'Don't Confuse the Experience with the Product'
In response to Ed's post "Is Artisanal, Handmade Food Really Better?" the Gurgling Cod brings up a good point.
Ed basically says that just because a farmer raised a pig doesn't mean he or she necessarily knows how to make bacon from it. Says the Cod man:
True, and worth pointing out, but part of a larger question, which is the temptation to confuse the experience with the product. To put it in a different context, just because the waitress calls you 'hon don't mean the grits ain't from Sysco.
It is a good point, and probably not a one of us isn't guilty of doing it at some point—romanticizing a place for its nostalgic charm or the curmudgeon with a heart of gold who runs the place, even though the food may not be all that good.
OK. Feedback loop closed. Carry on.
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10 Comments:
That's a very good point, and one that I think holds true to many facets of our lives. Romanticizing, I believe, is an understandable human byproduct of the "underdog syndrome." It essentially boils down to our admiration of the David who, despite the Goliath's of the world, survives and, furthermore, succeeds. In terms of food, we truly want the make-it-themselves producers to make a better product than the store bought goods. It's sometimes shocking the amount that which culture and our overarching society influences the most abstract parts of our lives.
pastry262 at 7:59PM on 03/31/09
wait a minute. You mean to tell me that Big Boy and Cracker Barrel aren't real life version of heaven?
foodinmouth at 9:17PM on 03/31/09
OH my god I hope not, those places are like a sight seeing tour of people about to die. *shudders*
feriorrenna at 9:43PM on 03/31/09
hehe. That reminds me of something my OH's grandpa said when he took us to one of his fav. bars in Florida: "Look around. This is God's waiting room."
Grace at 10:23PM on 03/31/09
This reminds me of when people in Montreal rave about how the best smoked meat is at Le Roi du Smoked Meat (The Smoked Meat King). It's a small Montreal style deli not too far from Jean-Talon Market. There are tons of these places all over the city and they are almost all Greek owned. The place is very old-school and although they make a pretty good pizza, I always thought their smoked meat was pretty generic and rather bad. And yet some people can't stop raving about it. One day I decided to ask the old guy who cuts the meat and makes the sandwiches where their smoked-meat came from. "Coorsh," he replied in his usual dry and concise manner, and as if there was no shame in admitting such a thing. If you didn't know, Coorsh is a brand of industrial deli meats made by Maple Leaf Foods perhaps the biggest meat processor in Canada. No wonder it was bland and had a yucky, wet texture.
SqueezeBottle at 9:03AM on 04/01/09
"Romanticizing a place for its nostalgic charm" = Hot Dog Johnny's in Butzville, NJ
grampart at 9:16AM on 04/01/09
Don't fool yourselves...EVERYTHING comes from Sysco!
d0d0joe at 9:20AM on 04/01/09
There is a woman in my town that makes homemade Thai food. You ask most people in town who they prefer to go to for Thai and hands down they are headed to Aoy's. She greets customer's with a "Hey boyfriend/girlfriend! I haven't seen you in a while, you cheating on me with China Buffet?" She talks to people and does a ton of community charity work. Every night she takes her phone off the hook for a few hours because she can't keep up with the call-ins. If you want dinner, you have to go order in person.
This is a case for the experience is what draws people, not the food. Yes, sometimes the food forces you to stand up and take notice, but more often than not its just "ok" Thai food. but Aoy will always be Aoy and you can't beat that experience.
erysheep at 11:16AM on 04/01/09
Too true. I'll never forget going to Dick's for the first (and only) time, shortly after moving to Seattle. The way Seattleites revere that burger joint, I was expecting something special. "Special" turned out to be one of the most dry and flavorless hamburgers I've ever eaten, along with similarly dessicated french fries.
As for Sysco, though, check out the article on it in the latest Saveur. They're not just about mass-feeding cafeteria slop. "Don't confuse the experience with the product" works both ways!
Weirdsmobile at 11:21AM on 04/01/09
I think that is very well put, and how odd that I'm commenting right below someone who mentions a great example, Dick's in Seattle. That is a prime example of the experience vs. the quality. I think the experience factor is also why I still love Entenmann's coffee cake, soft-serve ice cream and Dunkin Donuts. So bad...but the memories are so good.
cakespy at 1:38PM on 04/01/09