Wendy's floats a cool new idea
It's a twist on the vanilla Frosty that requires a spoon and straw
By KEN HOFFMAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
This week I reached out for a Vanilla Frosty Float, new at America's No. 3 burger chain, Wendy's, which has 6,300 restaurants coast to coast.
Frostys are a little bit weird. Frosty is the name of Wendy's soft-frozen treat. It's a dairy product, but it isn't ice cream. It's similar to Dairy Queen's famed Soft Serve, easy on the calories and fat, except not as smooth and creamy.
It's served in a drink cup. It's thicker than a milkshake, so you really need a spoon. I like to squeeze the cup and let it gush into my mouth. Have napkins ready in case of a landslide.
Even Wendy's has a hard time putting a label on its Frosty. I asked, is a Frosty a dessert or a drink?
It's both.
Huh? But that's exactly what a Frosty is both.
Here's the blueprint of a Vanilla Frosty Float: a 20-ounce cup of any icy soft drink that Wendy's offers on tap, with a big glop of vanilla Frosty in it.
Here's a tip: Stick with Coke or Barq's root beer for your float. Sprite and orange or strawberry don't work nearly as well. If your Wendy's sells a Gatorade-type drink, don't even think about it.
Frosty Floats are served with a straw. That's fine for the soda part, but don't try to suck the scoop of Frosty through a straw. You'll blow out your spleen.
Total calories: 410; fat: 10 grams; dietary fiber: none; carbs: 68 grams. Manufacturer's suggested retail price: $1.99.
Wendy's introduced the Frosty in the late '60s; it's always been on the menu right from the start of Wendy's. But here's where the Frosty differs from Dairy Queen.
Vanilla Soft Serve rules at DQ, but until 2006 Wendy's served only chocolate Frostys. Wendy's introduced Vanilla Frostys last year, and now vanilla accounts for 40 percent of Frosty sales.
Wendy's doesn't pull a fast one with its vanilla and chocolate Frostys. They are made in different machines. Chocolate isn't just vanilla with a squirt of Hershey's syrup.
You'll notice that Wendy's is clearly pushing vanilla in its Frosty Floats. You can have your float with a chocolate Frosty, but you have to order off the menu.
There's something about vanilla that makes it go better in an ice-cream soda or float or any combination dessert drink.
Most places use vanilla ice cream in a chocolate milkshake, which makes no sense to me. I like them as chocolaty as possible.
Want to go overboard? Ask that your chocolate milkshake be made with double dark chocolate ice cream (or chocolate Frosty) and hot fudge. Gulp sensibly.
It's a twist on the vanilla Frosty that requires a spoon and straw
By KEN HOFFMAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
This week I reached out for a Vanilla Frosty Float, new at America's No. 3 burger chain, Wendy's, which has 6,300 restaurants coast to coast.
Frostys are a little bit weird. Frosty is the name of Wendy's soft-frozen treat. It's a dairy product, but it isn't ice cream. It's similar to Dairy Queen's famed Soft Serve, easy on the calories and fat, except not as smooth and creamy.
It's served in a drink cup. It's thicker than a milkshake, so you really need a spoon. I like to squeeze the cup and let it gush into my mouth. Have napkins ready in case of a landslide.
Even Wendy's has a hard time putting a label on its Frosty. I asked, is a Frosty a dessert or a drink?
It's both.
Huh? But that's exactly what a Frosty is both.
Here's the blueprint of a Vanilla Frosty Float: a 20-ounce cup of any icy soft drink that Wendy's offers on tap, with a big glop of vanilla Frosty in it.
Here's a tip: Stick with Coke or Barq's root beer for your float. Sprite and orange or strawberry don't work nearly as well. If your Wendy's sells a Gatorade-type drink, don't even think about it.
Frosty Floats are served with a straw. That's fine for the soda part, but don't try to suck the scoop of Frosty through a straw. You'll blow out your spleen.
Total calories: 410; fat: 10 grams; dietary fiber: none; carbs: 68 grams. Manufacturer's suggested retail price: $1.99.
Wendy's introduced the Frosty in the late '60s; it's always been on the menu right from the start of Wendy's. But here's where the Frosty differs from Dairy Queen.
Vanilla Soft Serve rules at DQ, but until 2006 Wendy's served only chocolate Frostys. Wendy's introduced Vanilla Frostys last year, and now vanilla accounts for 40 percent of Frosty sales.
Wendy's doesn't pull a fast one with its vanilla and chocolate Frostys. They are made in different machines. Chocolate isn't just vanilla with a squirt of Hershey's syrup.
You'll notice that Wendy's is clearly pushing vanilla in its Frosty Floats. You can have your float with a chocolate Frosty, but you have to order off the menu.
There's something about vanilla that makes it go better in an ice-cream soda or float or any combination dessert drink.
Most places use vanilla ice cream in a chocolate milkshake, which makes no sense to me. I like them as chocolaty as possible.
Want to go overboard? Ask that your chocolate milkshake be made with double dark chocolate ice cream (or chocolate Frosty) and hot fudge. Gulp sensibly.
