The Beefy Crunch = Back

Source: GrubGrade.com

For those of you who know me, you already know that the Beefy Crunch Burrito is back. Yes. After three years, Taco Bell brought back their best menu item of all time. 

The Beefy Crunch features beef, mexican rice, Flamin' Hot Fritos and sour cream. You can receive this heaven for $1. ONE DOLLAR. 

For those playing at home, I have eaten 8 since they came out last Thursday. Go ahead. Make fun of me. I love it. 

Thanks for reading my blog this past semester, maybe I'll post more when Taco Bell gets rid of my favorite snack. 

Take care and Skol Vikes. 

The Dog Days of Summer

My 35th St. Red Hot

If there's a reason I can get my Cub fan-friends to join me at White Sox games at U.S. Cellular Field, it's the food. Specifically, they love getting a hot dog from 35th St. Red Hots, just a couple blocks away from the park. 

I would normally give you my opinion on it, but maybe their thoughts would better describe the Dog:

"It's everything you're looking for." - Jason Blumenthal, Cubs fan

"A collision of traditional fast food giants' french fries and hot dogs with decadent Chicago-style toppings inside a warm bun."  - Nick Philips, Cubs fan

"I'd say it changes the way you look at normal hot dogs. It's not just a package you buy at the store anymore. It's an explosion of flavors. It's how I'd imagine taking a bite out of Chicago would taste." - Mitch Gemini, Cubs fan

"I don't even know where to start. You know you're about to eat something so good. But, it's piping hot. It's painful, but thats part of the beauty as you put molten hot french fries in your mouth. Then, you take some fries off the top, take a bite of the hot dog with some relish, onions and pepper and you have this explosion of tastes that all combines into a great tasting mesh of flavors that all compliment each other in the own way. You have the crunching of the pepper, the fries, the sweet relish and the mustard that tangs on your tongue to let you know it's there. This hot dog is breaking apart and is swirling around with the other tastes. Before you know it, your right hand is already reaching up for a second bite. You repeat this process until you're sad and finished. You swear you just took the first bite." - Nick Maggiore, Cubs fan

I think that's a mic drop, folks. 

Rating: A+

It's Time to Make a Dewcision

The two choices for Mountain Dew fans (Source: Facebook.com)

Mountain Dew fans have a choice to make this summer to decide which limited edition flavor will stay permanently on shelves. The two flavors? Baja Blast and Pitch Black.

Of course, Baja Blast has been a long time favorite at Taco Bell before reaching stores the past two summers. Pitch Black has been around the block a couple times (Limited availability in 2004 and 2011). Before Pitch Black will reach stores soon, fans are encouraged to try it out at Speedway Convenience stores where it is available "on tap" and as a freeze. 

(Source: TheImpulsiveBuy.com)

Personally, I will be voting for Pitch Black, not only because it is my favorite Mountain Dew flavor of all time, but because it makes sense. Think about it. Regardless the results of this contest, Baja Blast will always be available at Taco Bell. Pitch Black, on the other hand, will be hard to find ever again. 

Vote early, vote often. Vote Pitch Black. 

Que-Up the Sauce

                                  My pulled pork sandwich with a side of mac and cheese

On my Spring Break trip with a couple of my roommates, we stopped at a few unique restaurants so we could try out the hype. This included Whataburger, Captain D's (which I both have blogged about before) and a few more places. One of which was Central BBQ in Memphis, Tennessee.

After completing research (Googling) where to purchase the best BBQ in Memphis, we stumbled upon Central BBQ. Located in the heart of Memphis, this wooded shack would provide some incredible sauce.

My roommates and I all ordered the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw on top of it and my, oh, my was it delicious. The sauce had a huge taste of brown sugar and was so good we had to take some home with us. I ordered a side of mac and cheese, which included their dry rub placed on top.(AMAZING).

The workers at Central BBQ were very helpful and kind. We even noticed many of the customers happened to be from across the country, as well, as we happened to sit next to a couple who had traveled from Chicago.

A couple weeks later, our buddy Colin happened to be traveling to Memphis so we highly encouraged him to check out Central BBQ. He listened to us and was overjoyed he did.

If you happen to travel to Memphis: 1. Do not stay at the King's Signature Hotel (long story, don't ask). 2. Get Central BBQ.

IT'S BACK.

                                                                  Source: Taco Bell

That's right. The Beefy Crunch Burrito is back. The mysterious burrito that has been missing off the Taco Bell menu for three years has had fans taking to Twitter, petition websites and first-person encounters to try and get their favorite burrito back.

Taco Bell announced yesterday that the Beefy Crunch Burrito and the Double Beefy Burrito would be returning to restaurants on April 21. I am beyond excited for my favorite Taco Bell item of all time to return to the menu. For a price of only $1, you can be provided with heaven.

A poster in my room #NoShame

I may or may not have the burrito for all three meals on April 21st. 

Whatalunch, Whataburger

Source: NBC News.com

   

Deep in the heart of Dixie there lies a triangle-shaped fast-food burger joint located mainly in Texas. I was given the opportunity to try out this place during my spring break trip with my roommates. We had seen a commercial for a 24-hour restaurant while at a Dallas sports bar and grill, so we instantly made plans to check it out after Mass the following day. 

When we got into the orange and white striped building we had a decision to make. Should we try the famous "Whataburger" or check out the new "Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich". Being a huge fan of buffalo sauce, this was a must. 

My Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich

This was a very decently sized sandwich which had a great amount of chicken and buffalo sauce. I was very surprised by the price of the meal. (About $7). The french fries were very comparable to McDonald's, except a lot less salty. 

Next time I travel to Texas, my first stop will be to be to Whataburger. Whatameal. Whatalunch. Whataplace. 

Grade: B+

They're the Captain, Now

Personal Order at Captain D's

This past weekend my roommates and I traveled to Dallas, Texas for our spring break to see the Blackhawks take on the Dallas Stars, among many other reasons. One of the best parts of the trip was being able to check out different and new fast food joints in the southern states. 

This choice may be familiar to many St. Louis readers but not to myself and fellow Chicagoland followers. Captain D's, a Nashville, TN based fast sea food restaurant, served as the perfect choice for dinner on Friday night during Lent. 

Official Captain D's Logo

A relatively decent price tag for 3 pieces of fish, french fries, green beans and a few hush puppies was a fantastic dinner for a very hungry guy who had just sat in a car for 12 hours in the overnight drive. The fish, while very tasty, included a little too much fried "stuff" along with it. The green beans were solid, as were the fries. The hushpuppies were very good and it was tempting to purchase more. 

Overall, I would love to go back to Captain D's and will strongly encourage my friends to go with me to Captain D's next time we are in the St. Louis area. 

Grade: A

Hawks, Blues to Busch

Source: BluesBuzzBlog.com

It's finally happening. The St. Louis Blues are hosting the 2017 NHL Winter Classic, the league's annual outdoor game normally occurring on January 1st. This coming year will actually be played on January 2nd due to NFL conflicts (which won't be happening in St. Louis...). 

The Gateway to the West will play host to the Chicago Blackhawks, who will be playing in their fifth outdoor game since first playing in the "Classic" in 2009. This obviously is a call for a little controversy due to their overexposure on the NHL's largest stage, outside of the Stanley Cup Final. 

The question now is what uniforms will be worn by the teams in the outdoor game. There are plenty of options available for the Blues, who have yet to play around with various alternate uniforms. The Blackhawks have had an away outdoor uniform in each of the past two seasons. 

Source: BleacherReport.com

This is a great concept, by Tom Vopni, which I believe will be very close to what the Blues will wear come Jan. 2nd. I would probably guess their famous note logo will be added right below "Blues" on the front of the sweater. 

As for the Blackhawks, I think a simple stripe change up and the inclusion of the pre-1960's logo would be perfect. This older looking Blackhawk is simply gorgeous and underused. 

Soruce: DRodDesigns

This would be a fantastic design and would definitely persuade me to make a purchase as soon as it came out. 

Hockey fans in the Midwest have a lot of look forward to next season. 

Nashville Chicken So Hot, the Chicken Ran Away

                                            

Source: GrubGrade.com

The "hot" new fast food choice (as you've probably seen in commercials lately) is Kentucky Fried Chicken's Nashville Hot Chicken. This chicken has been promoted by the likes of Jim Gaffigan, who seems to be promoted as the new Colonel.

As a big hot wing fan, I was instantly intrigued by the new addition by the fried chicken restaurant. The Nashville Hot Chicken looked pretty appealing from the commercials and was being advertised as "Limited Time", so my roommates and I headed over to KFC down the block. We each ordered a three-piece boneless meal and took it home to enjoy. 

My Order

When we opened the container, which proudly proclaimed "The best spicy chicken you will ever have", we realized we got ripped off. There were three measly pieces of chicken, a biscuit that had already soaked up all the sauce from the chicken, and a tiny container of coleslaw. Don't get me wrong. After tasting the chicken, it was pretty spicy for my weak tastebuds and tasted pretty good. The size of the meal was surprisingly filling after sitting on it, but I still was not happy with the size of the chicken tenders. Kentucky Fried, you should know better. 

Price: $5.49

Grade: C+

Up Next: A request for Hardee's from a young fan

Hold the Ketchup, BK

                                   

Source: nrn.com

Hot Digitity Dog. Burger King has added grilled hot dogs to their menu, answering the various additions to competitors lineups, including Taco Bell's Quesalupa. This is not a new idea to American burger joints. McDonald's tried selling hot dogs about ten years ago, only to be deeply criticized for the effort. In fact, I remember asking my mom for one while we were in the drive-thru but she wouldn't get it for me. I wonder why. 

                                   

Source: Enkivillage.com

Thank you Mom for saving my insides and my eyes. Holy cow that looks horrible. Not to mention, it has ketchup on it. Go ahead, call me a Chicago snob. I will not eat a hot dog with ketchup on it and haven't since I was about 12 years old. Which brings me to my concern about the Burger King "Grilled Dog." It has ketchup on it! I honestly don't remember the last time I had to specifically ask for no ketchup while ordering a hot dog. Just ask for everything and expect heaven. Not at Burger King.

                                             

                                               My hot dog from Burger King

After asking BK to hold the ketchup, I received my grilled hot dog from the young woman in the drive-thru. I drove home and showed my roommates what I had gotten. They seemed to be a little confused that I was even going to try the hot dog from the fast food joint. Not only did I try it, the hot dog actually wasn't bad. The grilled taste, found in Burger King's burgers, is definitely in the dog and was pretty tasteful. The onions and relish tasted fresh and made for a pretty good late night snack. The bun did seem a little stale though. Overall, a pretty nice job for a place that has no business selling hot dogs. 

Price: $1.99      (Not too bad)

Grade: B

                                               

They're Back. It's Time to Go Green.

Source: Delish.com

They're back folks. (Almost) everybody's favorite shake of the year is once again available at McDonald's. The legendary Shamrock Shake is back because of how close we are to St. Patrick's Day.

Seeing as one of my favorite desert options is now available...down the block from my apartment... another food-related blog post was needed. As soon as I found out Shamrock Shakes were available, I was in the McDonald's drive-thru lane. After our intramural hockey game victory, (ok, so maybe the other team didn't show up), my buddy Colin and I drove over to Mickey D's and got the green version of heaven. Wow. It was just like I remembered. The delicious mint flavor was amazing and the thickness of the shake was perfect. I am definitely looking forward to many more Shamrock Shakes throughout this spring.

One of my favorites stories I always tell about Shamrock Shakes is how I was able to achieve one in June one time in my hometown in West Chicagoland. Apparently they serve the shakes until their syrup runs out. This allows enthusiasts such as myself to purchase Shamrock Shakes late into the summertime and enjoy a cool mint shake on a hot summer day.

                                                       Source: ClickAmericana.com

Some readers commented on my grading scale last week on my Quesalupa. I will clear the rumors and say yes, there is a scale. Don't ask the details.

Grade: A

Taco Bell Just Got Cheesier

If you know anything about me, you know about my obsession with a certain fast-food chain known as Taco Bell. The excellent marketing schemes the restaurant comes up with fool me every time. From the Doritos Locos Tacos to the Starburst freezes, I feel the need to try each one because of how appealing it is to my very college-like appetite.

The day of Super Bowl 50 (February 7), Taco Bell released the "Quesalupa", a chalupa with cheese infused inside.

Therefore, Monday evening's dinner was instantly decided to be Taco "Ding Ding". Alongside a cold Mountain Dew Baja Blast, I dove for the pepper-jack-infused Mexican snack. I have to say, I was pretty impressed. Honestly, it tasted like a taco with a quesadilla as its shell....which I will not complain about. I will most definitely recommend the new shell to all of my fellow Ding-Ding fans.

Price:   $2.99 (Beef)
Overall Grade: A-

Super Bowl LI Logo Released

Source: SportsLogos.Net

The NFL will be going back to the Roman numeral system after this year's Super Bowl 50. This is a huge relief to passionate football fans and historians who grew attached to the roman numerals of the past, whom were disappointed once the league came out with the Arabic version "50" for it's semi centennial. Next year's Super Bowl in Houston will be known as Super Bowl LI, as seen in the back of Super Bowl 50's program. 

Compared to the design of Super Bowl logos from XLV through XLIX which were much more standardized, this logo will feature the "L" and the "I" moved up right next to the Lombardi Trophy and also include red as an accent color. (A first since Super Bowl XLIV.) This would lead the belief that the following Super Bowl, Super Bowl LII, will have purple accents, due to being played in Minnesota's brand new U.S. Bank Stadium in February 2018. 

Source: SportsLogos.Net

Here are examples of Super Bowl logo designs before 2010 when the standardized system was enforced.

Source: TheLogoAddict.com

Uniforms set for Super Bowl 50

Source: USA Today

      The Denver Broncos are allowing an age-old superstition affect their uniform choice for Super Bowl 50.

       Denver will be the home team versus the NFC-Champion Carolina Panthers, but will choose to wear their white uniform, which is normally their away uniform. This is because of their track-record in past Super Bowls, going 0-4 while wearing orange jerseys. Not only did Denver go winless, they were blown out of each game, being outscored 167-38.

       According to Panthers.com, Carolina will be forced to wear their home black jerseys, but will opt to stick with the normal silver pants, typically worn with the black jerseys. There was a slight chance we could have seen black pants which were worn a few times before 2014.

       Personally, I feel this will make for a great uniform matchup which will be seen under the sun due to a 3 p.m. local time zone start in Santa Clara, California. I am a big fan of the Carolina black-over-silver look which will be put on the spotlight and in historical images now. Denver's white uniforms have been left virtually untouched since the Nike redesign back in 1997.