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Where I live there is shortage of good easy to get to sit down restaurants. As a result we go to a place a few blocks away just because it is so convenient. The food is not so good. It is not so much bad but just plain bland. We have taken friends and relatives there and they all agree, bland!
Anyway, they advertise the name of an EXECUTIVE CHEF and also give the owners name on the door. I always think about calling or writing the owner and tell them they need to fire the chef. Again I would not bother but it is the only sit down restaurant within a short distance. So they have a captive audience. What would you do?
The mind is a powerful thing.
If you say "Lets go to this restaurant, but let me warn you the food is bland"
You have everyone in the mindset that the food will be bland.
I don't care how "captvie" of an audience you claim they have, if the food is bad people won't eat there and the place will close.
If I was an owner and got 1 letter from someone claiming the food was bland and I should "fire" the chef I would think "hmm here is someone looking for a comp meal certificate"
If the food bothers you so much, cook at home, no one forces you to go out to eat. That way you can spice the food to your palate either that or bring a bottle of hot sauce with you if you want to "kick it up a notch"
Is this the same place you posted about awhile ago that you told the cashier you were from the corporate office ?
The mind is a powerful thing.
If you say "Lets go to this restaurant, but let me warn you the food is bland"
You have everyone in the mindset that the food will be bland.
I don't care how "captvie" of an audience you claim they have, if the food is bad people won't eat there and the place will close.
If I was an owner and got 1 letter from someone claiming the food was bland and I should "fire" the chef I would think "hmm here is someone looking for a comp meal certificate"
If the food bothers you so much, cook at home, no one forces you to go out to eat. That way you can spice the food to your palate either that or bring a bottle of hot sauce with you if you want to "kick it up a notch"
Is this the same place you posted about awhile ago that you told the cashier you were from the corporate office ?
Karla, I guess I missed that thread. Doesn't surprise me.
Dingler, just find another restaurant. Just because the restaurant is conveniently located by you does not mean they have to change there menu to accomadate you.
Suggestions:
1. cook at home
2. buy out the owners and set the restaurant up with your tasteful entrees
3. drive a little further for you "sit down" meal
For some reason this reminds me of the attorney that put the 57 million dollar law suit on the cleaners in DC. If you dont like the place STOP GOING!!!!
No, even if the food's disgusting I rarely confront the chef. That's my Minnesota Nice for you.
The last restaurant meal I ate was very bland. It (the "Besan Chilla Quesadilla") was from a place that usually serves very good food ("Duluth Grill"), and I recommend it to all my friends. However, this specific dish was beyond awful. Thankfully, they make up for it with whatever else I've tried there, from their excellent omelets to their lamb stew.
No, even if the food's disgusting I rarely confront the chef. That's my Minnesota Nice for you.
And you're so nice you waited 5 years to answer the question?
But since you woke up this old thread, I'll just add that since people mean lots of different things by "bland," I'd want to know exactly what they mean by it.
Needs salt? A lot of chefs are making serious efforts to reduce the amount of salt they use, in the name of being more healthful. Restaurants have traditionally used lots of salt, because it brightens up most flavors. If that's your complaint, just add the amount salt you want.
Needs pepper? Ditto the above.
You expected spicy? Again, it's easy to add what you want, but if there's too much spice it's impossible to take out the excess.
And let's not forget that many things can knock your taste buds for a loop, including a lot of medications.
But if I'm having a nice dinner and something doesn't taste right, I'll ask for the manager, politely explain my problem, and see what they'll do to correct it. It's rare that I'll have to do that, but I can't remember a time when that wasn't enough to get things straightened out.
Getting angry and threatening somebody's job because you didn't like your dinner? Makes no sense to me. Waiting until the next day to complain? Makes no sense to me. If something is wrong, the time to deal with it it is right then, and the way to approach it is politely.
And if a dish is truly "beyond awful," I'll send it back and have them bring me something else. I'm the customer.
Bland? Hardly. I totally lost my sense of smell so EVERYTHING is bland.
Salt
Sweet
Sour
Bitter
That's all I can taste, yet I enjoy eating too much, especially the sweet stuff.
I have sent a steak back because it was horrible. Gristle and sour. Ugh! I sent it back. Chef offered to replace it, but by that time another bite of steak would have made me vomit. As I recall, they "comped" be for it, but it wasn't the money I wanted; I wanted something to make me forget I'd ever tried that awful piece of meat. Unfortunately it was at a steak house that I'd always enjoyed, but even though it's under new management, I can't go back. The memory of that steak lingers even now, 10-12 years later. LOL
Bland? Hardly. I totally lost my sense of smell so EVERYTHING is bland.
Salt
Sweet
Sour
Bitter
This is another thing most people don't realize... maybe 90% of your sense of taste is in your nose. Tape up your nose (or catch a head cold) and you won't be able to tell the difference between vastly different flavors, like between red wine and white wine. And the visual sense is also incredibly strong. On Nova Science on PBS last week they showed David Pogue being given apple juice that had been dyed orange, and when he tasted it he thought it was orange juice. And he still thought so, even after they told him it was really apple juice. But his eyes said otherwise, and that's what he tasted.
It's best this adventuresome cook stays clear of restaurants, of any kind!!! One too many times talking to the cook/owner, I'd get a cold plate of spaghetti thrown in my face!
Time it! How much time you spend getting ready to go out to eat, walking/driving there, waiting for someone to take your order, deliver your food, waiting for the check, waiting for your change, the time spent talking to the owner/cook, and in that time frame, you could have astounding meal put together in your kitchen!
And you're so nice you waited 5 years to answer the question?
But since you woke up this old thread, I'll just add that since people mean lots of different things by "bland," I'd want to know exactly what they mean by it.
Needs salt? A lot of chefs are making serious efforts to reduce the amount of salt they use, in the name of being more healthful. Restaurants have traditionally used lots of salt, because it brightens up most flavors. If that's your complaint, just add the amount salt you want.
Needs pepper? Ditto the above.
You expected spicy? Again, it's easy to add what you want, but if there's too much spice it's impossible to take out the excess.
And let's not forget that many things can knock your taste buds for a loop, including a lot of medications.
But if I'm having a nice dinner and something doesn't taste right, I'll ask for the manager, politely explain my problem, and see what they'll do to correct it. It's rare that I'll have to do that, but I can't remember a time when that wasn't enough to get things straightened out.
Getting angry and threatening somebody's job because you didn't like your dinner? Makes no sense to me. Waiting until the next day to complain? Makes no sense to me. If something is wrong, the time to deal with it it is right then, and the way to approach it is politely.
And if a dish is truly "beyond awful," I'll send it back and have them bring me something else. I'm the customer.
I've actually had them (other restaurants, not this one!) take a plate back once or twice in the past because it had raw/large vegetables or mayo that the menu never said were included.
The specific menu item I ordered looked interesting the last time I was there (with my mother) and rather opted for the braised lamb stew, which was delicious. I had no idea that anybody in Duluth besides me knew what "besan" was. I had a gift card there (unfortunately, only $20) and chose the interesting-sounding dish my last visit, and was thoroughly unsatisfied, but did not make a note of it as I have frequented this restaurant on several occasions in the past, all to my delight. I probably should have ordered a burger with garlic that sounded good on their menu.
No, if I dont likeit, I just dont go back. I often find the food too salty. We went to a steakhouse the other night and while the steak was good. The salt was excessive on certain dishes. I also dont understand the need to soak the steak in butter and oil while cooking. Anyway, I dont go out to eat much, because its expensive and its too easy to be disappointed.
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