Cutie Fly or Ode To McDowell's Big Boy

A cutie fly is a pizza burger made flying saucer style. Mostly, it's two slices of white bread, a hamburger patty, pizza sauce and cheese crimped and toasted with a pie iron. They were an institution when I was growing up and could be had at McDowell's Big Boy on South Broadway or Fourth Avenue. There was also one or two in Bismarck.

Sadly, the ones in Minot have been gone for years, but one in Bismarck is still open and every time you go past, there are cars lined up at least five deep to get through the drive in. I think it's still the original building too. And the funny thing is that it is just a drive in... as in you have to either take your food home to eat it or eat in your car in the parking lot. In the summer, they do have picnic tables so you can enjoy your meal outside and share with the annoying black birds that beg for scraps.

Almost every time I go to or drive through Bismarck, I try to finangle a way to stop at the Big Boy. Heck, I've even been known to drive the 110 miles down there just to go to the Big Boy. One year on my birthday, Jim said he'd buy me lunch anywhere I wanted to eat. You guessed it, we went to Bismarck. We drove down, had lunch and drove right back home again. I did giggle when our lunch bill came to $7 and some odd cents. I think the gas cost more than that.

Never a big fan of the cutie fly (I know, sacrilege to some) I almost always opt for an alpine burger... hamburger patty, swiss cheese and a sauce made from mixing Miracle Whip and yellow mustard. Imagine my surprise when I learned yesterday that they make alpine burgers "fly style." After all these years, who knew?

I took a picture of the one I brought home yesterday. They used to knock the crusts off the sides so it looked more like a flying saucer but I think they're way too busy churning out these taste sensations that they can't be bothered. Either that or there are some people who like the crusts. Yum, I can't wait for lunch! Of course, it won't be the same as it is when you're actually huddled in your car and dunking fresh hot fries in their yummy gravy but it'll have to do until I get back to Bismarck.