"20 Things Everyone Thinks About The Food World (But Nobody Will Say)" on firstwefeast.com

[jayandstacey]

Some of this is NYC-centric, most is not.

"20 Things Everyone Thinks About The Food World (But Nobody Will Say)"

[darkstar965]

This is pretty good stuff. Though a few seem like purposefully provocative hyperbole (e.g., wine) or over simplification (e.g., tipping), I found myself nodding at each of them with a few that do seem to expose that which isn't typically written or discussed. Kudos to Msgrs Schonberger and Kamer.

[DonRocks]

Wow, the second great food article I've read today.

This takes a good ten minutes of concentrated reading, but it's well worth it, and one of the best click-thru pieces about food I've ever read. Bravo!

"20 Things Everyone Thinks About The Food World (But Nobody Will Say)" by Chris Schonberger, Nick Schonberger, and Foster Kamer.

I would like to reply to this:

ANONYMOUS CRITICS DON'T EXIST ANYMORE, AND MOST FOOD WRITERS (AND THEIR PUBLICATIONS) DON'T PAY FOR THEIR MEALS.

Which came first, the shady critic, or the shady Yelp reviewer? No matter, they're both the same thing: Amateur extortionists for food. And thanks to the Internet's make-or-break power in those crucial first few months of a restaurant being open, the asses of anyone with a decent-sized bullhorn are being kissed by cooks, chefs, restaurant flacks, and GMs around the country. It’s understandable—they don’t want to see their hard work toppled by some blogger who didn’t like being seated in Siberia, let alone a reviewer with a shred of credibility—but it’s fundamentally changed the game. Factor in the inability of critics to hide from Google Images searches (shouts to Ryan Sutton) and the desperate need for all writers to fashion themselves into some sort of brand, and you have the perfect ingredients to cook up an insipid Writer-Restaurant Industrial Complex whose tastes should only be trusted as far as their receipts extend.

Gentlemen, listen up: I AM NOT ON THE TAKE. The smartest thing I've ever done is walk a straight line and be honest about everything. I may be the last uncorrupted food critic in the world, but I plan to stay that way because my reputation means more to me than money. Yes, I have a couple friendships (Eric, for example), but I disclose them fully and do not take advantage of them.

One day - perhaps not during my lifetime - I will be recognized for this.

[starfish]

I read this earlier today, and completely agree with Rocks' assessment - great read.

I would have appreciated a bit more examination of the ill effects the fetishization of celebrity (and minor celebrity) chefs have on the broader food culture. That is, however, a minor nit and one that assumes the authors would agree with the argument.

[rockcreek]

It's fuel for the fire. As with any list, you'll agree with some and take exception with others. But all told, +1.

[pizza man]

I thought it was a good piece. I like snark.

[chefgunshow]

In the illustrious words of Damon Wayans, "hated it." Almost every point was painfully obvious, inflated with faux outrage, and/or flat out dumb. That piece in Vanity Fair felt the same way. The intraweb has inspired some folks to inflict their "revolutionary" opinions on the rest of us, and rarely are they insightful. I don't give a damn about NY bagels and the thing on foie gras is just wrong. There's a lot of finger wagging going on out there, and it really just smells like bullshit to me. I may be alone in that. You know what I'd like to see? Real, honestly good food writing. Not designed to spark a revolution, have your piece go viral, or push some kind of agenda.

And another thing. I got particularly pissed about the "tipping should be abolished" thing. It's a goofy system, to be sure. But its our system.

"If restaurateurs actually paid employees properly, rather than expecting them to subsist on the generosity of others, then we might not hear about another tip-skimming scandal every other day."

This sentence is particularly insulting as a business owner, but I guess that's the entire point of the article and why it's so "shocking." It neglects to mention that the money that currently goes into a tip would have to be generated somehow, and it would be from the customer, i.e. a higher bill. But then, I'm a heartless, greedy monster.

I guess I could go through the whole thing, but I will spare anyone unlucky enough to read this post the rest. I guess my own advice to the folks who hate tasting menus (don't buy them) should apply to this situation. Don't read this stuff.

Over and out.

[MsDiPesto]

Some good things in there, but you'd have to be pretty naive not to know them already. I didn't think referencing Eddie Huang to justify the first essay helped his case though, as that guy is a tool.

[DonRocks]

"20 Things Everyone Thinks About The Food World (But Nobody Will Say)" by Chris Schonberger, Nick Schonberger, and Foster Kamer on firstwefeast.com

[Waitman]

They throw a lot of strikes.

[will_5198]

21. Too Many Listicles.

[Bart]

FYI......this is old.  I remember seeing it somewhere before, possibly here, but the date on it is Jan 2013

[DonRocks]

They throw a lot of strikes.

Yes.

21. Too Many Listicles.

Yes.

FYI......this is old.  I remember seeing it somewhere before, possibly here, but the date on it is Jan 2013

On a related note, it's annoying how many popular food websites recycle old stories as if they were new. (No names, no names.)

[Josh]

I'm going to agree with Chefgunshow on this one.  If this is what passes for good food writing in 2014, then I'm done reading about food.  This is linkbait meant for people who follow food and dining like it's on TMZ.

Funny they should mention Bourdain, since he talked about a lot of these same points in Kitchen Confidential 13 years ago.

[DonRocks]

I'm going to agree with Chefgunshow on this one.  If this is what passes for good food writing in 2014, then I'm done reading about food.  This is linkbait meant for people who follow food and dining like it's on TMZ.

Funny they should mention Bourdain, since he talked about a lot of these same points in Kitchen Confidential 13 years ago.

As time passes, I'm coming to agree with both of you.

This was a piece meant to appeal to primal instincts of the semi-educated food person, like that video going around right now of the cat rescuing the child from the dog (any comments in any publication will end up being Team Cat vs. Team Dog). What that has to do with this, I have no idea, but it's not important.

This is not good food writing; it's good link-baiting, with just enough "expertise" to get people to share it on Facebook and Twitter. My apologies for saying it was a great click-thru piece. I'm not sure there *are* any great click-thru pieces, other than for slapstick comedy.

Just because an article mentions "kale" doesn't make it cutting-edge.

Do you want cutting-edge? This is cutting-edge.