Even chefs who spend their working hours cooking from scratch sometimes turn to familiar fast-food favorites. Three Orlando-area culinary professionals recently shared the orders tied to their cravings, convenience and childhood memories.
Trina Gregory, chef and owner of Se7enbites, grew up near Corpus Christi, Texas, where the first Whataburger opened. Her usual order is a Whataburger without cheese, ketchup or onions, alongside onion rings; she also likes the chain’s breakfast burritos. Gregory told the Orlando Sentinel that the flavor is a reminder of growing up in Texas. When a Whataburger location reopened in Orlando in August, she waited nearly an hour on its first day back.
Hung Huynh, culinary director at Mills Market and chef at the soon-to-open Pomelo, chooses KFC wings. The Season 3 winner of Top Chef recalled visiting a KFC buffet near his Massachusetts high school with friends. His standard order now is four wings: two original and two extra-crispy, with ketchup and hot sauce on the side. Huynh said Pomelo, planned for Orlando’s Mills 50 neighborhood, will serve grilled, binchotan-fired wings rather than fried ones.
Nikk Burton, executive chef at The Monroe, said his longtime Taco Bell order consists of two chalupas, a soft taco and a Beefy Nacho Burrito. Burton, who grew up on Long Island, said he first tried a chalupa after his stepfather ordered one when the item was new. For him, the appeal is both the food and its accessibility after a busy shift, when fast-food restaurants can be easier than cooking at home.
The chefs’ picks differ, but each described fast food as more than a quick meal: a familiar taste, an easy late-night option or a shared ritual after work.
