Diners, drive ins and dives
Discussion
I've watched this a few times and its shown me that I've spent way too much time and money in chain restaurants. I've travelled quite extensively in the USA and eaten at lots of big names but never really independents and I can see what I'm missing. It's definitely encouraged me to be more experimental here too.
Depresses me to see all that scratch cooked grub, when it feels like every eatery over here is churning out the same bland packet based wholesale vacuum packed cack.
Could you make money over here making simple, affordable food well?
Perhaps we need to have a thread serving the same purpose as triple D, but concentrating on fine establishments in the UK?
Could you make money over here making simple, affordable food well?
Perhaps we need to have a thread serving the same purpose as triple D, but concentrating on fine establishments in the UK?
When I watch the diners programme it tells me, that despite my best efforts to impress, when it comes to food I really am a bit of a Neanderthal. I like meat! ! I like big portions, I like freshly cooked and I like an atmosphere where you can just chill and enjoy the simple flavours without pretension. I do enjoy fine dining, don't get me wrong but I'm sick of paying £40 a head at a place where you need to go to Burger King on the way home.
Edited by Thankyou4calling on Tuesday 23 July 22:33
I have been to too many small diners and restaurants in the US and been disappointed with the food, often being charged much more than a chain and for that reason if I find a good chain I stick with it. For example I will only eat burgers from Fuddruckers. I gave up on small independent burger offerings a long time ago. Something as simple as a hamburger should be easy, but far too many places screw it up.
Those big corporate chains may have no soul or flair, but they offer consistency. No matter where you are, you can be reasonably confident that what you order will taste exactly as you expect it to. When I am hungry and in an unfamiliar area, that is just what I need.
I really enjoy watching DDD (and Man V Food), but some of the food featured looks pretty bland and unappealing. Some of it would even qualify as "slop".
Those big corporate chains may have no soul or flair, but they offer consistency. No matter where you are, you can be reasonably confident that what you order will taste exactly as you expect it to. When I am hungry and in an unfamiliar area, that is just what I need.
I really enjoy watching DDD (and Man V Food), but some of the food featured looks pretty bland and unappealing. Some of it would even qualify as "slop".
redtwin said:
I really enjoy watching DDD (and Man V Food), but some of the food featured looks pretty bland and unappealing. Some of it would even qualify as "slop".
I recall one episode where the restaurant was famed for its fish sandwich - it was literally deep fried fish like a chip shop between two pieces of bread. Another example was a burger joint that did a pathetic looking burger between two slices of white bread again. (Think they might call it 'texas toast').I think the last time I put a burger between two slices of white bog standard bread was when I was ravenous but too lazy too leave the house and buy some buns!
How disappointed would you be if you drove out of your way on a recommendation and were served up a soggy hamburger on sliced white bread?. Especially if you passed any number of McDs, BKs or better to get there.
That is precisely why I stick with what I know, unless I am in a position to see what I am getting in person before I order it.
Texas Toast is just thickly sliced plain white bread. Much thicker than even Warburton's Green packet stuff.
That is precisely why I stick with what I know, unless I am in a position to see what I am getting in person before I order it.
Texas Toast is just thickly sliced plain white bread. Much thicker than even Warburton's Green packet stuff.
devnull said:
I recall one episode where the restaurant was famed for its fish sandwich - it was literally deep fried fish like a chip shop between two pieces of bread. Another example was a burger joint that did a pathetic looking burger between two slices of white bread again. (Think they might call it 'texas toast').
I think the last time I put a burger between two slices of white bog standard bread was when I was ravenous but too lazy too leave the house and buy some buns!
I know the episode you're on about. Ordinary crap white bread just extra thickly cut. Terrible.I think the last time I put a burger between two slices of white bog standard bread was when I was ravenous but too lazy too leave the house and buy some buns!
I saw one episode where they were making up they're famous omelettes and they were using pre-mixed egg mixture out of a carton. f
king hell!redtwin said:
How disappointed would you be if you drove out of your way on a recommendation and were served up a soggy hamburger on sliced white bread?. Especially if you passed any number of McDs, BKs or better to get there.
That is precisely why I stick with what I know, unless I am in a position to see what I am getting in person before I order it.
Texas Toast is just thickly sliced plain white bread. Much thicker than even Warburton's Green packet stuff.
In Texas they just call it 'toast' That is precisely why I stick with what I know, unless I am in a position to see what I am getting in person before I order it.
Texas Toast is just thickly sliced plain white bread. Much thicker than even Warburton's Green packet stuff.
redtwin said:
How disappointed would you be if you drove out of your way on a recommendation and were served up a soggy hamburger on sliced white bread?. Especially if you passed any number of McDs, BKs or better to get there.
That is precisely why I stick with what I know, unless I am in a position to see what I am getting in person before I order it.
Texas Toast is just thickly sliced plain white bread. Much thicker than even Warburton's Green packet stuff.
I genuinely cant think of a moment I've thought "I wish I was in a casual chain restaurant right now", even in a dissapointing place. I mean would you really, say, drive down Route 66 only eating in Chick-fil-A and Maccy Ds? That is precisely why I stick with what I know, unless I am in a position to see what I am getting in person before I order it.
Texas Toast is just thickly sliced plain white bread. Much thicker than even Warburton's Green packet stuff.
We do have iPad guidebooks and Yelp these days
There are much better chains than typical McD fast food, so no I wouldn't only eat that type of food on a long road trip, just as I wouldn't walk into some random restaurant I had no knowledge of. The argument for the chain is getting something that you know will be good rather than trying something unknown that may be great, but could also be a bitter disappointment. If was really hungry and the only choice was McD or some small cafe, then I would go with McD.
As Remo put it..."Why take a chance".
As for recommendations, everyone's taste is different as is their standard of quality when it comes to food. I have had personal recommendations (not some stranger on a website) that were a let down. Dishes that were described as superb were, at best, mediocre.
As Remo put it..."Why take a chance".
As for recommendations, everyone's taste is different as is their standard of quality when it comes to food. I have had personal recommendations (not some stranger on a website) that were a let down. Dishes that were described as superb were, at best, mediocre.
when going to 'murica for the first time, I tryed quite a few different independent places.
some were really good, some were really poor.
one place I went, was for a steak in an Argentinean steak place, I could hardly eat the steak, as I asked for a sirloin, and it was just fat running though about 80% of it, and as such 20% meat, they were pretty pissed that I didnt eat there 'steak'o'fat' and made me doggy bag(box actually) to take home to eat as they were quite aggressive.
at the time, I could not eat that much as I was quite Ill and if I ate too much (for me) then my guts would be absolutely rotten for at least a few days and would not want the pain/runs at the beginning of a holiday.
some other places, were fkING brilliant, like the buffet place in the hotel, were they served ALL sorts of stuff, and it was cooked there and then, and it was an all you can eat, even all you can eat burnt ends in the BBQ section, or all you can eat ribs/Marinaded pork/beef which was BBQed and glazed when being BBQed.
dont really ever want to go back there after 2 times, as I put on a stone of fat after 2 weeks, and I cannot stand 'muricans and there culture, but do love there food. so Im trying to perfect all the different types of typical 'murican food so I can make it myself.
some were really good, some were really poor.
one place I went, was for a steak in an Argentinean steak place, I could hardly eat the steak, as I asked for a sirloin, and it was just fat running though about 80% of it, and as such 20% meat, they were pretty pissed that I didnt eat there 'steak'o'fat' and made me doggy bag(box actually) to take home to eat as they were quite aggressive.
at the time, I could not eat that much as I was quite Ill and if I ate too much (for me) then my guts would be absolutely rotten for at least a few days and would not want the pain/runs at the beginning of a holiday.
some other places, were f
kING brilliant, like the buffet place in the hotel, were they served ALL sorts of stuff, and it was cooked there and then, and it was an all you can eat, even all you can eat burnt ends in the BBQ section, or all you can eat ribs/Marinaded pork/beef which was BBQed and glazed when being BBQed.dont really ever want to go back there after 2 times, as I put on a stone of fat after 2 weeks, and I cannot stand 'muricans and there culture, but do love there food. so Im trying to perfect all the different types of typical 'murican food so I can make it myself.
English friends who live in Florida complain bitterly about the steak, saying that Americans want 'mouthfeel' and therefore US beef cattle are injected with all sorts of crap in order to make their meat marbled with fat.
Leave a leftover piece of steak in the fridge overnight, and it will be white in the morning from the hardened fat in the meat itself - never mind what you cooked it in.
Leave a leftover piece of steak in the fridge overnight, and it will be white in the morning from the hardened fat in the meat itself - never mind what you cooked it in.
Some steak here is good, a lot is dreadful. The main difference is people eat it ALL THE TIME....go to the TexaFloriKlahoma bit of 'Murrica and its still very much steak for dinner territory for your middle class family. There are steak chains that are basically run to fast-food standards.
As a result, its cheap. Really, really cheap compared to the UK. To get it that cheap the cows are hormone-swelled and steroid pumped. If you look at the ingredients you sometimes see "natural flavorings" added - they basically soak the flavorless steak in Oxo to get it to taste beefy. Dreadful.
The flip side is there is also some outstanding steak on offer, dry aged and properly raised. This, however, is not cheap at all - think UK organic butcher kinds of prices (in NYC anyway).
As a result, its cheap. Really, really cheap compared to the UK. To get it that cheap the cows are hormone-swelled and steroid pumped. If you look at the ingredients you sometimes see "natural flavorings" added - they basically soak the flavorless steak in Oxo to get it to taste beefy. Dreadful.
The flip side is there is also some outstanding steak on offer, dry aged and properly raised. This, however, is not cheap at all - think UK organic butcher kinds of prices (in NYC anyway).
Mobile Chicane said:
English friends who live in Florida complain bitterly about the steak, saying that Americans want 'mouthfeel' and therefore US beef cattle are injected with all sorts of crap in order to make their meat marbled with fat.
Leave a leftover piece of steak in the fridge overnight, and it will be white in the morning from the hardened fat in the meat itself - never mind what you cooked it in.
You friends should buy steak that isn't sLeave a leftover piece of steak in the fridge overnight, and it will be white in the morning from the hardened fat in the meat itself - never mind what you cooked it in.
t then TBH. There's certainly no shortage of amazing quality beef in the US. Cheap crap sure is plentiful too though.My average experience of US steak is it's generally better than in the UK and they know how to cook it. But then I don't expect Wagyu beef at Weatherspoons prices and avoid the rubbish much the same as I do in the UK.
Edited by Stu R on Thursday 25th July 03:36
Wadeski said:
I guess thats the character difference, I would always take the chance - the idea of knowing exactly what I'm getting is no fun at all.
When I am hungry, fun is the last thing on my mind...even fun with food. I just want a good satisfying meal, not a new interesting taste experience.
Stu R said:
You friends should buy steak that isn't st then TBH. There's certainly no shortage of amazing quality beef in the US. Cheap crap sure is plentiful too though.
Even USDA Prime can be crap, as it is purely down to the amount of marbling. Juicy, tender steaks, yes. But full of flavour ? That is grain feeding for you. t then TBH. There's certainly no shortage of amazing quality beef in the US. Cheap crap sure is plentiful too though.Recently had a USDA Prime at Goodman. Cooked brilliantly, and it was melt in the mouth tender. But a little disappointing.
If you have grown up on grain fed steak, that the chewier grass fed stuff doesn't seem quite right. And Vice Versa.
Whilst it may have been true about UK vs US steak a few years ago, the balance has shifted somewhat. I had an amazing steak in Tucson a few years ago but it isn't ubiquitous, and with Goodman and Hawksmoor and the like...and even "Argentinian" steak places in the sticks...you can get good steak here.
Wadeski said:
I guess thats the character difference, I would always take the chance - the idea of knowing exactly what I'm getting is no fun at all.
I'm with this man.Me and the girlfriend travel quite a bit both in Europe and US and we like nothing more than just seeing somewhere random and thinking "why not, let's try there".
Often it's the slightly oddball places that have had great food.
We always make a habit of asking the locals where they eat, and have been directed to some fantastic places just off the beaten track.
Of course we have ended up in a couple of places that were genuinely s
t, but that's all part of life's rich tapestry!You have to remember that on the whole (outside of New York etc) the Americans don't do salubrious like the Europeans. They have no qualms about paper napkins, squeezy tomato ketchup on the table, shabby decor and plastic chairs, even in what they consider to be 'slightly nicer' restaurants. So you have to just overlook that to a certain extent.
I've eaten in a couple of places featured in Man Vs Food, Blue Heaven in Key West was one of them. And yes, it was a shocking dive compared to what you expect from even the most basic restaurant over here, but the food was great.
Don't get me wrong, I love a trip to a chain as you know the food is going to be as good as it was the last time you were there, Hooters, IHOP, Bubba Gump, Cheesecake Factory, Denney's etc but the wares offered by an independent can be just and good, plus the excitement is in the unknown
I've always found steak in the US to be excellent, certainly better than any steak place I've experienced in the UK. But then most of my trips over there are to Houston where they do pride themselves on great beef, and I so tend to go to the higher end establishments rather than the chains.
But one chain which is an exception is Outback Steakhouse - they do wonderful quality steaks.
But one chain which is an exception is Outback Steakhouse - they do wonderful quality steaks.
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