• Machinist@lemmy.world
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    13 days ago

    I have something I call the Styrofoam Plate Theory.

    Gourmet French cuisine is based on peasant foods. I.E. making cheap ingredients taste good. Coq au Vin was a way to cook a tough old rooster and it tastes amazing.

    So, gourmet is often based on poor people food.

    Soul food/Southern home, Mexican, Indian: all poor people food.

    So, if you go to a restaurant or gas station and the food comes on a styrofoam plate, it is strongly correleated with good food. A language barrier, menu with pictures and numbers, rundown dining room, and a clean bathroom all increase the likelihood of truly wonderful cuisine.

    • Zwrt@lemmy.sdf.org
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      13 days ago

      Especially for comfort food i can see that being true.

      I am not sure how this translates to my example though, it was definitely a restaurant. Though it was known to be an eccentric bordering on rudely rushed experience. He had some contacts to get incredibly high quality fresh ingredients.