More comfortable than a McDonald’s and more personal than a Panera, these American chains bring me back to post–theatre slices of cheesecake in high school and basketball team dinners in grade school. The constancy of their menus and decor make memories from one location transferable, letting you carry a piece of home with you.

What follows is not an ode to a restaurant, a personal narrative regarding childhood consumption, nor an exposé on current issues in food. Instead it is a true account, told in letters, of a cook’s love. Depending on how much you pick up, you might expect to learn a little something, and perhaps be entertained.