http://www.chow.com/boards/32 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:50:12 GMT Keep track of the lastest threads on Chowhound http://www.chow.com/topics/626987#4827981 Houston's In-N-Out Cheddar's Casual Cafe Bonefish Grill Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:27:10 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/626987#4827981 http://www.chow.com/topics/633774#4827917 I dri nk lots of coffee at STARBUCKS, BUT the only food there that seems good is the whipped cream.................................. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:54:23 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/633774#4827917 http://www.chow.com/topics/600048#4827899 Okay, I should not have used "fabulous" for P.F. Chang's, buy compared to other chains it is in my opinion. I probably haven't been there in about 3 years. And I very rarely eat at chains. It's been a very long time since I've had a meal at a chain restaurant. But comparing P.F. Chang's to other chains, I think it's way better. And the quality probably has gone down in the last three years for sure, so I don't know what it's like now. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:42:30 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/600048#4827899 http://www.chow.com/topics/632592#4827837 ****UPDATE**** I had emailed Harris Teeter last week and voiced my disappointment. I didn't ask for anything, just wanted to let them know that I thought they should carry a few specialty brands in addition to the Boars Head. I received a response from them today advising that they notified the fresh foods manager at my local HT to order a case of the Selzers Lebanon Bologna and they will keep it on hand for me. They won't display it or advertise it, but I should tell the deli employee that it is in the back and they will retrieve it and slice it to order. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:09:14 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/632592#4827837 http://www.chow.com/topics/633582#4827815 I have to admit, I have not done the 10/10 in a while. didn't know the change. Normally most of their items are something I use, but not all the time. Last time I think I bought 2 of 2 items and 3 of another and 3 misc. But they are not always things I can use. Just depends. I can understand now with the confusion Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:57:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/633582#4827815 http://www.chow.com/topics/619613#4827409 I've eaten at 3 Kona Grill locations in AZ a bunch of times (part of a shopper gig... shhh... don't tell anyone). First, with multiple visits to each the location in Chandler has ALWAYS been better than the one in Scottsdale. Both in service and, more importantly, in food quality. For instance, the Lemon Grass Crusted Halibut, while overpriced, was absolutely fabulous in Chandler. I had the same thing later in Scottsdale and it was just okay. This happened with other dishes as well. In appetizers, my favorite is the avocado egg rolls. I love those! Potstickers were substantial and tasted pretty good. The satay, however, seemed nothing like satay to me. The "tacos", which are more like wraps, were exceedingly bland made with chicken but very tasty made with the blackened catfish. I think I had the Basil Pesto Linguine once, but can't remember it. Which probably says something about it. The sushi I have sampled was all okay (other than one very odd tasting California rolls of all things), but nothing to write home about. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:02:29 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/619613#4827409 http://www.chow.com/topics/628194#4827300 I agree ferret -- and usually I agree with pikawicca. Almost EVERY fast/casual chain has food loaded with fat and salt. These two ingredients send you away feeling full, and that is their goal. It is up to us as individuals to say "hold the cheese and mayo" and control what we consume. You can eat light and healthy at Panera, and just about anywhere else, if you choose wisely. Personally, I like Panera -- there is one near my office, and a co-worker's wife works there, so she will often deliver to us and when she does, she adds a few of those big cookies at no charge. Their food is fresh, the breads are basically pretty good, and some day I will try a salad -- Im too easily swayed towards the sandwiches. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:18:12 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/628194#4827300 http://www.chow.com/topics/633009#4827279 OneSon... I feel your pain. Faced with those choices, Id go to Wendy's too. I miss their salad bar (the "Garden Spot"). My coworkers and I regularly referred to it as "Wendy's G Spot". As far as nomenclature goes, the food service industry does crack me up. Where else could chickens have fingers, and buffalos have wings? As far as I can tell, there is no corn and no popping involved with popcorn shrimp (and yes, I DO understand the "popcorn" aspect of eating them). When my sisters and I were little, we knew what was in a bologna sandwich, a ham sandwich, a tuna sandwich. Imagine our surprise when grandma told us she was going to serve "finger sandwiches" to her bridge club!! Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:09:14 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/633009#4827279 http://www.chow.com/topics/326682#4827039 alkapal, I wish I knew! I'm hoping someone more in the know about fish will chime in here. In the meantime, I'm putting my request in to Trader Joe's . . . Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:41:41 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/326682#4827039 http://www.chow.com/topics/440026#4826175 If your benchmark for coffee is in Italy then you will always be disappointed. Because American espresso artists can be every bit as good. When you drink Italian espresso you are on vacation. You are different. The Italian sunshine is hard to squeeze into a bean. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:12:44 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/440026#4826175 http://www.chow.com/topics/569644#4825776 You'll find there's more to do here than just respond to this post. Welcome. There are several threads about this, and it isn't all Costco's fault. There are no longer enough Kosher beef franks being made to meet the demand. Costco stores sold HN in some areas, Best, in some areas, and Sinai 48, in some areas. When Best and Sinai went away, it is unlikely HN could possibly fill the void. My Costco sold Sinai. The Sams Club that opened years before them sold Best. I loved the Best. Now Sam's sells Nathans, and, well, we know what Costco sells. My bitch with Costco is how they could put the Kirkland Signature name on something that is just simply awful. Not just in comparison to Kosher, but in comparison to food in general. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:48:17 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/569644#4825776 http://www.chow.com/topics/632062#4825731 Quite possibly. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/589397#4377017 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:27:44 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/632062#4825731 http://www.chow.com/topics/633549#4825668 My wife said that she read good things about "5 Guys" hamburgers. We had an appointment in the same business center in they are located - Gerber Village - in Asheville so we decided to try the hamburgers. What a disappointment! First, they claim that, while their burger are cooked well-done, they are juicy. I can attest to the first part. They ARE well-done. Since I have no reason to doubt the quality of their ground beef that is a travesty to good beef! The burgers (both mine and my wife's) were dry and tasteless. I ordered mine with onions, mushrooms and ketchup. I received a burger with no onions, one small slice of mushroom and a proper amount of ketchup. I remarked several times while eating my hamburger that I wished we had gone to "Sonic Burger"....or even "McDonalds". I know that North Carolina health code requires that hamburgers be thoroughly cooked, but that can mean medium, not well-done. "5 Guys" even brag that they exceed the health requirement by cooking their burger well-done. I'm sure no bacteria could survive that amount of cooking. We also ordered the Cajun Fries. Big mistake! We like fairly spicy food but these fried were way too spicy for us. Damning with faint praise I can at least say the serving of fries was very generous. More the pity, because we just threw out a larger quantity of food. What a waste! When I got home I looked up the "5 Guys" Web Site and pretty much told them what I told you here. To their credit I received a very quick reply offering us two free meals at "5 Guys". As much as we appreciate the offer, we don't even want their food for free! (:o( No thanks, "Sonic Burger" beats them by a country mile. What puzzles me is that their walls are covered with reviews from all over the Country raving about their burgers. I'm missing something here, but darned if I know what. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:04:10 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/633549#4825668 http://www.chow.com/topics/626922#4825667 For those of you who have never tried Wegman's Grandma Nonna's Ciabata Rolls, ask for them. They are the most incredible versatile roll I have ever eaten. If they don't make them at your store demand that they start. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:03:55 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/626922#4825667 http://www.chow.com/topics/632426#4824316 I use the same product at home for meat balls, meat loaf etc but I agree with the OP it is ground very fine and I would never use it (or any pre-ground meat) for my burgers. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:47:09 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/632426#4824316 http://www.chow.com/topics/355253#4823372 I'm excited to try that pomegranate green tea. Sounds refreshing for summer! Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:17:30 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/355253#4823372 http://www.chow.com/topics/344498#4823020 In NYC we've had the Angus Burger for about two years now I believe. I agree the mushroom version is gross (I've tried it). I also wasn't too impressed with the Supreme version. I personally think the Burger King Angus Burger tastes much better. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:51:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/344498#4823020 http://www.chow.com/topics/632947#4822641 Thanks Tom . . . I've learned some interesting things reading through this thread! Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:28:53 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/632947#4822641 http://www.chow.com/topics/627149#4821460 These numbers are obscene though. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:21:31 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/627149#4821460 http://www.chow.com/topics/633094#4821319 That's crazy and funny and creative. Thanks for posting. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:47:20 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/633094#4821319 http://www.chow.com/topics/625590#4821222 Beef Ribs & Mashed Potatoes Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:20:32 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/625590#4821222 http://www.chow.com/topics/625280#4820992 In Detroit, the cinnamon sugar things are called fragels. I do not know where the fr comes in. You call them bagel rolls, I call them bread bagels. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:19:53 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/625280#4820992 http://www.chow.com/topics/620583#4820625 greygarious, many thanks for the heavy lifting on typing out those ingredient labels! sodium is better with the 12-grain, too. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:24:42 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/620583#4820625 http://www.chow.com/topics/625572#4819807 If you read through the thread, you would know that Sinai Kosher, and Best Kosher are no more. There is a shortage of kosher beef, and Costco couldn't find anyone that could supply their demand. I agree, the Kirkland signature isn't very good. I've just given up on dinner franks.Better of going local and getting brats. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:44:37 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/625572#4819807 http://www.chow.com/topics/629340#4819529 Understood that from your previous post, just confirming it for Iouuuuuu. And it's appreciated, since the burger WAS fresh tasting and hot off the griddle. I actually worked in a Wendys in (drumroll, please...) 1978, and yes, even then, the chili was for dessicated burgers. The meat was fresh, but went through a forming machine that really compressed it. What made me crazy was being required to press out the burger repeatedly, because "it cooks faster that way." Of course, it doesn't, but it does squeeze the juice out of it, making it appear more well done. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:48:35 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/629340#4819529 http://www.chow.com/topics/632631#4819407 the rc in northfield, IL has had a similar menu for at least a year or longer. it is very high quality and very popular. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:06:01 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/632631#4819407 http://www.chow.com/topics/632869#4818515 Have you tried these? They are the Houdini of snacks. I've never had a bag whose contents didn't disappear the same day I got them home. Sometimes, the contents vanished during the trip home. They are totally addictive. Buy only at your own (waist line) risk! Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:42:36 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/632869#4818515 http://www.chow.com/topics/545259#4817607 i just tried out red robin yesterday since i was craving some juicy red meat- i skimmed thru the menu and decided to try the santa fe burger. with guac, ancho peppers tortilla strips and a chipotle may how could this burger have not flavor? surprisingly it managed to. it had absolutely no flavor! it flabbergasted me! i can't believe how something with that combo of ingredients could manage to taste like nothing. the meat needed seasoning, the toppings seemed like they had been devoid of any taste. definitely not worth the 10 bucks and most certainly not the calories! a whopper would have been better than this Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:18:36 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/545259#4817607 http://www.chow.com/topics/622713#4817597 We've had a majority of our locations close in the last 2 weeks, FYI. No announcement, just shut down and painted gray. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:16:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/622713#4817597 http://www.chow.com/topics/624241#4817552 This thread inspired me to order a large Hi-C orange (aka "orange DRANK") last time I drove through McDonald's, which was yesterday. It hit the spot, and I was relieved they still offered it. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:04 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/624241#4817552 http://www.chow.com/topics/592340#4817132 I don't have one close enough for lunch breaks. But we always stop at Ikea when driving between NC & NY for a coffee break. Clean facilities, close to the interstate, fun people watching, ok coffee and those sweet rolls... Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:23:02 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/592340#4817132 http://www.chow.com/topics/566030#4817128 Your Sam's experience is very odd. I have made investigative trips to all three and never had a problem...perhaps that one has had some problems lately. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:16:06 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/566030#4817128 http://www.chow.com/topics/53154#4816877 I was shocked to see that there are no Big Boys left in the Northeast. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:33:33 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/53154#4816877 http://www.chow.com/topics/622218#4816875 The only NYC Panda Express I'm aware of is at JFK Airport, Terminal 4... And it appears to be after security. Shame, I want to give it a try. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:32:19 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/622218#4816875 http://www.chow.com/topics/629163#4815187 Oh no - I used this for a recipe they had on their website - meatball pie. I would just buy everything in that one trip and poof - perfect meatball pie. (Think a big, giant calzone) Phooey. I guess I just really need to learn how to make my own pie crust. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:46:41 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/629163#4815187 http://www.chow.com/topics/631772#4813812 I wouldn't say I'm a burger snob as I'll eat lesser burgers. I do draw the line with some places though...Sonic and a local chain "Wards" for 2 that I won't eat at. Wards used to have really good chili burgers but they've gone the cheap route the past 10 years or so. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:06:19 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/631772#4813812 http://www.chow.com/topics/300518#4813314 ...and no loss, either. Both establishments typified the worst things about prefab chain food (and if it wasn't prefab, they did a great job of making it seem like it was). Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:19:50 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/300518#4813314 http://www.chow.com/topics/627451#4812799 There is a question of how much information technology will affect the chain restaurants. The only time I frequent them is when traveling, especially on road trips. They are often conveniently located just off the freeway and a fuel and fuel stop is efficient. However, if a local joint, touted by locals, was easily available, I would go a bit out of the way. Now, with netbooks getting so cheap and reliable, information about such is just a few keystrokes away. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:24:11 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/627451#4812799 http://www.chow.com/topics/601900#4812442 A quick scan of this thread didn't find a mention of my favorite Aldi item -- the Grandessa popsicles. They come in four flavors and they are, in order of my preference, lime-pineapple, Caribbean, pina colada, and strawberry. These don't have HFCS, btw. The Caribbean flavor is mango, passionfruit, strawberry, pineapple, and coconut. They all have pretty good sized chunks of fruit in them. They're just excellent! Other things on my list: White chocolate - makes great truffles at Christmas time The nuts are great - especially the roasted or smoked almonds Produce - the stores in our area have great produce Disappointments: I found their chips to be overly salty for what I like. A couple of years ago, I got a spiral sliced ham there that was fairly tasteless. I think it was an Appleton ham. I see now that they have another more pricey label and may try that some time. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:29:20 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/601900#4812442 http://www.chow.com/topics/632006#4812326 It isn't just WFM that makes such mistakes. Shopping for ground beef recenlty at Publix, looking for a package closest to one pound, and noticed one package marked as weighing over 3 pounds, but the mass was very close to the just over one pound package I was about to purchase. Notified the meat dept. clerk nearby who was restocking, who said thta mistakes do happen. No nefarious intent. Have also noticed from time to time - albeit very rarely - prime meat priced at choice prices. I must admit that when I've found that situation I've purchased it rather than notify the management. But generally I try to use the same logic when pointing out pricing errors - I point out errors that result in me being udercharged just as I point out errors resulting in an overcharge to me. It is the the right thing to do (and should have been done on the prime-priced-as-choice, but saintliness is hard to achieve). Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:58:02 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/632006#4812326 http://www.chow.com/topics/631922#4811860 Perhaps it's no trick. This is always the trend when a recession is in. Not only will you notice smaller portions but the next step is lower quality. Those shrimps somebody mentioned will start to resemble "half shrimp" as they'll cut them in two. The sad thing is you can't really fault the place for doing this. They're just trying to "hang around" and ride it out. Otherwise a lot more places will be closing. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:42:30 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/631922#4811860 http://www.chow.com/topics/359092#4810887 Wine markdowns have already started, at least at my local Costco here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:27:41 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/359092#4810887 http://www.chow.com/topics/623189#4809722 You should try them at Sonic. And they have nubile rollerskaters serving them. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:09:23 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/623189#4809722 http://www.chow.com/topics/524480#4807119 There's one rule of thumb I follow with chain BBQ. If it's a chain, it's quality will suffer the bigger it gets. The first one or two times you go to one, the food will be at it's best and you'll wonder how they can sell so much for so little. After that, it's mediocre AT BEST. I'm lucky, though. There's a ton of BBQ here in the south and all have something good. It's not a chain(yet..I encourage the guy to open more) but we have a place called Smokehouse(In Petal, MS, not Hattiesburg) that has the best Riblets, Jack Daniels Ribs, and has a pretty good pulled pork. Most chains only tend to have one item on the menu that's halfway decent. My advice is to shop for out of the way, old building, and isolated BBQ for your dining. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:18:58 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/524480#4807119 http://www.chow.com/topics/626588#4806945 Sonic is a staple in the south...unfortunately. It's burgers and dogs are the lowest quality of any chain. The chili dogs used to be good to me, but about a decade ago they went the cheaper route. Yes, the drinks are great, the ice cream treats are good, and that's what you should stick to here. Try the cheesecake bites and make sure they provide the caramel dipping sauce. It's pretty good with cinnamon in there. For that "old tyme" experience, try and get a Checkers or a Bumpers. Both have better quality and unique tastes. Bumpers does tend to overstock their menu with a bunch of crud, but there basic fare is ok. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:08:55 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/626588#4806945 http://www.chow.com/topics/627417#4806182 It sounds like you got the shake instead of the frosty. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:31:56 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/627417#4806182 http://www.chow.com/topics/627220#4804961 The last time we had them (about 3 years ago in a VERY bad lo mein) I swore they were Prince spaghetti noodles Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:58:06 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/627220#4804961 http://www.chow.com/topics/598612#4803881 DH takes the butter chicken & paneer tikka masala for work lunch now & then. They are both very tasty; good for them for revamping their Indian frozen food offerings. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:20:37 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/598612#4803881 http://www.chow.com/topics/619137#4803746 great quest. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:27:32 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/619137#4803746 http://www.chow.com/topics/622790#4800240 They have warm cookies every time we go, (in Sunnyvale CA), and we go about once a month - more frequently during heat waves (it's REALLY crowded then, and on Mother's Day). I notice that the offerings at the locations in Tucson and Atlanta were ever-so-slightly different. Regional differences, perhaps? Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:58:16 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/622790#4800240