Let's Be Honest About Chain Restaurants...

[Alice Levitt]

Some of their food is awesome! I defy anyone to find fault with the Chicken Crispers at Chili's, especially if you replace the fries with their tangy black beans like I do.

Other favorites:

>Rolls and fall-off-the-bone ribs at Texas Roadhouse. Yes, rolls. They come with cinnamon butter. Flashbacks of starting a meal at the Dog Team Tavern with sticky buns.

>Flo's Filet and Caramel Apple Goldrush at Longhorn Steakhouse. The filet is crusted with a spice mix they call Prairie Dust, the Goldrush reminds me of the apple torta from my favorite upscale Italian spot growing up.

>Sweet and Sour sauce at McDonald's. Surprisingly complex, with strong notes of ginger. Also, it makes me think of this.

>KFC – The rare fast food brand that is popular because it truly offers the best of its breed. There are few fried chickens better and the new grilled stuff reminds me of the thighs at Souza's.

[Morganna]

Well now I gotta try the grilled stuff at KFC!!!

One of the things that's most dismaying about food in the Central VT area is how hard it is to get a good steak.  Longhorn up in Williston is a chain, but I can count on a -steak- when I go there (what IS that piece of meat you get at Applebee's when you order a steak? ).  What's 99 like?

I like Chili's too.  They're not afraid to spice things up.

[mailgirl]

I hate to admit it but sometimes I just want an apple pie from McDonald's!!!  I wish they still made the fried ones like they did many years ago when I was a kid!  Don't tell my mother.  She will disown me.  You can tell my father because he and I have gone to McDonald's together just for the pies. We did not tell my mother!

[Morganna]

I'm rather fond of the little bucket parfaits at KFC.   It's a childhood memory thing.