Two All-Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce, Cheese

Fast on the heels of our White Castle Valentine's date, Big Guy and I dined at McDonalds. We traded in our Saturday night Blues hockey tickets for free Big Macs. While the company was the best part of the date, dinner was a close second--sinfully salted fries, achingly sweet iced tea and a Big Mac that was, well, "A Big Mac." I was 16 years old when I ate my first Big Mac. I remember how the special sauce transformed the burger into a wonderful, pickle-sweet with a touch of tart taste sensation. And I marveled at the size of the Big Mac, to think that McDonalds served a burger so large that it came with two hamburger patties and an extra bun piece sandwiched in the middle. Eating the first Big Mac was as I believe McDonalds intended, a messy experience replete with dribbles of shredded lettuce and sesame seeds. Since that first Big Mac experience, I haven't eaten a huge number of the fancy burgers. My eyes and taste buds strayed to other emerging delights like Burger King's double cheeseburger and Hardee's curly fries. Then my waistline strayed, taking some of the fun and frequency out of fast food. But only some. I still indulge, most often with a quick hamburger and iced tea delivered at the McDonalds drive-thru. It's cheap, it satisfies and it kills any tendency toward hunger-fueled road rage. Last night's Big Mac was something altogether special. It was the evening, the company and the simplicity. It was a lot like my first Big Mac.