IHOP Gets a Taste of Applebee's

America overreacts to silly threats: Lenore Skenazy

(NEWSER) - Remember earlier this year when Applebee's accidentally served alcohol to a toddler ? Lenore Skenazy does, along with what she sees as the ridiculous overreaction of both the national media and the restaurant chain. It was "as if serving toddlers stiff drinks had been company-wide policy," she writes in the Wall Street Journal . Unfortunately, it's a perfect example of how America goes into overblown panic mode over perceived threats to kids that really aren't threats. More»

Eyewitnesses describe horrific scene as Eduardo Sencion began shooting

(NEWSER) - Eyewitnesses are coming forward to talk about yesterday's horrific shooting at an IHOP in Carson City, Nevada. The gunman has been identified as 32-year-old Eduardo Sencion, and witnesses say he was carrying an AK-47, which he reloaded at least once, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal . Three of the four people Sencion killed were uniformed National Guardsmen, and some witnesses believe he was targeting them—which would be ironic, since Sencion’s minivan bore a ribbon-shaped “Support Our Troops” decal. More»

Gunman opens fire in Carson City restaurant

(AP) - Four people are dead and eight others wounded after a gunman opened fire with a rifle at a Nevada IHOP restaurant this morning, police said. The shooter, who died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, is among the four fatalities. The shooting happened about 9am local time at the Carson City restaurant, located in a strip mall on the state capital's main street. Members of the National Guard were meeting in the restaurant at the time, and two of those killed were uniformed Guard members. More»

Menus at Denny's, Olive Garden, and TGI Fridays each feature diet traps

(NEWSER) - Happy Meals may come with fruit now , but that doesn't mean gut-busters have been wiped from menus. And while Applebee's Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs dish is the stuff of legend, the Daily Beast also ferrets out a few surprises on its list of worst new fast food:

• California Pizza Kitchen's Caramelized Peach Salad With Grilled Chicken Breast: Seems like a cruel trick, but this entree salad with seemingly harmless peaches and a light vinaigrette actually has 1,187 calories.

Funny how vast portions of carbs and fat pack calories

(NEWSER) - Anyone who has tenuously clung to a diet knows calorie counting can turn into calorie binging at a restaurant, but choose one of these items and you'll really have fallen off the wagon, ABC News reports. The Center for Science in the Public Interest released its list of eight dishes (found on menus of national restaurant chains) that really pack a caloric punch:

• Applebee's Provolone-stuffed meatballs with fettuccine and garlic bread, 1,520 calories: Pasta, bread, and numerous cheese-stuffed meatballs—what could go possibly go wrong? The real killer with this dish is the 3,700mg sodium.