Mexican Chain Qdoba Is Testing Faux Meat Items at Michigan Restaurants

Nationwide chain tests faux meat alternatives

Fast-casual Mexican chain Qdoba has begun testing Impossible-brand faux meat menu items at its Michigan restaurants. Impossible is known for its “bleeding” vegetarian burgers made with plant protein called heme. The new items are available in metro Detroit, Flint, Lansing, and Traverse City locations now through April 2019, according to a Qdoba rep. They include an Impossible Bowl with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, queso, pico de gallo, gauc, and seasoned Impossible meat as well as an Impossible taco with a corn tortilla and Impossible meat with red onions, cilantro, and salsa verde. Qdoba is the latest chain to work with Impossible. The company previously introduced its Impossible slider patties nationwide with White Castle. The beef industry, meanwhile, is fighting back against using the word “meat” to describe bleeding veggie patties.

Landmark burger restaurant celebrates a big milestone

One of metro Detroit’s most prize classic burger restaurants Bates Hamburgers is marking a big milestone of 60 years in business on Thursday, February 14. The restaurant — one of a handful of iconic white, diner-style burger stands in the area — plans to resurrect its old-school pricing scheme for the anniversary with 60-cent burgers and 75-cent cheeseburgers.

Garden Fresh Salsa founder hatches plan to buy back the business

After selling Ferndale-based Garden Fresh Salsa to Campbell’s Soup in 2015 for $231 million, cofounder Jack Aronson is angling to buy back the company. Aronson hopes to keep the company in Oakland County as Campbell’s looks to refocus on more shelf-stable products.

Midwest taco chain expands to Royal Oak

Columbus, Ohio-based taco chain Condado Tacos is opening its first Michigan location in Royal Oak this spring in the former B Spot space at 310 S. Main St., Hour Detroit reports. Condado is known for serving build-your-own tacos with fillings ranging from ghost pepper steak to shrimp ceviche to vegan barbecued pulled jackfruit.

Southwest Detroit hotspot adds lunch

Flowers of Vietnam is now serving lunch. The paired down menu is available at the restaurant and for delivery from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. As an added bonus, the restaurant will now be serving banh mi. In the evenings on Wednesdays, wine drinkers can count on bottles under $100 available for 30 to 40 percent-off.

Brewery trade magazine embroiled in controversy over sexist “parody” article

Trade magazine Great Lakes Brewing News is deservedly facing uproar over an article written by publisher Bill Metzger in a recent issue, Mickey Lyons reports in Metro Times. In the article Metzger writes:

Like most men, I struggle with my primal self. It’s genetic. Put in Freudian terms, the battle between my id and my superego can be epic. And in the age of #metoo, the dilemma has grown. The pendulum has swung too far. One aggressive move and a man’s career can derail. I feel the walls closing around me, my room to move shrinking.

The publication later issued a statement on describing the column as a parody that accidentally ran without a disclaimer. The mag’s readership was not amused.

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