THE DISH: Fall in love with more new dishes, offers
Sep. 24—The calendar declares it's fall but the weather is slow to catch up. No worries as far as the dining season with new offerings and deals that are perfect for the change in season.
Two Goats & The Goose (1514 Wall St.) has made some additions to its menu, including its taco offerings. Along with the return of the popular shrimp and halibut taco options, the restaurant now also offers pecan-crusted halibut tacos, served with sweet Thai chili sauce.
Duck lovers can also order duck carnitas tacos, topped with pickled onions, plum cherry compote and a "dash of cilantro."
The cake-in-cup desserts remain popular and those with a sweet tooth can also mix it up with amaretto bread pudding and a framboise float featuring raspberry ale topped with Dewar's chocolate ice cream.
Are you ready for some football? Chef's Choice Noodle Bar (9000 Ming Ave., Suite J-2) is with its football dining and drink specials that are available during game time (and some the hours around it). Go for the Extra Point ($28) with an eight-piece shrimp tempura, garlic edamame and six steamed pork dumplings. The Field Goal ($36) includes 12 vodka wings, four chicken gyoza and fried green beans.
Feeding your team? The Touchdown ($55) served four with 18 vodka wings, eight chicken wontons, garlic edamame and fried green beans.
Viewers can order a High Noon bucket ($30) featuring an assorted six-pack of the hard vodka seltzer.
Users of Chipotle's app (and Chipotle.com) got a sneak peek of the chain's latest protein: smoked brisket.
Available now for dine-in orders as well, the grilled meat, seasoned with fire-roasted jalapenos and chipotle chile peppers, is hand-chopped and tossed in a new brisket sauce made with smoky chili peppers.
"This isn't your standard brisket experience," Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer, said in a news release. "We've created a differentiated smoked brisket recipe that is authentic to our menu and pairs flawlessly with our real ingredients."
Those ordering a smoked brisket dish through the Chipotle app or the website can enjoy free delivery Monday through Oct. 3.
Jack in the Box humorously took on the fast-food chicken wars when launching its new BBQ and Classic Cluck Sandwiches.
The marketing campaign focuses on "CEO" Jack Box's purchase of the small town of Chicken, Alaska, in exchange for 10,000 Cluck Sandwiches, thereby allowing the chain to "own" chicken for good. A video news release featured Jack Box in a friendly negotiation with current Chicken town owners Sue and Max. And no joke, Jack in the Box made a $10,000 donation to Chicken to help the town amid the pandemic.
Both new sandwiches feature 100 percent all-white chicken meat fillet that is "bigger, crispier, and better than ever." The barbecue option is topped with crinkle-cut pickles and barbecue sauce on a brioche bun, while a deluxe version includes crispy bacon, panko onion rings, American cheese and barbecue sauce.
To see the video news release and learn more about the new sandwiches, visit jackownschicken.com.
Ben & Jerry's is serving justice and a new flavor with Change is Brewing, which was designed in collaboration with The Movement for Black Lives to support the People's Response Act. The groundbreaking piece of legislation divests public funds from the current system of policing and invests in resources that strengthen communities, like mental health treatment, counseling, substance use treatment and health care.
The ice cream features fudge brownies, marshmallow swirls and cold-brew coffee ice cream made with coffee from BLK & Bold, a Black-owned company that gives 5 percent of its profits to initiatives that support youth in need. And that sweet pint design? It's from Black multidisciplinary artist Laci Jordan.
Forget Halloween and Thanksgiving, Kellogg's is ready for Christmastime.
It recently launched the limited-edition The Elf on the Shelf Hot Cocoa Cereal, which with its cocoa-coated star pieces and white mini marshmallows evokes the rich, chocolatey taste of a mug of hot cocoa, aka "Santa's favorite."
The new flavor is available in Walmart stores and walmart.com along with the brand's original collaborative offering Kellogg's The Elf on the Shelf Sugar Cookie Cereal.
Act quick: These cereals will be available only while supplies last.
PUMPKIN SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE
These days if a place is serving coffee, there is a pumpkin spice option. Here are just a few spots to enjoy the flavors of the season.
Umaga Cafe (4801 Stockdale Highway): If you can tear yourself away from their unique offerings, celebrate the season with pumpkin spice lattes, available hot or cold, or pumpkin spice cold-brew made with their Philippine coffee.
Cloud 9 (5060 California Ave., Suite 130; in the Stockdale Tower): Its version is the harvest pumpkin latte featuring house-made pumpkin syrup. Another seasonal option is the caramel blondie latte.
Sweet Surrender (6439 Ming Ave.): The southwest sweet shop offers pumpkin roll throughout the year but really ramps things up for the fall with pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes and pumpkin crumble pies and its No. 1 seasonal seller: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It also serves hot and iced pumpkin spice lattes in its cafe. Ordering ahead (call 661-835-8530) is the best way to secure your desserts.
Vallarta Supermarkets: Starting Friday, the grocery chain will offer a pumpkin spice tamale. Made with pumpkin puree, butternut squash and a spice blend including ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, the dish offers "a warm and hearty taste of the season in every bite."
"Vallarta is reimagining this beloved seasonal flavor with a twist on a Latino food staple," said Andrew Lewis, vice president of marketing for Vallarta Supermarkets, in a news release. "Our culinary team constantly looks at innovative ways of expanding our offerings to provide customers authentic food favorites."
The seasonal tamales will be served in Vallarta's La Cocina through the end of the year.
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter: @realstefanidias.
