I don’t want to talk about the upcoming semester, or the slate of playoff games, or the son that is feet away hacking up a lung behind his closed bedroom door as he’s been doing for the last few nights. Not the B.S. of Washington politics. Not the poor news coverage of cable news. Not Charlie Hebdo. Actually, I want to talk about food and neighborhood.
I spent a little time in Gilbert’s new Zinburger location, located on the same block as the upcoming Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles. When I told my friends I wasn’t exactly a fan, they scoffed. I get it. The location represents a shift towards mature, fancy, and somewhat commercial flare reminiscent of well-known Scottsdale. That’s exactly why I don’t like it.
Gilbert has always been a small town vibe. The food may not always be locally sourced but the cooking and the service feels very Gilbert and doesn’t feel like it is trying too hard to be something else. These new places opening bring with them a level of haughtiness and fakeness I’m quite uncomfortable with. On the other hand, maybe this is just evolution.