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By Dina Berta  with staff reports

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Red Robin's Burnin' Love Burger

(March  3, 2009) The heat is on — literally.

Looking to thaw winter sales, a growing number of operators are unveiling limited-time menu items designed to set tongues on fire.

Among the most recent dish to pile on the jalapenos and other spicy ingredients is Qdoba Mexican Grill’s new chili verde. Earlier this year Burger King introduced its Angry Whopper and last month Red Robin Gourmet Burgers debuted two new spicy items: the Burnin' Love Burger and the Southwest Ancho Chicken Salad.

According to industry observers, increasingly adventurous palates, increased travel and the availability of authentic flavors and spices have conspired to make hot so hot. Last year around the same time a similar explosion of spicy items occurred with the introduction of Wendy’s Spicy Baconator, Quiznos' spicy prime rib sandwich and Chick-fil-A’s test of a spicy chicken sandwich.

Most recently, Qdoba, the more than 470-unit fast-casual chain based in Wheat Ridge, Colo., rolled out on Tuesday a new chili verde as a limited-time offer available in 66 stores in its Colorado market. No end date for the promotion was available.

Also known as green chili, chile verde is a regional specialty that blends jalapenos, green chiles, tomatillos, fire-roasted tomatoes and slow-simmered black or pinto beans to create what the chain is calling its spiciest dish to date.

Customers can order a vegetarian chili verde bowl or add Qdoba’s seasoned, hand-shredded roasted pork. Each bowl can then be personalized with one of five signature salsas, tortilla strips, cheese or light sour cream.

By Dina Berta  with staff reports

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“We traveled throughout Colorado and the Southwest researching different chile peppers and ingredients as well as the history and culture behind green chili recipes,” said Ted Stoner, Qdoba’s director of strategic product development. “Then we hunkered down in our kitchen and began creating and experimenting with our chili verde, which we’re proud to let Coloradans be the first to sample.”

The chili verde bowl is being offered at the suggested price of $5.79 for a vegetarian bowl and $6.79 for a bowl with hand-shredded pork.

Qdoba is a wholly owned subsidiary of San Diego-based Jack in the Box Inc.

In February, 450-unit Red Robin, based in Greenwood Village, Colo., introduced its Burnin’ Love Burger, featuring a cayenne-seasoned beef patty layered with crispy-fried jalapeno rings, salsa and pepper-jack cheese. The burger is topped with shredded lettuce and tomato and served on a jalapeno-cornmeal kaiser roll with chipotle mayonnaise.

Red Robin's Southwest Ancho Chicken Salad features greens topped with an ancho-grilled chicken breast and tossed with a cool avocado-ranch dressing and layered with black beans, corn, grape tomatoes and pepper-jack and cheddar cheeses. The salad is topped with fried jalapeno rings, avocado slices, fresh cilantro and tortilla strips.

The Burnin' Love Burger sells for a suggested $9.29, and the Southwest Ancho Chicken Salad sells for $10.49. Both items will be available through April 5, Red Robin said.

Burger King’s Angry Whopper, which debuted in January and is available through March 30, is a spicy version of the Miami-based chain’s signature sandwich. The burger boasts onions, jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and “Angry sauce” on a sesame seed bun.

The Angry Whopper has a franchisor-suggested price of $3.69. Doubles are available for $4.49, and triples are priced at $5.19.

Contact Dina Berta at dberta@nrn.com.