Subway's July $5 Featured Footlong - Buffalo Chicken

In the event you don't think it's hot enough this time of year, Subway is giving us that extra kick with July's $5 featured footlong.  The Buffalo Chicken sandwich, which is now back on Subway's menu for good, has "......tender, juicy chicken tossed in a bold buffalo sauce with crisp green peppers and cool, creamy ranch on freshly baked bread."  

In terms of nutrition, you can check out this Subway site and calculate how many calories, fat, protein, etc. will be in the sandwich based on how you have your sandwich made.

New Buffalo Chicken Pizza at Papa John's

The world's third largest pizza purveyor has introduced a Buffalo Chicken Pizza which is described in the press release as:

...a savory combination of creamy ranch sauce, all-white sliced chicken strips, crispy bacon, fresh-sliced onions and 100% real cheese made from mozzarella, all topped with a tangy, spicy buffalo sauce.

The large Buffalo Chicken Pizza from Papa John's will cost $10 but Buffalo chicken lovers should note, this pizza is not a permanent menu offering and will only be available until the end of April. 

Boston Market's New Menu Items & New Atmosphere

According to this press release by Boston Market, over 440 restaurants have been updated with the changes listed below and while the press release focuses on the Los Angeles area, it is said that all remaining restaurants, which the AZFoodDude assumes this to include all 16 Arizona restaurants, will be upgraded by the end of this month. Below is a list of changes and new menu items from the press release:

• New Menu Items
  • Gourmet Sides – Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Garlicky Lemon Savoy Spinach, Squash Casserole, Mediterranean Green Beans.
  • Hand-Carved Sandwiches – Pulled BBQ Chicken, Oven Roasted Turkey BLT and All-White Rotisserie Chicken Salad.
  • Hand-Tossed Entrée Salads – Mediterranean and Southwest Santa Fe – Each made with Rotisserie Chicken.
  • Sauces – Zesty Barbecue, Sweet Thai Chili Garlic and Honey Habanero were created to complement the signature Rotisserie Chicken.
  • More Healthy Options – Garlicky Lemon Savoy Spinach and Mediterranean Green Beans and have been added to the menu. In addition, Boston Market’s home style Rotisserie Chicken now has 20% less sodium and its poultry gravy has 50% less sodium and is Gluten Free.
• Food Presentation
  • Plateware – For guests dining in, Boston Market will serve the food on real plates and stainless steel knives, forks and spoons.
  • Hand-Carved-to-Order – Rotisserie Chicken and Oven Roasted Turkey, which have always been carved-to-order, are now carved in stations that are visible to guests.
  • Hand-Tossed-to-Order – Fresh entrée salads are no longer grab-and-go, but tossed fresh to order throughout the day.
• Guest Experience
  • Improved Employee Training Programs – Hospitality and food preparation.
  • Addition of Dining Room Ambassadors – Guests will notice a higher level of service designed to make the dining experience more pleasurable in this fast-casual concept.
  • New Uniforms – Amplifying the message of quality, the new Boston Market culinarians will wear Chef Whites. Other staff will wear new uniform shirts and bib aprons for a crisp, clean look.

Subway's September $5 Featured Footlong - Turkey & Black Forest Ham

The past month has seen the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich as the $5 featured footlong. However, for September, Subway is going a bit more traditional with the Turkey Breast and Black Forest Ham Sandwich.

As you might expect, the sandwich comes with sliced turkey breast and sliced Black Forest Ham with your choice of veggies. Without cheese or any sauces like mayo, this sandwich is one of the healthiest on the menu, coming in at 580 calories, 8 grams of fat and 36 grams of protein for the footlong.

Subway's August $5 Featured Footlong - Buffalo Chicken

After having the Classic Italian BMT in the spotlight for the past month, Subway is about to let another sandwich bask in the limelight, or more accurately, buffalo sauce, for August. The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich has become a popular sandwich at the chain and making it the $5 featured footlong will only help continue that trend. If you're wondering what it's made of:

Tender glazed buffalo chicken breast strips topped with cool ranch. Served on freshly baked bread with your choice of vegetables.

The 6 inch Buffalo Chicken Sandwich has 460 calories, 19 grams of fat and 27 grams of protein.

New Sandwiches and Salads at Quiznos

Among the new items at Quiznos are two new sandwiches and two new salads. The first new item is a Southern BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich composed of pulled pork, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, pickles, yellow mustard and smoky BBQ sauce. Depending on the size you choose, the sandwich ranges from 520 to 1090 calories and 22 to 44 grams of fat.

Next, we have the Pork Cuban Sandwich. Made up of pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, yellow mustard and mayonnaise. The Pork Cuban has between 22 and 53 grams of fat and between 450 and 1070 calories depending on what size you choose.

Thirdly, we have a new Harvest Chicken Salad, which has Honey-Dijon chicken, grapes, apples, dried cranberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and Acai Vinaigrette Dressing. A small will have 110 calories and 3 grams of fat and a regular will have 220 calories with 6 grams of fat. The Acai Vinaigrette adds 130 calories and 10 grams of fat for the small and 230 calories and 17 grams of fat for the regular.

Finally, there is the new Caprese Chicken Salad with chicken, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, tomatoes, and an Italian cheese blend. The small size will run you 130 calories and 9 grams of fat, while the regular has 260 calories and 17 grams of fat. The recommended Fat-free Balsamic Vinaigrette adds 80 calories and 130 calories for the small and large sizes.

Find your nearest Quiznos here and complete nutritional information here.

Schlotzsky's Offers a New Sandwich and Two Old Favorites

If you enjoyed the Albuquerque Turkey and the Windy City Pastrami, you're in luck. Schotzsky's is bringing them back along with a new sandwich, Buffalo Chicken. The sandwiches are described in the press release this way:

Buffalo Chicken - Thinly sliced roasted chicken breast, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato and red onion, topped with Schlotzsky’s famous Louisiana hot sauce on toasted Sourdough bread and served with bleu cheese dressing on the side.

Albuquerque Turkey - Smoked turkey breast and crispy bacon with cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses layered with fire-roasted vegetables, chipotle mayonnaise, shredded lettuce, tomato on toasted Jalapeño Cheese bread.

Windy City Pastrami - Premium New York-style pastrami and melted Swiss cheese with Dijon mustard on our unique, toasted Dark Rye bread.

As part of their "hot hitz!" promotion, the sandwiches will be around until August 28th. You can check here to find a Schlotzsky's near you.

A Few Cinco de Mayo Deals & Ideas

As I write this, Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow. Before you get to the list of some places to eat, the AZFoodDude felt like sharing with you what Cinco de Mayo is.  Cinco de Mayo, as commonly thought, is not the celebration of Mexico's independence, which is actually in September.  Rather, it is the celebration of the "Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862."

Now for some food, not a comprehensive list, but a few ideas:

Del Taco
69 Cent Chicken Soft Tacos
29 Cent Regular Tacos - 3pm to 8pm UNCONFIRMED - I am not sure of the reliability of the reports describing this promotion.  It is not a nationwide promotion but some reports indicate it is happening in Arizona. Please call ahead if you are going specifically for this. Check here for locations and numbers.

Macayo's
Beginning earlier this week and ending on the 5th, their 'Mex & Match' promotion is $5.55 for 1 entree and 2 sides. The entree choices include tacos, burros, tostadas, tamales, enchiladas and chile rellenos. Check here for locations.

- The Arizona Republic has listed 18 restaurants they recommend for Cinco de Mayo, some of which have specials and others which do not seem to, according to the descriptions by the Republic.  Some notables include:

Gallo Blanco Cafe & Bar - 401 W. Clarendon Phoenix. 602-274-4774 - This Southwestern restaurant inside the Clarendon Hotel celebrates Cinco de Mayo on May 2-6. Events include happy hour all week on the Skydeck; Taco Tuesday - buy two tacos and get a third one free; $1 discounts on tacos in the hotel's new lounge; a variety of live entertainment including flamenco dancers; and introduction of the new tamarind margarita, the Agua Mexicana, poolside

La Hacienda - 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale. 480-585-4848 - The Scottsdale Fairmont's Southwestern dining room puts the "fun" in fundido with its queso fundido, a melting pot of Oaxaca, Chihuahua and Gouda cheeses, with salsa and flour tortillas ($12). On Cinco de Mayo, enjoy a pig roast on the patio ($40 per person) and red, white and green margaritas. 5:30-10 p.m.

Rancho de Tia Rosa - Multiple Locations - On May 5, this longtime Mesa spot will offer $1 Tijuana tacos in chicken, beef and pork. If you want more than a taco, try Tia's Plato de Carne Asada, 12-spice-marinated beef or pork that's been slow-cooked for 12 hours and lightly charbroiled. It's served with rice, beans, grilled vegetables and flour tortillas. Other best bets are the seafood tacos: a sauteed shrimp taco with a pineapple salsa and grilled salmon taco with an orange mango salsa.

Serrano's Mexican Restaurants - Multiple Locations - The family-owned business will celebrate Cinco de Mayo from Monday to Thursday, May 2-5. On Monday, tacos are $2.75 each, Tuesday enchiladas are $3.75 each, Wednesday burros are $4.75. On Thursday there will be two specials: the Serrano special combination ($5.95) includes a beef taco, a cheese enchilada and a bean tostada. The Southwest broiled chicken ($8.95) is topped with a fundido sauce and served with rice, beans and tortillas.

The AZFoodDude hopes this is a helpful list.  Please be safe!

Arby's New Junior Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Seems like it came out earlier this month, but you can’t find much of anything about the new Junior Buffalo Chicken Sandwich at the Arby’s website at the time of this writing. This probably means it has only been released in certain regions.  Thankfully, for those who enjoy buffalo chicken in the valley, I have seen advertisements at various Arby's around town and tried one (pictured to the right) a couple days ago.  The sandwich is made up of a crispy chicken patty, buffalo sauce, lettuce and a sesame seeded bun.