Foodie Review: Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken Salad

Wendy's finally has a salad on the menu that actually is healthy and quite tasty. The Berry Almond Chicken Salad is everything that it says it is...Strawberries and blueberries on a bed of greens with a packet of sliced almonds and raspberry vinegrette dressing. Oh and did I mention shaved asiago cheese? Not nearly enough for this wench's taste, but oh it is so good.

Allow me to go through the pros and cons of this tasty offering.

It is available 3 ways.

• Half salad, full and with a pair 2.
• It is one of the tastiest healthy offerings on any fast food menu.
• It is available without chicken...but unless you are a vegetarian, why would you want it that way?

Now for the cons.

• The price tag. It is the highest priced salad at the chain. Priced at $6.49 for the full salad. I can go to a sit down restaraunt and get a salad with more bang for my buck.
• It still has 450 calories and 16 grams of fat...though I'm sure that's mostly the almonds.  

This isn't a menu option for anyone on a budget. And well...the McDonald's Asian salad is much better for you and just as tasty. Still...for a treat during the summer months this is a good salad to grab..especially with the Wild Berry Iced Tea.

I Heart Pink Milk

I have to admit it. I'm a Strawberry Milk fan, probably even more so than chocolate milk. (Anything but the plain old boring kind)

I was at Walmart today when I happened to spy a beautiful quart of Strawberry Milk.  My nephew used to call it peet rick when he was a wee baby. That's pretty close to pink milk, doncha think?

How can you resist something so pretty and so tasty?

Shy of being lactose intolerant, I'd say it is pretty hard, and if you are lactose intolerant, I recommend Almond Breeze in Vanilla, because you can never seem to find the chocolate, which is to die for, and apparently people have, because you can't find it anywhere. A few teaspoons of vanilla extract in some 2% milk is pretty awesome too.

It's A Burgh Thing

The other night I got a text from The River House Cafe. They had a special on their Pierogi Pizza.

I'm sure some of you are wondering just what that is.

It is a pizza shell covered in mashed potatoes (in this case garlic mashed potatoes) onions and a blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.  The end result is absolutely yummilicious.

I know a lot of my friends from areas like New York and Chicago scoff at pizza that isn't made the traditional way. To them, I say, "You don't know what you are missing."

Pizza that is just sauce, cheese and pepperoni can get pretty boring.

That's why pierogi pizza kicks some serious butt. If you are in the burgh, hunt down a local pizza shop and see if they make this. It is definitely worth trying and if you happen to be in my little hamlet of Charleroi On Mon, go to the River House Cafe and order this (or any of their other pizzas) and be prepared to feel your taste buds do the happy dance. Cos this is some good stuff!

Two Of The Best Chicken Salads You'll Ever Eat

I have to admit it, I love food. I even love cooking it every now and then, but this post isn't about cooking, its about eating out and salads.

I love a good salad with grilled chicken and I've found two reasonably priced eateries that have stellar salads that won't make you too round after eating them.

For those of you that are lucky enough to have the Eat N' Park chain in your area, this chain has a wonderful strawberry chicken salad. This is a perfect summer salad with lots of sliced berries, almonds, and tasty chicken all on a bed of spinach with poppy seed dressing to make it extra nommy. It's served with a really good brown bread and is only $7.99.

I recommend this one as a lunch salad, because even though its exceptionally tasty, its not filling enough to eat as a meal without ordering something extra like a cup of soup or chili.

The next salad that you must eat can be found at Cracker Barrel. Its a Grilled Chicken Pineapple Salad. I can only use silly words like Rachael Ray would use to describe this salad, that's how good it is.

This salad has iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, pineapple and Cracker Barrel's incredible chicken along with a pineapple ranch dressing.

OMG! This produces saladgasms!

Its definitely a great salad for lunch or a light dinner and the dressing is so good you will want to lick the little bowl clean rather than discard any.

Oh and for dessert, have the strawberry icebox pie. OMG so good too.

Rialto Cafe: Greensburg, PA

When setting out for meal I sometimes like to steer clear of the many chain restaurants that populate our area. Local restaurants usually offer something different, and that's why I was excited to go to Rialto Cafe in Greensburg, when we were there for the Gordon Lightfoot concert.

Rialto's is a really quaint little place with very little seating. If you want to sit in the main restaurant, call ahead for reservations, otherwise, be prepared to sit in the bar area. It is a bit noisy but you get the same menu.

I ordered the Baked Rigatoni, which was reasonably priced at $10.99 and I got a Blue Moon beer, which was draft. The bar has a great selection, to those of you that like to get the warm fuzzies while eating.

The meal came with a small salad which was rather interesting. Interesting in that the salad was just lettuce, cheese and chopped beets. It doesn't sound like much for a salad but it was really tasty. I liked the chopped cheese better than grated. I'm still at a loss for how they did that.

The meal was fantastic. The rigatoni was covered in ooey gooey cheese. This dish truly brings the old catch phrase "Behold the power of cheese" to mind. The sauce was great and the pasta cooked perfectly. Oh and then there was the big meatball in the center. That meatball was pure heaven.

My sister ordered the spinach ravioli and we both remarked that we had never seen ravioli so big before.

Rialto's has a small menu in comparison to a lot of restaurants but when you taste the food, you have to admit that sometimes its better to specialize. At a glance I saw some people with appetizers and sandwiches (those were all bigger than the avg head too and come with steak fries) and I wouldn't hesitate to order either. Their Reuban has won an award from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

This is definitely going to be my place to stop when I go to the Palace for any events in the future.

Orchard Chicken Salad = Yum

I finally got into Subway to try their new Orchard Chicken Salad Sub. I thought long and hard about trying this because I usually do not like fruit with my chicken salad. I'm pleased to say that it is a tasty sub, not as tasty as some of the others on the menu, and definitely not as awesome as their tuna sub, but still a fresh taste.

I didn't do the sub with regular bread. I opted for the toasted flatbread with only provolone and lettuce. When the salad has a lot going on, its probably best to go sparingly with the other vegetables.

The next time I try it, I want to have it just as a salad. If only it could be on a bed of lettuce with some other fruit, it would be fab! In fact, I keep thinking that the salad itself would be super in a hollowed out pineapple.

Mmmm Nommy.

Suddenly I'm hungry again. I think I need to stop blogging about food.

Restaurant Review: Cheddar's Casual Cafe Triadelphia, WV

Northerners won't be as familiar with this chain as those south of the Mason Dixon line will be and west of PA, but after eating there 2 times, I want to shout my praises to the rooftops. You have to eat at a Cheddars!!

Why is Cheddar's so wonderful?

Cheddar's has the atmosphere of pricier chains, some of which are in the same area. At the location in Triadelphia, there's an Applebee's, Quaker Steak And Lube, a Fusion Steakhouse and a Bob Evans, to name but a few...oh and there's also Indigo Joe's but that particular restaurant deserves a review of its own. That said, all of the above mentioned eateries cost more than a meal at Cheddars.

The menu may not feature pages and pages of selections but what they do have is great, from salads, sandwiches and burgers to classic comfort foods and steaks. They also have these wonderful honey buttered croissants that can only be described as "to die for."

We started the meal off with chips and queso. For $3.99 this was a great deal for an appetizer, especially for two. There's more than enough queso dip and salsa. Oh and the salsa was really good on the heat factor, more medium than mild, which makes me go Yay!

Both times I've been there, I've been seduced by the Bakes Spasagna, which is a big slice of baked spaghetti, only it looks like lasagna. It is possibly the best comfort food ever, served with a wonderful slice of garlic bread.

My dad, who is always my Sunday dinner companion, had an 8 oz sirloin with loaded baked potato and cole slaw. Once I again, I expected dad, to lick his plate clean.

The best part is with the tip, the meal only cost $30.77! That's two dinners, an appetizer and both of us having fountain drinks! That should get a woo hoo from just about anyone!

There's more to Cheddar's than just great food and low prices though, the place really has atmosphere, from the cute waterfall fountain outside to the unique ceiling fans inside.

This place makes you feel like you've gone to a really expensive place, without hitting your pocketbook. I don't think I've been in a chain restaurant that felt so classy. I think that's why it holds court at the Cabela's plaza in Triadelphia. If you go there on a Saturday night, expect a 45 minute wait for a table. Thankfully this Sunday we got a table straight away, but the place was still packed.

You can find locations and menu items at the Cheddar's Website.

My Restaurant Bucket List

I love food. I love going out to eat, hence the waistline that keeps expanding, damn and blast.

That doesn't stop me from wanting to experience some great restaurants. Here are some of the places I want to eat at but haven't.

Century Inn - Scenery Hill, PA. This restaurant has been standing since 1794. It used to be Hill's Tavern. I know its terribly expensive but its the one place that I absolutely long to experience at some point in time.

Dave and Buster's: C'mon, I don't care if its a chain. Its Chuck E. Cheese for adults! I've always loved this kind of atmosphere. I want to go!!

P.F. Changs: Again, I've never been and yet there is one @ The Waterfront. I think the lure of Rock Bottom Brewery probably is the main reason I haven't been to this place.

30 East Main - Uniontown, PA: This is another restaurant that I never get to because of the lure of another favorite. When I'm in Downtown Uniontown, Meloni's always calls to me and it almost always wins too.

Bar Louie There are two Bar Louies in Pittsburgh and I've managed to not go to either of them, but not for want of trying.

Majorca: I've never tried real Spanish food and I've heard wonderful things about this place I know I could only afford to go at lunch time, but I think it would be well worth the expense, the menu sounds fantastic.

My list could go on for ages, there are dozens of restaurants in Pittsburgh I'd love to try if I had the time and money to do so. I really would love to try Thai food, and there are some great restaurants in the Strip that I would love to frequent.

What restaurants are on your list of places to try?

Restaurant Review: Rock Bottom, Homestead, PA

Rock Bottom is a slightly upscale chain of restaurants that specialize in good food and microbrewed beers. This past Sunday I took my Dad to the Rock Bottom @ The Waterfront in Homestead.

The menu in the place is across the board, from Southwestern specialties to comfort foods. My dad opted for comfort food, choosing the Chicken Pot Pie and I had a Santa Fe Ranch Salad with Crispy Chicken, which came with a nice garlicky dinner roll.

The Pot Pie was huge and full of large pieces of potato and veggies. It was obviously good, because I was pretty sure my dad was about to lick the plate. Thankfully he has good manners and didn't do that.

My salad was phenomenal, with lots of corn, black beans and the most wonderful tempura-battered Anaheim peppers. The crispy chicken was just that, but also moist and delicious.

As for the beers, you definitely want the house brewed beer. I had the seasonal wheat and it was superb. My father had the North Star Amber, which he enjoyed as much as he did the pot pie.


I've been to one other Rock Bottom before, in Cincinatti, and aside from differences in the beer, the atmosphere of the place is also different. Pittsburgh's Rock Bottom is more posh, whereas the one in Cincy is a bit more "sports bar" even in the dining room area.

This location is definitely a great date night restaurant, even if the date is your dad. It isn't the type of place you frequent weekly. Its a bit to pricey for that. The pot pie was $12.50.

This is definitely a place for special occasions or when you want to treat yourself, unless, you have the dough to toss around.

You can check out the menu and find a location at rockbottom.com

Sandwich Review: Dunkin Donuts Flatbreads

Flatbread sandwiches aren't just for breakfast anymore. Dunkin Donuts, home of crazy wonderful coffee, has some great lunch flatbreads, which rocks my world because egg whites are just not my think. I like my yoke and cholesterol thank you very much.

So seeing as I have a super shiny new Chevy Cobalt for the weekend, I decided to drive up to Dunkin' Donuts and get my dad some sweets and a sandwich and coffee for me.

I have one thing to say about the Turkey Bacon Cheddar Flatbread is "YUM!"

I'm also saying that after bringing the sandwich home after a 12 mile drive. So the sandwich wasn't nice and warm as it should have been, but I didn't want to eat in the teeny tiny shop. I wish I had, because if this sandwich was that good lukewarm, I can only imagine how good it would be nice and hot!

There are 3 other choices for lunch, Chicken Parmesan, Grilled Cheese & Ham and Swiss. If it weren't so early in the day I think I would have tried the Chicken Parm, which looks really good.

If you get the combo, you have a choice between Iced Tea and Iced Coffee. Dunkin' is known for their coffee, so I opted for the coffee with cream and a shot of raspberry syrup.

I will be awake for days now. This is good coffee!

I'm always searching out cheap eats that I can get fast. This is definitely one that fits the bill. I can't wait to try some of the other sandwiches. I may even be brave and try the egg white ones, but I'm not promising anything!

Best Fast Food Breakfast: Subway

I am so glad Subway tossed their hats into the breakfast arena again. They have some of the best breakfast sandwiches out there and you have many different options. Oh and they are pretty cheap.

Right now, there's a special on the muffin melts. You get the sandwich and a coffee for $2.50. That's a sweet breakfast. You get the choice of any of the muffin sandwiches and there are 5 or 6 of them and a coffee. Plus your choice of veggies. Mmmm. And the egg can be regular egg or egg white.

And if you are hungrier you can have your breakfast sandwich on a flatbread or sub bread.

Mmm. Nommy!

Now I don't know why the breakfast sandwiches have been getting rather lackluster reviews. The egg, is a hundred times better than that rubber thing, McDonald's slaps on the muffins. None of the meats used are greasy and all the breads are pretty tasty.

I had the Black Forest Ham, Egg and Cheese both mornings this weekend. One day on the flatbread and this morning on the muffin and I have to say, it was better than anything McDonald's serves.

Oh and the coffee is Seattle's Best.

Yum!

If you can't get near a Panera, Subway is the next best place to pick up a quick breakfast!

Austin's Ice Cream: Ceredo, WV

Certainly not meaning to echo the sentiments of the abstinence-only crowd, but sometimes it really does make things better when you have to wait for them. Sure, there's all kinds of not-quite-ice-cream fast food joints in town that are open year round, but only one is worth waiting six month for, and that's Austin's.

Austin's Homemade Ice Cream is a little roadside stand tucked away in the corner of the interstate - drive fast and you'll totally miss it (and get pulled over, as the speed limit is 25). The first thing you'll probably notice is a line of cars crammed into spaces that almost look like a parking lot.

Austin's hand churns all of their flavors on site and features about 30 season-long with a few month-long seasonal flavors. They have your typical ice cream varieties - vanilla, strawberry, rocky road - but also get creative with flavors like grape pineapple, amaretto crunch, and bubblegum. They also sell hotdogs with some pretty awesome chili (though if you're going to West Virginia, it's called "hot dog sauce," not chili).

About the only drawback is that they're cash only. I know that's common in bigger cities' roadside stands, but it's kind of an anomaly here. Still, it's a very small inconvenience for some epic ice cream.

The Best Salad I've Ever Ate

I'm a huge fan of the Panera Bread Chain. I could eat there every day and I would be perfectly happy. They have fantastic sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries. I have to say, that I've never had anything there that I didn't enjoy immensely.

Today I tried the BBQ Chicken Salad. It received rave reviews on a recent newscast for being tasty and low calorie.

I am here to report that they didn't lie. This is one fantastic salad. The chicken is wonderful and it has tortilla strips, black beans and corn and a fantastic bbq sauce. If you get it with a You Pick Two combo, I have to recommend the Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice soup or the Baked Potato soup.

But no matter what you get, its going to be good, but I don't think I've had a salad this good, since they had the Fandango Salad that had mandarin oranges, feta cheese and raspberry vinaigrette.

Its good stuff, and its actually good for you.

Amazing.

And amazingly tasty.

DiCarlo's Pizza: Wheeling, WV

After spending the evening surrounded by the smells of stadium food (and a pretty epic looking hot dog condiments bar) at the Wheeling Nailers game, the husband and I were pretty hungry. We decided to walk down the block to a pizza place called DiCarlo's.


The place was jammed packed before the game, so we figured it was pretty popular. I was a little confused as to why the tables had random sprinkles of cheese until I read the menu: Only DiCarlo's initially flash-bakes its crust and sauce in a special brick oven, and when the steaming crust emerges, it is adorned with cold creamy provolone cheese, making the taste indescribable!

Cold cheese? WTF? I was starting to get a little nervous.

All the nervousness flew out the window when we were actually handed our pizza. The cheese was melty without being greasy like most pizzas, and the crust was sweet and crunchy. I'm not sure exactly what constitutes "flash-baking," but it definitely made a difference.

I can't say it was the best pizza I've ever had - that honor goes to Villa Italia in the blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Plattekill, NY. But it was good. Pretty damn good, in fact, and an interesting take on the standard pizza formula.

Redd Dawg's All Star Clubhouse: Belle Vernon, PA

If you are ever driving along I-70 in the Belle Vernon area and you get hungry for some good old fashioned sandwich type food. Get off at the exit marked Fayette City and head to the Walmart. In the strip mall between Walmart and Lowe's you'll find an awesome little sports bar, called Redd Dawg's.

There are several reasons why you should stop there.

1. The sandwiches are to die for and the menu has two pages of them. I highly recommend the Bavarian Reuban and the Sicilian Grinder, but I've had several sandwiches there and they are all nommy. The french fries are much better than they used to be now that they are thick cut, but if you can get the sweet potato fries. Those, my friend, are to die for.

2. The appetizers will kill you. In fact there's one called the Coronary. Its fried goodness, which will cause your arteries to close up, but at least you will die with your belly full and with a smile on your face.

3. Salads and Entrees are great, ribs and pastas are fantastic.

4. The mix an awesome drink. One of my recommendations is the Pineapple Upside Down which is a fruity concoction, much like the cake. Definitely worth trying.

I will warn you, if you go during football season you will not be able to hear yourself think. Its a sports bar, remember and people go there to drink and watch the game. Still the food is fab, and the service is good. Definitely worth stopping at if you are in the area.

Huntington Prime in Huntington, WV

It's been a few weeks since we've had a restaurant review, so I though I'd fill the foodie gap. This month marked the 1-2 punch of Valentine's Day and my six month anniversary, so my husband took me out on a fancy date. A posh new restaurant Huntington Prime had opened up in Huntington, and this gave us the perfect opportunity to check it out.



The restaurant has a very hip New York vibe. and it's TINY. Not sure exactly how many people it seats, but my estimate would be around 30. [Note: official count says 50.] Needless to say it was pretty packed and gave the place an intimate, elite cool feeling.

In addition to being the rare fancy food haven in the area, it's also the first to really focus on locally-grown foods. The menu changes seasonally according to whatever foods are available from West Virginia farmers. It's got a definite comfort food bent but with some flare and experimentation, unlike other area steakhouses that shall remain nameless (though one immediately comes to mind that used to be a classy place with tiramisu and now feels like a redneck Applebee's)

So yeah, the food. We split an order of mini crab cakes and literally inhaled them... those were seriously one of the top five things I've eaten in my life. Super rich and delicious with homemade red pepper jelly dipping sauce. I had rainbow trout, which was pretty good, but what set the meal over the top were the veggies. The potatoes were boss and melted in your mouth with delicate buttery goodness, plus I got introduced to a new vegetable broccolini.


If you're in the area and have the cash to splurge, check it out. Expect a wait, but be wowed by the food. I'll be back in the spring because (1) they were out of lamb, which I was dying to check out and (2) rumor has it they have Bailey's Irish Cream cheesecake and Grand Marnier tarts. Oh, and be sure to check out the super rad sinks in the bathrooms.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

Chicken Parmesan Bundles



4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.

BEAT egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella

I am on week two of my 2010 diet, and this fits into it pretty well. I just can't give up cheese, I'm sorry. I didn't use the spaghetti sauce and it was perfectly fine. In fact, it was delicious! I think the Ritz crackers give it a nice salty crust that are different from the normal bread crumbs. The things I like about Kraft's website are the recipes are pretty simple, there aren't too many ingredients, and they give the nutritional information on the dish. Here is the link: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/kf/recipes/chicken-parmesan-bundles-107338.aspx

If Its Good, Its Expensive

If Its Good, Its Expensive

Remember those cheese ads that said "Behold the power of cheese"?

Well, I'm one of those people that can be totally captivated by cheese. I love cheese. The problem is my favorite cheeses are always so damn expensive.

Have you ever had Jarlsburg Swiss?

Our local Giant Eagle has a spread made with this wonderful cheese. Its shredded Jarlsburg, scallions and I think some red onion.

I think the container is maybe 6 or 8 oz. Its a small small container. Smaller than a cream cheese tub.

Do you know how much that spread costs?

$6.99!

Oye and ouch!

I was lucky that at New Year's it was on sale for $3.99. That almost never happens. So I bought it then and now its almost gone and I'm going to go through cheese withdrawals.

I swear all the wonderful good cheeses are all an arm and a leg. I love Harvati cheese and that's another one that will break the bank, especially if you can get the butter Havarti in the fall. We used to get that cheese back when Hickory Farms were still in the malls.

Nom Nom Nom.

I won't even start with marscapone, which is the fancy Italian cheese used in tiramisu.

Cheese...it has me under its spell.

What's your favorite cheese?

I Bought A Panini Press

I Bought A Panini Press

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately.

You should be afraid, very afraid.

Today I spent $20 on a Panini Press/Grill. The only problem is, aside from grilling burgers and chicken, etc I know not what to do with it.

Are any of you wenches Panini minded?

Help a girl out...give me some good sandwich ideas!

Especially since we may be becoming snow bound in the next 24 hours!

You wouldn't want me to starve to death now would ya?

Surly Girl Saloon in Columbus, OH

The Surly Girl Saloon in Columbus, OH

A few weeks ago I went to Columbus for a Ben Folds show. Originally my group of friends were going to eat at the Sausage Haus, a kitschy German restaurant featured on the show Man Vs Food. The wait time was 35 minutes, and we had an hour before the show, so my friend Chase suggested the Surly Girl Saloon. Noting my hesitation, he described it as "diner food with a bunch of craft beers and kitschy cowgirl stuff on the walls." Sold instantly.

The Surly Girl Saloon serves traditional diner food with a spicy kick. I had the Cajun meatloaf sandwich, and it was amazing. Meatloaf is easy to mess up, but they got it the right consistency (not crispy, but not gooey like undercooked breakfast sausage), and the spices gave it an extra push over the edge to Awesomeville. They have designer cupcakes for desert, red velvet and the Cupcake du Jour (that day it was mandarin orange). Best of all, they have 24 beers on tap, including microbrews, organic brews, and beers specifically made in Ohio or by women. My choice was Tommy Knocker's Maple Nut Brown Ale, very tasty with hints of maple syrup and chocolate.



The only downside is that the food took awhile, so we had to get it to go and eat it in the car on the way to the show. We were afraid we were going to be late, but ironically enough, Mr. Folds himself was eating dinner at the same time a few blocks away at the similarly hip Betty's according to his Twitter.

Surly Girl is good stuff. I'd like to try it again when I'm not so rushed. It also seems like a rad place for a punk show, so maybe that will be the incentive to give it another shot.