Doing a slow burn over fast food

Dear John: I just read the letter from LA regarding his disappointment in the product that fast food chains put forth in their stores as compared with their advertised product. I couldn’t agree with him more.

I will take it a step further, too. The food industry in general is misleading, with every ad from Butterball turkeys to Betty Crocker cakes being unscrupulously doctored.

Stylists regularly make food look as though it never could if prepared in a normal manner. Most of us realize this and just put up with it, realizing it’s just advertising BS. But the reality is, we are being lied to at every turn by those who supply our food products. Truth in advertising is a myth. ED

Dear ED: Yep, advertisers lie. Live with it.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. The picture of me looking tough that runs with this column is a lie. I’m actually a lot tougher than I look.

Dear John: I must agree with the person who wrote about bait-and-switch in the fast food industry. Burger King has to be the biggest disappointment when it comes to food product presentation.

I speak from many years of experience working in the food industry with Elby’s Restaurants, which at one time was a Big Boy franchise.

Elby’s was the class act of quality of all the Big Boy franchises, and presentation was of the utmost importance.

Fast food today is slapped together and looks nothing like what it should, although I will admit McDonald’s comes close. Thank you for your article on this. R.C.

Dear RC: You can thank the reader who complained about this, not me.

Look, these fast food restaurants serve a very legitimate purpose. The food is cheap. You usually don’t get sick. And you can take your kids to these restaurants, and fellow diners won’t complain if they start throwing fries at one another.

Fast food chains are training grounds before you take the kiddies to real restaurants.

My personal opinion: Burger King over McDonald’s. BK’s fries are better, and I like my burgers grilled. But a Big Mac now and then is like a trip back to my younger days.

And oh, yeah: I don’t get what is such a big deal about Shake Shack but I’ll give it another try if I ever find one with a short enough line.