"white castle" news and stories

What's going on behind the venerable ramparts of White Castle?

As Nation's Restaurant News reports, it appears that the chain is looking to be home to more than just its oddly addictive little sliders. It's testing three different restaurant-within-a-restaurant concepts, trying its hand at a strangely diverse mix of fast-food fare: barbecue, pressed club sandwiches, and "Americanized Asian noodles."

Taken together, it kind of looks like company executives simply headed down to the food court at their local mall and had an epiphany: "Hey, we could do all this!"

Inside one of its restaurants in Lafayette, Indiana, White Castle recently opened Blaze, which it bills as "modern barbecue." (We have no clue what they mean by "modern" here; presumably they won't be serving mastodons on a spit.) According to the online menu, Blaze offers a range of barbecue staples, from pulled chicken to brisket, and traditional sides (baked beans, mashed potatoes, etc.).

A "slider" can be a sneaky baseball pitch, a 1972 album by T. Rex, a turtle of the genus Trachemys, the mascot of the Cleveland Indians, a potentiometer control, or the little glass tube that connects the bong reservoir to the bowl, but, increasingly, it has come to mean a Lilliputian-size hamburger.

Food historians sometimes trace the origin of this usage to White Castle, the world's first hamburger chain.

The hamburger itself was brought to New York City in the early 19th century by German sailors, who taught cooks in harborside eateries to make patties of ground beef -- as yet, there was no bun. These patties were named after the city of Hamburg, the busiest port in Germany. So appealing was the concept, that hamburgers soon spread to the upper levels of society, and by 1834, New York's most effete restaurant, Delmonico's, listed a "Hamburg Steak" on its menu.

Just when you thought you'd smelled it all: Make way for The White Castle Candle, which promises to waft the fragrance of burgers and onions through your home. Because who wouldn't want their living space to smell like a fast-food joint?

Believe it or not, the candle -- which was introduced in time for National Hamburger Month, and is emblazoned with the restaurant's tagline "What You Crave" --has met with a somewhat mixed reception."I'm in the minority of people that doesn't even have to be high to eat White Castle," admits a blogger at Geekosystem, "and I don't know if I could handle it." Meanwhile, over at EW's PopWatch, "...beads of vomit are flying out of my head at the mere thought," was the emphatic reaction. (Tell us what you really think.)

Starting this Thursday Burger King is extending hours at its U.S. locations into the wee hours, specifically 2 a.m. or later. Don't get too excited night owls; the late-night munchies friendly sked only runs from Thursday to Saturday. It makes me wonder whether BK's looking to compete with White Castle, long the late-night go-to meal for drunks and stoners alike. I can't remember the last time I ate at a Burger King. Sadly, I can remember the last time I ate at a White Castle.

Folks who are creeped out by the plastic-faced King will be glad to know that he's not the point man for this campaign. BK has appointed Sean "Diddy" Combs as its new late-night ambassador. I don't watch much television these days, but according to the press release the first TV spot, "Diddy's Way," has begun airing. I wonder if the commercial features an urban-contemporary take on the Burger King song. One thing's for sure. Since it's directed by Spike Lee, the content has got to better than the stuff on Diddy's BK-sponsored Youtube channel.

Do you have a White Castle in your vicinity? If you do, you should get yourself over there today because 2 pm and and 3:27 pm. During that hour and 27 minute window, you can score up to 10 of their classic sliders for a mere $.27. They are offering this deal in honor of National Hamburger Month. Sadly, I won't be able to partake, as they don't have a single restaurant in Pennsylvania, but it should be a fun and cheap way to get an afternoon treat.

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