Archive for May, 2015

Restaurant mascots

Sunday, May 31st, 2015

What’s old is new.

Just like in Hollywood, which constantly remakes or reboots movies because studio executives have given up on coming up with original ideas, we see McDonald’s has brought back the Hamburglar and KFC has brought back Colonel Sanders. According to a New York Times article, fast-food restaurants are “betting on nostalgia” with their “back-to-the-future marketing moves.”

With that in mind, I made a list of other retired restaurant mascots and guessed their probability of a return:

  • The Noid from Domino’s. This red, bunny-suit clad character helped the chain promote its “30 minutes or less” campaign. The Noid was discontinued in 1989 but made a brief appearance in 2011. Even though Domino’s has made wholesale changes (e.g. dropping “pizza” from its name, adding sandwiches, using new recipes, etc.), it wouldn’t surprise me if it brought the Noid back (again). Return chances: 8 out of 10.
  • The Burger King from Burger King. Although there are several variations of this mascot, I’m referring to that creepy-masked king that was thankfully put to rest about four years ago. Burger King has been in constant flux with its marketing direction over the years. I could see it bringing back some form of a king, but not that one that seemed like it would murder you. Return chances: 2 of 10.
  • Dave from Wendy’s. Founder Dave Thomas, who died in 2002, was the previous spokesperson, but now Wendy’s seems to have settled on a red-headed actress. Would Wendy’s pull a KFC and have someone play the part of the dead Dave? No, but I could see it replaying the old commercials (again). Return chances: 6 of 10.
  • The chihuahua (Gidget) from Taco Bell. ¡Yo quiero Taco Bell! I didn’t mind this campaign, which ended in 2000. The difficulty in resurrecting the chihuahua is that the campaign was short-lived, and thus an entire generation (the all-important millennials) would likely not realize the nostalgia. Return chances: 3 of 10.
  • Pizza Head from Pizza Hut. Congrats if you remember this one. This talking slice of pizza existed in the 1990s and even had its own show called “The Pizza Head Show.” Watch the commercial below to see how weird this mascot was. For me, it’s a toss-up if Pizza Hut thinks this would be popular again. Return chances: 5 of 10.

Best Place for Burgers in Madison 2015

Thursday, May 28th, 2015

Each May, as part of National Hamburger Month, EatDrinkMadison.com conducts a fan poll to see what Madison-area restaurant or bar has the best burgers.

Read more about the 2015 winner, Brasserie V.

Memorial Day dining and events 2015

Saturday, May 23rd, 2015

This is a re-post and has been updated for 2015.

I love Memorial Day because to me, it signals the start of summer here in the Midwest. If you plan on heading out of town, here are some events, restaurants and bars within a two-hour drive that I suggest checking out:

Lake Geneva area

  • I’ve enjoyed the all-you-can-eat fish fry at Popeye’s On Lake Geneva. Champs Sports Bar and Grill and Hogs & Kisses are some fun places to grab a drink or watch the game. You can find excellent steaks and fine dining at Geneva Chophouse (which is exponentially better than its sister restaurant, Capitol Chophouse) at Grand Geneva Resort.
  • On the other side of the lake is Fontana, which features the Abbey Resort. If you’re looking for a spa, the on-site Avani Spa is definitely the place to go (you may not want to leave!).
  • Not too far from Lake Geneva is Burlington, home of the annual ChocolateFest (Friday-Monday), complete with live music, chocolate and wine pairings and a chocolate eating contest. It’s a fun event, but I really mean this: there needs to be more chocolate! For example, most of the food vendors don’t sell chocolate.

Galena, Ill.

Kohler/Elkhart Lake

  • The Midwest’s only AAA Five-Diamond Resort, the American Club, will host many of the events for the Kohler Festival of Beer next weekend. I wonder if patrons are supposed to wear suits and dresses when they drink the beer?
  • Speaking of the American Club, the Horse & Plow is a pub and grill in the same complex that’s open to the public. Sorta has a Boston feel to it.
  • The Osthoff Resort, which will be wedding central this weekend, has its own set of restaurants, but there are plenty of other choices nearby. Enjoy the contemporary feel of Siebkens Resort or the laid-back atmosphere of Barefoot Bay Tiki Bar.

Have a great weekend!

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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