Food and Restaurants

Is it just me or does it seems like the world has been taken over by the corporate quick serve restaurant chains (QSR)? I live in a fairly upscale town in Texas and it has become increasingly difficult to find a nice restaurant to get a really good meal. I have been in the food industry for 25+ years and over those years I have noticed a decline in quality non-corporate restaurants. It has become much harder to find a job where you can be proud to say “I am the executive chef at XYZ restaurant”. Now, I have been very lucky in the past I have worked for many very nice places. So, maybe I’m just spoiled. But, I don’t think so. Maybe its the economy? I don’t think that all the blame is on the economy I think that people in general just do not know what fine food is anymore with everyone in a hurry to get somewhere or do something. We stop just long enough to choke something down so we don’t die of starvation. We as a nation have lost sight of sitting down and taking time for a meal and enjoying our food. This pains me, I was taught as a kid to sit down every night and have dinner with my family as a family we would discuss the day’s events and take our time and enjoy our food.  I am sure this has also been the main factor in the obesity problem in America. Most of the food at these restaurants are full of a bunch of stabilizers and crap, sure, the stuff tastes good but, you don’t want to eat it all the time. I know this because being a chef I know what it takes to keep that sauce hot and fresh for extend period of time so it doesn’t break. A little modified food starch can go a long way. And don’t even get me started on fast food, if you can still call it food after it has been manufactured. Don t get me wrong I love to eat that shit to, hence the reason I go to the gym every morning at 4am if I didn’t I would be 400 pounds. I guess what I am saying is we have the best food in the world available for us to eat and everyone is keeps increasingly eating the worst food available. Come on guys let’s get with the program.