There will never be a Burger King here...

[deeaa]

Heh, just read in the news that the reason many big chains like BG or such haven't established here is because there is simply no room. There is hardly a country out there where people go out less.

Even McDonalds is making losses every other year here.

I suppose there is great truth to it. Whenever I've been abroad I've been amazed how little food is available in markets. Where do people buy food? I mean, yeah, there are some ingredients available, but compared to here, basically just convenience products and such. Or is it that people go buy their meats in butcher shops? Groceries at greengrocers? (I have never seen a butcher shop here, they are all sold in markets). Anyway, seems to me meat selections and dairy product selections really suck big time in food markets in many cities. Here you can go to any local shop and buy like ten different kinds of meat. Just now in London we could hardly find any ingredients in local Tescos etc. to make foods in our hotel room (sure we could have eaten at a hotel restaurant, but it's much cheaper and more cozy making your own food in the room.)

I suppose that's partially a reason people don't eat out here, so much easy-to do home foods available everywhere. But also just being practical. I never did understand why the hell should I shell out good money to go eat in a restaurant, when I can make equal or better food at home by myself. And I can be sure of the meats I use and the freshness etc.

Besides, there are other people in restaurants, making noise etc. so why do people want to go eat there? Makes no sense. Sure, the food can be good - I've eaten in multi-star French restaurants etc. and of course it's good, but, hell, I can enjoy my own made mashed potatoes and meatballs just as well or better as some fancy Duchesse potatoes and duck roast or whatever.

I do my best not to visit town, or eat out, if I can avoid it, and spend that money for guitars etc. as well. Also at work I prefer to bring lunch from home and stay away from the cafeteria, which also helps avoid colleagues.

It's different when you're single of course, then you would want to visit bars and such to hunt for company...but once you've a family what do you care about going outside no more?

I do eat at McDonals etc. now and then, especially when on a trip...but a person can easily go without eating a full day, so even then it makes more sense sometimes to not stop for lunch, just not eat that day at all, and only eat at night then.

[Jimi75]

We've got an excellent variety of fresh food here in every super market. We still have butchers and bakeries outside the supermarkets as well as nice grovery stores. At home we always cook fresh food and eat very little meat only. Mc Donalds and Burger Kings are packed here in Germany especially with young folks. I think it's just normal. The older you get the more you understand about food. Also I who derives from an Italian family, where food was always plenty and excellent, had my McDo and French fries years.

I do not share your opinion on going out. I love the atmosphere in a good restaurant. Only Saturday my wife and I were out and picked an awesome restaurant where I ate....guess what....duck rosé. I love being informed by the waiter about their newest wines and talk a little about food etc. you are being pampered in a restaurant plus I must admit that I can not cook as excellent as a good cook. Good restaurant keep the culture of good food up, in my eyes.

[deeaa]

Yeah I also thought in Germany the selection of ingredients for making stuff at home was much better than in England.

But also in Germany I was hard pressed to find milks in stores. My kids want non-treated wholemilk, I myself drink only completely non-lactose milk and my wife drinks regular skimmed milk - and none drink that ultrapasteurized stuff that tastes very sweet. And all we could find was a very tiny selection of ultrapasteurized milk. And we drink like 3-4 liters of the stuff a day. Come to think of it, also in restaurants it's hard to get correct types of milk with the dinner. Same as ketchup - I only accept Heinz and sometimes they'll only have some horrid vinegary stuff for ketchup.

Yes, I guess many people like restaurant eating...but I also think up here very many people prefer staying at home, me included.

I dunno, I think the most for me is the time consumed. Who has like an hour to spend at a restaurant??? It takes aeons for the food to arrive in the first place. Plus you have to get to the centre first, find parking spots or arrange some other form of transportation, all kinds of time-consuming preparations.

I usually spend 6 to 10 minutes eating dinner, maximum. At school we have 15 minute breaks and I can easily have lunch and coffee and do some errands in that time. Spending an hour for eating out...horrific waste of time in my book.

Funny thing is I teach in a hospitality, catering and tourism school for living...and seriously don't like any of the things myself, like traveling and eating out, LOL...but I manage just fine, usually can go for years without having to travel anywhere, but sometimes it's a must for work.

[progrmr]

Most stores here have good selections of meat/fish. But there's definitely a TON of restaurants. As a single guy, cooking is a real PITA - making things that aren't frozen generally means cooking a lot of something and having a lot of left overs. Sounds like that would be good right? I get tired of eating the same thing after a couple of days.

Also - the food you can get in some restaurants and at good prices that it's worth it to eat out. There's always the issue of nutritional content though. Also I didn't realize just how little food I had in the house until I was snowed in a for a few days a couple years back...was pretty darn hungry by the time I could drive lol!

[Robert]

I've thought of this topic too. Here in Canada, there are restaurants EVERYWHERE. People eat out all the time. Back in Sweden, there are way less eateries than here in Canada.

I think it's a cultural thing. Nort Americans like to go to restaurants more than Scandinavians, for some reason. It's so convenient, I think that's the main thing. I just think it's a waste of money, but hey, it keeps the economy stimulated.

[Katastrophe]

No BK? Count your blessings.

Within 5 minutes from my apartment, I have four supermarkets, packed to the ceiling with fresh and processed foods. Within that same area I have about 20 fast food and sit down restaurants.

Then again, we stress convenience and quantity over quality over here. Even the grocery stores have made a push to have prepackaged, precooked meats and sides ready for a quick dinner for the family.

The problem is, in our hustle and bustle, there is very little time available for a homemade, sit down dinner.

Most folks, when faced with a 15 minute lunch, will head to the local BK or McD and grab something from the dollar menu. It's cheap, fast, and filling, although not the greatest nutritionally.

[deeaa]

Yeah one thing I've noticed is prices...you can get stuff from McDonalds for a few bucks someplaces. Here it's like ten dollars for bic mac meal so something like 30-40 bucks easy for the family for a normal meal. Hard to get a decent pizza under 20 bucks either. Resturant Lunch normally only maybe 10 bucks too but easily a hundred to eat a steak dinner with family and just normal restaurant not even l carte but semi_ready made foods. Buys a week of homemade food easy. Hell I can feed my family for five bucks flat at home; doeznt even buy a single big mac.

[Tone2TheBone]

I've thought of this topic too. Here in Canada, there are restaurants EVERYWHERE. People eat out all the time. Back in Sweden, there are way less eateries than here in Canada.

I think it's a cultural thing. Nort Americans like to go to restaurants more than Scandinavians, for some reason. It's so convenient, I think that's the main thing. I just think it's a waste of money, but hey, it keeps the economy stimulated.

I think it's cause we're busy all the time.

[Robert]

I think it's cause we're busy all the time.

I can cook a good and nutritious dinner in half an hour to 45 min or so, if I have the ingredients at home (I plan my grocery shopping so I don't have to be stuck with nothing to cook with, and end up going to a restaurant..).

Often it takes a longer to go to a restaurant, if count the time driving there, waiting to get your drinks, order the food, wait for the food, eat, wait for the bill, pay and drive home.

The time-saving argument is not valid for me. :)

I think people are just lazy.

[poodlesrule]

Non-burgers restaurant chains are starting to irritate me with their sneaky use of frozen meals, reheated on demand.
Just last Sunday, extended family met for a Xmas music show, and we had a quick bite at "Bertucci's", a local chain, beforehand. I am convinced my tortellini-and-chicken dish was from a pre-made frozen meal. It would be alright if this was mentioned up front.

It appears that (U.S.) national chains like Olive Garden do this systematically.

As an aside, when having frozen pizzas at home, it pays to add stuff to them, like pre-cooked extra veggies, sausage, or just more cheese. Makes them just a tad more satisfying.

[Tig]

No BK? Count your blessings.

Then again, we stress convenience and quantity over quality over here. Even the grocery stores have made a push to have prepackaged, precooked meats and sides ready for a quick dinner for the family.

The problem is, in our hustle and bustle, there is very little time available for a homemade, sit down dinner.


+1
I'd love to see the US culture slow everything down a few notches.

I cook dinner a few nights a week during the weekdays and she cooks weekends (she's a great cook :hungry ). Mrs. Tig is wiped out at the end of her nursing day since she works extremely hard and I have the time to put together something healthy. It also saves a huge amount of money.

I find fewer and fewer families cook much at home these days, unless they have a job loss. Now, they wished they had listened to Mom back when she was teaching her recipies!

[Jx2]

Now, they wished they had listened to Mom back when she was teaching he recipies!

Only if there mom could cook :thwap I was baned from the kitchen by the time I was 16. Reason was I left a mess, but everyone beleived it was cos it got ate. Prime example, spagetti....dad told mom he didnt like it, but when I started making it he was heating it up and taking it to work with him.

Im not tryin to bash my mom or anything, we have issues always have. But I dont drag them onto forums 99.9% of the time. I just had a personal chuckle at your comment and felt I should share.

Now my grandma aka mama......WOW!!! She's one of those where old friends and ex-girlfriends still want to go over for dinner. My favorite is steak and redeye gravy, mashed taters, deviled eggs, chicken and noodles, yeast rolls followed up with some lemon magrine pie and cherry delight. Thats my normal birthday dinner :thumbsup 33 years old and I still get it, Ive even told them to stop getting me something for my b-day the dinner is more than enough, normaly cant move for at least 12 hours after I eat anyways.

[Spudman]

Our local family owned restaurants don't last long here because of the economy and education, or lack of. Most folks here support the chain restaurants which we no longer eat at.

I'm a professional chef during the summers and I will say that knowing how to prep and cook has really saved us a bunch of money and allowed us to live a healthier energetic lifestyle. It's all about putting higher quality food into our bodies. I can only think of one local restaurant that even has a quality food selection and they are a regional chain buffet restaurant. So we get our choice of what gets put on our plates.

I think the high cost of eating out also compounds the results of poor nutrition and it's easy to end up in the downward spiral health wise and financially wise. We save a lot of money eating at home, get better food and have more time together.

I would love to see a reduction in fast food establishments but unfortunately this is America and we are a capitalistic society, so despite the fact that fast foods are generally nutrient poor and have been related to several health issues I guess there isn't much we can do to stop their spread...except by just not going to them.

I'm happy to hear the Finns are not falling into the trap.

[poodlesrule]

This thread reminds me of the "sausage-on-the-fretboard" one....:hungry

[markb]

Eating out in New Zealand is expensive. Add wine and you're looking at a bank loan! This was a bit of a shock to my European habits. Even the British institution of "going for an Indian" when you can't be bothered to cook is a major expense. The only bright spot is that most restaurants have a "bring your own" wine policy.

I'm a good cook and I go out with a great cook. We're both poor so we don't eat out. We wouldn't go to chains if we did.

[R_of_G]

I cook most nights but we do enjoy going out to eat periodically as well as it's nice not to have to cook every single day, but we don't go to typically go to chain/corporate restaurants. The only exception is when it's a friend's birthday and we don't get to choose the restaurant. In those cases, I tend to eat the lightest thing possible.

As for fast food, that I have not eaten in many years and it's a decision pleasing to both my waistline and my intenstinal track. I'm at the point now where I see fast food on tv and it sickens me. I'm all for freedom of choice, I just can't see why anyone would willingly choose to eat that.

[oldguy]

Eating out here is not that expensive, usually. Still, my wife and I seldom do. The food at most places is not up to par with our food cooked at home, so when we do go out, we choose a place that has good food, and we make it an event, rather than a habit. A night out usually consists of dinner and a movie, or dinner theater, so we treat ourselves........but only a couple times a year. Sometimes we grab a bite at a fast food joint if we're pressed for time, but it's not the norm for us. I totally agree with the fact that people here in the USA are, for the most part, in too big a hurry, and the lifestyle and diet are unhealthy. I see it every day.

[deeaa]

Eating out in New Zealand is expensive. Add wine and you're looking at a bank loan! This was a bit of a shock to my European habits.

How's alcohol in NZ? Here the major problem is that alcohol isn't so very expensive to buy for home consumption (like about 20+ dollars for a 24-case of beer) BUT in the bars a large beer can cost anything between 4-8 dollars depending on the time and the place.

Thus, getting nicely drunk at home is maybe a tenner, but doing the same in a bar will mean looking up to nearly ten times the amount, especially if you get also wine or drinks besides beer...adding taxis and possible nightclub entrance fees, something to eat in between or on the way home, it's not hard to manage to throw away a few hundred bucks in one night...the best I've managed is over a thousand once when we had a long party, several bars, food, bought a few drinks and played a touch of roulette...nothing special even but still managed to spend a big one without even realizing.

So I really don't much like to go out to town to party no more...or if I do I get properly wasted first at home and go there only around midnight, then, and only spend a few hours :-)

[poodlesrule]

Just last Sunday, extended family met for a Xmas music show, and we had a quick bite at ____", a local chain, beforehand. I am convinced my tortellini-and-chicken dish was from a pre-made frozen meal. It would be alright if this was mentioned up front.

It appears that (U.S.) national chains like Olive Garden do this systematically.



I wrote in to voice my concern and dissapointment. They wrote back:

------------------------------
Dear ____,

We are very sorry to learn of your experience at our restaurant, and appreciate the time you took to make us aware of the circumstances.

When you make a decision to leave your home and come to our restaurant, you rightfully expect a distinctive Italian meal. We apologize that we did not meet your expectations with your Gratinati. Your comments are being forwarded to our management team for corrective measures to ensure our food quality will always meet our standards of excellence. Our Gratinati is made fresh each morning for our guests throughout the day. Please know we will always remake or replace any item with which you are unhappy.

Please accept our apology along with our thanks for your concern. We look forward to welcoming you to _______ again and demonstrating that a delightful dining experience awaits you.

Sincerely,
___ ________
Guest Relations Manager
--------------------------------------------

Aptly corporate.
That employee must have just transfered from the Legal department... that would explain the archaic double-space between sentences...!

[Tig]

I wrote in to voice my concern and dissapointment. They wrote back:

Aptly corporate.
That employee must have just transfered from the Legal department... that would explain the archaic double-space between sentences...!

Noice! You gotta' love the personal touch.

I stay away from any restaurant that buys from mass produced frozen foods like Sysco, as we all should.
(I should be more careful, so as not to get targeted by their mob tactics and end up with broken kneecaps)

http://agecon2.tamu.edu/people/faculty/siebert-john/rma/SYSCOtruck.jpg