"Huge Flavor" news and stories

Looks like celebrity chef Tyler Florence is working his magic again at Applebee's. On the heels of Ty-Flo's Huge Flavor menu, which kicked off his partnership with the fast-casual eatery, comes Holiday Flavor.

As some of you may recall, I enjoyed myself immensely when I wrote about the Huge Flavor menu. The first-person narrative was, and remains, hilarious to me. But despite my cheap shots at the menu copy, my takeaway was that the new items were a step in the right direction for Applebee's. Not that I've had anything to eat at my local Applebee's lately. That is unless you count the occasional Bloody Mary as a meal.

Fast-forward to the present. I'm not sure if I'm going to try them or not, but the four items listed on the Holiday Flavor menu look halfway decent to me. Without even tasting them, I can tell that they're an even further step in the right direction.

Sure, the mixed seafood grill doesn't make me want to jump up and down. Neither do the sirloin and grilled shrimp skewers. What really grabs me is the seared rib-eye with garlic-chili shrimp. Ty-Flo's care is evident. Just listen to how he personally garnishes his creation just for you, "I finish it all with toasted sesame seeds and fresh cilantro." When's the last time you saw cilantro in a chain restaurant?

Before we go any further, I have a confession to make. I like my local Applebee's, but not for the food. I've been there hundreds of times, yet I can count the number of meals I've eaten there on one hand. With the sole exception of the burger, I usually regret ordering anything there.

The real reason I go is simple: there are hardly any watering holes in Rego Park, Queens. Lest any of my fellow Slashfoodies, or God forbid my legions of fans, think me anything less than hip for bending my elbow at a chain restaurant, please be aware that such celebs as Joey Ramone's mother have been known to eat at the very same place. Really, it's true she hails from nearby Forest Hills.

So it certainly wasn't the Huge Flavor campaign involving Food Network star Tyler Florence that drew me to Applebee's last month. Although I must admit that that hearing that two dear friends of mine had sampled some items from the new menu sparked a torrent of conflicting emotions: sympathy, jealousy, Schadenfreude, and a sense of professional envy. Hovering above all of this was a lingering dread, since as a fellow gourmand and food writer I knew I would have to take one for the team.