Review: Starbucks - Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Look! They give you a plastic Starbucks mermaid stirrer! Only sometimes though.

Starbucks' Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate is a fall seasonal drink that features a hot chocolate made with mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup (apparently two separate syrups and not the same stuff used for the Toffee Mocha), topped with whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and finished with a sprinkled blend of sea salt and Hawaiian Turbinado sugar (i.e. raw sugar). The price for this warm, fall concoction is $2.70 for a 12-ounce Tall.

News: Papa John's - Any Large for $10 Till Halloween

If pizza is on the menu for your Halloween party, and let's face it, it's pretty much the cheapest way to feed a bunch of people with very little effort, Papa John's is selling any Large Pizza for $10 through Halloween. The offer is online only (i.e. they want you to use their new online interface).

If Papa John's isn't your thing. Pizza Hut still has their $10 for any up-to-three-topping large or $12 for a specialty  large and Domino's has their buy two medium pizzas for $5.99 each.

Frozen Friday: Hungry-Man - Grilled Bourbon Steak Strips

Part of Hungry-Man's "Pub Favorites," the Grilled Bourbon Steak Strips frozen meal features grilled beef strips and onions in a bourbon sauce with garlic mashed potatoes, and a seasoned broccoli and carrot medley. The price for this pound of food is $3.69.

News: El Pollo Loco - New Plates

Not exactly a new dish, but more like a new combo, El Pollo Loco is offering three "new" plates for a limited time on their menu. Each plate features Spanish rice, pinto beans, and fresh salsa and your choice of Carne Asada, Mixed Grill (carne asada and a chicken thigh or leg), or Tamales (covered with Colorado sauce). The Carne Asada and Mixed Grill Plates also include tortillas (your choice of corn or flour).

Prices are $5.99 for the Tamales Plate, $6.49 for the Mixed Grill Plate, and $6.99 for the Carne Asada Plate.

To promote the new plates, El Pollo Loco is offering a printable coupon on their site for a free individual-sized chocolate bundt cake with any Plate purchase (expires November 11, 2010).

News: Papa John's - New Zesty Jalapeno Pizza for $11

Not to be outdone by Domino's, Papa John's has also recently introduced a new pizza today: the Zesty Jalapeno & Meats Pizza. The new Zesty Jalapeno & Meats Pizza features pepperoni, spicy Italian sausage, jalapeño peppers, and a blend of three cheeses (Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano).

It is currently available at a limited-time promotional price of $11 for a large. As a non-spicy alternative, Papa John is also making their Tuscan Six Cheese Pizza available for the same $11.

The Tuscan Six Cheese Pizza features Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, provolone and Fontana cheeses with Italian herb seasonings.

Review: Jack in the Box: Supreme Croissant

The other half of Jack in the Box's 2 for $3 Breakfast Croissants, the Supreme Croissant features a fried egg, Jack's new hickory-smoked bacon, ham, and American cheese on a buttery croissant. What makes it "supreme" you ask? It's that thin slice of ham, because otherwise it would just be the "Bacon Croissant" or the "Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissant." See how much difference a slice of ham makes? The normal price for a Supreme Croissant is $2.19.

Brand Eating Giveaway: Sonic Gift Cards and Tailgate Blanket

Free Sonic Tailgate Blanket! Well, for two lucky readers anyway. In fire red no less! Perfect for keeping you warm during that overnight tailgate or while you wait in line for some coveted tickets.

Courtesy of Sonic Drive-In and their limited-time Loaded Burgers, two readers will win a Sonic Tailgate Blanket as well as a Sonic gift card so you can grab some tailgate eats before the game:

- One Grand Prize: A tailgate package of a Sonic Tailgate Blanket and a $100 Sonic Gift Card.

- One Runner-Up Prize: a Sonic Tailgate Blanket and a $25 Sonic Gift Card.

The Tailgate Blanket is a 54" x 84", extra-soft machine washable "sweatshirt blanket." It's 80% cotton, 20% polyester and feels like your favorite hoodie.

To enter: simply comment on this post with what limited-time food items you're looking forward to this fall/winter season. Please be sure to include a valid email address in the proper field when you post as that is how I will be contacting the winners for where to send the prizes. I will pick the winners via the virtual hat i.e. a random number generator. Only one entry per person please.

The drawing will close on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time. I will draw the winners shortly thereafter. Winners will have three days to respond to my email, after which time I will pick another winner.

Good Luck!

Review: Jack in the Box - Breakfast Pita

Jack in the Box's new Breakfast Pita doesn't offer something new beyond a whole wheat pita to the breakfast sandwich mix, but it offers enough differences to merit consideration. Jack's Breakfast Pita features your normal breakfast accouterments (bacon, scrambled eggs, ham, American cheese) stuffed inside a whole wheat pita. The price on it is $2.79 or just a little more than Jack's other breakfast sandwiches.

Review: Jack in the Box - Egg Nog Ice Cream Shake

An annual event at Jack in the Box, the Egg Nog Ice Cream Shake comes once a year around the holiday season. It features real vanilla ice cream blended with egg nog flavoring and topped with whipped topping and a maraschino cherry. Prices at my local Jack in the Box was $2.69 for a 16-ounce regular and $3.19 for a 24-ounce large. I opted for the regular.

News: A&W - Free $3 Big Taste Meal for Facebook "Like"

A&W Restaurants (the lesser known burger branch of the Yum! Brands family) is promoting their new $3 Big Taste Meals by offering an online coupon for a "free" $3 Big Taste Meal (with 32-ounce drink purchase) to fans who "like" them on Facebook.

The $3 Big Taste Meals are a permanent value addition to the A&W menu and feature fries with your choice of one of four regular menu items: the BBQ Bacon Crunch Burger, Cheddar Onion Crunch Burger, Coney Cheese Dog, or Deluxe Cheeseburger.

While the meals don't come with a drink, it does free you up to buy a classic root beer float to go with.

News: White Castle - Slider-Scented Candles are Back!

Whether you missed out on the 10,000 burger-scented candles sold (they sold out in less than 48 hours) back in May (National Hamburger Month), really love the smell of White Castle, have a loved one that really loves the smell of White Castle (or conversely, have a frenemy that really hates the smell of White Castle) or want to help support Autism Speaks, White Castle is here to oblige you.

Starting on Wednesday, October 27, 2010, you can buy your very own burger-and-onion scented White Castle Slider-Scented Candle for $13 at White Castle's online store: www.houseofcrave.com.

The candles are packaged in a ceramic holder that apes the signature cardboard sleeve of White Castle hamburger boxes. Net proceeds from sales of the candles will benefit Autism Speaks.

News: Popeyes - Crawfish Festival Returns with Free Samples

Crawfish makes its annual return to Popeyes' menu starting today in an event dubbed the "2nd Annual Crawfish Festival" which will run through November 28, 2010. To celebrate, Popeyes is offering four limited-time crawfish dishes and a free sampling day on November 3, 2010 where you can get a taste of their crawfish for free.

The four limited-time dishes are:

· $4.99 Crawfish Tackle Box - 8 crawfish piled high (probably more than 8, I find that Popeyes tends to just pile it on without counting) with a regular side (Cajun Fries by default, but you can choose something else), and a biscuit.
· Crawfish Po’Boy - served on a warm baguette with lettuce, pickles and horseradish sauce.
· Crawfish Traveler - like Popeyes' Lousiana Travelers, an order of Crawfish in specified numbers.
· Crawfish Etouffee - seasoned rice smothered with a rich sauce of crawfish, veggies and spices. Available as a 16oz Big Easy Bowl, or as a regular side.

Popeyes' crawfish is seasoned, battered, and then deep-fried and complemented by a creamy horseradish sauce.