August 31 — “There was ham, turkey, and caviar. Long, tall glasses filled with wine up to the floor.”
— Leo Thayer
people like to eat
No, it’s not. People love to eat. They love to talk about food and like to take pictures of the food they are about to eat and send it to their friends on social media.
(Reason 876 for not going to SNS)
I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few days talking to people about food, restaurants opening (see article on page 1A), restaurants closing, and the lack of reliable workers willing to work in restaurants. I was. Don’t spit on your food if they get angry or trigger the 5 second rule).
I never thought much about food, except for the occasional craving for chicken and dumplings, jambalaya, or a Cuban sandwich. When you grew up like that, you had bologna (yes, it was a baloney in our house) and mac and cheese, which is some kind of powder. Learn not only to tolerate different types of cheese, but to like them.
Curious at first, I watched it, but it was foreign to me, so cooking shows became all the rage. I’ve always wondered why people watch TV when they shouldn’t, but when you find yourself in a house with other people tuning in, you start to understand it. Not exactly proud, but it’s the truth.I’d rather watch an episode of “Chopped.” It’s not just that it’s become a sport for ‘smart millionaires’ who have forgotten how fun it is to play games. sigh)
Talking to local restaurateurs is what my friends BJ and Lisa do best after a pandemic that has forced many restaurants out of business. Those who aren’t lucky enough to get a PPP loan that allows their owners to do very little and maintain their collective food empire are some of the hardest working people you’ll find. Follow them and see what they have to do. Perhaps I’ll continue gigging as a member of the Bomb Squad… less stress-inducing.
Like any business, you can serve really great food and have excellent customer service, but if the stars aren’t exactly aligned, your restaurant is doomed to failure. Also, people love food. Also, there are no easy-to-read clues to assure the owner of the food they need to provide to keep customers.
I hope these new restaurants in Albany do well. I hope it fills the void left when the pandemic forced many eateries to go out of business. We hope to make a comeback worthy of five rallies. We hope these excited new owners, who clearly love to cook and serve good food, make their dreams come true and prove the naysayers wrong. Negative Facebook posts to swipe before…reason number 877.)
Food has become the ultimate attraction in popular culture, and chefs have replaced athletes as our most admired celebrities. I never thought that day would come. But now, as someone who appreciates good food and cooks, all of us can’t help but work up an appetite.
