by Coltrane
Most adults are convinced that the food they ate as kids wasn’t well made or of high quality.
I think I’ve figured one element of it. But first, a story..
Last night I had dinner with friends in a neighborhood pub. The place was packed with locals. The crowd included a high proportion of families with young children.
The pub was loud due to the big crowd and a complete absence of soundproofing. The service was slow and inattentive. Our $14 entrees “should” have been about $8-10. The food was “meh”—it wasn’t good, it wasn’t bad… it really wasn’t anything, there was nothing interesting about it. It just sat on the plate.
But that’s the thing– the food and service didn’t have to be good. The pub was the only “family friendly” place in the neighborhood. It was going to be packed regardless of whatever the kitchen threw out there, or whether the waitstaff could correctly remember our orders. (They couldn’t, on two out of our three entrees the waitress missed something. She also forgot one of the three drink orders.)
Of course, that’s what happens when you put kids into the equation. Families don’t tip well in a place like that. They’re also not appreciative of good food. (Find me an eight year-old with a truly discerning palate.) The parents are just relieved that they don’t have to cook and do dishes. So long as the food is edible, and Timmy doesn’t refuse to eat the Mac and Cheese he asked for, the parents aren’t going to complain.
When faced with bad tips and unruly kids a good waitress is going to find somewhere else to work. A good cook is going to find another restaurant where they appreciate his skill.
That’s why we remember the food being so “meh” when we were children. It’s because it was “meh”. That Chinese place you remember from when you were young? Family Friendly. That Mexican Joint? Family Friendly. Anyplace that kids can go with their families is not where the adults that care what the food tastes like go to eat. It was true then and it’s true now.
My advice? Upon entering a restaurant, look around. If you see a large population of pre-teens you can count on getting marginal food and service. If you’re ok with that, fine, stay and eat.
Otherwise go elsewhere and enjoy good food with the adults.
FlatbreadGarden 