Food Theory: I Went To Rainforest Cafe For The LORE!

A world where everything tries to fit you into a box, force you to conform, a vine-covered restaurant where an elephant shouts in your ear every five minutes? Yes, that will stand out as blatantly abnormal. And I can relate to Joseph Longo's sentiments here. When he was a kid he didn't have a Rainforest Café, but he did have a Johnny Rockets. And being in a place where bartenders would be forced to reluctantly dance to Love Shack at appropriate intervals? He made my musical theater loving heart sing. I felt at home. Like Eddy, I

went

into that

cafe

expecting to die from a meme and left after having a fun time.

While Chuck E. Cheese never got out of the uncanny valley with his uncomfortable theme, the Rainforest Cafe was a success because he committed to the theme. He wasn't ashamed of himself or what he was trying to be. That's an important mindset to remember in today's increasingly serious and ironic world; that sometimes something can be just fun and stupid. And you know what? Alright! It's okay to be seduced by something like this. It's okay to embrace cooking. And that's why Rainforest Café continues to linger in the hearts, minds, and shopping malls of America. It also helps that a hamburger costs the same as a liver transplant, which could also help keep them alive.

But hey, sometimes you DON'T want to travel across the country just to eat in a fake jungle. Sometimes you don't even want to wear PANTS to eat! If that's you, check out our sponsor for today's episode Hello Fresh! HelloFresh delivers high-quality produce from the farm to your door in less than a week so you can enjoy the season's delicious flavors from the comfort of your own private jungle. Their recipes include pre-portioned ingredients, which means less prep for you AND less

food

waste overall. In fact, 25% less

food

is wasted, according to a global study on food waste.

And since Hello Fresh is the first carbon-neutral meal kit company, it means Cha Cha and the rest of the Wild Bunch stay safe in their Eco Chic jungle. But this is what's really exciting for me rn... as you know, I've been using Hello Fresh for a while now. And it has made me a better cook. They eliminate all the tedious parts of cooking, like shopping and portioning, and let you take care of the fun parts, like chopping and mixing. And you know whataaa? I'm getting faster at it. I have become more efficient and overall better and safer.

It is not a joke. I recently made Roasted Chicken with Mozzarella and Herbs as part of our latest box and Steph couldn't believe I was actually the person who made it. "It's too good for you to have made it," he said. Jokes on her! It was me. And because of that comment she got a smaller portion. So even if you don't have confidence in the kitchen, know that there is hope. And the name of that hope is Hello Fresh. Sure, your box may not come packaged with an animatronic elephant screaming in your ear, but I'll tell you one thing Hello Fresh DOES have: great food that WON'T break the bank.

In fact, head over to HelloFresh.com right now and use the code FOODTHEORY16 and you'll get 16 free meals in 7 boxes AND 3 freebies! By the way, I have no idea what the gifts are. I've asked, I'm not allowed to know. So if you find out, let me know in the comments below. I hope it's something fun, like an extra cool dessert...or not...maybe a Golden Spork. Anyway, that's HelloFresh.com with the code FOODTHEORY16 or click the link in the dublidoo. And as my friends always remember, it's just a

theory

. A food

theory

. Enjoy!