Spot on! This has been my exact perception in Los Angeles for the past few years. I now refuse to dine at these “middle” restaurants because I feel cheated and sometimes downright scammed when the bill arrives with ticky tacky little extra charges like 3% for using a credit card. I could go on but wouldn’t be telling you anything you don’t know. I only go to small neighborhood places or - because I can afford it - the super great and expensive place now and then.
Well said. Middle of the road restaurants - sadly - are where food and drink and so much about hospitality goes to die. You really feel like you were taken. But now I sense it before or right when I walk in the door. Se acabó.
100% agree with this take. There is a burrito place tucked into the back of a market here that fits the “soul” bill to a T. They’ve got (maybe) 3 options, you order and pickup at the counter, and if you’re lucky, can grab one of the 5-6 tables. Anywhere full of local workers/tradesmen is a huge green flag.
Going the other way, there are plenty of restaurants here that are long on pretension and short on delivery. That mismatch of expectations and reality is most maddening of all.
What are they charging for the burrito? In SF, a burrito is typically around $15 now. It used to be the great equalizer there.
Madison has always been interesting to me. And, after hearing about it from you in these last years (it has been years!), even more so. It has a lot going for it, it seems.
I think the veggie one is about $10. Adding meat is a little more, but not by much. Maybe $10.99?
This town definitely punches above it's weight when it comes to restaurants. COVID knocked quite a few out (a lot of the "middle class" ones, IMO), but there's still plenty of options for every palette.
We are wary about the expensive places. We have a lot of those here in Switzerland; a bottle of wine costs more than an expensive main. We do that sparingly.
We also tend to have a bias for eating out at lunch time and eating at home in the evening.
Another thing we like to do is to frequent a few places, rather than many. We do that when we like the combo of atmosphere, service and food. Being a frequent guest offers a chance of table when the place is busy.
Now that said, doing a restaurant outing spontaneously is increasingly impossible. For two maybe, for four just too hard. So we all use the reservation apps. That is a trend I don't see us all being able to fight.
What did you two order in the Vietnamese place? You hit my favorite ethnic food! It is the cleanest Asian I've eaten. I don't think I've ever come across a "branded"
Vietnamese restaurant. They really put heart and soul into their food (and drink) - did you do their coffee?
Thank you for this wonderful Christmas present....I will be in Spain for my school's winter break....Please be ASSURED that I want to try all the wonderful Spanish food. The country I am currently working in falls short on SE Asian cuisine....a friend has recommended an Indian restaurant in Madrid....only time I have had good Indian food where I am was when the Indian Embassy Mission Chief invited me for dinner - his daughter was my student....
Now that you mention it... I have watched what used to be great middle ground eateries, succumb to being take-out places, while food trucks have taken the place of the middle ground with their prices and great character. Now they play music, throw out umbrellas, tables & chairs, and the atmosphere is so lively and fun. There is more passion in those little trucks than I have seen from most other dine-in places.
There is a food truck on my way home from work that has a line of people every day, rain or shine. During the warmer weather, there can be two or three trucks and it really becomes a party.
Being in construction, we have quite a few people from other states that meet up after hours, choosing a different place every time. None of them come back impressed -and they are easy to please construction workers.
Spot on! This has been my exact perception in Los Angeles for the past few years. I now refuse to dine at these “middle” restaurants because I feel cheated and sometimes downright scammed when the bill arrives with ticky tacky little extra charges like 3% for using a credit card. I could go on but wouldn’t be telling you anything you don’t know. I only go to small neighborhood places or - because I can afford it - the super great and expensive place now and then.
Well said. Middle of the road restaurants - sadly - are where food and drink and so much about hospitality goes to die. You really feel like you were taken. But now I sense it before or right when I walk in the door. Se acabó.
100% agree with this take. There is a burrito place tucked into the back of a market here that fits the “soul” bill to a T. They’ve got (maybe) 3 options, you order and pickup at the counter, and if you’re lucky, can grab one of the 5-6 tables. Anywhere full of local workers/tradesmen is a huge green flag.
Going the other way, there are plenty of restaurants here that are long on pretension and short on delivery. That mismatch of expectations and reality is most maddening of all.
What are they charging for the burrito? In SF, a burrito is typically around $15 now. It used to be the great equalizer there.
Madison has always been interesting to me. And, after hearing about it from you in these last years (it has been years!), even more so. It has a lot going for it, it seems.
I think the veggie one is about $10. Adding meat is a little more, but not by much. Maybe $10.99?
This town definitely punches above it's weight when it comes to restaurants. COVID knocked quite a few out (a lot of the "middle class" ones, IMO), but there's still plenty of options for every palette.
We are wary about the expensive places. We have a lot of those here in Switzerland; a bottle of wine costs more than an expensive main. We do that sparingly.
We also tend to have a bias for eating out at lunch time and eating at home in the evening.
Another thing we like to do is to frequent a few places, rather than many. We do that when we like the combo of atmosphere, service and food. Being a frequent guest offers a chance of table when the place is busy.
Now that said, doing a restaurant outing spontaneously is increasingly impossible. For two maybe, for four just too hard. So we all use the reservation apps. That is a trend I don't see us all being able to fight.
What did you two order in the Vietnamese place? You hit my favorite ethnic food! It is the cleanest Asian I've eaten. I don't think I've ever come across a "branded"
Vietnamese restaurant. They really put heart and soul into their food (and drink) - did you do their coffee?
https://www.grupomi.eu/menu Pho. I had the special :-)
I have had Vietnamese coffee, but not here. With condensed milk, right?
loved the menu!! yes, with condensed milk!
Thank you for this wonderful Christmas present....I will be in Spain for my school's winter break....Please be ASSURED that I want to try all the wonderful Spanish food. The country I am currently working in falls short on SE Asian cuisine....a friend has recommended an Indian restaurant in Madrid....only time I have had good Indian food where I am was when the Indian Embassy Mission Chief invited me for dinner - his daughter was my student....
Now that you mention it... I have watched what used to be great middle ground eateries, succumb to being take-out places, while food trucks have taken the place of the middle ground with their prices and great character. Now they play music, throw out umbrellas, tables & chairs, and the atmosphere is so lively and fun. There is more passion in those little trucks than I have seen from most other dine-in places.
There is a food truck on my way home from work that has a line of people every day, rain or shine. During the warmer weather, there can be two or three trucks and it really becomes a party.
Being in construction, we have quite a few people from other states that meet up after hours, choosing a different place every time. None of them come back impressed -and they are easy to please construction workers.