It's Friday and you want to unwind, right? The last thing you probably want to do is head for a fancy restaurant where you'll be waiting for hours to eat after a long work week.
Instead, this new column features that latest and greatest options for those who like to grab-and-go at area fast-casual restaurants.
This week it's all about a Bacon Portabella Melt and Sriracha chicken.
New Burger
Wendy's has introduced its Bacon Portabella Melt cheeseburger made with Wendy’s 100 percent pure, North American, fresh, never frozen beef that’s topped with fresh cooked, thick-cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, and sauteed portabella mushrooms in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce made with Old English Cheddar giving this cheeseburger a rich, intense flavor.
The burger is also topped with American cheese and made fresh to order at the Wendy's Laguna Niguel location at 28961 Golden Lantern St.
Pei Wei Asian Diner
OK, so we lied, the new spicy chicken dish isn't quite here yet, but you can get a discount.
Beginning on Monday, Oct. 8, Pei Wei Asian Diner fans will be able to experience the fiery kick and bold flavor of the fast-casual restaurant’s new dish, Sriracha Chicken. The dish was created following Pei Wei chefs’ exploratory trip to Asia in search of culinary inspiration. Fans voted on three exotic flavors, and sriracha, a red chili-based ingredient named after the city in Thailand, was named the winner.
To create the dish, Pei Wei chefs developed an exclusive blend of sriracha, and balanced out the spice with cooling ingredients like pineapple and tomato. The dish can be ordered “Stock Velvet,” in which the chicken is poached in vegetable broth instead of wok fried, reducing fat by more than 30 percent.
Pei Wei is offering a buy-one-get-one offer for fans that visit the Pei Wei Market web site at peiweimarket.com, log into or sign up for the Passport Program and earn the “Sriracha Seeker” stamp. On the Pei Wei Market site, passport holders will be asked to visit Thailand, the home of Sriracha, to learn more about the spicy ingredient and new dish. They then make the pledge to “eat boldly,” which earns them the Sriracha Seeker stamp. Passport holders who earn the stamp will receive their offer via email within one business day.
The new Pei Wei Asian Diner in Laguna Niguel is located at 27321 La Paz Road.
