"Alan Holbrook" > wrote in message
. 3.30...
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in
> :
>
>> This American food thing got me to thinking.
>>
>>
>> So did you have any false conceptions of foods that are eaten in other
>> countries? Or heard of any such things?
>>
>>
>
> To your point, I have a great deal of trouble taking most "Mexican" food
> seriously after being directed to a couple of authentic places in San
> Diego, and I'll go to "Asian" restaurants, but I don't expect the kind of
> food I got during a two year stint in Asia while in the Navy.
>
> But, like your Australian example, it definitely works both ways. I was
> in Amsterdam on business once on the 4th of July, and I was staying at a
> chain hotel, Marriott if I remember correctly. I made the mistake of
> eating what they called "an American 4th of July meal" (it was the only
> thing on the menu that day). Something that was supposed to be hot dogs,
> but wasn't, something that was supposed to be potato salad, but wasn't,
> and something that was supposed to be blueberry pie, but _definitely_
> wasn't.

Heh. I did read something like this in a book recently. I can't remember
who wrote it but they said while traveling, they kept being taken into a
separate dining room and being fed rather bland and boring food. Reason
being that these hotels and restaurants in a touristy area thought this is
what Americans wanted to eat. This was some years back. Perhaps the
1950's. They finally figured out to ask for what the staff was eating.
Only then did they get the truly local fare.