Late Night Cravings

I am a late night person, and I often find myself hungry, out of my house and out late. Usually, my friends and I would hit a late night diner, or a Steak 'n' Shake for a cheap burger, so fries and/or a shake. Recently, fast food restaurants like McDonalds and Taco Bell have made a killing by being open late, or 24-Hours even, catering to the staggering, zombie-like crowds that roam the streets when decent people have done the decent thing and gone to bed.

My habits, while slightly adjusted, have not changed much while being here in Aberystwyth. I'm not out as late as I used to be, but I still find myself thinking about food after being out with my friends on a Friday or Saturday. The British, though, don't offer the panoply of options that Chicago offers, but the late night food here is starting to grow on me.

Particularly chips (or fries). Generally, after about 9:00, the man source of late-night munchies is the kabab hut, which, in Aberystwyth, there are several. My favorite, and the one closest to my house, is run by a bunch of Turkish guys, and they make probably the best late night craving satisfier: chips and cheese.

Cheese fries are nothing new. Steak 'n' Shake serves up a heaping plate of thin cut fries drowned in plastic-looking, and slightly plastic-tasting, orange cheese (processed from dairy-like substances). Denny's serves the same thing with bacon bits. The cheese fries are a staple for the 2:00 am crowd, but at the Turkish kabab hut, called both Sam's Fried Chicken and Istanbul Kabab House, they serve their chips and cheese with genuine mozzarella and cheddar cheese. There really is something to be said for real cheese on warm chips. They seal the package, and within moments, the cheese melts into the chips, mixing with the salt and malt vinegar for the most deliciously, salty and sweet treat one can get for two pounds.

Today, after playing pool at the local pool hall, my friend Jamie and I hit a place that serves their chips with a sauce. The range of available sauces is not something that one can find in the States. Arby's has three, and certain British style pubs will occasionally leave a bottle of malt vinegar on the table. Generally, the sole option is ketchup. Here, at Lip Lickin', one can get ketchup, mustard, garlic sauce, BBQ, or chili sauce (which is quite hot). I have tried the chili sauce and my poor midwestern white-boy stomach immediately regretted that decision. It had the type of heat that feels like it comes on double sided tape. Each inch of my mouth it touched burned for hours, as the chilies bore through the soft tissue. Tonight, looking to avoid prior mistakes, I went with the BBQ sauce, which was quite enjoyable: smokey, a little peppery, delicious.

When at home, my friends and I would constantly frequent these late night diners, terrorizing the poor waitstaff that had to deal with six to ten rowdy dudes drinking their weight in free refills and chasing off other quieter staff. Especially when I was in high school, Steak 'n' Shake was a great place to hang out: it was warm, realtively unpopulated, came with food and cheap coffee (with a generous free refill policy), and until about my senior year, a smoking section (note for my Grandma: I never smoked, but my friends did; I swear, don't be disappointed). Baker's Square came with the added benefit of pie...tasty, sugary pie.

Most of the kebab houses here lack a seating section, so with our chips in hand, Jamie and I wandered the streets talking about how new planets should be named after Star Wars planets. Eventually, people might come to mistake Star Wars as nonfiction. We reached a small square that is lined with benches, and, despite the weather, sat there eating our chips and imagining a future where people refer to the great American heroes of the past: Luke and Leia Skywalker. This was a surprisingly nice way to enjoy the food. It was a little chillier than I would have liked, but the food keeps you warm, and other people would come and sit around us, hunched over their own Styrofoam containers of chips, burgers, wings or fried chicken pieces.

The one thing I think I miss, though, is a place to get something sweet after hours. The British are not generally sweet eating people, and most table-service restaurants tend not to have the mass of desserts that your average restaurant in America has. There is no Death By Chocolate Cake to be found for miles. And ice-cream seems to be completely relegated to the day time, which is unfortunately. Nothing is more delicious than a milkshake at 2:00 in the morning. If I end up staying here for long, I might open a proper American style diner, serving breakfast 24-hours a day, with pancakes the size of dinner plates and crispy, thick cut bacon that comes with a heart attack standard, along side several ethnic favorites, burgers, fries and shakes. Then the British can experience the joy of ordering a plate of hashbrowns, a gyro, a large chocolate shake and a brownie the size of your fist.