Except for a brief interval where I took my toddlers to the ball pit at the McD’s on Capitol Hill every day, I have spent a lifetime scorning and avoiding McDonald’s. I once barely spoke to a friend again who insisted on eating McDonald’s on the Champs Elysees in Paris (that friend later went on to be the toast of the town in New York).
Then I spent a week in Italy trying to eat wheat free, dairy free, low carbohydrate, no red meat. What else could drive me into the arms of a branch of this despised corporation in the Florentine train depot?
O.M.G. their chicken “Caesar” salad (no caesar dressing or cheese or croutons which actually made it perfect for me) was the most satisfying culinary experience I’ve had in Italy–is that sad?! Or am I just incredibly grateful? I guess both. They made it fresh (I don’t think anyone had ever ordered it before and they had to kill and roast the chicken for me in the back–it took 20 minutes to come out). The greens were varied, fresh tasting and flavorful. The chicken was delicious. The dressing was a lovely little individual glass bottle of olive oil and balsamic.
I was a very happysadgrateful tourist.