News: Starbucks - New Cocoa Cappuccino

Starbucks newest, limited-time drink, the Cocoa Cappuccino is basically a cappuccino with a bittersweet mocha sauce.

Specifically it is a shot or two of espresso (depending on what size drink you buy), bittersweet mocha sauce (which should be less sweet than their normal mocha sauce), steamed milk, and a dollop of milk foam to finish.

Basically, it should be taste more coffee-like and less sweet than a typical Starbucks Mocha.

News: Frito Lay - New Tostitos Hint of Pepper Jack and Hint of Jalapeño

Frito Lay has added flavor to what I typically think of as their traditional, unflavored (save for salt) brand: Tostitos. It's not unprecedented (they have a Hint of Lime flavor as well as an Artisan flavored line) but it's an interesting choice considering that they already have lots of different brands of flavored chips but there you go.

Of course, they're not going with full blown Doritos-style flavor but are sticking with just a hint of flavor with new Hint of Pepper Jack and Hint of Jalapeño Tostitos chips.

Pricing will vary but you should be able to nab yourself a 13-ounce bag for around $2.50, or less if it's on sale.

News: Burger King - New $1 BK Single Stacker

For a limited-time, Burger King is offering the new BK Single Stacker for $1. The BK Single Stacker is a single-patty version of their current Stacker burgers. You can also double up or triple up on with extra patties and cheese with the BK Double Stacker for $2 or the BK Triple Stacker for $3.

I seem to remember they offered a similar promotion when they first introduced the BK Stackers a while back. Apparently, the BK Single Stacker is replacing the Buck Double on BK's menu.

Each BK Stacker features a simple formula of cheese, beef, bacon, and BK Stacker sauce with varying amounts of cheese and beef depending on whether you get a Single, Double, or Triple.

News: KFC - $10 Sunday Bucket

Looks like KFC is taking a page out of Pizza Hut's book by offering a promotion on a specific day of the week with the $10 Sunday Bucket.

Available only on Sundays and only for a limited-time, the Sunday Bucket features ten mixed pieces (i.e. white and dark meat) of any recipe (Original, Extra Crispy, or Grilled) for $10.

Update 10/14/13 - KFC is rehashing the limited-time deal this year and expanding it to cover Saturdays as well as Sundays (details here).

Review: Sonic - New York Dog

Sonic's new New York Dog is one of four new premium beef hot dogs at Sonic and features an all-beef normal-sized hot dog nestled in a soft bun and topped with sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard, and grilled diced onions.

It's available now for an introductory price of $1.99.

News: Frito Lay - New Sun Chips Jalapeño Jack

Frito Lay has a new flavor of Sun Chips: Jalapeno Jack. The new chip is made with all-natural ingredients combines the flavor of Monterey Jack cheese with Jalapeño peppers through the magic of powder.

A 10.5-ounce bag retails for $3.79 (may vary) and you can locate a bag through Frito Lay's Snack Finder.

Frito Lay has also managed a breakthrough with a much quieter version of their compost-able bag (Yay Earth!). You can check out the video with a somewhat technical explanation of how they manage to achieve this feat after the jump.

Review: Chick-fil-A - Banana Pudding Milkshake

Chick-fil-A's new, limited-time Banana Pudding Milkshake features the creamy taste of vanilla soft serve with real bananas and Nilla wafers topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

While the suggested retail is $2.49 and $2.89 for small and large cups respectively, in my neck of the woods, pricing is a bit higher at $3.09 for a 14-ounce small and $3.49 for a 20-ounce large.

News: Ben & Jerry's - Free Cone Day Set for April 12, 2011

Mark your calendars, it's that time of the year again... Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's!

When: April 12, 2011, 12 to 8pm

Where: At participating locations. You can check at their store locator which locations are participating: http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/scoop-shop-locator/index.cfm

Why: Because it's free! And you can stand in line as many times as you like so you can theoretically try all their flavors... then again you could try all their flavors by asking for a free sample spoon of each. Or combine them all together to make a Frankenstein's ice cream monster.

You wait may vary depending on your location. I've seen plenty of pictures of some really long lines for this event. People really like their free Ben & Jerry's. But then again, they do plan pretty well with extra employees to keep the line moving.

Review: Sconza - Yogurt Raisins

I was waiting in line at Costco when I saw this giant bag of Sconza Yogurt Raisins for $6.99 so I grabbed it. Yogurt raisins sounded pretty good and I thought $6.99 for 2 pounds, 10 oz (42 oz) is pretty cheap!

Review: Heinz - Dip & Squeeze Ketchup

So I stopped by Chick-fil-A yesterday for Free FryDay to get my free medium fry on by ordering a Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup. New Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup is the same ketchup but in a different, more versatile and more bountiful package.

Frozen Friday: Banquet - Chicken Nugget Meal

Banquet frozen meals are pretty much at the bottom of the frozen food hierarchy. Retailing at about $1 a pop (I saw it last week for 69 cents on sale) it's really for the budget-minded but the quality suffers a bit. The Chicken Nugget Meal comes with five breaded chicken nuggets, a side of corn and a side of macaroni and cheese.

News: Wienerschnitzel - New Bacon Wrapped Dogs

For a limited time, Der Wienerschnitzel is sporting new Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs on their menu. You can choose from a straight-up Bacon Wrapped Dog or get a little fancier with the Street Dog which adds grilled onions, mustard, mayo, and ketchup.

Price is $1.79 for a Bacon Wrapped and $1.99 for a Street Dog.

Nutritional info not available.

News: Boston Market - New Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Boston Market's latest menu edition is really just a large sandwich version of their BBQ Market Sliders. The new Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich is similar to the traditional pulled pork sandwich except with pulled rotisserie chicken pieces and, inexplicably with Cheddar cheese on a long bakery roll.

I think a slaw rather than cheese would have been a better choice and I don't even like slaw. I'm not feeling the flavor profile of barbecue with cheese.

Review: Arby's - Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich

Arby's new Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich features thinly-sliced Black Angus beef with melted Cheddar and Swiss cheese, peppered bacon, and a Parmesan peppercorn Ranch sauce on a toasted Amoroso roll for $4.99.

News: Krispy Kreme - New Banana Kreme Donut and Banana Caramel Cake Donut

Chick-fil-A isn't the only one bringing the banana flavor this month, Krispy Kreme has two new, limited-time banana donuts this month: the Banana Kreme Pie donut and the Banana Caramel Cake donut.

The Banana Kreme Pie donut is piped with banana Kreme filling, then dipped in white icing and sprinkled with NILLA wafer pieces.

The Banana Caramel Cake donut is made with real bananas, glazed and then drizzled with a caramel icing.

News: Taco Bell - Shrimp Taco Returns Plus a New Shrimp Burrito

It's seafood season once again (i.e. Lent is coming up) which at Taco Bell means the return of the Pacific Shrimp Taco as well as a new Pacific Shrimp Burrito. They are priced at $2.79 and $3.69 respectively (may vary) .

Review: Kyochon - Potato Wedges

In addition to specializing in Korean-style fried chicken, Kyochon also carries a small sampling of side dishes including Potato Wedges that can be taxed on to a 5-piece order with a drink for an extra $2.

News: Sonic - New Premium Beef Hot Dogs

Sonic's latest promotion involves new Premium Beef Hot Dogs coming in four familiar varieties: the All-American Dog, the New York Dog, the Chicago Dog, and the Chili Cheese Coney.

Each hot dog are made of 100% beef. The All-American Dog is probably the one you most likely assemble at home, Costco, or at a picnic with ketchup, yellow mustard, relish, and chopped onions. The New York Dog is topped with spicy brown mustard, grilled onions and sauerkraut. The Chicago Dog comes with a pickle spear, relish, tomato, sport peppers, celery salt and mustard served on warm poppy seed bun. Finally, the familiar Chili Cheese Coney features melted Cheddar and chili but don't forget to ask for mustard and onions!

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Big 'N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich

Dunkin' Donuts' newest limited-time menu addition is also their biggest breakfast sandwich ever: the Big 'N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich.

The Big 'N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich features two peppered fried eggs, four slices of cherrywood-smoked bacon and a slice of American cheese between two thick slices of Texas toast.

It's available at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide for a limited time at the suggested retail price of $3.29.

News: Subway - The Chicken Cordon Bleu Sub Returns

Back for a limited-time, Subway's Chicken Cordon Blue Sub features chicken, Black Forest Ham, your choice of cheese, condiments, and melted cheese. But where's the fried breading?!

It's another one of Subway's limited-time using their standard ingredients that you can always have them make for you after the sandwich is off menu. I suppose ordering a "Chicken Cordon Bleu" sounds better than saying "Can I get a chicken sub with black forest ham?" Plus you save a couple of words.

Nutritional info not yet available.

News: Arby's - New Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich

Arby's new Angus Three Cheese & Bacon sandwich is served hot on an Amoroso roll (those are the same Philly-based rolls commonly associated with authentic Philly cheesesteaks) and features thinly-sliced Black Angus beef with melted Cheddar and Swiss cheese, peppered bacon, and a Parmesan peppercorn Ranch sauce.

Pricing is in the premium range with a suggested retail of $4.99.

Along with the sandwich, Arby's is kicking off a new ad campaign with a rhyming slogan of "Good Mood Food." It comes replete with a TV ad that I find utterly annoying. It features crappy lyrics and bad singing. You can view it after the jump.

News: KFC - 5 for $5 Promotion

With inflation and rising food costs, $5 is the new $2.99 in fast food land with $5 Footlongs, redundantly named $5 Buck Boxes, and the like. KFC is also throwing their collective hat into the $5 arena with their new "5 for $5" promotion which features five different combo meals for $5 each:

• A Doublicious sandwich, side, and 20-ounce medium drink
• 3-piece Extra Crispy Strips, side, biscuit and 20-ounce medium drink
• 2-piece Kentucky Grilled Chicken, side, biscuit and drink
• 2-piece Original Recipe, side, biscuit and 20-ounce mediumdrink
• An Original Recipe Boneless Filet, side, biscuit and 20-ounce medium drink

Review: KFC - Famous Mashed Potato Bowl

If I remember correctly, KFC's Famous Bowls have been "famous" since they first came out i.e they're famous because KFC says they are. They actually come in three varieties (Chicken & Biscuit, Rice, and Mashed Potatoes) with varying degrees of availability depending on your market. I live in California and my local KFCs do not serve seasoned rice or country gravy which left me with a Famous Mashed Potato Bowl.

The price on a Famous Bowl and a medium drink was $5.59 but a coupon netted me the whole shebang for an even four bucks.

News: Jack in the Box - 2 for $3 Breakfast Croissants

Jack in the Box has brought back their value-based 2 for $3 Breakfast Croissants (last seen in October of last year)

You can choose from either the Sausage Croissant or the Supreme Croissant. Both feature a fried egg and American cheese but where the Sausage Croissant contains a sausage patty, the Supreme Croissant has ham and bacon.

For you night owls or late risers, breakfast is served all day at Jack in the Box.

Having tried both Jack's biscuits and croissants, I much prefer the croissants.

News: Arby's - New Outside-In Cinnamon Bites

Arby's has a new, limited-time dessert on the menu: Outside-In Cinnamon Bites where instead of the norm where a cinnamon roll is glazed with cream cheese, the cream cheese is instead nestled inside a flaky, beignet-like pastry along with cinnamon.

The price on a set of three is $1.

I have to say from the pictures that it looks savory (like a pizza roll actually) rather than like the dessert that it is.

Review: McDonald's - Cheeseburger

McDonald's Cheeseburger is, for better or worse, really (with McDonald's Hamburger) the original modern fast food burger made quickly in an assembly line process for a uniform, profitable product. The formula remains simple: a beef patty, American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard on a soft hamburger bun.

The price seems to vary quite a bit and fluctuates around $1 (I was quoted a price of 98 cents at my local McDonald's but they also offer two for $1.79 under normal menu pricing). In some markets, it actually costs more than a McDouble (which only differs in that it contains an extra beef patty).

News: Chick-fil-A - New Banana Pudding Milkshake

Starting to today there's a new, limited-time Banana Pudding Milkshake at Chick-fil-A. Featuring the taste of fresh bananas, real Nilla wafers, vanilla, and Icedream topped with whipped cream and a cherry, the Banana Pudding Milkshake is offered in 14- and 20-ounce cups at $2.49 and $2.89 respectively (may vary).

The new shake will be available until June 4, 2011.

With banana and Nilla wafers blended in, a Banana Pudding Milkshake is sounding mighty nice to me.

Nutritional Info - Chick-fil-A Banana Pudding Milkshake - small (14.26oz)
Calories - 780 (from Fat - 216)
Fat - 24g (Saturated Fat - 12g)
Sodium - 440mg
Carbs - 104g (Sugar - 104g)
Protein - 22g

News: Hostess- New Chocolate and Strawberry Limited-Edition Twinkies

Hostess recently introduced two new limited-edition Twinkie flavors: Chocolate Creme and Strawberry & Creme. Each features your standard Twinkie cake but with a flavored creme filling rather than the standard vanilla.

News: Taco Bell - 88 Cent Crunchwrap Supreme

Doing more PR damage control from allegations that their beef isn't beef (it is, according to Taco Bell), Taco Bell is highlighting the fact that their beef is 88 percent beef (and 12% signature recipe) by selling their Crunchwrap Supreme for the ridiculously low price of 88 cents (They're normally $2.39 at my local Taco Bell and probably set to go up in price since food prices are expected  to go up a fair bit).

The offer is only good until this Saturday, March 5th, 2011 and there is a limit of 2 per person.

Review: Chobani Strawberry Nonfat Greek Yogurt

In addition to Chobani Blueberry Nonfat Greek Yogurt, I also picked up a cup of Chobani Strawberry Nonfat Greek Yogurt to try for $1.00 on sale.

News: Panda Express - New Golden Treasure Shrimp

Panda Express unveils its newest entrée, Golden Treasure Shrimp. The dish features fried tempura shrimp (the same stuff they use for their Honey Walnut Shrimp), red and green bell peppers wok-tossed in Panda’s new, zesty citrus sauce.

To celebrate the new entrée, on March 9th, 2011, Panda Express is hosting free Golden Treasure Shrimp Day where you can redeem a coupon for a free single serving entrée.

The dish itself will be available in restaurants nationwide a week earlier on March 2nd.

Review: Chobani - Blueberry Nonfat Greek Yogurt

I had never even heard of Chobani until recently when they started airing TV commercials but have been curious about Greek yogurt for a while now. $1.00 bought me a 6-ounce cup of Chobani Blueberry Nonfat Greek Yogurt on sale.

Frozen Friday - Hungry-Man - Home-Style Meatloaf

Meatloaf is another one of those frozen dinners that have been around since back in the day and Hungry-Man's Home-Style Meatloaf is what I typically picture when I think of a TV dinner meatloaf. I wouldn't call it "home-style" myself but what do I know. Anyway, the Hungry-Man version comes with the classic corn, mashed potatoes, and brownie set up that Hungry-Man and Swanson are known for.

Retail price usually comes in at around $3.79 with a sale price ranging around the $2.00 mark.

News: Chick-fil-A - Free Fry Day on March 4, 2011

Chick-fil-A is celebrating Heinz new Squeeze & Dip ketchup by giving away free fries in an event they're calling Free FryDay.

Free FryDay takes place on Friday, March 4, 2011 from the hours of 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

To receive a free medium order of Chick-fil-A's Waffle Potato Fries, you simply have to go to a participating Chick-fil-A restaurant within the requisite time period and mention the promotion.

News: Arbys - New Chopped Side Salad

Arby's new Market Fresh Chopped Side Salad was unveiled today as as an alternative to French fries in its combo meals, at no additional cost. Otherwise, it carries a suggested price of $1.99.

It is currently available at company-owned locations and will roll-out nationwide in July, concurrent with the addition of a Lite Italian Dressing.

The Chopped Side Salad features a shredded blend of green leaf and iceberg lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion and ripe tomatoes, with dressing served on the side. Almost all the calories in the salad comes from the cheese.

News: The Coffee Bean - Free Peach Latte or Tea on March 1st, 2011

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has decided that spring is for peaches and is celebrating by offering customers a free 12-ounce cup of their limited-time Spring Peach Tea Latte, Spring Peach Iced Tea Latte or Peach FruTea on March 1st.

The promotion is for one day only (next Tuesday) and only from the hours of 4pm to 7pm (i.e. just in time for you to stop by on your drive home).

When: Tuesday, March 1, 2011, from 4pm to 7pm.
Where: Participating Coffee Bean locations in CA and AZ.
Why: Free 12-ounce Spring Peach Tea Latte, Spring Peach Iced Tea Latte or
Peach FruTea (One per person).

News: Corner Bakery Cafe - New Smoked Turkey Cobb Sandwich

Corner Bakery Cafe is debuting their new flatbread brioche bread with a new sandwich: the Smoked Turkey Cobb Sandwich.

The new bread was made to be "soft, sturdy, and slightly sweet." It's a flatbread so that it doesn't overpower the other ingredients in the sandwich.

In addition to the new brioche, the Smoked Turkey Cobb Sandwich contains a homemade avocado mayonnaise, smoked turkey breast, thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, bleu cheese crumbles, hardboiled egg slices, green leaf lettuce and roma tomatoes.

Review: Jack in the Box - Mint Oreo Shake

Jack in the Box's new limited-time Mint Oreo Shake adds cool mint and a green color to their regular Oreo Shake. The green colored shake is enough to get you in the St. Paddy's Day spirit, no?

A 16-ounce regular cup costs $2.69 while a 24-ounce large cup costs just a tad more at $3.19.

Review: Wendy's - Chili

Wendy's Chili is a uniquely Wendy's menu item among the major fast food chains. It's a hearty soup of beans, spices, ground beef, and veggies for a reasonable price.

A fair-sized small cup cost me $1.29 with an additional $0.25 charge for shredded cheddar cheese.

Review: Sonic - Hot Fudge Shake

Sonic's Hot Fudge Shake is basically like a hot fudge sundae stuck into a blender and whipped into liquid form so that you can drink it. Like all shakes, the calories remain the same but you can eat it a lot faster and somewhat more absently. It might not be available at all Sonic's as it's not listed on the online menu.

A 14-ounce "regular" cup costs $2.79 while a 20-ounce "large" cup goes for $3.29.

News: Frito Lay - New Rold Gold Bakery-Inspired Flavors

Frito Lay set loose new Rold Gold bakery-inspired flavors this month. The new pretzel flavors are purported to "offer the classic taste of fresh bakery bread in pretzel form."

There's a total of three new flavors available now nationwide:

• Rold Gold Cheesy Garlic features pretzel nuggets flavored with cheddar and garlic.
• Rold Gold Cinnamon Raisin channels cinnamon raisin bread in the form of  pretzel twists whispering the sweet taste of raisins and cinnamon sugar.
• Rold Gold Everything Bagel seeks to take you to your local bagel shop with pretzel rings tinged with savory sesame and poppy seeds, garlic and onions.

$2.99 (may vary) will buy you a 10-ounce bag.

News: Domino's - New Boneless Chicken and Chicken Wings

Not content to rework just their pizza, Domino's has now tinkered with their chicken in introducing revamped Boneless Chicken and Chicken Wings. The new Boneless Chicken responds to customers' desire for more customization and choice while the new Wings are aimed at providing better texture and flavor.

Prices on the new items start at $5.99 for eight pieces, $9.99 for 14 pieces, and $24.99 for a party-sized 40-piece order.

Review: Subway - Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie

Subway's limited-time Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie are baked in-store with pieces of cheesecake and pockets of what appears to be raspberry jam embedded.

My local Subway charges 60 cents per cookie or three for $1.25 which is a little more than the 3 for $1.00 they charge at McDonald's. I ended up getting three: two Raspberry Cheesecake cookies and one Peanut Butter.

Review: Nabisco - Ritz Munchables Pretzel Thins Spicy Chipotle Cheddar

Nabisco's new Ritz Munchable Pretzel Thins Spicy Chipotle Cheddar flavor are an interesting take on the common pretzel. They're a cross between a pretzel and a Ritz cracker.

$3.49 buys you a 12.25-ounce box. Sale price will typically range from $2.00 to $2.50.

Review: Nabisco - Heads or Tails Oreo

Do you like Oreos and are indecisive or have a Two-Face complex? Then the fine folks at Nabisco has got you covered with Heads or Tail Oreos. Each cookie has two easily discernible sides consisting of one regular chocolate-flavored Oreo half and one Golden vanilla-flavor Oreo half sandwiching a double helping of white frosted filling.

They retail for around $2.99 for a 15.25-ounce package with sale prices running around the $2.00 mark.

Frozen Friday: Banquet - Cherry Berry Pie

While Banquet has been making various meat pot pies for as long as I can remember, last year, they began a foray into sweet pies which included this Cherry Berry Pie (they also come in Apple and Peach) that I recently tried. At $1 a pop, they're certainly easy on the wallet.

News: Papa John's - New Hearty Italian Meats Pizza for $11

Papa John's newest limited-time deal offers either a new large Hearty Italian Meats pizza or regular menu Spinach Alfredo pizza for $11.

The new Hearty Italian Meats pizza is topped with a blend of mozzarella, provolone, Fontina and Asiago cheeses, Italian salami, spicy Italian sausage, Italian ham, and pepperoni.

It is not to be confused with the fairly similar Papa John's Spicy Italian pizza which boasts pepperoni and a double portion of spicy Italian sausage instead of Italian salami and ham.

Review: Yoshinoya - Chicken Bowl

Yoshinoya is famous for their Original Beef Bowl but a fair amount of people also order the Chicken Bowl which is a fairly typical rendition of your common Chicken Teriyaki Bowl: grilled chicken thigh (skin-on unless you specify otherwise), broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, and teriyaki sauce over a bed of steamed short grain rice.

A regular-sized bowl costs $3.59.

Review: Pollo Campero - Yuca Fries

Pollo Campero is a Guatemalan fried chicken fast food chain and the largest fast food chain in Latin America. They made landfall in the U.S. in 2002 and have since expanded to 50 U.S. locations including one at Downtown Disney in Orlando. Guatemalan fried chicken offers a different flavor and seasoning than the southern style we're more used to but today I write about one of their more unusual sides--Yuca Fries!

Review: Subway - Steak & Cheese Sub

Subway Steak & Cheese Sub has been an on again, off again menu item that is now a permanent fixture on the menu. Like all Subway subs, it features your choice of bread, cheese, condiments, and veggies and a specific meat, in this case, steak. Since cheese is free on all Subway subs, they really should have just called it the "Steak Sub" but I guess that's just not as catchy.

Since it's "FebruANY," it'll only cost you $5 for a Footlong this month but is normally $6.25.