Arguing About Food

• The American Konbini Olympics

  On the drive back from Indianapolis, Olivia and Nate (along with guest appearances from their spouses Eric and Aislinn) engage in a roaming, chaotic food tribunal—starting with a full breakdown of Freddy’s and where it belongs in the fast food hierarchy. From there, the crew revives the “Konbini Olympics” concept and runs an American convenience-store version, complete with rules, pre-taste predictions, and post-taste scoring. A parade of aggressively engineered snacks and drinks gets put on trial, with the conversation spiraling into texture debates, aftertaste conspiracies, and what science has unleashed upon our highways. Along the way, they take live comments and questions, detour into steak preferences, and confess their most shameful gas station comfort foods. It’s four people in a car trying to survive a road trip while eating novelty items, and it predictably descends into chaos. 00:21 — Freddy’s stop: first-timer reactions, menu highlights, and fast food hierarchy discussion 05:10 — Why certain fast food items are “never available” 06:10 — Taco Bell discourse: identity, expectations, and comparison debates 08:28 — Cheese curds discussion: texture, breading, and what defines a good curd 11:40 — The original Tokyo Konbini Olympics explained + rules for the American version 16:20 — Item #1 taste test: novelty candy (pre-score vs post-score) 20:20 — Item #2 taste test: neon soda experiment 25:10 — Item #3 taste test: unconventional meat snack 28:50 — Item #4 taste test: packaged sweet snack 32:50 — Item #5 taste test: soft-baked pastry with fruit filling 36:40 — Item #6 taste test: pre-made PB&J 39:50 — Live question: favorite cut of steak 41:40 — Gas station food confessions and road trip staples 45:50 — The case for American convenience stores becoming more konbini-likeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Arguing About Food On the Road feat. Spouses Aislinn and Eric

  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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Soups

  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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Are Tasting Menus Actually Good?

  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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Love for Barcelona

  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/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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