As the weather gets cooler and we inch closer to the holiday season, more indulgent items are showing up on menus. Think creamy pastas, sweet potato bakes, pancakes and French toast topped with whipped cream, big burgers and overstuffed wraps. On the drinks side, cocktails and other beverages are taking on seasonal flavors. Here’s what’s trending on menus this week.
Friendly’s is relaunching breakfast and debuting its Savor the Season menu. The morning menu includes French toast, specialty pancakes, scrambles, omelets, quesadillas and sandwiches. Running on the seasonal menu through Dec. 31 are comforting favorites like Angus Beef & Barley Soup, Apple Harvest Salad and the Harvest Stack, which is composed of toasted sourdough layered with stuffing, mashed potatoes, grilled turkey breast, cranberry sauce and gravy. Sweets include the Peppermint Stick Fribble thick shake and Mocha Magic Sundae.
Pancake indulgence at Friendly's.
Breakfast and brunch at Ruby Slipper is also sprinkled with indulgence. Pumpkin Chai Stuffed French Toast, Pumpkin Chai Beignets and Chai Bourbon Milk Punch are on the menu through Dec. 2. On the lighter side, there’s a Buddha Bowl featuring apple-braised pork and fresh produce.
New menu items at La Madeleine are a bit decadent as well. There’s Pumpkin Praline French Toast made with brioche and topped with spiced pecans and whipped cream; Pumpkin Praline Crepe filled with pumpkin cream; a Prime Rib & Provolone Sandwich with sauteed onions on country bread with aioli; and Broccoli Cheddar Soupe. On the beverage side, Parisien Hot Chocolate makes its debut—a blend of Ghirardelli chocolate with side of Chantilly cream.
Steak Penne with Aji-Amarillo Parmesan cream, Shrimp & Grits with Creole sauce and Butcher’s Meatloaf are three of the comfort foods just added to the core menu at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. Also in the lineup are Steak Frites and Firebirds Roasted Chicken. Several cold-weather cocktails are new on the drinks side, including a Cherry Old Fashioned, Winter Pear Margarita and Mint Condition, an alcohol-free mix of passion fruit elixir, mint, fresh squeezed lime juice and Owen’s ginger beer.
Steak Penne is a cozy menu items at Firebirds.
Also on the casual-dining front, Lazy Dog Restaurants launched an extensive fall lineup of small plates, entrees and drinks. For starters or shareables, there are Tikka Masala Meatballs with spiced tomato curry sauce, French Onion Pastry Puffs, Hot Honey Feta Dip and Smoked Trout Dip, several of which are also available on the Happy Hour menu. Entrees include Steak + Veggie Kebabs, Pretzel Crusted Pork Schnitzel and pan-roasted Chilean sea bass with cauliflower mash and roasted veggies. Mocktails are also on offer, such as a Pomegranate Sour Fauxtini, Cold Brew Carajillo and Strawberry Jalapeño Mockarita, and new on the cocktail list are the Hibiscus Margarita and Peanut Butter Cold Brew Martini.
The latest limited-time wok drop from Panda Express is Crispy Sesame Shrimp & Beef. The Chinese-style surf ‘n turf is tossed with a slightly spicy, sesame-forward umami sauce. The chain also introduced “Wok Wednesdays,” a new culinary simulation game available in the Panda Rewards app where players can catch ingredients and wok-toss the menu’s dishes.
The Colorado Smashburger returned to fast-casual Smashburger and a Colorado Big Dog made its debut, both celebrating the chain’s Denver roots. The burger starts with a smashed Certified Angus beef patty that’s topped with grilled green chilies, melted aged cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a chipotle bun. The Colorado Big Dog features a quarter-pound Angus beef hot dog, split and butter-grilled, then served on a toasted roll and topped with cheddar cheese sauce, grilled green chilies and chipotle mayo.
For the first time, sandwich specialist Potbelly is offering wraps on its menu. Two varieties are on offer: Chicken Bacon Ranch with grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and ranch, and Southwest Avo Chicken Wrap filled with chicken, provolone, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, tortilla crisps and chipotle lime sauce. Both are wrapped in warm lavash flatbread.
Potbelly's brand-new wraps.
Chili Garlic Ramen is the latest noodle iteration at Noodles and Company. The brothless ramen combines authentic ramen noodles with a custom chili garlic spice blend to deliver a good dose of umami. The fast casual was inspired to create the dish by viral ramen hacks posted on social media.
Apple Crisp beverages returned to Starbucks for a limited time. The lineup includes the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso with notes of apple, cinnamon and brown sugar, and Apple Crisp Cream Cold Foam, which customers can order to top any drink. New this season is Apple Crisp Protein Cold Foam that can add 15 grams of protein to a grande size beverage. Chestnut Praline Latte and Eggnog Latte will join the menu closer to the holidays.
Bourbon Caramel Iced Coffee is coming to Sonic following its win on the competition show “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon.” The limited-time beverage features cold brew iced coffee with non-alcoholic bourbon caramel flavor poured over the chain’s signature chewable ice. It’s finished with whipped topping, a caramel drizzle and mini cowboy hat garnish. Contestants on the show were challenged by Sonic to create a conversation-worthy beverage with a catchy jingle. The coffee is available through the Sonic app next Monday, before the national rollout on Nov. 3.
Sonic's Bourbon Caramel Coffee.
HTeaO is teaming up with Dutch chocolate company Tony’s Chocolonely on the limited-time Tony’s Chocolonely Peanut Butter Latte. The rich beverage combines the chain’s Free Rein Homestead coffee blend with Tony’s ethically sourced milk chocolate, peanut butter syrup, cookie butter syrup and whole milk, topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with shavings of milk chocolate. The latte is available through Nov. 15.
A new core menu debuted in the Southern California and Las Vegas locations of Norms Restaurants. The refreshed menu features 160 items, including 32 new dishes such as the Buffalo Chicken Skillet (chicken, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and jack and cheddar cheeses over hash browns with two eggs) for breakfast. Other additions include the French Toast Bigger Better Breakfast, Kings Hawaiian Cheeseburger Sliders, Chilaquiles Rojos, Inside Out Steak Enchilada and Liver & Onions. Salads, melts and burgers are lunchtime specials.
Getting an early jump on the festive season are Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses with the launch of their Holiday Buffet. The lineup includes Maple Glazed Ham, Oven Roasted Turkey with gravy, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Seasoned Stuffing and Cranberry Spinach Salad, with Pumpkin Pie to end. To kick off the buffet, the two restaurant brands are serving a 10-ounce Ribeye Steak Entree starting at $22.99, paired with a choice of baked potato or steak fries.
The Afterburner is the newest pizza at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana—a co-branded item with aircraft company Pratt & Whitney. Both have been doing business in Connecticut for 100 years. Pepe’s heated up its Doppio Pepperoni Pie with drizzles of Mike’s Hot Honey to create the Pratt & Whitney Afterburner Pizza, on the menu through Oct. 31. At the end of the run, each company will donate $2,500 to Feeding America.
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