New Miss America flips for IHOP pancakes

Picture this: You've just been named Miss America. You're standing next to host Mario Lopez. A glittery tiara is now being placed on your head. What do you do now?

Well, according to a news release that just crossed our desk: "Immediately following her crowning as Miss America 2010 on Saturday, Caressa Cameron announced that she will serve as spokesperson for IHOP’s fifth National Pancake Day celebration benefiting Children’s Miracle Network." (The emphasis is ours.)

In all seriousness, IHOP hopes to raise more than $1.75 million for children’s hospital programs. To that end, restaurants nationwide will give away millions of buttermilk pancakes, free, on Feb. 23 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The catch? "In return, America’s favorite restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner asks that guests make a voluntary donation to support local children’s hospitals through Children’s Miracle Network, and other local charities."

Another way to help out: IHOP is selling paper balloon icons at restaurants nationwide. $1 and $5 balloons are available as part of their month-long fundraising effort. Balloons can be personalized and displayed at participating restaurants. The news release says that "100% of funds raised through the balloon sales and on National Pancake Day will benefit the local Children’s Miracle Network hospital and stay in the community in which the funds were raised."

One question the news release does not answer: Does the new whippet-thin Miss America even eat pancakes? Or is she like, "I just won the pageant, I can eat whatever I want now!"

And by the way, IHOP -- I think you should reconsider your decision to take the corn cake pancakes off the menu at my local IHOP...

-- Rene Lynch

Photos: (left) Newly crowned Miss America Caressa Cameron. Credit: EPA

(right) IHOP will be giving away pancakes for free on Feb. 23 as part of a fundraiser for children's hospital programs. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Veterans Day Deal: Golden Corral to host free dinner for military on Monday

If you find yourself in El Centro, Tracy, North Highlands or Sacramento on Monday, and you are a current or former member of the military, head to Golden Corral for a free dinner. From 5 to 9 p.m., all 485 Golden Corral locations across the country will celebrate the chain's ninth annual Military Appreciation Monday.

As a bonus, customers' tips will be donated to the Disabled American Veterans organization.

Since its launch in 2001, Military Appreciation Monday has served more than 2 million free meals and raised more than $3 million for Disabled American Veterans. It has also served up a ton of steak. During last year's event, more than 80,500 pounds of sirloin was consumed.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo credit: Golden Corral

Hoop dreams, ramen reality

Aaaah, the glamorous life of being an international sports star ... full of European travel and dining at the finest restaurants. Well, in theory anyway. One of the highlights of ESPN's TrueHoop basketball blog is the occasional report from former Virginia Tech basketball player Coleman Collins, who is now playing for Ulm in Germany's Bundesliga.

A 6-foot-9 (2.06-meter) center for the team, Collins is also a wonderfully gifted writer. But not so much of a cook. Think he's dining on schnitzel and sauerbrauten? Then you probably don't know any twentysomething basketball players. In his latest post, Collins turns to food writing, extolling the pleasures of Maruchan instant ramen (apparently hard to find in Germany!) and, when all else fails, lunch at IKEA.

Something tells me this isn't exactly the way Kobe Bryant eats.

-- Russ Parsons

Photo courtesy of Ulm Basketball

Takeout from your iPhone

Sometimes, it does seem like there really is an app for everything. We just tripped over Chipotle Mexican Grill's new iPhone app to make your fast food even faster. (C'mon, who has time to order from a computer, or -- gasp! -- stand in line ....) Among the app's options? Browse from the menu or choose from a saved meal, pay online and pick it up at the nearest Chipotle location or one of your choosing.

About the only thing it doesn't do is deliver.

Bummer. Oh well, can't have everything.

-- Noelle Carter

Web grab from chipotle.com

Bellying up to Kentucky Fried Chicken's double down

We were dubious when we first read that Kentucky Fried Chicken was coming out with a new sandwich that does away with the bread in favor of two fried fillets. And that the "sandwich" part of the sandwich involved was made of cheese, something called Colonel's sauce .. and bacon?

Could that possibly be true?

After all, this was the fast-food chain that seemed to be going all healthy on us, setting off stampedes for its new grilled chicken offerings.

We lobbed a call to a media representative. And the rest is a good news-bad news story. First, the good news. The sandwich does indeed exist, and it is called the double down. It is made of two Original Recipe fillets, bacon, Swiss and pepper jack cheese and something called the Colonel's sauce.

The bad news? The sandwich is only being tested in Providence, R.I., and Omaha, Neb. But if it does well  -- and really, why wouldn't this sandwich do well? -- it could head out West. 

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Kentucky Fried Chicken

Updated: Oprah in hot water with chicken lovers on Twitter

 

What is it with Oprah and farm animals? First, Oprah was in trouble with the beef industry. Now, it's chickens.

Some chicken lovers -- as in those concerned about the welfare of our fine-feathered friends -- are mad at The O for promoting Kentucky Fried Chicken coupons for a free, two-piece grilled chicken meal. As for everyone else? They can't get enough.

How successful is this giveaway? There are lines, lines, lines at KFCs everywhere. And consider this note at the Oprah website: Due to heavy demand, you may experience some slowness navigating to the website. Please be patient and try again later.

But some critics are calling foul (Sorry! Couldn't resist) on Oprah. They say it's hypocritical, particularly since Oprah has tried to shed a spotlight on farm animal cruelty -- a spotlight that helped lead PETA to award her its "Person of the Year" honors. On Twitter, @civileater and others are urging opponents to voice their opinion using #oprahkfc. (You can read more about this blogger's objections here at Civil Eats.) 

Hmmm. All adds up to lots of traffic: Maybe that's why Twitter's been so slow today.

A spokeswoman said that Oprah's intent was simply to give families a financial break during these tough economic times. (Here's what one Twitterer, @nickolausjoshua, had to say about it: Free KFC!!!!)

On a mildly related front, it's worth mentioning that it's International Respect for Chickens Month. And that we, uh, had two-front page Food section stories today about, um, buying them and marinating them.

-- Rene Lynch

Join us on Twitter @LATimesFood

Nutrition labels at independent L.A. restaurants

 

Raul Morales, owner of Taqueria Vista Hermosa, shows off his new menu board, which lists calories for every menu item.

Seven independent restaurants -- including the popular Chichen Itza -- are letting customers know the nutritional content of their standard menu items in a project aimed at curbing obesity in South Los Angeles.

The restaurant owners, along with some politicians and health officials, celebrated that effort Thursday at Mercado La Palmona near downtown. It's called the "smart menu" program,

The menu labeling project was organized by South Los Angeles Healthy Eating, Active Communities, part of a statewide initiative sponsored by the California Endowment to prevent obesity in young people. HEAC provided the recipe analysis and menu signs.

The other restaurants taking part in the labeling program are Burger Plaza Grill, La Maison de la Creme, Mo Chica, Oaxacalifornia, Taqueria Vista Hermosa and Thai Corner. They're all housed at Mercado La Palmoma.

Tax day deals for those tax day blues

 

Restaurants are offering an edible tax break today. Among them: T.G.I. Friday's and P.F. Chang's. At T.G.I. Friday's, diners earn $5 Bonus Bites cards for purchases (excluding alcohol and taxes) of between $15 and $25 or $10 cards for purchases of more than $25. P.F. Chang's is offering 15% off your food bill. McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants is also offering cheap drinks, a $10.40 menu, and diners can get a $10.40 certificate toward future purchases.

$10.40, get it? 10-40?

-- Rene Lynch

We're all a-Twitter @LATimesFood

George Wilhelm / Los Angeles Times

Sampler Platter: Inhalable chocolate, raccoon barbecue and deep-dish pizza

A special Tuesday mix of legitimate food news and random silliness...

• Inhalable chocolate: Art project, hoax or humanity's greatest invention? FOX News
• Chicagoans miffed, angered, brokenhearted that Obama orders a deep-dish pizza from St. Louis. Chicago Tribune
• In a quick over-the-weekend sleight-of-hand, the Groundwork outpost in the arts district of downtown L.A. closed and re-emerged as the Novel Café. Downtown News
• Man stabbed after he allegedly wouldn’t cough up $5 for beer run. Philadelphia Inquirer
• Although Democratic Rep. Jimmy Naifeh's 18-year stint as speaker of the Tennessee House is over, his annual raccoon barbecue, the Coon Supper, will continue. Phew. WHNT
• Burger King will scrap a controversial ad for the Texican Whopper, a Whopper topped with chili con carne, jalapeños and spicy mayo that's being sold in Europe. The ads, which Mexico had protested, feature a short Mexican luchador draped in his country's flag. Reuters
• Hugo Molina (Parkway Grill) once again steps behind the stove with Seta, a "New American" restaurant that's "part steakhouse, part Latin, part Asian and all Hugo." Zagat
• Fullerton-based chain the Flame Broiler will replace Wienerschnitzel‎ and Steak Escape at the Crossroads in Irvine. Stick A Fork In It

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: The Calabrese pizza topped with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, Chino Farms rapini, Calabrian chiles and bottarga at Pizza Ortica in Costa Mesa. Credit: Brian VanderBrug / Los Angeles Times.

How sinful is that breadstick? Olive Garden, Red Lobster put nutritional info online

Is it better to eat through life knowing how (or how not) fattening your dinner is? Now's the chance to find out. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster, among others, now lists its restaurant menus'  nutritional information online.

While Kim Hays at the Sentinel seems to be happy that Darden has outed itself, I can't help feeling like the Muppet Grover in the children's tale "The Monster at the End of This Book" -- I know this stuff is bad for me, but do I want to know how bad? And I know I'm going to have to look eventually.

Hays did spoil a bit of the surprise, stating "an Olive Garden breadstick and a Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit are 150 calories each."

What about you? If you've got the nerve to look, are these calories more or less what you expected? Do you wish more restaurants would post nutritional information on their websites or on their menus in the restaurants?

-- Whitney Friedlander

Photo: Olive Garden's Tuscan garlic chicken, which has 1,020 calories. PR News Foto / Olive Garden