The Slider Has Staying Power

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Photo: stevendepolo on Flickr

 

When I realized on a recent trip to the Midwest that sliders were all over the menus, I figured it was past time for New York to launch a new trendy "it" food. Something to the tune of 94-proof pies, or fried chicken crusted with crumbled deep-fried chicken skin (actually that's an awesome idea, don't steal it). Maybe wasabi mashed potatoes or some such obscure throwback.  

Then I realized that even though everyone from Burger King to the country of Vietnam has borrowed the idea — Hanoi hipsters are eating banh mi sliders too — these little guys are classic enough to boast some serious staying power. Look at White Castle burgers — one of the greatest stoner movies of all time is somehow a tribute to those squishy little bastards. And it's not because they're cute. 

In my meatball sliders recipe I reference the potential disappointment you face when ordering sliders at a restaurant. It's true, frequently you will wish you ordered something else. Here are several ways you can avoid that disappointment, and, you guessed it, they all involve cooking. But just picture it:

"Hey Phil, whatcha got for lunch there?"

"Oh, just some sliders I whipped up."

"Sliders?"

 "Yeah, you just buy some mini-buns or make biscuits or something and drop in..."

• Reuben fixings
• Spicy meatballs
• Crab cakes
• Strategic variations on chicken salad

or

• Leftover meatloaf

...and plenty of cheese, and voila!"

"Can I have one? You've got, like, five there."

"I require five sliders."

"You suck."

"Your lunch sucks."

"Your mom sucks."

And at this point we free ourselves of any liability with regard to lunch-related workplace scuffles. Behold: the mighty power of a small thing.