milkshake, milkshake

I'm not a foodie, but I've got my preferences just like with anything else. And, of course, in my family, food has a lot of neurotic baggage. But just within the last couple of days I've made some pretty definitive opinions on a couple of things.

First of all, don't ever think that making a root beer float out of Hansen's diet root beer and vanilla soy ice cream is going to taste good. Oh my god it's gross. At least the nutty soy stuff cancels out the diet taste, but you're still left with muck. Good, genuine root beer floats can be found at Fred 62 and probably everywhere else that serves real root beer and ice cream.

We all know I'm obsessed with dairy desserts, especially soft-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt. But my new thing is milkshakes. Say it with me: "Milkshake." It's one sexxy word thanks to Louis XIV. "Milkshake, Milkshake."

Right now I'm sipping my Carl's Jr. strawberry shake. I should say strawberry milk. See, they get you with that handscooped ice cream business, but of course they fail to mention that a strawberry or chocolate shake is vanilla ice cream with generic, overly sweet syrup. Yuck, they get the award for worst. The best milkshake happens to be found at the Brite Spot, my favorite diner. Last night I ordered a chocolate one. It was incredible. And it came with more whipped cream than I've ever seen. I had to scoop 90% of it into a bowl and it still ended up in my hair (not the first time).

Honorable mentions for milkshakes must be handed to In-N-Out and Foster's Freeze. In-N-Out is the best value at $1.69. It's not handscooped--in fact it comes out of a soft-serve machine--but it actually tastes like a milkshake unlike the Carl Jr.'s concoction (they claim it's real ice cream and I believe them since they have god on their side, right, Anna?). If you're looking for a tasty, but not very sweet one, head to Foster's Freeze for a banana milkshake. It's their soft serve mixed with milk and a ripe banana.