Your most disliked trend in the food industry.

[judiu]

All valid points, but they leave out the individuals. What might seem leasurly to one person may seem excruciatingly slow to another, and totally rushed to a third. It depends on your expectations and habits. For instance I worked in a position as a kid that demanded I eat quickly and get back to work. It's an unfortunate habit, and it has carried over long, long beyond "kid-dom". As such, I do eat quickly, and constantly feel like I'm on the clock. If customers would give restaurants an idea of their expectations, the restaurants might be able to "get a clue".

[Ericpo]

All valid points, but they leave out the individuals. What might seem leasurly to one person may seem excruciatingly slow to another, and totally rushed to a third. It depends on your expectations and habits. For instance I worked in a position as a kid that demanded I eat quickly and get back to work. It's an unfortunate habit, and it has carried over long, long beyond "kid-dom". As such, I do eat quickly, and constantly feel like I'm on the clock. If customers would give restaurants an idea of their expectations, the restaurants might be able to "get a clue".

judiu, I think that this is a perfect example of the problem I originally ranted about. I can understand upbringing having a profound effect on how one eats. I would also say though, that as an adult, the choice is yours. I was also raised in an environment where eating was regarded as a neccessary activity, but not one to be savored...this is perhaps part of why I like to be leisurely when possible. I have retained the ability to eat and run though...it has it's value at times. But again, it is a matter of choice.

I guess I don't really understand the last part of your statement. "if customers would give restaurants an idea..." I like the idea of being able to tell a restaurant "I want to take 10 minutes on salad, 45 on my entre, and need 10 minutes to consider dessert." What I really don't get is how this could be made a workable scheme? The logistics fairly boggle the mind. Or were you speaking more of a restaurant catering their time schedule to the majority of their clientles wishes? I would be interested to hear your views, as this is an issue near and dear to my...well stomach I guess.

[Jaymes]

All valid points, but they leave out the individuals. What might seem leasurly to one person may seem excruciatingly slow to another, and totally rushed to a third. It depends on your expectations and habits. For instance I worked in a position as a kid that demanded I eat quickly and get back to work. It's an unfortunate habit, and it has carried over long, long beyond "kid-dom". As such, I do eat quickly, and constantly feel like I'm on the clock. If customers would give restaurants an idea of their expectations, the restaurants might be able to "get a clue".

I think that if a restaurant/server correctly understands the concept of pacing and appreciates its importance to the overall dining experience, it's pretty easy to "get a clue" from watching the diner. If you're sitting there hunched over your salad and shoveling it into your mouth as quickly as you can, I think that's a "clue" that you might be in a hurry, and that your server should make an effort to speed things up.

But if, on the other hand, you're leisurely placing your salad into your mouth one lettuce leaf at a time, and picking through the greens on your salad plate to uncover a tasty morsel of olive or tomato while you peruse the magazine or book that you brought with you, or you're chatting and laughing with your dining companions while waving your arms around to demonstrate this or that particularly hilarious incident that occurred with a colleague this morning back at the office, that's a clue that you're in no huge hurry. And that you might find it annoying if the server comes out with the hot plate that's holding your main course, and has to shove around utensils and condiments and your drink glass and your salad plate in order to find a spot to set it down.

I'm sorry, but I just don't find any particular difficulty with the concept of watching a diner, figuring out the pace with which they are consuming their meal, and then behaving accordingly.

As in, Judiu is finished with his/her salad and is looking angrily around the room for me. Perhaps I should speed it up.

Not to mention that it's common custom, and a very wise practice, that if Judiu or anyone else is on a time crunch, they should announce it up front: "We're trying to catch a movie that starts in 45 minutes. Can we make it?"

Or, "I'm sorry to ask you to rush it, but I've only got a half-hour before I need to be back to work."

I believe that the proper pacing does not require the mind-reading capabilities of a California Physic. It's just common sense and not that difficult if the server realizes it and cares about it and is paying attention.

[naguere]

Additionally, I like to leave a bit of a gap between my main course and dessert. I do like it when a server clears the main course plates and asks if we would like to see the dessert menu now or wait a bit.

Nicely put.,

I always get a laugh when after ordering the main course in France the serveuce says une apre, I respond with 'Une cigarette'

[nickrey]

Michel Roux related a story of something that happened in his restaurant in a letter republished in Sat Bains' new book "Too many chiefs and only one Indian."

I'll summarise.

Two couples come into the restaurant five minutes apart, both order aperitifs and the five-course tasting menu.

After the meal, which spread over a few hours, they both asked for their bills. The first husband said "I hope it comes quicker than the meal did." Michel went to see him and was told that the service was slow and apparently inefficient.

The second couple then asked for their bill. The husband said that the meal was good but serving five courses in two hours was just too rushed to let them enjoy it.

Michel said to the second gentlemen "let me introduce you to someone who doesn't seem to share your point of view."

He the asked them to see if they could mutually come up with a solution to what he should do to make people happy. Needless to say they disagreed and continue to do so.

This story may help us all to put perspective on comments that there is such a thing as "proper" pacing and that restaurants are "doing it wrong."

[Mjx]

Not sure whether this counts as a trend, but the term 'food porn' has been done to death. It might have been mildly amusing/clever the first time someone said it, but now it's about as embarrassing as someone using baby-talk words to describe 'indelicate' body part/functions.

Açaí fruit/berries/whatever these things are in every bloody thing. I'm generally up for anything new in the fruit department, even if it carries a high risk of health, and got a bottle of the juice, but I'd got a little way into it when had to hurriedly find a quiet corner to be sick in. It wasn't the flavour, which was okay, it just disagreed with me horribly. I tried another brand, thinking I might just have got a bad batch, and was only violently nauseated. And now several of my favourite juices have had this wretched thing added to it. Not happy.

[Ericpo]

Not sure whether this counts as a trend, but the term 'food porn' has been done to death. It might have been mildly amusing/clever the first time someone said it, but now it's about as embarrassing as someone using baby-talk words to describe 'indelicate' body part/functions.

Açaí fruit/berries/whatever these things are in every bloody thing. I'm generally up for anything new in the fruit department, even if it carries a high risk of health, and got a bottle of the juice, but I'd got a little way into it when had to hurriedly find a quiet corner to be sick in. It wasn't the flavour, which was okay, it just disagreed with me horribly. I tried another brand, thinking I might just have got a bad batch, and was only violently nauseated. And now several of my favourite juices have had this wretched thing added to it. Not happy.

ugh. That sounds awful! I like acai in things, it adds a blueberry-esque flavor that I find very agreeable...But then i've never gotten sick from it! Were there any other unsual ingredients in the juices? Something else that may have been the puke factor? I haven't heard of them causing nausea before...guess it might just be an allergy.

I also completely agree that "food porn" is grossly overused. Also just a little gross.

[Mjx]

Not sure whether this counts as a trend, but the term 'food porn' has been done to death. It might have been mildly amusing/clever the first time someone said it, but now it's about as embarrassing as someone using baby-talk words to describe 'indelicate' body part/functions.

Açaí fruit/berries/whatever these things are in every bloody thing. I'm generally up for anything new in the fruit department, even if it carries a high risk of health, and got a bottle of the juice, but I'd got a little way into it when had to hurriedly find a quiet corner to be sick in. It wasn't the flavour, which was okay, it just disagreed with me horribly. I tried another brand, thinking I might just have got a bad batch, and was only violently nauseated. And now several of my favourite juices have had this wretched thing added to it. Not happy.

ugh. That sounds awful! I like acai in things, it adds a blueberry-esque flavor that I find very agreeable...But then i've never gotten sick from it! Were there any other unsual ingredients in the juices? Something else that may have been the puke factor? I haven't heard of them causing nausea before...guess it might just be an allergy.

. . . .

The first time I had it it was just açaí, not a blend; it tasted a little flat, but otherwise pleasant, and I was looking forward to getting it home, adding a squeeze of lemon, and finishing it off. Which did not happen.

I've had a variety of different blended versions, and none agreed with me; at this point, I'm suspecting a bit of a psychological effect, however. It would be interesting to have someone slip some into some juice mix I'm having, without my knowing it, to get the real deal (since the worse that could happen would be kind of gross, but not fatal). Preferably in an easily-cleaned area.

I still wish they didn't add this stuff to everything!

[annabelle]

Michaela, I knew a woman who had a terrible reaction to acai berries drinks. Her limbs became swollen and blotchy. Her face swelled up like a puffer-fish and she could barely open her eyes. Obviously, she was have some sort of allergic reaction and went to the hospital when she began to wheeze. It took her the better part of a week to feel like herself.

Thank gods this didn't happen to you! A little vomiting, while unpleasant, is much preferable.

[gfweb]

"to die for" must never be spoken or written again.

Over-used and stupid in the first place.

[PSmith]

"to die for" must never be spoken or written again.

Over-used and stupid in the first place.

\o/ Yey - number 40 on my list

http://www.thecriticalcouple.co.uk/blog/?p=280

[annabelle]

"Foodgasm." Which, I suppose is the logical endpoint to the whole "food porn" nonsense.

Yuck.

[Ericpo]

"Foodgasm." Which, I suppose is the logical endpoint to the whole "food porn" nonsense.

Yuck.

Well as long as we're going to vent about sexual food terms....

"Better than Sex cake."

A) I don't care how great the cake is, it won't be.

B) Always seems to lead to a gutter discussion.

C) Pouring ridiculous amounts of pre-made goo over a pre-mixed cake DOES NOT constitute a recipe you ignorant cretins!

lol, my but this thread is therapeutic! I feel better already.

[Mofassah]

Ok, you are all wrong. Nothing mentioned in this thread, let it be sous vide, stupid foodie-lingo, or various speeds of serving at restaurant is even worth getting annoyed at. I salute ANY trend that focuses on making delicious food for the people. It doesn't even have to be a trend, as long as it's something that enable any average Joe on his kitchen to make something edible from scratch. Sous vide is a perfect example, since it enables both Dum and Dumber to eat a steak that's neither bleeding raw or like the sole of his shoe, but perfect medium rare through and through - every time. How can one dislike that?

What realy should upset all of us is the abundance of cheap (and expensive) frozen, ready made pizzas, lasagnas, spagetthi dishes and all sorts of disgusting meals, full of sugar, fat and MSG you will find in any super market all over the world. People actually live of that shait. That is a trend to dislike.

Edited May 27, 2013 by Mofassah (log)

[Mjx]

. . . .

What realy should upset all of us is the abundance of cheap (and expensive) frozen, ready made pizzas, lasagnas, spagetthi dishes and all sorts of disgusting meals, full of sugar, fat and MSG you will find in any super market all over the world. People actually live of that shait. That is a trend to dislike.

Those aren't trends, those are traditions!

[Mofassah]

. . . .

What realy should upset all of us is the abundance of cheap (and expensive) frozen, ready made pizzas, lasagnas, spagetthi dishes and all sorts of disgusting meals, full of sugar, fat and MSG you will find in any super market all over the world. People actually live of that shait. That is a trend to dislike.

Those aren't trends, those are traditions!

No, they are trends, megatrends even, and where the big money is, and therefor they recruit good chefs and give them nine to five jobs, with double or triple wages of what any restaurant is able to offer. It ruins peoples relationship to food as much as it makes it pretty darn hard to get good staff on your restaurant kitchen, and in turn ruins the restaurant industry. Kids today actually believe their food comes from the freezer, they don't even know that chicken is a bird, and have no idea that meat is actually dead animals. Disgusting.

[Mjx]

Crap food culture has been going on since at least the 1950s, long enough to make these traditions. They may be regrettable, but their sheer scale and persistence over half a century makes it difficult to simply label these 'trends'.

"to die for" must never be spoken or written again.

Over-used and stupid in the first place.

But... fugu..?!

[SylviaLovegren]

C) Pouring ridiculous amounts of pre-made goo over a pre-mixed cake DOES NOT constitute a recipe you ignorant cretins!

But how do you really feel...

[annabelle]

. . . .

What realy should upset all of us is the abundance of cheap (and expensive) frozen, ready made pizzas, lasagnas, spagetthi dishes and all sorts of disgusting meals, full of sugar, fat and MSG you will find in any super market all over the world. People actually live of that shait. That is a trend to dislike.

Those aren't trends, those are traditions!

I agree that they have been around long enough to be traditions. Having listened to my parents talk about what they had or more likely, didn't have to eat as children during first the Great Depression and then the rationing of WWII, who can blame the food manufacturers for dreaming up foods that would be quick, cheap and occasionally tasty. Have you seen the adverts for Jell-O from the 1920s? They make it sound like something the Queen would serve. Plus, refrigeration in the home was new, replacing the old ice box.

All that said, my most disliked trend is the one that is moving children and teens away from eating with utensils. There are way to many finger foods and other items that may be eaten out of hand. Children in elementary schools are served their noon meal with a "spork" like a prisoner. How are these kids ever going to learn to manipulate a knife and fork?

[heidih]

All that said, my most disliked trend is the one that is moving children and teens away from eating with utensils. There are way to many finger foods and other items that may be eaten out of hand. Children in elementary schools are served their noon meal with a "spork" like a prisoner. How are these kids ever going to learn to manipulate a knife and fork?

Along those lines, this squeezable baby food was a new one for me the other day......

[gfweb]

Children in elementary schools are served their noon meal with a "spork" like a prisoner. How are these kids ever going to learn to manipulate a knife and fork?

From what I see in restaurants, the kids' parents don't know how to use utensils either.

[annabelle]

That's true, gfweb. I guess you can't teach what you never learned yourself!

This really is a pet peeve of mine, is the constant snacking. I grew up in a household that did not serve snacks and when I was grown, I never learned to like them since I wouldn't eat my meals if I ate a snack. Consequently, I have really never had to watch my weight even though I enjoy desserts and bake a great deal. Of course, this isn't true for everyone and it is just an anecdote. Still, looking around at my shlubby townsfolk with their giant drinks and giant bags of snacks always at arm's length gives one pause.

[Shalmanese]

Michel Roux related a story of something that happened in his restaurant in a letter republished in Sat Bains' new book "Too many chiefs and only one Indian."

I'll summarise.

Two couples come into the restaurant five minutes apart, both order aperitifs and the five-course tasting menu.

After the meal, which spread over a few hours, they both asked for their bills. The first husband said "I hope it comes quicker than the meal did." Michel went to see him and was told that the service was slow and apparently inefficient.

The second couple then asked for their bill. The husband said that the meal was good but serving five courses in two hours was just too rushed to let them enjoy it.

Michel said to the second gentlemen "let me introduce you to someone who doesn't seem to share your point of view."

He the asked them to see if they could mutually come up with a solution to what he should do to make people happy. Needless to say they disagreed and continue to do so.

This story may help us all to put perspective on comments that there is such a thing as "proper" pacing and that restaurants are "doing it wrong."

Why don't you just ask me and I can tell you how fast I'd like the food to come out!

[Twyst]

Water lists (and even water sommeliers in a few places!). Ridiculous.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Twyst (log)

[scubadoo97]

Water lists (and even water sommeliers in a few places!). Ridiculous.

Beyond ridiculous