Recently, I’ve noticed that restaurants are no longer judged by simply their food in America. We take into consideration the atmosphere, tone, location, and even silverware of the restaurant. The food is no longer the only aspect that allows a restaurant to stand out. I know that, personally, when I see a restaurant that is broken down and grimy, I make up my mind not to go to such a restaurant. Even if the food is possibly the most awesome food in the world, it would take a lot of coaxing to just get me to go eat in such a place. I associate the look and feel of the restaurant with bad food, just as I associate good food with a place of great class and expensive china. I think that this is because as Americans, we tend to have a bit of an ego. A place that looks broken down and dirty doesn’t seem to deserve our praise or business, all while we strive to save up enough change just to get a couple bites to eat from a place that screams extravagance. We automatically assume that this place must have better food than a place that is simply a drive thru diner. I find this quite amusing because when I travel to Vietnam a couple of years ago, I found that the people were quite different when it came to matters of food. Instead of the extravagance and money we are used to seeing here in America, I saw tiny plastic chairs and stools, and tables poorly crafted of wood or plastic. Everyone was cramped into a small space and the chopsticks and spoons looked questionable. Yet despite all of this, the food was outstanding. Inside this little space of what could only be considered someone’s garage, was absolutely delicious food. It was hot, fragrant, and downright delectable. From this time on, I tried not to judge food by the atmosphere around it because I could be missing out on some great dishes. This is why I found it incredibly funny when Craig Claiborne criticized his $4000 meal because it did not have the same class of silverware of atmosphere. I think that we all have an ego when it comes to food, and if we suppress this ego, we might just find some delicious foods. Food should be the deciding factor for a restaurant, not the other stuff.
