Minhee Cho posted an image of a Papa John’s receipt on her Twitter, which called her “lady chinky eyes.” After receiving her order.

“Hey @ PapaJohns just FYI my name isn’t ‘lady chinky eyes,’” Cho tweeted.

Cho, a communications manager at investigative journalism group ProPublica, posted the above  photo of said receipt on her Twitter account Saturday morning.

These Un-PC pizza joint shenanigans have of course gone very viral since then, much to the dismay of Papa J Corporate.

An attempt at damage control in the Twitterverse was swift and in many cases Papa John’s answered on a tweet by tweet basis but inevitably the ‘Za giant mass assured everyone with the following: “We are very upset by recent receipt issue in New York & sincerely apologize to our customer. Franchise employee involved is being terminated.”

So what’s the deal with the Serve card? Basically it’s American Express’s answer to other mobile payment companies, but they’re taking a foodie/restaurant oriented approach to marketing it. With the card you can “settle up” your share of a bill by instantly sending and receiving money on your mobile device (iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone). The card isn’t a credit card, but rather a bit of a debit card that has to be pre-loaded with money. Setting up an account isn’t hard, and I was sent my card in the mail a few days later. It is, in fact, rather easy to transfer money from one account to another. You know, if you’re one of those people that is into that sort of thing.

Why “Serve”? I’m not sure. It’s an interesting approach from American Express, clearly targeting high-end foodies and those who are social restaurant goers who may frequently eat in groups. The card theoretically has other uses, as it is accepted anywhere American Express is, but it’s an intriguing marketing approach to a certain niche. Will this angle work? Meh, might be tough. Seems like a pretty exclusive niche. Obviously paying a bill when many people are chipping in cash can be a hassle, but to avoid that you’d need to make sure everyone you eat out with has a Serve account. Considering a lot of people already carry several credit or bank cards, good luck with that. Plus, so many restaurants are now perfectly willing to split your bill on 3 or 4 different credit cards, so it may not be necessary at all to use something like Serve. But for people who frequently eating out in social settings I could see it being handy. Or maybe not. Who knows if it’s worth your time to set up. It’s like those old commercials would say “You Make the Call!”

American Express is definitely making a push to get people to try the card, as evidenced by their outreach to me and other food bloggers (again, I’m intrigued by this niche targeting of foodies).  They’re even gonna give $100 to a So Good reader. Sweet huh? So yeah, leave a comment in the next 7 days and one will be chosen to win $100 that will be added to a Serve account for you. Fun=fun? Sure, that’s fun.

Disclosure: “As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a $250 stipend to try Serve from American Express. Sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use.  Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account! Official sweepstakes rules and regulations may be found here.

Every once and a while, the taste test division of So Good, Inc. receives a special request to try a new product before it hits the marketplace.  As a true tastemaker, we feel it is our duty to serve the public by offering a candid assessment (and eating free food).  And, as usual, we are providing an exclusive first sneak peek into this new product (except for here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

The item: Wheat Thins: Smoky BBQ

As the resident BBQ expert, I took on this assignment.  Now, I must say up front that I have a natural affinity for the original Wheat Thins – they have a nice snap, a touch of salt, and go with most things without being overpowering.  What I usually am not so big a fan of, is taking the original recipe, and then blasting it with freeze dried ranch powder, or the ilk.  Yuck.  I was afraid the same thing would happen here.

Upon opening the bag, I noticed a strong, but not overwhelming smoke-ish odor.  Pulling out the first sample, I noticed that the familiar thin square did have an orange-ish coating. I was worried, but not for long.  The taste?  Actually, pretty good.  Not overly smoky, and a hint of sweetness given away by reading “honey” in the ingredient list – right between “onion powder” and “artificial color.” Also, the dusting of garlic and onion powder can be heavier on some crackers more than others, but overall, a pretty pleasing snack.  Not as good as the original, but good stuff.

One important note – probably not a good idea to eat when hungry, as you could probably go though most of a box.  This is usually why I don’t buy these demon treats, as they can be way too tempting.

Now it might be a while before these hits the shelves, as we usually review products way in advance.  It’s because we’re heavy hitters; what can I say?

Pic via The Impulsive Buy

I recently came across one of Yahoo’s properties called Shine (another portal for women – and couldn’t the world use one more of those) because of an article about the 10 worst food trends in a restaurant near you. 

Food critic Jonathan Gold made the list, and I agree with many.

#1: “Changes and Modifications Politely Declined” – I always thought this italicized menu disclaimer was absurdly pompous and preposterous.  If you are paying for the dinner, you should be able to get it how you want it – within reason.  I understand that the chef might feel that all the flavors/textures work well together, but if I don’t like cilantro, just take it off.

#3: Untranslated menus – Yes, your Ris de veau selon l’humeur might be the best in town, but could you give me a slight hint about a key ingredient or two?  If not, what is the purpose of having a menu to begin with?

#4: $5 tap water – I have long been mystified by the average consumer’s tolerance to spend absurd amounts of money on bottled water such as Fiji, Evian, etc. Where did this trend come from?  Possibly the restaurant scene, which has been able to somehow charge for free tap water for some time now.  Trickledown effect? –  maybe so…

#10: Better living through chemistry/molecular gastronomy – regular food + liquid nitrogen.  Enough said.

Others?  How about the national bacon craze? Or the cupcakes and donuts that have jumped the shark?

What food trends do you think are the pits?

The thing about tuna salad is it doesn’t really know what it wants to be. Your Aunt Minnie might bring a bowl of tuna chunks, potatoes, capers, and arugula while your neighbor sits there with his bowl of green-and-red speckled white yogurt paste. One is more conducive to a fork and one is more fit for cracker dipping, but they’re both calling it tuna salad. You could call it an identity crisis.

What do you put in your unique little bundle of joy, So Good readers? Mayo? Chickpeas? Tomatoes? Celery? Something more esoteric, like tarragon? Are your salads esoteric? Can a salad be esoteric? Anyway…vote for your favorite tuna salad ingredients! I know I’m missing a lot of possible ingredients here, so feel free to choose “other” and go crazy in the comments section.