An AEI intern asked me the other day if the fast-food litigation might have had the side benefit of causing the fast-food restaurants to offer healthier options. I suggested it was more the whims of focus group marketing: fast-food restaurants have been introducing revolutionary new healthier options for decades before fast-food litigation (the Wendy's Salad Bar! the McLean Sandwich! the Border Light!) until the next focus group tells them that they're more interested in tastier food, at which point Burger King ditches the baguette sandwiches and rolls out the four-patty BK Stacker. I might as well have mentioned the KFC Famous Bowl, a conglomeration of mashed potatoes, corn, fried chicken nuggets, gravy, and multiple cheeses:

Why not go all the way and top the Famous Bowls with an apple pie and pour Coca-Cola over them? To save customers the struggle to pocket their change at the drive-thru, why not throw it on top as well? If the product developers thought Famous Bowls were a good idea, I have two words for them: chicken smoothie.

I've decided that I'm not going to date 25-year-olds any more.

Speaking of which, I took Slim to Maestro (Tyson's Corner) for her birthday. Based on an earlier meal there, I would have called it the best restaurant in the DC area, but this time around was relatively disappointing. The tuna appetizer and ravioli pasta course were each exhilarating, as was Slim's risotto, but my next two courses were nothing special; the "Kobe" loin dish was positively mediocre. Slim got a better cut of fish than I did for her fish course, but wasn't thrilled with the cut of foie gras that came with it; she did like her suckling pig, which was as tender as veal. A good experience, but for Maestro's prices, one wants a spectacular experience. And I'm not even giving demerits for the hotel fire alarm that blared through the last half of our dessert.