Information Overload

Free Denny's Grand Slam Today!

Denny's is giving away free Original Grand Slam breakfasts again today from 6am to 2pm! (i.e. Today is probably not the best day to visit a Denny's.) To Denny's credit, they try to serve as many people as possible whereas Levi Strauss & Co. misled people with their Super Bowl ad for free pants. Dockers omitted the part where they're only free if you win a pair.

Pepsi Throwback Redux

Pepsi Throwback is back in force this year (until February 22nd) thanks to popular demand! The "more rad vintage" can design is definitely cooler than the original look. Hopefully, the Pepsi generations who weren't around when the soda was made with real sugar instead of HFCS won't be thrown-off by the tagline. "Throwback" taken out of context could evoke thoughts of something unwanted as opposed to a retro blast from the past. Here's hoping real sugar makes a comeback for good instead of for limited time promotions and Passover.

Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet

Thought the Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet TV ad was a joke, but it appears that the fast food chain has Subway Jared envy. Taco Bell Christine claims she lost 54 pounds over two years eating Taco Bell and making other sensible choices. Limiting her daily caloric intake to 1,250 calories a day probably helped. This blogger bets that he could lose weight ("The Drive-Thru Diet® menu is not a weight-loss program.") because eating too much Taco Bell results in the runs from the border these days. 150-calorie Fresco Tacos are available free for a limited time.

Planters Daybreak Blend Berry Almond Trail Mix

Planters Daybreak Blend Berry Almond Trail Mix is a little bit too granola-e for this blogger's taste. It also contains a bunch of extra ingredients like corn syrup that seem like they don't need to be in there. The company vending machine serves up Mr. Nature Unsalted Trail Mix, which is specially packaged only for vendors. Need to figure out where to buy some online or maybe assemble some snack packs from individual ingredients.

Adamson's French Dip

@neonzebra found a new place in Sunnyvale to add to the lunch rotation! Adamson's French Dips are pretty tasty. There's not much room to dine-in, but managed to score a table for three yesterday due in part to the worthwhile wait for orders.

Fling Chocolate Bar

Finally tried a Fling Milk Chocolate Bar because the new office has a different snack selection (albeit out of a coin-op vending machine). Mars' bar is targeted at the female demographic although their TV ad also appeals to guys. A 170 calorie Fling pack consists of two bars similar to Twix, but without the satisfying experience. The vending machine dispenser probably caused the Fling bars to break into smaller nuggets. They initially taste better than some low cal treats, but this blogger would ultimately prefer to eat a single 140 calorie Twix bar that doesn't leave behind a cottony aftertaste.

Pepsi Throwback

Pepsi Throwback is true to the superior taste of Pepsi pre-corn syrup, IIRC. Its simple ingredients list of carbonated water, sugar, carmel color, phosphoric acid, caffeine, and natural flavor are refreshing compared to the modern mainstays. Unfortunately, Pepsi Throwback and Pepsi Natural are becoming increasingly more difficult to find—at least seemingly in the South Bay. Fortunately, the renegade flow of Coke in a bottle from Mexico continues for those who prefer their soda pop sans HFCS.

Penryn 2009 Food Bazaar

The 45th Annual Placer Buddhist Church food bazaar is tomorrow, Saturday, September 26th in Penryn, California. Chicken Teriyaki goes on sale at 10 AM. The bazaar itself runs until 5 PM, but get there before 4 PM as sushi and chow mein usually sell out early. New this year are a silent auction, and a performance (at 11:30) by a live band from Japan!

Buffet Bellagio

Somewhere along the way, The Buffet at the Bellagio in Las Vegas lost its way. The all-you-can-eat restaurant in the hotel that Steve Wynn built has lost its luxuriousness after nearly a decade under the same group that manages Circus Circus. Perhaps it's a sign of the times that the casino's casual dining experience is now actually ordinary, relatively speaking.

Buca di Beppo To Go

Buca di Beppo serves up large quantities of average Italian food (for a national restaurant chain owned by Planet Hollywood) at a reasonable price. Buca excels with a website that's actually useful. It's easy to find locations, business hours, and make reservations online. Best of all, orders can be placed using a straightforward interface, especially compared to the technical inferiority that generally plagues other restaurants' sites. Now all that's needed is a version optimized for the iPhone, or even a native app.