Jmalin's Profile
Is Food popular just for the time being?
I've recently had an idea that for some reason just never occurred to me previously--
What if what happened was not just a trend coming into limelight but a cultural revolution?
Rather than looking at is as a change in our popular culture perhaps it is smarter to view it as a growth in our American culture.
Is Food popular just for the time being?
My apologies,
It was simply an (admittedly ignorant) expression. Perhaps I should have said "frozen" or "canned" or just "bad tasting" '50s? It was just a way of comparing the generally accepted less-than-magnificent American cuisine of the said decade to today's food. Even so, I don't think it detracted from the legitimacy of the question...please refrain from being rude about such things.
Is Food popular just for the time being?
It is doubtless to say that in the past 20 years in this country food has become much more of a popular topic. (The pas 9 years-even more exceedingly so.) It seems that not a day goes by a new food related television show is added to a non-food related station (Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen, etc.) or I find out someone else I know is also going to culinary school. It has definitely been growing in popular culture; everything from movies, to books, to media feature food as a subject of interest. Movements like Slow Food and blogs like this one have taken off with popularity. Of course food has always been one of the monoliths of human culture but the animated movies I remember growing up with were about young boys finding genies and lions battling for power, not French Born rats cooking food designed by Thomas Keller. Can anyone (preferably someone academic) explain what happened recently to jettison food into vogue in american culture?
Could it be the backlash the conformist microwavable '50s? And, perhaps most recently the backlash from the power-dieting fad of the late '90s early '00s? (AKA Did everyone realize how bad dieting tastes?) Is it America's recent (20 years in the making) acquisition of its own high cuisine, and a new abundance of Michelin rated restaurants? Could it be the realization of global warming and popularization of "green" everything? (As the subject of farming--another recently popular subject--is just one step away from the subject of "green" products.)
If you can explain why this phenomenon is occurring, can anyone guess if and when food will go out of style?
Review of Dolphin Chowderhouse and Marina in South Harspwell
If you are willing to enjoy a bit of exploration, this place is really amazing. It's a bit out of the way and the small roads the route takes you make you wonder if you are going in the right direction but the only thing better than the feeling of success finding it is their amazing chowder. The service was wonderful: attentive, knowledgeable, and quick. The decor was fantastic: simple, clean and beautiful. The restaurant looks right onto the Marina and with its large glass panel windows even seats at the back of the house can share the splendid view. The other diners all seemed to be either locals or people docking their boat in the Marina. (All of them, no doubt, were sea-faring folk. I thought it was an obvious sign of good seafood.) The food was delicious: their specialty chowder was a perfect balance of creamy, oily and meaty soup. I found a 3 inch long piece of haddock on my spoon which, in a 4 inch tall cup of soup, is a real feat. Unfortunately my main dish, a daily special, was less than incredible. Lesson learned: Stick with what they are known for. I hope to return soon to try their "famous" Lobster Stew!
