Living in New York City, there are so many amazing restaurant and takeout options, that I rarely find myself bellying up to a fast food joint. But that doesn’t mean that when I do, it doesn’t hit just right. A cold sprite from McDonalds. Waffle fries from Chick Fil A with heaps of their signature sauce. A Wendy’s frosty. To me, these are perfect foods. The endless research dollars and engineering it took to produce those creations have paid off. And the wonderfully surreal thing about it is that it’s the same everywhere. 

When I was in Italy for an extended trip, I of course enjoyed countless genuine Italian meals that inspire me to this day. But one day, after a long day of sightseeing and trotting around the city, I soon became so unspeakably hungry that I thought I would faint. The closest thing to me was a McDonalds in a train station. McNuggets never tasted so right. Just like this fresh batch of fast food memes for folks like me.