One of the highlights of our trip back was getting a chance to stuff ourselves with all the foods we've known and loved since we were old enough to know food could be loved.
Our Mexi-food-fest started shortly after we arrived at my sister's house and made a quick run for a Taco Bell snack to hold us over until dinner - we had been eating airline food for the previous 20-some hours and were starving. More than the food, though, Mr K was dying for a BDC - Big Diet Coke - the kind that comes in a plastic cup absolutely brimming with ice - a rare American delicacy. (I should take a moment to point out that Mr K had to settle for a BDP as Taco Bell serves Pepsi products only.) After a snack, showers, and getting settled in, my sister make Turkey Chimichangas for dinner - topped with islands of sour cream floating in an ocean of salsa. What a great combination!
The following week we went to a wonderful Mexican restaurant in Atlanta with several of my friends who I've missed so much! Apparently the restaurant had problems keeping its liquor license thanks to some naughty local college kids, but even without margaritas the meal was really really great.
Other than Mexican food, we snacked on a couple other American oddities: Waffle House and Krystal (both Southern US cultural icons in their own ways and both typically open 24 hours). I started blogging about Waffle House but as the entry got longer and longer, I realized Waffle House might actually deserve its own entry - I spent so much time there in college, I can't condense all the memories into one paragraph. We'll stick with a quick description of Krystal - fast food. What makes Krystal different is the tiny size of the food and the square burgers. Being American fast food, tiny food means it is meant to be ordered in larger quantities - a typical meal is 3 or 4 small square burgers. My favorite is the chili cheese pup - a tiny hot dog in a bun topped with chili and melted cheese - it nestles warmly in the palm of your hand and must be eaten hot and with a stack of napkins nearby. Mr K prefers the Krystal burgers - served in a little cardboard sleeve that hugs the burger tight. The square bun is steamed lightly and topped with pickle slices and mustard and the thinnest square burger patty ever. No ketchup, no mayo, no tomato, no lettuce. Mustard, pickle, bun, meat(ish.) Hard to describe but wonderful in the weirdest ways. (They have a funny website and pictures of the square food if you're that curious...)
Anyway I think I've rambled enough today - I'm making myself hungry. If you have a minute, I would love to see some confessions of your guilty-pleasure foods in the comment section!
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7 comments:
I had to laugh when I red this because I went to college in the South, so Krystal and Waffle House definitely remind me of those times. I took my California-raised hubby to a Waffle House once and he was completely grossed out and refuses to set foot in another one! In his defense I'll admit the place was pretty dirty, but I still laugh at him!
My guilty pleasures, which I miss now that I'm living in Europe: CHIPOTLE BURRITOS and good Mexican food in general is #1. I also miss good, reasonably affordable sushi - you can get it here and it's decent quality, but fairly expensive. I guess that's it - for other things I guess I've adjusted or found good substitutes.
Oh, perhaps a good future topic - what will we miss from here when we eventually go back to the States?
Ha ha - too funny! Mr K raised his eyebrow at Krystal - until he tried it. Then he was hooked. As far as go back - go back!?!? Go back?!?! ;-)
In the week were were gone we figured out some things to miss - especially our friends here. We also missed finding good cheese and bread and produce at the grocery without having to find a Whole Foods. We missed fabulous public transportation. We missed the mountains. we missed the slower pace. Mr K posted a list on his blog if you have some reading time - he's in my "reading" list. He really misses Chipotle burritos - oh that cilantro lime rice. Swoon!
OMG, waffle house! Recently I've been rewatching "Dead Like Me" (yes, I can watch it over and over again. Peter got polluted as well :P) and they were all the time eating in Waffle House. We had to laugh because we were watching it while you guys were in US and I kept of thinking that you must be just sitting there and eating waffles!
My love affair with Waffle House (WaHo) needs its own blog entry! Chris loves the waffle but I go right to the hashbrowns/eggs/bacon/raisin toast combo. So tasty! Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever actually ordered a waffle there - now I have to go back!
Up in Michigan, the weird square burger place is White Castle. I was never brave enough to go to one, but people say it's great.
Ah yes - White Castle! I ate at one or two. Wikipedia has a funny graphic showing a breakdown of White Castle versus Krystal states... You should have given it a try! On a positive note, I believe Virginia is one of the only states with both... but I could be wrong.
Hey Miz k, thanks a lot for caring! I'm not really absent... just busy... work for school and a new girlfriend (my first, which makes this doubly busying :P) can be quite a handful. Should be better once I've finished my papers though, so you should see me again then :P For now... it's work work work... Have a great time you!
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