You're worth it! (You other two, not so much.)
April 17, 2017 11:22 AM   Subscribe

Should you take a chance on the $9 all-you-can-eat buffet? Can a $2000 pizza possibly beat a Brooklyn slice? In their series, Worth It [YT playlist], Buzzfeed's Alex Choi, Steven Lim, and Andrew Ilnyckyj pit the most expensive, least expensive, and middle-priced versions of foods against each other to see which one is the best [Buzzfeed]. (Buzzfeed links include video plus a condensed review with photos.]
posted by Room 641-A (17 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
I enjoyed quite a few Buzzfeed productions last year, but as the talent left (and they should have considering how they're monetized and anonymized) Worth It is the only video series of theirs I keep up with. I'm glad they're branching out from LA but that means their shooting scheduling is clearly tight. They're on their third straight video from NYC in what appears to be a 72 hour window and it's affecting the quality of the show. In the cheesecake video they look tired and sound worn out.
posted by thecjm at 11:36 AM on April 17, 2017


I've tried a few of these in the past but I never make it through them. The concept is superb and what Youtube is perfect for, but their personalities are bland and uninspired. Steven in particular reminds me of every person I've ever worked with that I couldn't get away from fast enough while in the office kitchen on lunch break.

You take this same idea and have people with personalities host it--say, Speed Levitch and Jenny Slate, or Conan and Kate Mara, or Craig Ferguson and Otessa Moshfegh... that, I'd watch.
posted by dobbs at 11:57 AM on April 17, 2017 [2 favorites]


I wasn't surprised that a $1 donut was the winner of the donut contest- fancy donuts are nice and all, but there's just something about a fresh, regular donut!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:03 PM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


The sushi episode of this is really excellent.
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:36 PM on April 17, 2017


When I lived in San Diego, some friends and I about had cots at a $4.50 AYE Chinese buffet. It was amazing. Some of the best Chinese I have ever had. So, yeah, I WILL take a chance at a $9 buffet.

Anti-Bettridge's anyone?
posted by Samizdata at 1:08 PM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


The Pizza-Ice Cream-Cheesecake extravaganza has been honestly kind of meh.

Super high end ingredients seem to be the usual suspects of edible gold, caviar, foie gras, etc where the end goal is decadence rather than truly transformative experience. Basically destination tourism for extremely wealthy foodies.

On all three of the NYC episodes the cheap and the mid-brow have been incredibly fun but when they get to the ultra-rich alternative it just seems meh.
posted by vuron at 1:56 PM on April 17, 2017


fancy donuts are nice and all, but there's just something about a fresh, regular donut!

A fancy Sidecar Doughnuts opened near me and I was disappointed. My tastes are simple -- sugar raised is my favorite -- and even their plainest flavor was really overwrought. I will take the regular old WenDy's [sic] every time.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:15 PM on April 17, 2017


I have been to the Wicked Spoon brunch buffet and can confirm that it is fantastic.

My wife and I had an unplanned all-night layover in Las Vegas thanks to a flight delay. I made enough money paying blackjack to get us a cheap hotel room and a fancy brunch. That's the coolest I've ever felt.
posted by roll truck roll at 2:20 PM on April 17, 2017 [3 favorites]


I'm getting tired of the new focus on crazy stupid $1000+, gold foil, black truffle, and caviar for the expensive tier. I like the $5, $20, $100 pricing of the first season. Even for the Vegas buffets, the $95 place seemed like a fun splurge. And that place had caviar and lobsters and bottomless champagne!

Also, I've had enough south asian deserts to know that edible gold foil ain't THAT expensive.
posted by thecjm at 2:31 PM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


Mario Batali doesn't know basil from oregano. Huh?
posted by progosk at 3:10 PM on April 17, 2017 [3 favorites]


The $95 buffet actually sounds really ridiculously fun. I'd definitely park there for a good four hours and just eat and be ludicrous.
posted by yueliang at 3:33 PM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


Mario Batali doesn't know basil from oregano. Huh?

He may not, or that may have been a sound editing error, but he was definitely hilarious in that episode.
posted by Aizkolari at 4:29 PM on April 17, 2017


I never expected to get sucked into this the way i did. nice find!
I 've watched 4 already, still waiting for one of the big ticket items to actually be worth it, although from the looks they gave, the pasta was close.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:31 PM on April 17, 2017


That's a sad looking calzone in the second link. I'd hate to see the stromboli.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 5:02 PM on April 17, 2017


I mean honestly, I really love rack of lamb. I would just eat rack of lamb for four hours and I'd be very happy. That stuff is annoying to prepare and so expensive for the quantity I'd eat.
posted by yueliang at 5:02 PM on April 17, 2017


The photos of the mid-level buffet looked the best to me. I guess I'm segmenting myself into my precise socio-economic niche, one level up from the bottom but not quite as showy as the fancier option.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:56 PM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


The photos of the mid-level buffet looked the best to me. I guess I'm segmenting myself into my precise socio-economic niche, one level up from the bottom but not quite as showy as the fancier option.

Of the ones i've watched, the top-end has more often than not been style (gold leaf makes every meal a thousand dollar meal!) over substance, but man, 95 bucks for all you can eat lobster-tail caviar and champagne is pretty sweet.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:09 PM on April 19, 2017


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