Alright I mentioned last time I didn’t have any plans that would naturally generate something to write about so something a little different today. Talking about one of my favourite food memories.

As a make good the Afters is food related and from the region.

Also, we’re skipping the sides today as well. Sometimes you’re too full to order any y’know? (Or in this case it’s more like your waiter just can’t be arsed to serve them to you!)

Ignore the fact I’ve made no progress on the logo or the socials or any of that let’s just get straight on with the news!

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?

I find for very few people is the answer to this question just “we went to this fancy restaurant and it was great”.

Chances are your favourite meal ever has a story to it, you were with someone important, you were somewhere beautiful on holiday, etc. In my opinion our favourite meals are tied intrinsically to memories.

A couple weeks ago I wrote about Flori bakery in York and in that piece I skirted around the idea that the memory of the first day I went there was intrinsic to my fond feelings towards it¹. Today I won’t be skirting anything.

Today I want to tell you about the best burger I ever ate in my life. Unfortunately it wasn’t in this country so don’t just immediately get your notes app out ready to add it to your list. Sorry!

The best burger I ever had, and I’ve eaten a lot of burgers in my life, was from In-N-Out⁵ in Anaheim, California and eaten on the bed of the Anaheim Hilton Garden Inn at about 11pm.

Now look, I’m in no doubt the burger was exceptional. I know it was. I ate it. But I do think the reason this burger holds such a special place in my heart is everything that happened in the build up to taking that first bite.

So here it is… We’re on our second day in Anaheim, we flew in two nights ago, got to the hotel at midnight, went to bed and woke up for a day at Disneyland. We had a very nice day, woke up the second morning ready for a repeat at Disney California Adventure. We’re probably still jet lagged to be honest with you.  

Now, if you’ve spent a day at a Disney theme park you’ll know they’re intense. They’re exhausting and they’re exhilarating and you eat too many snacks² and you make yourself feel sick and it’s a great time but it’s also a lot.  

And because it’s a lot and we’re tired and our body is trying to deal with copious amounts of sugar, as the evening approaches we get into an argument. I can’t for the life of me remember the details of the argument (isn’t that always the way? Feels so important in the moment and so trivial after the fact).

The hotel shuttle isn’t picking us up until late, after the evening light show but we’re both bordering miserable and wishing we could leave earlier but we can’t. We’re trapped in this land of rides and characters and we’re tired and we’re hungry but we’re not eating anything major because we’ve also already agreed we’ll go to In-N-Out for our evening meal.

The lights are fun and we’ve cooled our tempers, we’re not really angry or upset with each other anymore but still it’s been a long day and my wife, Alex, who hasn’t yet really driven on American roads, has to drive us there in the hire car.

Tensions are high but the drive is uneventful and we’re feeling uplifted. We’re here. It’s food time.

We go into the In-N-Out and the atmosphere is weird.

There’s a family in there aggressively asking strangers to buy them meals. People are on edge, I’m on edge. I say no as politely as possible and they pay me no mind while we order"³ but the wait for the food is excruciating as the family shouts at the workers for how long their food, the food they’re getting for free from some poor schmuck, is taking and just generally making everyone feel uncomfortable.

The food comes, I grab it. We leave faster than you can say Animal Style. We had planned to eat in, we were both absolutely starving but plans have changed.

So finally, after all of this, the jet lag, the tired legs, the argument, the sugar rush, the driving worry and then relief, the nervousness of waiting for the food, the all-consuming hunger and finally the walk from the carpark to the hotel feels like it takes an hour. We get to the room and I just inhale this burger.

The first bite is unbelievable. It’s everything you want in a burger. Beef and cheese and a tangy sauce⁴ with grilled onions and a soft bun that holds the greasy food without disintegrating and it’s just everything that’s perfect about a burger. In that moment, at that time, I wouldn’t have swapped that burger for any meal anywhere in the world.

Was it actually the best burger ever? Look, In-N-Out have got a very devoted fan base. I’m inclined to believe they make incredibly good burgers irrespective of how intense your life has been before you ate it. But did everything that proceeded it help? Of course it did. Because without all that stuff, it’s just a burger. A lovely burger. But a burger all the same. With all that stuff it’s an anecdote, it’s a cherished memory, it’s the bridge that repairs an arguing couple. It’s the best burger I ever ate. It’s food perfection.

Actually food related this week. I originally intended to write the main on this but, it turns out, I don’t actually have that much to say about a pork pie, even an exceptional one so I’m putting it here.

P Turner & Sons⁷, a butchers shop in Jump, Barnsley make one of, if not the outright best, pork pie’s I’ve ever tasted.

I got there on a Saturday morning, bought two little pork pies and two sausage rolls. The pork pies were still warm, the jelly ran down my chin like delicious, salty, meaty juice (I know how it sounds!). The meat itself was fantastic with a slight peppery flavour. The pastry was great albeit a little soggy in places but I’ll excuse that as I left it in a paper bag for a while before eating – and honestly I like soggy pastry I’m not going to lie.

It’s a pie with a bit of hype behind it you’ll notice if you give it a google but it definitely lived up to that hype with me. (Sausage rolls were good too.)

That’s all for another week folks. If this one felt low effort or wasn’t what you’re expecting I apologize, I still gave it my all and I’ll be back next week to do it again.

If you read this one to the end thanks ever so much.

If you’ve read all three so far… You’re probably my wife. Love you. (If you’re not my wife… this is uncomfortable… But we can get past it so please come back next week.)

See you next time

Chris