Rosh Hashanah - RorDawg Style

Happy New Year! I am skipping any religious celebrations this year to honor the opening of Religulous. I kinda hate Bill Maher lately but tend to agree on his stance on religion so I hope to see this movie. I am sure I will enjoy it and find it rather funny.

Anyway if you are a bi coastal orphan like me and do not have any family home cooking here is a list of places I think would be great for a Rosh Hashanah food (at least what I will be eating).

I present to you Rosh Hashanah - The RorDawg Chronicles......

1) P.F. Chang's - I mean you are a Jew so you probably like Chinese food. This is where my family held their mock Rosh dinner and it was delicious. Who needs brisket when you can have Mongolian Beef.

2) Tasti D Lite - Perhaps you are busy, realized you have no food in your apt and are leaving for LA the next morning. Maybe you are lazy and want to just grab something to eat while you watch Chucky Bass on Gossip Girl. Tasti D Lite is the perfect solution, delicious and kosher!

3) In N Out Burger - When in LA!!!!! I figure it will be a nice treat for my Rosh Hashanah lunch.

4) Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf - What a Rosh breakfast treat. Instead of apples and honey, I am having a Caramel Ice Blended!!!

5) STK - You think grandma makes you feel like a superstar, forget it!!! I am going to STK in LA (2 locations so it is a chain) where the paparazzi will be outside taking pictures of me thinking I am Meadow Soprano or Chuy.

6) Jerry's Famous Deli - These are all over South Florida and LA. I figure I might as well have one Jew meal during the holidays so it will probably be here.

Happy New Year!

Rise, Shine and Have Some Chain Food

This is a topic I have never touched upon before. I realized I never wrote about the most important meal of the day......breakfast. I love breakfast! Last night I was in bed and all I could think about was French Toast Sticks. Breakfast is probably the one meal where I like most options on the menu. I think one of the greatest indulgences around is the breakfast options at fast food chains. McDonalds and Burger King have amazing breakfasts. When I was a freshman in college before I would go to my Hip Hop Dance class I would stop in McDonald's on Comm Ave to get a McDonalds breakfast. It was my treat for working so hard in Hip Hop.

Here is my list of my favorite breakfast items at Burger King and McDonalds.

1) McDonald's Hash Brown. Those ovals are heaven in a paper wrapping. Add some salt and pepper and you have perfection.

2) Burger King French Toast Sticks. These sticks are just right. Crispy on the outside, warm and eggy on the inside. Dip them in syrup and you got your self a pretty sweet meal.

3) Burget King Croissantwich. What a great idea, eggs, bacon and a croissant. I must have one of these sometime soon again.

4) McDonald's Bacon and Egg Biscuit. Notice I do not put cheese because I do not like cheese on my eggs. Also if you order it this way, you know it is fresh because they have to make it special for you. Everyone likes something special, right?

5) McDonald's pancakes, or as they call them, Hotcakes. These things are awesome. Light, fluffy and served in that awesome Styrofoam plate. These remind me of being a kid. I guess I ate them a lot as a kid.

I have to admit that I have never tried a McGriddle. I always wanted to but never got around to it. I think this posting has inspired me to go try one. Perhaps tomorrow morning???

The Economy is Rough, Chain It Up

Anyone who works around midtown has to notice the somber mood around town. It was sad to see all those cute Lehman Brother boys carrying their boxes out on Monday. There was a time when I was so jealous of bankers. I was intrigued and jealous of their big bonuses around Christmas time. The most I ever got was a gift certificate to Bloomingdale's. I thought hmm maybe I should go back to school and get into finance, but alas I have adult onset ADD and there is no way I could ever take the GMATs or GRESs So instead, I blog about chain restaurants.

Anyway I thought I would use this posting as a guide to some of the best chain restaurant deals around. With this tough economy, we could all use a good food deal.

1) Olive Garden all you can eat soup, salad and breadsticks. For around ten bucks you can eat all you want. I went once and found it very tasty and for ten bucks, what else could you want!

2) Applebee's now also has an all you can eat option. They are offering all you can eat chicken fingers, riblet basket or fried shrimp. This offer is only available in the burbs. From $9.95 - $13.95 you can have all the chicken fingers, riblets or shrimp you could want. You are only allowed one but you can mix and match with your friends. I called and asked. No question about which one I would pick. Chicken fingers, ching-ching! I might go and practice for my chicken fingers competitive eating competition.

3) McDonald's Dollar Menu. So you are not a millionaire anymore, you can still be a Dollar Menunaire. I mean for 3 bucks you can get a double cheeseburger, fries and a coke. Now that is a deal.

4) Wendy's 99cent Menu. This is my favorite value menu. No doubt for 3 bucks you can get a 5 piece chicken nugget with sweet and sour sauce, a yummy baked potato and a diet coke. What a feast!

5) McCormick & Schmick's $1.95 Bar menu. Put down your $15 cosmo at the rooftop bar and head over to McCormick & Schmicks to indulge on their $1.95 Happy Hour bar menu. Highlights include Cheeseburgers, Fish Tacos, Chicken Wings and Steamed Mussels.

So let the European tourists drink $5.00 coffees and $6.00 smoothies. Us tough New Yorkers will get through these hard times with my helpful guide!

The 100th Posting

Well can you believe it. It is my 100th posting. Who would have thought this little idea that was imagined while dining on Red Lobster biscuits would turn into such a major food blog. Ok maybe it is not a major food blog yet BUT I do have a lot of loyal supporters and because of that I am dedicating my 100th posting to them. I have created a list of my All-Star readers. Those who have been there from the beginning and have supported me with comments and kind notes (do not be offended if you did not make the list, but I had to cut it somewhere - if you are upset maybe you should comment more).

Here is my Chain of Food All-Star readers and where I would like to dine with them as a thank you for all of their support.

Nina - my girl, my hetero, I would love to dine with you at Buddakan in AC. I have been talking a lot about this place recently, I know, but we have had so much fun here and both love the edamame dumplings. Let's do it again!

Brian E. - I thought a lot about this one and have come up with The Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium before a Yankee Met game. I have no idea if Citi Field will have a chain in it because poor little Citi Field gets no press coverage. Regardless this is my pick. Also we can kill two birds with one stone because I still owe you a Mets game based on that silly Obama bet.

Bretty - For a while you used a fake name which was kinda odd. Does not matter though, nobody loves chains as much as us. I would like to dine at Del Friscos with you because that is the best and you are the best!! Also if I take you there maybe you will not make fun of me for being cheap.

Cousin - You always put such thoughtful remarks on this bad boy and for that I thank you. I would like to dine with you at Capital Grille. You introduced me to this wonderful place and I will always be grateful.

Paul, Nadine's Husband - You comment was probably the nicest thing anyone ever said about this blog. I was really touched, nobody ever called me their hero before. My pick for you is Dave and Busters.

Again, thanks everyone for reading. When I am published and become the food version of Candace Bushnell I promise to not forget anyone.

The Best Chain Appetizers

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought it was about time for me to create another best list. I have not done one in a while and figured this hazy, crazy, Wednesday in September would be the perfect time for one. So without further ado, I present to you the best appetizers served at chain restaurants.

1) Ravioli Edamame at Buddakan. You can see the posting below for more details on those little nuggets of joy.

2) Sesame Jack Chicken Strips from TGI Fridays. These are heaven on a plate. One of the most tasty things you can put in your mouth.

3) Rock Shrimp Tempura from Nobu. This is by far the best thing on their menu. A lot of other places offer this, but Nobu has by far the best one.

4) Spinach Artichoke Dip from CPK

5) Spinach Artichoke Dip from Houstons.

6) Chicken Lettuce Wraps from PF Changs. Oh boy these babies are good. So much fun to make and eat.

7) Avocado Egg Rolls from Cheesecake Factory. I love avocado and I love egg rolls so the combination is great.

7) Guacamole from Rosa Mexicana. Rosa beats out Dos Caminos in the avocado arena because they serve it with warm tortillas and I like that.

9) Quesidilla from Applebee's. Little Bretty introduced me to these and we both concur that they are the best quesidillas from any chain.

10) Fried zucchini from Carmine's. I try to make believe I don't love it but I do. It is an indulgence of fried wonderfulness. It is extra good topped with lemon and tomato sauce.

Let me know what you think of this list.

My next posting is my 100th so stay tuned. It is going to be extra special.

Buddakan - Fancy, But Still a Chain

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Buddha. It probably stems from Freshman year of college when I got the freshman 15 (or 20) and one of the girls on my floor introduced me to her dad and then proceeded to say, Rori, show my dad your Buddha belly. Ummm yeah that really happened.

Anyway, since then the Buddha has always been special to me so I was thrilled when a restaurant called Buddakan opened in NYC about a year and a half ago and quickly became the new hot spot. I was even happier when this trendy hot spot opened in my favorite NJ town - Atlantic City. With 3 locations, the original in Philly, NY and AC, this my friends is surely a chain.
I was lucky enough to dine here at the AC spot with some of my favorite people last weekend. We started the meal with delicious cocktails (lychee martini for me, dirty martini for others) and then moved on to my all time favorite appetizer. I know that is a bold statement to make but put your seat belts on because I am making it. The edamame ravioli (or dumplings) are beyond a doubt my favorite appetizer at any restaurant. They are pricey, but so delicious. In fact, after our first order we all decided to get another because they are that good. All they are mashed up edamame and prob some sort of sauce or something all wrapped together in a pasta or dumpling like case. Whatever they are, they rock my world! I also shared the boneless spareribs with Lilo, I mean Nina, and they were also excellent with a tasty sauce and cooked just right. It was def not too fatty for the princess. The portion is kind of small and served of very long plate that my parents seem to find very amusing and still talk about it to this day.
For an entree I shared the veggie fried rice and chicken with cashews with Lilo, I mean Nina. The rice was excellent. I love carbs, so I obvi loved this. The rice was not too greasy and had lots of eggs, eggs are awesome. Now, the chicken w/ cashews, that kind of sucked. The chicken had this funky taste to it like it was frozen and made from a Lean Cuisine. The sauce and the cashews were fine but as Harvard Professor Nina pointed out, it was the cheapest entree on the menu and probably why it sucked. I think that no matter what, if you are gonna charge 20 bucks for 4 bucks worth of chicken and nuts, it better be good. I do not care if I would strip for your dumplings. I guess I should have listened to Nina and ordered a steak dish. Too bad I wear the pants in this relationship. Anyway, the other girls at my table shared the sea bass and to quote Jen Roy, it was "fabulous." I would have tried it but for some reason I was not in the mood. For dessert I got a stoli vanilla and diet coke - very sweet!!!!

The ambiance at this place is very cool. It is very dark with Asian accents and on the ceiling they have a starry sky. It sounds cheesy but it works. The NY location is also very cool. No starry sky, but very big and grandiose. The only thing besides the chicken with cashews I do not like about this place is they have a communal table. Umm yes, I like to be nosy and listen to other peoples conversations but I can do that from another table, I do not need to be all up in their lo mein. If you go here, ask to not sit at the communal table.

This is Not a Coincidence

One of my most loyal readers Sarah just sent me this ridiculous story. It turns out right after I posted about my lunch time experience at the Olive Garden the future President of the USA, John McCain, (if we are lucky) had a lunch there with Senator Graham and my real hero Senator Josepth Liberman. Joey L makes me want to live in Conn so he can be my Senator. Some of you might know this already but back in the day when I lived in Riverdale Liberman would visit his lady friend Hadassa there. MommyDawg would wheel me in my stroller and good Ol'Joe would comment on what a cute baby she had. Smart man.

Anyway, I do not think this is a coincidence and truly believe McCain has people on his staff reading my blog. They must have seen my posting and decided to give it a try. Sen. Lieberman had a fish dish (no shocker there, he seems so cute and health conscience). President McCain had Spaghetti and Meatballs. That is my kind of meal.

Here is a link to the story.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/08/18/politics/fromtheroad/entry4357485.shtml

Everyone Deserves a Second Chance

As I grow older and wiser I see that everyone deserves a second chance. Therefore after much hesitation I decided to enter the grand garden in Time Square with some co-workers today for lunch. Olive Garden is actually one of the closest chains to my office and stands 3 glorious stories high smack in the middle of Manhattan. I also decided to give this place another try because it has been getting a lot of press lately due to the fact that they are not so into having my favorite Girl Next Door Kendra endorse them all the time on her show. I guess they think they are classier than she is. Sadly, they really aren't. I love Kendra. If I was a big boobed, blonde, I think I would be like her. She likes sports and tries to act ghetto. I doubt she is a republican though.

Anyway, I went to Olive Garden in Times Square and it was great! I only got the Soup, Salad and Unlimited Breadstick lunch but it was awesome. The salad was really tasty. I liked the dressing and the fact that they put Parmesan cheese on top. I also like the soup. The best one is the pasta fagiola. It is really tasty and filled with pasta, beans, beef and veggies. It was great. The breadsticks were OK. They were a bit salty and I think maybe could have had more garlic on them or something. Overall, I was really pleased with my experience and for $8.95 it is a great deal in this big city of ours.
I am still afraid to try any of their actual dishes. Maybe oneday. Not a work day though.

Truly The Most Disgusting Thing Ever

I was going to use today's posting to focus on the amazing NYPost Softball Team and their championship victory last night. I of course did not really contribute to the win going 0-3, but I hit the ball hard and had a lot of spirit so I think that counts for something. I was going to talk about Manhattan Chains that are perfect for celebrating a team victory but when I saw this article on the Post site (clearly the only site I read) I had to put it up here.

Anyway it is about a Burger King employee who bathed in the sink there. That is truly repulsive. Like was he naked? Totally gross. It is almost as bad as those old school shots of rats playing in the donuts of Dunkin Donuts.

Check out the article below.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08122008/news/nationalnews/video_show_man_bathing_in_burger_king_ki_124159.htm

Can You Trust The Picture??

Well I do not think you can really trust anything.

My good friend and boss Jason just sent me a link to this site that shows you what fast food items look like in their ads (I seem to be writing a lot about ads this week - I really should be selling them, not writing about them) and then what they actually look like when purchased. It is really interesting and at times rather disgusting. As any loyal reader to this site knows, I love fast food but even I would not eat some of these things.

The items that look the most gross to me are the Arby's sandwich & the McDonald's Sausage Burrito.

Check it out.

http://www.thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm

Ruby Tuesday is Blowing Up

I have to say as a chain food expert and advertising extraordinaire (ok maybe I am just mediocre) this interesting Ruby Tuesday ad campaign and image overhaul is really a dream come true for me. I actually really like Ruby Tuesday and do not see the need for the great change but I do see how things are shifting to more upscale dining experiences overall. Essentially the are "blowing up" the last Ruby Tuesdays online today. Very exciting!!!

After that there will be new ads showing the new Ruby Tuesdays and all it had to offer. I am kind of excited to see. No matter what, I really hope they keep their salad bar. Me and Nina, I mean Lilo, really loved it there. We had so many great lunches after long days of Boston shopping there back in the day.

Here is the blow up that just happened online.

http://www.rubytuesday.com/

I am checking out the new menu now and it seems pretty good. Some things that stand out to me are the shrimp and chicken fingers platter, Shrimp Diablo, Chicken Fresco, Chicken Bella (someone can make a joke here), and the Fresh Avocado Quesadilla. It seems they still will have the salad bar which is freaking awesome. Also they have some smart eating choices which I am very into. You can get seafood, steak or chicken and then pick 2 sides. That is really perfect for me. Very cool, good job!

From the pics on the site, the new look is not that different. It kind of looks the way the new Friday's look. Eh

Anyway, I hope to try this out soon and let you know firsthand how everything is.

Pret a Manger - Yeah I am Ready

So I have a new love. It is Pret a Manger and lucky for me it is across the street from my office. When these first started opening up in NY I did not like at all. I think it is because I am much more adventurous in my eating habits then I was even 2 years ago. Now I love things like avocado and chipotle mayo ( I know I am CRAZY).

For those not familiar Pret a Manger is a sandwich, soup and salad chain that I believe originated in London. When my friend Erin lived in London she always spoke highly of the place. Again when I first tried I did not love. Everything is already prepared so you can not pick and chose what you want in your sandwich or salad and that annoyed me because I am kind of picky and only like the things I like.

Then cousin said he really liked it recently so I gave it another chance and boy am I glad I did. They have this FABULOUS chipotle shrimp sandwich. It is fresh, succulent shrimp with avocado, lettuce and a spicy chipotle mayo. I love it! I also love their chicken, mozzarella, tomato baguette. What is great about this place is you can get half (they call them slim) sandwiches so I mix and match. Today I mixed and matched the ones I just told you about. I have also tried the hummus sandwich here but I did not really love that. Cosi has a much better one.

Sometimes I mix half a sandwich with a soup. My go to soup is the butternut squash with apples. It is a bit more watery then other butternut squash soups but I still really like it.

I never had breakfast here but it looks like they have nice granola and yogurt parfaits as well as some fun pastries.

In closing I really recommend this place. It is perfect for grabbing a quick sandwich. They def have a gourmet taste and feel to them and everything tastes fresh.

So get ready and go eat!!!

Oh I just looked online and it seems the only American Pret locations are in NY and they do not seem to be in a rush to open anymore. I think they would do well in cities like DC and Boston. Maybe I will open one in Boston and then move into one of Somberg's extra bedrooms and hang out with Tyrone.

Great Article in The Post Today

Actually everyday there are great articles in the Post but this one is near and dear to my heart.
It talks about how chains are taking over the city. Interesting?? Maybe this means that the Post will finally allow me to link my blog on their site. That is my life goal.
Anyway, Dunkin Donuts (my love) is the #1 chain in the city. I am kinda shocked by that. I thought Starbucks would be higher. That is actually #4. There are more Subway's and my real true love forever, McDonald's.
Here is a link to the article.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08012008/news/regionalnews/bucks_getting_dunked_122540.htm

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.

The House That Arod Built

I am so embarrassed that I did not know about this sooner (my brother took almost a week to tell me) but opening up at the new Yankee Stadium (my most favorite place in the world) will be a Hard Rock Cafe. Can you believe it?? A mecca chain. Actually the grand daddy of the theme chains will be finding a home in Yankee Stadium. I really do not understand the marriage of the two, Hard Rock and Sports??? I think an ESPN Zone or Fox Sports Grill would have made more sense but what do I know? I am just a lowly chain food blogger.

No matter what they better have a section dedicated to Bernie Williams and his music. That would be awesome!

Also I think I would buy a Hard Rock Cafe Yankee Stadium T. I can see those being really cool. I am excited to see the merchandise they will offer. I also wonder if the menu will be more stadium like or will it be consistent what is offered in most of the other Hard Rocks.

Another thing I think is cool is that the restaurant will be open all year and you can eat there without tickets to the game. You will not be able to see the field at all but I imagine the atmosphere will be awesome and probably a fun place to watch the game if you don't have tickets to a big playoff game or something.

Did You Know Applebee's Was The Largest Chain?

Ummm I didn't. I am really surprised at that. Anyway here is a really interesting article about Applebee's and a new chain called BJ's (nice name). Supposedly it is the next big chain. I wonder if they get really big will they have to fight with the BJ's wholesale club for rights to the name.

Anyway, they are based out in California and have an on site brewery which is pretty cool. I was checking out the menu online and it is pretty legit. Lots of salads, pizzas, sandwiches and Rori like entrees (which means chicken in fun sauces). Next time I am in Cali I will def check it out. They even have one in Rancho Cucamonga which is my favorite city just because of the name.

Here is the article.
http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/29/the-next-applebees-is-bjs-restaurant-and-brewery/

The Wild Wild West

I am on my way back to NY waiting in the airport for my plane but I wanted to do a quick posting about my trip to LA. I have to say I was really disappointed by the diversity of the chains here. Besides In N Out Burger and Carls Jr, I did not notice any chains we do not have in NY. I guess there were a few Mexican ones but I really was not in LA long enough to notice what is a chain and what is not. I probably need to expore the outskirts of the city to really find the good chains we do not have in NY.
There is a BLT Steak in West Hollywood. Maybe next time I am in LA I will go there so I can write about it. The BLT's are so becoming huge mecca chains.
Oh I thought of something else that might be cool to explore and find. The first California Pizza Kitchen. I bet that is in LA somewhere. OMFG, the first Cheesecake Factory is also in LA. I def need to pay my respects and make a visit there. Good thing I will be back soon.
My quick trip did make me reconfirm my love of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I thought I liked my Atlanta Caribou Coffee more but no way. My heart belongs to the Coffee Bean.
Anyway I have a few more things to talk about but for now I will just wallow in the lack of LA chain diversity.

Chain Your Dad

One of my best past posts was titled Chain Your Mom and was a list of all the best chains to take your mom to on Mother's Day. I figured today was a great day to write a posting dedicated to Dad, the guy that taught you how to swing a baseball bat (too bad I grounded out three times in softball this week) and the guy that builds your 300 pound, 60 foot glass T.V. stand and picks you up in the city after your morning jog with your laundry so you don't have to do it in your scary basement. So in honor of dad I am writing a post of all the best chain restaurants to take your dad to this Father's Day!

1) ESPN Zone - so much fun! You can play video games, watch the Yankees, Tiger Woods and eat a pretty decent meal.

2) Capital Grille - Step it up for dad this year. He deserves a good steak and even better a Stoli Doli

3) Texas Roadhouse - The food is just so good here that your dad will love it. Everything from the biscuits, sweet butter, and as my bro says, fall off the bone ribs will make dad happy.

4) Hooters - Enough said

5) Del Frisco's - Really treat your dad for something good. I can not think of a better steak or a better place.

I Lost My Rack

I have to thank my hetero lifemate Nina for this shocking, yet kind of exciting news. Back when we were young sophomores at BU we frequented a bar in Faneuil Hall at least once a week called the Rack. At the time it was one of the "trendiest" bars in Boston. It totally was not a college bar with dollar beers and boys in Red Sox hats that I eventually learned to love Junior year. Instead this was a bar with dudes in suits and cougars looking for their mate. They also had a huge outdoor seating portion and pool tables everywhere. For some reason Nina and I just loved it here. Maybe it was because they let us in with our fake IDs and they played awesome music. There are so many wonderful and funny memories I have of this bar but my favorite is definitely the night we were on Wild On E. No, I did not know anything shocking, I was just standing in the background sipping my Stoli Raz and Sprite but I still made it on TV.

Sadly this bar closed a few years ago so BU kids that are there now will never no the wonders of The Rack. Now, why is this posting on chainoffood? Good question because The Rack is now a Hard Rock Cafe. Can you believe it, one of my favorite bars is now a chain restaurant. What are the odds of that? I actually really like Hard Rock Cafe and think Faneuil Hall is the perfect location for one. I was just at the one in Times Square and was very impressed. I mean if you really like music the place is a great museum. I think seeing the sequin bra Madonna wore in 1989 is pretty cool . Next time I am in Boston, which I hope is soon, I will definitely have to stop by here and check out the new Hard Rock.

Huge News !!!!!

OMG, are you sitting down????
I just got a note saying that another blog wants to use one of my quotes on their site.
I am so honored and so in shock. I might finally make it big.
Stay tuned. We will soon have enough pageviews to have a Wendy's takeover.

Below is the note I got today. Check it out.

I’m doing a Top 10 List for our blog of customer quotes and wanted to get your permission to use the following from your 7/11/07 posting:"There was a time I used to eat it everyday. I am a bit better now..."I would include a link to the quote. Feel free to email me directly bemerson@tastidlite.com
Once I get permission from all of the customers, you will be able to find our blog here:http://www.xanga.com/tastidlite
Thanks,BJ

Wagamama - Ummm Not My Mama

Guess who is back???????????????????????

Yup I am back! Sorry I have been away so long. There is no excuse so I am not going to give one. Instead I will just try to blog more often. I hate to debut on a negative note BUT someone in my office just came back from Europe and reminded me of this terrible, terrible chain. When I went to London everyone I know told me that I just had to go to Wagamama because I would love it so much. It sounded like the perfect place for me, an Asian noodle shop that was a chain. I was so excited to try it. Anyway, it sucked. Nothing about this place was good. The ambiance is very cold and uninviting. I had to wait in line to sit at some communal table. I hate communal tables. Actually if i was sitting at a communal table with like 15 hot guys maybe I would like it. Weird couples devouring gross noodle soup, not so much. I do not remember what I ordered exactly but I remember not eating it because it was so so so bad. My hetero lifemate Nina was with me and she did not eat hers either. In fact, when we were done we had to go to another restaurant to get dinner. All I remember was gross things floating everywhere in my bowl.

Now these restaurants are everywhere in England and have spread throughout most of Europe and the Middle East. They have even made their way to our shores opening two locations in Boston. Boston does have the worst Chinese food ever, but still, it is better than this crap. I do not understand the phenomenon at all. Open more Baja Freshes and close these bad boys down.

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY FOOD BONANZA

Hello - what an amazing Superbowl we are going to have this year. It will be a showdown between the awesome, shy, awkward Eli Manning and the Hollywood Playboy, babies daddy, flower holding Tom Brady. Giants need to win. We need to show New England they are not the only place in the northeast that can win championships anymore. Do it for the Yankees, Red Sox suck!!
So in honor of this historic game I am giving you my list of best chain sports themed restaurants.

1) ESPN Zone - this is the mecca and the best. I love their salads, spinach artichoke tip and chicken sandwhiches. Their TV's are awesome and I like that the waitstaff has their favorite sportsteam on their name pins.

2) 40/40 Club. Party like a rap star!!! With locations in NY, Atantic City and the fabulous Palazzo in Las Vegas, Mr. Jay Z has created a nice chain for himself and Miss Knowles. I never actually ate here but I have drank here. Drinks are expensive but the atmosphere is awesome and there is a special Arod room, that is hot.

3) Champs - I only went once but I was very impressed. Good food and ambiance for watching sports.

4) Jocks and Jills - Has a neighborhood feel (read my post about it a few entries below).

5) Fox Sports - Hah, you think I need to place this higher because I work for Rup. Umm no, that is what you get for endorsing BHO.

A lot of athletes like Shula & Marino have opened sports bar like chains, I notice a lot of them in Florida. Once I move down there and fulfil my dream of being a gym teacher in Boca I will write all about them.

Famous Dave's BBQ - Back On The Sauce

I randomly found this place last weekend when I was doing my tour de Jersey mall trip. I heard about this place from my brother, the chain of food king so we decided to give it a try.

I must admit, I am not a huge pork eater so BBQ places do not always do it for me.

I love BBQ sauce but the meat, I can do without. Anyway I will get down to business.

I was disappointed that this place did not give you any bread or corn muffins to start your meal. I think a place where the food is so fatty should just start you with some bread, go all out ya know. For my meal I got a simple grilled chicken sandwich. I was very pleased with the size of the sandwich and the chicken was very juicy. What I really liked about this place was that you could pick from a long list what side you wanted. I went with the sweet potato mashed, which were just ok, I had better at many other places. On the sandwich they put what they called hell-fire pickle chips. They were awesome, hot, spicy pickles, amazing!! I also really loved the BBQ sauce here. I could not get enough of it which is important because it is a BBQ place. I was dipping my left over bread in it.

The platters at this place come with two side dishes, corn and corn bread. I think that is awesome because I like a lot of sides. I just could not find a platter I would eat because it was all meat on the bone or brisket and I am not so into that. Other side dish options here are apples, regular mashed potatoes, fries and green beans. They also have this huge family size BBQ plate which is probably fun to share with a big group.

The atmosphere here is very Texas BBQ like. I did not fee like I was in the middle of Jersey at all.

I must say though, I did like this place, loved the BBQ sauce, BUT Texas Roadhouse is 10times better for sure.