Foods you miss from the 1990s

[Fat Guy]

Yesterday I started a topic about things we miss about the 1970s. I can't do the 1960s because I don't remember anything -- I only lived through one year of the 1960s. I thought about doing the 1980s, and may get to that soon, but I wanted to be sure to cover the 1990s.

The culinary thing I miss most about the 1990s is Gray Kunz cooking at Lespinasse in New York City.

[BadRabbit]

I'm embarassed to admit this but I miss fried mozz sticks. They used to be available at every bar in the universe. Now, I don't remember the last time I saw them on a bar menu.

Edit: I realize that this is probably an 80s thing that bled into the 90s but I think they mostly disappeared in the 90s.

On a more serious note, I miss that an appetizer in the 90s was still an appetizer instead of an amuse bouche masquerading as it's bigger cousin.

Edited February 8, 2011 by BadRabbit (log)

[weinoo]

I miss that I was still "young" and impressionable enough to go to cooking school.

[therippa]

I'm embarassed to admit this but I miss fried mozz sticks. They used to be available at every bar in the universe. Now, I don't remember the last time I saw them on a bar menu.

Really? I still see them on bar menus...pubs/sports bars mostly

[Dakki]

The X-Files. Industrial boots and no-name jeans as a fashion statement rather than work clothes. "Alternative" music/film/whatever. Smoking allowed everywhere. Eating processed foods and drinking cheap beer and liking it.

[BadRabbit]

I'm embarassed to admit this but I miss fried mozz sticks. They used to be available at every bar in the universe. Now, I don't remember the last time I saw them on a bar menu.

Really? I still see them on bar menus...pubs/sports bars mostly

They're pretty rare nowadays where I live. They might still be available at the chain sports bars but I usually go to local places so I wouldn't know. I guess the ubiquitousness of them in the 90s is what I miss.

[Peter the eater]

I don't miss Zima.

[gfweb]

I miss the optimism of the '90s. Our equivalent of the Roaring '20s.

[Pierogi]

"Gourmet" magazine. Of course, I miss it about the 60's, 70's, 80's and 00's too....

[Mjx]

There were a few places near the Art Student's League, where I was working as a model, which I really miss; there was an Irish pub around the corner, right next to the N/R station that was pretty good, and there was Petrossian (which is still there, but it seems to have both downgraded and become more expensive). I'd often bolt out on my long break in just a really long t-shirt and harness boots, scoot across to Petrossian to get coffee, and chocolates or a pastry. They knew me pretty well, and I can remember sometimes the staff was comprehensively boiled, usually from a wine tasting (according to them), and they'd just give me stuff to try, then grill me about whether or not I liked it, and why... it was brilliant.

[DanM]

I will not miss the food in the college cafeteria. It was so bad that I gave the school a letter stating that unless they give me a certified kosher meal plan, I want out of the cafeteria requirement. And they did.

Snapple before it went mainstream.

[andiesenji]

I miss the shows that I liked on Food TV in the '90s.

John Ash, Curtis Aikens, David Rosengarten, Two Hot Tamales.

And I really miss Julia.

[Pierogi]

Another thing I miss about the 90s: cheap "leftover" cuts of meat. This was before the chicken wings craze (at least around here), beef skirt was what you got when you couldn't afford to put steaks on the grill and they'd practically pay you to cart away sweetbreads and beef cheek.

Oh yeah. And short ribs and brisket didn't need you to take out a second mortgage to buy.

[rarerollingobject]

I can't decide whether I actually miss it, but have a definite sense of nostalgia for the way that everything was doused in pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. My high school friends and I would make boatloads of pasta with pesto, SDTs and bocconcini and feel we were very sophisticated for doing so.

[haresfur]

Grant's Scottish Ale. One of the original Pacific Northwest Microbrews. It wasn't really a Scottish ale - but really defined what I think of as the PNW hop profile with Chinook and Cascade hops. I think the brew-pub in Yakima might still exist but they disappeared from the shelves after selling to a major (no blame for selling out - I would have if the price was right).

[nakji]

I can't decide whether I actually miss it, but have a definite sense of nostalgia for the way that everything was doused in pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. My high school friends and I would make boatloads of pasta with pesto, SDTs and bocconcini and feel we were very sophisticated for doing so.

My favourite dish of the nineties was pasta bowties with sundried tomato pesto. Yeah, I remember SDT and pesto fondly. But I was in uni, so....

[rarerollingobject]

I can't decide whether I actually miss it, but have a definite sense of nostalgia for the way that everything was doused in pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. My high school friends and I would make boatloads of pasta with pesto, SDTs and bocconcini and feel we were very sophisticated for doing so.

My favourite dish of the nineties was pasta bowties with sundried tomato pesto. Yeah, I remember SDT and pesto fondly. But I was in uni, so....

Yeah, it was ALWAYS bowties! In a pinch, penne, but bowties were the good stuff.

[BadRabbit]

I thought of one more though I think this one was fairly regional.

Sauteed Crab Claws- they were generally sauteed in butter with onions, garlic, SDTs, and roasted red pepper. They were always made with the blue crab claws that people in the south usually batter and fry.

Best things ever.

[suzilightning]

the one thing my father-in-law doesn't miss is what he called that "tall food" - everything stacked high and many times deconstructed.

mozz sticks at my local bar so if you need a place to crash after eating them...

[Peter the eater]

I miss the shows that I liked on Food TV in the '90s.

John Ash, Curtis Aikens, David Rosengarten, Two Hot Tamales.

And I really miss Julia.

You just reminded me how much I enjoyed Two Fat Ladies.

[BadRabbit]

I miss the shows that I liked on Food TV in the '90s.

John Ash, Curtis Aikens, David Rosengarten, Two Hot Tamales.

And I really miss Julia.

You just reminded me how much I enjoyed Two Fat Ladies.

They are reshowing Two Fat Ladies on the new Cooking channel.