THE DISH: New taquito chain rolls into Kern County
Taquitos are a popular dish at many Mexican restaurants but what if they were the main feature rather than the side dish?
That's the premise of Roll-Em-Up Taquitos, a growing taquito-centric, street casual restaurant franchise that just opened a location in Lebec across the freeway from the Outlets at Tejon.
The new location is one of five that the chain is opening in California (Lakewood, Palm Desert and Rancho Cucamonga) and Texas (Houston) in the next 30 days, according to Restaurant News.
“We hand roll our taquitos made from a family recipe that my mom taught me growing up,” Ryan Usrey, co-founder of Roll-Em-Up Taquitos said in a news release. “We have the facility that follows these exacting standards and takes the tedious prep out of the franchisee’s hands.
Taquitos are available in flour or corn with a choice of five fillings: beef, chicken, ground beef, cheese or potato. They can be ordered in sets of two to five and also as combos. There are also party packs of 25 to 100 taquitos, which come with shredded cheese and a variety of sauces for topping.
Roll-Em_Up's menu also includes nachos, street corn, churro doughnuts and other side offerings.
The Lebec store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 5602 Dennis McCarthy Drive #A. Visit rollemup.com for more information.
BJ's giving back
This month, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (10750 Stockdale Highway) partnered again with the Alzheimer's Association for Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month.
Now through June 30, guests can donate to the Alzheimer's Association through their dine-in or takeout order. With a minimum donation of $1, they will receive a coupon for a free Pizookie for their next visit, valid through July 31.
A superhero culinary team-up
Deadpool may be known for his love of chimichangas but it's an affiliated pizza that fans can get their hands on this month.
DiGiorno teamed up with Marvel Studios in a collaboration on "chaotic good pizza" in promotion of the upcoming "Deadpool & Wolverine."
“DiGiorno is always looking for ways to tap into mainstream culture by pushing culinary boundaries through unique innovations and flavors, from our recent Thanksgiving Pizza to our all-onion ‘cry-pie,’ and we are now introducing our latest, most chaotic pies yet,” Kimberly Holowiak, senior brand manager for DiGiorno said in a news release.
Not only will four exclusive pizzas themed around the trilogy hit stores but fans will have a chance to win a variety of prizes.
Described as "Cheesy. Spicy. Saucy. Wildly inappropriate," the classic crust varieties are:
The Wade Special: A sweet and salty combo "not just for mercs," made with pineapple and black olives to pay homage to Wade Wilson’s pizza in the first film;
Gimme Chimi: A chimichanga-inspired pizza that is "a fiesta for your tastebuds," topped with spicy cumin sauce, beef topping, jalapeno, and cheddar and mozzarella cheeses;
Spicy Wolvie Pie: "Crafted with Wolverine and other meat lovers in mind," the pie includes pepperoni, chorizo and bacon; and
Maximum Pep: Made "with maximum flavor and zero regrets — just like Deadpool’s decisions" — the pie is stacked with sliced and diced pepperoni.
Every flavor (except for the Spicy Wolvie Pie) comes with a back-of-the-box bonus:
Other than the Spicy Wolvie, all flavors offer a cut-out Deadpool mask on the pizza box as a bonus for fans.
The limited-edition pizzas are expected to retail for $6.49 (prices may vary by retailer).
Pizza lovers can enter to win an epic adventure of their own in the "Stakes For A Slice Of The Pie."
Now through Aug. 26, visit DiGiorno.com/deadpoolandwolverine for a chance to win an assortment of prizes.
Up for grabs are "Pizzaccessories," limited-edition gear that is "almost as hot as a fresh, out of the oven DiGiorno pizza," and Fandango movie tickets to see the film in theaters starting July 26.
One lucky winner will enjoy a pizza party in Los Angeles, where they and a friend will receive the "ultimate trip of a regenerative lifetime," including a private chef whipping up the DiGiorno limited-edition pizzas and a stunt masterclass where the winner will learn slick katana combat moves.
Cheeseburger, cheeseburger!
Speaking of pizzas, a number of chains are aiming to compete against the growing burger business with special offerings.
The theme is cheeseburger, with some spots going all out
Pizza Hut just launched a cheeseburger melt, crusted with Parmesan and loaded with beef, applewood-smoked bacon, onions, mozzarella and cheddar, served with burger sauce on the side.
Mountain Mike's will soon release its All-American Cheeseburger Pizza as well as a similarly patriotic-themed Apple of My Pie dessert pizza.
And Papa Johns just brought back its Cheesy Burger Pizza, which is also available as a Cheesy Burger Papadia and the new Cheesy Burger Papa Bites.
Of course, this is nothing new to local pizza spots that already have a cheeseburger pizza on their menu like Zeppo's Pizza (9510 Hageman Road, Suite A), Jerry's Pizza & Pub (1817 Chester Ave.), Pizza Twist (3150 Panama Lane, Suite A) and Best Slice Pizza (1010 Chester Ave.).
Netflix and don't spill!
In promotion of its summer lineup of movies, shows and games, Netflix announced a partnership with Popcorn Indiana on Now Popping.
Available at Walmart, the new ready-to-eat popcorn line comes in flavors like Cult Classic Cheddar Kettle Corn and Swoonworthy Cinnamon Kettle Corn.
The streaming service also has new searchable categories to dial in their summer viewing. Viewers can choose from Summer Break (movies and TV shows set during the summer), Summer Family Fun (programming for all ages), Summer Vacation Research (titles set in "beachy paradises and bustling cities around the world"), Summer Love (light, romantic stories set against sunny backdrops), Summer Party Vibes (programs evoking the festive, high-energy atmosphere of summer celebrations), Explosive Summer Action (Intense at-home summer movie spectacles) and The Endless Tour (music and concert documentaries for your summer playlist or festival FOMO).