Soft tacos, Sichuan dumplings, pho and ... burgers. As food trends go, the all-American infusion has me baffled.
Having spent some months trailing the US diner route along Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway and the Mississippi River Rd, I get the fascination. Food so bad that it's good, soundtrack stuck in the past, vinyl-clad counter stools and frosty, permed waitresses. Definitely a genre worth a revisit - if done well. But need it become the go-to inspiration for the hospitality industry?
After all, Burger King is a diner, Denny's and Wendy's too. In many smaller cities in the US, these chains and other "family restaurants" are the best you're gonna get. The dreamy pulled pork, smoky wings and fried shrimp necessitate a slightly harder hunt.
To me, something vintage is best kept vintage - the real thing is always better. The spirit and history inherent in those booth seats and that old waitress' eyes are what define the experience. The new Brooklyn-inspired bar with reclaimed wood and purposefully plastic chip baskets doesn't quite nail it.
But there's one area in which newer can be better. And it may just be the most important aspect.
The food. On most of my diner visits, no matter how many neon lights drew me in, my meal would disappoint. Way too much cream and sugar in the famous American pie, way too much grease in the burger, way too much of everything really.
But I still ate two pies for dessert one night, because when an elderly, aproned waitress calls you dah-lin, tells you her life story, and offers you two free pies 'cause you simply must try them both, there's no saying no.
Though I can't say the same for every new US-inspired joint in Auckland, those who put their own spin on it, improving rather than replicating, get my vote. Places like Federal Delicatessen get the pie just right, and the decor and service pretty damn close. And pretending I'm back at the Waffle House in North Carolina, where the food may be bad but the conversation starts with "Where y'all from?" That's priceless.
