The Guacamole Convert

I always thought those people who got guacamole at Chipotle were complete fools.

First, the guacamole looks like a green paste. Second it costs like $2. Why do you need it?

Then like a slap in the face my eyes were suddenly opened.

My relationship with guacamole started as any relationship should.....nice and slow. My short yet sometimes insightful sister-in-law is obsessed with Chipotle guac. She gets it dumped on her bowl every time she visits Chipotle and when I was last with her I asked for just a taste on a chip. Eh, it was good but it didn't blow my mind and I still didn't understand why people insisted on having it.

This first taste raised my curiosity and on my next visit to Chipotle I started using a wise and classy trick. Something you may or may not know is that if you get a veggie bow the guac is free....therefore eliminating the $2 charged slapped on at the very end. If you get a veggie bowl and don't want the guac on top, no problem they will put it on the side for you.

With this knowledge I finally decided to use something I should have been using for years. My wife always orders a veggie bowl and I have never taken advantage of the "free guac". The taste adventure with my sister-in-law got me interested so several weeks ago I requested the guac on the side of my wife's veggie bowl.

When we got home, I gently and cautiously added just a touch of guac to my bowl and mixed it in with everything else. Whoa...whoa......this was intensely better then just having it on the chip. Looking around to make sure my wife wasn't looking I added a little more...mixed it in and took a few more bites.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING OUT ON!?!?

For years.....YEARS I have been living in an empty world without guacamole. So many meals....so many opportunities to make my Chipotle food better are now lost forever. The homemade taste of Chipotle's guac combined with the flavors of the rest of their food is nothing short of remarkable.

My life has been changed forever. Now I demand on having guac on the side with my bowl....a Chipotle experience without it would be far from superior. I will never look upon those that added guacamole at Chipotle with disgust again. Yes it is a significant amount more money to add guacamole onto your meal. However the trick is to go with a friend who gets a veggie bowl and ask for it as a side...then it's free (assuming your veggie eating friend doesn't want it).

The guacamole at Chipotle is food magic. Forget about the infamous queso at Moe's.

Coffee (stuck in your teeth) Toffee Twisted Frosty

When eating Wendy's New Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty be prepared to sacrifice your teeth.

Wendy's has been advertising their two new coffee Frosty treats like crazy: Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty and the Frosty-cino shake. For some reason I was more interested in the Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty.

In the commercials and from the picture on the billboards it looked amazing. The concept is simple: the taste of Frosty goodness mixed in with coffee and chunks of toffee. What about that shouldn't be good?

I have been hesitating for a few weeks because as you may recall from last year I was fooled by Wendy's advertising into thinking their then new Frosty Shakes were good. Shame on me....it was a huge disappointment.

Looks like I have been tricked again.

When I went to Wendy's to try the new Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty the drive thru employee was extremely helpful and courteous...a rarity when it comes to fast food. While I was waiting for my Coffee-Toffee Twisted Frosty we struck up a brief conversation where she revealed they have been selling these new Frosty creations like hot cakes. In the past 3 weeks she has increased her order of 5 boxes of Frosty mix a week to 12....whoa. People are clearly buying them. But, does anybody like them enough to come back and buy another one?

As I looked down into my Coffee Toffee creation I couldn't help but notice how incredibly small the chunks of toffee were. It was more like tiny particles of toffee...not pieces or chunks.

This new Frosty is still so thick that you have to eat it with a spoon not a straw. Once I started digging in I was surprised by how good the coffee flavoring tasted mixed in with the vanilla Frosty.....then I got my unfortunate first bite of a particle of toffee which went from my taste bud directly into my teeth and stayed there.

Thinking nothing of it I kept eating away. About 3 bites in however my top row of teeth was jam packed pull of toffee bits. Without getting too graphic I took the proper steps in trying to remove them and then came up with a new eating strategy, "I'll just avoid the toffee and eat the Frosty."

One small problem....those toffee bits are in every single bite! I dug, I maneuvered and I twisted my spoon to try to avoid them.....no luck. Finally a little over half way through I gave up and threw the rest of it away.

The Frosty was really good, it tasted like a creamy coffee milkshake. The toffee however was an inconvenient and unnecessary addition. Eating food should never be a challenge.

If you love toffee maybe you'll like the feeling of having it stuck in your teeth. I know one thing for sure...after last year's Frosty Shake and this year's Frosty Stuck in My Teeth I think I'll be sticking with the original Frosty from now on. Why does Wendy's bother trying to fix something that's not broken?

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Come for the Burger, Stay for the Hot Dog (and Fries)

Five Guys is famous for one thing: their burgers.

Juicy, greasy and delicious Five Guys burgers are some of the best in the country. With an unlimited amount of toppings and the joy of watching it made right before you, there is nothing like a Five Guys burger.

Today, however I ventured into unknown territory to try a rarely promoted and often forgotten menu item at Five Guys.....the hot dog.

Knowing how amazing the burgers are, it was difficult for me to change things up and try the hot dog. However, it was cheaper and I have never done it before so I figured it was worth the plunge.

You have three Hot Dog options at Five Guys, all of the choices include as many toppings as you want (for no additional cost). 1. Kosher Dog (plain hot dog) 2. Cheese Dog and 3. Chili Cheese Dog.

I opted for the Cheese Dog and added ketchup, relish, and onions. Total cost: just under $4.

The anticipation of waiting for my dog after I ordered was killing me. If the dog was anything like Five Guy's burger I knew I was about to be catapulted into Hot Dog heaven.

A few minutes later, my number was called and I went rushing up to counter receipt in hand to get my dog. Wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, I slowly unwrapped it and got ready for my first bite.

My expectation was that the toppings would be falling all over the place and get all over my hands, shirt and pants. However, Five Guys was well prepared and this is where the hot dog magic actually began.

Most hot dogs have all of their toppings piled on top, make it hard to hold, hard to eat and very messy. Five Guys is a little smarter. First, they put all of the toppings on the bottom of the bun, then they take the grilled dog with cheese in the middle and put that on top of the sides. Basically...it's like an upside down hot dog.

While this may sound a bit off, it's actually one the best features of the dog and enhances the entire experience. This was the first time I was actually able to eat an entire hot dog without spilling half of it down my shirt.

Why didn't other people think of this sooner? Put the condiments on the bun...put the dog on top. Makes complete sense.

The dog was good too...grilled to perfection, nice and juicy with plenty of cheese it was extremely satisfying. Especially when it only cost around $4.

The famous Five Guys fries completed this experience. Not only do Five Guys fries taste amazing, there is also an abundant amount. First they fill up a styrofoam cup and put it in your brown bag, then they dump extra fries right in the bag. A regular sized cup of fries is actually like two large orders. Fresh, hot and seasoned perfectly the fries complemented my hot dog wonderfully.

So, Five Guys is famous for burgers but the big secret is their hot dog. Have you ever changed things up and gotten a hot dog instead of burger? If not, now might be a good time to try it.

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Do It Yourself Coffee

Starbucks can travel across the world to find the best coffee beans. They will grind the beans for you on premise and customize your drink to your heart's desire.

But they can't do one thing: put cream and sweetener in your coffee for you.

Why?

On Saturday I was at Dunkin Donuts (as usual) and I ordered an iced coffee. They asked me if I wanted cream and sugar....moments later I had my mixed up and fantastic iced coffee.

McDonald's in the drive thru or in the restaurant will do the same thing: they will gladly/eagerly make your coffee exactly how you want it.

Starbucks won't.

I found myself at Starbucks on Sunday morning in the airport and I ordered an iced coffee. The barista didn't ask or offer to make my coffee for me. Instead I was handed coffee over ice and instructed to visit the "station" so I could do it myself.

So I walked over to the station and along with the 5 other people standing there I proceeded to take off my lid and mix up my coffee. In the mean time I had to reach in front of them to get my sweetener and the creamer and missed the trash can when I was throwing the packets away spreading Splenda dust all over the counter.

Fun.

Most of us do this every single time we visit Starbucks and don't think twice about it. However, let's pause for a moment and think about what's actually happening: Starbucks costs more than Dunkin and McDonald's....yet you get better service (and better tasting coffee in my opinion) at Dunkin and McDonald's.

It doesn't seem to add up. If Starbucks can make you any creation in the world, why can't they add cream and sweetener in your coffee?

Maybe it's because they want to make sure you can "customize" it however you want. Or, maybe it's because they don't want to add another step for the baristas.

Whatever the case may be, if we're paying more for Starbucks, we shouldn't have to "do it ourselves".

What are your thoughts? Does it irritate you that you have to make your own coffee at Starbucks?

The Battle of Paula Dean and Wolfgang Puck

Wolfgang Puck vs. Paula Dean

Both Food Network super stars. One culinary genius chef compared to a home style, southern cook. Or you might say it's like a fight between Superman and Santa Claus.

In April, I made an epic journey to Savannah, GA in part to visit Paula Dean's famed restaurant, Lady & Sons (review here). We left disappointed, dissatisfied, bloated and little irritated by a less than spectacular experience.

Recently I encountered Wolfgang Puck's fast casual restaurant, Wolfgang Puck Express. It's a hip, modern, more affordable Wolfgang Puck experience in comparison to his many other restaurant concepts. The concept is streamlined and sophisticated yet you order from a counter and they bring the food to you.

Although Paula and Wolfgang's styles and flavors are completely different, I couldn't help but compare the two. They both make big promises and have gotten famous from their food. They deserve to be compared head to head in an all out restaurant dining competition.

Here are the results:

Welcome
We were greeted at Paula Dean's by a heard of people all angry, sweaty and waiting for their buffet. Then, like cattle we were jammed into an old 3 story building.

At Wolfgang Puck Express we were welcomed by a friendly employee. As I looked at the menu I really couldn't decide.....there were several great choices. The open kitchen was only a few steps away so I took it upon myself to walk over to the expo line and see what was going on. The manager (unusually enough she didn't think it was weird that I was standing next to her as she plated up food) showed me dishes that were coming out, explained what they were and made a few recommendations. Have you ever heard of this happening before? "Here, step in my kitchen, let me show you our food"....amazing.

Wolfgang: 1 Paula: 0

Atmosphere
Paula Dean: barn with bad lighting

Wolfgang: the ultimate in classy, yet unpretentious so you can wear shorts and still feel like you fit in.

Wolfgang: 2 Paula: 0

Food

Paula: butter-heavy buffet

Wolfgang: look at the menu. A large variety of specialty pizzas, sandwiches and "pockets". I had pizza and the Chicken Aioli Pocket Sandwich. A huge portion with all of the goods inside spilling out it was so full. The pocket was made from scratch and tasted fantastic. However, my primary interest was in the Parmesan potato chips. Crunchy, cheesy....and they were amazing compared to Paula Dean's butter.

Wolfgang: 3 Paula: 0

Service

Paula: although it was a buffet we did have very good service. Attentive, friendly and got us what we needed. But, it didn't blow my mind.

Wolfgang: here's what makes them special. It's a fast casual restaurant with no servers, yet employees brought us our food, cleaned our plates, filled our drinks and brewed more of their specialty iced tea just for us.
Tie

Wolfgang: 3.5 Paula: .5

Price

Here's the thing. They're both overpriced. Paula is charging an arm and a leg for her "special buffet" at over $20 a head.

Wolfgang, although extremely tasty is also a bit expensive with most entrees coming in around $10.

All things considered however I will have to side with Wolfgang. Generous portion for a decent price. The only way you can make up for the cost of Paula is if you stuff yourself to death.

Wolfgang: 4.5 Paula: .5

Wolfgang wins.

Some of you might be shocked by this conclusion. Generally speaking, I would be classified as a "Paula Dean Guy" I love good old fashioned meals and homemade dessert. The bottom line however is that Wolfgang delivered better service, better food and an overall better experience.

So, you tell me if you had to pick between Paula Dean and Wolfgang Puck...who would you choose?

Confessions from a Former Chili's Hater

Have you ever been dragged to a restaurant expecting it to be horrible?

The reality of life is that if you go out to a restaurant with someone except yourself it can sometimes be hard to all agree. Therefore, somebody in the group is going to be annoyed by the restaurant everyone else has picked.

Being the controlling restaurant freak that I am, I rarely let this happen to me. When I go out to eat, I dine with purpose and I try to avoid a bad experience at all costs. Last Saturday however I found myself in an unusual and sticky situation.

I wanted to try the new Coal-Fire Pizza restaurant in town. Everyone else however wanted to go to.......Chili's. Yes, Chili's the very restaurant that I have opened bashed here and here on this very site. However after much debate and verbal abuse I was still out numbered 3 to 1. So, I lost. I only had two choices: Chili's or starve.

As you probably can guess by now, I opted for Chili's over starvation.

I grumbled under my breath the whole car ride there about how it's going to be a horrible experience and a giant waste of money for everyone. My complaining continued until we got to the front door and we were pleasantly greeted by a hostess. This was rather shocking as I've now been well trained that when you eat a Chili's you have to stand around and hope to catch someone's attention if you want to get seated.

We asked to sit in the lounge (Free Chips and Salsa in the lounge if you didn't know). Once we sat down and ordered our drinks I carefully pondered the menu. I was on a budget and the last thing I wanted to do was throw my hard earned cash at a restaurant that was going to give me an inferior product anyway.

The 10 under $7 menu is a fairly decent deal, although it's nothing compared to Friday's recent $5 entree extravaganza. (Speaking of Friday's, here is a coupon for a buy one entree, get one free). All things considered, all of the entree choices are under $7 and while some are half portions you still get a full side of your choice. I opted for the new bacon ranch Fire Grilled Quesadillas.

We asked for a refill of our chips and salsa a few times (free chips and salsa is the ultimate) while we waited for our food. By this time through dinner my complaining had pretty much subsided. Our service wasn't good, but it was good enough to keep me quiet. The chips and salsa were great and I was anxiously awaiting my $7 dinner.

The food came out and my half order of quesadillas were served with a heaping portion of Chili's french fries and for only costing $7 I was feeling pretty good about it. When I started eating I got even happier. These fire grilled quesadillas were.......awesome. Cooking them on the open flame makes the tortilla extra hot and crispy. The combination of melted cheese, ranch sauce and bacon on the chicken was outstanding. They were juicy, crunchy, melty and extremely tasty.

Suddenly I wasn't so upset that we came to Chili's. My wife was happy with her chips and salsa and I was happy because she was happy. The added bonus was that my entree, which ended up being really good, only cost $7.

Let's get this straight. Chili's is far from quality. It's likely they won't provide you a memorable, heart warming experience. But they will give you what you pay for and charge you a fair price. Why would you got to a restaurant like Panera where you have to wait on yourself and pay more for less food?

The secret to Chili's is first to manage your expectations and know you're not going to have a world class experience. Second, sit in the lounge for the free chips and salsa. Third, order something off the 10 under $7 menu. What you'll get is decent service and good amount of food for an extremely affordable price.

I guess sometimes it's worth trying something you think you're going to hate. You might end up loving it.

Feeling Peachy

The cold creamy taste when it first hits your lips is simply revolutionary.

The thick, hand-spun, good old fashion milkshakes that Chick-Fil-A serves up are some of my favorite. There is only one problem....they're huge.

The giant milkshake plus the 6 inches of whipped cream on top can sometimes make you feel uncomfortably bloated.

What I have found is that many times we get about half way through the shake and then try to pass of the remainder to someone else or we just throw it away.

Finally, with the launch of their new Peach Milkshake, Chick-Fil-A got smart and now offer milkshakes in a smaller size.

It's actually the perfect size. At 12oz, it's just enough to satisfy your craving but not too much to make you feel like barfing.

As far as the Peach Milkshake goes, it's one of Chick-Fil-A's best. It tastes authentic and homemade with chunks of real peaches mixed in to the sensational Ice Dream. The whipped cream on top finishes it off just right, however I have found it tastes even better if you mix the whipped cream into the shake.

Aside from the fact that the Peach Milkshake is the ideal fruity dessert, with the smaller size option it's also much more affordable. A small Peach Milkshake (which is more than enough) is only $2.50.

Bottom line: it's small, it's affordable, and it tastes like peachy goodness.