[CH] Chains pepper menus with new spicy dishes
Linda Hutchinson (lipant@sympatico.ca)
Wed, 4 Mar 2009 22:00:38 -0500
Interesting, even if most of these chains aren't mostly in Canada!
Chains pepper menus with new spicy dishes
By Dina Berta with staff reports
Red Robin's Burnin' Love Burger
(March 3, 2009) The heat is on - literally.
Looking to thaw winter sales, a growing number of operators are unveiling
limited-time menu items designed to set tongues on fire.
Among the most recent dish to pile on the jalapenos and other spicy
ingredients is Qdoba Mexican Grill's new chili verde. Earlier this year
Burger King introduced its Angry Whopper and last month Red Robin Gourmet
Burgers debuted two new spicy items: the Burnin' Love Burger and the
Southwest Ancho Chicken Salad.
According to industry observers, increasingly adventurous palates, increased
travel and the availability of authentic flavors and spices have conspired
to make hot so hot. Last year around the same time a similar explosion of
spicy items occurred with the introduction of Wendy's Spicy Baconator,
Quiznos' spicy prime rib sandwich and Chick-fil-A's test of a spicy chicken
sandwich.
Most recently, Qdoba, the more than 470-unit fast-casual chain based in
Wheat Ridge, Colo., rolled out on Tuesday a new chili verde as a
limited-time offer available in 66 stores in its Colorado market. No end
date for the promotion was available.
Also known as green chili, chile verde is a regional specialty that blends
jalapenos, green chiles, tomatillos, fire-roasted tomatoes and slow-simmered
black or pinto beans to create what the chain is calling its spiciest dish
to date.
Customers can order a vegetarian chili verde bowl or add Qdoba's seasoned,
hand-shredded roasted pork. Each bowl can then be personalized with one of
five signature salsas, tortilla strips, cheese or light sour cream.
"We traveled throughout Colorado and the Southwest researching different
chile peppers and ingredients as well as the history and culture behind
green chili recipes," said Ted Stoner, Qdoba's director of strategic product
development. "Then we hunkered down in our kitchen and began creating and
experimenting with our chili verde, which we're proud to let Coloradans be
the first to sample."
The chili verde bowl is being offered at the suggested price of $5.79 for a
vegetarian bowl and $6.79 for a bowl with hand-shredded pork.
Qdoba is a wholly owned subsidiary of San Diego-based Jack in the Box Inc.
In February, 450-unit Red Robin, based in Greenwood Village, Colo.,
introduced its Burnin' Love Burger, featuring a cayenne-seasoned beef patty
layered with crispy-fried jalapeno rings, salsa and pepper-jack cheese. The
burger is topped with shredded lettuce and tomato and served on a
jalapeno-cornmeal kaiser roll with chipotle mayonnaise.
Red Robin's Southwest Ancho Chicken Salad features greens topped with an
ancho-grilled chicken breast and tossed with a cool avocado-ranch dressing
and layered with black beans, corn, grape tomatoes and pepper-jack and
cheddar cheeses. The salad is topped with fried jalapeno rings, avocado
slices, fresh cilantro and tortilla strips.
The Burnin' Love Burger sells for a suggested $9.29, and the Southwest Ancho
Chicken Salad sells for $10.49. Both items will be available through April
5, Red Robin said.
Burger King's Angry Whopper, which debuted in January and is available
through March 30, is a spicy version of the Miami-based chain's signature
sandwich. The burger boasts onions, jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, bacon,
tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and "Angry sauce" on a sesame seed bun.
The Angry Whopper has a franchisor-suggested price of $3.69. Doubles are
available for $4.49, and triples are priced at $5.19.
Contact Dina Berta at dberta@nrn.com.
--
Linda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me - I want people
to know WHY I look this way: I've traveled a long way and some of the
roads weren't paved.