everydayhealth.com

​Gotta love a good ol' fashioned placebo effect.

Although many problematic poo-ers across the country swear that probiotic yogurts improve their digestion, the lack of scientific evidence has landed a few yogurt producers in hot toilet water (sorry).

More »

​I don't like grocery shopping.

While I will be the first to admit I love food, I will also admit I don't like buying it.

I've caught myself standing in the pasta aisle, comparing the deals between store brands and name brands, wondering if my coupon for Kraft macaroni and cheese makes it less than the Publix alternative. This has gone on multiple times, even in the same visit. I normally take a nap afterwards. Grocery shopping is exhausting.

More »

Bonsaichop via Wikimedia Commons

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger Coca-Cola

​In this week's head scratching celebrity/corporate moment of "synergy" Rolling Stone (via Hype Beast) is reporting that French duo Daft Punk is hooking up with Coca-Cola to launch a special edition release of Daft Punk-inspired Coke bottles. The product will be dubbed Daft Punk x Coca-Cola Club Coke.

The limited edition product is set to hit shelves in March. Thus far, there's no official company release, nor does Daft Punk's or Coke's website make mention of the relationship. Seeing as Daft Punk is no stranger to the occasional Internet hoax, we'll take this with a grain of salt 'til the product hits the shelves. Spoka, the European PR agency presumably in charge of promoting the Daft Punk/Coca-Cola marriage (their site's in French, a class that I unfortunately snoozed through), has said the bottles are a Coke product inspired by the French duo and any "promo" materials floating around the Web right now are fan-created, not from Daft Punk. 

In the event that this Daft Punk/Coca-Cola thing doesn't pan out, here's 5 equally odd or oddly appropriate musician/product pairings we wouldn't mind seeing:  
More »

theoatmeal.com

​It's great when restaurants have websites. Makes life easier than trudging through a thicket of Yelps or merry bands of Advising Tripsters. More »

luxist.com

The FleurBurger 5000!

​Did you say $5,000?



More »

​Dear Taco Bell: 

I heard about the false-advertising lawsuit filed against you by a California woman alleging that the "seasoned ground beef" in your tacos, burritos, chalupas, etc., doesn't contain a whole lot of, you know... beef. 

In fact, the woman's attorney is quoted as saying that only 15 percent of the taco filling is actual protein, that the rest is seasonings and stuff like isolated oat product, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch, and sodium phosphate.

This does not sound like "seasoned ground beef" to me. It sounds like crap. I even read a news report that says you fast-food-industry guys, when you're sitting around talking to each other in private -- probably not over a Taco Bell taco but a nice, thick, juicy Wagyu steak with a bottle of good Bordeaux -- call this stuff "taco meat filling," which may be more accurate but still sounds like corporate weasel-speak for crap.

I see today that you have released a statement challenging the lawsuit's alleged "inaccurate facts" (kind of like "true lies") and claiming your "seasoned ground beef" or "taco meat filling" or "crap" is 88 percent beef with 12 percent "seasonings, spices, water and other ingredients that provide taste, texture and moisture." That may be. But it still tastes like crap. 

Now, I don't want to tell you how to run your business. But just in case your executives were too busy counting their annual bonuses or picking out the color of their new Mercedes SLKs to actually taste the food you're selling, I put together this little visual presentation to give you an idea of what a real taco is. 

I bought a couple of your "seasoned ground beef" tacos from a local Taco Bell. Then I compared them to another pair of tacos I bought at this little Mexican joint in my neighborhood, Tacos al Carbon. They don't have a bazillion-dollar advertising budget or a yappy and annoying spokesdog, and in all of their years of existence, they probably haven't made as much money as you spend redecorating the executive washroom. But they do make a damned fine taco.

Pay attention now -- you might learn something. 

This is one of your tacos and one of Tacos al Carbon's tacos. Which looks more appetizing?   
​
This is both tacos deconstructed. Notice the difference? 
​
​
Just to refresh your memory, this is where real ground beef comes from.   
​
I hope your "taco meat filling" doesn't come from here.  
​
 And I really hope it doesn't come from here.
​ 
I patiently await your response. 

Sincerely,
A. Customer

​The Florida Department of Business and Regulation seems to have had a quiet week. Though Health Inspectors didn't shut down any restaurants for violations, that doesn't mean that we didn't uncover some pretty disgusting findings like live flies, small flying insects, live roaches and even trapped birds. The offenders are:

More »

 

 

Flickr/admiller

​Let's face it, there are just some days (usually right before pay day) where we're all strapped for cash and eating lunch off the dollar menu.

Don't get me wrong, I love saving a few bucks on lunch and there's nothing wrong with chicken nuggets and small fries, but sometimes you just have to mix it up!

So today on your lunch break head over to any Pei-Wei location (there are at least 7 in Broward and Palm Beach) to recieve a giftcard good for a free order of their new Korean Beef.

More »

​Just in time for national Blueberry Pancake Day (Friday, Jan. 28) and just on the heels of the Taco Bell faux beef scandal comes a report that those "blueberries" you think you're eating in many cereals, pastries and muffins actually aren't blueberries at all, but rather chemical concoctions of sugar, corn flour, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, artificial flavors and colors like Blue #1 and Red #40. 

The report, by investigative reporter and More »

 

Photo Courtesy of Annie's Buying Club

​Have you ever gone to the produce section of your grocery store and instead of seeing bright, fresh fruits and vegetables all you got were ones that were limp, soft and old?

Well, thanks to Annie's Buying Club you can get locally grown organic fruits and vegetables shipped on a regular basis to a designated pick-up location. With over 75 locations from Tallahasse to Key West, there's bound to be one near you.

You may have heard horror stories about other buying clubs not allowing you to skip weeks, charging a ton, or basically sending you a box of crap you've never even heard of before. But Annies Buying Club strives to make the experience as convenient and pain free as possible.

More »