News: Jack in the Box - Chipotle Chicken Club Returns

The Chipotle Chicken Club is back at Jack in the Box for a limited time and with it, the Chipotle Chicken Club Combo for $4.99.

The sandwich features a spicy crispy chicken filet, hickory-smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, on toasted sourdough rounds. The combo tacks on a small order of fries and a drink.

The sandwich and combo were also offered around this time last year.

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

Baskin-Robbins' Flavor of the Month for April 2013 is Jamocha Heath, a combination of their signature coffee ice cream with crunchy pieces of Heath toffee candy.

As part of the feature, they're also offering a Jamocha Heath Cappuccino Blast and a Waffle Bowl Sundae.

Review: McDonald's Crispy Chicken and Ranch McWrap

McDonald's Crispy Chicken and Ranch McWrap is the last of the McWrap Trio that I tried. It features crispy chicken breast strips, two half slices of tomato, cucumber slices, spring greens, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar jack cheese, seasoned rice vinegar, and buttermilk ranch sauce for $3.99.

Local News: $2 McWraps at Los Angeles Area McDonald's Through April 15

McDonald's restaurants in the Southern California market are hoping you'll try the new McWraps by offering them for $2 each through this Monday, April 15.

McWraps are normally sold at $3.99 a piece and the promo price brings them down to Snack Wrap territory. That's pretty good considering they're more than twice as big.

News: 2013 Tax Day Deals

As the deadline to file tax returns looms (Monday, April 15), a number of US eatery chains seek to alleviate the stress a bit by offering deals to help celebrate getting it done.

Here's this year's Tax Day Deals:

News: Dunkin' Donuts Tests Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich

Dunkin' Donuts is trying out a Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich at a few locations out in eastern Massachusetts. As you might expect, the sandwich features bacon and a pepper fried egg inside a split yeast ring donut. Apparently, a version of the sandwich is also available in the Bahamas.

Review: McDonald's Sweet Chili Crispy Chicken McWrap

McDonald's Sweet Chili Crispy Chicken McWrap features crispy chicken breast strips, cucumber slices (a first for McDonald's), spring greens, shredded lettuce, sweet chili, and creamy garlic sauce.

These go for $3.99 each.

News: Panda Express - New Samurai Surf & Turf Free on April 17

Panda Express is giving away their latest new entree, Samurai Surf & Turf, for free on Wednesday, April 17. Panda Express has promoted surf and turf before, but this is the first time they've combined steak and shrimp into a single entree.

Samurai Surf & Turf features a stir-fry of Angus top sirloin steak, marinated shrimp, red bell peppers, string beans, diced potatoes, and a zesty Samurai sauce.

News: Church's Chicken - New Bigger Biscuits

Church's Chicken looks to improve on their signature Honey-Butter Biscuits with the release of a new "bigger, better" biscuit

Church's Chicken's biscuits are known for their crunchy crust, soft crumb, and plentiful, sweet sticky honey butter on top.

Review: Pizza Hut's Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza

Pizza Hut's new Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza is their latest limited-time gimmick and is basically Pizza Hut's hand-tossed pizza with the crust stretched out to form 16 open-faced dough pockets filled with a blend of five cheeses.

I picked up one with pepperoni for $12.99.

News: Sonic Debuts New Iced Green Tea

Sonic adds a new line up of fresh-brewed green iced teas to round out their drink menu, which already includes black iced teas. Also new are five sugar-free flavored syrups: peach, mango, raspberry, blackberry, and mint.

The new green iced teas are available in Sweet (with sugar) or Diet (with Splenda). The sugar-free syrups are also sweetened with Splenda.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Ice Cream-Flavored Coffees

In a bit of co-branding, Dunkin' Donuts partners with sister brand Baskin-Robbins to offer new Baskin-Robbins ice cream-flavored iced coffees. Specifically, Dunkin' is offering Mint Chocolate Chip Iced Coffee and Old Fashioned Butter Pecan Iced Coffee.

Each flavor is made with a blend of brewed coffee and flavored syrup.

Review: Carl's Jr. - Jim Beam Bourbon Burger

Carl's Jr.'s Jim Beam Bourbon Burger features a "rich and tangy sauce flavored with Jim Beam bourbon," a single, double, or Six Dollar Burger patty, onion straws, two strips of bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a sesame seed bun.

I went with the single for $3.89.

News: Frito Lay - New Doritos Locos Taco Tortilla Chips

Frito Lay goes full circle in offering new, limited-time Doritos Locos Tacos Tortilla Chips. That's right, they're offering a bag of chips that's the flavor of the tacos that's the flavor of the chips. Actually, the new chips take a cue from the currently discontinued Doritos Collisions, where two different chips are offered in the same bag.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Chicken Salad and Tuna Salad Wraps

Dunkin' Donuts now offers new Wraps at participating Dunkin' locations nationwide. The new wraps are served in an 8-inch, warm flour tortilla with white cheddar cheese and bacon and mixes it up with two varieties: Chicken Salad and Tuna Salad.

The salad feature their respective proteins blended with mayo, celery, herbs, and spices.

Local Review: Bun Bun Tea House

Bun Bun Tea House in Arcadia is most notable for offering a Taiwanese take on classic American burgers. They offer several burgers and each order comes with French fries and a potato ball.

I got their Black Pepper Beef with Egg Rice Bun, but was also able to sample their Taiwanese Beef Burger and Taiwanese Juicy Pork Burger from my siblings. The Black Pepper Beef Rice Bun was $7.25, the beef burger was $6.50, and so was the pork burger.

News: New Pringles Stix

Pringles is branching out beyond potato crisps with new Pringles Stix. You might expect these to be made of dehydrated potatoes or potato flour, but their main ingredient is wheat flour.

The idea for Pringles Stix are that they are "fun to play with;" they're about just the right size to substitute as chopsticks or drumsticks.

News: Frito-Lay - New Tapatio Cheetos and Lay's Tapatio Limon

Frito-Lay offers two new Tapatio brand hot sauce-flavored snacks with Lay's Tapatio Limon potato chips and Tapatio Cheetos.

The flavors join an existing Tapatio-flavored line up that includes Tapatio Limon Ruffles potato chips and Tapatio Doritos tortilla chips and are currently available in the western and central regions of the US.

Review: Pepperidge Farm - Carrot Cake Cookies

Apparently, Pepperidge Farm is looking to other desserts for inspiration with their Dessert Shop cookie line. These Carrot Cake Cookies are soft-baked, spiced carrot cake cookies made with carrots, pecans, and cream cheese-flavored chunks.

I picked up an 8.6-ounce package for $2.69.

News: Nabisco - New Brown Rice Triscuit Crackers

Nabisco switches it up with a new line of Brown Rice Triscuits that, in addition to being made with a blend of whole grain brown rice and wheat, offer varieties that weave in pieces of sweet potato or red beans.

The new Brown Rice Triscuits are purported to be lighter in texture with a crispier crunch compared to the original. They come in five flavors:

Frozen Friday: Healthy Choice - Oven Roasted Chicken

Healthy Choice's Oven Roasted Chicken frozen meal features chicken tenderloins in a homestyle gravy, whipped potatoes, green beans, carrots, and peach dessert.

An 11.4-ounce box retails for about $3.99.

News: KFC to Offer New Boneless Original Recipe Chicken

In a move that might change KFC's core product, KFC plans to introduce new Original Recipe Boneless Chicken on April 14. For a chain that already offers strips and bites, and once offered Boneless Filets, you might ask what's the big deal?

Apparently, the new chicken will be available in dark meat and white meat pieces that will be bereft of bones and skin, but still be breaded and fried in Original Recipe fashion.

Get the Ben & Jerry's Flavor You Want

A problem that comes up for some Ben & Jerry's fans is when their local supermarket or grocer stops stocking their favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor or they just can't locate that new Limited-Batch flavor.

Since getting it shipped from elsewhere tends to be prohibitively expensive, most are just left to do without. But there is something you can try to get that Ben & Jerry's flavor you're fiending for...

News: Boston Market Adds BBQ Ribs to the Menu

Boston Market expands their meat repertoire with new, limited-time St. Louis Style Ribs. The bone-in ribs are seasoned, slow-smoked, and brushed with a "zesty, sweet barbeque sauce."

The ribs can be had a la carte, as part of an individual meal, or in a family meal.

The individual meals come with two sides and cornbread with prices starting at $10.99 for a meal with a quarter rack of ribs. A half rack meal goes for $12.99.

Review: Little Caesars - Deep Deep Dish Pizza

Little Caesars' new Deep Deep Dish Pizza ("Deep! Deep! Dish Pizza") promises a Detroit-style pizza with a crunchy crust with a crispy, caramelized cheese edge and a soft, chewy crumb, topped with pepperoni and a blend of mozzarella and muenster cheese.

I picked one up for $8. It only comes in one size: large.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - 2013 Spring Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts introduces two really bright, limited-time Spring Pastel Donuts this month: the Spring Showers Donut and the Spring Fling Donut.

The Spring Showers Donut is a yeast donut filled with apple raspberry jelly, decorated with a strawberry and pastel green icing drizzle over white dipping icing.

News: Dairy Queen - New $5 Buck Lunch

This month, Dairy Queen is making a value play for your lunch dollar with the launch of DQ $5 Buck Lunches.

Apparently, their research showed that over half of millennials (18-34 year olds) are more likely to "make a complete meal choice" (i.e. buy a combo) for lunch if it includes dessert. As such, the $5 Buck Lunch includes a sundae.

Around the World: Domino's Japan Offered Canned Pizza for April Fool's

Apparently, they celebrate April Fool's Day in Japan... at least, they do at Domino's.

As an April Fool's joke, the Domino's Japan website offered pizza in a can on April 1. The fake cans was offered at 401 yen a pop... you know, for April 1 (4-01).

Review: Dunkin' Donuts - Coffee with Cream and Sugar

We don't have Dunkin' Donuts in California yet, so when Ben & Jerry's invited me out to Vermont, a short walk in 20 degree weather (so cold my teeth hurt) brought me to a nearby Dunkin' Donuts, where I got myself a welcome cup of piping hot coffee with cream and sugar.

The price tag came out to $1.39 for a small 10-ounce cup, which is slightly less than a brewed cup at Starbucks and a fair bit more than McDonald's (where a 12-ounce cup is $1).

News: Pizza Hut - New Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza

For a limited-time, Pizza Hut offers new Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza. While not quite "crazy," the latest Pizza Hut gimmick features 16 cheese-filled dough pockets (seats?) encompassing the pizza's crust.

The pockets look kinda like a cheese version of egg tarts and the pizza isn't remarkably different from the Cheesy Bites Pizza save in shape. The pizza also bears more than a passing resemblance to the Crown Crust Pizza that's been making the rounds internationally.

News: Popeyes Brings Back Rip'n Chicken

Rip'n Chicken (stylized "Rip'n Chick'n") returns to Popeyes this month. The odd-looking (some would say "disturbing-looking") chicken features a chicken breast filet partially-cut into pull-apart strips so that you can rip the strips off yourself.

Review: Arby's - Double-Stacked Reuben Sandwich

Arby's Double-Stacked Reuben is the limited-time meatier cousin of their regular menu Reuben.

For an extra buck, you can double the amount of meat on the sandwich. The rest of the sandwich includes Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island, between two slices of toasted marble rye bread.

I picked one up for $5.99 at my local Arby's restaurant.

News: Subway - April 2013 Featured Subs

This April sees Subway continuing to offer a selection of Featured Value Subs, but also brings back the $5 Featured Footlong.

Oven Roasted Chicken continues to be offered as a $3 Six-Inch Select Sub, but is joined by Black Forest Ham.

News: Dairy Queen - April 2013 Blizzard of the Month

Dairy Queen's Blizzard of the Month for this April is a bit of a mouthful. It's the Choco Covered Pretzel with Peanut Butter Blizzard.

The Choco Covered Pretzel with Peanut Butter Blizzard is made with choco (i.e. fudge) covered pretzel pieces, peanut butter, and choco chunks blended into vanilla soft serve.

Review: Burger King - Turkey Burger

Burger King's new, limited-time Turkey Burger features a ground turkey patty, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and mayo on an artisan-style bun.

It cost $3.99 at my local Burger King.

News: Little Caesars - New Deep! Deep! Dish Pizza

Little Caesars introduces their first new product in a long time with new Deep Deep Dish pizza (stylized as "DEEP!DEEP! Dish pizza"), a rectangular Detroit-style pizza in a nod to the chain's hometown.

For you crust lovers out there, the pizza has 8 corners for twice the crunchy crust. In the Detroit-style, the pizza is cooked in a modern adaptation of assembly line part trays that are considered essential to the method. The pans are coated with olive oil.

Around the World: McDonald's Taiwan Cuckoo Clock Tower

Photo credit: McDonald's Taiwan

In a bit of over-the-top marketing, McDonald's has come up with this cuckoo clock tower atop an elevator in a train station in Taipei.

When the clock strikes 12, instead of a a cuckoo bird, an oversized Sausage McMuffin pops out.

Apparently, it's a new attraction for McDonald's fans to see.

What do you think? Too much or brilliant?

Review: Nutkao Snack

Nutkao is an Italian brand that makes a spread similar to Nutella. The Nutkao Snack is aimed at "young people" according to their website and features little biscuit sticks with a cocoa-based spread in individual cups.

I picked up a 5.5-ounce package of three cups for $2.50 at Big Lots.

News: Ben & Jerry's - 2013 New Flavors

Ben & Jerry's has unveiled their new flavors for 2013. In addition to the Liz Lemon flavor that I wrote about earlier, the rest of the line up includes Chocolate Peppermint Crunch, Pineapple Passionfruit, Vanilla Honey Caramel, Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz, and Candy Bar Pie.

Chocolate Peppermint Crunch is chocolate ice cream with peppermint and fudge swirls and mint chocolate cookies.

Review: Fresh & Easy - Kettle Corn

Fresh & Easy Kettle Corn is kettle-cooked popcorn made with a mix of sugar, salt, and oil. You'll usually find kettle corn at county fairs or farmer's markets, but it's nice to pick up a bag at a market.

An 8-ounce bag is $1.99

News: DiGiorno - New Pizzeria Pizza

DiGiorno's newest pizza offering is Pizzeria (stylized "pizzeria!") pizza, which aims to bring a pizzeria pizza taste that bakes up in your oven in a little more than 20 minutes.

The tagline on the box says "pizzeria style crust. created with care." But not capitalization.

What's on the Menu: Domino's Pizza Nigeria

Nigeria is probably best known here in the US as that place where someone has a million dollars to give you, but needs some of your money to get it i.e. it's known for email scams. But did you know that you can get bananas on your pizza at Domino's there? Me neither.

Let's take a look at what's on the menu at Domino's in Nigeria...

Frozen Friday: Trader Joe's - Danish Pancakes

Trader Joe's Danish Pancakes (aka aebleskivers) are basically pancake balls. They're typically made in a special pan that looks a bit like a cast iron round muffin tin but with hemispherical indentations.

A 19.5-ounce bag of frozen pancakes sells for $3.49.

Around the World: Taco Bell Costa Rica Offers Doritos Locos Nachos!

In what might be considered to some to be an easy extension of the Doritos Locos line, Taco Bell Costa Rica offers Doritos Locos Nachos.

The dish is basically a Nachos Supreme, except they still get green onions and instead of plain tortilla chips, Doritos Nacho Cheese-flavored chips are substituted. As a bonus, the Doritos Locos Nachos are offered two for the price of one after 10pm as a late night special.

Review: Burger King - Chipotle Whopper

Burger King's new, limited-time Chipotle Whopper is part of their current spring menu and features a Whopper beef patty, a spicy chipotle mayo, sweet "Caramelized style" onions, thick-cut bacon, pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce, on a wide sesame seed bun.

My local Burger King offers them for $4.99 (you might find it for less; the suggested retail starts at $4.29).

News: KFC Introduces Lil Bucket Kids Meals

KFC repackages their kids meals with new Little (stylized "Li'l") Bucket Kids Meals, so named because they come in a kid-size version of KFC's signature bucket.

Each meal comes with a Kentucky Grilled Chicken drumstick, green beans, a GoGOsqueez brand applesauce in a squeeze tube, and a Capri Sun Roarin' Water.

Giveaway Drawing: Dole Fruit Crisp

If any of you are hankering for a few free fruit cups (with a bit of crunch), here's a chance for one of you to get some. Since spring hasn't quite set in in some parts, I have a Dole Fruit Crisps Cozy Kit to give away.

What makes it cozy you ask? It comes with an infinity scarf, slipper-socks, an apple crisp candle, and a 2-pack of each flavor of Dole Fruit Crisps (Apple Cinnamon, Peach, and Apple Pear), so you can lounge around and get your fruit cup with oat topping on.

Review: Wendy's - Asiago Ranch Flatbread Sandwich

Wendy's new Asiago Ranch Flatbread Sandwich features grilled chicken breast strips, spring mix, tomatoes, natural Asiago cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, and creamy Asiago ranch sauce, folded in a five-grain toasted flatbread.

I picked one up from my local Wendy's for $4.09.

News: Panera Bread - 2013 Featured Spring Menu

Panera Bread welcomes the spring by throwing some buzzwords together and coming up with new Premium Signature Pastas (apparently "Signature Pastas" was already taken by their Mac & Cheese). The three new pastas are the result of two years of testing and look to be a permanent menu addition.

But that's not all: here's a full list of what Panera's featuring to kick off spring:

News: Taco Bell Testing Crispy Taquito Dippers

Taco Bell is currently testing taquitos in a few test markets and are calling them Crispy Taquito Dippers, as each two-piece order comes with your choice of one of five dipping sauces, including a new spicy ranch.