Phantom Gourmet Features, Misrepresents Ferry Street Food And Drink

Not to nitpick an otherwise positive restaurant review - but in a Phantom Gourmet feature on Ferry Street Food and Drink, at 118 Ferry St., proprietors Jason and Shannon Ladd come across like a couple of Texan caricatures.

“It seems that a little southern charm has found its way to Malden, Massachusetts,” begins the article, before doubling down on the cliche by emphasizing the Ladd clan’s reverence for politeness and tradition.

“We try to give a big hearty hello to everyone who walks in the door, as soon as they step foot on the front tiles,” Gourmet quotes co-founder and chef Jason Ladd.

“We were taught ‘Yes ma’am, Yes sir, No ma’am, No sir,’ and just a general cordialness toward people.”

Later in the piece, the phrases “Jambalaya” and “Fried Chicken” appear in bold font, as if to subtly reinforce the stereotype of unhealthy eating habits associated with the South.

But waitasec - Ferry Street’s Jambalaya is made with andouille sausage. A quick Google search tells us andouille sausage comes from France, meaning no redneck would ever touch it, much less prepare it for consumption.

Nor would a redneck serve a vegetarian version of anything, which the Ferry Street does for several items across its menu.

And nowhere in the Phantom Gourmet article does it mention that the Jason and Shannon Ladd are both graduates of Johnson & Wales - meaning they’re presumably quite intelligent.

In fact, Ferry Street’s menu reads not at all like a list of selections from and for Confederate flag-waving, backwoods simpletons, but one from and for the well-educated, culinarily curious denizens of Malden - For the city’s “foodies,” if you will.

Maybe we’re being too hard on Phantom Gourmet, but you can decide for yourself by reading the original article here.

Image credit: Ferry Street Food and Drink

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