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I went to TJFridays once, and ordered mashed potatoes as a side. When I tried them, I remembered the taste of instant potatoes given to my parents by some humanitarian mission when my motherland was going through economic disaster. I asked the server, and she confirmed it was instant. Why would I go and pay restaurant price for crap like this? Why go to some place that is called "restaurant" but actually is nothing more than a primitive fast-food spot? People from cities are more picky because they usually know what is a good place to dine and what is a bad one.
I always try to go to non-chain places when I travel. It doesn't make sense to visit a new region and eat same things that you can eat anywhere.
I've seen plenty of food snobbery from suburbanites as well. Foodies in suburbia are gonna steer clear of Olive Garden the same way they'll steer clear of cheap wine and watery beer.
So this thread would be better discussing the obsessions of foodies, and why they often say they "live to eat," and think the wine selection is the most important part of the meal. I'm fine with foodies if they are using their passion to eat healthy. But if they are eating high-calorie, ultimately unhealthy food thinking it's all good because it was lovingly prepared, I'll roll my eyes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EugeneOnegin
it's just about liking good food. Some of the best food is from small hole in the walls, street vendors in poor countries, or from non-English-speaking grandmas. It doesn't have to be expensive or fancy.
However, I would never be so rude and condescending about it, I would just say that I would prefer not to eat a chain and suggest something else. If they insisted on a certain chain, especially if I was outnumbered, I would be polite and just bite the bullet. No need to be a douche bag about it.
As far as big cities goes, outside of the very top restaurants, it's not so much that they have better food, they just have more people and higher population density and as a result, more options within a smaller area. There's nothing special about the food in NYC or LA, despite what people from there like to think, there's just a ton of restaurants and by sheer virtue of being a numbers game, some of them are very good. They often have more immigrants as well which usually means more ethnic cuisines.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlawrence01
What is more irritating are the foodies on message boards who continually diss all chain restaurants. When you talk to them IN PERSON, they clearly state that they have NEVER dined in those restaurants that they are attacking. What credibility is there in that?
As for Olive Garden, it is not very good or bad. However, I have had dozens of meals at independent Italian restaurants at twice the price that are equally unsatisfying.
Interesting thread as well as the replies. I grew up in a large midwestern city with so many ethnic
restaurants. Almost every neighborhood had one, especially Italian that were Mom & Pop restaurants
with reasonable prices. Then came gentrification, many couldn't afford the taxes or
rent. Now within the city they are more haute cuisine for foodies. German and East European
restaurants suffered (or are suffering the same).
Regarding the OP, there are many little towns where we live now, that have mostly chain restaurants
and there may be diners but they close early. So, options are limited in those areas. I think the OP's
guest was rude and a snob. Too bad there wasn't a Ruth's Chris (a chain) her guest probably wouldn't
been so disappointed.
Also, regarding chains, I had a relative who lived in Hawaii for a year and he said that the Red Lobster
in Hawaii was terrific. Makes sense since it's in the Pacific but most Red Lobster's are.....mediocre?
Best food I've ever had was in a dumpy shack in the middle of nowhere.
It was quite a strange sight to arrive in the dark and find this isolated little shack surrounded by high end cars.
I doubt they served chain food. I don't think people are snobbish about the ambiance, they just want a decent meal that's not mostly processed foods. A hole in the wall that serves delicious food is better than any Olive Garden.
There's something about visiting a really amazing restaurant and having the experience in it to match. It's like a physical or romantic encounter or something. And some people don't get how abrasive that is when you share that you have had something that they are unfamiliar with (or possibly un-interested in).
When I think of a well-bred or sophisticated person, I think of someone who could visit you in Kalamaybayou, Whatever and dine at Maw's Hushpuppies with you and still take something positive away from the experience, even if their own experiences with restaurants were different from what your host has every day. They certainly would not beat you over the head with how different the place was from "Crustaceans" in Beverly Hills.
I think most of you are missing the point, it's not about the food it's about manners. I am a foodie, but if I am visiting someone I accept what they offer without comment. If they want to take me to a chain restaurant, I go. If they want to serve me processed cheese spread, I eat it. I may suggest a place I would rather eat, but never be snobby about it. Just like they should suck it up and eat whatever you want to eat when they visit you in the big city.
My mother has graciously eaten sushi, pate, quail eggs, etc...
So I will graciously eat chili cheese dogs, chicken fried steak, and processed cheese spread casseroles.
We have also learned to enjoy it. life is too short to be ugly to friends and loved ones.
Interesting thread as well as the replies. I grew up in a large midwestern city with so many ethnic
restaurants.
I live in Midwestern suburbs and we have Cantonese, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Greek, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Szechuan, Mexican, Italian, North African, etc.
I think what many of the big city dwellers don't realize is:
A. many suburbs have large immigrant populations and a whole lot of diversity in cuisine
B. many rural areas are 15-45 minutes from big cities/metro areas
I used to live in a very rural area in Indiana and Indianapolis was 45 minutes away. I used to drive there about once a month to go to the big Mexican, Asian, or international grocery stores to buy groceries. It's a bit of drive, sure, but I've spent 2 hours driving from one end of St. Louis to another and it's not even that big of a city. I've spent 2 hours driving 18 miles to or from work in the Detroit metro area many times. You have more options in big cities, but the time it takes you to get there living in the city isn't necessarily any shorter than the time it takes you to get there from a rural area or suburb.
When I lived in the St. Louis suburbs I was about 10 minutes away from a really awesome international grocery store called Global Foods Market. They sold longans, galangal, wax apples, purple sweet potatoes, culantro, epazote, lychees, and a ton of other hard to find things. They have about 30 different sections marked by country with that country's flag over the section: Mexican, French, Italian, Peruvian, Argentinean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, etc. You could live in backwoods rural Missouri and be there in 30 minutes.
I live in Midwestern suburbs and we have Cantonese, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Greek, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Szechuan, Mexican, Italian, North African, etc.
I think what many of the big city dwellers don't realize is:
A. many suburbs have large immigrant populations and a whole lot of diversity in cuisine
B. many rural areas are 15-45 minutes from big cities/metro areas
I used to live in a very rural area in Indiana and Indianapolis was 45 minutes away. I used to drive there about once a month to go to the big Mexican, Asian, or international grocery stores to buy groceries. It's a bit of drive, sure, but I've spent 2 hours driving from one end of St. Louis to another and it's not even that big of a city. I've spent 2 hours driving 18 miles to or from work in the Detroit metro area many times. You have more options in big cities, but the time it takes you to get there living in the city isn't necessarily any shorter than the time it takes you to get there from a rural area or suburb.
When I lived in the St. Louis suburbs I was about 10 minutes away from a really awesome international grocery store called Global Foods Market. They sold longans, galangal, wax apples, purple sweet potatoes, culantro, epazote, lychees, and a ton of other hard to find things. They have about 30 different sections marked by country with that country's flag over the section: Mexican, French, Italian, Peruvian, Argentinean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, etc. You could live in backwoods rural Missouri and be there in 30 minutes.
I mentioned that I grew up and lived in a large metro city and where I live now has Asian, Mexican,
Indian and what city doesn't have a Chinese restaurant? We do not live in a rural area (btw, in Indiana)
but there are many small towns which would be a long drive for those living there. Point is, they don't
know about the options you mentioned and some either feel intimidated or don't have the means to
so. Do we take drives to go to certain cities for something different? We sure do.
To find a mom and pop place that serves authentic ethnic foods (other than Mexican, Chinese, Indian
or Asian fusion) such as Polish, Southern Italian, French, German and real Vietnamese (other than Pho)
is like a scavenger hunt.
Also, you are correct that suburbs of larger cities have large immigrant populations & more ethnic
restaurants. That is due to the high cost of living (rent, housing, taxes) being in a metro area
where most immigrant restaurant owners can't afford.
I mentioned that I grew up and lived in a large metro city and where I live now has Asian, Mexican,
Indian and what city doesn't have a Chinese restaurant? We do not live in a rural area (btw, in Indiana)
but there are many small towns which would be a long drive for those living there. Point is, they don't
know about the options you mentioned and some either feel intimidated or don't have the means to
so. Do we take drives to go to certain cities for something different? We sure do.
To find a mom and pop place that serves authentic ethnic foods (other than Mexican, Chinese, Indian
or Asian fusion) such as Polish, Southern Italian, French, German and real Vietnamese (other than Pho)
is like a scavenger hunt.
I agree with you. I didn't mean to say that suburbs and rural places have the same options as a rule, because they don't. Some are very far from ethnic places or a diversity of nice restaurants. I was just pointing out that some suburbs have a lot of those options and some rural places are pretty close to places that have those options. So when people say that you can't get those same things unless you live in a big city, that's not necessarily true, it just depends on your particular location.
I think most of you are missing the point, it's not about the food it's about manners. I am a foodie, but if I am visiting someone I accept what they offer without comment. If they want to take me to a chain restaurant, I go. If they want to serve me processed cheese spread, I eat it. I may suggest a place I would rather eat, but never be snobby about it. Just like they should suck it up and eat whatever you want to eat when they visit you in the big city.
My mother has graciously eaten sushi, pate, quail eggs, etc...
So I will graciously eat chili cheese dogs, chicken fried steak, and processed cheese spread casseroles.
We have also learned to enjoy it. life is too short to be ugly to friends and loved ones.
this is manners of yesterday...
now, its different,,, why should you appease your whole food belief system and give someone else dominion over what you ingest?? will it be healthy? will it be local, raised nearby, organic, grass fed?? humanely killed?? gluten free?? no growth hormones? no antibiotics?? not grown in e-coli?
if someone invited you out to eat , then lit up a cigarette, is it polite manners to light a marlboro up also?
(i hope you know im joking, what you said about manners, i agree,,,just being absurd with absurdity,,, )
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life is too short to be ugly to friends and loved ones.
Why do people from big city's have such an elitist attitude about where they eat?
