Yogurtland is My Kind of Land

Have you ever tried something or went somewhere and felt like you really found the place where you belong? I have similar feelings when I walk into Yankee Stadium, sip Sangria on a Yacht ( I have actually never done that, but I am sure I would love it) or stroll a sunny beach. The last time I was in LA I had this feeling again and it was when I walked into Yogurtland. Yogurtland is a chain of frozen yogurt shops located mainly on the West Coast. Thankfully they have one in Greenwhich Village so I can have my fix on both coasts.

I was talking about food in one of my meetings in LA (no shock here) and my lovely client told me about Yogurtland. I did not think much of it but when I had some time between meetings and passed one I thought I should try this place.

Wow, I am so happy I did. Yogurtland is a sweet heaven. They have a variety of frozen yogurt flavors that you can pick from, like Pistachio (my favorite), NY Cheesecake, Peanut Butter, Cookies and Cream, Mint, Vanilla, Chocolate, Pumpkin and some tart flavors that are similar to Pinkberry like Plain, Mango, Peach and Green Tea. The beauty is that it is self serve and you can pick whatever combination you like. That is awesome for someone like me who can never make up their mind on what they want. After you go crazy with the yogurt, you can go more crazy with the endless amount of toppings that they offer. Everything from mochi, cheesecake bites, sprinkles, oreos, lucky charms, granola, lychee, raspberries, bananas, chocolate chips, and gummi bears. Wow, it is a sensory overload for me in here. I love it, I can have a little coconut, a bit of strawberries, some mochi and lots of GRANOLA!!!! It is really an amazing treat and you can have as little or as much as you want because after you fill your cup, you just pay what it weighs. LOVE IT!!!!

Really, I can not sing Yogurtlands praises enough it has all I have been thinking and talking about since I got home. I have a feeling I am going to be here a lot in the coming warmer months. I just wish there more of these around and closer to my office or near my apartment.

Dunkin Donuts 100 Calorie Muffin

I hope everyone is done puking after watching the pathetic Bachelor and ready for a morning filled with chain food delight. I, unlike the Bachelor, am not a pathetic Seattle rainy dork balding loser. I am a woman of my word, here to serve the loyal chain of food readers.

Therefore, when I saw that Dunkin Donuts had a new 100 calorie muffin I had to try it. A 100 calorie muffin is music to my ears, as I am the princess of 100 calorie packs. I was a few minutes early to work this morning so I decided to stop at the underground Dunkin and pickup one of these bad boys. They are called Angel Food muffins, they must be from heaven. I heard mixed reviews so I was excited to try it. At first bite, I thought hmmm not bad. A bit chewy but the cinnamon on top is quite good. The more I ate it though, the more disappointed I got. The muffin has a very strange texture, almost like it is not actually food. Perhaps, a cardboard sponge. The only part that is really tasty is the top because it is sprinkled with cinnamon. I think it would be a bit better if they sprinkled cinnamon throughout the muffin. All and all, the muffin is a 2 out of 10. I would not get this all the time, but if you are really in the mood for a muffin and only want to eat 100 calories, I guess get it, but I think there are better low calorie breakfast options out there. I do commend Dunkin for trying though. I am drinking their coffee right now and that still rocks!!!

In Honor of Top Chef

Last night was the season finale of one of my new favorite shows, Top Chef. Everyone was saying how great the show was but I was afraid to watch because, 1 - I don't cook and 2- I do not eat 99% of the things they cook. For example, the thought of foie gras , venison and squab makes me sick. That being said, I started watching and am totally hooked. I was especially happy (spoiler alert) because my boy Hoosea won. He was my pick, I feel a special bond with him because he is a jew with a weird name, like moi. I do not like that he hooked up with that mess Leah though. I ate at Centro Venotecca and was not impressed. Sorry, raw egg ravioli is not good.

Anyway, in honor of the season finale where they had to cook their perfect 3 course meal, I have decided to create my perfect 3 course chain meal in 3 different categories - fast food, casual sit-down chain and high end chain. See below for my picks. This was a tough list to make and you might not agree, but alas, it is my blog and my opinions.

Fast Food

Appetizer - A Chicken Nuggets Mix from McDonalds, Chick-fil -A and Wendy's

Meal - Burrito from Baja Fresh with guac for the chips and a side of Nathan's French Fries

Dessert - Wendy's Frosty

Causal Sit-down Chain

A mix of breads from Cheesecake Factory, Texas Roadhouse and Joe's American
Appetizer - Jack Sesame Strips from Friday's

Meal - Mongolian Beef from P.F. Chang's with brown rice and extra sauce

Dessert - White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory

High End Chain

The bread basket from Capital Grill

Appetizer - Chicken Satay with peanut sauce from Tao

Meal - Filet Mignon from Del Friscos with their sweet potato mashed potatoes

Dessert - Creme Brule from Capital Grill

Free Pancakes at IHOP

Another free breakfast to announce. This time IHOP is jumping on the bandwagon and giving away free pancakes on Tuesday, February 24th from 7 am - 10 am. Unlike Denny's, they are asking for donations towards the Children's Miracle Network. I am all about charity, considering I do not do any myself anymore. What an embarrassment to the Key Club I am. I think tomorrow I will stop by the closest IHOP, have some free pancakes, play around with all the different syrup options, I love the real fruity ones (of course I do) and donate a 20 spot or so to the Children's Miracle Network.

Supposedly it is National Pancake Day - I will eat to that!

Yonalisa - thanks for the info

Jackson Hole - A Chain Food Bust

As any loyal reader of this site knows, I love traveling so I can explore all that different cities and countries offer in the culinary realm, especially what kind of chain restaurants they have. When I went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming I was expecting your typical fast food chains, maybe a Denny's and an Applebee's and perhaps some BBQ chains I was unfamiliar with.

Well, much to my dismay, Jackson Hole has only two chain restaurants, Wendys and Dairy Queen. That is it, no McDonalds, no Starbucks, no Chillis. I was shocked to say the least. I even asked the cab driver on the way to see the Elk, "Sir, do you have any chain restaurants here, you know like Friday's or Cheesecake Factory." His reply, "hmmm we used to have this 24 hr diner that was opened from 6 am - 9 pm, ha ha ha." Not funny cowboy man.

I really loved Jackson Hole, there are 7 cowboys for every cowgirl, to quote my dad, but I obviously could never live here. I would have a chapped face (like I do now) from skiing all day and then be fat from eating so much bacon wrapped steak at non-chain establishments.

The Denver Airport is a Chain Heaven

I am blogging to you live from the Denver Airport and wow, it is a chain heaven.  I have never seen an airport have such an amazing variety of wonderful chain choices.

In a 2 feet radius they have some of my favs, Caribou Coffee, Jamba Juice, TCBY and Wolfgang Puck Express.  I never had Wolfgang Puck Express but I have to assume it is awesome.  I got a spicy chicken pizza to take with me on the plane.   The menu at WPE was really legit.  They had tons of salads, chicken sandwiches, pizzas like the one I got, bbq chicken pizza, spinach mushroom and of course plain cheese.  They also had mac and cheese and it looked awesome.  I love mac n cheese in my old age now.

Other great choices here are Dominos (perhaps you are hungover on your flight and need some pizza), Auntie Annes, Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonalds, Quiznos and Ben and Jerry's.

There are also lots of great sit down restaurant options here, not all are chains.  I would prob stick with Wolfgang Puck no matter what.

Ok, I have to get on my plane back home but stay tuned for more posts soon.

A Love Letter To McDonald's

In honor of Valentine's Day I am writing a letter to my true love....McDonald's.

Dear McDonald's,

I have been meaning to say this for a while, I love you. I love everything about you. You have been with me for as long as I can remember. You offered me a place to play in the Bronx when I was a little kid. Your hamburglar slide and fun ball pit were the home to so many wonderful memories and an array of birthday parites. Your happy meals and toys not only brought joy to me, but billions of kids around the world. The best gift you ever gave me for a happy meal were the mini barbie dolls and beanie babies (I was not even that young when I got the beanie babies).

McDonald's you taught me the true meaning of sweetness. Because of you, I learned how wonderful chicken nuggets taste with your honey. Nothing is better than your chicken nuggets dipped in honey.

You also taught me that bigger is better. What is better than a Super Sized order of fries? You should be proud my love, because you, yes you, perfected the art of french fry making. Nobody makes a french fry quite like you do. What I love most about you, is that you do not stop with the french fry, you also learn how to make the best hashbrowns in the world! I know you have helped millions of hungover people across the land with your delicious breakfast options.

You even make a great ice cream sundae. When I really want a treat, I get your vanilla ice cream with strawberries and nuts on top. It is pure brilliance, just like you.

As I grow older, I feel so does our love. You learn and do more like make a solid cup of coffee , the brilliant McFlurry and revolutionized the way we order food through your extra value meal menu.
No matter where I am in the world, when I see you, I feel sense of home and comfort.

McDonald's, I love you. Your golden arches will always have the most special place in my heart.

XOXO

Rori

I really am loving it!

Maybe Dreams Really Do Come True

It is with great excitment that I bring you this breaking news. Put down your Chipotle Burrito, Baja Fresh is coming to town, midtown that is. Nini just let me know that on Lexington, between 45th and 46th a Baja Fresh is opening. Lucky me, that is not too far from my office. Someone up there is looking out for me. Baja Fresh is by far my favorite chain burrito place. It lives up to its name and is truly extremely fresh tasting.

I used to eat this all the time when I lived in DC. Especially after a big night at the Frontpage drinking dollar Coronas and flirting with GW dudes. Once in Boston, made Nina drive to some random suburb to go try it. We clearly had a lot of free time senior year. The last time I had it was when I was in LA. They have one in the Century City Mall. That is one killah food court. I could do a whole blog posting just on how kickA*s that is.

Anyway, I will keep you updated with more news about this opening. I will be sure to be there the first day it opens. Perhaps I may also do live blogging from the event.

The Ivy - Not Just A League I Will Never Be In

I am back from a glorious business trip to LA. Everytime I go I love it more and more. This time I made a point to go to the grand daddy of celeb chains, The Ivy. Perhaps you live under a rock and have never heard of it but The Ivy is a LA chain. There is one on Robertson Blvd where all the celebs and paparazzi hang out. I did not go to that one because I am already a pretty bad celeb stalker, I thought going there would really be crossing the line so I decided to go to the one in Santa Monica. That being said, I had no shame in waiting in line at an Armani Exchange to get a picture with that hottie with the abs from Lip Stick Jungle.

The Ivy at the Shore has a lovely ambiance, it reminds me of a fancy southern patio. There is, you may have guessed, lots of Ivy. The menu is a large menu of very standard American food with some Mexican and Italian influences. To start we got the guacamole and I was very impressed. It was not made fresh in front of you but it was very tasty. The best part was that it was served with warm tortillas. I love that because then you can make a fun guac and tortilla sandwich, delicious. For my entree I was torn between a few choices like ravioli, mango chutney chicken and my actual choice, grilled chicken with a lemon sauce with a baked potato. On the menu it said it came with whipped squash and whipped cauliflower but the waitress told me they did not have the squash. That really sucked because that is one of the reasons I ordered that dish. The entree was really just OK. It was good, but def not wow. I also was kind of disappointed with my mojito. I really thought it was going to be killah but it was not good at all. It needed more sugar and more mint. All and all, The Ivy is Ok, not great. Oh, I did have a celeb spotting there. It was Matthew Broderick. He was not with SJP, but with his parents. They seemed like a lovely old Jewish couple who look like they donate a lot of money to public television and museums. Matthew was throwing back the mojitos like they were actually good. I did not have the heart to tell him they were pretty weak.

Starbucks - Stop Breaking My Heart

Hola from LA everyone! I am still on east coast time so I decided to get an early breakfast at the Starbucks downstairs. I ordered an iced coffee and then remembered that they had all those fun new Chai Infusion drinks. I am not a big tea fan, but chai, I like.

So I quickly changed my order and got an Iced Apple Chai Infusion. At first sip I was hooked. It was absolutely delicious. It tasted like a spicy, cinnamon iced apple sauce tea. I was siked, I pictured myself enjoying this treat on a hot summer day in New York. Perhaps while taking a long lunch in Bryant Park to work on my tan or maybe a 3:00 pm break from excel sheets and powerpoints. I figured, it is iced tea, it has to be relatively healthy, no way is this thing packed with calories. Well, no shock here, I was wrong, as I am wrong about most things. A small, that is in a tiny cup, packed with ice, has 240 calories. The small is approximately 5 sips and 240 calories. If I am drinking 240 calories, it better have some alcohol in it and a cherry on top. This is ridiculous. Starbucks, I was ready to love you, but you managed to make iced tea grossly fattening. I again, am just not that into you.

Go All The Way at Denny's - For Free!!

I interrupt your Superbowl to bring you breaking news. I am losing all my boxes, can care less about the Cardinals or the Steelers and am at a party where it is hard to pay attention to all the commercials. Lucky for you and me, I did notice one commercial!

This Tuesday, Denny's will be giving away a free Grand Slam breakfast for everyone in American. Hellz yeah America and Hellz yeah Denny's.

Sadly, I do not know any Denny's in the great borough of Manhattan, but for those of you living outside the Big Apple, check it out. What is better than pancakes, processed eggs and bacon.

Speaking of bacon, Nini made some killer bacon wrapped dates tonight. Yum Yum.

Oh and Bruce was good but the ref thing was REALLY chessy.

A New Chain On The Block

Breaking News Chain of Food Fans.

A new chain is opening near Repub head quarters on 47th Street. I was walking to the subway yesterday and saw the signs that Famous Dave's BBQ is opening up. I went to this place in Jersey once. It was pretty good. Places like Wildwood BBQ are way better, but Wildwood is not a chain. I can see myself hanging out at Famous Dave's afterwork with Chrissy and Teddy, maybe getting a marg and then getting some BBQ grub, hollah. It will be fun. No more Langan's for us, only Famous Dave's now. Perhaps my boy and fellow BU alum Billy O will join us!!

Fig & Olive - A Fine Establishment

Do not worry, I suck so much at my New Years Resolutions that I will no longer bore you with them at all anymore. Instead, I will share with you the glorious restaurant that I have been dining at frequently with some of my favorite ladies.....Fig & Olive.

Fig & Olive is a chain, with three locations in NY. One on the Upper East Side, one in midtown -hollah midtown and one in the meatpacking district, right near my girl Whitney's office (DVF).

I have been to the midtown and meatpacking locations and both have a very upscale, yet comfortable vibe. The food here is Mediterranean with, you guessed it, an emphasis on olive oil.

To start your meal you get bread and a trio of oil for dipping. They told us where they were from but I was not paying attention, I am pretty sure I heard Spain for one of them so I of course decided that was my favorite. The first time I went I was with Brookie Cookie and Jordy Wordy. The queen of Garden City(which is a chain mecca) was a bit late so Cookie and I thought it would be best to polish off a bottle of red before our little lacrosse star arrived. I love seeing Cookie drink like me, reminds me of why I love her so much.

Now this place really had Jordy written all over it. Kinda of like Talbots. I bet she was shocked that I liked it so much. She thinks I only like places like Cheesecake Factory or McDonalds. She is wrong. Fig & Olive is so a Rori place.

To start our meal we got a trio of crosstinis. I loved them!! My two favorites were the mushroom one and the shrimp and avocado one. We also got this fabulous zucchini carpaccio. It was light and delicious. It was probably my favorite thing we ordered. I bet the girls probably wanted something like the tuna carpaccio, but too bad, Rori does not eat tuna. I let them get some cheeses, I was not allowing tuna as well. Another dish we ordered that was a real home run (I am excited for baseball to start so I am already using baseball terms) was the eggplant & sundried tomato. It was just extremely tasty. I know I said I would not talk about my New Years Resolutions but you can probably see that this place is pretty healthy and you could keep your New Years Oprah Resolutions here.

The second time I went I brought Jennifer and Nina. I just knew they would like it as much as I did. To switch things up a bit I decided to order a bottle of Savignon Blanc. We never drink that kind but the description sounded wonderful and it was! I never pick a good bottle so I was giddy with glee that I finally did. With these girls we ordered the crostinis again and the chicken samosas. Our waiter, who sucked big time, recommended them. They were just Ok. For entrees, Jen got a salad (no shock there) but it looked really good and was a nice, big portion. I made Nina share the mushroom pasta dish with me and it was awesome!!! I saw other people eating it the first time I was here and I was drooling so I decided that my hetero must share it with me.
I really think this is a great place to go with your girlfriends for good wine and good fun! I do not see it as a place for dudes but that is just my opinion. I see a lot of potential for this place and can see it expanding to cities like Boston and LA in no time.

Healthy Chaining 101

Since we are really only a week into the New Year I am going to continue to focus on my Oprah Winfrey New Year, New You resolutions. Umm she picked the president so I am going to take her advice. I know I have already fallen off the wagon a few times but everytime you fall, you just have to pick yourself up and try again. Therefore I am dedicating this posting to some of my picks for the most healthy eating options at chain restaurants.

(these are in no particular order)

1) Applebee's Weight Watcher Entrees. I think Applebee's is just alright but if you want a good, healthy meal at a chain restaurant that is more than a simple salad with dressing on the side, this is the place to go. Some real standouts on the menu are the Chili-Lime Chicken Salad that has chicken, spinach, reduced fat mozzarella's cheese, and some veggies. Others are the Garlic Herb Chicken, Cajun Lime Tilapia (daddy would eat that), Italian Chicken & Portobellow Sandwich ( I would get that without the mushrooms). Also some of the salads, like my favorite Oriental Chicken Salad can be made healthy with grilled chicken and subbing a lower calorie dressing.

2) Panera - I know this place has some fattening sandwiches, soups and salads, but they also have some very healthy ones. If you are smart about what you order you can have a delicious meal and still make Oprah proud. There are tons of low fat soups like the new Tortilla Chicken Soup. I have tried it and it was delicious!!! My personal favorite soup there is the French Onion. If you say not too much cheese and croutons, you can save a lot of calories. Also their salads are pretty healthy and extremely delicious. My favorites are the Orchard Harvest (it has cherries!!), Asian Sesame Chicken and (seasonal) Strawberry Poppyseed. I was just looking at the calorie counts on the sandwiches, those are kinda high to I guess avoid those unless it is like turkey which I don't like so I can not recommend.

3) Cheesecake Factory - What, how can the Cheesecake Factory be healthy??? It is not really, but they do have a weigh management salad menu that is pretty decent. My pick is of course the Asian Chicken Salad.

4) Pret A Manager - I know I have spoken about this many times before but they have tons of great sandwiches, salads and soups that will not make you unable to fit into your favorite black wool Brooks Brothers skirt.

5) The Seafood Chains - Red Lobster, Legal Seafood, etc. Everyone knows I am not a huge seafood fan but if you got a Red Lobster it is not that hard to work healthy. What I would do is just get grilled shrimp on a bed of rice or a plain baked potato. It would try to avoid the bread but I know me and I would eat the bread, especially the garlic cheese biscuits. Oprah would too so it is Ok.

So that is my list for now. If you have any advice, please share. Notice I have nothing about drink restrictions on this list. That would be lame.

The Best Chain Moments of 2008

Happy 2009! I am very excited for the New Year. I have a lot of resolutions and so far I have not been able to keep any of them. One of my most important resolutions (besides losing weight, drinking less, not having an attitude, not associating with anyone that looks like Seth Rogen and running more) is blogging more often. I have this dream of the Food Network or Travel Channel contacting me after reading my blog and offering me my own show where I travel to different chains across the world and sample all of the delicious food. Essentially it is the blog, but in a TV show. I watch that Anthony Bourdain show and the dude has a total attitude and gets all excited about sucking the fat out of a shrimp head. Really hot shot, there is no way that is good. Freakin eat an awesome chicken parm hero, that is good. Fat out of a shrimp head, not good. Anyway, I digress. I am pleased to present to you, my picks for the best chain restaurant moments of 2008. Drum Roll please...........

5) The opening of Sinigual in midtown Manhattan. This is a great addition to midtown. I ate here with ex-boss just a few days before he quit and then had a lovely meal here once with my family. It was one of the only times King Brett was happy with one of my food choices.

4) Discovering my love of Pret a Manger. I do not really like anything French besides fries, the architecture and half of Jen Roy, but I love Pret a Manger. It is awesome that right across from my office I can run and get a delicious sandwich and soup for under 500 calories (this will fit in very well on my New Years Resolutions).

3) Exploring the chains of LA. Oh LA, how I love thee. At first I was daunted by your traffic, smog and girly men, but now I get it. You rock, the weather, palm trees, abundance of D list spottings and array of chains make you one of my favorite cities. I was able to discover new gems like Katsuya and Urth Cafe as well as indulge in some of my old favorites like Baja Fresh, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and In n Out Burger.

2) Bennihana. What a fun, delicious place and in 2008 I finally tried it. My only wish was that I tried it sooner.

1) McDonalds in Spain. This was actually the only time I had McDonalds this year. Can you believe it, I only ate at my favorite restaurant once this year, I must have will power. I can still taste the wonderful chicken nuggets and french fries I enjoyed after wandering the streets of Madrid. I would do anything to go back there!

So there it is, the best chain moments of 2008. If you have some you think I may have forgotten, please feel free to write about them.

If You Want a Piece of This, I Suggest You Wear This

This is really too good to be true. Burger King has just launched a signature scent (I have a signature color - pink is my signature color - my colors are blush and bashful, her colors are pink and pink). It is called Flame (that's hot) and it "captures the essence of love and gives it to you." Hey now. "Behold the scent of seduction with a hint of flame broiled meat." Wow I bet that smells really, really good. I mean why not smell like a really good hamburger. If you read the descriptions on colognes it is usually like oak or wood or musk, might as well smell like a good piece of meat.

Burger King, congrats, you really out did yourself on this one. I am totally going to pick up a bottle to give to my significant other (marshmallow) so he smells like all your flame broiled goodness.

Check out the site. It is hysterical. It is like one of those Mt. Airy Lodge commericals with the champagne bath.

http://www.firemeetsdesire.com/

The Travel Channel is a Wealth of Information

I have a new love.... and it is The Travel Channel. It started with this special on Steaks then progressed into an obsession with the dude from Man vs. Food (he is no Eater X - but a close second). The Travel Channel should really be called the Food Travel Channel because 85% of their shows have something to do with food. What is great is that a lot of the times they focus on, you guessed it, chains! I wanted to share some of the knowledge I learned from the various shows I have been watching with you, my loyal readers.

The coolest thing I learned is that The Palm started in New York on Second Ave (that is not the cool part). If you go to any Palm (they have many because it is a chain) you will see all the cartoon drawings on the wall. That actually started because newspaper people would exchange their drawings for food. Awesome. So now, they have a frequent dining club there called the 837 club and if you earn enough points (I think it is 25,00o) you can have a cartoon of yourself put on the wall. How cool is that? I really want a cartoon Rori on the walls of The Palm. Maybe I can barter my positive blog reviews for a cartoon of me! Who would not want to have a cartoon version of me staring at them while they are dining on a piece of cow carcass and creamed spinach.

Another extremely interesting chain fact I learned while watching The Travel Channel is that the Potato Skin was invented at TGI Fridays. I like potato skins. I am not a big cheese person, but overall, skins are a great appetizer as long as the bacon bits are good and not fake.

I also learned how nachos were invented but it wasn't at a chain so I can not talk about it. I will say though, that it was in Mexico. That is all you are getting out of me.

Urth Caffe - One of the Best Places On Earth

If you are in on the LA scene like I obviously am then you know what Urth Caffe is. If you aren't, it's cool, I will give you a quick explanation. Urth Caffe is a coffee, tea, salad, soup and sandwich shop located in the LA area. There are 4 locations, the one I went to and of course the most trendy is located on Melrose in West Hollywood. It was also the first location as well. Also if you watch Entourage and read the Gossip pages you might notice the name because it is always mentioned on both. I really wanted to run into Turtle there and talk about the Yankees and CC or what it it like to date my twin, something.

It is a very unassuming looking place. There are tons of tables outside so a New Yorker like me can take in the LA sun while dining, maybe even get some color on my see through skin. Inside it looks like any other coffee shop. What impressed me most about this place was the menu. It was like catered to me almost. I had a hard time picking between all the great salad and sandwich options. I figured because so many celebs go there it must be all be healthy. I went with a bowl of the butternut squash soup and a half size pesto chicken salad. Let me tell you, this was no half size portion. Huge portion, huge! It was all just so delicious. The soup was perfect and the salad was filled with chicken and a great pesto sauce that somehow managed to not hurt my belly. You order at the counter and get a number and then a waiter brings you your food. I like that a lot. I find that very relaxing. Other menu options that caught my eye was of course the hummus, a farmers market salad with lots of dried fruits, and a chicken curry sandwich. After seeing Slumdog Millionaire and The Namesake and singing Heart to Rikin all the time, I love anything with Curry! They have tons of organic coffees and teas too. I went with an iced tea because it was lunch time. Quite refreshing for my lunch time celeb spotting spree. Oh yes Urth Caffe is where I saw Queen Latifah pull up in her sick Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible. Truthfully, the car is a bit much. I like nice cars A LOT but something like that almost looks like a cartoon character of a fancy car. Give me my little Saab Convertible any day over that.

Oh they also have valet parking here which is ridiculous, but I did it. I will never risk getting towed again.

Anyway, I get why this place is so cool now. Next time I am in LA I am going to make sure to go again. I would love a place like this to open in NY. I envision it near Madison Square Park or in the village.

Katsuya - Go Stand Next to Nobu Because You Are a Chain Too

Katsuya, Katsuya, Katsuya, how trendy and cool you are. Trendy and cool my friend, but obvi a chain. With three locations in the LA area plus plans to open in Vegas and Miami, you are certainly a member of the chain food family and because of that, I can blog about you.

I had the honor of dining at the Hollywood location with lovely clients and one of my bosses. As any loyaly chain of food reader knows, my immediate boss ditched me so I have a whole new slew of bosses, yippee!

The ambiance of Katsuya is very cool and very trendy. Paper boss (that is what I just decided to call him) noticed that there were all these knives near the bar that were in tall columns of glass. I guess they were kinda like cocktail tables. Interesting.

Anyway when I was seated with my clients I think they put us in the VIP section. I kinda learned how to hint to hostesses that I am a food blogger so they must put me where the important people sit. We started with edamame and these delicious sauteed shisito peppers. Those were my pick and damn were they good. Very flavorful and not overwhelming at all. Katsuya, if you couldn't tell by the name is a Japanese restaurant and the focus of the menu is sushi. RorDawg is just not a sushi fan. I know people hate that about me, but I am sorry. I need my food cooked. I do not think that is a weird thing at all. There is a reason there are stoves and pans and microwaves and all that stuff. Anyway, you pretty much just ordered a bunch of dishes and share them all here. I let everyone order all their crazy sushi dishes like spicy tail sashimi, yuck. I made sure to order Rori food too though. I got a shrimp tempura roll with rice paper. Now that is a sushi I can eat. No seaweed and my food is cooked, thank you! I also got a Kobe steak dish with mushrooms. That seemed to be a real crowd pleaser. We even ordered a second one. I liked it but for sure have had better meats at places like Koi and Tao. The drink I got here was phemon. It was a White Grapefruit Cosmo, I do not think you can have a more perfect drink for me. I only had two because I was the designated driver (can you believe it?). What a hot car it was too, a white Chevy Malibu that smelled like a camel. Every time I got in the car I said, Paper boss, do you think it smells like a camel in here. Gross dude.

At the end of the meal Paper boss was still hungry and was making all these jokes about needing a pizza still. I was rather stuffed but still had room for dessert. Besides the drink, the dessert was my favorite part. We got Mochi Ice Cream, I never heard of it before but it was so so so good. It is really just little balls of ice cream wrapped in some sort of thin jello like material. I was afraid at first to try it because it sounded weird, but boy am I glad I did. We also got Creme Brulee and a very rich Chocolate Cake.

The real amazing part of my journey at Katsuya was all of the great celebrity sightings. The first was John Leguizano and that cutie Jay Hernandez. I have always had a thing for him since he was in that movie Crazy Love with dirty Kirsten Dunst. Also sitting two tables away was Cacee Cobb, who was celebrating her birthday, Donald Fiason, Zach Braff and Ken Paves. Not too shabby for one night.

Everybody Starts Somewhere

Is it just me or is everyone and their mother pregnant? Between my office and my little Tyrone, it is babypalooza. Don't worry, I am not preggers so I can continue drinking my way through my twenties. Let's face it, I can't even get a dude to buy me dinner, how can I expect someone to care for me and little Shelby Aiden.


So I am not preggers and can't find a dude to buy me dinner BUT I do have some fabulous friends. So fabulous in fact that they always send me links to articles about chain restaurants. Here is one that really caught my eye. I have had it for a while but I have been so busy traveling that I have not been able to talk about it. Alas, here it is. It is all about where some of the most famous chain restaurants got their start, their birth!

For example, Carvel was born in Hartsdale, NY. Westchester!!!! I have actually been to that Carvel because so much of my summer life was spent in my favorite NY suburb. I am way too classy for Rockland, my parents should have moved to Scarsdale. I should have spoke up more when I was 12 and we moved out of the city.

Other interesting things learned in this article are that Subway was originally Pete's Super Submarine and was founded in Bridgeport, Ct. The first McDonalds was in Illinois. Well, well, well Illinois, you are the home to my baby McDonalds and the home to our 1st black president, arent you special. Wow, you make NY look pretty weak. The first Burger King was in Miami, I am surprised about that one. The first Starbucks is obvi in Seattle. I have been there and it was really nothing special. I am just not a Starbucks girl at all. Give me Coffee Bean, Caribou or Dunkin anyday over that stuff. Wendy's which mommydawg served for dinner many nights was born in Ohio (dont you think Wendy's should do a takeover on the Post and Chain of Food). I don't really like Ohio. I feel people from there are pretty lame. They are. I mean the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is cool besides that, what the hell is cool about Ohio. Actually I take that back, P&G is in Ohio and if you know me, I love me some P&G. Atlanta, home of Nene, Kim and all the other housewives is actually the birthplace of Chick Fil A, OMFG, so freaking good and Applebees. I am not going to lie. I always wished that my picture was up in Applebees representing NRHS. I think I deserve it. Maybe a prom pic or a Key Club event, something. The first Dunkin Donuts is in Quincy, Mass. Hmm, I usually hate everything out of Massachusetts. Not Dunkin. I am proud to say the NYC is the birth place of TGI Friday's. Yeah, NYC, go big or go home. TGI Friday's was for so long my favorite chain so it makes me smile to know that we share the same birthplace.

Anyway, see the link below for some more chain birthplaces. My third favorite city, Beverly Hills is the mommy of many awesome chains like CPK and the Cheesecake Factory.

http://www.walletpop.com/specials/chain-restaurants-where-it-all-began

East Side Mario's - Will Always Have a Special Place on the West Side of My Heart

Oh East Side Mario's, how did it take me this long to write about you. I actually forgot about you for awhile but when I was brainstorming ideas for new blog posts you came up again.

For those that do not know, East Side Mario's is an Italian chain restaurant that has a NY, Little Italy theme. The best way to describe it is that it is like the NY, NY casino in Vegas but a restaurant. It is based in Canada and had a few locations in the USA - one was once in Ramsey, NY. It was at that location that I had my first date with HSB (high school boyfriend) and many more after. Looking back now, of course HSB would take me to a chain. He was so smart and somehow knew that one day I would make a career of writing about chain restaurants (ok, maybe not a career but def a hobby.

I vividly remember pulling up to East Side Mario's in that hot white Ford Taurus. Damn that was a sweet ride. From the second I walked inside, I know I was going to love it. It had such a fun, lively atmosphere. Maybe it was not romantic, but who cares, I have Nina when I need romance.

At East Side Mario's you start the meal with delicious hot garlic bread. HSB was so excited for me to try these. I bet he doesn't eat carbs anymore because it would ruin his healthy physique. Obvi, I eat carbs. You also get unlimited soup or salad here. I got the soup because back in HS I did not eat salad. I wish HSB could see me today because I think he would be proud to see me eating my veggies. His mom would be too. For my entree I got the Chicken Parm. It was a huge delicious portion.

This is my favorite part of the story. I guess I did not really know how to cut my food that well back then which is just bizarre, but whatever. Anyway, HSB was so cute and noticed me having problems with my chicken parm so he taught me the proper way to hold a knife and fork. It is a skill I still use today! In fact, I was recently out to lunch with my friend Ted and he complimented me on my table manners. So HSB, thank you for sharing your skills with me.

I can not tell you about the drinks here because back in HS I did not really drink. Yes you read that correctly. Clearly and thankfully that has changed.

Sadly HSB and I broke up when he was in college and I could never go back into an East Side Mario's. It was just too painful. Whenever Brett wanted to tease me he would say, Rori, where should we go to dinner - East Side Mario's - ha ha. That was mean little Bretty. I hope Fordham loses. Ironically, East Side Mario's closed its Ramsey doors a few years after I stopped going. I think that was very symbolic.

Sinigual - Just a Bitter Sweet Memory Now

I am wiping the tears off my keyboard as I write this posting. The only thing that gets me out of bed and into work is the thought of my new brown riding boots (they are very Betty Draper).

My boss, and one of the Chain of Food Board members did an unthinkable thing to me. He quit!

Not cool dude, not cool at all. Who else will leave me sick in a sketchy South Beach Hotel so he can dine in luxury at Nobu or literally kick me out of a car my first time in LA so he doesn't miss a second of the Boston - Lakers Championship game.

Before he deserted me we dined at a chain. A new chain in fact! It is called Sinigual and is located in the heart of mid-town Manhattan.

I have been dying to try this place ever since I saw it being built. Then when I was in LA and I passed one I almost lost control. Sinigual, that restaurant I have been passing everday is a chain I said to myself. No way!!!! What a lucky little duck in brown riding boots I am.

Sinigual is a contemporary mexican restaurant that can easily be compared to Dos Caminos or Rosa Mexicana. The atmosphere is lively and not as dark as Dos Caminos.

To start the meal I of course got a margarita. Princess loves herself some margaritas. The one I got was some sort of grapefruit one. I really liked it. My ex boss was not as happy with his marg. It was small and full of ice and expensive. I did not care about the price.

Then we got guacamole, spicy! It was really good. What I loved the most is that they give you warm soft tortillas as well as chips. Daddy dawg would tell you that the soft tortillas are way more authentic. The chips were also good. Ex boss even let me have the red ones (he equated them to red states - very smart). For my entree I got the Chipotle Barbecue Shrimp and was really happy. It was nice large shrimp with rice and crispy plantains. I enjoyed that they put the plantains. It was a nice touch. Other things on the large menu that caught my eye were the Steak Fajitas, Steak and Shrimp Skewers, Grilled Fajita Salad and a Chicken in an Orange Sauce. The menu was quite good, so I would love to dine here again. I did not get dessert because I figured I would just drink margaritas as my dessert.

This place is lovely and a welcome addition to mid-town east. The only thing that might make it better is if they hire Billy Bingo from Austin, TX to sing in the restaurant.

Good Taste in Men and Food

Happy Monday!

Just a quick post about an article I stumbled upon this morning. It turns out our future first lady hangs out at California Pizza Kitchen with friends. How cool is that?

According to the New York Times, "Michelle has spent most Saturday evenings for the past decade with two friends and their families, most recently at a local California Pizza Kitchen where the group recaps the previous week. "

I wonder what kind of pizza she gets. I hope she is not lame and just gets salad. Oh I bet she starts with the spinach artichoke dip then her and Barry decide on two pizzas to share and fist pump when they pick two they both like. It is probably the Hawaiian (to celebrate BHO's home) and the Thai Chicken Pizza. Oh maybe the Jamaican Jerk Chicken.

Lucky for the first family there is a CPK right near the White House so they can continue to dine on gourmet pizza for the next 4 to 8 years.

Also if they are ever in NY I am more than happy to take them to the CPK near my apt. It would be so bi-partisan of me. That is just the kind of patriot I am. I would also invite Rahm of course. I can see him eating The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza.

Welcome To My Blog Mommy Dawg

So I have a new loyal reader, Mommy Dawg. I am so excited that she decided to join the 21st century and learn how to use the internet. Little did I know that her favorite thing to do would be reading Chain of Food (one would assume it would be online shopping). The first thing she said about the blog was not, Ror, I am concerned, you refer to yourself as an alcoholic a few times or maybe you should not blog so much and focus on selling ads. Nope, she said, "Why don't you write about me more." Well old lady, be careful what you wish for cause you just might get, cause you just might get it.

I would like to highlight some memorable Mommy Dawg chain moments throughout my life (I wish I had some background music for this).

My most favorite is of course watching her drink 3 sips of her sour apple martini at Carmine's a few years ago and getting so drunk from 3 sips that she could hardly walk up the stairs and then giggled her cute Mommy Dawg giggle throughout the whole dinner. She is now forbidden to drink sour apple martinis because I do not like being embarrassed at Carmine's, especially in front of the cute waiter we always have.

Most great chain mommy memories come from TGI Friday's. One summer we actually ate their EVERY single day after camp. It would be 4:30 and we would be the only ones in the restaurant. Even though I was a teenager at the time, I ordered from the kids menu and had to lie and say I was 12. I wonder why I am a chicken finger freak, it is probably because I spent a good portion of my life eating nothing but chicken fingers and french friends from Fridays. Nice way to teach you kids about nutrition mom. Oh and then the Friday's points. Nothing made Mommy Dawg happier than collecting her Friday's points so she could earn things like free appetizers. Getting a free Sesame Jack Chicken Strips would be the highlight of her month. I am pretty sure that if she saved all her points we would totally have earned a free vacation. Collecting the Frequent Friday's Points was always a difficult process for Mommy Dawg because she could never find her card because it was floating around in the great dark abyss also know as her purse. The waiters would have to stand around waiting for her to find her card, "one second I know it is in here somewhere." One second, yeah right, how about 15 minutes. Luckily the Friday's staff has so much flair that they never would get annoyed at her. She was their best customer after all.

See Mommy Dawg, I write about you! I hope this weekend we can create some more chain memories. Jose Tejas baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cracker Barrel - As Addicting As Crack (for some)

Whenever I say or type the word Crack, I think of Whitney Houston. "Crack is cheap. I make too much for me to ever smoke crack. Crack is wack."

Well Miss Houston, Crack may be wack but Cracker Barrel is not.

I had mixed feelings about Cracker Barrel prior to my most recent visit there. I used to go a lot with my family when they would drive me to college. I know I was always excited to stop and have breakfast there but once I was actually eating I never really loved my meal and thought it tasted rather processed. I also always remembered the long wait for a table which is rather annoying, even though they have those fun rocking chairs out front. For me the best part was playing that little wooden triangular peg game when you hop over pieces. I think I stole a few of those games off the table and played them in the car on road trips (editorial note - stealing is bad - do not steal, unless it is a really awesome glass from a bar and you have a big bag).

A week or two ago I was traveling to Philly so we hit some rural towns outside of the city. Cracker Barrel's are pretty much located off major highways in kinda white trash areas of our fine nation. You know, the real America! I am kidding. I was with my girl Roadie and she is big foodie like myself. Anyway it turns our she LOVES Cracker Barrel the same way I love Jose Tejas so when we drove past one I told her I would love to stop at one on the way home. I figured I would give the Cracker another chance.

It was rather early for dinner when we arrived so we dined with the over 90 crowd. The ambiance here is very inviting. The front of the restaurant is a shop with country like things and candy. As a kid I used to always get those flavored candy sticks. Those things totes rock! The actual dining area is very cozy, they even have a huge fire place that warms up the whole restaurant which was nice the day we went because it was cold, rainy and miserable out. It did leave my fro smelling like smoke though.

I figured I was going to eat breakfast for dinner because breakfast is obviously their speciality. I was dying for pancakes because I saw a commercial for pancakes on TV (ummm advertising does work I guess). I ordered two eggs, pancakes and bacon. It was a lot of food but I could handle it. I was really happy with my order. The pancakes were fluffy and the eggs were fresh. The bacon was also delicious, nice and crispy, just the way I like it. Roadie is a real Cracker Barrel expert, she even worked at one in college which I can not get over and knows all about the star system they have for workers there. She gets all country legit and eats the grits, gravy and all that kinda stuff. Girls from the Bronx do not really eat grits.

I looked at their dinner menu and it seemed OK. Real traditional American food, kinda boring, nothing outside the box. What did stand out to me is that you are able to pick your sides and as any fan of this blog may know, I love being able to pick my sides. I need options. From the sides that they have I would pick, Fried Apples, Mac n' Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Hashbrown Casserole.

So if you are traveling along the east coast and see one of these on the side of the road, stop and treat yourself to a country breakfast. It would be very American of you.