joiei

I have to admit that over the weekend, I dined at a chain restaurant. The town I was in was closing up, it was after 8pm and I wanted more than fast food drive through window. The restaurant was an Applebee's. It was awful. The steak was cooked pretty much medium rare, but had no flavor. I requested broccoli to sub for the french fries, they were almost overcooked. After it was over, I decided I should of gone for the drive through. Oh well. Live and learn.

I have a new worst, the Applebee's in Paris. It was after 8pm on a weeknight and almost everyone else was closed already (like they close at 8pm) except the drive through windows at all the ususal fast food suspects. They did give me broccoli with my steak, and it was pretty much medium rare, but flavorless and the broccoli was almost overcooked. I didn't do dessert. I didn't do breakfast in Paris, nothing looked interesting.

We just received our Honeybells shipped to us from Arant's Citrus in Stuart. For phone number, pm me. I don't know if I can post it here.

This would be hard to say. There are so many different styles of pitt BBQ in the different regions of the South. It would have to be based on which style of BBQ you prefered.

Yes, Carraba's is the one with the sky high garden, what is that all about anyway, I guess I should ask some texas friends since that is where the chain started. But as to the grill man, I only go to one, I tried the other one (we have two restaurants here) and the food was less than adequate. I really do dislike an overcooked salmon. some guys just don't understand plus I lived in the Great Pacific Northwet too long. enough of that tirade. Should I consider Dean and Deluca a chain? I don't leave KC (okay, OP) (I feel so in the know to be able to type OP and know where that is) without a stop there for delicacies like Breasaola(did I get close with the spelling) , thinly sliced, which I otherwise have to order from Philly, and my road food, the turkey and brie sandwich or the hero. Love them both. Oh, and a large coffee, black. This makes the drive back home more fun. I don't have to stop anywhere between there and here. On occasion i will stop at Sonic, a grown in Oklahoma chain, for tater tots. love me some of those on rare occasions. The extreme tater tots must be a zillion calories. I tried another Tulsa chain, Rib Crib, and didn't go back. yuck. Last weekend I went to Stutts BBQ up in the north side of town, that was good, the st louis ribs and the little buttermilk pie that comes with every dinner. The hot links were also good. No need to do chain BBQ's here.

Favorites lets see, hummmmmmm. there is one Carraba's I go to because the grill man really knows how to cook a salmon filet medium rare. Cheddars for a burger if I find myself stuck in the hell of 71st street traffic. If I am at home in Florida, I have to go to Texas Road House, it is the only nonfast food in town and I have a cousins son who works there. Guilt. I stopped at Arby;s to try their reuben sandwich, okay by McAlisters is better and McAlisters has great iced tea. Otherwise, there is nothing I do regularly. I have my locally owned places that do me well.

Richard can tell you how to get to Thairiffic, I ate there once with him. Really good food.

after having worked all day cooking for other people and getting off around 8:30pm, I enjoy having someone else cook for me and am willing to pay for that luxury and pleasure.

Here is another option to order your Turducken. Hebert's speciality meats

Have you thought about maybe going in and talking to the chefs. Volunteer to do a stage for a week first to see if you really want to work in that kitchen. I am sure the Driskoll has a Human Resources department, call them and ask if they have any openings in Culinary.

I stopped in at one this morning (mostly because they have egg salad sandwiches which is great when I need a quick breakfast) and the gent behind the counter, Beau by name, asked me out... go figure ← So what did you tell Beau? And Savannah, thanks for your time to explain all the mechanics of Starbucks. I do not necessarily consider them evil, they have taught a lot of Americans about coffee beyond folgers. The way I look at it is Starbucks was my intro to a world of pleasure that I have gone beyond them. I do have an occasional nonfat latte, but that is about all. Otherwise, i try to support my locally owned coffee houses. keep more of the money here, Seattle has enough already.

The two 'Central Markets in the Dallas area are worth the trip. I would suggest the one on Coit road in Plano considering your location. There are directions to that store from your general area on the locations link on their site. And check out the Blood Orange soda.

I agree, it is the best recipe. Their are lots of imitations, but Cane River is the Original.

I will third what John DePaula said. I would look for a good chocolatier or at least order on line the chocolates you need for your cooking and baking needs. The candle lady apparently has no idea what they are doing.

When PF Changs opened here and in Oklahoma City, the wait for a table ran as long as 4 hours. Even today, it can be almost 2 hours on a busy Friday. Most of the chain houses do not take reservations and a lot of locally owned places do not take reservations. I understand a small wait at a nonreservation place, but not a hour. Of course, most of them are try to drive up the liquor tab during that time and good for them. If I am given a buzzer coaster, I usually return it and leave. Most folks I know go to the Cheesecake Factory because they can get that piece of pasty cheesecake. And chain desserts are another thing I do not understand. On any given night, if you were to put all the raspberry sauce and its imitations that chain restaurnats use, I would predict a gulf of oversweet red goo. And that does not include the hershey's chocolate that goes with it. Why are they soooo boring and well boring. I couldn't think of any other word, sorry.

To follow up on what the last two posters have stated, chain restaurants also all serve basically the same foods. how many serve the damn onion thingy. How many all have the same appetizers. how many all have some form of overcooked ribs served with a sickly sweet bbq sauce. And they do this in KC. Smokey Bones is owned by the same people who own Olive Garden by the way. being able to get the same food in Portland (either one) as I can get in Santa Fe does not excite or interest me. Why do the chains only follow food trends, they do not set trends, nor do they create exciting environments. Yet they are able to market themselves to the masses. They are able to afford the real estate placement that locals cannot even begin to approach. When people will wait for 3 to 4 hours for a table at a PF Changs, it is beyond my ablility to comprehend. Are we such lemmings?

I am not trying to slam chain type midlevel restaurants. If there is no line, I will gave a grilled salmon, medium rare at one particular Carrabba's, or something at PF Changs. THe thing I have a problem with is waiting over an hour for a table at one. I just will not do it. Their safe food is just not worth it. As to dining local, I do like to support the efforts of our local chefs, without support, they go away and all I am left with is Red Lobster. Safe dining is just that. Experiencing a dish that a chef has been working on is a treat. And there are enough midlevel locally owned places here that I do not have to go to Red Robin to have a good burger. Not all local places are top dollar places. THe other night, I had a wonderful Chicago style pizza at a locally owned place that really did beat the socks off UNO Chicago Grill. It was a few dollars more expensive, but it was local and it was good. edited to add that there are some locally owned places that I do not feel are worth the wait or my dollar either.

Is the chef around during lunch? If they aren't maybe that could be a contributing factor, if they are, then I don't know.

i didn't know where to put this so I flipped a coin and this thread won. My friend, Eddie, who lives in New Orleans sent this to me. Churches Destroyed in Hurricane > > > > > > An interviewer from a Boston affiliate taped her questions to a South Louisiana woman. She asked the interviewee, "How did such total and complete devastation of the churches in the area affect their lives?" The woman replied," I don't know about all those other people but we get our chicken from Popeye's". They showed the interview on South Louisiana stations because the look on the interviewer's face was priceless.

u.e. - you need to get by and check it out. The flavors are interesting, intriquing and delicious. I have memories of the cinnamon and the dark chocolate and the saffron and the rosemary caramel and the fleur de sel. Oh and the raspberry. NOthing was so overpowering, a wonderful balance. And each one was like a little treasure. I am so glad that I found the shop.

When I worked at Windsor Court hotel, we had a dessert with a kumquat sauce. I will have to dig that recipe out of the files. I love kumquats.

I like this idea for a thread. I had an experience at lunch with moonsqrl, but will go back. Maybe with ulterior epicure, Maybe? Anyway. I had a bad experience at a highly rated restaurant in another city. I will go back to because everyone tells me it was just not up to their normal service. and I will. I try to never rate a place on just one visit. That is unless it was just sooooo wrong. All you kc eG's I will be in touch before returning up that way. I have to go to New Orleans first. Lare

Exactly how I feel. And that is why I am going for a long weekend, (that is all I could get but it is better than nothing). That and to check up on friends, spend some time just being there. Walk along the river front. Drink some coffee. Eat a po'boy. If Divina Corozon is open, have a pupusa. Listen to some music, and if I can find a pool table, lose a couple of games to Eddie. Hang out in the quarter for a bit. Is Port o Call open? If so, maybe have a great burger. Riding the streetcar late at night like I used to when I worked at Le Pavillion and lived uptown one summer will have to wait. Buy some Mardi Gras trinkets if accent annex is open. No place in the world has such great Cheap beads. And to check out these taco trucks I am reading about.

the seafood must be a store by store thing. Here we only get chicken, no shrimp, no crawfish, even though I have begged.

Brooks, I will be driving in on the 13th, I think that is the date. I will get in touch the closer it gets to time. Larry in Tulsa. edited to add that I am dreaming of po'boys right now.