Text 5238, 98 rader
Skriven 2006-09-07 07:11:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av DALE SHIPP
Ärende: Mexican lunch 161 re
============================
 DS> IMO, chains are perfectly fine in their own way.

I'm more suspicious of chains than you ... but I admit
that they can serve good food. Most of the time the fare
is average, but what more may one expect? There are only
a few chains where I will not eat if hungry and if I'm
with company who requests my presence at such. Denny's is
chief among them. But I'll eat mostly uncomplaining at
Cracker Barrel, Hometown Buffet (haven't been either place
in a few years and have heard rumors of deterioration,
alas), Outback, Lone Star, Carrabba's, and even Marie
Callender's.

 The good thing
 DS> about chains is that they tend to be consistent so that you know
 DS> what to expect from locale to locale.

That is a rationale that obtains for many, but I actually
prefer the unexpected - my experience with dubious but
potentially interesting singlets has been approximately
two or three successes to one getting burned. For some,
this ratio isn't good enough, and consistent mediocrity is
preferable. But I feel too that some of the upscale chains
have a great deal of variability; perhaps the higher end
gives the local managers a bit of leeway to make for some
"personality" in each unit. For example, I went to an
Outback in Fresno and had a truly first-rate meal - I mean,
superb sirloin done just as requested, without the silly
crusting they normally use; and the prime rib I tasted
off Uncle Steve's plate was excellent. But once at Peabody
I ordered extra-rare, light on the rub, and what came was
extra-medium, heavy on the rub. That got sent back, and
the replacement was still chilled in the middle and still
heavy on the rub. At that location I learned my lesson and
have henceforth (not been there since Ella Lou moved away,
though, and none of my other friends suggests it) gone with
the lamb rack rare, which is respectable. Tried the ribs
once, and they reminded me of Tony Roma's regular. You do
know that Peter Lynch was an original investor in the chain?
More extreme was my experience at Ruth's Chris - the one at
National Airport served excellent meat drowned in rather too
much butter, with a great view of the runways; the one near
the Strip in Las Vegas had extremely mediocre, previously
frozen meat and, worse, sand in the spinach.

 DS> Example -- I can go to my local Burger King and get the same triple
 DS> or quad stacker hamburger that Dave gets at his Burger King in
 DS> Enfield.  If that is what I want, then I am happy.

Quad stacker! Once a few months ago on the way to (where
else) the airport I tried a regular stacker, which was
plenty. I was in economy that day and needed a quick bite.

 DS> I think that I had heard the name Pappadeaux, but am not familiar
 DS> with them.

I forget who introduced the chain to me - perhaps the
Chessers. I found the food respectable with a couple
standouts, a tad high in price for what you got, but
once during a long layover in Houston following an
orchestra gig I was ecstatic to see one in the terminal.
The one disappointment was that the Oysters Baton Rouge
had Romano as well as Parmesan in the cheese topping.

 DS> We first went to a Texas Roadhouse in SC when we went to Bryan's
 DS> graduation from boot camp about four years ago.

Clean Dave once suggested we go there, and I looked at him as
if he were nuts ... I had visions of a place with fair prices
that was perhaps a notch or two better than the Longhorn or
Lone Star or someplace; as it turned out, it was a couple
notches above in price but many notches above in quality; the
steak there was better than what I've had at fancier houses,
including the extremely famous and extremely expensive Gallagher's.

 DS> We put it on by the drop, or thin stream at most.   You might well
 DS> ask for seconds:-}}   If you want to give it a try, give us a
 DS> shout.
 DS> I might mention that there is a pit beef place within a mile of
 DS> there that made the Washington post survey a short while ago.  Turns
 DS> out that we have been there with you, but (a) I don't recall them
 DS> having pit beef, (b) it had a different name -- Uncle <something>
 DS> and is now Uncle <something else>, (c) when we drove by there this
 DS> time, the outside tables were pretty full.

Now pit beef, that's a definite yum. There's a place on Piney
Orchard that sells it, but I was hideously disappointed. Thing
is that Carol probably doesn't want to drive "forever and ever
amen" for standup food that may not be any better than our
favorite Mexican place, Pachanga Grille (right across from the
bad pit beef place). Maybe someday I'll take a morning flight
and make my way toward your area, and afterward you can drop
me off at BWI rail station afterward, so Carol can pick me up
at Odenton.

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