[besson3c]

My wife and I really like eating out at interesting places and trying new foods. Our idea of "comfort food" is much different than some family members - if we can't think of anything we'll default to Thai or Indian or something, whereas some family members will not only default to boring ass places like Applebies and TGI Friday, but they'll also suggest eating there. It takes a little effort to sort of coax them out of this boring ass food network, and I find it annoying that we end up going there so often - especially since it ends up costing at least the same amount of money, or less.

Does anybody else struggle with family members and other loved ones that want to go out and buy overpriced, bland food in a boring chain restaurant where the music is too loud and the place is decorated with fake, plastic "trendy" ambiance? What do you do?

Are there any chain restaurants that don't completely suck?

[ShortcutToMoncton]

My brother prefers small, immigrant-owned Asian restaurants where he befriends the hard-to-understand owners and singlehandedly keeps them in business, shrugging off the occasional cockroach and/or fly in the rice.

So....no. That's not a problem for me. Every meal's an adventure.

greg

[goMac]

Dicks Drive In in Seattle
Burgerville in Portland (Not as good as Dicks, better than someplace like McDonalds, still kind of plasticy)
Togos (they are anywhere worth living )

Up in Seattle there are a few decent Chinese food chains. Nothing great, but decent. Here in Portland, I live downtown, and there are two competing Chinese places literally a block from each other. One has epic General Tsos chicken, and the lunch special is pretty gosh darn cheap.

[Railroader]

Every year my brother-in-law gives us a $25 gift card to Applebee's.

I.

Hate.

Applebee's.

[Sage]

The single worst burger I’ve ever had in my life was at TGI Friday’s – I would have been much, much happier with a few $1 burgers from Mickey D’s.

[besson3c]

I hate to sound so un-American, but I must say... American food sucks. I mean, cheeseburgers and fries are okay, and BBQ can be good, but there isn't much else in comparison to other cuisines. Hot dogs are basically just German sausage, but one can only eat so many of them before you tell the person telling you to eat more hot dogs to shove them up his ass.

[subego]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

I hate to sound so un-American, but I must say... American food sucks.

I'm American, so I'm ignorant. What's Canadian food like?

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by subego 

I'm American, so I'm ignorant. What's Canadian food like?

It's like American but saltier.

[subego]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

It's like American but saltier.

I thought that's what American food was.

That, and lardier. Maybe that's the difference.

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by subego 

I'm American, so I'm ignorant. What's Canadian food like?

http://www.bugaboocreek.com/

We call it "TGI Canada".

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by Dork. 

http://www.bugaboocreek.com/

"Cajun Shrimp Po Boy Quesadilla"? (What?) "Trapper Pete's Chicken Pasta"? (He traps chickens? Or pasta?)

What is wrong with these people?

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by subego 

I'm American, so I'm ignorant. What's Canadian food like?

Just like American food, of course.

I give respect where BBQ respect is due: you guys know how to do meat over a fire. We just imitate as best we can:

[goMac]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

"Cajun Shrimp Po Boy Quesadilla"? (What?) "Trapper Pete's Chicken Pasta"? (He traps chickens? Or pasta?)

What is wrong with these people?

It's like Sarah Palin wrote the whole menu...

[Peter]

christ ShortcutToMoncton that looks tasty.

[Dork.]

Ass food? What type of food does your ass typically eat, anyway?

[Jawbone54]

We have an awesome collection of hole-in-the-wall Mexican and Asian restaurants here.

Every once in a while I'll venture out and grab some Buffalo Wild Wings, but most days are spent at Pepe's, Rice (simple name for incredible Japanese food), or Mayflower (strangest name for a Chinese restaurant ever).

[scaught]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Every year my brother-in-law gives us a $25 gift card to Applebee's.

I.

Hate.

Applebee's.

It's truly terrible. I've never had a good experience any of the times I've been dragged into one.

[Jawbone54]

Every Applebee's that I've ever been in had sticky tables.

[Dork.]

I don't find the food at Ruby Fridaybee's to be all that awful. Then again, I'm not expecting much from places like that. It's homogenized and generic, a perfect destination for Corporate America.

I went on a business trip a while back, and was frustrated because the manager I went with did not want to explore any local places, but instead wanted to go to all the generic places we can go to back home if we wanted to. Oh well, at least they all served beer, and I was on an expense account....

[tooki]

I'm a total foodie, but I still enjoy TGIF's and Applebees once in a while. But mostly I love Asian food, ideally from places frequented by the respective ethnic groups.

Originally Posted by besson3c 

I hate to sound so un-American, but I must say... American food sucks. I mean, cheeseburgers and fries are okay, and BBQ can be good, but there isn't much else in comparison to other cuisines. Hot dogs are basically just German sausage, but one can only eat so many of them before you tell the person telling you to eat more hot dogs to shove them up his ass.

What is American food?!? We don't really have a single indigenous food.

But I can think of some great American dishes that I'm not aware of being simple foreign imports:

- fried chicken
- bbq ribs
- real hamburgers (despite the name, they are only distant relation to the overcooked, non-sandwich ground steaks from Germany) -- I mean fresh-ground meat, cooked medium, with proper toppings.
- New England clam chowder
- Maryland crabs and crabcakes

But that said, most American food is really a foreign import. I mean, steaks and roasts and pies are British. Soul food is an adaptation of African dishes. And of course, we have Italian, Chinese, Mexican, French, Greek, Spanish, Indian, Nepalese, and pretty much any other cuisine you can imagine -- except one to call our own!!!

[macintologist]

America DOES have good food. It's called a burger. Not McDonalds/Applebees/Fridays burgers, I mean there is nothing better than a big juicy American burger from a local restaurant. Nowhere in the world can you find them made better.

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally Posted by tooki 

But I can think of some great American dishes that I'm not aware of being simple foreign imports:

I was under the impression that what we call pizza was pretty far from what the Italians eat. Does that mean we get to claim it?

[Brien]

Cajun food, while influenced by overseas, qualifies as 'American', I'd say.

And boy do I love me some gumbo.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Brien 

Cajun food, while influenced by overseas, qualifies as 'American', I'd say.

And boy do I love me some gumbo.

*fist bump*

Gumbo, crawfish etoufe, jambalaya...the Cajuns in my dear state know how to make some incredible food.

[badidea]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

I was under the impression that what we call pizza was pretty far from what the Italians eat. Does that mean we get to claim it?

Hmmm, I'd say yes.
When I order Pizza, I want to get Italian style - otherwise I'd order American Pizza!

[sdilley14]

This thread reminded me of my current diet. I'm working out a lot and I have a pretty strict diet. Some of the highlights of my diet...

Boneless skinless chicken breast
Plain tuna
Natural peanut butter sandwich on wheat
Protein shake
Salad
Lots of water
Almonds
Random fruits and vegetables

Pretty sweet, huh?

[Railroader]

Fortunes cookies are American

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by Peter 

christ ShortcutToMoncton that looks tasty.

You'd better believe it... complete with a beer-apple cider mop

You don't even want me to tell you about my Crown Royal whiskey BBQ sauce for striploin steaks....it's like Heaven just suddenly appeared, out of nowhere, in your mouth.

greg

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

I was under the impression that what we call pizza was pretty far from what the Italians eat. Does that mean we get to claim it?

Eh, it depends. While the toppings vary here quite a bit (pepperoni, for example, is strictly modern Italian-American), the core is relatively close.

Italy has two kinds of pizza (I dunno their names for them): thin crispy crust, normally made for one person, sold in restaurants; and rectangular pan pizza sold by the slice. I'd say that in Italy, both kinds have generally less sauce than here.

Now, with that said, I LOVE a good New York-style pizza, with the relatively thin but chewy crust. That's something I always missed living in Europe. (I'm about to move back, so I'd better learn to roll my own pizzas!)

If you've ever been to California Pizza Kitchen, their pizzas are fairly traditional thin-crust Italian style, aside from the crazy toppings. And believe it or not, Sbarro's pan pizza is surprisingly reminiscent (if not identical to) pizza I had in Florence. And the Nordstrom's restaurant at the Columbia mall around here has straight-up authentic Italian thin crust pizzas. OMG they're delicious.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

America DOES have good food. It's called a burger. Not McDonalds/Applebees/Fridays burgers, I mean there is nothing better than a big juicy American burger from a local restaurant. Nowhere in the world can you find them made better.

Totally agreed. A real burger is quite the treat. Most foreigners taste McD's and pass judgement based on that -- they have NO idea what they're missing, sadly.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

*fist bump*

Gumbo, crawfish etoufe, jambalaya...the Cajuns in my dear state know how to make some incredible food.

Oooh, good call. That's some great eating.

I also love "soul food" -- I spent my childhood in NC, and do they know how to fry up okra in the south... ::drool::

[ort888]

Applebees, TGI Fridays, etc... are fine. I can go there and eat something somewhat decent and not complain. That said, I much prefer something more interesting. I love Vietnamese food. Indian food. Thai, Sushi... Just about anything really.

My parents generally won't go for the more exotic fair like Indian or Sushi... but here in St. Louis we have a lot of fantastic hole in the wall Italian places and my parents love those... so you won't find me complaining. My family would never go to someplace like Applebees on purpose. Unless we have a lot of boring people in tow. Most of my friends wouldn't either. I go when I have a gift card or something, but that's about it. I actually almost never eat out anymore. My wife and I are into cooking our own interesting food.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by tooki 

New England clam chowdah

Fixed.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Fixed.

Freddy: Hey! What the hell is this?
French Waiter: It's a bowl of shaudere, sir.
Freddy: Wait a minute, come here. What did you call it? Say it loud
enough so everyone can hear. Cone on, say it...
French Waiter: Ahem. Shaudere.
Freddy: [raucous laughter] Shau-dere? Shau-dere? It's "chowdah". Say it right!
French Waiter: [pause] Shaudere.
Freddy: [laughter] Come back here! I'm not through demeaning you.

[tintub]

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

America DOES have good food. It's called a burger. Not McDonalds/Applebees/Fridays burgers, I mean there is nothing better than a big juicy American burger from a local restaurant. Nowhere in the world can you find them made better.

My brother-in-law makes these INCREDIBLE burgers with very small bits of onion and cheese cooked into them...wow...

As a matter of fact, he's coming here for Christmas, and he'll definitely be making them at least twice.

[Railroader]

Get us a recipe!

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by tintub 

I did that when I saw a truck with the sign "Bad-Ass Boys drive bad-ass toys".

[Maflynn]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Does anybody else struggle with family members and other loved ones that want to go out and buy overpriced, bland food in a boring chain restaurant where the music is too loud and the place is decorated with fake, plastic "trendy" ambiance? What do you do?

Are there any chain restaurants that don't completely suck?

Value is a personal decision, what I find to be a good buy others may not. The same goes with food selection - I may like one type, the wife another and family still a third. Because you think its boring doesn't mean it is, or everyone else will. that's why there are so many restaurants.

Where I live there's a ton of tiny store front restaurants yet once in the while the wife and I like to go to a chain restaurant that you so quickly deride, to each his own.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Get us a recipe!

I'll take a stab at it, though I'm making it up since I'm not the bro-in-law:

for 3-4 people:

• 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean (chuck tastes best)
• 1 cup onion, diced tiny ("brunoise")
• 1 cup shredded cheese, good quality of a variety that melts at low temp
• 2-3 tbsp dijon mustard, ideally a spicy French one
• 1 tbsp freshly cracked/ground black pepper

Mix all that together.

Make into patties and grill to medium doneness (about 4 minutes to each side).

[Railroader]

This thread reminded me of something about my father-in-law that irritates me. Be always bemoans the fact that the area he is from has no culture. He's from Traverse City, Michigan, which has oodles of culture. They have an annual cherry festival as the area is a major producer of the world's supply of cherries. It is a major wine region making top of the line varieties. There is are two large bays with great scenery and wonderful local shops. There is a large number of outdoor activities to be done, from backpack camping, to driving a dune buggy on the dunes. The arts community is thriving and draws a number of people to art festivals.

Some people can't see the forest from the tree.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by tooki 

I'll take a stab at it, though I'm making it up since I'm not the bro-in-law:

for 3-4 people:

• 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean (chuck tastes best)
• 1 cup onion, diced tiny ("brunoise")
• 1 cup shredded cheese, good quality of a variety that melts at low temp
• 2-3 tbsp dijon mustard, ideally a spicy French one
• 1 tbsp freshly cracked/ground black pepper

Mix all that together.

Make into patties and grill to medium doneness (about 4 minutes to each side).

Thanks. Saved, printed, and hanging on the fridge.

[olePigeon]

I'm exactly the same way as besson3c. Damn I love traditional Thai and Indian. The spicier the better, and non of that whitey-spicey crap. I hate it when ethnic restaurants Americanize their menus by removing any trace of spice and putting 4 tablespoons of sugar into everything.

I finally found a traditional Chinese restaurant by my place. Nothing Americanized about it (though you can still get chow mein.) I love it because they have a traditional menu that's only in Chinese and has a lot of dishes they don't usually serve to round eyes because your typical American wouldn't eat it (chicken feet, fish head, pork snout, etc. All of which were great... except the fish head, but I just don't care for fish in general.) The owners go down the menu and explain to me the different dishes, and make great suggestions.

Togo's and Foster's Freeze are two chains I'll go to pretty regularly, but they're the only exception. The problem I run into is that some of my friends call me a "hater" because I can't stand the fake strawberry slushy that the "full bar" at the Olive Garden tries to pass off as a daiquiri, or that I prefer one fast food joint over another because the other doesn't make their fries fresh. They don't seem to understand that management does make a difference in the quality of food, especially in the big chains if I'm unfortunate to eat there.

Three places I absolutely refuse to eat at no matter what because the food absolutely disgusting: Subway, Applebee's, and Pizza Hut. I will go hungry rather than be subjected to that crap.

[besson3c]

Subway really seems to vary. Sometimes if the food isn't quite fresh you'll get a really nasty experience, sometimes it is great (and always low priced). I would say that they are my favorite fast food joint, although I like Hardees too.

Applebee's, TGI Friday, Chili's, O'Charlie's, Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Pizza Hut, Cheeseburgers in Paradise are all what I call boring ass food. Bland, plastic, fake environment, overpriced, giant meh. If I ate fish Red Lobster would probably make my list too.

You know what I don't get? In this town you can get a kick ass Tibetan, Korean, or Indian lunch starting at $5, and decent Chinese for about that much too. Why would anybody go to a place like Wendy's and spend that much money on crap when you can get something that much tastier and healthier for the same price or less? Why would people go to Olive Garden and pay nearly $10 for a plate of spaghetti when you can spend that much or less for a plate of Thai food full of ingredients that no doubt cost and are worth more than paste + sauce?

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by tooki 

I'll take a stab at it, though I'm making it up since I'm not the bro-in-law:

for 3-4 people:

• 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean (chuck tastes best)
• 1 cup onion, diced tiny ("brunoise")
• 1 cup shredded cheese, good quality of a variety that melts at low temp
• 2-3 tbsp dijon mustard, ideally a spicy French one
• 1 tbsp freshly cracked/ground black pepper

Mix all that together.

Make into patties and grill to medium doneness (about 4 minutes to each side).

Sounds about right! I've watched him prepare it all before, but I couldn't remember. I don't remember the mustard being a part of it, but that might make things even better.

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Applebee's, TGI Friday, Chili's, O'Charlie's, Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Pizza Hut, Cheeseburgers in Paradise are all what I call boring ass-food.

fixed.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

You know what I don't get?

Your inability to "get" something never ceases to amaze me. The fact that other people prefer different things and have different opinions just goes over your head doesn't it? So close-minded.

I completely "get" why someone would want go to Wendy's instead of a Thai or Indian place. They prefer it! It tastes good to them. I had Thai yesterday. I had some Taco Bell today. I admitted I hate Applebee's, but I can understand why someone would like it.

[Laminar]

I don't "get" you Railroader.

[Railroader]

I totally "get" you Laminar! [winky winky]

[Laminar]

Every night!