Waffle House

In order to keep to my manifesto of being a down home foodie, I want to start by discussing one of my reoccurring food passions--Waffle House. 

 I read an article once called, “For the Love of Joe,” and it was about the image of love surrounding Starbucks ad campaign.  Specifically, self-love comes from being able to treat yourself by to ordering your coffee drink to suit your personality.  This self-love also gets mentioned in the movie, You've Got Mail, and the film also speaks to the sense of ordering Starbucks is an assertion of self and desire and individuality. 

However, Starbucks was merely copying this idea of self-love and individualization from Waffle House. Not only can you get eggs to order, pancakes in any number and of various topping (although once you go pecan you never go back), there is the Hashbrown Ritual. 

The hashbrown ordering that takes place is a far better Rorschach and far more of a statement of ego assertion, personality, and uniqueness than Starbucks.    You can be “smothered,” “covered,” “chunked,” “diced,” “peppered,” “capped,” “topped,” “country,” or “all the way.”  There is a much more open sense of eroticism and passion than to get a “tall skinny vanilla latte with no whip.”  The hashbrown menu is a catalogue of the so wrong and so right.  One night over a dinner party, play the getting to know you game of what kind of Waffle House hashbrown combination are you.  I like to be “smothered” and “peppered.”  What about you?