The Last Horrah on Mardi Gras

The Squeeze Inn. The Squeezeburger. It all began in California. Someone had the genius idea to load up a burger with a large amount of shredded cheese. So much cheese that it spills over and the edges of this cheese skirt are grilled.

It may have begun in California, but the owners decided to move to - you guessed it - Stockton, MO. Which means that I can now enjoy this cheesy, meaty goodness that is the Squeezeburger. I can even walk if my car breaks down, it's that close. I am not the biggest meat eater, but this burger could convert a vegetarian. So good.

Seeing as how yesterday was Mardi Gras, and I actually am going vegetarian for lent, there was no better time to try this burger for the first time. In fact, I was specifically saving my first Squeezeburger experience for Mardi Gras. You can safely bet large sums of money that my second Squeezeburger experience will be the day after Easter (they're not open on Sundays).

This burger is so immense, the chef sticks a toothpick in the center to hold it together. From a larger-than-life bun, to the 1/3 pound of 100% angus beef, to the likely 1/2 pound of melted cheese, to the lettuce, tomato and onion, that toothpick is key to aiding the Squeezeburger-eating experience. When served, we were given a long list of instructions in how to best eat the burger . . . I quickly responded that there was no way I could remember all of those steps. My server simply replied that the most important thing to remember is to keep my thumb on the bottom of the toothpick in order to prevent poking my chin. Apparently many a bloody chin have resulted from this burger. How many burgers can you say you've eaten that carried an actual physical danger?

I am proud to say that I passed the Squeezeburger eating experience without injury. Except to my waistline, of course. But even as a proud dietitian, I will say that any layers of fat I may have developed from the Squeezeburger experience were worth every single greasy bite.