She's a Beaut!

It's not like me to go through my (proverbial) stocking (proverbial because my parents have deemed us too old for some traditions such as stockings), but this being somewhere I sometimes (er... often) post about things going on in the kitchen - I thought it only right that I also talk about the one of the best (looking) ways to go about cleaning up the aforementioned "things".

And while I didn't realize this until about a few days ago, using one of these Brushing Beauties has to be the way - although these ladies are so cute that they've left me wondering if any of them have ever actually made it out of the packaging. But that aside... isn't this the most adorable thing you've ever laid eyes on?

Wouldn't she, "the Baker" model, have been perfect in my stocking? Not that I'm ungrateful to my brother (make that his wife) for gifting her to me (au contraire)... but if I have anything to do with it next year, stockings, filled with these cuties (or perhaps one of these other food-related gadgets) will be hung by the chimney with care.

Pink, polka dots and little bow-adorned pockets... be still my heart. (although if pink, polka dots, and/or bows aren't your thing, there's bound to be one that's just right for you, too!)

A Different Version

Well, this is downright embarrassing... right now, most people who write something masquerading as a food blog (although I'm not completely convinced that's why you're here) are either in the kitchen hurriedly preparing delicious homemade accompaniments to the perfectly roasted turkey or are already at the table, surrounded by dear friends and family, just about to dig into said complements.

Yet... here I am - spending part of my Thanksgiving afternoon sitting at our computer still thinking (and talking, quite frankly) about our recent jaunt up to New York City. Admittedly this is actually a tradition in the loosest sense of the word - as for the past hour or so, I've had one eye on the annual Dog Show (that we always manage to watch in some shape or form) and the other... here with you.

It’s just that I’ve had Wicked on the brain ever since we saw the musical and I thought perhaps one way to transition from Wicked music all-the-time to Christmas music all-the-time (officially acceptable after today, right?), was to finally getting around to sharing this. After all, we all know that the best way to get rid of a song stuck in your head (as Wicked's Defying Gravity and For Good have been - not that I'm complaining), is to sing it loud and clear... er, right?

Regardless, I won't bore you with details except to say that I wish it weren't over... and that I'm fairly certain any Christmas music lulls will be filled with the sounds of Wicked - and I'm okay with that.

Now for that turkey...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Decisions

Hello, my name is Kara and "this has been hard for me." (admission is the first step in the recovery process - whee, I'm on my way!)

Losing sleep over this? Not entirely. Thinking about it more than necessary? Absolutely.

I'm not a huge fan of reviews... this goes for books, movies, restaurants, you name it... I want to try it for myself (okay, reviews of cooking classes may be an exception). Since very few people are the exact kind of weird that I am, how do they know what I'll like?

Then why even consider a restaurant review when I, myself, don't value others' reviews? Who knows. I skipped that part of the thought process; I said I think about things more than necessary, I didn't say I think about the right things too much!

So, let's not think of this as a real restaurant review (as if you were) - more like Kara and Chris' Dogfish Head Alehouse experience.

First things first, GREAT Happy Hour prices. $1.50 off all drafts (and they are worth paying full price so that's a steal) and $2 off appetizers (you must have the Warm Three Cheese Crab Dip) and pizzas? I just may become a regular!

Numero dos: great service. Our waiter, Chris, was just the right amount of attentiveness. And he accepted our coupon at the end of the meal without batting an eyelash. We've received our fair share of unhappy looks from waiters after seeing that we planned on using a coupon so I notice this type of thing (and we, of course, tipped off the pre-discounted amount).

As usual, I was my indecisive self about my beverage selection but waiter-Chris didn't miss a beat - he offered a few complimentary taste-tests! Final choice - Black N' Tan. Perfect.

And the food... the best way I can put it is that the pizzas are so good that I've had to resist ordering one each time we've been. That makes no sense, I'm well-aware, it's just that I know and respect my limits and I know it would not be pretty if said pizza and I were to get that close.
So instead, Chris orders the pizza and I make eyes at it until he offers me a bite (or three). In between bites of his pizza, I devour my Wood-Grilled Chicken, Bacon, and Shrimp Salad.

One recommendation: unless you like super strong mustards, choose a dressing other than the Mustard Grain Vinaigrette. It certainly didn't ruin the smokiness of the chicken and shrimp, but I'll try their house-made Balsamic Vinaigrette next time.

Or maybe I'll order a pizza...

I Wish It Was Sunday Again

One of the most highly anticipated afternoons of my spring has come... and gone. And my mom will tell you, when something that I really, really enjoyed has come and gone, I spend about the next week+ whining "I wish it were [enter the day/hour/minute before said event happened]".

Well, "I wish it was Sunday at 11:30am again".

Gourmet (in every sense of the word). I spent 2 hours yesterday with the Executive Chef of 2941 (along with a few other people), a restaurant just around the corner that I have been dying to go to for... well, forever.

Let's just say this was a dangerous toe-dip into the world of fine dining. Every part of the experience of watching such a master instruct us on making pure deliciousness was better than I could ever have (and did!) imagined.

Artichoke Barigoule Salad. Garnished with micro-fennel and blood oranges. Oh, and that sauce... like nothing I've ever tasted; I unabashedly used an entire baguette to sop up every last bit of it.

Cooking Class Lesson #1: Always garnish with micro-greens. Just so you can say "oh yes, those are micro-greens found only at high-end markets" with a French accent.

Handmade gnocchi. It was so light and delicate and yes, perfect. I dare say too much about it in case I should disturb the intricate balance of the fluffy pillows of potato and the herbed, light cream sauce.

Cooking Class Lesson #2: Buy a potato ricer; oh, and don't let your baked potatoes crystallize (whatever that means, I just know it's bad news in the gnocchi world). Ah, heck... just order gnocchi at 2941.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. Oatmeal streusel and homemade vanilla bean ice cream?!? Needs no explanation.

Cooking Class Lesson #3: Buy tons of cute plates, in assorted shapes and sizes. As far as this amateur could tell, that was key to 2941's amazing food.

Cooking Class Lesson #4: Find and hire one of those people who brings all of your ingredients measured exactly and at the specifically appointed time, not too early, not too late. If anyone knows where to get one of "those" people, please order one for me - my dishwasher (thanks, Chris!) is good, but not that good.

The Chef - Bertrand Chemel. Undeniably talented Chef, humble and helpful guy. No wonder 2941 is so wildly popular with him at the helm.

Cooking Class Lesson #5: Make reservation at 2941 ASAP.

I Saw That Coming

There's no doubt that this date has been on the calendar ever since we made things official last year around this time... and I kinda started realizing it was on the horizon about two months ago, but seeing the time come and go - and all the memories and emotions that bubbled up inside of me thinking back to those amazing 24-hours and the year that's ensued since then... that, that absolutely took me by surprise (and we're talking like the startling, scream-inducing kindofathing-a-ma-bob).

Being new to this whole anniversary thing (and even newer to caring about it), we decided even one year was a good-enough reason to celebrate (and here's a quick pause to celebrate all of you who've done this many, many more years) so off we headed to discover that Virginia is not just for wine lovers (admittedly a far cry from this time last year in St. Lucia).

Saturday morning, we headed west towards Charlottesville (sadly, the Wake victory over UVA didn't make it on the itinerary but I was more than happy to be in the vicinity) for an afternoon tour, consisting of visiting two breweries and two wineries. We checked into our cute inn and after grabbing lunch on the run, our great tour guide, Chris, whisked us away, immediately filling our heads with his un-ending knowledge of all things wine (we learned so much!).

Our first stop was Starr Hill Brewery which was a great start to the afternoon (and subsequently, my favorite of the two breweries).

We relaxed at their tasting bar for a little while before starting their 30-minute tour during which we tasted some of the barley and even though I definitely lean towards the darker, stout beers, I found out that I prefer non-roasted barley (note to self)! I highly recommend their Amber Ale or Jomo Lager.

Next we headed to Blue Mountain Brewery and enjoyed their sampler of 6 different housemade beers. Their brewery was really more of a restaurant (everyone there had delicious looking plates) so if I went back (and I would go back), I'd order a glass of Evil 8 along with their thin crust veggie pizza.

After visiting two very different breweries, it was time to turn our attention to wine. What would become my favorite was up first, Pollack Vineyards. I learned all about two wines new to me, Petit Verdot and Viognier, and specifically loved their Viognier.

Chris' choice of the winery was their Meritage which he enjoyed as we sat down to our cheese, fruit, and chocolate platter (a big YUM to Farmhouse Cheddar locally produced in the Charlottesville area... oh! and the crostini, and the chocolates...).

After our perfectly timed break at Pollack, we headed to our last stop of the tour, King Family Vineyards. What a finish it was - the grounds of this vineyard are also polo fields and are more than stunning (go figure I left my camera in the van). We got lucky and met the Master Winemaker who happened to be conducting the tastings when we arrived! He was extremely knowledgeable (and real-live French!) and even sneaked us some of the last tastes of their yummy Late-Harvest Viognier "Ice Wine".

All roads led back to downtown Charlottesville where we had some downtime until it was time for dinner at delicious and modern Zocalo. *thanks, Emily, for the recommendation!!! In a word (or a few), I would recommend this restaurant with no qualms. It is located on the cute downtown mall and while their menu wasn't very long (or overwhelming), it provided something for everyone. I enjoyed their Key Lime Free-Range Chicken and Chris drooled over his Grilled Double-Cut Pork Chop. We scooted over to nearby South Street Brewery for one last drink and to share a traditional hot fudge brownie dessert.

We concluded our short but memorable visit Sunday morning with a yummy homemade breakfast and were back on the road to finish celebrating our day together.

Thanks to the aforementioned pizzas that we had seen earlier at Blue Mountain, I was inspired to start an anniversary tradition for us of having homemade pizza. If anyone's listening, it's true - the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but if it's Chris' - pizza is the key to unlocking it.

(don't look too closely at these pizzas - their inception was very last minute so I literally cleaned out the fridge to find the toppings)

The finale to our memory-laden weekend was snacking on these delicious cookies; turns out our top cake layer is no where to be found but my sweet mom deep froze some of our left-over favors (one of my favorite parts of our day) and sent them to us so we could celebrate with them!

Sharing a cookie (or two - no shame here, they are delicious!) while watching the highlight 'reel' from our wedding DVD (yes, I am a glutton for high cheese-factor) and thinking about what the future might hold, officially finished a truly incredible year one.

The Good Kind

Unless you're new around here, I think we all know that I like free stuff... though I attempt to be somewhat discerning and not just gather the free stuff that has no purpose. Luckily, there was no chance of that today.

Have you heard... for the month of February, every morning from 5am - 9am, McDonald's is giving away FREE cups of their Premium Roast coffee (and while I may lack some fancy tastebuds, I have been told and agree with the tellers, that this stuff is good).

This is exactly what I experienced this morning - since I am usually a law-abiding Metro rider and can't bring beverages with me on my trip into the office - I had to wait for a morning off work.

Ta-DAAA... this morning I said "come to me FREE McDonald's Premium Roast coffee" and it did, and I drank it. I will rinse, wash and repeat as many times as possible in this unfairly short month of February.

A Bit of History

Sadly, our trip lasted barely a "New York minute" but an incredibly fun and packed 60 seconds it was!

Before I get too far and anyone questions my loyalty, I must state that it is true... Yankee Stadium is in its last year of existence, I saw it with my own two eyes. And for that matter, seeing that stadium was the ONLY reason that Chris and I found ourselves in attendance at the game against the Blue Jays. The experience was fun, especially since Chris and I are such avid baseball (okay... sports, in general) fans, but let's make it clear that the Yankees don't make it to the list of teams we cheer for.

But as for our quick 60 seconds... what an alive and vibrant city the Big Apple is! We loved exploring as much of Manhattan as we were able.

Our friends, Amanda and Drew, had picked our cultural activity for the afternoon so shortly after arrival, we headed to the Frick Museum to see a magnificent, stately home, filled with an unmatched collection of art. I highly recommend it to anyone no matter your taste in art.

After seeing our share of Vermeers, Monets, Renoirs, to name a few... we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around with stop at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square! I loved the hustle and bustle of such a busy city.

Dinner brought us to La Vineria, another choice of Amanda and Drew's... and after the Frick and our delicious dinner, I have to say they are hired for my next trip! We enjoyed first, the freshest mozarella and tomatoes I've ever tasted, followed by a variety of different amazingly fresh pasta dishes *think butternut squash filled pasta with a light sage sauce drizzled over it.

After a great day in the city, we were ready for our trip to the Bronx to visit such a historic landmark in the soon-to-be demolished Yankee Stadium. It was just as I imagined - a great neighborhood for baseball - and we even got our fair share of "real" Yankee fans (who were removed from the game shortly after arriving - love Yankee Stadium security!).


We had such a perfect afternoon *enjoying a Yankee loss, and end to our quick trip, getting to know Yankee Stadium and its city!

Never Enough Time

Surprisingly enough, this is actually not a post whining about not having enough hours in the day... I still think about that constantly but in an attempt to get over it, I'll leave it off the blog. This time, it's a simple plea for a few more hours with some of my very best friends.

This weekend marked the 7th annual summer trip for a group of my girlfriends from Wake! I'm so thankful that we've managed to keep this tradition going - even with all of the changes that life has brought throughout these recent years.

Even though in the past, this trip has always been our "beach weekend", we easily adapted that to the schedule of our favorite "BG" and dare I say a new tradition of "home visits" has begun?

Friday evening, everyone assembled in Kernersville, NC, just outside of our alma mater's town of Winston-Salem. Our weekend would end up consisting of a variety of activites between K-Vegas and Greensboro! It was so much fun to be back in Carolina!

Saturday morning, bright and early, we headed to the Old Fourth Street Filling Station to prepare to host a shower for Jayne and BG! Brunch was of course delicious and the shower was a lot of fun; I think BG and his/her parents are now adequately equipped!

At risk of sounding like I'm tooting my own horn... earlier in the week, my mom had convinced me to get into the arts and craft groove; somehow through a series of conference calls, she instructed me into making this cute "Baby Sock Corsage" that our guest of honor donned at her shower. Let's just say that I usually have way more fun in the kitchen than I do with arty projects but this might have gotten me back into the spirit! It was really simple and actually tons of fun to put together!

After the shower, the girls and I made our way to Greensboro for an afternoon of pampering at a spa! It was so much fun - the spa was nice enough to let us take over their back room so we could all be together. Everyone got at least one treatment and some of us even included their very first massage! *yup, that's me - it was a VERY relaxing experience, not sure that I'm hooked or anything but definitely worth it on a rare occasion!

Since this was a weekend of celebrating what's to come mixed with some old favorites, we couldn't skip a visit to our old stomping ground, the Village Tavern! YUM! We munched on delicious Hot Crab Dip and Spinach Tortilla Dip and then each enjoyed our entrees. How I miss this restaurant... it seems that it's sprouted offspring in just about every city except anywhere close to me! Unfair!

As a special treat, and since it seems we always have a few birthdays to celebrate when we get together, Jayne got us some delicious pink lemonade and chocolate-chocolate cake squares from none other than Dewey's! We loved the cute summery decorations (flip-flops!); plus, they were the perfect size for a little sweet treat after our yummy dinner.

Sunday morning, we sadly gathered all together for the last time. Katie fixed us a complete brunch of cinnamon rolls, hash browns, tasty English Muffin egg casserole, and fruit! Unfortunately, soon after brunch, a few of us took Allison and Anna to the airport and bid them farewell though we were so happy that they were even able to join us for a short time.

The rest of us took advantage of the tax-free shopping weekend in NC and then headed to the Greensboro Grasshoppers single-A minor league baseball game! Unbelievably, this was my first minor league game and definitely NOT my last - it was a blast!

Yes, we did actually pay attention to the game, but my favorite part, no contest, was Miss Babe Ruth. If Annabelle ever had a job, I'd want her to do this - Miss Babe Ruth is the team's bat girl and it's absolutely adorable!

And of course, no visit in Winston is complete without the requisite trip to Cook-Out and a stop at the Deacon Shop. Even though I was so sad to be leaving, you can't get much better than a send-off of lunch at the Carving Board (carved turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and a thick slick of sharp cheddar on wheat). *I think this weekend turned into a old-favorites restaurant tour!

There really is never enough time when it comes to old friends... thank goodness for major life events! The last time I'd seen them all was our wedding weekend, then this past weekend, and again in October to shower another baby! I'll admit I'm getting sappier as the years fly by, but I couldn't be more thankful for the time I have with these girls... can't wait to see you all again soon!

Not In Boston...

But you might have thought we were last weekend with all of the Red Sox paraphernalia surrounding us!

Instead of Boston, though, it was the quaint area along the Delaware-Pennsylvania border and instead of a Sox game, it was the wedding of our friends, Ethan and Carolyn, two avid Boston fans.

The wedding festivities started with a delicious and relaxed meal following the rehearsal at Buckley's Tavern. This also will go down in history as being the site at which Ethan bestowed upon each of his groomsmen, my husband being one of them, their official "Pimp Cups" (and as they say... "the rest is history"). My enormous, broiled crabcake became only secondary news to these infamous drinking receptacles, but suffice it to say, all of our entrees were delicious.

The ceremony Saturday late afternoon was beautiful, held at the downtown Wilmington, DE, Westminster Presbyterian Church. Most special about the ceremony was that an old family friend of Ethan's as well as Carolyn's pastor growing up co-officiated making it that much more special.

We arrived back at the hotel and reception site, the beautiful Inn at Mendenhall just up the road in Chadds Ford, PA.

The couple had put so much thought into each aspect of the reception - it was so fun! Our placecards were also photo coasters so we could take them home and keep our favorite picture from the day in it, and also, each table was named after a favorite spot in Boston. Such cute ideas!

You sadly can't really tell exactly the design in this picture, but each of the guests were also treated to little tins of Sox-logoed M&Ms!

And finally, it was apparent (see the groom's cake below) that while the couple is together in their love for all things Boston, including the city's baseball team, they had some work to do in terms of their NFL teams... Ethan being a staunch Giants fan, and Carolyn true to her Eagles.

But nothing could take away from the joy of the day. We truly enjoyed celebrating with Carolyn and Ethan and were so glad that we could be a part of their wedding weekend!

Of course the "pimp cups" had to make one last appearance at the reception...Hilarious.

consistent

For the 5 of you who read my blog, you know my posts are usually characterized by a somewhat unrelated (or at least cheesy and/or attempt-at-being-humorous) title... but I didn't want this one to be misunderstood or to risk misleading anyone...

I . Gorman Jewelers delivers, hands-down, second-to-none, the best service I have ever experienced in my life.

No matter what the industry, geographical market, etc. is - I. Gorman could run seminars on superior, consistent customer service. *no coincidence... I deal a lot with imparting information and training about service excellence at work and have tried numerous times to have these folks put on our agenda, but since they aren't seen as relevant to the world of higher education, I finally decided to take matters into my own hands

I have paid this lovely jewelry store quite a few visits during my tenure at my current job, and even though the amount of money actually paid to the aforementioned lovely store is a lot closer to $0 than I'm sure they'd like, they treat me, every single time I walk in there, like I just bought one of their BEAUTIFUL hand-crafted pieces.

I could belabor this point but I think it's pretty simple, I. Gorman Jewelers wrote the book on service. *oh, and Z Gallerie did NOT read it, but that's for another post

Tofu at the Beach?

Two questions come to mind -

1. How did I end up spending the evening at the beach since we live in DC?


2. And why tofu? Did I actually eat/make/order it?

Two quick answers -

1. Thanks to Clare & Don's celebrating the return visit of a certain American in Copenhagen
   
   
2. I've never seen a menu from a restaurant that wasn't vegetarian with so many tofu-filled dishes offered as I did last night

So while I can't comment on the tofu prepared at Clare & Don's Beach Shack, I can highly recommend their Pomegarita (pomegranite margarita) and their regular Margarita on the rocks, as well as their Beach-A-Rito with blackened shrimp. I also heard close to silence around the table once we finally got our food (their service was akin to a lazy evening at the beach, if ONLY we'd been at the beach!), which I always take to be a good sign. Even though the service wasn't quite speedy enough for us DC-folk (though it did force us to sit and enjoy the meal, a rarity around these parts), the restaurant provided a fun, laid-back atmosphere and really tasty food (something for everyone and health-conscious options like brown rice, too!), especially for the price.

We'll be back... and next time I'm trying the hush puppies.

Local Produce 101

Eating locally seems to be all the rage lately... and if you know me, you know I'm not normally one to jump on the bandwagon... but with the weird diseased-veggie outbreaks recently and the mounting costs of well... everything, farmers' markets have quickly become intriguing to us, though if I'm honest, I've always loved the idea of carrying my canvas tote to my neighborhood market and buying super fresh, in-season produce (feels so European to me... plus, if either this or this is what these markets have in store for us, who can resist?!).

With that, welcome to what I hope will be the first installment of (probably only 2-3 in total) our adventures in local markets. Follow us through a few of the markets here in the DC metropolitan areas... what are the advantages and disadvantages of shopping and eating locally, and anything else fun, inspiring, or otherwise about all of the farmers' markets around us these days.

For my first half-experience (it was impromptu and only a very brief stop so I refuse to give this a full review), I decided to quickly walk through the weekly Foggy Bottom FreshFarm market on my way to the Metro this afternoon. It was a little underwhelming, to be honest... though I think my point of comparison is a little unfair. I sadly didn't have our camera but I did catch glimpses of beautiful (but little... and expensive!) baskets of fresh cherries, blackberries, raspberries, snap peas, fresh garlic, huge scallions, and all sorts of tomatoes (the prices of the tomatoes made me OH-so-happy that we have at least 3 out-of-control tomato plants in the backyard). There was also a stand with fresh dairy products such as goat cheeses and another vendor with homemade jams and jellies.

As in any review, the review is only as good as the reviewer is honest... so my final word is that this particular market was small and the prices were high, but I was energized to seek out more markets after this initial attempt. I wouldn't necessarily send anyone to FreshFarm (at least in Foggy Bottom) though I may be back here in a few days telling you that their prices were very comparable to other DC-area markets, but I am at the very least hoping for some more selection and even some unusual fruits, vegetables and other products that will broaden my admittedly limited chain-grocery knowledge.

Onward!

When In Doubt

It was a pretty easy decision, really. Anyone's natural reaction as soon as you realize some seriously heavy storms are headed your way (resulting in the cancellation of your softball game) and you may lose power for what's turned into several very long hours (and who knows how much longer)? OH! And did I mention a husband who's been craving a burger?!

We were OFF to the latest neighborhood hamburger joint - Elevation Burger.

*okay, disclaimer, had it not been on our way home, we never would have made it since just a few blocks away in our neighborhood, things like this (below) were happening...

So I'm not really one for restaurant reviews (though admittedly, I have attempted one before)... however since very few things in our house were working last night, my camera being one of them, I decided some pictures might be a fun way to amuse myself for at least 5 minutes. Yes, it's true - in the middle of a huge storm, power outages and running around trying to find candles and flashlights, I was taking pictures of our food. There you have it.

But back to Elevation Burger and our dinner. Since the restaurant is just a few quick blocks from our neighborhood, I'd passed their clean, fresh storefront more than a few times in the past few months. Not having a clue what it was all about (it sure looked like a modern version of our beloved Five Guys and dare I say In-N-Out Burger) and being the internet-researcher I am, I read up on the new neighbor.

Okay fine - I'll bite and it was officially added to my "I'd like to try that out one day, preferably with a coupon" list.

We ordered their regular cheeseburger, a "Big Phat Burger" (I'll call it the BPB), and two orders of fries. All burgers come with their special Elevation Sauce which I was told was a creamy tomato-based sauce. The BPB was ordered without anything but cheese and the special sauce while the cheeseburger had only cheese, lettuce, and tomato. I must note that after we got home and sat down to eat, we realized that the BPB actually had been made with both lettuce and tomato ("whoo hoo, free vegetables" was the reaction I heard - thus clearly not a problem - but I thought it warranted commenting on).

My immediate reaction after my first bite was "wow, they use cheddar cheese" - which didn't so much mean that I don't like cheddar but it must have been one of the stronger cheddars I've had because it kind of overwhelmed the burger. But after I got used to the cheddar, I did enjoy the burger on the whole and didn't feel like I'd paid much more than I would for another other burger... and while I'm not into "free-range" or "organic" food, I figured eating a 100% organic burger every now and again can't hurt, right? Their (cooked in all olive oil) fries were also pretty good though I don't think I gave them a fair shot because the poor guys had to make it through the parking lot in a torrential downpour all the way home and then sat waiting to be consumed for about 20 minutes while (I took pictures) and we gathered candles and other storm supplies.

*I'd read some reviews saying that the portion sizes aren't huge (which is all by design - this is supposed to be healthier); I did notice that the burger wasn't HUGE and while I'm all about the most for my money, I'm potentially even moreso about eating wisely for my waistline. So my final say on this is that for the $3.69 that my cheeseburger costed, I think it was plenty for us ever-growing Americans.

My rating for this (rating system initiated all of 13 seconds ago) was "wouldn't have been worth it if my house had had a tree fall through it but since we were all-clear, it was just what the doctor ordered" or maybe "best enjoyed by the candlelight (cause that's all we got)".