Thursday, June 16, 2016

"People Exclusive: Outback Is Upgrading the Bloomin’ Onion in a Major Way"

I considered going with some snarky 'Innovation!' headline but that felt like piling on.
In any case, People mag thought so much of this story they ran two articles beginning with the Exclusive:

People greatideas
06/14/2016 at 10:00 AM ET
People Exclusive: Outback Is Upgrading the Bloomin’ Onion in a Major Way
Bloomin'
Do you ever find yourself eating something delicious, but then wishing there were french fries, cheese and bacon loaded on top of it?


If you have, you’ll find this news thrilling: Outback Steakhouse is upgrading their iconic Bloomin’ Onion — a giant deep-fried glob of seasoned onion goodness — by topping it with their Aussie Cheese Fries, bacon and spicy ranch dressing. The new menu item, called the Loaded Bloom clocks in at a whopping 2,360 calories — which is not in the least bit surprising.
RELATED: How to Make Your Own Bloomin’ Onion

The Loaded Bloom will hit restaurants on June 21st and, we should warn you, it’s meant for sharing, so make sure to bring a large group of friends (or your whole building.)

We’re sure Chrissy Teigen — a longtime fan of the appetizer — is going to freak out about it. She’s even Insta’d it, with the all-caps cation: “AT OUTBACK.”...MORE
And, a bit over 25 hours later:

06/15/2016 at 11:09 AM ET
We Tried It (First): Outback’s New 2,360 Calorie Loaded Bloomin’ Onion
Loaded Bloom
Maria Yagoda
What Is It: Outback Steakhouse’s New Loaded Bloom Appetizer
Who Tried It: Maria Yagoda, PEOPLE Features Writer-Reporter

There are a handful of foods, like a sombrero filled with tortilla chips or a log of nut-studded cheese, that instantly signify party.

The new Loaded Onion Bloom, Outback Steakhouse’s limited-time upgrade to their beloved Bloomin’ Onion appetizer, is one of those foods. The golden orb of seasoned fried onion, stuffed with cheesy bacon fries and served with both ranch and “bloom sauce,” is one of the more indulgent items you’ll ever encounter. I had the opportunity to have an exclusive first taste of the new appetizer, which becomes available to the public on June 21st, and the experience was … pretty magical....MUCH MORE, including the human interest angle, photojournalism, sidebars, team reporting, analysis, video, and...
 wait, a nut-studded cheese log?