1403: Restaurant Food | Skeptical Sunday

When you hear that somebody survived a parachute failure, the headline leaves out pretty much everything you want to know. When did they realize something was wrong? What went through their mind? How do you even begin to process that afterward? That's the appeal of what was that like. People who've been through extraordinary situations sit down and tell the story themselves. Start with Sue's Parachute Failed or Leslie's House Exploded. Those titles get your attention, obviously, but hearing from the person who lived through it give you something a headline cannot. their perspective on an experience most of us can barely imagine. If you like getting past wow that's crazy and actually understanding another person's life, give this show a listen. So if you want to hear some unbelievable and inspiring firsthand stories, I invite you to check out what was that like Every story is verified, so you know even the most bizarre tales are somebody's reality. Listen to what was that like on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on the app you're using right now. Welcome to Skeptical Sunday. I'm your host, Jordan Harbinger. Today I'm here with Skeptical Sunday co-host, writer and researcher Jessica Wynn. On the Jordan Harbinger show, we decode the stories, secrets, and skills of the world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into practical advice that you can use to impact your own life and those around you.

Our mission is to help you become a better informed, more critical thinker. During the week, we have long form conversations with a variety of amazing folks, from spies to CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers, and performers. On Sundays, though, it's Skeptical Sunday, a rotating guest co-host and I break down a topic you may have never thought about and debunk common misconceptions about that topic, such as astrology. Acupuncture, recycling, GMOs, toothpaste, self help cults, and more. And if you're new to the show or you want to tell your friends about the show, I suggest our episode Starter Packs. These are collections of some of our favorite episodes on persuasion and negotiation, psychology, disinformation, junk science, crime and cults, and more that'll help new listeners get a taste of everything we do here on the show. Just visit JordanHarbinger.com slash starts or search for us in your Spotify app to get started. Now today we're talking about restaurant food. You ever notice you can order masarella sticks at a neighborhood sports bar. A month later you order'em at a completely different restaurant, three states away, and somehow they're exactly the freaking same. Same breading, same marinara, marinara, whatever you call it. Some you East Coasters. Some it's got the same malt and cheese that strips the roof off of your mouth like a chemical peel. And then you notice it's

It's not just the mozzarella sticks. The spinach dip tastes familiar. The fries, the chicken Alfredo, the cheesecake, entire menus kind of feel weirdly interchangeable, even at restaurants with different owners, different cuisines, different themes, completely different prices. So are any of these restaurants actually cooking or are they all just serving the same frozen foods? Where does restaurant food even come from? To help us digest all this, I'm joined by writer and researcher Jessica Wynn. So Jess, let's cut right to it. Is all restaurant food basically identical?'Cause sometimes it really seems that way. It does seem like it. Not all of it though, but a lot more of it than people realize.

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