chick-fil-a

• Chick-fil-A's the latest chain to board the oatmeal bandwagon. — Nation's Restaurant News
• Throw a Spanish cocktail party! — The Daily Meal
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama is on Masterchef Australia. — Grub Street NY
• New takes on the British classic fish and chips. — KitchenDaily
• How to do it right when dining out with the in-laws. — Food Republic
• Meet the couple making a 10-state tour of all 722 Whataburgers. — Eater
• Use zucchini and yellow squash in a Summer casserole. — TLC
• Is Quiznos in a bit of a financial pickle? — Huffington Post Food

Source: Flickr User punctuated

Last year, Heinz unveiled a newly redesigned packet that allowed condiment lovers to choose between squeezing or dipping when it came to enjoying ketchup. Now, Heinz's dual-function ketchup packet has partnered with Chick-fil-A to celebrate with Free FryDay.

From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time today, ask for Heinz's new Dip & Squeeze packet, and you'll receive a free medium order of Chick-fil-A waffle fries (one per customer).

The two brands are encouraging fans to follow both Heinz Ketchup and Chick-fil-A on Facebook for more prizes. I rarely turn down anything that's free, but this does seem like a timely promotion, especially after all the heat Chick-fil-A's been getting for taking a conservative stance on certain social issues. Will you partake in it?

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It's only the beginning of January, and one restaurant chain's already embroiled in the biggest poultry fast food controversy since Oprah offered millions free KFC. In Pennsylvania, Chick-fil-A has been under fire for supporting an anti-gay group.

The controversy surrounds the chicken chain's cosponsoring of an event with the Pennsylvania Family Institute, a leading opponent of same-sex marriage that's said to have affiliations with conversion therapy proponents. In response, tens of thousands of Americans have petitioned against the sponsorship.The conservative chain, which is known for keeping its doors shut on Sundays, has removed its name from any event materials and has issued a short statement as well on its Facebook page saying that it's determined "one of our independent restaurant operators in Pennsylvania was asked to provide sandwiches to two Art of Marriage video seminars . . . we do our best to serve local communities."

Where do you stand on the issue? Is it right for restaurants and food establishments to take an active stance on touchy social issues?

Source: Flickr User j.reed

What's better than a warm biscuit topped with spicy breaded chicken? Getting it totally gratis. In the New Year, drive-thru poultry king Chick-fil-A hopes to join in on the fast food breakfast wars with a biscuit sandwich filled with amped-up breaded chicken.

Starting today, you can make a reservation to try one for free by signing up on the event website. The $2.25 item won't be added to the Atlanta-based chain's menu until Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, but choose your preferred location and time, and you'll be given a chance to take an early look at the sandwich from Jan. 3 to Jan. 8.

It'll be interesting to how well this product fares against a rather similar one at Wendy's, and whether it helps Chick-fil-A gain a piece of the ever-competitive breakfast market. If you have a chance to preview the item, let us know what you think!

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• Must make: all-natural, homemade cheese sauce. — Serious Eats
• The 16 restaurants that have mattered most, from 1995 to today. — Epicurious
• Q&A with Twitter mashup and Chow 13 nominee Ruth Bourdain. — Chow
• The first-ever Chick-fil-A hits Chicago, with more already on the way. — Grub Street
• Jamie and Jools Oliver have welcomed a new son, Buddy Bear Maurice. — Eater
• In the age of the gastroclub, restaurants are the new nightlife. — Details
• The forthcoming Noma cookbook is attainable and inspiring. — The Atlantic Food
• Would you eat a Domino's Square Puff pizza? — So Good

Yet another reason to love Labor Day? Free food. To commemorate its second annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff football game, which takes place Sept. 5, fast food chain Chick-fil-A is giving out free Original Chicken Sandwiches to any customer wearing sports-related apparel on Labor Day, Sept. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The promo, which takes place at Chick-fil-A locations nationwide, states that acceptable sports clothing includes any article or accessory with a sports team logo. Not a sports fan? There's still a way for you to score: Go to this spinoff website and sign up to receive a coupon for a free sandwich. If you're one of the first 250,000, you'll also land a coupon for a free Coke Zero.

I no longer live near a Chick-fil-A, but if I were nearby, I'd definitely be in for one of the chain's signature crispy chicken sandwiches. What about you?

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