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

organic_wanabe · 2 February 2007 at 11:50AM

My DH is never very keen to eat out - but then he doesn't have to do the food shopping and cooking (although, to be fair, he does many other things around the house). Anyway we ate out last night and we were all disappointed. The food was uninspiring and, in some cases, overcooked. I know we should have complained - but we didn't.

Tonight I'm looking forward to HM lentil soup, HM pizza (trying a new recipe for the base - thanks Toxic Lemon) and salad, then HM yoghurt and fruit and, of course, a bottle of wine! I know it will all be delicious (provided I don't drink the wine before I start cooking :beer: ), made from good ingredients and costing very little. The joys and benefits of being OS.:j

thriftlady_2 · 2 February 2007 at 11:54AM

I am nearly always disappointed by restaurants. There is only one place we go to where I think the food is something special and better than I can produce at home, and even that is not much better

but it's a treat to have someone cook me the kind of food I like and the kind of quality I'm used to

Generally though, I think home cooking wins hands down over eating out

Pandora123_2 · 2 February 2007 at 12:01PM

We rarely eat out because I love cooking and vegan food in restaurants is usually far less than inspiring. An exception is a wonderful vegetarian Chinese Buddhist restaurant in Milton Keynes; if we lived close we'd be regulars there!

:A

comping_cat · 2 February 2007 at 12:01PM

I remember a couple of years ago, my mum surprised me by ringing on mothers day, and suggesting i booked somewhere for us to eat out (her treat) - i said i would prefer to cook for us myself, as i have yet to find anywhere you need to pay who can do a roast dinner as well as i can!!!

MadCowMan · 2 February 2007 at 12:10PM

Pandora123 wrote:

We rarely eat out because I love cooking and vegan food in restaurants is usually far less than inspiring. An exception is a wonderful vegetarian Chinese Buddhist restaurant in Milton Keynes; if we lived close we'd be regulars there!

:A

where ? It sounds worth of a trip

Pandora123_2 · 2 February 2007 at 12:24PM

MadCowMan wrote:

where ? It sounds worth of a trip

Veggie World in Bletchley.

They also sell tons of frozen stuff from their freezer out back... every kind of veggie faux meat you can think of (we use the veggie mutton to make moussaka), as well as dried products and a veggie soup base for spicy Tom Yam soup.

Here is the website for their store (you can also order online and have delivered).

:A

HariboJunkie · 2 February 2007 at 12:27PM

I got a voucher for £50 for our local posh restaurant for christmas. Went there for lunch with OH on tuesady and wish I hadn't bothered. We used to go and the food is fab but very small portions and very overpriced. I would never go again unless someone else was paying. I had 4 scallops to start and it was £8.95. Main course was steak and was £19.95:eek:
Cost the full £50 plus another £5 and had to leave a tip.
No wonder the owner drives a Bentley.:rolleyes:

thriftlady_2 · 2 February 2007 at 12:52PM

We had some vouchers for Café Rouge (or Brewer's Fayre or Beefeater - Café Rouge seemed the nicest out of the 3) so we took the kids. The food was OK, but it looked and tasted like posh ready meals. I don't think any of it was actually cooked in the restaurant kitchen apart from the boy's steaks. It cost £80 and if we hadn't had £40 worth of vouchers there's no way we would have eaten there. I can do much better in my kitchen

What's also a pain when we eat out as a family, is that my DD has food allergies. So, we have get the staff to check everything. I daren't take her to a Chinese restaurant or Thai (nuts and eggs) and I'm not sure about Indian food.

frugalfairy_3 · 2 February 2007 at 1:06PM

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like this! I love to cook and usually my meals are delicious and so much cheaper than restaurant meals. I really resent paying through the nose for something I know I could produce so much better myself.

However there's something to be said for having a treat occasionally, and for me, not having to cook is a treat once in a while.

FF xx

shell2001 · 2 February 2007 at 1:18PM

I find myself sitting there thinking I could have made this for pennies and look what they are charging for it! Last meal out we had was pizza hut, girls had spag bol, £4.95 if I remember! How can they justify that price for a tiny bit of pasta and a spoonful of mince!!

LizD_2 · 2 February 2007 at 1:27PM

shell2001 wrote:

I find myself sitting there thinking I could have made this for pennies and look what they are charging for it! Last meal out we had was pizza hut, girls had spag bol, £4.95 if I remember! How can they justify that price for a tiny bit of pasta and a spoonful of mince!!

I totally agree!

Also as a veggie the choice is usually less than inspiring, especially chain restaurants. Maybe two choices if you're lucky, inevitably veggie lasagne or another form of pasta. No good if you don't do cheese or pasta.
Having said that, I had a gorgeous Thai Red veggie curry in our local gastropub (Ye Olde George Inn, Christchurch). But it's independent and I think one of the owners is veggie, given the almost unheard of choice of 3 different dishes!

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

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