DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this post are not the opinions of ALL the Girls on Food.
A few of us had something to get off our chests. We dish and discuss our least favorite trends in the foodie scene below. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comment section!
MEGAN– Hot Foods in Ice Cream Cones
Spaghetti in ice cream cones is a trend that a few artisanal places have tried to get off the ground, especially here in NYC. There’s something truly unsettling about noodles peeking over the edge of a waffle cone. Or a breaded chicken parm cutlet as you bite down further into the cone and get a mystery chunk of grizzle in your mouth. Spaghetti with forks and knives all the way and an adorable Scottish terrier and cocker spaniel to slurp it with you.
I don’t want spaghetti and meatballs in an ice cream cone. I understand where you’re going with this….you want to mash up the sweet and savory into an interesting trend that makes you millions. I just can’t. The very thought of slimy spaghetti noodles cascading down the side of my hands makes me recoil in mild disgust. I want my ice cream in my cone and my spaghetti on my plate. Now, chocolate in an avocado is an entirely different story….
RENO TASTEBUDS – Farm to Fork
I can’t even fathom the idea of “Farm to Fork” anymore. When the movement first originated, it was genuine and brought back perspective. Now, it’s simply a marketing tool that all the hoity-toity restaurants and fame hungry chefs use to overcharge their guests because we allow them to. How did I come to that conclusion you ask!? I work in the restaurant industry and used to be one of those asshole chefs who used to overcharge for “Local” produce or “Farm to Fork” type plates. Is it a shitty thing to do? Sure it is, but when the people are paying it and playing the game, why wouldn’t you make the extra dough? Does the money go back into local farming? Nope… It goes right into the Chef’s bonus section of their paychecks. Now, I’m not saying I don’t support buying local or small farmers. I support them by buying directly from a farmers market, or their farms. Do away with the douche bag chefs who are robbing this movement of what it is meant to be. Oh, and for the sake of sanity, stop taking those stupid ass pictures of a chef’s hands holding a pile of dirt with a vegetable seedling sprouting through.
P.S. Yes, I know local produce is a bit more expensive and you have to pass along the increased cost, but either do it fairly or absorb the cost somewhere else.
KATIE – Boba
It’s a craze that young people seem to crave lately, but I just don’t get it– it’s boba. Now I don’t really have anything against the drink the boba pearls come in, it’s the squishy little balls that baffle me. They’re like candied caviar– in the worst possible way. The tapioca bits of yuck taste like slimy plastic. There are even some people who have the nerve to put these little monstrosities on their frozen yogurt! Why in the world would anyone do that to themselves?
I’m honestly frightened every time I see someone sucking at it with those ridiculously oversized straws, I’m about to watch them choke on their last meal. And my, what a poor meal they chose.
MONIQUE – Sriracha Sauce
Rooster Sauce. Really. This is what people are all the rave about. The “technical” name for it is Sriracha, or as I like to refer to it – spicy cocktail sauce. Let’s face it. If you have ever had cocktail sauce you know that sriracha just its spicier friend with a smoother texture. Nothing more. Nothing less. And, like the wildly popular pumpkin spice flavor, sriracha has been showing up everywhere it shouldn’t be. You can get chips, dip, pickles and even almonds in sriracha flavor.
But, it does not end there. You can even get sriracha flavored lip balm. Seriously, people? WHO wants this? Why anyone would go out of their way to make their lips smell and taste like sriracha is beyond me. Listen. The next time you reach for sriracha for your dish ask yourself this one question, “do I really need to kick up the taste of my food with rooster sauce?” The answer is, always and forever, no.
CHRISTINA – Communal Tables
Where do I begin? So you’re at this hip, trendy place that you actually made a reservation for… As the host walks you to your table you pray that it’s not at the dreaded communal table, a big long table meant for 10. You get closer, closer, drat. You and your friend (or God forbid date) get sat across from each other amidst a sea of unknowns. Here you are, amazing food and the aggressive company that you don’t remember leaving in the notes section of your open table reservation. Best case scenario you end up in a nice conversation with the folks next to you, worst case you sit next to an angry, self-important asshole who sprays food when he talks. Either way, romantic date mojo is gone. If it’s just you and your friend dining out then the bummer is not being able to publicly judge your dining partners until you pay the bill and leave earshot.
JULIANNE – Fast Casual at Table Service Prices
One douchy trend that’s hitting hard in LA is counter service for the same price as table service. First off, I’m generally not a fan of ordering at a counter, unless it’s coffee or something quick to go. I recently went to a $15 per plate restaurant that all the other LA food blogs have been gushing over and didn’t realize it was counter service for their brunch. ERGH. So my friend and I, who just wanted to have mimosas and relax, are now in a line with LA snobs, trying to rush and make up our minds on what to order. Again, if I’m just grabbing a coffee or a bagel, it’s fine, but if I’m throwing down cash, I don’t want to feel like I’m at Panera Bread or Corner Bakery Cafe. Not a pleasant experience, certainly not great for a Sunday Funday.
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