Noel Tries The New Foods: Wendy's Roasted Turkey & Basil Pesto Frescata

First off, this sandwich is pretty delicious. Tender thick-cut turkey, crisp lettuce, roasted red peppers, tangy basil pesto mayo, firm but not overly chewy "artisan bread" … If this were available at a deli or coffee shop, I'd totally buy it.

But I can't buy it at a deli. I have to go to Wendy's. And as stupid as it may sound, I've got a problem with that. The more options a restaurant has on its menu, the less I trust it; especially a fast-food restaurant, where a request for "no pickles" often snarls the assembly line. I remember a few years back, before Hardee's/Carl's Jr. revamped into a "big burger" chain, their menu was an utter mess, with burgers, hot dogs, roast beef and, for some reason, fried chicken. My friends and I used to joke that if you walked in and asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, they'd probably go pick up the ingredients. Sometimes choice can be a burden.

Also, I'm a little baffled by this trend towards specialty breads–ciabatta, mainly–that has swept across the fast-food industry, from Jack-In-The-Box to Sonic and beyond. Is this some kind of wild celebration of the death of Atkins? After a year or so of denying ourselves bread, now we're ready to indulge with the densest, driest bread we can find?

So while I respect the tastiness of Wendy's new Frescata line, I don't feel right supporting it. Because two years from now, I don't want to be staring at a Wendy's menu board with flatbread pizzas and gourmet soups, while the kitchen staff tries to remember how to throw together a Single w/Cheese.

Next up … The unofficial fast-food sandwich trilogy concludes with a double shot of re-purposed beef: Arby's Roast Beef Gyro and the Hardee's/Carl's Jr. Philly Beef Burger.