The world's biggest burger chain is offering a big new burger.

The economy has prompted a lot of restaurants to offer more dollar menu items or discounts, but along comes McDonald's with a new offering for $3.99.

The Angus burgers are available in three styles:

* Deluxe, with leaf lettuce, tomato and red onions

* Bacon & Cheese with bacon, American cheese and red onions

* Mushroom & Swiss

Most of the time, Dining A La King doesn't bother with new menu offerings from chains. But inspired by a review by the Chicago Tribune's Kevin Pang, a fearless eater and funny writer, I decided to try the sandwiches.

This is, after all, the first new burger from McDonald's in eight years. And it's been five years since Morgan Spurlock tarnished my thinking about McDonald's forever in "Super Size Me," a movie documenting him eating every meal at McDonald's for a month. But that image of him vomiting out his car window as he tried to eat one more burger is still rattling around my head.

So I don't go to McDonald's much. I don't head through a drive-through very often in general.

When I eat fast food, I have to eat fast so I don't think about how the food was turned into an industrial product so I could consume it cheaply. So I don't think about how safe it is to eat the stuff. So I don't have to think about how it's going to make me feel. We eat the stuff because it's cheap, convenient and the fat tastes good, but afterwards how many of us really say, "Wow that was a memorable meal" (unless we throw up).

I think most of us have questions about fast food restaurant kitchens, whether they're justified or not. I don't defend vegetarianism, but when I heard recently that a friend hadn't eaten meat in years and it may be because he worked at Burger King a few months, I nodded and didn't ask more questions.

But back to the new burgers. They're made from Angus steers. That's a breed that some tout as tasting better than other breeds. I've never bought it. I think you can make a case that one brand of car tends to run better than another or that sausage is better than tofu, but I've never heard anyone say, "That burger would be a lot better if it were Angus beef." Maybe a taste test of Angus versus other breeds is in order.

That said, the beef in these McDonald's hamburgers has more flavor than their other hamburgers. Or maybe it's just that with a third-pound patty, the condiments don't overwhelm it entirely.

The bun is good toasted and holds the big burger and toppings well. The red onion on two of the burgers is a nice touch, adding a bit of sweet sharpness rather than the usual diced onions.

The bacon on the Bacon & Cheese was crisp and therefore yummy. The Mushroom & Swiss included real Swiss cheese, not the pasteurized kind, and mushrooms that had a deep flavor and firm texture (Pang called them "mushroomy").

I have two major issues with the burgers:

First, I'm not a fan of ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise on my burgers. I want to taste the meat, not traditional condiments. McDonald's burgers, unless I think fast enough to hold them off, come slathered with those. The Mushroom & Swiss had almost enough mayo for a batch of potato salad, and it wasn't as good as the Hardee's version of the same burger.

Second, The burgers are four bucks. They're pretty good for fast food burgers, but a number of bars and restaurants have burgers at or around that price that have more flavor. These burgers aren't worth the premium price.

Alongside my burger tasting, I got a fix of McDonald's fries, which are still the best fast food fries to be found.

But the burger I'm savoring is one I had a little over a week ago at Fitger's, a brewpub along Lake Superior in Duluth, Minn. Friends gathered there on the way home from a canoe trip. And I ordered a Red Angus burger, not because it was Angus, but because the brewery had given grains from its brewing process to a farmer to feed the cows, and then fed the cows to patrons like me. I like the circular nature of that process.

And I figure that like me, the cows were happy with what they were eating.

QUICK BITES

* Tickets are $10 for the eighth annual charity event at Chalet Party Shoppe. This year's food and drink tasting will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the C.R. 17 location near the intersection of C.R. 14. The theme is "All-American," and beverages will be from American distillers and producers. Tickets are $10 and available in advance or at the door.

* The Two Friends opened at 102 Middlebury St., Elkhart, on June 12, according to owner Abel Reyna. The small spot has Mexican and American food from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

* Miranda's Restaurant left the corner of Benham and Indiana in Elkhart and is offering its Mexican/El Salvadoran food in the former Minute Man Drive-In at 23677 U.S. 33, Elkhart.

* Michelle Yang, who is operating Great Wall Chinese Restaurant, 610 N. Nappanee St., Elkhart, has added more dishes to the menu. She said that she's offering fresh salmon dishes, new curry dishes, Chinese steamed buns, Japanese Udon noodles and jalapeno chicken. In addition, the restaurant has "pick two" from a list of 14 items for $9.99 from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Also, Tuesday is movie night, with a film being shown at 6:15 p.m.

* Verizon Wireless has added a handful of applications for its cellular phones to help people with menu planning, recipes, drink mixing and shopping. The applications, including Food Network Everyday Chef and Drinktini, are available with an additional monthly subscription of $2.99 to $4.49. Information: www.verizonwireless.com.

* Lehman's Orchard, 2280 Portage Road, Niles, is offering u-pick cherries, according to a press release. The family has been in the tart cherry business since 1948 and has a commercial pitter that can handle 2 tons in a hour.