• Panera Bread is opening a new restaurant  Monday in the Target Pavilion in Westminster on Beach Boulevard. The restaurant is next to Lazy Dog Cafe. (see photo, right)
• Speaking of Lazy Dog… The Orange County-based upscale casual dining chain is expanding rapidly. According to the chain’s website, several new restaurants are slated to open in the next 18 months, including a new Lazy Dog in Irvine. Other restaurants are slated for Thousand Oaks, Valencia and Temecula. The Irvine restaurant will be at The Market Place, in the same spot once occupied by French 75/Wilhelm’s Chophouse.  The restaurant is slated to open in winter 2010. (OCR Profile: Lazy Dog Cafe)
• Say “Aloha” to IHOP. Using a Hawaiian theme as a summer promotion, IHOP has introduced 3 new pancake flavors to its menu: Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes, Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes, and Strawberry Passion Fruit. (QSR Magazine)
• How expensive is eating at South Coast Plaza? Consider these deals from Boudin SF and Lawry’s Carvery that will help keep your wallet somewhat full. (South Coast Plaza blog)
• Heard of the 8 oz.  Burger Bar? Get wild burgers, cocktails, and ribs for cheap. (LATimes food review)
• It is unofficial Sandwich week! (Food Frenzy blog)
• What do you think of first when you hear “Thai Cafe”? Some random wannabe Asian restaurant run by Western caterers? But this one is different. (ElmoMonster blog.)

(Compiled by Miki Fujiwara/Register Staff Writer-Intern)

(Panera Bread photo courtesy of The Gadgetress)

Post from: Fast Food Maven

Starting this month, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers will launch a new welfare policy—a switch from battery cage egg production to a cage-free egg production.

Most egg laying hens throughout the United States live their lives in a 67 square inch cage (a space smaller than the letter sized paper that they will be wrapped in after slaughter).

But Red Robin will allow their hens some legroom by transferring them into cage-free systems, the company announced recently.

Susan Lintonsmith, Red Robin senior vice president and chief marketing officer, said: “We recognize that the elimination of battery cages in egg production has become an increasingly important issue in the communities we serve, so we’re excited about our progress towards a supply chain in which all of our eggs are cage-free eggs.”

Next up: Red Robin is scouting pork suppliers who raise pigs in a crate-free environment.

Other chains steering away from battery cages include: Burger King, Wendy’s, Quiznos, and Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.

Related story: Restaurants adopt more humane animal policies

(By Miki Fujiwara/Register staff writer-intern)

(Photos courtesy of Humane Society.)

Post from: Fast Food Maven

Daniela Bolzmann (Newport Beach) and Michael Nielsen (Santa Ana) are among the 50 finalists in Murphy-Goode winery’s “A Really Goode Job” application contest.

Initially, seven residents from Orange County applied for the so-called Dream Wine Job, which pays $60,000 for six months.

Contestants had to submit a video showing their marketing and communication skills as well as their love for wine. Bolzmann and Nielsen were chosen among more than 300 people hoping to nab the $10,000 per month job Tweeting about wine. (Read more details about the contest here)

The winery will announce the Top 10 candidates Tuesday. After this, candidates will be interviewed at the Healdsburg-based winery for the final selection process.

View the O.C. residents videos:  Daniela Bolzmann  and Michael Nielsen.

(by Miki Fujiwara/Staff writer-intern)

Post from: Fast Food Maven

We grill everything from hot dogs to shish kabobs.

But, exactly how many hot dogs do we consume?

Here’s a few fun facts to chew on before the holiday.
Have a fantastic Fourth of July.

Be safe and eat well.

We’ll see you on Monday,
Nancy and Miki

• Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs a year – an average of 70 hot dogs per person. More hot dogs are eaten in July than any other month of the year, which is why it is designated National Hot Dog Month. (Freebie alert: Wienerschnitzel giving away hot dogs. Click here to get details.)

• On July 4 alone, the biggest hot dog day of the year, 155 million hot dogs will be consumed.  That is enough hot dogs to stretch from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., more than five times.

• Which state eats the most dogs on July 4? Roughly one-fourth of all citizens of Iowa ate hot dogs and pork sausages on July 4, 2008.
• Where’s the beef? In Texas in 2007, there were 6.8 billion pounds of cattle and calves — this infers that most of our beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers come from Texas.
• $1 billion result from the total revenue of boiler chicken from 6 of the nation’s states: Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.
• 2/5 of the baked beans we eat come from North Dakota, which produced about 39% of the nation’s dry and edible beans in 2008.
• Another popular side dish for Independence Day is corn on the cob. Florida, California, Georgia and New York in total produced 61% of naturally grown sweet corn in 2008.
• Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at any Fourth of July barbecue. In 2008, half of the nation’s potatoes come from Idaho or Washington.
• ¾ of the nation’s lettuce in 2008 is produced in California, which makes it most probable that California supplies our salads and burgers.
• 96% of ketchup was made in California in 2008.
• The state of Florida lead watermelon production last year, totaling 861 million pounds.

Source:  National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and National Hot Dog & Sausage Council.

(Photos courtesy of Register archives)

(Data compiled by Miki Fujiwara/Staff writer-intern)

Post from: Fast Food Maven

The Redskins will be first try Johnny Rockets on wheels.

In 2008, we had the Year of the Froyo. Now, it looks as if 2009 will go down as the Year of the Meals on Wheels.

Savvy restaurant entrepreneurs are delivering Korean-Mexican tacos, gourmet ice cream and fancy cupcakes in mobile food trucks.

Now, joining the roach coach bandwagon — Johnny Rockets.

The Lake Forest-based chain announced plans this week to build and sell mobile restaurant units. The first Johnny Rockets food truck will debut July 30 at the training camp for the Washington Redskins football team. The organization’s owner, RedZone Capital, is also the parent company of Johnny Rockets.

The truck is Johnny Rockets’ way of “thinking outside the box” when it comes to building the chain’s brand,  company spokeswoman Cozette Phifer said.

Each mini-burger truck will have a 22 foot kitchen and a 14 foot trailer. Each is designed to provide a condensed Johnny Rockets menu consisting of hamburgers, shakes, fries, hot dogs, chicken tenders and maybe even onion rings.

Phifer said a second mobile truck will launch soon in the Middle East. The plan is to eventually sell franchise rights for more “roaming” trucks, especially in California.

“We see this truck as being able to go anywhere, especially in Los Angeles,” Phifer said.

Although no deals have been signed yet in California, Phifer said local Johnny Rockets operators are showing interest in running a mobile burger van.  The chain is also considering using the vans for special events — similar to catering trucks operated by Original Tommy’s Hamburgers, In-N-Out Burger and Carl’s Jr.

“There’s endless possibilities.”

Once more get off the ground, the trucks will use social media platforms such as Facebook to let diners know where to find them.

With a passion for classic American fare, Ronn Teitelbaum invested $380,000 in the first Johnny Rockets diner in 1986 in Los Angeles. The eatery opened to snaking lines on Melrose Avenue and eventually became a cult hit with celebrities such as Bob Hope and Elizabeth Taylor.

Diners feature jukeboxes, red-vinyl booths and chrome counters. Servers sing or hum songs as they work and pour ketchup in the form of smiley faces.

(By Miki Fujiwara and Nancy Luna/Staff writers)

Related stories:

Post from: Fast Food Maven

Frostings Cupcakes in Lake Forest is slated to open Thursday, July 2 in Lake Forest, according to Foodie in Disguise blog.

“They’re baking batches, wiping down the counters and cleaning the windows,” the blog states.

The shop is expected to open at 7 a.m.  That seems incredibly early for a cupcake shop. But apparently Frostings is also serving espresso drinks.

If you manage to get up that early and taste a Red Velvet, write in and let me know if it is worth the $3.25 price tag.

Address: 23624 El Toro Road
949-458-1337

• Read full story at Foodie In Disguise.
• See cupcake slideshow, OCR.com

Related stories:

Post from: Fast Food Maven

Luis Garcia is slated to open FROZ! Yogurt later this summer at 24001 Via Fabricante. Garcia’s new shop will serve 22 flavors and include a lounge area with free Wi-Fi, HDTVs and local entertainment.

Garcia plans to offer prepackaged foods, pastries, drinks, coffees, teas and smoothies.

Stay tuned for more info.

Related stories:

Post from: Fast Food Maven