Just wondering, why hasn't a moderator moved this thread to the Dining forum? Three pages in so far, it has failed to manifest either a political or religious angle.
I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Zimmern. Here in my part of the Midwest, nearly all Chinese food is, as someone said above, "mall food quality." Really memorably good Chinese food is at least a 45-min drive away ... and that's living in one of Chicago's collar counties. It doesn't get better as you drive farther away from the big city.