Fast Food Week!

Fast week! And here we are again to spotlight the best that the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) sector has to offer us. News from Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and IHOp… Plus, I briefly break my embargo on Subway news to slag off the chain for it’s latest nod to cheapness and greed…

The new Taco Bell India Potaco-shelled Veggie Taco…

Taco Bell launches yet another innovative ‘Shell’

The Bell has been in the forefront of taco shell experimentation for several years, now. Some of its inventions have even become trends and have been picked up by other fast food chains. Remember the Waffle Shell? The pounded and breaded Fried Chicken Shell? And the Naked Egg shell? Now, the Bell is trying something that might seem obvious, as in, ‘Why didn’t they do this sooner?’ They’ve got a new shell that consists of a blend of Hash Brown, ‘Mexican Spices’, deep fried to the usual Golden Brown. It’s available now as he carrier for a Vegetarian Taco featuring mixed shredded Lettuces, Fiesta Salsa, cheese, and ‘Signature sauces’. The catch? It’s only available in India for now. We hope they hurry up and bring the Potaco to North America!

Minute Maid Slushies are back by popular demand

McDonald’s is bringing back a perennial favourite: Slushies with signature Minute Maid flavours. This year, some of the flavours are different, though: like Blue Raspberry and Tropic Twist. Cherry Limeade, a real winner with Slushie fans last year, is back. Like so many summer specials, however, these beverages are only available in selected markets, including Hawaii, Atlanta, GA, Northern Illinois, and Indianapolis, IN, and only ’til September.

Like clockwork, Crabfest is back

One of the all-time most popular limited-time specials, Crabfest, is back at Red Lobster. Not exactly a Fast Food joint, but a popular one, the Lobster was also one of the first eatery chains top introduce limited time specials many years ago, now. This summer, the menu includes: a New Crabfest Combo, a New Crab-Topped Stuffed Shrimp and Salmon, the perennial fave Crab Lover’s Dream, Crabfest Ultimate Surf & Turf, a New Crab-Topped Tilapia, Crab Bites and Fries, and to wash it all down, a New Rogue Wave Cocktail, a blend of Sauza Gold Tequila, Blue Curacao, and house Margarita Mix topped with a splash of Ginger Ale that comes in a collectible Deadliest Catch mason jar.

The Hut Gets classically Cheesy again

Remember Pizza Hut’s Cheesy Bites crust? with the little dough rolls all round the edge containing nice pully, chewy blobs of melted Mozzarella? It’s back. I’ll admit to having ordered this treat more than once last time it was available, for the usual limited time, only, and turning it into two separate menu items: Just pull off all 28 of the little Cheese Rolls and set aside on a microwavable plate. Eat the Pizza ‘naked’ for supper, then, later on, reheat the Cheese Rolls for a hearty TV watching snack. Dip in your favourite Marinara, Spicy Sriracha Mayo or creamy Sweet Thai Chili Sour Cream or Mayo sauce. The recipe for the latter, and many more is part of this legacy post.

IHOp admits ‘IHOb’ was just a stunt to introduce it’s new Burgers

Yah. That’s what we said all along. But, no harm, no foul. And, in case you missed it, IHOp celebrated the chain’s 60th birthday this past week offering a 3-pancake Short Stack of its signature Buttermilk Flapjacks with the usual toppings for just $0.60 per serving. This was just one of a flurry of single-day ‘spot’ specials offered over the past few weeks by a number of QSR chains.

I usually pass over any news from Subway in protest, but…

One of my motivations for starting the Fabulous Food Blog in the first place was to have a soap box from which to complain about Subway, and their stupid, cheap, greedy move several years ago to start slicing their Meats and Cheeses so thin you can literally see through them – but still advertise that you get the same number of slices on the usual sandwiches for the same price. That was one of my first run-ins with product downsizing, which has become one of my biggest bugaboos, since. Anyway, Subway is now touting that it’s bread will be made fresh every two hours, starting soon, rather than just twice a day. I guess someone complained that their  bread was stale. Or, more likely, it’s just Subway doing something different – something that doesn’t cost them anything –  just so they can get some media coverage. Bet they weren’t hoping for coverage like this, though!

And that’s the skinny…

…On what’s making us far this summer. Go forth and treat yourself! But walk there and back to at least give lip service to exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle!

~ Maggie J.