Alex Witchel’s article in last week’s New York Times Dining section has been weighing heavily on our mind this past week. In the article, Witchel discusses her inner conflict between her urbane and conscientious side (which wants produce from a farmer’s market and artisanal foods) and the part of her that craves childhood comfort foods like Wonder Bread and Hostess Sno-Balls.
While we’re certainly not immune to the charms of processed foods (oh Kraft Mac & Cheese, you orange seducer, you), Witchel’s piece really made us think about another kind of food-based guilty pleasure. As the main representative for MenuPages Boston, we feel a great responsibility to know about Boston restaurants and support local businesses. For the most part, this is not a chore at all. In theory, we would always rather eat at a local restaurant that has a sense of community and history and is owned by a small group of people, not a giant corporation. In theory. Listen, we’ve known each other for a few weeks now. We can be honest with you, right?
Sometimes, all we want in this world is the tomato-basil spaghettini with goat cheese from California Pizza Kitchen. Sometimes, we’d rather head to Bertucci’s for a margherita pizza (we always order extra, since it is, perhaps, the world’s greatest cold pizza) than down to our soulful neighborhood cafe. We love a dining adventure as much as the next food writer, but every so often, you just want something cheap and familiar, you know?
We’re pretty sure we aren’t the only ones who feel this way. What’s your guilty pleasure restaurant? Drop us a line or let us know in the comment box. As we have no leg to stand on, we definitely won’t judge you.
A Soft Spot for the Anti-Artisanal [New York Times]
California Pizza Kitchen [MenuPages]
California Pizza Kitchen [Official Site]
Bertucci’s Brick Oven Pizzeria [MenuPages]
Bertucci’s Brick Oven Pizzeria [Official Site]
[Photo: Virtual Tourist: emilienoelle]
