Author Topic: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?  (Read 45655 times)

Offline optom3

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #20 on: January 11, 2009, 01:28:23 pm »
Around here the problem isn't small portions. The portions are much too large. I always have to ask for a doggie bag and I end up bringing half of my dinner home with me. I suppose that really isn't a problem, but it mystifies me why they want to serve such massive amounts of food. :-\

Hoovering waiters can be annoying too, unless they are cute... and single! ;)



Ditto !
When we first arrived in America, I was astounded at the portion size. I was full after the bread basket and salad had been handed out. I also did not get the doggy bag concept.
Now we never have appetizers, or dessert, just the main course.

Offline LauraGigs

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #21 on: January 11, 2009, 04:25:40 pm »
I agree David that the portions are much too large, but it is true that you can also end up with two meals.
 At one point in time I was going out to lunch pretty much every day with a group from work . . . The portions were huge. I quit doing that a few years ago. It saved me a lot of money too since that was a good $12 a day or more for lunch usually.

Two meals is the key phrase!  I don't go out often, but I love the "doggie bag concept".  You have a whole 'nother meal, all cooked and figured out.  I love it!!

Offline jstephens9

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #22 on: January 11, 2009, 05:00:45 pm »
Speaking of large serving sizes, The Travel Channel just showed a place named Denny's (no not the breakfast restaurant) that serves a 15 pound cheeseburger!!!

Offline Kelda

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #23 on: January 11, 2009, 05:15:47 pm »
that must be american. You dont really do doggy bags in the UK.
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #24 on: January 11, 2009, 05:25:11 pm »
I voted 'other'.

I don't really have big problems - unless I spot signs that things are none too clean  :P

But the only thing I dislike is that if you're a single diner and you go out to eat, you run headon into the capitalist system at its ugliest.  In the U.S. waiters make a lot of their money on tips, which means the more they turn over a table the better.  I want to go out to eat and sit at my table for an hour enjoying a leisurely meal.  I'm paying for it, I tip well, why am I being rushed out the door?  Why am I looked down on because I didn't take a seat at the bar and leave the tables for real diners?  >:(

I've had people in restaurants yell insults to me for doing this.  WTF?!?!?

Offline Kerry

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #25 on: January 11, 2009, 06:11:36 pm »

But the only thing I dislike is that if you're a single diner and you go out to eat, you run headon into the capitalist system at its ugliest.  In the U.S. waiters make a lot of their money on tips, which means the more they turn over a table the better. 


That's happened to me too, and I wasn't even dining alone.

I'd gone with a work colleague to an unfamiliar (snooty) part of town to buy a farewell gift for a fellow workmate. The departee collected a particular brand of porcelain and we'd gone to a specialty outlet to choose a gift for her. But I digress. We thought we'd make an outing of it so dropped into a little place for coffee. We took one of the tables under an umbrella on the pavement and ordered two coffees from the waiter. The waiter gave us a quizzical look and suggested we try some place else, because they didn't serve just coffee alone. She wasn't rude about it, but very definite about us having to order food with our coffee if we wanted to stay.This place looked more like a cafe than a restaurant, with tables on the pavement. Coffee was on the menu. We had come from work and were dressed in business clothes so didn't look like a couple of hobos.  It was a first for me. I was literally speechless. And embarrassed. We just skulked off and vowed never to return. Afterwards, you think about all the bitchy things you should said to the waiter, but at the time we were both so mortified, we just wanted to get out of there. Needless to say, we've not been back.
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Offline Lynne

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #26 on: January 11, 2009, 07:44:59 pm »
I voted 'other'.

I don't really have big problems - unless I spot signs that things are none too clean  :P

But the only thing I dislike is that if you're a single diner and you go out to eat, you run headon into the capitalist system at its ugliest.  In the U.S. waiters make a lot of their money on tips, which means the more they turn over a table the better.  I want to go out to eat and sit at my table for an hour enjoying a leisurely meal.  I'm paying for it, I tip well, why am I being rushed out the door?  Why am I looked down on because I didn't take a seat at the bar and leave the tables for real diners?  >:(

I've had people in restaurants yell insults to me for doing this.  WTF?!?!?

Never been yelled at, but yes I can sometimes definitely sense the disapproval.  Most of the time I don't mind sitting in the bar (or sometimes I go at odd hours, like early dinner on weekends)...whatever it takes so I can read in peace.
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #27 on: January 11, 2009, 08:19:16 pm »
Never been yelled at, but yes I can sometimes definitely sense the disapproval.  Most of the time I don't mind sitting in the bar (or sometimes I go at odd hours, like early dinner on weekends)...whatever it takes so I can read in peace.

The only problem I have sitting at the bar is that

1) smokers sit at the bar.  I don't smoke and don't like the smell when I'm trying to eat

2) I'm short.  The bar stool and bar are normally higher than I can comfortably sit and eat (I'm not reaching down for my food and drink, I'm practically reaching across)

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #28 on: January 11, 2009, 08:20:44 pm »
That's happened to me too, and I wasn't even dining alone.

I'd gone with a work colleague to an unfamiliar (snooty) part of town to buy a farewell gift for a fellow workmate. The departee collected a particular brand of porcelain and we'd gone to a specialty outlet to choose a gift for her. But I digress. We thought we'd make an outing of it so dropped into a little place for coffee. We took one of the tables under an umbrella on the pavement and ordered two coffees from the waiter. The waiter gave us a quizzical look and suggested we try some place else, because they didn't serve just coffee alone. She wasn't rude about it, but very definite about us having to order food with our coffee if we wanted to stay.This place looked more like a cafe than a restaurant, with tables on the pavement. Coffee was on the menu. We had come from work and were dressed in business clothes so didn't look like a couple of hobos.  It was a first for me. I was literally speechless. And embarrassed. We just skulked off and vowed never to return. Afterwards, you think about all the bitchy things you should said to the waiter, but at the time we were both so mortified, we just wanted to get out of there. Needless to say, we've not been back.

I've been to those kind of places, too.  I usually look at the waiter/ess and say, "Oh OK, then bring me [bread, chips, etc -any appetizer that's cheap].  They do it grudgingly, but they get off my back about ordering food.

Offline ZK

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Re: Dining Out - Pleasurable or Painful?
« Reply #29 on: January 12, 2009, 02:01:24 am »
that must be american. You dont really do doggy bags in the UK.

What no doggy bags?? We do it all the time here unless its a really exspensive restaurant. The ONLY thing I don't like about doggy bags is if the waiter leaves the bag and box for me to fill. Thats a bit too tacky for me.