Wendy's (and Wendy) Set to Debut Premium Burgers in October

Coming on October 3, Wendy's will be rolling out some new burgers. Known as Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburgers, One of the new burgers will have a butter-toasted bun, thicker patties, cheese, pickles, red onions, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. The other, called the "D.T. Double" has two burger patties, two slices of cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onions and a special sauce.

You might notice these are called "Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburgers" in honor of the late founder, Dave Thomas, and what better way to roll out the new items than by having:

...another member of the Thomas family in commercials. This time, it’s Thomas’ daughter, Wendy, who was the source of the chain’s name and was the model for its logo.

You'll notice this is a bit more sentimental than the way Wendy's itself was introduced in Russia back in June. The commercial has been on the air in the test markets of Las Vegas, NV; Mobile, AL; Virginia Beach, VA; Providence, RI; and Austin, TX for a few months now and will soon go nationwide as the burgers go across the country.

On another note, for those of you interested in chicken, according to one report, Wendy's will begin testing an upgraded version of its chicken sandwiches in the early part of 2012.

Dairy Queen's Miracle Treat Day for Children (8/11)

Haven't had a Blizzard in a long time? Tomorrow, August 11, Dairy Queen will be celebrating its sixth annual Miracle Treat Day where,

$1 or more from every Blizzard^® Treat sold will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a charity that raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada. All donations collected on Miracle Treat Day stay in the communities in which they are raised to support local kids at area Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

According to Dairy Queen, the featured Blizzard of the day will be the Oreo Blizzard. In addition, the Blizzard of the month is the Nutter Butter. Check out the many other Blizzards here.

Cooking Classes at Phoenix Public Market, Public Invited to Register

Phoenix Public Market has been hosting cooking classes since late last month and has five more to go over the next few Saturdays from 2pm to 4pm. Each class costs $45 and is taught by a local valley chef. In general, each class is described as a:

Two-hour cooking class, including tastings, two beverages of the chef’s choice and take-home recipes. Each chef will have their own unique theme for summertime cooking.

The Phoenix Public Market is located at 14 E. Pierce St. Phoenix, AZ 85004. The remaining classes are scheduled as follows:

• 8/13 - Chef Doug Robson - Gallo Blanco Cafe & Bar
• 8/20 - Chef Tracy Dempsey - Tracy Dempsey Originals
• 8/27 - Chef Jen Anderson - Windsor
• 9/03 - Chef John Hall - Canela Bistro
• 9/10 - Chef Michael Brown - Jamburritos Cajun Grille

If you would like to attend any of the classes, be sure to register here, where you can also find additional details about each specific class.

Kids Eat Free All Month Long at IHOP

From 4pm to 10pm everyday in August, children 12 and under can eat a free kids meal at IHOP with the purchase of an adult entree. In addition, kids will get a "Spy Kids" activity book with activities as well as back-to-school coupons.

Check out the IHOP Just for Kids menu, where every item is under 600 calories.