Have you noticed all the restaurant chains going out of business? My question is

[CatWoman]

why the fuck is Red Lobster still open?

Nothing but a bunch of overpriced, overcooked slop.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Money laundering? I don't know. It's a horrible restaurant. Everything they served, they buy

pre-made and merely microwave it.

[MineralMan]

6. That's true, although their cheddar biscuits are baked on site.

Red Lobster is a favorite with my mother-in-law and her friends. She's 82 now, and she thinks seafood means Red Lobster. For me, that means taking her there when that's what she wants. The staff at the one near her home is exceptionally friendly, and take special care with elderly diners. The food's mediocre, but I wouldn't even think of suggesting a different place to her. She deserves to go where she wants, and I can always eat something there.

My point is that it's not necessarily the quality of the food at these chain restaurants that determines whether they're busy or not. There are many other factors. The Red Lobsters in Minnesota have jammed parking lots seven days a week. It would not be my first choice for seafood. I'm a big sushi and sashimi fan. My wife and I took her to a very nice sushi place in Saint Paul, telling her it was a seafood restaurant. She ordered fish and chips. It wasn't on the menu, but they made it for her anyway, using tempura batter for the fish, and fryed up some very lovely thin-cut fries. She liked it, but wished she had gone to Red Lobster. She did have a piece mof my wife's California roll. Liked it. I had a chef's choice sushi assortment, and ignored the other two plates. What are you going to do?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

8. I remember Red Lobster when it had very good quality.

It doesn't know, but I think older people don't care. It's like my dad. My dad thinks Hunts tomato sauce is the only good one, Campbell's soup is superb, etc. I guess marketing did a job on the older folks. :-)

[MineralMan]

16. It's partly that they don't care, but there are other factors, as well.

Part of it is a dislike of strongly-flavored foods that seems to increase with age. Another is familiarity. Many older people dislike unfamiliar things.

An interesting story about my 82-year-old mother-in-law: I'm always trying to help her with nostalgic foods. She'll mention something that she used to eat as a child or at other periods of her life, and I'll research it. Once I find a recipe that dates back to the period she's reminiscing about, I'll prepare the dish for her as a surprise. I cook at her house a couple of times a week, to give her some real food.

Anyhow, she was waxing nostalgic a while back about the hot beef sandwich she used to eat at a lunch counter in Sioux Falls, SD, when she was in her 20s and working her first job. I know the exact thing she's talking about. Thinly sliced roast beef, served on white bread with mashed potatoes and brown gravy ladled over the whole thing, with a well in the mashed potatoes made by the serving ladle. I've eaten it a few times myself. But, there are no more lunch counters, and it's very difficult to find such a thing on a menu. It's also too difficult to do at home, since it requires roasting a specific cut of beef and making the gravy from the juices. I could make it, but I'd need a good-sized group to make it worthwhile.

So, last year, on the last day of the Minnesota state fair, my wife wanted a cup of coffee. It's not something there's a lot of at the state fair, but I spotted a lunch building run by the Order of the Eastern Star. They've been making lunch there for decades. So, I went in to get her a cup of coffee. Their menu for lunch included a hot beef sandwich. Even though I wasn't hungry, I took the coffee out to my wife and went back in and ordered it. It was precisely the thing my mother-in-law was pining for. Perfect in every ghastly way. People were lined up to order it, almost all of them over the age of 70.

It was too late to get my wife's mother to the fair, but this year, we'll get her there and she'll get her perfect hot beef sandwich at the Order of the Eastern Star lunch room. She'll grumble about not caring about the fair, but we'll get her there, grab one of the many wheelchairs available at the fair and take her for her sandwich. We're not even telling her about it.

Food is strange. People like what they like, and often pine for food they remember from days past. I enjoy helping my wife's mother get her taste of those memories. It's the least I can do. After all, without her, I wouldn't be married to her daughter.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

18. True. I'll bet you if they were able to compare Red Lobster before and the current mediocre RL...

they would realize it's not the same restaurant at all.

[MineralMan]

22. You could be right.

I just can't worry about it. I wouldn't go to that restaurant on my own. There are too many good restaurants around here. But, I don't really mind taking older people where they want to go. It's easier than trying to get them to think about going someplace they don't know. My own parents are the same way.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

37. Same here. nt

[csziggy]

127. I grew up 12 miles from the first Red Lobster

And the food there was pretty good. That was where grandmother took us out for special occasions, like graduation or anniversaries.

Twenty years later after it became a chain, I ate at the one here in Tallahassee. No comparison. The food was horrible, and the service worse. All that after a forty five minute wait to get in. I've never been back.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

135. Exactly! I live in Tallahassee. The Red Lobster here is horrible. nt

[csziggy]

139. I ddin't even realize it was still open.

Haven't been there since about 1980.

If I want seafood I drive to the coast. Last time we went down to St. Marks and had some excellent smoked fish at a little place across from the Riverside Cafe. The band at the Riverside was too loud for my taste - the volume was perfect across the street, LOL!

Did you get a job with Unemployment? I think I told you that an attorney friend that works there said they were hiring.

[Zebedeo]

23. Great post!

Exactly right.

[MineralMan]

26. Hell, I'm an old fart myself. At 65, I find myself becoming more

conservative about food. Part of it is physical. Some foods that I used to be able to eat now cause me distress. It's a sad business getting old.

I'm a huge lover of bean dishes. But woe unto me should I eat them in the quantities I used to consume without consequences.

Life's an interesting journey.

[mrcheerful]

35. You too huh? I watch my step son and friends eating spices, hot peppers

and hot sauce on everything, oh are they in for a surprise in 20 years. I found out that any variations to my diet leaves me running to the bathroom screaming for people to clear out or nights laying in bed unable to sleep due to heart burn, oh old age is turning out to be really fun.

[pipi_k]

118. I sit and watch in amazement

when people eat any kind of spicy whatever. It doesn't even have to be all that spicy, either.

And I curse the makers of turkey based products, like turkey hotdogs or turkey bacon, turkey kielbasa, etc. Why the hell do they think they need to add a truckload of spices to those things anyway? Some of us prefer bland food!

My problem isn't what it does to my stomach (or anyplace lower). It's the extreme burning pain in my mouth. That stuff HURTS. How can people eat (and enjoy) food that HURTS???

:cry:

[hobbit709]

57. Im 61 and I love spicy food.

The more flavor the better in my book. My attitude is you can never use too much garlic or hot peppers.

[cherokeeprogressive]

159. Just turned 50 and suddenly food can't be hot enough LOL.

The poor server who grinds black pepper into my salad gets a workout. Jalapenos? I've been known to eat 'em with by the plate full while watching something good on tv.

[RebelOne]

58. Yeah, I hear you. I am 72 years old, and I love hot and spicy foods.

But I cannot eat them like I used to because I pay dearly for it the next day.

[JitterbugPerfume]

65. I am 70 and I love spicy food

so far it kinda still agrees with me, with notable exceptions. I have no plans to give it up!

[Paka]

106. I got you beat by almost 6 years, MineralMan, but I'm still

pretty adventuresome about food. I live in Thailand where there are not a lot of beans, which I miss terribly, but definitely a lot of hot chillies. Ferang food costs double or triple what Thai food costs and since budget is one of the strong reasons I am here, I end up eating spicy a lot. Might even enjoy some of that cottage cheese my mother always wanted for lunch every time my sister suggested eating out.

Life is an interesting journey. Spot on there. :hi:

[teenagebambam]

27. MM, you sound like a Mother-in-law's dream!

[MineralMan]

32. She's a very nice person, so it's a pleasure.

One time, she was talking nostalgically about a particular Norwegian sausage, spekemør she remember eating as a child. It's a dried, salted raw pork sausage with some unusual seasonings. I could not find it anywhere for her, even with a very extensive search. So, I dug around until I found a recipe for making it, in an old Norwegian-American recipe book someone had scanned and posted on the internet.

I'm not a sausage maker, by any means, but I very carefully made a small batch of it and dried it in a dehydrator. It's easy to get sausage casing materials around here, and my neighbor had a sausage stuffing machine. I was extremely careful to avoid any chance of contamination. The sausage uses a lactobaccilus as a starter for the curing process. That was the hardest thing to come up with, but I found a culture of it I could order.

Anyhow, it worked and tasted just as she remembered it from her childhood. I got a huge smile out of her for that one.

[Odin2005]

42. I've had that once at a family reunion, I thought it was pretty good.

My favorite Norwegian dish, though, is Rømmegrøt. It's a kind of milk-based pudding eaten with butter and cinnamon. I like it for breakfast on cold winter mornings.

[MineralMan]

51. Yah, sure, you betcha.

I'm Norwegian by marriage now. I've eaten it all. Even lutefisk, which I actually like. Nobody else in the family does, except M-i-L and I, so she and I go to some church basement lutefisk dinner around Christmas every year. She taught me to make lefse, too, almost 20 years ago.

Heck, you might as well enjoy your in-laws. You're going to see a lot of them.

[Diclotican]

62. Odin2005

Odin2005

Rømmegrøt is not excactly a pudding then, it is a type of porridge but is a great porridge, even tho it have to be used to eat;)..

But it is in fact better, if you eat it with cured meat. then the whole affair is in fact better..

But Rømmegrøt on it own, a cold winter morning are not excactly bad, thats true;)

Diclotican

[Odin2005]

84. Thanks!

:hi:

[Diclotican]

108. Odin2005

Odin2005

Allways nice to help;).. But Rømmegrøt is still a great dish, but it is best, when you eat it in small portions, as to mutch of it, make rømmegrøt with a rather bad taste.. And it is off course best served, home made...

It is little wierd to understand, that regular food in norway, are seens as "delicacy" in other places in the world, in fact they serve norwigian food as delicacy some places... Thats wierd for as a norwigian to know.. Or at least for me it is wierd... Rømmegrøt is one of dishes who are rather regular, but in other places is seen as a delicacy..

Diclotican

[Hardrada]

146. In Decorah, Iowa they serve rommegrot, varme polse, lefse,

krumkakke (which my wife makes at Christmas), smorrebrod and other Norwegian cuisine at the Nordic Fest, a festival you may have heard of. Decorah has Luther College which Norwegian royalty visit on occasion so we have memorized the first verse of the Norwegian National Anthem. Oh yes, I forgot kransekakke among the food items.

[Diclotican]

147. Hardrada

Hardrada

Yea, I have heard about Decorah where the College is a place where our royals visit sometimes, when they are in the US.. have been a tradition sinse Crown Prince Olav (the late King Olav V of Norway) was there in 1938, as part of their honeymoon with Martha (who was a swedish princess, and who sadly enough was never a queen as she died some years after world war two, Olav never re-married, as he was really in love with her) In fact, our current King Harald V of Norway, was learing how to bicksycle on the halls of the White House, as they was House guest of FDR when Germany had taken Norway, and they had to flee, first to sweden, where their "welcome" was less than entuiatic, and then they was traveling, with a US ship to US, where they was given asylium by the decree of the US president himself.. And was house guest, and dear friends of the Rosevelt familiy as long as FDR was in office - and also after that, was good friends of Elanor, and other members of the Rosevelt familiy. FDR have also his own statue, right under the walls of the Akershus Fortress and Castle in a nice place with some forrest around him.. He still looks peacefull out where he sit;) http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-photos-p65404-FDR_Statue_in_front_of_Akershus_Castle.html

And Iowa is also said to be one of the most "norwigian" states in the US, as many,if not most of norwigians who emigrated to the US in the laste 1800s, the start of the 1900s was traveling to Iowa, t start the new life, as farmers.. Many of them managed it quiet well to as they worked the land, and prospered.. A nordic festival sounds funny enough to wisit sometimes.. Even tho I guess most of them dosen't know norwigian that mutch maybe;).. A lot of the deserts and food you are talking about, is like food and deserts we use in the cristmas time, mostly becouse of tradition, and maybe also becouse it is one of the times when most of us is able, or willing to make all the different dishes to eat.. Cristmas times, is a time when familiy comes togheter and eat more than good is.

So you can the first verse of the Norwigian Anthem too;); that allways pleasent to know.. Ja vi elser as the song is called, is used as the norwigian national anthem, mostly by tradition.. But our Parlament, have never really going around to make it the official norwigian anthem.. The only national anthem our Parlament (Stortinget) really sanctioned as our national anthem (this was in the 1880s) was "sønner av norge" who are far more "dark" in tone than "Ja vi elsker". Our first King in modern time Haakon, liked Ja vi elsker better than Sønner av norge. So it ended up with Ja vi elsker as the official national anthem of Norway.. After more than 100 year of been used, it might not need a official act from the Parlament to be seen as the anthem of norway.. And both songs can be used on a regular basis.. But Sønner av Norge is used mutch fewer times than Ja vi Elsker. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUtiIMZIVOU

Diclotican

[Hardrada]

172. Hello to you, Diclotican!

What you mentioned is what happened to my relatives, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather also. They came to Iowa and Minnesota and got their own farms and did well but had some trouble in the depression. I had a cousin who was farming the old place as late as 1995 but we are all dispersed now to cities and suburbs or other small towns. Nice to hear about the FDR statue. I have some Decorah newspapers about the royal visits around the time of WWII. I spent part of my childhood in Spring Grove, Minnesota which was the first town settled by people from Norway in the state. It is as Norwegian a town as any could be without actually being in Norway.
My grandmother whom I still miss greatly could prepare most of those Norse Christmas dishes and more besides. There was something called fattigmund I think which was a sort of diamond-shaped doughnut. My grandmother (and my grandfather Knute) both voted for FDR all four times! Thanks for the youtube since I am quite unfamiliar with the alternate national hymn. My grandmother's sister was always mad at Sweden for not being much help to the other Scandinavian countries in WWII. But we all liked the Danes since they never really had a chance against the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe. We were going to visit Norway this summer but have to postpone it since we had planned to come in July but so many people in Norway are on vacation then. For the whole month! Nice to hear from you again.
:hi:

[Diclotican]

173. Hardrada

Hardrada

Many norwigian did quiet well in USA, when they had the chance to get a decent farm, they took it, and made a "fortune" for themselfs.. Many, or most of the early emigrants from Norway, was from farm-lands and was used to hard work, and modest living I guess.. Many was from areas of Norway where they was sons of small farmes, called "husmenn" a low class land based farmers, who usaly dosen't own their own land, but had to farm for others, and maybe had a cow and some sheep, and some land to farm for themself.. But they often had to work that land, after they was finised on the fields of the landlords.. Was a hard life, with little pay, and a lot of hard work.. So many emigrated to US when they had the posibility.. In all more than 800.000 norwigians, in a 100 years time, emigrated to US from Norway - today more than 8 million americans, can claim in some way or another ancestery to Norway.. Twice the population of the whole of Norway today (4,7 million of last count)

Wel, its the way of the history I guess. Most pepole in norway are not farming either this days, even tho many have a small farm or so to travel to in the summer.. Many use their old farm as hollyday farms where they can have some other life than they usaly do home..

Yea, the FDR statue have been there since early 1950s, as a thank to the help FDR was given Norway when we needed it.. The help they was given Norway, when they protected our crown prince, and the rest of the familiy who was not in London under the war, was also something that we never forgot. But it was a special friendship the royals of Norway, and the familiy of FDR.. A friendship that I guess our King never forgotten, as he lived there for 5 years between age 5 to age 8.. He have a few good friends over there even today..

I guess, your grandmother was making "fattigmann" that is in the form of a diamond shaped doughnut.. Taste good to;)..
Wel, I think most democrats in the 1930s and 1940s was voting for FDR when they had the posibility.. At least he was a decent president, even tho he might was not that sparking star some want him to be.. But he was a product of his time too.. And you could have been far worse of when it came to presidents than him.. I belive Europe at least, is really thankfully you dosen't had Prescot Bush as your president in 1940-45...

Many eldery pepole, was angry about how the swedish acted under world war two.. Not just american-norwigian, but also in Norway, it was something that was never really healed before long after the war was over.. But at least they helped thousands of norwigian over the border under world war two, when they had to flee from german rule.. So I guess most swedish at least was of the decent kind... Norway have never really been angry about the Danes.. We have more than 400 year of same government (434 to be correct)and was part of The Kindom of Denmark-Norway from 1380 to 1814. And we all undestood that Denmark, who is rather flat, dosen't have a chance against Whermact and Luftwaffe.. Norway on the other hand was some of a handfull for german military forces.. And allied forces, (including france and poland) was allmoust driving 100.000 german soldiers into Prisoner of War staus in Sweden in 1940.. (at Narvik) But becouse the need of the armed forces elsewhere (notably in France as german attaced that country) led to the withdraw of allied forces - and many norwigians too.. And german soldiers could take back Narvik, and the government of Norway had to flee, all the way to London, and be there for more than 5 year.. 5 long year...

Sorry you was not able to wisit Norway this summer.. But it is true that many norwigians have hollyday in July, it called "fellesferien" where most norwigian put their hollyday, and are either leaving for travel abroad, or to other places in Norway.. It is a tradtion, who I doubt many american really can understand.. 4 week of not doing anything.. How can a nation work when 50 percent of all workes are on holliday?.. It works quiet well, as most thing are slowing down in the summer, and is waking up again when August is starting up again..

Diclotican

Oh, then I might have to visit Spring Grove sometimes then;).. If it is as norwigian as you claim it to be..

Its tradition to make this cristmas dishes.. Last Cristmas I was making some cristmas food for myself, my brother and a cople of friends who else had been home alone. I was working 3 whole week, before cristmas.. But the food was great then;)... And my friends was happy about the posibility of selebrating togheter in peace..

[Diclotican]

148. Hardrada

Hardrada

Sorry DP.

Diclotican

[knitter4democracy]

59. A couple of the restaurants in town serve that kind of sandwich.

:shrug: Is it really that rare?

[MineralMan]

68. I've checked out some places that offer it, but it's not

what she remembers, exactly. It's not just the hot beef sandwich. It has to taste like it did back in the 1940s at that lunch counter. The ones I've tried in restaurants and diners just weren't exactly it. The one at that lunch room at the fair was. So, that's the one for her.

[TwilightGardener]

69. If anyone lives in Pennsylvania or Ohio, Eat-N-Park serves the hot beef sandwich

on Texas Toast and gravy/taters. Very good, too.

[RamboLiberal]

113. +1 on that I was about to mention Eat n' Park

Funny part is as a kid growing up 50/60's the hot roast beef & mashed was a favorite of my late grandparents & mom at local diners & restaurants. I remember they complained many times of the meat being tough and end up wrapping it in a napkin for the dog.

[TwilightGardener]

140. I imagine it's all round or rump roast, lean but chewy as hell if it's

not sliced thin enough. The gravy is what brings it all together and covers all sins. Mmmm, now I want comfort/diner food. And a smiley face sugar cookie.

[JitterbugPerfume]

64. it is a beef manhatten--

they used to be really popular, and delicious in a bland comfort food way.

[MineralMan]

Yeah, they call it that in some places. In most of the midwest, though,

it's just called a hot beef sandwich. There's a hot turkey sandwich that's about the same thing, but with turkey and turkey gravy. They were a staple of lunch counters through the 1960s. Then, the lunch counters disappeared and, along with them the ready availability of that particular comfort food.

[Paka]

110. Food, like nothing else can take you down memory lane.

I remember the lunch counters. They were friendly places, with unique character, where all the locals were greeted by name. Now so much in the US are fast food drive thrus, heavy on the gas fumes and eating on the run. Sad IMHO. :cry:

[cali]

121. Hot Roast beef and hot turkey sandwiches are still a staple at diners around where I live

[mrmpa]

96. That sandwich, is often called a "Beef Manhattan" in

Indiana. In Pennsylvania, you can find it on the menu of almost every diner and family style restaurant, along with the hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy over it all.

[MineralMan]

97. It's hard to find here in the big city. I suspect you can still find

them in smaller towns in Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota, where they were always called just a "hot beef sandwich." I don't think you could sell anything with Manhattan in its name to the folks here. They don't cotton to that New York hifalutin' stuff here. :rofl:

[mrmpa]

102. Highfalutin or hifaluting...................

Went to online definitions and spellings, because I never saw hifalutin before, thought it might be something, I might be able to josh about with you, since you've been doing the spelling posts lately. I found, both you and I are correct, however, it seems that politics has even invaded dictionaries.

<his highfalutin paean to the working class failed to win over a crowd that wanted to hear down-to-earth proposals for economic relief>

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highfalutin

[Angry Dragon]

120. The Whistle Stop In Benson serves the kind of food

that you are talking about............

[Mimosa]

107. You, Mineral Man, are a sweetheart

How understanding you are.

My family were involved in various restaurants. Definitely pros. They discouraged me because the work was so hard.

I know what you mean. Foods long ago were less processed but required more labor to prep and higher quality raw ingredients than what many restaurants use today. I lament the passing of 'real cooking'.

[MineralMan]

114. That's very kind of you to say.

My mother told me when I was about 15 and starting to have girlfriends that I should always try to win the hearts of the mothers of those girls and that I should pay close attention to the personalities of the mothers, since they often predicted how their daughters would be as adults. I listened to my mother, since I had learned that she was almost always right. I had one very serious girlfriend in high school. We broke up when we went to different colleges. A little later, when I joined the Air Force after dropping out of college, her mother sent me boxes of cookies and other goodies from time to time. My ex-girlfriend and I still maintain contact from time to time, as old friends.

My current mother-in-law is a sweetheart, as is my wife. When we moved to Minnesota to help her care for her husband, who had suffered a stroke, it wasn't a difficult decision. Fortunately, my own parents, who are now in their late 80s, have two of my siblings still living in the same town with them, so everyone is looked after by responsible people. I miss my mom and dad, but I love my mother-in-law, too.

It's all good. It really is.

[Danmel]

138. Awww

That is so sweet. Now if I could find some old style Cantonese Chinese !

[Odin2005]

39. I think it's because back in the 50s all that processed crap was seen as "progress".

Old folks, especially women, associate really fresh food with Depression-Era poverty and "stuck-in-the-kitchen" drudgery, while processed crap is associated with post-WW2 affluence.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

124. You make a very good point! nt

[MADem]

10. Those cheddar buscuits are "heart attack" globs....but they do have an addictive quality.

You can make them with Bisquick and a few other ingredients. We found a website years ago that had recipes for chain-food food and whipped 'em up a few years back. The ingredients aren't terribly "healthful" but if you don't know that, you scarf 'em down.

[MineralMan]

12. I make my own, of course, too. I add Anaheim Chilis to mine.

Even better.

[MADem]

144. Yum! nt

[Odin2005]

36. We have 2 really good sushi joints here in Fargo.

Kobe's and the Drunken Noodle. The later is my favorite, nice atmosphere, they make the sushi rolls right in front of you if you are sitting at the bar, and the name of the place is cute (the double meaning of "drunken")

[MineralMan]

45. Good deal. I'm not a roll sushi fan. My wife is.

I prefer the traditional nigiri sushi. We have several excellent sushi bars and restaurants in St. Paul. Expensive, though, so I don't get to them often.

The very best sushi I ever had, though, was at the sushi bar in the Nikko Hotel in San Francisco. A Japanese friend of mine and I sat at the sushi bar there for over three hours, with the sushi chef making whatever he wanted for us. I do not want to remember what the bill was at the end of that time. Fortunately, the other person was hosting our evening on an expense account for his Japanese company.

[Odin2005]

56. Drunken Noodle has good nigirizushi. I had the octopus, once.

Reminded me of calamari.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

125. I do like the biscuits.

The rest of the food is pretty blah, but I really like those biscuits. We used to take my Dad to the Red Lobster (which we called Dead Lobster) at Maplewood Mall. He passed away a couple of months ago. :(

[blueamy66]

152. thank you

see my post down thread....our experiences are alike...

I too am a huge sashimi fan....but it's more about family

[Brother Buzz]

7. Square Grouper?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

9. LOL! Something like that. :) nt

[Lucky Luciano]

126. Olive Garden and Red Lobster are both Darden restaurants.

Let's have another Olive Garden bashing thread!!!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

131. I like Olive Garden. nt

[bluestate10]

132. Interestingly, having food pre-made is probably why Red Lobster is

surviving.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

134. Maybe, but dammit how mediocre the U.S. has become. It's at the bottom of the barrel. nt

[Lugnut]

145. A lot of restaurants do that.

My son is an owner/operator. He hauls frozen food from cold storage facilities to Olive Garden distribution centers.

[grasswire]

2. to say nothing of Olive Garden n/t

[louis-t]

3. They closed all of them around here.

I couldn't eat there anymore anyway. Their food gave me sharp pains in the stomach. Probably from handling raw food and cooked food without washing hands.

[kath]

15. They don't really handle raw food, which is the point - they open up the plastic packet that the

food was frozen in, flop it onto a plate, and microwave it.
Virtually NO food is actually prepared in a chain restaurant, except maybe adding a few ingredients and the dressing to the pre-made salad mix.

[Maine-ah]

93. I suppose it depends on the chain.

I worked for one (a chain restaurant, not Red Lobster) for four years. A lot of prep time with food in it's basic original state...prepped up so that things like pasta could be heated up in a micro. Mashed potatoes made ahead of time, portioned to be heated...but many mom and pop joints work like that too. We made our own burgers, not frozen patties...etc. Though, some frozen patties are just great. I have a case in my freezer at the moment. FAS seafood (frozen at sea) can be much fresher than so-called fresh at your grocer, where it has been handled on a boat, travel time, sits in the case at the grocer etc....

[TwilightGardener]

4. Restaurant snobbery. To a lot of people, including my family and friends, Red Lobster

and Olive Garden are special-occasion restaurants, reserved for birthdays and anniversaries. They're too dumb, tacky, tasteless and poor to know any better.

[CleanGreenFuture]

21. I know, right? I guess us poor people just like to eat slop on special occasions.

[SoutherDem]

31. Restaurant Snobbery or Restaurant Ignorance?

While I will agree I do not consider Red Lobster and Olive Garden as "special occasion" restaurants I know many who do. I don't eat at Red Lobster at all and Olive Garden is a place I eat at for convenience, maybe while shopping and I don't want to get fast food, lunch while traveling or meet friends after work because is is close for everyone, certainly not a place I take friend or family for a special occasion. But, I would consider myself more of a food snob for choosing the higher end restaurants for the special occasions and skipping the Olive Gardens.

As to the "too dumb, tacky, tasteless? I wouldn't call that snobbery but ignorance. I once heard a gentleman when he hear someone worked part time as a waiter brag he like to take the family out sometimes and spend a $20. For him this was stepping up for a special occasion and more that doubling what it would normally cost to feed his family of four (this was many, many years ago).

Also, for poor, growing up my family was poor, Captain D's was special occasion, sorry but that is the way it was. Things have changed and I can now eat at restaurants of my choice. I still will eat at fast food restaurants , convenience sit down restaurants and for special occasions high end restaurants. My family couldn't believe I once spent over $100 for my meal at a restaurant while on vacation and that was after the owner treated me to an appetizer and dessert (I have a culinary degree and work for a culinary school, he wanted to show off some of his latest creations to a fellow chef).

[TwilightGardener]

38. A big part of it is, when you have not much to spend on eating out, and

it's considered a special treat, you are likely to go to where you remember having a decent meal that includes things like salad and rolls in the price. No, Olive Garden is probably not the true taste of Tuscany, Red Lobster can't hold a candle to really good seafood places (which are coastal/regional, BTW, and usually expensive--where I've lived in the midwest, RL is pretty much it), but to a lot of Americans, they are close enough--and they get their money's worth. It's a comforting sure thing, to know they're not going to either walk out both unsatisfied and $60 dollars poorer, or worse, opening the menu in an unfamiliar restaurant and realizing that the entrees all START at $25 (even pasta), and things like salad aren't included.

[SoutherDem]

52. I apologize if I mis-spoke

I wasn't trying to put down non high-end restaurants, I was more trying to state it isn't being a snob to eat at those restaurants but a snob to skip those.

I realize food can be as touchy of a subject as politics.

I assure you I was not trying to offend, but more defend.

[TwilightGardener]

63. Not at all--I wasn't offended.

[Gormy Cuss]

55. I agree with what you've written here, but that doesn't make people who eschew those chains

food snobs. I'll probably never go to a Red Lobster unless it's with a group because I've been burned way too many times by these large chain "casual dining" concept restaurants. In my mind it's throwing away money to eat at a place like Olive Garden. I've been there for family celebrations and never had food worth the money I spent. The pasta was voluminous and mushy. The sauces were all overly salty.

[MineralMan]

60. My wife and I have a small budget for dining out. So, we

rarely to go to "fine dining" establishments. Once in a great while, like for our anniversary, we will. However, we also dislike the chain restaurants. So, what we do is to visit ethnic restaurants almost exclusively. Living in a major metropolitan area, there are zillions of choices, and prices are usually reasonable, the food is very interesting, and we always get a nice welcome at most of these restaurants. We haven't eaten twice at many of them, since there are so many available.

A few times, we've been the only English speakers in the restaurant. Fortunately, there always seems to be someone who can help us make selections from the menu, since it's usually unfamiliar. It's a real adventure for us, and we've gotten to eat some great food. It does require a large city, though, to really do this.

We just heard of a place we didn't know about, that serves East African cuisine. A hole in the wall, catering to the immigrants from that region. That's our next stop. I have no idea what to expect.

[Gormy Cuss]

77. Living in a major metro does make that choice easier .

I know that from my own experiences. I love trying out new cuisines in little hole-in-the-wall restaurants. That's a benefit of city living.

The thing is though, even in smaller metros there are often locally owned restaurants that would fit the bill of affordable, sit-down dining with cuisine that the whole family can enjoy. Heck, even in some of the rural areas where my family lives there's one or two places that fit the bill, but I recognize that it's not true in all parts of the country, but it's true more often than not. When I traveled frequently on business I spent many days in small urban areas and always sought out a local Italian joint or family restaurant with decent food at decent prices. Sometimes the local food choices didn't exist or were spectacularly bad, but for the most part there were choices that fit the bill.

On a related note, many DUers don't realize that the reason Olive Garden became such a joke here was a thread suggesting eating at the OG in Times Square --in the middle of food heaven, not an OG in an area where mall chains were the best choice.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

130. Have you ever been to Blue Nile on Franklin Ave. in Minneapolis?

Ethiopian food - very interesting, very tasty.

[MineralMan]

149. Yup. We've been there, and enjoyed it very much.

Thanks!

[NashVegas]

160. It's Affirmation to Small Town Dwellers, As Well

I grew up in a long-settled area of the northeast that always thrived on indie restaurants and bars. Big summer tourist area. The population in the entire county is 65k; next county over, same thing. Average town's population is 2-7k, and a 4 city cluster where three counties meet & the pop grows to about 80k.

So they're in nowheresville and they turn on the TV and catch news on stations an hour away - big city, a million people and we grew up seeing commercials for all these national restaurants - Red Lobster, IHOP, TGIFridays, etc., that (for the most part) didn't come up to our neck of the woods. When I was a kid, when we got Pizza Hut, it was Big News. Please, let's just not talk about Olive Garden.

Let me state that again, because there's an impact: restaurants you see advertising on your TV screen that you'd have to drive an hour to visit the Big City, that's something you're missing out on - which automatically makes that food taste better when they finally do open on your little town.

Another thing going on to the people who live in this area, it's as if the outside world is taking notice of them and saying, "you're important! You're a big town now, you've earned a Golden Corral!"

[TwilightGardener]

164. Yes--there's the "you're not worthy" factor in smaller towns.

When I lived in Rapid City, South Dakota, the locals and Air Force guys stationed there were just pissed beyond all measure that there was no Olive Garden. We had a Red Lobster at the Rushmore Mall, IIRC, AND a Golden Corral, but no Olive Garden. We just didn't rate. Actually, it surprised me too--Rapid City is a big tourist area because of Rushmore, but whatever.

[NashVegas]

165. You Get It

Very few others in this thread do.

[bluestate10]

133. Are there any good restaurants in the south, except for New Orleans?

When I travel there, the south is a culinary hell for me. Nothing but low quality cafeteria style restaurants or fast food joints.

[Texasgal]

169. Yup... that's all we have.

Low quality cafeteria food and fast food. Yup. That's it.

:sarcasm:

[Joe the Revelator]

50. You could spend the same amount of money, and get much better food at a non chain restaurant

Has nothing to do with snobbery.

[SoutherDem]

53. I agree

I can't think of one chain restaurant that I would consider fine dinning. At the same time I can't think of one fine dining restaurant that I would consider a chain, even if there is more than one. I find the more of a specific restaurant there are the worse the food gets, there is something about the cookie-cutter aspect that lowers the quality.

[justabob]

80. because they ship it frozen on the truck

nothing... not even salad dressings made in-house. I understand why the big chains do this: efficiency, consistency, costs etc.... but it does make a huge difference in the overall quality.

Just as a side note.... I worked at On the Border for years, starting almost the moment Brinker bought it from the original owners. It started out being really good. Honest mesquite wood grilled meats/fajitas, hand rolled flautas, taco/enchilada meats made daily in house. Over time Brinker changed it. We went to gas with mesquite chip grills.... to gas with liquid smoke grills. Flautas were made at the corporate commissary, along with dressings, taco meat, the stuffed jalapenos....on and on.

Right now I am working in a totally "fresh restaurant". We do not own a freezer. Handcut fries, sweet potato chips, dressings all made. We do buy condiments premade. :) The response from the public has been pretty stunning. They can tell. The first couple of weeks we were open, watching people take their first couple of bites.... awesome. Bliss. You could see it on their faces. They are expecting frozen Sysco shit and are pleasantly surprised. The food tastes good, and it isn't even all organic etc, just fresh.

[kath]

123. During what time-frame did this occur? When did chains quit actually cooking food in the RESTAURANT,

rather than in a big central kitchen somewhere and shipping it frozen?

[CatWoman]

128. and I want to know

does this apply to steak houses as well?

[justabob]

137. well

it has been a process. To stick with the On the Border example... I started there in 1994 and by the time I left there for good in 2001-2002 just about everything but fajitas and grilled things, nachos.... came more or less premade, some assembly required. I don't know about other chains. That is the only one I can speak to from personal experience.

[TwilightGardener]

67. I agree, you could spend the same money and get better food at

a non-chain--my husband and I do like to try independent restaurants. It's also possible to get a crappy meal at non-chain restaurants. We tried a local Mexican place, really wanting to like it--and it was not even mediocre. In fact, it aspired to mediocre. It was just plain bad. Hard to screw up Mexican, but they managed. I cut into my chile relleno and yellow grease just pooled out onto my plate--all I could taste was some sort of eggy batter and grease. We treated my kids and inlaws, and the bill was pretty big for an overall bad experience--would have been better off at On the Border or Carlos O'Kelly's. We've learned to only try places that have been around a while and have a good local following. Spending $100 or more on a "blah" experience sucks.

[Rabrrrrrr]

73. Oh, I don't know - I can get cheaper and better seafood and Italian at local restaurants

than at the Olive Garden or Red Lobster.

I find Red Lobster to be too spendy, especially for the quality of the food.

Not snobbery against the poor - snobbery against people who, apparently, don't want food that is prepared at the restaurant and tastes better and costs less.

[TwilightGardener]

76. I've lived in many places where there aren't better and cheaper alternatives

for specific types of cuisine. Particularly seafood. For a lot of people, "good" seafood IS RL, which is several steps above Long John Silver's or whatever you can get fish-wise at Shoney's or Perkins. Italian is Olive Garden, or Macaroni Grill, or Carrabba's. (Mac Grill and Carrabba's are better, IMO). And if one only has $50 to spend on a meal out this month, it's not surprising that many are risk-averse and don't want to walk into a place that might be more hit-or-miss, especially if one isn't native to that city. I chafe at the suggestion that people eat there because they don't know what good food is, or have unsophisticated tastes.

[kath]

129. The great thing these days is that reviews on sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, UrbanSpoon make the

process of choosing a non-chain restaurant a lot less hit-or-miss.
We avoid chains like the plague. We eat out seldom (kids in college, so try to be as frugal as possible), and are always a bit leery when trying a new place, since you hate to have your one restaurant meal per month or every 6 weeks turn out to be crappy. But the above sites, plus reviews in the local weekly alternative newspaper (and their website) really do decrease the risk.
Hubby and I had a FABULOUS lunch yesterday before the Harry Potter movie at a little family-run Korean place that I'd read about somewhere - I'm still salivating thinking about it.
I would SOOOOO much rather give our money to a local place than some big huge frozen-food conglomerate chain - if I want to eat frozen food that's been microwaved, I'll buy it at the supermarket and nuke it at home, thank you very much!

When traveling, we check out those websites for our vacation city - had some good luck in SF this past spring using this approach.

[TwilightGardener]

141. Yep--I have been checking online for reviews before we try a local place.

They are usually pretty accurate. Though sometimes we eat somewhere and think the reviews were either fake or were written by people who lack taste buds.

[CatWoman]

81. it was raining yesterday and I was running errands

stopped at the Red Lobster for soup and salad.

I don't know when but they changed their menu. They used to have really good salad with baby shrimp and seafood gumbo.

all they offer now is a choice of two soups (clam chowder is one of them) and a salad in a bread bowl.

the waitress was actually shocked when I left after reading the menu.

and they wanted $10 for that crap.

[JI7]

115. those restaurants are not cheap, there are cheaper places with better food

[tammywammy]

5. Not here, I don't notice any chains going under

The only place I really notice is maybe a couple of years ago there was this place called Bravos that closed. Then this place Italian Market opened in its spot and shut within a month or so. That's in an area with a lot of restaurants, so there's though competition.

[taught_me_patience]

11. I've noticed chains are packed around here

Long Beach/Orange County california.

[Myrina]

13. "Sit down" chains yes, and a couple Fast-Food'ers ....

Chili's, Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday sort of places ... some Burger King's and most of the Hardee's are gone from my area too (but their food basically sucked).

[SoutherDem]

14. I have wondered that myself...

I have a B.S. in Restaurant Management, and there are many restaurants which I wonder why they are opened , then others I wonder why they closed.
Commissary restaurants like Red Lobster usually have low food cost and low labor cost, add to that the perception that they are a "high end seafood restaurant" allow them to stay open and in some cases make great profit.
I have seen may restaurants which have really good food, at a "fair" price go out of business because of the wrong perception or concept as it is call in Culinary School.
Perception is everything, as an example $18 for a steak at Firebirds is considered a "fair" price, but $10 for the same steak at "Green's Steak House" is considered to be "over priced". Although the actual steak is the same grade, same weight, same cut and came from the same meat packer. (Green's Steak House was a local restaurant in my city, most places have one or two of their own).

[yardwork]

17. Corporate expense accounts keep the over-priced restaurants in business.

People eat out at places like Firebirds on expense accounts. The corporation picks up the bill. The person using the company credit card doesn't really care what the bill is because they're not paying.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. I ate at an Art Institute Culinary School restaurant once. Gross.

Everything was tiny servings on big dishes with cutesy little curls of stuff on it.
There were about eight plates and not enough food to serve someone with a small appetite such as myself.
I sent the steak back because it wasn't cooked. It was raw pink inside, I could eat the plain rolls and the iced tea.

Everthing was "weird for da sake of weird" as Mo Syzlak of Moe's Pub says.

The finish was a nice fruit compote with LICORICE liqueur on it . YUCK!!

I had a stomach ache with a really bad taste in my mouth, and my hubby had to dash home to take a dump.

That's what you'll learn to cook on your student loan money if you go to one of those overpriced Art Institutes.

It was the most horrible "meal" i have ever had.

I can fix steak, iced tea and plain buttered rolls at home thank you.

:puke:

[SoutherDem]

48. Interesting take on the Culinary World.

I will agree their food is not for everyone, and I do disagree with weird for the sake of being weird. However, licorice or anise has an unique flavor, some people love it and others hate it. I for one love it and use Pernod, or Anisette to flavor many fruit and sweet items, my degree is culinary management, but that needed an concentration in either savory or pastry, I chose pastry, for me licorice is a complementing flavor for many desserts and not weird at all.
I am sure the students at the Art Institute could have created a meal you and your husband would have loved. But, I will agree, and maybe for warn those who eat at culinary school restaurants, the student are challenged to "think out of the box" and yes that sometimes means creations which are not to everyone's tasting and sometimes eating flavors and spices we are not use to can create digestive issues.
As to the "uncooked" steak, culinary students are taught some meats should be rare or med-rare, but I feel it should be the choice of the patron. Before I left the industry to work in a culinary school I have seen customers who wanted their steak "Pittsburg" Style (a cold steak barely seared, maybe 30 sec on each side, basically raw) to so well done an 8oz fillet looks like a leather hockey puck. To each their own.

[CatWoman]

116. there's a culinary school here

and our office went there for lunch and it was excellent.

especially the she-crab soup :9

[Populist_Prole]

20. Around here the chain joints that close is related to urban sprawl - strip mining type development

The closer in areas that once had thriving commercial strips are looking down at the heels and a bit seedy. The developers keep strip mining land farther away from city center to plop down more McMansions and spiffier looking chain restaurants to cater to those with fatter wallets...and not much of any discriminating tastes. We really do have many good independent eateries now, with a large amount of ethnic food available though. It took awhile: For years you always saw the restaurant signs advertising "Chinese & American Food", "Italian & American Food" and such when WASPs utterly dominated the culture here.

[sendero]

24. Same reason ..

... Chili's or On the Border is open, most Americans can't tell slop from food.

[NNN0LHI]

25. Here is the deal on Red Lobster CatWoman

I live within driving distance of two Red Lobster restaurants. One is not fit to eat in. Lobsters eating a dead lobster in the tank by the front door. Dirty fecking filthy. Dust everywhere. Carpets were stained. Service sucks. And the food is shit! Its almost like they are trying to make the place unfit for eating food in. The place is always full and I wouldn't eat there if they paid me.

The other one is so spotless you could eat off the floor. Great staff. Won't find any dust any where. Even the bathrooms always look cleaner than mine. And the food and service is about as good as it gets. This place is always full too and I have never felt like I got a bad deal. Wait! One time I ordered the Shrimp Cocktail and they were teeny little things and called the manager when I got home and she apologized and admitted they weren't the ones people usually expect as they had ran out of the big ones people are used to. She sincerely apologize and put my name up on the board to get a free order next time we went in. In other words she fixed the problem.

Thats my take on the Red Lobster deal. One can be good. The next may be bad?

Don

[GoCubsGo]

28. Quite the contrary in my town.

It's been one crappy chain after another opening up here. And, none of them are hurting. People are pissing and moaning because they're "only" opening a Crackhead Barrel, but not an Olive Garden. We have Applebees, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, Five Guys Burgers, Dred Lobster, Chick Fil-A, Golden Trough...err...Corral, Outback Steakhouse, IHOP, O'Charley's, Fatz Cafe, every fast food joint in existence, and a nice assortment of independent restaurants and barbecue joints. This is a town of 30,000. It's the independents that are having the problems. We have three decent Italian restaurants in this town, and at least two of them have prices comparable to the Olive Garden. Yet, people want the slop. And, they'll drive 20 miles to the next town to get it. I don't get it.

[provis99]

33. I wish people would discover the joys of independent restaurants.

I can't stand any of those chain restaurants you mentioned. they are nothing more than McDonalds with a $20 price tag.

[Missy Vixen]

41. Five Guys?

Five Guys makes the best fries we've ever eaten, the burgers are made with fresh ingredients. It's a once-in-awhile splurge.

[JitterbugPerfume]

74. five guys rock my world

[Kievan Rus]

122. I agree

I live in Pittsburgh and there's a good Italian place in Springdale that has prices comprable to Olive Garden, but it's way better. In my experience, the food at independent, family-owned restaurants always tastes better than the food from chains.

I do like some local chains, though. I'm not a big fan of the national chains, however.

[petronius]

29. One of my favorite undergrad professors was vehemently opposed to RL

due to some of the fishing practices they supported. As a memorial to him, I've avoided RL religiously for 20+ years.

So to answer your question, RL's ongoing success is the inevitable and universal result of a Petronius boycott... :(

[Cosmocat]

30. It has a good niche ...

There are a couple dozen Chili's type places, or sports bar type places.

A couple national and a boatload of regional italian joints.

There really is only one place doing seafood as a chain joint like Red Lobster.

As some have noted, they just have a reputation for folks as being a place to go for special occassions.

That, as some noted, the biscuits.

[Odin2005]

34. All but one of the eat-in Pizza Huts in the Fargo area have closed.

They were out-competed by a regional chain called Pizza Ranch which makes much better pizza.

Red Lobster's cheesy biscuits are OK. I live in the middle of the continent, so I don't expect good seafood to make it here, anyway, unless it was recently fished out of our lakes.

[bluestate10]

136. It is not seafood if it is fished out of your lakes. But I get your drift. nt

[Aristus]

40. The Tacoma News-Tribune recently ran an article about how downtown Puyallup

is becoming a mecca for great little independent restaurants. South Hill, just south of downtown, is the Strip, with the scores of chain restaurants. It used to be, if we wanted a decent sit-down meal, we had to go up on the hill for it. Now there are a number of terrific independent, locally-owned places here in the valley that are a five minute drive away, or which we can walk to.

And they're getting ready to open up an Irish-style pub soon. Can't wait! :beer: :9

[stopwastingmymoney]

163. Tacoma

I had fantastic meatloaf at an Irish pub in Tacoma a couple of years ago. Love that town.

[WildEyedLiberal]

43. People who don't live on the coasts aren't going to have access to fantastic local seafood

Also, people who live in regions of the country without a significant population of Italian immigrants are not going to have access to fabulous homemade authentic Italian cuisine. For those areas, RL and OG are the only opportunities to eat seafood or Italian that isn't boiled spaghetti with Ragu sauce or fish fillets. Trust me, I'm from that part of the country. It's not our fault all our immigrants were English, German, and Irish, and that we live 800 miles from the nearest sea. :)

That said, sure, local places are usually better (or at least more interesting and unique) than chains, and if you can find a good one that doesn't rip you off with a $100 bill at the end, that's great. I think I understand the success of chains less in big cities, where there ARE plenty of good local places to dine. I get them along them interstate, where they're a known quantity for travelers who know they have X amount of dollars to spend already have a good idea of what the food will taste like, but otherwise?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

44. "Enjoy A 4-Course Seafood Feast For Only $15 At A Location Near You!"

I'll agree that it's slop, but $15 is pretty reasonable for those who enjoy the food.

Chain restaurants in Raleigh, NC seem to be doing pretty well, along with locally-owned places. People can choose from a bargain $9.99 sirloin dinner at Outback, or splurge on a $20 Kobe beef burger with black truffles at a new "neighborhood grill" that just opened up in North Raleigh.

[bulloney]

46. Olive Garden is the most overpriced chain. Pasta's cheap and they charge steakhouse prices.

$14 for a plate of noodles, sauce and a few strips of chicken? Their salads have their cabbage, a little lettuce, token 2 tomato slices and 3 black olives. Oh, and I almost forgot their bread sticks. The markup for their meals has to be the highest of most other restaurant chains.

Interestingly, they're owned by the same corporation as Red Lobster, I believe.

[ecstatic]

47. Their biscuits!

Although, I have to admit they're not as good anymore. If they keep cutting back in that area, they will be out of business!

[fishwax]

71. yep -- cheddar bay biscuits

haven't been to red lobster in a long time, but I really used to love their biscuits. :)

[shanti]

75. yep

pretty much the only reason for going there, imo. unfortunately, i'm low-carb now, so they're off the menu :(

[Liberal_in_LA]

90. +5, Haven't been to a Red L. in years. what I remember about them is their cheezy bisquits

[ecstatic]

49. Wow, I guess I'm the only fan

here. But that's OK. My SO hates it too. I guess I'm not that picky.

[Moosepoop]

111. Nah, make that two!

I like Red Lobster! I only get to one every few years or more (an hour's drive in any direction to the nearest one, and I'm perpetually broke), but it's where I choose to go for special occasions when I'm the honoree.

[Forkboy]

54. There are Red lobsters on Cape Cod, and people actually go there for their seafood lol.

Regular Cape Codders get a kick out of that. :)

[JackDragna]

70. They just opened one here in Baton Rouge.

..which completely vexes me. Fresh seafood here is plentiful, good and cheap, and the prices at local seafood places are cheaper. The chain already failed twice here. What the hell is the attraction?

[MineralMan]

82. They're going after the tourist trade. People who travel

to Baton Rouge, but who are too frightened and nervous to eat somewhere they don't recognize. It's amazing how many people like that there are.

On a trip to Europe with a choir and orchestra, we traveled to many cities in several countries. I could not believe how many of the people in the group headed for McDonalds or Pizza Hut in cities, when there was a little bar or bistro right across the street. Or a sausage cart. And they did it every day of the 21 days we were on tour. It was depressing. Or, they'd go into a bar in the evening and be frustrated when they couldn't get a beer whose name they recognized. In the meantime, there were tap handles at the bar with beers they had never tried. Boring people make boring choices, I guess.

The same people who did that would go to a Red Lobster in Baton Rouge, too, and think they were going somewhere special.

[Forkboy]

89. Spot on post.

I don't have the money for any real travel, but if I did half the attraction would be to experience the culture, including the cuisine. I see these tour groups that are all Americans, they stay with all Americans through the entire trip, they eat American food, shop at places with American brands, then come back home to America. Why even leave?

[MineralMan]

95. When they come back, they tell all their friends about their

amazing experiences in whatever country they visited. They show photos of whatever places they saw and act like they're seasoned world travelers. They really experienced nothing.

I've been to many countries, and spend all my available time trying to sample the actual culture in them. It's great. Even in the large cities, you just have to get off the heavily-traveled streets to experience an entirely different country than the average tourist sees. It's hilarious.

In a city in Germany, with that same group I traveled through Europe with, I took a walk from the hotel into a more residential part of whatever city we were in. I'd always find a neighborhood bar and just walk right in and sit down at the bar. I know just a little German, enough to be polite. I'd order a beer, without naming any brand or any such thing, and get the bar's local brew from the tap. Universally, the bar would go silent while they watched me try their beer. It was always good, and I said so loudly enough to be heard. After that, the bar resumed its normal noisy nature and people would want to talk to me. I rarely had to pay for more than one beer.

It's that way almost wherever you go. Go where the tourists aren't and join the fun. You'll be a novelty to the locals, who all know something or another about the US or have relatives that moved here, or whatever. It's a great way to travel. A smile, enough of the local language to be polite, and a good sense of humor is all you need to have a great time.

[Forkboy]

98. Your appraoch to it is exactly how I would go about it.

I'd ditch the tour group in a heartbeat, go to some obscure bar and do exactly that.

I was at a show in a Boston club one night, and two Chinese men came in, obviously tourists (cameras, travel packs, etc). One approached my friend, and asked in broken English what was a good drink. My buddy got them each a White Russian. By the end of the night they were crowd surfing to the band. I bet their experience was a lot more fun than just seeing Bunker Hill. :)

[MineralMan]

99. Nice story. Yep. That's how it works.

[JackDragna]

92. I've noticed the same thing when I was in Europe.

It was especially bad in Paris. I couldn't believe the number of American voices coming out of your fast food joints or ordering a Bud at a cafe. What the hell is the point of going to one of the culinary capitals of the world if you're going to eat there?

I guess I could see the thing about tourists, but we don't get too many here, except when the Tigers have a home football game. It is near our big eyesore of a mall, but people who drive in from out-of-town to go there probably aren't coming from too far, meaning they also have good seafood where they live. I dunno. Maybe I underestimate just how timid people are about new things, as you say.

[Johnny Noshoes]

157. Upthread...

Upthread the OG in Times Square was mentioned. I'm a New Yorker and it always amazes me that just two blocks west of that OG is Ninth Avenue and an amazing choice of real resaturants. It is New York where you can find ANY kind of food because people from nearly everywhere else on the planet live here.
Most people have either no sense of adventure or don't like anything different. Hey it is their choice but they miss out.

[Little Star]

170. Lets see....cold water seafood or warm water seafood?????

We were down the cape one year and they had put in the first Red lobster. I had heard such good things about it from my MIL, who lived in Florida, that I insisted we try it. BIG mistake!!! We couldn't eat the shrimp or the lobsters we had ordered. We paid, tipped and walked out leaving it all on the table.

Since then we've been south and I don't like any seafood down south(especially from the Gulf of Mexico)with the exception of Maryland crabs. There is a big difference in warm water seafood and cold water seafood imho.

That doesn't stop me from loving to vacation in the beautiful south though!

[mitchtv]

61. I wouldn't know

We are apparently too good for them around here, nearest being 65 miles or so to the west. there are several seafood restaurants in the vicinity, but they are mediocre and expensive.Locally we have just lost Coco's and Marie Callender's and long dead Sizzler has returned

[CBHagman]

66. "All"?

No, I can't say I have.

[CatWoman]

83. here in Atlanta, recent chains closed include

Fuddruckers and Steak and Ale. There's others but I can't remember right now.

[Mimosa]

88. Those were never good, not even 15 years ago.

Catwoman, people just don't have money to waste any more, especially when they don't perceive value.

There are some pricey establishments which have went out of business here in ATL too, but maybe not as many. Traditionally in the restaurant business the fail rate is 40 to 50% but chains had avoided that high a figure until recently. I've read the ATL based Arby's corp is feeling some pain. What have you heard?

I wish i could afford to eat out more often. There are a few good independent places in ATL, but even moderate priced cut into my budget. :(

[tnlefty]

91. Steak and Ale, Bennigen's and a couple of others closed in

Chattanooga years ago.

Since your thread kinda got jacked earlier, I'll just add that I'd love to have Guy, of Guy's Big Bite, cook for me, and I lust over his 'fridge even though I'm not a NASCAR fan. I like the Neely's very much, but while they have great food, their 'fridge just doesn't quite do it for me.:P

[CatWoman]

94. I like 5 Guys burgers

but can't eat burgers much anymore.

Hot dogs either :(

[tnlefty]

104. Unless Guy Fieri is part of 5 guys, I think we're mixing up

our guys.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/guy-fieri/recipes/index.html

And, I lust for his 'fridge. The Neely's, Down Home with the Neelys, I think is the name of their show, they bring the food, are a neat couple, AFAIC, but they just don't have the killer 'fridge. And yes, I get recipes and tips from Paula Deen, but she doesn't have Guy's killer 'fridge either.

One of my boys found some funny cartoons about Paula...one was her riding a full stick of butter trying to lasso quarter sticks.:rofl:

We've been expanding our horizons and cooking more at home. Bobby Flay is cool to watch, too.

[KurtNYC]

72. How did Marie Callendar's make it for 40 years microwaving entrees ?

Like Swanson TV dinners on a plate.

[PCIntern]

78. funny you should say that...

when I was a kid raised by my Mom of blessed memory, the first thing I learned to make myself were Swanson TV dinners when she worked nights. she would make a couple things for me to supplement the meal if I wanted them, but I would heat up the turkey or salisbury steak dinners and OH BOY! when they started the dinners with the dessert - often apple crisp - in the middle, I was in heaven. Of course it was horrible by comparison, but it had a certain flavor which was appealing - just the right amount of spices and a little too much salt...MMMMMMM.

[KurtNYC]

85. did you get the ones where you peel back the foil around the dessert?

forget what they were called. I had Swanson dinners but also some other brand aimed at kids and they had the weirdest chemical flavors in them....

Libbyland !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25692985@N07/4218133692/

[PCIntern]

119. Absitively! n/t

[blueamy66]

154. potato soup and ham stack sandwich

enough said

[Buns_of_Fire]

79. No, but we never had much around here to start with.

Not even a Waffle House, dammit. (And now you know how sophisticated my palate is...)

[CatWoman]

101. boy are you lucky

here there's one of these on damn near every corner:

liquor store
church
waffle house

[Buns_of_Fire]

142. *sniff* Yeah, I know. *sniff* I miss Atlanta. *sniff*

Aw, gee. Now I'm getting all verklempt about missing their hash browns (scattered, smothered, covered, chopped, diced, peppered, beaten, and humiliated).:cry:

[udbcrzy2]

86. I believe they are selling bait for restaurant food n/t

[Mimosa]

87. Restaurants are hurting because of the bad economy?

*edited by me*

[Proles]

100. It's because of their buscuits.

Duh.

[NYC_SKP]

103. Worst seafood anywhere, ever, unbelievably bad, flavorless, ruined...

...how do they manage to screw up crab and shrimp so thoroughly?

:shrug:

[Jello Biafra]

105. Personally...I love shrimp

but I refuse to eat any seafood now...considering the oil in the Gulf and the radiation in the Pacific. And if you suggest to me that Atlantic fish is healthy, explain how you keep any of this fish in contaminated areas from migrating to so called healthy areas....it's really sad....

[titaniumsalute]

109. Yes Red Slobster is gross

I live in South Florida with some good seafood and people here eat that garbage.

[jmowreader]

112. CatWoman, you know why it's still open...

When you need a place to breastfeed with your pit bull curled up by your feet, where ELSE are ya gonna go?

[CatWoman]

117. DUzy!!!!

:rofl:

[PavePusher]

143. Which chains have gone bust?

There are so many of them, maybe I just hadn't noticed?

[mistertrickster]

150. The great thing about Red Lobster? If you buy the cheapest thing on the menu, it tastes

like the most expensive thing on the menu.

They fry everything in the same giant vat of hot fat . . .

[blueamy66]

151. How can crab legs be overcooked slop?

I have very fond memories of Red Lobster and my Dad.....and continue the tradition with what is left of my family.

to each his own....

on edit: Maybe you can go catch some fresh crab and cook them for me and my family here in AZ....that way we wouldn't have to eat overcooked slop!

[CatWoman]

153. a little touchy there, aren't you?

and it's warranted, why? I'm a little puzzled about your level of hostility here.

so you actually "like" Red Lobster? as you stated, "to each his own".............

on edit: I wouldn't eat crab legs at Red Lobster if they gave them to me free.

It's much cheaper and easier for me to get them from Sam's, the Farmer's Market or H Mart and steam them myself.

(H Mart is a Korean grocery store and has the best seafood prices in town).

[blueamy66]

155. not, alot touchy

As I stated before....this was a family tradition for me....watching my Dad crack crab legs for my nephew, who was on his knee.....my Dad never got a piece of crab, cause my nephew was a crab leg fiend....and now my fiance and I carry on the tradition, since my Dad is gone...

Red Lobster is a family thing for us. When I ask my nieces and nephew to go they are thrilled. And I am thrilled to watch my great nieces and nephews sit on my fiance's lap and steal all of his crab.

I can enjoy good cuisine....trust me....I have eaten in some great restaraunts.....just don't belittle those that enjoy things other than you.

I, myself, HATE cats....but I won't start a thread stating that. :-)

[CatWoman]

156. well

a lot of people on this thread agree with me, if you don't mind me saying so.

[blueamy66]

161. And I'm sure that there are alot of people that hate

stinky, smelly, litter box cats....but they don't start threads about them.

Did you read my post? IT WAS A FAMILY THING....ONE WHICH CANNOT BE DUPLICATED BECAUSE MY FAMILY IS GONE. Try again. Just because you don't like something....it doesn't mean the rest of the world agrees with you.

I'm done. You've got your life and I've got mine. Go ahead and be a snob about food and I'll go ahead and hate nasty ass cats.

[blueamy66]

162. And oh yes, you would eat the free crab legs

at Red Lobster... I know this to be true...or you would bring them home to your brood

[CatWoman]

166. no I wouldn't

I'm choosy about my crab legs, and can only eat them sparingly.

FYI -- I have gallstones and there's a great many things I can no longer eat -- FREE or otherwise.

and my "brood" consists of my 4 cats.

I can't even give them wet food anymore as it makes them throw up all over the place.

Bunch of old ass females in this house with delicate stomachs.


Time to get your crystal ball tuned up.

[kwassa]

171. wow, we have an H Mart here, and I haven't been to it.

Maryland suburbs of DC.

[madokie]

158. I remember thirty years ago when I was still single thinking I was in heaven

every time I stepped into a Red Lobster. So with that said I find it hard to accept what you are saying but then again its been 30 some odd years since I haven eaten at Red Lobster. The one here in Tulsa is top notch or was then. Friends tells me it still is.

[CatWoman]

168. my granddaughter used to work at Red Lobster

and the stories she told me!!!

She now won't even entertain eating in one.

When I went, all I wanted was soup and salad and couldn't even get that.

I told of my experience upthread.

[u4ic]

167. No chains going under around here, unfortunately

stoopid people in my area think chain food automatically = good food.

Small, indie restaurants are going under, but there's always a Chili's or McPuke's to replace it.