do most restuarants serve reheated leftovers heated in a microwave (ingredient, grilling)
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Skimmed this thread...To answer the OPs question, for the majority of restaurants, no...Some items do, some go directly from the freezer to fryer to your plate...
Yet something to think about is how much processing is acceptable? Overwhelming majority of places cut some corners and "doctor" existing products to make their own...An example is an Italian joint making tomato sauce...I'm sure there's a very small minority out there that start with fresh tomates, odds are they either start with peeled tomated from a can, tomato paste or even a can of sauce as their base...
One chain I'm always disappointed with is Applebee's. I ordered a steak there one time and it seriously did taste like it was made in the microwave. I probably should have known better. I like chains sometimes though. Depends. Olive Garden, Outback, Cheesecake Factory...I don't want to eat there everyday, but now and then I don't think they're that bad.
I like chains sometimes though. Depends. Olive Garden, Outback, Cheesecake Factory...I don't want to eat there everyday, but now and then I don't think they're that bad.
Well, of course. Obviously it's hard to argue with success, and a lot of people eat a lot of meals at chain restaurants every day. That's why there are so many of them.
The point is, to the OP's original question, just don't fool yourself that everything on your plate was cooked from scratch that day, or even at that location.
One chain I'm always disappointed with is Applebee's. I ordered a steak there one time and it seriously did taste like it was made in the microwave. I probably should have known better. I like chains sometimes though. Depends. Olive Garden, Outback, Cheesecake Factory...I don't want to eat there everyday, but now and then I don't think they're that bad.
Recently hubby and I did pop into an Applebees, we were going to go someplace else, we just wanted a quick bite, it was noon time and everyplace was packed. I don't remember what we ordered, but it was ok, about like Chile's: certainly not a place I would rush back to but I have had worse. As for Olive Garden, I just won't eat there, no reason except I really don't think the food is authentic and as I have said, except when we are out shopping of something we rarely eat out, I will stick with other places.
Let's face it, this boils down to: so many of these chains are successful because, truely most Americans are not that picky about what they eat. I suppose this is true throughout the world. Many of us are foodies, others are content with less qualtiy. It is simply a matter of taste. Pun intended? Yes
Wow, I am surprised that anyone does NOT already know that when you eat at most restaurants, including pretty much all of the chain restaurants, at least some of the food being served came out of a package, and much of it was prepared before you walked in the door.
Leftovers? Not so much. But prepared in advance, of course. And retort-pack frozen entrees from a central commissary, yep. Sauces from big Sysco jars, yup. Soup from the Big Soup company, yes. Warmed up in a microwave, absolutely. Even at upscale restaurants, you betcha.
You didn't really think they were cooking all that stuff from scratch back in the kitchen while you were eating your salad, did you? Did you?
I was not surprised because there are some places here that do that. I'm pretty sure if they weren't microwaved, they either cook it in advance and reheat it or do somehow keep it sitting around and then bring it out. We have a lot of steam table and buffet places here, and they are like that. This has annoyed many customers in online reviews, they say most restaurant food at a certain joint was microwaved or you don't know how long the food sits out.
Whatever. I mean, I do the same thing at home, right? If I prepare a lasagna and then put it in the fridge because I can't keep up with the whole map, then pull it out the next day... I'm still gonna have to reheat a premade lasagna. Except I can customize mine.
Let's face it, this boils down to: so many of these chains are successful because, truely most Americans are not that picky about what they eat. I suppose this is true throughout the world. Many of us are foodies, others are content with less qualtiy. It is simply a matter of taste. Pun intended? Yes
Oh, that is so true. And I guess some people do actually think fast food is all freshly prepared, but that simply isn't the case. We are fortunate to live in an area with more real restaurants than chain restaurants, which is what we prefer.
The waitress in Red Lobster told me "At Red Lobster we never have frozen food. It is all fresh" Was I supposed to believe that?
She wasn't lying. She just was using a different definition of "fresh" than I would use.
Sure, she sees the cooks broiling and grilling and sauteing the fish, rather than microwaving a precooked entree, but were all the sauces and the side dishes prepared from fresh, whole vegetables and other raw ingredients? Not.
Think about it... there are several hamburger chains like 5 Guys, and Elevation Burgers, and Mighty Fine that make a big deal about their pitch that everything is freshly prepared... they cut their own french fries, they grind their own meat... and they put the kitchen up front or behind glass so you can watch it all being done. And that freshness sells! But they have an extremely limited menu compared to a Red Lobster, with only a few key components, and no complicated sauces.
Show me a long, extensive menu that doesn't change, and that is the same as 100s of other restaurants with the same brand, and the consistency of taste, look and feel... not to mention economy... become critical business factors.
So, no, in one sense she wasn't lying... they were doing more back in the kitchen than just warming up TV dinners, yes. But a lot of the other items on the plate came out of a freezer pack or bottle or box or can, and even many of the entree items came prepped or at least portioned by a vendor. That's just how the business works today.
Ive noticed lots restaurants dont really serve fresh cooked foods, lots of it is pre made who knows how old? and they simply reheat leftovers in the microwave and arrange it on your plate to look like they just cooked it that day, but it could have been cooked last week
especially stewed dishes or soups
unless it's the special of the day and they made something special for that day
one time they forgot something on my order and the waiter said he forgot it and it was in the microwave
It's funny that you mention "special of the day" as being fresher because sorry to say, a lot of times special of the day is a way to use up older product before it goes bad. That or it may be a gimmick to get you into the restaurant.
On occasion, a place just does have specials. Such as a place that has a weekly market fish special.
If you're getting a great deal, they're either desperate for customers or serving you old food. Which who cares as long as it tastes good.
Also, it would not be possible to a place to make everything completely fresh every time a person walked in the door. If you waited 3 hours for your dinner, would you be happy? Probably not. That's life.
Soups and stews aren't just sitting around in some back cooler for two weeks (unless you're at a really scuzzy joint). There are health codes and general FIFO rules that are followed at most places. If they are made ahead of time, they would be frozen and then thawed as needed, but I freeze soup at home all the time and eat it later and it is still fresh in the sense that it isn't rancid or moldy or anything.
I've never worked some place that cooked leftovers in a microwave and then served them. If you seriously found a place that did that you should run far and fast. That's disgusting. We don't even use our microwave at work unless we need to thaw something really quickly.
Also, someone said you should assume a lot of your food is pre-packaged food from sysco?
No. Please do not assume that. If you're at a good restaurant, you won't be getting pre-packaged food.
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