the buzz log

First Starbucks. Now this. With out so much as a word of warning, Bennigan's Grill & Tavern has thrown in the laminated menu. The chain filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy today and immediately closed all its company-owned stores. (Independently owned franchises will remain open.)

The reaction to the eatery's sudden shuttering has rattled casual diners everywhere. Demand for "bennigans" boosted the chain into the top spiking searches for the day, a place we can confidently say the faux-Irish pub has never ventured before.

In Buzz, several sources cited the restaurant's rivals. "Apparently, it couldn't compete with Chili's, Applebee's and the like," sniffed a blogger at The Dallas Morning News. "After three hundred and twenty-two devoted years of deep frying sandwiches," Gawker quipped, "Bennigan's Grill & Tavern, known to some as Not-Applebee's, is shuttering most of its locations."

There's one thing that Applebee's never had on the Big B: its baked potato soup. For years now, home chefs have turned to the Web for the secrets to Bennigan's classic Irish chowder. We could go for a bowl now.

Filed under: Restaurants

Ordering food can be tricky business, fraught with bad decisions and second-guessing. One way to ensure you know what to do before you place your order is to perform a little menu research on the Web.

Before we dove into the data, we imagined menu searches might be a delectable amuse-bouche to whet our palate. It turned out that they were more along the line of deep-fried appetizers with three kinds of dippin' sauce.

Well, you can't have everything. Or perhaps you can. We looked over the top 20 menu searches for the week and examined the wares of these fine establishments. In parentheses is what we would order if presented with the menu. If you disagree with our choices, please feel free to let us know...

1. Pizza Hut Menu (Stuffed Crust with pepperoni)
2. Taco Bell Menu (3 Double Decker Tacos)
3. Olive Garden Menu (Unlimited! refills of Garden Salad)
4. McDonald's Menu (2 Egg McMuffins)
5. Outback Steakhouse Menu (3 Bloomin' Onions with extra dippin' sauce)
6. Chili's Menu (Quesadilla Explosion)
7. Jason's Deli Menu (BLT—hold the mayo)
8. Jack in the Box Menu (Bacon Bacon Cheesburger with Curly Fries)
9. Red Lobster Menu (Admiral's Feast)
10. Wendy's Menu (Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Chocolate Frosty)
11. KFC Menu (Six-Piece Extra Crispy)
12. Subway Menu (6 inch Turkey on Honey Oat)
13. Domino's Pizza Menu (Buffalo Chicken Kickers and Cinna Stix)
14. Applebee's Menu (Chicken Fingers Platter)
15. Cheesecake Factory Menu (Kobe Burger)
16. Waffle House Menu (Bert's Chili)
17. Burger King Menu (Texas Double Whopper)
18. IHOP Menu (Original Buttermilk Pancakes)
19. Panera Bread Menu (Turkey Caprese Sandwich)
20. Starbucks Menu (Venti Soy Chai)

Filed under: Food, Restaurants, Menus

Seduction isn't always easy, even for me, the Jazzy Cat. Choosing where to wine and dine your object of desire requires thought. Pick a joint too fancy, and you'll come off like a desperate dweeb. Take her to a place with paper napkins, and your lips will be lonely the rest of the night.

So, to help all you jive turkeys pick a proper place, I've assembled this list of eateries ranked according to Search. I don't recommend dining exclusively at chain restaurants, but it's a fact that free refills are as effective an aphrodisiac as oysters. And while I don't need the help, you might.

The top searched-on restaurants and how to behave in each...

1. Olive Garden: Rule number one—any place with free bread is classy. If you're a muscle-shirt kind of guy, make sure to wear one that's clean and isn't of the "co-ed naked" variety.
2. Applebee's: They're "part of the neighborhood," so act accordingly. Give your server a hug before you leave and promise to write.
3. Outback Steakhouse: Insist your waiter speak with an Australian accent. It'll impress your date and endear you to the server.
4. Chili's: This one's more of a family restaurant than a date place. Maybe save it for when you're ready to propose.
5. T.G.I. Friday's: While you may be tempted to marvel at the imitation antique signage, it's important to play it cool. Act like you've seen a street sign before.

Filed under: Food and Drink, Romance, Restaurants