Food preference - Restaurants

[Nick12]

Food costs have gone up such as imported products now cost more $$ to get the products into the country. It surely doesn't help when our country does not have good working relations with our trading partners. Made in the USA sounds good on paper but are we ready to pay for some products that cost more to produce in the USA ? Some restaurants in my area don't taste the same and have gone downhill. I asked the owners why? They advised me that imported ingredients prices have gone up and now they skimp on the recipes that affect the quality of the food. You lost me as a customer.

 

[ownyourfuture]

Made in the USA sounds good on paper but are we ready to pay for some products that cost more to produce in the USA ?

If the quality was at least as good, & the additional $ wasn't prohibitive, (let's say 10.00% more) I would.

 

[W2R]

My opinion is that for those in New Orleans who can afford to eat out, a little effort will result in finding a restaurant that meets their criteria. If someone wants to eat steak, that can be done. If someone wants to eat chicken or a salad or soup or something else, that can be done. And so on.

Also nobody is forcing anybody to eat out at a restaurant that always serves worse food than your own home cooking. That said, if one’s cooking is consistently superior to that of any chef in town, bar none, then I might suggest that establishing a new restaurant (and being the chef there) could turn out to be a profitable business venture.

As for my own food preferences when eating out, I prefer to eat what my health needs dictate. So, generally I choose something low in calories like a cup of soup or a small side salad. There is a shrimp Alfredo dish that I have had my eye on, and I know it will be out of this world, but I need to wait until I can afford that many calories.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

As for my own food preferences when eating out, I prefer to eat what my health needs dictate. So, generally I choose something low in calories like a cup of soup or a small side salad. There is a shrimp Alfredo dish that I have had my eye on, and I know it will be out of this world, but I need to wait until I can afford that many calories.

Me too, but the quantity of salt in soup far overweighs the benefits of the lack of calories. I love soup, but rarely have it because of the massive amount of salt, for me that is way more damaging than the calories.

 

[Midpack]

They also have a section of already prepared food with a good variety of choices, both hot and cold. Meatballs, chicken, rice, potato dishes, salads and slaws, etc.

That probably doesn't affect the mid and higher up restaurants, but I bet that a lot of chain fast food places never thought that their bottom line would be hurt by a bag of salad or a tub of coleslaw and a rotisserie chicken.

Good add. When I shop at WF, I invariably see folks putting together lunch(s) or dinner(s) to take home, sometimes pretty elaborate (e.g.not cheap). You couldn’t do that a couple decades ago unless you wanted a crummy frozen TV dinner.

 

[W2R]

Me too, but the quantity of salt in soup far overweighs the benefits of the lack of calories. I love soup, but rarely have it because of the massive amount of salt, for me that is way more damaging than the calories.

Canned soups are indeed very salty, since manufacturers lean heavily on salt for its preservative qualities. Salt can be skipped entirely in soup made from scratch at home or by a restaurant chef. As I said in my post you were quoting,

My opinion is that for those in New Orleans who can afford to eat out, a little effort will result in finding a restaurant that meets their criteria.

and that includes soups that are not overly salty. I do realize that those living in other parts of the country don't always have as much choice in restaurant food as we do here in New Orleans, and I'm sure most of the national chain restaurants (for example) serve very salty soup.

 

[athena53]

Good add. When I shop at WF, I invariably see folks putting together lunch(s) or dinner(s) to take home, sometimes pretty elaborate (e.g.not cheap). You couldn’t do that a couple decades ago unless you wanted a crummy frozen TV dinner.

I used to stay at a hotel near my company's US HQ in Westchester County and frequently my dinner was a box of goodies from the hot foods/salad bar at Whole Foods near my hotel. My UK-based boss, accustomed to sky-high dinner prices at restaurants, loved that.

 

[MichaelB]

I used to stay at a hotel near my company's US HQ in Westchester County and frequently my dinner was a box of goodies from the hot foods/salad bar at Whole Foods near my hotel.

Is that the one in White Plains, not far from Westchester Mall and Crown Plaza? Their hot food section is pretty decent.

After spending decades traveling to that area and living there as well, I know it well.

 

[athena53]

Is that the one in White Plains, not far from Westchester Mall and Crown Plaza? Their hot food section is pretty decent.

After spending decades traveling to that area and living there as well, I know it well.

Yes- that's the one.

 

[ivinsfan]

Yes- that's the one.

Maybe you and MichaelB were both there selecting supper at the same time

 

[MichaelB]

I used to stay at a hotel near my company's US HQ in Westchester County and frequently my dinner was a box of goodies from the hot foods/salad bar at Whole Foods near my hotel. My UK-based boss, accustomed to sky-high dinner prices at restaurants, loved that.

Is that the one in White Plains, not far from Westchester Mall and Crown Plaza? Their hot food section is pretty decent.

After spending decades traveling to that area and living there as well, I know it well.

Yes- that's the one.

Maybe you and MichaelB were both there selecting supper at the same time

Could be, although my time in that area mostly predates the Whole Foods Market era. My dinner habits were similar to athena53’s, buying something at the market or deli to eat in the hotel. Lots of really good delis in that area.

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

JERF, in moderation.

Exactly. We do that whether eating out or in. When eating out, we usually split a seasonal entree and add a salad. I enjoy cooking and like to better control the ingredients since DH has higher blood pressure and I battle triglycerides. I feel fortunate to live where a big variety of foods are widely available, and the prices are fair enough when compared to restaurant prices. We can have lobster tails for 6 bucks each to prime aged steaks free of additives. When I like something new at a restaurant, I can usually deconstruct it to come up with a recipe that tastes very close to the original but has less salt/ sugar & uses real butter or healthy fats.

 

[travelover]

Well, I've been eating less vegetables, mainly because I quit super sizing the fries.

 

[Bamaman]

My blood sugar's recently jumped, and my doctor jumped on my back.

I'm now off potatoes, breads, fried foods, pasta, cheese and ice cream--staples of my diet of old.

Now, I'm into everything green and nothing white. Lean meats, lots of chicken.

And immediately, my blood sugars dropped 50 points. Eventually the new diet will result in weight loss which will automatically improve the numbers. And restaurants are often difficult to maintain my new diet in.

 

[zippy2020]

Jamie Oliver has announced 22 of his UK restaurants are closing down.

NY Times pointed out his was far from the only UK chain having trouble in this restaurant segment:
"....Mr. Oliver’s restaurants are not the only ones grappling with a saturated market. Other restaurants serving Italian food and hamburgers in Britain have closed outlets and restructured in recent months. The Italian restaurant group Prezzo closed almost 100 restaurants last year, while the Byron burger chain had to restructure and close about 20 of its outlets. "

Analysis from London Guardian US is probably spot-on:
Jamie's Italian struggled for relevance as people changed their habits
Rise of food delivery services led to chain being taken off the menu for British diners
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/may/21/jamies-italian-struggled-for-relevance-as-people-changed-their-habits
(Free access to Guardian website)

 

[zippy2020]

Saw this today and thought it relevant to the topic:

The power lunch is dead and this is what’s replacing it
Thirty-seven percent of millennials take a lunch break, and among those who take a lunch break, 54% take just 30 minutes or less.
Marketwatch: June 11, 2019
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/b...new-power-lunch-2019-06-11?mod=hp_minor_pos20

(edited to summarize) The power lunch has turned into the coffee talk, power walk or beer run for workers who don’t have three hours to fritter away, but still make time to network outside the office.

Take Steven Cox, 47, a San Diego-based startup founder who prefers talking shop over a cup of Joe. “Most of my meetings are held at a local craft coffee shop. We order our flat whites, whip through investor discussions and then I ride my bike back to the office in less than 35 minutes,” Cox told MarketWatch, adding that it’s unheard of, particularly in the tech world, to take time out of the day for a boozy lunch. Many meetings are done on video calls, or over what Cox calls a “walk and talk” to the beach. “It makes more sense for us to talk shop and work through challenges — all while getting to see the ocean. Plus, you burn calories instead of consuming them.”

Millennials worry about being ‘lunch-shamed’
One reason for the demise of the power lunch? Younger workers aren’t taking mid-day meal breaks. What’s more, one in four millennials feel they’ll be “lunch shamed” by their boss, whom they fear will think they’re not working hard enough if they leave the office. With a staggering student-debt load and childhood memories of the financial crisis, it’s not surprising that millennials want to burnish their workplace images to keep their jobs and salaries secure.

Relaxing beers have replaced stuffy cocktails
Some millennials, like 24-year-old Sean Pour, co-founder of SellMax.com, a car buying service, says his best business luck comes after having brewery lunches, a more casual setting to network. “Almost all of my business deals get conducted over a beer at a local brewery,” Pour said. “It’s a more casual environment, and we can speak freely and just relax. I find that we form more of a friendship here and get to know each other. When you’re in a very strict business environment you don’t get into a casual conversation. At the brewery, it’s not as uptight or fancy,” he adds of meeting with partners in cities like Austin or San Diego, where he works.

One private equity managing partner has conducted meetings at cafes
“We don’t have the time and money. You can’t expense it the way you used to,” Allen explained. He’s even met up for business meetings at affordable spots like museums for a change of scenery. “A lot of companies are bootstrapping. The last thing they’re going to do is throw down $300 for a liquid lunch.”

High-end chefs are pivoting to casual options
Chefs who may have presided over a power lunch menu in another era have started fast-casual projects to meet shifting consumer demand for quick, affordable and healthier fast food. Upscale chef Mark Ladner, restaurateur Danny Meyer, and chef/restaurateur Michael Schlow have opened [casual dining options].

One CEO has replaced the power lunch with power walks
Grab-and-go is more of CEO Deborah Sweeney’s speed. The 44-year-old of MyCorporation.com, a career site for entrepreneurs, is also a fan of the power walk before grabbing lunch with her employees. She says a lengthy, alcohol-infused meal will just leave her and her team feeling lethargic. “We discuss items on our respective agendas and take four to five laps around the office as we go,” Sweeney said.

Careers can advance in 15 minutes
Career experts say the 15-minute meeting, whether it’s grabbing coffee or chatting on the lunch line, can be an effective networking tool. “In certain businesses, face-to-face meetings are still done, but our lives have become so over-scheduled, overcommitted and over-connected they can be condensed to 15 minutes,” New York based career coach Kathy Caprino said.

 

[brett]

Mostly we go out for Thai or Vietnamese.