The LuLac Edition #5, 459, October 4th, 2025

 

FOOD-TASTIC

NEWS

THE GUYS FROM GILMORE GIRLS

Panera Bread is partnering with former “Gilmore Girls” stars Jared Padalecki and Matt Czuchry to advertise the fast-casual brand’s new fall menu, including the new Harvest Medley Chicken Salad and Crème Brûlée Latte.

Padalecki and Czuchry played two love interests of Rory, the protagonist of the hit WB/CW show from the ’00s that is often associated with the autumn season. In the commercial, both actors gently poke fun at their roles as on-again, off-again boyfriends to Rory, with Padalecki saying “what is wrong with being the reliable one?” as a nod to his character Dean, who was Rory’s reliable first boyfriend. Czuchry then responds with “Some people might want something more sophisticated,” as a nod to his character Logan being the wealthy and charming college boyfriend.

Padalecki also takes jabs at Rory’s third love interest, Jess, who Rory left Dean for. In the ad, Padalecki says, “all [people] really want is the bad boy, the one who left without even saying goodbye.”

The commercial promotes Panera’s new “Fall for Your Favorites” menu, which is available starting Wednesday and includes both new and returning items like:

Harvest Medley Chicken Salad (new) Mixed greens and arugula tossed with balsamic vinaigrette, topped with a whole grain blend, grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, feta cheese, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, toasted pecans, and beet strips.

CrèmE ;Brûlée Latte (new):Espresso made with foamed milk and crème brûlée syrup, topped with whipped cream and salted caramel sugar.

Black Bean Soup (returning) Returning to the Panera menu after seven years, this vegetarian soup features black beans, onion, celery, red bell pepper, carrots, lima beans, potatoes, lemon juice, and garlic.

Autumn Squash Soup (returning)This returning seasonal item is made with butternut squash and pumpkin blended with vegetable broth, honey, apple juice, seasonal spices, and topped with sweet cream and pumpkin seeds.

Hearty Fireside Chili (returning):Another returning fall item, this chili is made with beef, kidney beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and green chili peppers, and simmered with chili spices and cilantro.

Panera’s seasonal Pumpkin Cookie is also returning for a limited time.

“Fall is one of our favorite seasons ;Panera, when we get to spotlight warm, comforting classics alongside fresh, seasonal flavors,” Mark Shambura, CMO  said in a statement. "This year, we're celebrating not just with the return of guest-favorite soups, but also with playful content that personifies them in a way fans will instantly recognize. It’s all about delivering the cozy, craveable flavors our guests love — and yes, that includes the long-awaited return of Black Bean Soup."

 

 

CHILLIN’ WITH CHILI

You can make your own chili. As a matter of fact, my recipe will appear at the end of this article. But sometimes we can’t make our own chili and must resort to restaurant or fast food chili.  So…………

CHILI PRICE COMPARISONS

Wendy’s $3.38

Abe’s on Barney $6.36

Magda’s $6.36

Grotto  $6.99

Avenue Diner $9.00 a pint, not on menu all the time. Bowl when available: $6.75

Parkway Diner $4.95 plus tax  

Texas Roadhouse $5.29

Hormel canned $5.38 

Campbells canned $4.90

Campbell’s canned chunky chili mac $6.99 

I have tried all of these chilis and at any given time like all of them. But if I needed to rank them I’d favor the Abe’s because it reminds me of my mom’s chili can carne with the peppers and sweetness. Conversely next up is Magda’s with a little bite. The Grotto is traditional meaty that is not strong which is a good thing and the Parkway is very tomatoey and very fresh in the summertime.

 

COFFEE PODS

GOING UP IN PRICE

 

Recently, a colleague at Taste of Home noticed that her go-to coffee pods cost $15. Not long ago they used to be $10. On average, coffee pods have increased in price across the board, running 5 to 10 extra cents per pod. A leading brand, Nespresso, attributed the increase in price of its pods to rising costs for things like transportation and packaging, as well as extreme weather conditions that have affected the coffee bean supply.

To save money, switch to regular drip coffee. Bags of ground or whole bean coffee are much cheaper than coffee pods, mostly because they use less packaging. Many of our favorite coffee makers are easy to program ahead of time so you can have coffee ready to go when you wake up—just as convenient as the pods. Or, if you prefer to make a single cup at a time, try a simple pour-over.