FIRST LOOK / Brightline’s New Siemens Mobility Trainsets

The newest Venture trainset for Brightline debuted Sept. 28 at the Siemens Mobility North American manufacturing headquarters in Sacramento, Calif.; it will depart for South Florida next week. 

A second new trainset is expected to leave California a few weeks later and arrive in Orlando in mid-November. 

Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger rail operator, placed a Phase 2 trainset order with Siemens Mobility for its planned extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando. It includes five sets—each comprising four coaches and two Charger diesel-electric locomotives (one at each end)—plus an additional Charger unit. The Chargers meet Tier 4 emissions standards with Cummins QSK95 prime-movers. The order also includes an option for 30 additional coaches.

\

READ MORE >>>

FYI / 7 Most Disliked Menu Items at Major Fast-Food Chains

Even the most popular fast-food chains are going to have a menu item that is anything but beloved—an item that is, in fact, outright unpopular. And we've scoured the internet to find out which items are garnering the wrath of naysayers more so than others. Disdain for some of these items makes sense, as they represent the brand's departure from its core offerings. In other cases, it's rather a shock how poorly a given menu item is received, considering it isn't much different from the rest of the chain's menu. Here are some of the items that customers love to hate. 

1. Arby's Creamy Mediterranean Chicken Wrap 

2. Panera's Bacon Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich 

3. McDonald's Filet-O-Fish 

4. Wendy's Chili 

5. Subway Tuna Sandwich 

6. Chick-fil-A Hash Browns 

7. Chipotle's Queso

READ MORE Eat This Not That >>>

EVENT / Taste Of Octoberfest - Lantana

A Taste of Oktoberfest, 3-11 p.m. Oct. 9 and Oct. 16; and noon-8 p.m. Oct. 10 and Oct. 17. American German Club of the Palm Beaches, 5111 Lantana Road, Lake Worth; 561-967-6464. Advance reservations only. 

OktoberfestFlorida.com. $7-$10; tickets online only due to limited capacity.

This year’s event, “A Taste of Oktoberfest – Our 47th Year” will feature fantastic Oktoberfest bands from across the U.S., along with dance performances, pipes & drums and more. Great food ad much more

WEBSITE >>>

FUNDRAISER / Eat Your Heart Out a culinary ‘fun-raiser’ for foster children / Galleria Mall

“Eat Your Heart Out,” the lip-smacking culinary extravaganza with a heart of its own.The eighth-annual event will return to The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale from 6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 7, serving up a bounty of gourmet bites and libations from some of the area’s most enticing restaurants. There will also be celebrity servers, live entertainment and a silent auction.

Participating restaurants are Andy’s Live Fire Grill + Bar, Anthony’s Runway 84, Boatyard, The Capital Grille, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, Culinary Republic, Dunkin’, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Lips Fort Lauderdale, Funky Buddha Brewery, Moksha Indian Brasserie, Press & Grind Juicery and Coffee Bar, Riverside Market and Cafe, Seasons 52, Sicilian Oven, Sweeter Days Bake Shop, Takato, Tarpon River Brewing, and Tulio’s Tacos and Tequila Bar.

READ MORE Sun Sentinel >>>
>

Reba McEntire Introduces James to Corn Dogs

What You Should Look For When Buying Eggs and How to Tell if They Are Fresh

REVIEW / the Deck On 13th - Wilton Manors / Rick SFGN

 I really tried to like The Deck on 13th, finally open along the 13th Street corridor, just down the street from Milk Money and The Pride Factory. That area is working so hard to become something. The problem is it just doesn’t know what. The same could be said for The Deck on 13th. I live in this area and am grateful that co-owner J.J. Rojas (along with Laura Serrano) has done something to improve this space. Rojas says her confidence in the potential of 13th Street never wavered. “We saw that the street had a purpose. The vision of the landlord, the vision of the community ... We needed the street and the street needed us. It was a mission,” she says.

READ MORE >>>

GRAND OPENING / "Jollibee" (Filipino Chicken) Pembroke Pines, Florida

Sept 29, 2021 - We traveled from Deerfield Beach to Pembroke Pines (30 minutes transit time) for the opening day of this famous our very own Filipino food chain, Jollibee.

Located at 11029 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, FL 33026 (within the Pembroke Lakes Square shopping center), Jollibee will be open seven days a week, from 8AM – 10PM daily, and offer indoor dining beginning on opening day. Jollibee is best known for its delicious take on an American favorite – fried chicken – which it serves in a variety of ways. For those who are craving something new, Jollibee offers a host of Filipino-inspired "classics", which capture the brand's unique heritage and cultural culinary appeal

  -------------------

 

Jollibee's signature menu items include: 

• Chickenjoy (Original or Spicy): Jollibee's signature fried chicken is available in original or spicy and is delicately hand-breaded to create a crispy exterior, pressure fried for maximum juiciness and marinated to the bone to provide next level flavor. Complement each and every bite with a side of silky, savory gravy.
• Original Jollibee Chickenwich: Slow-marinated, crispy, juicy double hand-breaded chicken breast fillet, spread with umami mayo and served on a toasted brioche bun.
• Spicy Jollibee Chickenwich: Features a sriracha mayo and is served with fresh jalapeños for added crunch and heat.
• Jolly Spaghetti: This dish, beloved by adults and kids alike, features a signature sweet-style sauce loaded with chunky slices of savory ham and hotdog and is topped with a generous sprinkle of cheese.
• Peach Mango Pie: No meal is complete without this dessert that is made with peaches, real Philippine mangoes and features an irresistibly light and crispy crust.

PROFILE / Halloween Baking Championship Features Two South Florida Chefs

 Nicole Proske remembers when the Food Network first got in touch.

"I saw the message on my Instagram account and thought it was a prank," she tells New Times. "I had thought about applying for one of their competitions a few times, but had always felt insecure about my talent."

Proske, who's 24 and works as a cake artist at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, decided to follow up. From there, all it took was a cake demo and images of her baking skills for her to become the youngest of ten contestants in season seven of Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship.

READ MORE >>>

FYI / These 45 Fast-Food Chains Earn the Most Per Restaurant