May not go out to eat —— ever

[pacergal]

We eat out at "fancier" restaurants maybe 1-2 times a month, and quick restaurants (tacos, burgers, etc) at least once a week.
But, we have not missed being inside/sit down, and have been doing curb side take out. We think that is the way we will continue.
We have actually discovered that take out meals seem to have more food than what is presented on a plate inside!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Article in the Star Trib today about multiple restaurants closing for takeout due to COVID outbreaks in their staff. What happens when the eat in dining starts? Any thoughts on this from those of you that eat out often?

Well, we have had a lot of restaurants open for IN PERSON dining for a couple of weeks (we went out about a week ago) and there hasn't been any uptick in cases/hospitalizations/deaths so...

I went out to a local diner two days ago. Every other table had an 'X' on it which meant no one could sit there. Staff had masks, patrons did not need to have masks. I didn't feel unsafe at any time. No problems.

Our experience was similar but they put bottles of sanitizer on the unused tables. They also gave you a "club" type wrist band after being screened out front (questions and scanned temperatures). They were doing reservations only and service was outstanding.

I am with others. We enjoyed eating out for a multitude of reasons and will continue to do so.

 

[Ronstar]

We last ate out in mid March. I don't have the desire to eat out now, but that could change. I'm not an aficionado of fine cuisine - I'm currently happy with take out and whatever we can make at home.

 

[Timeisprecious]

definitely not. Eating out is one of our favorite things to do.

+1

 

[Luck_Club]

First meal out today, since mid march.

They totally ignored the restrictive big brother mandates of call ahead register with an app to track, etc. Walked up no mask. taken to our table, ordered got food tipped big and left.

Another restaurant was completely closed with a sign saying they couldn't meet the restrictions and were closed until they were lifted. I really feel for the 7-10 people who lost their income possibly forever. You never realize the impact a 12 table diner has on the economy until it is gone.

 

[statsman]

When we were working, we went out for lunch and dinner on the weekends for those times we weren't grilling outdoors, the latter of which usually happened at least a couple times a month during the good weather months. We haven't bought a grill since moving into our new Texas home a year ago. Definite failure on our part.

Now retired, we go out occasionally during the weekdays (*cough* Taco Tuesday *cough*, Friday dinner), but we also have lunch at home on Sunday or a weekend dinner at home when our DD visits. Most of our meals during the weekdays are at home primarily to avoid the business lunch-time crowds and the evening commuters. Had enough of that while we were working.

So, I think we eat out a bit more now that we're retired than we did when we were working, but not a lot more. Unlike a lot of people we see these days eating out who individually are parked on their smartphones, DW and I have a conversation while eating out. Not sure why that would be different than doing that at home, but it is.

 

[bolt]

+1 ��

-1 here
I've not initiated going out to eat since the 80s. When working back then my crew liked it on weekends. We all split the bill.
I've known numerous restaurant entrepreneurs. One picked up their fry-cooks dropped cheese slices off the floor for the cheeseburgers after running out of cheese, placed it on the burgers, and promptly served 'em up!
This was a McDonalds!

With most buyers it's all a matter of convince. Some will pay for bottled water, ..I will not.
I recall produce shopping in the Mediterranean in the 70s.
The only people going out to eat were, as I was informed, "Wealthy people on vacation".

Good luck & best wishes.

P.S. gwraigty:
I've no doubt mandates, policies, and guidelines have changed.
This was 70'ish, with Mcdees incredible growth.
Over 60% of employees were related somehow also.

 

[gwraigty]

I've known numerous restaurant entrepreneurs. One picked up their fry-cooks dropped cheese slices off the floor for the cheeseburgers after running out of cheese, placed it on the burgers, and promptly served 'em up!
This was a McDonalds!

As a counterpoint, I've worked in 4 different restaurant kitchens. The one I worked in the longest was McDonald's, about 5 years. One would have to be a pretty awful cook to drop cheese slices on the floor regularly and be too lazy to walk a few feet and get more cheese out of the pantry. At no time, in any restaurant kitchen I worked in, did we ever do anything with food that hit the floor except pick it up and put it in the garbage. Sure, there are bad apples everywhere, but I'd hope they don't infect the whole orchard. The only kitchen I work in now is my own.

 

[NotYourAverageJones]

Can't imagine NOT being able to go eat out again. We love to cook and we do enjoy entertaining/grilling at home with friends. But we also are big on international travel and trying all the different foods that this world has to offer, is part of that enjoyment. So nope, we don't plan to give it up.

Also, this virus hasn't really changed our mentality about dining out or travel. We plan to do both extensively in retirement. If anything, it just made us think about how we never bat an eye about anything and we have probably been exposed to way worse over the years of travel around the world. Food poisoning is prob the worst thing either one of us have experienced.

Not that we are downplaying COVID one bit and we don't wish that on anyone. But we won't be living in a bubble to avoid it.

 

[njhowie]

At least in the near future, as restaurants reopen I think you can be assured that extra-extra precautions are going to be taken. If you've enjoyed places you been to previously, then certainly continue going to them.

 

[Koolau]

Until the Covid shutdown, we ate out a lot - nothing fancy, just so we wouldn't need to cook and could still have a good variety. Now, even though we only have about 44 active Covid cases in the Islands, we've just begun reopening restaurants. Most aren't actually opening because they can't make money with 50% (or less) occupancy. We're looking forward to going out to eat, but not sure when. YMMV

 

[Rianne]

Before Covid, when we would go out to eat we always looked for tables that were somewhat isolated. That had a table or two between us and them. I always felt uncomfortable when we had to sit close to another table. We could hear their conversation. We could see what they're eating and how they eat. I always asked for the semi private booths at our favorite breakfast place. Now, it's a given. We're nicely spread out and semi private.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

We live in a really small town and restaurant choice is very limited. We mostly cook at home when we are at home. I have girl lunches out with my friends, and we love eating out in nearby larger towns and when we go on vacation. I had the best burger I can remember eating a few days ago in a small town in Utah. And cheese curds- a first for me. Neither covid nor retirement will change our restaurant habits.

 

[rodi]

Ate out for the first time yesterday. We're on a mini staycation because our house is being fumigated. Ate on an outdoor patio. They had a 4% surcharge for the added costs for health protections. 1/2 the tables. Servers wearing masks and gloves. Needed a mask to be seated, but didn't have to wear it once seated...

I don't think I'll be ready for indoor eating for a long time. Fortunately, in San Diego, patio dining is a year round thing... even in the dead of winter.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Ate out yesterday and today will have lunch with a friend and then tonight happy hour food and drinks with another couple. We are mostly eating outside. Most food doesn’t carry out well.

 

[Katsmeow]

I don't think I will be eating out for a long time and when I do it will be mostly when I eat out with other people and not just DH and I. In the before times, DH and I ate out 2 to 3 times a week and I had lunch out with a friend and occasionally we would go out to dinner with her and her husband. I actually thought it was too much but found it hard to break the habit. Well, it is broken now. We do get takeout 1 day a week. Surprisingly, I have found that is enough. I am happy with that and not really tempted to go to a restaurant. I think in the future we will mostly limit it to when we are eating out with others (and that won't be for awhile, maybe the fall when it is cool enough to eat on a restaurant patio).

 

[Peter]

DW and I just had our first meal out for close on 3 months. Lunch on the patio of a favorite restaurant. A few other customers, not crowded by any means. No masks at the table but we did wear masks to check in. San Francisco Bay Area.

 

[Retch The Grate]

used to eat out a lot, we loved busy vibrant restaurants, eating at the bar at our favorite sushi place, etc. Now I have no idea when I will feel comfortable doing it, but it won't be soon, and it will only be outside and only with substantial (more than 6') space between us and the nearest other table. We love cooking, so it has been lots of grilling, just did grass fed ribeye again for lunch. We've got months of frozen tuna, salmon, lobster, shrimp, beef and bison to cook.

 

[Badger]

Buttermilk Blueberry pancakes, Oatmeal with cranberries, French toast with cinnamon and maple syrup, or Bacon and eggs for breakfast. Baby back ribs with molasses baked beans, Prime rib with roasted potatoes, Salmon with garlic broccoli, Shrimp with Penne Rigate in sundried tomato/fresh basil butter sauce, or a bake at home pizza from Papa Murphy's for some of the dinners. Tonight we have cobbler with fresh picked blueberries.


Not sure why I need a restaurant. We can have a dinner by candle light and soft music or watch a movie on Netflix or eat out under the pergola. Either way we won't be bothered by noise and loud people.


I would still like to go out for an ice cream cone or a hot dog at Costco or bring home a roasted chicken or maybe fried chicken from Publix when not up for cooking.



Cheers!

 

[Katiek]

I don't entertain, so if I want to treat someone, I take them out. I also eat out when I want to meet up with a friend who iives some distance away and we meet half way. I'll continue to do that, but I don't eat out much other than that.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Not sure why I need a restaurant. We can have a dinner by candle light and soft music or watch a movie on Netflix or eat out under the pergola. Either way we won't be bothered by noise and loud people.

Most of us don't NEED a restaurant, but on occasion it's nice to be waited on and even better not having to clean up!

 

[RobbieB]

Yup, not about needs, about wants.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Definitely about wants! Cooking all the time gets old.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Buttermilk Blueberry pancakes, Oatmeal with cranberries, French toast with cinnamon and maple syrup, or Bacon and eggs for breakfast. Baby back ribs with molasses baked beans, Prime rib with roasted potatoes, Salmon with garlic broccoli, Shrimp with Penne Rigate in sundried tomato/fresh basil butter sauce, or a bake at home pizza from Papa Murphy's for some of the dinners. Tonight we have cobbler with fresh picked blueberries.


Not sure why I need a restaurant. We can have a dinner by candle light and soft music or watch a movie on Netflix or eat out under the pergola. Either way we won't be bothered by noise and loud people.


I would still like to go out for an ice cream cone or a hot dog at Costco or bring home a roasted chicken or maybe fried chicken from Publix when not up for cooking.



Cheers!

I want to go to Badgers for dinner.

His dishes sound mouthwatering.

But seriously we have been(mostly me on the cooking, hubby on cleanup detail) cooking a lot of quality meals and recognize that the meals rival fine dining, but I am growing weary of all of this cooking and would love some pampering.

 

[Cobra9777]

The sous vide is bubbling away at 137 degrees with some lamb chops. They were vacuum-sealed with fresh rosemary from our garden and plenty of sliced garlic. The searzall is standing by with a fresh can of gas for the quick sear. We'll roast some asparagus after tossing in olive oil and kosher salt. And a small Caesar salad with freshly-shaved Parmesan cheese. Pinot Noir for sure.

Cooking never gets old around here. It's one of my daily creative outlets. Eating is just a bonus.