Michael Palan
Expertise
Food History, Fountain Drinks, Anything Fried
- Michael ate his way through every kind of potato chip that Utz sells and not only lived to tell about it, but he ranked them all for The Daily Meal.
- As one who believes that sharing is caring, Michael is a Level 8 contributor to Google Maps: as a Master Photographer and Expert Reviewer of restaurants and points of general and specific interests.
- He once won a White Castle eating contest, and another time celebrated Valentine's Day at that fine dining establishment (that relationship didn't last).
Experience
Michael was born weighing 10 pounds and thus has been a lover of eating since birth. His amazing cook of a mother always indulged him, making many traditional favorites like noodle kugel and squash soufflé, but also enjoyed dining out at greasy spoon establishments with a bit of history. While he was a former Sandwich Artist at Subway, he chose to channel his talents into the arts of film, video, photography, and writing. For the past 25 years, he has worked on Academy Award winning films, Emmy Award winning television shows, had photographs published by New York Magazine, and has written for Decider, Looper, Explore and The Daily Meal. He also is an unofficial brand ambassador for Popeyes Fried Chicken.
Education
Michael has a bachelor's degree in Telecommunications from Indiana University Bloomington.
The Daily Meal’s content comes from an authoritative editorial staff that is dedicated to current and comprehensive coverage. With an aim to provide only informative and engaging content, our writers, editors, and experts take care to craft clear and concise copy on all things food-related, from news in the food service industry to in-depth explainers about what’s found in readers’ refrigerators, original recipes from experienced chefs, and more.
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Stories By Michael Palan
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For a limited time only, Shake Shack's offering a Korean-inspired chicken sandwich, burger, and fries with its Swicy and Savory Menu. Are they worth the hype?
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Taco Bell has added six new items to its Cravings Value Menu to kick off 2024. We tried all six, and here's our pick for the most craveable of all.
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To celebrate Hello Kitty's 50th birthday, Goldfish has released limited-edition Hello Kitty Strawberry Shortcake Flavored Grahams, but are they worth the buzz?
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Miller Lite combined the flavor of its hoppy light lager with mint so beer lovers can enjoy both tastes without the alcohol. So how did it work out?
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Chick-fil-A's Mango Passion Sunjoy is back for a limited time and now comes in a frosted version. So, how does the Mango Passion Frosted Lemonade stack up?
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Zapp's stands out among a sea of snack food competitors for its bold Louisiana styling and flavor, and we've tasted and ranked Zapp's potato chip lineup.
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From Twix to KitKat, Walmart's Great Value brand has knockoffs of all your favorite candy. But how do they stack up against the real things? We had to find out.
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While popcorn and the movies go hand-in-hand, AMC theaters have plenty of other tasty options to snack on too. We tasted 24 of them to find the best.
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The latest dessert offering at Olive Garden is the Chocolate Lasagne. How does it taste? And is it really a lasagne? We went to Olive Garden to find out.
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2023 saw plenty of new menu items at fast food restaurants. Some were deliciously successful, others not so much. Here's our lineup of the best and worst.
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The new light, airy Goldfish Crisps are Pepperidge Farm's answer to potato chips, come in three familiar flavors, and are a catch worth keeping.
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Name changes and rebranding are nothing new in the world of food and drink. We've collected the stories of 12 iconic products that now live under new names.
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With the nationwide release of Burger King's Shroom n' Swiss Melt, we had to find out whether it would melt our hearts or break them in two.
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Are White Claw's new alcohol-free seltzers another refreshing win for the brand, or a line of drinks that should be thrown overboard? We took a sip to find out.
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We grabbed a slice of Happy Holly-days cake to see if it would fill us with holiday cheer and be the perfect dessert for our table this season.
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What happens when you make bagels with Blue Moon beer and add a schmear of Valencia orange cream cheese? We tasted them to find out and give you the scoop.
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We tried Popeyes' three new wings flavors: Honey BBQ, Roasted Garlic Parmesan, and Signature Hot. They join Ghost Pepper and Sweet N' Spicy wings on the menu.
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Is Wendy's Pretzel Baconator the ultimate Baconator, or is this new twist on a modern classic not much to write home about? We ordered one to find out.
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Red Lobster is finally offering Cheddar Bay Stuffing featuring those biscuits we all know and love. We dug in to find out if it's as delicious as its namesake.
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We tested 22 Pop-Tarts flavors, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the treats based on their flavor, design, texture, lovability, and sense of nostalgia.
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Kraft teamed up with "Top Chef" finalist Chef Shirley Chung to create Kraft Singles' Souplings, a unique spin on tomato soup, grilled cheese, and dumplings.
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Taco Bell just added Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries to the menu for a limited time only, so we headed straight over to see what they are all about.
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Chick-fil-A added two new peppermint drinks to its holiday lineup this year, so we sipped on each to find out whether or not they fill us with cheer.
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MorningStar Farms' latest plant-based burgers aim to be easy to prepare while tasting like real meat. Here's our review of how well they succeed at that.
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DiGiorno's Thanksgiving pizza features all the holiday flavors, from turkey to green beans to cranberries, on a Detroit-style crust. Clearly, we had to try it.
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Are these three shakes -- served in colorful "Trolls"-themed plastic cups -- totally ready to roll? Or are we all being simply trolled in triplicate?
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Only some fast casual restaurants in the United States serve alcohol. Here's where you can add alcohol to your order at establishments around the country.