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