Voice in the wilderness

This thread is dedicated to items where you fall distinctly in the minority of what you perceive most people either love or hate in the dining world. Here are a few of mine:

Things I dislike that everyone seems to love -

1. Wine Dinners - Not so much the wine/meal, but how everyone has to talk about the wine like its a beloved family member. I don't care about how the grape was bred, grown or harvested anymore than I care about how the animal or plant was raised on rest of my meal. What am I missing? Ends up dominating the conversation and completely bores me.

2. Steakhouses - To me, a steak is best grilled outside where you can smell it cooking, and drank with a cold beer and a TV on. However, it really has been co-opted into the world of fine dining and despite probably better cut of meat, always comes off as overpriced and underdelivered in such an atmosphere. I really miss roadhouses in Texas where it was just grilled outside in more of a tailgate setting.

3. Takeout pizza - Why is this so popular? A steaming hot baked pizza is placed into a cardboard box, driven 10 miles and arrives as a steamed meal that is not always hot, yet the whole world loves it due to its convenience. Why not buy a pizza at grocery store, throw it in oven and have it fresh when ready? Do not try and sell me on the better ingredients theory either. Poorly prepared food (which cardboard box technology does not solve) does not overcome that.

Things I like that most of world does not:

1. Spicy fast food chicken - Popeyes/Bojangles dominates most KFC/Chic Fil-A. Not saying it is healthy, because it is not, but nothing better than seeing one on side of road when hungry late at night.

2. Old school veggies/fruits - Some things it seems you can never get at restaurants like cream of corn, shredded green beans, applesauce, etc. Call me the product of the Del Monte generation, but seems like someone could make that in a creative way. Fine dining restaurants do a good job on mixed veggie medleys, but love the old stuff.

3. Tapioca pudding - Usually only get that flavor in those Asian bubble drinks, but never can find it out at restaurants as creme brulee has seemed to supplant it as a chef's favorite.

Bottom line, I am sure many of you have tastes that differ from today's modern dining scene, so interesting to see others.

[Robin Garr]

Bottom line, I am sure many of you have tastes that differ from today's modern dining scene, so interesting to see others.

Interesting topic, Ron! Actually, I'm right there with you on most of those. Git me some tapioca pudding, and a mess of cooked-to-death country style green beans!

I'll quibble just slightly on the wine dinner, though. Yeah, it would be boring as hell to someone who wasn't interested in wine, but I'm not sure that's fair criticism. Those dinners are frankly intended for wine geeks who lap up that stuff. For the general public, not so much. It's sort of like saying a dinner where an expert who talks about golf would be deadly boring, if you're not interested in golf.

This should be an interesting thread. I'm wondering how many of our favorite food items are our favorite because of the taste or perhaps because of the fond memories they evoke. Much of what I enjoy is not so much remembered for the taste (although it's always favorable if not unique or groundbreaking) but rather for nostalgic reasons.

Ron,
Based upon your "dislikes" we must have been brothers separated at birth...now that i think about it, you are probably much, much younger than I. A love child perhaps?

Things I dislike:

#1 with a bullet...Ribs that "fall off the bone"

Goofy Pizzas (e.g. "Hot Brown Pizza", etc, etc)

ANYTHING that ends in "Tilapia"

"Mystery Meat"

...and right up there on the hit parade...a certain local outside the Watterson high end restaurant that removed 6 or 7 items from their menu...but failed to update the menu and also failed to inform us (until time to order) of the 6 or 7 items that replaced the items that were removed.

Things I like that you probably don't:

Pickled Eggs

Good ol union made American Beer

Really hot things.

Things I Hate:

High end "stuffy" dining

Places with awesome food and a crappy beer list

"Campers"

Filet Mignon and Lobster

"Swill" beer




Things I Like:

Pickled Bologna

Celebrity Chef's restaurants

Television in the dining area

"Goofy pizza"

Likes: food that is hot, brown, and there is plenty of it.

Likes: food that is hot, brown, and there is plenty of it.

I'm not quite sure if color is really important either!

Not sure if everyone likes it but it sure is the way it is anymore and I hate it:
Most food items that involve cheese have at least triple the amount to make a well-balanced dish. I like cheese but more often than not I end up scraping a bunch of it off to the side when eating. This was not a problem in the '70s and, I think, the '80s. What went wrong?

Lonnie, the US is a massive over-producer of cheese and we can't get the Chinese to eat it yet. Cheap, abundant, and loaded with calories. It has to go somewhere.

Goofy Pizzas (e.g. "Hot Brown Pizza", etc, etc)

Steve,

Does that include the "Steve" Pizza at Coals???

Deb

Dislike: American style pizza piled high/stuffed/loaded wit toppings.

Like: Sliders. (OK, a majority CLAIMS they don't like them). Liars.

Goofy Pizzas (e.g. "Hot Brown Pizza", etc, etc)

Steve,

Does that include the "Steve" Pizza at Coals???

Deb

Nooooooo....That's gonna be a great pizza. I can feel it in my bones.

Goofy Pizzas (e.g. "Hot Brown Pizza", etc, etc)

Steve,

Does that include the "Steve" Pizza at Coals???

Deb

Nooooooo....That's gonna be a great pizza. I can feel it in my bones.

It'd have to be "goofy" if it's named after you...

( Sorry, couldn't resist).

Deb

Steve,

Does that include the "Steve" Pizza at Coals???

Deb

Nooooooo....That's gonna be a great pizza. I can feel it in my bones.

It'd have to be "goofy" if it's named after you...

( Sorry, couldn't resist).

Deb

Well duh !!...That kinda goes without saying doesn't it

I'll let ya'll know for sure when I try it on..............(nahhhh, can't do it...promised not to let the cat out of the bag)