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This comes from the "I'm not at all surprised" category. It's come to light that McDonalds' Chicken McNuggets have an ingredient that is commonly found in -- wait for it-- Silly Putty.
That's right, McNuggess contain dimethylpolysiloxane, "an anti-foaming agent" also used in Silly Putty. Just when you thought it was safe to have those tasty little nuggets, you might also want to know that they also contain the chemical preservative tBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, a petroleum-based product.
I've always been somewhat worried about the stuff actually found in fast food, but this is just a little ridiculous!
Here's the original article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=66729
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Crispy Creme AND Cheerwine in ONE!
The Charlotte Observer is reporting tonight that some Crispy Creme donuts got a little freaky with a bottle of Cheerwine, and here is the product of that union.
Crispy Creme has unveiled its Cheerwine donut. It's donut filled with a "Cheerwine creme", and coated with chocolate icing and sprinkles. Now, I'm not the biggest Cheerwine fan, but this sounds sorta good!
Not only does it sound sorta good -- but really, what is more Southern? I mean, this is more Southern than a fried green tomato at a NASCAR race!
UPDATE: Ok, I tried this thing, and really, it was WAAAY too sweet for my taste. The wierd thing is that they REALLY nailed the Cheerwine flavor in the creamy, whipped frosting filling. It tasted exactly like Cheerwine. The bad thing is that it, well, tasted exactly like Cheerwine. Let's face it, when was the last time you had Cheerwine and donuts? Never?? There's a reason for that.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Restaurant Review: Zoes Kitchen
If you've been cruising around the back side of Birkdale, between Qdoba and Dicks Sporting Goods, you're probably run across a new restaurant: Zoes Kitchen.
I'd been expecting it for a while, and when I stopped by two weeks ago it was finally open and my stomach was ready for business!
Zoe's seems to be another addition to the Fast Casual style eateries that have begun to pop up. You order your food at the counter, and then after about 5 minutes a server brings the meal to you. Forks and knives are actual metal, wine can be enjoyed, and the atmosphere is relaxed. And the price -- definitely not resembling a fast food restaurant.
The first thing I noticed when I entered Zoes were the large menus on the back wall -- there is no questioning where you need to place your order. The menus were a little overwhelming, and it took me a couple of glances to figure out that the stuff listed on the far left were family size meals meant for 4 people. Yeah, I almost tried to order one of those for myself!
Zoes food has a decidedly Mediterranean flare with pita, hummus, and feta appearing throughout the menu. However, they do have steak roll-ups and grilled cheese sandwiches too. So, you can pretty much find something for everyone.
The first time we went to Zoes, I ordered The Olympus. This sandwich has a mountain (get it?)of turkey with tomato, lettuce, onion and a feta parsley spread on foaccia bread. The spread was good, the veggies were fresh, and the turkey delicious. The only bad part of this sandwich was that it was quite dry and the spread did nothing to moisten it.
The second time, I ordered the Greek Chicken Pita, and substituted a side item with hummus and pita. Again the veggies were great. The grilled chicken delicious, and the caramelized onions were a great and flavorful addition. But again, this sandwich was dry.
Fortunately, I found a GREAT way to fix it -- I put a couple splashes of their salad dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, and spices) onto the sandwich, and viola! Instant yumminess!
It should also be noted, that the hummus and pita rocked! And the limeade was delicious.
All in all, a great addition to the Birkdale area. The food is filling, yet light. The perfect addition to summer dining options in the area. As for the interior atmosphere, I really can't remember it as we ate outside and only ventured indoors to place the order. However, we found the patio area to be spartan but nice and relaxing.
My wife and I have enjoyed Zoes twice over the past two weeks, and we'll be going back again.
Score:
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Total: 11/15
Kid Friendly: Yes. Lots of tykes abound. And there is a children's menu (includes the grilled cheese mentioned above).
Price: $$ (entree with drink will push you over $10)
Restaurant Info:
Zoe's Kitchen
Birkdale Village
16735 Cranlyn Road
Suite D
Huntersville, NC 28078
p)704-655-2635
f) 704-655-2639
http://www.zoeskitchen.com/
I'd been expecting it for a while, and when I stopped by two weeks ago it was finally open and my stomach was ready for business!
Zoe's seems to be another addition to the Fast Casual style eateries that have begun to pop up. You order your food at the counter, and then after about 5 minutes a server brings the meal to you. Forks and knives are actual metal, wine can be enjoyed, and the atmosphere is relaxed. And the price -- definitely not resembling a fast food restaurant.
The first thing I noticed when I entered Zoes were the large menus on the back wall -- there is no questioning where you need to place your order. The menus were a little overwhelming, and it took me a couple of glances to figure out that the stuff listed on the far left were family size meals meant for 4 people. Yeah, I almost tried to order one of those for myself!
Zoes food has a decidedly Mediterranean flare with pita, hummus, and feta appearing throughout the menu. However, they do have steak roll-ups and grilled cheese sandwiches too. So, you can pretty much find something for everyone.
The first time we went to Zoes, I ordered The Olympus. This sandwich has a mountain (get it?)of turkey with tomato, lettuce, onion and a feta parsley spread on foaccia bread. The spread was good, the veggies were fresh, and the turkey delicious. The only bad part of this sandwich was that it was quite dry and the spread did nothing to moisten it.
The second time, I ordered the Greek Chicken Pita, and substituted a side item with hummus and pita. Again the veggies were great. The grilled chicken delicious, and the caramelized onions were a great and flavorful addition. But again, this sandwich was dry.
Fortunately, I found a GREAT way to fix it -- I put a couple splashes of their salad dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, and spices) onto the sandwich, and viola! Instant yumminess!
It should also be noted, that the hummus and pita rocked! And the limeade was delicious.
All in all, a great addition to the Birkdale area. The food is filling, yet light. The perfect addition to summer dining options in the area. As for the interior atmosphere, I really can't remember it as we ate outside and only ventured indoors to place the order. However, we found the patio area to be spartan but nice and relaxing.
My wife and I have enjoyed Zoes twice over the past two weeks, and we'll be going back again.
Score:
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Total: 11/15
Kid Friendly: Yes. Lots of tykes abound. And there is a children's menu (includes the grilled cheese mentioned above).
Price: $$ (entree with drink will push you over $10)
Restaurant Info:
Zoe's Kitchen
Birkdale Village
16735 Cranlyn Road
Suite D
Huntersville, NC 28078
p)704-655-2635
f) 704-655-2639
http://www.zoeskitchen.com/
Monday, June 21, 2010
Huntersville Toast -- The Story Behind the Closing
Joe Marusak with the Observer has a great piece about the story behind the closing of the Huntersville Toast. And it's worth the read.
It mostly confirms what I'd been hearing around town. But here's my summary WITH conjecture and rumor! (Hey, if I were a legitimate news source, I'd have a press pass where this food stain is!)
But scuttlebutt has it that the old Toast Huntersville manager and the landlord were in cahoots, and decided to try to take over the Huntersville Toast location. They figured that while the Toast owner was out of town in New York for personal reasons, they'd close down Toast, and re-open it as "Taste". Same menu, same wait staff, same furniture, and even the same freakin' font! And hopefully nobody would be the wiser.
Fortunately, the Toast owner heard about what was going on, and with the help of his attorneys, was able to get that debacle stopped before it got started.
If the rumors are right, I'm glad that the old manager and landlord weren't able to try to cash-in on potential customers lack of attention. Trying to mislead the customer and stealing a brand at the same time is truly despicable.
Can't wait to try the new Toast at the Discovery Place in Huntersville!
And I can't wait to try the almost "Taste," now called Cafe 100. I'll try to keep an open mind... but if I can't, I'll let you know!
Also, when was the last time you saw "scuttlebut" and "cahoots" in a blog post?? A FOODIE FIRST! :)
It mostly confirms what I'd been hearing around town. But here's my summary WITH conjecture and rumor! (Hey, if I were a legitimate news source, I'd have a press pass where this food stain is!)
But scuttlebutt has it that the old Toast Huntersville manager and the landlord were in cahoots, and decided to try to take over the Huntersville Toast location. They figured that while the Toast owner was out of town in New York for personal reasons, they'd close down Toast, and re-open it as "Taste". Same menu, same wait staff, same furniture, and even the same freakin' font! And hopefully nobody would be the wiser.
Fortunately, the Toast owner heard about what was going on, and with the help of his attorneys, was able to get that debacle stopped before it got started.
If the rumors are right, I'm glad that the old manager and landlord weren't able to try to cash-in on potential customers lack of attention. Trying to mislead the customer and stealing a brand at the same time is truly despicable.
Can't wait to try the new Toast at the Discovery Place in Huntersville!
And I can't wait to try the almost "Taste," now called Cafe 100. I'll try to keep an open mind... but if I can't, I'll let you know!
Also, when was the last time you saw "scuttlebut" and "cahoots" in a blog post?? A FOODIE FIRST! :)
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