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.

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.

Olivia Duncan knows a ridiculous amount about food. Her brother Nate eats a ridiculous amount of food. Together, they examine the most pressing food questions of our age in the insane detail that only the Duncans are capable of.

Arguing About Food

Are Tasting Menus Actually Good?

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-like

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&mdash;starting with a full breakdown of Freddy&rsquo;s and where it belongs in the fast food hierarchy. From there, the crew revives the &ldquo;Konbini Olympics&rdquo; 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&rsquo;s four people in a car trying to survive a road trip while eating novelty items, and it predictably descends into chaos.
00:21 &mdash; Freddy&rsquo;s stop: first-timer reactions, menu highlights, and fast food hierarchy discussion
05:10 &mdash; Why certain fast food items are &ldquo;never available&rdquo;
06:10 &mdash; Taco Bell discourse: identity, expectations, and comparison debates
08:28 &mdash; Cheese curds discussion: texture, breading, and what defines a good curd
11:40 &mdash; The original Tokyo Konbini Olympics explained + rules for the American version
16:20 &mdash; Item #1 taste test: novelty candy (pre-score vs post-score)
20:20 &mdash; Item #2 taste test: neon soda experiment
25:10 &mdash; Item #3 taste test: unconventional meat snack
28:50 &mdash; Item #4 taste test: packaged sweet snack
32:50 &mdash; Item #5 taste test: soft-baked pastry with fruit filling
36:40 &mdash; Item #6 taste test: pre-made PB&amp;J
39:50 &mdash; Live question: favorite cut of steak
41:40 &mdash; Gas station food confessions and road trip staples
45:50 &mdash; The case for American convenience stores becoming more konbini-like

The American Konbini Olympics

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

On the drive to Indianapolis for a wedding, Nate, Olivia, and spouses Aislinn, and Eric kick off a chaotic&nbsp;Arguing About Food: On the Road episode fueled by Steak &rsquo;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&rsquo;s a loose, hilarious, mildly dangerous food conversation that only makes sense inside a moving car.
<ul data-start="1236" data-end="2811">
<li data-start="1236" data-end="1308">
00:00 &mdash; On-the-road setup: heading to Indianapolis for a wedding
</li>
<li data-start="1309" data-end="1391">
00:30 &mdash; Steak &rsquo;n Shake first impressions and fast food ordering philosophy
</li>
<li data-start="1392" data-end="1476">
01:45 &mdash; Fast food packaging design, smash burgers, and crispy-edge logistics
</li>
<li data-start="1477" data-end="1550">
03:10 &mdash; Skinny fries, dipping mechanics, and condiment efficiency
</li>
<li data-start="1551" data-end="1626">
05:00 &mdash; Smash burgers, fast food legacy chains, and copycat culture
</li>
<li data-start="1627" data-end="1716">
06:15 &mdash; Chicken at burger chains and why some menus feel intentionally incomplete
</li>
<li data-start="1717" data-end="1808">
07:40 &mdash; Cereal digression: limited editions, milk choices, and food styling secrets
</li>
<li data-start="1809" data-end="1899">
09:20 &mdash; Audience questions begin: restaurant work, chain uniqueness, and food gaps
</li>
<li data-start="1900" data-end="1989">
11:40 &mdash; Condiment debate: ketchup vs mustard vs mayo (acid, sweetness, necessity)
</li>
<li data-start="1990" data-end="2075">
14:20 &mdash; Favorite meal of all time (definitions, interpretations, and answers)
</li>
<li data-start="2076" data-end="2140">
16:45 &mdash; Favorite Chicago restaurants: comfort vs upscale
</li>
<li data-start="2141" data-end="2208">
19:30 &mdash; San Francisco date-night restaurant recommendations
</li>
<li data-start="2209" data-end="2288">
22:30 &mdash; Live chat chaos and NBA questions getting rejected in real time
</li>
<li data-start="2289" data-end="2369">
24:00 &mdash; Highway drama: aggressive passing, zippering, and road etiquette
</li>
<li data-start="2370" data-end="2446">
27:00 &mdash; Worst foods to eat while driving (with real-world sightings)
</li>
<li data-start="2447" data-end="2502">
30:30 &mdash; US vs Europe driving culture comparison
</li>
<li data-start="2503" data-end="2574">
33:00 &mdash; Litter-Robot digression and wedding registry philosophy
</li>
<li data-start="2575" data-end="2660">
36:30 &mdash; Basque food culture, San Sebasti&aacute;n, and why &ldquo;foodie&rdquo; is a cursed word
</li>
<li data-start="2661" data-end="2733">
41:30 &mdash; Basque cooking clubs and communal food culture explained
</li>
<li data-start="2734" data-end="2811">
45:00 &mdash; Wrap-up, arm fatigue, and plans for Part 2 on the return trip
</li>
</ul>

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

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.

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.

Are Tasting Menus Actually Good?

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