RIP TGI Friday's (wedding, live in, costs)

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by grapico

Yeah, they have their places where they are usable. If you are traveling you want to know what you are going to get, you know a certain quality of service, clean rest rooms, etc. And they provide that kind of quality control. What I don't like is them populating down town centers, local communities, etc. with huge marketing budgets, very skeptical lease agreements, or when people just choose to eat there when there are much better options (local family owned restaurants/pot lucks/dinner with family, etc) People raving about how good or authentic they are also irks me. Just went to Macaroni Grill a few days ago (not by choice) 3 people... everything we ordered was bad...tasted like muellers spaghetti and ragu old world style, no flavor, old unfresh basil, shrimp were obviously pre frozen and overcooked, substituted ham pieces for prosciutto, no sun dried tomatoes or capers on one dish(even though listed), mozarella...not sure how they call that grainy stuff mozarella...walnuts on a salad tasted rancid, calamari was not fresh, tasted rubbery and insanely overly salted.just overall a really bad experience and remember why I don't like to spend my money on those establishments. The bread was good though and our waiter was nice and brought us another dish on the house b/c the calamari was literally THAT bad, I imagine the last crumbled pieces out of a big frozen bag. Should have gone to olive garden, at least it would have been cheaper.

Mgrill used to be one of the few chains I really enjoyed, but they expanded so much and yes the quality started down. I haven't been to one in about 6 or 7 years. I used to laugh though, the reason the food was so good, filled with fat and crap. We would bring home left overs and I would take them for lunch the following day..Boy, the shock, when everything cooled in the fridge, they was a layer of fat in the bottom. I guess, at least it was olive oil.

Nita

[grapico]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Mgrill used to be one of the few chains I really enjoyed, but they expanded so much and yes the quality started down. I haven't been to one in about 6 or 7 years. I used to laugh though, the reason the food was so good, filled with fat and crap. We would bring home left overs and I would take them for lunch the following day..Boy, the shock, when everything cooled in the fridge, they was a layer of fat in the bottom. I guess, at least it was olive oil.

Nita

The last time I went there was 1998 in Orlando, and I remember it being pretty decent, along with my friends pretending it was my birthday to get an opera singer I also met up with a friend at the bar area before and just had some drinks and mussels (which are no longer on the menu) Looking at the menu online before we went, the options did SOUND very good so I actually wanted to give it a shot. When I went a few days ago the waitress said they were "transitioning from tuscan to mediterranean" in order to be more authentic . Is food from Tuscany not authentic?

Also my last posts aren't a food snob type post... I will definitely eat some bad food, street food, fast food... but again, will opt for the local stuff... The chain stuff just tastes unfresh and nasty! Usually oversalted, out of a can or bag, frozen for months, etc. with msg as well. In the end it is nothing to do with what is on their menu, it is how they are preparing it and the quality of the ingredients.

[bayarea-girl]

Nita, InNOut was a bad example of mine. But chains if they want to stay alive should go back to basics. The food should be edible and consistent. Why can't they get produce and meat from local farmers that don't manipulate the food? Yes it will cost them a bit more money but the food would taste better and people will actually pay more for it.

Otherwise close them.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

Nita, InNOut was a bad example of mine. But chains if they want to stay alive should go back to basics. The food should be edible and consistent. Why can't they get produce and meat from local farmers that don't manipulate the food? Yes it will cost them a bit more money but the food would taste better and people will actually pay more for it.

Otherwise close them.

they won't pay more and that may be the problem: the food is mass produced to save money. Of course some will pay, but most will not, those are the types that eat at large chains several times a month, because the cost is less and to them the food is good. Many people want the most they can get for as little as possible, why do you think places like "Golden Corral" are always packed? Remember most people are not into gourmet or quality dining.

As for closing them down, how do you think this could be done? We live in a capitolistic society, as long as the business is legal no one has a right to close it down. To you it may be unhealthy and not even taste good, but many people are still alive that have been eathing at chain restaurants or eating prepared frozen meals for years and years. Do you think the food served in assisted living centers or senior centers is quality?

As I mentioned I don't even buy frozen foods very often, I am not going to say never, cause I don't like the word "never" but rarely. I don't use hardly any sugar, check the sugar amount in the foods I do buy and this goes form sodium as well, but I do like to cheat and I will continue to indulge from time to time...

What you call edible is not what many might. It does depend on what you are accustom to and I think your finances as well. If these places were all so bad how would they stay in business?

Nita

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by nmnita

they won't pay more and that may be the problem: the food is mass produced to save money. Of course some will pay, but most will not, those are the types that eat at large chains several times a month, because the cost is less and to them the food is good. Many people want the most they can get for as little as possible, why do you think places like "Golden Corral" are always packed? Remember most people are not into gourmet or quality dining.

As for closing them down, how do you think this could be done? We live in a capitolistic society, as long as the business is legal no one has a right to close it down. To you it may be unhealthy and not even taste good, but many people are still alive that have been eathing at chain restaurants or eating prepared frozen meals for years and years. Do you think the food served in assisted living centers or senior centers is quality?

As I mentioned I don't even buy frozen foods very often, I am not going to say never, cause I don't like the word "never" but rarely. I don't use hardly any sugar, check the sugar amount in the foods I do buy and this goes form sodium as well, but I do like to cheat and I will continue to indulge from time to time...

What you call edible is not what many might. It does depend on what you are accustom to and I think your finances as well. If these places were all so bad how would they stay in business?

Nita

Not to mention but the parent company of the chain itself can say this is not making enough money -- time to close it down.

We had a TGIFridays at Jack London Square several years back -- I never saw that place that it didn't have a line out the door waiting, no matter when.... went back down to Barnes and Nobles one day -- TGIF was GONE.

They aren't going to shut down something that's making money -- so matter no how full it looked, if 6 people were going in taking up table space and splitting an appetizer and some beers..... and staying for an hour... they weren't making money.

Nita -- regarding bread -- try the King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour walnut bread on the side of the package. Best bread ever, and easy with a KitchenAid mixer. I bought the seeds and grain mix from the KA website -- it is SO good and my husband even likes it....

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Not to mention but the parent company of the chain itself can say this is not making enough money -- time to close it down.

We had a TGIFridays at Jack London Square several years back -- I never saw that place that it didn't have a line out the door waiting, no matter when.... went back down to Barnes and Nobles one day -- TGIF was GONE.

They aren't going to shut down something that's making money -- so matter no how full it looked, if 6 people were going in taking up table space and splitting an appetizer and some beers..... and staying for an hour... they weren't making money.

Nita -- regarding bread -- try the King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour walnut bread on the side of the package. Best bread ever, and easy with a KitchenAid mixer. I bought the seeds and grain mix from the KA website -- it is SO good and my husband even likes it....

I will try it, sounds great, to me there is little that can compare with really good bread. Everytime I see someone in a store buying the $1.50 a loaf stuff I shutter. I feel the same when I go to someplace that serves ready made sandwhiches on that kind of bread or people bring them to a church function. To others they could eat this kind of bread all day.

Nita

[bayarea-girl]

Nita, we can agree to disagree with one another. But cigarettes are legal doesn't mean that they are healthy for you. People use to think butter was healthy and alright to eat doesn't mean that it is right either. The number one cause of death in this country is heart attacks by both male and females. Don't you think the diet has something to do with it? I wonder how many people who have a heart attack are regulars at fast food chains and consumers of processed foods? I have NEVER eaten frozen food and don't see the point in starting now.

[bayarea-girl]

Also, I thought people were going to the TGIF in Jack London Sq. to hang out and for the drinks?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

Nita, we can agree to disagree with one another. But cigarettes are legal doesn't mean that they are healthy for you. People use to think butter was healthy and alright to eat doesn't mean that it is right either. The number one cause of death in this country is heart attacks by both male and females. Don't you think the diet has something to do with it? I wonder how many people who have a heart attack are regulars at fast food chains and consumers of processed foods? I have NEVER eaten frozen food and don't see the point in starting now.

I am not argueing about what is good and not good for us, I am argueing about forcing businesses to close down. The government has way to much control over our lives now. As for heart attack being the number one killer, I think everyone knows that, but it is still up to us to decide what we want to put into our bodies and many people have lived years eating a horrible diet. My mother in law died at 97, she was raised on a farm, thought all veggies should be cooked in pork fat and not served until they had simmered for at least 4 or 5 hours. The though fish was something you only fed to cats and believed using a grill to cook food was stupid, everything was boiled or fried. If she did fix something like bell peppers in the oven, she served them with baked potatoes and usually corn as well. Every dinner was finalized with a rich dessert. My dad, felt pretty much the same way and died at 93. By the way neither died of heart trouble All 7 kids in my mother in laws family lived to be in their late 80s or older. My dad not only thought a steak had to weigh a lb to be big enough he thought his best friend was his scotch bottle, well not quite, but lord knows he enjoyed his evening drinks.

Heart trouble will probably always be the number one killer: reason, if you live long enough and we are living longer and healthier, your heart will give out. actually I think deaths due to heart attacks have come down in the past 20 years even with fast food.

The interesting thing, that you are missing, I am not claiming fast food and chain restaurants are healthy nor do I frequent them: I thought I made that very clear, I just think everyone has a right to eat the way they want. As for butter, it isn't as bad for you as many kinds of margarine and the old notion eggs would kill you no longer holds true. How many check to make sure anything they buy is low fat, most low fat foods are filled with sodium or sugar.. That is why I make my own salad dressing and yes, I love Blue cheese dressing (we only have it every week or two) I keep one kind of bottled dressing in the house: I keep ranch because my granddauthers husband will only eat ranch. We have had the same jar about 6 months now. I think I will throw it out and buy him a new one.

Nita

[bayarea-girl]

I don't use dressings either for salad. We use lemon, vinegar, and a bit of olive oil. Also, the jury is still out with eggs and I am not a fan of margin. We use olive oil only as needed. We don't put it in everything either.

Anyways, I think chain and fast food places have declined over the years due to the over processed products and taste (or lack there of). Fast food and chain restaurants did not start and or operated in the beginning how they are now. The government should step in as many people eating the foods do not realize how harmful they are. There are no labels in those places to tell you how the food is being prepared and or produced.

Your grandparents cooking things in fat were better off then the chemicals in the processed foods of today's meals (at least they knew what was going into their dishes). Just look on the back of chips , they use to contain 3 or 4 main ingredients in them (potatoes, oil, salt, maybe pepper) and now you can not pronounce what is in them (you can't tell me that is healthy and could be a good reason why so many kids/people are getting cancer). People are eating straight chemically enhanced meals. I hate that foods are also colored which I am sure didn't happen in your grandparents time. Anyways, there is always an exception to the rule and your grandparents and their off spring again are the exception.

The post started out about the closing of another chain restaurant. Frankly it needed to be closed sooner and the economy has nothing to do with it closing. It was a horrible place to dine and the consumers stopped spending their money to get horrible food they could get for cheap.