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Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chili's Highly-Anticipated Scranton Branch Will Include A Menu Item No Other Chili's Has
On April 7, Scranton, Pennsylvania, is opening doors to a brand new Chili's that will certainly not be like any other. The restaurant is paying homage to its notoriety and iconic references from the former hit television series "The Office," which took place in Scranton and was a vessel for fun, jokes, and "feeling God in this Chili's tonight." Ironically, the TikTok-viral chain never had a location there, until now! The addition of this new location brings back a discontinued item that is now exclusive to Scranton — the Awesome Blossom. Similar to Outback's Bloomin' Onion or Texas Roadhouse's Cactus Blossom, the Awesome Blossom is a deep-fried onion with pull-apart petals. For a delectable dipping sauce, Chili's pairs this appetizer with its Buffalo ranch. The item was featured on its menu in all locations back in the early 2000s and was a hit amongst Chili's-goers, but was discontinued in 2008, possibly due to concerns over its high calorie count. "We created Chili's Scranton Branch to feel like a familiar home to fans complete with the perfect throwback menu item in the Awesome Blossom, and we can't wait for them to join us," said Chili's Chief Marketing Officer George Felix in a recent press release. The menu will also feature a one-day-only $5 Scranton margarita on April 7 across all locations, so if you can't make it to Scranton to try an Awesome Blossom, you can still find a way to celebrate (unless you're in Oregon, the only U.S. state without a Chili's location.) Read more: 11 Mexican Restaurant Chains, Ranked Worst To Best This new Scranton location will be reminiscent of stepping into the restaurant back in the early 2000s, as it will be filled with lots of nostalgia, and not just from the return of this old school menu item. The look of the restaurant will be complete with vintage artwork, classic tile tables, and some themed references. The more modern feel of most current Chili's will not be found there. To promote the new branch joining the Chili's family, "The Office" actors Brian Baumgartner and Kate Flannery are featured in promotional photos, and both spoke about their excitement about the new location and items, with Flannery stating that the Scranton Marg is a "really good one." With the constant yearning for what once was, it's a no-brainer for Chili's to give thanks to its roots in pop culture and embrace this nostalgic design and classic television show. The chain seems to be eager to enter this time capsule and bring fans a sense of comfort. Now, for Scranton locals, along with your honey chipotle chicken crispers and your other Triple Dipper appetizers, you can enjoy an Awesome Blossom and bask in an older look, but with the same taste. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The debate over 'healthy' fries and beef tallow: Which chains use 'RFK-approved' method?
Beef tallow: What is it, and why are french fry fans, health food experts and popular restaurant chains talking about this long-debated cooking method? The conversation quickly gained steam in recent weeks after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized seed oil while publicly praising tallow and its use by Indianapolis-based . The chain's Melbourne locations in Brevard were the first to start cooking their french fries in beef tallow at the end of January. While some restaurants have been cooking with beef tallow for decades, Steak 'n Shake is now touting their "healthier fries," proclaiming their shoestring french fries — cooked in beef tallow instead of vegetable oil — are better for customers. For background on the buzz: McDonald's originally cooked its fries mainly in beef tallow but switched to vegetable oil in the 1990s. This decision was influenced by health concerns over the saturated fat content in beef tallow. Beef tallow comes from cows and is also known as beef fat or drippings. It is made by simmering and clarifying the fatty tissue of the animal. Tallow is whitish or cream-colored, solid at room temperature and is considered a saturated fat. In contrast, seed oils are derived from plant seeds and also are known as vegetable oils, which are considered an unsaturated fat. To date, the following chains in Florida have said they use beef tallow: Steak 'n Shake: Started using beef tallow for french fries in all locations in March. : Website states "Beef tallow is used for frying our products." Outback Steakhouse: Uses beef fat with fried foods, including their Syndney 'Shrooms and Bloomin' Onion. Buffalo Wild Wings: Chicken wings and cauliflower wings are fried in beef shortening. Kennedy, who was confirmed for the HHS post in early February, has spoken out against seed oils and claims that beef tallow is a healthier alternative. In an October 2024 post on social media platform X, Kennedy wrote that "saturated animal fats were thought to be unhealthy, but we have since discovered that seed oils are one of the driving causes of the obesity epidemic." This year, Kennedy launched the "Make America Healthy Again" campaign. In early March, Steak 'n Shake posted their support for Kennedy and their tallow-cooked fries on X, and Kennedy and FOX News host Sean Hannity visited a Florida location of the chain. "Steak 'n Shake has been great,' Kennedy said. 'We're very grateful to them for RFK'ing the french fries.' Beef tallow and seed oils have similar calorie counts. Beef tallow contains saturated fats, rich in cholesterol, that can contribute to clogged arteries and increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. It also contains fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, and K and has a high smoke point, making it a reasonable choice for frying foods. Studies have shown that seed oils, such as canola, avocado or olive oil, are associated with lower cholesterol levels, contain heart-healthy fats and have been shown to reduce inflammation. In 2018, the FDA stated consuming such oils, including high oleic oil, may reduce the risk of heart disease when used in place of sources of saturated fat. Lauren Manaker, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Nutrition Now Counseling states, "While a return to tallow could be seen as aligning with Kennedy's ideals and potentially offering taste improvements, the underlying health concerns with deep-fried foods would remain." The American Heart Association has said there is 'no reason' to avoid seed oils, saying the concern should be overeating ultra-processed foods. According to most health scientists, limited amounts of all oils are the key to better health. Amber Olesen is FLORIDA TODAY's food and dining reporter. Reach her at aolesen@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Those 'RFK'd' Steak 'n Shake fries: Which chains use beef tallow, too?
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The World Is on Fire, and You're Reheating Nachos?
There comes a time in every Old's life when they wake up, and suddenly it seems like everyone around you is speaking a foreign language. The Youths have staged an uprising and transported you to some terrifying, unfamiliar modern-day Babel, where they're all using phrases you've never heard in your life and, according to your experience on Earth thus far, don't even make sense as a sequence of words. And there you are, grinning nervously like Steve Buscemi in 30 Rock, conspicuously trying to fit in: How do you do, fellow kids? I experienced this over the past week when I showed up to greet my best friends—my social media timelines—as I do every morning of my screen-addicted life, and suddenly everyone was talking about reheating nachos. Specifically they were talking about celebrities reheating nachos. The celebrities were, apparently, reheating other celebrities' nachos. Some celebrities were reheating their own nachos. Others rejected the concept of nachos at all. (I guess they're the ones on diets.) Gaga reheating her Judas nachos mixed with Alejandro chicken — fem top (@gayandold) February 3, 2025 She really reheated her own nachos!! — Malibu Michael 💕🌴 (@mce1201) February 3, 2025 You can lowkey tell benson boone is reheating harry styles bisexual rumors nachos — austin (@jesuissupreme) February 3, 2025 I'm not even a fan of Benson Boone but Harry Styles isn't original either. If anything they're both coming for Freddie Mercury's nachos. — 𝓜𝓪𝓰𝓪𝓷 ᥫ᭡ (@biebervellie) February 5, 2025 The white guys stay trying to make new lingo and it is never giving. I don't eat nachos honey. I'm skinny — Azealia Banks (@azealiaslacewig) February 5, 2025 I had no idea what the heck any of this meant, so I decided to delve into it. And, good lord, trying to figure out what 'reheating nachos' sparked an existential crisis. Things were already surreal on this most recent Sunday night. I was working, blogging my boob-brained lil' thoughts about the Grammy Awards, which happened to, fittingly, hinge largely on one star's boobs and another's penis. I was already suffering a dissonance of purpose of several layers, a veritable Bloomin' Onion of self-loathing. The Grammys were, in an instance I can't remember since I was a kid, actually kind of great this year. It was a marathon of spectacular performances. The winners were great (Beyoncé!). There was a touching refocusing of the Hollywood spotlight on the victims of the Los Angeles fires and the heroism of emergency workers. And stars like Lady Gaga, Doechii, and Chappell Roan were meeting the moment, speaking truth to power corruption about issues, rights, and identities that are personal to them and under attack. And here I was making some jokes about a hot new crooner adjusting his package, for clicks. Then there's the fact that, while the telecast was happening, the blizzard of alarming executive orders and DOGE's playground of malfeasance continued their winter storm of chaos. But, sure, while all of this is going on, let's give musicians some trophies and participate in an exercise that leads me to thinking things like, 'I'm so glad that song 'Espresso' is getting its due!' Listen, every court needs a jester, and I'm happy to oblige in moments like these, when maybe it's even more necessary. I can burp out some one-liners about the Grammys in times of need. But a jester needs to know the tricks of the clowns he's competing with, especially if the clowns are younger and more in-the-know. So I vowed to figure out this whole 'reheating nachos' thing. Like most memes, it didn't make any more sense once I got down to the bottom of it. And, also like most memes, that lack of logic does not matter. I did not appreciate that the first result of my Google search about this was headlined, 'Here's What The 'Reheating Nachos' Meme Means, For All You Millennials Out There.' I know we are in anti-woke times, but I still don't see a need for such violence against us Olds. Here's Buzzfeed's very helpful explanation. (Yes, I'm so elderly that I still go to Buzzfeed to have memes explained to me.): 'Think of it like this. Nachos are tasty. Everyone wants a bite. When we have leftovers, because they're so dang good, we try to reheat them. Sometimes they have hints of their prior flavor; sometimes they're soggy; sometimes you'll get a good bite; just not quite right. They don't always taste as they once you could say that, still, at heart, they hold the foundations of the original dish. Similarly, when a person or artist is seemingly inspired by someone else (like, say, Benson Boone by Harry Styles, or perhaps the both of them by Freddie Mercury, Prince, or Little Richard), sometimes it's a hit, sometimes it's a flop, sometimes it's done juuust right. Either way, you could say that they're at least trying to reheat the other person's nachos.' I'm not sure I'll ever grasp this fully enough to contribute to this meme trend myself. But, at this moment, the concept I kind of resonate with. I've been this jester before, blogging my way through silly celebrity happenings while things I believe in and institutions that matter to me were being obliterated, the world around me became unrecognizable, fear and confusion battled for first billing on my daily Playbill, and everything kind of just sucked. Now that it's all happening a second time, am I, so to speak, reheating my own nachos? I'd like to think things are different this go-round. I feel different this time. My job feels different this time. What's happening feels different this time. But it does still have that lingering soggy tortilla chip taste. I feel like we're all existing in this monumental game of Jenga, except each of those bricks carry actual stakes. The tower keeps getting wobblier and more precarious. Someone keeps poking at the piece that should make it crumble down, but it hasn't yet, and each new piece pulled makes the fact that it hasn't tumbled yet scarier and scarier—and the inevitable crash down potentially even more catastrophic. But every good game night, even one that involves this particularly traumatizing game of Jenga, needs a good snack. So let me reheat some nachos for us.
