The Los Angeles Times brings the fun, reporting on a wave of new fast-food offerings that include spinach-laden McMuffin-shaped breakfast panini, mango flan, and red-bean-stuffed pastry items.
The Times explores chains such as Santouka, Pinkberry, and Pollo Campero, embracing the good (eel hand rolls), cataloguing the weird (footlong PB&J huarache), and ripping the ugly (cardboard-tasting chicken-salad wraps) in the process.
California chains such as In-N-Out helped to put high-quality fast food on the map; Pinkberry and Pollo Campero may just bring it to the next level.
With fast food getting such a bad rep lately, the time is right for niche fast food. My wife and I joke that our most frequent fast food is the whole foods deli. we like it because we know they don’t use any modified oils or sugars and keep the food as natural and “real” as possible. It’d be nice if there was some sort of deli chain that you knew you could count on when you’re driving through the middle of nowhere. I know there are local options for this idea in every region, but if you’re not local, how do you find it.
isn’t that how mcdonalds started? reliable burgers. it’s time for reliable food…no trans-fats, no gmo’s, no hfcs…maybe even some gluten free or vegetarian options. I know this idea sort of goes against the idea of fast food, but there must be people out there who want this option, or whole foods wouldn’t be as popular as it is.
I agree and just wished that Whole Foods tasted better. If I’m paying that much, I’d at least like it so my guacamole doesn’t have the exact same flavor as my creamed spinach.
The best thing about Pollo Campero in Guatemala is that each one has a lady out front selling tortillas so that if you have to eat at PC, at least you can have tortillas and a chicken salad. Probably no such ladies outside of any US franchises, however.
The LAT link no longer works. Does this site still exist
The story is archived behind the wall now, you’ve got to pay for it to read it, unfortunately. Here’s a link:
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/1215521971.html?dids=1215521971:1215521971&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+14%2C+2007&author=Susan+LaTempa&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=F.1&desc=Chickenjoy%2C+eel+rolls%3A+Pop+goes+the+fast+food
Thanks..I was interested because I’m a fast food writer.
Nancy aka Fast Food Maven
http://www.ocregister.com/fastfood