I had Harvey's restaurant coupons but realized they were all two-for-one specials on their Trios. That's too much for me to eat. I went anyway and I gladly paid full price for a burger. The burger was so good that after I ate, I went back and gave the cashier more money. Heck, I gave her all my money.
Among my friends is this ongoing debate; which fast food joint serves up the best burgers? It used to be that I would receive McDonald's coupons in my mailbox and I would scream with childish glee. The side effects of age and a greater health awareness has tempered the excitement. With age and fears of the bad cholesterol, the trips for a hamburger are fewer and farther apart. I also no longer eat a pound of meat in a single sitting.
But with salads at every meal, oats at breakfast and, plenty of exercise, we can still enjoy a fast food burger from time to time.
A and W
So, if we compare the big fast food burger joints in these here parts, McDonald's, Burger King, Harvey's, A and W and Wendy's, but excluding the smaller local mom and pop shops and franchises. The one rule? The included restaurants must have a national presence. My study - over 40 years in the making - was probably one of the most unhealthy I have embarked upon. Second only perhaps, to my study of the best beer. Oh, and the best rum. And let's not forget, best Tequila, vodka, whisky, schnapps...
The McDonald's Big Mac is a good tasting sandwich. It doesn't taste like a hamburger. The height of a Big Mac, and its many layers, requires use of two hands to pick it up. But after the first bite the sandwich is compressed enough to move to one.
Big Mac
Wendy's
I keep referring to the Big Mac as a sandwich, the combination of flavours while perhaps complimenting the burger, acts to hide the full taste of the meat.
Add the dressing, pickles and the rest and I wonder if there is some coat of water repellent that prevents the bun from getting soggy.
Tender beef, tart pickles, sweet and tangy sauce and the richness of the cheese complete the burger. Enjoyable taste.
The Wendy's burger is a little greasy with a real meaty taste. Wendy's burger also has a squishiness to it that surprisingly enough, adds to the charm.
Square patties on white bread. With mayo, dabs of ketchup, cheese and grease, complete the experience. I give Wendy's bonus points for their chili.
A and W is famous for their root beer and their family burgers, Papa, Mama, Teen etc. The 5-ounce burger patty of the Uncle Burger may be considered their premium sandwich. It comes on a sesame seed bun, with cheddar cheese, bacon ketchup, pickles, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion.
Harvey's makes a hamburger a beautiful thing. Okay, so I used their slogan. Harvey's is known for it's char-grilled burgers and choice of eleven or more toppings. The counter server dresses your burger before your eyes with your choice of combinations. Lettuce, mustard, mayo, relish, onions, chili peppers... my mouth is watering. Harvey's is also known for their hot dogs, but the burgers remain their most popular item on the menu. The burgers tend to be frozen and this may effect the texture. Overall the grilled burger with toppings is among the best.
Harvey's Hamburger
Burger King serves up one of the most well known burgers around the world. The Whopper. The Whopper features a 1/4 pound flame-broiled beef patty, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, pickles, and onions on a toasted sesame seed bun. A flame grilled patty brings out the taste for the BBQ lovers. The ingredients compliment the burger without drowning it out. Packed into one sandwich it can be a little messy, but this isn't five star this is fast food. And messy is fun.Unlike the McDs bread, you get the sense at BK that you are eating real bread.
In summary, Burger King and Harvey's offer the best tasting meat. A tie goes to BK and Harvey's for the overall lead. Each losing a perfect score for different reasons. Harvey's loses points for inconsistency from restaurant to restaurant. But still are awarded 9 out 10 points for their original build your own burger. They also lose points overall for changing their french fries every couple years. Burger King scores points for having a great flame broiled burger.
Wendy's is awarded a 7 rating and only a short step down from BK. They lose points for being all over the map and trying to please everyone. McDs score of 7 is for good tasting sandwiches but not a real hamburger. A and W gets a 6.5 score.
If you put all the numbered rating together, do you know what you get? 9857765. That's the telephone number for my cardiologist.
Click here for my 2014 movie preview (http://www.stubbornfool.com/2014/01/2014-movie-preview.html).
What follows is a selection of some of the most anticipated movies for release in 2013. A whole mess of new movies are heading our way in 2013. The theme for 2012 was remakes and sequels. 2013 looks to have a lot more brand new stories, with a few sequels and a common end of world theme scattered throughout. Here are some of the best and brightest and most anticipated new movies for 2013. Look for trailers and plot summaries for some must see movies and the most talked about films of 2013.
The Last Stand Movie Poster
The Last Stand (January 18, 2013)
Arnold is back! The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff. A High Noon type thriller.
Directed: Jee-woon Kim
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eduardo Noriega, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville
Oz: The Great and Powerful (March 8, 2013)
Oz The Great and Powerful
A stage magician is hurled into a fantasy world, and must use his wits to stay ahead of three enchantresses who have plans for him. This story explains how the Wizard arrived in Oz and became its ruler. A prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. What so many people do not know, or forgot, is that L. Frank Baum wrote 14 novels that take place in this magical land. With Sam Raimi as the director will this film be darker than the 1939 classic?
Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis
Carrie
Carrie (March 15, 2013)
What? Carrie? Again? A sheltered high school girl unleashes her newly developed telekinetic powers after she is bullied and pushed too far by her peers. This is the third time this Stephen King novel has been brought to the big screen. Chloë Grace Moretz takes on the title role immortalized by Sissy Spacek. It also stars the ageless and beautiful Julianne Moore.
Tony Stark/Iron Man heads to China to face his toughest opponent, Mandarin. Shane Black takes over from Jon Favreau, who directed the first two. The movie is said to be based on the 2005 Extremis graphic novel storyline. Ben Kingsley is the bad guy.
Director: Shane Black
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
Iron Man 3
The Great Gatsby (May 10, 2013)
Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy. Based on the classic 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire and Isla Fisher
Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve
Alice Eve in Star Trek
After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.
Rumours state that Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing a new Khan and Peter Weller (aka RoboCop) joins the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in a major way. Other rumours indicate Cumberpatch is playing another villain from the classic TV series. But, what else do we need to make J.J. Abrams's return to Roddenberry space the most anticipated sequel of 2013? A Klingon subplot? More Spock? Tribbles? William Shatner? Unlikely we will see Tribbles or Shatner, but I'll bank on the rest. Click here for the trailer (opens in a new window)
The Hangover Part III (May 24, 2013)
The continuing misadventures of friends, Phil, Stu and Alan.
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Heather Graham
The crazier it gets... But if II was a copy of The Hangover, what will III be like? Making close to $600 million is perhaps reason enough not to care. For us more fun and more of the Wolfpack. And I am pleased that Heather Graham is back. Very pleased. Yes, pleased.
Hangover Part III
The Fast and the Furious 6 (May 22, 2013)
Director: Justin Lin
Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez
Didn't Rodriguez's character Letty die? Hmm... it will be interesting to see how she gets reintroduced. A time warp of some kind. No, wait that was Star Trek. More action and more of the straight faced Johnson. Who is the hero here?
Fast and Furious 6
After Earth (June 7, 2013)
After a crash landing, a father and son explore a planet that was evacuated by humans 1,000 years earlier. Both Smith and Shyamalan are due for a blockbuster. And this is the second time that Smith stars in a film with his son, the first was The Pursuit of Happiness.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Stars: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Isabelle Fuhrman, Sophie Okonedo
After Earth
Man of Steel (June 13, 2013)
An alien infant is raised on Earth, and grows up with superhuman abilities. He sets out to use these abilities to guard his adopted world. This updated Superman doesn't have red underwear. Another reboot.
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Kostner, Diane Lane
Man of Steel
This Is the End (June 14, 2013)
While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse. Funniest of the year? Also stars Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna and Aziz Ansari, Paul Rudd
Directors: Evan Goldberg | Seth Rogen
This is the End
Jack the Giant Slayer (June 15, 2013)
A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess. Jack the Giant Slayer perhaps has a slicker sound then Jack and The Beanstalk, although there was a 2010 live action film with that exact title.
Director: Bryan Singer
The terrific cast includes Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Bill Nighy, and Ian McShane
Jack the Giant Slayer
Monsters University (June 20, 2013)
In this prequel to Monsters, we get a look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at the University of Fear - when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.
Director: Dan Scanlon
Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Joel Murray
Monsters University
World War Z (June 21, 2013)
We have seen a lot of great films of zombie lore in the last few years, call it the golden age, or at least the silver age of the walking dead in film. After Zombieland, The Walking Dead, Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later, can there be another good one?
Based on the novel by Max Brooks, who also wrote The Zombie Survival Guide, a UN representative travels the world trying to stop the outbreak of a deadly Zombie pandemic writing a report on the great zombie war, interviews survivors in the wake of World War Z. Brad Pitt stars. Brooks was a writer on SNL from 2001- 2003. He is also son of the legendary Mel Brooks.
Director: Marc Forster
Stars: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, David Morse, James Badge Dale
World War Z
Kick-Ass 2 (June 28, 2013)
The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey
The Lone Ranger (July 3, 2013)
Native American spirit warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice. Some trivia, The original Lone Ranger radio serials led to a spin-off, The Green Hornet. The Lone Ranger's great nephew was Britt Reid, aka The Green Hornet.
Director: Gore Verbinski
Stars: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner
Lone Ranger
Pacific Rim (July 12, 2013)
When an alien attack threatens the Earth's existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day
The Wolverine (July 24, 2013)
Wolverine travels to Japan to train with a samurai warrior. Maybe he can stop by China and meet up with Iron Man. And Famke Janssen has a cameo. Rumour has it that this film is a sequel to X-Men 3: The Last Stand but contains a whole mess of flashbacks. Look for the Silver Samurai and Viper.
Director: James Mangold
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Tao Okamoto, Brian Tee
Elysium / Baja Dunes (August 9, 2013)
Set in the year 2159, where the very wealthy lives on a man-made space station while the rest of population reside on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. Director Neill Blomkamp is perhaps best known for District 9, so it is fitting that he brought along Sharlto Copley for this outer space action drama. Throw in Damon and Foster to the mix for an amazing cast. The movie has changed titles... so I will wait for the official release to update the title.
Stars: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga
I, Frankenstein (September 13, 2013)
Frankenstein's creature finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans. Any movie starring Bill Nighy will be at least enjoyable for his performance. Nighy plays a demon-army leader to Aaron Exkhart's modern day monster. Based on a graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux.
Director: Stuart Beattie
Stars: Yvonne Strahovski, Bill Nighy, Aaron Eckhart, Jai Courtney
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (October 4, 2013)
The town's most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more reviled inhabitants. Two of the film's three segments are based on Sin City comics: "A Dame to Kill For", which ran six issues, and "Just Another Saturday Night", which ran for one.
In the seven years since the last flick, both Brittany Murphy and Michael Clarke Duncan passed away. Both their characters were recast. As was Devon Aoki's as she was pregnant when filming began.
Directors: Frank Miller | Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Clive Owen, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson
The World's End (October 25, 2013)
The World's End
Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike
Director: Edgar Wright
In my top five of most anticipated films of 2013. Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival. This British sci-fi adventure reunites Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright, the same trio that brought us Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead.. Maybe this one will be the funniest of the year. Much like the previous film, This is the End, I am wondering how the world will end. Aliens? A bad cold?
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (November 22, 2013)
The continuing adventures of Katniss Everdeen, as she prepares for the Quarter Quell but not everything is as it seems. The Hunger Games was one of the biggest movies of 2012 as the popular series by Suzanne Collins was adapted for the big screen.
Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Woody Harrelson.
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (December 13, 2013)
The Dwarfs, Bilbo and Gandalf have successfully escaped the misty mountains, but Bilbo has gained the one ring. They all continue their journey to get their gold back from the Dragon Smaug.
Can you capture lightning in a bottle? Jackson tried to capture LOTR's magic in the first film An Unexpected Journey. If you read the book you are asking the same question, why make this into three films? That being said, I will be there on the night of the premier.
Director: Peter Jackson
Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchett
Ghostbusters III (201?)
Rumours abound had most of the original cast and a few younger known B status actors. But nobody is associated with this film any longer.
Arrested Development (201? )
Return of the Bluths. What's the hold up?! A limited 9-10 episode series will air prior to the movie's release.
Arrested Development
Super Troopers 2 (201?)
Has been in development hell for a couple years. Who knows if this will ever be released. A sequel to the incredibly funny 2001 film. Apparently Broken Lizard is working on this film right meow. The plot is said to involve the U.S. government finding areas where their border markers were incorrect. Those areas of land that were previously thought to be in Canada, but are actually part of the US. The Super Troopers are enlisted to patrol the area to assist in making it part of the US territory. Essentially imposing American law on a bunch of Canadians.
Zombieland 2 (201?)
The number one rule is good cardio. No official word if the the cast will be back. Only freaking rumours. The film is said to be in pre-pre-production.
A whole mess of new movies are heading our way in 2013. I am excited to see most of these 2013 new movies. Did I miss any? A Haunted House,Broken City,Gangster Squad,Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters,Parker,Texas Chainsaw 3D,The Last Stand, Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III,A Good Day to Die Hard,Beautiful Creatures,Bullet to the Head,Dark Skies,Escape from Planet Earth,Identity Thief,Safe Haven,Snitch,Stand Up Guys,Top Gun 3D,Warm Bodies,21 and Over,Carrie,Dead Man Down,G.I. Joe: Retaliation,Jack the Giant Slayer,Olympus Has Fallen,Oz: The Great and Powerful,Phantom,Stoker,Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor,The Croods,The Host,The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,The Last Exorcism 2,The Place Beyond the Pines,Disconnect,Evil Dead,Jurassic Park 3D,Oblivion,Pain & Gain,Scary Movie 5,The Big Wedding,The Heat,About Time,Black Rock,Fast and Furious 6,Iron Man 3,Star Trek into Darkness,The Great Gatsby,The Hangover Part III,The Purge,We the Peeples,After Earth,Kick-Ass 2,Man of Steel,Monsters University,Much Ado About Nothing,Now You See Me,The Internship,This is the End,White House Down,World War Z,Despicable Me 2 Grown Ups 2,Pacific Rim,R.I.P.D.,The Conjuring,The Lone Ranger,The Smurfs 2,The Wolverine,Turbo,2 Guns,300: Rise of an Empire,Closed Circuit,Elysium,Getaway,Insidious Chapter 2,Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,Planes,RED 2,The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,The To Do List,We're the Millers,You're Next,Battle of the Year,Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,I, Frankenstein,Prisoners,Riddick,Runner Runner,Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones 3D,The Little Mermaid 3D,The Tomb,Captain Phillips,Haunts,Malavita,No Good Deed,Oldboy,Paranoia,Paranormal Activity 5,Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 3D,The Delivery Man,The Seventh Son,The World's End,Anchorman: The Legend Continues,Ender's Game,Frozen,Mr. Peabody & Sherman,One Direction Concert Movie 3D,The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,Thor: The Dark World,47 Ronin,Jack Ryan,Last Vegas,Monuments Men,Saving Mr. Banks,The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walking with Dinosaurs 3D
