You know the great irony is that people think you have to have money to enjoy fine food, which is a shame.

Allen’s remark pushes back against the common association of “fine food” with luxury pricing and elite dining rooms. The “great irony” is that pleasure, craft, and quality in eating are often available through technique, attention, and good ingredients rather than sheer spending—home cooking, street food, regional traditions, and smart shopping can deliver “fine” experiences without wealth. By calling it “a shame,” he frames the misconception as socially limiting: it discourages people from exploring cooking and food culture, and it reinforces class barriers around taste. The quote aligns with a democratic, skills-and-curiosity view of gastronomy rather than a status-driven one.