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By that I mean people (not all obviously) will talk down about places that don't have the luxury of having a million different/unique places to eat. Where I live admittedly most is chain restaurants and the like, but we do still have some unique restaurants/places to go eat you just have to drive a bit, yet time and time again when I've had people from big city's come down to visit and I suggest somewhere that's more chain-type places I get disparaging remarks.
A few examples: Last year a friend of mine who moved to NY a few years ago came down to visit. We were going to go out to eat and I said how about Olive garden to which she said "Olive garden? That's such crap! In NY you can get REAL Italian food!" she said it in a kind of joking manner but it still rubbed me the wrong way.
Another time a friend visited from Boston and when I suggested we go grab a bite to eat she said "Sure, but it better not be one of those crappy chain-type places that serve low quality food. In Boston we have so much more variety and the food there puts anything here to shame."
I get it, living in a smaller town I'm not fortunate enough to have access to all these great, wonderful restaurants/eatery's that people in bigger cities have, but there's no reason to be condescending! I just hate how so many from bigger cities feel the need to blurt out how much "better" they have it in terms of food.
when you live in a sewer, you need to take the few positives of the sewer and magnify their importance. oh we don't have a front lawn, but we have lots of fancy restaurants! oh, a homeless person just took a dump outside my front door. but I can go eat at an Argentinean restaurant whenever I want!
It's not just you, we all get that in some shape form or fashion from our family or friends who live in big cities. However, most of the people I know from big cities love down home cooking though. My family from nyc just kills me when they say, you guys don't have this or you guys don't have that, you guys are so country. I was in the lobby of the Hilton in downtown Atlanta a few years ago, the lobby was packed with a large family from nyc and other places from up north in town for a family reunion. The guy at the check in counter asked this young man what he thought of Atlanta, his answer was its all country to me. it gets really old
I am sorry your friends made you feel bad. Try not to take it personally. People in the big city regularly talk like this, and I am not sure why. I prefer to eat at a really great place, but big chains serve their purpose sometimes.
Speak up if it hurts your feelings. A true friend will understand.
Or...be snarky and say...."aren't you just so la-de-da now. Why don't you pull up Yelp and find a place around here that you like."
People even say this stuff to other people who live in the same metro areas. The people living within the city limits will criticize what's available in the suburbs. I've never understood food snobs, but they probably don't understand that I'm a linen snob. I'd have insomnia in bedding they sleep in every night. In one way or another, we're all snobs about something. The difference is knowing how to have manners and treat our friends lives and choices respectfully.
Olive Garden is objectively garbage pseudofood that they literally get frozen and heat up for you.
Your friend was ungracious in her manner and saying what she did, but places like that are so bad you might as well buy a frozen dinner and eat at home.
I think a fresh home-cooked meal by someone who knows what they are doing and prepares it with love is better than any 4 star restaurant in any big city.
A few examples: Last year a friend of mine who moved to NY a few years ago came down to visit. We were going to go out to eat and I said how about Olive garden to which she said "Olive garden? That's such crap! In NY you can get REAL Italian food!" she said it in a kind of joking manner but it still rubbed me the wrong way.
Another time a friend visited from Boston and when I suggested we go grab a bite to eat she said "Sure, but it better not be one of those crappy chain-type places that serve low quality food. In Boston we have so much more variety and the food there puts anything here to shame."
I get it, living in a smaller town I'm not fortunate enough to have access to all these great, wonderful restaurants/eatery's that people in bigger cities have, but there's no reason to be condescending! I just hate how so many from bigger cities feel the need to blurt out how much "better" they have it in terms of food.
I don't know what part of the country you're from, but if it were me visiting, I'd want you to take me to someplace that serves the heck you're region is known for - fish, mudbugs, warthogs, whatever. Doesn't matter if it's fancy - in fact, preferable it's not. I've had delicious food and good times at country shacks that would probably violate a dozen NYC food safety laws. I've never experienced that at an Olive Garden. A more special time would be had at some local place you love, even if they're only known for pie or lemonade or the eccentricity of the owners or the pot still in back or whatever.
That said, if your quotes are accurate, those are pretty crass folks. Neither myself nor most city people I know would've handled things that way. We'd be a bit more tactful while still trying to avoid OG like the plague. And if we did end up at OG, I'd hope you'd be equally gracious while I just picked around a salad. Dressing on the side.
I'll also note that personally I was a cafe owner for a few years so I rarely eat at chains. I prefer to give my money to moms & pops. And there's a political reason as well in that I like to support farmers when possible over Big Ag. As I still sell product at farmer's markets and consider all the farmers and cattlemen friends, it just follows I'd want to be consistent.
Btw, I'm getting a sense you're somewhere "south". So barbecue is always a good option.
People who lack authenticity in their day to day lives are often obsessed by "authenticity" in the food they want to eat. Note that old time big city dwellers, ethnic peoples like Poles, Irish, Jews, Lithuanians, Italians and such, had good cooking at home and seldom ate in restaurants and when they did were often content with neighborhood Greek diners. But now boring whitebread, suburban raised city dwellers demand something more authentic than authentic city dwellers did.
If people like that get smart with you just give them a crack across the face; in my old neighborhood in Chicago that would'a been real "authentic". That'll give 'em something to chatter about.
No different than the bewildered, non-trusting look when bringing some non-big city person to a non-chain restaurant, and they still end up ordering close to what they are use to (or nothing at all), because they are scared to ever try something new or something besides yet another variation of a hamburger or pizza.
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