I swear, I’m the only sane person in my office when it comes to taste in restaurants. It’s not that I’m snobby (in food anyway), but sometimes I think I’m the only person who’s eaten food outside rural Tennessee.
Like any newcomer in town, when I first moved to Columbia (Tennessee), I asked coworkers where the best local restaurants in town were. But, after their first piece of restaurant advice, I truly believed I was unknowingly involved in some kind of horrible practical joke. I asked where the best Mexican food was. Having seen at least 5 different “El Monterey’s” restaurants in town, surely there was a “good one.” However, I was directed not to the predictable Mexican chain, but to a shady, Mexican-owned establishment downtown, that operated a restaurant out of its supermarket.
I should have known something was up when their bean dip was stored in a Rubbermaid container above the refrigerator. But no, like a fool, I trusted my coworkers' expertise. And, oh my, OH MY GOD how my intestines still rue the day they made contact with the … “tacos” I ingested. Not only was the end result of my dining experience memorable in the worst way, they added a strikingly huge, radish garnish to the top of my taco. I’m not exactly sure what I was supposed to do to my taco and half a radish, but I chose to eat that too.
After that, I should have known. But no. I wasn’t convinced. They just didn’t know good Mexican food, that’s all. Surely they’ll know good barbeque, they’re from the South. Alas…
There are two major barbeque restaurants in town: Stroudt’s and Nolan’s. One is open for 8 hours a day, the other, 3. One has received praise from Southern Living magazine and earned awards in the Nashville area for being awesome, the other is open 8 hours a day. Nolan’s is not only the most elusive and delicious restaurant I’ve ever accidentally eaten at, it’s also the most reviled in my office. SHOCKING!
So, having eaten both Stroudt’s shitty barbeque AND Nolen’s, fully confident in my opinion of the latter’s superiority, I asked one coworker which she and her family preferred. She’d lived in Columbia her whole life. Her choice? Of course! Stroudt’s!
I’ll simplify the rest of the story, since it’s pretty predictable from here on out. There are 2 steak place in town. One’s good, one serves pure shit, dethawed from Wal-Mart. Guess which one my coworkers prefer? Right. There are 2 major chain restaurants in town. I like O’Charley’s. Guess which one my coworkers like? You’re getting the hang of this.
Ever since I made this realization, I’ve found it hard to trust the opinions of my coworkers on many levels, and it all stems from food. I found this an odd and illogical notion of mine, since I’m generally a rational person. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how crucial food taste is to our relations. Our taste in food is an integral part of our personalities and who we are. On a practical level, how can I REALLY trust and respect someone who prefers BBQ beef to BBQ pork? It calls into question every decision they’ve ever made in their lives, to be so wrong.
Am I alone here? If someone you know prefers to shop at Piggly Wiggly over Publix, are they REALLY to be trusted? (yes, we have both, and guess which my coworkers prefer?).
Like any newcomer in town, when I first moved to Columbia (Tennessee), I asked coworkers where the best local restaurants in town were. But, after their first piece of restaurant advice, I truly believed I was unknowingly involved in some kind of horrible practical joke. I asked where the best Mexican food was. Having seen at least 5 different “El Monterey’s” restaurants in town, surely there was a “good one.” However, I was directed not to the predictable Mexican chain, but to a shady, Mexican-owned establishment downtown, that operated a restaurant out of its supermarket.
I should have known something was up when their bean dip was stored in a Rubbermaid container above the refrigerator. But no, like a fool, I trusted my coworkers' expertise. And, oh my, OH MY GOD how my intestines still rue the day they made contact with the … “tacos” I ingested. Not only was the end result of my dining experience memorable in the worst way, they added a strikingly huge, radish garnish to the top of my taco. I’m not exactly sure what I was supposed to do to my taco and half a radish, but I chose to eat that too.
After that, I should have known. But no. I wasn’t convinced. They just didn’t know good Mexican food, that’s all. Surely they’ll know good barbeque, they’re from the South. Alas…
There are two major barbeque restaurants in town: Stroudt’s and Nolan’s. One is open for 8 hours a day, the other, 3. One has received praise from Southern Living magazine and earned awards in the Nashville area for being awesome, the other is open 8 hours a day. Nolan’s is not only the most elusive and delicious restaurant I’ve ever accidentally eaten at, it’s also the most reviled in my office. SHOCKING!
So, having eaten both Stroudt’s shitty barbeque AND Nolen’s, fully confident in my opinion of the latter’s superiority, I asked one coworker which she and her family preferred. She’d lived in Columbia her whole life. Her choice? Of course! Stroudt’s!
I’ll simplify the rest of the story, since it’s pretty predictable from here on out. There are 2 steak place in town. One’s good, one serves pure shit, dethawed from Wal-Mart. Guess which one my coworkers prefer? Right. There are 2 major chain restaurants in town. I like O’Charley’s. Guess which one my coworkers like? You’re getting the hang of this.
Ever since I made this realization, I’ve found it hard to trust the opinions of my coworkers on many levels, and it all stems from food. I found this an odd and illogical notion of mine, since I’m generally a rational person. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how crucial food taste is to our relations. Our taste in food is an integral part of our personalities and who we are. On a practical level, how can I REALLY trust and respect someone who prefers BBQ beef to BBQ pork? It calls into question every decision they’ve ever made in their lives, to be so wrong.
Am I alone here? If someone you know prefers to shop at Piggly Wiggly over Publix, are they REALLY to be trusted? (yes, we have both, and guess which my coworkers prefer?).
"
<"I heard you smoked those until they killed you." 
<"But I look so cool and mature now."
