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"Does anyone know of a restaurant in all of the Tech Center that 1) doesn't serve pre-packaged/out of the bag/straight from the can ingredients; 2) actually uses fresh ingredients which is sort of like #1; 3) makes food in the kitchen as opposed to having it made for them in some warehouse; 4) doesn't have such a homogeneous aesthetic; 5) serves food that might actually be good for you or come from the heart?" That was the heartfelt message that Big Red F chef Jamey Fader posted on Facebook after a stymied attempt to get his young daughter a decent, healthy lunch when they were in that area.
But some of the folks in SoHam -- as we've dubbed the neighborhood south of Hampden -- didn't appreciate his comment. And when we saw Fader at Sunday brunch at Lola, where he was working the line, we told him of their discontent.
So Fader, who talked at length with Lori Midson for this Chef and Tell interview, published a follow-up comment: "It has come to my attention that I have upset the SoHammers and DTCers...never hating, just want to know where to get good, wholesome, down-home cooking in a not-so-cookie-cutter atmosphere."
That post prompted another round of suggestions -- including the reminder that Aaron Whitcomb is in the kitchen at Ya Ya's ("spaced your shop," Fader admitted). But beyond that, commenters didn't have many suggestions for great places to eat in the Tech Center. They did, however, have plenty to say about how tough it is for a restaurateur to do good things in the DTC.
Wrote one: "All the places I knew to be 'good food' in DTC no longer exist, pushed out by the chains and other forms of capitalism, which is what DTC means to me. They should all make their beds and lie in them (snark, snark, snark)."
Now it's your turn: Where should a bro go when he's hungry in the DTC?
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