What is a restaurant?
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Nice light friday topic. I would never, not in a million years, call Steers, Nandos, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. a restaurant. Calling them a restaurant is like calling Twiggy a voluptous woman. i.e. Unfair to other beautiful voluptous women... or restaurants.. err, yeah. Steers or McCardboards or KFC is a take away to me, nothing more. A restaurant has proper waiters, not self service. It has proper chairs, not plastic-bolted-to-the-floor-so-the-brothas-kant-steal-em chairs. It has a wine list, not a soda fountain. The doors are hinged and have door knobs on them, not wooosh like Star Trek doors. The waiter asks "What may I get you kind sirs" not "Sorry, me Easturn Euuurroop... Eurooopeaaann, no spreke de Anglais" or "wot you won't brover?" And finally they actually cook your food from fresh, taking 20 minutes at least. Microwaves are only used to give custard a nice thick top, not to re-heat your already banged together burger from a 10 year old deep freeze store.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
One important thing - you get a plate and cutlery I can remember Wimpy's (A UK burger chain) still having waiter service and bringing you your burger on a plate -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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One important thing - you get a plate and cutlery I can remember Wimpy's (A UK burger chain) still having waiter service and bringing you your burger on a plate -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
benjymous wrote: can remember Wimpy's (A UK burger chain) still having waiter service and bringing you your burger on a plate Yeah, we have Wimpy here too... though I hate to say they are absolutely terrible. They fry/reheat their burgers like McDonalds, not like the wonderful flame grilled burgers of Steers. Wimpy is a take away in my books.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
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One important thing - you get a plate and cutlery I can remember Wimpy's (A UK burger chain) still having waiter service and bringing you your burger on a plate -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
Unfortunately Wimpy's was also the name of a garbage disposal firm, I hope the two werent related :~ Ryan.
They read good books, and quote, but never learn a language other than the scream of rocket-burn. Our straighter talk is drowned but ironclad; elections, money, empire, oil and Dad.
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benjymous wrote: can remember Wimpy's (A UK burger chain) still having waiter service and bringing you your burger on a plate Yeah, we have Wimpy here too... though I hate to say they are absolutely terrible. They fry/reheat their burgers like McDonalds, not like the wonderful flame grilled burgers of Steers. Wimpy is a take away in my books.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
I think they made the flip from being a proper restaurant that actually cooked food to being a fast food takeway place about 15 years ago (a guesstimation from how old I guess I was) - I assume to be able to compete with McDonalds. I think the branch of Wimpy's in my home town closed a couple of years after the branch of McDonalds opened -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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Unfortunately Wimpy's was also the name of a garbage disposal firm, I hope the two werent related :~ Ryan.
They read good books, and quote, but never learn a language other than the scream of rocket-burn. Our straighter talk is drowned but ironclad; elections, money, empire, oil and Dad.
The burger chain was named after the burger eating character in Popeye -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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I think they made the flip from being a proper restaurant that actually cooked food to being a fast food takeway place about 15 years ago (a guesstimation from how old I guess I was) - I assume to be able to compete with McDonalds. I think the branch of Wimpy's in my home town closed a couple of years after the branch of McDonalds opened -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
It seems that way. :confused: When I was a kid we used to go to one occasionally - and they did these amazing bendy frankfurters in a bun. Somewhere along the line they lost the plot. Something else to blame MacDonalds for... Anna :rose: www.annasplace.me.uk
"Be yourself - not what others think you should be"
- Marcia GraeschTrouble with resource IDs? Try the Resource ID Organiser Add-In for Visual C++
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It seems that way. :confused: When I was a kid we used to go to one occasionally - and they did these amazing bendy frankfurters in a bun. Somewhere along the line they lost the plot. Something else to blame MacDonalds for... Anna :rose: www.annasplace.me.uk
"Be yourself - not what others think you should be"
- Marcia GraeschTrouble with resource IDs? Try the Resource ID Organiser Add-In for Visual C++
Anna-Jayne Metcalfe wrote: amazing bendy frankfurters in a bun They still do those "Bender in a bun" much hilarity to be had -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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Nice light friday topic. I would never, not in a million years, call Steers, Nandos, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. a restaurant. Calling them a restaurant is like calling Twiggy a voluptous woman. i.e. Unfair to other beautiful voluptous women... or restaurants.. err, yeah. Steers or McCardboards or KFC is a take away to me, nothing more. A restaurant has proper waiters, not self service. It has proper chairs, not plastic-bolted-to-the-floor-so-the-brothas-kant-steal-em chairs. It has a wine list, not a soda fountain. The doors are hinged and have door knobs on them, not wooosh like Star Trek doors. The waiter asks "What may I get you kind sirs" not "Sorry, me Easturn Euuurroop... Eurooopeaaann, no spreke de Anglais" or "wot you won't brover?" And finally they actually cook your food from fresh, taking 20 minutes at least. Microwaves are only used to give custard a nice thick top, not to re-heat your already banged together burger from a 10 year old deep freeze store.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
So would you consider one of the American chains like Denny's, SIzzler, Bickford's or anything similar a restaurant? They have everything you describe, but their food is not culin-art, and the service isn't top notch. The wait staff usually have attitudes and the prices are cheap like fast food restaurants. I only consider something a restaurant if the food is good. Otherwise, it's either shite or someplace I won't go to. Brigg Thorp Software Engineer Timex Corporation
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Nice light friday topic. I would never, not in a million years, call Steers, Nandos, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. a restaurant. Calling them a restaurant is like calling Twiggy a voluptous woman. i.e. Unfair to other beautiful voluptous women... or restaurants.. err, yeah. Steers or McCardboards or KFC is a take away to me, nothing more. A restaurant has proper waiters, not self service. It has proper chairs, not plastic-bolted-to-the-floor-so-the-brothas-kant-steal-em chairs. It has a wine list, not a soda fountain. The doors are hinged and have door knobs on them, not wooosh like Star Trek doors. The waiter asks "What may I get you kind sirs" not "Sorry, me Easturn Euuurroop... Eurooopeaaann, no spreke de Anglais" or "wot you won't brover?" And finally they actually cook your food from fresh, taking 20 minutes at least. Microwaves are only used to give custard a nice thick top, not to re-heat your already banged together burger from a 10 year old deep freeze store.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
To me a restaurant is a place where you can sit down and buy food - unless it's a tea garden, in which case it is a tea garden not a restaurant :) (wow - I'm really great at explaining things today :rolleyes: ). Perhaps it is a result of my putting myself through college and thinking that £4,50 Mr Wu's all you can eat Chinese was a great feed at the time :-O
A pack of geeks, pale and skinny, feeling a bit pumped and macho after a morning of strenuous mouse clicking and dragging, arriving en masse at the gym. They carefully reset the machines to the lowest settings, offer to spot for each other on the 5 lb dumbells, and rediscover the art of macrame while attempting to jump rope. -Roger Wright on my colleagues and I going to gym each day at lunch
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Nice light friday topic. I would never, not in a million years, call Steers, Nandos, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. a restaurant. Calling them a restaurant is like calling Twiggy a voluptous woman. i.e. Unfair to other beautiful voluptous women... or restaurants.. err, yeah. Steers or McCardboards or KFC is a take away to me, nothing more. A restaurant has proper waiters, not self service. It has proper chairs, not plastic-bolted-to-the-floor-so-the-brothas-kant-steal-em chairs. It has a wine list, not a soda fountain. The doors are hinged and have door knobs on them, not wooosh like Star Trek doors. The waiter asks "What may I get you kind sirs" not "Sorry, me Easturn Euuurroop... Eurooopeaaann, no spreke de Anglais" or "wot you won't brover?" And finally they actually cook your food from fresh, taking 20 minutes at least. Microwaves are only used to give custard a nice thick top, not to re-heat your already banged together burger from a 10 year old deep freeze store.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
I remember one situation when kind of waitress (ok, in fact it's been the nice woman taking my order :~ ) brought me my burger: it'd taken theme some time to get it heated, so I could feel kind of being well served ... just being a little important:cool: ... and I even saved the tip for the waitress I'd pay in a REAL restaurant... soI'd been happy all over the day! But that's unfortunately my best memory of all visits at McDonalds!:(
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So would you consider one of the American chains like Denny's, SIzzler, Bickford's or anything similar a restaurant? They have everything you describe, but their food is not culin-art, and the service isn't top notch. The wait staff usually have attitudes and the prices are cheap like fast food restaurants. I only consider something a restaurant if the food is good. Otherwise, it's either shite or someplace I won't go to. Brigg Thorp Software Engineer Timex Corporation
Brigg Thorp wrote: American chains like Denny's, SIzzler, Bickford's Never heard of those, so cannot comment on them. Brigg Thorp wrote: They have everything you describe, but their food is not culin-art, and the service isn't top notch. The wait staff usually have attitudes and the prices are cheap like fast food restaurants. Yes, I would consider those restaurants. But as you hint they would just be bad restaurants. I think my definition is a restaurant focuses on serving you food sitting down while a take away focuses on getting as fast as possible through a queue of people to get them out the door with a plastic bag of food. A take away may have seating, but it would still focus more on take away, while many restuarants can have take aways, but still focus on sit down meals. LOL, not that we should stressing over this. Rather stress over VB.NET in the Soapbox I say. :rolleyes:
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
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To me a restaurant is a place where you can sit down and buy food - unless it's a tea garden, in which case it is a tea garden not a restaurant :) (wow - I'm really great at explaining things today :rolleyes: ). Perhaps it is a result of my putting myself through college and thinking that £4,50 Mr Wu's all you can eat Chinese was a great feed at the time :-O
A pack of geeks, pale and skinny, feeling a bit pumped and macho after a morning of strenuous mouse clicking and dragging, arriving en masse at the gym. They carefully reset the machines to the lowest settings, offer to spot for each other on the 5 lb dumbells, and rediscover the art of macrame while attempting to jump rope. -Roger Wright on my colleagues and I going to gym each day at lunch
Megan Forbes wrote: wow - I'm really great at explaining things today LOL, loik, you are good at explaining hard things, except some, which you aren't, loik, other people who are, loik, yeah right. Get my drift? Megan Forbes wrote: £4,50 For that I can get a 5 course, 5 star meal at Five Flies complete with a bottle of wine. Five Flies is a DAMNED good restaurant. Highly recommend here in Cape Town.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
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Megan Forbes wrote: wow - I'm really great at explaining things today LOL, loik, you are good at explaining hard things, except some, which you aren't, loik, other people who are, loik, yeah right. Get my drift? Megan Forbes wrote: £4,50 For that I can get a 5 course, 5 star meal at Five Flies complete with a bottle of wine. Five Flies is a DAMNED good restaurant. Highly recommend here in Cape Town.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
Paul Watson wrote: For that I can get a 5 course, 5 star meal at Five Flies complete with a bottle of wine. Five Flies is a DAMNED good restaurant. Highly recommend here in Cape Town :(( The torture - will it ever end!!! Sadly it worked out easier for me to move here, work full time and study evenings than it did to stay in SA and do it on an SA paycheck. Oh well, it was probably a good thing - it delayed Brend and I getting married too early before we were emotionally ready for such a step. :)
A pack of geeks, pale and skinny, feeling a bit pumped and macho after a morning of strenuous mouse clicking and dragging, arriving en masse at the gym. They carefully reset the machines to the lowest settings, offer to spot for each other on the 5 lb dumbells, and rediscover the art of macrame while attempting to jump rope. -Roger Wright on my colleagues and I going to gym each day at lunch
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One important thing - you get a plate and cutlery I can remember Wimpy's (A UK burger chain) still having waiter service and bringing you your burger on a plate -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
benjymous wrote: I can remember Wimpy's (A UK burger chain) still having waiter service and bringing you your burger on a plate You bring back memories. I do not know if they are related but we had those somewhere in my youth. Not sure if LA or Chicago? "I will find a new sig someday."
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So would you consider one of the American chains like Denny's, SIzzler, Bickford's or anything similar a restaurant? They have everything you describe, but their food is not culin-art, and the service isn't top notch. The wait staff usually have attitudes and the prices are cheap like fast food restaurants. I only consider something a restaurant if the food is good. Otherwise, it's either shite or someplace I won't go to. Brigg Thorp Software Engineer Timex Corporation
Brigg Thorp wrote: Denny's, SIzzler No they are not restaurants. Better than McD's but. "I will find a new sig someday."
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Nice light friday topic. I would never, not in a million years, call Steers, Nandos, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. a restaurant. Calling them a restaurant is like calling Twiggy a voluptous woman. i.e. Unfair to other beautiful voluptous women... or restaurants.. err, yeah. Steers or McCardboards or KFC is a take away to me, nothing more. A restaurant has proper waiters, not self service. It has proper chairs, not plastic-bolted-to-the-floor-so-the-brothas-kant-steal-em chairs. It has a wine list, not a soda fountain. The doors are hinged and have door knobs on them, not wooosh like Star Trek doors. The waiter asks "What may I get you kind sirs" not "Sorry, me Easturn Euuurroop... Eurooopeaaann, no spreke de Anglais" or "wot you won't brover?" And finally they actually cook your food from fresh, taking 20 minutes at least. Microwaves are only used to give custard a nice thick top, not to re-heat your already banged together burger from a 10 year old deep freeze store.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
Paul Watson wrote: I would never, not in a million years, call Steers, Nandos, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. a restaurant. Agreed with the ones I know. So your Nandos is a SA McDonalds? "I will find a new sig someday."
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Paul Watson wrote: I would never, not in a million years, call Steers, Nandos, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. a restaurant. Agreed with the ones I know. So your Nandos is a SA McDonalds? "I will find a new sig someday."
Michael A. Barnhart wrote: So your Nandos is a SA McDonalds? In that they are both take away joints, yes. In every other way, no. Steers is more our version of McDonalds, except Steers makes good burgers. Nandos makes Portugese style chicken. Very, very yummy.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
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Michael A. Barnhart wrote: So your Nandos is a SA McDonalds? In that they are both take away joints, yes. In every other way, no. Steers is more our version of McDonalds, except Steers makes good burgers. Nandos makes Portugese style chicken. Very, very yummy.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
Paul Watson wrote: Nandos makes Portugese style chicken. Very, very yummy. That is a new variation for me. What is unique about it? Can I get the ingredents here in the states? (And yes we have chicken!) "I will find a new sig someday."
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Paul Watson wrote: Nandos makes Portugese style chicken. Very, very yummy. That is a new variation for me. What is unique about it? Can I get the ingredents here in the states? (And yes we have chicken!) "I will find a new sig someday."
Michael A. Barnhart wrote: What is unique about it? The peri peri bit. If you do not know what peri peri is then just imagine hot, spicy flavouring. Basically Portugese style chicken is flame grilled chicken marinated in a peri peri sauce. Per peri though is not the same as something like Tobasco or just chillis. It has more flavour and is not meant to just kill taste buds with heat :) Some Portugese recipes, I have no favourites, just see what you can get locally. Another fantastic Portuguese food is Chorizo, a type of sausage cooked over burning alcohol (methanol alcohol, not ethanol.) Absolutely incredible flavour, very recommended. My mom loves Porkandcheese food, so I grew up on it. I am sure there must be some Portugese shops/people around your parts.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
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Nice light friday topic. I would never, not in a million years, call Steers, Nandos, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. a restaurant. Calling them a restaurant is like calling Twiggy a voluptous woman. i.e. Unfair to other beautiful voluptous women... or restaurants.. err, yeah. Steers or McCardboards or KFC is a take away to me, nothing more. A restaurant has proper waiters, not self service. It has proper chairs, not plastic-bolted-to-the-floor-so-the-brothas-kant-steal-em chairs. It has a wine list, not a soda fountain. The doors are hinged and have door knobs on them, not wooosh like Star Trek doors. The waiter asks "What may I get you kind sirs" not "Sorry, me Easturn Euuurroop... Eurooopeaaann, no spreke de Anglais" or "wot you won't brover?" And finally they actually cook your food from fresh, taking 20 minutes at least. Microwaves are only used to give custard a nice thick top, not to re-heat your already banged together burger from a 10 year old deep freeze store.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africalauren wrote: theyre making a movie about me "confessions of a dangerous bitch" (hey! she said it, not me)
Restaurants are rare; the last truly great restaurant I frequented was called the Cliffhanger, being perched at 5000 ft elevation, high above the So. California valleys. The owners were Greeks, Dino and Ianos Nanopoulos, the menu had items from around the world, all prepared to perfection and served by a staff of smartly uniformed waiters. The wine list was extensive and expensive, and the chef was inclined to burst out of the kitchen to beg me to change my order if he had just taken out of the oven a new delicacy that simply must be tasted to be believed. On a clear night we could watch the fireworks in Avalon Harbor, 26 miles off the coast - >100 miles away - and on a really good night, the owner would join our table and stand a round of drinks ($40 - $70/shot; he had expensive tastes). Those were the days... Tournedos of Beef that would melt in your mouth, Calamari so light and fluffy it seemed delicately flavored air, Lobsters so fresh that they crawled to the table, introduced themselves, and committed suicide in a vat of hot garlic butter for your dining pleasure. A far cry from McD's!:-D Nobody wants to read a diary by someone who has not seen the shadow of Bubba on the prison shower wall in front of them!
Paul Watson, on BLOGS and privacy - 1/16/2003