Junk food junkies will soon have a new ultimate craving to bite into at Taco Bell - the Doritos Locos Taco, which features a taco shell made of Doritos and all of the regular taco fillings inside. The crazy Doritos taco, which was unveiled last year as being tested in select markets in Southern California and Toledo, Ohio, is now slated for a national release.

Taco Bell's parent company, Yum Brands, teamed up with PepsiCo to create the taco shells made of nacho cheese flavored Doritos. They debuted in early 2011 in select markets and proved to be such a success that they'll be coming to Taco Bells around the U.S. now.

The fillings on the Doritos Locos Taco are said to be milder than the company's regular tacos to compensate for the taco shell's extra flavor.

If the Doritos Locos Taco is a hit, I wonder if they'll start coming up with other Taco Bell - Doritos combinations, like maybe the Ranch Doritos Chicken Taco. Yum. Or perhaps a spicy version, like the Flaming Hot Doritos Locos Taco. Taco Bell, take note.

The Warehouse District's decline is West 25th's gain as Ohio City adds another new watering hole; the Market Garden Brewery opens for business. The proprietor of the already established Bier Market adds their own take on the crowded but crowd pleasing micro-brewed bar scene. Located directly on the corner adjacent to the West Side Market, this absolutely spacious bar boasts a magnificent half wrap around patio. The crown jewel being a faux wood styled picnic area that wisely faces away from the main thoroughfare and seems like it would make for a quiet peaceful retreat on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, this strength of design becomes like a lighthouse beacon casting its glaring beam onto its most obvious failing; they have barely anything to eat!

Rivals might have a corny theme-menu but the specials and food served more than make up for it. Perhaps you recall Instant Replay at this Middleburg Hts. location but Rivals has made it a home now for several years. When you first enter, the atmosphere might throw you but don’t let it. The dark tablecloths and paper menus immediately give it a dank, cheap bar feeling but a second look around will show you the place is clean and well organized. The front bar area gets loud but there are two dining rooms where you can chat pleasantly - one even has a fireplace. This is a sports bar at heart so you’ll find TVs everywhere but they aren’t intrusive. The servers are happy to change stations so you’ll be entertained, even if you’re date is a bore.

In recent years, the Cleveland area has blossomed into a significant centrum of culinary culture, spanning all cardinal directions and everwhere in between. But Matt Mytro, formerly of Beachwood's Paladar and Cleveland's Boulevard Blue Restaurants, has decided to take things one step further - trending more towards a representation of comestible counterculture.

Mytro has taken his experience as a chef to new heights, going beyond the call of eats and venturing into the worlds of fashion and entertainment. After serving as a chef consultant at Waldorf Astoria, Red the Steakhouse, and working as a personal chef preparing meals all over the country, he and colleague Anthony Lynch created the clothing line called Stove Monkeys in 2007. The intriguing thing about Stove Monkeys, however, is the niche they have discovered: providing apparel designed to celebrate the passion of the culinary industry.

Toronto is, with good reason, famous for its culinary delights and all visitors should take a trip to the two markets to get a first-hand glimpse of the city's gastronomic landscape. You will be able to see the awesome variety of foods that give Toronto its reputation. You can get a lot of information from many sources but try Canada 411 for reliability.

St. Lawrence Market is located at 92 Front St East while you will find the trendy Kensington at College St and Spadina Ave. St. Lawrence provides a selection of cheese boutiques, bakers and spice vendors. It's a popular lunch spot and among the attractions worth trying are sandwiches from Carousel Bakery at Stall 42 or Churrasco St. Lawrence located at Stall 49. On the other hand, Kensington Market offers an array of ethnic delights ranging from tacos to meat patties from Jamaica and falafel. Noisy and lively, this is alfresco eating at its best.

Even though the restaurant scene Is packed with many choices, here are three recommendations for highly innovative food:

- Foie Gras and Dumplings at Susur (Mobil Three-Star)
- the Tacos and the fish at North 44 Degrees (Mobil Four-Star)
- Pastas and Pies at the Scaramouche (Mobil Four-Star).

Burger King is gearing up to open a new "Whopper Bar" in the South Beach area of Miami, where both hamburgers and beer will be served up. The Whopper Bar will open in mid-February, and according to BK North American president Chuck Fallon, more could soon be coming to big city hot spots in locations like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

Beer at the Whopper Bar will be served in aluminum bottles to keep them cold, and will be priced at $4.25. A Whopper combo with beer will be priced at $7.99, which is a mere $2 more than the same combo meal with a traditional fountain drink.

The beer products sold will be from Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors.

One Whopper Bar location is already open in Universal City in Orlando, Fla., however that location does not serve beer. Some international BKs do serve beer, but the South Beach location will be the first in the U.S. to serve beer. As of now, there are no plans on the table to sell beer at conventional Burger King locations.

The Whopper Bar concept is a more trendy twist on the fast-food burger. Available at the Whopper Bar are the Whopper, Double Whopper and Steakhouse XT. Employees known as Whopper-istas build the burgers, and there are 22 different toppings to choose from to put on your sandwich.

It's Christmas in July and there are plenty of celebrations this weekend. If you're looking for a place to celebrate check out this list below:

Melt Bar and Grilled – (14718 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood) They have 4 kegs of Great Lakes Brewery Christmas Ale that they tapped this morning at 11 am. Last year they had two kegs and they were out in 8 hours.

Great Lakes Brewery – (2516 Market Ave., Cleveland) They'll have Christmas Ale all weekend. On Monday they will have there annual celebration. This event is already sold out so stop by this weekend for some Xmas Ale.

The Winking Lizard – The Lizard will have GLBC Xmas Ale and Christmas Cookies. I heard Santa might stop by as well. Always a fun place to hang out!

Put-in-Bay – The place with the largest Christmas in July celebration. The bars will be decorated in holiday decor serving holiday drinks. It feels just like Christmas at Put-in-Bay this weekend, except it's 80 degrees)

McCarthy's Ale House – (16918 Detroit Ave., Lakewood) Costume party tonight with a variety holiday beverages.

West Park Station – (17015 Lorain Ave., Cleveland) They'll not only have Great Lakes Christmas Ale but they will also have Goose Island Christmas Ale.

While many local restaurants are struggling to stay afloat in this sluggish economy, Cleveland's own "Iron Chef" winner Michael Symon, is making plans to open two new restaurants in Northeast Ohio. The new restaurants will be located in the suburbs of Cleveland, and will feature menus that are different from those at his existing restaurants, Lola and Lolita.

Bar Symon will open in June in Avon Lake where the old Swingos Grand Tavern once was. It described as a casual and comfortable tavern, and will feature rotisserie items ranging from $9 to $18. The drink menu will feature 100 beers from around the world, 40 of them artisinal brews available on tap, and a wine list of about 25 bottles.

On the east side, Symon plans to open up The B Spot in Woodmere, a former Cold Stone Creamery location. Here Symon says that the emphasis will be on simple foods, and that the menu will include "maybe 10 burgers plus fries, milkshakes, a couple of salads and around 20 beers on tap."

This fall you'll also be able to pick up the chef's first cookbook - "Symon Says: Live to Cook" - which he co-authored with Michael Ruhlman of Cleveland Heights.

If you're looking for the perfect dessert or appetizer to make for your sweetie this Valentine's Day, consider this recipe for Coeur a La Creme with fresh raspberry compliments of the Black Sheep Inn of Western New York. One of the Inn's signature dishes, Coeur a La Creme is delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients-
Coeur a la creme:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened or mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch salt

Topping:

1/3 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Special equipment: 2 (1/3 cup) ceramic coeur a la creme molds and cheesecloth
1/3 cup sour cream or whole milk cream on top yogurt
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, with a bit of the rind grated in
Pinch sea salt

Topping:
1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed (other berries are a delicious change if you prefer
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Special equipment: 2 (1/3 cup) ceramic Coeur a la creme molds and cheesecloth

Directions:

Cleveland Independents, a group of 80 local independent restaurants, is launching a new campaign in an effort to support the local economy. The "Oh, Honey" campaign launches on February 14 - Valentine's Day - and promotes the use of local honey.

Member restaurants will each create dishes that use honey as an ingredient, allowing them to show off their own unique interpretations of how honey can be creatively used in their recipes.

Newly elected Cleveland Independents President and chef/owner of Fire Food & Drink Douglas Katz says:

“Unlike chain restaurants, independent restaurants are encouraged to promote their creativity. They may alter their menus on a whim, if they see fit, something that is impossible for a chain restaurant to accomplish. We believe that our food-driven campaigns are a great way for customers to experience the difference. Our involvement with local purveyor Ohio Honey reinforces the importance of buying local from a fresh ingredient standpoint and also helps support the northeast Ohio economy."

For a complete listing of member restaurants and more information about Cleveland Independents, visit www.clevelandindependents.com.