Taste Testing McDonald's Blueberry Pomegranate McCafe Smoothie

By: Finance Foodie

The new McCafé Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie from McDonald's focuses on the latest trend in berries - as it is made with a blend of blueberries and raspberries and a splash of pomegranate juice.  This new McCafé menu introduction is also part of McDonald’s ongoing efforts to evolve its menu with relevant, great-tasting beverage choices. I happened to try one of these shakes out during my West Coast vacation last week, in an effort to escape the hot Hollywood heat (the weather, not the people).

So what did I think? The tart pomegranate juice blended with the sweetness of blueberries and raspberries along with ice and lowfat yogurt for sure presented a unique taste. Although not as "punchy" as some of the other smoothies (the Mango Pineapple remains my favorite), it still had a nice consistency and provided a sweet but not cloying treat after walking around in the sun for an hour.  Plus, at 220 calories for a small size, the new smoothie is a totally healthy, convenient and a relatively low calorie way to cool down without ruining my goal bikini body!

****Giveaway****

McDonald's wants to treat a financefoodie.com reader to a summer worth of smoothies and more! One reader will receive one (1) $25 Arch card and eight (8) product coupons good for a free small Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie!

There are THREE ways to enter
1. REQUIRED: In my comments section, tell me what is your favorite summer vacation spot. Also please include your email address so I can contact you if you win!
2. Follow Finance Foodie on Twitter (leave separate comment telling me this)
3. Reblog / Retweet this giveaway (leave separate comment telling me this)

Contest ends Friday, July 21, 2013 at 5pm EST. Winners will be chosen via random integer generator on random.org announced on the financefoodie.com site shortly afterwards that night!

Full Disclosure: McDonald's provided the product coupons for the giveaway. FFMP paid for the $25 Arch card. I was not compensated for this post.

Comfort Food Classic: Brooklyn Diner Launches New Menu Items

By: Finance Foodie

Brooklyn Diner, famous for its chicken soup, baked mac & cheese, Chinese chicken salad and cheeseburger deluxe (all voted “Best of New York” by New York Magazine), has added new dishes to it’s already scrumptious menu. New dishes include the innovative healthy /fatty Fried Calamari Salad, Braised Short Rib on a Long Bun Sandwich and more. Since I happened to be in the area for job interviews last week, I decided to pop in for lunch to check out a few of the new offerings.

Don't let the "diner" name fool you - this place is eons more classy than the drunk at 3am IHOP/Denny's outing. The menu prices aren't cheap but the portions are more than generous!  My dining companion and I started the meal off with an oldie but goodie - the famous baked mac and cheese app ($10). Super rich and cheesy, this is not for the faint of heart. The playful spin on using linguine noodles versus macaroni shells was genius and the ham gave the dish a nice kick.

Mac and Cheese

I thank my lucky stars that, unlike most Asians, I'm not lactose intolerant. My entree was another rich cheesy dish - the brand new Lobster Grilled Cheese ($29). Cheddar, gruyere, and parmesan cheese - along with massive chunks of lobster - made this grilled cheese fit for a queen (or a Finance Foodie).

Lobster Grilled Cheese

Hoping to offset the artery blockage from everything else consumed, I decided to go somewhat healthy and order another new menu item - a side of steamed cabbage ($7). Surprisingly flavorful and as healthy as its name, this was one dish that I didn't feel guilty about being super-sized!

Steamed Cabbage

Any frequent patron of diners know that it would be a crime to leave without having dessert, so we ordered the Triple Layer Coconut Cake ($10) to round off the afternoon. Super sweet and loaded with a rich buttercream and coconut flaked frosting, this was a delicious ending to coma inducing, gotta hit the gym super hard tomorrow meal.

Coconut Cake

To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive of this Times Square resto (closer to Times Square=greater the chance of being a tourist trap), but Brooklyn Diner is totally worth checking out. Its menu features comfort food that brings back the feeling of the old neighborhood, of Brooklyn, conveniently right in the heart of New York City!

Brooklyn Diner (Times Square)
155 W. 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
(212) 265-5400
www.brooklyndiner.com
Cuisine: American

Brother Jimmy's BBQ Dessert Bash: A Sweet Time For All!

By: Anne Raso

I was lucky enough to be invited to Brother Jimmy’s Union Square eatery for a wonderful dessert bash. Brother Jimmy’s is one of the smarter restaurant chains in New York as they have very together social media directors—most restaurants these days do not even have local PR people let alone people who cater to bloggers’ need (so a special “12 rib salute” for that)!

Brownie Sundae

Taste Testing McDonald's New Egg White Delight McMuffin

By: Finance Foodie

McDonald's recently launched a new breakfast offering at 250 calories: the Egg White Delight McMuffin. The new breakfast sandwich is prepared on the grill with 100% egg whites, extra lean Canadian bacon and white cheddar served on a new muffin made with eight grams of whole grain. This introduction represents McDonald’s ongoing efforts to evolve its menu with more great-tasting, relevant food choices.