Comments on: Did Someone Miss the Point? http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point Casting a little flavor (and a few aspersions) on the world of food, drink, and life Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:43:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Clarification… My Bad… http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7774 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Clarification… My Bad… Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:17:47 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7774 [...] Buenos Aires - A few days I go I posted my reaction to a piece this week in the New York Times travel magazine. The piece (from the Times, not mine) generated a lot of local conversation, and a fair number of folks seemed to take it the way I did. It turns out that it’s one of those hazards of trying to write a short piece, that also gets edited, that writers face all the time. The writer of the piece, Oliver Schwaner-Albright, contacted me last night after someone had directed him to my site to see my comments (and yours for those who followed up on my post), and, as he put it, “It’s always interesting to see how things land.” [...] [...] Buenos Aires - A few days I go I posted my reaction to a piece this week in the New York Times travel magazine. The piece (from the Times, not mine) generated a lot of local conversation, and a fair number of folks seemed to take it the way I did. It turns out that it’s one of those hazards of trying to write a short piece, that also gets edited, that writers face all the time. The writer of the piece, Oliver Schwaner-Albright, contacted me last night after someone had directed him to my site to see my comments (and yours for those who followed up on my post), and, as he put it, “It’s always interesting to see how things land.” [...]

]]> By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7528 dan Wed, 22 Nov 2006 20:43:24 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7528 Possibly - however, what's above is only an exerpt from the article. Though he never flat out stated it as a negative, I got the feeling throughout that he was trying to imply that if it wasn't traditionally Argentine, it was something to stay away from. He may not have intended that, but at least for me, and apparently some other folks, it came across that way. Possibly - however, what’s above is only an exerpt from the article. Though he never flat out stated it as a negative, I got the feeling throughout that he was trying to imply that if it wasn’t traditionally Argentine, it was something to stay away from. He may not have intended that, but at least for me, and apparently some other folks, it came across that way.

]]> By: asadoarg http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7518 asadoarg Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:49:54 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7518 Yeah I think he could have explained himself better. "The area’s trendy status has brought many restaurants that, perhaps not surprisingly, are more about the soaring interiors and designer cocktails than the food. It’s not that a meal at this type of restaurant is bad, just generic" I think that's the key. My impression, from him labeling the cuisine as generic, is that he isn't saying that modern restaurants don't belong, just that many should perhaps offer something unique instead of duplicating the norm. A little extra flair that sets this trendy area apart from those in other large cities. That there are more trendy restaurants offering generic cuisine instead of taking Argentinean cuisine and fusing it with modern cuisine from other locales. Foreign restaurants are fine in Buenos Aires but take advantage of this particular trendy neighborhood to show off trendy Argentinean-inspired cuisine. I think that's the point he's trying to make. Yeah I think he could have explained himself better.

“The area’s trendy status has brought many restaurants that, perhaps not surprisingly, are more about the soaring interiors and designer cocktails than the food. It’s not that a meal at this type of restaurant is bad, just generic”

I think that’s the key.

My impression, from him labeling the cuisine as generic, is that he isn’t saying that modern restaurants don’t belong, just that many should perhaps offer something unique instead of duplicating the norm. A little extra flair that sets this trendy area apart from those in other large cities. That there are more trendy restaurants offering generic cuisine instead of taking Argentinean cuisine and fusing it with modern cuisine from other locales. Foreign restaurants are fine in Buenos Aires but take advantage of this particular trendy neighborhood to show off trendy Argentinean-inspired cuisine. I think that’s the point he’s trying to make.

]]> By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7507 dan Wed, 22 Nov 2006 12:59:30 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7507 Aww shucks... I do know what you mean though, and it's interesting how many people really do think like this when they visit "out of the way" places. I remember visits with various groups to parts of Mexico, to Alsace, and smaller towns in Italy, and having people obsess about discovering that there were non-Mexican, Alsatian, or Italian restaurants in various towns, as if it was somehow ruining the experience for them. There was an article years ago in <em>National Geographic</em> where the writer lamented at length the fact that some valley in China was getting things like electricity, gas, running water, etc. - that it was destroying this unique culture where the people lived in harmony with the land... the following month there was a response from a local citizen there who had studied in the U.S., lambasting the writer for daring to presume that some group of people should be denied access to modern amenities, health care, and knowledge, just so that he, the writer, could admire from afar this pastoral, antiquated community. Similar things happen in the food world! Aww shucks…

I do know what you mean though, and it’s interesting how many people really do think like this when they visit “out of the way” places. I remember visits with various groups to parts of Mexico, to Alsace, and smaller towns in Italy, and having people obsess about discovering that there were non-Mexican, Alsatian, or Italian restaurants in various towns, as if it was somehow ruining the experience for them.

There was an article years ago in National Geographic where the writer lamented at length the fact that some valley in China was getting things like electricity, gas, running water, etc. - that it was destroying this unique culture where the people lived in harmony with the land… the following month there was a response from a local citizen there who had studied in the U.S., lambasting the writer for daring to presume that some group of people should be denied access to modern amenities, health care, and knowledge, just so that he, the writer, could admire from afar this pastoral, antiquated community.

Similar things happen in the food world!

]]> By: mattbites http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7465 mattbites Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:40:27 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7465 Dan, you hit the nail on the head on so many levels. I felt the exact same thing when I read the article, and found it a bit strange. Why wouldn't Buenos Aires offer some of the world's best modern food alongside the traditional offerings? But you said it best when you said "because Buenos Aires is somehow exotic or distant" and it does remind me of my first visit and my initial reaction. And for the record? I adore your site! Dan, you hit the nail on the head on so many levels. I felt the exact same thing when I read the article, and found it a bit strange. Why wouldn’t Buenos Aires offer some of the world’s best modern food alongside the traditional offerings? But you said it best when you said “because Buenos Aires is somehow exotic or distant” and it does remind me of my first visit and my initial reaction.

And for the record? I adore your site!

]]> By: ksternberg http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7463 ksternberg Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:33:00 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20061121/did-someone-miss-the-point#comment-7463 As you know from my recent visit, Dan, when I arrived in BA I was famished for anything but meat. Having just come off nearly a week-long press trip where almost every single lunch and dinner involved multiple courses of large chunks of grilled meats (I did manage to order some wonderful ravioli one evening), I wanted Chinese, pizza, salad, anything but carne. I am second to no one in my love for meat, but even filet mignon gets boring if you eat it every night. Any travel writer who fails to appreciate BA's tremendous diversity of cuisines has some kind of issue. As you know from my recent visit, Dan, when I arrived in BA I was famished for anything but meat. Having just come off nearly a week-long press trip where almost every single lunch and dinner involved multiple courses of large chunks of grilled meats (I did manage to order some wonderful ravioli one evening), I wanted Chinese, pizza, salad, anything but carne. I am second to no one in my love for meat, but even filet mignon gets boring if you eat it every night.

Any travel writer who fails to appreciate BA’s tremendous diversity of cuisines has some kind of issue.

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