Arguing About Food: Recent Episodes
Nate Duncan
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.
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
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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
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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.
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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.
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Season 2 of Arguing About Food is here! Olivia and Nate just got back from a great summer of European travel, and we have a lot of tales to tell. On today's agenda: our impressions of eating in Barcelona, and the inevitable comparisons that follow.
Alex Cardona at Aborigens
https://aborigensbarcelona.com/
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Everyone has found themselves annoyed at one time or another with restaurant business practices. What are some of the most common foibles? And Liv will let you know if you're right to be annoyed or there's a legitimate reason for some of these practices.
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Don’t you hate when you pay extra for what you think will be great food and it disappoints? That won’t happen with these expensive foods that we think are well worth the money.
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What are the absolute worst, most indefensible things we’ve done with food? We confess, and rate these obscene food felonies. Plus we hear from listeners who are eager to turn themselves, their friends, and their family members in for their own food felonies.
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Olivia and Nate each pick their 3 best and 3 worst condiments, plus some honorable mentions and listener comments!
Please subscribe on Apple, Spotify or via RSS Feed, or search “Nate Duncan” in your podcast player. And, Arguing About Food is even more fun in video format, subscribe to our YouTube channel!
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Olivia and Nate Duncan pick their five most overrated foods and honorable mentions. Which foods do people go crazy for that maybe...they shouldn't so much?
Plus, we react to listener comments on their most overrated foods.
Please subscribe on Apple, Spotify or via RSS Feed, or search “Nate Duncan” in your podcast player. And, Arguing About Food is even more fun in video format, subscribe to our YouTube channel!
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In the premiere episode, Olivia Duncan joins her brother Nate to rank the five objectively best foods. Featuring controversial omissions, startling agreements, and plenty of sibling incredulity, this episode will determine the 5 best foods once and for all.
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