Where is that perfect little French bistro hiding? (credit card, private school)

[saganista]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

Still waiting for the name of a chain place that serves "great" food. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

So are the birthers, and that's all they ever intend to do. Your standard is arbitrary and without any rational basis. I suspect that eating is all some folks here have ever done in a restaurant. By the way, places like McDonald's, Wendy's, and Waffle House may be eateries, but they are not restaurants in enough of a sense to warrant mention in the thread.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by saganista

So are the birthers, and that's all they ever intend to do. Your standard is arbitrary and without any rational basis. I suspect that eating is all some folks here have ever done in a restaurant. By the way, places like McDonald's, Wendy's, and Waffle House may be eateries, but they are not restaurants in enough of a sense to warrant mention in the thread.

Well, it's kinda hard to see what my "standard" is since you won't put up your empirical evidence, but only imply mystically that there is something out there. You know what you call people who won't share their data for peer review?

Frauds.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

Pretty rare in Loudoun, I'd say. It's familyland out here, hence the complaints by singles and childless couples that everyone revolves around kids' activities and they can't relate or find friends.

the fact that there are kids living in those houses does not mean they spend much time on the lawns. Your kids arent school age yet are they? This is a land where between homework Stop Homework » The Case Against Homework and organized activities gymastics fairfax - Google Search= and electronic "fun" xbox live - Google Search

number of kids around does not necessarily equate to kids outdoors

Last Child in the Woods - Overview - Richard Louv

But if in your nabe in loudon, the kids are fully utilizing those lawns, well more power to you.

I do not, however think that the disdain of new comers for THs is mostly driven by the need for a place for kids to play, or even for dogs to play. I think it is more what Stpickerill said.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

You are doing fine there on your own, so I am going to leave it at that.

Still waiting for the name of a chain place that serves "great" food.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

back when I travelled on an expense account, my colleague dragged me to a Mortons, I think it was. The steak was really nice, the wine was good, the potatoe was about perfect. I wouldn't call anything about the place creative, but it was not a dining experience I would sneeze it. I am not sure if that qualifies as "great"

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

the fact that there are kids living in those houses does not mean they spend much time on the lawns. Your kids arent school age yet are they? This is a land where between homework Stop Homework » The Case Against Homework and organized activities gymastics fairfax - Google Search= and electronic "fun" xbox live - Google Search

number of kids around does not necessarily equate to kids outdoors

Last Child in the Woods - Overview - Richard Louv

But if in your nabe in loudon, the kids are fully utilizing those lawns, well more power to you.

I do not, however think that the disdain of new comers for THs is mostly driven by the need for a place for kids to play, or even for dogs to play. I think it is more what Stpickerill said.

It's "Loudoun" by the way, not "Loudon" (it's more than once you mispelled it, so I am compelled to point out, lest it become a habit).

I can't speak for what other do. But when I live and breathe Loudoun County, I see kids out playing often. Sure, they are not there 24/7, but I see dogs and kids quite often in the backyards playing. I mean we are not in cars 24/7 either -- in fact, we are in them only a small fraction of our day -- but that doesn't mean we only have cars for status or wanting to be English gentry or wannabe American, whatever. Same goes for pools.

Finally, my kids homeschool. There is no "school age" in my family. I teach them starting day one. Even a newborn can discern small numbers. And most of my friends homeschool too.

Not only do my kids not know Xbox. They don't even know what a TV is. (They do, however, know about the iPad.)

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

back when I travelled on an expense account, my colleague dragged me to a Mortons, I think it was. The steak was really nice, the wine was good, the potatoe was about perfect. I wouldn't call anything about the place creative, but it was not a dining experience I would sneeze it. I am not sure if that qualifies as "great"

I find Morton's boring... esp. compared to indie, old school steakhouses in NYC (e.g. Sparks).

Something about uniformization kills it for me, in terms of food AND atmosphere.

I consider places like Morton's, Roy's, Ruth's Chris "okay," but not great. Are you ever wowed there? Do you feel like "wow, that was a GREAT meal. I'm coming back here tomorrow. In fact, I'm coming back here everday the rest of the week!"

I'm surprised someone brought up Morton's so late in the game. I expected it the moment I asked "where?"

[Alltheusernamesaretaken]

Originally Posted by saganista

So are the birthers, and that's all they ever intend to do.

Is it appropriate to slip a political bit in there like that on an unrelated thread? Nah, I don't think so. Hope not to see it again on a non-politics board. Or I may have to whip my own political opinions out in response.

But for what it's worth, Brio is a chain (Italian restaurant) and I think it is absolutely delicious, and I have known genuine Italian food all my life.

[Alltheusernamesaretaken]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

Finally, my kids homeschool. There is no "school age" in my family. I teach them starting day one. Even a newborn can discern small numbers. And most of my friends homeschool too.

Not only do my kids not know Xbox. They don't even know what a TV is. (They do, however, know about the iPad.)

Kudos to you, as we don't do Xbox, Playstation, Wii, Gameboy, any of that stuff in our house. I'm firm on that.

But as a former teacher, I have to point out that teachers are professionals. I always wonder if the homeschooling crowd performs their own surgery as well, or is their own defense in a large court case.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by Alltheusernamesaretaken

Is it appropriate to slip a political bit in there like that on an unrelated thread? Nah, I don't think so. Hope not to see it again on a non-politics board. Or I may have to whip my own political opinions out in response.

But for what it's worth, Brio is a chain (Italian restaurant) and I think it is absolutely delicious, and I have known genuine Italian food all my life.

When you say "Italian," do you mean Tuscan? Because if I see yet another imitation Tuscan restaurant, I am really going to lose it.

Yeah, yeah, I know Sicilian and Neapolitan food is for peasants and all that, but I find it more earthy and authentic, real salt (or garlic) of the earth.

When you grow up eating real Sicilian/Neapolitan food in NYC (Brooklyn and Howard Beach in Queens) and Providence (Federal Hill), that chain wannbe Tuscan place ain't gonna cut it.

Yes, I am being provocative.

And, yes, I am still waiting for Saganista's favorite chain.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

I can't speak for what other do. But when I live and breathe Loudoun County, I see kids out playing often. Sure, they are not there 24/7, but I see dogs and kids quite often in the backyards playing. I mean we are not in cars 24/7 either -- in fact, we are in them only a small fraction of our day -- but that doesn't mean we only have cars for status or wanting to be English gentry or wannabe American, whatever. Same goes for pools..

Oh wow. I really, really, did not mean anything like that. In fact I wasn't talking about YOU IN PARTICULAR at all. You are taking this a tad personally.

We use our car just about every day. We do NOT have second car, in large part because we would only use it occasionally. I am sure there are folks who use their lawns almost every day. I am also sure there are some folks who use it only occasionally, for whom the choice is nonetheless functional. I am also sure there are folks who use it only occasionally, for whom the choice is simply a matter of course, because nice folks live in SFHs with lawns. They may well NOT be intending to imitate english gentry - however the origins of the cultural assumptions about lawns goes back to that, from what I can gather.

Finally, my kids homeschool. There is no "school age" in my family. I teach them starting day one. Even a newborn can discern small numbers. And most of my friends homeschool too. .)

I know about homeschooling - we homeschooled our DD for 7th grade - however, again, I was not referring to YOU in particular. I was discussing society in general.

Not only do my kids not know Xbox. They don't even know what a TV is. (They do, however, know about the iPad.)

Good for you. You will find plenty of kids around here (and not only around here of course) who spend a lot time in front of electronic entertainment of one kind or another.

Look, I raised the lawn issue, because you said that folks who want an urban french cafe or whatever lifestyle are pretentious. I did NOT do so cause I wanted to pick over YOUR particular housing choice or lifestyle choice. While i have my views on urban development, i certainly expect to live in a society with diverse lifestyle choices, and where some people will choose to live on one acre lots, or 20 acre lots. Or 100 acres, or whatever. I dont as a rule make it my business to go around calling them would be english gentry (and lets not bring up the fox hunting prints again, people). All I am asking, ALL I am asking, is that the same respect be extended to say, french cafes, and the folks who like them (and I swear, Ive only been in such a place maybe 2x in the last 12 months - I actually eat asian much more often) as we extend to the green lawns.

Truce?