Scott Ian's Food Coma: Fuck Olive Garden

Traveling the world as I do (wandering Jew) I get to sample all kinds of cuisine. I’m no Anthony Bourdain (love him) or Andrew Zimmern (not so much) but I won’t shy away from the unknown. Local customs and regional cuisine are what I seek out when I’m out in the territories.

I avoid the American or any chain restaurants (with the exception of In-N-Out here in the West) at all costs. Nothing confuses and irks me more than people eating at Johnny Rockets in Japan or the fucking Olive Garden anywhere.

It irks me.

There’s a giant Olive Garden in NYC on 6th Ave right in midtown. NYC has 8,000 good Italian restaurants. Shit, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich have nine absolutely stunning restaurants (there’s going to be a whole column about these geniuses very soon.) Why wouldn’t you take five minutes and find a place that you’ll remember forever? A great meal can be like great sex. Do you hate great sex?

There are infinity pizza places and even the worst are better than OG. Do I need to keep hammering this point? The horse is dead and the stick is broke. There’s no reason to eat at a chain. I hear stories about American bands touring Europe and only eating McDonald’s. That’s it. Maybe KFC. That is so fucking retarded. I have utter contempt for that. It makes your band suck even more.

I heard a story about Gene Simmons of Kiss (does anyone not know that?) from a few years ago that relates (kinda not really, it’s just a good story and I love Gene) to this. He was out on tour and was out on a night off with a recent Miss America. One of the techs that work for the band saw him go back to his room with her. A few nights later the same tech sees Gene getting in the hotel elevator with what was not Miss America. She wasn’t even Miss Hemet. The next day the tech sees Gene at the gig and asks him why he was with fatty last night when he was with Miss America the other night. Gene’s reply: “You can’t eat filet mignon every night, sometimes you have to eat McDonald’s.”

Maybe with women Gene, but not with food.

Good food is easy to find.

How, you ask, ‘o wise gourmand?

Ask a local.

The concierge at your hotel may be good for a fancy-pants recommendation but more often than not, it’s gonna be over-priced mediocrity. Ask the bellman. Ask the chef in the crap hotel restaurant (he may serve corporate vittles but I bet he doesn’t eat them.) Ask a cop. I’ve actually found some great out of the way (bad neighborhood) places from cops. And ask a taxi driver. You can bet your ass that a cabbie is going to know THE BEST local cuisine for the right price. I’ve had five star meals from Guadalajara to Moscow to Perth recommended by cabbies all for under twenty bucks and yes, I have a list. Stay tuned.

Cheers,

Scott

P.S. Non-food related bit: The new Every Time I Die record, The Big Dirty, is killer. It’s like Refuse meets Black Sabbath. SICK.



Editor's Note: Scott Ian plays guitar for revolutionary metal band Anthrax and also for Pearl, on tour now in the UK. SuicideGirls is proud to welcome him as a columnist. Now throw up them horns…

Artwork credit: Shepard Fairey

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