Hi folks. I'm fat. <BR><BR>(HOW FAT ARE YOU?)<BR><BR>I'm so fat, when the waiter gives me a menu, I simply reply, "Yes."

I know someone who buys his lunch regularly from a truck outside his work. When I have commented on how unappealing his "Super-wet Burrito" (that's really what it's called) looked, his comment was that "it fills the void". That is food to some people. Sad but true.

russi are you also saddened by people who take a quick shower with just plain Ivory soap instead of turning it into an hour-long extravaganza with fancy bubble bath? People get their pleasures in different ways and make choices about how to spend their time.

Russi - <BR><BR>Telling someone that the food they are eating looks unappealing to you is absolutely crass and ill-mannered. Thank you for the insight into you personality and lack of judgment - your post is much more of a poor relfection on you than it is on your co-worker.

Dr Ego-and YOUR parents would be so ashamed to have such ignorant offspring with terrible manners.<BR>Lucky for us that the genes that go into the makeup of a person like Elvira are stronger than the ones that make a cretin like you, so at least there are less Dr Egos walking around and hopefully more Elviras.<BR>You should try to deal with those jealousy issues.

I'd be interested in trying the "super wet burrito" first before offering my comments. Mexican food vendors set up outside a church on 14th Street between 7th and 8th ave on the weekends - and serve wonderful simple food - authentic gorditas, tortas, tacos. But the best are the tamales made by grandmothers. You never know....

mark, you're absolutely right, some of the messiest-looking Mexican food is the yummiest.

Oooo yeah, nothing like a good meal and good wine at the end of a long day of sightseeing! It's so nice after being on the go all day to relax, talk about what we've done, have good wine and good food in a nice peaceful atmosphere. By 'good food' I don't mean 5 star restaurants, just food that we like! And a nice atmosphere can be our hotel room, a park bench, a nice restaurant, a tavern, whatever.

Does anyone know what city Mark is in? If he doesn't feel it's necessary to name the city while giving an address, he must be a New Yorker!

Jen, Mark, Suzy,<BR><BR>You make valid comments based on the little information that I gave. I left out the part where my friend acknowledged that the food was not good. This was his assesment. As far as being rude, certainly, context plays a role in how words are perceived. Because my friend and I have an open, honest relationship, we can and do exchange opinions without fear of offending. I knew he would not be offended and he wasn't.

While not directly related, I thought it might be interesting to post the link to this article once again:<BR><BR>"Wine Snob Scandal"<BR><BR>http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0208/news-downey.shtml<BR><BR>The author of the study, Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Brochet, was concerned not with taste in general but with taste as applied to the evaluation and appreciation of wine, and the conclusions -- in regard to wine-tasting, specifically, but one could probably apply the same concept to other areas -- about how experience & knowledge compete with expectations which have been planted in our conscious minds, are very interesting.

Interesting article Capo. I guess taste is in the tongue of the beholder.

Russ - <BR><BR>Learn is right - that sort of behavior is unquestionably bad manners, no matter how you put it. What exactly were you trying to accomplish by saying it? Are you so arrogant that you think this person wants or needs you to tell him how to eat?

If the "super wet burrito" came from a vending machine then I would defintely pass.<BR><BR>Juno - I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. But - yes - I live in NYC - proper - as in Manhattan - as in downtown - not the Upper East Side nor the West Side - and no where near Tribeca. I do however wish I lived in the West Village. Alas - I live in Chelsea, her ugly step sister that has had a Jenny Jones make over the past 12 years I lived there. One can find amazing food at dives all around NYC - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and even Staten Island. Just because it's not Chanterelle or Gotham Bar & Grill doesn't mean it's bad. But I think we all agree that McDonalds is not "simple food", right?

Dear Bad,<BR><BR>I guess we'll have to agree to disagree with you on that one. The conversation was:<BR><BR>Me (referring to said burrito): Is that good?<BR><BR>Friend: No, but it fills the void.<BR><BR>Me: Yea, it doesn't look very appealing to me either.<BR><BR>This doesn't seem any different to me than say, my brother, who doesn't like certain types of film, saying, "A Beautiful Mind does not appeal to me". It is certainly not an indictment on an entire genre of films, just his opinion. I guess my group of friends and family are just used to allowing each other to have different opinions, without making them feel like they are wrong.

Those are the best type of friends and family to have. Everyone has their own opinion. Sometimes brutal honesty though is nothing more than veiled anger. We all have our own definiton for even the most simplest of things - such as the color red. A lot of people take differing opinions as personal judgements on their own when really they're not. <BR><BR>However if I'm going to fill the void I would much rather fill it with a foie gras burger at D'artagnan on E 46th Street - a thick slab of warmed foie gras with a pear chutney on a fresh brioche.

The person who claimed that "foodies" can't seem to fathom others' lack of interest in food was correct. In spite of those who see food as fuel, some here (those who love to eat) repeatedly refuse to believe it. <BR><BR>When I was young, I worked hard at my career and saved as much money as I could. Food was the last thing I purchased with whatever money I had left over, so I learned to budget my food like everything else. Now that I have plenty of money for food, I still buy very little of it! Those frugal eating habits have become ingrained and food is simply a necessary fuel. Now that I can afford to view food as some sort of art form or hobby, I still have little interest in it, probably from years of viewing it as a necessary evil in my budget.<BR><BR>I can see that some attach far more importance to food in their lives than I do, but I don't understand the importance nor do I share it. So am I going to naysay and negate the comments of others who love claim to love food, just because I can't understand it? Of course not. Everyone is different.

Dear Not,<BR><BR>Very well put. Thanks.

ttt

Sorry,but I cannot help but think that the people who claim to not need food or are uninterested in good eating while traveling ,are only doing so because of budget reasons.<BR>If you can afford to eat well,why would you go to a McDonalds or fast food kind of place, (that is an example,please do not think to defend eating at McD's here)...<BR>With the sort of thinking that you eat as fuel, just to take the hunger off,then when you are hungry and you can afford anything, would you still go to some cheap -grab -a -sandwich place,or would you sit down and enjoy some decent food?<BR>And I do not expect any honest replies, because having read this thread, too many people are taking sides,"not interested in food,therefore I am better than you" sort of thing.<BR>This is, though , JMHO.