All restaurants are getting bad.

[pskhaat]

Really, they are. I like out-of-the-way restaurants that serve different, interesting food. The environment or the atmosphere I like is disregarded. A few things make it worth it to me.

Good Taste
Different
High Quantity
Low PriceAll of this is being reversed! Is there any good places left?

Case in point: unknown redneck breakfast diner, 2 blocks off the beach where you could get some grits with salt & butter, some broiled bacon and some massive eggs probably cooked in the remaining bacon lard. Big 'ol glass of OJ with teeth sticking pulp, some burnt toast with some un-labeled fruit mash coming out an unmarked glass jar. Po-folks pricing.

Went to this lovely restaurant again. Small OJ tasted like an aluminum can, toast was burnt alright but the jelly is now in those little packets. Butter is now packet margarin and the jalepeños in the pre-made pourable eggs are no longer fresh but (gasp) pickled. Grits I swear came out of the microwave watery and undone. Total portions were kid's meal. Price 2-3x what it used to be, 10x what it should now be.

Hey, you know I know it's tough making a living, but come on: pickled jalepeños? If you're going to jack the price up, at least keep the quantity and some real food, not trans-fatty shortening for butter.

Just having this experience too often: favorite place in Houston serving carne asada especial, our Mexican place in Moab went `upscale,' three of our `old' joints in Phoenix. Wonderful vietnamese place in Denver decided to add a touch of American, same sushi place nearby grew up and lost quantity. Dozens of others.

Problem is 1) my wife and I really don't get out much, 2) there don't seem to be any new places coming along to fill these voids.

Restaurant's operating agenda: buy everything pre-made, reduce quantity slowly so customers don't notice, replace with lower-cost substitutes, charge more and call it inflation. Oh, and make sure there's no pleasing staff either, our customers want cold faces and on our waitstaff, ensuring they practice the act of dissapearing after order time until the tab comes.

[asteffes]

Come visit California. We still have some good eating here in the Bay Area. It's true that a lot of places are sub-par, but there's good stuff out there. None of it is cheap, though.

[big sky trapper]

Better yet road trip cross country explore your way up here to montana! we got more greasy spoons than should be allowed

[calamaridog]

Read the local papers for the eating out tips. Some of them are priceless.

Not everyone is cutting corners, but many do.

We have tons of good independantly owned restaurants here in San Diego, you just need to look around.

[stevenmd]

The sharper my culinary skills get, the less I desire to pay someone to cook a piece of meat that I know I can cook better myself. My mom no longer cooks the main dish during the holidays... I am now the designated cook at family gatherings. Of course my wife tries to pan off all the cooking onto me at home also... and I usually do it too ~ mainly b/c we have this deal that if one person cooks, the other has to clean up. When she cooks it seems like she uses ALL the pots and pans in the kitchen and I hate cleaning up after her, so I usually cook... hey wait a minute... I think I've been had!!!!

When I was 23 I had a pizza parlor and I focused solely on good ingredients and good atmosphere. I kept the prices reasonable and I had a great following. By the time I was 26 I was burned out after working in the restaurant business for 10+ years already. Sold it and I miss it everyday.

[mountainpete]

The sharper my culinary skills get, the less I desire to pay someone to cook a piece of meat that I know I can cook better myself. .

Amen Steven! :iagree:

I just spent a week in Toronto on business and, well I love steak and prime rib. But even at the nice hotel restaurant I kept thinking to myself that I can do better! So tomorrow I'm making ribeyes!

[kcowyo]

When I was 23 I had a pizza parlor and I focused solely on good ingredients and good atmosphere. I kept the prices reasonable and I had a great following. By the time I was 26 I was burned out after working in the restaurant business for 10+ years already. Sold it and I miss it everyday.

Ditto.

I opened my own Mexican restaurant when I was 26. It was a dream job and nightmare all rolled into one. I sold it after my son was born and I was tired of the 100+ hour work week. I wanted to see my son grow up.

Now I miss being on the line, making dishes but I don't miss the staffing, ordering and equipment headaches. After being in that position, I find myself a lot more tolerant when I go into a new restaurant. And I find after working in commercial kitchens with every utensil at arm's reach and 6 burner stainless stovetops & tables, that I don't enjoy cooking in my own kitchen at home as much....:chef:

[Scott Brady]

The sharper my culinary skills get, the less I desire to pay someone to cook a piece of meat that I know I can cook better myself. My mom no longer cooks the main dish during the holidays... I am now the designated cook at family gatherings. Of course my wife tries to pan off all the cooking onto me at home also... and I usually do it too ~ mainly b/c we have this deal that if one person cooks, the other has to clean up.

Me too amigo! I really enjoy cooking, so I am the one that does it in our house. Funny story how that came about....

So, one day I was out doing yard work, WHICH I HATE and Steph comes out into the yard and happily begins pruning something to help. I said "I hate yardwork" and she said, "well, I hate cooking, but still do it", to which I said. "Wanna trade?"...

So, now I do all the cooking and we now live in a house that requires almost no yard work. :chef:

[Scott Brady]

All of this is being reversed! Is there any good places left?


I know of one:

http://www.expeditionswest.com/arctic_ocean/Images/trip/smaller/Gun_Barrel.JPG

Bit of a drive though...

[Desertdude]

:chowtime: I second that Buffalo Prime rib :chowtime:


I know of one:

http://www.expeditionswest.com/arctic_ocean/Images/trip/smaller/Gun_Barrel.JPG

Bit of a drive though...





.... Best food and ambiance in Sedona is our backyard. :shakin:


:::

[pskhaat]

Another one bites the dust. Tucked away in a Florida bayou there was a cooler in the back corner of an emptied old gas station where I'd grab my Budweiser by the cans and pay the honor system on the way out; lovingly called our raw bar.

Timing was everything, if you came too early the oysters weren't yet off the boat, too late and there were no seats.

Visiting again yesterday, the place had a new interior and flat-screen TVs, they were out of oysters not due to the boat or the day's find, but rather the shipment of boxes of oysters hadn't arrived, and prices up big across the board.

A tear runs down my cheek.

[durango_60]

Pskhaat, you sound like you belong in a nursing home already, get over it, things change.:ar15: What kind of self respecting techie can be anti flat screen TV's?

[pskhaat]

sound like you belong in a nursing home already, get over it, things change

Dear friend, I want no complaints from you then when your daughter says the same thing back to you at dating age.

Besides, your statements are inconclusive. Examples of things that have become better in my mind: Jeeps, online encyclopediae & people from Durango. :)

Our old haunts at thrice the price have not.

[mountainpete]

I was thinking back to my best eating out meal ever. It was here at the Dallas location:

http://www.fogodechao.com/images/layout/images/home-logo.gif (http://www.fogodechao.com/)

I still drool everytime I think of it... darn! Now I have to clean my keyboard!!!!!

[Lost Canadian]

When it comes to restaurants I try to stick with places that offer something I would typically not make at home. I'm also not a fan of the big joints like TGI fridays, or Boston Pizza which try and cater to a variety of tastes. Now mountainpete if you are willing to step outside the box and try something different, then Toronto actually has some fantastic independent restaurants.

My wife and I really like Caju, it's on Queen St.,they have great South American cuisine. Ambassador has the best Chinese, everything is fresh and freshly made, it's off highway 7. My fav though is Dhaba, I love love love Indian food, in particular curry anything. If you're in the T.O area again check out some of those spots, I'll stamp them with my personal guarantee.:elkgrin:

For the most part though I agree with what seems to be a growing consensus, when it comes to a nice cut of beef, I can do better at home.

[Super Doody]

This place has the best garlic roasted crabs in the world!!!!!

http://petercherches.blogspot.com/2007/03/vietnamese-garlic-roasted-crab-san.html


Just order the garlic noodles, a crab and your favorite beverage.

Its to die for.:drool: :chowtime:

[ZooJunkie]

This place has the best garlic roasted crabs in the world!!!!!

http://petercherches.blogspot.com/2007/03/vietnamese-garlic-roasted-crab-san.html


Just order the garlic noodles, a crab and your favorite beverage.

Its to die for.:drool: :chowtime:
I make it at home. :) I don't bake mine like they do, I BBQ it. All my friends love my crabs.

[cinemakatie]

These chain restaurants drive all of the smaller places out of business. My favorite restaurant was an Italian place in Northeast Ohio that was underneath a bowling ally. I have never been to a place where you could enjoy a candlelight dinner with the sound of flying pins overhead. However, seven years ago they got bulldozed so a Walgreens could be built, hence starting by seven year ban on that store.

The problem with resteraunts is that they serve you too much food that's heavy and sits in you.

Plus, you can make what they serve at home better :) Plus, I've found that guys prefer nothing than a good home cooked meal... something as simple as grilled cheese :chef:

Katie