Ethical Dining

[Ericandblueboy]

Link to article.

I read it. Made me want to buy bottled milk.

[Ericandblueboy]

Roberto Donna is no saint, in fact, he's admittedly a criminal, but there's no doubt his food is good if not great. So would you still pay to eat his food? What about sexist chefs, as some people interpret Mike Isabella's behavior on Top Chef? What about chefs that chew out their staff, like Marc Forgione? What about mere arrogance - plenty of examples from Top Chef and Chopped? Is ignorance bliss in this case? What if the best chef on the planet is a pedophile? Would you boycott his restaurant? My question is, how much research would you do before you eat out, and what is an unforgivable sin?

[dcs]

Roberto Donna is no saint, in fact, he's admittedly a criminal, but there's no doubt his food is good if not great. So would you still pay to eat his food? What about sexist chefs, as some people interpret Mike Isabella's behavior on Top Chef? What about chefs that chew out their staff, like Marc Forgione? What about mere arrogance - plenty of examples from Top Chef and Chopped? Is ignorance bliss in this case? What if the best chef on the planet is a pedophile? Would you boycott his restaurant? My question is, how much research would you do before you eat out, and what is an unforgivable sin?

I think this was a Seinfeld episode - The Couch.

Cut back to Jerry and Elaine at Poppie's.

ELAINE: Boy, I'm really looking forward to this duck. I've never had food ordered in advance before.

JERRY: Ah, I could've stayed home and ordered a pizza from Paccino's.

ELAINE: Paccino's? Oh no. You should never order pizza from Paccino's.

JERRY: Why not?

ELAINE: Because, the owner contributes a lot of money to those fanatical, anti-abortion groups.

JERRY: So, you won't eat the pizza?

ELAINE: No way.

JERRY: Really.

ELAINE: Yeah.

JERRY: Well, what if Poppie felt the same way?

ELAINE: Well, I guess I wouldn't eat here, then.

JERRY: Really!

ELAINE: Yeah. That's right.

JERRY: Well, perhaps we should inquire. Poppie! Oh, Poppie. Could I have a word? <Poppie comes over.>

POPPIE: Yes, Jerry. I just checked your duck...it is more succulent than even I had hoped.

JERRY: Poppie, I was just curious...where do you stand on the abortion issue?

POPPIE: When my mother was abducted by the Communists, she was with child...

JERRY: Oh, boy.

POPPIE: ...but the Communists, they put an end to that! So, on this issue there is no debate! And no intelligent person can think differently.

ELAINE (offended): Well...Poppie. I think differently.

POPPIE: And what gives you the right to do that?

ELAINE (standing up): The Supreme Court gives me the right to do that! Let's go Jerry, c'mon.

WOMAN AT NEXT TABLE (to her date): I heard that. Let's go, Henry.

HENRY: But we just got here...

WOMAN AT ANOTHER TABLE: I'm with you, Poppie!

WOMAN AT YET ANOTHER TABLE (to her date): Let's go!

ELAINE (to Poppie): And I am not coming back!

POPPIE: You're not welcome!

JERRY: Well, I'm certainly glad I brought it up. <Gets up and leaves.>

I'm not sure, but I think the point is that if you have a litmus test for every establishment before you take your business there, there will probably be very few places where you will shop. What is the appropriate test, anyway? Should Republicans only eat at Republican owned restaurants?

[saf]

What is the appropriate test, anyway?

For me, there are 2.

Is the food good?

Is my money going to support things that I find abhorrent?

[dcs]

Is my money going to support things that I find abhorrent?

Is that only if you have somehow stumbled across notice of the abhorrent causes that the proprietor of the restaurant supports with the profits from diners like yourself, or do you have some duty to investigate the matter and inquire, like Jerry did with Poppie?

[leleboo]

A new take on ethical eating: is veganism all-or-none?

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-- Of cabbages--and kings--"

[deangold]

A new take on ethical eating: is veganism all-or-none?

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-- Of cabbages--and kings--"

Posted without comment but int he name of science

[jayandstacey]

Posted without comment but int he name of science

Time to wash my hands in cold water.

My take is that I don't seek the ethics of any establishment or employee. But if the unrelated practices of said establishment come to my attention through notariety, advertisement or other such "above and beyond" means, then I may feel obliged to at least opine upon such knowledge and possibly act upon it. This is kind of a derivative approach, where the ethics themselves aren't so much the problem, as is the fact that I'm made aware of them, thus forced to make decisions about them.

[ChiantiandFava]

Typical of Alan Richman this piece seemed chuck full of opinions and short on real analysis. There was a critical juncture when he mentioned how "commodities" are being defined but he really failed to seize the paradigm. Ethics are the commodity for many people---ok--but ethics are also consumable. Richman is on the right path when he goes into the simple skills of cooking--especially ironic given Bourdain's championing of this very skill set and their animus towards one another--but he never characterizes it as a natural evolution.

As you prepare ingredients you appreciate how fresh they are. As you appreciate how fresh they are you understand where they came from. Once you grasp where they came from you can weigh the decisions that went into that process (see capitalism 101). I find it telling that Richman never tackles the corn industry--that's for poor people. We gourmands simply need to ascertain whether our tuna belly is the barbarous (read authentic) kind, or the substitute (real ethical yet equally damned) kind.