News: Starbucks Testing 31-ounce "Trenta"

Move over Venti!  Looks like Starbucks is experimenting with sizes normally reserved for "super-sized" meals and your local AM-PM.  Starbucks is test marketing a 31-ounce drink sized dubbed the "Trenta" in Phoenix and Tampa.

Trenta is Italian for "thirty" which doesn't explain why the drink size is 31 ounces.  Then again, an iced Venti (Italian for "twenty") is 24 ounces (although a hot Venti is 20 ounces.).

The Asia Trip: Lotteria - Green Tea Red Bean Pie

A new, limited-time item at the time, Lotteria's Green Tea Red Bean (Azuki) Pie (disclaimer: the name's a guess on my part) caught the eye of my cousin's wife so we tried one for 150 yen (~$1.70 US).

News: Fast Food News Around the World

A quick list of links to interesting recent fast food news from around the world:

• Afghanistan: No fast food for our troops in Afghanistan?  The top military commander in Afghanistan is shuttering fast food restaurants on U.S. military bases throughout the country (link to CBS Evening News).
  
  
• France: Politicians in France are condemning a fast food chains decision to serve only halal food at certain locations as "discrimination" against non-Muslims. (link to BBC News)  Isn't that a bit like saying a seafood restaurant is discriminating against non-seafood eaters?  Actually, scratch that.  Isn't it more like saying a kosher deli is discriminating against non-Jews?
  

News: Ben & Jerry's - $1 Scoop of Maple Blonde Tomorrow Only!

In a celebratory move, after one of their featured Olympic athletes won a silver medal, Ben & Jerry's is celebrating tomorrow, Wednesday, March 3, 2010, by offering a $1 scoop of snowboarder Hannah Teter's Maple Blonde to anyone who comes into one of their participating scoop shops and says, "Way to Go Hannah!"  It's not free but it's an interesting promotion.

Hannah Teter's Maple Blonde is Maple Ice Cream with a Maple Caramel Swirl and Blonde Brownie Chunks.  All in all, it sounds very sweet!

Review: Wendy's Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Wendy was a late comer to the value-priced chicken sandwich arena; I think Carl's Jr, Jack in the Box, Burger King, and McDonald's all had it in some form or another before them.  It's funny because Wendy's Super Value Menu is the first $1 value menu I remember.

The generically but descriptively named Crispy Chicken Sandwich features a fairly sizable breaded chicken patty made of mechanically separated white meat, one leaf of iceburge lettuce, and a bit of  mayo for 99 cents.  

Review: McDonald's - Sweet Tea

A current Dollar Menu promotion here in southern California, McDonald's Sweet Tea was first tested in these parts about the same time as the Southern Style Chicken Sandwich.  It features sweetened fresh-brewed black tea in a plastic 32-ounce cup for $1.

Review: KFC - Crispy Twister

KFC's Crispy Twister features two of their Extra Crispy Chicken Strips along with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and pepper mayo sauce - all wrapped together in a flour tortilla. I consider it to be the original brand name fast food wrap before it became all the rage.

Review: Starbucks - Hot Chocolate

Starbucks' Hot Chocolate features steamed milk with mocha syrup, vanilla syrup, and whipped cream.  I guess Starbucks did away with their Signature Hot Chocolate, though now that I think about it, I probably should have asked.  So instead of getting the Signature Hot Chocolate, I got a Tall Hot Chocolate.

Review: KFC - Potato Wedges

KFC Potato Wedges are lightly battered and seasoned with savory herbs and spices.  If you are a vegetarian, I'd steer clear as they are cooked in the same shortening as the fried chicken and probably have a bit of chicken fat from it.

The Asia Trip: Lotteria - Zeppin Ultimate Cheeseburger

Lotteria is a fast food burger chain that originated in Japan but also has branches in South Korea, China, and Vietnam. It is owned by Lotte, which is a company/brand that I mostly associate with Japanese candy and snacks.  If you look at the picture above, you'll notice a gooey, cheese-covered burger featured quite prominently (with two placements) on the menu. It's called the "Zeppin Ultimate Cheeseburger." Gather round and I will tell you the story of how I was hoodwinked by that picture.

Review: Wendy's - Junior Bacon Cheeseburger

Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger takes a small square hamburger patty, adds two small, thin slices of hickory-smoked bacon, a slice of American cheese, a fistful of hand-leafed iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, a spread of mayonnaise and sticks it between a toasted egg bun.

Review: El Pollo Loco - Steak Taco

The cheapest item among El Pollo Loco's new sirloin steak options, the Steak Taco consists of citrus-marinated, flame-grilled steak with cilantro and onions folded in a 4.5-inch corn tortilla.  As always, you can add condiments from their salsa bar at your leisure which includes sliced lemons, cilantro, and onions.

News: Cinnabon Baking Cupcakes

In the world of mall food, Cinnabon is now also in the cupcake baking business.  Cupcakes will be baked fresh daily and come in four er... interestingly-named flavors: Cinnacake Classic, Chocolate Passion, Vanilla Bliss, and 24-Carrot Cake.  AKA Cinnabon, Chocolate, Vanilla, and Carrot Cake.  Curiously, no Red Velvet, a very popular cupcake flavor.

I don't know about this one.  The cupcake business seems to be mostly boutique and I don't know of any chain with much success in this market outside of Crumbs and Sprinkles, and they aren't that big.  Then again, there's never been this big of a market participant in the cupcake market.  It'll be interesting to see how this takes with consumers.

News: Lent Means Fish Sandwiches

For many people, Lent means giving up meat on Fridays.  For many major fast food restaurants, Lent means it time to break out the fish sandwiches at promotional prices.  Here are the current offerings and promos:

Many McDonald's franchises are doing Filet-O-Fish Fridays though prices and participation seem to vary with location.  Here in southern California, it's $1.29 for a Filet-O-Fish on Fridays during Lent  (I read it's 2 for $3 in New York).  The Filet-O-Fish (McFish!) shows up with a battered patty of Alaskan pollock and hoki, a half slice of cheese, and tartar sauce on a steamed bun.

Wendy's is again trotting out their Premium Fish Fillet in time for Lent which features hand-cut fillets of Pacific-caught cod breaded with Panko, tartar sauce, and lettuce.  The Premium Fish Fillet goes for ~$3.49 and is a limited time item.

Jack in the Box is offering their Fish Sandwich, which contains two crispy fish fillets, lettuce, and (you guessed it) tartar sauce, at the promo price of $1.49

Review: Burger King - Onion Rings

Breaded, deep-fried and smallish, Burger King's Onion Rings are a BK Value Menu item for $1.  It is a value-sized item so you're not getting much in the way of onion rings (read: child's size), so consider them a snack.

News: Jack in the Box - Free Grilled Sandwich - 2/23/10

On Tuesday, February 23, 2010, Jack in the Box is tempting you to try their new Grilled Sandwiches by offering them for free with the purchase of a large drink.

The sandwiches retail for $3.99 normally.  So with large drinks usually close to the $2 range, it's a pretty good value if you've been hankering to try one.

Local Review: The Hat - Chili Cheeseburger

Take a sesame bun, a grilled quarter-pound patty, a glop of all-meat chili, a spread of your standard yellow mustard, a flat, melted square of American cheese, a thick slice of tomato, some pickle chips, and you have a delicious Chili Cheeseburger from local Southern California chain The Hat.

The Asia Trip: McDonald's Japan - McPork Sandwich

McDonald's McPork is a 100 yen value menu ($1.11 at the going rate) item over in Japan. It consists of a regular McDonald's hamburger bun, hand-leafed lettuce (a change from the typical McDonald's shredded), a pork patty, and a teriyaki-type sauce.

News: Burger King Serving Starbucks Coffee

Burger King today announced a signed agreement with Starbucks Coffee to carry Seattle's Best Coffee, part of Starbucks' brand portfolio. By September 2010, you should be seeing Seattle's Best Coffee in Burger King restaurants across the nation.

The agreement is part of a larger effort to improve Burger King's breakfast menu, and boost flagging sales. It also happens to allow the chain to better compete with McDonald's McCafe efforts.

Seattle's Best Coffee will be available at Burger King, hot or iced, with optional vanilla or mocha flavor, and whipped topping (I always find it dubious when they say "whipped topping" and not "whipped cream"). The suggested retail price will range from $1 to $2.79.

Review: Wendy's - Frosty-cino

Wendy's Frosty-cino blends their trademark Vanilla Frosty frozen beverage with coffee syrup (made from brewed coffee) topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.