Dear Sonic - Your New Commercials are Terrible

Dear Sonic:
What is going on with your commercials?  As if the car hops on skates weren't boring enough, you are now using these unfunny, lame, and just-plain dumb commercials.  I guess you are trying to go for a crazy, funny, kooky vibe on them, but it just doesn't work.  The characters are not funny and are unlikable.  I especially feel contempt for the guy in the car with the cardboard robot (a total rip-off of AWESOM-O).

I found an article saying you recently changed ad agencies after 17 years, and this is what they came up with (so this is what happened to your commercials).

You really thought those commercials were a good idea?

The people who came up with the "Pete and TJ" commercials deserve a Nobel Prize for that idea compared to what's on right now.  Long live Pete and TJ!




What do you think about the new Sonic commercials?

Limited Time Menu Items

Today at my local HEB I found Creamy Creations Wedding Cake ice cream  -a limited edition sweet cream ice cream with strawberry and pieces of white cake swirled in. It is delicious. It got me thinking about "limited time menu items" and "special edition flavors" that get cycled around. For example, Blue Bell Ice Cream has rotating items, Whataburger cycles out it's Patty Melt and other items (like the lemon pie), and McDonald's always brings back the McRib! What is everyone's favorite seasonal/limited time item? Is there something you look forward to each year? HEB's Wedding Cake ice cream will be added to my list of things to look forward to next summer.

Ice Cream Idea

Why don't ice cream trucks visit apartment complexes? I guess they would rather market to families with children (families with children live in apartment complexes too you know). I just think they are missing out on a giant market - singles who want ice cream delivered to them (i.e. me).

What is the stereotypical food people (ok, women) are said to eat after a break up? Ice cream.

What is a great snack but a lot of people don't want to keep in their freezer for fear they'll eat the entire tub? Ice cream.

What is delicious? Ice cream.

See! It is a genius idea. If someone makes this happen I will buy a bomb pop for you.

Top Chef

Next season's Top Chef is apparently filming now in San Antonio, Texas!

Yee-haw! I can't wait for the terrible puns. Challenges I expect:

-Fill a cowboy hat with as many ingredients as you & then make a meal out of it.

-Two chefs cook a meal while in a giant boot.

-Cook a meal at The Rattler with rattlesnake as your main ingredient.

-Taco challenge! (I actually hope this is real and cannot wait for it. I love tacos.)

I also hope they go to HEB and have some of the Spurs be challenge judges. That would be awesome.

UPDATE: Apparently it's going to be TOP CHEF: TEXAS (yee-haw still works!). Rumors are they are filming in Austin and Dallas soon. I'll be hanging out at the whole foods if anyone needs to find me.

Sesame Garlic Dressing

I have a serious love for salad dressings. I usually don’t stray from vinaigrettes – save ranch dressing on almost every other food product except for salad and desserts – so I was really surprised when I tried out Sister’s Sesame Garlic Sass All Natural Dressing, Marinade and Sauce http://www.freshdressings.com/sesamegarlic.htm.

This is actually a vinaigrette dressing (the first two ingredients are canola oil and apple cider vinegar) and is amazing! It has a different texture than a regular vinaigrette – it’s creamy but not as heavy as ranch or bleu cheese – and is a bland looking beige color. I wouldn’t have expected the rich flavor that this dressing delivers. Its ingredients are simple and it is made from “fresh, natural ingredients” right here in Austin, Texas. I love it on salad, on grilled portabella mushrooms and sautéed with green beans. I’m sure it could be used a million different ways. It’s a little pricey, but for the taste I say it's worth it!

Dear Carino's,

Please bring back the sun dried tomato balsamic vinaigrette. It was one of the best things on your menu. I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

TRE

Strange Menu Items or Penguins Part II

This picture is about five and a half years old, so I doubt this is still on the menu.  I love this unnamed taco restaurant, but there was one thing I never ordered...ever.

A Modest Proposal for lunch?

Happy Hour - Mandola's

I am a huge fan of happy hour - not only because I enjoy spending time with my friends when alcohol is on sale - but because food is usually on sale too. There are so many great happy hour specials around Austin I decided I need partake in happy hour more often. Today, like many other Americans I was off for Memorial Day. I got hungry around 5 and texted some friends to see if anyone was out and wanted to meet up for lunch. Everyone was either on the other side of town or lounging on their couch. I remembered thinking I had seen that Mandola's had some good specials from 3-6pm Monday-Friday and decided to venture out alone and check it out.

The specials for their happy hour are:

Margherita Pizza (serves 1-2 and shown in the above picture): $6.00

Pugliese Pizza - $6.00

Meat and Cheese Tray - $5.00

Bruschetta Checca - $3.50

Fried Mozzarella - $3.50

Zucchini Frites -$3.00

Garlic Fries -$2.00 [not sure why these aren't also frites]

Garlic Bread - $2.50

Beer (tap and bottle) is $2.00 off, frozen drinks are $3.50, and glasses, quartinos and carafes of wine are all half off.

They provide focaccia bread and olive oil to each table. I got a glass of wine (it was a Jules Cobb style pour - but it was a small glass) and the above pizza for ten bucks and change. I was so stuffed from the bread that I had more than enough pizza left for at least another meal. This place is much more low-key than a lot of the loud hot spots for happy hour - you know, the ones you can't find parking at - and is highly recommended if you want to catch up with friends by actually having a conversation.

Now mind you this was just a review of their great happy hour specials - I guess I'll have to go back and enjoy dinner from their full menu at a later time.

Carne Guisada at home

I made carne guisada for the first time several weeks ago.  It turned out good, but it didn't have enough gravy.  I cobbled together a recipe from a book and the one my wife uses along with her notes.  On our last two pots of carne guisada we've used prime top round from HEB.  Although it is prime it has only been about $6 per lb (since it's top round) and has been very good.  The extra marbling has made a big difference in flavor and tenderness.

Carne Guisada

Here is one of the recipes I used:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1826,145177-235193,00.html

The other was from "The Tex-Mex Cookbook" by Robb Walsh.  The ingredients and instructions were basically the same, but as previously noted I should have used more water/beef broth to make more gravy.  I also used tomato sauce instead of of whole or fresh tomatos because I think the sauce comes out heartier.  We like onions and garlic so I used six cloves of garlic and one half of a large onion.  We also do not use bell pepper in our cooking.  The book recipe adds potatoes, but since this isn't picadillo, that was never even considered.  The cooks.com recipe says to simmer for 45 minutes and the book says one hour.  I left the carne guisada simmering for about an hour and a half.  With the right pot you won't lose much moisture which means you could basically simmer even longer if desired, or if you aren't really hungry and ready to eat.

Meat used:  Prime grade top round beef
Pan used:  Stainless steel 3 Qt. saute pan.
Recipe changes:  Additional garlic, additional onions, no bell pepper, no potatoes, replaced half of water with beef broth.

Carnivorous Adventures in Chicago

I haven't done a steak post yet, so I figured I would since I've had three fantastical steak meals within six months. The first was over New Year's Eve. The bf and I have an annual tradition where we eat at a different steakhouse for New Year's every year. It's really one of my favorite things that we do and I recommend it highly instead of blowing money at one of those NYE packages that come with watered down drinks. To ring in 2011 we ate at Pete Miller's. Sadly (and as usual) I forgot to take pictures and the one I did take was underwhelming, but at least serves to document the impressive size of the bf's rib-eye:

That's the size of my radius or ulna!

For the bf's birthday in May, we went to Gibson's Steakhouse. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this meal to its fullest because I imbibed far too much the night before. Sadness and le sigh. The bf's steak, though, was amazing. He chose W.R.'s Chicago Cut:

It was 100% meaty goodness, juicy and tender and just the right amount of fat to make it buttery melt-a-licious. Me, I had a tiny little filet. Again, sadness.

For dessert, Gibson's is RIDDIKULUS. They bring out cakes and pies the size of one's head. I saw everyone taking their dessert home, which begs the question? Why the waste? To be honest, the desserts aren't very good. I'm not really into "Excess as Dessert," but maybe it's your cup o' tea. We ordered the banana creme pie and it was of course too big for us to finish.

Last night we had some friends and town and re-visited our steakhouse choice when we rang in 2010: the Chicago Firehouse. This place does not disappoint. They have the best crab cakes I've had at a steakhouse...crispy crust but soft, fresh tasting crab. I had a filet flight - I love not having to make up my mind and appreciate when restaurants offer things like this. I got to taste the parmesan crust, horseradish crust and bleu cheese crust. My clear favorite was the bleu cheese. The bf tried the Kansas City cut - less fat than a rib-eye but touted as equally flavorful. He chowed it down so I'm sure it lived up to the expectations. He didn't share, so I can' t confirm. Our friends ordered a bone-in filet (so tender that the only complaint was it wasn't enough) and the Filet Oscar with a crabmeat crust (why is this called Oscar?). Pictures below!

Finally, I tried a Moscow Mule! I found it refreshing and delicious and would love to make it my new cocktail that I order at a bar, but I doubt your average bar has ginger beer on stock.