Food: A Love Story (42 page)

Thanks to my brother Joe, who bought me innumerable meals, including my first Portillo’s hot dog. Thanks also for punching me repeatedly when I accidently bought Happy Jose tamales.

Thanks to my aunt Katie, who bought me pints of ice cream as a child and has tried to make me enjoy steamed crabs for decades.

Thanks to Rob Hubbs, who allowed me to eat all the good food in his house when I was a teenager. Say hi to your mom, Bev.

To Chris Carrera and Emily Chen, who have taken me out to dinner at many restaurants that I could never afford.

To Nancy Gagliano and Emily Chen, who ate really mediocre sushi with me in college.

To George Alexis, Dan Currie, Kevin O’Connell, and Jim Depersia, whom I scavenged for food with during college.

To Nora and Trey Fitzpatrick, who brought me to Andy Nelson’s barbecue in Baltimore.

To the Noth family, who opened my eyes to the glory of Wisconsin food.

To Dom Noth in particular, who taught me to love and also to pronounce
aioli
.

To Gary and Tracy Thiel, whose Hotel Thiel remains one of my favorite places to stay. Thanks for those morning pastries.

To Justin Sundheimer, who told me about the great Mexican place in the Phoenix airport that I can’t remember the name of.

To Ian Bagg, who brought me to my first In-N-Out Burger.

And to all my Internet friends on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for all the local food suggestions. I blame my impending diabetes mostly on you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jim Gaffigan is a
New York Times
bestselling author, comedian, and actor who only wishes he was as thin as the cake-topper groom on the cover of this book. When he is not eating in airports before flying to some city to eat and do stand-up comedy, he overeats in New York City and also lives there with his five young children and much smarter and thinner wife, Jeannie.

© Corey Melton