In Ciudad Guyana, Venezuela with some friends I was loathe to go to a McDonald's for a quick lunch preferring instead to go to something with more local flavor, but my British friends persisted. I was impressed. There were a ton of local teenagers employed there, the place was spotless because the minute something spilled a well dressed employee was immediately there to clean the spill, the employees all seemed upbeat and enjoying their job, the children customers loved it and the food was consistent with what we experience in the US.

In Venice my friend, Craig, who loves French Fries and who will not order anything else there, always managed to get the McD's fries every day around noon. Same experience: clean, consistent and upbeat.

I won't go there as a rule, but as Mei-Ching says wherever you find one it's fast, courteous and consistent.

Now what wine would you choose for a Big Mac?

Tom contemplating something with fewer carbs in Carlisle.