Who eats out?

March 16th, 2007, 10:12 AM

Being serious for a moment, I rarely eat out, if for no other reason than the restaurants here are few in number and poor in quality. There's two really expensive but very crappy pizza places, a really crappy Chinese place that serves prefrozen boxed Chinese food, a "coffee shop" that serves standard greasy diner food (and is only open until 5pm, 5 days a week) and two restaurants located in motels, one of which hasn't changed its menu in more than 30 years.

So I almost always cook myself; it's my only creative outlet in a community whose mission it is is to drain the uniqueness out of me - though it is very, very hard to get fresh or regional ingredients; I can't even get my hands on fresh herbs here, which makes me quite irritated.

March 16th, 2007, 10:19 AM

I love the Pho soups, I finished one of the large sized ones, one night. I was some kind of bloated I tell you. It seems the best asian restaurants are usually located in little holes in the wall, the nicer looking places are reserved for north americanized chinese food I guess.

March 16th, 2007, 10:20 AM

I live in a decent sized small city. We have a lot of restaurants. But, we don't eat out unless we're travelling generally, because the restaurants here are mostly just chains, or diners. There's one Chinese restaurant, but we just don't eat there often since having developed a bit of a taste for vietnamese and thai.... we're kind of bored with the westernized chinese food, it's so bland in comparison.

Getting ingredients is a definite challenge even here. I've been especially frustrated since I had better access to really good ethinc ingredients like coconut milk, green curry, ginger root, cinlantro and other herbs, when I lived in High Level, of all places.

March 16th, 2007, 10:52 AM

karrie: I wish we even had chain-owned restaurants, in order to kick-start the local places into cleaning up their act. The closest thing to chain is a Robin's Donuts that was renovated from an old garage. The drive through just goes around the yard, and you can still see where the garage door is installed, right beside the drive through window. They get their donuts shipped in frozen from a community almost two hours away, and rarely cook them properly. I should take pictures, it's funny in a sad kind of way. Oh, and we used to have a Pizza Hut Express in the Mike's Mart, but it left about 6 years ago

Problem is, this town doesn't have the highway run through it, so chains aren't willing to set up shop here like they are in other northwest ontario communities.

March 16th, 2007, 10:54 AM

I'm actually glad we don't eat out anymore. When I worked at Radioshack and you're in a huge mall with a food court, it can do a number on both your wallet and your gut size. Eating crappy food-court cuisine is very expensive (and unsatisfying) on a retailer's income.

March 16th, 2007, 11:11 AM

I used to work in a mall too.... Edo Japan was my lunch of choice, so it wasn't too hard on the waist line, but, when you added Moxie's for supper three or four times a week because we were both working and lazy... it got fattening and expensive. When I finally quit working, we were still in that habit, constantly heading out to eat, and often taking friends who were in college out with us and treating them to meals. We finally had to stop.... we decided that for every seven days we didn't eat in a restaurant, we'd put $50 in a bank account to spend on frivolous stuff, like buying a satellite system, or theater system for the house. Man, we had a lot of spare cash floating around mighty quick. Now, we are just out of the habit of eating in restaurants, and have more cash at hand, no needing to put it into a seperate account.

March 16th, 2007, 11:15 AM

Snowles, have you ever thought of growing your own herbs? My father grew quite a few in Nova Scotia. We even added them to vinegars, making for all sorts of flavours, very good on a tossed salad.

March 16th, 2007, 11:25 AM

The absolute easiest thing to do (while growing them is the healthiest, funnest way), is when you're in a bigger center, buy big bunches of the herbs you like, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or foil (pressing in foil is great for keeping air out), and freeze them. Or, you can also chop them up, put them in ice cube trays, top with water, and freeze them. Once the cubes are made, shake them out into a ziploc, and label. Then just pop an oregano or basil ice cube into your frying pan, or soup stock, or whatever you might need. If you check dollar stores, you can often even find the trays with the smaller cubes sizes, roughly a teaspoon or so. You get much more flavor than if you dry the herbs.

March 20th, 2007, 04:43 PM

Just check out http://kesca.ca/refrigerat2.html they have images from restaurants on the site you might actually consider it next time you eat out.
What is this accumulating on the coil? Is it the spices used in your food or could it be fungus and mold?

March 20th, 2007, 04:46 PM

what are you trying to prove? That there's dirt in kitchens? I knew that thank you. Fungus and mould are usually not harmful to your health anyway, also most restaurants don't rub their meat on the back of their refridgerators before serving it to you. Also generally they cook it so any germs which happen to be there get killed.

Honestly this is no big deal

February 26th, 2008, 10:22 AM

you should see some of the restuarants in the Dominican Republic. some look a little iffy, but the food is fresh, and fantastic.
We rarely eat out, I am a fantastic cook and can cook just about anything. And my kitchen does not get messy when I cook even the chinese food, it is not necessary to make a mess when cooking, it shows lack of skills. You need to clean up as you go along, then you will not have the mess.
I cannot stand the smell of most fast food outlets, restaurants included, they are all fast food outlets, with prepared food for you, full of preservatives. Yummy!
People come for miles to eat at my home when invited, they will cancel a previous dinner date. I can cook a meal in under an hour, with out really thinking about it, or going through a bunch of preparation, or any recipe. And it takes no more time to start from scratch than it does to start from a can or frozen state. And how hard can it be to open a can, no thought there.
Subway is one of the fast food places that I just cannot go into, the smell is so terrible, and to think people eat that. No wonder we have a society of fatties out there.
I have never dieted, nor needed to, I guess that is the difference between take out,and home cooking.
My pies are to die for, and my caesar salad, none can compare to it. My husband will cook if I don't feel like it, (but I have a hard time with someone in my kitchen so he has to keep it clean, good thing he is as fussy as me). He cooks, he cleans up the kitchen, he is a real sweetheart. He does not do the take out either. he has learned to cook quite well under my guidance, and the bit he knew as a bachelor. Actually my whole family are really good cooks, and they do most of the cooking in their homes, (most women these days don't even know what a canopener is for, so forget cooking) good thing, as their wives are like most these days and can't boil water.

February 26th, 2008, 11:57 AM

The Crow & Gate Pub in Nanaimo. Started going there when we moved to Gabriola Island about ten years ago. It is a traditional British pub run by British ex-pats but they do a good job on Curries as well as typical British pub food. They do a beef dip that is to die for. Their desserts are completely decadent and absolutely delicious.

February 26th, 2008, 12:02 PM

Snowles, I do not know what you have for living facilities, but even in an apartment in most climates Canada you can grow your own herbs indoors where you have some natural light. Get some small or medium sized pots, seeds and voila! You got a herb garden. Chia Pets has them too. Check it out.
#Juan, if I am forced to eat out, (because I am travelling or whatever) I prefer the food at the pubs. What about bangers, they are good.

February 26th, 2008, 12:45 PM

You bad...

lol

February 26th, 2008, 09:31 PM

I used to eat out exclusively. Then I had a heart attack. Now I might eat out once every couple of months. I can cook for myself or a small party as well as any restaurant cook. I never did fast food to much. Pubs and restaurant. They are mostly meat and potatoes with a lot of salt and butter. Now I eat seafood and rice with pepper.

February 26th, 2008, 11:57 PM

Since I was diagnosed with diabetes, I never eat out. I Just don't know what ingredients are being used. Instead I take the money I save by not eating out, and buy better quality food at the Grocers.

February 27th, 2008, 12:00 AM

I rarely eat out. That's because gourmet cooking is one of my many hobbies. I seriously doubt that anyone on CC eats as well as I do because this type of cooking is one of life's greatest pleasures.

Most folks eat to live. I live to eat! Every day is another pleasure as food is my absolute passion. And I am definitely not shy about admitting it!

February 27th, 2008, 12:56 AM

I'll take that bet. My preference for veggies is limited but other than that we are talkinng sea bass, lobster, collosal shrimps and scallops. Only steak in my house is tendeloin. Fresh caught trout and salmon. Mustard crusted rack of lamb. Tanoori chicken. Ginger marmalade cornish game hens. Trout baked in sea salt (best way ever to do trout). Every kind of rice and curry dish I am able to cook with stuff in my house. I have a couple buddies who call to see hat I am doing on a Saturday night and I know they are looking for a damn near gourmet meal.