Friday, April 12, 2013

The End: In-N-Out 4x4 Animal Style


In hundreds of trips to In-N-Out, from those childhood visits courtesy of my grandmother, who would pick up me and my brother from elementary school and take us to the In-N-Out three blocks away, to my freshman year of college when I often ate lunch and dinner at In-N-Out, to the years in Pasadena when In-N-Out always served as a great option when Elizabeth and I couldn't decide on dinner, I have never ordered a burger larger than a Double-Double.

So last week in Pasadena I decided to try the 4x4: four patties, four slices of cheese, all of it Animal Style. It was glorious. (It was also, if we're being honest, gilding the lily: the Double-Double is every bit as good.)

And it seemed like the perfect last post.

Take care,

- Justin

71 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this your last post ever? Please say it isn't so???

Michelle said...

I figured this was coming but it still makes me sad. Definitely my favorite food blog ever.

sfmitch said...

Last post????

What happened?

If it really is the end, thank you!


Bekah said...

If this is your last post, I am sincerely sorry to see you go. Thanks for the enjoyable reading for all this time.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for a great blog. I really enjoyed reading and I am sad to see it end. However, I understand that sometimes things must end. Good Luck!

Anonymous said...

Is this your last post ever or just your last post of your trip to Pasadena? Please, please, please not forever!!

Starkzilla said...

Say it ain't so! This is my favorite food blog.

Jose Conseco, Rainbow Bright, and so many more handles said...

Wow! Say it ain't so. Later dude.

Gabrielle said...

Thanks Justin. This has been my favorite blog (food or otherwise) to read over the last few years. I'm sure I'll be rereading many of your posts!

BT said...

Thanks for 4+ years of entertaining and insightful posts.

Amy W. said...

I think everyone is "Henny Penny-ing" Sad as I would be to see this blog go away - I took this to mean Justin's last California (vacation) post.

Anonymous said...

Hope you're right Amy, but Pommes Frites is in NYC, so I think this might be it. If so, thanks for all the good reading, Justin.

Jessica said...

What? Last post? No. You mean last vacation post from CA, right? I would hope you don't mean EVER. I have so enjoyed reading your posts daily over the last couple years.

SuperLarge said...

I saw Phil last night at the Irish Pub in South Pas & told him about the impending end. We both now have to find a new "first thing in the morning" thing to do / something to read / meaning for our lives. There is great wailing and gnashing of teeth going on here. Now we have to miss you even more.

JustinM said...

You guys could always, you know, do the work your employers pay you to do...

Anonymous said...

What about those of us not reading from work?

Stephen said...

Last post?
Hopefully you mean "last post from California"
Love this blog!
------
Also to the developing alternate comment line...don't feed the trolls people.

SuperLarge said...

Surely you jest.

Aric said...

I'm so incredibly bummed that this is over.

Cheers on one hell of a run.

Diana said...

nooooooooooooooo

Ashley said...

I found you blog about 5 years ago and have been reading faithfully ever since. I will sincerely miss your musing on memories with friends and family and Louisiana trips. Your stories and gracious food porn are a perfect combination.

Beth said...

I have consistently followed your blog for years and have thoroughly enjoyed every post. Very sad to see it come to an end! Goodbye to my favorite food blog, thank you, Justin, and best of luck in the future!

Anonymous said...

Bye - thanks for the posts in the past few years. I really liked living vicariously through your blog! Good luck bud.

Lauren said...

Thank you for a glorious blog! You were one of the most consistent posters and I truly enjoyed your food photography and descriptions. Best of luck to you on your future endeavors. Keep on loving sauce!

Anonymous said...

Your blog is my favorite food blog! I wish you would keep posting.

Anonymous said...

Sad to see you go. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

:(

Anonymous said...

I blame Mike Scioscia.

Best to you...

Cupie

Anonymous said...

The very last post ever? I also hope you mean from California, but I wish you luck whatever you do, and enjoy your blog very much.

Karee

Nosh Gnostic said...

Bon Voyage!!!

Justin said...

This makes me saddddd. :(

Dana said...

I really enjoyed your posts, thank you for what you've done and best of luck to you.

Anonymous said...

I wanted to add that the part I enjoyed most about your blog (apart from the pictures and writing) is the fact that you never did the following, which is so common with food bloggers:

Post multiple pictures of yourself/family on every post. Never seen a human face here.

Talk about your job and what happened at your job on every post. I have no idea what you do for a living - and I wouldn't be able to guess.

Start each post with a boring and painfully detailed musing about what's going on in your life. Even a significant life change like moving across the country was indicated with a simple sentence stating you've moved across the country.

I don't think there are any food blogs out there with these qualities. Maybe one day there will be again.

Emily said...

The Internet is losing its best food blogger. We'll miss you!

Fritos and Foie Gras said...

Agree with all these comments...you will be sorely missed on the tasty interwebs

Solaaris said...

Lol I think im cursed, everytime I find a new blog I like reading the writer gives up..

Thanks for the read, all be it short for myself.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all the great posts, I really enjoyed this blog. Best wishes!!

Unknown said...

I am so going to miss reading your blog! Have been a faithful reader the past few years - one of the best food blogs ever. Am very sad to see you go! :(. Maybe just take a break and then come back??

Anonymous said...

Nooooooooo! Thanks for all the posts....you'll be missed!

mw said...

Thank you and farewell!!! Though to be completely honest I will still keep checking for new posts...at least for the next week or so.

Anonymous said...

:( Thanks for the times!

Anonymous said...

Stumbled across this blog last year and have really enjoyed every post. Sad to see it come to an end.

A fan from the UK.

Unknown said...

Wow, Justin...seeing this news brought a sadness to my morning since you've by far been my favorite blog for the last few years. Every evening as I make dinner, my husband and I ask each other if we read your blog that day. Thanks for all the great posts, meal ideas and glimpses of places we'll likely never get to visit. I wish you, Elizabeth & Hawkeye the best!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for igniting a passion for cooking in me that I never knew I had.

I wish you the best,

marinko said...

I wish you all the best!

Owner.AsTheWorldChanges said...

Oh :| is this the end? :(

AriannaErin said...

I really hope it's not the final post :( this is my absolute favorite blog. The first site I check each morning no fail. Sad :'(

berndte said...

Oh man! Your blog was my friday evening treat. I would open a beer, enjoy some nice music and then read what you visited/reviewed last week. Then, I would go to some blogs from your favorite blogs list.. oh man I'm gonna miss that!

greetings from germany

Thistle said...

Last post? Aww! I haven't fully caught up with your old posts yet, so I'm behind on reading the newest ones. So sad to see you're not going to be blogging anymore!

I came to link you to this: http://www.brandeating.com/2013/04/custom-order-wendys-hot-chili-seasoning.html#more Seems like something you'd like!

Thanks for all the great posts. You made my work day all the nicer.

BOB BOYLE said...

So sorry to see you go.

Thanks for all the detailed and insightful posts throughout the years.
I will forever be indebted to you for turning me onto the Holy Aioli burger and many more culinary joys that have enriched my life.

All the best!

Melissa Good Taste said...

Nooooooooooooo.... Come back! I miss you already!!!

Unknown said...

i have to say, i keep checking back to see if youve changed your mind and are going to start writing again... your blog was my favorite.

Amelia Swabb said...

really going to miss this blog - hopefully you'll reconsider!

Unknown said...

Wow. I always log-in to the Sierra Madre Pizza blog because SMP doesn't have a website with a menu. I just read the feedback on this blog ending. You reached a lot of folks. Good luck on your future ventures.

dmb5_libra said...

Came back because I had some major catching up to do on my food blogs and my heart skipped a beat seeing that April 12 was your last post. I had to read it twice because I thought I had read it wrong. So sad to see you go, but I completely understand. This was one of my all time favorite food blogs and it will still be saved to my favorites in the hopes that maybe you'll be back! Wishing you the best and thanks for everything!

Anonymous said...

revisited your blog in the hopes you had started posting again-alas, you are not.

take care.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Hope all is well in NY

LS1 said...

I enjoy your blog for the same three reasons stated by Anonymous: direct, food-focused, and subtle humor. It's a shame I didn't find it sooner. Happy holidays.

Robberino said...

Any updates on Justin's whereabouts? I had hoped that he would resurface at some point in the food blogging industry, but have seen nothing since. I really miss this site and the great posts that it produced.

Hope he knows how much it's missed.

Melissa Good Taste said...

Come backkkkkk! I know you can hear me!!!

Unknown said...

Come backkkkk!

Lin said...

Ditto. Come back! Your blog was such and honest, fresh view. So much so that I check back once a month or so (FOR 2 YEARS NOW) hoping it was a bad dream!

Unknown said...

I still come back every once in a while, hoping you've come back. Really enjoyed your blog. Hope all is well!

Lin said...

Hello? Come back!!

Unknown said...

Come back!!!

Chris said...

I rarely enjoy reading blogs - let alone ones about food - but I always come back to read an occasional story from here.

Thistle said...

I was googling something and your blog came up as one of the first results. I was hoping maybe you were back, but I guess you're gone for good at this point.

If you see this comment, I hope you're doing well! :)

DAVID HESTER said...

gone but not forgotten

Diana said...

I know it's been 7 years, but I do still wonder if you'll ever be back.

CK said...

Here’s hoping that you’ll one day revive this amazing blog!! Happy thanksgiving ☺️

Chris said...

I just finished a 3x3 and had a thought of your blog and how much I enjoyed reading it. It was always very evocative, creating both a visual image and a sense of wonder with how you described your meals and adventures. I hope you're doing well and continuing to enjoy delicious food and fun times