Fast Food Across the United States

[Megan Blocker]

Today in the Dining section of the Times, a piece about Frank Bruni's cross-country journey, on which he samples lots and lots of fast food.

A link: click!

A quote:

A few weeks ago I embarked on a gluttonous odyssey, with a changing cast of co-conspirators, across this fast-food nation, from New York to California, sea to greasy sea. It was a roving binge as warped road movie: "Transfatamerica." Or maybe, given our cholesterol-oblivious plunge over a nutritional cliff: "Thelma and Disease."

But my goal wasn't to supersize myself. It was to size up and single out the best fast food from familiar national chains, relatively unfamiliar regional chains and tiny local chains I had never encountered. To take the culinary road less traveled, at least by me.

[Katie Nell]

Sounds like a very fun road trip, but I think I would have excluded the big guys! Everyone's been to McDonald's, etc!

[Mayhaw Man]

The fact that Bruni selected tater tots from Sonic and The Blizzard from Dairy Queen proves that he was indeed on his game. They are both awesome. Also, the line about the blizzard, "I'd like to be buried in it." was really funny.

And having had both, many times, he's wrong about the Varsity-the hot dogs there are OK (but the place is really cool-at least the original is)-having the best hot dogs-Sonic's are better, imo.

[Daniel]

"9 days, 15 states, 3,650 miles and 42 visits to 35 "

Not bad... for a rookie

[Toliver]

And having had both, many times, he's wrong about the Varsity-the hot dogs there are OK (but the place is really cool-at least the original is)-having the best hot dogs-Sonic's are better, imo.

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I've had the Sonic hot dogs a couple times and have come away disappointed each time. Perhaps it's only my local Sonic that does this but it always seems to me that the buns are tough and chewy like they just microwaved the whole kit and kaboodle.

There's nothing worse than a microwaved kit let alone a microwaved kaboodle.

That being said, I much prefer Daniel's travel blogs. How the guy can put away that much food and then want to go and do it all over again has consistently impressed the hell outta me.

[carpetbagger, esq.]

Toliver: try the corndog sometime

Brooks: while i agree that sonic tots are good, they're about 100x better when you order the extreme tots. it's a mess, but well worth it.

[Mayhaw Man]

it's a mess, but well worth it.

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This is, sadly, the case with almost everything that's worth it.

I am off of corndogs forever, as I will never again be satisfied by the previously loved corndog. At the SFA Field Trip in Appalachicola the other night, Tory McPhail, young and very talented chef at the currently closed Commander's Palace, had these unbelievably good lollipopped shaped things that were, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, the best corndogs in the history of the known universe.

Ground, top quality Andouille balled up on the end of a piece of sugar cane and coated in the richest, most delicious corndog like batter imaginable. The whole thing was deep fried and served (cocktail style-"Hey! Come back here with that tray! I want more!") with a really good homemade honey mustard (well, the mustard was hand made, I assume that the honey was bee made-then again, Tory's pretty good, so you never know). They were awesome.

A mere corndog will never again satisfy-especially since I quit smoking pot a while back and I just don't get the urge for an entire box of State Fair Brand Corndogs like I used to.

[Megan Blocker]

Sounds like a very fun road trip, but I think I would have excluded the big guys!  Everyone's been to McDonald's, etc!

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Hmmmm...but you need some basis for comparison, no? Especially for us East Coasters...where I grew up (outside of NYC) and where I live now (right in NYC), there aren't a lot of fast food chains outside of the big, huge ones. They're what we compare everything to, you know?

[Megan Blocker]

"9 days, 15 states, 3,650 miles and 42 visits to 35 "

Not bad... for a rookie 

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Indeed. I think you need to invite Frank along with you next time, so he can see how the pros do it.

[carpetbagger, esq.]

Hmmmm...but you need some basis for comparison, no?  Especially for us East Coasters...where I grew up (outside of NYC) and where I live now (right in NYC), there aren't a lot of fast food chains outside of the big, huge ones.  They're what we compare everything to, you know?

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but just like you know in your head what mcd or bk tastes like, so does he...so why waste valuable foodstops on places he already knows? For example, what if he skipped out on chik-fil-a just so he could go to mcd for a baseline burger? he would have totally missed out on the heaven that is the original chicken sammich from cfa, and could've just as easily compared in & out or whataburger without getting his quarter pounder.

[Megan Blocker]

Hmmmm...but you need some basis for comparison, no?  Especially for us East Coasters...where I grew up (outside of NYC) and where I live now (right in NYC), there aren't a lot of fast food chains outside of the big, huge ones.  They're what we compare everything to, you know?

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but just like you know in your head what mcd or bk tastes like, so does he...so why waste valuable foodstops on places he already knows? For example, what if he skipped out on chik-fil-a just so he could go to mcd for a baseline burger? he would have totally missed out on the heaven that is the original chicken sammich from cfa, and could've just as easily compared in & out or whataburger without getting his quarter pounder.

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Fair enough.

But how often does he actually eat McD's? I haven't had Wendy's in more than five years...maybe he was equipping himself to make comparisons? I. however, would have done that before hitting the road, definitely.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I so agree with wondering why in the heck he bothered with McDonald's usual menu. It would be different if he headed up to Bar Harbor in July and had a McD's lobster oll.

We only like Sonic, Chik-fil-A, and In&Out Burgers. Fortunately, or not, none are nearby. So, Mr. Bruni didn't like Gold Star chili? It's Pete Rose's favorite! And, it's an acquired taste. But Skyline's best.

[Jason Perlow]

The fact that Bruni selected tater tots from Sonic and The Blizzard from Dairy Queen proves that he was indeed on his game. They are both awesome. Also, the line about the blizzard, "I'd like to be buried in it." was really funny.

And having had both, many times, he's wrong about the Varsity-the hot dogs there are OK (but the place is really cool-at least the original is)-having the best hot dogs-Sonic's are better, imo.

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I now have a new found respect for Frank Bruni.

[MarketStEl]

The fact that Bruni selected tater tots from Sonic and The Blizzard from Dairy Queen proves that he was indeed on his game. They are both awesome. Also, the line about the blizzard, "I'd like to be buried in it." was really funny.

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The actual line was even better. Respect the pun, sir:

If my obituary reads, "perished in a Blizzard," you will know that I died a happy man.

The hostess of the Wednesday night karaoke at Pure (see my foodblog) does a parody of a song from the musical "Wicked" called "The Wizard and I."

In her version, the love object is that DQ dessert: "My Blizzard and I." I'll have to see if I can get the lyrics to post.

[Holly Moore]

at Gold Star Chili, the single worst item of the journey.

It was a gummy nest of thin noodles, which were covered by a watery chili, which was in turn covered by rubbery orange confetti that bore a passing resemblance to cheese. Several hours after this starchy insult, as we barreled south toward Knoxville, Kerry moaned, "Ewwww."It came out of nowhere. I shot him a puzzled look.

"Flashback," he explained. "Gold Star."

Bruni got a lot right. But his typical, non-Cincinnatian reaction to Cincinnati Chili shows he is really not cut out for such a eating quest. Too fixed in his expectations.

[handmc]

Bruni may have been a lot of places but where are his pictures!!!

He can't hold a candle to our Daniel

[MarketStEl]

at Gold Star Chili, the single worst item of the journey.

It was a gummy nest of thin noodles, which were covered by a watery chili, which was in turn covered by rubbery orange confetti that bore a passing resemblance to cheese. Several hours after this starchy insult, as we barreled south toward Knoxville, Kerry moaned, "Ewwww."It came out of nowhere. I shot him a puzzled look.

"Flashback," he explained. "Gold Star."

Bruni got a lot right. But his typical, non-Cincinnatian reaction to Cincinnati Chili shows he is really not cut out for such a eating quest. Too fixed in his expectations.

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Not having had Gold Star, but having eaten Skyline--and having made my own home version of Cincinnati chili once--may I suggest that the problem just might have something to do with what Gold Star uses to make its chili?

(Edited to add:)

--Sandy, who recalls that the South Street outpost of Gold Star Chili had a very short half-life

Edited May 29, 2006 by MarketStEl (log)

[moosnsqrl]

I posted this midday yesterday but no one replied so I thought I would try again, now that Megan has some traffic going on the subject.

My ears perked up this morning when I heard that Bruni was Michael Feldman's call-in interview this morning. I actually kind of enjoyed his comments on the admittedly-low-brow project of documenting current fast-food culture. Not living in NY, I do not read his column regularly, only occasionally, so I don't have much of a personal bias against him, but know from comments on these forums that many, many New Yorkers don't hold him in the highest esteem. I guess I was expecting him to come-off like a jerk, yet he did not at all. He seemed quite affable and his comments (again, we're talking about weighing the relative merits of Sonic versus In-and-Out here) were fairly clever and insightful.

Could someone give me the Cliff Notes version of how long he's been NYT's critic, was there a pivotal point at which everyone turned against him, etc.? I know it's kind of lazy but I can't spend the whole day reading back through ancient threads. Thanks if anyone could enlighten me.