News: Starbucks - Seasonal Drinks for Fall 2011

Fall is just beginning to peek its head and at Starbucks that means fall seasonal drinks are in full effect. Here's a look at the seasonal drinks for Starbucks in the Fall of 2011:

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate returns and is accompanied by the new Salted Caramel Mocha which consists of Espresso and steamed milk, blended with mocha sauce and toffee nut flavored syrup and topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, turbinado sugar and sea salt.

Review: Keebler - Oatmeal Fudge Stripe Cookies

Keebler Oatmeal Fudge Stripe Cookies are a new take on an old classic: Keebler Fudge Stripes Original Cookies. I thought they were actual oatmeal cookies covered in fudge but they seem to be just the original cookie but with oatmeal added to the formula; so basically oatmeal shortbread cookies.

Like the original shortbread version, they're $3.99 normally or around $2.00 to $2.50 on sale.

Review: Hostess - Sno Balls

Hostess Sno Balls only come in packs of two fluffy pink balls that kinda make me think of ear muffs but they're actually coconut and marshmallow covered chocolate cakes with a creamy filling.

They're typically about $1.50 or $1 on sale.

Frozen Friday: Banquet - Pepper Steak Meal

Banquet's new Pepper Steak Meal is a budget-minded frozen dinner option that features a seasoned patty in pepper sauce over rice.

An 8-ounce box should cost you a buck or less on sale.

Review: McDonald's - Caramel Apple Parfait

McDonald's Caramel Apple Parfait is new to the McDonald's menu for a limited-time. It features a snack-size cup of lowfat vanilla yogurt with cubed apples and caramel sauce on top.

The price is a little more than the similarly-sized but differently layered Fruit'N Yogurt Parfait at $1.49 (compared to a buck for the latter).

Review: Wendy's - Caramel Apple Frosty Parfait

Wendy's Caramel Frosty Parfait features a caramel swirl in Vanilla Frosty topped with all-natural brown sugar granola, fresh red and green apple slices, and real caramel for $1.99

Review: Taco Bell - Bacon Ranch Chicken Flatbread Sandwich

Taco Bell's new limited-time, Bacon Ranch Chicken Flatbread Sandwich joins the returning Original Chicken Flatbread Sandwich and features a warm, pillowy flatbread folded over pieces of marinated white-meat chicken, a melted 3-cheese blend (mozzarella, cheddar, and pepper jack), and bacon ranch sauce.

It hits the low end of Taco Bell's pricing spectrum at 99 cents.

News: McDonald's - New Caramel Apple Parfait and Sundae

Perhaps taking a page out of Wendy's book, McDonald's is serving up for a limited time, Caramel Apple Parfaits and Caramel Apple Sundaes for $1.49 each.

The Caramel Apple Parfait features the lowfat vanilla yogurt paired with caramel sauce and crunchy, diced pieces of red and green apples.

The Sundae version replaces the yogurt with McDonald's soft serve and adds nuts to the equation.

Review: Wendy's - Monterey Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Wendy's Monterey Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich features a white meat crispy chicken patty topped with all-natural Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, and ranch sauce, served atop a hamburger bun for the value price of 99 cents.

Review: Carl's Jr. - Hash Brown Nuggets

Carl's Jr. Hash Brown Nuggets are a bite-sized version of one of you typical breakfast starches: hash browns.

$1.29 nets you a small pouch of these.

Review: Pepperidge Farm - Sesame Sticks

Pepperidge Farm's Sesame Sticks are part of their Baked Naturals line of savory crackers and feature cruncy cracker sticks embedded with toasted sesame seeds and flavored with a touch of garlic.

A 10.2-ounce box is normally priced at around $3.79 or around $2.00 on sale.

Frozen Friday: Red Baron - Singles Pepperoni French Bread Pizza

Red Baron Singles Pepperoni French Bread Pizza comes in a pack of 2 individually wrapped frozen pizzas topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni that can be oven-baked of microwaved.

A 10.8-ounce box retails for about $5.29 or about $2.50 to $3.00 on sale.

News: Taco Bell - New Bacon Ranch Flatbread Sandwich

Taco Bell returns the Chicken Flatbread Sandwich as well as a new variant, the Bacon Ranch Flatbread Sandwich. Where the original formula consisted of marinated white-meat chicken, melted 3-cheese blend (mozzarella, cheddar, and pepper jack), and spicy chipotle sauce folded in a warm, soft square of flatbread, the Bacon Ranch version replaces the chipotle sauce with a bacon ranch sauce (surprise... I know).

Both of versions are only 99 cents.

Review: Wendy's - Maple Baked Frescuit

Wendy's answer to the McGriddle (at least an answer they're testing), the Maple Baked Frescuit features a biscuit with maple syrup baked in rather than a pancake. The rest is the same with the standard choice of bacon or sausage with egg and cheese.

I picked one up for $2.69.

News: Burger King - New Quaker Oatmeal

Burger King is newly serving Quaker Oatmeal during breakfast hours (6:00am to 10:30am).

Like McDonald's, the product looks to be of the instant made-to-order (i.e. they pour water on when you order it) variety that you can make yourself at home.

The new 100% whole-grain oatmeal is available in Original and Fruit-Topped Maple flavors with the Fruit-Topped version featuring dried fruit including cranberries, raisins, cherries and blueberries.

The suggested retail price is $1.99 per 7-ounce serving.

Review: Wendy's - Sausage & Egg Burrito

Wendy's Sausage & Egg Burrito is part of a breakfast test at one of my local Wendy's restaurants and is very simple with only cut-up sausage, scrambled egg, and American cheese wrapped up in a small flour tortilla for 99 cents.

Review: Wendy's - Classic Breakfast Sandwich

Wendy's Classic Breakfast Sandwich is offered at one of my local Wendy's restaurants as part of a breakfast test and features bacon, cheese, scrambled eggs, sausage, and some sort of tomato mayo sauce on a kaiser bun.

I picked one up for $2.79.

Review: Wendy's - Cinnamon Swirl

I tried Wendy's Cinnamon Swirl at a local Wendy's where they serve breakfast as part of the chain's testing. It's basically a cinnamon roll with icing and similar to McDonald's Cinnamon Melts and is priced the same at $1.69.

Features: Revisiting Wendy's Breakfast Test

Back in '08, I wrote about trying Wendy's breakfast test and some of the items they were offering at the time. Now it's 2011 and, somehow, they're still working out the kinks.

One of my local Wendy's restaurants is still serving breakfast, but it looks a little bit different from their most recent and fancier looking test. It looks my local joint is serving up items from an older test perhaps maybe because they still have the equipment for it.

The items I tried were:

- The Cinnamon Swirl
- The Classic Breakfast Sandwich
- The Sausage & Egg Burrito
- The Maple Baked Frescuit Bacon & Egg Sandwich

News: General Mills - New Totino's Pizza Stuffers

Designed by Totino's to be a less messy, kid-friendly, on-the-go snack, new Pizza Stuffers gives you Totino's flavor but in sealed in a pocket crust and comes in three familiar flavors: Cheese, Pepperoni, and Combination (sausage & pepperoni).

"Less mess" seems to be a major selling point with this one. Unlike their pizza rolls whose contents tend to spill forth while cooking, Pizza Stuffers are specifically designed to keep their filling inside.

They can be microwaved (~2 minutes) or cooked in the oven for a crisper crust (~10 minutes) and come frozen four to a box retailing for $3.99 per 14-ounce box.

Review: Nabisco - Chips Ahoy! Chewy Gooey Megafudge

New Chips Ahoy! Chewy Gooey Megafudge cookies feature brownie-like chocolate chip cookies with white chocolate chips and a layer of semi-liquid fudge in the center.

A 10-ounce package goes for around $3.29 or about $2.00 on sale.

Review: Doritos - Stadium Nacho Tortilla Chips

To mark the release of Madden NFL 12, Frito Lay has brought back their limited-time Stadium Nacho  Doritos tortilla chips (they also brought back Tailgater BBQ).

An 11-ounce bag retails for $3.99 but I picked up this one on sale for $1.99.

Frozen Friday: Ben & Jerry's - Chocolate Macadamia

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Macadamia features chocolate and vanilla ice creams swirled together with fudge covered macadamia nuts mixed in.

A pint typically retails for $4.99 but I tend to pick them up on sale at around the $2.50 mark.

Review: Arby's - Cravin' Chicken Sandwich

A slight revamp on Arby's prior Crispy Chicken Fillet Sandwich, the new Cravin' Chicken Sandwich features a slightly different take on the fast food standard premium chicken sandwich with Cravin' sauce plus the standard lettuce, tomato, and breaded chicken fillet on a sesame bun.

Roasted chicken is also available but I went with the breaded chicken filet. Both versions cost $3.79.

Review: McDonald's - McDouble

McDonald's Dollar Menu McDouble is basically their Cheeseburger with an extra patty or their Double Cheeseburger with one less slice of cheese, however, you want to look at it. If you're unfamiliar with that, a McDouble features a slice of American cheese between two beef patties, topped with pickles, onions, ketchup and mustard on a toasted bun for $1.

Review: Carl's Jr. - Big Country Breakfast Burrito

A "kitchen sink" breakfast burrito, Carl's Jr.'s Big Country Breakfast Burrito features sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, ham, bacon bits, hash brown nuggets, and shredded jack and cheddar cheeses wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla.

It comes at $3.29 a pop at my local Carl's Jr.

Review: Pizza Hut - Supremo P'Zone

The P'Zone is Pizza Hut's name for their calzones which are available in: Pepperoni, Meaty, and Supremo. I recently picked up a Supremo P'Zone (i.e. "supreme") which comes with Italian sausage, green bell peppers, red onions, and mozzarella cheese folded up in pizza dough and baked.

For a limited-time, Pizza Hut is offering them for an even 5 bucks.

Review: Jersey Mike's Roast Beef and Provolone Sub

Jersey Mike's Famous Roast Beef and Provolone cold sub promises "Certified Angus USDA Choice" roast beef cooked on the premises paired with provolone and then built the way you like it. I picked up mine "Mike's Way" which comes with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil and spices.

A sizable "regular" comes in at $7.75.

Review: Nabisco - Wheat Thins Fiber Selects Garden Vegetable Crackers

Wheat Thins Fiber Selects Garden Vegetable Crackers feature 5 grams of dietary fiber per serving and a dried vegetable blend of carrots, onions, cabbage, tomato and, green and red bell peppers mixed in.

It's normally $3.59 for a 7.5-ounce box (compared to a 10-ounce box of regular Wheat Thins) or around $2.00 to $2.50 on sale.

Frozen Friday: Edwards - Turtle Brownie with Ice Cream

Edwards Hot Turtle Brownie with Creamy Ice Cream is a frozen option for brownies a la mode that comes two individual servings to a box. Each serving features a fudge brownie with chocolate chips, praline pecan, caramel, and vanilla ice cream.

They're normally around $3.59 but can be found on sale for around $2.00.

Review: Arby's - Curly Fries

The standard fries at Arby's are seasoned Curly Fries. They used to have regular "homestyle" fries (skin-on) but I guess they weren't that popular.

The Curly Fries are available at $1.79 for a small, $2.19 for a medium, and $2.39 for a large.

Review: Subway - New Yogurt Parfait

In addition to the new, limited-time Oven Crisp Chicken Sub, Subway also has a new, permanent menu addition, Yogurt Parfait. It's made fresh daily with low fat vanilla yogurt with a layer of strawberries and blueberries and a granola topping.

A small cup is $1.49.

Review: Subway - New Oven Crisp Chicken Sub

Subway's new Oven Crisp Chicken Sub promises crisp, breaded chicken without the frying and oil and is part of their Fresh Fit menu with less than 7 grams of fat per serving.

I picked up a footlong (that's two servings) for $6 at my local Subway. A six-inch was priced at $4.

News: Subway - New Oven Crisp Chicken Sub

For those of you itching for the crunch of fried chicken without the actual frying, Subway has their new, limited-time Oven Crisp Chicken Sub which features chicken that is breaded and baked to give you crisp chicken without the grease.

A six-inch Oven Crisp Chicken Sub fits into Subway's Fresh Fit Subs clocking in at 420 calories and 6.7 grams of fat in its default build (which includes honey mustard and no cheese). Suggested price for a 6-inch is $4.00 and for a foot-long is $6.00. The sub will be available nationally until September 30, 2011 although I'm sure some Subway locations will try and keep it on the menu after that.

This is actually something Subway has been testing for a bit.

Review: Jack in the Box - Jumbo Breakfast Platter

Jack in the Box's Jumbo Breakfast Platter has your basic egg, meat, potatoes, and pancakes covered on one plate/container. Specifically, it comes with scrambled eggs, your choice of bacon or sausage, hash brown sticks, and mini pancakes.

I picked up a platter at my local Jack's for $2.99.

News: Subway - New Yogurt Parfait

Subway's new Yogurt Parfait is touted as "Made fresh daily with sweet blueberries, juicy strawberries, crunchy granola and creamy yogurt" which basically sounds to me like the McDonald's Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait. The yogurt used is a lowfat vanilla yogurt.

Subway's new Yogurt Parfait carries a suggested price of $1.49 and will be available all day. The $1.49 price puts it a little bit higher than McDonald's $1.00 but it's also a little bit bigger (164g to McDonald's 149g)

News: Arby's - New Smokin' Chipotle Chicken Sandwich

With limited availability and participation, some Arby’s restaurants now have the new Smokin’ Chipotle Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich features a crispy chicken fillet topped with Arby's new Chipotle BBQ Sauce, as well as pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, diced jalapenos, lettuce and sliced tomato on a toasted bun.

It is also available with roasted chicken if you're looking for something less fried.

Review: Corner Bakery Cafe - Spinach Sweet Crisp Salad

Corner Bakery Cafe's Spinach Sweet Crisp Salad is new for this summer and features baby spinach tossed with freshly-sliced strawberries, oranges, red grapes, dried cranberries, green onions, creamy goat cheese and raisin pecan sweet crisps, drizzled with a house-made pomegranate vinaigrette. They also include a small breadstick to go with the salad.

It's available in cafe (which I got) and entree sizes for $5.99 and $6.99 respectively.

Review: Kettle Brand - Tias! Zesty Ranch Tortilla Chips

Tias! are Kettle brand's all-natural line of tortilla chips promising nothing artificial and only natural color ingredients as well as gluten-free eating. Their Zesty Ranch Tias feature tortilla chips made with organic corn and flavored with buttermilk, green onion, and garlic.

An 8-ounce bag carries a regular price of about $3.99 or about $2.00 to $3.00 on sale.

Frozen Friday: Haagen-Daz - Snack Size Vanilla Chocolate Sundae Cones

Haagen-Daz recently ventured into the sundae cone business so to how they were doing, I tried new Snack Size Vanilla Chocolate Sundae Cones which is Haagen-Daz's version of the classic sundae cone in a smaller, portion-controlled snack size.

A 11.2-fluid-ounce box of five individually-wrapped cones carries a suggested retail of $5.49, meaning: you're looking at a sales price of around $3.00 to $4.00.

Review: McDonald's - New Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich

McDonald's new Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich replaces their previous grilled chicken sandwich with a new bakery-style bun and a new, lower-sodium chicken breast filet; the rest is much the same with leafy green lettuce, a slice of tomato and mayo.

The price is at the lower end of comparable sandwiches at $3.79.

Review: Burger King - New BK Chicken Minis

The chicken version of Burger King's BK Burger Minis, BK Chicken Minis are very basic mini chicken burgers with mini, breaded, white meat chicken patties, a bit of mayo, and a slice of dill pickle on a mini-burger bun.

I picked up four Minis at my local Burger King for $2.99.

Review: Subway - Buffalo Chicken Sub

Subway's Buffalo Chicken Sub is their August Featured $5 Footlong and features a base of chicken strips, spicy buffalo sauce and ranch sauce with your choice of bread, cheese, and veggies.

News: Del Taco - 29 Cent Tacos on August 10, 3pm to 8pm

Del Taco is serving up 29 Cent Regular Tacos tomorrow, Wednesday, August 10, 2011 from the hours of 3pm to 8pm at most Del Taco restaurant locations.

For those of you looking to stock up on these ridiculously cheap tacos, hold your horses, as there's a limit of 12 tacos per customer.

The tacos are normally about 59 cents each.

Additionally, there is a handy list of about 40 or so non-participating locations on Del Taco's Facebook page for you to peruse in case you don't want to just call your local Del Taco and check.

Review: Burger King - New BK Burger Minis

BK Burger Minis are Burger King's slightly different return to mini "slider" burgers. They come simple with a mini flame-broiled patty, a slice of crinkle cut pickle, and a splash of ketchup on a mini burger bun.

I picked up a pack of 4 BK Minis for $2.99 at my local Burger King.

Fast Food Reference: McDonald's Hamburger University

Apparently, it's McDonald's Hamburger University's 50th Anniversary this year. To celebrate, Online Colleges has come up with an infographic giving a visual representation of the scope of Hamburger University with a look at its structure and various factoids.

You can check it out the full infographic after the jump.

News: Domino's Celebrates the Noid's 25th with a Video Game Contest for Free Pizza

Avoid the Noid! Starting today and running for a week, Domino's is celebrating the 25th birthday of their former mascot, the Noid, by offering their Facebook Fans with a chance to win one of 10,080 (with one given out every minute of the contest period) $10 Domino's gift cards.

To win, you have to "like" Domino's on Facebook, play The NOID's Super Pizza Shootout game and post the highest round score during one of the many one-minute periods. The game features throwback 8-bit graphics that were the norm when the Noid made his television appearances for Domino's.

For those hoping for a more substantial return of the Noid, don't hold your breath; he's just back for this one promotion which runs until Monday, August 15, 2011.

News: Caribou Coffee Serves Up New Grown-up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Second-place coffee chain, Caribou Coffee now dishes out new Grown-up Grilled Cheese sandwiches in expanding their meal options.

The sandwiches are available in four varieties: Three Cheese Classic, Gouda Turkey Pesto, Aged Cheddar Roast and Italian Chicken Melt and are available nationwide at most Caribou locations.

News: Arby's - Arby-Q Sandwich Back for a Limited-Time

The Arby-Q sandwich, Arby's barbecue sauced version of their roast beef sandwich, is back for a limited time. You're going to want to call ahead to check availability as the sandwich is designated as "limited availability at participating locations" which means your chances of finding one could be hit or miss.

The Arby-Q consists of Arby's trademark roast beef smothered in a tangy, sweet barbecue sauce and served on a toasted sesame seed bun. The last time I saw it, it was around 99 cents so you can expect a price around that mark.

Review: Frito Lay - Jalapeno Jack Sun Chips

Frito Lay's Jalapeno Jack Sun Chips are made with all-natural ingredients and combine the flavor of Monterey Jack cheese with Jalapeño peppers

A 10.5-ounce bag retails for $3.79 or around $2.00 to $3.00 on sale.