Wendy's Pick 2 Menu: Do the math and win a prize!

Last week I was invited to try out Wendy's new Pick 2, a new menu they're featuring that pairs one of their gourmet half-sized salads with your choice of one seven other menu items for $4.99. I agreed to check it out, mainly because I like food, and also it was a great chance to hang out with my friends Amy and Bernadette. They like food, too. They also like piña coladas and walks in the rain, but that's a sordid tale for another day.

(If you're against the consuming of fast food, you may want to stop reading right here. If you're like me and feel it's fine in moderation, then pull up a french-fry caked chair and join me, won't you? Sorry about the ketchup stain on your pants.)

The idea behind the new menu is not only value, but encouraging the consumer to make salad a part of their meal. Also, the salad is 1/2 the size of their regular offering, so portion control is also addressed. By choosing one of the seven other menu items 28 combinations are possible giving the consumer many options, with 18 of them being 600 calories or less.

It's sort of like Garanimals, but with food. Wendy's, you have my permission to use that as your new tagline.

So, to break it down, you have your choice of one of four salads: BLT Cobb, Spicy Chicken Caesar, Baja, and Apple Pecan Chicken, and then get to pair it with one of seven of their other menu items: Jr. bacon cheeseburger, chili, baked potato, Chicken Go Wrap, a small Frosty, Dasani water, or any other small beverage. (To me the cheeseburger or the Frosty don't necessarily do much for the 'healthy' image of the menu, but who am I to judge - I once had bacon-wrapped pork belly.)

That makes two items for $4.99. I used my abacus for that one.

I decided to try the BLT Cobb, since it had bacon on it and that makes me happy. I paired it with their chili, which I've had before and is one of my favorites – it really does taste homemade, isn't overly sweet like many restaurant chilis are. If I had my choice I'd spice it up a little, but I guess that's what the bottle of Tabasco in my purse is for.

The salad was really good, and I appreciate them using something other than big chunks of iceberg lettuce and carrot shreds. Although half-size, I found the portion more than adequate - I'm having a hard time imagining what the full-size looks like. There was a couple of slices of actual bacon (no bacon bits here), a generous portion of grilled chicken, chunks of bleu cheese and other veggies on top of a green salad. I ate the whole damn thing. Here, look:

Overall I'd say it was a good meal, and one of the better fast-food meals I've had in a long time.

Then again, I could be lying, which is why I'm offering to buy you your own Wendy's Pick 2 meal so you can judge for yourself. Just leave me a comment before midnight Wednesday, October 27 telling me what your combo of choice would be, and I'll use Random.org pick a winner on Thursday, October 28 for a Wendy's giftcard. You can count on your fingers if you need to.

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I received a stipend, lunch and giftcards for participating in this program.

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