Y2K, Dot-com Party Sushi, and Vodka Luges

Published on Monday, December 14, 2009, by Lessley Anderson / Edit Post

When the ball dropped on January 1, we entered a new decade. Isn't it funny to think that just 10 years ago we were eating sushi all the time, working at dot-coms, and wearing high-tech-looking shoes with wavy Space Age soles? Imagine if somebody had told us that beards, pickles, and backyard chickens would be cutting-edge, 2010 fashion. CHOW.com busted out the time capsule to investigate more of what we were eating and drinking in 1999, and how it's changed. Take a look...

1999 2009
Sushi everywhere: Mountains of shrimp at dot-com parties, oyster and raw bars galore Fish endangered: Bluefin tuna extinct by 2012, shrimp farming now recognized as environmentally terrible, salmon fisheries closed
Atkins diet: People eating meat to lose weight Skinny bitches: Veganism as diet trick
Cell phones: Use in restaurants debated Cell phones: Ubiquitous
Smoking: Still allowed in NYC restaurants No smoking: Not anymore!
Starbucks: Killing indie coffeehouses Independent roasters: Kicking Starbucks' ass
Asian fusion/overblown food: Ahi tuna tartare towers Italian, rustic, simple: Country grits, egg on pizza, braises, pie
Appletinis: Cocktails were froufrou and candy-colored Manhattans: Cocktails are manly, classic, made from brown spirits
Webvan: Get your groceries delivered in under half an hour! Farmers' markets: Browse in a leisurely fashion for local lettuces
Triple-distilled vodka: High-tech and free-flowin', mixed with Red Bull to fuel late-night programming/raving Beer: Craft ales, made by hand
Reservation-only restaurants Pop-up restaurants, street food
Expensive wine Half-off wine nights, box wine
Fine linens Hand-woven rustic napkins and recycled materials
Not many people eating organic Walmart sells organic food
Restaurant names reflect hubris: Paragon, Vertigo, Mc2 Restaurant names are humble: Dirt Candy, Farm, Flour + Water
We wanted exotic: Thai satay, imported caviar and rum, anything Asian fusion We want local: Restaurants list which farms things come from on menus, consumers want to know where their meat was raised
Eating dinner at your desk, ordered in by the boss while launching your dot-com Out of work, learning to cook and can tomatoes at home
Catered parties: With wasabi mashed potatoes in martini glasses Butchering demonstrations and home-picklin' classes
Blogger.com launched: Food blogs start up Food blogs blamed for death of Gourmet
Eating free food at dot-com launch parties Freeganism and gleaning: Dumpster diving and stealing your neighbors' fruit thrives in the economic downturn
ALLFood Media
POST A COMMENT |7 Comments

COMMENT

  • it all comes back around youll see liesure suits will be a craze again

  • Awesome article and comparison...100% spot on. Love the pop-up gourmet street food trend and the departure from pretentiousness that we now enjoy here in the 20TEN.

  • 1999: Pointless Scare: Y2K

    2009: Pointless Scare: Global Warming

  • "Gleaning" does not equal "stealing." In fact, I'd wager that most gleaners do not take food that belongs to others (dumpster divers notwithstanding) but instead do it somewhat responsibly. Witness Fallen Fruit, which alerts people to fruit trees that exist on *public* land.

  • Wow...I wonder what the major shift is. Everything seems to be returning to a state of home cooking, and paying more attention and care to what goes on our plates and in our bodies. Reflection of economics?

    When the economy picks up again it will be interesting to see where the food revolution goes. Back to easy meals and dinners in the office? Or will this organic, local, green, sustainable,...+READ

    Wow...I wonder what the major shift is. Everything seems to be returning to a state of home cooking, and paying more attention and care to what goes on our plates and in our bodies. Reflection of economics?

    When the economy picks up again it will be interesting to see where the food revolution goes. Back to easy meals and dinners in the office? Or will this organic, local, green, sustainable, eco friendly, ethical food concept maintain itself? (I kind of doubt it, but it would be nice to dream)-COLLAPSE

  • Boy, do I remember the Y2K deal. People freaking out all over that they'd not be able to use ATMs New Year's Day. Poor mislead restaurateurs taking carbon-copy imprints of people's cards because they thought "the computers would all stop."

    I used to think that my folks had suffered profoundly, growing up during the Depression. They always re-assured me that while they lived modestly they never...+READ

    Boy, do I remember the Y2K deal. People freaking out all over that they'd not be able to use ATMs New Year's Day. Poor mislead restaurateurs taking carbon-copy imprints of people's cards because they thought "the computers would all stop."

    I used to think that my folks had suffered profoundly, growing up during the Depression. They always re-assured me that while they lived modestly they never went hungry and thoroughly enjoyed the home cooking "three squares a day." Looking at the contrast between the foods/entertaining in both eras, I see we're eating more practical comfort foods and sometimes rejecting exotic ingredients nowadays. While it would be nice not to have to endure the enormous economic setbacks we're currently enduring, it's rewarding to note that when we come through this dark time we'll appreciate more the little, delightful things that we took for granted but that now are expenses we think twice about.-COLLAPSE

  • Yes,there was nice memory of Y2K and I looking forward to entering new decade.
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