Mara Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 (edited) Or "food for snobs". In the 80's it was called "nouvelle cuisine", and the dining experience was as much about the artful presentation of the food as it was the taste. Downside was that the portions tended to be really, really small, even discounting the usual American super-sizing tendency. One of my (very few) experiences was dinner out with my then-fiance's family at a top restaurant in Atlanta. I had trout, and it was literally two little slivers of fish atop what looked like a mini potato, mashed, and a couple of mushrooms. It was tasty, but truly it only amounted to about three tablespoons of food. Even Fiance's family was disgusted by the experience, and they weren't strangers to fine dining - Dad was President of the NYSE at the time. We really did hit up McDonald's after. Now "molecular gastronomy" is the big thing among food snobs. Deconstructed pizza with "bermuda grass flour crust". Beef kidney ice cream. I read an article about one of these chefs while waiting in the doctor's office, and his big deal was freeze drying lettuce and making "chips" out of it. He was so excited about it - "we did a riff on caesar salad where we served a lettuce chip sprinkled with a dressing we had dessicated and powdered and a foam of parmesan cheese". A lettuce chip? A lettuce chip? Are you freaking kidding me? And though it wasn't mentioned, you know these "meals" cost the same as feeding a family of four three healthful meals a day for a week. Someone's making out like a bandit. I don't want a "riff" on caesar salad. I want a bowl of romaine topped with REAL creamy dressing and real Parmesan shreds. I appreciate really top quality food, carefully prepared and nicely presented. I resent the attempt to rip me off for the sake of art, and it is a problem when, after spending half a paycheck on dinner, I am still really hungry. (Not that I have done, or would do this, you understand). Edited July 30, 2011 by Mara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowItIs Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 (edited) You mean fou-fou food? Well, I'm all for experimenting with food, finding new ways to combine, cook, present, etc. However, as your example of Caesar Salad shows, it can go too far. I don't want to order a steak and mashed potatoes and get a tiny medallion of center-cut rib roast with a dollop of garlic-thyme riced potatoes. And I sure as hell don't want my pizza deconstructed! Sayin' ? Edited July 30, 2011 by HowItIs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summer_sky Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I love good food prepared well and presented pleasingly to the eye, but feel no need to be pretentious about food and dining. I learn about great food, great dining and table manners (in other words, haute cuisine) when I went to live in Europe for a few years. Now when I dine with my family and observe their crude table manners and relationship to food, I cannot believe that I was once a heathen at the dining table, too! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Star Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 My idea of food heaven is your basic fayre (done properly).. an' that'll do me just fine, thank you. Food Hell however, well, that would be the basics done badly. Have had a taste of that Haute Cuisine and like Mara, was none too impressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Don't get me wrong. I can really appreciate fine dining and value quality over quantity - to a point. Standard American portions are generally a waste of calories; it's gotten ridiculous in this country. I've been lucky enough to have a meal at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, and that will always stand out to me as a shining example of really top-quality dining. You could really tell how much time and care went into the prep and presentation of each meal before even taking the first bite, and that does make quite an impression. But they don't overemphasize the "artistry" aspect to the point where it becomes silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonictheplumber Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 oh1111 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khan Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 It's a waste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILSnwdog Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I have a huge problem with ostentatious displays. I have no problem with a good meal prepared by a talented chef, but I have no use for trendy food. When I get a meal, I want to be full when I'm done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-0-0-1-0-0-1 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 QUOTE (sonictheplumber @ Jul 31 2011, 07:19 AM) oh1111 What is that supposed to mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metallithrax Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I couldn't go to a fancy restaurant to eat, I like my food too much to be eating a tiny scrap of food in the middle of the plate, drizzled with some poncy sauce/gravy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughedatbytime Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I prefer real food at good prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 of the 7 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 No thank you. Give me good diner food or ethnic specialties and hearty portions. Of course, many restaurants are giving skimpy portions these days to cut costs, but I probably don't need that much food anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedro2112 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 QUOTE (metallithrax @ Jul 31 2011, 01:23 PM) I couldn't go to a fancy restaurant to eat, I like my food too much to be eating a tiny scrap of food in the middle of the plate, drizzled with some poncy sauce/gravy. Wrong. I've eaten in lots of fancy restaurants. None of them served a tiny scrap of food in the middle of the plate with some gravy drizzled on it. All one has to do is spend a few minutes researching the restaurant to find out if it serves great food, or whether it's a gimmick. There is nothing wrong with eating at great restaurants, with food prepared by great chefs. Nothing beats it in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 QUOTE (pedro2112 @ Jul 31 2011, 11:06 PM) QUOTE (metallithrax @ Jul 31 2011, 01:23 PM) I couldn't go to a fancy restaurant to eat, I like my food too much to be eating a tiny scrap of food in the middle of the plate, drizzled with some poncy sauce/gravy. Wrong. I've eaten in lots of fancy restaurants. None of them served a tiny scrap of food in the middle of the plate with some gravy drizzled on it. All one has to do is spend a few minutes researching the restaurant to find out if it serves great food, or whether it's a gimmick. There is nothing wrong with eating at great restaurants, with food prepared by great chefs. Nothing beats it in the world. I think the "tiny scrap of food" entrees as a trend is over, thankfully. One thing I remember about my experience at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton (where I had the mini-appetizer meal) was that the staff were constantly pestering us with the bread basket. Every five minutes - "would you care for a roll?" It got annoying. Once the entrees arrived, we realized the reason for the bread-pushing - if they filled us up on bread, we might be less likely to throw a fit over the miniscule dinner portions of food. And this place got terrific reviews and had a huge waiting list. Another fad that needs to die - chefs who are so far up their own asses they haven't seen sunlight in months and think their food is SO perfect it can't possibly need any further seasoning by the diner. They'll actually refuse a diner's request for salt and pepper. I'm not one for adding a lot of seasoning myself - almost never salt anything and I'm pretty sparing with the pepper, but really. Palates are different. (Confession, though: once or twice I have threatened my husband with severe bodily injury if he didn't at least TASTE what I'd prepared before dumping ketchup all over it. And one time I hid the ketchup - I'd made feijoada, which takes freaking forever to prepare and cook, and it does NOT need a half gallon of ketchup poured on it!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowItIs Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 http://i34.tinypic.com/516ceq.jpg This is the sort of thing I think we are all railing against... yes? One can make food beautiful http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/2c/85/71/beautiful-food.jpg and still give us enough to fill us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost In Xanadu Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 "haute cuisine" to me is getting the 12oz prime rib instead of the 20oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColdFireYYZ Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ Jul 31 2011, 10:33 PM)No thank you. Give me good diner food or ethnic specialties and hearty portions. Of course, many restaurants are giving skimpy portions these days to cut costs, but I probably don't need that much food anyway I could live off of diner food. Too bad its so unhealthy I want to be full when I'm done. I don't care how artsy the food looks. I just want it to taste good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridertoo98 Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Naa, I like most want the food and amount to = the cost. I am sure it is very good but need to be almost full when done a meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielmclark Posted August 27, 2011 Share Posted August 27, 2011 Patton Oswalt had a great bit about this kind of cuisine... "Every day our coffee-rubbed kobe beef is read the book Are You My Mother by a Guatemalan child..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EveryNerveAware Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 (edited) Even Ramsay knows a good 'ol greasebomb burger is tasty cuisine.... http://foxallaccess.blogs.fox.com/2011/08/...-eat-fast-food/ Edited September 3, 2011 by EveryNerveAware Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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