Uncategorized

10.21.2015: @Bourdain in the Bay Area / Chicken

SIGH

My Beef with Bourdain in the Bay Area (this time)

On Sunday night, CNN aired the Bay Area episode of Parts Unknown, the Anthony Bourdain-hosted travel/food show that I’ve talked so positively about for a long time. (Ironically, I considered the show and host’s willingness to embrace Twitter and Tumblr and apps and other tech products as promotion vehicle to be best-of-breed.) Unfortunately, most of the show felt like an afterthought, complete with forced “tech vs. artist” conversations and convenient omissions.

I assumed there would be some sort of tech angle to the show, and was hopeful the show would spotlight some of the awesome happening in the city I call home. That didn’t happen, really, and in my opinion, the show missed a huge opportunity to comment on the restaurant+tech discussion. I’ve seen firsthand how consumer techproducts have changed the restaurant experience in the city; would have been cool to see the changes spotlighted for a national audience.

Anyway, here’s a longer version of what I thought about the show and why I think it missed the mark.


illustration by April V. Walters
illustration by April V. Walters

CLUCK

Restaurant Recruits Chicken to Run Its Twitter Feed

An Australian chicken restaurant has, in a publicity move that has apparently worked well, enlisted the help of an actual chicken to “run” its Twitter feed. Seriously, the chicken, whose name is Betty, has a computer in her coop, and tweets as she pecks at or walks over the keys of the keyboard. The restaurant has plans to leave Betty in control until she manages to type a five-letter word in English, which will earn her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. (I have no idea.)


PREDICTIONS

Is There Truth in Back to the Future’s Food Predictions?

Unless this is the first piece of digital content you’ve read today, you’ll know that today is the day that Marty McFly traveled to in Back to the Future 2. In addition to that Cubs-World-Series thing you’ve heard about, Saveur has a fun roundup of the movie’s food predictions — some of which actually worked out; others (the pizza) are far from present day.


HA

52 Theme Weeks for Your Food Blog

Yesterday, @shitfoodblogger shared a hilariously appropriate 52 theme week suggestions for any food blog. Funny, because it’s true. I’ve advocated for a while to just say no to “National [whatever food] day” posts and themes — to be honest, it’s forced and kind of lazy and really, who cares if it’s national barbecue potato chip day (Which is not a thing, yet, but National Potato Chip Day is March 14; National Barbecue Day is May 16.) Anyway, the list is funny, and true, and well done.


WELP

Yelp is Not Suing South Park

…but that would have been funny. A satirical article made its way around the internet yesterday claiming that Yelp is suing South Park creators over their recent episode mocking the service and the entitled attitude of some who use it. Sadly, it’s not true (but that would have been amazing.) Yelp confirmed they have no plans to sue with a tweet that reads: As Abraham Lincoln once said, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet.


Digestifs

  • This avocado video is taking the internet by storm — Delish
  • How does a no-tipping restaurant model work? — Eater
  • Farm-to-air: JetBlue’s growing produce at JFK — NPR

More from Skift Table