This evening as I drove home from my class, I suddenly had such a strong craving for a certain food I could taste it. It was a burger, but not just any burger -- I just had to have a Little Tavern burger. Little Tavern may be a DC thing, and I'm not even sure if they're around anymore. Their hamburgers were tiny, like today's sliders, and they served them with pickles (and, I think, mustard and onions, but I got mine with only pickles). I'm not a huge fan of pickles, but I liked to squeeze out the pickle juice onto my tiny burgers. At one point, the burgers cost a nickle, but I think that might have been when my mother was young. By the time I got them, they were either a dime of a quarter, I can't remember.
My grandmother didn't get her driver's license until she was in her sixties (and she never liked to drive anyway); when I stayed with her, we walked everywhere. On the way to the mall -- actually, it was Wheaton Plaza; I don't think there were malls yets -- we passed the Little Tavern and we always stopped in. She had a burger (or two) and a coffee; I had a burger (or two) and a hot chocolate. It could be the coldest winter day or the hottest summer day. It didn't matter. Our order was always the same.
I've never tasted burgers like those although I suspect White Castle burger are similar. Probably what I'm craving isn't just the burgers. It's a chance to spend time again with my grandmother, or maybe to be that excited little kid, walking to the mall and knowing I'd get one of those adorable baby-burgers. Or maybe it's a bit of both.
No comments:
Post a Comment