stevez wrote:True dat, but they DO speak French.

Welllll, Steve, I know certain purist Frenchmen/-women who would not feel uncomfortable denying that notion. [And it's not just the 17thCentury accent: both the grammar book and the dictionary of Québeçois dialect venture far from standard French in many places.]

But yeah, it's closer to French than it is to anything else!

Geo

Binko wrote:Yeah, why are Americans, in general, such ice-philes (pagophile?) I've never quite understood, as I'm one of the freaks who asks for "no ice" or "easy ice," as the drinks are already damned cold enough, and unless I'm ordering a three-gallon 7-11 Bucket O'Pop, they stay that way before I even get close to finishing.

I don't get it either. When I go to a fountain, I put little to no ice in it, which Mr. Pie adamantly disagrees with. He is fully pro-ice. I feel, along with two of our friends, that ice waters sodie down and makes it flat. Also, I can't drink anything with ice unless I have a straw, which makes me look like a jackass in restaurants. And you're getting less beverage for your money. However, these two friends will be genuinely distressed if they get ice in their drinks, and the poor waiter will get no reprieve. This is what makes 2-3 dinners per year at Leona's very interesting.

Cathy2 wrote:I especially like their breakfast: egg McMuffins and their steak, egg and cheese bagel, which I rarely eat because I like it so much.

Please, no one else mention the breakfast or I'll be out the door for some flapjacks. Mmmm...oddly tasty.
I had no idea they had a steak bagel sandwich.

Hi,

My high school chemistry teacher said the ice lowers the temperature, slightly dilutes (which we are all accustomed to) and increases the bubbles. It is exactly the experience one expects when drinking a Coke.

Regards,

Check out this link from the Salt, NPR's food blog:Where in the World are the No McDonalds's? Love the map entitled, "The Fries that Bind Us." Looks like China and the US are on the same path. . .

Interesting piece in Slate on why the French love McDonald's.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_ ... ected.html

McDonald's has the best coffee in Guatemala City, capital of a coffee producing nation

“Crosses. Flags. … Arches.” Those words are spoken by Ray Kroc, or rather Michael Keaton, in “The Founder,” a film about the McDonald’s Corporation, as he envisions the stature the soon-to-be ubiquitous emblem would attain for the fast-food chain in a nation that in 1954 already had steeples and flagpoles aplenty.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/20/busin ... ining&_r=0

Foreign McDs are a Godsend for our family ( Ron,please do not revoke my LTH membership). Clean bathrooms, free wifi, A/C-HVAC, little language barrier and a place to chill without glaring looks. While we eat local, our two kids avoid most foreign foods. We will try to eat as a family at a restaurant/cafe/shop/diner and afterwards the kids chow down on burgers and nuggets. We try to convince them otherwise but we have spent $$ on food that is never eaten and it always ends up in a fight. However, it is interesting to watch locals hang out. The range of items offered (i.e. no beef in India) is interesting and we found that the best Filet O Fish is in Japan). Back in the day before internet, I used the tray liners full of colorful adverts, prices and photos with the local language as stationery when writing home. At least we try to avoid McDs here.

Elfin wrote:Foreign McDs are a Godsend for our family ( Ron,please do not revoke my LTH membership). Clean bathrooms, free wifi, A/C-HVAC, little language barrier and a place to chill without glaring looks.

Years ago, in Paris on the Champs-Élysées, my then eight-year old son developed an epic stomach ache that he did not, could not, conceal from us. We were happy and grateful to find a McDonald's and its American-style bathroom. Relief for all concerned! I remember we bought some Cokes out of gratitude.

I don't see why you have to be condescending about going to McD's. It is what it is, but extremely consistent with both food and facilities. I don't go there much, but the Egg McMuffin is better than many, many other things from any kind of joint. If you wanted a cold coke on a hot day, your chances of getting a flat, over carbonated, etc... there are much less than most places. Certainly, in foreign lands, both the facilities and food were welcome (long stories, especially Japan in the 80's).

Who's being condescending?

=R=

Elfin's whole post was.

"At least we try to avoid McDs here. "

Puckjam wrote:Elfin's whole post was.

"At least we try to avoid McDs here. "

Ok, got it. Thanks. I read that more as honest than condescending and I happen to be big fan of McDonalds breakfast. Perhaps I'll have to revoke my own LTH membership!

=R=

Funny, I didn't find elfin's msg the least bit condescending, at least until the last sentence. Indeed, so far as I read it, it isn't really about McDonald's at all, but rather seems focussed upon the fact that he can't take his kids anywhere overseas to eat. Wouldn't that be a major worry by an LTHer parent? Sounds right to me...

Further proof that Derrida wasn't entirely off-base when he argued that no text has a single, solitary meaning!

Geo

... my then eight-year old son developed an epic stomach ache ... I remember we bought some Cokes out of gratitude.

Coke's good for a stomach ache, so that sounds like it worked out well.

I sure wouldn't mind a McPalta (quarter pounder with avocado) in Santiago right now.

We have tried to expose our girls to foods around the world and in Chicagoland. It can be harder abroad due to the language barrier and other factors. Our kids will eat chinese food at LTH in Chinatown but would not even touch a grain of rice in Shanghai. By skipping McDs we have exposed our kids to ethnic cuisines that one day (we hope) will open their culinary horizons. We are not there yet but are working on it. We do not and have not denied our kids McDs. It is simply not our first choice.

Hi,

In the Hyde Park area, there are McDonald's (South Cottage Grove and South Lake Park Avenue locations) who offer grits for a dollar during breakfast.

I happen to like the sausage biscuit. At the South Lake Park location, they always include grape jelly. At the McD's I visit in Lake County, I never receive a grape jelly. I never ask, either.

Regards,

I remember having a Quarter Pounder in the Bahamas about 15 years ago and it tasted like McDonald's in the early 80's - it was great. Right off the griddle too. Don't write off McDonald's - at least not outside the US (although I get it, who would want to get American food outside the US? But some people do of course.) It feels like yesterday, but 20 years ago I had onion rings at Burger King in Denmark that were also like the ones we had back in the 70's and 80's.

I wonder how the good things about our fast food giants seem to go away, but remain in other countries. Let's take cooking fries in beef tallow at McDonald's. Why get rid of it? Because some people won't eat it? Because some Hindus were upset? If there were signs saying we cook in beef tallow, would that be ok? Portillo's uses tallow for their fries - they haven't gotten in trouble. McDonald's removed it during a time when beef "fat" was considered unhealthy. Similar to the movie industry using coconut oil to make popcorn (thank goodness the movie industry mostly kept the coconut oil). Remember that expose on the news? As much as 6 Big Macs of fat! How's coconut oil treating you now? Isn't Lard and Tallow back in vogue? I suppose it doesn't matter now, but what's stopping McDonald's from going back to what worked - beef tallow? Wouldn't that be a strong marketing tool for them? "We're going back to what we were know for. Using beef tallow to cook our incredible fries. And as an option, we will cook your burger on a flattop grill if you want to wait for one.

By the way, I saw a picture of McDonald's version of Chicken and Waffles - McNuggets and Hot Cakes!

Ram4 wrote:I wonder how the good things about our fast food giants seem to go away, but remain in other countries. Let's take cooking fries in beef tallow at McDonald's. Why get rid of it? Because some people won't eat it? Because some Hindus were upset? If there were signs saying we cook in beef tallow, would that be ok? Portillo's uses tallow for their fries - they haven't gotten in trouble. McDonald's removed it during a time when beef "fat" was considered unhealthy.

As I recall the controversy was that people didn't know that the fries had animal fat - not just in the fry oil, but I think as an ingredient too, and thought when eating the fries that they were still keeping to a vegetarian diet.

Yes, you remember there was a controversy with vegetarians and religious people sued in 2001. McDonald's originally used fresh cut fries at every store (like In-N-Out Burger) but to save on labor costs and ensure fries would be the same everywhere, they switched to frozen. They had always cooked with 7% cottonseed oil and 93% beef tallow. When they changed to all vegetable oil (and more trans fats) in 1990, they called their fries vegetarian but still used beef flavoring.

Ram4 wrote:McDonald's originally used fresh cut fries at every store (like In-N-Out Burger) but to save on labor costs and ensure fries would be the same everywhere, they switched to frozen.

They switched to frozen about 50 years ago.

spinynorman99 wrote:

Ram4 wrote:McDonald's originally used fresh cut fries at every store (like In-N-Out Burger) but to save on labor costs and ensure fries would be the same everywhere, they switched to frozen.

They switched to frozen about 50 years ago.

That's why I used the word "originally."

Hi,

I was in Kansas over the weekend.

They offered biscuits and gravy as a breakfast option.

There are billboards touting a triple cheeseburger, too.

I didn't try any of them, though I wish there was a biscuits and gravy option here.

Regards,
Cathy2

C2--

Where in Kansas were you? I'll check to see if it's available in KC now....

Boy, would that suck me in, or what!

Anyone ever seen a grits option down South??

Geo

HI,

I was in KC as well as Hutchinson. What I reported on I saw in KC.

Next time, I will go to KC, Hutchinson and onto Wichita!

Regards,
Cathy2

Did you see the biscuits on the KC menu, or the Hutch menu (or both)? I'm just curious. Biscuits and gravy are aBig deal in KC, as I discovered long, long ago when I moved there.

I used to know a really nice German resto in Wichita, but it's closed now, so I can't recommend it to you, C2.

Too bad you aren't going through Omaha, where the wonderful Bohemian Cafe is closing, sadly. http://www.bohemiancafe.net Wish I had one more shot there, but it's a long drive from Montréal!!

Where'd you eat in KC?

Geo

Geo wrote:Did you see the biscuits on the KC menu, or the Hutch menu (or both)? I'm just curious. Biscuits and gravy are aBig deal in KC, as I discovered long, long ago when I moved there.

I never saw the Hutch menu, only KC.

Too bad you aren't going through Omaha, where the wonderful Bohemian Cafe is closing, sadly. http://www.bohemiancafe.net Wish I had one more shot there, but it's a long drive from Montréal!!

I was at Bohemian Cafe with Rene G.

I have been to Omaha twice this year and like it a lot.

Where'd you eat in KC?

When I arrived on Saturday afternoon, I had hash browns at Waffle House. I went to my niece's apartment and re-organized her kitchen with her blessing. I brought kitchen equipment from my collection as well as other items picked up at rummage sales. When she arrived, we cooked together some spaetzle.

On Sunday morning early, I had an egg McMuffin to tide me over the Hutchinson. At Hutchinson, I sampled food submitted by contestants.

I tried to tour the salt mines there. I arrived 30 minutes after the last tour. I got back to KC about four hours later and ate leftovers from the night before and went to sleep.

Yep, I am living the wild life!

That's great that you got to Bohemian Cafe, C2!! I first went there in '75, and lots of times since. Omaha is an excellent eating place, plus there are some meat markets that make excellent sausage. And their zoo is a totally excellent prize for such a small city. Sitting in a sidewalk cafe in Old Town is one of life's delights, I must say.

I found this amazing site devoted to McDonald's Secret Menu: http://hackthemenu.com/mcdonalds/secret-menu/

Keep up your vigourous pace, C2! and report back to us!

Geo

McDonald's special sauce for Big Macs could be headed to retail shelves

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... story.html