Bed & Breakfast Critic?s Review

I had the pleasure experience of staying at the Runs on Green Inn, a local bed and breakfast joint located near the armpit of Maryland.

When I first arrived, I was a tad lethargic from work. You see, in addition to being a food critic for the Baltimore Sun, I?m also a part-time Macy?s employee. I had been staring at a computer screen for 7 hours straight and I just wanted to have a good meal and unwind.

Dinner was being served in the lobby, and it was a less-than-stellar experience:

The sweet potato fries were soggy (I think they re-heated them in a microwave)

The curried tempeh was way too salty (don?t they use recipes??)

And the fruit wasn?t ripe.

Then, there was a late-night movie showing down in the common area –>

I was expecting a lighthearted film but instead, I was shown a documentary that unsettled me. I actually wasn?t shocked by the footage of cows in factory farms or the cultivation of corn. I was, however, enraged by the political manipulation of our food system. There has been lobbying for new regulations regarding food safety and product labeling?but the people we?re trying to convince are the same people who run the major [corrupt] food industries. How are we going to induce change if the people in charge are looking after their money themselves?

Actually, it?s quite possible. We all have the power to change our food industry. And it doesn?t take complicated legal action. It?s as easy as:

What you put in your shopping cart.

Our country runs on supply & demand. The more consumers buy organic products, the more companies are going to supply them. It?s not a matter of swaying their hearts into making an ethical decision; it?s a matter of good business. Companies will make the most profit by putting products on the shelves that people are most willing to buy.

This is why I don?t mind spending the extra money on organic, wholesome food. Sure, it?s more expensive. But it?s more than a concern for personal health. It?s a political statement. With a swipe of the credit card, I?m voting to keep these products in the store. I encourage everyone who hasn?t seen this movie to watch it.

*Ahem, a little off topic. My apologies?

The next day?s meals were definitely an improvement. But the whole environment here is a little strange. Thumping noises & children?s voices constantly echo throughout the room?

There are lizards and cricket cages in the rooms?

And the people next door are a little crazy. I think they?re on shrooms: