News: Krispy Kreme - 2012 Glaze the Nation Tour is On!

Krispy Kreme is celebrating their 75th birthday in proper festive fashion with the Glaze the Nation Tour 2012.

The event runs for several month (260 days) and features the Krispy Kreme Cruiser, a restored 1960 Krispy-Kreme-branded Flxible Starliner, traveling across the nation bringing prizes, donuts, giveaways, and more.

You can follow the tour and get more details at GlazetheNationTour.com. The tour started this month in Daytona and the next stop is Johnson City, Tennessee on 3/16/12.

News: McDonald's Testing Fish McBites

McDonald's is testing a fish version of their Chicken McBites: Fish McBites out in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and a couple of other market according to the Huffington Post.

Fish McBites feature breaded, bite-sized pieces of Alaskan Pollock and come with tartar sauce for dipping.

As to how they look and taste? One critic from the Dallas Observer (who happens to be a fan of the Filet-O-Fish) did not have such great things to say. Among his comment were this statement: "...I can say with a large degree of confidence that Fish McBites are the worst things McDonald's has created in some time."

News: Papa Murphy's - New Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Papa Murphy's Take N' Bake Pizza's latest creation, the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza, is a fairly novel innovation that sits somewhere between a burger and a pizza.

The pizza starts off ordinarily enough with Original Crust but then instead of pizza sauce there's Burger Sauce--a blend of mustard and ketchup. Going from there the pizza is topped with mozzarella cheese, ground beef, bacon, onions, and Roma tomatoes before being finished with a layer of dill pickle chips and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.

News: KFC - $3.99 Pot Pie for a Limited Time.

The Chunky Chicken Pot Pie is an often overlooked menu item at KFC; it looks like KFC is looking to remedy that by offering it for a limited-time promotion price of $3.99.

The pies normally sell around the $5 to $6 mark depending on location.

Each Pot Pie contains a filling of KFC chicken, green peas, carrots, potatoes, in a home-style sauce covered with a light, flaky crust.

News: Subway - Free Cookie with Purchase on Feb 29

Since it only comes once every four years, Subway is celebrating the extra day in February (that's the 29th in case you miss it...) by offering a free cookie with any purchase.

While it's nothing to go running to your local Subway about, it's still a nice treat and added bonus if you happen to catching the tail end of the "FebruANY" $5 Footlong promotion.

Remember the offer is only good tomorrow, Wednesday, February 29.

News: Sonic - New Sweet Potato Tots and Limited-Time Popcorn Chicken Deal

Sonic Drive-In is known for their potato tots and with sweet potato fries fast becoming a popular alternative to regular fries, Sonic is now out with Sweet Potato Tots!

They're available for a limited-time as an upgrade over the standard tots in a combo or alone and look to be pretty interesting.

In addition to the new menu item, Sonic is also offering a limited-time deal of a "snack-size" portion of their Jumbo Popcorn Chicken for $1.99 after 8pm.

Review: Jack in the Box - BLT Cheeseburger

Jack in the Box's BLT Cheeseburger along with their Bacon Shake is part of their bacon-themed limited-time offers. The burger takes a beef hamburger patty and accompanies it with hickory-smoked bacon, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, pickles, American cheese, and mayo-onion sauce.

It's offered as part of a combo with a small order of fries and 20-ounce drink for $4.99 or you can get just the burger for $3.29.

News: IHOP - Free Pancakes on February 28, 2012

IHOP is once again celebrating National Pancake Day tomorrow, Tuesday, February 28, by giving away free short stacks (that's three pancakes) of their Buttermilk pancakes to each and every guest from 7am to 10pm.

They only ask that you consider leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals or other designated local charities. The stated goal for this year is to raise 2.7 million dollars.

Fine print: "There is a limit of one free short stack per guest. The offer is valid at participating restaurants for dine-in only while supplies last and is not valid with any other offer, special coupon or discount."

News: McDonald's Testing Jalapeno Salsa Breakfast Sandwiches

Looks like McDonald's is testing Jalapeno Salsa Breakfast Sandwiches out in the Houston area.

Available in both biscuit and McMuffin form, the sandwiches appear to use the same salsa last seen on the Jalapeno Cheddar McChicken. Besides the salsa, the sandwiches comes with bacon or sausage, eggs, and white Cheddar for about $2.79.

If you live around Houston, it looks like at least a few of the local McDonald's restaurants are running foursquare promotions involving the sandwiches for checking in.

You can check out the promo page for the sandwiches on McDonald's website here and a local television spot for the Jalapeno Salsa Breakfast Sandwiches after the jump.

Review: Delta Airlines - Biscoff Cookies

I learned while flying on Delta Airlines that, in additional to the standard peanuts and pretzels, Biscoff Cookies were offered as complimentary snacks (I also learned while flying United on the same trip, that they no longer offer complimentary snacks, at least not on domestic flights.).

News: Dairy Queen - Buy One Blizzard, Get One for 99 Cents in March

Dairy Queen will be running a buy one Blizzard at regular price, get one of equal or lesser value for 99 cents for the month of March.

The promotion runs from March 1 to March 31 at participating locations in the U.S.

Go with a friend or double fist your favorite Blizzard flavors (Do people do that?).

News: Jack in the Box - New 2 for $3.50 Breakfast Melts

Jack in the Box has new Breakfast Melts at a promotional price of 2 for $3.50 for a limited time.

They're pretty much the basic breakfast sandwich (breakfast meat, egg, and cheese) but on grilled sourdough instead of a biscuit, croissant or English muffin.

The meat choices here are ham or bacon. Jack's eggs come fried and not scrambled; they're similar to McDonald's eggs on the Egg McMuffin. Breakfast Melts actually come with two slices of cheese: one American and one Swiss style.

News: Carl's Jr./Hardee's - New Southwest Patty Melt

Carl's Jr. and sister chain Hardee's latest burger is probably better known for its racy commercial featuring Sport's Illustrated Swimsuit Edition 2012 cover girl, Kate Upton, then for the actual burger but, here it is: the new Southwest Patty Melt.

The burger features a spicy affair with a charbroiled beef patty (single, double, or almost a half pound of Black Angus beef) with sliced jalapeños, grilled onions, Pepper Jack cheese, and a spicy Santa Fe sauce sandwiched by grilled sourdough bread.

News: Ben & Jerry's - New Greek Frozen Yogurt

Ben & Jerry's is out with a new line of Greek Frozen Yogurts in four flavors: Strawberry Shortcake, Raspberry Fudge Chunk, Banana Peanut Butter, and Blueberry Vanilla Graham.

Greek yogurt has gotten pretty popular lately, it costs more than regular yogurt and the taste takes some getting used to, but its popularity stems from its richer texture, greater amounts of protein, and lesser amounts of carbs and sugar over the regular stuff.

Frozen Friday: T.G.I.Friday's - Sizzling Steak Fajitas

T.G.I.Friday's Sizzling Steak Fajitas frozen meal, similar to their Sizzling Chicken Fajitas (but with steak obviously), features seared beef steak, seasoned strips of bell peppers and onions with a side of cheesy rice and three mini flour tortillas.

The price is around the high end for frozen meals at around $4.29 which means you're looking at the $2 to $3 range on sale.

Neat: Starbucks Store Made of Used Shipping Containers

Out in Tukwila, Washington, Starbucks has one of their most interesting locations/experiments: a Starbucks store made completely out of four shipping containers (the huge ones you see on cargo boats at the docks or on TV in the crime dramas for weapons storage or human trafficking).

Calling it the Reclamation Drive-Thru, the store contains 450 feet of floor space for the making of lattes and Frappuccinos and the like and offers drive-thru and walk-up service. Seating is outdoor only.

News: Wienerschnitzel - "UnDer the Sea" Trio Returns

Hot dogs and fish? Okay, more like hot dogs or fish. Der Wienerschnitzel returns their "UnDer the Sea" Trio for a limited time (read: Lenten season).

Besides the normal Fish and Chips, the trio also includes the Sea Dog and the Fish Wrap.

The Sea Dog is basically a hot dog but with a battered and fried fish filet instead of a hot dog wiener and lettuce and tartar sauce for condiments.

The Fish Wrap is the same deal but wrapped in a tortilla rather than a hot dog bun and the tartar sauce is replaced by a creamy salsa.

All three items are available at participating Wienerschnitzel locations for a limited-time.

News: Kraft - New Milk Bite Milk and Granola Bars

The folks at Kraft have done something kooky with your common granola bar: they've added real milk to them with their new Milk Bite Milk and Granola Bars. It's the taste of granola plus the calcium equivalent of a cup (8-ounces) of milk.

You won't find them in the snack aisle with the other granola bars though, Milk Bites are in the refrigerated dairy section. And yes, this means that you have to put them in your fridge when you get them home.

Milk Bites come in five different varieties: Chocolate, Strawberry, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin and Mixed Berry. Each bar provides 30% of the daily recommended value of calcium and do not contain any artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

Review: Carl's Jr. - Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit

The Carl's Jr. Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit features their new Made From Scratch biscuits and replaces the Sunrise Croissant at the Carl's Jr. locations that carry them.

They go for $1.89 each but there's a promo where you can pick up two for a very affordable $2.

News: The Coffee Bean - $1 Wild Cherry Tea or Tea Latte on February 28

The Coffee Bean is hosting an "Open House" on Tuesday, February 28th from 2 to 5pm featuring your choice of one of two $1 12 oz drinks: a Wild Cherry Tea Latte (hot or iced) or a Wild Cherry Fru-Tea.

The timing is a bit odd on this one. In the past they're normally had these events from 4 to 7pm which is more convenient for people coming home from work or school. 2 to 5pm is a bit of a dead spot in the day but maybe that's the point.

The fine print: "Check your local store for closing times. Offer valid only at participating locations. Not valid at Ralphs, airport or Hawaii locations. Valid on February 28th from 2-5pm ONLY."

Review: Arby's - Jamocha Cream Pie

Arby's Jamocha Cream Pie is a riff on their popular Jamocha Shake that switches it up by giving it to you in cream pie form.

Each slice of pie comes with a layer of Jamocha-flavored cream (or creme) layered below some whipped topping and a drizzle of chocolate syrup for $1.49.

News: Wendy's - Premium Cod Fillet Sandwich Returns for a Limited Time

Wendy's returns their Premium Cod Fillet Sandwich for a limited-time once again for Lenten season.

The sandwich takes a hand-cut North Pacific cod fillet, batters it with a light Panko breading, and finishes with tartar sauce and lettuce on a buttered and toasted bun.

You can expect to see these around at least until April.

News: Auntie Anne's - Free Pretzel Day, March 3, 2012

Auntie Anne's is giving customers a free soft pretzel each if they visit on Saturday, March 3, between the hours of 10 am to 3 pm.

No purchase is necessary and you can choose between an Original (with pretzel salt) or a Cinnamon Sugar pretzel.

Pretzels can also be ordered with no salt and/or no butter if you're looking for a lower calorie or less sodium option.

News: Papa John's - New Five Sausage Pizza for $10

Papa John's latest menu addition is the limited-time, new Five Sausage Pizza. A large is available for the promotional price of $10 (normally it's $14.00 for specialty pizzas at Papa John's although they're also running their $11 for any pizza promo).

The Five Sausage Pizza features Papa John's new topping, Chorizo sausage, as well as pork sausage, mild Italian sausage, spicy Italian sausage, and smoked sausage. It's pretty much topped with every sausage topping available at Papa John's.

Feature: Krispy Kreme Coffee Tasting and Pairings

On the morning of second and last day of Krispy Kreme's Blogger Summit, they invited us to try their new Signature Coffee Blends (introduced last year) along with suggested donut pairings.

I'd never done a coffee tasting or "cupping" before, so I was pretty intrigued. There are three varieties of Krispy Kreme coffee blends: the House Blend, the Dark Roast, and the House Decaf.

Feature: 5 Fun Facts About Taco Bell's Doritos Locos Taco

For those of you who don't know, I was invited out to Taco Bell Headquarters (known as "RSC" for "Restaurant Support Center") earlier this week to hear about the new Doritos Locos Taco, get a tour, and check out the Taco Bell Test kitchen.

Along with details on the launch of the taco, I put together a list of 5 fun facts regarding the Doritos Locos Taco gleaned from the event:

1. Originally, the idea was to just sprinkle some Doritos seasoning on a Taco Bell taco. Fortunately, the initial tested observed that it was like they took a taco and sprinkled some Doritos seasoning on it and were less than enthused.

Frozen Friday: Lean Cuisine - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Lean Cuisine Spaghetti and Meatballs are a frozen meal of spaghetti noodles, a good number of meatballs, and a hearty tomato sauce.

A 9.5-ounce box retails for about $3.99 or around $2 to $3 on sale.

News: Kraft - New belVita Breakfast Biscuit

Not sure about what's up with the odd capitalization, but Kraft/Nabisco is out with new belVita Breakfast Biscuits. Owing that people don't normally eat cookies for breakfast here in the States (at least not regularly!), they're calling it "the launch of a new breakfast category in the U.S."

The biscuits were made to "provide nutritious sustained energy to help fuel your body throughout the morning." The company touts that "sustained energy release results from a combination of carefully selected ingredients and a special baking process that helps preserve the integrity of the grain so that the carbohydrates are slowly released in the body." So they're a bit like timed-release biscuits.

Review: Jack in the Box - Bacon Shake

Jack in the Box's Bacon Shake is part of their Marry Bacon promotion along with the BLT Cheeseburger. All they need to complete the trifecta are bacon fries...

The shakes blends real vanilla ice cream, bacon-flavored syrup, whipped topping, and a maraschino cherry.

I picked up a 16-ounce "regular"-sized shake for $2.79 and wasn't quite sure what to expect...

News: Taco Bell - New Doritos Locos Taco Coming March 8th!

Taco Bell's Doritos Locos Taco is coming to Taco Bell restaurants all over the nation on March 8th in the biggest launch in the company's history.

The taco is basically Taco Bell's regular or Supreme Taco but with a specially-made Nacho Cheese Doritos shell.

The regular version (with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, and cheese) will carry a suggested price of $1.29 while the Supreme (which adds tomatoes and sour cream to the mix) will go for $1.69 when it arrives (prices may vary).

Additionally, the Doritos Loco Taco Supreme will be available in a $5 Buck Box along with a Crunchwrap Supreme, Crunchy Taco, and medium drink.

News: Panda Express - New Peppercorn Shrimp

Panda Express' latest menu addition, new, limited-time Peppercorn Shrimp, features marinated shrimp, asparagus, chopped yellow onions, and red bell peppers wok-tossed with a signature sauce made from Thai green peppercorns and Asian spices.

To encourage you to try the new dish, Panda Express is offering a free entree serving of Peppercorn Shrimp via a coupon good only on February 22 (uncoincidentally, the first day of Lent). To get and print the coupon, visit Panda Express on Facebook or their website.

Peppercorn Shrimp is available at Panda Express locations nationwide through April 10, 2012.

Nutritional Info - Panda Express Peppercorn Shrimp
Calories - 170 (from Fat - 45)
Fat - 5g (Saturated Fat - 1g)
Sodium - 800mg
Carbs - 18g (Sugar - 11g)
Protein - 12g

Review: Burger King - Bacon and Cheddar BK Topper

Burger King's limited time Bacon and Cheddar BK Topper with made with a 3.2 ounce flame-grilled beef patty, thick-cut, hardwood smoked bacon, a slice of cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, and pickles on a sesame seed bun.

I picked one up for $1.99 at my local BK restaurant.

News: Burger King - Buy One, Get One Free Chicken Sandwiches

Besides their two for $3 breakfast sandwich promotion, Burger King has another limited-time promotion going this month: buy one Original Chicken Sandwich and get one free (of equal or lesser value).

Sandwiches include the Original Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Club Sandwich and the Italian Chicken Sandwich and the offer is good through March 5th at participating BK restaurants.

The Original Chicken Sandwich is Burger King's sub-style basic deep-fried chicken patty sandwich with lettuce and mayo. The Chicken Club Sandwich and Italian Chicken Sandwich are variations on the theme with the Chicken Club adding tomatoes and bacon to the mix while the Italian substitutes in marinara and mozzarella cheese.

The last time I had an Original Chicken Sandwich, they were going for $3.99 but also buy one, get one free.

News: Jack in the Box - New Bacon Shake

Along with the limited-time BLT Cheeseburger, Jack in the Box is urging you to show your bacon love with their new, limited-time Bacon Shake.

The Bacon Shake is made with real vanilla ice cream, bacon-flavored syrup, whipped topping, and a maraschino cherry. So yeah, no real bacon here.

A 16-ounce regular comes in at around $2.79 (varying with location) and 770 calories which, is around the same number of calories in Jack's strawberry or vanilla shakes (and is pretty much in line with milkshakes in general; again no real bacon).

News: Cinnabon - New Cinnabon Flavored Coffee

Not content with making cinnamon rolls, mall-based chain, Cinnabon is now adding their trademark Cinnabon flavor to their coffee and coffee Chillatta for a limited time.

Cinnabon Flavored Iced Coffee contains hints of brown sugar, vanilla, and Makara cinnamon while the Cinnabon Flavored Coffee Chillatta is a frozen, blended beverage that contains Makara cinnamon and vanilla flavors blended with a ribbon of caramel and topped with whipped cream.

The suggested retail price of Cinnabon Flavored Iced Coffee is $1.99 (16 oz.) and $2.29 (24 oz.), while the Cinnabon Flavored Coffee Chillatta sells for $3.99 (16 oz.) and $4.49 (24 oz.).

Both drinks are available through May 20.

News: Jack in the Box - $2.99 Fish Sandwich Combo Meal

For a limited-time, Jack in the Box has brought back their $2.99 Fish Sandwich Combo as well as their Fish & Chips.

Last seen around this time last year, the Fish Sandwich Combo features Jack's Fish Sandwich, a small order of fries, and small fountain drink.

The Fish Sandwich consists of two lightly battered fillets of Alaskan Pollock, lettuce, and tartar sauce on a warm sesame seed bun.

Fish & Chips comes with three fish fillets, a small order of fries, and a side of tartar sauce and malt vinegar for $4.59.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Bakery Sandwiches

Dunkin' Donut has two new sandwich choices in their Bakery Sandwich line up: the Ham & Cheese Bakery Sandwich and the Turkey, Cheddar & Bacon Bakery Sandwich.

The Ham & Cheese Bakery Sandwich features Black Forest ham, white cheddar cheese and Creamy Dijon sauce on a French roll, while the new Turkey, Cheddar & Bacon Bakery Sandwich features turkey, white cheddar cheese, bacon and Ancho Chipotle sauce on a French roll.

If the French roll isn't your thing, all of Dunkin' Donuts' bakery sandwiches are also available on a bagel, or croissant. Sandwiches are made to order and oven toasted.

Review: Meiji - Hello Panda Cookies

Meiji Hello Panda Cookies are bite-sized chocolate creme filled cookies, shaped vaguely like a round head with or without bear ears and decorated with a panda picture.

A 2.1-ounce box goes for about 79 cents at my local Asian supermarket.

Feature: Krispy Kreme Olden Days Donut Making Exhibit

In the lobby of Krispy Kreme's mix plant is a couple of knick knacks used to make donuts back in the olden days. Before they ever had a donut hopper to pop out rings of dough, they had this weird metal roller (shown above). It's a donut roller! I didn't pick it up but it looks pretty heavy, no?

Frozen Friday: Lean Cuisine - Fajita-Style Chicken Spring Rolls

Lean Cuisine's Fajita-Style Chicken Spring Rolls feature white meat chicken chipotle, corn, black beans, bell peppers, and onions wrapped in a spring roll wrapper.

An 8-ounce box contains two servings which makes them more of a snack than a meal. You're looking at a normal price of around $3.99 or between $2 and $3 on sale.

News: Burger King - 2 for $3 Breakfast Sandwiches for a Limited Time

Burger King has a limited-time 2 for $3 breakfast sandwich promotion running through the end of the month (until February 29) at participating restaurants.

Under the promotion you can get ham, sausage, or bacon with egg on a croissant or biscuit and only pay $3 for two sandwiches.

Basically, you can choose from any of their biscuit or Croissan'wich but not the double Croissan'wiches under the promotion.

News: The Coffee Bean - Buy One, Get One Free Drinks on Valentine's Day

The Coffee Bean is hosting a buy one, get one free drink promotion good on Valentine's Day only.

The promotion runs on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 from 6:00am until 11:30pm at participating The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations where if you buy one beverage, you'll receive a second beverage of equal or less value for free.

The Fine Print: "Offer only valid on Valentine's Day 2.14.12 at participating The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf retail locations. Not valid at Ralphs, Airport or Hawaii locations. Free drink must be of equal or lesser value. Cannot be combined with any other offers."

News: Pizza Hut - New $10 Dinner Box

While Pizza Hut's Big Dinner Box might be gone, there's now the new, limited-time $10 Dinner Box to fill the gap.

News: Papa Murphy's - Heartbaker Pizza Returns for Valentine's Day

If nothing says "I love you" like a heart-shaped pizza, Papa Murphy's has the just the thing for you: the HeartBaker pizza is back at Papa Murphy's.

The HeartBaker features fresh pizza dough formed into a heart shape topped with three different freshly-grated cheeses and pepperoni.

For a limited-time (until February 14), you can pick one up for $6 to "take 'n' bake" at home (price and participation may vary).

If "take 'n' bake" is not your thing, Papa John's is also returning their heart-shaped pizza for a limited time.

News: McDonald's - Shamrock Shakes Returns

For the first time ever, McDonald's is returning their Shamrock Shake nationally at all McDonald's locations (instead of the usual select locations by election) through March 25.

The green shakes are made by blending reduced fat vanilla ice cream and green mint-flavored syrup and topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

Price should be in line with your local McDonald's regular shake prices.

News: Dairy Queen - February Blizzard of the Month - Choco Cherry Love

Dairy Queen is going with a Valentine's Day theme for this February's Blizzard of the Month, Choco Cherry Love.

The frozen dessert features vanilla soft serve mixed with sweet cherries (which gives it that pink hue) and choco chunks.

It's a bit like a cherry cordial it seems and is only available for the month of February.

Choco Cherry Love is also Dairy Queen's featured Blizzard Cake for the month.

News: Baskin-Robbins - Superfudge Truffle - February 2012 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins is going with the gift of chocolate for their February Flavor of the Month this year, Superfudge Truffle.

A returning flavor last seen in 2010, Superfudge Truffle features double chocolate fudge ice cream mixed with soft chunks of chocolate ganache and toffee truffle pieces. It's pretty much chocolate, chocolate, and some toffee.

In Baskin-Robbins stores nationwide during the month of February, Superfudge Truffle is available by the scoop (cup or cone) or as a milkshake. You can also take it home in hand-packed pints, quarts, and half-gallons. Like most ice cream shops, you can always get a small sample before deciding.

News: Jack in the Box - New BLT Cheeseburger

Jack in the Box latest limited-time burger, the new BLT Cheeseburger, features hickory-smoked bacon, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes joined by a 100% beef patty, American cheese, pickles, and mayo-onion sauce on a sesame seed bun.

To entice you to try it, they're putting it in a combo with small fries and a 20-ounce drink for $4.99.

It's more like a BLT plus cheeseburger no? Like they took the fillings from both and put it all in one bun.

Review: Dunkin' Donuts - Smokehouse Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

Dunkin' Donuts' Smokehouse Sausage Breakfast Sandwich features a split Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage link, an egg and a slice of American cheese oven-toasted on an English muffin.

I actually picked this up at the airport while I was waiting for my plane to board. I don't think they even serve this at regular Dunkin' Donuts anymore (it's not on their website anyway).

Being an airport, the price was a little inflated at $3.79.

Review: Arby's - Arby-Q Sandwich

Arby's has returned the Arby-Q Sandwich for a limited-time at participating locations. The sandwich is basically an Arby's regular roast beef sandwich but the roast beef is drenched in barbecue sauce.

My local Arby's has it for the promotional price of two sandwiches for $4.