Had fun stormin' the castle.

A few weeks ago I got a bad bit of news that really set me reeling. I needed something to give me a little peace of mind, something to help me let go and relax for a few minutes. Something to give me some breathing space so I could get some perspective. 

I needed the Castle.

White Castle, that is. Oh, you notice that the little burger box I'm holding there is empty, eh? That's because I couldn't stand not eating the burgers long enough to get a picture of one.

To those who do not love White Castle, no explanation will suffice. To those who love White Castle, no explanation is necessary.

It did the trick. I felt much better after six of those little square burgers. Chocolate is fine, and I'm thrilled to have it, but sometimes a man has to have his comforts.

I have to say, the White Castle I went to (not the one pictured) may have been the best-run fast food place I had ever been to. It was far from home, on Forest Avenue on Staten Island. The ladies running the place were working so hard, but were as bright and cheerful as you can imagine. And the joint is open 24 hours a day.

White Castle had breakfast all day long before McDonald's even seriously considered it. You can go to the Castle Web site and place your order online. And they sell White Castle stuff, like neckties. Really, they're making McDonald's look silly here.

If you haven't had White Castle burgers, you can learn a lot about them here. Just be careful when you try one for the first time. The burgers are very, very easy to eat. And they look so small and harmless.

Once I took a young lad from the office to a White Castle in midtown; he was an innocent from the West Coast, and had never tried them. Against my advice he got a huge amount of those little cheeseburgers and fries and a giant orange soda, and was useless all afternoon. It would have been easier on him if I'd gotten him liquored up.