While the US economy seems to be on the rebound, many folks are still trying to make their dollars go as far as they can. How do I know this? Because that is the only reasonable explanation why people continue to take junk food and turn it into something they call “fancy.” As first chronicled [...]
Extreme Makeover: Food Edition
by JT · November 13th, 2009 · 1 Comment
Tags: Interesting · Junk Food · Web Sites
The New York Times Offers Tips For Restaurant Staffers
by JT · November 5th, 2009 · 9 Comments
The small business blog You’re The Boss on the New York Times’ site recently hosted a two-part post featuring 100 restaurant staffer “dos and don’ts” written by the owner of a restaurant about to open. I agree with many of the items on the list, and recognize that most of them are not followed in [...]
Tags: Blogs · Restaurants
Halloween Food Commercials Rule
by JT · October 30th, 2009 · 1 Comment
In the spirit of the big Halloween weekend starting today, I thought I would share a recent Topless Robot blog post listing the top ten commercials featuring monsters. Naturally, the couple that caught my eye featured food, and proved to me once again the days of creative advertising are gone. I might be blinded by [...]
Tags: Advertising · Holiday
Has Food Branding Crossed The Line?
by JT · October 16th, 2009 · 4 Comments
No, that is not a Halloween disguise or temporary tattoo on the corn flake cereal icon. Rather, in an effort to maintain its corn flake brand identity, Kellogg’s is going slightly above and beyond to set itself above second-rate flake manufacturers. The potential plan, or should I say, boondoggle, it to literally give each flake [...]
Soda Companies Turning Back to Sugar? Not Likely.
by JT · October 14th, 2009 · 7 Comments
In what will likely be good news to soft drink connoisseurs out there, Pepsi has announced that on December 28th, they are bringing back a version of their recipe with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup for a couple months. While I am not a big fan of soda in general (or ‘pop,’ so [...]
Tags: News · Soft Drinks
The Great Ice Cream Chase
by JT · September 25th, 2009 · 17 Comments
I have to admit that when it comes to ice cream, I am fairly powerless. I think that when you find the right brand and the right flavor, it is pure bliss. And while I have done my part to explore as many undiscovered gems as possible during my travels, there is still much work [...]
Fast Food Hits Another Low
by JT · September 11th, 2009 · 3 Comments
I always get mildly depressed by ideas that want to seem original, yet are just rehashed garbage. Enter McDonald’s and the product that they’ve been testing in certain markets for the last few months: the Mac Snack Wrap, previously mentioned on So Good here. This is essentially a Big Mac without the bun, wrapped in [...]
Tags: Fast Food
Usain Bolt Yam Powered?
by JT · September 4th, 2009 · 2 Comments
Many sports fans know that Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt recently competed in the track and field world championships in Berlin, Germany. During two outstanding performances in the 100m and 200m races, Bolt broke both world records that he previously set at last year’s Beijing Olympics. What makes these feats newsworthy in this space is the [...]
Tags: Interesting · Sports
Pie Eating Contest = Food Fail
by JT · September 1st, 2009 · 5 Comments
Oh, where do I start? Trust me when I say that competing in a pie eating contest was never on my bucket list. That said, this past Sunday, that is just what I did at a favorite local sweet shop, Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop, which was celebrating its first anniversary.
The mission: eat three mini-pies as fast [...]
Tags: Competitive Eating · Desserts
NBA Ends Ad Prohibition
by JT · August 20th, 2009 · 10 Comments
As reported back in January, due to financial concerns, the NBA is allowing courtside liquor advertising for the first time since 1991. This was hardly shocking news considering how much NBA teams will be going into the red next season, and their subsequent need to generate revenue. What is interesting here is some of the [...]
Tags: Advertising · Sports
Birthday Cake, Obama Style?
by JT · August 5th, 2009 · 1 Comment
As we all know, yesterday was President Barack Obama’s birthday. And what kind of cake did the Commander-in-Chief receive? How about the disaster you see above. Does this cake fit the President? I think not. This is not the essence of cool. This is more like fireworks shooting out of your nose while the Star Spangled Banner is playing. [...]
Bananas + Monkeys = Genius
by JT · August 4th, 2009 · 9 Comments
I eat bananas almost on a daily basis. I am one of the believers that they are a perfect food. So, it came as quite a surprise when I recently saw a video that turned my banana world upside down.
Question: How do you open a banana? You peel the stem down, right? Apparently, this is [...]
Tags: Fruit · Interesting
Thinking About Eating Local
by JT · July 24th, 2009 · 2 Comments
I’d like to think that I am pretty tapped into what is going on in the world of food. I love to eat, talk about food, and read about food. Therefore, I am pretty pleased about the recent movement seen in films like Food Inc. and FRESH – both which make people think about what [...]
Tags: Health
Fast Food Goes Fancy
by JT · July 10th, 2009 · 4 Comments
In my online travels, in search for all things food, I often see attempts at innovation that seldom hit their mark. However, I recently came upon a site, Fancy Fast Food, that tries an interesting angle – the “extreme makeovers of actual fast food items purchased at popular fast food restaurants.” Apparently, the person/team behind [...]
Tags: Fast Food · Interesting
Next Brilliant Idea? Pizza In A Cone!
by JT · July 7th, 2009 · 10 Comments
When it comes to food, I am very open-minded. I will give just about everything a try. But as Dirty Harry once said, man’s got to know his limitations. Enter, the Pizza Cone.
I know that the sharp folks in R&D think that America wants food “on the go” and “quick to prepare” (and yes, I [...]
When Will The Bacon Madness End?
by JT · June 26th, 2009 · 2 Comments
And you thought you had a rough childhood. How about having to pose in custom-made three-piece bacon-esque tuxedos? Where else but on Awkward Family Photos would you find this shot…
And how many times will the shark be jumped? Stay tuned.
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Menu Labeling Needs Boundaries
by JT · June 18th, 2009 · 18 Comments
I recently read that Congress is considering a proposal that would require nutritional info to be put on menus next to every food item at fast food and chain restaurants. Some states already require fast food restaurants to display this material. While I think that this concept of labeling works pretty well for fast food, [...]
Tags: Fast Food · Health · News
Free Doughnut Friday
by JT · June 4th, 2009 · 15 Comments
Unbeknownst to me until a short time ago, National Doughnut Day is tomorrow, June 5. In celebration of this holiday and people getting fatter, the two titans of the industry, Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme, are giving away a free doughnut to all customers. The only difference is that you have to buy something to [...]
Summer Steak On A Budget
by JT · June 2nd, 2009 · 3 Comments
There is nothing better than a steak grilled outside in the summertime. The aroma and sensation of cooking one’s own dinner over an open flame are both very primitive and satisfying feelings. Not to mention the flavor of marbled beef cooked medium rare (my taste) along with all the appropriate sides makes for perfection incarnate.
I [...]
Oscar Mayer Marketing Backfires
by JT · May 22nd, 2009 · 1 Comment
Apparently, the hot dog giveaway by Oscar Mayer this past Wednesday generated some unexpected publicity for the famous purveyor of tubular meat-ish products. Instead of all the goodwill emanating from a benevolent gesture prior to one of the nation’s biggest cookout weekends, OM may now be facing a lawsuit thanks to the good folks at [...]
