After 45-years at the intersection of Lindbergh and Cheshire Bridge, The Varsity Jr. is sailing off into the sunset. One of six outposts of the institution, the original plan was to rebuild the family-owned location. I first heard about this via a ton of people on twitter and my heart sank as the information was confirmed by 11-Alive just a little bit ago, this thing seems set in stone. They have all the gritty details, so I won’t bother to give you all the he-said, she-said. What I will tell you is that this sucks! The Varsity Jr has been at the same place since before I was born and while I’m a Fenway type of guy, the plan to rebuild it seems reasonable to me. This isn’t right! And while I’m not so bold as to think my word alone carries any weight, but maybe with some help it will. Thus, I’ve started a petition to save the Varsity JR.. We don’t have much time, but let’s see what a little elbow grease can do!
The drive up the Eastern seaboard of the United States is daunting to say the least. Considering the trek from Miami to Atlanta, there is just something wrong about the idea of driving for 12-hours plus and only hitting two states. A break (or three) is required, and what better way for a foodie to chew up the monotony than with a destination worthy meal?
In preparation for that drive, the Unabomber’s Girlfriend and I spent some time perusing the internet looking for one of those hidden eateries of lore and legend. As we were in seafood central, the cuisine was seemingly selected for us. After scanning several internet sites, we were led to believe that we had found one such gem. Yes, Capt. Shrimp came with high marks from casual dinners over a bevy of websites. Unfortunately, what it delivered was a glorified alternative to Captain D’s.
The man who gave every college student hope for a better day finally bid adieu this past Sunday. Though he hasn’t owned Taco Bell is some time, we all owe a gratitude of debt to Mr. Glen Bell; at least, those of us who pulled every last bit of change out of our couch seats just to grab a delicious Mexican pizza do. But as time goes on, we must say goodbye to Mr. Bell, good luck hanging on that big gordita in the sky.
I’ve expressed my love for LEGOS before. I’ve also made no bones about my appreciation for rapidly prepared and delivered morsels of cow parts, pig parts, and “other” parts [See: fast food]. So now we have the heavenly marriage of two of my favorite things! Enjoy:
Yeah, you’ll probably notice that weird looking little symbol by the number … that’s a yen symbol folks … so no available in America-oh.
Well … hell may hath frozen over with this one. This week has been very big to the technology community as Microsoft has released their highly anticipated OS, dubbed Windows 7. Burger King decided to celebrate the release with a most disgusting/awesome/shocking/amazing/revolting promotion. Introducing (in Japan only), The Windows 7 Whopper. Details after the jump.
A few days ago, I was reminded how great Big Mac Sauce is. Last night, Adam Biderman was kind enough to direct me to another fast food treat … the Wendy’s Grand Slam. The minimum requirement for this mythic piece of heart attack is the four beef-substitute patties. Beyond that, everything is just a blur.
Anywho, some dude took the time to film himself eating one of these massive mounds of ground round. Though I would have preferred he left his clothes on, and something about the guys affect, when combined with the sound of him eating, just cuts my nerves like fingernails to a chalkboard, it’s an interesting watch
Speaking of Biderman: For those of you who didn’t hear, Adam kicked H+F and we Terminites to the curb some months ago. To complete the dagger to the chest, he packed up his knife kit and headed back to the Big Easy, his place of origin. Though the departures of Sotohiro Kosugi, Guenter Seeger, and Michael Tuohy get a lot more attention, Biderman’s adieu was no less frustrating. While the other three went straight for the bling, Biderman’s cooking was always approachable and accessible while providing your taste buds with an ample challenge. These days, you can catch him at Herbsaint (website), where he has just moved to the lunch shift. So next time any of ya’ll head that way – go give Adam some Suth’un love.
Fresh, Hot, Small, Square! Homer Simpson has seriously missed out. I’m sure Krusty Burgers are just fine and all – but the idea that the American icon has been robbed of his chance to taste fast food bliss is nothing short of a crime. That bliss comes in the form of a slider from Krystal, one of this country’s oldest fast food restaurant chains. Strip away the politics, the caloric impact, and the pretense of food snobbery – and what we have here is a glorious, glorious item. Nearly everything that comes out of this Chattanooga based chain has the potential to be purely awesome (though it doesn’t always happen). Unfairly relegated to post-bash binges during the hours of 2am-4am, Krystal is an under appreciated gut busting experience.
At this point, this just seems like piling it on. Another day passes, another story is released lamenting the woes of said industry. Yesterday, our beloved food industry, specifically the restaurants, took the predictable shot across the chin.
Summarized quite nicely by the gang over at Fast Company, the reports are troubling. The long of the short is that crowds sunk by 2.6% this past spring (relative to spring ‘08). Further to the point, this is the third quarter in a row where family dining took a dip.
The most troubling of all this is news from the fast food industry. Say what you will about the dietary impact of a QPC, the truth is that “instant food” is usually up in a recession. However, this recent report says that fast food is down 2%, the seventh decline in the past nine months. Bummer!
We all know how bad fast food is for us. We also know how good things can look on TV even if they don’t look good in real life. In that spirit, a website out there has decided to elevate the appearance of fast food. FancyFastFood.com takes mundane orders of a Big Mac and turns them into steak and potatoes. While I still think the photography needs a little work, my favorite to date are the “Tapas De Castillo Blanco” [pictured] Made from White Castle burgers, those close (but inferior) cousins of my beloved Krystal burgers, I can’t imagine anyone would love them!
As a compendium to What’ll Ya have?, I wanted to follow up with this handy little guide. The Varsity has developed its own unique terminology for a number of items on their menu. Here they are in all their glory. For those of you who have never been (and those of you still looking to learn), please read on!
After 45-years at the intersection of Lindbergh and Cheshire Bridge, The Varsity Jr. is sailing off into the sunset. One of six outposts of the institution, the original plan was to rebuild the family-owned location. I first heard about this via a ton of people on twitter and my heart sank as the information was confirmed by 11-Alive just a little bit ago, this thing seems set in stone. They have all the gritty details, so I won’t bother to give you all the he-said, she-said. What I will tell you is that this sucks! The Varsity Jr has been at the same place since before I was born and while I’m a Fenway type of guy, the plan to rebuild it seems reasonable to me. This isn’t right! And while I’m not so bold as to think my word alone carries any weight, but maybe with some help it will. Thus, I’ve started a petition to save the Varsity JR.. We don’t have much time, but let’s see what a little elbow grease can do!
