People are still talking about Friends — even though it‘s been off the air for 10 years. Some of this is due to the internet being a 24/7 nostalgia factory, but you also have to credit the fact that the show’s characters still feel relatable after all this time. (Chandler’s vests? Not so much.) Just like real life, many of the social interactions on Friends revolved around food and drink, leading to some of the best jokes in the series.
Today, let’s take a look back at some of the legendary show’s greatest food moments, while dealing with our cravings for the perfect sandwich, floor cheesecake, Monica’s candy, and whatever was in that brown jar.
Joey Doesn’t Share Food
Joey’s love of food is matched only by his love of bedding every single woman in New York City. In “The One with the Birth Mother,” Joey goes on a date with a woman who has the audacity to swipe some of his fries. Being an emotionally mature human, Joey handles it well… by totally freaking out.
Craving: Unlimited fries.
Nestle Toll House
Everyone has a moment of realization when it becomes clear that your parents lied to you as a kid. Whether it was the “farm” where your dog went or who ate Santa’s cookies, the little white lies will always come out. In “The One with Phoebe’s Cookies,” Monica and Phoebe try to duplicate Phoebe’s grandmother’s famous chocolate chip cookies without a recipe, but they eventually realize that the recipe is not as big a secret as they thought.
Craving: Cookies.
Joey Saves His Sandwich
Gun to your head: Would you choose your best friend or your favorite sandwich? We like to think that most people would choose their best friend, but Joey isn’t most people, and this isn’t just any sandwich. The perfect meatball sub is hard to find, and Joey was willing to throw himself in front of his when he thought he heard gunfire in “The One with the Ride-Along.” Chandler was initially upset because he thought Joey was choosing Ross over him — once he tasted the sandwich, he seemed to understand.
Craving: A meatball sub worth taking a bullet for.
Never Work For Jon Lovitz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlAzHv4sevo
Monica’s struggle to find a good job is probably the most realistic career trajectory on the show, and one of her lowest points was when she interviewed for a chef’s position at Jon Lovitz’s character’s new restaurant. As is usually the case in a sitcom, things did not go according to plan. The boss shows up high as a kite in “The One with the Stoned Guy,” and starts rummaging through her cupboards manically before the onion tartlets are ready.
It’s even worse than the Mockolate situation.
Craving: Onion tartlets… maybe other kinds of munchies.
Ross’ Sandwich Meltdown
Everyone on Friends really has their sandwich priorities in order. In the Thanksgiving follow-up episode, “The One with Ross’ Sandwich,” Ross crafted the perfect leftovers sandwich — complete with a moist maker! — only to have it stolen at work. When he tracks down the culprit, his boss, Ross’ Earth-shattering meltdown is one of Friends‘ most iconic moments and earns him some forced leave and a career change.
Craving: Thanksgiving leftovers with a moist maker.
Floor Cheesecake
We’ve all had those moments. Whether it’s shotgunning an entire pizza alone or consuming cookie dough with a spoon in bed, everyone has their snacking low points. However, you’ve probably never found yourself eating stolen cheesecake off of a hallway floor. That’s precisely what happens in “The Ones with the Cheesecakes” after Chandler and Rachel are forced to deal with a little bit of karma after multiple counts of dessert theft.
Craving: Stolen cheesecake… the most delicious kind.
Rachel’s Trifle
At least she tried? Friends‘ Thanksgiving episodes were always great, and “The One Where Ross Got High” is no exception. When tasked with making dessert for the holidays, Rachel proves that she doesn’t know much about cooking at all by misreading a recipe and adding a layer of beef and vegetables to a traditional trifle. While most of the group can’t stomach the botched dish, Joey apparently likes jam with his beef.
Craving: Oddly enough, beef with jam on it. Why not? Both are good things.
“I Want Girls On Bread!”
The decision between sex or food is the ultimate question for Joey (and, honestly, everyone), and he is not up to the task for choosing. In the cold open for “The One Where Chandler Gets Caught,” this eternal debate gets brought up again, and Joey refuses to take sides. It’s too much! He just wants girls on bread!
Craving: That chocolate cake Monica is devouring and a world where people don’t imagine horrifying scenarios where one has to pick between sex and food.
Monica’s Candy
Monica loves being the hostess almost as much as she loves Chandler (possibly more), but she discovers the darker side of her skills when she’s trying to get to know her neighbors in “The One with All the Candy.” The situation turns into a full blown zombie-like debacle when they scratch at her door at all hours demanding sweets.
Craving: GIVE US CANDY!
The Broken Fridge
In “The One with Joey’s Fridge,” Joey deals with a broken refrigerator in the only logical way… by eating everything inside — cold cuts, ice cream, limes, and whatever was in that brown jar — before it goes bad. As gross as cleaning out a fridge is, this method will certainly bring about even more regret. Good rule of thumb: If you can no longer identify it, you probably shouldn’t eat it.
Craving: The thrill of quickly expiring deli meat.
