Poll: Dining out

[Ron Wenrich]

What sorts of eateries do you go to when eating out?

Poll ends 6/18/07

[Furby]

What's the difference between a fast food place and a chain restaurant?
Most fast food places aren't really fast (some are), and lots of chain restaurants are serving fast food.

99% of the time I eat at fast food places, and it's almost every day. :-\

[Tom]

I look at fast food as McDonalds or Burger King, and a chain as golden corral or waffle house or Red Lobster.  Most any place that serves grits can't be all that bad.  ;D

[Tam-i-am]

Since discovering Biscuits and Gravy, my family tries to plan our trips around Bob Evan's.
They sure have good biscuits and gravy - but no grits.

Tammy

[Dave Shepard]

I like to try and eat at a locally owned establishment, and I often know the people by name. Although, I have stopped at McDonalds plenty enough. Is it true grits turn into oatmeal when they cross into New England? Cuz I've never spied a grit anywhere near here.


Dave

[Raider Bill]

I always try to eat at a local diner. Give my $$$ to the small American guy working hard to make a living.
FAst food is dog food and not on my menu.
No grits for me and puty my gravey on home fries please.

[thurlow]

Sad to say there's not really a good place to eat in Lauderdale County;  several fast food places where we almost never eat.  (There's one fewer than there was about 8 years ago;  sold square hamburgers, founder had 2 first names, rather than a first and last.  High school kids............can't believe anybody in this day and age are so ignert............said that "they" kept finding magnets  : in the beef patties).  One decent restaurant,  the food is never bad, but it's never really, really good, either.  Other 3 or 4 places are typical small town cafes.  Can drive an hour to Memphis and get pretty much anything you want.

[limbrat]

Im a snot about were i eat. I have changed jobs recently but im still in sales so i eat out nearly every day. I also take stuff to my cleints or take them out depending on there work enviroment and time they have. I figure about 3% of my income goes back into my clients.
When im by my self i like the mom and pop places. Down south alot of the family owned c stores have there own meat markets and kitchens were they make there own specialty meats and some fine plate lunches, and some are turds. In most towns there is a place in the downtown area that has good food at a fair price,they usaly cater to lawers and local political types. I dont eat nothing that has been under a sun lamp. If my choices are all fast food i will go to the grocery store and get some fruit instead.
Lilya and i go out a couple of times a month we have about 9 places within ahundered miles that we like and are always looking for new ones. We went to a new one once and i ordered a rare steak the srever came back in a minute and said they were out of rare and would i like a medium rare instead come to find out they cook during the day and toss orders in the microwave as they come up. Now i know that is common practice in some places.... I paied for the drinks and left.

[DanG]

I checked 4 different ones, but my favorites weren't on the list.  I picked Fast, Local, Chain, and Sandwich.  Basically, I eat when I'm hungry, and rarely "dine out" for some sort of experience.  I would have liked to see Specialty Restaurants on the list.  If I want BBQ, I go to a BBQ house.  If I want fish, I go to a Seafood restaurant.  Sometimes, I just have a taste for a double Whopper from BK.  If I'm just plain hungry and want to fill my gut, I look for a buffet house.

All of the above apply only if I'm away from home, or just too darn lazy to cook.

[Burlkraft]

I'm sure Ya'll know by now....that we have a small bar/resturaunt here that is my favorite place. The Roxbury Tavern...Beenthere kinda likes it too...... ;D ;D ;D

[Jeff]

Ya, me to.

[thecfarm]

Burlkraft,I recogonize you,you don't like sleeves,  and Jeff.Give us a tour on the others.I do enjoy the locals places.Not all that many around here.Some of the locals cater more towards the rich folk that came from away to enjoy our great state.I keep away from them places.I like a pizza place.I could live on that stuff.I do like a good steak,rare.the waiter always says, "That will be cool in the middle".I say, "It better be and bring me lots of bread". That's to slop my that red juice with. We usally eat out at least once a week at a big restaurant.We will stop and eat at a small sandwich shop too.We take alot of day trips and stop and grab something.Some have a place to sit down some don't.Must be money in pizza and sandwiches.They are at every small store around here.

[Raider Bill]

Sad to say there's not really a good place to eat in Lauderdale County;  several fast food places where we almost never eat.  (There's one fewer than there was about 8 years ago;  sold square hamburgers, founder had 2 first names, rather than a first and last.  High school kids............can't believe anybody in this day and age are so ignert............said that "they" kept finding magnets  : in the beef patties).  One decent restaurant,  the food is never bad, but it's never really, really good, either.  Other 3 or 4 places are typical small town cafes.  Can drive an hour to Memphis and get pretty much anything you want.

Must be something in the water up there as I haven't found a decnt place to eat in my area of Tenn either. I did find a decent breakfast joint but it closes at 2pm, bacon and eggs are hard to screwup but some place's still manage to do it.

[Burlkraft]

I'm sure Ya'll know by now....that we have a small bar/resturaunt here that is my favorite place. The Roxbury Tavern...Beenthere kinda likes it too...... ;D ;D ;D

Left to right...Beenthere, Burlkraft, Jeff B, Corley5 in the red, Chris Browne from Peterson, and "Thee Bob" Pasbuild right in front... ;D ;D ;D

[tcsmpsi]

I picked a few.  To me (and my darling significant other), 'fast food' is Sonic.  Their OK for a bacon burger, tots w/cheese and vanilla shake, which is all ok periodically.  When we want to go in and sit down, there's either the catfish place, chinese place (pretty traditional) or the mexican food place (pretty non-traditional) at which I eat the carne guisada. 
This is a small town, we don't go out much, and I LIKE BEANS AND SOUP (stew).   Catfish place has DanG good beans, in big pots, and I can pitch till I win.

Out on the road, my wife pretty much likes to stick with Denny's or IHOP, but will go for a good looking individual joint.

I'm more tuned to getting sardines and eating at a rest area, or the like. 

Oh, and we always carry a stove and a coffee pot.

Does anyone up toward Michigan cook/serve beans?

[Bibbyman]

Ron didn't have my first choice on his list – "Any place with Chicken Fried Steak" on their menu. 

Any time Mary and I have traveled to some place we didn't know,  I'd ask the directions to the best place to get a chicken fried steak. I my not always be in the mood to get chicken fried steak but if they had it on their menu,  I figured there would be plenty of items I would eat.

Last week we took a few days off and took the girls down to Branson, MO.  We spent most of two days in Silver Dollar City. But between those two days we spent the morning visiting The College of the Ozarks.  It's just across the lake in Harrison, MO.  They have an excellent museum there and some other things to tour. 

But the thing that fits in here is that have a formal dining restaurant at the Keener Center.  The building itself is worth touring.  But the dining is excellent. 

What is unique is that it's run by students.  The students work to pay their tuition. 

The Keener Center on the College of the Ozark's campus

The dining room info in the Keener Center

College of the Ozarks - Hard Work U

Their motto is "Hard Work U".  You see it posted everywhere.   

If you get down to the Branson area,  I recommend you stop in for a tour of the museum and a diner at the restaurant.  The food and service is great and it'll help a kid get a good education.

[thecfarm]

Don't come up here to see me,Bibbbyman and ask for chicken fried steak.You would have better luck with grits.   :D    What is chicken fried steak?

[beenthere]

Now, got me wonderin what chicken Fried Steak might be?  Is it steak, fried like chicken?  : : ??? ???

If travelin, I usually drive into a small town and look for the cars parked in front of a small restaurant. Then go in and usually have a good meal.

Otherwise, if around home, have good places like the Roxbury Tavern. Gotta try out their Taco Tuesday some Tuesday.....maybe tomorrow (it bein Tue.).  ;D

Fast food place to me, is where I have to go to a counter and place my order, than either wait at the counter or sit down and someone delivers it.

For dinner, I like to go where I can get a New York Strip steak, on the rare side, cooked with no salt or seasoning added. What scares me is when they bring it to the table and ask if I need steak sauce with it......I usually say "I hope not".  

[beenthere]

Doin a little searchin and found this:

Chicken-fried or country-fried steak is usually made with round steak, tenderized then dipped in an egg and milk mixture, then dredged in seasoned flour or bread crumbs. The coated steak is then fried in hot fat until the coating is crispy and browned, much like fried chicken. A milk gravy is often made to be served with the steak, along with mashed potatoes.
Country fried steak can also be made by coating the tenderized steaks with seasoned flour or crumbs. Smothered steak, another version, is fried then simmered in gravy, which makes a tougher cut of meat even more tender.

According to The Dictionary of American Food and Drink by John Mariani, the term "chicken-fried steak" first appeared in print in the year 1952. It has long been a favorite dish in the South, Midwest, and Southwest United States.

Now I know more better. 

[tcsmpsi]

Traditionally, chicken fried steak, is round steak, tenderized quite proper, battered then deep fried.  Of course, that has 'grown' to anything from roadkill to mule ground up.

Big ones....with lots of gravy,  maybe a fried tater or two, and some good bread for helping to hold stuff on the platter, and sopping the plate clean.

[Dave Shepard]

There used to be a really good truckstop here, but they tore it down about six weeks ago. They had chicken fried steak, I never ordered it though, I wasn't so sure I wanted my stead fried with a chicken. ;D The joke around here is there are 100 restuarants in Gt. Barrington, but no where to eat. There is McDs, DD, and three pizza places you could afford. All the rest require a second home, a fine German automobile, and season tickets to Tanglewood.


Dave

[Bibbyman]

Don't come up here to see me,Bibbbyman and ask for chicken fried steak.You would have better luck with grits.   :D    What is chicken fried steak?

Some times I really feel for you guys that live on the cost and have to eat all those sea bugs.  But if you don't know what a chicken fried streak is,  I guess you don't know what you're missing.

P.S.  Mary gave Alex a cooking lesson this evening.  They made cheddar biscuits from scratch and spaghetti and meat sauce. It was great!  Mary had been reluctant to give the girls cooking instructions.  It did my heart good.

[Frickman]

I prefer local diners / restaraunts myself. If I'm logging in area a fair distance from home I'll eat at these places every day. It's a good way to generate sales and timber leads, and the food is usually real good too. I don't eat out much though unless I have to for work.

[thecfarm]

That chicken fried steak don't sound all that bad.I just might have to pay you a visit and have some of that.At least you don't have to mix it with something to make it taste good,like you do with them grits.I don't eat much for sea bugs.In fact I bet you eat more sea bugs than I do,Bibbyman.But don't take my red meat away from me,or I would go hungey,real quick.My wife hates the way I eat.had my first annual visit and she just knew the doctor was going to give me a hard time on my diet,red meat.When the question came up that's just what I told him,"Lots of red meat".All that he said was,"I guess that is suiting you fine".She was some mad when we left the doctor's office.Maybe because I had that I told you look on my face.

[WDH]

Not another grits-bashing, thecfarm .  Such a mis-understood culinary delight.  Have you ever had grits and lobster ???.  I bet cheese grits and lobster is just fine ;D.

[Raider Bill]

Chicken fried steak with smashed potatos, white gravey and southren stlyle green beans! Good Chewing!

[Furby]

Chewing................. the perfect way to describe it! :-\

[WDH]

Have you ever had chicken fried venison?  It is hard to beat that ;).

[metalspinner]

We hit the Cracker Barrel restaurant every week.  And what do i order everytime?...Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes,a dn green beans. Mmmmmm

[Engineer]

Boy I guess I'm wierd.  Or don't fit the mold or something.  I'm a human dumpster, I'll eat Mickey D's and Wendy's, go to the local watering hole for a burger or a steak (the BEST restaurant around here is a bar, and it is GOOD eatin')  but I am also a total food snob and can just as easily eat at the best of the best, the Michelin stars and the James Beard Foundation Award winners, the foie gras and the champagne truffles and pate and filet mignon with asparagus and caviar and what-have-you.   And my cooking at home ranges about the same, from the hot-dogs-n-beans to something that my family or guests think I was trained at a culinary school for.  But usually, with a family of seven and two of 'em under three years old, we don't EVER eat out, and even then, it's Friendly's or McDonald's.  

But I have my standards.  Burger King makes me barf.  

[WDH]

Engineer,

Listen to the Metalspinner ;D.

[WDH]

Tcsmpsi,

BBQ would be nice.....Chinese would be nice..........Mexican would be nice........... :

[Ron Wenrich]

So, I made a change to the poll.  You can change if you like, or just add another vote.

My favorite is one of the local taverns.  Its a sports bar and we liked their burgers and bar grub.  The sign on the door says no tank tops or do rags.  So, we knew it was a safe place.  We started to take our kids there, and noticed others started to do that. 

A couple of years ago, we started to get friendly with the owner.  Their bar has lots of autographed sports stars pictures on the wall.  Our daughter was swimming for Special Olympics at the time.  So, the owner says to give him a picture and he'll hang her picture up with all those big shots.  This past February, we finally did that.  And it now hangs with the big shots.  You can't get that kind of friendliness from the chains or upscale places. 

They also had a change of cooks.  Some of the best soup that you can get, and their daily specials are top notch. 

[tcsmpsi]

Tcsmpsi,

BBQ would be nice.....Chinese would be nice..........Mexican would be nice........... :

Anytime.  Well, anytime you hang around long enough.  You might have to infer, 'Hey, scrapple for brains, I'm haungry.'  It slips by me sometimes that other folks eat more than once a day.

In all fairness, though, I gotta tell you, I do not eat in a hurry.    :D

[Dave Shepard]

You only eat once a day? I only stop eating once a day, it's called sleep, and I try to keep that to a minimum.


Dave

[WDH]

If I only ate once per day, I think that i would eat in a hurry ;D.

[Don_Papenburg]

I don't like to eat at resturants  . But if I have to I like places like  Monas and Cuponis in Toluca  . Hickory house for ribs in Ottawa . Chalkys tavern for a burger in Streator.and Lamberts in Sykston Mo.  Most chain or fast food joints don't have a clue how to make ribs . I Know right away if they bring a steak knife with an order of ribs that I made a mistake .  We stop at the Fronteer resturant when we head up to Eagle River Wis. they have good burgers and waffle fries.

[Patty]

We rarely eat at a sit down restaurant, the local one just has lousy food. About once a month we splurge and I get take-out at McDonalds  :D . Norm is such a great cook that the restaurants cannot compete with such good food. We eat only once a day, like that guy from Texas  . However that meal usually begins at 7:00 pm and runs all the way through to bedtime!

[sawguy21]

I eat out a lot because I am too DanG lazy to cook for one and it shows. :D I don't like most fast food, can't handle what McDonalds calls coffee, but Tim Hortons grub is pretty good. There is a nearby pub that is very good but they have a smoking section inside and the whole place stinks. That will end with new province wide smoking ban in public places next year.
Patty, I find if I eat a heavy meal just before bed I don't sleep well.

[metalspinner]

There is a nearby pub that is very good but they have a smoking section inside and the whole place stinks. That will end with new province wide smoking ban in public places next year.

That is my biggest gripe of all when going out.  Asking for the "non-smoking" section of a restauraunt is like asking for the "non-peeing" section of the swimming pool. :  It's impossible to have "smoking" air and "non-smoking" air.

One local restauraunt gets alot of our business because they are non-smoking.  Of course it works the other way, too.

[tcsmpsi]

We eat only once a day, like that guy from Texas  . However that meal usually begins at 7:00 pm and runs all the way through to bedtime!

Foraging, after the cows have gone to bed.  Yep. ;D

[Patty]

Patty, I find if I eat a heavy meal just before bed I don't sleep well.

Sawguy, I find that mass quantities of  beer normally takes care of that little problem!  ;D

[sawguy21]

 :D :D :D :D :D

[Onthesauk]

We're small enough and far enough out here that we don't get a lot of choices in places to eat.  As someone explained before we moved here, "There may be different resturants but we all use the same cooks."  If a new place opens up the cook will be from somewhere else in town.  So what you got is what you'll get.

[timcosby]

cover that chicken fried steak with maple syrup ..... yum yum

[Cedarman]

Every so often when I'm traveling along the I# roads, I like to stop at Waffle House and get nothing but a double order of hashbrowns with onions, scattered and grilled well done so that they have that brown crispy glaze on both sides.  Then cover with a thin coating of ketchup and some pepper sprinkled on.  Its a monomeal, true, but boy does it satisfy me.

(Monomeal is a meal made up of just one item.  A dozen White Castles would qualify.)

[TexasTimbers]

I never even heard of anyone who has never heard of chicken fried steak. I thought it had made its way round the globe by now.

And if it is "chewy" then it ain't done right. And if it ain't real tenderized round steak it ain't chicken fried steak it is "fried, battered, frozen hockey puck".

Chicken fried chicken is good too. Alot of people think that is a joke till they come south and see it on the menu. Serve with homemade slightly-lumpy mashed taters and white gravy with fresh ground black pepper, fresh green beans cooked with slab bacon and onions and flavored with Old Bay seasoning, fresh sour dough rolls with a huge dollop of land O' Lakes real butter, and top it off with a slice of hot homemade pecan pie with a big scoop of Bluebell vanilla ice cream.

Y'all come back now, hear?

[scgargoyle]

We don't eat out often, but prefer local places or once in a while an upscale place. We're both good cooks, so we're often disappointed when we go out. My favorites are little hole-in-the-wall places with outstanding basic comfort food. If I was just a little crazier, I'd open a restaurant of comfort food- old favorites, made well.

[Tom]

Ah yes, Pork neckbones and rice, collards, a couple of pieces of cornbread and a cup of potlikker.   MMMMboy!

[WDH]

Ah yes, Pork neckbones and rice, collards, a couple of pieces of cornbread and a cup of potlikker.   MMMMboy!

My Mother used to cook pork backbone with collards and the best cornbread you could imagine.  MMMMboy! is right on ;D.  Neckbones and rice was beyond compare.  Chicken and rice too.  I'm hungry :D ;) ;D.

[Tom]

lately, I've been dreamin' of puttin a pot on the open fire pit and cooking them out there.  That would be fun.

[WDH]

Much too big a job for one man ;D.  You will surely need a fire-tender :D.