Great Taste of the Midwest

The Weekend Ahead Aug. 7-9, 2026

Here's a curated list of the major Madison, WI events happening this weekend ...
GM Banh Mi

GM Banh Mi

On a busy stretch of W. Johnson Street sits GM Banh Mi, which opened last fall. It can be tough to find parking nearby, but the bread is worth the effort ...
The Great Gatsby

The Weekend Ahead July 31-Aug. 2, 2026

Here's a curated list of the major Madison, WI events happening this weekend ...
ActivatedYou

ActivatedYou

I am a proponent of anything that can improve health and wellness, and thus I was happy to accept an offer to try products from ActivatedYou ...

New items at Subway, Pizza Hut; Mighty Wings

February 9th, 2014

Subway introduced recently a couple of new menu items. The Fritos Chicken Enchilada was publicized during the Super Bowl. It’s a nice balance of soft and crunchy, with the tender pulled chicken drenched in a surprisingly tasty enchilada sauce topped by half an individual-sized bag of Fritos (which reminds me of Cliff Huxtable adding potato chips to his hoagies). With the southwest chipotle sauce I added, the sub was bursting with diverse flavors, and I would order it again.

On the other hand, the Flatizza was a one-and-done for me. The flatbread was tasteless, and it’s pretty skimpy on toppings. You can choose a plain cheese Flatizza, pepperoni, spicy Italian or veggie, or you can select your own toppings.

***

Pizza Hut consistently makes a good crust. I like its pan style, and the stuffed crust is nice and cheesy. And now Pizza Hut has the hand-tossed pizza. The crust is lighter, a bit sweet, brushed with garlic butter and topped with seasonings. If pan style is too thick for you, then this is the pizza for you.

***

McDonald’s rolled out its Mighty Wings last fall for a limited time. I really liked them for their meatiness and slight spiciness, and I hope McDonald’s brings them back, although at a lower price. Each wing was priced at about one dollar (three for for $3.69, five for $5.59 and 10 for $9.69), making them too expensive for most consumers. That’s apparently the reason why McDonald’s has an extra 10 million pounds of Mighty Wings to get rid of.

Expensive drinks

February 2nd, 2014

I just got back from a vacation at an all-inclusive resort in which the alcohol choices depended on if you were “privilege” (VIP) or not. Oddly, Absolut was privilege, Stoli was not. Jim Beam was privilege, Jack Daniels was not.

On a tangent, I started thinking about what really privileged people would drink. No, I’m not talking Louis XIII cognac, which can go for $200/pour, depending on which market you’re in. Instead, I’m talking about super, super expensive drinks, like these:

The $1,000 Mint Julep at the Kentucky Derby. Starting in 2006, the race sold them for charity. The special mint juleps were made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, ice from the Arctic, mint from Morocco and sugar from the South Pacific and served in a gold-plated cup with a silver straw.

The $1,500 Mai Tai at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast (Ireland). The bar at this hotel has been named the World’s Best Hotel Bar, and I think it has an impressive cocktail menu. The reason the drink is so pricey is because it contains original rum from 1944, when the mai tai was invented.

The $10,000 martini at Vaucluse in West Hollywood. In addition to your choice of premium vodka, you also get a one-carat diamond from a nearby jewelry store delivered and placed into your drink.

These drinks would probably go well with the $666 Douche Burger I mentioned in a previous post.

Free fro-yo from Menchie’s

January 31st, 2014

Photo courtesy of Menchie's

Here’s an announcement from Menchie’s:

Menchie’s is gifting fans a coupon for a free six ounce cup of frozen yogurt in celebration of National Frozen Yogurt Day. On Feb. 6, guests can bring the coupon, available on the company’s Facebook page, to the Menchie’s in West Towne Mall or Middleton.

Guests are limited to one coupon and the offer is only valid on Feb. 6. For fro-yo fanatics, the combinations will be endless with premium rotating flavors and more than 70 toppings to create the perfect dessert. For added yum, guests can opt to have their yogurt in a signature Menchie’s waffle bowl.

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

  • Blog Home

    You are currently browsing the EatDrinkMadison.com blog archives.

  • Archives

  • Categories