The Overrated List
Adam Platt’s least-favorite food trends.

Speck The prosciutto of the new millennium, only milder, more leathery, and less appetizing.

Edamame Paying $8 for a plate of gourmet lima beans gets tired after a while.

The Boisterously Jolly Japanese Salute In Japan, it’s quaint custom. In jumpy Manhattan, having eighteen Japanese guys yell at you when you walk in the door can be a little unsettling.

Fancy Tea Menus Who knew you could get Sencha Reserve organic tea at Le Bernardin? Who cares?

Wagyu Beef The poor cousin of Kobe beef, which, as everyone knows, ascended to the overrated Hall of Fame several decades ago.

Really Tiny Kitchens If you can see an electric range and the whites of the chef’s eyes, the drinks had better be really good, because the food probably isn’t.

Small Plates The current haute-restaurant term for price-gouging.

Wine Pairings The current sommelier term for price-gouging.

Romanesco This year’s version of ramps.

Cocoa Nibs If you don’t know what this exotic dessert item is, you’re not alone. What ever happened to chocolate chips?

Unisex Bathrooms Like chicken coops and airplane toilets, they promote messiness, overcrowding, and confusion.

The Communal Hand-Washing Moat This fashionable new feature makes washing your hands at a glamorous restaurant feel perilously close to scrubbing up after a day at the dairy barn.

Related:

• Archive: “Features”
• Articles by Adam Platt
• Table of Contents: Jan 3, 2005 issue of New York | Subscribe!