheesecake sold is donated to Feeding America will make you feel better. But probably not. Top honors go to the Louisiana Chicken Pasta, the menu’s token Cajun style dish. The only thing New Orleans about this dish is the seasoning and kick, but it’s American influence is showing with that fried panko crusted chicken. Head over here to drool over the rest of the top ranking, glorious food porn. H/T + Photo Courtesy First We Feast The post Cheesecake Factory’s Best Dishes Ranked by Dankness appeared first on Foodbeast.

It’s no mystery that I’m not too fond of Pizza Hut.  Most of my mentions of Pizza Hut on GrubGrade are pretty negative and you wonder why I’m reviewing a Pizza Hut product when I’ve got so much venom.  Well, just as long as you know that little piece of background, take this for what it is.  I give Pizza Hut a chance from time to time to see if maybe one of us has changed.  Pizza Hut just came out with new Firebaked Style Flatbread Pizza and I just placed an online order.  Should be here any minute…Fast forward a few minutes…OK, I’m back… pizza arrived, check out the long box picture above.  The box is two feet long by 9″ wide. I snapped some pics and I’m now sitting in my office with this new Flatbread Pizza from Pizza Hut.  I dropped $11.99 for this, plus $2.50 delivery charge, plus tax and tip I’m down $19.00… laziness can get pricey. The Firebaked Style Flatbread Pizza is made up of six individual pizzas topped three different ways on a flatbread crust.  Each piece is around 3.5 inches wide by 8 inches long.  You choose up to three toppings for each pair.  I went with pepperoni and onions on my first pair, ham and pineapple on the next one and pepperoni, italian sausage and mushrooms on the final two.  Even though I had the option to have three toppings on each flatbread, I only maxed out with one of the pairs.How much of a difference do the toppings make?  Well the major focus on these flatbreads is the crust and the toppings so it’s important they don’t have any glaring issues.  The flatbreads are low on cheese and sauce which is typical of the flatbread-style pizza.  I found this to be a positive considering my issues with not being a big fan of Pizza Hut is the cheese and sauce.  With that put aside, the Flatbread Pizza is getting some easy points for that. The only thing new on this pizza is the flatbread crust and I found it to be passable.  The edges get pretty tough and hard for a crackery crunch, yet I didn’t mind it that much.  Yeah it’s a little on the overly dry side, but I expected that from a flatbread crust that acts as a very sturdy base for the ingredients. There is very little mess this pizza.  No dripping sauce or ingredients sliding off or strings of gooey cheese.  This pizza is great grab and go grub.  I did find the flatbreads with the combo of pepperoni, italian sausage and mushrooms to buckle more under the weight of the ingredients.  These pieces also seemed to have more sauce and cheese so either there’s a consistency problem or that’s just a result of the weighty sausage.  Not a huge concern.At a price of $11.99, it’s not an amazing value, but it’s about what I’d expect to pay.  The additional seven dollars for laziness won’t be taken into my opinion of the product itself.  If you’ve got a group of three people sharing the Flatbread Pizza, there are three separate taste choices in one and two pieces for each person.  Two bucks per piece is how it’s broken down and that price seems about average.  At this point in writing, I’ve had one of each flatbread and I’m stuffed.  I would’ve been satisfied stopping at two so I know the value is fair to me.In closing, of course these reviews are subjective and an opportunity to share your personal opinion and hope that maybe someone cares to read it.  Maybe reviews are just fodder for the contrarians that will surely call me moronic for liking or disliking a particular product.  To me, all I want is to give you my take, my pictures, and get a discussion going.  This review was worth writing because I gave a fair shot to a place that is clearly not a favorite for me.  Pizza Hut didn’t wow me in any way with their Flatbread Pizza, but they didn’t turn me off to the idea of completely closing my mind to the idea of changing tastes and changing opinions.  On this particular day, Pizza Hut wa

Starbucks is leading the calorie-conscious caffeine wave by adding nutrition information to all Starbucks menus nationwide starting June 25. The move comes after the FDA proposed a requirement that all restaurant chains with more than twenty locations post calorie counts on their menu boards and provide full nutritional information upon request. However, Starbucks decided to bite the bullet and expose the dirty calorie details regardless of the FDA’s decision. This is great news for health activists and people suffering through their summer diets, but really lousy news for all of us who’d really rather not know that our daily Frappuccino is singlehandedly supporting the sugar industry. Come on, Starbucks. We’ve been gulping your caramel-drizzled concoctions for years, and never once did we have any illusion that what we were drinking was healthy. It’s indulgent, overpriced, and effing delicious — and that’s the whole point. If we wanted zero calorie, no sugar, low fat concoctions that taste like burnt coffee beans and disappointment, we’d make ourselves coffee in our own kitchens. But no. You had to save us from ourselves and print the cold, hard truth in black and white right there on the menu. We suppose our arteries (and our six packs) will thank us later, but we’ll be honest — we’ll probably just avoid looking at the menu for a while. At least until we’re better at living in denial. H/T + PicThx Eater The post Starbucks Puts Calorie Info on Menus Nationwide, Ruins Caramel Frapps for Everyone appeared first on Foodbeast.