Stark Bites: The most popular candy in Ohio is .....Blow Pops?
Last year, we liked M&Ms the best. This year, it’s Blow Pops.
According to candystore.com, Ohioans’ favorite candy is the colorful sucker with a piece of bubble gum in the center.
The company listed each state’s favorite candy just in time for Halloween. The report says the results are based on orders placed with the company over its 16 years in operation.
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It lists Ohioans as having purchased 171,607 pounds of Blow Pops over that period, compared with the last year’s favorite, M&Ms, which posted 159,547 purchased in the same timeframe. M&Ms showed up in second place for Ohio in this year’s list.
Starburst was at No. 3 in the Buckeye State, with 149,207 pounds.
Ohio was the only state in the union that had Blow Pops at No. 1. A couple of other states had suckers at the top of their lists, though. Tennessee and New Jersey must be trying to see how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, because the sucker topped their lists.
If you’re jealous of other states, here are some you might pick. Neighboring Pennsylvania and West Virginia both had Mini Hershey Bars as their No. 1, and Kentucky had Reese’s Cups. Starburst was tops for Indiana and Michigan.
Among the biggest states in America, M&Ms were tops in California; Sour Patch Kids were tops in Texas in New York; while Reece’s Cups were No. 1 for Florida; and Hershey Kisses were tops in Arizona.
For the nation as a whole, the top five candies were listed as Reese’s Cups at No. 1; M&Ms at No. 2; Hot Tamales at No. 3; Skittles at No. 4; and Sour Patch Kids at No. 5.
According to CandyStore.com, Americans are predicted to spend more than $12.2 billion on Halloween, and they’re predicting a 15% increase in spending over 2022.
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Red Robin adds limited-time items to menu
Burger chain Red Robin has updated its menu, changing the way food is cooked and presented. It’s also added dishes and burgers at least for a limited time.
Red Robin’s menu announcement also included news that its burgers are changing. New this week are bigger, juicier patties on buttery brioche buns. The restaurant even changed its cooking service, moving to new grills.
“Our new cooking and searing method coaxes out flavor you never thought possible,” officials said in a news release. “It traps in seasoning, crisps and caramelizes your patty, and creates even heat distribution for consistent Yummm every time.”
And, it’s all going to be served on a plate. No more plastic baskets for these burgers.
Among the items added are a new burger called the BBQ burnt ends and bacon burger, which sells for $16.59. Yes, all of those items appear on the burger.
Other items are on different parts of the menu, including BBQ burnt ends loaded fries for $11.19; crispy Parmesan Brussels sprouts for $8.49; Whiskey River BBQ ribs for $17.49; and a caramel apple lemonade for $4.99.
The restaurant now has 16 burgers available to diners, and they also can be ordered with chicken or a veggie burger as the protein. Burgers range in Canton from $13.19 to $16.59 each.
A popular burger has returned to the menu – the Banzai burger, which includes grilled pineapple. Other interesting burger sandwiches are the Burnin’ Love, which has batter-dipped jalapenos on the sandwich, and a charred jalapeno on top; and the Royal Red Robin, which has an over-easy fried egg.
The 10 choices for sides include old standards such as steak fries, Yukon kettle chips and sweet potato fries, along with onion rings, a house salad, steam broccoli, carrot sticks and coleslaw.
Check the restaurant’s website for availability. Prices listed above were taken from Red Robin’s online menu for the restaurant located in the Strip in Jackson Township.
Bonefish Grill adds new dishes to its menu
Fall flavors have arrived at Bonefish Grill in Jackson Township.
The seafood chain restaurant debuted new menu items for this month, including a dine-in only Angler’s Catch entrée. It features tempura-style, hand-battered cod and seasoned and battered shrimp on a bed of French fries and house-made coleslaw.
Other items available this month are apple-chutney salmon; linguini and clams; and swordfish and pumpkin ravioli. There’s also an Apple Harvest spinach salad; toasted pumpkin ravioli starter; apple chutney pork tenderloin; and pumpkin spice lava cake. Prices for these dishes range from $8.90 to $27.90.
For those looking for a seasonal cocktail, Bonefish added a pumpkin espresso martini that’s available during the restaurant’s social hour.
Thai Lanna reopens in Jackson Township
Thai Lanna & Sushi Bar, at 7257 Fulton Drive NW in Jackson Township, has reopened. The restaurant was closed for just over a month while the owners and some staff members traveled to Thailand. In a Facebook post just as the restaurant was closing, the owner said they were planning a trip "to learn new styles and techniques so that we can bring it right back to our amazing restaurant!"
Owners posted on Facebook that Saturday's food service went well. "I would like to thank our customers for visiting our restaurant. We take pride in our food and especially enjoy watching our customers having a relaxed time while visiting with friends and family," the post said.
Send restaurant news and updates to Laura.Kessel@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Stark Bites: Blow Pops tops for Ohioans for Halloween
