Restaurants

[alisonb]

How often do you eat in a restaurant?
The boyfriend and I go two or three times a month, tonight being one of those times. So earlier on we were trying to decide at which restaurant we should reserve a table and in union we chose the same one. This restaurant comes close to having it all in my opinion - atmosphere, service, cleanliness, good food and wine menu and awesome food. It is also not soo 'stuck up' that one starts feeling uncomfortable.
It seems to me that restaurants are becoming more and more plastic with their deco nowadays, sortof like fastfood joints and franchises, having absolutely no ambiance.
What factors, apart from good food, do you choose when selecting a restaurant? I know I only mentioned a few, and some will obviously not be that important if you are going to watch a match in a sports bar or are having a girls/boys night out . I'm talking about a good meal shared with someone close to you .

 

[melking]

We eat out once a week usually. My criteria usually involves either recommendation or past experience. We usually tend to decide on where when we decide on what we want to eat. I am not sure this is a good way because it does limit new adventures.

 

[IGotMyWings]

There is a small Mexican place we frequent often. We know the folks that run it, the service is fantastic, the food is excellent, and the atmosphere is laid back. We go there maybe twice a month.

 

[CottageFarm]

I'm going to divide eating out into two catagories: Lunch & Dinner
Lunch: Fast food about once a month, only if I'm on a job site or on the road.
Real restaurants 2-3 times a year lunch with the girls.
Dinner: About once every 3 years or so, except when we're traveling. I don't like to go out for dinner. We eat late (8-9:00). We like to relax, have some wine, enjoy each others company & talk. Don't want to then have to get up & drive home. Much more enjoyable for us at home, and I guess I'm a decent enough cook that hubby prefers my cooking to most restaurants.
I agree about ambiance. Practically no one has it anymore. Most remind me a chain hotel lobby that was decorated with whatever ugly color/pattern is currently trendy . No character at all.
Best all around restaurants I've eaten:
1.Small french restaurant in an old house down the hill from the Hopkins in San Francisco. Can't remember the name. The food was sublime, the service impeccable. The place was so small it had about 5 tables, the kitchen was the size of a closet. That had character.
2. Huntington Hotel in San Francisco. Service was amazing, bar has great ambiance
3. 2. Conrads in the Flamingo/Las Vegas. Excellent chef & service.
4. Harrah's / Tahoe. NOT the buffet :lol:

 

[Howdyjabo]

We don't have much class.
We go out to eat at a diner 30 miles from us once a week.

It has a homey atmosphere, the people(both servers and customers) are friendly. Going out to eat for everyone is a social event there. The prices are AMAZING and the Food is just like we used to be able to get everywhere 30 years ago.
Until we stumbled on this diner I thought my taste buds/enjoyment had gotten jaded over time.
They have hot dogs and hamburgers to DIE for
Its like going back to happier times in our lives once a week

 

[ALACOWMAN]

There is a small Mexican place we frequent often. We know the folks that run it, the service is fantastic, the food is excellent, and the atmosphere is laid back. We go there maybe twice a month.

same here,, infact just left there from lunch ... i could eat there everyday,, and 2wice on sunday... and who dont like mariachi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5yTmVxRN2g
:cowboy:

 

[hillsdown]

Hardly ever ,for 2 reasons . One there is really no restaurant that I truly think the food is what I cannot make at home around here and 2 my husband has to eat out all the time so he like to be home when he is home. We stopped for a bite a month ago after delivering a bull. It was just so I wouldn't have to make anything when we got home. Really wish there was a decent restaurant around ,you would think that a town of 100 000 would have a least one. :roll:

When we dairied ,every second Sunday we would go out for brunch . There was this awesome little diner-dive about 5 minutes from us just off the hi way. They had the best diner food , amazing omelettes, Monte Kristos , eggs Benedict etc all farm fresh eggs ,veggies there own pork chicken and beef. My dream place to own one day . A year or so before we left the area they sold it to an immigrant couple who took the word dive literally YUK .

Looking back we should have bought it, but who knew I would like to cook one day . :lol:

However when I travel I LOVE to try all sorts of different places . :nod:

 

[hillsdown]

There is a small Mexican place we frequent often. We know the folks that run it, the service is fantastic, the food is excellent, and the atmosphere is laid back. We go there maybe twice a month.

same here,, infact just left there from lunch ... i could eat there everyday,, and 2wice on sunday... and who dont like mariachi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5yTmVxRN2g
:cowboy:

Jealous !

 

[slick4591]

There was this awesome little diner-dive about 5 minutes from us just off the hi way. They had the best diner food , amazing omelettes, Monte Kristos , eggs Benedict etc all farm fresh eggs ,veggies there own pork chicken and beef. My dream place to own one day . A year or so before we left the area they sold it to an immigrant couple who took the word dive literally YUK .

Been there, done that and luckily kept a little sanity after being owner operator for four years. Looks fun, but you might as well have a second spouse.

 

[highgrit]

My family's been in the seafood restaurant business since 1938. If your ever in Boynton Beach Fl. stop by the Bannana Boat restaurant and dine on the waterfront. Most of the time you can go to the restroom and see if you really want to eat there or not. The location will get you there, but great food will bring you back.

 

[backhoeboogie]

It seems to me that restaurants are becoming more and more plastic with their deco nowadays, sortof like fastfood joints and franchises, having absolutely no ambiance.

It is great people are observing this. It is not just the restaurants. Places like the Gaylord Texan or Great Wolfe Lodge have gone to synthetic rock, sythetic wood etc. What is amazing is that most people don't notice.

Some of my favorite restaurants have closed their doors recently. It is a shame too as some were maw and paw operations. There is not a huge customer base in this area and this economy cannot support things currently. Lots of consumers are opting for quicker and less expensive dinners.

There are still some great places around where low overhead costs allow continued operation. One of my favorites is out in the middle of a ranch. It is a pretty casual atmosphere with great steak. You are okay going there dressed to kill or wearing casual attire. It is unique.

 

[1982vett]

I eat out a lot more since I got a life other than working myself to death....

 

[MO_cows]

We hardly ever go out for dinner, by the time we drive somewhere to eat it is pushing bedtime during the week. But the rare occasions when we do, we have a tendency to fall in someplace we know we like, rather than try something new and be disappointed. There are a couple good Mexican places we like. My absolute favorite, but too far away and too expensive to dine there often, is a Brazilian style chimacheria (probably butchered that spelling). All different kinds of meats, grilled on a rotating spit over a real fire (oak wood), then the spits are brought around to the tables and sliced for each person. Their meats are excellent quality. Also a huge salad bar, another food line of Brazilian foods, and they make a drink that is kind of like a Mojito but with a liquor more like grain alcohol and they are good, but potent. Hmmm, who has a birthday coming up? I need to go there again.

One of the grandest old places in downtown Kansas City went out of business, the Majestic. It still had the 30's decor of tiny mosaic tiles on the floor, old pedastal sinks in the bathrooms, high ceilings, nice woodwork, etc. Nothing like a hundred year old building for ambiance. One of the best steaks I ever ate in my life was there, and it was a bison ribeye.

 

[chrisy]

Went out last night for dinner, we go to a Thia resturant in Greenwhich quite a bit. We have been out to dinner for the past three Saturdays, but two have been for special occassions, My Brothers birthday, Nephews Wedding and just because we want to. I like eating out but my Husband has to be coerced into thinking it was his idea, but enjoys it when he goes. As we live so close to London there are so many good resaurants to choose from. It's hard to say which I like best.

 

[alisonb]

Well last night was really good. We got quite a fright coming home though, there was a woman standing in the middle of the double carriageway facing us, a bit like a statue :shock: luckily we saw her - not sure what she was up too. We saw three people on the side of the road so were a bit hesitant to stop, we phoned the cops.

I am not sure this is a good way because it does limit new adventures.

It certainly does, I have 3 or 4 good reastaurants in the close vicinity that I will patronize - the new adventures I usually leave for other towns/cities when I visit there .

I don't like to go out for dinner. We eat late (8-9:00). We like to relax, have some wine, enjoy each others company & talk. Don't want to then have to get up & drive home.

I think it's important to get out now and then and spoil yourselves and take a break from routine (even though routine is sooo good ;-) ). It's great to have someone else prepare a nice meal while you just relax with a glass of wine and chat. It's the wine with the meal and the ports afterwards that worry me, as you say one has to get home....safely at that :shock: .

It has a homey atmosphere, the people(both servers and customers) are friendly.

Home away from home

There is a small Mexican place we frequent often. We know the folks that run it, the service is fantastic, the food is excellent, and the atmosphere is laid back. We go there maybe twice a month.

same here,, infact just left there from lunch ... i could eat there everyday,, and 2wice on sunday... and who dont like mariachi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5yTmVxRN2g
:cowboy:

The atmosphere must be amazing.....are their prices also good?

There was this awesome little diner-dive

Sounds almost quaint, pity it had to 'dive'.

Been there, done that and luckily kept a little sanity after being owner operator for four years. Looks fun, but you might as well have a second spouse.

I can quite believe you time is not your own in the restaurant business but then again neither is it in the cattle business.

Most of the time you can go to the restroom and see if you really want to eat there or not.

That's one of the first things I check out .

Hmmm, who has a birthday coming up? I need to go there again.

:nod: Sounds great.... you will have to make up a birthday or some excuse....