Wendy’s
http://www.wendys.com/

I like Wendy’s burgers and I’m not really ashamed to say it.  In the realm of drive-thru burgers, I really think that Wendy’s has the best tasting product.  Apparently, I am part of the minority with this opinion because the scientists at the Dave Thomas test kitchen have decided to completely overhaul their long-standing burger recipe.  I am not kidding you here…they called it “Project Gold Hamburger.”  They called in pickle chemists and focus groups.  They traveled the country sampling competing national chains and local burger stands.  Employees working the grill have been instructed to only press the patty twice instead of the usual eight times.  Lastly, and I’m really not making this up, they sought federal approval to store the cheese at a higher temperature to ensure better melting on the burger.

So I’ve already said it, but I like (or rather liked) Wendy’s burgers.  After discovering that my local Wendy’s was offering the new “Hot ‘N’ Juicy” burgers ahead of the October 3^rd nationwide launch, I thought I’d see if the changes were for the better.

What I Got:  Bacon Deluxe Single Cheeseburger; ~$4.00.

As you can hopefully see, there are FIVE slices of cheese on my burger.  FIVE.  I do not want, nor do I need, five slices of cheese on a single-patty burger.  After shedding the excess dairy, I began to notice the subtle differences.  The patty was much larger and less processed-looking.  The bun, my favorite improvement, was well-toasted and slightly crunchy around the edges.  The onions had changed to the red variety and apparently the crinkle-cut pickles won out.  Nothing has changed about the bacon, but that’s great because I liked it just the way it was.

Would I Buy It Again?  Well, the changes certainly didn’t have a negative effect on the taste, so yes, I would.  The price tag is a bit much, but I would still rather have just one of these than two of any other fast food burger.  I wasn’t aware that there was anything fundamentally wrong with the old burgers, but this was certainly very good and still head-and-shoulders above the other common drive-thrus.  If they hadn’t made such a circus of the changes, I’m not sure that anyone would’ve even noticed!  They’re so subtle that they have really only served to make an already good product just slightly better.   I would recommend, however, that they ditch the silly “Hot ‘N’ Juicy” moniker.  It didn’t work for the “Big ‘N’ Tasty”, so why go there again?

-Indy Food Geek

Panera Bread
http://www.panerabread.com/

Free wifi is a dangerous idea.  I spent the prior day traveling and hoping that I could catch up with work when I get to the hotel.  Upon arrival to my awesome deal of $50 from Priceline, the hotel’s internet was down.  I then decided to forget about working and I headed out on the town to see what Dayton, Ohio has to offer and catch up with work in the morning before my meetings.   Btw, if the hotel’s internet is down, they should offer free porn.  I am not saying that I would take advantage of such an offer, however I thought about the adverse affect effect it would have on the love life of many traveling business men in the hotel.  Just sayin’…  Anyway, let’s start the review.

Free wifi brought me to Panera and I felt obligated to buy something instead of just scamming on their network.

What I Ate: Jalapeño & Cheddar Bagel Breakfast Sandwich with Ham; around $3.50.

I have never tried a Jalapeño bagel before, but I was looking forward to this one and it didn’t disappoint.  I thought that I might be put off by a spicy bagel (unless I went on a bender the prior night), but I liked the bites that had some heat to it.  However, it wasn’t really THAT spicy, so if you are the type to do lines of pureed habaneros, this is not going to register.

There is a “thick cut” slice of Vermont white cheddar and I found that to be the case, it was a pretty cheese heavy sandwich.  The egg was fine, nothing to rave/rant about.  The ham was disappointing though as it was just one slice of paper thin ham that reminded me of the cheapest prepackaged deli meats that you can find in the grocery store.

Would I Buy It Again?  If at Panera, maybe. I wouldn’t go out of my way for this sandwich, but it was surprisingly good considering my ultra low expectations. However, at 490 calories and 16g of fat, this will be a pretty rare purchase for me.

-wibia

Qdoba
http://www.qdoba.com

I love gumbo and any other soul food that has some kick to it.  When I saw Qdoba had its own Mexican Gumbo, I decided to pass on my regular burrito and give it a shot.  Most fast food places take anything that traditionally has spice to it and makes it bland and boring for the masses.  I came into my Qdoba with low expectations of their gumbo but was curious to see how different Mexican Gumbo is from my southern favorite.

What I Ate:  Mexican Gumbo, 31 ounce bowl; $6.29

Looking at the menu after placing my order, I realized the “gumbo” was nothing more than their own tortilla soup with sour cream, cheese, and salsa topped with tortilla strips.  Soggy tortilla strips are a turnoff of mine and I generally find that sour cream overpowers the taste so I passed on both adding a half scoop of salsa verde and corn salsa to my gumbo.  Chicken, steak and pork are all available and I went with the pork option.  Overall, the aroma had me ready to go and the bowl was visually appealing when I got home and was ready to eat.

I was proud to have passed on my normal 1200 calorie burrito only to find out later that the bowl of gumbo was 1100 calories.  So much for the low carb healthy approach.  As I ate, I found there to be a variety of flavors in the gumbo and what looked like some kinds of peppers that were so soft like the pork that it almost melted in your mouth.  As I ate, the heat began to build and I found the gumbo to have just the right amount of kick to keep things interesting and meet my need for heat.  As I ate, I never had a spoonful that had a chunk of one ingredient that overpowered the rest of the ingredients finding even distribution throughout the serving.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes. I look forward to getting a burrito at Qdoba and have been reluctant to try anything besides a burrito when I visit.  Being someone who enjoys good southern fare and it being Qdoba, I had low expectations of whether their Mexican Gumbo but thought it would be a lower calorie option.  Although the bowl of gumbo has nearly as many calories as a burrito, I enjoyed the variety of flavors, how tender the pulled pork was and that it actually had some spice to it, which you rarely find at fast food restaurants.  On a cold Midwest day, I would be plenty satisfied with another bowl of Qdoba’s Mexican Gumbo and find it to be a good substitute for Yats Gumbo or the best gumbo in Indianapolis at Black Diamond.

-EatHSE

McDonald’s
http://www.mcdonalds.com

I was generally excited to see the release of this burger.   I love the taste of Chipotle.  I keep a puree of Chipotle in Adobo Sauce in my fridge and find many ways to sneak it into food that I already like.   It is a strong heat with a smoky flavor.  In fact, I even use it in my non-award winning chili (which is BS, because it rocks).

What I Ate:  The burger in the subject line for $3.99 (previous rhyme kind of intended).

The burger consisted of Chipotle BBQ sauce, burger, sesame seed bun, red onion, bacon and two slices of cheese.  My version had a lot of red onion on it, so I took a few rings off before my first bite.  Speaking of the first bite, it was pretty boring.  My bacon was really crispy, ya know…the kind that a stiff wind could disintegrate it into dust.  The most disappointing part was the Chipotle bbq sauce.  Honestly, it tasted pretty much the same as what is on the McRib.  I couldn’t taste any heat that I would expect from a chipotle labeled product.

However, I enjoyed the crispy pickles and the red onion was pretty fresh considering fast food.  I could also due just fine with one slice of cheese.  Two was a little much.

Would I Buy It Again?  Nope.  This is the closest sandwich to my beloved Beef Wennington and it was a big let down.  Like Grub Grade said, “1,000 calories of mediocrity.”

-wibia

Taco Bell Quad-Steak Burrito
http://www.tacobell.com/menuitem/Quad-Steak-Burrito

It has long been my thinking that Taco Bell should focus on what it does well and that is providing cheap and fast tacos and burritos.  At about $1.70 less than the Poblano Pesto Burrito I get from Qdoba, I had expectations that this would be a signature product for Taco Bell that would be comparable to other chain burritos but probably not as good at Qdoba or Chipotle.  In this review I will compare the Quad-Steak Burrito to Qdoba’s Steak Poblano Pesto Burrito, a fast food favorite of mine.

What I Ate: Taco Bell Quad-Steak Burrito $4.99

The Quad-Steak comes in at 13.4 oz in comparison to the 23 oz burrito from Qdoba making it more expensive per ounce.  The ingredients are simple including four servings of steak, sour cream, rice, salsa, and cheese.  Comparing nutrition to the Qdoba burrito has the Quad-Steak at 690 calories, 26 g of fat and 2140 mg of sodium to the Qdoba burrito at 1235 calories, 50g fat, and 3035 mg of sodium giving the lower quality Taco Bell Quad Steak slightly more fat and salt per ounce.  Neither will be on the list of anyone watching what they eat.

The appearance of the burrito completely turned me off.  Unlike the Qdoba burrito where you can clearly see the ingredients you have ordered, the Taco Bell Quad-Steak Burrito’s contents looked similar to all of the drop droppings in my backyard after a long winter full of snow.  Unfortunately, the taste did not save this burrito.  The steak tasted rubbery like it was a week old and was drowning in so much sour cream that you could not taste the rice or small amount of salsa included.  I tried adding some hot sauce to balance the source cream but it did not help this burrito disaster.

Would I Buy It Again?  Never! There are many menu items at Taco Bell that are half the price and are at least five times better than the Quad-Steak Burrito.  I enjoy Taco Bell but my guess is that this burrito will disappear from the Taco Bell menu and the sooner, the better.

-EatHSE

Recess

4907 North College Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46205
http://www.recessindy.com

Recess has received very few mentions on this blog because quite simply, I have yet to go.  There was a lot of anticipation around the opening and I usually try to make opening night, however they have been open for 5+ months and I have yet to pass through the doors.

The menu changes daily and the average price is around $40-$50 for a already established three-to-four course meal.  On Monday nights, they have special events that stray slightly off course from their fine dinning roots.  For instance, Mexican night, Picnic, etc.

When I heard they were having a fast food night, I had to give it a try.  After all, I thought that it was somewhat of a reflection of this blog, some fast food and some fine dinning.  The premise was to take signature dishes form fast food places and put the Recess spin on them.  For instance, McRib = BBQ Pork Belly.  Get it?  Cute.

What I Ate:  Long John Silver’s.  Fried fish and Hush Puppies; $10.  I also ordred a to go order of KFC fried chicken, biscuit, cole slaw and mashed potatoes and gravy; $10.

Let me first explain my expectations:

1.  This food would be better than the fast food counterpart.

2.  The food should be in the top 20% of similar dishes that I have had.

3.  For $10, there would be generally enough to eat for a light meal.

Really dark inside…  The LJS

I love fish and chips and will admit that I hit up LJS about two-to-three times a year to get my fix outside of normal orders at restaurants.  This version was two small pieces of fish and two hush puppies.  I found the hush puppies to be dry and bland.  The fish was moist, however the breading didn’t stick to the fish and it fell off all in one piece.  This is usually from not drying out the fish before frying it and I can’t imagine that they skipped this part, however the proof is in the pudding here.

The KFC dish was equally disappointing.  When I think of KFC, I think of a bucket of chicken, pulling out the leg Fred Flintstone style and having a bite.  Recess’ interpretation is that KFC is known for chicken fingers.  I was confused by this.  There were two chicken fingers that were laid on top of the mashed potatoes and gravy which made them soggy.  I like the flavor of the breading, but couldn’t get over the gloopy mess that was in front of me.  The cole slaw was super acidic and I didn’t care for it.  The biscuit was dry and there wasn’t enough gravy there to sop it up with the biscuit.

They tossed in a dessert for everyone that was there, which was a little “DQ” ice cream sundae.  Ice cream with chocolate sauce, butterscotch and nuts.  This was the best thing of the meal, however it melted in three seconds.  You would think that they would keep the ice cream dish cold, but I thinked they grabbed mine straight from the dishwasher station because my bowl was warm, and of course the ice cream was going to melt.  Fail.

Service also had their issues.  I ordered my meal thinking that one order would be enough food and I was wrong.  The same server explained the evening and let them know that you should order two-to-three items if you would like a full meal.  That would’ve been nice to know.  Also, I specifically asked for my KFC order to be separated (so those chicken tenders didn’t suffer the same fate) and when I got home and opened the box, they didn’t accommodate my request.

Would I Buy It Again? I am torn here. I enjoy their creativity and what they are doing, but this meal was a catastrophe from top to bottom.

Then again, what if a fast food place tried fine dining, I am sure that would suck too.

Poor service lead to inaccurate expectations of the evening and I would’ve probably preferred the fast food version of what they made.  I will try Recess again on a normal night to prove my initial impression right or wrong.

To be fair, they are critically acclaimed and worth a try so you can formulate you own opinion, here are some more favorable reviews:

-wibia

Culver’s
http://www.culvers.com/

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Culver’s Burgers.  If I wanted a burger and there was an In N Out that was across the street from a Culver’s, I would pick Culver’s.  However, I have never had anything but the Double Butter Burger Deluxe.   So, I thought that I might get a little crazy and order…

What I Ate:  Shaved Prime Rib Sandwich Value Basket; $7.48.  They had two choices:  swiss and onion or cheddar and mushrooms.  Mushrooms sounded good, so I went with that.

First, the sandwich was very thin compared to the picture.  The beef was pretty thin for fast food.  Looking at the info when I got home, there are about five chemicals in it that I have no clue what they are, however it was pretty decent.  However, there was a piece of gristle that I had to pull out of my mouth.

There were two slices of cheese and the bread was grilled on the outside to give it a nice crisp.  I would’ve preferred a few more mushrooms on the sandwich, but whatever.

Would I Buy It Again?  Nah.  I didn’t love it or hate it, but I felt like it wasn’t near as good as their burgers.  $7.50 is towards the high side at Culver’s and I can’t say that the taste or size of the meal substantiated itself.

Now, I am less tempted to deviate against the burgers.

-wibia

Taco Bell
http://www.tacobell.com

As usual, Taco Bell has yet again re-worked its menu to re-introduce a menu item that first debuted in 2007, the Grilled Stuft Chicken Enchilada burrito.  Since I didn’t remember this from 2007, I figured this was a “new” item and ventured to my local Taco Bell recently to try it out.

What I Got:  Grilled Stuft Chicken Enchilada Burrito ~$3.00.

As always with Taco Bell, they start out with their usual mix of on-hand ingredients to prepare your food.  In the case of this burrito, those ingredients were:

“Marinated all-white-meat chicken, slow-simmered enchilada sauce, a melty blend of three cheeses–cheddar, pepper jack and mozzarella–enchilada rice and reduced fat sour cream all wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled to go.”

Well, as always, I can confirm that those were in there.  The second thing that I can confirm is that this thing definitely was “Stuft” because when I took it out of the bag, it felt like I was lifting a brick.  This is definitely a burrito that’s got some girth to it and they don’t skimp on the ingredients.  If you are a light-to-normal eater, you really could make this and maybe one other smaller item into a full meal.  Since I’m not a light eater, well, let’s just say that wasn’t the case.

Anyway, as far as taste is concerned, it was just alright.  The chicken was cooked tenderly and the rest of the components mixed well together and tasted as you would expect them to since it is just a re-mix of their usual ingredients, but all things considered, this burrito really lacked any sort of pizzaz that I would expect from a menu item at Taco Bell that costs in the neighborhood of $3.00.

Would I Buy It Again?  No, I would not.  For $3.00 or more at Taco Bell (the king of cheap food), I would expect a menu item more memorable like the chicken or steak quesadilla.  This burrito definitely could not hold any sort of candle to the quesadilla or the many other menu items in that price range. 

So, all in all, this will probably stay out for a limited time once again and go back into mothballs for another three years until they can dupe some poor unsuspecting rube like me into thinking it is a new menu item. 

-IndianapolisEater