BumbleBee wrote:I wish we had Sonic Drive-in up here. I love their pancake-on-a-stick.

Looks like your wait is over: from the March 16th edition of the Aurora Beacon News, Sonic is opening a branch near the new Wal-Mart at Kirk and Butterfield Roads. No seating, just a drive-in with carhops. No word on when it will open, but I don't think it takes much time to build them.

The article said if this one was successful, they may look at putting another one in Aurora later on.

This morning, I tried McDonald's chicken biscuit for breakfast and I was pretty impressed. Even better, it was free thanks to the Bears scoring in the 1st half yesterday (a promotional handout at the game). Most impressive to me was the noticeable amount of dill in the breading, something I am not accustomed to but which I liked quite a bit. I think I might just experiment with a little dill the next time I fry up some chicken at home.

I generally hate all fast food - I guess I wasn't properly exposed to it in the all-important formative years - which makes road trips kinda unpleasant. That said, there are things even I like:

White Castle - Oddly, while I hate 99.9% of all fast food, the one thing I really love and crave is the greasiest, most nutrition-free food of all: WC cheeseburgers. Oh, and chicken rings. I give into the craving about once a year.

Culver's - Love the burgers. Love the custard - it's not Scooter's but it's a damn sight better than anything you could get at any equivalent restaurant. My husband and I plot our road trip routes to pass by a Culver's when at all possible

FYI, there's a culvers off the exit for route 67 from 465 just south of the indianapolis airport. im just saying.

These are my favorites:

Olive Garden - Tour of Italy platter
McD. - Double cheese burger and small fries from the dollar menu
McD - Egg mc Muffin Meal or Biscuit with egg cheese and bacon meal, coffee with cream
Wendy's - Chili, small Ceasar side salad, Frosty
Panera - Asiago Cheese bagel (split and toasted - I'm addicted to these)
Culvers - Butter burger with the works, frozen custard
Red Robin - Crispy chicken finger salad with honey mustard poppy seed dressing
Cinnabon - Cinnabon
Starbucks - Marble pound cake, lemon poundcake
Arby's - Chicken salad sandwich (with pecans, apples and grapes)
Corner bakery - DC Chicken salad sandwich on that nutty bread
Dunkin donuts - double chocolate frosted donut and a boston creme donut
Popeye's - fried chicken strips or fried chicken breast any kind

Cinnabon - Cinnabon

Thanks for the tip...

toria wrote:These are my favorites:

Olive Garden - Tour of Italy platter

Toria,

Your LTHForum user account has been sectioned for review by the moderators. To retain access to LTHForum it is mandatory you provide proof of having eaten at Riccardo Trattoria, Patty's Diner and Evanston Chicken Shack within the next ten days.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter,
Gary for the moderators

Never been to any of them, too far away. I have been to Katy's and love the pork with pancakes so maybe you will give me a pass.

HI,

I think Gary should offer you a Thanksgiving pardon.

Regards,

Implying toria is a turkey?

The Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate at Starbucks is pretty damn delicious:

Mermaid With Hair Covering Boobs wrote:This delicious sweet and salty combination brings together our rich, indulgent Signature Hot Chocolate and the flavors of buttery caramel and smoked sea salt. It is topped with whipped cream, a swirl of caramel and a sprinkle of our sea salt topping - a combination of artisan sea salt and Turbinado sugar from Hawaii.

Unfortunately, a grande-whole-with whipped set me back:

Serving Size 16 fl. oz.
Amt Per Serving
Calories 640
Fat Calories 300
Total Fat (g) 33
Saturated Fat (g) 20
Trans Fat (g) 0.5
Cholesterol (mg) 60
Sodium (mg) 300
Total Carbohydrates (g) 79
Fiber (g) 6
Sugars (g) 67
Protein (g) 15
Vitamin A 15%
Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 40%
Iron 30%
Caffeine (mg) 20

At least I'm getting my iron.

The French chain Quick has a new burger:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathieus/france ... burger-8q4

Though I grew up loving chain restauarants, as I grow older the love significally decreases over time and the more locations a chain has the more on the zero scale it falls for me. However, I can pick positives in a lot of places:

Panera-Just love the place in general for a chain. Friendly, clean and reasonably priced with free wifi. Love, love the mac and cheese and those asiago cheese bagels. They also can whip up a yummy hot chocolate.

Arby's-Though the locations around here keep shutting down I have fond memories of my father taking me to the mall location of Arby's inside Euclid Square Mall in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. As an adult, it doesn't wow me but I will still go here because the chocolate turnovers are just amazing and my husband loves this place (and the horsey sauce) despite once upon a time loathing it in his life.

Portillo's,-The best cheese fries. Period. (Chain wise)

Dunkin Donuts-I love that they slather a ton of cream cheese on their bagels and I have always had a fondness for Boston Creme donuts.

Waffle House-The ultimate orgasmic greasy spoon breakfast experince. Love their biscuits and gravy.

Starbucks-A nice cool Passion Tea lemonade on a hot day is quite refreshing.

Golden Nugget-Local chain and very good stuffed french toast.

Popeyes-Any of their shrimp or crawfish specials and especially those cajun battered fries.

McD's-Only for the cold coffee.

Boston Market-Creamed spinach taught me how to appreciate spinach.

Red Lobster-Cheddar Biscuits

Olive Garden-Breadsticks and chicken gnocchi soup

Macaroni Grill-Awesome fried Calamari

Dairy Queen and Tastee Freez for the soft serve ice cream

Baker's Square-Any of the pies with cream cheese

Pie Lady wrote:The French chain Quick has a new burger:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathieus/france ... burger-8q4

Bill Bryson said the name was short for "Quick - a bucket". No personal experience with them, but it did make me look askance at the black bun. More so than I would have otherwise, I mean.

Continued from viewtopic.php?p=402582#p402582:

Like gleam, I dig Chipotle and loathe Corner Bakery. I think Chipotle's guacamole is very good: ingredients are chopped and combined fresh there with lots of lime, and better-seasoned than quite a number of local Mexican (and "Mexican") restaurants.

Corner Bakery is like corporate cardboard catering even when you get it made it order (where you can); the flavors all run together and there is no variation in texture. That said, I like it better than Panera, which is bolder flavors on a more creative menu, executed at the most horrible level imaginable.

And like Pie Lady and zoid, I dig an Arby's now and then, especially on the road. The sauces are different, the buns and breads are (while I'm sure embalmed) fresher-tasting and more flavorful than competitors, and the beef (or "beef") is an afterthought. Why coffee shakes haven't caught on at more places I also don't understand.

Santander wrote:Continued from viewtopic.php?p=402582#p402582:

Like gleam, I dig Chipotle and loathe Corner Bakery. I think Chipotle's guacamole is very good: ingredients are chopped and combined fresh there with lots of lime, and better-seasoned than quite a number of local Mexican (and "Mexican") restaurants.

Corner Bakery is like corporate cardboard catering even when you get it made it order (where you can); the flavors all run together and there is no variation in texture. That said, I like it better than Panera, which is bolder flavors on a more creative menu, executed at the most horrible level imaginable.

And like Pie Lady and zoid, I dig an Arby's now and then, especially on the road. The sauces are different, the buns and breads are (while I'm sure embalmed) fresher-tasting and more flavorful than competitors, and the beef (or "beef") is an afterthought. Why coffee shakes haven't caught on at more places I also don't understand.

They make coffee shakes at Potbelly's that are tasty.

jlawrence01 wrote:Darden owns Red Lobster and Oliver garden.

Brinker's formerly owned Corner Bakery.

And put me with the group that thinks that Chipotle is grossly overrated.

whoops, yes, so same former owner as romano's macaroni grill and chili's. I think that might be worse than darden, honestly.

I haven't had one in a while, but Potbelly's will make you an oreo coffee shake. Great combination. When they have more than just vanilla, you can even coax them into making it with chocolate ice cream (sometimes with an upcharge).

jlawrence01 wrote:

gleam wrote:Corner Bakery (formerly owned by the same company that owns Red Lobster and Olive Garden)

Darden owns Red Lobster and Oliver garden.

Brinker's formerly owned Corner Bakery.

Corner Bakery is owned by Il Fornaio. It is no longer owned by Brinker International, who sold it to them in 2005; Brinker still owns Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy, and formerly owned Macaroni Grill and On the Border. Corner Bakery is also no longer owned by Lettuce Entertain You, which started it and sold it to Brinker.

As noted above, there is no link between Corner Bakery and Darden.

nsxtasy wrote:

jlawrence01 wrote:

gleam wrote:Corner Bakery (formerly owned by the same company that owns Red Lobster and Olive Garden)

Darden owns Red Lobster and Oliver garden.

Brinker's formerly owned Corner Bakery.

Corner Bakery is owned by Il Fornaio. It is no longer owned by Brinker International, who sold it to them in 2005; Brinker still owns Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy, and formerly owned Macaroni Grill and On the Border. Corner Bakery is also no longer owned by Lettuce Entertain You, which started it and sold it to Brinker.

As noted above, there is no link between Corner Bakery and Darden.

To further complicate this Il Fornaio is owned by Roark Capital which, as noted above, also owns the lion's share of Arby's, as well as Carvel/Cinnabon/Auntie Anne's.

Potbelly and Qdoba are basically the only chains I ever go to. I frequent Potbelly more than Qdoba because of the seemingly 600+ locations in the loop

Quel coincidence. Potbelly and Qdoba would be my top 2 chains. I've been going to Potbelly since it was a single store on Lincoln. I think they've done a pretty good job of not losing their orig. quality. Qdoba can get a bit pricy, but I do find most of what I've had there quite flavorful. (Chipotle seems to have honorable ingredients, but just not very much overall flavor. And costs way too much.)

This is all based on very little experience with chains in general. In Chicago there seems to be so little need to go to them. There is nearly always a local indie place near enough by to go to. In my experience.

I eat Dunkin Donuts when someone brings them, but I would never seek them out.

I actually like McD's hash brown patty, and sausage mcmuffin. Won't touch a burger there. Can stand some of their chicken sandwiches.

Rarely get there, but I do like Steak N Shake and Culvers.

The extra refinement of Starbucks, Intelligentsia, Argo Tea, etc. don't really move me. Certainly not as far as their price points demand.

Don't like any of the chain pizzas much at all, (e.g., Giordano's, Edwardo's,Carmen's). I like some food at Pizza Capri OK, but not the pizza.
I actually like Leona's thin crust well enough.

The others I just never get to: Panera, Quiznos, Jimmy J's, nor the larger Olive Gdn, Red Lobster, KFC, Popeye's, BK, Wendy's, etc. Virtually never been.

Being 3 months pregnant and just having crossed over into the second trimester, I just recently regained my appetite. Since we live here in central Illinois, Steak n Shakes are aplenty. While driving home from a rehearsal last week, I told my husband to pull into the SnS drive-thru to help feed a craving. And damn, if that wasnt the best cheeseburger I've had in a while. A single steakburger with cheese and everything on it, wrapped in plain wax paper. And those thin crispy fries! I'm glad I live in the hometown of SnS and that it's open 24 hours, because I have a feeling we may make more of these late-night runs over the next 6 months.

Blormal Why not go all the way, Noomington-Blormal? Then again, I suppose you get that a lot.

When I lived in Champaign, a columnist for the Daily Illini came up with the idea for a contest for the best Illini-related names for food specials that Steak 'n Shake could offer on home game days. Note, said the columnist, "Chief Takhomasak" is already taken.

I think I've said this elsewhere, but the Steak 'n' Shake guacamole is pretty darn good. Fresh tasting, a good complement to their burgers, and a generous portion. (They also offer a guac "steak dog" which I can't even begin to fathom why someone would do that).

Initially, I saw their menu said "We make our guacamole fresh daily!" to which my cynical mind had to say, "and then ship it cross country unrefrigerated for a week!" but no, it's really pretty darn good.

Can any of the qdoba fans learn me about what has the possibility of being edible there? I went to the Qdoba out in Woodfield...once. I was pretty much horrified at the entire experience. Ordered a carne asada burrito, and a drink. I think it cost 8 or 9 bucks. It was a steamed, gummy, tortilla nicely wrapped around rice, a few shards of romaine, and about an ounce or so of stew meat. Three bite sized chunks to be exact. That is my only experience with the place. I would choose Chipotle over Qdoba, but only if the world was out of all other foodstuffs - including bugs. Real ugly, nasty, squishy, bugs too. My wife tricked me into Chipotle a few months ago. I ordered three tacos, all different meats. They all tasted the same. Like salt. My wife enjoyed her meal. Grilled chicken bowl thingie. Lemonade was pretty tasty.

My husband is a big fan of the Mexican gumbo. Clearly not culturally authentic in any way, but I've enjoyed what tastes I've gotten of his. Generally I get the roasted veggie burrito there, which is totally edible.

Perhaps some of the most flavor filled beef I had in 2011 were the brisket tacos that I had in November at Taco Cabana. Add in the salsa bar and it was the ONLY restaurant in the Dallas area where we ate twice.

Panera Bread merges with Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels to form Panera Brands.
https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/op ... era-brands

Corner Bakery, the fast-casual bakery-café chain once tagged as a potential rival to Panera Bread but which has struggled as people stopped coming into the office, sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week as it seeks to fend off an effort by creditors to take control of the company.

https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.co ... bankruptcy