In 1975 as a young backpacker I had my 1st Wimpy burger in London...Europeans should praise America for giving them McDonalds :).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimpy_Bar
Regards, Walter

Definition of restaurant:

an establishment where meals are served to customers.

No definition I found added the requirement of a waitor, strolling violinist, wine or anything else, Sorry.

McDonalds is not a safe place to eat. If you check out their website
http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_control...on.index1.html, and check out the food values you will see that eating there would KILL you if you did it too often.

<i> food values you will see that eating there would KILL you if you did it too often.</i>

And if you eat there only once in a while, it will do you absolutely no harm. Everything in moderation.

Everything in moderation. Absolutely! I heard on the news a few months ago that a woman died from drinking too much water.

You can read about water toxicity here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_toxicity

Moderation is the name of the game. I limit myself to those egg mcmuffins at the airport . . . and I'm alive and breathing for now.

&quot; [McDonald's] is the safest place in the world to eat.&quot;

The first time I ever ate in a McDonalds in France (Paris, 1991) I was attacked (shaken/hit in the face) by a crazy guy.

The last time I ever ate in a McDonalds in France (St Etienne, 2003), I got food poisoning.

so what if Paul is a chain?
I wish there was one where I live instead of endless fast food outlets.
Yes, other countries may have fatty foods on their diet, and yes, there are some big Germans, Eastern Europeans etc, but if anyone does not think America has the fattest population in the Wester world ,they should get out of Soho and visit any suburban mall.
On the other hand, it may not be the crap we eat in huge quantities ( MD, Coke, chips, chocolate bars,etc)
it is probably just &quot; genetic&quot;.

Don't be so quick to dismiss genetics. The fact of the matter is that the US is significantly more diverse than Europe, and there are real differences in body types among various ethnic groups. We should expect the US to exhibit more diversity in size and weight.

And I'm not certain it is &quot;diet&quot; as much as lack of physical activity. While I can't find it, I remember reading an article about the Amish diet. Basically, it violates pretty much every possible nutritional rule. Yet, the incidence of obesity is relatively low. The authors pointed to the physical activity levels among the Amish population being exceedingly high - it was something like running a marathon every day (or was it week?).

Well, Paul is spreading through Florida at the moment...

PAUL&reg; AVENTURA MALL STORE
19575 Biscayne Boulevard, Store # 383 FL 33180 AVENTURA
PAUL AVENTURA MALL KIOSK
19575 Biscayne Boulevard, Store # 383 FL 33180 AVENTURA
PAUL BISCAYNE COMMONS
14861 Biscayne Blvd. - North Miami Beach FL 33181 MIAMI
PAUL LINCOLN ROAD
Lincoln Road FL 33139 MIAMI BEACH
PAUL&reg; DOWNTOWN AT THE GARDENS
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue, Suite 4101 FL 33410 PALM BEACH GARDENS
PAUL SAWGRASS MILLS MALL
1800 Sawgrass Mills Circle Space 2500 FL 33323 SUNRISE

While in Paris for the month, I have been reading Adam Gopnik's &quot;Paris to the Moon,&quot; a series of essays about the years he, his wife, and their young son spent in Paris. Each essay centers on some aspect of Parisian life he found interesting, puzzling, and/or inscrutable.

Last night I came across this passage (page 164 in the paperback edition): &quot;Even our cooking--especially our cooking--has become involved with power. Where you stand on, say, the spread of McDonald's is a political issue, just as where you stood on the outdoor cafe was in France a century ago.&quot;

Comments from Francophiles or resident Parisians?

A restaurant is a 'public eating place'. McDonald's is the best epitome of a restaurant in the world. Sorry elitists.

GSteed wrote: &quot;McDonald's is the best epitome of a restaurant in the world.&quot;

That's simply an assertion, and has neither probative nor persuasive power.

I could say McDonald's food is crap, but that would prove nothing about McDonald's (it might say something about me).

It could even be the top supreme best of the zenith of the epitome.

If you prefix it with &quot;fast-food&quot; I will let restaurant pass.

You could also use &quot;inedible crap&quot; as a prefix.

Other than that, it falls below a canteen.

To be a restaurant restaurant, table service as a bare minimum.

I don't abhor McDonald's. I will readily admit to eating at McDonald's once in a while. I will also readily admit to eating at Burger King, Jack in the Box and Wendy's every once in a while, too.

I try to limit any fast food intake to a couple times a month, but I don't really stress too much about it if I happen to go more often.

I understand that many people just don't like the taste of fast food, but I don't get the implied disdain that I occasionally see on this forum for people who do go to fast food places. It's almost like people feel they have to justify why they go there.

d claude bear, McDonald's is running a very interesting and somewhat cryptic TV commercial in France at the moment, which has nothing to do with selling or eating its products, with no McDonald's logo or image of a McDonald's restaurant. It goes something like this:

Two young men are talking. One of them asks the other, &quot;so, you're going to keep on doing it?&quot;
&quot;Yes, I guess so. It's not really as bad as I thought it would be.&quot;
&quot;I just didn't think you'd do that with your life. Well, if that's really want you want to do...&quot;
The other guy gives a little smile. The friend continues: &quot;What?&quot;
&quot;Yes, it's what I want to do.&quot;

End of commercial.

The actual message is: don't let people badmouth you about working at McDonald's. I doubt if this sort of ad is used in any other country of the world by McDonald's, especially on TV at primetime advertising rates.

<b>J_R_Hartley</b>,

perhaps you should inform Merriam Websters people, because apparently they have it wrong:

<i>

Main Entry:
res·tau·rant Listen to the pronunciation of restaurant
Pronunciation:
\ˈres-t(ə-)r&auml;nt also -t(ə-)rənt, -tərnt\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
French, from present participle of restaurer to restore, from Latin restaurare
Date:
circa 1766

:<b> a business establishment where meals or refreshments may be purchased</b></i>

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restaurant

More questions. Where did the idea that any McDonald's food ingredients are not high quality? I agree that the food tastes so good that customers sometimes overeat. McDonald's is the only restaurant I know of that discards 'over-time' food. One restaurant grade is concerned with that practice.

call me elitist, but McDonald's is a smelly, greasy, unattractive
food outlet - NOT a restaurant.