Top 5 Food WTFs

Categories: Top Five

wineflightimage.jpg
emurray
It's okay to call it a sampling.
Enough is enough. These food terms are overused. I'm tired of seeing them on signs and reading them on menus.

Gastropub
Here's the evolution of this word--first it was pub, then bar, then bar and grill, then bar and grille, back to pub, and now it's gastropub. Got it? Must every cool, new place that serves food and beer be called a gastropub? I guess so. As is the case with almost any gastropub, expect an increase in food and drink prices by at least $3-4. But it's worth the price. When someone asks what you did last weekend, what sounds better -- going to a bar or a gastropub?

Flight
I recently took a trip to Chicago and saw the word "flight" on several menus. Wouldn't you prefer a flight of small martinis over one large drink? According to many restaurants, you would. Flights are just a way of giving the customers smaller quantities at higher prices. Back in the day, this used to be called a sampler platter. But that connotes a larger portion of food for a small price.

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Lexnger
Assemble your own sandwich!
Artisan Bread
About the only thing artisan bread guarantees is that Mrs. Baird didn't bake it. Humans make artisan bread, but then again, humans hand-craft a lot of things. I had an artisan hamburger the other day. In fact, I even had an artisan plate of lasagna. It was delicious. But don't be fooled, the overuse of this term, especially in the world of baked goods, doesn't necessarily mean the product is quality.

Deconstructed
Everything in the culinary field is being deconstructed. Do you still brine your turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas? That's so 2006. Now, we have to de-construct the turkey. Translation: Cut into pieces and cook. I made deconstructed BLTs for a party recently. Translation: I was too lazy to construct the sandwiches, so I left all the ingredients separated.

Aioli
My goodness, aioli is everywhere. Don't like that panini? Try it with a side of aioli. Do fries with mayo sound disgusting? Then how about fries with garlic aioli? I'll have some of that! Aoili is at the summit of food trickery. Expect this cute culinary term to continue clogging arteries around the world.

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