Flip side of always eating at home - Page 2

khorrell · 02-13-2008, 06:56 AM

I must be the odd one, I still love to eat out. Even fast food, though the last time I ate McDonalds, I didn't feel great afterwards. Just yesterday I treated myself to a Wendy's cheeseburger during a long, long drive through a lot of ice. And I really enjoyed it.

On the other hand, I like knowing what is in my food. Occasionally I wonder, especially at the sit-down, family-friendly chains. I worked at a Chili's in college and pretty much everything except the produce came frozen and clearly laden with preservatives. Goodness knows what's in their chicken tenders or egg rolls.

purplefdu · 02-13-2008, 03:48 PM

We eat out once a week, usually fast food although occasionally we do sit down if we have a coupon. I have always been picky after working at McDs for 5 yrs and knowing what the average burger slinger does to my food. There are ways around the shoddy food though as well as ways to make sure its still decent. Its still not always as good as what we make at home, but we normally try to order things we don't make at home.

For example when I go into McDs (about once a year, lol) I get an unseasoned burger (technically they are seasoned if you have to explain this to them go elsewhere) with lettuce and tomato (worth any extra charge). I ask for unsalted fries (they have to be cooked to order not from the pile) and a hot tea plus a cup for ice(avoids the drink machine-never look under one unless you don't want to drink fountain beverages ever again). Decently fresh hot food and beverage without spending more.

The same things can be done elsewhere, you'd be surprised what the average fast food restaurant will do for their customers...

rolltimer · 02-23-2008, 02:58 PM

I have an aversion to eating out that goes beyond the idea of shelling out cash for food with less than optimal nutritional value. When I'm on the road I run into fast food places and gas stations a lot to use their restrooms. Talk about yuk! I was recently in a Hardee's restroom where the smell of raw sewage was overpowering. It's not unusual to see filthy toilets, stalls with no toilet paper, soap dispensers with no soap, and sinks stopped up or water turned off at the sink.

Special Tip: If you are going to eat in a restaurant or pick up a sandwich or pizza slice from a convenience store, make a pit stop to the restroom first. You can wash your hands and make sure all the amenities are available. After all, your cooks and servers have been cooped up in this place for hours. If there's no soap to wash your hands, there may have been no soap for them to wash theirs before they prepared the food.

Bon Appetit!

safallow · 02-24-2008, 05:15 AM

I too can't stand most fast food restaurants. I can cook up something that tastes way better is almost the same amount of time that my husband can go, get it, and bring it home!

dapooh1 · 02-24-2008, 09:19 AM

The only fast food that I can stand any more is from Subway. I always order the toasted veggie and cheese sandwich with honey oat bread. Thankfully, Subway is all over the country so I don't have to starve when I travel. I agree that every place else is too greasy and bleh.

Livingalmostlarge · 02-26-2008, 08:06 AM

I love to eat out. But we avoid fast food. If we eat out, it's gotta be stuff we can't make at home, even for take out. We prefer eating ethnic stuff we can't cook easily or would cost to much to just buy spices to make once. More like middle eastern, indian, some asian food, african, south american, etc.

Solinvicta · 02-27-2008, 05:38 PM

I've been getting more and more into cooking (for a long time, I'd eat at home, but unadventurously). Anyway, I've been finding that I really hate going to restaurants for things that I know I could do well at home, but that I still appreciate food that I have a tough time making. For me, that's mostly Indian and Asian food...although, maybe that will change if I get better at cooking. I just made fried rice tonight without screwing it up, which is a good sign!

purplefdu · 02-28-2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rolltimer

Special Tip: If you are going to eat in a restaurant or pick up a sandwich or pizza slice from a convenience store, make a pit stop to the restroom first. You can wash your hands and make sure all the amenities are available. After all, your cooks and servers have been cooped up in this place for hours. If there's no soap to wash your hands, there may have been no soap for them to wash theirs before they prepared the food.

Bon Appetit!

Not always true. Many of my company's restaurants had a private staff bathroom as they were high traffic stores and an employee may not have had the time to use the regular bathroom with its line of a dozen people. That being said lobby is one of the places most fast food restaurants ignore first as its easy to ignore what you can't see, especially when short staffed. Even when we had someone out there all day our bathroom looked like a mess. There was enough sand to make a sandcastle, water everywhere, no soap or toilet paper, and overflowing trash receptacles. Sometimes you'd have to beat off the women to convince them you needed to clean the bathroom and even then it took someone at the door to keep them out.

We were the highest volume store out of almost 100, and we never caught up til about 6pm when dinner was "over". To keep it perfect we would have pissed off more customers than would have been worth it for business. So take into account the amount of business before just assuming they don't care.

redsoxmaniac · 03-14-2008, 09:08 AM

There are a couple of take out places I like but they are mom and pop type take out. Worthy. For the most part, I like to cook and I like the quality of a home cooked meal over take out. I usually order out what I can't cook myself when I go out. But the older I get the less anxious I am to spend money on a usually so-so meal.

amyschiff · 03-14-2008, 09:36 AM

You make an interesting point, Redsoxmaniac. (by the way, go Cleveland Indians hehe)

RARELY do I ever feel really happy with a meal I get eating out. Most of it is mediocre at best. When I think about going out to eat in this way it makes me feel pretty lazy, as I am really just paying for someone to serve me food that i could cook myself. In that context it doesn't seem worth it!

02-13-2008, 03:48 PM	#12
purplefdu Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Eliot, ME USA Posts: 496 Reputation: (27)	We eat out once a week, usually fast food although occasionally we do sit down if we have a coupon. I have always been picky after working at McDs for 5 yrs and knowing what the average burger slinger does to my food. There are ways around the shoddy food though as well as ways to make sure its still decent. Its still not always as good as what we make at home, but we normally try to order things we don't make at home. For example when I go into McDs (about once a year, lol) I get an unseasoned burger (technically they are seasoned if you have to explain this to them go elsewhere) with lettuce and tomato (worth any extra charge). I ask for unsalted fries (they have to be cooked to order not from the pile) and a hot tea plus a cup for ice(avoids the drink machine-never look under one unless you don't want to drink fountain beverages ever again). Decently fresh hot food and beverage without spending more. The same things can be done elsewhere, you'd be surprised what the average fast food restaurant will do for their customers... __________________ Homeward Bound Puppy Blog&Personal Blog best general coupon site & organic grocery coupon help

02-23-2008, 02:58 PM	#13
rolltimer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 130 Reputation: (24)	Taste is Not the Half of It! I have an aversion to eating out that goes beyond the idea of shelling out cash for food with less than optimal nutritional value. When I'm on the road I run into fast food places and gas stations a lot to use their restrooms. Talk about yuk! I was recently in a Hardee's restroom where the smell of raw sewage was overpowering. It's not unusual to see filthy toilets, stalls with no toilet paper, soap dispensers with no soap, and sinks stopped up or water turned off at the sink. Special Tip: If you are going to eat in a restaurant or pick up a sandwich or pizza slice from a convenience store, make a pit stop to the restroom first. You can wash your hands and make sure all the amenities are available. After all, your cooks and servers have been cooped up in this place for hours. If there's no soap to wash your hands, there may have been no soap for them to wash theirs before they prepared the food. Bon Appetit! Last edited by rolltimer; 02-23-2008 at 03:00 PM. Reason: For better sentence structure

02-26-2008, 08:06 AM	#16
Livingalmostlarge Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 36 Reputation: (10)	I love to eat out. But we avoid fast food. If we eat out, it's gotta be stuff we can't make at home, even for take out. We prefer eating ethnic stuff we can't cook easily or would cost to much to just buy spices to make once. More like middle eastern, indian, some asian food, african, south american, etc. __________________ LivingAlmostLarge Blog

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02-13-2008, 06:56 AM	#11
khorrell Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 379 Reputation: (45)	I must be the odd one, I still love to eat out. Even fast food, though the last time I ate McDonalds, I didn't feel great afterwards. Just yesterday I treated myself to a Wendy's cheeseburger during a long, long drive through a lot of ice. And I really enjoyed it. On the other hand, I like knowing what is in my food. Occasionally I wonder, especially at the sit-down, family-friendly chains. I worked at a Chili's in college and pretty much everything except the produce came frozen and clearly laden with preservatives. Goodness knows what's in their chicken tenders or egg rolls.

02-24-2008, 05:15 AM	#14
safallow Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1 Reputation: (10)	I too can't stand most fast food restaurants. I can cook up something that tastes way better is almost the same amount of time that my husband can go, get it, and bring it home!

02-24-2008, 09:19 AM	#15
dapooh1 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 41 Reputation: (12)	The only fast food that I can stand any more is from Subway. I always order the toasted veggie and cheese sandwich with honey oat bread. Thankfully, Subway is all over the country so I don't have to starve when I travel. I agree that every place else is too greasy and bleh.

02-27-2008, 05:38 PM	#17
Solinvicta Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sandy Hook, CT Posts: 74 Reputation: (12)	I've been getting more and more into cooking (for a long time, I'd eat at home, but unadventurously). Anyway, I've been finding that I really hate going to restaurants for things that I know I could do well at home, but that I still appreciate food that I have a tough time making. For me, that's mostly Indian and Asian food...although, maybe that will change if I get better at cooking. I just made fried rice tonight without screwing it up, which is a good sign!

03-14-2008, 09:08 AM	#19
redsoxmaniac Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 90 Reputation: (13)	There are a couple of take out places I like but they are mom and pop type take out. Worthy. For the most part, I like to cook and I like the quality of a home cooked meal over take out. I usually order out what I can't cook myself when I go out. But the older I get the less anxious I am to spend money on a usually so-so meal.

03-14-2008, 09:36 AM	#20
amyschiff Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 281 Reputation: (38)	You make an interesting point, Redsoxmaniac. (by the way, go Cleveland Indians hehe) RARELY do I ever feel really happy with a meal I get eating out. Most of it is mediocre at best. When I think about going out to eat in this way it makes me feel pretty lazy, as I am really just paying for someone to serve me food that i could cook myself. In that context it doesn't seem worth it!