Dairy Queen February Blizzard OTM: Royal Ultimate Choco Brownie

Dairy Queen is out with their February Blizzard of the Month and it is filled with all kinds of chocolate.  DQ describes it this way:

Indulge your sweet tooth with this dreamy combination of world-famous vanilla soft serve blended with decadent brownie pieces, choco chunks, and heavenly cocoa fudge. Careful, you might fall in love.

The Royal Ultimate Choco Brownie Blizzard is available all month and remember, if they don't hand you the blizzard upside down, the next time you go, you get one free.  Get locations here and nutrition information here.

Today is National Eggnog Day (12/24)

With today being National Eggnog Day, I thought it would be fitting to point out a wonderful local farm making some of the most incredible milk products around.  If you haven't heard of Danzeisen Dairy, then you are missing out.  They make a wide variety of flavors: 2%, 1%, skim, chocolate, strawberry, orange, root beer, and cold brew coffee.  They recently made their last batch of seasonal eggnog for the season so supplies are surely limited.

P.S. If you are wondering whether to buy the Orange Cream milk...

Find a store near you that carries their products:  http://www.danzeisendairy.com/#stores

Dairy Queen's July Blizzard of the Month - Chocolate Candy Shop

Last month, Dairy Queen gave us the Turtle Brownie Blizzard.  This month however, Dairy Queen is switching things up with their new Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzard.  The Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzard is made of cocoa fudge, vanilla soft serve, and chocolate pieces filled with hazelnut creme, fudge, and caramel. 

The nutritional information for a medium Chocolate Candy Shop Blizzard includes 960 calories, 44 grams of fat (24 saturated), 108 grams of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.

Culver's Opens 14th Location in Arizona

Photo by: Culver's

In a milestone for the Wisconsin-based chain, the 14th restaurant in Arizona also happens to be their 450th location.  Located at 1025 Avondale Blvd. Avondale, AZ 85323, Culver's is planning on opening roughly 25-30 restaurants this year, but there is no word on how many of those will be in Arizona. 

Of note, rather than going the Jack in the Box route of a Bacon Shake or the Burger King route of a Bacon Sundae, which is currently being tested in select markets, Culver's has decided to be a bit more traditional and promote the Culver's Bacon Deluxe and a separate Chocolate Shake. 

Baskin-Robbins Flavor of the Month: Jamoca Almond Fudge

Available since earlier this month, but officially announced today in a press release, Baskin-Robbins is promoting a classic flavor that has been around for over 50 years.  The April Flavor of the Month, Jamoca Almond Fudge, is made of "Jamoca coffee ice cream with roasted almonds and a chocolate ribbon." 

In participating Baskin-Robbins shops nationwide in April, Jamoca Almond Fudge is available by the scoop in a cup or cone. The flavor is also available in fresh-packed pints and quarts, so ice cream lovers can bring this classic flavor home to enjoy with family and friends or to create their own specialty ice cream desserts.* In addition, the Jamoca Almond Fudge Layered Sundae is available all month long and features three scoops of Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream layered with hot fudge, almonds and whipped cream.

Check out Baskin-Robbins nutrition page and find a store nearby.

Dairy Queen's April Blizzard of the Month - Caramel Delight Pie

Is it easy to go from minty and Oreoy to caramel and chocolatey? By making Caramel Delight Pie the April Blizzard of the Month, Dairy Queen seems to think so.  According to Dairy Queen, the Caramel Delight Pie comes with "caramel, choco chunks and pie pieces blended with creamy vanilla soft serve, crowned with whipped topping."  

Maybe they are just April Fooling with us, but there is a hitch this month in finding out the exact nutritional information for the Caramel Delight Pie since it's not listed in DQ's nutrition calculator.  However, to give you some sort of an idea, a medium Caramel Brownie Blizzard, which also contains the caramel, choco chunks, and vanilla soft serve of the Caramel Delight Pie, but replaces the Caramel Delight's pie pieces with brownie pieces, comes in at 860 calories, 33 grams of fat (22 saturated), 96 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein.

Cheesecake Factory Adds 14 New Items

There are currently six Cheesecake Factory locations in Arizona, one in Tucson and five in the Valley, and now, available at all of them, are 14 new items on top of the over 200 dishes already offered. 

The new items are:

SkinnyLicious(TM) Shrimp Creole - Photo by: The Cheesecake Factory

• Santorini Farro Salad - A fresh light combination of farro, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, red onion, Feta cheese and tzatziki. Tossed with vinaigrette
• SkinnyLicious™ Chicken Enchiladas - Covered with our red chile sauce and melted cheese. Served with escabeche vegetable salad
• SkinnyLicious™ Pasta - Gemelli pasta with sautéed chicken, fresh tomato, marinara sauce and fresh basil
• Island Grilled Chicken - Grilled soy glazed chicken breasts topped with macadamia nuts. Served with fresh vegetables and a little white rice
• Shrimp Creole - Shrimp simmered in a spicy Tasso-tomato sauce with sautéed peppers, onions and garlic. Served with a little white rice
• Shrimp Toast Lollipops - With ginger, garlic, green onion, cilantro and sesame oil, lightly breaded and fried crisp
• Shrimp and Grits - Sweet corn-white cheddar grits, covered with sautéed shrimp and spicy Tasso sauce
• Fresh Kale Salad - Cranberries, apples, Marcona almonds and green beans. Tossed with our buttermilk-black pepper dressing
• Papas Bravas - A Spanish favorite. Crispy, golden brown potatoes served with garlic aioli and spicy bravas sauce
• Over the Top Meatloaf Sandwich - Covered with Guinness® marinated Swiss cheese, portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions, aioli and arugula on grilled brioche. Served with housemade tomato-bacon jam
• Green Chilaquiles with Carnitas and Eggs - Tender slow-cooked pork with roasted poblano peppers, cheese, onions, cilantro and crisp corn tortillas. Garnished with tomatillo-chile sauce, tomato and sour cream
• Sweet Corn-White Cheddar Grits
• Coffee Mocha Chip Shake - Creamy coffee ice cream blended with chocolate chips
• Nutty Chocolate Marshmallow Shake - Our Chocolate Shake with marshmallow and toasted almonds

Cold Stone & Baskin-Robbins Roll Out New Items

Locally headquartered in Scottsdale, Cold Stone Creamery is now offering five new yogurt based items for a limited time.  The first three are part of the Yogurt Creations line and the last two are Yogurt Shakes:

• Strawberry Crumble- Dreamy Vanilla Yogurt mixed with juicy Strawberries and Graham Cracker Pie Crust
• Chocolate Banana Indulgence- Gratifying Chocolate Yogurt mixed with fresh Bananas and rich Fudge
• Berries Upon Berries- Luscious Raspberry Yogurt mixed with sweet Strawberries and Blueberries
• Shake Them Berries- Divine Vanilla Yogurt blended with sweet, juicy Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries
• Powered By Chocolate- Enticing Chocolate Yogurt blended with rich Fudge

Meanwhile, Baskin-Robbins is celebrating March Madness with their 3-Point Chocolate Ice Cream which is made of "chocolate flavored ice cream with a salty caramel ribbon and orange-colored caramel pretzel balls."  Only around until the end of the month, the 3-Point Chocolate can be ordered in sundae form:

The 3-Point Chocolate Sundae is also available all month long as a decadent combination of 3-Point Chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, Reese’s® Peanut Butter Sauce, crushed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and whipped cream.

Check the links for nutritional information at Cold Stone Creamery and Baskin-Robbins.

Dairy Queen's February Blizzard of the Month - Choco Cherry Love

To start off the year, Dairy Queen pushed their Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard, for February however, just in time for Valentine's Day, DQ is making the Choco Cherry Love Blizzard the Blizzard of the Month.  The Choco Cherry Love Blizzard is made of "Sweet cherries lovingly blended with rich choco chunks and creamy vanilla soft serve."

If terms of nutrition, a medium size Choco Cherry Love Blizzard has 650 calories, 24 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein and 80 grams of sugar.

Pinkberry Coming to Arizona?

For sometime now, I have wondered aloud why Pinkberry refused to cross the California border into Arizona while managing to make it to 19 other states and 15 other countries.  You can imagine my fury then yesterday when I read this press release referring to Pinkberry expanding into the Las Vegas area.  Not that I won't want a good cup of Pinkberry yogurt when I find myself in Sin City, but I thought once again, Arizona was being gipped.

After calming myself and doing some digging however, I've found some great news, a watershed moment for those of us in the Grand Canyon State.  Pinkberry will be opening their first Arizona location at the University of Arizona's Student Union Memorial Center in Tucson.  Slated to open on February 14, 2012, the 100th anniversary of Arizona becoming a state, (yeah, and Valentine's Day), at 10am, Pinkberry will be offering six unique flavors:

...the signature flavor, a sweet and tangy yogurt; pomegranate, a bold and tangy flavor made with 100 percent California-grown pure pomegranate juice; salted caramel, a blend of salty and sweet; a rich, indulgent chocolate; mango, a fruity and light flavor made with authentic Alphonso mango puree; and blood orange, a fresh and tangy featured flavor that rotates seasonally.

Now, I haven't been to a Pinkberry in sometime and unless they have changed, the one major difference they have to other froyo shops is that they serve and top the yogurt for you since they do not charge by weight.

Whatever the case, my fury has abated for now.  If this is a peace offering from Pinkberry, I will accept for the time being, but let's hope this is the beginning of many more openings in the state, including the Phoenix metro area.  

UofA Student Union Memorial Center - 1303 E. University Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85719

Dairy Queen's December Blizzard of the Month - Candy Cane Chill

In November, Dairy Queen gave us the Caramel Nut Roll Blizzard, for December however, Dairy Queen is offering the very appropriate Candy Cane Chill Blizzard as the Blizzard of the Month.  The Candy Cane Chill Blizzard is composed of "Peppermint candy pieces and choco chunks blended with creamy vanilla soft serve."

If you are wondering, a medium size Candy Cane Chill Blizzard has 800 calories, 22 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein and 104 grams of sugar.

Starbucks: Buy One Holiday Beverage, Get One Free (4 Days Only)

The Starbucks website lays out the deal:

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

Celebrate the season together with someone – and something – you love at Starbucks. On November 17–20 from 2–5 p.m., when you buy one holiday beverage, you’ll get a second one free. Warm up with your choice of a Peppermint Mocha or new Skinny Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Gingerbread Latte or the longest-running holiday favorite, the Eggnog Latte.

If you click on the above links for each drink, you can customize the drink to your liking.  In the meantime, here is what each drink is made with:

• Peppermint Mocha - Espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint flavored syrup, topped with sweetened whipped cream and dark chocolate curls.
• Skinny Peppermint Mocha - Espresso with steamed nonfat milk and sugar-free bittersweet mocha sauce.
• Caramel Brulée Latte - Espresso and steamed milk flavored with caramel Brulée sauce, topped with sweetened whipped cream and caramel Brulée topping.
• Gingerbread Latte - Espresso with steamed milk and gingerbread flavored syrup. Topped with sweetened whipped cream and nutmeg.
• Eggnog Latte - Espresso with steamed eggnog and milk, topped with ground nutmeg.

Whataburger Brings Back Chocolate Pie

Continuing with the sweet theme for today, Whataburger has brought back their Chocolate Pie for a limited time. Until January 2, customers will be able to order the pie described as having a "hot flaky crust" and a sweet chocolate filling.  In addition, Whataburger is also pushing their Chocolate Shake, which is a mainstay on the menu.

According to Whataburger, the Chocolate Pie has 280 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein and 16 grams of sugar.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake Back at Chick-Fil-A

For the third year in a row, Chick-fil-A is bringing back the Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake.  Just like their other milkshakes, this one is topped off with whipped cream and a cherry.  Available in 14 oz. and 20 oz. sizes, the Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake will be offered until early January, according to QSR.

Nutrition
Small (14oz) - 660 calories, 23 grams of fat, 12 grams of protein, and 89 grams of sugar.
Large (20oz) - 930 calories, 31 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein, and 127 grams of sugar.

Cinnabon Adds New Items for Fall

Going on from now until November 5, Cinnabon is introducing three new items to their menu for the fall. QSR has the story:

Caramel flavor will be offered as a topping for the company’s Center of the Roll or an addition to its creamy Mocha Chillatta. The new Carmel Mocha Chillatta is a premium beverage pick-me-up made with real coffee, chocolate, swirls of caramel, and whipped cream topping. The Caramel Center of the Roll consists of bite-sized pieces of baked sweet dough featuring Makara Cinnamon, brown sugar, and caramel smear, and smothered with cream cheese frosting and caramel topping.

In addition, Cinnabon is adding its popular Cinnamon Churro back to the menu for a reported $1.99 with a second churro costing a $1.

The nutritional information is as follows:

Churro - 290 Calories, 12 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein.
Caramel Mocha Chillatta (16oz.) - 420 calories, 17 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein.
Caramel Center of the Roll - 840 calories, 42 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein.

Dairy Queen's September Blizzard of the Month - Caramel Brownie

For the month of September, Dairy Queen has made the Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie Blizzard the Blizzard of the Month. The Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie Blizzard is made of, "Gooey caramel, real fudge brownie pieces and choco chunks blended with creamy vanilla soft serve."

In terms of nutrition, this month's blizzard, in a medium size, comes in at 860 calories, 33 grams of fat (22 saturated), 96 grams of sugar and 16 grams of protein.

Subway Café Concept Opens In Flagstaff

Hoping to dig into McDonald's and Starbucks particularly, Subway has begun testing a new type of restaurant. The Subway Café in Flagstaff is the first reported of its kind in the state. According to Subway, usually people feel like they need to eat and go in a Subway restaurant, but at the Subway Café, the hope is the customers will stick around a little bit longer. To encourage that, the Subway Café has an area with electrical outlets and Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV's and comfortable chairs.

Besides serving up Seattle's Best Coffee, if you are wondering what's on the menu, The East Valley Tribune has some of the items:

Blueberry crumb cake and chocolate chunk muffins are displayed along with marble pound cake and key lime Danishes at the Subway Cafe, while the menu advertises espresso drinks, Panini sandwiches and chicken Caesar salads, among other things.

Checking out this Subway Café brochure in PDF format, you can see some item specifics on the menu, including the fact that they also sell gelato, as well as some interior photos.

The restaurant just opened today and sadly the address is not readily available. Once I have it, I will update the story.

Update (8-25-11): The Flagstaff Business Review has listed the address as 1500 E. Cedar Ave. Flagstaff, AZ 86004

Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Roll Out Captain America Treats

On Monday, June 27, Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins will begin offering multiple new Captain America themed treats. Let's start with Dunkin' Donuts, which has four new items:

Dunkin’ Donuts has expanded its popular line of icy cool Coolatta beverages with the introduction of a new Captain America Coolatta drink, a cherry-flavored frozen beverage. The new Coolatta drink will be available in a special limited-edition collectible First Avenger Tri-Cup, an innovative three-chamber cup featuring images of Captain America that allows guests to enjoy three different Coolatta flavors (8 oz. each) within the same cup. Joining Dunkin’ Donuts’ famous lineup of donut varieties is the brand’s first-ever star-shaped donut, the Captain America Donut, filled with jelly, frosted with vanilla icing, and topped with patriotic red, white and blue sprinkles, as well as the Stars & Stripes Donut, frosted with red icing and topped with patriotic red, white and blue sprinkles.

Next, Baskin-Robbins will also have four new items:

Baskin-Robbins...is featuring an assortment of ice cream refreshments including July Flavor of the Month Super-Soldier Swirl, vanilla ice cream swirled with a combo of blue chocolate chips and a cherry flavored ribbon. Guests can also succumb to the power of chocolate with a Hydra Force Sundae, Chocolate Mousse Royale ice cream that is chock full of brownies, hot fudge, and whipped cream topped off with chocolate sprinkles and a cherry, or dive into the Super-Soldier Sundae, Super-Soldier Swirl ice cream topped with moist white cake, and a rich strawberry topping (add whipped cream, a cherry, and star-spangled sprinkles for a flavorful patriotic salute). Lastly, the Captain America Ice Cream Cake, inspired by Captain America’s signature shield, is classic sheet cake customized with your favorite ice cream and cake flavors along with a collectable Captain America Cake Topper.

 Captain America: The First Avenger will come to theaters on Friday, July 22.