Something to Chew On

We live in a buffet culture. It feels so satisfying to pay one price for an endless supply of food and the complete power of choice. We are a society skilled at balancing towering plates of food from the buffet line to the closest table we can find and repeating this process as many times as our stomachs will allow. The oddest sight to see in a buffet crowd is a neat plate with matching food. Spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread just don't seem sufficient when tacos, egg rolls and fried chicken are all calling your name at the same time. It would seem wasteful to just let them sit there! I guess there is not a lot of mystery to this American pastime. We all like to experience the joy of abundance and the thrill of unlimited pleasure-giving food.

However, I know a few people who shun buffets. This baffled my logical buffet mind. Why would you prefer to pay for a stingy, one-plate, mono-themed meal when you could pay less and enjoy a perpetual paradise of food?  I was curious so I asked one of them. "Well, aside from the fact that I always seem to get sick from buffets", they said, "I don't care for a huge mixture of foods. I feel better when I eat a moderate amount of good, quality food." Yeah, now that they said that, it is true that 99% of folks leaving a buffet are grumbling about their swollen bellies or digging for antacids. I see their point. I also note that this person is a person of class and taste (no pun intended!). Maybe there is some wisdom in this quality over quantity mentality.  I think I will chew on it over this nice Mexican meal, egg rolls not included.