News: Baskin-Robbins - February 2013 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins' Flavor of the Month for February 2013 is the Valentine's Day-themed Bundle of Love ice cream.

Bundle of Love features chocolate ice cream mixed with chocolate-flavored cups and raspberry-filled chocolate-flavored hearts. The flavor is available by the scoop (in a cup or cone) or as the base for a milkshake. You can also buy it to take home in a hand-packed pint, quart, or half-gallon.

Review: Starbucks - Reusable $1 Cup

At its most basic, Starbucks' Reusable $1 Cup is a cheap plastic cup resembling the chain's disposable paper cup.

The cup is fairly light but sturdy enough that you can't crush it without putting some real effort into it.

Around the World: Valentine's Day Heart Edition

While KFC and Domino's aren't offering anything here in the U.S. in celebration of Valentine's Day this year, there are a few items they've made specifically for the holiday in a couple other countries.

Domino's Japan offers the heart-shaped Valentine's Day Pizza, which serves two and is topped with pepperoni and fresh mozzarella.

News: Ben & Jerry's - New Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt

With NBC's 30 Rock having just recenty ended its run, Ben & Jerry's pays homage to the show's main character, Liz Lemon with new Liz Lemon Greek frozen yogurt.

The new flavor features a base of lemon Greek frozen yogurt with a blueberry lavender swirl in a combination they're describing as "lemon-y, blueberry-y."

Review: Nabisco - Birthday Cake Oreo Cookies

Last year, the Oreo cookie celebrated its 100th birthday and introduced Birthday Cake Oreos with a birthday cake flavored creme filling interspersed with rainbow cake sprinkles. The Oreo is now 101 years old and you can still get Birthday Cake Oreos, so I thought I'd give them a try.

A 15.25-ounce package sells for $2.99.

Frozen Friday - Lean Cuisine - Salad Additions - Southwest-Style Chicken

Lean Cuisine's Salad Additions is offered as a solution to help you prepare a single-serve salad as long as you bring the lettuce. The Southwest-Style Chicken Salad Additions comes with chipotle ranch dressing, grilled white chicken meat, black beans, sweet corn, roasted red peppers, poblano peppers, and crispy tortilla strips.

The retail price on a 7 1/8-ounce box is $3.99.

News: Boston Market - New Tuscan Herb Rotisserie Chicken

For a limited-time, Boston Market is offering a variation on their signature Rotisserie Chicken by debuting an herby version they're calling "Tuscan Herb Rotisserie Chicken."

The new menu item is described as "Our signature chicken seasoned with a blend of Tuscan-inspired herbs and spices."

News: IHOP Adds New Griddle Melts

IHOP will soon to offer new Griddle Melts on their menu. The made-to-order sandwiches feature artisan sourdough bread with a choice of three fluffy omelettes made from fresh ingredients.

The three available varieties include:

News: Papa Murphy's Offers HeartBaker Pizza for Valentine's Day

Papa Murphy's once again offers the HeartBaker heart-shaped pizza as Valentine's Day fast approaches.

The pizza is made fresh at each Papa Murphy's location with pizza dough formed into the shape of a heart, topped with three different types of fresh-grated cheese and pepperoni.

Local Review: Philippe the Original - Beef French Dip

Philippe the Original or Philippe's as most people call it claims to have invented the French dip sandwich and is one of the most historic restaurants here in Southern California and is one of the few L.A. institutions that harkens back to a different time.

The Beef French Dip (it's also available with Pork, Ham, Lamb, and Turkey) is served on a crusty French roll with slices of roast beef dipped in jus from the roasted-in-house meats. It costs $6.50 for about a 6" sandwich and can be had "single-dip," "double-dip," or "wet." I went with the "double-dip."

Neat! Tim Hortons Unveils "The Priestley"

If you caught the last episode of How I Met Your Mother, you saw a guest spot where Jason Priestley (best known for playing Brandon Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210) describes where he was and what donut he was eating when Robin Sparkles lost it in front of a national (Canadian) audience.

In his words: "Squamish, British Columbia. Crammed a Timbit into a strawberry vanilla and called it 'The Priestley.'" You can check out a clip of the scene here at 2:00.

News: Einstein Bros. - Free Bagel and Shmear with Coffee Purchase

Einstein Bros. and Noah's Bagels are offering a free bagel and shmear of your choice with any size coffee or espresso purchase this Saturday, February 9, 2013, in celebration of National Bagel Day (yes, there's one for bagels too).

The promotion will run all day (while supplies last) on Saturday at participating locations. Most locations are open on Saturday from 5:30am to 4:00pm, but you probably want to call ahead and check before you make the trip.

News: Starbucks - BOGO Drinks Through February 14th

Starbucks is running a Valentine's Day promotion where you can buy one of three featured drinks and get another one (of equal or lesser value) for free after 2pm through Thursday, February 14, 2013.

News: Fazoli's - $1 Fettuccini on February 7th

Apparently, it's National Fettuccini Alfredo Day (because there's apparently a national day for everything under the sun) today, and fast casual Italian restaurant chain, Fazoli's, is celebrating by offering Fettuccini Alfredo for just $1.

Review: Frito Lay - Doritos Jumpin' Jack Tortilla Chips

Frito Lay's Doritos Jumpin' Jack tortilla chips are a "throwback" flavor they're re-releasing for a limited time. They're basically pepper jack-flavored tortilla chips.

The retail price on a 11-ounce bag is $4.29.

News: Taco Bell - New Mtn Dew Baja Blast Freeze

Taco Bell now offers a new frozen slush version of their exclusive flavor of Mtn Dew (because "Mountain Dew" was too long and who needs vowels except for "e") with Mtn Dew Baja Blast Freeze.

The flavor is basically the taste of Mountain Dew plus a hit of tropical lime.

News: Peet's - New Dutch Cocoa Blueberry Mocha and Hot Cocoa

For a limited-time, Peet's is pouring a new Dutch Cocoa Blueberry Mocha as well as a Blueberry Hot Cocoa.

The new drink is inspired by the flavor of chocolate-covered blueberries and the blueberry notes of their occasionally available special lot Ethiopian Super Natural coffee (I know it's not intentional, but it makes me think ghosts and spookiness that you don't usually want to associate with coffee).

Review: Pizza Hut - Big Pizza Sliders

Pizza Hut's new, limited-time Big Pizza Sliders are basically mini pan pizzas sold in a set of nine for the same $10 as Pizza Hut's regular large pizza.

You can choose up to 3 toppings for each set of three mini pizzas, essentially giving you three different combinations of toppings per order. It's good for when you're feeding a few people and they all want different toppings.

News: KFC Offers Chicken Pot Pie for $3.99

KFC returns the $3.99 promotional price for their Chunky Chicken Pot Pie for a limited time. They ran the same promotion around this time last year.

The Chunky Chicken Pot Pie comes filled with chunks of chicken, potatoes, peas, and carrots in a creamy sauce and covered buttery, flaky crust. They're normally offered for $5 to $6.

News: Krispy Kreme - Valentine Donuts Return

Krispy Kreme once again offers a limited-time selection of Valentine's Day Donuts leading up to Valentine's Day. Additionally, they're bringing back the promotion where you get 12 Valentine's Day cards (each good for a free donut) when you purchase a dozen Valentine donuts.

The Valentine Donuts available this year are:

News: Carl's Jr./Hardee's - New Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich

While most fast food chains are offering some sort of battered and deep-fried fish option around this time of year, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are offering a grilled fish option with the new Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich.

The sandwich features a charbroiled Atlantic cod fillet, tartar sauce, lettuce, and tomato on a honey wheat bun.

News: Dairy Queen - February 2013 Blizzard of the Month

To get you in the Valentine's Day mood, Dairy Queen's featured Blizzard of the Month for February 2013 is the Choco Covered Strawberry Blizzard. The flavor features choco chunks with strawberries blended into DQ's vanilla soft serve.

If you want to go big, there's also a Choco Covered Strawberry Blizzard Cake available for order. In addition to the Blizzard flavor, it's layered with vanilla soft serve and fudge crunch.

Review: Taco Bell - Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito

Taco Bell's Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito comes off from their $1 Cravings value menu test and features nacho cheese, refried beans, and seasoned rice wrapped up in a flour tortilla.

It costs $1 and is listed as a "Cheesy" craving.

2013 Super Bowl Fast Food Ad Round Up

In case, you missed it, here are the fast food ad spots that ran during the Super Bowl (technically only the Taco Bell ad ran during the Super Bowl, the others ran before or after and are therefore "Big Game" ads).

News: IHOP - Red Velvet Pancakes Return

IHOP returns Red Velvet Pancakes to their menu. Introduced in the summer of last year, it looks like this time, its stay might be an extended one as it's now designated as a "Signature Pancake" (update: they're only around until April 14, 2013).

The dish comes in a four-stack featuring chocolaty Red Velvet Pancakes topped with a cream cheese icing, powdered sugar, and a dollop of whipped topping for good measure.

News: Pizza Hut - New Big Pizza Sliders

Pizza Hut's latest pizza novelty is new, limited-time Big Pizza Sliders, which aren't really sliders at all, but instead, are 3.5" mini-pizzas meant to be an alternative to the pizza slice.

Each "slider" can be topped with up to three toppings and come in orders of three and nine. The bonus is that you can top each slider individually (in the 3-piece order; with the 9-piece, you choose the toppings for each set of three), which leaves for a fair bit of variety.

Review: Trader Joe's - Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Trader Joe's Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies feature small round cookie sandwiches made with ground hazelnuts with a "creamy" chocolate hazelnut filling.

A 10-ounce box cost me $3.99.

Around the World: KFC Japan - Double Down with Rice Between the Chicken...

KFC Japan takes the Double Down a step further with the oddly translated "Kentucky Chicken Rice." The new, limited-time item is so named because it introduces rice between the two fried chicken filets the infamous Double Down is known for.

Specifically, the Kentucky Chicken Rice comes with a patty of ketchup rice, a slice of cheddar cheese, tomato sauce, and a special sauce (i.e. the Colonel's sauce) sandwiched between two Original Recipe fried chicken filets.

News: Taco Bell - Free Churro with Purchase on February 4th

Taco Bell is offering a free Churro with any purchase tomorrow, Monday, February 4, 2013.

Taco Bell is calling the one day promotion "Live Mas Monday" in support of their Live Mas marketing campaign, which was most recently pushed with two Super Bowl ads: one for the tagline in general entitled "Viva Young" (which was teased earlier in "Grandpa Goes Wild") and one for the new Cantina Steak Burrito entitled "Grande Papi" (i.e. "Big Daddy").

Review: Kellogg's - Special K Sweet and Salty Popcorn Chips

Kellogg's Special K Popcorn Chips promise the "rich, irresistaible taste of popcorn" with a "unique crunch and texture." They're baked snacks meant to satisfy a craving without too much in the way of calories or fat.

A 4.5-ounce box is $3.69 at my local supermarket.

News: Kashi - New BBQ Recipe Chicken Pizza

If you're into eating Kashi brand thin crust pizza, your options just expanded by one with new Kashi BBQ Recipe Chicken Pizza. It features white meat chicken, caramelized onions, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, cilantro, and cherrywood smoke-flavored barbecue sauce.

Of course, the pizza crust is wood-fired and made with Kashi's 7 Whole Grains, but also adds sesame to the mix. The actual trademark is "Kashi 7 Whole Grains & Sesame."

News: Hershey's - New Special Dark Milkshakes

Hershey's line of single-serve refrigerated milk and milkshakes adds a new Special Dark Chocolate Milk Shake flavor starting March 2013.

The new flavor comes in 12-ounce single-serve, plastic bottles and is available at retailers nationwide.

I've never tried one of these before. Looking at the ingredients, they don't seem to be made with any ice cream or any cream at all; just thickeners for creamy texture.

Frozen Friday: Trader Joe's - Aloo Chaat Kati Pouches

Trader Joe's Aloo Chaat Kati Pouches are a savory crispy pastry filled with potatoes, chick peas, chaat masala, and tamarind chutney.

An 8-ounce box of two pouches were $2.29.

News: Subway - February 2013 Featured $5 Footlong

It is once again FebruANY at Subway this February, which means this month's Featured $5 Footlong is every regular Footlong sub on the menu.

"Premium" or "Special" Footlongs (basically Steak, Roast Beef, and Chicken & Bacon) are also on sale this year at $6 a piece.

Like last year, Subway is also running an instant-win promotion dubbed "Footlong Frenzy" with "Free Footlongs for Life" up for grabs as well as other prizes. You can find game codes on specially-marked 30-ounce cups as well as specially-marked Doritos Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch tortilla chip bags.

News: Dickey's Barbecue - New Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Dickey's Barbecue introduces some heat with the new, limited-time Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

The sandwich features a toasted buttery roll filled with marinated chicken breast, smothered in a zesty Louisiana hot sauce blend and topped with Onion Tanglers (their version of onion strings) and Romaine lettuce.

Around the World: KFC Malaysia - New Goldenwrap Chicken

In Malaysia, KFC is offering new Goldenwrap Chicken. The unique thing about this new dish is it's wrapped in parchment paper and deep-fried according to this report.

The parchment paper is oil-proof, water-proof, and non-stick to seal in the juices (and presumably keep out the oil). The practice is used in baking, but I've never heard of it being fried (but I guess it would cook faster).

News: Jack in the Box - New Hot Mess Burger

Jack in the Box creates a faux '80s rock band back story for their faux founder for the release of their latest burger, the Hot Mess Burger, named after Jack's new '80s-themed Hot Mess music video.

The Hot Mess Burger features a jumbo beef patty seasoned with salt and pepper, sliced jalapenos, onion rings, and melted white cheddar and pepper jack cheese between two sliced of grilled sourdough bread.

Review: Foster's Freeze - Chili Cheese Dog

The Foster's Freeze Chili Cheese Dog features a Nathan's Famous hot dog inside a bun topped off with chili and cheese.

It cost $2.59.

News: Wendy's - Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich Returns

Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet sandwich makes its annual seasonal return to the Wendy's menu.

The sandwich features a hand-cut fillet of North Pacific Cod, breaded in a panko crumb coating and deep-fried. Like a lot of sandwiches of its kind, the fish fillet is accompanied by the obligatory tartar sauce and lettuce.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - $2.99 Bakery Sandwiches

Dunkin' Donuts offers Bakery Sandwiches for $2.99 all February long at participating locations.

The sandwich line was introduced last year as an expansion to their non-breakfast sandwich line up.

News: Menchie's - Free Frozen Yogurt on February 6

Like rival chain Yogurtland, Menchie's will also be offering free self-serve frozen yogurt in celebration of National Frozen Yogurt Day on Wednesday, February 6, 2013.

Unlike Yogurtland, Menchie's will be running the promotion the whole day, but you'll need to print out a coupon available on the chain's Facebook page here (you'll need to "like" the page to access the coupon).

News: Church's Chicken - New Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Plus Seafood Menu Returns

Church's Chicken introduces Baked Macaroni & Cheese to their menu. The dish features a creamy rendition of mac and cheese topped with shredded cheddar and baked until brown.

With many fast food chains breaking out their seafood dishes for Lent, Church's joins the party with the return of their seafood menu.

Review: McDonald's - Fish McBites

McDonald's Fish McBites are bite-sized pieces of Alaskan Pollock, breaded in a seasoned blend flour and corn meal, then deep fried.

A snack-size portion cost $2.29 at my local McDonald's.

News: Yogurtland - Free Frozen Yogurt on February 6

In celebration of National Frozen Yogurt Day, Yogurtland is offering free yogurt and toppings to their guests on Wednesday, February 6th, from 4pm to 7pm.

Along with the free yogurt and toppings, guests will receive a commerative cup and collectable biodegradable spoon (you know, to put the yogurt in and eat it).

News: Papa John's - Call Super Bowl Coin Flip Correctly for Free Pizza

Papa John's is inviting customers to call the coin toss for this year's Super Bowl, with a free large one-topping pizza in it for those who guess correctly.

They ran a similar promotion during last year's Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLVI) where Papa Rewards (their loyalty program) members collectively called the coin toss by popular vote and ended up each getting a free large one-topping pizza for their troubles when the coin landed "heads."

News: Sonic - Half-Price Footlong Hot Dogs on February 2

Sonic is celebrating Groundhog's Day on February 2, 2013, by offering their Footlong Quarter Pound Hot Dogs for half off.

Normally, you can only get the Chili Cheese Coney as a footlong dog, but for a limited-time, Sonic is making their entire hot dog line up available in footlong size.

News: McDonald's - New Fish McBites

Fish McBites have arrived at McDonald's! At least they're arrived at my local area McDonald's restaurants anyway. It looks like they're doing a staggered national rollout with TV spots and other various advertisements to come mid-February.

The fish version of Chicken McBites was tested around this time last year in select markets and did well enough to warrant a national launch.

Review: Carl's Jr. - Hand-Scooped Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich

Carl's Jr.'s Hand-Scooped Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich features a scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip cookies for $1.69 a pop.

They're also available at Carl's Jr. sister chain, Hardee's.

News: Panda Express - New Tangy Jumbo Shrimp

Panda Express arrives with new Tangy Jumbo Shrimp just in time for Chinese New Year (and not-so-coincidentally, Lenten season). The entree features deep-fried and battered extra-large shrimp, wok-tossed with sugar peas, red bell peppers, and a new tangy "Asian seafood" sauce.

To encourage customers to try the new dish, Panda Express is offering free servings of the dish on Wednesday, February 13, 2013. You'll need a printable coupon to take advantage of the offer and you can find it on the Panda Express website here. You can also display the coupon on your smartphone to redeem it.

News: IHOP - Free Pancakes on February 5th

National Pancake Day falls on February 5 this year and IHOP is once again offering free pancakes to their guests on the day.

Specifically, the chain will be inviting guest to enjoy a free short stack of those buttermilk pancakes they're known for.