Arguing About Food – Details, episodes & analysis

Liv insisted that we do a soup episode, so we each shared our top-3 soups, and tackled age-old questions like when does a soup become a sauce, and is soup a meal? Plus, the usual wide-ranging diversions.

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We (Olivia and Nate) argue about whether tasting menus deserve their accolades as the pinnacle of cuisine. You'll never guess who doesn't like them.

After a few more asides (why do servers like Restaurant Week) we each rank our top-three best and worst Halloween candies.

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Season 2 of Arguing About Food is here! Olivia and Nate just got back from a great summer of European travel, and we have a lot of tales to tell. On today's agenda: our impressions of eating in Barcelona, and the inevitable comparisons that follow.

Alex Cardona at Aborigens

https://aborigensbarcelona.com/

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Everyone has found themselves annoyed at one time or another with restaurant business practices. What are some of the most common foibles? And Liv will let you know if you're right to be annoyed or there's a legitimate reason for some of these practices.

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Don’t you hate when you pay extra for what you think will be great food and it disappoints? That won’t happen with these expensive foods that we think are well worth the money.

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What are the absolute worst, most indefensible things we’ve done with food? We confess, and rate these obscene food felonies. Plus we hear from listeners who are eager to turn themselves, their friends, and their family members in for their own food felonies.

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Olivia and Nate each pick their 3 best and 3 worst condiments, plus some honorable mentions and listener comments!

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Olivia and Nate Duncan pick their five most overrated foods and honorable mentions. Which foods do people go crazy for that maybe...they shouldn't so much?

Plus, we react to listener comments on their most overrated foods.

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In the premiere episode, Olivia Duncan joins her brother Nate to rank the five objectively best foods.  Featuring controversial omissions, startling agreements, and plenty of sibling incredulity, this episode will determine the 5 best foods once and for all.

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On the drive to Indianapolis for a wedding, Nate, Olivia, and spouses Aislinn, and Eric kick off a chaotic Arguing About Food: On the Road episode fueled by Steak ’n Shake, live Instagram questions, and highway-induced delirium. What begins as a fast food stop quickly expands into debates about packaging design, condiment philosophy, and why certain chains occupy strangely uncontested culinary niches. Listener questions steer the conversation through favorite meals, Chicago restaurant picks, San Francisco date spots, and the surprisingly complex ethics of eating while driving. The road itself becomes a character, with extended detours into aggressive passing, truck-on-truck drama, and international driving comparisons. It’s a loose, hilarious, mildly dangerous food conversation that only makes sense inside a moving car.

• 00:00 — On-the-road setup: heading to Indianapolis for a wedding

• 00:30 — Steak ’n Shake first impressions and fast food ordering philosophy

• 01:45 — Fast food packaging design, smash burgers, and crispy-edge logistics

• 03:10 — Skinny fries, dipping mechanics, and condiment efficiency

• 05:00 — Smash burgers, fast food legacy chains, and copycat culture

• 06:15 — Chicken at burger chains and why some menus feel intentionally incomplete

• 07:40 — Cereal digression: limited editions, milk choices, and food styling secrets

• 09:20 — Audience questions begin: restaurant work, chain uniqueness, and food gaps

• 11:40 — Condiment debate: ketchup vs mustard vs mayo (acid, sweetness, necessity)

• 14:20 — Favorite meal of all time (definitions, interpretations, and answers)

• 16:45 — Favorite Chicago restaurants: comfort vs upscale

• 19:30 — San Francisco date-night restaurant recommendations

• 22:30 — Live chat chaos and NBA questions getting rejected in real time

• 24:00 — Highway drama: aggressive passing, zippering, and road etiquette

• 27:00 — Worst foods to eat while driving (with real-world sightings)

• 30:30 — US vs Europe driving culture comparison

• 33:00 — Litter-Robot digression and wedding registry philosophy

• 36:30 — Basque food culture, San Sebastián, and why “foodie” is a cursed word

• 41:30 — Basque cooking clubs and communal food culture explained

• 45:00 — Wrap-up, arm fatigue, and plans for Part 2 on the return trip

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