McDonald's 2013–

[Wayne]

On ‎18‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 1:12 PM, Toliver said:

 

McD's...always on the cutting edge of yesterday. 

 

Good one .

 

 

[rotuts]

has anyone read this book ? 

 

Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's

 

Edited November 26, 2016 by Smithy
Adjusted link to be Amazon-friendly (log)

[Toliver]

On 11/23/2016 at 6:18 AM, rotuts said:

has anyone read this book ? 

 

Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's

 

 

Thank you for the link. I have not read it but, being from San Diego, I am familiar with most of his story. He did have a temper. When the San Diego Padres (pro baseball) played their fist game, he got on the P.A. system after the game and apologized to the public for how badly the players had played. His wife Joan ran McD's after Ray had passed. She was a kind and generous woman with quite the opposite temperament from Ray.

[rotuts]

I also have this book on reserve from  my library :

 

Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald's Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away

 

looking forward to both books.

Edited December 3, 2016 by Smithy
Adjusted link to be Amazon-friendly (log)

[rotuts]

The origins of the Special Sauce :

 

delligatti

 

NYTime obit has details.

[rotuts]

I read the Ray & Joan book last night 

 

I highly recommend it.  I hoping there is a copy at a library near you 

 

here are some pics of the Joan and Ray  Salvation Army community centers she endowed   they are community centers in at risk neighborhoods around the country

 

the first one she sponsored while she was alive  , in San Diego.  it was built in an area where both parents or single parents had to work two jobs to get by , and

 

meant to be a place where children could find a safe place after school  She donated 80 million dollars for this center

 

joan and ray

 

after she died she gave the Salvation Army 1.5 billion dollars to build more centers

 

as I understand it there are 26 centers

 

their official name is  Ray and Joan Kroc Community Corps Centers.        Corps being a Salvation Army Term.

 

look for this book if you can,

[Thanks for the Crepes]

They have a promo going on here that if you bring your receipt home and answer a survey that doesn't take me very long on mcdvoice.com, they give you a redemption code to write on that receipt. Then you take the receipt back within 30 days and can redeem it for a free large sandwich if you buy the same (equal of lesser value, of course). I take advantage of it because it takes so much time and effort these days to get the minimal supplies I'm able to carry and relieves me of having to cook that day and usually the next day.  I eat a couple of double cheeseburgers and small fries when I go on a supply run on foot which is four miles round trip with 10 to 15 pounds in my pack on the way back. Then I use another validated receipt to order a couple of sausage and egg biscuits for the next day's food. These reheat really well in the microwave, and are the only things I've found from McDonald's that do. I add my own cheese, because it's cheaper and better. This takes care of my entire food needs for two days.

 

It took me forever to find out how to use this because there is no clue on the receipt or on McDonald's main website. I think I tripped across mcdvoice.com by Googling McDonalds survey out of desperation. You only have seven days from your initial purchase to complete the survey and qualify for the discount.

 

I have not been challenged by using a validated discount receipt for an eat in order and then using another validated receipt for a take out order on one visit. I have gotten a free sandwich with a purchased one with a receipt for only a small order of French fries.

 

Judge me if you will. After you pack everything back that you need to survive like food, drink, clean the house or yourself with, feed pets with or just anything on foot.

 

I am almost completely sure that there is a post on eG about Christmas gifts somewhere on here. A wife gave her husband a pack pony to pack back groceries. I couldn't find it on a Google search, but I swear it's here somewhere! I even think it was Dave Hatfield, who is deceased now, but lived in rural France. It's a very cute photo of the pony too. Some of you may remember.

 

I fantasized about it packing my load of supplies uphill, and realized this was not going to happen in Cary, NC. Then I started thinking about a large dog with side packs and/or a cart. That would fly here, I think, as long as I cleaned up after it.  

[kayb]

But then you'd have to pack in dog food.

 

Is it practical for you, on your route, to get one of those wire rolling carts? Pulling or pushing that would, for me, be eminently preferable to a pack. Heck, I'd contemplate a child's Little Tikes wagon.

 

[Toliver]

Oh, you lucky Canadians...

"McDonald's sauces will be sold in grocery stores and we can all die happy"

A quote from the article:

Quote

"With this launch, Canadians will now be able to experience the world famous sauces they love at home," McDonald's spokesperson Adam Grachnik told Huffington Post Canada. "We look forward to sharing more details soon."

 

And as if we didn't need more reasons to move to Canada ...

Has anyone ever done a side by side taste test of the Secret/Big Mac Sauce compared to Thousand Island Dressing?

[rotuts]

Ive enjoyed these books , there are many and a few might be in your library :

 

todd wilbur mcdonald's secret sauce

 

Ive also seen a few of the shows , and some of them beat most of which is on commercial tv these days and days or yore.

 

consider :

 

http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/McDonalds-Special-Sauce-Big-Mac-Sauce-Copycat-Recipe.html

Edited March 28, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, Toliver said:

Oh, you lucky Canadians...

"McDonald's sauces will be sold in grocery stores and we can all die happy"

A quote from the article:

Has anyone ever done a side by side taste test of the Secret/Big Mac Sauce compared to Thousand Island Dressing?

Has anybody cared enough to try? I have never understood the appeal of either one. 

[Duvel]

It's Korean weeks again. Which means mostly oversized MgNugget packs and sauces. But you have to admit they do a good job with those: The Gochujang ("Korean chili sauce") was bold and spicy, the Bulgogi was tangy, garlicky and just sweet enough. The latter I would buy in a bottle. Lemon Herb was ok and Honey Mustard was fine as well. Korean fried chicken is big in Hong Kong, so naturally McD wants to participate. At around 45 HK$ (around 5.5 US$) for a menu with 18 nuggets, fries and iced lemon tea I won't complain (having a pre-dinner beer on the ferry home of course helps supressing the complaining and also promotes ordering an additional dessert afterwards) ...

 

Edited April 18, 2017 by Duvel (log)

[ElsieD]

@Duvel. Is the chicken really crispy like Korean chicken?

[Duvel]

4 hours ago, ElsieD said:

@Duvel. Is the chicken really crispy like Korean chicken?

It's a regular Chicken McNugget, but they are more crispy here than the ones I had in Europe ...

Edited April 19, 2017 by Duvel
Correcting the autocorrect ... (log)

[Toliver]

McDonald's is introducing 3 new sandwiches. Plus, they've invented the "Frork" (see the last picture in the article...it's a joke on their part):

"Score a First Look at McDonald's New Gourmet Burgers"

Quote

McDonald’s is trying to shake up Shake Shack...and Five Guys, and Burger King, and Wendy's, and Red Robin, and the whole burger world. Today, the fast food chain will begin selling a new series of premium burgers they call Signature Crafted...
Pico Guacamole, Sweet BBQ Bacon and Maple Bacon Dijon

They don't mention it outright, at first, but two of them aren't hamburgers; they're chicken sandwiches.Only the Sweet BBQ Bacon is a hamburger (which I think looks quite edible  ).

[kayb]

A friend tried the pico guac chicken. Said it was very good.

 

I am presently questioning her judgment, but...

[Thanks for the Crepes]

5 hours ago, Toliver said:

McDonald's is introducing 3 new sandwiches. Plus, they've invented the "Frork" (see the last picture in the article...it's a joke on their part):

"Score a First Look at McDonald's New Gourmet Burgers"

They don't mention it outright, at first, but two of them aren't hamburgers; they're chicken sandwiches.Only the Sweet BBQ Bacon is a hamburger (which I think looks quite edible  ).

 

At my local McD's, all of these sandwiches are offered with a beef patty, fried or grilled chix, whichever you want. I did not partake, as I figured they were overpriced and not cooked fresh to order, so I stuck to the leftover double cheeseburgers that I know I can tolerate on my visit. Now, if they start cooking these new sandwiches to order like Five Guys or some of the mom and pops' around here, It might pique my interest.

 

My McD's store cooks everything hours ahead of time and serves it slightly above room temp. How they have gotten past the Health Department is beyond me. It can't be at 140 F which is the holding temp for hot foods under our law. I've not gotten sick from the luke warm double cheeseburgers, but I enjoyed them so much more when I able to drive home and nuke them to reheat to serving temp. Does anyone know if a request to do that at the restaurant will fly? I have a mental block to asking for anything from these underpaid people that I have seen on YouTube doing things to food that is just revolting. Some have even been prosecuted, but most of it goes without repercussion.

 

My store is also offering soft drinks in any size for $1.00. I didn't go there either, because I don't partake much of sugary drinks, especially when I'm going all out on calories on a meal. I drink water at McD's.

 

As for the frork.  As a person who generates a full rolly container of recyclables and another container a third full of trash every couple of months, this is a horrible waste of resources. I walk my plastic bags back to the grocery store for recycling, because our municipal program won't accept them, and never throw anything organic into the landfill. The frork might be a joke to some, but not to me.  At least McD's is using cardboard boxes instead of styrofoam for things like the Fillet o' Fish. I'll give them that, but this frork thing is a really bad joke to me.

 

[rotuts]

My Local McD  gets hight ratings from people who actually go around and rate McD's

 

the workers are pleasant and friendly.

 

once I asked for the EggMcMiuff to have melted cheese.  they didn't know what I was talking about and I heard the conversation on their speaker

 

but the server just nuked it again.  I take my Test Subjects home and nuke them .  if your McD is friendly just ask them to nuke the sandwiches [ sic ]

 

again.  health issues aside , as Ive said before their items would improve if the cheese were melted.

[rotuts]

Its coupon time , two for one , so I took a few hits for the team :

 

 

this is a 'steak' egg and cheese biscuit w onions

 

Ive had the sausage egg biscuit once before and the biscuit was very dry.

 

these two items came home and I nulled one for breakfast  ( 30 sec ) 

 

this biscuit was not dry.  it tasted very beefy unlike their burgers.  

 

I immediately realized why :   this is ground beef not ' steak '   no matter.  it seems to be of different composition than their

 

burger patties.    the reason the biscuit was not dry  ( remember I nuked it at home covered )  was this was much fattier than the burger

 

the beef flavor came from the beef fat.   the mildly caramelized onions boosted the TotalFlavorProfile.

 

if this item is not sizzling when you eat it :  best of luck to you !

 

but it did have lots of flavor when nuked at home.    Im betting this is a Saturated Fat Bombe.  Im not looking up its Nutritional Profile

 

that's not going to help me now !   but I was surprised how much flavorr this had.

 

Ill sneak in an extra Statin when MC's not looking and eventually walk around the block after I recover.

 

but really  not bad if piping hot but probably one of these sliced 17.7 minutes off my life

 

the second one is in the refrigerator for potential analysis in the future !

 

eat two of these in one sitting ?    check your health coverage   

 

Im awarding myself several Kudos for this hazardous work.

 

I have no idea why the second 1/2 of this post it underlined  BTW

 

In France their used to be an expression " To Burn a Hole '   I don't remember the French ....

 

the idea was during a long meal , one got a small very potent alcohol shot mid-meal

 

hopefully home made and Very High Test.

 

you drank it in one shot  to   burn a hole in your meal so far so you might continue.

 

McD  might offer this w this ' biscuit'

Edited May 6, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[Smithy]

Le trou Normand^* as an offering at McD's?  Now there's a concept!

 

^*"The Norman hole" 

[rotuts]

exactly

 

now i remember

 

they would offer it in those little cups that you dispense catsup into next to the napkins.

 

the cups for the Calvados  ( why not ? ) would be enameled , and you could have to insert your drivers license into the dispense.

 

you only would get one shot.  and notes would be made on the back of your license.

 

you would have to prove vis some sort of scanner that you actually ate the ' beef ' biscuit and had current health insurance.

 

Im of to Totalwine for other reasons but Ill see if they have a Calvados  ' airline ' bottle. 

 

probably not    so a High Test  tequila sampler will have to do.

[rotuts]

I decided to Clear my Calendar for the rest of the day.

 

Why not The Full Monty ?

 

 

I decided Id better ' Burn a Hole '

 

that's over-proof  Rum , 1 1/2 oz  w a drop of vanilla in it.

 

just in case.

 

no home-made Calvados on the block

 

Very Effective 

 

BTW  that's Baccarat

 

" Rotary "

 

its no longer made

 

I have no current plans for the second 'biscuit'

 

its in the refrigerator   resting comfortably.

 

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

17 hours ago, rotuts said:

My Local McD  gets hight ratings from people who actually go around and rate McD's

 

the workers are pleasant and friendly.

 

once I asked for the EggMcMiuff to have melted cheese.  they didn't know what I was talking about and I heard the conversation on their speaker

 

but the server just nuked it again.  I take my Test Subjects home and nuke them .  if your McD is friendly just ask them to nuke the sandwiches [ sic ]

 

again.  health issues aside , as Ive said before their items would improve if the cheese were melted.

 

Thanks rotuts,

 

I didn't know if they had microwaves, as all I've seen them do is pull lukewarm food out of a heat cabinet with a stainless front. I'll try to dig up the gumption to ask them to nuke it next time. It's hard to get salt and pepper in those irritating tiny paper packages, though. The last time, I suffered through without either, after a mix-up on my order which distracted me from the intense focus needed to get these jealously guarded condiments from behind the counter. I made a plan to carry salt and pepper with me in my back pack, which goes totally against starting out with even the smallest weight when you will be carrying all you are capable of for two miles back home. They also kept my receipt, which could have been used to complete the survey for a free sandwich.

 

Needless to say, my McDonald's is not rated that high (1-1/2 stars, and remember that Yelp does not allow 0 or negative star ratings). There is even a review on there that suggests someone had spit on their order of fries. I go at an off time for them, about 4:00 PM, but they still suck. I've been there at 5:00 AM, and they still pulled my breakfast biscuit from the heat cabinet, but it was hotter than usual. On second thought, I think I'll fly under the radar and see if I can at least get a receipt to give some feedback and get a free sandwich. No one has even claimed their Yelp website, and there are not responses from management to the truly crappy reviews. If more people would go to mcdvoice.com maybe something will move toward improvement. Yelp sure isn't doing anything at that location.

 

I've also had stale, hard biscuits from my store, but only on the last visit I bought them. They were always really good before. I haven't bought any since, because it made for some pretty expensive raccoon food. 

 

The sad thing is that if you go for some of McDonald's more expensive items, you'll quickly rack up a bill to exceed the food costs at places where you can get a half pound burger and fries cooked to order by people I do not fear will put bio hazards into my food. They have lots of variations on this "Angus" burger. It's good, but establishing the provenance of beef is not easy today, unless you have a relationship with the rancher. All come with crispy fries hot from the fryer, and are under $10.00. Then you have to leave a tip, but the quality and experience is so much better. I can't eat the whole thing. Why do I not go there instead? The Train Station Bar and Grill is not near a grocery store, which is the main purpose of my trip.

[liuzhou]

19 hours ago, rotuts said:

their items would improve if the cheese were melted.

 

Their items would improve if their "cheese" were cheese.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 

Their items would improve if their "cheese" were cheese.

 

There are a lot of haters on American cheese. That is okay, but I hope none of them are the same ones who are buying "Modernist Cuisine" expensive publications and then spending a lot of time hunting down the micro-ingredients to make the creamy, smooth-melting cheese, that is actually almost completely based on, you guessed it, cheese.

 

Admittedly, McDonalds's American cheese is one of the poorer examples of the genre. American cheese (not cheese food product) does have it's place though, for me. In mac and cheese, there is nothing better for bringing that smooth and creamy texture together. I buy actual American cheese from the deli, though. I like it on a cheeseburger, and I recently bought some white American for use in enchiladas, as I much prefer it to cheddar or pepper jack or other cheeses. The stupid thing is that real American cheese that does not have to be labeled "food product", like Kraft's version is cheaper by the pound from the deli than if you pick up a package of the plasticized stuff from the refrigerator dairy case. Now the Kraft plastic slices are individually wrapped with an expiration date months in the future, and that is their appeal, I guess. You have to use the real stuff sliced from a huge block in the deli up pretty quickly. You also have to wait for deli service. To me it is worth it.

 

Also, liuzhou, based on some of your descriptions of Chinese interpretations of Western food, I might wonder if you have ever had actual American cheese that did not have to be labeled "food product"? They are two different animals, and I'm wondering if your labeling laws are the same as those here.