As if we need a day to celebrate consuming massive amounts of calories and fat, today is National Junk Food Day. Mondays are the perfect excuse- you feel more stressed about the week ahead and you tend to crave something sweet, salty and oh-so-bad for you. But why? Because when stress hormones are released, they stimulate both your appetite and chemicals in the brain that crave fat and sugar.
We think of two iconic Atlanta establishments that serve up a combination of sweet and salty: Zesto and The Varsity. Both serve up classics like fried onion rings, double stacked hamburgers, chili hot dogs and creamy milkshakes.
has been an “Atlanta original for 65 years” since the first store opened on Peachtree Street in 1949. Originally the store sold only ice cream and was competing with Dairy Queen, but franchise founder John Livaditis began selling hamburgers to boost sales and since then, fried foods are just as popular as their creamy desserts. But what do you think- do you go for their ice cream, food or both?
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Then there is The Varsity, possibly one of the most well known Atlanta joints in America, even having its own "lingo." The restaurant boasts that they "put the comfort in 'comfort food', "serving up two miles of hot dogs, 5,000 fried pies and 300 gallons of chili daily. Some of their most popular items are the chili cheese dog and the onion rings.
What are your favorite spots in town to satisfy a junk food craving?
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