Review: Jack in the Box - Pizza Bites

Jack in the Box's new Pizza Bites are deep-fried, breaded, and herb-seasoned pizza dough pockets filled with mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, and turkey pepperoni.

An order of three bites runs for $1.99 in my area.

News: Jones Soda Offers Poutine-Flavored Soda

Probably not a surprise from a company that's released Turkey & Gravy-flavored soda, but Jones Soda is offering a limited-edition Poutine-flavored soda exclusively to Canada.

Poutine is probably best known as the quintessential Canadian dish of French fries topped with brown gravy and cheese curd. The dish is so popular that it's regularly available at Wendy's and KFC restaurants in the country (and have been offered at McDonald's and Burger King in the past).

News: Del Taco - New Tastes Menu

Along with their new Buck & Under menu, Del Taco now offers a New Tastes menu with three new items: a Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Taco, a Chili Cheese Fry Burrito, and a Fiery 6 Layer Burrito.

The company plans to refresh the menu regularly based on customer demand.

News: Burger King Expands Delivery to Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles

Burger King's BK Delivers delivery program has expanded to select locations in the Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles areas. Other areas where delivery is already offered include New York, Miami, Houston, and Washington, D.C.

Review: Arby's - King's Hawaiian Roast Beef and Swiss Sandwich

Arby's new, limited-time King's Hawaiian Roast Beef & Swiss sandwich features an extra 1/3 portion of thin-sliced roast beef, Swiss cheese, pickles, and a creamy Dijon sauce on a King's Hawaiian hamburger bun.

My local Arby's has them on the menu for $4.49 each.

News: Starbucks - Frappuccino Happy Hour May 3 to 12

As summer approaches, Starbucks is once again offering their Frappuccino Happy Hour promotion. Under the promotion, customers can get half-off the price of any Frappuccino from 3pm to 5pm, starting this Friday, May 3 and running through Sunday, May 12.

News: Arby's - New House Made Potato Chips

Arby's now offers new, limited-time House Made Chips. They're thick-cut, kettle-fried potato chips made daily in each Arby's restaurant (that serves them). The chips are sprinkled with a Zesty Arby's Sauce Seasoning for a signature Arby's flavor.

Prices for an order should be around $1.79.

News: Chick-fil-A - New Salads

Chick-fil-A launched three new salads today as well as revamping their Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap. As people look for more health-conscious fast food choices, companies are looking to improve or expand their offerings. As such, Chick-fil-A now offers a new Asian Salad, Cobb Salad, and Grilled Market Salad.

Review: Pepperidge Farm - Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies

Pepperidge Farm's Dark Chocolate Cheesecake cookies are soft-baked cheesecake cookies with cream cheese drops and dark chocolate chunks.

An 8.6-ounce package costs around $2.69.

Review: Nestle - Pom Pom Marshmallow Cakes

Nestle Pom Pom Marshamallow Cakes feature a small ball of marshmallow covered with dried coconut flakes and set on a thin chocolaty disc.

If it sounds unfamiliar to you, it's because they come from Turkey and I found this particular 2.8-oz box at Big Lots for $1.

News: Frito Lay - New Lay's Wavy Garlic & Sea Salt Potato Chips

Frito Lay's latest flavor of Lay's Wavy potato chips is new Garlic & Sea Salt. Apparently, the average adult in the U.S. eats about 2.3 pounds of garlic a year (according to the USDA) and Frito Lay wants in.

The new flavor joins a Lay's Wavy line up that includes: Lightly Salted, Ranch, Original, and Hickory BBQ.

News: Orville Redenbacher’s New Pop Crunch Ready-to-eat Popcorn Snack

Orville Redenbacher's expands their line of ready-to-eat popcorn with a new Pop Crunch line. The Pop Crunch line features 4 flavors and promises "crunchy flavor" and "half the fat of [the] leading brand of regular potato chips."

News: Michael Angelo's - New Italian Flatbreads

Michael Angelo's, an Italian frozen food company, recently announced a new line of Italian Flatbreads as their first try at appetizers/snacks (because people are snacking more and eating full meals less). The new line features four flatbread varieties: Pepperoni & Salami, Mediterranean, Sausage & Mushroom, and Margherita.

Frozen Friday: Pepperidge Farm - Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cake

Pepperidge Farm's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cake is like a cross between a chocolate chip cookie and a cake. The cake itself is interspersed with chocolate chunks and surrounded by a chocolate icing, topped with crumbled pieces of the brand's Chocolate Chunk cookies.

My local supermarket sells the 21.1 oz cake for $4.99.

News: Papa John's Brings Back Buffalo Chicken Pizza

The Buffalo Chicken Pizza is back at Papa John's for a limited time. First introduced last year, it costs an extra dollar this time around at $11 for a large.

The pizza comes topped with ranch sauce (rather than pizza sauce), breaded chicken strips slices, bacon, onions, mozzarella cheese, and a swirl of buffalo sauce.

News: Del Taco - New Buck & Under Menu

Del Taco strengthens their value play with a new Buck & Under Menu, which features 11 menu items ranging from 50 cents to $1.

Included in the new value menu are three new menu items: the Mini Cheddar Quesadilla, Mini Bacon Quesadilla (i.e. their Mini Cheddar Quesadilla plus bacon), and Crunchy Chipotle Beef Taco (their regular Crunchy Beef Taco plus a creamy chipotle sauce).

Review: Taco Bell - New A.M. Breakfast Grillers

The latest additions to Taco Bell's First Meal breakfast menu are new A.M. Breakfast Grillers. They're quesadilla-ish and feature a small, grilled flour tortilla (taco-sized) folded flat over a mix of shredded cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, and either sausage or bits of bacon.

They're offered at 99 cents a piece and I tried one of each.

News: Arby's Tests Bottled Horsey Sauce

Arby's is testing bottled Horsey Sauce out in Savannah, GA and Harrisburg, PA. If the cities seem familiar to you, it's the same markets where they're testing bottled Arby's Sauce.

It is being offered in 11.5-ounce bottles for $2.49 in Harrisburg and $2.99 in Savannah.

News: Carl's Jr./Hardee's Return Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's now offers the Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit.

Just like it sounds, the breakfast sandwich consists of a split Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage, folded egg, and American cheese, on a Made from Scratch Biscuit.

Review: Taco Bell - Cantina Steak Burrito

Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito was recently updated with new, thick-cut marinated steak. In addition to the steak, the burrito features Latin rice, black beans, romaine lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, corn and pepper salsa, and creamy cilantro dressing.

My local Taco Bell has them on the menu for $4.99 each.

News: Arby's - New King's Hawaiian Roast Beef Sandwiches

Getting in the summer mood, Arby's is offering new, limited-time King's Hawaiian Roast Beef and Roast Beef & Swiss sandwiches. The sandwiches' key feature is that they come on a soft and sweet King's Hawaiian sandwich bun.

The King's Hawaiian Roast Beef & Swiss includes an extra 1/3 portion of thin-sliced roast beef, Swiss cheese, pickles, and a creamy Dijon sauce.

News: Red Robin's 2013 Spring Menu includes Spring Beer Shake

Red Robin's 2013 Spring Menu features yet another Beer Shake in what has become a bit of a thing for the burger chain. The alcoholic dessert this season is the new Spring Beer Shake made with Blue Moon Belgian White Beer.

The menu also features the return of the 5 Alarm Burger and a range of appetizers at the $3, $5, $7, and $9 price points.

Here's a look at the full menu:

News: Carl's Jr. Tests Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich

Carl's Jr. is testing a Hand-Scooped Strawberry Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich out in Costa Mesa, CA. The dessert is basically a frosted strawberry Pop-Tart broken in half to sandwich a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The going price is $1.49.

The Pop-Tart Ice Cream sandwich test was initially reported by Food Beast, who spotted the sandwich on Instagram.

If you're looking to try it, you can find it at the Carl's Jr at:

Review: Jack in the Box - Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal

Jack in the Box's first oatmeal offering, new, limited-time Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal, purports to deliver the taste of two breakfast staples in one. It consists of blueberry muffin-flavored oatmeal topped with a blend of dried blueberries and currants, plus streusel topping.

A cup/bowl goes for $2.29 at my local Jack in the Box.

News: Cap'n Crunch Gets His Own Late Night Talk Show

In the spirit of Space Ghost and the late Johnny Carson, Cap'n Crunch is getting his own late night talk show. The unique marketing move could be awesomely entertaining or supremely awful for the beloved cereal icon.

News: McDonald's Launches Egg White Option for Breakfast

I mentioned it back in April, and now it's here: McDonald's offers the new Egg White Delight McMuffin nationwide, as well as an option to switch out regular egg and American cheese for egg whites and white cheddar on any egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.

Custom Order: Wendy's - Hot Chili Seasoning with Fries

Wendy's Hot Chili Seasoning is a non-commonly-known sauce they offer to add a bit of heat and depth to their chili. Since chili goes well over a baked potato, I decided to try Hot Chili Seasoning over Wendy's French fries (I know my logic is astounding).

The sauce is free, you just have to know to ask for it.

News: Krispy Kreme Hero Appreciation Day BOGO Dozen Offer on April 28

April 28 is National Superhero Day and Krispy Kreme is hoping you'll celebrate with the real-life everyday heroes in your life by offering a buy one dozen donuts, get one dozen Original Glazed Donuts free to share with your favorite heroes.

News: Jack in the Box - New Pina Colada Smoothies

Jack in the Box is already looking forward to the summer with new, limited-time Pina Colada Smoothies.

The new frozen drink is made with a blend of Minute Made fruit juices and nonfat frozen yogurt.

My local Jack in the Box is offering them at $3.19 for a 16-ounce regular and $4.19 for a 24-ounce large.

Review: Campbell's Chunky - Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Campbell's Chunky Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup is probably not as popular as their Chicken Noodle; it sports a lot of the same ingredients: chicken, carrots, celery, and peas, but in a creamy chicken soup.

An 18.8-ounce can cost me $1.50 on sale, but can range around $3 regularly.

Around the World: McDonald's Taiwan Offers Rice McWraps

McDonald's adds a bit of local flavor with new Rice McWraps in Taiwan.

The flour-tortilla wraps feature a filling of special rice from Tainan (a city in southern Taiwan famous for its rice), beef or chicken, veggies, and sauce.

The rice is of the glutinous kind to bring an al dente-like chew. It's mixed with sesame oil and mushrooms for added flavor.

Review: Kettle Brand Bakes Sea Salt Potato Chips

Kettle Brand Bakes Sea Salt Potato Chips are the baked version of the brand's kettle-cooked potato chips. They're made simply with oil, potatoes, and sea salt.

A 4-ounce bag costs a little more than $3.

Around the World: Pizza Hut UK Adds Sicilian Pan Option

Pizza Hut UK adds a bit more flavor to your standard pizza crust with the limited-time offer of a "Sicilian Pizza Base" crust option.

The crust features Pizza Hut's standard pan pizza dough with garlic and herbs mixed in. The name's a bit odd to me as, here in the US, a "Sicilian pizza" tends to refer to a thick-crust pizza.

News: Arby's - New Mighty Minis with Limited Availability

Arby's is offering new mini sandwiches called "Mighty Minis" in select markets for a limited-time. Similar to Burger Kings's now-discontinued BK Minis, Mighty Minis comes in pairs with connected but separate-able buns and come in three varieties: Original, Spicy, and Crispy Onion.

Along with the three flavor choices, you can also choose between sliced roast turkey or roast beef.

Frozen Friday: Magnum Gold?! Ice Cream Bars

Magnum Gold (stylized as "Gold?!") ice cream bars are the newest offering in Unilever's Magnum brand of super-premium ice cream bars. They're new to the US but have been available for some time now abroad.

The ice cream gets its name/gimmick from a thin metallic gold shell on top of the typical Belgium milk chocolate shell of the ice cream bars. Inside is vanilla bean ice cream swirled with sea salt caramel.

A 10.14-ounce box of three bars retails for $3.99, but I received these for free from Unilever.

My Ben & Jerry's Adventure: Day Two

Day Two was a half-day where we headed over to check out the Ben & Jerry's factory in Waterbury; about a 30-minute drive from Burlington. It's open to the public for tours, but we were going to get a bit of a behind-the-scenes look.

News: Chipotle to Offer Hand-Made Patron Margaritas

Starting April 29, Chipotle will offer new hand-made margaritas made with a choice of either Patron Silver or Sauza tequila in about 900 of their US restaurants. The change comes just in time for Cinco de Mayo and as the weather starts to warm.

The new margaritas will be made with triple sec, lemon-lime juice, and organic nectar according to The Huffington Post. The old margaritas were also made with Sauza tequila but with a margarita mix instead of separate ingredients.

Review: Panera Bread - Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich

Panera Bread's Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich is one of their signature sandwiches and features smoked turkey breast, bacon, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomatoes, and their signature dressing, on Tomato Basil bread.

They typically go for about $7 for a whole sandwich. I got this half-sandwich for free at lunch while visiting Ben & Jerry's headquarters (I bet you're surprised it's not an ice cream sandwich!).

Around the World: Starbucks Japan Offers Tiramisu Frappuccinos

The latest seasonal drink to come out of Starbucks Japan is the new Tiramisu Frappuccino. The limited-time drink is available in coffee and white versions.

Both versions are topped with a layer of crumbled crunchy black cocoa biscuits and white chocolate brownie as well as cream cheese mousse rather than whipped cream.

News: Jack in the Box - New Pizza Bites

In continuing their tradition of providing you with late-night munchies, Jack in the Box has added new, limited-time Pizza Bites to their menu.

The deep-fried Bites feature a breaded and herb-seasoned pizza dough pocket filled with mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, and turkey pepperoni. They're available in 3- and 6-piece orders and are served with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.

News: Quiznos - New Chicken Fajita Sub

Quiznos' latest is the new, limited-time Chicken Fajita Sub, which looks to incorporate Mexican and Latin American flavors into sandwich form. It's basically chicken fajita fillings on bread rather than a flour tortilla.

The new sub features sliced, oven-roasted white meat chicken breast, sauteed onions, roasted tri-color (red, yellow, and green) bell peppers, aged cheddar cheese, and a new Fajita Lime sauce on a new, toasted jalapeno cheddar baguette. It is also available with Black Angus steak instead of chicken.

My Ben & Jerry's Adventure - Day One

I recently got the chance to visit Ben & Jerry's headquarters in Burlington, Vermont, where I and a group of bloggers/journalists got a behind-the-scenes look at their Scoop University (where franchisees learn to run a scoop shop), their test kitchen (where they come up with those wonderful flavors), and the Ben & Jerry's factory.

Review: Wendy's - Smoky Honey Mustard Flatbread Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Wendy's Smoky Honey Mustard Flatbread Grilled Chicken Sandwich features sliced grilled chicken breast, a spring mix of leafy greens, tomatoes, and smoky honey mustard sauce, wrapped in a five-grain toasted flatbread.

It costs slightly less than the Asiago Ranch at $3.69.

News: Einstein Bros. - New Bagel Clusters

Einstein Bros. Bagels and Noah's New York Bagels (collectively "Einstein Noah") now offers new Bagel Clusters. They look like the bagel version of donut holes, are served hot, and come in two varieties: Cinnamon Sugar and Asiago Garlic.

The idea for these is convenient portability i.e. snacking on the go, while giving you a choice between sweet and savory.

News: Jack in the Box - New Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal

While blueberry oatmeal isn't that unusual, Jack in the Box aims to inject a bit more breakfast pastry into it by offering new, limited-time Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal.

Available all day, the new breakfast item features a blueberry muffin-flavored oatmeal topped with a blend of dried blueberries and currants, plus streusel topping.

News: IHOP - New Brioche French Toast

IHOP introduces new Brioche French Toast. The new dish is made with thick-cut round slices of brioche bread, soaked in lightly-sweetened vanilla batter before grilled. They can be had topped with Banana Foster, Berry Berry, or Peaches & Cream.

Brioche originates from France and is a bread known for its richness and softness due to high amounts of egg and butter content. Of course, with all that egg and butter, it also tends to cost more than a lot of breads.

Review: Dunkin' Donuts - Blueberry Cake Donut

Dunkin' Donuts' Blueberry Cake Donut is your standard cake donut interspersed with little blueberry-flavored bits and glazed.

I picked one up while in Vermont for 99 cents.

Around the World: KFC Barbados Offers Corn Nuggets

Since last year, select KFC locations in Barbados have been offering new Corn Nuggets on and off again for a limited time.

Corn Nuggets are traditionally a Southern dish and KFC's version features "bite size sweet corn kernels coated with a golden crispy batter."

From what I can gather, corn nuggets tend to be sweet but not overly so. It looks like the corn mixture needs to be frozen before fried for the breading to set before the filling overcooks.

Arby's Tests Bottled Arby's Sauce

If you've ever thought, "Gee, I wish they would sell bottles of Arby's sauce," Arby's is currently offering them for a limited time at Arby's restaurants in Savannah, GA and Harrisburg, PA.

The 11.5-ounce bottles sell for $2.99 each.

News: Subway Brings Back Smokehouse BBQ Chicken Sub

For a limited time, Subway has brought back the Smokehouse BBQ Chicken sub as their latest $6 Footlong Special. The sub features pulled chicken in a smoky barbecue sauce plus your standard choice of fixings and bread.