2/14/2005 Add a comment

two thumbs up!I often have trouble deciding if I like Roger Ebert, but now I'm reminded why I do. Sometimes he can come off a bit preachy, a bit pompous. But ultimately, he's a good guy, I think, as this NYT Mag piece shows.

I agree with him the most about food. Perhaps it's our shared central Illinois roots.

for example:
Thing he misses most about America when abroad: No-nonsense restaurant meals. There is a peculiarity -- especially in France -- that it almost always takes longer to get the check than it does to order and eat. They seem reluctant to give you the check.

Last meal: Something from the Steak 'n' Shake, a chain of restaurants in the Midwest. I'd get a super steak burger with onion and pickle, ketchup and mustard, an order of chili mac, a side of fries and a Coke. My first restaurant meal was held at the Steak 'n' Shake when I was 3, and I've been going back ever since.

If you've never eaten at Steak 'n' Shake, make a pilgrimage now. It is the single greatest restaurant chain in the United States. Why they haven't moved beyond the midwest and south, I don't know. William

Comments