The Itis

If you're a fan of the Boondocks, you've probably seen the episode where a restaurant called "The Itis" is created by "Granddad" and becomes a big hit.

So what is the "The Itis"? I'm sure we all experienced it after Thanksgiving. It's that feeling you get when you eat too much food (especially unhealthy food) and get very sleepy. Granddad's ingenious idea was to open a restaurant that serves "soul food", with his own artery-wrenching twists, and for the restaurant to have beds instead of chairs, so that the sleepy customers could nap right after they're finished eating. Some of the menu items were pretty frightening, such as the Luther Burger: a full pound burger with all the fixings (including bacon) sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme donuts. Yikes. Eventually everyone develops a drug-like addition to the food and the restaurant has to close because Granddad it is sued by a woman who becomes severely obese and blames the food on ruining her life.

Granddad's ideas are frighteningly close to reality. The Luther Burger is a real burger, named after Luther Vandross, who reportedly was a big fan of it. There are a few restaurants that serve variations on it, such as Mulligan's, a bar and grill in Decatur, Georgia, which also serves another king-sized, cholesterol-laden culinary delight: the hamdog, which is a deep-fried hot dog wrapped in a beef patty, covered with chili, cheese, and onions, served on a hoagie bun and topped with a fried egg and fistful of fries. Wow. Take your pick of a deep-fried Twinkie or Snickers bar for dessert, and enjoy your heart attack. Americans just seem impressed that their bodies can handle this stuff without them dropping dead immediately after consuming it. (I know I am.) Oh yeah, Luther Vandross died at age 52, of a heart attack.