Safeway Artisan Bread Sandwiches - Move Over Subway & Quiznos - We Have A Winner!

Team FPT was recently on a junket to go visit a friend of ours (Yancy) who is getting re-connected - if you will - at a nice facility on the Oregon coast when we needed a meal. Bertranndo (former reader - now a staffer) suggested we hit Safeway for their deli sandwiches.

Upon his recommendation we agreed to try these and piled into the store. We found that there were maybe 10 different sandwiches to choose from - all available custom built to your specs as needed. These sandwiches are served on really really good "artisan bread" that when compared to subway or quiznos, it stands alone. The meat is high quality cuts - most of us on Team FPT had forgotten what real deli roast beef is like as we had been dumb-downed by the stuff theu serve at subway. Cheese was top-notch and was all special variety types.

Look at the pictures and you can see what a real deli sandwich should be like. These run for 5.50 for 1/2 sandwich and 9.99 for a full. Now these are not footlongs - maybe 8-9 inches - but they have way more substance per inch they truly cannot be compared to what subway and quiznos offer. Team FPT gives these sandwiches a solid 9.5 rating - one of our highest ever.

Eggo Manafacturing Plant Has Flooding Incident - Products In Short Supply Nationwide!

FPT ALERT:
Seen at a local grocery store is the flyer in the photo above. There has been a flooding incident at the main manafacturing plant for Eggo products. There are shortages of many of their products nationwide. They are working to fix this ATM and things should be back to normal soon with Eggos for everyone available.

Carl Karcher - Carl's Jr. Given An Orange County/Anaheim Sidewalk Star

On our latest visit to the Carl's Jr. closest to our Team FPT headquarters, we were happy to find this article snipped out of the Orange County Register newspaper and displayed among the other photos and tributes to the history of Carl Karcher and Carl's Jr.

The Orange County/Anaheim Walk of Stars recently awarded Karcher a star and his grandchildren were in attendance to accept on his behalf. This star was certainly earned - please read some of our previous posts about the history behind what is now Carl's Jr. & Hardee's.

Hot Dogs PLUS in Florence, Oregon - Report from Oregon Coast Drifter

Our friend, the Oregon Coast Drifter, recently had a brief visit to an establishment called Hot Dogs PLUS located in Florence, Oregon.

Our friend was obviously disturbed when he sent in this report:

went to "Hot Dogs Plus"...my first visit...and my last...I rarely leave a restaurant before paying or receiving food and after ordering...BUT...that lady who was handling food was sooo nasty...did not wash hands...no plastic gloves...then...if hot dogs are ALL you do, they better be damn spectacular...NOT microwaved oscar meyers on a hoagie roll...nalley chili out of the can...gd nasty...we walked out...nothing was paid or served...left her holding the "buns"...out of there...scary...saved our lives for sure...BTW, we ended up leaving mid-preparation, we offered to pay for the buns that were in the MICROWAVE, but they declined to take our money. And we are voting with our feet on this one by NEVER entering their store again.

Lays Baked Chips - Parmesan & Tuscan Herb

Team FPT usually does not throw in with the baked style chips. However, we have found a winner in the Lays Baked Parmesan & Tuscan Herb chips. These are not bland like most baked chips - full flavored here. These will satisfy the flavor craver needs of the biggest of all priders out there. If you look athe picture above closely - you can see the baked-in spices - thats what sets these apart from the standard bland baked chips.

Starbucks Cups & Lids: Lid Pops Off Large Size When Grasped - Messy & Frustrating!

The staff here has been on a long bender fueled by coffee and 99 cent burgers. At one point we decided to just go with the largest size coffee from Starbucks as our standard morning boost. We love Starbucks coffee - it is the best(we are talking coffee, not frapucino's and matte's or whatevers).

After repeated incidents with top pop-offs frustration, and spillage we decided to roundtable why this was happening over and over and over.

The staff here believes that the same size lid is used on the medium and large sized coffe cups (yes, we know they call them venti and grande). When the lid is on the taller and skinnier large cup - it easily gives way when cup is picked up anywhere past the 50% heigth mark. Yes, we always double check the snap lid when purchasing coffee and aeven after repeated top pop-offs.

We have submitted a complaint/inquiry about this to Starbucks but did not get a response. We are asking fellow readers to check-in with us and report any similar experiences. Our team found it dangerous, frustrating and very messy!

Wild White Cheddar Cheetos - Another Available Limited Time Only Offering!

Team FPT has taken a vote and decided that these are absolutely the BEST Cheetos offering there has ever been - and we have tried them all of their standard offerings as well as the special ones.

These are of the crunchy variety - but one immediately notices that they are different than regular crunchy Cheetos. These Wild White Cheddar ones have no 'puff' - no air pockets, they are solid all the way thru. Very flavorful and tasty, these are a must try offering.

Group of "Weight Watchers" Rumored To Have Collapsed Floor Inside Building

One of our contacts has relayed to us that he has read about a gathering of people from the Weight Watchers program who upon assembling close together within a building, caused the floor to giveway and collapse.

The FPT cannot verify this at this time - but Bertrando (former reader turned staffer) has been assigned to investigate this.

Photo above is what we imagine the scene looks like if sources do indeed verify and check-out.

Breaking Condiment Packet News - Mobi Report From Blak2oof In Las Vegas

Our Las Vegas embedded mobi-reporter, Blak2oof, has sent along some interesting condiment packet developments. He has spotted new Heinz ketchup packets with cartoon images upon them - as shown above. Please check back for more info as it comes in, or email us if you are in the know.

Adventure Dining at Snowshoe Mountain - From Regular Contributor Etathed

I was recently invited to attend Snowshoe Mountain's Media Weekend dinner at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. This is usually an event reserved for TV, Magazine, and Newspaper folk, but thanks to my good friend and Snowshoe's Communications Manager, Laura Parquette, i was invited to tag along as a representative from the Fat Pride Times.

This dinner was held at Snowshoe's Back Country hut, part of their Adventure Dining program. And it is indeed in the "Back Country." Guests are taken to the hut in an old 1960's era Army ambulance. The 2.5 mile mile ride through the wilderness was fantastic, snow covered trees and a snow covered road just a bit wider than our transportation. Thank goodness for chains on the tires, and thanks to Carol our wonderful driver!

After the drive we arrived at a beautiful log cabin deep in the forrest. The two story cabin has a full kitchen, several bedrooms, bathroom, and offers overnight accommodations for up to 8 people! We were not here for an overnight stay this time, we were just here for the food!

As the members of the media mingled and sipped on wine, beer, and soda, a delicious appetizer, baked artichoke and parmesan dip was served with crackers. Fresh and hot out of the oven this was a great way to start the feast. Next we took our seats and were served a delicious Potato and Leek Soup with Bread on the side. This was very good, which surprised me since i am not a big fan of potato soups. Maybe i was just hungry, but i had no problem eating it all, and enjoying every spoonful!

Next up was the entree portion of the feast. The Hut offers several entree options all served with rice, and sugar snap peas. Here are the options:

14oz New York Strip Steak
Duck a la Orange
Glazed Salmon
Pecan Encrusted Trout
Grilled Italian Portobello

I went with the 14oz New York Strip Steak, medium rare. This was one amazing steak easily an inch and a half to two inches thick, the steak was cooked perfectly and was seasoned with a great blend spices giving it a fantastic flavor. Props to Ben, the "Hut Master" and chef for preparing such a wonderful meal.

After the entree, and a few more beers for myself, it was time for dessert.

Fresh Baked Peach Cobbler..... At first i was not thrilled as i do not like peaches. None the less it wouldn't be right to pass on such a tasty looking treat. WOW! I was shocked, it was delicious! Again fresh out of the oven and still crispy and warm topped off with a bit of cool whip, this was the perfect end to an amazing meal.

Eating at the Back country hut is more than simply going out to dinner , It truly is an adventure. From the snow covered drive through the wilderness, to the peaceful seclusion of the beautiful log cabin, and the amazing fresh cooked foods, this was truly a unique and wonderful dining experience!

You can get full details on the Adventure Dining Program at Snowshoe Mountain here. . . Back Country Hut

The Big Greek Cafe - Located In Silver Spring, Maryland - Mobi Review by Reader Lynxwolf

Regular reader Lynxwolf was on a trip to Maryland recently and stopped to eat at "The Big Greek Cafe". As all of Team FPT should be, he was mobile device enabled, which allowed him to send us this review.

Lynxwolf says: "Not good - it was supposed to be a gyro but it had a burger patty in it. However, the sauce is called tetziki its like cucumber yogurt its pretty good"

Reader's Hardee's Meal:1/4 lb Little Thickburger, Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich, Bacon Cheddar Natural Cut French Fries & Small Natural Cut Fries

Very nice first review by our old friend "Bad Donkey":

For my first review at Fat Pride Times, I visited the Hardees in Alpharetta, GA. It had been years since I had been to a Hardees and I was surprised to see a good variety on the menu and an instant must try, the chili bacon cheese fries. I used the drive through and was the only car. Even so, it took an entire 6 minutes from the time I placed my order to getting my food. The service was friendly though, and the store seemed cleaned. Once I got my food, I checked the bag and everything was intact. Other than the time, the only bad thing about the drive through was that no condiments were given or offered and once the bag was out the drive through window, it was closed so fast I had no time to ask for any. This was okay because I didn’t need any, but ketchup lovers be warned. The menu for the day included:

Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich
Bacon Cheddar Natural Cut French Fries
1/4 lb Little Thickburger
Small Natural Cut French Fries

Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich – Being a chicken aficionado I couldn’t pass this one up. I had originally planned on reviewing one of the larger beef burgers, but upon seeing the picture on the menu board, I drooled like a teething baby. Coming in at 560 calories, this chicken sandwich is no lightweight! Once I got it home and unwrapped, I was very surprised to see that it looked just as the one on the menu board and not like it had been stepped on before served which is usually the case with fast food. I immediately noticed the honey wheat bun which was soft and moist. The chicken was very flavorful and tender. It didn’t taste like it had been sitting in a steamer for hours. The bacon was crispy with great flavor and texture. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and the mayo was the right amount and not running all over the outside of the bun. The cheese was processed and tasted as such. All in all this sandwich was a taste treat. I honestly didn’t know Hardees made anything this good.

Natural Cut Bacon Cheddar Fries – As soon as I saw these I had to try them. I’m a huge fan of both cheese and fries and the bacon was an added bonus. These come in flip top box with a fork. I found these to be delicious. The shredded bacon was crispy though a bit salty. The cheese was a standard cheddar cheese sauce that you can find at any MLB game or your finer gas stations. The fries were surprisingly not uber-greasy. Coming in just under the Chicken Club sandwich at 530 calories, these are not for those who have made a New Year’s commitment to shed some extra flab, but they are perfect for those of us in the regalia that is fat pride. I was happy with the portions and actually could not finish them off as much as my gluttonous side wanted to. All in all, I loved these. They were absolutely scrumptious, though I’m paying for it now hours later. I chalk this up to sensitive plumbing.

Small Natural Cut French Fries (by Marybell) - Hardees should definitely advertise these more. Natural cut is not seen very often in the fast food realm. The fries were long, had the right amount of salt, and were not soggy or crunchy. To quote Goldie Locks "they were just right". They were also what a size small should be. Just enough potatoes to compliment a little burger.

1/4 lb Little Thickburger - I'm one of those strange people that doesn't like cheese on my burgers and since this sandwich didn't have "cheese" in the name (and many of their others do) I felt I was safe. Wrong. So I'm already a bit disappointed when I unwrap it, but since I can read and, was therefore partially to blame, I continued. The toppings were all fresh, the condiments were properly portioned, and the burger and bun were fine, but nothing special. What really surprised me is that I couldn't taste the cheese. If cheese is accidentally put on my burger and I don't find out until I get home I usually just toss the whole thing. I dislike cheeseburgers that much. So not being able to taste the cheese was great for me, but someone who likes cheese would not be happy.

Overall, my Hardees experience was very pleasant. I rather enjoyed all aspects of the meal, which I was actually surprised about. Originally, I had some trepidations about Hardees because the last one I was in was a bit dirty and I wasn't too keen on the whole idea of shredded meat on top of a hamburger patty (ie. the Philly Steak Burger). After this visit though, Hardees will be a regular for me. Thanks to everyone from & who reads the Fat Pride Times for this opportunity to share my worldviews.

Mysterious Moving Meat Media

Awhile back one of our readers sent us a link to a video where we saw a chinese person eating a fish that was still alive. The video was a few minutes long, but the staff here only watched about 30 seconds and we had had enough. Eating a live fish is wrong.

Above, we have a different scenario. What this is - we do not know. Many theories are being thrown around here at the FPT test kitchens and we have a roundtable scheduled for 8 pm tonight. Please comment below if you have an opinion or info.

Chicken Transport Truck - Mobi Media

When one of our staffers was driving to our test kitchens, she noticed an unusual truck with an open side. Upon a closer look she realized that this truck trailer was actually a massive chicken coop - with individual little box cages. The FPT believes in the best possible treatment of birds in any situation. It seemed like this was being done appropriately - but we are putting 2 staffers on a research project regarding chicken transport methods. Look for our report here soon.

Kim Kardashian Interactive Live Lunch - Live Mobi Meal On Facebook!

Today, January 13th at Noon PST, join Kim Kardashian for an intimate salad lunch, live, on the Carl's Jr. Facebook page. Anyone can watch, but if you get one of their new Grilled Chicken Salads, you'll get a code to chat with Kim.

Look at our previous post to see our review & photos of these new salads - they are huge, no skimping on the toppings and priced great at 4.99.

Ice Cube Tray Spikes - Stalagmites - Weird Foodstuff Science

Over the past year in the FPT test kitchens, we have experienced a fascinating thing when making ice. One of our readers has also experienced this and we felt it time to go public. The above pictures show real ice spikes that form in ice trays in regular refrigerator freezers. Ours is the one that actually had a double-spike - Barnabus (Oregon Coast Drifter) sent in the other.

You can find some interesting debate on the web as to theories about when/why these occur. We can confirm that it is a weird experience to open your freezer and see one!

We have asked FPT staffer Franklin to gather more information and we will do a follow-up post soon. If you have experienced this - or have any info on these, please send it to us. Our email link is in the right column of this page.

Keebler Cookies - LOUD packaging

In our ongoing campaign against 'loud' packaging - we present the Keebler cookies package. Sounds like breaking glass - imagine being in a situation where you wanted to sneak a cookie without other knowing? Sneaking a snack is not probable with this packaging.

Please support our campaign against high volume food packaging. If you have identified something we have not covered - please contact us with the link on right side of this page.

Carl's Jr.'s: 2010 Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders’ Scholarship

If you are a regular reader you will see we noted the Oregon Carl's Jr. folks had been involved in our crazy "Hood to Coast Run" and donated all their sponsorships to breast cancer research. Now we have breaking news on another great Carl's Jr. mission to give back to the community.

Applications Now Available Online for 11th-Annual Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders' Scholarship Program

CARPINTERIA, Calif. – January 4, 2010 – Carl's Jr.® is pleased to announce that applications for the 2010 Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders’ Scholarship are now available online at www.carlsjr.com/promotions. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2010.

As a young married couple in 1941, Carl N. and Margaret Karcher started their company believing that they could earn success through their commitment to faith, service and hard work. More than 65 years later, Carl's Jr. is proud to continue their commitment to the community by offering 60 hard-working high school students a $1,000 scholarship to the two- or four-year college or vocational school of their choice.

Scholarship winners will be selected based on their academic record, school and community leadership and participation, work experience and future goals. Financial need and other family circumstances will also be considered. In economic tough times, scholarship programs like this are extremely valuable to the community. Giving back to hard working students in need is part of the core values of Carl’s Jr.

Applicants for the Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders' Scholarship must be high school seniors or graduates, age 21 and younger, planning to enroll for the first time at an accredited two- or four-year college or vocational school. Applicants must be a resident of the states in which Carl's Jr. operates restaurants: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, or Washington State.

For the past ten years, Carl’s Jr. has rewarded academic excellence in its locaI communities through ongoing scholarship award commitments. Carl’s Jr. has granted $385,000 in scholarships since the inception of its program in 1999. More information about the Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders' Scholarship application process and a downloadable application are available only at the Carl’s Jr. Web site:

Clik Here For Official Application

M & M's - Coconut & Wildly Cherry - MOBI Report from Chris Norton

Once again - Chris Norton has found some unique foodstuffs for us to be aware of. These flavored M & M's were spotted at Walgreen's Drug Store. He notes "Where does it end?" - which is a very important talking point. The new trend of releasing limited time only flavors of established 'standards' in the foodstuff arenas has become a common practice. The FPT staff has seen this with Cheetos, Doritos, Reese's, and many other common popular foodstuffs.

John from our IT department has volunteered to begin assembling a database of these limited time only editions of branded foodstuffs. We hope to have this online soon with full specs and photos.

Cone Filter Coffee Brewing - Oops Out Of Filters! Not A Problem.

The FPT staff is powered by our friendly foodstuff the coffee bean. Our preferred method is single brews with the plastic cone filters and the special cone filters. This is a great method as you can re-use the same filter/grounds for multiple cups, just adding a lil topper each time.

To explain the picture...the other morning during the holiday FPT team junket we awoke to no filters! With no caffeine in our brains, we roundtabled and came up with the aluminum foil and paper towel filter method. It works. I am super cereal. However, I have heard things about chemicals in paper towels so we are not endorsing this until Harold does some research.