Who Wins National Fast Food Coca-Cola Battle?

Many years ago, I wrote a column in Lerner Newspapers about my search for the best fountain Coke in the north Chicago and nearby suburbs. It received one of the biggest mail responses of anything I wrote.

I'm updating that search and breaking it into several categories, starting with the easiest choice of Best Fountain Coke at a National Fast Food Restaurant. The winner is Wendy's!

in order, here are my choices and thoughts:

1-Wendy's-Very consistent carbonation and syrup. It's always cold.

2-McDonald's-Most people might vote it #1 and they have a special arrangement with Coke due to the volume they sell. It might be capable of hitting a home run, but I have tasted too many strikeouts.

3-Burger King-This is a distant third place. It lacks consistency and even at its best, it still trails the other two.

 I'll be ranking Coke from other categories in the future. Feel free to give me your ranking and suggest categories.

On a related note, because it is so stupid and I petty. When I wrote the Coke column, I invited all businesses to offer me a free Coke to test. My editor didn't find the humor in that and scolded me. It was just one of his hundreds of stupid acts. I doubt he'll read this, but I hope he does.

John Schneider and Coca-Cola

The Suburban Collection Showplace in Nov, MI is serviced by Pepsi products.  This is a double edge sword for me.  On one hand, I love Coke.  On the other, it probably is better for me, since if they served Coke, I would have too many over the course of the Motor City Comic Con.

While waiting for some interview opportunities, we noticed that John Schneider was enjoying a bottle of Coke at his booth.  I am pretty sure that attendees could not bring in outside beverages, but I am pretty sure that rule does not apply to celebrities.  Then again, Schneider has a history of being a bit of a rule-breaker (or at least he did on The Dukes of Hazzard).

Obviously, Schneider brought the Coke from someplace outside.  That brought up so many questions.  Was the Coke an intentional choice?  Ws it just a beverage he happened to be drinking on the way to the MCCC?  Does he have a strong Coke preference?  Is it strong enough to only drink Coke?  Could we be kindred Coke spirits?

Unfortunately, these questions will have to wait.  I never got the chance to talk to Schneider to ask him.  Yes, I would have asked him about Coke.  I bet nobody else ever asked him about Coke.  Why waste my questions on silliness, when I can cover a truly important topc like Coke!

I will get to the bottom of this eventually.  Stay tuned.

John Schneider and his Coke in Novi, MI-May 2015.

Friendly Encounters: Matt Parker Meets Coca-Cola

This is a regular feature highlighting friends who have met celebrities.

This series usually features a friend meeting a celebrity.  While I have stretched the definition of celebrity quite a bit over the years, I have tried to limit it to living things (or at least close approximations of living things or one-time living things).
Last year, my nephew Matt sent me a picture he took with a huge Coca-Cola 6 pack at Disney World.  Clearly, there is no living celebrity in the photo.  Matt is the only living thing in the photo.
How does this qualify as a Friendly Encounter?  There is no doubt it is an encounter.  Also, Matt had never met something like this before.  Obviously, Matt enjoyed the encounter (witness the look of love in his eyes).
Coca-Cola Classic is definitely well-known.  It is the best beverage out there, a clear Hall of Famer.  Disney recognizes this fact by having the exhibit there.
Add it all and it seems like I have a legitimate case to make this a Friendly Encounter.  Okay, maybe I will even pull my "creative literary license" card.  Either way, I am counting it.
Lastly, perhaps Coca-Cola will eventually see my total love and endorsement of their fine product and grant upon me a free case or two or better yet, make a certain caricature the official spokesperson for Coke.  I can dream.

Matt Parker and Coca-Cola Classic in Disney World, Florida, July 2012.