Restaurants: Do you ever...

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Claire

Master Chef
Joined
Sep 4, 2004
Messages
7,967
Location
Galena, IL
recommend to take friends or visitors to a restaurant that is an old favorite and have it be such a bust that you're embarassed? I have oft-complained that the restaurants in my small, tourist-oriented town can be inconsistent. But last night took the cake.

Our regular Friday group went to a local restaurant. I knew a buddy of mine would probably pay for my dinner (over the years I've had many bachelor friends, and they, gentlemen all, tend to want to buy me dinner for the many home-cooked meals I make for them). But I said I'd buy the starter, a fondue. I've been to this restaurant many times, and it was always a winner, made with local cheese and local beer.

Well, we got a bowl of watery, not very flavorful stuff, no fondue pot, just in a bowl. No presentation, no nothing.

I don't know how anyone else's meal went, but I ordered a favorite of mine, a steak salad. Instead of a meal, it was more an appetizer size, maybe 3 slices of steak on a bed of greens instead of the great serving of steak on a bed of greens and roasted vegetables that it used to be.

Many years ago my mom told me to keep my favorite restaurants to myself, because her fussy relatives would ruin them for her. But how about when your favorite restauranteurs ruin it for themselves?

I did hunt down an employee (and a casual friend) and told her how upset I was that the fondue wasn't ever remotely fondue. She said she'd remove it from our bill. I hope she did. Since an out-of-town friend picked up the tab, I don't know if he got stuck with it. I hadn't gotten my dinner at that point.

I swear, I'll follow my mom's advice and never recommend a restaurant again.
 
Most all of the restaurants that we've enjoyed over the years are out of business or not as good as they used to be. The cooks and owners come and go. One of my favorites was a place called John Ducks. It had been in the same family for well over a hundred years. They used to give you a free meal on your birthday. Of course we'd bring some guests when we collected our birthday dinner. The current owner, who was about 50 years old, had the place renovated about 5 years ago but he was losing his older staff mostly through retirements. Then they cut out the birthday dinners, the quality of the food declined and about 2 years ago it was sold to a catering hall operator.
If I could find a restaurant I like, I'd enjoy it as often as possible; given that I or the restaurant might be gone tomorrow.
 
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I recommended a place to a friend of mine who was visiting Montreal. After he came back he told me he couldn't stay because it was too loud. They only had drinks and then left to go to another place. I never thought it was loud, just a large place with high ceilings and usually very busy. The food was always very good when I went and I knew what he liked, so I was pretty sure he would enjoy it if he actually stayed long enough to order food.:LOL:
 
Do it your Self tastes better saves $ and you control what ingredients are used.
 
It's sad to say that all, and I mean all, of the really good high end restaurants are a thing of the past here. I'm sure it's because of the economy, but the formula is always the same. First they cut down on the quality and portions, and expect people to pay what they have always charged. Do they really think that will save their restaurant? The customers aren't stupid for pete sake. Next thing you know, they have to close the doors, and not even Gordon Ramsey can save them.
 
Claire, what do you think of Goldmoor'$$$$$?

You know, it took me a minute. In spite of being here for ten years and having gone just about everywhere else in town, I've never been there. Probably because I prefer to go to places I can walk to, and it's a bit out of town. Not to mention the $$$$$ part! I don't think they have a regular restaurant now, I think it is more special occasions type thing, and as you implied, pricey. More geared to wealthy tourists staying at the inn.
 
I've thankfully never had this happen but I don't have any friends to eat with so that might be part of it.

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lol, rock. umm, you're a drummer, right? you might not have noticed the decibel level of the place your friend said was too loud.

and lol no mayo. you have us...

claire, this is a very interesting subject. i rarely take advice from friends on where to dine. or should i say i trust very few people to have the same taste as me in restaurants. i don't even do the "ask a local" thing, except for certain circumstances. like when you're far from home. even then i'll only half trust a concierge in our hotel. i much prefer to use my own instincts, from reading the menu, to taking a quick peak inside, to seeing who's eating there. i mean, i'm not going to drag my son into a fancy place, or just go with anyone after a day of swimming and fishing at the beach.

besides all of this, half the fun is in discovering new places on your own.

as far as recommending places goes, i often get asked but i'm pretty specific about what to order and where. some places just do one or two things worth recommending.
 
When I was in college, it was only about an hour and a half from home.
Parents would come visit every now and then, and of course we'd always
go out to eat, since I was living in the dorms.
And, of course, I'd take them to local favorite restaurants of mine.

Every single time I took my parents, either the food, service or other customers
sucked. EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!! We finally just started going to the local
Western Sizzlin' steak house.... it became a running joke with my Dad.
 
Every time my parents would visit, we would end up standing in a line for hours waiting for a table. We finally just started going to the Asian Buffet and were happy with that. We always knew what to expect, including the actions of the staff.
 
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