Chinese astrology tells us this is the year of the dog (though it does not officially start until January 29th). Fine enough. But it will also, still, continue to be the year (nee, the decade?) of the cow. A friend remarked recently, "Um, what's with all the burger places? When will it stop?" It won't. Burgers are the poor man's steak house. The trends go hand in hand. The gastro cognoscenti can crab and complain all they want for the meat wave to end, but it won't. Proprietors are making way too much money to stop, because people are packing these joints. Who doesn’t love a good steak with fries and a nice piece of cake? Myself included.
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Though if you're interested in a meaty diversion, and perhaps a dis-incentive to keep you from reaching for the double-cheese, I recommend reading My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki. It's fictional and very funny account of a Japanese-American documentary filmmaker looking for love and beef industry propaganda in the heartland. Would you like fries with that?
Not to pick a nit, but 2007 will be the year of the pig.
As for the plague of burger joints? Too many of them are too expensive and don't really offer anything good and/or distinctive (I'm looking at you, Stand).
Posted by: Frankenstein | January 08, 2007 at 10:31 PM
Quelle dommage! chinese.astrology.com is incorrect.
True that more often means simply - more. But at least they provide wholesome alternative to mickey d et al. And competition breeds better burgers.
Posted by: mme snack | January 09, 2007 at 09:53 AM