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We have lots of tasty restaurants that do not do that. There are absolutely restaurant meals I cannot recreate! Homemade corn tortillas? Nope. Homemade pasta - too much work. Poke bowls? Too many ingeedients (I have made tasty poke though). Sushi - nah. There are lots of restaurant meals that do not make sense to make at home.
Jade where you live you have a lot of wonderful places to eat. I am just across the bay from you. Living in the Bay Area almost makes you a foodie by default. When we talk about restaurants we are not talking about the chains.
Jade where you live you have a lot of wonderful places to eat. I am just across the bay from you. Living in the Bay Area almost makes you a foodie by default. When we talk about restaurants we are not talking about the chains.
I forget sometimes and then going to other parts of the country I am like "where are the non-chains!"
Right? I'm not a terrible cook, but I don't have the skills or the ingredients or the equipment to really make restaurant-quality food in my own home.
I'm no chef, but I do consider myself a good cook and my dishes are well received by friends and family. There is no denying that fast food and casual restaurant fare has declined in quality to the point that it is simply not worth eating anymore. Most is over-salted with ingredients selected not for flavor, but to meet a price point. The brew-pub thing is all about selling $6 beers, and the greasy bar food they serve is just along for the ride.
The wife and I now limit our restaurant meals to places that truly deserve our business. In many cases these are not expensive or exclusive, just restaurants where the owners understand what good food is all about.
I'm no chef, but I do consider myself a good cook and my dishes are well received by friends and family. There is no denying that fast food and casual restaurant fare has declined in quality to the point that it is simply not worth eating anymore. Most is over-salted with ingredients selected not for flavor, but to meet a price point. The brew-pub thing is all about selling $6 beers, and the greasy bar food they serve is just along for the ride.
The wife and I now limit our restaurant meals to places that truly deserve our business. In many cases these are not expensive or exclusive, just restaurants where the owners understand what good food is all about.
Totally agree with you TimAZ
Most Americans would eat a turd if it was dipped in batter and deep fried in oil ( just an exaggeration )
Sadly that is what we have become as a people. Out drinking draft beers at a local beer joint or diner where a large part of the menu is quick fatty deep fried items that take no culinary experience whatsoever
You just simply have to have a vat of hot oil and a food surce to jam into it and BINGO - instant goodness some unwitting fool will pay to shove in his pie hole and wash down with a cold beer
Do that on a regular basis and watch your waist size GROW ( and many other not so good changes in your health )
At the beginning of the year I made a New Year's Resolution- no more restaurants, except for special occasions. Why? For health, for money, and to challenge myself to become a better cook. Since then I've:
lost 12 pounds
had my LDL (bad) cholesterol go down 20 points
have better blood pressure
saved more for retirement (extra $2500)
Plus, I can make amazing meals at home I never thought I was capable of. Literally almost any type of cuisine, I can nail it better than what I usually got out. I don't credit it entirely to myself, as I know the quality of ingredients is higher. Less salt, sugar, oil, etc. and ingredients that are high quality and often organic that might not be cost-effective in a business setting.
Do you think this is a trend? How often do you eat out?
No it isn't a trend but it has its good points as well as not so good. Eating out has always been and will always be part of what people do in all countries. You can eat out and still maintain sensible weight if you use some self control. Of course you didn't mention how much you ate out. That could be a big issue.
As for us, prior to retirement we ate out more, partly because we bought lunch out part of the time and I would often be tired when we got home, so we would eat out or order take out. Now, we rarely eat out more than once a month unless it is a special occasion or we are out and about shopping. Then it is usually lunch. The past 2 weeks we have had a reason to eat out at lunch and have a large meal. When we do this we skip dinner. Last night, after eating a large lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant dinner for hubby was a bowl of soup and 1 piece of Texas toast. For me, it was a single piece of peanut butter toast.
BTW I do understand your comment about making amazing meals with less sugar and sodium, but there are still meals that are better eaten out and I am blue ribbon or so I have been led to believe for my entire life.
Eating out once or twice a month or even once a week isn't likely to put much weight on anyone.
I forget sometimes and then going to other parts of the country I am like "where are the non-chains!"
Of course when you go to other parts of the country it is hard to find independently owned dining options, but if you think all other parts of the country has is chains you are not familiar with the cities you are visiting. I don't care if it is the bay area, Los Angeles, Detroit, Miami or the mid west, all cities have wonderful local dining. Our daughter is notorious for checking on line. Every time we are with her, we eat at only locally owned restaurants and usually are extremely pleased. Or you can just go to CD, check the state and city you will be traveling to and ask the locals for suggestions.
Of course when you go to other parts of the country it is hard to find independently owned dining options, but if you think all other parts of the country has is chains you are not familiar with the cities you are visiting. I don't care if it is the bay area, Los Angeles, Detroit, Miami or the mid west, all cities have wonderful local dining. Our daughter is notorious for checking on line. Every time we are with her, we eat at only locally owned restaurants and usually are extremely pleased. Or you can just go to CD, check the state and city you will be traveling to and ask the locals for suggestions.
The difference in the Bay Area compared to other places is that in certain cities non-chains are the most visible thing - even in strip malls. I live in Oakland - there are not many chains (other than Starbucks, Peet's) and you have to really really look for them. We no longer have the chain sit down places (Applebees, Chevy'y TGI Fridays, Chilis..... there are some fast food places but not that many)
Other places the non-chains are concentrated and may be hard to find. I seek out local dining and local specialties.
And sadly in most of the US we are losing a lot of the downtown uniqueness - all the same chains in every city's shopping district.
Good for you on the lifestyle changes you made & saving money always a good goal. I found NC cooking easier with recipes from food network. I can do a search on anything & have a wide selection of recipes options to choose from...happy cooking!
i always eat more than i intend when i eat out at restaurants, because the food just tastes so good! i cook more bland at home. not on purpose, just my food choices, so when i eat a restaurant item, it tastes too good and i end up eating more than i intended.
i always eat more than i intend when i eat out at restaurants, because the food just tastes so good! i cook more bland at home. not on purpose, just my food choices, so when i eat a restaurant item, it tastes too good and i end up eating more than i intended.
i control myself by not doing that too much.
It is a mixed bag for me.
Eating out with one person can lead to bigger portions. We want to eat different things and it is harder to share.
Eating in a big group means I eat less. More people to talk to so I eat way slower. Everyone wants to go family style so I end up with lots of little bites. You can try lots of things without committing to a big plate.
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