Taco Bell Aims At Foodies

Besha Rodell at LA Weekly snarkily makes us aware of this fun little tit-bit. Taco Bell is opening a high-ish-end taco joint (and urban taproom!) in L.A., with the intent to expand if successful. It's inspired by Instagram and food trucks. After reading this quote, go read the piece at LA Weekly.

Once upon a time, there were people who liked good food. Then they became "foodies." And now those people are an entire demographic that the giants of industrial food desperately want to capture. People are talking about you - a lot - in board meetings and the results are frightening.

I have no problem with mass pseudo-Mexican. I love Chuys. I like the fact that South of the Border offers black beans as a standard option. This place might not turn out to be as awful as it sounds. But. I don't think so. The Chipotle effect is too strong right now: we insist that our food mean something, but we don't want to do any work. We long for the ease and thoughtlessness of the corporate eating experience, but don't want to be seen at a Chili's.

Well, I never want to be seen at a Chipotle.

I will never go to a Chipotle again. No, not because of the moral evil of meat-is-murder or mass-fooding. No. Avoid them for the aesthetic evil of being a snobby Moe's. Oh, and 'cause that one time I went the sandwich artist was snotty to me.

Chipotle aims at that "entire demographic" that "foodies" became. Remember this commercial from Chipotle? And do you know about this abomination on NetFlix? Gag me with a spoon.

All I want is a little sincerity.

Unfortunately for all of us, food is an accessory instead of a joy for a lot of people who think and talk and change in food, from the ground on up.

One more thing. Can we stop opening restaurants serving boozy milkshakes? Five per town is enough.