Pepper Mills of Yore

  Posted on July 24, 2009  by Leslie Blythe  4 comments

I have no idea why this popped into my head, but do you remember how pepper grinders in the ‘80s got progressively bigger and bigger? It was purely an affectation and the desire for phallic extension. Didn’t you hate having to tell the waiter “WHEN” on the pepper front?

You know it’s bad once the “latest” trends, like oddly shaped plates full of olive oil and balsamic for your bread, trickle down to places like the Olive Garden. I have never been to the Olive Garden and don’t plan on ever going. Everything they serve is made “off” premises (I have been to the facilities where they “manufacture” the sauces and dressings) and there is a picture of every item on the menu so that the line cooks can arrange it just so. Just shoot me now or hook me up to an IV full of Prozac and Lunesta.

I find most national chains more depressing than going to Bakersfield for the weekend. There are only a few chains that I think are acceptable. The Daily Grill is one of those. They manage to do it right and it doesn’t feel like a chain. I used to go to the original –The Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills. Anyway, you must think I am a complete snob, but I think we should support small local, family run restaurants.