# Food and drink that used to seem "premium" that no longer do... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415 "2015-08-09T23:59:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/41 "2015-08-11T23:03:19Z")
25 years ago, shrimp was priced just below lobster and crab leg prices at seafood restaurants and in supermarkets. A lot of people waited for special occasions to order shrimp dishes. Then Thailand and China perfected shrimp farming - now it’s much cheaper and easy to find in more modestly priced restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/42 "2015-08-11T23:05:31Z")
Portabella mushrooms seem like one produce item that was really special and isn’t now. Same with any green except romaine, iceberg lettuce, and spinach. Even McDonalds has some (formerly) unusual leaves in its salads. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/43 "2015-08-11T23:29:52Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m not much of a beer drinker, but when I was in college in the late 1960s, we could not get Coors beer in Texas. So the thing was if you had any friends going to Colorado, they would bring back a case of Coors. (I’m not making this up.) College in WI in the 70’s. Had a friend that lived in Golden, he always brought back a few cases of Coors that were treasured. ---
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/44 "2015-08-11T23:48:36Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Cheese that wasn’t American, Cheddar or Swiss was something only snooty rich people ate, especially spreadable cheese. Now it is pretty common to find dozens of options in any Market. Brie for $2.99 @ Aldi. Drizzle honey over it, pop in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Serve with good bread. Not the best Brie I’ve had, but amazing for the price. Trader Joe’s has awesome values as well. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/45 "2015-08-11T23:48:50Z")
Balsamic vinegar ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/46 "2015-08-12T00:20:05Z")
> [@seal\_cleaner](#): > > College in WI in the 70’s. Had a friend that lived in Golden, he always brought back a few cases of Coors that were treasured. I remember people making a big deal about Coors when I was a kid in Indiana in the 80s, well before I could drink. Funny what scarcity can do! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/47 "2015-08-12T01:27:04Z")
I am not sure when single malts hit liquor stores in the US (Wikipedia is useless on this), but I never heard of them until the 90s and had my first taste in 1996 or so. I know they were produced way back when (I’ve seen pics of old bottles of Macallan and I know Laphroaig was offered as “medicinal whisky” by prescription during Prohibition). In any case, there was a time when blended Scotches like Chivas Regal were considered a big deal. Today still, some premium blends like Johnnie Walker Blue and Platinum are still going for that status, but they have a lot of competition. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/48 "2015-08-12T01:46:14Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Pizza Hut was the fancy pizza growing up. > > With PH, it felt like the parents were putting out \*real \*money for pizza tonight, so you better appreciate it, son. I’m a devout Detroit pizza fan, but I’ll go out on a limb and say that Pizza Hut isn’t bad. Avoid the lunch time buffet, but go for dinner, and make sure you have their Pan Pizza. The restaurant is full service, salad bar is decent, and you can have beer and/or wine. IMHO they kind of cheapened their image in the late 80s by focusing on takeout and delivery, but the restaurant experience isn’t bad at all. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/49 "2015-08-12T01:46:48Z")
I didn’t mean to imply single malts hit liquor stores in the mid-90s. I think one could start finding basic malts in the mid to late 80s, but I wasn’t drinking yet then. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/50 "2015-08-12T13:53:57Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > 25 years ago, shrimp was priced just below lobster and crab leg prices at seafood restaurants and in supermarkets. A lot of people waited for special occasions to order shrimp dishes. Then Thailand and China perfected shrimp farming - now it’s much cheaper and easy to find in more modestly priced restaurants. That’s super-dependent on where you lived… shrimp wasn’t ever as expensive as stuff like lobster or king-crab legs in Houston(or New Orleans, or Tampa, or Mobile, etc…), and I’m betting that lobster was significantly cheaper in Maine, and crab in Alaska. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/51 "2015-08-12T16:21:57Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > I am not sure when single malts hit liquor stores in the US (Wikipedia is useless on this), but I never heard of them until the 90s and had my first taste in 1996 or so. I know they were produced way back when (I’ve seen pics of old bottles of Macallan and I know Laphroaig was offered as “medicinal whisky” by prescription during Prohibition). Yeah, back in the 80s-90s, Glenlivet was the go to gift for my dad. There was nowhere near the proliferation of scotches back then. Same w/ the clears. Stoli was pretty much the standard, with some Absolute support. For gin, the premiums were Tanq and Beef, with a few Bombay fans. Now, Stoli, Tanq, and Beef are almost considered well brands. The growth of beers is truly phenomenal. I worked in a liquor store in the early-mid 80s. We had a HUGE selection of crafts/imports - which now pales in comparison to my local grocery store! It WAS HUGE when Sam, Goose, Leinie (Chicago area) became the reasonably priced consistent alternatives to cheap mass brews or pricey imports. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/52 "2015-08-12T22:30:37Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Pizza Hut was the fancy pizza growing up. > > With PH, it felt like the parents were putting out \*real \*money for pizza tonight, so you better appreciate it, son. Yeah, and in those days, a trip to a Chinese restaurant was an exotic treat. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/53 "2015-08-13T01:29:42Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Yeah, and in those days, a trip to a Chinese restaurant was an exotic treat. When was this? By the late 70s, we were getting Chinese takeout pretty regularly, although we were in the Chicago burbs… ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/54 "2015-08-13T01:38:54Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Pizza Hut was the fancy pizza growing up. > > With PH, it felt like the parents were putting out \*real \*money for pizza tonight, so you better appreciate it, son. Just talking about this. Pizza Hut was EXPENSIVE. Back in the day, they pulled in $30 or more for a single large pie and drinks (eat in, of course)… That was an expensive night out back in the late 70’s, early 80’s (in my family, anyway). They must have made a bundle before reality set in and people began buying pizza based more on price. Hell, when I was working and living poor at my first job, Little Ceasars was the greatest invention of all time! I could get 2 pizzas for less than $10 total, and it wasn’t bad. I wish I could remember what that expensive Pizza Hut pizza actually tasted like. I am sure they’ve changed ingredients as they’ve lowered their price point, but as a kid, I thought it was great. They had two choices… Thick and chewy, or thin and crispy. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/55 "2015-08-13T01:43:04Z")
Godiva Chocolate used to be available at only two places in all of the United States. Now it is in grocery stores and movie theaters and 7-11 for all I know. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/56 "2015-08-13T01:44:31Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > Balsamic vinegar Actual balsamic vinegar still _is_ a premium product. “Balsamic vinegar of Modena”, the artificially flavored concoction that gets passed off as the real thing about 99% of the time, is not. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/57 "2015-08-13T02:09:55Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > When was this? By the late 70s, we were getting Chinese takeout pretty regularly, although we were in the Chicago burbs… Late 60s/early 70s, small-town South. I’d imagine Chinese food was a mainstay in big cities much earlier. But for us, it was very much an exotic culinary adventure. To get it, we had to drive thirty minutes to a small city of 30,000. That city had, at the time, one Chinese restaurant. Today, the same city has thirteen Chinese restaurants. So yeah, different world. Also, if you wanted “ethnic” food, your options in that place and time were Italian or Chinese. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/58 "2015-08-13T02:19:02Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Actual balsamic vinegar still _is_ a premium product. “Balsamic vinegar of Modena”, the artificially flavored concoction that gets passed off as the real thing about 99% of the time, is not. Most definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/59 "2015-09-02T01:43:31Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I wish I could remember what that expensive Pizza Hut pizza actually tasted like. I am sure they’ve changed ingredients as they’ve lowered their price point, but as a kid, I thought it was great. They had two choices… Thick and chewy, or thin and crispy. The pizzas are smaller than I remember so I think that is part of the lower cost. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415/60 "2015-09-02T21:17:03Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > In my day, I remember that Rolling Rodk was a “hip” beer that people liked to be seen drinking, but it was and always has been swill. I can’t remember when it went national, but the brewery was purchased by a large, national beer company and sent it everywhere. I seem to remember that happening in the early 90’s To me it always had a vague aftertaste of black olives - and I hate black olives. Another one that was high class for no reason Lowenbrau - do they still even make that? The funny thing to me is beers we scoff at (Bud, Coors) are big sellers outside the US in Ireland clubs and Singapore and such they are imports it’s like their hipster PBR drink. Then people in the US like Smithwicks (a decent Irish beer that is not terribly popular in Ireland) or Tiger (Basically Singaporean Bud - the only reason I drank it in Singapore was because it was cheap). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-and-drink-that-used-to-seem-premium-that-no-longer-do/727415.md?page=4)