I don't know if it's me getting older or tired of the lack of choices in Buffalo, but the last few times I've gone out to eat the meal's been mediocre, at best, and cost $20-25 (including tip). I stopped at Sticky Lips, a BBQ place in Rochester, not long ago that's had decent brisket before...but this time it was half-fat and the coleslaw was tasteless. Same for the so-called cajun corn. The green beans were okay, but only because they had bacon in them.
Tuesday I ate at Chili's because I wanted a half-rack of ribs...and it was served on a tray with a sheet of crap paper under the meat...and it was boring. Their corn on the cob was undercooked and bland. Their coleslaw was mayo-based and meh. And the sauce was made with brown sugar, I'd swear.
Tonight I stopped at Wegman's to get some groceries and saw they had a fish & chips bar. I've like their fried fish in the past so got that for dinner...and it was tough. Seriously. The batter that used to be on their fish and chips was light and tasty; this was thick and required a lot of chewing. The coleslaw was okay but the fries were cold by the time I paid for the meal and sat at a table.
I've run into this more and more, lately, where the food being served is just crappy. Even McDonald's is getting in on the mess-you-up attitude. I liked their signature burger with avocado and pico de gallo, but they stopped offering it. I've never really liked their other burgers so usually would get a fish sandwich...but even that is tasteless and slopped together so poorly, I can't eat it.
I don't think it's my taste buds going. When I steam my corn on the cob at home, I love it. Same for green beans and when I cook a burger or make a tuna casserole. I even like my deviled eggs more than those in a deli. And I like Stouffer's frozen meals and there's a new brand of pork bowl that's really tasty and can be nuked. And today for lunch I had some Chili from Wendy's that was pretty good.
So maybe I'm just getting picky because eating out costs so damn much. Meaning I don't do it much, anymore. I thought I pulled back from it because I travel a great deal so have to deal with restaurants, but no...I just don't like paying a ludicrous price for a meal that's not that good.
I dunno, maybe there isn't anything new about it, really. The worst meal I ever had was 20 years ago in Chicago. I finished a packing job for Heritage Book Shop and went into the city to look around, and would up having dinner at a McCormick and Schmidt's. I was seated at a table by the kitchen door. Given a glass of wine that was of Mogen David quality. Had a Caesar salad so drenched in garlic I couldn't eat it. Got my steak medium rare when I'd asked for medium well, and a potato that had been rebaked at least once, probably twice. I complained, so they took the cost of the potato off and comped me a cheesecake that was like Marie Callendar's quality...and the damn meal still cost over $100. In 1998!
Sigh...maybe I should just stick to Stouffer's...
Tuesday I ate at Chili's because I wanted a half-rack of ribs...and it was served on a tray with a sheet of crap paper under the meat...and it was boring. Their corn on the cob was undercooked and bland. Their coleslaw was mayo-based and meh. And the sauce was made with brown sugar, I'd swear.
Tonight I stopped at Wegman's to get some groceries and saw they had a fish & chips bar. I've like their fried fish in the past so got that for dinner...and it was tough. Seriously. The batter that used to be on their fish and chips was light and tasty; this was thick and required a lot of chewing. The coleslaw was okay but the fries were cold by the time I paid for the meal and sat at a table.
I've run into this more and more, lately, where the food being served is just crappy. Even McDonald's is getting in on the mess-you-up attitude. I liked their signature burger with avocado and pico de gallo, but they stopped offering it. I've never really liked their other burgers so usually would get a fish sandwich...but even that is tasteless and slopped together so poorly, I can't eat it.
I don't think it's my taste buds going. When I steam my corn on the cob at home, I love it. Same for green beans and when I cook a burger or make a tuna casserole. I even like my deviled eggs more than those in a deli. And I like Stouffer's frozen meals and there's a new brand of pork bowl that's really tasty and can be nuked. And today for lunch I had some Chili from Wendy's that was pretty good.
So maybe I'm just getting picky because eating out costs so damn much. Meaning I don't do it much, anymore. I thought I pulled back from it because I travel a great deal so have to deal with restaurants, but no...I just don't like paying a ludicrous price for a meal that's not that good.
I dunno, maybe there isn't anything new about it, really. The worst meal I ever had was 20 years ago in Chicago. I finished a packing job for Heritage Book Shop and went into the city to look around, and would up having dinner at a McCormick and Schmidt's. I was seated at a table by the kitchen door. Given a glass of wine that was of Mogen David quality. Had a Caesar salad so drenched in garlic I couldn't eat it. Got my steak medium rare when I'd asked for medium well, and a potato that had been rebaked at least once, probably twice. I complained, so they took the cost of the potato off and comped me a cheesecake that was like Marie Callendar's quality...and the damn meal still cost over $100. In 1998!
Sigh...maybe I should just stick to Stouffer's...
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