Stateside Inspiration - Nostalgia
Nostalgia: the power of the past
We Americans may be overly sentimental - schmaltzy some might even say - but it's hard to deny the power of fond memories of an idyllic (if not entirely realistic) simpler time. Call it nostalgia, call it retro food, but in the States, some of the most popular, highest grossing restaurants offer the same kinds of food, in the same atmosphere that people remember growing up with.
There's definitely something to be said for nostalgia. It's a way, albeit briefly, to escape the pressures and stress of being a grown-up and relive some of the fond memories of your childhood, often sharing them with your own kids. It's like continuing a tradition - maybe not the most innovative of menus, but there's something comforting in things that don't change.
Take the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. For the past 14 years, it's been voted best in the family dining category of the Choice in Chains award, from Restaurants & Institutions magazine. The chain provides a homely experience with décor and atmosphere where you might expect to see the Waltons at the next table. Although Cracker Barrel has the most up-to-date ordering and production systems, employee training and customer feedback setups, its menu stays reassuringly the same. It features traditional American favourites such as chicken and dumplings, BBQ meatloaf and lemon ice box pie. Best known for its hearty, countrystyle breakfasts, the chain has recently introduced new dishes, such as more adventurous salads, and ingredients such as Portobello mushroom to keep up with the flavour profiles consumers demand.
Nostalgia can mean many things to many people and can be really fun when taken tongue in cheek. For a lot of us, especially growing up on the east coast, the family's best-loved restaurant from childhood was the red-checked-tablecloth, Chianti-bottle-on-the-table, Italian-American restaurant. The 100-unit Buca di Beppo chain takes this idea and runs with it. It calls it "Immigrant Southern Italian cooking" and serves old fashioned specialities in huge platters for the table to share "family-style".It's a fun, relaxed experience perfect for big parties and families.
Even borrowing someone else's nostalgia and updating it can work too. Whether it's to appeal to homesick ex-pats or just Brits discovering the joys of a really great burger, springing up all over London is Gourmet Burger Kitchen, offering the all-American favourite made from 100% ground beef, and grilled and served with fancy toppings at £7-£9.
In the UK, pubs are already the bastions of traditional British favourites, but are there other enduring memories for popular dishes or places, like old friends, you'd be eager to see again? A much-loved holiday dish? A special dessert you could order if you were really good? C'mon. Don't be afraid to be sentimental - you won't be the only one (World Cup 1966?).
www.crackerbarrel.com
www.bucadibeppo.com
www.gbkinfo.com
Sources: Reed's Chain Leader May 2005
Restaurants & Institutions "Choice in Chains" 2004
Originally from New York, Lisa is MD of the Food Stuff UK, a foodservice-focused agency that she set up five years ago after working for more than 10 years in the Food Stuff's New York office
