Bob,
You worded it better than I ever could. You're right, most Americans (IMHO) accept mediocrity. And that's the problem. It brings to mind a saying a band instructor I had in high school used to use to motivate us. It was: if you can afford a Cadillac, why not drive one? His point was if you can make something the very best it can be, or do something as perfectly as you possibly can, why not aspire to that? In essence he was saying that perfection was always the goal but was unattainable. However, the pursuit of it wasn't, and that was the idea behind his saying. Pursuing perfection, in his mind (and mine, BTW) led to excellence and that should be what drives folks. It's a saying I've used often in my life and it's served me well. Unfortunately, too many of the people I know not only don't want to pursue excellence in either their personal or professional lives, they're perfectly content with mediocrity. I'm not being judgmental here, merely noting what to me is a sad occurrence that happens all too often I think.
Excellence doesn't have to be expensive. It only takes someone who cares about what they're doing to make it the best it can possibly be. Some of the best meals I've eaten were on the street in Korea and elsewhere, and they didn't break the bank. They were usually made by someone who's been doing the same thing, consistently, for years with care and love in most cases. And ultimately, the best meals I've ever had were in either my or someone else's home.
All basses aren't sold at the same price because excellence in that line of product doesn't, in fact, come cheap IME. Price of materials, labor, production methods, etc. all come into play.
In terms of food, it is no different. You get out of it what you put into it labor and material-wise. For example, Kobe beef or grass-fed beef will taste vastly different to beef raised in giant feedlots where they're fed grain. Same goes for the cook preparing it - if you order medium rare and he can't tell the difference between that and well done, the quality of the ingredient will be ruined by overcooking in most cases.
I had lunch at the FCI in October of last year (best pate de compagne I've ever had). I also toured the facilities (I was researching cooking schools; I ultimately decided against going there because I just didn't want to live in NYC for any period of time). What I found were a bunch of folks who deeply cared about what they're doing. At McDonald's, the vast majority of them don't and it shows (e.g., poor service, burgers that don't look like anything in their advertisements, etc.). At least that's been my experience, and that's why I haven't eaten at one in years.
I agree that not everyone can budget the time to have a meal like the one you had at FCI. That doesn't mean they can't eat well, though, and relatively quickly. It doesn't have to be fancy, just good - think a simple meatloaf, mashed potatoes properly made, etc. And most importantly, shared with people you care about. Food, to me at least, isn't just about sustenance. It's the experience. I also feel that the best thing one can do to show someone that one really cares about them is to feed them and feed them as well as one can. When I cook for folks, I don't want them leaving the table saying, well, that was good. I want them to say life is good.
I'd recommend a book, if you're so inclined -Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin, ironically one of the deans at FCI and a culinary hero of mine. He shows how one can take some simple ingredients and put together great dishes that take little time to prepare at home, often using pantry staple items. Not everything he has in the book can be created quickly (the codfish brandade, for example, requires soaking the baccalao or salted codfish in several changes of water for 8 or so hours), but most of it can.
And as you note, folks can then get back to the other passions in their lives.
Great points, BTW, and some things I didn't think about.
Alan
