I think it's a combination of socioeconomic and cultural "lording over", or however you can better say that. It's also something I could be more sensitive to than most folks, given my personal experiences, but I do think there is a degree of this sort of disdain out there. I don't much care for it.
Me and my girlfriend (or is it my girlfriend and I?) took her old Italian grandma out to lunch as a nice way to spend some time with her and we went to an Olive Garden by her house in the city. We didn’t give much thought to the restaurant other than convenience - no steps, close to her house, etc. Also budget for sure - we were just starting out. What a mistake. She spent the entire meal distressed about how it wasn’t real Italian food and even after the story was always how we took her to this awful restaurant.
I had a similar experience with fast food, when I went to London, and one of the first things I wanted to try, was there authentic London, fish and chips… It sucked, it was horrible, they did not take the skin off the fish before they dipped it in batter, so you ate the fish skin, which gave you incredibly bad breath, you had fish breath for the rest of the day… And the taste was horrible as well.
I complained to my British friend about it, Jon Langford of the Mekons, who told me that they had to keep the skin on the fish because that’s where the vite – a– min’s were… To which I replied, what are the vite-a–min’s? Of course, what he really meant to say was, vitamins. I didn’t really eat fish and chips for vitamins, I ate them because they tasted pretty good.
Then I thought I would try hamburgers in London, I went to their version of McDonald’s, which was called, the Wimpy Bar… They were horrible, it tasted like cardboard between a pair of buns… Just the worst hamburger ever…
But then I try to cheeseburger at the local deli run by some Middle Eastern guys… And it was the best cheeseburger I ever had in my life… They had their Patty with a waffle like surface consistency, and cheese in the middle of the patty and then they would ask, would you like to salad on it and they would put a Greek chopped up salad on the top layer of the burger And it was a sizable burger and the buns were good and it was delicious, so it just goes to show that sometimes when people don’t know what they’re doing they can come up with either shit, or something brilliant.
Olive Garden certainly felt fancy to me when I was young and first married. They weren’t around when I was a kid (that I know of). The only restaurant my mom ever took us was a local pizza place (Happy Joes) for special birthdays. If we were lucky enough to get McDonald’s, Taco John’s, or KFC, it was always brought home takeout 😂 But, there were five of us kids. I came to a better understanding of this when I had my own four little kids.
You just reminded me of my first experience taking my oldest as an infant into a restaurant. I’m remembering it as an Olive Garden. It was a retirement party for my ex’s dissertation advisor and head of the science Ed department… My oldest was maybe a month or two old, and had colic. It was horrible because he started crying immediately and wouldn’t be consoled. I spent a bit trying to nurse him standing up in the bathroom… when that didn’t work, I just took him out to the car and waited until the dinner was over.
I love getting a cup of alfredo to dip my breadsticks in!
I don't have an inherent issue with chain restaurants themselves, but the way many of them treat their workers is often appalling. It’s heartbreaking to see employees forced to smile through difficult conditions, all while relying on tips just to make ends meet.
At least, the Burger King and Subway in Rome are located in swankier-looking places than the places I see them here in Winnipeg. There's one Burger King on Portage Avenue that I pass by often that has been there for, like, forever, and still has never changed its squat and dumpy appearance.
To the credit of McDonalds here in the US, the stores constantly seem to be renovated. This hasn't always been the case with Burger Kings, though. Some of them have looked pretty sad.
I didn't know Olive Garden was tied into socioeconomic differentiation. Their braised beef tortilini is good!
I think it's a combination of socioeconomic and cultural "lording over", or however you can better say that. It's also something I could be more sensitive to than most folks, given my personal experiences, but I do think there is a degree of this sort of disdain out there. I don't much care for it.
Growing up, Olive Garden was a bit pricey.
Same. Pizza Hut was a possibility if I got good grades!
This is exactly why whenever I invite people over, I always ask them to come to my "Murder PALACE," not "MURDER Palace." See the difference?
Also: Yes please to those breadsticks.
Pro tip: they're really good if you dip them into the bottom of the salad bowl.
I mean, what? Nothing! That is inauthentic Italian food.
Fun fact: The same goes for my victim....uh....visitors to my Murder Palace.
I never would have imagined that breadsticks would be good when dipped into victims.
If you don't poke them with a breadstick, how will you know if they're truly dea....uh....enjoying their time in your Murder Palace?
Well sure, but I just didn't know you always ate those pulse-checkers. Waste not, want not!
Me and my girlfriend (or is it my girlfriend and I?) took her old Italian grandma out to lunch as a nice way to spend some time with her and we went to an Olive Garden by her house in the city. We didn’t give much thought to the restaurant other than convenience - no steps, close to her house, etc. Also budget for sure - we were just starting out. What a mistake. She spent the entire meal distressed about how it wasn’t real Italian food and even after the story was always how we took her to this awful restaurant.
Ha! She sounds amazing, but more as a memory than as someone you actually have to amuse or entertain. Gotta love memories like that.
I had a similar experience with fast food, when I went to London, and one of the first things I wanted to try, was there authentic London, fish and chips… It sucked, it was horrible, they did not take the skin off the fish before they dipped it in batter, so you ate the fish skin, which gave you incredibly bad breath, you had fish breath for the rest of the day… And the taste was horrible as well.
I complained to my British friend about it, Jon Langford of the Mekons, who told me that they had to keep the skin on the fish because that’s where the vite – a– min’s were… To which I replied, what are the vite-a–min’s? Of course, what he really meant to say was, vitamins. I didn’t really eat fish and chips for vitamins, I ate them because they tasted pretty good.
Then I thought I would try hamburgers in London, I went to their version of McDonald’s, which was called, the Wimpy Bar… They were horrible, it tasted like cardboard between a pair of buns… Just the worst hamburger ever…
But then I try to cheeseburger at the local deli run by some Middle Eastern guys… And it was the best cheeseburger I ever had in my life… They had their Patty with a waffle like surface consistency, and cheese in the middle of the patty and then they would ask, would you like to salad on it and they would put a Greek chopped up salad on the top layer of the burger And it was a sizable burger and the buns were good and it was delicious, so it just goes to show that sometimes when people don’t know what they’re doing they can come up with either shit, or something brilliant.
Dang, now I want a burger.
My first time going to an Olive Garden wasn't until a couple years ago. I enjoyed it enough and thought it tasty.
That dressing is addictive!
Olive Garden certainly felt fancy to me when I was young and first married. They weren’t around when I was a kid (that I know of). The only restaurant my mom ever took us was a local pizza place (Happy Joes) for special birthdays. If we were lucky enough to get McDonald’s, Taco John’s, or KFC, it was always brought home takeout 😂 But, there were five of us kids. I came to a better understanding of this when I had my own four little kids.
You just reminded me of my first experience taking my oldest as an infant into a restaurant. I’m remembering it as an Olive Garden. It was a retirement party for my ex’s dissertation advisor and head of the science Ed department… My oldest was maybe a month or two old, and had colic. It was horrible because he started crying immediately and wouldn’t be consoled. I spent a bit trying to nurse him standing up in the bathroom… when that didn’t work, I just took him out to the car and waited until the dinner was over.
I love getting a cup of alfredo to dip my breadsticks in!
Also a fancy meal out when I was a kid: Red Lobster. Now that was fancy!
Hahaha my mom didn’t like seafood, so I probably knew nothing of Red Lobster until I was an adult.
How about steakhouses? We had Quincy's at first and then Ryan's, I think. Both were buffet- and cafeteria-style steak places. Fancy!
I don't have an inherent issue with chain restaurants themselves, but the way many of them treat their workers is often appalling. It’s heartbreaking to see employees forced to smile through difficult conditions, all while relying on tips just to make ends meet.
100%. There is always nuance.
At least, the Burger King and Subway in Rome are located in swankier-looking places than the places I see them here in Winnipeg. There's one Burger King on Portage Avenue that I pass by often that has been there for, like, forever, and still has never changed its squat and dumpy appearance.
Squat and dumpy 🤭 new substack coming soon
To the credit of McDonalds here in the US, the stores constantly seem to be renovated. This hasn't always been the case with Burger Kings, though. Some of them have looked pretty sad.