Are you the kind that says "YUCK" whenever you eat something that tries to imitate food from your hometown/country?

Do you mock others from enjoying food that you consider sub-par?

Do you try eating that type of food when traveling?

I'll go first.

Do I say "YUCK" to other food that tries to resemble Mexican? On occasion, but I don't mock all the Mexican places out there. The only place that I hated, and it's because when I got out I smelled like an over fried chimichanga was Chevy's.

I even enjoy Taco Bell, once in a while

Do I mock people from eating at those places? Only a few people, but not in general. If they enjoy it, well, so be it.

When I was taking an Italian cooking class, the "maestro" told us, "why do you tolerate such horrible food? You should complain and demand better!"

Well, the problem is that many people don't know better, they haven't had a chance to travel and taste the "real" stuff. I've traveled and tasted the real stuff, and I still find a place to enjoy the places that don't quite get it right

Do I enjoy eating Mexican food when traveling? Hell no. Why would I want to eat Mexican food anywhere else. When I do, mostly because the people with whom I travel want to eat it. But I never look for it, it might be good, it might be bad, but I want to taste the local cuisine. Although Mexican food is always interesting to taste the local twist to the dishes, as there is Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, NewMex-Mex, etc.

So, there, I enjoy food, I am a good cook, but I can enjoy the so called "sub-par" food ;)

And as far as bad Mexican food, the worst I ever had was not at a restaurant, but at my sister-in-law's house :mad:

:p

It's the same with pizza and bagels in NY. Once you've eaten the best... :o

I'll include Thai food and sushi (LA).
Mexican food in Texas.
BBQ (not ) in NYC.

It's 0620. Did I really read the you, jfe , eats at Taco Bell? :eek: You gotta move man. :p

It's the same with pizza and bagels in NY. Once you've eaten the best...
For bagels its Montreal over NYC easy, no contest. http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308981&highlight=Bagel :)

To answer OP’s questions:

Are you the kind that says "YUCK" whenever you eat something that tries to imitate food from your hometown/country?
No, because when traveling I try not to eat a places that imitate food from my hometown/country.

Do you mock others from enjoying food that you consider sub-par?
Mock no, but am truly truly confused why the thought of going to a place like the Cheesecake Factory while traveling to some place like Honolulu is even on someone’s to do list.

Do you try eating that type of food when traveling? Always, Always, Always. EAT LOCAL CUISINE ^ ! ^

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I try to eat local cuisine, because if you're going to travel thousands of miles and eat the same thing you eat at home, why do you bother traveling anyway?

I must say that I am a beer snob. I can't drink crappy beers like budweiser or coors or mgd (does anyone see the irony when 'Miller Genuine Draft' is in a bottle?). I drink flavorful beers like Sam Adams, Magic Hat, and Guinness! mmmmmmm

I'm the kind of person who loves the food in street fairs while at the same time enjoys top cuisine (assuming someone else is treating! ;) ).

What I don't like are many of the things in the middle. National chain restaurants are too generic for me. The food tastes the same because of the uniformity demanded by the franchise owners. I prefer authentic food. I live in a city which allows me to have all kinds of authentic cooking. So an Olive Garden or Appleby's isn't going to do it for me. That said, I'm not about to eat "barbeque" in NYC because none of it is authentic. What a joke. Thus I prefer to enjoy the food of the region; that's about as authentic as you're going to get.

My one major exception to "chain" restaurants is one fast food joint in AZ and CA....Del Taco. I just LOVE their chicken quesadillas. So there shoots my argument. :p

A food snob is not going to admit that he/she is a food snob. You food snobs know who you are, saying things like "Olive Garden is an insult to real Italian food; do what you can to get rid of them". Who cares what other people like; it's only what YOU like that everyone else has to like. :rolleyes:

I'm pretty sure that Taco Bell (and Del Taco I guess; never been there) don't advertise themselves as serving real Mexican food. It's Tex-Mex. Tex-Mex food is defined as whatever Taco Bell serves. :p

A food snob is not going to admit that he/she is a food snob. You food snobs know who you are, saying things like "Olive Garden is an insult to real Italian food; do what you can to get rid of them". Who cares what other people like; it's only what YOU like that everyone else has to like. :rolleyes:


see www.pollythefoodsnob.com :) :)

I know what I like and it isn't easily pigeonholed. I will try most anything. I don't think I'm an anything snob. The worst mexican meal I had was in an "authentic" restaurant. There were 6 of us, we all ordered different meals, and none of us could tell the difference from one plate to the next.

I will say that to qualify as a restaurant-snob, you must be unable to post a favorable comment in the "Chain restaurants that don't suck" or whatever it is thread.

And, Lineman, what do you think of Guinness Draft Stout in a can/bottle? :D And, do you taste the big difference between fresh Sam Adams draft, stale Sam Adams Draft, and bottled Sam Adams. After having the first, I find it harder to drink the second or third. I'll drink a bad beer, but only if a good one is unavailable. :D

And, Lineman, what do you think of Guinness Draft Stout in a can/bottle? :D And, do you taste the big difference between fresh Sam Adams draft, stale Sam Adams Draft, and bottled Sam Adams. After having the first, I find it harder to drink the second or third. I'll drink a bad beer, but only if a good one is unavailable. :D

I think that Guinness Draft Stout in a bottle is odd and wrong, but I will drink it in an emergency. :) Sometimes cans/bottles are all that are available and I must accept that fact. Sad but true.

Sam Adams Winter Ale is one of my all time favorites. If I go to a bar and they only have crappy beer on tap, i will go for the bottled sam adams or guinness. An off-flavor bottled high end beer is better than a crappy draft beer.

Hey,hey, hey

This is a food snob thread, not a beer snob thread

I think there is plenty of space in DiningBuzz! to start a new one ;)

I think if you did a survey of my friends, family and acquaintances, they would all respond with a resounding "YES"....but I prefer to think of myself as selective :cool: . I will eat at a chain restaurant if that is the choice of the group and I am invited to join it, but I wouldn't suggest one. I do like to eat the food of the place I am at as much as possible, but I find if you are travelling for business and are with a larger group you'll often end up at a chain (Macaroni Grill, etc) because it is what the larger group wants. (This is particularly true when your travel takes you to smaller to mid-size cities and towns, where other options might not be as obvious) I am pretty particular about what I cook and what I drink as well (I suppose there could be a separate wine and vodka snob threads). But to the extent the term snob connotes only being interested in, for example, very expensive or stuffy places, I do not think that that fits. I am just as happy to find a great place for pho or pizza as a four star place (well, maybe not just as happy, but close!). Still, I guess it was a snobby moment when I was visiting a friend who had lived in NYC for two years, and she confessed to (1) never having been to Chinatown and (2) never having eaten dim sum, and I visibly blanched.
But like other posters there are chains I have a sneaking fondness for (not Taco Bell, although a lot of my friends would name it as their #1 vice)...particularly in and out burger.

I'm a food snob, but hopefully not an insufferable one. I won't go to a southern/soul food restaurant if I'm north of Richmond, west of Houston or south of Tampa. No creole if >100 miles from MSY.

I had some really foul "Mexican" food in Burlington, VT with 3 co-workers from SF. While selecting the restaurant 1 of the 3 said, "being from the Bay Area we should not attempt to get good Asian or Mexican food while we're away." Alas, the expense report approver wanted Margaritas. Too bad they didn't mask the flavor of the food.

I'll eat at chains: Yes I have gotten good subs at Subway; Wendy's jr bacon cheese is delicious and an excellent value; I and all the characters from the late Larry Brown's novels will fight you if you try to keep us away from Waffle House. But the only time you'll find me in a Golden Corral is when one of the suthurn jr's makes a special request.

I seek out local flavor when I travel. I use chowhound.com, Zagat.com & FT to find wonderful resturants, but I will never again trust a newspaper restaurant review or rating. I suppose I'd ask a concierge if I stayed in better hotels.

Although Mexican food is always interesting to taste the local twist to the dishes, as there is Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, NewMex-Mex, etc.

New Mex-Mex is a great term! I think I'm gonna steal that one, if I may. It is definitely its own thing, and I miss it greatly when I'm outside of New Mexico but I know nothing is gonna come close so I don't really look for it.


I even enjoy Taco Bell, once in a while

Me too, and Del Taco as well, when I'm in a place that has it. I'm definitely not being a food snob or looking for authentic cuisine when I walk into a Taco Bell. :p

. . . . No creole if >100 miles from MSY. . . .



I suggest staying flexible on this point. As a result of the dispersion from Katrina (and some general migration), good Creole cooking can be found in more and more places around the US. I've run into 3 fairly good local ones (and one bad one) in the Denver/Boulder area.


Back on topic: Yes, I can be a food snob. To me, the most important facet of the meal is the taste of the food. I will avoid places which spend a lot of time on (and charge a lot of money for) presentation, especially if the food is only average or below. No amount of presentation can compensate for mediocre food in my book. Assuming minimal levels of cleanliness and service, I have no problem eating at small or "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants which have great food. And (putting on an asbestos coat because I know the flames are coming) if at all possible I will avoid restaurants which have a smoking section unless that section is isolated from both the kitchen and the non-smoking section; for a non-smoker, being in a room where there is some cigarette/cigar/pipe smoke, even a small amount, can significantly impact the taste of the food.

Guilty as charged. Why waste the time/calories/money eating crap? I'd rather not eat at all. It doesn't have to be upscale, just authentic & good.

Do you mock others from enjoying food that you consider sub-par?

Well, put it this way. I won't laugh at someone for liking Olive Garden,
but if I find out that they do, I will forever discount their food, wine,
seat, political, and lifestyle preferences.

I will definitely admit to being a food snob and always eat the local cuisine when I travel. I feel sorry for our foreign clients who are treated to one of the mall restaurants when they visit us. My coworkers (and boss) think fine eating is a "feed a family of four for a week" monster plate from Champs, Maggianos, P.F. Changs, etc., etc. We're lucky to live in a town with fantastic local chefs and restaurants well beyond what one would expect for an area of this size. But do our guests get treated to those... Aargh.

1. Are you the kind that says "YUCK" whenever you eat something that tries to imitate food from your hometown/country?

2. Do you mock others from enjoying food that you consider sub-par?

3. Do you try eating that type of food when traveling?



1. A paella should never contain chopped onions, nor should seafood be mixed with meat. Spanish food never ever contains coriander/cilantro - I know it looks the same as flat leaf parsley, but it isn't. Spanish omellete never has peas, corn or any other vegetable that can be scooped out of the kitchen sink plughole in it.
All these aberrations are an offence! And don't get me started on British supermarket sushi... urgh!!!
As to whether I "say YUCK" whenever eating something that tries to imitate British food... errr... who would bother? ;)

2. My own brand of food snobbery makes me laugh (or wince) at patronising TV presenters and food writers who get it wrong. (For instance: the lady providing the condescending posh voice-over on a recent 'Masterchef' episode in the UK insisted on repeatedly calling norimaki rolls "No-ree" - with the 'no' pronounced 'no' - as in yes/no).

3. When I go to the States I HAVE to eat at Taco bells at least once. The limited edition tofu burgers and ebi (prawn/shrimp) burgers at MacDonalds Japan were delicious. And I have a soft spot for a good chicago style pizza. I even tried MacDonalds battered squid rings in Italy once... they weren't awful.

As a result of the dispersion from Katrina (and some general migration), good Creole cooking can be found in more and more places around the US. I've run into 3 fairly good local ones (and one bad one) in the Denver/Boulder area.

The diaspora of cooks and musicians caused by hurricanes Katrina & Rita will greatly benefit the areas in which these wonderful people practice their art. Maybe we need a new thread for great Creole and great Cajun food (there's a difference Boudreaux!) served outside Louisiana.

The diaspora of cooks and musicians caused by hurricanes Katrina & Rita will greatly benefit the areas in which these wonderful people practice their art. Maybe we need a new thread for great Creole and great Cajun food (there's a difference Boudreaux!) served outside Louisiana.

You are so right, suthurn. We shouldn't be too quick to condemn regional cooking outside its region, even pre-Katrina. Granted, it's more miss than hit outside its home region, but not everyone spends their whole life within 5 miles of where they were born and that includes chefs.

Some here might disagree with my evaluation, but the best gumbo I ever ate was in Merdian MS (it is within 100 miles of NO, I think) and I have had decent cajun food in AL and NC.

For bagels its Montreal over NYC easy, no contest. http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308981&highlight=Bagel :)



Sweet Willie is known as somewhat of a foodie to many here. In this case, however, he is actually correct. ;)

For bagels its Montreal over NYC easy, no contest. http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308981&highlight=Bagel :)


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Saint Viateur is the only way to go. Our trip always yield 3-4 dozen bagels. They had Real Bagel in Toronto for a while but they closed down. For good breakfast head to any Cora's location. Cora's even has a few in Toronto. Avoid Beauty's unless you want slow service, cold food and overpriced food.

Saint Viateur is the only way to go. Our trip always yield 3-4 dozen bagels. They had Real Bagel in Toronto for a while but they closed down.

Haven't been in a couple of years, but always loved Fairmount Bagel Bakery. However, heard they've gone "designer?"

Most people who know me would say I am a food snob, but I am the first one they call for a recommendation, even in their own cities.

I dislike almost all chain restaurants and have almost trained everyone I know not to take me to one.

With all the great local options out there, why eat somewhere you could eat in anytime, anywhere?

No, unless you consider "Supersizing" a meal, a sign of snobbery.

It's the same with pizza and bagels in NY. Once you've eaten the best... :o

Feh...

NY pizza is greasy, it's crust limp and indistinguished. :td:
Only a native NYer would believe their pies were best.


NY Bagels are O.K...
But they hadly measure up to a 2 a.m. run to the Western Bagel plant out in the San Fernando Valley of LA to get fresh-out-of-the-oven bagels. (...but any hour is good, they bake 24/7/365...)

Guilty as charged. Why waste the time/calories/money eating crap? I'd rather not eat at all. It doesn't have to be upscale, just authentic & good.
You hit the nail on the head IMO. I LOVE Chipotle, but if I were in Mexico i certainly wouldn't eat there. Good food, good drink, and good company make for a great evening.

You hit the nail on the head IMO. I LOVE Chipotle, but if I were in Mexico i certainly wouldn't eat there. Good food, good drink, and good company make for a great evening.

I haven't been to Mexico for a few years. Do they have Chipotles there now?

Feh...

NY pizza is greasy, it's crust limp and indistinguished. :td:
Only a native NYer would believe their pies were best.


NY Bagels are O.K...
But they hadly measure up to a 2 a.m. run to the Western Bagel plant out in the San Fernando Valley of LA to get fresh-out-of-the-oven bagels. (...but any hour is good, they bake 24/7/365...)

Western Bagel is good but even better is the Brooklyn Bagel Company on Beverly Blvd near Downtown L.A. ^

In related news, I was talking with my wife the other day and she called me a food snob :eek:

She told me that I would eat anywhere, but when it comes to cooking at the house I always try to do all this fancy stuff

So what's wrong with that :confused:

I wonder about this concept of "authentic". In Vancouver, I can easily visit numerous Italian restaurants staffed by Italian immigrants and their families, or I could visit Lebanese, Greek, El Salvadoran, Peruvian-Japanese (or is it Japanese-Peruvian), Bombay-Indian-Chinese, Punjabi, Sri Lankan, and so many other types of restaurants. I can also visit a barbecue place or two that were started by persons of genuine southern US heritage. Why would someone skip a barbecue because it isn't in the southern US, as some have said they would do, when you wouldn't skip an Italian restaurant that isn't in Italy?

What exactly is "authentic, local cuisine" in a place where almost everyone is an immigrant, or at the least no more than second-generation? Once upon a time, tomatoes were a new and foreign addition to Italian cuisine, and they wouldn't have been authentic then. Same with pasta, if we can believe Marco Polo :).

I had Turkish food in Paris, and thought it was great. I had southern Italian food in Berlin - excellent also. Both were more to my taste than "traditional" French or German food, particularly at the same price point. (I admit, though, that I absolutely must do many more taste comparisons, hopefully paid by someone else, before I can pronounce definitely on this subject.) On the other hand, I only wanted Italian food when in Italy.

NY Bagels are O.K...
But they hadly measure up to a 2 a.m. run to the Western Bagel plant out in the San Fernando Valley of LA to get fresh-out-of-the-oven bagels. (...but any hour is good, they bake 24/7/365...)

My dad used to work on the Western Bagel trucks in Van Nuys on Sat mornings from 0'dark-thirty to maybe 7am. So every Sat morning for several years, he would bring a bag of still warm bagels. I think that is one reason I still love bagels today. My only requirement is that the shop use salt as one of the "everythings" in the everything bagel.

My idea of "authentic" can be summed up in three questions:
1) Does the chef know how to cook in the style and taste most common in the place the style originated?
2) Does the location of the resto permit the chef to use the proper ingredients? (i.e., can the chef get the required spices, mushrooms, breads, etc.)
3) Do the local tastes allow the recipes to remain unmodified or do they require them to be changed? (i.e., spice level, fat level, etc.)

If the answer is "yes" to all three, it's "authentic" in my mind. It might not be good, but it's authentic. It's just authentically bad. And the first does not preclude Italian cooking from being developed in the US. Buca de Beppo says it the best when they advertise "Italian Immigrant Dining". It's not Italian, it's Italian-American or Italian-Immigrant, which is a style in and of itself. So using the three questions, if you have an Italian-American recipe with the knowledge to make it, you have the proper ingredients, and you stay true to the recipe, it's authentic.

Sadly, I realized recently that I have fallen off the foodie bandwagon. I have become complacent. I think this has come with trying to desensitize myself to food in an attempt to lose weight. Not a BAD thing, but as a guy who formerly took the Houston Chronicle and My Table (http://www.my-table.com) and would spend weekends up there just to have someplace DECENT to go to dinner, I admit I'm way way behind the curve.

I now will eat at the Cheesecake factory and not think a thing of it. If someone suggests a chain restaurant, I shrug and say "OK". I no longer seek out new restaurant openings and scour to find something new to try. I suppose once I reach my goal I'll get back in to some degree but for now I think I welcome mediocre restaurants because it's so much easier to eat properly at 'em. I don't expect it to be good, and I'm never disappointed. :D