AZFoodDude Will Return on Sunday!

The AZFoodDude won't be able to send out news updates for the next few days, but don't worry he will return on Sunday! While he's not here, enjoy this:

New Ultimate Grilled Chicken Burrito at Del Taco

Today, via Twitter, Del Taco announced their new Ultimate Grilled Chicken Burrito. The burrito comes with layers of sour cream, guacamole, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, lettuce, red sauce, and seasoned rice in a warm flour tortilla.

This comes in addition to the new Mac 'N Cheese Bites and the new Root Beer Float Shake at Del Taco. Find your nearest Del Taco here.

Two New Restaurants in Downtown Phoenix

Two Asian restaurants, Kokoro Sushi & Noodle Bar and Thai Basil are heading to downtown Phoenix. Kokoro Sushi & Noodle Bar has Japanese and Korean items on the menu including everything from calamari tempura to spicy Korean beef to a large sushi menu. It will be at 455 N. 3rd St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 next to Mi Amigos and looks to open this week with hours of 11am to 9pm.

Thai Basil on the other hand will, as you might expect, focus on Thai dishes. This will be Thai Basil's third restaurant in the valley as they already have locations in Scottsdale and Ahwatukee. To be located at 114 W. Adams St. #104 Phoenix, AZ 85003 next week, the hours will be as follows:

• Mon-Thu - 11am to 3pm & 5pm to 9pm
• Fri-Sat - 11am to 9:30pm
• Sun - 11:30am to 9pm

For much more information, check out the AZCentral article.

Cinnabon's New Summer Treats

Until September 3rd, you will be able to get the new Creamy ReTreat at Cinnabon. The Creamy ReTreat is composed of "Oreo cookies, a hint of vanilla and ribbons of Ghirardelli chocolate sauce." The Creamy ReTreat is also being described as a "cream-based vanilla drink with the lighter texture of a shake...more like a smoothie."

Along with this, new at Cinnabon are three flavors of cream cheese frosting. The flavors are raspberry, orange and strawberry and they are recommended for many of Cinnabon's snack options.

The Creamy ReTreat and frosting flavors come in addition to Cinnabon's Tangy ReTreats and Fruity ReTreats which are described by NRN this way:

The Tangy ReTreat is a low-fat, dairy-free frozen blended lemonade, which is available in lemon, raspberry and orange-mango flavors and served with Cinnabon-flavored syrup swirls. The Fruity ReTreat is an existing line of fruit-puree blended beverages in strawberry, strawberry-banana and tropical blast flavors.

You can find your nearest Cinnabon here.

Whataburger Introduces Pineapple Items, Honey Mustard Chicken Club

Yesterday, Whataburger introduced two new items for those of you with a tropical sweet tooth. Whataburger's new Pineapple Pie and Pineapple Shake have come just in time for the hot summer months and will be around until August 22nd.

Also, back in late May, Whataburger rolled out a Honey Mustard Chicken Club Sandwich. The sandwich is available grilled or crispy and comes with "freshly chopped lettuce, tomato, bacon, Swiss American cheese and Honey Mustard Sauce on a wheat bun." The grilled version comes in at 640 calories, while the crispy version will get you 710 calories. If you would like to try the sandwich, you should get there soon because it will only be available until June 27th.

For your nearest Whataburger location, check here.

Guy Fieri at The Mesa Arts Center Tomorrow (6/7)

Food Network and NBC game show host, Guy Fieri, will be at the Ikeda Theater at the Mesa Arts Center on June 7th on his latest stop for the "Guy Fieri Food: The Road Show." Beginning at 7:30pm, in a show that combines rock n' roll and food, Fieri and his crew plan to put on an "entertaining performance, complete with interactive cooking stations, demos, behind the scenes stories from the road and more." General admission to the show is $40, however if you are interested in some extras, either of these two options could be for you:

"Off Da Hook" Package - $250.00 per person
Includes: SEAT ON STAGE (MUST be 21 + older for stage seating. ONLY  32 Tickets available.), a chance to sample the food prepared by Fieri, tour laminate, a copy of Fieri's upcoming book, Guy Fieri Food, plus pre-show meet and greet with Guy Fieri. 

"Kulinary Krew" Package - $150.00 per person
Includes: Premium orchestra seating, tour laminate, a copy of Fieri's upcoming book, Guy Fieri Food, plus pre-show meet and greet with Guy Fieri. 

Guy Fieri currently hosts Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network and Minute to Win It on NBC. Guy's TV career began when he won the second season of The Next Food Network Star back in 2006.

The Mesa Arts Center is located at 1 E. Main St. Mesa, AZ 85211.

Dunkin' Donuts Frozen Hot Chocolate, Krispy Kreme Donut Milkshakes

Last week, Dunkin' Donuts introduced a new drink to their frozen beverage selection, Frozen Hot Chocolate. According to the NRN website:

"Dunkin’s latest beverage (Frozen Hot Chocolate), starting at $2.69, will be sold in 16 ounce, 24 ounce and 32 ounce sizes, and will available through August. The chain also is featuring a Mountain Dew Coolatta and a Blue Raspberry Coolatta this summer."

In addition to this, fellow donut shop, Krispy Kreme is testing out donut-based milkshakes in their home market of North Carolina:

"The shakes, which consist of soft-serve ice cream and cake doughnuts, come in three flavors: Original Glaze, Chocolate Cake and Raspberry Filled..."

There's no telling when the new Krispy Kreme shakes might come to Arizona, but you can bet if they are a hit during testing, they will become widely available. Meanwhile, you can find the frozen slush-like version of Dunkin' Donuts hot chocolate at your nearest Dunkin' Donuts.

Señor Frog's to Open in Las Vegas

If you've been to one of the many popular Caribbean or Mexican tourist spots, such as Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, the Bahamas or Puerto Rico, then you've probably seen one. In a few months though, you'll only have to travel a few hours northwest, depending on where you live in the state. Our neighbors in Las Vegas are soon to have a Señor Frog's Bar and Grill. There's no date certain yet, but it looks to open later this year at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.

This will be the second Señor Frog's on the U.S. mainland, with the other restaurant in Myrtle Beach, SC. Never been to one? Known for a crazy party atmosphere, they also have a very large variety on their menu even though they are Mexican-themed. Everything from BBQ, burgers and pasta, to the obvious Mexican dishes. If you'd like to see for yourself, check out Señor Frog's Menu.

Update (6-23-11): Phil Ruffin, owner of Treasure Island, hopes to open Señor Frog's in December.
Update (4-10-12): After plenty of delays and speculation it seems that we can finally count on Señor Frog's Las Vegas opening later this month.  Of note, from the time the AZFoodDude originally wrote this story to now, another Señor Frog's location was announced and opened in Orlando, thus making the Señor Frog's in Las Vegas the third location on the U.S. mainland.