Restaurants Roll Out Bold Flavors

This year will be a "year of flavor and delight," according to frozen yogurt chain TCBY.

Many other restaurant chains agree, as they introduce boldly flavored items with influences from across the world.

TCBY's yearlong celebration will feature a new limited-time flavor each month, starting in January with Old Fashioned Root Beer Float soft serve. That will be followed by nonfat Bananas Foster in February and Tropical Coconut in March.

Also in frozen desserts, Cold Stone Creamery has rolled out a new addition to its Hot Stone Warm and Delicious line of plated desserts. The new Hot for Cookie is a baked chocolate chip cookie and cookie dough topped with French vanilla ice cream, whipped topping and shaved chocolate.

Outback Steakhouse has launched Oreo Cookies 'N Cream Waffles, featuring warm chocolate waffle cakes, vanilla ice cream, Oreo cookie crumbs, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

The steakhouse chain also has introduced new sirloin and mixed seafood grill entrées. The $12.99 meal pairs steak with seasoned, seared shrimp and scallops served on mango salsa.

Chop't, a 15-unit fast-casual salad chain with restaurants in New York City and Washington, D.C., has introduced three limited-time offers for January and February. They are:

• The Thai Cobb, with satay chicken, pickled carrots, vermicelli noodles, mesclun and cabbage and creamy Sriracha dressing

• The Casbah Cob, with whole-wheat couscous, chickpeas, dates, roasted tomato, romaine and mesclun with spicy harissa dressing

• The Mexicali Cobb, with ancho chile chicken, tortilla chips, pepper Jack cheese, black beans, corn, tomato, and romaine and iceberg lettuces with Cholula ranch dressing

Panera Bread has brought back its Mediterranean Salmon salad, with romaine lettuce, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, mandarin oranges, almonds, red onion and honey tangerine vinaigrette.

The fast-casual chain is also promoting its Thai Chopped Chicken salad, with romaine lettuce, cashews, roasted edamame, red peppers, carrots, cilantro and wonton strips tossed in Thai chile vinaigrette and drizzled with peanut sauce.

Continued from page 1

The 30-unit Greene Turtle chain has introduced a line of stuffed hamburgers available through March 26. They are:

• The Spicy Jack, stuffed with jalapeños, pepper Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and topped with sliced avocado, corn salsa, and cilantro ranch dressing

• The Pep & Cheese, stuffed with pepperoni, basil and provolone cheese, and topped with marinara sauce, roasted red peppers and crispy onion straws

• The Bacon & Cheddar, stuffed with those items and topped with sautéed mushrooms, crispy onion straws, steak sauce and horseradish sauce

• The Ham & Cheese, stuffed with those items and topped with fried pickle chips and Dijon mayonnaise

The chain is simultaneously introducing "stuffed beers," which are blended beverages made with beer. They are:

• The Irish Float, stout beer, rum and vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup

• The Royal Stella, lager, whiskey and blueberry vodka served over ice

• The Pennsylvania OJ, lager, orange vodka and orange juice over ice

• The Belgian Sunrise, Belgian white ale, raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice over ice.

— Bret Thorn

Click here for more from NRN.com