Delicious, Delightful Dining

Lake Osceola, Winter Park, Florida
Picture credit: Hugh C. Leighton

 

Two stories on our local news this morning, are reason for Florida food lovers to celebrate, as both involve great food and great places to eat it.

As if they were reading the collective minds of all of their customers, one of our favorite places to eat, Chipotle, has announced that they are now serving zero GMO foods at their restaurants.

Chipotle has become, after living in California for over 30 years, my favorite place here for Mexican food.

They have many excellent, healthy choices of great food that is carefully watched over and most delicious.

This is just a beginning, hopefully many, or all Global eateries will soon follow their exemplary example.

Those in the food serving industry can no longer afford to insult or offend their customers and this latest move by a big chain member, is a positive response for the greater good, unlike the negative one last year by Subway, when they were accused by a Blogger with a terse expose concerning the quite nasty rubber mat ingredient, azodicarbonamide, which was found in their bread, forcing them to quickly back pedal and remove the foreign substance.

This latest move by Chipotle is in keeping with the company’s long time mantra of serving clean, safe, healthy food.

It is becoming increasingly apparent, that when we the people, speak with one loud and clear voice, companies DO respond!

Locally, the trendy and elegant town of Winter Park, a favorite dining and shopping destination for so many, has announced that they are petitioning all restaurants in the town to go  ” Smoke Free.”

The voluntary initiative called  “Breathe Free Winter Park”  is already quite a success, with roughly 25 eateries already on board.

This is a very smart move for all involved, as absolutely no one should have to breathe smoke when they are eating.

Clean air, is better for the consumers and better for those who work in the industry.

My only complaint about this delightful, little shopping paradise, which I find on par with many of the best in California, is the ugly parking situation.

The town fathers simply must find a solution to this, somehow.

Yes, there is a Chipotle in Winter Park on the corner of 17/92 and Fairbanks and once the parking issues are solved and our food no longer has any GMO’s in them, we can all enjoy delicious, delightful dining!

 

Places to learn more:

Chipotle Completes Plan to Remove GMOs From All Ingredients

Chipotle nixes genetically modified ingredients from its menu

Chipotle is now GMO-free

Winter Park aims to be first city in Central Florida with all smoke-free restaurants

Winter Park program would make restaurants entirely smoke-free

Winter Park wants restaurants to offer ‘smoke-free’ patios

 

No New Ideas Needed

A McDonald’s in Norway
Picture credit: Ken

 

It all started out innocently enough.

I was going through my email this morning and saw a new petition for McDonald’s.

This particular petition was about something that I personally have been nagging them about for years, or every single time that I went there, which by the way, in the past few years has been less and less.

I do not like meat or hamburgers and have repeatedly suggested to them that they might want to consider making some sort of meatless or veggie burger, as several of their competitors have already done.

Even better, to introduce a few Organic items!

Each and every time I was met with the same blank stare and ” ok, we will suggest it…”

In California, we who don’t like meat are not a minority, we are a strong group with many voices in high places, like the countless celebrities who also choose not to eat animals and love Organic Foods.

This petition was written by a woman in California who was asking a huge company, which at the present time is all over the news for its financial woes, to consider making a meatless burger.

The Company is cutting their Dollar meals, shuffling their vast menu, and has had a somewhat dismal showing for the past two years, many say.

They have had issues with China and meat and a variety of other embarrassing issues.

None has been very good for their image.

So, I was delighted to go and see this new petition and to absolutely sign it and support it.

However, when I got there, it seems that the desired numbers had already been reached.

Well, that’s very good news and there was also a letter from the author with suggestions for other things to do in support of the Petition and all the necessary details were included in it.

As I don’t do Twitter and wanted to go beyond just posting it on my FB page,  I  then, as suggested, called the company directly.

What happened next is the honest truth, you cannot make this stuff up.

I dialed the number, it rang and a pleasant computer asked me to make a choice of directions to be transferred to next.

I listened to all of the different choices and finally selected  ” suggest new ideas.”

This is the response, or answer that the computer gave me, I swear on my beloved Grandmother.

” I’m sorry, but McDonald’s does not accept any new ideas from anyone who does not work for the company.”

End quote!

Umm,  McDonald’s, I think I see the problem and why your sales and profits may be going down the proverbial drain.

You obviously do not listen, nor care what your customers think.

And you don’t want any ” new ideas “  from those who just happen to pay your salaries.

 

Eureka, It’s Organic Bread!

Picture credit:  Eureka Organic Bread
“Worth Its Weight in Gold!”

 

If like me, you prefer and choose Organic Foods, you are more than just a little annoyed at the usual poor, or quite limited choices that are available in so many places still.

Especially here in what those of us from the West Coast often call, the Twilight Shopping Zone of Florida.

Since I began buying Organic Foods here, one much-loved item, has continued to remain elusive.

And until today was at the top of my list for first choice, thanks in part to my Dear Irish Grandmother, who had stuffed my fat little cheeks full, since I was able to sit up, this missing item was BREAD!

As I began this story today, I had not found any Organic Bread at the places here in Central Florida, where I/we normally shop.

That would be Wal Mart, Publix and a few other stores.

So seeing this story this morning was reason to cheer and share this great news with all of you.

Hello East Coast, Organic Bread is being delivered to a store near you as we speak.

Hooray, Organic Bread is finally available to the masses!

This Bread is USDA Organic, Certified Vegan and has no junk in it, that is a very good start.

Have just gone to their great website and used their handy product finder.

Glory be, this Bread is now at every Publix store in my area here in Florida.

Hallelujah.

This new Bread will be now and forever be included on my grocery list on every future shopping sojourn.

The three new choices include, my favorite before I even taste it, Grainiac,  Saaa – Wheat and Seeds the Day.

The Organic line of this wonderful company began in California, of course, in 2012.

Their Facebook Page is awesome and a link to it is below.

What a great way to introduce this completely wholesome, healthy Organic Bread, to the legions of us who have waited for so long.

The Company claims that their Organic Bread is:
” worth its weight in Gold.”

PS: Don’t let that guy on the package scare you, he really is quite harmless~

Actually, Nicole just told me that he is Archimedes the Ancient Greek God and the source of  the famous California saying:  ” Eureka I have found it.!”

Thank you Nicole for permission to use this awesome logo~

Eureka, it’s Organic Bread!

 

Places to learn more:

Eureka! Organic Bread Makes Its Debut On The East Coast

Discover more about Eureka! Organic Breads, visit www.EurekaBakingCompany

Their Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/EurekaBread

Eureka Bread

Eureka Grainiac Organic Bread