Eating the Globe: USA

Stress eating is one of my vices.

After the inaugural piece on Filipino food, I got to thinking over the weekend about what my next international meal should be. I do have a lunch appointment next Wednesday, maybe I'll suggest Japanese. Or, in celebration of today's elections in Venezuela, I should try this restaurant in Berkeley.

But then, disaster struck. Our dog Cooper swallowed a sharp piece of plastic a couple days ago. We thought he was going to be okay, but last night (all night) stuff was coming out of both ends of him. He was really lethargic this morning and we rushed him to the vet. He's going to be fine, but on the drive back home, I had to get some unhealthy, American, comfort food. I don't even remember if I had breakfast or coffee this morning. That's how worried I was for the little guy.

I went to Nation's, a local hamburger chain. Their burgers are by no means gourmet. In fact, they're barely above average. But, it's convenient, familiar, and salty-- the perfect recipe in times of stress.

First up, a cheeseburger. I usually eat hamburgers without cheese, but for this post, I splurged for a little color. I spoil you guys. And here is where the hamburger was invented, near the Yale campus:

Being a normal American, the cheeseburger by itself was not enough, so I ordered a chili dog. It's a hot dog on a bun, smothered with chili (sort of a ground beef and bean stew with chili powder and spices). I always regret ordering this after eating it. The buns are always a bit stale, the hot dogs a bit mushy, and the chili very salty.

Hopefully, I'll enjoy my next international meal more.

Countries tried so far:
Asia: Philippines
North America: USA