Peter Piper Pizza and Hungry Howie’s are both celebrating their 50th anniversaries with a special pizza. Meanwhile, another pizza chain, Papa Johns, is dusting its Papadias with Cool Ranch Doritos.
In the growing trend of house-made energy drinks, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii has a new line with caffeine from green coffee and a variety of adaptogenic plants. Sonic Drive-In is doing it the old fashioned way and making slushes out of Red Bull.
Dunkin’ has a lineup up of seasonal items, including new flavors of its Refreshers, which are sort of mild energy drinks as they’re made with green tea.
In Taco news, Rusty Taco is using its brisket to make its own version of birria, Tacodeli has one inspired by bánh mì sandwiches, and Velvet Taco’s Weekly Taco Feature is celebrating National Rice Ball Day after the fact (It was April 19, the day before National Cold Brew Day) by filling tortillas with arancini.
North Italia is frying mozzarella balls, and Another Broken Egg has barbacoa tostadas.
Wings and Rings has a bunch of loaded fries, and Outback Steakhouse has a loaded Bloomin’ Onion.
Bonanza and Ponderosa have several meaty new entrées, Quaker Steak & Lube has rice bowls, and Mad Green has a salad named after Cleopatra (let me know if you see the connection with the ancient Egyptian monarch).
Studio Movie Grill has a Margarita made with aged tequila, and Panda Express is putting American wagyu beef in dumplings, but only at its innovation kitchen in Pasadena, Calif.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
