I bring up the matter because the discussion is recurring in my environment. There are many well-known people who have even signed up for "gastronomic tourism", that is, traveling to other cities or other countries motivated by the excellence of a restaurant or festival, fair, conclave or culinary event. I am not going to tell anything new when I affirm that living new experiences through food has long been a social and cultural phenomenon that incorporates formidable proposals. There are the audiences for television programs about gastronomy, thematic channels on the digital platforms of traditional media or social networks that confirm the massive interest it arouses.
I will say more, if you are one of those who are not up to date on the subject, that of long tasting menus, you can come across as a little old-fashioned in certain conversations, which is what happens to me. It's not that I don't value everything mentioned, quite the opposite. But don't tell me why, but I'm a bit primitive, so to speak; I am still anchored in the taste of the traditional single spoon dish and I prefer it to that long list of names of small preparations by a good chef that they serve you for two hours. It happens to me that after the fourth plate I get bored with the experience, which does not mean that I do not value the product consumed, its quality of flavor, its pictorial presentation and its avant-garde proposal. That one thing does not eliminate the other, but for certain things one is a little impatient.
That's why I have quite a few debates with friends and even family. It happens when someone says "have you been to such and such a restaurant?", "it took us four months to find a table", "we spent 300 euros on the menu but it was a tremendous experience", "if you don't go to so and so's restaurant You don't know what's good, it has a beautiful decoration" or "you can't go to that city without visiting that two Michelin stars". It is then that I understand that I have been left out of a trend that many young people are also joining. And then I explain my particular gastronomic characteristic and I receive the avalanche of recommendations, advice and some criticism. I must be weird.
But I'm not daunted. I have decided that I must assume my gastronomic identity with pride, because the world is full of rarities. So much so that a long time ago I understood that I should also learn to prepare those hot spoon dishes that once on the table you can eat at the pace you want, without having to wait for another and another and another dish to complete the menu, because the menu is "single dish." In some cases, with a salad in the center to complete the experience (when I was little my grandmother put the salad plate in the middle of the paella, literally). The variety is also very wide; Only with dry or brothy rice is there a different option every day of the year. Not to mention that temple to the kitchen that is legumes. It's that simple, a good hot dish on the table and, if there is time, a dessert.
That's why I'm not a good customer of the great chefs with kilometer-long tasting menus, apart from the fact that in some cases they won't deny that the prices put excessive strain on the wallet: "you pay for the experience," they say. But if it is a restaurant with a preference for traditional food and that innovates on the hot plate with a spoon, I'm in. Even more so if everything comes with a good environment and a better price. Of course, with the condition that they serve quickly because otherwise I will have the same feeling of boredom that happened to me at weddings or communions (now I go to funerals more) because an eternity passed between dishes.
