Spend $12 - Change the World

The Exclusive One of a Kind Green Eggs Marketing T-Shirt is now available to purchase through Google Check Out!!

This simply designed shirt is based off of the popular blog post Waffle Fry Butt and will challenge the world to live a life that is Waffle Butt Free.

Shirts cost $12 and include free shipping, a printed copy of the new eBook Classy Eater and one extra bonus prize. I only have a limited amount so be sure to place your order asap!Please note: No profit is being made off of selling shirts!

To place your order simply scroll to the bottom of this post, select your size and the Buy Now button. If you have any questions, please email me at danielrholm@gmail.com

	$12.00 - Green Eggs T-Shirt - S $12.00 - Green Eggs T- Shirt - M $12.00 - Green Eggs T-Shirt - L

Best Sandwich on Earth

It was extremely difficult, but the analysis is complete. Little did I know that eating sandwiches five days in a week would take so much out of me. I think I have become part sandwich.

In the end it came down to two sandwich places: Publix and Jimmy John's. When I began this journey I automatically assumed that Publix offered the best sandwich. Then I met Gail and realized that service sometimes is more important than taste.

I still do believe that Publix creates one of the most soul satisfying sandwiches, Jimmy John's however was just better. It tastes better, the experience was better and the price was perfect. For $4.69 I can get an 8 inch sub - not a half and not a foot long (which is usually too big).

Jimmy John's now reigns as the Sandwich Smackdown champion for serving the best sandwich on the face of the earth.

I will now be returning to my usual routine which consists of Chipotle as much as possible. However, now, when I am in the mood for a sandwich I will be making the 40 minute drive to Jimmy John's.

Sub Cafeteria

I'm tired of eating sandwiches. I had no idea that a Sandwich Smackdown could be so exhausting.

Tonight was Jason's Deli, which was unlike any other sandwich place I have been too. It is similar to a true New York deli, but the food is not nearly as good.

More or less this place is a cafeteria. When you first enter you order at a counter then walk down a long line to pay at the cashier. No need to worry, the trip is worth it because on the other side is all of the free soft serve ice cream you can imagine.

I went through the fully loaded salad bar with my wife and I double checked that she took more than she wanted as it cost $6.29 (which is also how much my sub cost).

We weren't in the mood to dine in the cafeteria (even though it meant more free ice cream for me) so we took our order to go.

The Italian sandwich that I had ordered was pretty good. It was on good bread with a nicely size portion of meat BUT they had shredded cheese on it. I didn't recall when ordering that Asiago cheese was shredded cheese. I believe the intention was for the cheese to melt on the bread during the melting process, however this didn't happen. It was a huge disappointed as I am a very big fan of cheese, especially when there is extra cheese. We all know that cheese is the essential ingrident in any sub.

Otherwise, the sub was excellent. Good size, fair price, toasted and great service. Believe or not I actually had a few bites of my wife's salad - I have no idea what came over me but it looked really good.

The atmosphere of Jason's is like a step back in time. The layout was non user friendly and the interior lacked a personality at all. While Jason's may not be the ideal place for a date - the food to go is a win.

Jimmy John's Feeds My Sandwich Dreams

I had to drive 40 minutes for Jimmy John's. It was worth it.

We were both nervous has we had to drive by two Chipotle's and a few other restaurants that we wanted to eat at on our way there.

Upon our arrival we were the only ones in the restaurant and the cashier guy walked us through the menu and explained how to order. I requested that my sub be toasted and I was denied. They don't toast subs at all. My initial reaction was total rage. What is Jimmy John's too good to toast their subs? Or, just too lazy? The answer is neither. The bread is so freakin amazing they have no business toasting it.

We both got the exact same thing - Italian Night Club but the wife got her sandwich on the healthier thick slice 7 grain bread. Mine was on the classic french bread (which is all baked fresh in store every 3 hours). I also got a tip that you can go to Jimmy John's and just purchase their bread! If you want to pick some up the day after it's made they only charge your 47 cents!

The bottom line? Jimmy John's makes a sandwich the way I always dreamed it would be. It just the way a sandwich should be and it tastes amazing. Their sandwiches are simple, classic and full of flavor. The next best part aside from the unbelievable bread is the fact that they hand slice all of the meat in the restaurant - so we know it didn't come from a pre sliced trash can out back.

The interior of the restaurant has a "we don't care, we know it's amazing" attitude. It's a simple design with funny signs placed all over the walls - and the bathrooms are extremely clean. I haven't even brought up the bagged chips yet. They should be selling these guys in grocery stores across the country!

You know it's amazing food when your dread taking the last bite, and everyone knows I didn't save the best for last. Bottom line: Jimmy John's offers the best 'classic' sandwich that I have ever had. I'm adding it to The Five and if it wasn't 40 minutes from my house I would probably be there 3 times a week.

Jimmy John's is in the lead, unless Jason's Deli can cause an upset tomorrow.

Cheated

I couldn't bring myself to get a sandwich tonight. I wanted Chipotle too bad. So I cheated. The good news? It was amazing as always.

MMMMmmm.....Toasty

Quizno's is basically a glorified Subway.

10 years ago a toasted sub was revolutionary. Now it's just expected.

When Quizno's first hit the market, people stood back in shock and awe...."They can toast my sub? How!? Who knew it was physically possible?!" Then Jared realized he liked his sub toasted too so Subway copied them. So what does Quizno's have to offer that's different than everybody else?

Nothing. But we did get to watch the employees fight over the toaster.

We enter Quizno's and our first thought - this menu makes no sense. It's spread out all over the back of the wall and it's very difficult to follow. We decide what we want (I always get the Italian everywhere) and we start talking to Juan behind the glass.

Here is my next problem. The glass was created so I could see what's happening. I control the destiny of my sub. Quizno's however didn't like this idea much and they have covered up the splash guard glass with stickers so now I have to poke my head up over the glass to see the magic happen.

I made a bold move and got black olives on my sub. But, I didn't know that Juan was going to give me 534 black olives and then - one piece of cheese. One piece of cheese? What's the best part of the sub? The cheese. Luckily I was poking my head over the splash glass and I caught him and quickly said. More cheese.

Quizno's has this awkwardly large giant oven toaster in between the where your sub is made. I have no idea why they put it up front like that. The fight broke out when Juan walked to the back and stopped paying attention to our subs in the toasty toaster. The cashier noticed that our subs were started to burn and then the action started happening.

Cashier boy yelled at Juan in the back "Look what you did Juan! You just burned their subs." We then heard mumbling from Juan in the back. Cashier boy continues, "What?! You didn't know they were burning? You couldn't have stood here and watched them? You jammed two in at the same time, don't you know what you're doing!"

Although I could have watched the verbal and emotional abuse of Juan all day, I wanted to get my food and get out of this violent sub haven. I said, "Dude. It's no big deal, plus they are suppose to be MMMMM.....TOASTY." Cashier boy replied, "They are suppose to be MMM...Toasty, not MMMM...I just ate burnt bread."

Luckily for us, cashier boy was over exaggerating a bit and the bread was not too burnt. Finally we got out of their for about $10 for two small subs. We got home, I bit into 534 black olives and then decided to pick them off. The taste of the sub was fine. It wasn't amazing, it wasn't horrible it was just ok. It definitely didn't look anything like the Italian sub picture I found on the Quizno's website (see above).

I don't really think that Quizno's brings anything different to the table than Subway or Firehouse. They have become the step child to a once genius toasting idea. They only offer a couple of different bread options, their menu is confusing, it takes a long time and you have the option of getting burnt bread when a deadbeat employee stops paying attention.

Quizno's has made one smart move, they are not offering soups and salads. I won't be going back to try any, but it was still a decent idea. Firehouse and Publix are way ahead in overall taste, price and portion size. The best part about Quizno's is saying - MMMMMMmmmmm....Toasty.

Firehouse: Control Freak

About 6 months ago I got a gift in the mail. It was a mailer that had 6 coupons for a free sub at Firehouse Subs. They all expired in about 10 days and I made sure to use every one.

The subs tasted really good every single time - because they were free. Good food always tastes great when it's free.

Last night was the first time I had ever paid for a sub at Firehouse. It's an interesting concept because basically it's just a simple extension from Quizno's and Subway but there are two differences.

1. You can't watch them make your sub - Firehouse is in total control.
2. If you eat in the restaurant they bring the sub out to you. (Which is great service compared to other sub chains).

I also found it extremely interesting that they offered a variety of probably 50 different hot sauces up on the counter that you could grab and use on your sub. I am personally not a hot sauce guy and if I were going to use it I think the last place I would want to is on my sub. Especially since it already has oil and vinegar and spicy mustard on it. Can I get a roast beef sub with some extra tongue burning hot sauce?! Oh, that sounds good.

Firehouse also makes all of their subs - "Fully Involved" which includes basics like: onion, tomato, mayo, mustard etc. The problem is if you don't want your sub "Fully Involved" you have to list of everything you don't want otherwise they put it on.

This is the exact opposite of every other sub restaurant. At most sub places you tell them what to put on and they add it. They can also customize to your liking. At Firehouse you tell them what you don't want and you have little flexibility in controlling your sub destiny. since you can't watch them make it you have very little input on how your sub will come out. It's almost like fast food sub building. I enjoy the ability to say - More of that, Less of this and No I don't want that. Luckily for Firehouse the end result tastes amazing.

The price - $5.19 for a medium sub which is the exact same price as Publix. They taste completely different. Firehouse has softer bread and as you will see in the video below it also appears to be slightly smaller than the half sub at Publix.

Overall the Italian Sub taste is outstanding. I still have yet to find a sub (and I don't think I will) that is completely craveable like so many other foods I enjoy. However, Firehouse is definitely comparable to the quality and taste of Publix - without the angry employees.

The bigger question - was it worth about $6 with tax ? Probably not. For some reason I feel like I'm getting more at Publix, even if Firehouse might taste better.

Maybe I will just wait for the free coupons to come again...

Shopping is Not a Pleasure

I knew Publix had amazing subs before I got there.

I have been eating Publix subs for years and they have always been life changing. I just didn't remember how horrible their service is. Why is every person who makes subs at Publix so angry about their job?

You know what I'm talking about. You walk up to the tiny glass sub area at the Publix deli and the person who is working in the deli looks at you like you just violated an intense grocery store rule.

They look at you and think, "you want me to stop what I'm doing (re-wrapping meat) so I can come over there and spend 10 minutes making you a detailed and delicious sub?" It always seems out of the question.

Last night was no different.My wife gave me clear instruction: "Go to the 'good' Publix". I said, "No, this one is closer." Big mistake.

Upon approaching the sub counter we were greeted with blood shot eye rolls from a deli employee named, Gayle. We decided to split a foot long sub (which we do every time we get a sub) BUT because my wife didn't want all of the meat on all of her side (saving Publix money) Gayle told us she would get in trouble unless she rang us up for two subs.

We of course were angry because we now were spending double the money we had planned on and Gayle the blood shot eyes employee didn't really seem to care. In fact we appeared to be a severe inconvenience to her normal deli working routine. I almost reminded her that it was her job to make my sub and leave the eye rolling out.

She makes my sub and then I made the mistake of asking it to be pressed (the only way to enjoy an Italian sub from Publix) and she grunted at me. Yes, grunted like a troll - AND rolled her eyes. I asked if it was a problem if I wanted my sub pressed and she responded it was going to be to hard because "all the lettuce was in it now." I'm sorry that I got the sub the way I want it and now I want you to make it better by pressing it!!

We ended up getting out of there with two amazing subs, but not without a short chat with the manager first. I told Bill the manager that this was the worst Publix experience I had ever had. Gayle was rude, inconsiderate, and unfriendly. Bill the manager was shocked and apologized and told me he would be speaking with Gayle very soon.

Delighted that I had gotten a good response from the manager we went to go pay and discovered that Gayle had charged us to much for my wife's sub. So we had to wait to get the price change. It was the perfect ending to our already awful experience.

Here's the thing: Publix has amazing subs. I don't know if it's the Boar's Head meat or their bread but something about them is unbelievable.

Here is the problem: Every time I go there either there is a long wait OR the deli employee is trying to make me feel bad about how they have to make me a sub.

Here is the solution: Have someone else get your sub.

Thanks for all of your feedback regarding the 5th restaurant to get a sub at! Because of all of the response I have decided to eliminate Subway (we all know it's bad anyway). The rest of the week I will visit: Firehouse, Quizno's, Jason's Deli, and Jimmy John's. Stay tuned.

Sandwich Smackdown Week

There used to only be one place to get a sandwich (besides your kitchen): Subway.

Over the past 10 years that has all changed and now there are literally hundreds of places to get a sandwich: Quizno's, Blimpie, Publix, Panera, Arby's, Firehouse and I could go on and on.

But which restaurant has the best sandwich of all time?

Hence the creation of the Sandwich Smackdown - the complete and utter analysis of 5 sandwich restaurants. They will battle and fight, but only one will win.

Sandwiches will be judged on taste, appearance, quality, service, and price. I will bring every detail to you here through video and posts. Over the next week I will go to:

1. Publix
2. Subway
3. Quizno's
4. Firehouse
5. ?

I need your help picking the 5th restaurant I should get a sandwich at! Please post your recommendations below. The Smackdown will conclude on Saturday when an official sandwich is given the title of Best Sandwich of All Time.

Let the games begin!

Peeps for Breakast

I ate magical marshmellow creations this morning for breakfast....Peeps.

These by far are the most unusual yet desirable Easter candy. Once you see their bright sugar coated goodness in front of your eyes you can barely resist to eat one. If it's a chicklet, I eat the tail first and if it's a bunny the ears come off asap.

After chomping down my first Peep on Easter morning I proclaimed out loud - "These are amazing!" and then questioned - "What are they!?" My wife promptly responded - "They are marshmallows coated in sugar, what do you think!"

In spite, I went and ate another one.

I have been enjoying Peeps for years. Maybe it's the colored sugar or the overly processed marshmallow inside but whatever it is, Peeps are irresistible.

It is highly possible that Peeps are also, "not of this world". There has been extensive research conducted on Peep characteristics which you can read about here.

The best part about the Peep besides the sugar coated goodness is that you can pop 5 of these little chicklets in your mouth in a matter of minutes and not even feel the results of eating pure sugar. Additionally, by the time you are reading this you most likely will be able to go to the local store and buy a box a Peeps for 75% off so it should only cost you a few pennies to have a great Peep breakfast the rest of the week.

What Every Server Should Know

ssslllllluuuurrrrpppslllluurrgggg.....the sounds of me needing a refill.

It's the international sign of the desperate cries of a guest who is in need of a refill - now. Every server should know this. If you are sucking on ice with your straw at the bottom of the glass it makes an irritating sound. If it works properly, every server in the restaurant's ears should perk up and listen intently.

If your server is doing their job they will give you a refill promptly. My server didn't.

Yesterday at First Watch we got seated and our server walked up to our table and without saying anything else she asked if we were ready to order. Ok fine fine, we come in twice a week and yes I already know what's on the menu but let us at least sit down and chit chat for 2 minutes before ordering our food! I told her no and that we wanted drinks first.

If I am paying $2.29 for an iced tea I want at least 4-5 teas and one to go. So after about 1 minute of dropping our drinks off, my straw ice sucking began. I was already annoyed that she was trying to get us to order too quickly so I made sure my deliberate outbreaks of suction were loud and clear....sslllluurrrrgggllleessslluuurggggeeee.

She didn't catch on. Only after taking our order it occurred to her that I needed a refill.

As you all know, I am an avid First Watch guest. I believe they offer the best food at a reasonable price and the service is usually outstanding. Here is my problem - my wife's food always comes out wrong. I think in the past 6 months her food has come out wrong at least 5 times. Yesterday was no exception. Not only did it come out wrong it was something she didn't even order. Instead of a three cheese omelet, we had a cheese,bacon, hot pepper omelet.

If the service wasn't already so poor I don't think I would have been so annoyed. Our server notices after my verbal outbreak that the food is wrong. Over on my side of the table my straw sucking continues and by the time her food came back out I was half way done with my french toast. On all of the occasions that it's been incorrect there has never been a discount or free meal.

Once my wife was half way done with her meal, our server drops the check, doesn't take any plates and before she gets too far away I quickly requested drinks to go and I sucked until she got back with a refill and our drinks to go.

Upon paying for the food I started chatting with other servers asking what the policy is in offering comped food. The two that I spoke with told me that comps are server decisions. They also told me that our server was a "bad server".

I already know that First Watch has good servers and bad servers but when it was acknowledged by the own staff it sealed the deal. I wasted $20 on bad service. This is the fundamental problem with all restaurants. If the food is horrible - but the service is amazing. I'm ok with it. If the service is awful but the food is amazing. I'm annoyed. If all I wanted was good food I would go to the grocery store and buy some - and I could get my own refills.

There is one test to measure if you're getting good service: you should never have to make sllllurrrsssggggsllpeeee sounds with your straw

The Grape

The Grape is one of those restaurants you will walk by a 100 times and possibly never go in.

It looks expensive and you're probably not convinced just from looks that it's good enough to pay the price. I know personally I have strolled curiously by The Grape here locally and wondered what it was like. They have purple seats that appear....elegant and out of my price range.

My friend Christine stopped by The Grape last night and dropped me this note knowing I was curious. She is writing today as my guest blogger. After reading, I think you will be convinced to go in the next time you walk by The Grape.

"The Grape. Holy crap. Effing amazing.

Let me just say that I was kinda nervous when I walked in there because we saw a sign that said "Please wait to be seated" and we waited about 3-4 minutes before someone actually acknowledged us. And when they did, they said "seat yourself!" Why even bother putting the sign there?

We sat outside on the patio with an outstanding view of Pointe Orlando (who knew there was such a thing?!). We stuck with white last night. With a glass of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and my new personal favorite - Riesling.

We enjoyed our first glass with homemade bruschetta and a selection of four different cheeses. The bruschetta was too garlicky for my taste, and the portions were small. I'd rather spend $2.50 at Publix for crispy bread and canned diced tomatoes, but it was all part of the experience. The cheese, on the other hand -- UNBELIEVABLE. We had a plate of Stilton, Pecorino Toscano, McCall's Shamrock Cheddar, and wait for it...Drunken Goat Cheese. I've always been a fan of any Irish Cheddar, and Stilton cheese will always have a place in my heart, and the Pecorino? Well, I could have done without. The Drunken Goat Cheese (goat cheese soaked in Cabernet then pressed into a wheel and sliced)...absolutely blew my mind. I'm not a fan of goat cheese, but let me tell you , Cabernet works wonders. If I knew Cabernet can make something taste that good, I would have started soaking myself in it years ago.

My one friend opted for the Mediterranean Quesadilla for her entree, "Roma" as it is called, is stuffed with Roma tomato, oregano, basil, roasted garlic, mushroom, spinach, Fontina and Chèvre, served with marinara sauce. I went for the chicken: chicken, feta, sun-dried tomato pesto and provolone, served with a sun-dried tomato aïoli. I pretty much died. My other friend ordered a steak sandwich that looked nothing out of the ordinary, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

My friend and I then each got a flight of wine (or Grapes by the Bunch as they call it: 2.5 oz glasses of three or more wines). Neither one of us are very educated about wine, our server Gabby, was very willing to assist us. I chose two my own, Falchetto Moscato D'Asti, a very sweet dessert wine, Oriel 365 Prosecco, a sparkling wine that with hints of pear and white peach. Gabby rounded out the trio by bringing me a glass of the Oriel Femme Fatale Rose, which was much heavier than the other two. The Moscato D'Asti was my favorite, and I enjoyed another glass with our dessert: FONDUE for two (we were so full at this point, we knew that Fondue for three was unnecessary).

I know I'm being a Chatty Cathy, which is why I won't go into more details, but holy crap. It was a $156 check. With tip it ended up being $65 per person...as far as I'm concerned, it was the best $65 dollars I've ever spent in my life. Forget Seasons 52, forget Panera, forget Starbucks, forget all those places in Dr. Phillips I normally go to when I want to unwind. This is where I'm going if I want to relax from now on. For three hours, we enjoyed good wine, good conversation, and good (not great, but still good) service. For three hours, they kept my attention, and I would have stayed all night and continued living beyond my means if I didn't have to meet up with friends. - Christine"

My Starbucks Idea

Starbucks announced today 5 major changes to the "Starbucks Experience."

Including:

• A proprietary and revolutionary in-store Clover® brewing system that delivers the best cup of brewed coffee available anywhere.

• A complete reinvention of brewed coffee in-store, that will be brought to life by baristas across the U.S., who will scoop and grind a new unique coffee blend, connecting customers to the early days of Starbucks.

• The introduction of a new state-of-the-art espresso system that provides the perfect shot every time and helps facilitate the critical connection between barista and customer.

• The first phase of a Starbucks Card Rewards program, rewarding registered cardholders and providing unique new benefits when using their cards in Starbucks stores.

• The launch of MyStarbucksIdea.com, Starbucks first online community, that takes the Starbucks Experience outside the store and enables customers to play a role in shaping the company’s future.

• An expanded relationship with Conservation International that enhances Starbucks 37-year commitment to ethically sourcing the world’s finest coffees and reaffirms Starbucks leadership position in sustainable sourcing and climate preservation. You can read the entire overview of new changes here.

My question - does it taste good? With all of the vacuums, suction, grinding, scooping and world travel.....will it make my coffee taste better? Part of me gets into this "romantic relationship" with Starbucks but the fact of the matter is: Dunkin Donuts has amazingly good tasting coffee and it cost $1.70. I don't know where the Dunkin Donuts coffee comes from, and I really don't care. Why? Because it tastes good.

More interestingly, Starbucks has also launch MyStarbucksIdea.com. This website will serve as a center for the exchange of ideas between consumers and guests who want to improve the Starbucks Experience. Beyond their attempt at improving their coffee this is also impressive as it offers a feature so you can "track" the progress of your idea. This is Starbucks attempt at trying to "connect" with guests on a whole new level.

Here's my idea: Make good coffee and stop charging me $4.

Starbucks: I don't care where your coffee comes from and if you didn't travel 3,000 miles to find coffee in the mountains of an unknown country my drink would probably cost half the price!

Also - why should I come to Starbucks and pay a premium price so I can walk over to the tiny creamer station and spill Splenda all over the counter as the guy next to me is reaching for the half and half?! At Dunkin and McDonald's for that matter they put the cream and sugar in for you.

The Idea: Reasonably priced coffee that tastes good and is prepared the way I like it. Oh wait, I can go to Dunkin for that.

What's your idea?

Spend $12 - Change the World

The Exclusive One of a Kind Green Eggs Marketing T-Shirt is now available to purchase through Google Check Out!!

This simply designed shirt is based off of the popular blog post Waffle Fry Butt and will challenge the world to live a life that is Waffle Butt Free.

Shirts cost $12 and include free shipping, a printed copy of the new eBook Classy Eater and one extra bonus prize. I only have a limited amount! Please note: No profit is being made off of selling shirts!

To place your order simply scroll to the bottom of this post, select your size and the Buy Now button. If you have any questions - email me: danielrholm@gmail.com

	$12.00 - Green Eggs T-Shirt - S $12.00 - Green Eggs T- Shirt - M $12.00 - Green Eggs T-Shirt - L

Cheesecake Factory Owns You

People go to Cheesecake Factory to wait.

It's a busy Friday or Saturday night and the "idea" of Cheesecake Factory sounds...luxurious. They want to announce to all of their friends "I'm going to Cheesecake Factory (I must be fabulous)" they say in return, "Oh you're going to Cheesecake Factory, you are so spectacular".

Cheesecake has done an unbelievable job at convincing people that their restaurant is something special and then taking it a step further to make them wait 2.6 hours in order to get in. It's amazing. How do they do it? Why are people waiting?

I'm not convinced that Cheesecake is worth waiting 2.6 hours for and the last time I was there was about 2 years ago. Luckily for us, we have had a gift card since December and it was in desperate need of usage. I was determined not to wait a single minute so after careful research and thought I concluded that Saturday at 11:45am is the ideal time to avoid a wait.

I was wrong. We had to wait 10 minutes. What is it about Cheesecake that even if there is a 10 minute wait it looks like it's packed. The hostesses in their high hostess tower with 14 computer screens control people's destiny and look down on you and try to get you to leave through angry eye contact.

We got seated in a nice booth and we were greeted by an outstanding server. She brought us our drinks and left us alone to read the Cheesecake Factory menu book. Have you seen this thing? It's about 40 pages long, has all fine print text and awkward ads that get in the way of me reading every description of their 1,598 menu items. They should change their name to Food Factory instead of Cheesecake Factory since they have every food on earth.

It took us awhile to decide what to eat. I wanted something I couldn't get anywhere else. The answer was Buffalo Blasts...chicken breast, cheese and spicy buffalo sauce all stuffed in a spicy wrapper and fried until crisp. Heaven....

This is like a boneless buffalo wing stuffed in a mini tortilla then deep fried. Quite possibly the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. I have never seen anything like this before. It is a genius invention!

Another reason that Cheesecake is genius is because you have to get dessert. You have no option. Would you dare to visit a Cheesecake Factory and then not get cheesecake and risk being verbally and emotionally abused by the servers? I don't think so. You are sold that you're getting dessert before you even walk in the door. Cheesecake Factory owns every person that walks in the door. For two reasons:

1. They can make you wait as long as they want.
2. You're getting dessert (no question).

The best part about lunch though after the deep fried goodness and the cheesecake was that we had a very nice booth location near the hostess tower and we could watch the 456 people all crammed inside eyeing our booth begging us to get up so they could sit down. It amazes me that at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon they were on at least an hour wait. Since so many people were waiting I decided to get drinks to go. This was just my attempt at trying to get back at Cheesecake Factory for making me wait for 10 minutes and then demanding I order dessert against my will.

(If you have made it through reading this whole post - sorry it's so long!)

Creme Filled

We found a Krispy Kreme (thanks to a fellow sugar addict).

I got a creme filled donut.

It tasted like heaven. If Krispy Kreme was smart they would sell these works of sugar art like crazy. Pure glazed goodness stuffed with magnificent creme and unlike Dunkin there is no messy powder on top.

The Reviews Are In!

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Why my Krispy Kreme Closed

Krispy Kreme changed the world...for awhile.

With those "hot and ready" glazed donut creations it was nearly impossible to resist. When Krispy Kreme first opened in our neighborhood about 5 years ago the line was out to the street as everyone waited desperately for a bite of the sugary goodness.

People came to school wearing hats and carrying boxes of donuts. Everyone who didn't have a cool hat and a Krispy Kreme donut was full of envy. This craze lasted for a few years. People would be waiting in line at 9pm just to get a donut. Why? Because they were amazing and you couldn't get that same sugar tasting donut anywhere else.

Then things started to change. The fad that was Krispy Kreme started to die out quickly. It was always a little better than Dunkin Donuts. But then Dunkin Donuts realized they could offer just as good of donuts along with amazing coffee, bagels, munchkins, and breakfast sandwiches.

Krispy Kreme didn't seem to follow the same path. The people who were obsessing about Krispy Kreme realized that Dunkin had more to offer.

Not only did Dunkin have more to offer but people seemed to get tired of Krispy Kreme (including me). It just wasn't as good as the first time you had it and after about 6 donuts you didn't feel to good about yourself anymore.

The Krispy Kreme that use to be packed with people was suddenly empty - even during prime breakfast hours. Then about a year ago it closed.

I had a Dunkin Donuts glazed munchkin this morning (yes my wife knows about it). It was amazing. Hot, fresh, covered in glaze and delicious.

It's almost like Krispy Kreme never existed. It's like an awkward fad from the 1990s...(think Pogs and Beanie Babies).

The New Outback

I go eat at Outback usually once a week.

It all started with the Cheese Fries at age 9. My Dad use to go to Outback to eat lunch in Tampa, I would visit him at work and we would go eat at Outback and after a few visits I discovered Cheese Fries. The rest is history.

Now since I have gotten married, as you can imagine I am no longer allowed to get Cheese Fries as my entree (which is a shame). However, I have still managed to convince my wife that we should eat at Outback on a regular basis. Primarily because the food is so freakin good.

This past weekend after our journey to Carrabba's Italian Market we went a little further south to Ft. Myers. Outback has recently begun a complete redesign/remodel of all of their units and the Ft. Myers location that just opened is the first to have the completely new look.

I wasn't allowed to go overboard and take a whole lot of pictures for reason of embarrassment by my wife. However, please know the wood, purple ceilings and awkward boomerangs are now long gone.

This particular location is in a plaza so I don't think the exterior of all the new restaurants will look like this, however you get the idea.

Inside there are no windows and the bar is off to the left of the host stand and to the right is the dining room. It is full of unique lightning and resembles an attempt at the "Australian outback".

Basically this is the way Outback should have looked for the past 20 years instead of the purple woodiness with crocodiles and boomerangs. I came across this video which gives a better idea of what the interior looks like. It's about 2 minutes long, but after 35 seconds you will really see how it's changed. Click here to watch. I found an even better video on YouTube that shows the new restaurant and also explains how Outback makes a Bloomin Onion. Click here.

Bottom line. Now you can eat the amazing food at Outback and not feel like you went back in time to the late 1980s. Don't get overexcited though, I don't think every Outback will look this good for awhile. In the meantime you can still get all of the amazing food "to go" and then not have to worry about the atmosphere.

Of course, I had to do my own video take on our experience. The video on top is of us lost trying to find Outback and the video on the bottom is after we ate in the restaurant (I was forbidden to film while we were eating).

Not entertained enough? There is one longer much more random video posted on YouTube of my wife and I lost. You can view it here.

To read more about how to eat all of the best food at Outback at the price you want, click here to download a copy of the new eBook Classy Eater.

Classy Eater Now Available for Download!

Sometimes, a book will change your life.

It could change the way you live, the way you eat and what you believe. I know that the new eBook Classy Eater will change your life.

Classy Eater is the complete guide to eating the greatest food at the best price. Two months ago, while driving it occured to me that my wife and I eat cheap at a lot of different restaurants. We have accomplished this by learning and knowing the menu better than the staff. I decided that it was time for me to share my handful of dining out secrets with the world and now have written the new FREE eBook - Classy Eater.

Download the New FREE eBook, Classy Eater by clicking here.


Or visit the Classy Eater website.

Click the links below to share on Facebook, Digg, or add to your bookmarks. Would love to hear your feedback.

The Best Waffle in the World - Just Add Water

This isn't about a restaurant. It's about your waffle iron and why you should be using it instead of going to a restaurant.

When is the last time you used your waffle iron? If the answer to that question isn't "within the past week" then you have not lived.

When I got married my wife and I spent countless hours pouring over our wedding registry. We updated it online, changed the quantity, added items, took them off and then added them back again. Yes we need 67 wash cloths and towels, not to mention 2 crock pots and 2 coffee machines. But, I haven't used the crock pot yet.

The item that we didn't think much of at the time was the waffle iron. We knew we needed one, and we wanted it to be round so we picked the first durable shiny one we saw. Some of the appliances, and other items we got for our wedding are sitting brand new in our cabinet. Not the waffle iron. We use it at least 1-2 times a week.

We use this amazing waffle iron with Aunt Jemima's Pancake/Waffle mix. The result? The best waffles in the world.

I have had waffles at a number of restaurants and none compare with the good old fashion waffles we make at home. They're soft, buttery and delicious. Personally, I'm not a "hard" Belgian waffle fan. I want mine to be spongy and soft. Aunt Jemima delivers this better than any breakfast restaurant I know of. The only exception that comes close First Watch.

This causes a problem because I love restaurants and I love going to eat at them. Why can't I get the best waffle in the world at a restaurant? How come a mix that involves simply adding water tastes better than Perkins, Bob Evans, Denny's, Cracker Barrel and Village Inn? It seems they haven't figured out that to make the best waffle in the world they just have to go to the grocery store and buy instant waffle mix.

On the other hand, I suppose I should be happy that the best waffle in the world consists of a $3 box of waffle mix and a hot wife to mix it up....however, what are your thoughts on restaurant waffles? Which restaurant has the best?

Cheddar Jalapeno Bun

The steak was dry. The chicken wasn't.

For lunch today, my boss offered to take me somewhere...she was paying of course. However, this was an extremely difficult decision. I could go anywhere I wanted - for FREE. Obviously, you all know my first choice was Chipotle. But, I also wanted to try something different.

I quickly started rolling through my mind all of the potential options, I even went to great lengths of looking at websites for restaurants, and it finally came down to location, I picked: LongHorn Steakhouse.

Why? You are probably asking yourself. Why go to a steakhouse with dry steak? Well first I wasn't in the mood for steak. Second I got some intense reaction to my last post about LongHorn and their dry steak. Third, I wanted some good hot bread. Fourth, it was free.

We got a cozy booth and were greeted by a server who walked us through the entire menu, explained what their specialities were and also made suggestions. (Very impressive).

I ordered a BBQ Chicken and Cheese sandwich on a cheddar and jalapeno bun (amazing). I wish it would have come out with an extra bun. They should sell this bun in a store somewhere and give it to the world. If you want to know how to make a batch of this life changing bread at home, click here for a sample recipe. (Please note chances are it won't come out as good as LongHorn's). My boss ordered a cheeseburger without the bun (shame on her).

You have three options:

1. Go to LongHorn order a dry steak.
2. Go to LongHorn order any item you want and demand they put it on a Cheddar Jalapeno Bun (this includes salads).
3. Bake your own Cheeseburger Jalapeno Bun at home (also use this for all of your food in your house).

Just so you know, I will be going with option two.

Carrabba's Italian Market

Look out Panera! You don't stand a chance against Carrabba's Italian Market.

About 6 months ago, Carrabba's opened a brand new restaurant in Sarasota, FL. They transformed the amazing Carrabba's food and experience into a fast casual Italian heaven....inside a Publix Super Market.

It's a full blown Carrabba's experience right next to the bakery section. Well, it's not a full Carrabba's experience. They don't offer all of the amazing dishes, but something a whole lot better: Panini's, Pizzas, Salads, and Pasta dishes. You can view the entire menu here.

It wasn't easy finding this magical Italian mecca. Unknown to us, there were two Publix stores off of this particular exit. We went to the logical choice (the one with the exit signage, pointing left) got in the parking lot and started getting excited. We walked in and didn't see the Carrabba's Italian Market so we walked all through the store thinking that it would suddenly appear. I then came to the obvious conclusion that there must be two different Publix stores and that we were in the wrong one. Damn you exit signs.

We went the other way and arrived at the correct Publix. Once inside there is a corner that is dedicated to Carrabba's Italian Market. You order at the register, they take your name and then bring the food out to you either in their small seating area or at the bar. All of the food (unlike it's many competitors) is made fresh on site by order. You can sit at the bar and watch the chef make your panini or pizza with a total cost of about $7 per person.

This restaurant is simply revolutionary. It provides the complete Carrabba's experience for half the price and offers better menu items.

Carrabba's should open one of these next to every Panera in the country. There is no doubt that it would put Panera right out of business. Panera and their bagged soup couldn't compete with the quality of Carrabba's.

Don't get me wrong, it is slightly odd that this amazing restaurant is inside a Publix. It is even stranger that people are strolling by with shopping carts watching you eat your lunch in the middle of the grocery store. It does have it's advantages though. After you're done eating you can do you grocery shopping, however overall I think I would have preferred if this was either a free standing unit or in a plaza so there were more seating options and an atmosphere.

The bottom line is that we need a Carrabba's Italian Market in every city in the country. Take the first step and go to Sarasota, FL and try it. Then take the next step and write to Carrabba's demanding they open a Carrabba's Italian Market near you. You can send them an email by clicking here.

This is a short video of my wife filiming me eat my life changing meatball panini. (I'm adding this to The Five)

Really Sweet New Stuff

You may have noticed a few more additions to the blog in the past couple of days. If you're not familiar, I wanted to take a few moments to explain.

1. Classy Eater:

The New eBook, "Classy Eater" that I wrote will be available for free download on Monday, March 17th. Check out the website here.

2. Green Eggs Email Subscription

Now enter your email address in the upper left corner and you can have new posts on Green Eggs emailed right to you. It's easy and sweet to get new email messages.

3. Green Eggs RSS Feed:

You can read more about what RSS feeds are on Wikipedia basically it's a simple subscription to the website. New posts and updates are automatically sent to an RSS reader. This is an easy to use format to stay up to date with all of your favorite blogs. Click here or the orange logo on the top left corner to subscribe to Green Eggs.

4. Digg It:

Digg is an amazing website. Here thousands and thousands of blogs, articles, etc are available for viewing. Members "digg" stories and blogs and share with others. You can now "digg" Green Eggs by clicking on the digg button on the lower left hand panel or clicking here. It's a great site to join to search a world of information and see what other people are "digging".

5. The Five:

This is my new complete list of the most amazing and consistent restaurants you can eat at (it's located on the left lower panel). I plan (if restaurants qualify) to change it on a frequent basis. If you have a restaurant you want to see in The Five, let me know.

Questions about anything? Send me an email: danholm@greeneggsmarketing.com
Also, I will have a Green Eggs t-shirt design up for your viewing soon.

(stay tuned for new blog/video post on Carrabba's Italian Market tomorrow)

40 Minute BBQ

Eli’s BBQ owns Dunedin, FL.

I was driving through downtown Dunedin this afternoon and almost ran off the road when I noticed an extremely long line of people standing outside “Eli’s Bar-B-Que.” The building is nothing more than a brick shack off the side of a busy street. There is no parking lot. Instead mulch is laid down in certain areas to cover up mud, yet there was a traffic jam of people trying to pull in.

I had to try this place. As I walked up to the BBQ hut I started counting the people waiting in line…22 people were in front of me. I turned and looked at the sign and Eli’s hours are Friday & Saturday 11am-6pm.

That’s it? This guy is open 14 hours a week on two days? But people are coming in droves to get a taste of his BBQ? No marketing, no signage, no logo, no advertising, but possibly one of the strongest brands around. It’s all word of mouth. His menu is printed on a white piece of paper and is taped to the side of the building and most items cost between $4.50 and $7.00.

The guy in front of me comes every Friday and Saturday (for the past 10 years) and picks up food for himself and his roommate. The couple in front of him are from Michigan, when they visit Florida they always make sure to visit Eli’s.

I started to realize over my 30 minute wait in line that this is a BBQ restaurant phenomenon. Speaking of the wait, no one seemed to care. Can you imagine waiting 30 minutes in line at Panera? Would you even wait 30 minutes for a table at your favorite restaurant? Everyone in this line, though, was thrilled to be there and as I moved up more and more people got in line behind me.

The only answer is that his food had to be unbelievable. Finally, I got to the front and ordered a Pulled Pork Sandwich, after ordering I moved to another line of waiting for my food to be ready. Total wait time from end of line to food in mouth? 40 minutes.

Was it worth it? Yes. I opened up my to go container (that is all he serves his food in) and looked upon the most amazing pulled pork I have ever seen. Every single bite was moist, soft and flavorful.

After this enlightening BBQ experience it's likely I won't be able to go eat at any other BBQ place around. Forget Smokey Bones, it doesn't stand a chance against this place.

Sweaty Chick-Fil-A Sandwich

Does your Chick-Fil-A sandwich sweat?

I was talking with a co-worker today discussing the amazingness of Chick-Fil-A and the horrors of Waffle Fry Butts when he explained to me that he used to love Chick-Fil-A, but then he slowly discovered something he didn't like. His Chicken Sandwich was....sweaty. Sweaty? Yes, it sweats. Like an arm pit.

After some further investigation, it was clear that my co-worker was referencing the "moistness" of the Chick-Fil-A sandwich. He claimed that after awhile of eating, it began to "gross" him out because it was so wet. He didn't like eating sweaty chicken.

Personally, I prefer a nice damp Chick-Fil-A sandwich. Nothing is better than a moist piece of fried chicken. I also want the bun to be moist and soft. I mean, honestly, who would want a Chick-Fil-A sandwich that wasn't at least a little sweaty?

The "sweatyness" of the Chick-Fil-A sandwich is one of the trademarks of why it tastes so good. From the first bite to the last bite, you don't have to over-chew because it's to dry.

It's absurd to think that the the sandwich could be too sweaty! If you think otherwise you may want to consider getting sweat help.

Save the Best for Last?

When eating any meal, there is always "the best part".

The best part of Thanksgiving is the mash potatoes. The best part of a Chick-Fil-A sandwich is that little fried chicken arm that sometimes sticks off the bun. The best part of a steak is usually the middle. The best part of the Twix bar are the two ends.

My wife is an expert at saving the best for last. She spends countless minutes during every meal we eat to ensure that the "best part" really is saved for last. She navigates through her food searching for the savory last bite. I on the other hand try to get the food in my mouth as quickly as possible, because I think I'm starving.

Over time, her methods have rubbed off on me and if I'm in the right mood I will also try to save my best bite for last. On a recent visit to the beach my wife packed lunch (PB&J) and after working on getting sunburned for a couple of hours, I was ready to eat. We opened our cooler up I got my sandwich and as I started eating a pattern occurred, I was setting myself up to save the best bite for last.

We all know that the coveted middle of a PB&J is by far the best part of the entire sandwich. The crust is no longer in the way and now you have more peanut butter and jelly than you do bread.
My heart began to race as I got closer and closer to my last bite. I was slowly getting rid of the crust and really narrowing in on the middle. Finally, success. There I had my last bite in all of it's glory. I held it back in front of my eyes in a moment of pride and aspiration.

Suddenly without warning - a giant, loud, smelly seagull came diving out of the sky, swooped in front of my face and STOLE the best part of my sandwich that I was holding in my hand. It happened in a matter of seconds, but all of my work had been wasted. What was the point of carefully eating around the best part of the sandwich and then watching before my eyes as it was wrongfully stolen from me by a pesky bid!?!

Is it worth saving a favorite part for last or should you eat the best part first? Like my wife, many of you probably have a set plan of the best bites for your meals. However, I think you know my answer. After my traumatizing seagull sandwich experience I never know what will happen next when I'm eating. I always eat the best part first and worst part last. I suppose it's not nearly as good as saving it for the end, but it's just too risky...who knows when a insane seagull will come plummeting from the sky to steal my meal.

Try the Sushi

I was in New York City yesterday. I didn't get any pizza.

On the few occasions that I have traveled to New York, I usually have a few primary objectives:

1. Eat Pizza
2. If traveling in a cab, don't get killed
3. When walking the streets try not to look like a tourist
4. Verbally engage in a pointless conversation with a street vendor
5. Eat Pizza (yes I try to do this more than once)
6. Visit a local deli

On my visit over the past two days. I only accomplished three of these objectives, none of which involved eating pizza. It's a shame.

I have never considered eating at an Asian restaurant while in New York. No...I don't get into the Little China experience. That all changed last night. Have you ever heard of Ruby Foo's? Me either. However, before I knew it I was being dragged to a "pan Asian/sushi bar" restaurant. Personally, I was horrified. The worst part of all? On our way to Ruby Foo's, we probably passed 467 NY pizza places all of which had amazing food sitting in their window.

Once we arrived at what I thought was a Times Square tourist trap, I was surprised by the upscale atmosphere similar to P.F. Chang's. We sat down and the group I was with proceeded to order a large amount of appetizers (all sushi). You can probably guess by now that I had every intention of starving through dinner and getting pizza on the way back to the hotel.

When the sushi was brought out, it was placed on a large lazy susan (round moving table on top of our table) for us to all "share". Please also remember that I have never used chopsticks before in my life, and the idea of sharing or should I say reaching across the table with two sticks to grab food was not my ideal way to eat.
As everyone else started to dig in, I quietly proclaimed that I had never had sushi before...Let me stop here briefly and take a step back. Rarely do we try new food/menu items unless a friend HIGHLY recommends it (and is willing to pay if you don't like it) or you have seen enough advertising to make your head spin and you finally give in. Have you ever just had someone shove food in your mouth in attempt for you to try something new? I'm guessing your answer is probably no, like mine was until last night.

So I proclaim that I have never had sushi before, and within an instance the woman I am sitting next to says, "Dan, open up!" I turn my head, and without thinking open my mouth and a large, ripe, spicy sushi gets jammed in my mouth....I chew in shock...it's good, real good. After that, I ate 5 more pieces of sushi and eel.

By the end of the night I had tasted more raw Asian food than I had ever imagined, and I liked it. Ruby Foo's ended up being a surprise that I never anticipated.

What's the moral of the story here? Next time you're in New York don't just get pizza, try the sushi too.