American Food not actually that great

[T_i_B]

Lobs cornish pasty, then runs back to the UK forum!

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/american-food-not-actually-that-great-2014100291249

FANS of fashionable US-type food have been reminded that it is just meat with cheese on it.

As gourmet burgers, barbecued ribs and other ‘diner style’ foods reach epidemic proportions across the UK, some Britons have noticed that these are just slightly better quality variations on the crap they were eating years ago.

Plumber Tom Logan said: “I was at Texas Jack’s Barbecue Shack, excitedly chomping through a ’28-day-aged’ Angus ranch burger with Monterey Jack cheese, when I realised it was just a Wimpy with nicer tables. If you look at the menu, everything is just a piece of meat either with or without onions or cheese. Fries are chips, and coleslaw is disgusting, it’s like cabbage with milk on it. There was nothing for sale there that a child could not cook.

“I have tasted America, and it is greasy.”

[whistler162]

1. Brits and edible food never the two shall meet.

[T_i_B]

2. Only when we're imitating American food!

[Arugula Latte]

18. Come on, they've got some good stuff going on across the pond!

It's not all mushy peas and boiled sheep or whatever the stereotype was.

[whistler162]

25. Yet you couldn't name one!

Although an Angus ranch burger with Monterey Jack cheese is an afront to all real burgers.

Burger
Cheese - American(White or Yellow)
Bacon
Mushrooms
Sauerkraut

Now that is a proper burger.

[T_i_B]

31. I'm sorry....

...but you lost me when you mentioned American "cheese".

Wouldn't it be great if American cheese wasn't known for being such utterly appalling tasteless artificial shite?

Give me Wensleydale or Stilton over that nonsense anyday.

[Arugula Latte]

42. That stuff is VILE!

It's some sort of oil-based vaguely (vaguely!!!) cheeselike product. Retched, evil, abomination!

That was the kind of crap we had around when I was a kid, but thankfully now our supermarkets are bursting with fabulous cheeses, both domestic and imported. We make some pretty darn good goats cheese and blue (bleu) cheese here in the state of Oregon, for example.

[hifiguy]

51. The Brits do wonderful cheeses.

Right up there with the French and the Italians.

A fine Stilton and a glass of GOOD port is heaven.

"American cheese" is appalling. Which isn't to say that great cheese isn't made in the US, but that's another issue.

[T_i_B]

55. I'm sure there are good cheeses made in the US.

It's just that all you ever see or hear of the artificial awfulness.

And I've found that a good strong imperial stout works even better with Stilton!

[hifiguy]

56. THAT I am going to try.

A Sam Smith or maybe an Old Rasputin (a US craft brew imperial stout).

[T_i_B]

57. Quite a few US imperial stouts could do the job....

...for me as a UK real ale drinker, Darkstar Imperial Stout and Bristol Beer Factory Ultimate Stout are the 2 best choices.

[hifiguy]

59. Old Rasputin Imperial Stout is a beast of a beer

- a refined beast - but a big, BIG beer. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me.

[KamaAina]

62. Kraut? That I never heard of.

On a hot dog, of course. But a burger? And I'm from Bawlmer, where we serve the stuff at Thanksgiving dinner!

[lame54]

34. Stereotype?...

I was in a small town and ordered a bacon and egg pastry
they put the bacon and egg in the pastry and baked it - but they didn't cook the bacon first
i was so hungry i was half way through before i realized it was just a hot-pocket full of bacon grease and half-cooked bacon
as hungry as i was i couldn't finish it
i was queasy the rest of the day
not a stereotype to me

[Renew Deal]

3. I agree about cole slaw

It's gross 99% of the time

[T_i_B]

5. And on that note...

...the current fashion for US style BBQ is quite different from the sort of barbeque gumph us Brits have been brought up on, so that bit of the Daily Mash's screed isn't entirely fair.

But the current fad for pulled pork is becoming quite tiresome.

[Renew Deal]

6. Pulled pork can be screwed up

But ribs and chicken are usually a success. Throw in some for and beans (with bacon or pieces of pork) and you've got a meal.

[alarimer]

9. As a former Texan, pulled pork is in no way BBQ.

In Texas, at most places, brisket is king, along with sausage and ribs.

I am a current resident of North Carolina, where the only "BBQ" is pulled pork. It is vile.

Give me brisket or ribs.

Of course you can start many, many fights on this topic in the US, if you so choose. But do not go to Texas and declare that pulled pork is BBQ.

(I also started many arguments in Texas by declaring that chili should have vegetables in it. In Texas, it does not.)

Food wars are fun!

[sharp_stick]

11. My cousin is emphatic

that the introduction of beans into chili was an invention of the Texas prison system to make it go further.

He may be right but I love beans in my chili.

[OriginalGeek]

12. FINALLY! Someone who understands. :)

Actually I will eat pulled pork but only when we visit my wife's family in Georgia - they will roast a whole hog in a pit and then do all the pulling and sauce making themselves. But I still don't call it BBQ.

BBQ is beef brisket smoked overnight on mesquite wood. That's the way Micky at Webb's BBQ in Duncanville, TX cooked it when I was in High School and that's the way I want it now. If you can throw on some kielbasa from New Braunfels and a bucket of Shiner Bocks on ice you got yourself a meal.

Here in Florida I do have a couple decent places that understand how to do brisket (and quite a number more who think they do but fail miserably) but the overwhelming majority of BBQ places are eastern/Carolina style. I'd rather have dumb pulled pork than someone who thinks they know a brisket but have no idea what they are doing.

My dear alarimer, we must part ways on chili. No beans in my chili. (unless by vegetables you mean a little onion and/or chili/jalapeño/some other hot peppers).

[Arugula Latte]

20. I make cole slaw with vinaigrette for flavor and moistness (sorry to use that word)

and put just a tiny bit of mayo in it to give it a bit of creaminess (again, sorry for that word). It stays crisp and is very flavorful, not to mention pretty healthy.

[Renew Deal]

21. Your cole slaw is moist, creamy, an healthy.

What else can one ask?

[hifiguy]

52. That sounds marvelous.

Especially if placed alongside an overstuffed pastrami sandwich (with a schmear of good horseradish mustard) and a good kosher pickle.

[KamaAina]

64. The slaw served at old-school BBQ joints in Oakland is made without mayo

MUCH better!

[Dirty Socialist]

4. I went to Applebee's last night.

"Easy, stomach!"

[Renew Deal]

7. Applebee's is disgusting in any country

So chances are it's not just bad in the UK.

[OriginalGeek]

13. This is 100% true

I'll eat at a convenience store before spending a dime in an Applebee's again.

[Xyzse]

8. Nevermind...

I agree "American Food" that are Burger and Fries are pretty bad, but British food... Oie...

[sharp_stick]

10. One Word....Marmite

My Grandfather used to eat that shit with a spoon. I still remember the look on my brother's face at the table when we watched him eat it.

[T_i_B]

14. "like Marmite" is a commonly used expression

Meaning that it's something you either really love or really loathe with no middle ground.

And in the case of Marmite, I love the stuff!

[sharp_stick]

15. That is true

Granddad used to try to get us to eat it.

I think he was genuinely upset and kind of sad that neither of us shared his love for that stuff.

[T_i_B]

16. By the same token...

One of my ex girlfriends disliked Marmite so vehemently that she wouldn't allow it in the house. I used to have to stash it somewhere secret, otherwise it would have been binned.

[trof]

23. I like Marmite.

But then I like consomme'.
To me, Marmite is like consomme' squared.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. american food can be amazing and nouvea american food can truly be astoundingly good

however, some renditions of american food can be pretty gross

but the brits can ruin even indian food, so i think the fault maybe lies with them

[Throd]

19. I had to travel abroad to find that people can totally fuck up something as simple as a cheeseburger

Sure, they looked like cheeseburgers, but they sure as hell didn't taste like them.

[RebelOne]

22. The best food I have had was in France,

closely followed by food on cruise ships.

[trof]

24. So...you've never been to Italy?

I've been to Rome and Milan, many times.
NEVER had a bad meal.
Not in a restaurant or in a home.

[A HERETIC I AM]

29. The late, GREAT comedian John Pinette on eating in France and Italy;

[trof]

35. THANK YOU for that.

Tears are running down my cheeks.

[A HERETIC I AM]

43. WHATSA MATTA? YOU DON LIKE IT?!?

[MADem]

58. That guy was brilliant--apparently he just (April of this year) died.

Can't believe I "missed" him all these years--he was born in BOSTON, MA, grew up in MALDEN, MA and was a relatively young man when he died...such a loss, he was hilarious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pinette

[A HERETIC I AM]

60. Yes he did, on April 5th.

He was found dead in his hotel room at the Sheraton Station Square in Pittsburgh.

I was a bit angered to see the Huffington Post's announcement, as they referred to him as "Comedian and "Seinfeld" Actor" which I found ridiculous as he appeared in only 1 or 2 episodes, but he had a wealth of material available and had a good and hilarious career as a touring stand-up act.

As another person who lamented his passing said, "I've never laughed so hard at a stand-up act where not a single curse word was used."

He was a kind and gentle man who made many millions laugh, including myself.

One of my favorite comedians of all time, and he is sorely missed.

[MADem]

61. Never expect too much from "Huffington Post." They do well to use spell check--can't expect

anything as sophisticated as FACT CHECK as well to go along with that!!!!

[A HERETIC I AM]

65. Last thing.....one of my favorite lines of his...

He Did a lot of gigs on Cruise ships and one of his bits he talks about having to take a small launch to an island, which concerned him;

"If it doesn't have a Casino and a Buffet, it isn't seaworthy!"



He was just too funny.

[hifiguy]

54. I spent ten days in France back in '03

and the food was mind-blowingly amazing everywhere from fancy restaurants to little bistros in small towns. I think it is a capital crime for a French citizen to open a bad restaurant. And the wine prices were enough to make a grown wine-lover cry. A magnum of a superb Hermitage was $30 in a Lyon restaurant. A restaurant!!

New Zealand was another place I have visited where the food was excellent. Everything was amazingly fresh and flavorful. Best salmon I've ever had was at a friend's home in NZ.

[vanlassie]

26. Well I am in London now, halfway thru a month long visit...

and I'll tell you what is good here. Fish and chips. Actually, mostly just the fish. The chips don't come close to the deliciousness of In N Out's.
I'll tell you why the British don't COME CLOSE to matching American food. Mexican Food. There IS none! No corn tortillas. Only pitiful Old El Paso crap. Now, granted, I live in California, so I'm spoiled, but... NO CORN TORTILLAS!!

[T_i_B]

32. I'm sure we have Mexican resteraunts in that there London town

Up in Sheffield this is the current trendy thing. http://www.streetfoodchef.co.uk/

Although I may not be the best person to judge how authentic any of this really is.

[vanlassie]

39. Well, without corn tortillas, they can't make me a taco.

[T_i_B]

44. There is also a Taco Bell near where I live

or is that a reason to run & hide and hope for better Mexican food?

[vanlassie]

47. Yeah, I've been to British Taco Bell...

[kwassa]

27. We Americans get our culinary heritage from Britain, and anyone holding up British cuisine ...

as anything but ... simple, has little to criticize with.

Is there any memorable English dish?

and Wimpy makes the worst "hamburger" that I have ever had anywhere. It was not anything recognizable as a hamburger, but was similar to Spam.

Now, I had great Indian, Chinese, and Middle-Eastern food in England. Just not Brit food.

[T_i_B]

28. Whilst nobody claims that Wimpy ever made the best burger...

Last edited Fri Oct 3, 2014, 07:47 AM - Edit history (1)

....there are plenty of worse burgers out there. McDonalds for starters.

I think the main attraction of Wimpy was that they had proper crockery, as opposed to the other fast food chains where you eat your food out of cardboard and polystyrene packaging.

[kwassa]

33. no, Wimpy is far worse than McDonalds ...

and I never liked McDonalds, either.

[T_i_B]

36. Disagree

Wimpy's food was slightly better, and it was a much much nicer place to eat then McDonalds as well.

Mind you, it's been a long time since I've been in a Wimpy, as there are plenty of alternatives these days. Nando's for starters.

[kwassa]

48. Nandos is chicken, right?

Where do you live?

At one time I lived near Santa Monica, CA, which is a magnet for British ex-pats, and has multiple English pubs. Many illegal Irish at the time, too.

Now here in Maryland we have Nandos, but also many great Peruvian chicken places.

[T_i_B]

50. Nando's is Peri Peri Chicken

And whenever I come across a Nando's it usually seems to be rammed.

I'm based up near Sheffield.

[avebury]

30. Lobster Newburg

It is all in the sauce. It can either be really really good or really not so good.

[CanSocDem]

37. In defence of American food...

...simple is better. When I had to 'eat out' in a different café everyday and often in a different state, I could always depend on the regional equivalent of Bisquits & Gravy to take away the hunger pangs.(which, you might have guessed, is my only reason for eating)

Chicken Fried Steak is another staple found on truck stop menus across the country. Though not a personal favorite, it was always comforting to know there was some leftover cutlet somewhere that could be re-done into something that could be called "a steak".

Overall, I find the American Restaurant Industry superior in one regard.... and that is marketing.


.

[T_i_B]

38. Here in the UK....

Biscuits are very different

Gravy is very different

And it's a matter of common sense not to put the 2 together under any circumstances.

In fact it's hardly unknown for Brits visiting America to come back quite shocked by what the Americans call biscuits and gravy.

And while most American food can win British converts fairly easily (especially the ones who watch all the repeats of Man v Food), I've yet to see any of my fellow countrymen say anything nice about what the Americans call biscuits and gravy.

[vanlassie]

40. I can agree with you there, Most Definately.

[CanSocDem]

41. To be honest...

...I was raised on my British mothers food. I only knew brown gravy and scones. Until that fateful day when a friend and I needed breakfast to calm our raging hangovers.

"White gravy and soda biscuits???" She assured me it would do the trick and it did.

I never could convince my mother of its' merits.

Previously, I forgot to mention Red-Eye Gravy that some southerner told me he was raised on.....mmmm gravy.



.

[mainer]

45. That's like eating at a fish and chips place and saying British food ain't all that great

What he ate is hardly a comprehensive sampling of American food.

[T_i_B]

46. That might be because it's actually a satirical article....

....based on what's currently trendy over here.

We've started getting programmes like "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives" on British TV and it's inspired quite a lot of this current trend.

Here's another Daily Mash article about something even more annoying then big burger challenges.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/everybody-really-hates-the-slate-thing-chefs-told-2014072188774

[kwassa]

49. how does the Slate website feel about this?

I think they would be highly offended.

[MADem]

63. I gotta say, I have had nothing but GOOOOOD fish-n-chips in UK.

Bad fish places don't do very well, but good places? You're knee-deep in people ahead of you in line!!!

That's one thing they do well. It almost makes up for that abomination served at breakfast, FRIED BREAD...(gag). I won't even go into BLOOD PUDDING (choke)!!

Anyone who thinks that hamburger=American food doesn't know USA food, though--that is certainly accurate!

[MADem]

53. Sounds to me like some clever Brit is selling minced beef patties and chips as "American food" and

some other Brit is griping about it!

The beauty of American food is that it comes from EVERYWHERE. That's what makes it so delicious. Americans take the best, and leave the rest!

I have never been to a "Texas Jack's Barbecue Shack." I doubt they'd survive in BBQ country, never mind the farty corners of USA where BBQ is viewed as "exotic food."