Lean'n'mean
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,087
- Location
- Cloud-cuckoo-land
are in the tourist traps/goormay joints..
Yep. The kind of places that print their menus in all lower case and never use a dollar sign on the prices. And who charge you $48 (or "48") for a lobster dinner that cost them five dollars at the boat.
And who charge you $48 (or "48") for a lobster dinner that cost them five dollars at the boat.
What galls me to no end are steak houses that charge that amount- or more- for a decent prime cut.. and then want extra for salad/soup and every side dish, even the potato. Or franchises like Outback that have choice cuts with sides and salad/soup, but salt the bejezzezz out of the meat.
Subminimum wage to a skinny guy in a black turtleneck to wait table, rent for a dilapidated storefront in an "atmospheric" part of town, and a bunch of mismatched tables and chairs from a rummage sale for that "eclectic" decor. Of course, the biggest cost is the chef's ego -- you can't put a price on that!
I will gladly pay $48 for a top notch steak, cooked to perfection. What I won't do is pay more than 39 cents for that garbage they serve at Outback. I'd rather eat dirt.
Subminimum wage to a skinny guy in a black turtleneck to wait table, rent for a dilapidated storefront in an "atmospheric" part of town, and a bunch of mismatched tables and chairs from a rummage sale for that "eclectic" decor. Of course, the biggest cost is the chef's ego -- you can't put a price on that!
If I want atmosphere while I eat, I open a window.
The of-the-moment places, the cool, hip, what-have-you places are never my bag - those seem to be more for the people who enjoy being part of whatever is "happening." That said, depending on what you like, there are some high-end restaurants that have been around for many years that do provide nice atmospheres, good (not pretentious) service, quality food prepared in interesting or classic ways that can enhance the experience and make for a nice evening. Again, it is not something we do often, but I completely understand why people enjoy those places.
It isn't the price: it's the concept of nickel and diming a person to death on the premise that the essentials of a decent meal are, somehow, "extras." Charge me more, if you have to do so, but please, do not insult me by implying that a potato (mashed or baked) and a side of asparagus or corn is, somehow, a superfluity.
It isn't the price: it's the concept of nickel and diming a person to death on the premise that the essentials of a decent meal are, somehow, "extras." Charge me more, if you have to do so, but please, do not insult me by implying that a potato (mashed or baked) and a side of asparagus or corn is, somehow, a superfluity.
My standard is very simple -- if a place has tablecloths, it's not for me.
wrapped in old-fashion kitchen-foil, not that plastic-foil!
Would that be aluminium foil ? ...you're not worried about Alzheimer's then !