O'Betty's (W8)

Eating about O’Betty’s in the middle of Athens is an experience. There is an atmosphere that was created by the original on West State Street, so I was curious how the one on Union Street was going to compare considering it was quite larger in comparison to the original. The food of course is absolutely fantastic at both places. When I went to the one on Union, I had chili cheese fries and they did not disappoint. Cheese and chili soaked the fries and made sure that the whole basket was full of some flavor. There were parts that had just chili, just cheese and both. In the beginning, it was easy to eat with my fingers, but once I got to the middle and the bottom (where apparently a lot of the ingredients ended up), I needed a fork. It just really proved that it was worth the amount it cost.  

It was nice to be able to have such an open space at the one on Union because it didn’t feel so cluttered. Although I love the close quarters that the original provides, I always did feel like it was too small to work for all the people that usually occupied it. Also, in the old one, the place where a person orders their food and pays for it is in the small narrow hallway that leads to the only door in the building. The new O’Betty’s definitely addresses that issue with having a bigger, wider space as well as having people take orders as well; which was a weird aspect considering how the original allows you to order food at a counter and then when you sit down, someone brings it out to you.

However different the buildings are, the atmosphere is still the same. It is all about the hotdogs and the crazy way people can create whatever they want or pick from eclectic hotdogs on the menu. The people that work at both are just a friendly and the food is just as delicious. My classmate and I ordered a small chili cheese fry (since that was the only thing we could buy with our change we put together) and they brought out a large. When we told them about the mistake (since we couldn’t afford a large), they said they would charge us the small’s price. Little things like that make all the difference with customer service. Overall, I was impressed with the new O’Betty’s.

Persuasive Food Films (W7)

In my opinion, I believe that most (if not all) documentary filmmakers want to change the world with their movie. I feel like movies such as Food Inc. and Supersize Me are meant to scare people with the facts about what their food is made of and what it can do to a person. If a person really saw all the drugs that the meat they are consuming had been injected with while the animals were alive or all the chemicals that goes in later in the process, they may second guess what they are eating. If a person were to watch Morgan continuously eating fast food and his health decline rapidly, they may reconsider. Yet, with every person that may be swayed and decide to choose the healthier choices, there are reasons that would not allow others to change and some people who would not change at all.

Even if a person is completely persuaded by what a film has to say, that does not mean that a person will change their lifestyle. Of course the main reason is the fact that people may not have the time or money in order to by food that is healthy for them. Although they might be completely disgusted by what they see, if a person does not have the means to buy organic or healthy food, it is not going to matter how persuasive a movie is. Another reason is that if people have grown up and lived their life a certain way, a movie may not change their minds at all. If they have been conditioned and think that the food they are eating is delicious and convenient.

However, there is also the case that if people have that mentality, they also may believe that movies like Food Inc. and Supersize Me are complete fabrications; that the facts are not real and the footage used is exaggerated. People today like to believe that conspiracies are everywhere and anything that would speak against what they have known for years would be nothing more than slanderous lies. Plus, people would not like to know that they have been consuming lies for their entire lives.

So although persuasive movies have good intentions (especially when it comes to food documentaries), there are many that would not buy into it. If for some reason they do, they may not change at all for various reasons.

Open Food Blog (W6)

Nothing makes a person miss home than when they are far away in a strange place. When I went to college, I did not understand what all I would be giving up food wise. Dining halls seemed like this wonderful buffet where a person would have multiple options and be able to eat however much a person wanted. It was clearly obvious to be wary of portions in order to not gain the “Freshmen Fifteen,” but I did not know how easy it was going to be to eat small portions.

Before I continue, let me say that I do not know what other college campuses provide for their food; I am merely referring to the experience that I had at my college.

The first time I ate in a dining hall, I was completely excited to grab all sorts of different food. The fact that there was a salad bar was nice too, because it allowed for me to be able to at least think that I would eat healthy (although I would rarely choose that option). The rest of the food though was definitely lacking quality. Food would be cold, taste terribly, be congealed, and even stick to my plate when the plate was turned on its side. (That happened specifically with a strawberry shortcake I had.) It made me miss home cooked meals and my family so often times, I would drive home every other weekend.

Junior year was looking to be more exciting for me. I was completely excited to move into a house that had its own kitchen that even came with a stove and oven. Foolishly, I thought that I was going to be doing a lot of cooking and baking. I quickly found out that was not true at all. My diet mainly consists of simple and quick foods to make like Ramen, grilled cheese, hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, and the like. Occasionally, my boyfriend and I will make a breakfast or dinner together on the weekends. It is a shame that I cannot really create food like I thought I would be able to.

I have to say, I cannot wait until I can make real food in my home. I am not sure if college is keeping me from being able to make real food or if I am not correctly managing my time. If that is the case, I need to work better at it so when I get out into the real world, my dinner options will be of quality and I want to have a plethora of options. I want it so that when I have my own kids, they will want to come home for the food I make.

View on Fast Food (W5)

First and foremost, I am not one to really eat fast food. I hate the way it smells and tastes. Even as a child, when my mother would go through a drive-thru, she would try to get me to eat something but I always refused. There was just something I did not like about it. Plus, for some reason, as a child I knew it was bad for me and there was no way I was going to eat bad food. Granted, I do occasionally get a chicken quesadilla from Taco Bell, but other than that, I try to stay as far away from fast food as possible.

Honestly, until this blog I had not thought about the fact that other countries do not regard fast food the way the United States does. The only other country that I have been to is Canada and the places that I have been in Canada did not have a McDonald’s (from what I remember) except for in the travel plazas.

I think that one of the major reasons that Americans are in love with fast food is because they have a fast lifestyle. Americans are a part of the few countries that work as much as they do. Americans are constantly on the go. Not only do they have a job, but they might also have one or two more that will not allow for a home cooked meal. If they only have one job, often times, they are parents of children that need picked up after school or have extracurricular activities and thus, they once again have no time to really prepare a healthy dinner. Fast food offers people the chance to grab something quickly when they do not have the time to otherwise make a perfectly good dinner for their family.

Another reason that I think fast food is mainly an American thing is because I know that Americans are becoming dependable on the idea of instant gratification. I am not sure how other countries are, but as generations stand now, Americans are very demanding. They want what they want, when they want it. Fast food works perfect with that.

Since I have only been to Canada, all I can say is that it seems as if they were less involved with major corporations leading their lifestyle than mom and pop stores and restaurants. Granted, I am sure places like Montreal and Toronto have plenty of corporations/fast food joints that are similar to what Americans have. A lot of the restaurants that my family came across while we were traveling were more local and thus the food was fresher and healthier. It was nice to eat fish that had been caught in the lake that we were sitting next to. There were no added preservatives or chemicals which fast food is known for (as well as been critiqued for). I think many other countries take pride in the food that they cook and find time to cook it for their families so that future generations can create the same thing. Unfortunately, I believe a good majority of America lacks that.