Oh Los Angeles, the heart of Southern California and the hub for everything entertainment, obscene displays of wealth inequality, and stunt food. Stunt food is food that was meant for the camera, and only for viewers to eat. The average person could replicate most of these dishes using whatever they already have in their pantry. 

Before commercial landlords got too greedy with their rent prices, people were able to really experiment and capitalize on food trends, like the cupcake frenzy in 2015. You couldn’t escape the newest cupcake storefronts with the worst cake-to-icing ratio known to man, with toppings stacked as high as your heart desired, defeating the purpose of a cupcake. Nor could you escape the 8-patty cheeseburger that was then drowned in more cheese. Not to mention they were extremely overpriced and a 4.5/10 at best. 

I often laugh about Dave’s Hot Chicken and I had the misfortune of trying it this past summer. It’s a chain that originated in LA, known for its hot chicken tenders with a ‘secret sauce’ and over-filtered Instagram pictures. When I went to try it this past summer with my sister, we both agreed to never go there again. The chicken tenders just looked depressed, tasted like the bitter aftertaste of charred spice, and the piece of wonder bread at the bottom of each tender was soggier than a wet sock. Our entire experience made me wonder if TikTok Foodies were emailing them just to get the best-looking food that day. 

Now I avoid stunt food like the plague. I’ve seen so many food trends come and go, and TikTok recommendations are something I question whenever I’m interested in trying something new. While some places are decent, or even dare I say, good, the prices slapped on these stunt foods doesn’t make me feel too good. 

Credit: Photo by Kiragan Mercer on Unsplash