Oh, Los Angeles. I arrived at your feet yesterday night worn out, sleep-deprived and dehydrated after an arduous flight that was delayed before takeoff for 1.5 hours because of hydraulic fluid in the engine. Luckily, I landed safely in the harbor of your gently swaying palm trees, wide six-lane highways and, of course, a little In-n-out.Now, every east coast foodie raves about In-n-out, and with good reason. After all, where else can you get such succulent beef patties (fresh, not frozen) for just $2.99 a pop? Complete with extra fixins on the side free of charge? That means all the tomato, lettuce and pickles you desire. Now, the best way to eat this, in my humble opinion, is animal style. Animal style, located on the not-so-secret menu, is essentially a beef patty seeped in mustard sauce and grilled diced onions. Add some lettuce, tomato and cheese. But what really sets it apart is the spread. My LA-bred cousin speculates that the spread is nothing more than thousand island dressing (a mixture of mayo, ketchup, pickles and onions), but somehow, it makes all the difference. I like to order animal style on a double-double (two beef patties) cheeseburger. Try it once and you'll see what I mean.
Warning: there's a reason why it's called animal-style. Get your one-inch napkin stack ready, because you'll be needing it.
Random Trivia: The spread gives you instructions for using it: "Intended for immediate consumption." And if you look under the burger wrapper, it reads: Nahum 8:6.
Here's someone who's got to have his In-n-out. My nephew Kyle, age 2, kept asking for his burger in the car after we made a drive-through order. The piping hot goods were too tempting for him to resist. Unfortunately, by the time we made it home not more than ten minutes later, little Kyle was fast asleep. I reiterate the spread's instructions: Intended for immediate consumption.
