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September 13, 2005
You Are Where You Eat
Restaurants are peculiar things, so much so that I'm willing to say I'm fascinated by them. Like a lot of us, I enjoy eating really good food. Part of this is no doubt attributed to my southern upbringing (where eating really good food is a crucial aspect of daily life), but I also simply enjoy food for what it is. The preparation, the creation, the sharing of it with others, and of course, stuffing my own face...it's all part of the experience of food. As a kid I was fairly picky, but as life has progressed my palate has expanded (oddly enough, so has my waistline, but that's what the gym is for, right?) to the point that I'll try just about anything at least once. Some people never grow out of being picky, but, to avoid the negative social stigma, refer to themselves as being "selective." To those of you I say this: you do not fool me...I saw you in the Circle K parking lot gobbling down a whole box of Zingers then chasing it with your soft drink of choice. Selective my ass. These are the people I want to force feed, just so maybe they'll realize there's more on the menu than meat loaf, or fried rice, or whatever the case may be. Very few people take kindly to being force fed though (if they do, you might want to find a new friend before they go all Rex Vandekamp on you) so I'll just keep marching around the local Applebee's holding up a sign that reads: "Didn't you get the pot pie last time?"
Conveniently, this brings me back to the subject of restaurants (coincidence or clever ploy?), and in an effort to be up front, I'll admit my bias from the beginning: I do not like chain restaurants. Obviously a large portion of our society does, but I do not count myself among their ranks. The idea that I can have identical bacon cheeseburgers at TGIFridays, whether I'm in Portland or Pascagoula, turns my stomach. It would be like going on vacation and sitting in your hotel watching Family Feud all day. For the sake of the saints, couldn't you do that at home? I'm all for a blended, melting pot society, but at the same time appreciate it when people embrace their unique culinary heritage. That means the good folks of New England should keep cooking their clam chowder and Boston baked beans, and my fellow southerners need to provide the barbecue, fried chicken and sweet tea. Southern California/Texas, we're counting on you for the tacos and tamales (Northern California: bring more wine). We can rely on the Northwest for the coffee, but I'm also going to put them down for the seafood. For those of you in the Midwest...just keep doing...whatever it is you do (I don't know, potatoes...cabbage maybe?). When I go to a new city, or am traveling in a new part of the country, I like to know where the locals eat, not where the closest Olive Garden is. Not only do you get a great meal (nine times out of ten), you get a taste of the local flavor, the local gossip, and (if you're lucky) a little bit of local music. The next time you're in that city you'll know where to get a damn good meal, where to get your flat tire fixed, and maybe even who sleeps around. For your benefit (and to shamelessly plug these establishments to the five people reading this) I've included a few of my southeastern favorites below:
Nashville:
1)SATCO
2)Rotier's
3)Davinci's Gourmet Pizza
Charlotte:
1) Fuel Pizza
2) Taipei Express
3) The Penguin
Metro-Atlanta:
1) The OK Cafe
2) Marietta Pizza Company
3) Willie Rae's
I try to steer clear of anything that might look like preaching or coercion in this venue (leaving that to guys who stand on street corners or lurk in back alleys), but let me implore you to stop being such a jackass. Support your local diner, or the burgeoning Mexican restaurant on the other side of town (even if no one in there speaks a lick of English...you took Spanish in high school, figure it out). Give that Mom & Pop dive a shot (get to know the Mom or the Pop while you're at it), and think of it as an investment in your community, your neighbors, and yourself. These are the places and people that will take the time to get to know you, to remember your name, and be glad to see you when you come back. If you simply must spend your money in a chain restaurant (and sometimes I do...the [christian] chicken biscuits of Chick-fil-A are an albatross around my neck), just remember this: they really couldn't care less.
Go to East Asheville Hardware / before you go to Lowe's / you'll help to keep them opened / I'm worried they might close / from the stiff competition / from the national conglomerate / with the full-page ad in the color section of the Sunday paper supplement / and, stacks of plastic swimming pools / and, seven brands of power tools / with rows and rows of registers all having nice days
| By micah | 11:06 AM