March 20, 2018 Top 10 creepiest food mascots of all time If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a galaxy to erase the childhood memories of creepy burger-slinging clowns and sketchy chip-peddling cheetahs. Anyone with a television set over the past 50 years has fond, and somewhat disturbing, memories of mascots gone-by. Well, in an effort to erase years of therapy, we’ve revived what we consider to be the creepiest mascots of all time. Without further ado, here’s our list of the top 10 mascots who seriously weird us out.
March 20, 2018 6 cheesiest meals in America Americans eat some 31 pounds of cheese each year. While much of it goes on top of pizza, here are some dishes you’ll need a specially-designed cheese ladle to get through --in our homage to fromage.
March 20, 2018 Top 10 burger restaurants in the US We've seen Gordon Ramsay flip out, but can he flip a burger? The star of Hell's Kitchen is from Scotland, but his new Las Vegas burger joint does justice to the American standard hot sandwich. Whether you like your hamburger highbrow --- think foie gras and truffle toppings --- or simply served with ketchup and a side of fries, you’ll find both approaches to the patty on our list of the top 10 burger restaurants in the United States.
March 20, 2018 6 funky twists on fried chicken Though once a staple of Southern cuisine, fried chicken is taking on some decidedly interesting twists. Across the country, restaurants are creating modern interpretations of the old classic--using some wild and wonderful ingredients. In Washington, D.C., for example, there are two fried chicken and doughnut shops that opened their doors this spring. Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, founded by award-winning Fiola’s former party chef Jason Gehring, rotates seasonal doughnut flavors each week, alongside four varieties of fried chicken: traditional buttermilk, Korean-style, Garlic and Sriracha. Down the road, the folks behind ChurchKey and Birch+Barley have opened GBD, short for golden, brown and delicious, after the success of their own fried chicken sandwich, The Luther (a maple-glazed brioche doughnut topped with pecans encases buttermilk fried chicken and applewood smoked bacon). At GBD, fried chicken lunch boxes with a crème fraiche biscuit, kohlrabi slaw and sides like pimento mac’n’cheese and tater salad are offered during the day alongside a choice of chef Kyle Bailey's 12 housemade sauces. Also expect fun spin-offs like fried chicken skin and chicken fried pickled green tomatoes. From doughnuts to waffles, biscuits to beans, take a look at some of the fun and funkiest fried chicken selections out there:
March 20, 2018 Top 10 Easter brunch restaurants Don't let chocolates and marshmallow chicks be the most memorable things you eat this Easter. Make reservations for a special brunch! Traditional breakfast favorites and Creole classics are just a few of the delicacies being served up at these top 10 restaurants for Easter brunch in the U.S. From coast to coast, these restaurants are prime places to enjoy this special mid-day meal surrounded by friends and family.
March 20, 2018 10 best athlete-owned restaurants Whether on the gridiron, hardwood, diamond, or ice, athletes raise our expectations, and in crucial moments, dash our hopes or fulfill our dreams. Some of them cement fame and glory by following through on guarantees. Others fall, get backpage bullied, and live accepting that they never won a ring. Whatever their success in the record books, many gridiron heroes and ballpark messiahs have splashed their names on dining establishments that also serve as a shrine to their athletic glory. But there's not necessarily any correlation between winning and the ability to open a great restaurant. For the last two years, The Daily Meal has evaluated the best athlete-owned restaurants in America, looking at restaurants owned or invested in by boxers, golfers, skateboarders, hockey players, quarterbacks, and basketball legends. For most, the formula is pretty standard: generic pub food, lots of TVs, even more memorabilia covering the walls, and always, always, spinach artichoke dip. The only thing usually missing is the athlete himself. Don’t expect to spot Brett Favre greeting guests at his steakhouse in Green Bay. And what about say, for instance, Michael Jordan's The Steak House N.Y.C.? The website may claim that the restaurant was "designed to reflect Michael's sense of taste and style," but the way its representatives respond to the most innocent of questions about His Airness' basic involvement lead you to the conclusion that the only connection to him is a licensing one. But the reality is that whether or not the athlete is there, or even regularly involved, there are athlete-owned restaurants that put out popular food — and some of it's even good. On the West Coast, skateboarder Tony Hawk has invested in a restaurant that's kitchen is run by a James Beard Foundation "California Chef of the Year." Meanwhile, NFL quarterback Vince Young not only has a steakhouse in Austin, but also supplies his own brand of smoked meat to area grocery stores. To determine this year's champs we investigated reader suggestions, evaluated local reviews, tallied popular rating sites, and scoured menus for more than 35 athlete-owned restaurants across the country to narrow the list. This year's list includes steakhouses, Southern specialists, barbecue joints, sports grills, high-end dining, and Chinese restaurants that are owned, or partially owned, by athletes.
March 20, 2018 World’s strangest McDonald's commercials While we're not positive that McDonald's is the first place you should visit when traveling internationally, if you did, you'd see some variations on the familiar burger and fries routine, reflecting a location's culinary traditions. Some offerings don't sound half bad, like Nicaragua's Mango Pie — their variation of our apple pie — and the Paneer Wrap in India, but among the more unusual offerings are Russia's McShrimps, Japan's Bacon Potato Pie, Turkey's McTurco with lamb meat, China's Chicken McMuffin, and Hong Kong's Rice Fantastic, a burger between two rice patties. And just as the menus vary around the world, so do McDonald's television commercials. McDonald's commercials in the United States have long been associated with energetic people enthusiastically crowding into a booth, happily devouring their paper-covered Big Mac. The tone is upbeat, the kids are wholesome, and everyone is thrilled to be under the bright McDonald's lights. We've been treated to jingles ranging from "We do it all for you" to "I'm lovin' it" over the years; we've even been assured that we deserve a break today. Even for those who don’t eat there, McDonald's advertising has made its way into our subconscious. The fast-food giant has trotted out beloved characters, most notably their red-haired mascot Ronald McDonald, for kids to grow attached to and further promote their family-oriented advertising. Sure, many of us think clowns are really creepy, but... well, wait — in McDonald's first TV spot, circa 1963, featuring Ronald, he really is creepy. He doesn't look much like the Ronald we've come to know, but has a more patched-together scarecrow look, with hay-like hair, a paper cup for a nose, and a large tray on his head. (The role was originated by Willard Scott, long before he became the TODAY Show's weather man.) Ronald has had many makeovers since those days, but has long since settled on the basic uniform of a yellow jumpsuit and red-striped socks. This character set the tone for the family-focused ads that we've become familiar with over the years. However, there is a whole other world of McDonald's advertising, several worlds in fact. Although McDonald's started in the United States in the 1940s and has been a fast-food standby ever since, it now has restaurants in 119 countries. And all those folks in all those countries need to be advertised to! Surprisingly, McDonald's doesn't always stick with the happy-go-lucky, cramming-food-into-your-mouth advertising we're accustomed to in the U.S. While some of the ads employ humor, certainly, and many do evoke an upbeat mood, it seems that other countries are not afraid to go off-theme and try different methods of getting a viewer's attention. A little darker, a little sexier, a little more offbeat — these commercials are not quite what you may expect.
March 20, 2018 10 off-the-beaten-path destinations for foodies Now that spring has officially started, many folks will be taking some time off to vacation in warmer climates. Spring also tends to be the time when people’s inner foodies come out, excited for fresh seasonal produce and the culinary delights they help create. That’s why many travelers will be using part of their travel time to explore restaurant menus that should be revamped with new recipes and exciting seasonal ingredients. As the president of a travel company, I’ve enjoyed my fair-share of meals in a variety of food meccas across the nation, including mainstays like New York, Chicago and San Francisco. While these cities do serve up some unforgettable dishes, I’ve had some equally impressive meals in lesser thought-of cities across the country, often at a fraction of the price. These cities not only have extraordinary eats, but some great hotel deals as well, so you can use the money saved on your hotel to splurge on your meals once you arrive.
March 20, 2018 Top 10 steakhouses in the US Whether we regard it as luxurious comfort food or haute cuisine for special occasions, steak remains one of our most elemental pleasures. Trends come and go, but our national tradition of a masterfully cooked, sizzling steak will never lose its appeal or culinary stature. Our line-up of Top 10 Steakhouses in the U.S., which includes several newcomers, is your roadmap to finding the country’s most revered beef.
March 20, 2018 6 spiciest meals in America Ask any child what America loves most, and they are very likely to say “eating” and “litigation.” Yes, we love to eat, but even more we love having to sign legal waivers that absolve the supplying business of any physical and/or emotional pain incurred thereafter by said individual(s) consuming said meal(s). Here are seven of the hottest meals served in America that will definitely inflict some serious pain.