This week in ill-advised new fast food items

Reminds me of a similar date with my now-wife, after we had been dating a month or two.

In those days I used to inhale my food, in large quantities (ah, metabolism …). The first few times we went out for dinner I tried to dial that back, but eventually we went to a Mexican restaurant when I was really starving.

As I was destroying chips, salsa and my meal, she casually said, “You know, it’s not going to run away from you.” For some reason I figured that was a good sign!

 

Several years ago, my wife and I were traveling east through Tennessee. We got hungry around Chattanooga and stopped at a Five Guys. We'd been on Central Time, but it was ~8:30 EDT there, and they closed at 9. We got two burgers and a small fries to share. When they called our number, there was a sack with the two burgers in it, and a sack absolutely stuffed to the brim with fries. I ate way more than I should have, and we still threw away about 80% of the fries.

 

Wish more places would cook their fries in peanut oil. I miss the Boardwalk Fries that once inhabited Broward Mall in South Florida but long ago disappeared.

 

There are barely any Roy Rogers left in the U.S. after the franchise was sold to Hardee’s about 30 years ago.

But, there are three of them within five miles of my house. Only one, the farthest one, has a drive-thru, though, or else I’d probably go way more often. The kids love it.

 

We had a championship at Mount Vernon CC last year and I went to that Roy's right by the Mount Vernon Highway all three days for breakfast. They make a hell of a sourdough sammy.

 

Remembering covering state basketball in Columbia, Mo., a couple of decades ago, and my hotel was right by a McDonald's. I swung in about a half-hour before they closed, and asked the counter person what they had already prepared and easy to put together, because I didn't want to create a ton of extra work for them so near closing time. I was dead-tired and just hungry for anything resembling food.

The guy said they had some double cheeseburgers, so I ordered 2 and some fries. Guy gave me a nod as he handed me the (huge) bag, and when I got back to my room, I found they gave me 3 double cheeseburgers - made with quarter-pound patties and not the tiny ones - plus fries and about 6 apple pies. I guess they appreciated my respect for the time.

 

That must be the one on Jeff Todd Way, the road that was built and named after the guy who owned all three Roy’s, after he died in 2010-ish.