Today, as I was sitting in my car at the Micky D's drive-through, I started contemplating fast food joints. Not the food itself, mind you, but the restaurants themselves and how they can vary across the country.

For example. Take your everyday, family-owned fast food place. Down south, there are many, many BBQ places with superb food, as well as regular hamburger joints, such as Milo's, Mexican eateries, and pizza parlors, among others, making their way south.

Up here in Chicago, you see Greek places serving gyros, such as Mr. Gyros, Italian places serving beef sandwiches, hot dog places serving their dogs with relish and onions and tomatoes, and a couple of BBQ joints here and there. Not to mention the Thai, Chinese, Polish, and other Eastern places serving a fast-food version of their international delicacies.


Plus we are fortunate to have White Castle. At least my father in Alabama thinks we are fortunate to be able to purchase slyders (White Castle burgers so named because they "slide" down your throat) whenever we feel like it. I, personally, get major indigestion after eating some of their square burgers with their acid-like sauce. But Dad loves to have his White Castles when he comes up for a visit.

Down in Bama, there is Krystals to be sure, but he says their burgers just aren't the same somehow.


Up here, I have a hard time finding a restaurant that serves Sweet Tea. Luckily, the Cracker Barrel down the street serves it just right, and
Famous Dave's, out of Hayward, Wisconsin, who serves southern-style BBQ, Memphis style (that is, with cole slaw on the pulled pork) has really good sweet tea not five minutes from my house.

And this year something miraculous happened: McDonald's started serving their famous southern sweet tea in Chicago!

I was in ecstasy! I love Micky D's sweet tea. It's just strong enough and syrupy sweet enough to satisfy my craving. And, there are five Micky D's within five miles of my house.

Of course, I could make tea at home. My mother and grandmother taught me well, but it's like going out for dinner; it tastes better because you don't have to make it.

Dah dah dah dah dahhhhh. I'ma lovin' it!

Now, if we could only get a Milo's. Hmmmm.