Breakfast Battle

Hi there. I noticed this blog has been neglected by Alice. I know she's cooking up a report of our recent New Year's Eve Extravaganza, though.

I read in this week's NY Times about something rather...well...interesting.

Starbucks vs McDonalds. Yep.

I don't do either, but it brought back an episode off Oishinbo.

That super culinary manga my sister and I both enjoy. In one of the episodes, Yamaoka must come up with a perfect recipe for an Izakaya in order to save his manager from an all-nighter part time job he had taken on. Yamaoka first comes up with typical Izakaya food, like small mushroom pie, chicken hot pots, etc.

The Izakaya owner rejects the recipes, calling the creations an insult, since being and Izakaya owner, he could have created these himself. The owner wanted something special, something only Yamaoka, the planner of the "Exquisite Menu" can make!

So Yamaoka goes back to the drawing board, comes back with boat loads of sweets, noodles, and other starchy items, as desserts. He says, Izakaya certainly have good drinks and foods to go with drinks, but lacks the final dish to end the evening. Something to tie up the feast.

If you think about it, Izakaya or not, after a long night of drinking, most Americans & Canadians (well at least the ones I know) finish off with a slice of Pizza. In Toronto, for a long time, a greasy Chinese food cart, known as "Mr. Pong" served greasy egg rolls and Lo Mein noodles right outside night clubs. And it's so true! Most Izakaya or bars don't offer this kind of "something-something" to close the night! What a waste of revenue! If your establishment served that, it's that much more income.

So when Starbucks noticed their customers trotting off to McDonald's next door for an Egg McMuffin after purchasing their Double Mocha Soy Decaf Latte (or whatever else wierdness they sell) decided to strengthen their food section. I don't know about other Starbucks, but the one near my work only serves scary looking muffins and awfully large scones.

On the other hand, McDonald's decided to strengthen their coffee selection, when they finally noticed that people with Starbucks concoction walking in to order their Hashbrowns. I don't know about yours, but the McDonald's I've encountered on the NY Thruway offers AWFUL coffee...it's excessively hot and meaninglessly black.

So this whole Breakfast challenge started. Who would keep more customers at one establishment for both items - coffee & food.

Which would you choose?

PS: I'd take a trip to Tim Horton's (aka Timmy's) . Warm, freshly baked blueberry bagles with Timmy's coffee. :D They sell out quick, so you need to go before the corporate people get to it!!