Finding restaurants

In article , Andreas Skitsnack wrote:

Oh, a troll thread from Andreas. Been a while.

A poster here has repeatedly whinged about not being able to find
good restaurants in the tourist corridor of the Orlando area.
Hardly surprising because 1) he was looking for good restaurants in
an area where simply being open is all it takes to attract
customers, and 2) "good" is a subjective judgment that is based
primarily on acquired taste.

Most adults feel that "good", in restaurant fare, is what they are
used to and have found to be "good" over time. A restaurant in a
country other than their own is not likely to serve the type of
dish, prepared in the way they are used to, and spiced the way they
are used to.

Not at all. I like testing different food. Unfortunately, Americans don't
season their food much at all, especially not in tourist-heavy areas, where
most tourists are Americans.

Most food is super-greasy, tons of added sugar and way too sweet to eat.
But that's not really the biggest problem (and could be filed under the
'this is how we "spice" things in America). The biggest probem is the
usually really low aulity of meat, produce and things like that. It's like
you guys add syrup, sugar and salt to hide the crappy meat that's hidden
underneath somewhere.

US Chain restaurants have some advantage to the traveler. When
traveling in the US, I know I will find what I consider to be good
food in an Outback Steakhouse or a Carrabba's Italian Grill. I know
that the food in an Olive Garden or a Denny's is not going to be
something I will enjoy. I have no illusions that others will share
this opinion. I pick a restaurant to please me, not others.

As a foreigner, this is not a viable option, since few American chains
exists abroad.

And even on those that do exist abroad (like McDonald's) they still are of
lower quality in the states. FOr instance; in America, the soda is
sweetened with syrup instead of real sugar, as opposed to most of the rest
of the world, which means that a Coke tastes... well, worse. Also, the
quality of produce and meat in McDonald's in US is lower than most of
Europe.

While I like Carrabba's, I wouldn't recommend it to a person from
Europe. American Italian-style food is not the same as what a
European may be used to. Certainly not what an Italian is used to.

Too much added sugar, usually. Same with most chinese food joints.

I've traveled extensively in Europe, and had both hits and misses.
The independently owned restaurant is more prevalent in Europe, so
there's no experience factor involved in choosing restaurants. In
Europe, the full parking lot and the presence of a crowd in a
restaurant is not a dependable way to choose. The better
restaurants often don't have on-site parking, and the crowd in the
place only means that this restaurant offers what the local crowd
likes. That can be quite different from the style of food that I
like.

Plus, Europe is such a diverse place, where food culture changes ever X
miles you travel, most times significantly. But most places in Europe has
good quality meat and produce to begin with, so whatever reason you end up
disliking a dish has more to do with how it's done than what it was made
of.

I've never used Yelp or that type of thing for a recommendation.
It's ridiculous to do so. Yelp recommendations are often "salted"
by the restaurant.

Proof? No? Thought so.

Had the poster asked me for recommendation (fat chance!), I would
have suggested trying places that serve a cuisine totally different
from what he's used to...Sonny's for barbecue, a Cuban restaurant, a
Southern-style restaurant, or a Mexican restaurant (not Taco Bell!).
He may or may not like it, but be adventurous. Take your chances.
That's one of the interesting things about travel.

All the places we ate at were new to us, but alas; what most of them had in
common is the low standard meat/produce and the added sugar/salt/fish
fetish.

And Taco Bell most certainly served a "cuisine" totally different to what
we're used to!


--
Sandman[.net]

"Sandman" wrote in message
...
In article , Andreas
Skitsnack wrote:

Oh, a troll thread from Andreas. Been a while.

A poster here has repeatedly whinged about not being able to find
good restaurants in the tourist corridor of the Orlando area.
Hardly surprising because 1) he was looking for good restaurants in
an area where simply being open is all it takes to attract
customers, and 2) "good" is a subjective judgment that is based
primarily on acquired taste.

Most adults feel that "good", in restaurant fare, is what they are
used to and have found to be "good" over time. A restaurant in a
country other than their own is not likely to serve the type of
dish, prepared in the way they are used to, and spiced the way they
are used to.

Not at all. I like testing different food. Unfortunately, Americans
don't
season their food much at all, especially not in tourist-heavy areas,
where
most tourists are Americans.

I don't know much about Swedish food but if I had to guess, I wouldn't
think that the food you eat is seasoned much. My not-very-educated
impression of Swedish and Norwegian food (I know quite a few Norwegians)
is that is is somewhat bland when it comes to seasoning and that's fine
by me. I'm a picky eater, I don't like a lot of things and I am the
farthest from an "adventruous eater" as you will find. Give me some
meat and potatoes and I'm fine.

Most food is super-greasy, tons of added sugar and way too sweet to
eat.
But that's not really the biggest problem (and could be filed under
the
'this is how we "spice" things in America). The biggest probem is the
usually really low aulity of meat, produce and things like that. It's
like
you guys add syrup, sugar and salt to hide the crappy meat that's
hidden
underneath somewhere.

US Chain restaurants have some advantage to the traveler. When
traveling in the US, I know I will find what I consider to be good
food in an Outback Steakhouse or a Carrabba's Italian Grill. I know
that the food in an Olive Garden or a Denny's is not going to be
something I will enjoy. I have no illusions that others will share
this opinion. I pick a restaurant to please me, not others.

As a foreigner, this is not a viable option, since few American chains
exists abroad.

And even on those that do exist abroad (like McDonald's) they still
are of
lower quality in the states. FOr instance; in America, the soda is
sweetened with syrup instead of real sugar, as opposed to most of the
rest
of the world, which means that a Coke tastes... well, worse. Also, the
quality of produce and meat in McDonald's in US is lower than most of
Europe.

We're finally seeing things turn around a bit. More and more products
are using sugar now instead of corn syrup. Sodas too - I see a lot of
Coc-Cola products on the shelves originating from Mexico where they
bottle with sugar, not corn syrup. I think eventually the US-produced
Coke will wind up using sugar again. There is some thought that the
corn syrup is not good for you but I don't believe there is any
scientific evidence to say that. With the introduction of corn syrup
into the American diet, the incidence of diabetes has increased
dramatically. I'm a victim of that, but I blame myself for my
condition, I didn't have a great diet and all those years of drinking a
lot of Coca-Cola. Having diabetes on my mother's side of the family
didn't help either. She is borderline diabetic but she it started when
she was about 72 and she always has had a good diet. I got diabetes
when I was 38. If I had the diet my mother had perhaps I would have
fared better and not gotten it until I was much older like her.

While I like Carrabba's, I wouldn't recommend it to a person from
Europe. American Italian-style food is not the same as what a
European may be used to. Certainly not what an Italian is used to.

Too much added sugar, usually. Same with most chinese food joints.

Really? I wouldn't think that Carrabba's adds much sugar to their food.
If I eat a chicken dish with some soup and a little pasta on the side,
how much sugar can they add to that? Chinese food, or what passes for
Chinese food on the USA, wreaks havoc with my blood sugar levels because
of the sauces - lots of sugar. I stay away from it now.

I've traveled extensively in Europe, and had both hits and misses.
The independently owned restaurant is more prevalent in Europe, so
there's no experience factor involved in choosing restaurants. In
Europe, the full parking lot and the presence of a crowd in a
restaurant is not a dependable way to choose. The better
restaurants often don't have on-site parking, and the crowd in the
place only means that this restaurant offers what the local crowd
likes. That can be quite different from the style of food that I
like.

Plus, Europe is such a diverse place, where food culture changes ever
X
miles you travel, most times significantly. But most places in Europe
has
good quality meat and produce to begin with, so whatever reason you
end up
disliking a dish has more to do with how it's done than what it was
made
of.

I've never used Yelp or that type of thing for a recommendation.
It's ridiculous to do so. Yelp recommendations are often "salted"
by the restaurant.

Proof? No? Thought so.

Had the poster asked me for recommendation (fat chance!), I would
have suggested trying places that serve a cuisine totally different
from what he's used to...Sonny's for barbecue, a Cuban restaurant, a
Southern-style restaurant, or a Mexican restaurant (not Taco Bell!).
He may or may not like it, but be adventurous. Take your chances.
That's one of the interesting things about travel.

All the places we ate at were new to us, but alas; what most of them
had in
common is the low standard meat/produce and the added sugar/salt/fish
fetish.

And Taco Bell most certainly served a "cuisine" totally different to
what
we're used to!

If I was Mexican, I'd take umbrage at Taco Bell being labeled a Mexican
restaurant. Mexican food is extremely popular in the USA and "real"
Mexican food has nothing in common with Taco Bell.

In article , Sandman
wrote:

A poster here has repeatedly whinged about not being able to find
good restaurants in the tourist corridor of the Orlando area.
Hardly surprising because 1) he was looking for good restaurants in
an area where simply being open is all it takes to attract
customers, and 2) "good" is a subjective judgment that is based
primarily on acquired taste.

Most adults feel that "good", in restaurant fare, is what they are
used to and have found to be "good" over time. A restaurant in a
country other than their own is not likely to serve the type of
dish, prepared in the way they are used to, and spiced the way they
are used to.

Not at all. I like testing different food. Unfortunately, Americans don't
season their food much at all, especially not in tourist-heavy areas, where
most tourists are Americans.

that's because not everyone likes spicy food, so restaurants in
tourist-heavy areas will tend to be bland.

again, you're picking the wrong restaurants.

Most food is super-greasy, tons of added sugar and way too sweet to eat.
But that's not really the biggest problem (and could be filed under the
'this is how we "spice" things in America). The biggest probem is the
usually really low aulity of meat, produce and things like that. It's like
you guys add syrup, sugar and salt to hide the crappy meat that's hidden
underneath somewhere.

not only are you piking the wrong restaurants, you're picking ****ty
ones.


I've never used Yelp or that type of thing for a recommendation.
It's ridiculous to do so. Yelp recommendations are often "salted"
by the restaurant.

Proof? No? Thought so.

it's well known.

you can generally tell the shill posts by reading them, but some are
well disguised.

Had the poster asked me for recommendation (fat chance!), I would
have suggested trying places that serve a cuisine totally different
from what he's used to...Sonny's for barbecue, a Cuban restaurant, a
Southern-style restaurant, or a Mexican restaurant (not Taco Bell!).
He may or may not like it, but be adventurous. Take your chances.
That's one of the interesting things about travel.

All the places we ate at were new to us, but alas; what most of them had in
common is the low standard meat/produce and the added sugar/salt/fish
fetish.

then you picked the wrong ones.

And Taco Bell most certainly served a "cuisine" totally different to what
we're used to!

you flew all the way to the usa and went to a taco bell?? seriously???
wtf is wrong with you?

taco bell is ****ty fast food. wtf did you expect?

In article , PAS
wrote:

While I like Carrabba's, I wouldn't recommend it to a person from
Europe. American Italian-style food is not the same as what a
European may be used to. Certainly not what an Italian is used to.

Too much added sugar, usually. Same with most chinese food joints.

Really? I wouldn't think that Carrabba's adds much sugar to their food.
If I eat a chicken dish with some soup and a little pasta on the side,
how much sugar can they add to that? Chinese food, or what passes for
Chinese food on the USA, wreaks havoc with my blood sugar levels because
of the sauces - lots of sugar. I stay away from it now.

you're eating at ****ty chinese restaurants.

And Taco Bell most certainly served a "cuisine" totally different to
what we're used to!

If I was Mexican, I'd take umbrage at Taco Bell being labeled a Mexican
restaurant. Mexican food is extremely popular in the USA and "real"
Mexican food has nothing in common with Taco Bell.

'real' mexican food is not very popular in the usa. most mexican places
are similar to taco bell but not as crappy. real mexican food is not
the same.

Sandman wrote:
In article , Andreas Skitsnack wrote:

Oh, a troll thread from Andreas. Been a while.

A poster here has repeatedly whinged about not being able to find
good restaurants in the tourist corridor of the Orlando area.
Hardly surprising because 1) he was looking for good restaurants in
an area where simply being open is all it takes to attract
customers, and 2) "good" is a subjective judgment that is based
primarily on acquired taste.

Most adults feel that "good", in restaurant fare, is what they are
used to and have found to be "good" over time. A restaurant in a
country other than their own is not likely to serve the type of
dish, prepared in the way they are used to, and spiced the way they
are used to.

Not at all. I like testing different food. Unfortunately, Americans don't
season their food much at all, especially not in tourist-heavy areas, where
most tourists are Americans.

Where did you eat, and who are these Americans who don't season their food
much at all?
It is beginning to look as if Swedes generalize with regard to restaurant
food in the USA.

Most food is super-greasy, tons of added sugar and way too sweet to eat.
But that's not really the biggest problem (and could be filed under the
'this is how we "spice" things in America). The biggest probem is the
usually really low aulity of meat, produce and things like that. It's like
you guys add syrup, sugar and salt to hide the crappy meat that's hidden
underneath somewhere.

Again, where did you eat to come up with that idea?

US Chain restaurants have some advantage to the traveler. When
traveling in the US, I know I will find what I consider to be good
food in an Outback Steakhouse or a Carrabba's Italian Grill. I know
that the food in an Olive Garden or a Denny's is not going to be
something I will enjoy. I have no illusions that others will share
this opinion. I pick a restaurant to please me, not others.

As a foreigner, this is not a viable option, since few American chains
exists abroad.

That's OK! We don't see too many European chains here. However, we have all
sorts of restaurants with diverse non-American flavor.

And even on those that do exist abroad (like McDonald's) they still are of
lower quality in the states. FOr instance; in America, the soda is
sweetened with syrup instead of real sugar, as opposed to most of the rest
of the world, which means that a Coke tastes... well, worse. Also, the
quality of produce and meat in McDonald's in US is lower than most of
Europe.

McDonald's is not in anyway considered to be "good food" even in the USA.

While I like Carrabba's, I wouldn't recommend it to a person from
Europe. American Italian-style food is not the same as what a
European may be used to. Certainly not what an Italian is used to.

Too much added sugar, usually. Same with most chinese food joints.

Where are these places which add all this sugar?
As for Chinese food joints, the most nasty food additive is MSG.


I've traveled extensively in Europe, and had both hits and misses.
The independently owned restaurant is more prevalent in Europe, so
there's no experience factor involved in choosing restaurants. In
Europe, the full parking lot and the presence of a crowd in a
restaurant is not a dependable way to choose. The better
restaurants often don't have on-site parking, and the crowd in the
place only means that this restaurant offers what the local crowd
likes. That can be quite different from the style of food that I
like.

Plus, Europe is such a diverse place, where food culture changes ever X
miles you travel, most times significantly.

....and the USA isn't a diverse place?? Tell that to the Thai, Cambodians,
Hmong, Japanese, Chinese, French, Irish, Italians, Spanish, Koreans,
Greeks, Moroccans, various Central & South Americans, even Swedes, Danes,
Norwegians, and others from countries too numerous to list. Many of them
specialize in serving their national cuisine to their fellow Americans.

But most places in Europe has good quality meat and produce to begin with,
so whatever reason you end up
disliking a dish has more to do with how it's done than what it was made
of.

I've never used Yelp or that type of thing for a recommendation.
It's ridiculous to do so. Yelp recommendations are often "salted"
by the restaurant.

Proof? No? Thought so.

Had the poster asked me for recommendation (fat chance!), I would
have suggested trying places that serve a cuisine totally different
from what he's used to...Sonny's for barbecue, a Cuban restaurant, a
Southern-style restaurant, or a Mexican restaurant (not Taco Bell!).
He may or may not like it, but be adventurous. Take your chances.
That's one of the interesting things about travel.

All the places we ate at were new to us, but alas; what most of them had in
common is the low standard meat/produce and the added sugar/salt/fish
fetish.

You really didn't make the effort to seek out "good food" on your trip.
In my town, Paso Robles, at the junction of Hwy 101 & Hwy 46 I can find an
astonishing number of fast food joints, All there to take advantage of
theNorth-South L.A.-San Francisco traffic. However, if I look within a few
blocks I can find all sorts of places to eat, including two French run
places, three real Mexican food places, two very good Italian restaurants,
any many more. Always ask the locals where to eat, don't follow the herd.

And Taco Bell most certainly served a "cuisine" totally different to what
we're used to!

Taco Bell = food of the last resort.




--
Savageduck

On 1/19/2015 10:14 AM, PAS wrote:

big brevity snip

Chinese food, or what passes for
Chinese food on the USA, wreaks havoc with my blood sugar levels because
of the sauces - lots of sugar. I stay away from it now.


You have to get out of the East End. I agree there are no decent
authentic Chinese restaurants there.
While there is one near us, we prefer to go to Flushing, especially for
soup dumplings.
If I see a "Chinese" restaurant with table clothes and forks on the
table I don't go in.

--
PeterN

On 1/19/2015 10:35 AM, nospam wrote:
In article , PAS
wrote:

While I like Carrabba's, I wouldn't recommend it to a person from
Europe. American Italian-style food is not the same as what a
European may be used to. Certainly not what an Italian is used to.

Too much added sugar, usually. Same with most chinese food joints.

Really? I wouldn't think that Carrabba's adds much sugar to their food.
If I eat a chicken dish with some soup and a little pasta on the side,
how much sugar can they add to that? Chinese food, or what passes for
Chinese food on the USA, wreaks havoc with my blood sugar levels because
of the sauces - lots of sugar. I stay away from it now.

you're eating at ****ty chinese restaurants.

And Taco Bell most certainly served a "cuisine" totally different to
what we're used to!

If I was Mexican, I'd take umbrage at Taco Bell being labeled a Mexican
restaurant. Mexican food is extremely popular in the USA and "real"
Mexican food has nothing in common with Taco Bell.

'real' mexican food is not very popular in the usa. most mexican places
are similar to taco bell but not as crappy. real mexican food is not
the same.


Agreed.


--
PeterN

On 1/19/2015 10:43 AM, Savageduck wrote:

snip

McDonald's is not in anyway considered to be "good food" even in the USA.

However, it has clean bathrooms and surprisingly decent coffee.




While I like Carrabba's, I wouldn't recommend it to a person from
Europe. American Italian-style food is not the same as what a
European may be used to. Certainly not what an Italian is used to.

Too much added sugar, usually. Same with most chinese food joints.

Where are these places which add all this sugar?
As for Chinese food joints, the most nasty food additive is MSG.


And cornstarch.

You really didn't make the effort to seek out "good food" on your trip.
In my town, Paso Robles, at the junction of Hwy 101 & Hwy 46 I can find an
astonishing number of fast food joints, All there to take advantage of
theNorth-South L.A.-San Francisco traffic. However, if I look within a few
blocks I can find all sorts of places to eat, including two French run
places, three real Mexican food places, two very good Italian restaurants,
any many more. Always ask the locals where to eat, don't follow the herd.


in a small town I look for a Rotary club sign. It may not be the best,
but for a lunch it is usually passable.


And Taco Bell most certainly served a "cuisine" totally different to what
we're used to!

Taco Bell = food of the last resort.

I'd rather go hungry, than to Taco smell.

Fast food is neither.


--
PeterN

"PeterN" wrote in message
...
On 1/19/2015 10:14 AM, PAS wrote:

big brevity snip

Chinese food, or what passes for
Chinese food on the USA, wreaks havoc with my blood sugar levels
because
of the sauces - lots of sugar. I stay away from it now.


You have to get out of the East End. I agree there are no decent
authentic Chinese restaurants there.
While there is one near us, we prefer to go to Flushing, especially
for soup dumplings.
If I see a "Chinese" restaurant with table clothes and forks on the
table I don't go in.

Not likely to happen - my wife is not a fan of Chinese food and rarely
will eat it. She loves Mexican, there is a small place in Eastport
called "El Rodeo" that is an authentic family-run Mexican restaurant.
I'm not too keen on Mexican food but, like most restaurants, I always
find something on the menu that I like. Speaking of finding something I
like, my wife took me to Teller's in Islip to celebrate my 55th this
weekend. Their menu has a lot of great choices for me. There's nothing
like a great steak and potatoes for me.

"Tony Cooper" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:48:14 -0800 (PST), Whisky-dave
wrote:

On Monday, 19 January 2015 15:14:38 UTC, PAS wrote:


I don't know much about Swedish food but if I had to guess, I
wouldn't
think that the food you eat is seasoned much.

I did find swedish punch a bit spicy, well more spicy than I was
expecting.
The only other swedish food I remeber meating was crayfish.

Never been to Ikea? I've had Ikea's Swedish Meatballs, but have
absolutely no idea if a Swede would think they were authentically
Swedish.

I sure have been there. I find their restaurant food to be pretty darn
good. I like the meatballs and they are not seasoned much which is how
I like it.

In Indiana, crayfish were called "crawdads" and fit only for bait to
catch something edible.

I've had crayfish (also called "crawfish") in Louisiana, and they are
anything but bland and unspiced.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando FL