Quote:
Originally Posted by Clayton
It is kinda crazy that this doesn't catch on more in cities. Maybe the american spirit is just to be more horizontally inclined? Once an american perfects one thing they will want to see how that can go into other stuff. I'm obviously speaking in very broad tones.
Also I guess there's more risk, so whatever you specialize in has to have enough consistent broad appeal. If your dish becomes a fad or less popular you insta-die unless your rent is crazy cheap but even then you still probably are toast.
I would love to go to more places that specialize in just one thing.
It doesnt catch on because it is a lot of work. The problem is many chefs now stage for a few months or a year at the restaurant du jour and come out thinking they got it all figured out and chase the current fad.
Back when molecular gastronomy was in, every restaurant had a dish with a foam. Now that the model for haute cuisine is a place like Noma, foraging and local products along with the eating of wild flowers and greens is seen everywhere.
When there was a cronut craze, a bunch of places popped out with facsimiles but none of these copycats can even bake a good regular croissant or fry a good donut.
The problem isnt that American chefs are horizontally inclined, the problem is many of them arrogantly think they have a dish or even worse a cuisine mastered when they really haven't.
Add to that the increased public awareness of what good food is and the bar for survival is set so much higher. Just look at the oot steak cooking thread. A steakhouse that would have done fine in 2005 will get killed in 2016.
I have faith though. In the aggregate, the level of American dining has improved tremendously. Just looking at say Pizza, which is my other example of American shokunin spirit. In most major american cities, you can find a pie that will rival what you get in Italy. It might not match the best of Naples but it will be pretty damn good and thats something that we didnt have say 15 years ago.
Last edited by amoeba; 01-04-2017 at 05:09 PM.