French restaurants acknowledge serving factory-frozen food

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The red lobster lasted 5-10 years or so, maybe a little more, only because it was in the same complex as a hotel and I imagine that most of their business came from that. The building now houses a Ninety Nine.

Yeah I think chains have realized that a seafood restaurant is a terrible idea in Maine, there are better places just about everywhere with larger portions and better prices.

I took my honeymoon in Portland. One of the places my husband took me to was a little shack where you sat out on the deck. They had a bunch of lobsters in the traps. They would take out a couple and cook them to order. Can't get them any fresher than that. He thought he was introducing me to lobsters. Little did he know that as a kid I would run down to the beach with my friends and harvest lobsters and clams after a Nor'easter. I didn't have the heart to tell him about that. :angel:
 
Carolina BBQ is s whole different beast. Pork shoulder is smoked and chopped and finished with a vinegar based sauce (mustard in SC). No tomato based sauce here. If you order a BBQ sandwich here, it will automatically be topped with coleslaw, something I also don't care for. I grew up with coleslaw as a side dish, but in the south it's a condiment for BBQ hot dogs, burgers etc..

I live in NC, and have access to NC BBQ, but I much prefer Texas or Memphis style.

A whole different beast, yes. That's why I said, "For starters." ;) And sometimes the pork is pulled apart with two forks rather than chopped. I never had this style of bbq growing up, either, but now I love it :yum:
 
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Carolina BBQ is s whole different beast. Pork shoulder is smoked and chopped and finished with a vinegar based sauce (mustard in SC). No tomato based sauce here. If you order a BBQ sandwich here, it will automatically be topped with coleslaw, something I also don't care for. I grew up with coleslaw as a side dish, but in the south it's a condiment for BBQ hot dogs, burgers etc..

I live in NC, and have access to NC BBQ, but I much prefer Texas or Memphis style.

I could eat coleslaw as a main dish in place of mashed or baked potatoes. Every time I make the KFC recipe, I am not happy until it is all gone. Of course my stomach isn't very happy with me, but that only lasts for less than a day. :angel:
 
Not to change the subject or anything, but I think it's sad French restaurants are doing this since France has long been synonymous with great food.

Of course, I feel it's sad that its happened here as well. While we patronize local restaurants, that's no guarantee the food isn't purchased in prepared and frozen form.

The chain restaurants get their food supplies from the corporation kitchen frozen along with the recipe for each dish. So when you order a steak, you could go to your supermarket and get a Hungry Man Dinner. Close to the same thing.

If you are fortunate enough to find a restaurant that cooks from scratch with fresh daily foods, bring a fat wallet with you. It will be worth the price.

There is a diner near South Station. Their mashed potatoes have the nicest lumps. And their meats don't have time to be frozen. There are a lot of business buildings right nearby and they do a land office business. They are open 24/7. It is where the city's chefs go to eat after work. The staff is sort of weird, but they know their job. It does look sort of grimy when you walk in, but the food makes you forget all that. I have seen lines out the door waiting for a seat. If they get a single diner, they will sit total strangers at that table to make sure everyone gets served as fast as possible and every seat is filled. You get to meet a total stranger and make a new friend. :angel:
 
I can imagine that it is extremely difficult to keep consistency in a restaurant when cooking from scratch. You'd practically need the same cooking working open to close 7 days a week. Even when you get a great staff that is on board with your vision, keeping them loyal and motivated can be tough.

We've reached strange times, people want great prices, chain restaurant companies are trying to squeeze more and more profit out of their businesses. Many have used the economy as an excuse to raise prices and cut staff, when the reality is that they are making record profits in many cases.

Then you get privately run restaurants trying to compete with chains, they need to be competitive on price but offer something that will attract customers. They don't have the option of hiring "warm bodies" to heat up food, that's been made especially for them in a factory, so their options are industrial pre made food, or having inconsistent scratch made food. Some great places manage to do a great job in spite of the challenges, but it is a lot tougher to pull it off.
 
I used to buy these frozen pasta entree's, for my own use, that cost a couple of bucks. I would nuke them as per instructions, put them in a pasta bowl, top with fresh Parmesan and chopped parsley. I have paid good money in restaurants for pasta that tasted worse....
 
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