What Happened to My Food?

Last month my husband and I took a trip to the United States to take care of some business and visit with loved ones.  Being that we live overseas, anytime I go back home is exciting because not only am I going to see friends and family members, I will visit the restaurants I have thoroughly missed and treat myself to all of my favorite foods. 

A little fact about me is, I love to eat, and when the food is prepared to perfection-my goodness, I'm in heaven!  As wonderful as this all sounds, when I got the chance to partake in what I thought was going to be one of the highlights of my trip, I was unpleasantly surprised.  Not one, not two, but just about every one of my beloved restaurants with the exception of Chick-Fil-A was an utter disappointment. The customer service was horrible and the food was poorly prepared.  One restaurant had such an awfully, pungent smell, we couldn't even sit down let alone order anything from the menu.  I just don't get it. 

Food in parts of the US is not what it used to be or at least what I can remember. It's as if those who are hired to prepare meals could care less about what is being served.  On the flip side, a few of the newer eateries I visited were pretty good.  I could tell they really wanted my business.  Now, we experienced this dissatisfaction in two states that we traveled to. 

To switch gears, I haven't just noticed this decline in restaurants, but in chocolate as well.  I don't care what anyone says, no childhood chocolate I used to eat while humming and dancing around the kitchen tastes the same.  Nowadays, manufacturers use so many fillers and artificial ingredients that they are totally ruining the chocolate.  Yep, I noticed (side-eye).  Don't get me wrong, I'm an advocate of change.  I love and embrace it because newness makes life interesting.  However, food is something I believe that if it's going to be changed, it should be for the better.  I'm not talking about GMO's either-not a fan.  I'm talking about recipes and attempts to make food healthier while also being tasty. 

As it is now though, I feel like proper and thoughtful preparation of food is a lost art.  Going forward, I suppose I will enjoy more meals at the homes of my friends and relatives when I visit, which is good but also sad because, who doesn't like going to their favorite restaurant with great food coupled with awesome memories?  I never thought it was too much to ask until now.