The Shake Behind Shake Shack

 Shake Shack is one of the pillars of the Manhattan dining scene.Yet the man behind it and the restaurant's story is a bit shaky _ non  pun intended. This is a story of a creator who wanted to make a delicious meal for everyone to enjoy . Did it  happen? Yes. There are Shake Shacks all over and it has a wide fan base.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about the owner Danny Meyer and his creation in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Danyy Meyer created one of the greatest burger and shack joints since Richard and Maucice McDonald started  started McDonald's in the 1950.s/ His new book < an autobiography "What COuld Possibly Go right?" is out September 29th. He shows a life with a lot of false starts and blunders but with also great successes too. He was the one responsible for Eleven Madison Park,Gramercy Park and the Modern. He also powered up he careers of such great chefs like Tom Colicchio and Daniel Humm. Funny enough he wasn't;t from a food family. He was born in St.Louis Missouri sixty-eight years ago. He lived in the shadows of his grandfather, both great businessmen and civic leader. His father,r although an alcoholic was a charismatic travel entrepreneur while his mother who ran an art gallery.Mr.Meyer lived in the shadow of his star sister and was rejected by Princeton and Brown, finally being accepted by Trinity College in Connecticut. 

One would think that he wouldn't;t be successful given this background yet he was. He is happily married to Broadway and TV actress Audrey Heffernan and they raised four kids in the city and western Connecticut. His restaurant offspring  were some of the cits' most famous and thriving eateries. Shake Shack made him. he often visits branches in different cities to see how they're doing. he always orders a plain Angus burger  to see how the quality and taste of the meat is.With it is the restaurant's' ubiquitous shake another menu must have The eateries success is due in part to Mr. Meyer's belief that employees rather than customers are the first consideration This create happy guests along with a strong community. Suppliers and investors can also make money from this as well..Shake Shacks history is not without controversy though. He decided to change the French fries in 2013 which drew sharp criticism from New York Times food critic Pete Wells. Gone were the fresh made ones. A better kind of frozen replace them. Then there was the the deep self examination when George Floyd was murdered and was the restaurant along with his others racially correct. He also eliminated tips and roasted wages too during Covid.

Is Danny Meyer one fo the greatest restauranteurs? Some say yes. while others are skeptical. Yet he created a restaurant that rivalled. traditional and well loved burger joints of

Fasr Food Fast Yuck

 We've been told for decades that fast food is bad for us despite its' taste. Those burgers and nuggets were addictive as were those fries. Somehow these indulgences are as lacking in flavor as they are in nutrition nowadays.

 I discovered this in the last two days. I was rerouted more or less to the Jersey shore after trying to go Christmas shopping in Clark, New Jersey. I didn't mind the detour. I love hanging out at the Raritan Bay, enjoying the calm waters and briny sea aroma. I knew I'd have to stop and eat somewhere along the road because I hand't eaten since mid morning. I knew where to go. The Jon Bon Jovi stop on the Garden State Parkway always had a good choice of fast food. I knew I had wanted to go to Nathan's if it was still there. It was!!! I looked forward to their hot dog and crispy fries. I bought them along with a diet Coke. The diet Coke was the only good thing. The hot dog was so burnt and salty that I couldn't finish eating it . Nathan's fries were known for their crunchy outsides and the perfect taste of potatoes and salt. These were downright horrible. They were overcooked with a charred aftertaste and a strangely mushy and damp inside. These too went right into the garbage. Luckily they didn't disturb my stomach.

Then today i had lunch at one of my local McDonald's near me in Garfield NJ.I had always got a decent burger there (to me the best McDonald's is down in Hazlet on Route Thirty-Six). Tired of eating red meat I thought I'd get the chicken nuggets. Bad idea. They were over crusted and the flavor only improved when I peeled off the coating. Even the accompanying sauces couldn't help. At least the fries were decent, being thin and crunchy. I've got to admit.I was not used to two days  of stupendously bad fast food. I don' know if it's the staff overcooking or just not caring how the food turns out. Maybe fried fast food is becoming a thing of the past as chains like Jersey Mike's offers freshly made sandwiches that require little frying - save for their bacon. it could also be that newer burger chains like Shake Shack and Habit Burger are offering better made hamburgers that taste like they came off the back yard grill. Also many people are embracing vegetarianism and eating Beyond Burgers and Impossible Meats. There probably will be vegan chains that will eclipse the established ones.

All in all it's very surprising about the overall poor quality of fast foods. They have to improve or lose customers like myself to chains offering at least better tasting fare. If not, they face a dismal future.