Is this heaven?

As others have noted, so often that it is scary, Sioux Cityans are about to have their fondest wish granted; an Olive Garden is about to open. Our culinary dream come true.

Apparently however, folks in the big town (NYC) seem to feel that our dining experience isn't degraded by a dearth of places to go but by a lack of service. http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/03/29/dining/29feed.html

The money quote:

"All New Yorkers hold restaurant grudges. When something goes really wrong, you say, "Hold it! Do I live in Sioux City or New York City? There are too many other places that seat me on time or actually serve the entree within an hour of the appetizer or where the noise isn't deafening. Forget this place.""

This seems to me to be the perfect example of what is wrong with journalism. A journalist , in an attempt to use a pithy literary device, uses Sioux City as an example of the polar oposite of New York City (I guess it's that they are both citys) to make her point about bad service.

Now if she was commenting on the cuisine: the quality of the food, the range of choice in styles, the overall spectrum of what makes a town a great place for eating out, she would have had a valid counter-point. However, by limiting it to a comparison of service, she is showing her uninformed prejuidice.

Gernerally speaking Sioux City's diners do get decent service. It may not be as polished as Le Bernadin or Masa, but skill in taking an order and delivering plates to the table is not always about being able to say mango foam without giggling.

This isn't to say that you can't get terrible service in Sioux City, you truly, astoundingly can. I've waited an hour for a California Roll in an empty sushi joint here.

But to imply that service is bad just 'cause this is the sticks demonstrates a massive arrogance. Bash on us for what IS substandard (and there is plenty). However, you might want to check your assumptions before you presume to comment in a journal that aspires to be the nations "paper of record". It kind of leads to an assumption of that ya'll are guilty of arrogant elitism by us cow town hicks out here in the heartland.