Cruisin' To The Hamburger Stand
Hey, a few goofballs this week.
Good news: the one-handed meal is back. The classic thin patty hamburger. Not only at the White Hut, but all over the USA. In crazy times, it’s the simple, comforting things that people are looking for. To hell with the foo-foo mambo jumbo burgers.
I have a couple favorite spots.
First up, the food truck at the Chicopee Home Depot. You heard that right. Dennis picks up fresh burgers, never frozen, from my old Holyoke buddy Larry Katz at Arnold’s Meats. Larry also sells great burgers by the box at his stores.
Then you’ve got my go-to summer spot, Rapid Ray’s in Saco, Maine. Place is a real beauty.
For a sentimental favorite, I’ll pick Harry’s Place, where my father used to take me when I was headed back to St. Thomas More prep school in Colchester, Connecticut.
If you’re making burgers at home, you gotta try Dave’s Killer Bread. Dave believes in second-chance employment. He was welcomed back to the family bakery after serving a 15-year stretch in prison. A lot of people who work for Dave have a criminal background.
Come to think of it, most of the people I’ve hired over the years have been juvenile delinquents.
One more thing. If you wanna watch something great, go to HBO documentaries and scout Breslin and Hamill: Deadlines Artists. Jimmy Breslin and the recently-departed Pete Hamill were two of the most celebrated newspapermen of the 20th century. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.
Joe Kennedy delivered a great line in defeat the other night. “Always stay in the ring. It’s worth the fight.” Keep your dukes up.