Over the weekend I read an article in Time which speaks of five recent food trends seen recently which must stop right now. I am all about eating at food-forward restaurants and trying new things but there are some things which even I would question as being unnecessary.
The article provides a list of five items which need to go and why:
- 1. Rock slime as food
2. Pro-am charcuterie
3. Fake smoke
4. Postmodern desserts
5. Optional tipping
Now, the rock slime thing probably sounds much worse than it is but with the foraging movement in full swing in some circles, I am guessing this stuff is easily harvested and put on plates. But why? Honestly I don’t really see a need for this sort of “see what I can do” stuff on a plate. Show me what you can do with traditional ingredients and make me swoon for more.
The fake smoke is just unbearable to even read. As someone who can really appreciate the time and effort it takes to make smoked anything, the fact that chefs are using tools to inject these flavors just makes me think of Burger King. Either do it right or don’t do it at all. Just because someone did it on the Food Network doesn’t mean it should be done everywhere.
And finally optional tipping. Tipping is basically always optional so I don’t see why it’s a big deal and it probably just encourages people to not tip instead of feeling guilted into it. Last night we went to The Nook and I tipped 25% because our server was rushing around like a madman and really was helpful when we needed him. But am I going to tip at some fancy place when the server is rude, surly, and nowhere to be found? No. Let’s just leave it as an unspoken acknowledgement that it’s optional and go from there.
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What do you think about this list? Which are the most offensive to you? Are there any other trends you’ve seen recently which make you cringe that aren’t here? Any local restaurants you know about doing any of these things proudly? Whatever you have to say about these ‘Worst Food Trends’ go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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January 21st, 2013 at 8:07 am
For what may be the first time ever I agree completely with Bill. It’s the end of the world as we know it…
January 21st, 2013 at 8:58 am
I thought it was the end of the world when I heard that Prince’s new song that he debuted over the weekend is called “Chapter and Verse”.
I was like, “I know him!”
January 21st, 2013 at 9:01 am
C&V you must be losing your edge. Actually I’m surprised Bill didn’t add Kim Chee Pizza.
January 21st, 2013 at 12:57 pm
The Pro Am charcuterie frightens me. I love the stuff, but now I feel like it’s spinning the wheel of gastrointestinal distress if I order it.
January 21st, 2013 at 5:47 pm
The first one doesn’t seem all that strange to me. People eat mushrooms already, so moving from that to a similar organism isn’t much of a stretch. And mosses are just another plant. It’s already used to roast malt for scotch anyway.
The postmodern desserts…depends what they are and how postmodern they are, I guess. I like good desserts, so that one is a maybe.
The rest can all go away, though.
January 23rd, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Ick. On all the things mentioned.
February 4th, 2013 at 6:00 pm
Actually I disagree with the fake smoke tidbit mentioning the Smoking Gun. I have one at home and have used it a handful of times to get a smokey taste into veggies or an ingredient to a dish without firing up any of my smokers.
The article mentions that it’s a matter of placing wood chips near a heating element to create smoke. While I always think that charcoal is the best method for any smoking – the heating element just starts the wood on fire and produces real wood smoke. Also – the Smoking Gun does not use a heating element, you light the wood using a lighter and a fan is used to carry the smoke to the food.