Lots of Big News

There is lots of big news going on in the chain world lately. The first is that Bennigans is going to be closing its doors. I was never a huge fan of Bennigans but I still am kind of sad. This was pretty much one of the only chain restaurants in Rockland before the opening of the big mall. I have many high school and middle school memories of this place. So many friends birthday dinners were held here. Actually I think I went on a date here once and obvi ordered chicken fingers. Pretty funny. I remember when I got older Bennigans was one of those places you could go and drink underage. I do not think I did that much there though. Anyway, it is sad but I am not surprised. They were totally eclipsed by more progressive chains.

In other news, a Qdoba opened in midtown. I love Qdoba so I am really excited. I can not wait for that random Friday to go and get a Pesto Burrito with some co-workers. Yesterday when I walked by the line was out the door and every single person in the line was a dude. Crazy!

A Not So Plain Jane in Spain

The chains of Spain fall mainly on the ....well everywhere really.

I am back from my 10 glorious days of Spanish travel. I have to say it was really the best vacation of my life. I saw and did so much. While I was taking in all the sites I made sure to also pay attention to all the chains around me. This posting is going to focus on all the American chains I saw in Spain and there were many! Most of the chains I saw were more fast food chains, not casual dining ones that I love so much. The only casual restaurants I saw were Friday's in Madrid and Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona. Every city I traveled to had a Starbucks. It was nuts. It was just like NY, one on every other block it felt like. Of all the iced coffee I sampled, this was the best. They also had good yogurt and muffins which was nice when you wanted something other than a croissant. Yeah, no bagels in Spain, kinda annoying. Now when I came across a sign that said Dunkin Coffee (yes, it is called Dunkin Coffee, not Dunkin Donuts, how cool is that), I thought the heavens parted. I could not believe it. I would be able to get my Iced French Vanilla Coffee. Anyway, I tried the iced coffee and it was gross. They made it hot and just poured it over ice. I could not even drink it. I was so sad that I had to ease my sorrows on a few glasses of Cava. I also tried a Juan Valdez iced coffee and that too was very gross and had to be thrown away. Thank god for Coca Cola Lite, it was the only way I could get my caffeine fix.

Now, what I do in every foreign land is sample the McDonald's. I do not know how this tradition started but it is a very fun one. I LOVED the McDonald's in Spain. The chicken nuggies were fab, better than the US and the fries were just right. They also had a curry dipping sauce which is tons of fun.

Maoz, a falafel chain was found in Barcelona. I actually never had it in NY and was kinda hungry after shopping all day so I decided to try it. I heard such terrific things about it and have to agree, it was delicious. One of the best meals I had in Spain. The hummus and pita sandwich was amazing. I am def going to start going to the one in NY. I wish they would open one in my office.

Other chains I saw were Subway, Burger King, Pizza Hut and KFC.

Anyway I tried to take lots of pictures so enjoy!

Adios

The Airport Chain

Lately I have been spending a lot of time in airports and will probably continue to be doing so in the future. I have always been fascinated by the airport chain. I do not mean the typical Burger King, Au Bon Pain, Starbucks that are pretty standard in most terminals. I mean the kind of abridged version of sit down chains that are located in many airports. I have seen abridged Friday's, CPK's (which I think is CPK ASAP which is kinda cute), On the Border and Chill's (Too) to name a few. Anyway I had some extra time before my delightful red eye back to NYC so I decided to try one out. Located in the American Airlines LAX terminal is a Chilli's Too (that is about all that is there). The menu is a smaller (abridged) version of the regular menu with most of the basics and favorites like burgers, buffalo wings, fajitas and salads. I saw my favorite salad on the menu, the Grilled Caribbean Chicken Salad but sadly they were all out of that. That kind of upset me because I have been trying (key word is trying) to be healthy before my big trip to Spain. Anyway I made a quick decision and decided to get the fajita quesidillas. I got a mix of both chicken and steak and they were surprisingly delicious. I was really, really impressed. It was also a huge portion!!! I even did not finish it and I consider myself a competitive eater (Tim Janus - Eater X - you are my hero!). Also the wait staff here is very nice. They do not rush you out and even brought me a huge side of guac for my quesidillas.

So if you are ever in an airport and see a Chilli's Too. Go in, it is delicious and way better than airplane food, not that they serve food on planes anymore.