​Miami-based Burger King may soon lose its spot as America's second-largest fast food burger chain to the red-headed stepchild, Wendy's, market analysts say.

Both burger joints have competitive dollar menus, but Wendy's went further by adding additional amenities to about 20 percent of its restaurants. Janney Capital Market analyst Mark Kalinowski says in a recent report that he expects Wendy's to soon surpass Burger King sales if it continues to overhaul its restaurants with flat-screen TVs, modern fixtures and fireplaces. 


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The brain freeze burger.

​"We try to keep it as new as we can. You've really got to stay ahead of the customers," says veteran food vendor Dennis Reas. He and wife Cheryl are based in Indiana but travel with their food truck to various festivals and fairs around the country. In case you weren't aware, the state-fair season is in full swing.

Last season, "keeping it new" meant topping a hot bacon cheeseburger with a puck of ice cream coated in crushed cornflakes and deep fried. That item made its debut in February at the Florida State Fair in Tampa and was chosen by the Huffington Post as the number one new food at America's fairgrounds this past year. (Number one food in 2010: fried beer at the Texas State Fair.)

"It was a bit like eating a cheeseburger and drinking a milkshake at the same time," Reas says. Was it popular? "A bona fide hit," says Rip Stalvey, marketing director of the Florida State Fair Authority. Reas is more realistic about the reaction: "People either liked it or didn't."

So what does one do to top a fried-ice-cream burger? "We'll do deep-fried bubblegum," Reas promises.
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Versailles is an authentic Cuban restaurant that has been given many Best Of Awards by the Miami New Times including Best Cuban Restaurant and Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners. This Miami gem has been a favorite hangout in Little Havana since1971. The food is cheap and the portions are large, but the cultural experience is an integral part enjoying Versailles. The décor is a bit outdated, but that just adds to the charm of the restaurant.More >>

​Bourbon Steak, located in Aventura at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club, is a restaurant created by celebrity chef Michael Mina. It's situated just off the lobby of the clubhouse and offers a modern and sophisticated atmosphere.

Yes, there are steaks, seafood, and a complete menu of burgers, but you have to try a side of French fries for $5. You get three types of spuds with three dipping sauces. The potatoes are cooked in duck fat, which gives them a rich fried flavor. They arrive hot and crisp, important characteristics in any good French fry.

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​Prime Italian is located on Ocean Drive at First Street in South Beach. Although the menu is similar to its neighbor restaurant, Prime One Twelve, there are some dishes with tomato sauce and a few more pasta options. That must be why it's billed as an Italian restaurant and not just another steak house.

After the meal, we were invited to try to the fried Oreos ($15) from the dessert menu. There were prime steaks, Kobe fillets, and  myriad other meals that were more deserving of the high-end prices. Fried Oreos seemed like they might be more popular at theme parks or maybe even NASCAR events. However, they sounded delicious, so we gave them a try.

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​​Located inside the Mondrian South Beach is Asia de Cuba, which features an upscale pan-Asian menu. The white on white décor inside the restaurant is reminiscent of fairy tales while the hotties that South Beach is famous for congregate there for late night dinner and drinks.

There are several different menus to choose from depending on what day you visit, what time you visit and what day of the week you choose to dine there. They have a dinner menu, a lunch menu, a breakfast menu, a brunch menu and a poolside menu. A unique menu option on the lunch menu and poolside menu is a side of mojito fries that is offered with some entrees. You can also order a side of mojito fries for $7 à la carte, even though it is not listed on the menu as a side dish option.

If you are expecting the mojito fries to resemble your favorite drink, you will be a little disappointed. Mojitos usually consist of mint leaves, sugar, white rum, lime juice and club soda. Most people would expect mint leaves, sugar and lime juice to be used as ingredients in mojito fries, but that is not the case. The fried potatoes are flavored with lime juice, cilantro, parsley salt and garlic, which is more similar to mojo sauce rather than a mojito recipe.

The fries are delicious if you can get past the misleading name. The French fries were just average skinny fried potatoes and weren't even cooked long enough to be crispy. However, the tangy and flavorful blend of ingredients added to the fries made them worth writing about.

Snickers Bars are great for a little afternoon pick-me-up because they are filled with all the best things in life - chocolate, caramel, peanuts and nougat. Some genius, who most likely worked at a country fair, discovered a way to make this fantastic treat even unhealthier by frying it.

The good news is that you don't have to wait for the fair to come to town. You can make this treat in five easy steps:

1. Place the Snickers bar in the freezer until it is hard so the candy bar does not melt when it is fried. This step is optional because the candy bar will be delicious either way. However, an unfrozen Snickers Bar will be stickier and messier.

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Photo by Beth Swanson

Deep-fried Twinkie.

​Many people who live on South Beach sing the praises of Burger & Beer Joint for its mouthwatering burgers that range from $12 to $39. Hungry patrons crowd the favorite local hideaway off Bay Road in until 5 a.m. every day. Decorated with brick walls and wood booths, the joint is separated into three areas: the B&B restaurant, the B&B lounge, and the B&B sports bar.

The eatery, which has been open less than a year, might be famous for its burgers, but the real star here is all the fried goodness. The menu of fried food runs the gamut from vegetables to desserts. There are French fries, mushroom fries, zucchini fries, onion rings, crispy dill pickles, and even deep-fried Twinkies. There are so many options that your mind will probably explode when you try to decide what item you want to fill your belly.More >>