Influencers need to ketchup with the times.
A woman took great pleasure in being served a whole tomato and lemon in place of a bread basket at a restaurant, and now “influencer culture” is being roasted on social media.
“OK, so we’re at LPM in Vegas and they give out tomatoes and lemon as your little bread at the table,” Cassidy Miller said in a TikTok video.
“Which is great for me because I’m gluten-free, so this is, like, iconic.”
The New Jersey resident then filmed as she sliced a piece of the tomato, squeezed the lemon on it, then topped it with olive oil, salt and pepper.
As she took a bite into the tomato served at the French Mediterranean restaurant, her eyes widened in euphoria.
“Wow. So fresh, so good,” she said in the clip, which has amassed 5 million views.
The video has received thousands of comments — mainly by people in disbelief that Miller would be that excited over being served a tomato.
“If someone brought me a tomato in place of bread, I would contact my lawyer immediately,” someone commented.
“Do they let you wash the dishes for the full experience?” one person joked.
“Acting like tomato slices are a delicacy is frying me,” another wrote.
“They gave y’all a Great Depression snack,” a user quipped.
“Wait, I’m actually so fascinated by this video. Is this a joke? Did they really give you a raw tomato and a lemon and make you cut it yourself? And why does it sound like you’re in a retail store?” one TikTokker asked.
“Not the eyes lighting up at the bite of a seasoned tomato,” someone laughed.
“Girl, I eat this over the sink while my kids scream and throw their lunchables be so fr,” joked another.
“Honestly, the influencer era is so dystopian,” one said.
Some people responded in separate posts on TikTok, which also went viral.
“I just watched an influencer get served a tomato, salt and lemon as an appetizer, and she did that wide-eye chewing thing as if she was eating caviar,” user @sarbaaboobear wrote over a video of her looking into the camera. “I’m so mad rn I can’t even explain it.”
That reaction video was an even bigger hit than the original, racking up 13.2 million views and 1.3 million likes.
“I’m convinced that restaurants are trolling influencers because what is this?” another TikTokker said in a stitched video with 3.7 million views.
He then read a five-star review in a so-called “influencer voice” that said, “First time cut my own tomato in a restaurant.”
Miller has since posted follow-up videos of her eating a tomato and lemon at home “for her haters” — but people aren’t finding them funny.
“Mama, they ain’t making fun of you for eating this, they’re making fun of you for paying for this at a fancy restaurant lmao,” someone said.
“She acted like it was a luxurious dish. making big eyes, acting like she never had a tomato. So out of touch with reality. With that influencer voice,” another wrote.
“I thought she was making fun of the original video, only to realize it’s her,” one said.
“How to destroy your chances of being a likeable influencer 101,” a user added.
Meanwhile, a representative for LPM restaurants clarified to TODAY.com that tomato and lemon are served in addition to fresh bread, not in place of it.
“Every guest is welcomed with a complimentary presentation of fresh tomatoes, lemons, our signature olive oil, and salt & pepper in addition to warm baked baguette — a gesture that reflects both generosity and authenticity,” Nicolas Budzynski, LPM’s CEO, told the outlet.
“In the tradition of Mediterranean family meals, guests are invited to prepare their own simple tomato salad at the table, and we wanted to create a unique way to reflect that and welcome guests into LPM’s home.”
