WHO WANTS TO GO TO THE OLIVE GARDEN FOR A MEATBALL PIZZA BOWl?
When I lived in New York, people were always asking me where the best pizza was.
MY RESPONSE:
Get on the subway, go way deep into Brooklyn, take a book/donwload a podcast and go to Luigi's (South Slope), Giradini's (Carroll Gardens), or Lenny's (Bensonhurst- from Saturday Night Fever).
Yet, people would rather wait in line at Prince Street in Soho, Grimaldi's in DUMBO (at least an hour wait), and Joe's or John's in the West Village.
See in a weird way with this whole foodie thing, people are willing to wait in line like it's Space Mountain to eat something and well I'm over that. Yet, if you tell them to go travel a little further to get something real and authentic, they pass.
With the foodie movement comes the demand for something to be original and unique yet also fashionable, accessible, and with a sleek aesthetic. Which is actually the center piece to most franchise/chain restaurants.
People love Chipotle because it's faux authentic Cal-Mex with cilantro and spice added to the food.
The stores have a clean interior and your burrito can weigh almost 1.5 pounds once every possible ingredient is added.
Folks go to Rosa Mexicana because for $20 they'll make guacamole right in front of you! P.F. Changs has a "Street Food" section to their menu for when you are dinning at the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach, CA.
Cause we want AUTHENTIC food in INAUTHENTIC places.
In LA the best example is Mexican cuisine. Now that I reside here, people are always asking me where the best tacos are and here's my analysis on that.
Just like with pizza in New York, tacos are everywhere in LA. So within any neighborhood there are solid places to get your Al Pastor on. However, people want the BEST, most AUTHENTIC and INSTAGRAM worthy tacos in LA. Well then, that takes some effort and determination.
Most people will tell you, that the best Mexican food comes from trucks, carts, and basically random pop-ups on street corners. These places serve communities not foodies, which is why some of the best taco shops come from Boyle Heights, East LA, and Highland Park.
Not tacos, but this is Don Abel is East Los Angeles and their churros are AMAZING!
When I show this picture of the deep fryer, people freak out because they think it's unhealthy/unsanitary.
Just like you don't expect to have amazing pizza in New York's Time's Sq, you shouldn't expect to have amazing taco's at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica or near Hollywood and Highland.
When I was growing up in South Florida, I cannot tell you the amount of joy we got when The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's, and Houston's all opened up in Aventura. People were waiting 90-120 mins to sit down and eat Southwestern Egg Rolls. No one contemplated going down to Little Haiti in for Creole or Little Havana for Cuban, cause to be honest AUTHENTIC in my town came with negative assumptions. Like the kitchen wouldn't be clean or the staff wouldn't speak English.
It wasn't until the foodie thing started and people like Anthony Bourdain started eating at ethnic spots around downtown Miami when locals started warming up.
I still remember taking my first trip to the Flushing Mall Food Court in Queens. There was an intimidation factor because I was entering an area that felt more like little Beijing then NYC. Yet you quickly realize this is just like any other local shopping mall, it's here to cater and serve the community. And if you are willing to try some amazing ramen and dumplings, by all means go for it.
If there's anything I'm trying to get at with this post, it's that to eat something authentic could also mean an understanding to someone else's life/culture.
To quote Anthony Bourdain:
"If I am an advocate for anything, it is to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.”
When I lived in New York, people were always asking me where the best pizza was.
MY RESPONSE:
Get on the subway, go way deep into Brooklyn, take a book/donwload a podcast and go to Luigi's (South Slope), Giradini's (Carroll Gardens), or Lenny's (Bensonhurst- from Saturday Night Fever).
Yet, people would rather wait in line at Prince Street in Soho, Grimaldi's in DUMBO (at least an hour wait), and Joe's or John's in the West Village.
See in a weird way with this whole foodie thing, people are willing to wait in line like it's Space Mountain to eat something and well I'm over that. Yet, if you tell them to go travel a little further to get something real and authentic, they pass.
With the foodie movement comes the demand for something to be original and unique yet also fashionable, accessible, and with a sleek aesthetic. Which is actually the center piece to most franchise/chain restaurants.
People love Chipotle because it's faux authentic Cal-Mex with cilantro and spice added to the food.
The stores have a clean interior and your burrito can weigh almost 1.5 pounds once every possible ingredient is added.
Folks go to Rosa Mexicana because for $20 they'll make guacamole right in front of you! P.F. Changs has a "Street Food" section to their menu for when you are dinning at the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach, CA.
Cause we want AUTHENTIC food in INAUTHENTIC places.
In LA the best example is Mexican cuisine. Now that I reside here, people are always asking me where the best tacos are and here's my analysis on that.
Just like with pizza in New York, tacos are everywhere in LA. So within any neighborhood there are solid places to get your Al Pastor on. However, people want the BEST, most AUTHENTIC and INSTAGRAM worthy tacos in LA. Well then, that takes some effort and determination.
Most people will tell you, that the best Mexican food comes from trucks, carts, and basically random pop-ups on street corners. These places serve communities not foodies, which is why some of the best taco shops come from Boyle Heights, East LA, and Highland Park.
Not tacos, but this is Don Abel is East Los Angeles and their churros are AMAZING!
When I show this picture of the deep fryer, people freak out because they think it's unhealthy/unsanitary.
Just like you don't expect to have amazing pizza in New York's Time's Sq, you shouldn't expect to have amazing taco's at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica or near Hollywood and Highland.
When I was growing up in South Florida, I cannot tell you the amount of joy we got when The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's, and Houston's all opened up in Aventura. People were waiting 90-120 mins to sit down and eat Southwestern Egg Rolls. No one contemplated going down to Little Haiti in for Creole or Little Havana for Cuban, cause to be honest AUTHENTIC in my town came with negative assumptions. Like the kitchen wouldn't be clean or the staff wouldn't speak English.
It wasn't until the foodie thing started and people like Anthony Bourdain started eating at ethnic spots around downtown Miami when locals started warming up.
I still remember taking my first trip to the Flushing Mall Food Court in Queens. There was an intimidation factor because I was entering an area that felt more like little Beijing then NYC. Yet you quickly realize this is just like any other local shopping mall, it's here to cater and serve the community. And if you are willing to try some amazing ramen and dumplings, by all means go for it.
If there's anything I'm trying to get at with this post, it's that to eat something authentic could also mean an understanding to someone else's life/culture.
To quote Anthony Bourdain:
"If I am an advocate for anything, it is to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.”
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