That's What a Memory Is All About....

               The first in my before and after food blog series is here. Celebrate….I said CELEBRATE!!! Thank you.

               The first is In & Out. For those who live under a rock at the bottom of the ocean, In & Out does burgers. They do burgers, fries, and shakes. That’s it. My memories of this place are good ones. I remember Friday nights with friends in The Valley (The San Fernando Valley, as if there was any other). Most of all I remember the food. Fresh meat for burger patties (never frozen if the commercials are to be believed), fries that were potatoes a few seconds prior to touching oil, and delicious chocolate shakes.

               My training in culinary has given me certain bias towards fast food. Terrible food at cheap prices, manufactured with no artistry by high school drop outs, etcetera, etcetera. So I was actually hesitant to go back least my good memories of food and friends be destroyed. I need not worry. The food is good and fresh. Grilled onions and, fresh vegetable stand atop a good burger. The fries, good as they were are not my favorite. In order to make fries extra crispy most places give them a soak in water to expunge extra starches. Because their fries are potatoes seconds before In & Out doesn’t do this (at least I don’t think they do, forgive me if I am wrong). The result is a slightly soggy fry that has a crunchy coating.

               With the fries though I will chalk it up to personal taste. The flavor was good and I ate everyone, but the texture wasn’t what I like anymore. I have clear memories of inhaling these fries by the ton and loving them, for those very qualities I am denouncing now. So, yeah, personal taste shift.

               Over all I love this place and can’t wait to eat their again. I think as far as fast food goes In & Out stands as a king among their kind.