News: White Castle Taking Reservations for Candlelit Valentine's Day Dinner

White Castle is offering the whole nine yards for Valentine's Day this year: tableside service, flowers and dinner by candlelight.  Dinner service ranges from 4pm to 10pm varying with participating restaurants.  You can get more details and a list of participating White Castles at their site here.  They're even selling "Love Castle" V-Day shirts and blankets.

I thought this was pretty interesting.  Might be funny for couples who don't take Valentine's Day too seriously or who love (or have fond couple-type memories at) White Castle.  I wonder if any of the White Castles get fully booked (update: apparently they book as fast as any other prime V-Day destination).  I'm just picturing a lot of guys with really pissed off girlfriends/wives as they drive up to White Castle on Valentine's Day.

Review: Ono Hawaiian BBQ - Chicken & Beef Combo

Ono Hawaiian BBQ is a Hawaiian BBQ chain, located in Arizona and California, that features mostly grilled i.e. barbecued meats as well as other Hawaiian specialties on the menu.  For about $7.50, the Chicken & Beef Combo Platter features lean, thinly-sliced BBQ beef and skinless, boneless chicken meat on a bed of steamed cabbage.

News: Some McDonald's Restaurants Giving Free Hot Mochas

It appears that some McDonald's franchise groups are running a promotion for a free hot Mocha drink (they should just call it a McMocha!) on Wednesdays until the end of February.

According to McDonald's official twitter, this is not a McDonald's Corp. promotion so your mileage may vary but I'm guessing if your local McDonald's is participating, they'll be some sort of signage up.  Otherwise, you can just call ahead and ask.  No purchase is necessary.  I haven't been able to verify if you get a normal-sized cup or an 7-ounce sample cup like the promotion last July.

(Mis?)Adventures in Cooking: Homemade Braised Pork Loin

Pork loin was on sale for cheap so I bought one and decided to braise it.  The thing I like about braising is you can adjust the stock on the fly and can taste as you braise.  For this recipe, I decided on a soy-based broth.  Just a word of warning, you might learn what not to do from this post or maybe why you should follow an actual recipe instead of winging it but it works for me.

The Asia Trip: Blenz Coffee in Japan

When I first went to Blenz Coffee, I thought it was a Japanese coffee chain since I had never heard of it, but Blenz is originally from Canada.  Their trademarked slogan is "Never Burnt, Never Bitter."  I ordered myself a latte and got some nice latte art!

Around the Web: The Best Fast Food in America and Top French Chefs Now Serving Fast Food

• Esquire Magazine surveyed some of America's top chefs (including Thomas Keller and Alton Brown) to find out where they go when they feel the need for fast food.  The winner by far was unsurprisingly beloved California-based burger chain In-N-Out.
  
  Check out what other fast food joints made the cut as well as which restaurants they thought were the worst.
  
  Interestingly enough, Jack in the Box was picked as a favorite as well as a worst.
  
  
• I thought this was pretty interesting: even fancy French chefs are turning to fast food due to the weak economy.  Pricey Michelin-rated restaurants are turning to express meals and sandwiches at (relatively) low prices to drum up business in the economic downturn.
  
  Check out the UK Telegraph story here.

News: Free Coupon for Fresco Taco at Tacobell.com

In an effort to promote their somewhat dubiously-named "Drive-Thru Diet Menu," Taco Bell is offering a free coupon for a Fresco Taco at their website here.  The coupons are valid from 7 days from printing or until 1 million coupons are redeemed.

The coupons are limit one per customer and one print per customer at participating locations only.

The Fresco tacos available on the menu are: the Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco, the Fresco Crunchy Taco, the Fresco Soft Taco, and the Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco.

Each features shredded lettuce and Fiesta Salsa (i.e. pico de gallo) instead of the usual condiments (i.e. Cheddar cheese).

News: El Pollo Loco Adds Beef to Its Menu

That's right, the Crazy Chicken, home of flame-grilled Mexican chicken, has added flame-grilled beef to its menu.  It's a bit like KFC adding hamburgers to the menu, no?

In an effort to attract more visitors of the beef-eating variety, El Pollo Loco has added several sirloin-based dishes to their menu. The sirloin is prepared "carne asada" style meaning it is marinated in a citrus-based marinade and then grilled over their trademark open flame. Carne asada is usually served sliced thin.

Here are the new sirloin beef items:

• Steak Taco - served "street-style" with cilantro and onions.
• Grillmaster Steak Taco - with melted Cheddar and Jack cheese, pico de gallo (chunky salsa), and guacamole.
• Sirloin Steak Bowl - steak, cilantro, pico de gallo, and onions served atop Spanish rice and pinto beans.
• Steak & 3-Cheese Quesadilla - the three cheeses are: Cheddar, Jack, and Cotija.

Hopefully, the steak will be made to order and not stored in a heating tray like most fast food places. If so, it might be pretty good.

Review: Taco Bell - Beefy 5-Layer Burrito

The latest addition to Taco Bell's "Why Pay More" value menu, the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito features two flour tortillas with a layer of nacho cheese between them wrapping a filling of seasoned ground beef, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, and refried beans. Basically, it's a quesadilla burrito.

News: Wi-Fi Now Free at McDonald's

Since Friday, January 15, 2010, over 11,000 (out of roughly 14,000) McDonald's across the U.S. are offering free Wi-Fi to their customers via AT&T.

Seems like another straight shot across the bow at Starbucks, which currently offers 2 hours a day of free Wi-Fi to customers with a registered Starbucks Card (also from AT&T), but charges $3.99 per two hours otherwise.  Perhaps fancier McDonald's decor and a more lounge-like atmosphere are in the works?  Will more people hang out at McDonald's and imbibe their McCafe offerings or refillable sodas?

The Asia Trip: A Look at a McDonald's McCafe in Japan

I only saw one McCafe in Japan.  They are no where near as prevalent as Starbucks is over there.  But still the setup was pretty interesting in comparison to here in the U.S.

I had heard that the McCafes abroad were much nicer and sometimes standalone from McDonald's unlike here in the U.S. where our McCafes are just a Melitta super automatic espresso machine placed inside of your everyday McDonald's.

Review: McDonald's Mac Snack Wrap

McDonald's recently did a nationwide rollout of their Mac Snack Wrap.  The Mac Wrap is basically a quarter of a Big Mac wrapped in a flour tortilla.  It sells for $1.49.  As a disclaimer, I'm not a big fan of wraps.  Generally, the only things I want wrapped in a flour tortilla are burrito ingredients.