News: The Coffee Bean - $1 Drinks on March 7, 2pm to 6pm

The Coffee Bean is holding another one of their seasonal "Open House" events, where they offer a selection of drinks for $1. The latest Open House is set for this Thursday, March 7, from 2pm to 6pm.

The selection of drinks features a variety of tea-cappuccino blends and sweet teas.

Review: Starbucks - Hazelnut Macchiato

Starbucks' Hazelnut Macchiato is a new permanent addition to the coffee chain's signature drinks. It features steamed milk, espresso, vanilla syrup, topped with foamed milk and a hazelnut drizzle.

My local Starbucks charges $3.55 for a 12-ounce "Tall" of the drink.

News: Checkers/Rally's - New Loaded Potato Skins

Checkers/Rally's offers new Loaded Potato Skins. Potato skins are usually the realm of sit-down restaurants rather than fast food restaurants, but it looks like Rally's has dealt with the logistics (of having to bake the skins) by seasoning, battering, and deep-frying them like they do their signature fries. The potato skins are then topped with cheese sauce, ranch, and bacon.

Tips on Ordering Off the "Secret" Menu

Secret menus at fast food joints are something that always appeal to people. Whether it's a new (and possibly) interesting take on your classic fast food favorites, something that you've never thought of, or whether you just like to be in the know, secret menus are "cool..."

Until you try and order something off-menu during the lunch time rush with a line of people out the door. Then, it's not so cool. Not for the restaurant employees who are slammed with orders, not for the people behind you trying to feed their pie holes during the 30 mins they have for lunch, and not for you when they make you wait an hour to get what you asked for.

So, here are some tips to keep your secret menu orders (or custom orders!) going smoothly:

Pizza Hut's Crown Crust Pizza Lands in Canada

Is the Crown Crust Pizza inching ever so closely to the US? Pizza Hut Canada now offers the infamous Crown Crust Pizza, which features a flattened crown-shaped crust with pockets of meatballs and cheesy "gems" baked into the crust.

The Crown Crust Pizza is available at Pizza Hut Canada for a limited time through April 14, 2013 and a large 2-topping Crown Crust Pizza is offered for $17.99 CAD (~$17.51 US).

News: Starbucks - New Hazelnut Macchiato

Starbucks adds a new Hazelnut Macchiato to their permanent menu nationwide. Apparently, hazelnut is the second favorite syrup added to their drink after vanilla.

While the Hazelnut could be ordered previously by ordering a Macchiato with hazelnut syrup instead of caramel, it is now listed on the menu.

Review: Papa John's - Steak and Cheese Pizza

Papa John's Steak and Cheese Pizza is their latest limited-time creation. It's topped with a mix of both pizza sauce and creamy garlic parmesan sauce, marinated steak slices, mozzarella cheese, and Italian herb seasoning.

A large-sized pizza is available for $11 (or $10 if you take advantage of their early week special, which runs Monday through Wednesday)

February 2013 News Archive

In case you missed them, here's a convenient list of all of Brand Eating's news posts for the month of February 2013:

Jack in the Box - New Hot Mess Burger
Dickey's Barbecue - New Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Subway - February 2013 Featured $5 Footlong
Hershey's - New Special Dark Milkshakes
Kashi - New BBQ Recipe Chicken Pizza

News: Baskin-Robbins - March 2013 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins once again goes with a basketball theme for their March 2013 Flavor of the Month with Reese's Buzzer Beater ice cream.

The flavor features a blend of peanut butter and chocolate-flavored ice cream mixed with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

News: Dunkin' Donuts Offers Irish Creme Donuts and Coffee Leading Up to St. Patty's Day

Leading up to St. Patrick's Day, Dunkin' Donuts is offering a new, limited-time Irish Creme Donut as well as a full line-up of new Irish Creme coffee drinks.

The Irish Creme Donut is available at participating Dunkin' Donuts locations nationwide, and consists of a sugared yeast donut with an Irish Creme-flavored filling, dusted with powdered sugar.

Review: Kellogg's - Special K Southwest Ranch Cracker Chips

Kellogg's Special K Southwest Ranch flavored Cracker Chips are marketed as a tasty snack you can eat a good amount of without overdoing it on the caloric intake.

The trade off is they tend to get less of the product for the same price: a 4-ounce box carries a regular price of $3.69 at my local supermarket, which is the same as a 9-ounce box of Triscuits.

KFC Japan Offers All-You-Can-Eat Special Menu... at One Location

KFC Japan offers a permanent "All-You-Can-Eat" buffet in all of one location in all of Japan. It's located in Osaka and has become somewhat of a tourist destination, where some people travel from around the country to check it out. Why?

Because it has special items like this:

Review: Remington - Teriyaki Flavored Hunters Sausage

Remington's Teriyaki Flavored Hunters Sausage are basically teriyaki flavored pork jerky sausage.

A 6-ounce bag carries a suggested retail of $6.49, but I received these courtesy of Trail Steaks who licenses the Remington brand for jerky.

News: McDonald's Dropping Chicken Selects and Fruit & Walnut Salad

McDonald's is dropping Chicken Selects and the Fruit & Walnut Salad from their menu, according to this report by Reuters. Angus Third Pounders are also under consideration for the chopping block.

The move comes as the chain faces stiff competition from its top rivals, Burger King and Wendy's, as well as from the fast casual sector (Chipotle, Panera, etc.).

News: Ruffles Brings Back Beer-Battered Onion Ring Flavored Chips

Frito Lay brings back Ruffles Beer-Battered Onion Ring-flavored potato chips for a limited time, but under their Ruffles Max (stylized as "MAX") label (for "flavors inspired by real-foods guys love with the maximum taste guys want").

The flavor was first introduced in late 2011, but in limited distribution. This time around, Ruffles Max Beer Battered Onion Rings are available nationwide.

Around the World: Could Egg be McDonald's Next Value Play?

McDonald's has long struggled to offer two beef patties on their value menu (going from the Double Cheeseburger to the McDouble and now offering the Daily Double for better margins).

Now, with rising beef prices, it looks like a possible solution is eggs.

Out in Malaysia, McDonald's has started offering egg as a beef patty substitute on their value menu with the new Beef & Egg and McEgg Deluxe.

Frozen Friday: Lean Cuisine - Asian-Style Chicken Salad Additions

Lean Cuisine's Asian-Style Chicken Salad Additions is a frozen half-meal that you have to supply your own lettuce to complete. The package provides a sesame ginger vinaigrette, a microwaveable package of grilled chicken, edamame, pineapple, broccoli, and yellow and orange carrots, and a packet of crispy noodles.

A 7.25-ounce box goes for $3.99, which means you're looking at a sale price range of $2 to $3.

News: Dairy Queen - March 2013 Blizzard of the Month

Dairy Queen's March 2013 Blizzard of the Month is suitably green for St. Patty's Day: the Mint Oreo Blizzard.

The flavor features Oreo cookie pieces blended with cool mint syrup and vanilla soft serve. Mint Oreo is also the featured Blizzard Cake of the Month.

News: Krispy Kreme - New White Chocolate Mocha and Hot Chocolate

Krispy Kreme now offers a White Chocolate Mocha and White Hot Chocolate for a limited time through April 21, 2013.

The new drinks are made using Ghiradelli's White Chocolate Sauce and are available at participating locations (although probably not in southern California, where Krispy Kreme shops tend to have a mini The Coffee Bean inside).

News: Subway - New $3 Six-Inch Select Subs

Subway is changing it up a bit this month. Instead of a Featured $5 Footlong, for March, Subway is offering a new $3 Six-Inch Select Sub and a Featured $6 Footlong Special in addition to a regular selection of $5 Footlong Subs.