In a recent New York Times Op-Ed, Frank Bruni makes the case that America has become a culture of binging. Not only in culinary and dietary matters, but in culture, entertainment and politics more broadly, Bruni sees a society lacking in what old timers use to call “the virtue of moderation” and instead venerates “the extreme”.
In the area of restaurants, he sites some of the dishes he has eaten in restaurant during the recent past that make his case:
“…Fried kale with candied pancetta…Foie gras on a biscuit doused in both maple syrup and pork-sausage gravy… Potato hash with duck-heart gravy… Fried bologna sandwich…and a place in Queens went ahead and called itself Salt & Fat. Its beet salad has pepperoni chips. Its apple salad has candied walnuts and speck. And the foie gras comes with bacon brittle.”