# What Makes Gourmet Food "Gourmet?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-gourmet-food-gourmet/588457>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 9, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-gourmet-food-gourmet/588457 "2011-07-09T23:11:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Profound\_Gibberish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Profound\_Gibberish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profound_Gibberish)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-gourmet-food-gourmet/588457/41 "2011-07-11T20:18:50Z")

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> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> I sort of agree about the quality of the ingredients, though “different” and “interesting” are concepts often abused. My point was more about the use of the term itself. If you have to say “gourmet” somewhere in you menu or literature it is something of a red flag to me.

I certainly agree that the term is misused, overused and somewhat pedestrian now. Unfortunate, because it is a good, descriptive word.

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**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-gourmet-food-gourmet/588457/42 "2011-07-13T02:26:33Z")

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> [@Roseanne\_Valerie](#):
>
> Or instead, I’ll just drive down to my local taqueria, and get a taco de lengua, a taco de birria, and a taco de tripa (or maybe even a taco de cabeza). I’ll spend about $7.00 including the drink, and I’ll have just tasted wonderfully exotic, big, bold flavors, masterfully prepared by the people in the kitchen. And I won’t have to get dressed up; I won’t have some fussy aesthete suggesting what kind of wine would best go with my dinner; and I won’t have to deal with stuffiness or snobbery of any kind.
> 
> Don’t get me wrong, fine dining does have its place. That said, the Emperor’s New Clothes comment above was absolutely spot on. And **keturah** , your implication that all dining that isn’t pretentious and “fine” is equivalent to Applebee’s is just hogwash.

You’re right, I neglected to include places such as you have mentioned. I love little spots that are not afraid of flavor and care about the food they serve. As another poster said upthread the ideas about food that we have are compatible. Clearly, fine dining has it’s place. It shouldn’t be a stuffy atmosphere, nor should it feel like you are getting shortchanged. I just wish that people would enjoy food in all of its forms-be it an amazing taco stand, a great bagel place or fine dining. It seems like too many restaurant owners/chefs dumb down their food or skimp on quality to make sure that they are not making portions too small to ensure that they are not looked at as robbing the customer.

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