All these people writing these great reviews saying how great their tacos are don’t know what good tacos are or haven’t had any great tacos in their life. I’m just being honest with everyone. I ordered three tacos de carne asada which almost have identical taste as those from [a less hyped local taco shop]. The Birria was decent but lacks a bit of flavor. My neighbor across the street knows how to make Birria and let me tell you right now he makes better Birria than them. And that’s a Fact!
Unfortunately, claims of authenticity also represent a way of determining what elements of the food landscape are worth keeping, forcing restaurant owners to adapt in order to remain in place (Gaytán 2008). While newly discovered “hidden gems” that appeal to new residents may stay and even flourish, “dumps” will likely disappear because they symbolize a past that no longer fits with the new identity of the neighborhood.
Second, the appeal of casual and simple food is also striking, indicating a democratization of food. Reviewers in both neighborhoods invoke simplicity as an important criterion for assessing the value of food. The word clouds in figure 1.3 include terms such as simple, basic, and home. Tacos, hot dogs, donuts, and BBQ are among the most highly praised foods in both communities. Similarly, beer has replaced wine as the beverage of choice, signaling an appreciation for simple products historically associated with the working class. Indeed, as we write this chapter, a brand-new restaurant named Working Class just opened in North Park, reinforcing the legitimacy of seemingly simple food and drinks as new markers of good taste.
As Johnston and Bauman (2010) argue, the democratization of dining, which appears to be taking place in many cities, may reflect a false egalitarianism that masks a persistent desire for social distinction, particularly “in a cultural context that endorses democratic ideals and rejects overt snobbery” (p. 2). Other food characteristics, such as local, organic, vegan, authentic, homemade, and artisanal, become signifiers of distinction. Although foodies may be willing to eat hot dogs, not every hot dog is equally appealing. In that sense, simplicity overlaps with authenticity and other values in reinforcing social differences between eaters. For instance, in Barrio Logan, a new hot dog stand has received significant attention as a “casual counter-service spot with inventive hot dogs.” One review’s author claims that although “tacos will always be San Diego’s one true love, […] this ultra-casual counter service outfit in the Barrio makes a strong argument for specialty hot dogs suited up with inspired toppings like pickled jicama and wasabi sesame seeds” (Jackson 2017). In many cases, classic food is “reinvented” and “updated” with an exaggerated sense of nostalgia that, like authenticity, tends to appeal to outsiders who experience the food and the setting with greater attention to details, particularly those worth posting on social media.
It is perhaps not surprising that in both neighborhoods the words place, spot, city, street, and area appear quite frequently in the reviews, underscoring the importance of place in distinguishing restaurants. While these may not be used in the way that geographers conceptualize place as a set of social relations, they nevertheless reflect the importance of context, which was often described in detail in the reviews. It is also worth noting that Yelp reviewers often refer to Barrio Logan as “the barrio,” with an odd mixture of admiration and aversion. The terms discover and developer/ing also suggest that these places are in flux and not yet fully established. In fact, the neighborhoods themselves contribute to the attractiveness and authenticity of many food establishments that would not be valued equally in a different setting. For instance, a Yelp reviewer writes about her experience discovering Rolando’s Taco Shop in Barrio Logan:
I am scared! Scared of a lot of things about this place. Going there by myself. Sitting at a table. Touching anything. But I am not scared of the food. And that is why, I am giving this place in Barrio Logan 4 stars despite the … ummm … unsavoriness of the surroundings […] A little sketchy but the food is GREAT! […] Better than great. Hands down the best Carnitas and best Tortillas I have EVER had. […] We all left with full bellies and happy smiles. But we rushed to our car … didn’t want to be caught hanging around.
The urban aesthetic of the food establishments features prominently in the reviews and is often associated with values such as historic preservation, sustainability, and sociability—revealing a form of ethical consumerism whereby consumers seek to support causes or assert their moral values through consumption choices. Interest in sociability can be observed in the popularity of communal tables where strangers eat side by side and of open kitchens where diners can interact with bartenders, servers, and chefs. The expectation of social interaction is also an important aspect in gastropubs and breweries, which are very common in both neighborhoods. Outdoor eating areas also tend to be more casual and often include a small edible garden, which appeals to many educated and environmentally conscious consumers.
Figure 1.4. Barrio Logan and North Park’s Foodscapes. Maps and photographs by author.
The desire to preserve—or more accurately recreate—historic character can be observed in figure 1.4, which illustrates the material foodscape of City Heights and Barrio Logan. Many of the new restaurants embrace an industrial and urban architectural style that capitalizes on the existing hardscape of the neighborhood, but also seeks to reframe or elevate it by exaggerating certain details and appropriating elements from the past or other cultures. Vintage signs, colorful murals, rusted steel, wall gardens, and reclaimed wood are all very popular. The emerging landscape resembles what Jameson (1991) calls a “postmodern pastiche”—an imitation or cannibalization of the past that reflects our consumer culture and the commodification of style. This is especially noticeable in Barrio Logan, where elements of Chicano culture are used by many new businesses. For instance, Barrio Dogg’s counter is built out of a 1964 lowrider Chevy Impala; Por Vida’s signage resembles murals found in nearby Chicano Park—a key site of the Chicano movement which represents Mexican Americans’ struggles for social and environmental justice and was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places; and ¡Salud!’s interior décor includes both of these elements. These cultural symbols, however, appeal mostly to outsiders who interpret them as signs of authenticity and cosmopolitanism, while longtime residents for whom these symbols carry a different meaning tend to resent their commodification and decontextualization from the historic struggles they symbolize (Joassart-Marcelli and Bosco 2019).
Conclusion
Food has become a central element of the transformation of urban areas in San Diego and elsewhere, simultaneously reflecting and promoting gentrification. The examples of North Park and Barrio Logan illustrate that gentrification has a unique taste: a combination of cosmopolitanism, authenticity, democracy, and ethical consumerism that builds on existing assets for the benefits of new residents who use these attributes to set themselves apart from previous dwellers. These contemporary narratives of “good taste” are associated with particular food practices that are inherently connected to places but at the same time deny parts of their social histories. The ethnic and urban aesthetic of popular restaurants is an essential element of the geographic imaginary surrounding good taste and a key mechanism for pushing the gentrification frontier and assigning value to previously neglected urban areas. As older food outlets are replaced by expensive new eateries, the resulting discursive foodscape no longer reflects the lifestyle of longtime residents who feel increasingly