Do You Ever Eat Out and Wish You Hadn't Bothered?

Justamum

moanymoany wrote:

Whenever we eat out - not often - I am usually disappointed. My lovely OH always tells me that not everyone eats as well as we do, aah:p One christmas we had a works do, lots of people were saying how fantastic the food was, but it was very average. What do some people eat at home? I think that if people are used to ready made meals from the supermarket they will like restaurant food! We Martin's Angels :A are used to better things - and much cheaper too!

Actually I think you have probably hit the nail on the head. Loads of people do seem to exist on ready meals (not us obviously!) and as they do seem to be pretty tasteless probably an evening out at a restaurant with equally tasteless food would seem to be a treat.

MJMum

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mookybargirl

We have a great little pub just 2 mins up a steep hill from our house. The writing above the bar says "with packaging materials in short supply, people will have to eat proper food, chef x" Home cooked all the way and you can taste it in every mouthful. Not too bad priced and such friendly staff.

I have 2 friends and they have no problem in complaining even when we're out in a group of 10 if the service/food isn't up to standard, usually along the lines of we asked our friends to come here and are embarassed to ask them to pay for it. We'd never complain without good reason.......

competitionscafe

I think Joanna Blythman hits the nail on the head in todays Sunday Herald - the reason we are so often dissapointed when eating out is because we regularly cook ourselves:


"NON-COOKS ARE easily pleased when they eat out. All the food that lands on their plate is a bit of a mystery anyway, and not understanding the nuts and bolts of putting a meal together, or recognising the labour-saving bits and bobs available to the chef, they inhabit something of a fool's paradise. People who are charged with the daily task of feeding everyone else are tougher nuts to crack, since they have much more insight into the whole business of preparing food. Of course, regular cooks routinely yearn to eat out, if only for respite from the daily puzzle of what to make for tea. Those who eat their food don't feel the same need. Well, they already have the services of a (free) cook, don't they?

But regular cooks have to balance their eating-out urge with the strong probability they will end up with food that is no better, and possibly worse, than that which they could make at home. They have to train themselves not to complain churlishly when the bill comes, even though they know they could have produced something a million times better for a fraction of the cost.
http://www.sundayherald.com/life/people/display.var.1250986.0.with_such_lacklustre_fare_leiths_latest_floating_restaurant_may_just_sink_without_a_trace.php

thriftlady_2

That's absolutely it. I always agree with everything Joanna Blythman says Does she write a regular column for The Sunday Herald ?

competitionscafe

Yes, she does a weekly restaurant review for the Sunday Herald (which can usually be read online) - if anyone thinks this weeks review is critical; some of her other reviews have been a lot more scathing!! She gives praise when praise is due, but doesn't put up with anything which is not up to scratch, which I think is fair enough - if you are paying £60 or £70 for a meal out for 2 it's a special occassion and you should expect special food!

chevalier

Snow_Angel wrote: »

The only restaurant I generally eat in is a prize winning Thai restaurant in Plymouth. They are amazing and I too, being a veggie, am very impressed with their vegetarian options. They're not overpriced and the service is always impeccable. I love it, but only as a treat. :A

Is it the one by the Barbican. If it is then the amazing thing is that it has been that good for nearly 20years. As when I was in Plymouth as a student it was my birthday treat place. Still miss Plymouth(sob)
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chevalier

On a different note. It seems to me that lots of people never complain. If I have a meal that comes cold or is not cooked then I complain. However I have got into the habit of it because my son is allergic to milk. You would be amazed the time that I have had to send something back because they have mindlessly put coleslaw on the plate for example.

But I would always complain anyway. My mum is similar. If we ate out when I was younger it was a real treat as we were pretty poor for much of my childhood. So she certainly wasn't going to be fobbed off with anything rubbish.

In the spirit of telling about a good restaurant, I recommend the Verney Arms near Winslow Bucks. I know the chef and he really does make EVERYTHING (except maybe the butter) from scratch. And yes it is expensive but as a treat it is definitely worth it.

I would also recommend the Chinese Buffet place in Milton Keynes. But other than that there are not many good places round here. Which is weird seeing as this is meant to be a rich county, and you would expect people to have high standards......
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Asmoosy

Supermarket cafes are the worst. They use microwave meals and sell it to you for £4! Had this in Sainsbury's cafe today.

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

I'm the same. I really enjoy cooking and I'm always looking at the menu thinking how much it would cost me to make the same thing at home. For me a big issue is also that I work at the local cash and carry where most of the restaurants shop so I see what they buy. They normally want the cheapest of everything yet want to charge the top end price for everything. Also there are some customers who are not very nice people so I won't use their businesses out of principle as I refuse to give them my money. It's a real eye opener.