Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
And then there is the parking in Boston at restaurants right in the heart of the city.
As your cooking skills improved did you change your dining-out pattern?
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And then there is the parking in Boston at restaurants right in the heart of the city.
CraigC
Master Chef
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- Jan 27, 2011
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For us it was a matter of economics. Our skills improved with our ability to buy more expensive ingredients. However that skill was honed on the necessity to use less expensive ingredients so that when we did get "the good stuff", we were not at a loss on how to use it. Also, as our finances improved we were able to afford dining out at more expensive places more often.
We also got used to having fresh seafood more often, due to our spearfishing and diving. We always had plenty of fish and lobster in the freezer, as well as fresh crab. Oysters, clams, squid, conch, mussels and shrimp are relatively inexpensive.
We also got used to having fresh seafood more often, due to our spearfishing and diving. We always had plenty of fish and lobster in the freezer, as well as fresh crab. Oysters, clams, squid, conch, mussels and shrimp are relatively inexpensive.
Steve Kroll
Wine Guy
DW and I eat mostly at ethnic or off-the-beaten-path restaurants when we eat out. Even though they are sometimes expensive, I actually like those trendy upscale restaurants because 1.) it's a chance to play "dress up" and 2.) they cook things I wouldn't normally cook at home. I find them to be kind of an adventure. I look at it like art. I love to paint, but I'm no Van Gogh. So every once in a while you have to go out and experience that kind of thing.
I also eat lunch at restaurants on the few days I work in the office. I usually go someplace where I can have a good salad or something light. But I have a rule that I never eat at my desk.
I also eat lunch at restaurants on the few days I work in the office. I usually go someplace where I can have a good salad or something light. But I have a rule that I never eat at my desk.
As our cooking skills have expanded we eat out much less frequently than we used to.
We might go out to eat maybe 6 or 7 times a year - if that. When we do go we try to order something we've not had before or that we know we can't duplicate at home.
DH is not much on eating out . . his idea of eating out is the drive thru and take it home. When we are on the road to somewhere he has no choice and we go to a sit down to eat.
It's quite fun to have something then try to duplicate it at home .. usually turns out much better at home !
So we consider our few times eating out as educational opportunities !
We might go out to eat maybe 6 or 7 times a year - if that. When we do go we try to order something we've not had before or that we know we can't duplicate at home.
DH is not much on eating out . . his idea of eating out is the drive thru and take it home. When we are on the road to somewhere he has no choice and we go to a sit down to eat.
It's quite fun to have something then try to duplicate it at home .. usually turns out much better at home !
So we consider our few times eating out as educational opportunities !
OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Oh no Andy, I'm very happy going out to eat. It's just that I don't want to spend the money!
Now let me qualify that. I don't want to spend as much at a restaurant for Himself's and my two meals as I might for four nights of cooking at home and not really enjoy the food. If it's average I'd rather stay home and do whatever - breakfast for dinner works then. But if I know of a restaurant with remarkable food AND they're prices are on the higher end I'll still be OK with the price because of the nature of the food. 111Chop House has very good food at very high prices. Himself went there for a business dinner (company paid - Yay!), came home and told me that the food was quite good but I can cook just as good. Needless to say, I'm not anxious to try their menu.
OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
I no longer enjoy going out to eat. I am a slow eater and tend to hold everyone up when they finish. And at home, I sorta cook myself. If I make something special by request, it is for one of my kids to take home.
Mother's Day is coming up. I will put a smile on my face and go out to eat with my daughter and her family. But I will order something that I know won't have a lot of food on the plate. Of course I will come home with a doggie bag. I always do. I would rather go out for breakfast at the local diner. Bacon, eggs, hash brown or home fries, coffe and whole wheat toast. And I am lucky if I can finish that.
I'm a member of the Slow Eaters Club too Addie. Just ask for the take-out container when they bring your plate and watch the reaction of your server! I've done that ever since a server asked if I was done because I was taking a rest and Himself was already done with his dinner. At least if I box up the half I'll never get to I have a better chance of emptying my plate when he's done with his.
Also agree that Mother's Day should be what makes Mom happy. If you want them to bring you a couple donuts from DD and visit in your place they should do it with a smile.
Lastly, hope your daughter's medical treatments make her all better.
Besides what Craig said, we don't eat out much anymore simply because most of the time we can do better at home now for a lot less money. There are very few restaurants, and those tend to be high-quality places, i.e. very expensive, that can do better than we can at home or do things that we can't do at home due to not having a full commercial kitchen. Those are for special occasions or if we just want to have a "date" night. We get take-out or delivery only when we're either too tired or just don't feel like cooking, usually pizza or Thai or sushi, from a very limited pool of places. I'm not going to pay for or eat food that tastes bad even if I am tired and don't feel like cooking.
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bakechef
Executive Chef
We eat out a couple times a week, mostly because of our schedules, I sometimes don't have time to make something decent, or I'm too tired to deal with it.
We have a lot of chains here, and very few great privately owned places.
To keep costs down, I try to cook as often as possible. Just a casual meal ends up costing around $30 after tip, and we don't even order soda! $30 can buy a lot of fresh food and provide multiple meals.
Our go-to quick dinner out is hitting up Jason's Deli for the salad bar, we usually go there when we are running errands in the evening.
It's so easy to get lazy in the kitchen when you live 5 minutes from a bunch of restaurants!
We have a lot of chains here, and very few great privately owned places.
To keep costs down, I try to cook as often as possible. Just a casual meal ends up costing around $30 after tip, and we don't even order soda! $30 can buy a lot of fresh food and provide multiple meals.
Our go-to quick dinner out is hitting up Jason's Deli for the salad bar, we usually go there when we are running errands in the evening.
It's so easy to get lazy in the kitchen when you live 5 minutes from a bunch of restaurants!
When I worked nights and got off at 7 am, it was tough getting a taco or a pizza at that time of day...work schedules can really lead to poor eating at fast food places.
The hours the places around me keep help me in not using them. Sometimes I have no choice but to cook for myself.
The best breakfast place doesn't open until 8:00 AM... too late.
The best mom and pop pizza shop doesn't open until 4:00 PM on weekends... also too late if it's football season, when I would most feel like picking up a pie. And in most cases by 4:00 I've already got something in the works myself for dinner.
Heck, even the grocery store doesn't make their fried chicken until noon. I'd pick some up every Sunday if they had some out by 11:30.
When are these businesses going to learn they need to get on MY schedule
I suppose not having much open when I'm feeling hungry helps me in cooking for myself. It's become habit, not a chore.
My cooking it's not improved (it's more than 40 years I cook) but restaurants are worst, at least in Europe.
There is crisis, people doesn't have money and restaurant cannot risk buying a lot of fresh ingredients.
I only go out for Italian pizza.
There is crisis, people doesn't have money and restaurant cannot risk buying a lot of fresh ingredients.
I only go out for Italian pizza.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
A breakfast place that opens at 8:00? Wow that's late. They must be missing half their business. People have to go to work.
Yeah, there's a couple popular restaurants in town and they both start out serving breakfast at 8:00. I could never understand that.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Maybe no one gets up early in your town.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
I thought that was late also. You can even get breakfast in these here parts at McD, BK and other fast foods as early as six a.m. They catch the workers that start at seven a.m. I remember when my youngest worked at BK, he had to be in work at 5:30 a.m. to set up for the breakfast crowd.
vitauta
Executive Chef
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OP
OP
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Wow, I think most of them around us open by 6:00AM. If one opened at 5:00 we'd practically be able to go there before we went to bed.
Yeah, we're big-time night owls...
Jessica_Morris
Senior Cook
When I first started cooking I was 19 years old. And then I had a fear of trying things so instead of trying we ate out mostly. But now that I'm 25 and I can cook just about anything, I'm more willing to cook every day of the week. Although DH likes eating out so we eat out on the weekends for what he calls "Days Off" for me. But we don't spend to terribly much on weekends on dining out. We have a budge where we spend $90 on Groceries a week and $50 for eating out/entertainment. And once that's gone we don't have anymore.
fairygirl69
Senior Cook
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2006
- Messages
- 217
Very responsible!
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