First off, avacados are dope wtf, how are we gonna have a real conversation where people don't like avacados
This entire avocados are bland thing reminds me of when I watched a mind of a chef episode where owners of the Joe Beef restaurant were talking about how they had to invent a
foie gras double down because Yelpers/food bloggers were calling their food too conventional and boring. They were hypothesizing that because we've all been exposed to so much (and this applies to everyone posting in this topic) hyper flavored, sugared, and salted food that we generationally crave stronger and more intense flavors. I think the phrase was "grew up with mountain dew and taco bell". It makes some sense to me, because older folks I know tend to eat and be satisfied with simpler dishes. And all the post 1980s USA kids minus the PhoenixDarks and CountBlackules of the world love to try different and strange things, as far as my personal experience. At the same time, I reckon you could say that's due to an uptick in culinary interest in the last few years. Either way, I think there's something to be said for subtlety.
There's still room for subtlety. You see it in seafood fare, especially sashimi, nigiri, base fish plates, etc. And in health-targeted and eco-conscious foods; your grass feed beef burgers, free range chicken dishes, or vegan plates. I mostly associate the overpowering flavor scene with foodtrucks and fad foods that blow up quickly (e.g the cronut). Culinary areas that need to display oneupsmanship to standout and generate lines in a crowded area. And it's fun to have that super over the top lane open, and can lead to some legit creative dishes.
So I interpret the complaint you highlighted from Joe Beef a bit different. A lot of traditionally good, competent, well planned menus
are bland, simply because our generation can pinpoint the BEST culinary execution of each individual dish in a city. I know where to find the best crepes, I know where to find the second best crepes, I know where to find the not-top-five-but-sentimentally-awesome crepes. So if you aren't making some real bomb ass crepes...yeah you better come with a gimmick. You better add a double down w/ foie gras. Because it's unlikely I'm going to circle back to the 30th best foie gras in the city otherwise. I can get that anywhere. It's boring and bland if it's not among the best or presented with a new twist. To the same point, fad foods, "extreme combinations", and fusion restaurants die out real fast. So is that really where people want to take their repeat business?
That isn't to say I disagree with your overall point, our palette is definitely less sensitive today. Especially with regard to spice. There's no way your average guy off the street was ordering his ramen and curry at 6/7 spice twenty, thirty years ago. Shit, there's no way you could hand an IPA or a lot of the more popular stouts to that same person and not have them cough it up. I just don't think it means the end of subtlety and that a lot of problems chefs and restaurateurs have are more related to how intense the competition is and how ridiculously hard it is to overcome Yelp, OpenTable, Urbanspoon, Google Places, etc with regard to rankings. I mean your average foodie's wet dream is a seat at Jiro's and that's as far from a punch in the face flavor wise as it gets.
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