Listen, we know. The food world is rife with clichés that sometimes reek of snobbery. One year’s star protein (pork belly, anyone?) is suddenly passé before you can say “bacon brulée.”
We still have a special place in our hearts for pork belly, of course, but you must know how to do it right (if you don’t, it’s just another case of slapping a trendy item on your menu). Here are some things that we think are past their prime: frozen ravioli marketed as “house-made”; garnishing on the rim of plates (honestly, that’s been past its prime since the late ‘80s); and hating on Merlot.
Recently we asked some food fanatics, cooks and culinary characters what they would like to see disappear from the local scene this year.
Several opined that overuse of the terms “locavore” and “farm-to-table” were grating to the nerves. Others are irritated by the term “foodie,” including some us us here at Xpress who are searching for an alternative. “Culinarian,” perhaps?
Some chefs told us that they’re over all the ego in the kitchen, wishing that certain people would drop the Gordon Ramsay act, already.
When it comes to bacon, they were divided, but at least one local cook (Chad Gibson of 12 Bones) demanded respect for the seemingly omnipresent pork product, going so far as to write a rather substantial piece begging bacon fans to slow their roll.
Read on to find out what chefs love to hate in the food world — and a bit of what they’d like to see more of.
— Send your food news to Mackensy Lunsford at food@mountainx.com.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.