[Dean's World] Dean: White Castle Insanity

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Posted by Dean:
White Castle Insanity
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1170635087.shtml


   [1]White Castle is a series of strange hamburger chains which are very
   well known in the Midwestern United States, and also in New York and
   New Jersey. Outside of these regions, they're virtually unknown.
   They're also not found anywhere outside the United States that I'm
   aware of.

   They make an odd sort of hamburger. They're basically tiny burgers,
   sort of like greasy finger sandwiches. They are very small, with a
   light bun encapsulating a thin wedge of meat, onions, and pickles. You
   typically order a few of them to make a meal. Fans of these tiny
   burgers call them "sliders" because they're greasy and they slide down
   your throat. The company resisted this appellation for many many years
   but eventually embraced it; the company now calls them [2]Slyders. Not
   officially on the menu, but they apparently have given up fighting the
   term and have decided to embrace it.

   By the way, in the American south, there is a virtually identical
   chain known as [3]Krystal. I have no idea what the historical
   relationship is between these companies, but Krystal and White Castle
   make a virtually identical little burger. I've tried both and you can
   barely tell the difference.

   By the way: Sliders are not what I'd call ambrosia. But once you get a
   taste for them you do like them. Not that you want them every day, but
   sometimes they're just exactly what you're looking for. It's a strange
   addiction.

   Still, make no mistake: this is cheap fast food. They've been around
   for about 70 years now and have their niche: cheap fast food. If
   anything, they make McDonald's or Burger King seem a little up-scale.
   If you've got five bucks in your pocket you can walk into a White
   Castle and order four little burgers and some fries and have a cheap
   meal.

   If you know White Castle (or Krystal) you know exactly what I'm
   talking about and don't need all this explanation. I gave all that
   explanation just for those of you who don't know about this peculiar
   form of low-rent American cuisine. And I do all that just to mention
   that the White Castle corporation recently came up with what sounds
   like just about the dumbest Valentine's Day promotion I've heard about
   in years. [4]Ben Kepple has the story.

References

   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Castle_%28restaurant%29
   2. http://www.whitecastle.com/
   3. http://www.krystal.com/
   4. http://www.benkepple.com/archives/000919.html