Quote:
Originally Posted by the urban politician
Well, the churn is a good thing.
I think we have way more options than we did 10 years ago, even if we lost a few top notch places. And the ethnic variety is improving. To each his own, I guess...
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I think there are way more people eating out, more frequently, than ever before and our dining scene has evolved to fit this reality. There's also an expanded realization that even "lowbrow" categories like street food and comfort food can be prepared with the same kind of creativity, skill, and artistry as $100-a-plate seafood dish at an expense account restaurant. I just went out to Half Sour and had an amazing fried fish sandwich where literally every part of the sandwich was made in-house, from scratch, with plenty of loving care. That same restaurant also serves creative, unique and delicious pasta dishes for half the price of a fancy nouveau Italian joint.
Chefs just don't have as much interest in becoming "elite" chefs like Thomas Keller or Jean-Georges Vongerichten when they have plenty of freedom to experiment by opening a cheaper, more neighborhood focused place. The barriers to entry are far, far lower and you can be successful without having to lure a Wall Street (or LaSalle Street) clientele.