A bohemian friend gave me “Class” years ago, which is what introduced me to the author. Great book!
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Gad, I just looked more closely at that picture. Eugh.
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Exactly.
Conversely, I originally grew up on Long Island, and there I would never recommend going to a chain. Almost any random Italian restaurant (or hell, pasta at a random pizzeria) there is going to be better than almost anything I’ve had in the Boston area. Exceptions: Grotto in Beacon Hill (though very slow service), Mia Regazza in Abington, and Lo Conte or Lucia’s in the North End. I also say this as someone whose family has been in the Italian food industry (retail and wholesale) for at least 75 years.
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Oh yes – pretty much anyplace Jamie Bisonnette touches is worthwhile. Toro is more my thing, just because I love tapas, but all of his spots are awesome.
And, to bring it back to the topic at hand, for ‘premium mediocre’ (?) Spanish tapas in Boston, I head to either Dalí or Solea, part of a ‘mini-chain’ of more moderately priced tapas spots that are always a good time.
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The Advertising Lullaby, like I said upthread.
"Quality, value, style, service, selection, convenience
Economy, savings, performance, experience, hospitality
Low rates, friendly service, name brands, easy terms
Affordable prices, money-back guarantee.Free installation, free admission, free appraisal, free alterations,
Free delivery, free estimates, free home trial, and free parking.No cash?
No problem!
No kidding!
No fuss, no muss,
No risk, no obligation, no red tape, no down payment,
No entry fee, no hidden charges, no purchase necessary,
No one will call on you, no payments or interest till September."-George Carlin
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Ah, I’d hadn’t heard it and failed to watch the video. Carlin is one of my heroes, who, along with MAD magazine and Consumer Reports, formulated my early (negative) views on advertising and marketing. They should all be taught in school.
Yeah, right.
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Was a semi-reg spot for me when in Union Square, the only bummer was a lack of elotés. Lonestar in Allston was my spot to satisfy that particular urge.
Nah. BB may be premium mediocre. The BBS, on the other hand:
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Well sure, but the question is whether you’re defining it in the sort of vaguely snobbish “stop liking what I don’t like” way some of this thread’s comments seem to be, or in the “yeah, the things I can have in this world are, for now, not objectively awful even if they’re tarted up to seem better than what they really are” way that the original blog post and us actual consumers of premium mediocrity generally do.
Just sayin’. 
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“Each of us is only part of a whole.”
-Nikola Telsa
He does, sure, but it’s the same pattern expressed using the language of the time. In fact, the central concept of ‘premium mediocre’ is that it is something not as good that’s consumed solely to project high-status, yes? Well, that’s a concept you can find skewered, excoriated, objurgated, and railed against in Thackeray’s Book of Snobs, precisely in those terms. He even focuses on how imitation-noble things are actually terrible.
(Full disclosure: I edited above slightly to introduce a single space between ‘budgets’ and ‘it’)
I recognize this, but it’s still a very old song. I was reminded of the article I linked because its focus on astonishingly petty differences in taste, but I will concede that the closer prior art is, as I replied to @gracchus just above, The Book of Snobs.
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Diet Coke, when you’re dieting and order it with your ballpark frank and curly fries.
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I thought that two subjects joined by “and” didn’t need a comma?
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The Oxford comma is also premium mediocre.
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Never rarely cared for cake. It just doesn’t tend to have the density I like in a sugar-laden desert. I’d definitely lean towards a brownie or pie.
Edison is premium mediocre Tesla.
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The garbage faux-luxe condo buildings flying up in Portland (and the other cities currently booming- the same fucking building is getting built all over the damn country.)
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Not even ‘premium,’ just straight up mediocre.
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Maybe try making a ‘wine’ instead? I find that much less hassle.
I’m with you on the steak - although a well-aged steak can be divine. Obviously the better the steak, the less you’d want to fiddle with it.
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I kept making beer. I just chose easier recipes that didn’t rely on something like roasted pumpkin that could very easily spoil the entire lot.
I actually did a chocolate raspberry stout one year that was absolutely amazing.
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