4 ms·
You and I both. But in my experience, this has always been the case, since before Instagram and it will continue after Instagram. Some people like dining to b
by bhauer 9y ago
You and I both. But in my experience, this has always been the case, since before Instagram and it will continue after Instagram. Some people like dining to be a more holistic experience that is less emphatically focused on the taste of the food and the quality of the ingredients.
Appearance, buzz, hype, and everything else that comes from the non-food elements of dining out has never done much for me and my wife. But we know plenty of people who value those attributes highly. When going out with friends, we'll often be swayed to go to places that have more visual or thematic embellishment than flavor and food quality. And that's fine.
It sounds like Instagram is simply a continuation of that, perhaps an amplification of that. But some of us will continue to prefer restaurants that focus on flavor and quality first. Yes, atmosphere matters, but I never take selfies, and I very rarely photograph my food. The delight of a free market is that I can support vendors that respect the things I value, and do so regularly, all the while others have distinct preferences and the market serves us both. Even this article is a bit of the market in action: a non-trade signal to chefs to remember that some out there may spend their money on a really good stew.
- loco5niner 9y agoYou're right of course. Different people with different priorities and the market can serve both and did so before Instagram. The examples I gave (tomatoes and apples) are examples. This is the way things are. I just don't like certain aspects of it ;-)
- BrandoElFollito 9y agoHow do you find these restaurants? I am genuinely interested because I hate the Instagram pretentiousness and the restaurants which encourage this. I see you are located in California so the app/site may not be relevant (I am in France) but still (I visit the US on a regular basis so at least I will not be eating with people standing on they chairs when taking pictures instead of enjoying the food and friends)
- bhauer 9y ago> people standing on they chairs when taking pictures instead of enjoying the food Haha! I suspect it might have something to do with the relaxed culture of the Southern California beach cities. I've never seen anyone standing on chairs taking photos. Around here, that would probably create mirth and laughter among the other people at the restaurant. It's fine if you want to do that, but it's not a common behavior. I have seen a few people take photos of their plates (while seated), but even that is pretty uncommon. Most people around here are just interested in chatting with the other people at their table. But if you want to take photos of your food, have fun!