So it turns out Lucy loves McDonalds ("Donalds", as she calls it) and as a result I have broken my 10 year boycott of it. Ok, so I wasn't boycotting it- I mean I was perfectly fine with other people eating there (as long as you thoroughly wash before coming around me), I just swore it off for myself. I think the last time I ate there was in Buenos Aires, and then only because of the novelty of it being "American". My true fast food loves have been Burger King (home of the whopper- which must be the only real reason for going there because it sure ain't for the fries), and Wendys (which has better fries, but to get refills you have to go ask for a whole new cup, and the whole point of eating at fast food restaurants is to minimize contact with the hired help).
I banned myself from Mcdonalds mainly because everything they made reminded me of big macs, whose secret sauce started disagreeing violently with my stomach (who is not easy to get along with in the first place). As I knelt at the porcelain Mcgod after my stomach won the argument, I swore never to return. Friends in high school would suggest we go out to eat at McDonalds and I'd always suggest somewhere else.
So Jenny tells me one day that Lucy really likes McDonalds because they have an indoor Mcplayground there, and she'll actually eat a hamburger, fries, and chicken nuggets. Not too sure about the whole idea, I come along for the trip, and find that in my absence they have come up with a new burger- the Big n Tasty. Its actually what you would call a regular burger- buns, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato... but its new because Mcdonalds finally caught on to the idea of serving regular food. It was good, and I realized that Mcdonalds really has the best fries around. 
So it turns out that Mcdonalds has become a weekly trip for either me and Lucy, or all three of us. Well, actually it has become a triweekly trip for me, since I usually go once by myself, once with just me and Lucy, and once with me, Jenny and Lucy, sometimes with an extra McSundae trip thrown in too. Hence the poll in the left sidebar- just curious if I was alone in my Mcgluttony.
Final poll results:
never 4
1-2 times 4
3-4 times 2
5-500 times 0
Sunday, October 14, 2007
I Hate Fast Food! Oh Wait, No I Don't...
Posted by Nick at 9:04 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
a little fyi~ Trenton just informed me tonight that Ronald Mcdonald is scary!! HEe hee! He is kinda freaky don't ya think? And they recently remodled the McDonalds here in our small town and re-opened with new management. I had a cheeseburger the other day and it had been so long since I have had one. I now remember why I always preferred the cheapo cheeseburger from Micky D's when I was a kid..... because they are pretty tasty!
McDonalds doesn't tempt me so much. Their food isn't bad, but other places sound more appetizing to me. In our more than two years here in Grand Rapids, I haven't eaten at a McDonalds in Grand Rapids yet. I have eaten at McD's in other places - it's just so convenient when you're on the road/ on vacation when you don't have a kitchen. The stats of where I've eaten at McD's in the last 2 and 1/4 years:
Indianapolis: 2
Las Vegas: 1
Somewhere on I-69 near the Michigan/ Indiana border: 1
First of all, Katie and I don't eat fast food very often. It's not that I don't like it - it more has to do with Katie making fun of me when I suggest it and our not really having any money budgeted for Big Macs. When we do break down and get fast food (e.g. on the way home from the temple in Detroit, or at the mall) we tend to be suckers for Arby's, Wendy's, or Subway. Or a "real" restaurant (the quotation marks are recognizing the fact that many people would not consider Cracker Barrel or Steak 'n Shake too much different from fast food.)
Also, McDonald's advertising turns me off, also Target's, and Hewlett Packard's, and ... I feel a rant coming on. I better stop.
Steak n Shake! oh I am soo jealous...please send me a strawberry shake and a patty melt! It is not a place you go for service, or good food, but it is my favorite just the same.
Jon - I would call Cracker Barrel real food! But what restaurants actually serve food as "real" as something homemade? Probably none.
I admit that McDonald's is one of my favored fast food joints, mostly because I like the fries. However, the documentary "Super Size Me" has changed me so that I only eat there once, maybe twice a year now. That movie made me re-think how frequently I go out to eat at ANY fast food joint, and there's an extra segment on the DVD that shows how their fries should never be used for human consumption.
Jack in the Box is my favorite fast food place. Real ice cream shakes, seasoned curly fries, mmmmmm... Unfortunately, the closest one to Provo was in St. George, and I don't know about the DC area. I guess that just means I will have to succumb even less to the temptation...
I usually only go out to eat because of school. I have two 3 hour classes on different campuses and have to drive during rush hour to make it to class. Eating out is the easiest thing to do.
I don't find the convenience of McDonald's to make up for its lack of good flavor or texture, or its all-around lack of realness. Also, the way my stomach reacts to McDonald's being inside of it... not worth it.
And Shark, please allow me to introduce you to a world outside of Provo, where you can find restaurants that don't give you mysterious substances that once were real food (read: McDonald's), nor do they give you thawed and cooked dishes that were shipped frozen from a central corporated warehouse (read: Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, most other chains). Instead, you can choose to eat at restaurants where they actually do make food from scratch for you without it ever having been frozen. This is available to you in "fast" food (read: Five Guys), as well as sit-down restaurants (the list would be too long).
It's kind of funny that we're getting to a point where all we expect from a restaurant is something fake and we're willing to sacrifice quality for covenience. I don't think we really have to do that.
I'll admit, I've never been a McDonalds person. I typically lean toward Taco Bell or Jack in the Box myself. That is until I met your mother and had the blessing of all those Happy Meal toy runs and my payment was in McFood. I don't think you've lived until you've asked the question "Do you have the black ballerina doll?" through the drive thru speaker.
I think the key point isn't how much you/we enjoy McDonalds (I could never eat another McAsian Salad again and be perfectly happy), but how much Lucy likes going there. Not even for the food, but for that giant playtoy that's enclosed (it's like going to the park, even if it's raining). And so she'll quickly eat something (sometimes a lot, sometimes hardly anything) and then go and run and play. And we get a chance to talk over a meal without Lucy jumping up and down in her high chair or trying to climb onto our laps and spit in our food (she's got this spitting thing going). The child entertainment factor is huge in my willingness to go there.
That and the ice cream. I love ice cream.
I agree with the kid's ability to love the play structures. We have some pretty cool ones here. However, I've turned into an ice cream snob since I've found this local place. I used to think Arctic Circle had good ice cream.
since we only eat out every other month, I don't waste my chance on McDonalds. but on road trips, that fishwich is the best! in the last year, we've gone to azteca, red robin, spuds fish & chips, ivars fish & chips, and little food shops at pike place (seattle). however, I've been known to go out with just girls, and then we go more places - like the diner on vashon island and Madame K's (a converted brothel).
Oh, Ivar's...wow, I need to make a road trip up to Seattle. It's been way too long since I've had good fish'n'chips. Thanks for the memory.
Jenny just think about how many times that ball pit gets cleaned out:) Mmmm... yummy!
There are no ball pits at our McDs. That's gross. I mean, it's gross enough as is, but we do have our limits.
I love fast food but i do check www.wheresmyfries.com so that i dont end up at some dumpy place.
Post a Comment