I think the Cafe Society choice of the OP means he was thinking in terms of food or beverage. LOL
Maybe this should be moved?
Oh, my contribution would be Russian Caviar! Hey, it was a big deal in James Bond movies and considered very sophisticated. I finally got a chance to try some, and I found it salty and kind of off-putting.
Chick Fil-A. I’d never been to one before because I always happened to be near one on Sunday. But they opened one a half mile from my house like a year or two ago so I went. It was… fine. I really don’t get it. I didn’t taste any pickle brine or anything, it was just a plain, underseasoned white meat chicken patty in a bun. Even the waffle fries were mediocre.
I went to iFly once for someone’s birthday. The main issue is only one chamber, and 60-90 second sessions. That’s barely enough time to get oriented, and then they’re pushing you out the door. Complete waste of $50.
My issue was that the fans they used to lift you up made it difficult to breath, so I did not enjoy the experience at all. I’ve often wondered if real skydiving like that?
Never been, but I would have to imagine that it is.
I’ve seen the videos of people trying it and having all kinds of unpleasant reactions. One thing they have in common are comments stating that the reason they people trying it supposedly had those reactions is because they didn’t try it the way they were they supposed to, with the sides as you note. I don’t buy that. I think if there’s something someone doesn’t like, adding extra things to it won’t make it taste better. Same with things that one does like just because they aren’t served with their usual accompaniments.
Ice cream doesn’t become bad tasting if it’s served without a cone. Steak doesn’t become bad tasting if it’s served without a baked potato. A cheeseburger doesn’t become bad tasting if it’s served without fries. And I doubt that surströmming will taste better just because it’s served with those traditional accompaniments, which seems to be the implication from many of the comments on those videos.
I tried it once. I didn’t think it was any better than other caviar. I think it’s OK, no better or worse than other caviar. I’d have it if it was served, but I wouldn’t say it’s anything spectacular.
FWIW, when Andrew Zimmern tried Surstromming at the Swedish embassy, first he just took a bite straight from the can (as many other people ran away), and said it was horrible. But then they prepared it the traditional way and it was much more palatable.
I mean, a dip of Vegemite straight out of the jar is pretty rough, but on buttered toast it’s divine, so some things do work well as an ingredient but not standalone.
On a chill day, my wife and I popped into a place that had a hot toddy on the list. That was, in my imaginative mind, a quintessential drink to restore life to cold bones. Maybe it is but only if you can bring yourself to drink heated floor varnish. Something about the heating brought out the least pleasant aspects of the liquor amplified by the lemon. Bleah, I’d rather just be chilled.
Long before I ever heard of C.S. Lewis or Narnia, I visited the U.N. and brought back a cookbook with recipes from all over the world. One of the entries was Turkish Delight, which I decided to make, using their recipe.
My reaction – This is supposed to be a great treat? I was underwhelmed, but my expectations were not as high as those of you who were suckered in by C.S. Lewis’ sales pitch.
Most of us remember the Seinfeld “Soup Nazi” episode that was based on a real-life soup stand in Manhattan whose soups were so good that there was always a long lineup. I never sampled any of those soups, but for a short period of time many years ago, many varieties of those soups were sold at retail. It was purported to be the same stuff (though I doubt that it was exactly the same) and IIRC it was sold in single-serving refrigerated packets. To encourage purchases, key scenes from “The Soup Nazi” played on an endless loop on a nearby TV.
I wouldn’t say I was “sorely disappointed” except to the extent that I might have been expecting something really special. It was decent soup, but no more than that, and rather pricey. Furthermore, quite a few different varieties had a very similar taste, as if they all used the same base. Overall, quite underwhelming.
Yes this. I went to Toronto a couple years ago with a group of friends for an axe throwing tournament (as one does) and some of the people in the group couldn’t wait to get poutine. I like all the components of poutine and it was fun to try as a treat but in all, I thought it was “fine.”
So kinda like this:
Hover-over text:
I take it Narnia doesn’t have Cinnabons? Because if you can magic up a plate of those, I’ll betray whoever.
Well we weren’t CS Lewis’s audience - 1950 Great Britain was. Compared to the usual post-war British rationing cuisine, Turkish Delight is probably fantastic. Sell out your family fantastic, even :D.
My wife had always wanted to try jackfruit, and I was interested to try it too. Our local Kroger was supposed to carry it, but I never saw it in the store when I looked, until one day they had exactly one jackfruit for sale. It was big, the size of a smallish watermelon. The price said $.99 and I thought “Huh. Pretty cheap”. Well, that was $.99 a pound, duh-- I ended up spending $20 on it 
The fruit was mealy and bland, completely unremarkable to the point of almost being inedible. It might not have been ripe, though. The seeds were better-- they have a more savory flavor, and we read online they’re good boiled. After boiling and salting, they had the flavor and consistency of giant chick peas.
Yeah, Turkish delight is likely to be mind blowing if you’re a kid who has almost never tasted sugar.
For me it was Montreal style bagels. I had them fresh and they weren’t bad at all but not mind blowing. and by the next day they seemed sort of stale already.
Yeah, I remember listening to a history podcast and they stated that “the experience of sweetness on the tongue was very rare on the prairie.”
I often pause and try to grasp that… (me who can’t make a run to the hardware store without stopping for some “sweetness on the tongue”).
BTW, a century ago immigrants started making Turkish Delight from the fruit trees in Washington State, and it’s grown into an industry: Aplets and Cotlets.
Those are actually pretty good. But I’ve tried it from several Middle Eastern groceries/delis (I would assume it’s more authentic), and it’s not nearly so good.
It’s too early on a Friday to get all angry and give it the rant it deserves so I’ll just say this: Turkish Delight is a liar and a traitor. And Circus Peanuts.
Well, you were in the wrong province. I wouldn’t expect much from, say, beignets in Nebraska, either. 