Burger King's "Flame" Broiled Fragrance

Who's eating burgers!?!?

Burger King has bottled up the fragrance of the flame broiled Whooper, inspiring false hopes and hunger in all who get a whiff, and helping singles score dates to Burger King.

There is a Taco Bell commercial that claims the Bacon Club Chalupa seduces men in the club. But BK has taken it a step further and actually made a hamburger perfume. Now we can smell like fast food without having to eat it! Damn, the King is so far ahead of the curve. I wonder if they also sell Flame w/cheese?

"The WHOOPER sandwich is Americas favorite burger. FLAME by BK captures the essence of that love and gives it to you. Behold the scent of seduction, with a hint of flame broiled meat."    - www.firemeetsdesire.com

I don't think anybody could seriously wear Flame and think that the chicks are digging it — maybe fat chicks. It is most likely a joke, and a very profitable one. I am inches away from ordering a bottle online at rickyshalloween. What the heck, it's only $3.99. Stocking stuffer, perhaps? I wonder how many burgers come in each can?

I said it last year, right after the Whooper Freak Out commercials, and it still holds true: Burger King is on top of the commercial game by utilizing the Web. The Whooper Taste Test was genius, Whooper Freak Out absolutely hilarious, and now this! Go to the Flame Web site, it's really entertaining. Click the spray bottle and prepare to be seduced, by the King.

And all this time I've been showering after hot work in the kitchen. I guess fish and garlic don't smell as pleasant as flame broiled beef, though. What food fragrance will be bottled up next? Bacon? Pumpkin pie? BBQ ribs?

The Greasiest Spoon in Bowling Green: Corner Grill

Oh Corner Grill. 

How you sit so contently in the heart of town; so short and so squat. Your inelegance is your appeal. The soft clanking of stir spoons against coffee cups your anthem. Why fix something that isn't broken? 

The Melting Pot

 I had a really good time at The Melting Pot. I say, DO the FONDUE

The whole fondue concept is great. I like having to work a little for the food. Having to dip your fondue forks before each bite slows down the meal and increases table conversation. 

I didn't know what to expect when I walked in the doors, but knowing that there are over 100 Melting Pot restaurants nationwide, I was expecting it to resemble a Max & Erma's or Chili's look. But the Melting Pot is beautiful! The lighting is a little dark, but the booths are cozy and intimate. The Melting Pot offers a unique dining experience that rivals Bene Hanas Japanese steakhouse (the place where the chef entertains the patrons while he cooks). Fondue is a very sociable form of dining, great for first dates or awkward family dinners.

My date and I got the 2 person entree, which cost about $55. It included:

Cheese fondue (of our choice) with bread, vegetables and sliced apples. I really enjoyed watching our waitress prepare the cheese sauce

Salad (of our choice)

Main course: raw beef, chicken, duck, shrimp and pork. The waitress brings out a hot pot of broth (or oil) and explains how to cook the meat. 

Lots of sauces for dipping

Toledo's (Sylvania) Melting Pot opened earlier this summer. It's located on Monroe Street right off I-75. My waitress told me another one is opening in Ann Arbor. Check the Web site to find a location near you. www.meltingpot.com

Midwest Thanksgiving: turkeys not alone

Poco Piatti

Went out celebrating last week at a spot called Poco Piatti. A few people recommended it on Chow.com as a nice place in Toledo. What really appealed to me was the name, which means small plates in Italian. Because with small plates you aren't tied down to one entree.

 

Their menu is very eclectic, jumping all over the globe from Greece, Italy, Southern U.S., Lebanon and Thailand. We ordered a handful of menu items — not including the 2 pitchers of Sangria, which alone is good enough for a visit. 

I wanted to go to the original location on Monroe Street, but opted the closer Levi's Commons location instead. It's a comfy place; not so quiet that you feel you have to whisper, and loud enough to keep private conversation private. 

The plates are appetizer size, and all dressed very well. My date and I would order a plate each time the server dropped one off. I recommend the Thai Shrimp "Lasagna" (see photo), Prosciutto Crepes, Vongole con Salsiccia (clams roasted w/ hot sausage), Saganaki Kasseri (flaming cheese ... the server will shout "OOPA!!!") and of course, the Sangria.

 So if you are looking for a fun place to take a date, I recommend Poco Piatti for a unique dining experience. I will be trying the owner's other restaurant on Monroe Street, The Beirut, soon. 

South Side Six

If you haven't heard about South Side 6, it's because it's hard to talk with a mouth full of food.

The small party store on South Main Street celebrates almost every day with an awesome special, but it's the gyros that really put the party in the store — and then your mouth.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, and that's OK, because once you set foot in the parking lot your nose will quickly dismiss your eyes.

And inside is a spectacular scene. Three giant roasts twirl elegantly on the vertical gyro grills like three bountiful ballerinas. The owner, So, shaves off caramelized strips of either chicken or beef and hands them off to his faithful gyro technician, Abod, who tightly wraps each gyro with lettuce, onion, tomato and plenty of cucumber sauce. And how much do I owe? It it's Thursday, only $1.99.

The owner, So, was born in the U.S. but raised in Lebanon where he learned all about authentic Lebanese cuisine — Fattush, Taboli, Kabobs, Hummus, Chicken Shawarma and Baklava. It's all there, even his American side.

The gigantic Route 25 Burger is almost as satisfying, but falls just short to the mighty South Side 6 gyro. And I think it's because the gyro stays with you all day long. Spicy little burps act as pleasant reminders of the delicious meal you made love to earlier. If you have a date later, make sure they eat one too. Because it's OK if you both have bad breath.

Bizarre food, bizarre host

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern is like Fear Factor without the fear.

I love watching food shows. Unless I have no food. Because hunger is almost always the result of watching any of those shows on Food Network -- some call it food porn. And after my taste buds are aroused, I prepare a snack to munch on while I watch Ina Garten make magic happen in her kitchen.

Today, the snack was my delicious potato salad I made two days ago. But unfortunately today it tasted like fried spleen and cheese, which tastes like mud. Thanks to Andrew Zimmern I know that spleen tastes like "deep river mud." The taste of my potato salad became very complex while watching Bizarre Foods. When Zimmern tasted blood sausage in Paris, I could taste the rich flavor of pig lung in my potato salad. Don't snack while watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

But overall, I really enjoy Andrew Zimmern. I just like knocking him because he is a better descriptor than I am. Just watch his show and write down what he says each time he tastes something bizarre. Then try repeating the list at the Thanksgiving dinner table. I would just hate to cook him something that he didn't care for. He may tell me that my food "tastes like a lime that you cut open, and soaked in ammonia for 2 years," or is "like eating sweet Vaseline," as he has said on his show.

I watch Bizarre Foods a lot and I think Andrew Zimmern is very animated and fun to watch. But I have some major issues with the guy. Mainly, the only food I have seen him spit out was durian fruit. I've never tried it, I hear it's gross, but come on! Andrew Zimmern eats some real nasty stuff. He's eaten brains, sperm, hearts, and probably butt holes. But he couldn't handle the durian fruit?

However, the guy who owned the durian fruit farm looked very hurt and offended. As did the lady at the spleen sandwich dig when he told her it tasted like a deep river mud. Zimmern should probably be more culturally sensitive, but I think his brutal honesty is hilariously entertaining.

If a human rump roast looked good, would Andrew Zimmern eat it? That would be Bizarre.

Tuna's Bloody Marys

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