Quiznos Offers New Toasty Gingerbread Bar

Just in time for the holidays, Quiznos offers the new Gingerbread Bar which can be toasted when ordered.

The new, limited time baked good features brown sugar, molasses, and some holiday spices. They come sprinkled with sugar and carry a suggested price of $1.49 (may vary), while supplies last.

Review: Red Burrito - The Red Burrito

Hardee's-Red Burrito's The Red Burrito features seasoned ground beef, refried beans, and hot sauce all stuffed in a warm tortilla and topped with red enchilada sauce and a melted cheddar blend.

I picked one up for $3.69.

Recipes from Taco Bell's 2014 Friendsgiving Feast

Here are some of the recipes from this year's Taco Bell 2014 Friendsgiving Feast. They had a number of recipe cards that they gave out and I've transcribed them here for you guys (with some edits for clarity and my own notes in parentheses). The Turkey Roulade wasn't on any recipe cards but I managed to get it anyway because it was awesome and my favorite dish there (I might try making it for Christmas). In case you want more, I also have the recipes from last year's event.

Without further ado:

Review: KFC - Pumpkin Cake

KFC's Pumpkin Cake is a pumpkin Bundt cake drizzled with cream cheese frosting and pumpkin-flavored sauce.

A 16-oz cake cost me $3.99 (it's also available as part of a Festive Feast).

First Look at the Card That Gets You Free Starbucks for Life

Starbucks recently released a photo of the Starbucks for Life card, which is good for a free food or beverage at Starbucks once a day, every day for 30 years. As you can see, the card appears to be made of (or made to resemble) hammered gold and is individually numbered and etched with its owner's name. It also comes in an individually numbered wooden box.

Carvel's 2014 Holiday Flavor is Andes Peppermint

Carvel teams up with Andes Mints this holiday to come up with a line up of peppermint flavored soft serve and ice cream treats.

Here's what they're offering:

- Peppermint Soft Serve

- Peppermint Ice Cream - mixed with chunks of Andes Peppermint Crunch.

Review: Taco Bell - Rolled Chicken Tacos

Taco Bell's new Rolled Chicken Tacos feature shredded, seasoned white meat chicken rolled up in a corn tortilla and deep-fried.

An order of four costs $3.99 and included two sauces for dipping (sauce choices include new Spicy Ranch, salsa, guacamole, nacho cheese, and sour cream). I went with Spicy Ranch and guacamole. You can also get an order of two with one sauce for $1.99 (which is a penny cheaper than buying four).

Papa John's Tosses New Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

Papa John's follows up the Fritos Chili Pizza with another pizza inspired by an iconic American dish: the new Philly Cheesesteak Pizza.

The new pizza comes topped with a creamy garlic sauce, thin-sliced steak, sliced onions, green peppers, plus mozzarealla and provolone cheese. It's being offered at $12 for a large.

Half-Price Cheeseburgers at Sonic on November 25, 2014

As a bit of a pre-Thanksgiving celebration before you start cooking up a storm (or watching someone else cook up a storm... or watching sports while someone else cooks up a storm, etc.), Sonic is offering a 50% discount on their Cheeseburgers all day tomorrow, Tuesday, November 25, 2014.

Review: Dark Chocolate-Dipped Wavy Lay's Chips

Dark Chocolate Dipped Wavy Lay's Chips are exclusive to Target for the holiday season and feature Wavy Lay's potato chips dipped in dark chocolate and lightly salted.

A 5-ounce bag cost me $3.99.

Burger King Offers New Berry Burger in Japan

As part of a Christmas promotion, or rather "Berry Kristmush" promotion, Burger King is offering two holiday-themed burgers over in Japan: the Mush 'N Cheese and the Premium Berry.

Krispy Kreme Launches New Danishes in Supermarkets

Krispy Kreme launches a line of new turnover-style Danishes at participating U.S. grocery stores and mass merchants.

Available in two flavors, Apple and Raspberry, the new, individually-wrapped desserts feature fruit filling (apples and raspberries, respectively) inside a sweet crust, drizzled with white icing.

Review: Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Pringles

Like the name sounds, Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Pringles are the tortilla chip version of Pringles dusted with cinnamon and sugar. They're a limited-time flavor for this winter.

A 6.52-oz canister was $1.50.

Here's Starbucks' 2014 Holiday Food Menu

Starbucks' 2014 Holiday Food Menu returns a number of seasonal regulars and adds the new Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini.

The new sandwich features roasted turkey, an herbed cranberry stuffing, and turkey gravy on toasted focaccia bread. It goes for $6.25 (may vary).

Clif Bars Available in Three Holiday Flavors for 2014

Clif Bar returns three seasonal holiday flavors for 2014: Iced Gingerbread, Pecan Pie, and Spiced Pumpkin Pie.

The 2.4-ounce energy bars are meant to mimic their respective holiday dessert and carry a suggested retail price of $1.39 each. They're available nationwide, while supplies last.

Frozen Friday: Chili's - Island Chicken & Rice

Chili's Island Chicken & Rice frozen meal features roasted white meat chicken in a jerk sauce with rice mixed with pineapples, Southwest-style vegetables, and black beans.

A 10-ounce box was $2 on sale.

Starbucks Australia Gets the Christmas Cookie Latte

New this year in Australia, Starbucks introduces the new Christmas Cookie Latte. If you're like me, you're probably picturing a latte flavored with sugar cookies and frosting, but it's actually made with a shortbread cookie sauce.

Red Robin's 2014 Holiday Menu Includes Holiday Turkey Burger & Croissant Donut Tower

Red Robin's 2014 holiday menu includes the new Holiday Turkey Burger as well as a tower of mini-croissant donuts that they're calling "Doh! Rings."

Here's the complete menu:

- The Holiday Turkey Burger is a turkey patty topped with sweet potato fries, bacon, green leaf lettuce, mayo, and apple-cranberry relish on a whole-grain toasted bun. The suggested price is $10.49.

Checkers / Rally's Grills Up New Primetime Steakhouse Double for $2

Checkers / Rally's latest limited-time value is the new Primetime Steakhouse Double for $1.99. They've also introduced new Grilled Cheese Strips.

Review: Smashburger - L.A. Smashburger

Smashburger's local L.A. Smashburger features a crispy wonton wrapper, fried egg, cilantro, cucumber, ginger dressing, lettuce & tomato on a black & white sesame seed bun.

I bought the "Regular Burger" version for $6.39 (they also have a "Big Burger" version with a larger patty).

Pei Wei Introduces New Sushi Crunch Rolls

Pei Wei adds some crunch to their sushi rolls with two new Sushi Crunch Rolls. Available in Teriyaki and Wasabi, the new rolls get their crunch from fried tempura flakes.

The Teriyaki Crunch Roll features Premium Pacific krab, sweet mango, and tempura flakes, drizzled with teriyaki sauce and wasabi aioli.

McDonald's Makes Dollar Menu Changes in New York Including 3 for $1 Mozzarella Sticks

Perhaps in a bit of regional testing, McDonald's expands the lower end of the Dollar Menu & More in the New York Tri-State Area by offering the Cheeseburger, new 3-piece Mozzarella Sticks, 4-piece Chicken McNuggets and 16-oz soft drink for $1 each for a limited time.

New Mixed Nuts Snickers Bar

Mars Chocolate introduces a new, limited edition Snickers candy bar this month: the Snickers Mixed Nuts bar. 

The new bar combines the signature peanuts with almonds and hazelnuts before finishing up in typical fashion with caramel, nougat, and milk chocolate.

Review: Pizza Hut - Pretzel Piggy Pizza

Pizza Hut's Pretzel Piggy Pizza is part of their new "Flavor of Now" menu expansion and features a hand-tossed pizza with a garlic parmesan sauce topped with bacon, mushrooms, and fresh spinach, plus a drizzle of balsamic sauce and a salted pretzel crust edge.

It cost me $11 for a large pizza with a carryout deal (the pizza is normally $14.99).

Starbucks Offers Free Refill Tumbler Starting Thanksgiving

Starbucks once again offers a special Brewed Coffee Refill Tumbler starting this Thanksgiving, November 27, 2014, while supplies last.

The special tumbler typically makes an annual appearance around this time of year and is good for one Grande brewed coffee each day of January 2015 when brought to a participating Starbucks location.

Target Adds Dark Chocolate Lay's for the Holidays

Target adds new Wavy Lay's Dark Chocolate Dipped Chips heading into the holiday season.

The new chips are joined by the return of Wavy Lay's Milk Chocolate Dipped Chips, which were first introduced last year.

Darius' Take - Five Guys - Little Bacon Cheeseburger

Five Guys' Little Bacon Cheeseburger comes fresh off the grill and features a single beef patty, bacon, and a slice of American cheese plus a choice of toppings.

I paid $6.09 for one at my local store.

Haagen-Dazs Peppermint Bark Ice Cream and Bars Back for 2014 Holidays

Haagen-Dazs Peppermint Bark ice cream and ice cream bars have once again made their annual return for the holiday season. Additionally, you can find limited-time Peppermint Bark Milkshakes and Sundaes at Haagen-Dazs Scoop Shops.

Einstein Bros. 2014 Holiday Menu

Einstein Bros. (and Noah's Bagels) goes with a cinnamon theme for this year's holiday menu, including a new Cinnamon Toast Egg Sandwich.

The new sandwich offers scrambled eggs, Applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and a cinnamon-butter blend on a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel.

Review: Starbucks - Chestnut Praline Latte

Starbucks' Chestnut Praline Latte combines espresso, steamed milk, and a spiced caramelized chestnut syrup for a wintry drink. It comes topped with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs.

A 12-oz Tall was $4.15.

Bojangles Offering Seasoned Fried Turkey for Thanksgiving

Bojangles is once again taking pre-orders on limited-time Seasoned Fried Turkeys at participating locations heading into Thanksgiving.

The turkeys are roasted, fried in vegetable oil, frozen, and then shipped to restaurants.

Starbucks Adds New Wireless Phone Charging

Starbucks adds free Powermat wireless charging to about 200 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area as the first step in a nationwide rollout. 

The stores feature "Powermat Spots," which are designated (and literal) spots on tables and counters where customers can place their compatible devices to charge them wirelessly without any need to take up an outlet.

TGI Fridays Introduces New Rib Flight Trio

TGI Fridays offers some rib variety with their new Rib Flight Trio. The special offers a choice of three of the chain's rib flavors for $10.

Review: KFC - Loaded Potato Bowl

KFC's Loaded Potato Bowl offers a slightly different take on their Famous Bowl and features a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy topped with corn, diced Extra Crispy chicken strips, a new bacon cheese sauce, green onions, and three cheese blend.

I bought a bowl with a 20-oz drink for $5 (sadly, no chocolate chip cookie was included at my local KFC); the bowl was also offered by itself at $3.99.

A Look at Taco Bell's 2nd Annual Friendsgiving Feast

Taco Bell held their second annual Friendsgiving event last week and I was on hand as an invitee (I also went last year), so I thought I'd share with you the Thanksgiving-type feast that was prepared by Taco Bell's chefs (i.e. the people who come up with new Taco Bell menu items)... with a Taco Bell twist of course.

Last year's feast was really good, but this year's was amazingly so (like "if you-could-whip-this-up-I-would-go-to-your-house-every-year-without-fail" good). Here's what was on the menu:

Wendy's Bacon Portabella Melt on Brioche Returns

Wendy's Bacon Portabella Melt on Brioche burger returns for a limited time as Thanksgiving nears.

The burger was first introduced last year as a Bacon Portabella Melt with an upgraded bun.

Free Holiday Drink with Food Purchase at Peet's

Peet's Coffee is offering a deal where you can get one of this year's holiday beverages for free with a food or bakery purchase. You'll need this coupon though. They've also introduced a new Cinnamon Hazelnut Latte.

Specifically, you can choose a free 12-oz seasonal drink from the following:

7-Eleven 2014 Holiday Deals & Promos

7-Eleven offers a Peppermint Mocha for the 2014 holiday season as well as new Cinnabon Gooey Bites (microwavable mini Cinnabons).

Beyond the new stuff, they're also offering a number of deals:

Review: Nonni's Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

Nonni's Pumpkin Spice Biscotti are pumpkin spice-flavored biscotti dipped in cinnamon icing.

The suggested retail price is $3.29 per 6.88-ounce box but I received this courtesy of Nonni's.

Pringles Debuts New Milk Chocolate Flavor

Pringles introduces new Milk Chocolate-flavored potato crisps as one of two new flavors for the 2014 holiday season to go along with three returning flavors.

The other new flavor is Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Pringles and both are exclusive to Walmart stores. Please bear in mind that the Milk Chocolate ones are milk chocolate-flavored Pringles and not milk chocolate covered. There's a dusting of seasoning on them.

Subways Offers $2 Cold-Cut & Meatball Subs Through December

Perhaps as a mea culpa for doing away with the $5 Featured Footlong, Subway is offering their $2 Customer Appreciation deal a bit earlier this year. Under the promotion you can get either a 6-inch Cold-Cut Combo or Meatball Marinara Sub for $2.

Review: Trader Joe's - Pumpkin O's Cereal

Trader Joe's Pumpkin O's cereal is a seasonal, toasted cereal made with brown rice, oats, and pumpkin.

A 12-oz box was $2.49. The box is a bit oversized for 12-ounces as the bag inside is only about two-thirds full or so.

New Stacy's Salted Caramel Pita Chips

For the holiday season, Frito-Lay-owned Stacy's Pita Chips introduces new Salted Caramel Pita Chips to their line up.

Rather than a dusting of flavor powdered, "real salted caramel flavor" is described as being baked right into the pita bread before it's sliced and baked to make the chips.

Jamba Juice Debuts New Build-Your-Own Oatmeal

Jamba Juice now lets you customize or build-your-own bowl of their Steel-Cut Oatmeal. Previously, you were left to choose from a number of set combinations.

The oats are organic steel-cut oats by Quaker that are slow-cooked in soymilk. They can now be topped with any of the following (varies with location):

Frozen Friday: Jimmy Dean's Grilled Steak

Jimmy Dean's Grilled Steak features a bowl of beef with potatoes, peppers, and onions in a beef sauce.

I got a 9-oz package for $1.49 on sale.

Boulder Canyon Unveils Thanksgiving Feast in Chip Form

With perhaps the true chip fan in mind, Boulder Canyon Foods introduces the Thanksgiving Feast, a bag of kettle-cooked chips featuring all the flavors of a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Taco Bell Debuts New Rolled Chicken Tacos

Taco Bell debuts new Rolled Chicken Tacos this upcoming Thursday, November 20, 2014. The new item features shredded white meat chicken rolled up in a corn tortilla and deep-fried.

An order of two will cost $1.99 and comes with a choice of one dipping sauce from a selection that includes new Spicy Ranch, salsa, guacamole, nacho cheese, and sour cream. An order of 4 will sell for $3.99.

Dunkin' Donuts Makes Angus Steak A Permanent Menu Fixture

Angus Steak sticks around at Dunkin' Donuts with the permanent return of the Angus Steak & Egg Breakfast Sandwich and Angus Steak & Egg Wake-Up Wrap at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide.

Review: Starbucks - Chestnut Praline Frappuccino

Starbucks' Chestnut Praline Frappuccino features a spiced, caramelized chestnut syrup blended with Frappuccino Roast coffee, milk, and ice, topped with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs.

I bought a 12-oz Tall for $4.25.

Carnitas Returns to Del Taco in Two New Burritos

Carnitas (braised, shredded pork) once again makes a return to Del Taco. In addition to the usual suspects, Del Taco is also introducing two new carnitas burritos: the Epic Carnitas Chipotle Burrito and the Epic Carnitas & Papas Burrito.