New items include breakfast dishes and summer-themed BBQ offerings.
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First Watch's French Toast Monte Cristo
has added three new seasonal dishes and a drink, available through August 25, to its 110 restaurants.
• The Brûléed Banana Waffle is topped with caramelized bananas, brown sugar-glazed bacon, a sweet cream sauce drizzle and bacon-infused syrup, and it costs $7.99.
• The French Toast Monte Cristo is sourdough French toast layered with ham, turkey, melted Swiss cheese and Dijonnaise, grilled and coated with powdered cinnamon sugar. It’s served with dressed greens and a side of raspberry preserves for $7.79.
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• The Summer Cherry Chicken Quinoa Bowl, a seasonal variation of the Quinoa Power Bowl that the breakfast-and-lunch chain added last winter, is quinoa tossed with roasted zucchini, dried cherries, chicken breast and herbed goat cheese. It’s topped with sliced almonds and herbs and drizzled with balsamic dressing and sells for $8.79.
• The seasonal drink, the Strawberry Mint Cooler, is a made with crushed strawberries and water garnished with mint leaves and strawberry slices, served over ice for $2.99.
Rock Bottom Brewery & Restaurant has introduced a new beer, four savory items and a dessert to its summer menu, available through August 25.
• The Summer Honey Ale is a golden-colored ale made with local honey, which the chain said gives it a smooth middle and crisp, refreshing finish. Prices vary by location.
• The Habanero shrimp is crispy shrimp tossed in the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based chains signature sweet and spicy habanero sauce, and it costs $7.95.
• The Sizzling Chicken & Chorizo Peppers is whole poblano peppers stuffed with chicken, chorizo and a four-cheese blend, roasted and topped with pico de gallo and Mexican crema for $11.95.
• The $12.95 Grille Bruschetta Chicken is grilled chicken breast finished with mozzarella and a bruschetta-basil topping. It’s served with grilled jumbo broccoli.
• The Cabo Mahi is mahi mahi with smoked paprika ancho glaze topped with pineapple pico de gallo and served with red ale rice and Southwest Succotash for $14.95.
• For dessert, Rock Bottom is introducing Can’t Get Enough Ice Cream Sandwiches, which are chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream served with hot fudge. They cost $5.95 for three sandwiches.
The items are available at 31 of the chain’s 32 locations; the Chicago unit is only offering the new beer.
16 Handles' line of seasonal “Farm to Fro-Yo” flavors.
16 Handles has added a line of seasonal “Farm to Fro-Yo” flavors at its 37 frozen yogurt locations, as well as several new toppings.
The seasonal yogurt flavors are peach and blackberry. 16 Handles also has introduced a blood orange sorbetto. The three new toppings are Apple Cider Pound Cake, Crispy Crispix sweetened with caramelized sugar, and Goji Granola with chia seeds, goji berries and pumpkin seeds.
New York City-based 16 Handles operates in its home state as well as New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and Florida.
Meanwhile, Pinkberry has added a cherry frozen yogurt to its summertime lineup at its 230 locations worldwide.
El Pollo Loco's chicken fajita stuffed quesadilla
has added a chicken fajita stuffed quesadilla and an avocado fajita salad to its nearly 400 locations for a limited time.
The quesadilla is made with the quick-service chain’s signature citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken stuffed in a warm flour tortilla along with seared peppers and onions, Monterey Jack cheese and sliced avocado. It’s dressed with a poblano cream sauce and garnished with cilantro.
The salad is made with sliced avocado, pico de gallo and black beans, and is topped with creamy cilantro dressing. Chicken can be added upon request to make the salad an entrée.
Both entrées are available starting at $5.49, although prices vary by location. The Costa Mesa, Calif.-based chain did not say how long the LTO would last.
McAlister’s Deli has added three limited-time pulled pork-based items, as well as a seasonal tea and desserts to its 315 locations. The items are available through September 29.
McAlister's Deli's pulled pork sandwich, nachos and potato.
• The BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich is pulled pork, barbecue sauce and coleslaw on toasted ciabatta. It’s $7.49 at company-owned stores.
• The BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos are tortilla chips smothered in pulled pork, barbecue sauce and cheese sauce, topped with jalapeños, sour cream and green onions. They’re $7.99 in company-owned stores.
• The Pulled Pork Spud is a baked potato topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce and pickles. It’s $6.99 in company-owned stores.
• The seasonal tea is Peach Tea, made with the Alpharetta, Ga.-based chain’s signature sweet tea and peach purée. It’s garnished with a peach slice and sold for $2.49 in company-owned stores
• McAlister’s has also introduced two Dessert Shooters, featuring fruit filling layered with crumbled cookies and topped with fruit. They’re $2 each and are available in blueberry-mango and strawberry-banana flavors.
Firehouse Subs is bringing back its King’s Hawaiian Pork & Slaw sandwich for a limited time at its 638 locations. The sandwich is made with pork that has been smoked for 12 hours. It’s smothered in pepper Jack cheese, steamed, topped with coleslaw and served on a toasted bun.
The price varies by market but is in the range of $6-$6.50. The item will be available through September 29.
The sandwich was first introduced in December 2011 in test markets and then was first offered nationwide June to September 2012.
Zaxby’s has introduced a new salad as a permanent addition to the menu at its 578 locations. The Cobb Zalad is made of mixed greens, cucumber, Roma tomatoes, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, fried onions, Cheddar and Jack cheeses, and grilled chicken. It’s served with Texas Toast and a light ranch dressing. Prices vary by location.
This article has been updated to reflect the following correction:
Correction July 22, 2013 An earlier version of this article misstated the price of First Watch's Strawberry Mint Cooler. The drink is priced at $2.99.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @foodwriterdiary
