re: Chain Lovers Alert, Red Lob, Olive Grdn Failing

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Yeah. Sell all the ice cream and fried chicken you want. But if you try to sell raw milk, we'll come in with guns drawn.

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No sir, that's just a broom closet and Frank the janitor has the key. He's on vacation and will be back next week.

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Well they ARE more expensive than places like Applebee's and Chili's. Part of that is they do more things in house and use better ingredient.

Like I said, they DO take some shortcuts. But it's not where a lot of people think.

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I understand what you're doing here...you're trying to call out the people that don't like chains because the cool guy on this board doesn't like chains, think Ole Geauxt(I saw a pic of his car yesterday, he has to be cool), but I've been in more kitchens, local and chain, than 99% of the people on a food board. I know how they operate, I know how they cut costs and corners. Of course every chain is not equal. But the fundamental business plan for the majority of chain restaurants is noted above.

Like I said, I don't bash chains. They serve their purpose. I just choose not to support them by choice for several reasons, and I don't turn my nose up at people for visiting them. I just try to get people who think OG(Facebook status: Me and Hubby have date night at OG. My favs) is god's gift to Italian to branch out and try a higher quality product, if they are willing to spend the few extra bucks. Most of the people I think will appreciate it, do.

That tis all...

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I almost bought some raw milk when I was at a grocery store in CA but the cost was just obscene. I want to say it was something like 9 dollars for a half gallon back in 08.

Smith's Creamery is still my favorite branded milk. One of the products I really miss from Louisiana.

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Aesome product, but that's outrageous.

I was having a discussion with something similar yesterday with a friend over eggs in South America and how they are left out on the shelf and nobody seems to die from it. I think the amount of so called "health regulations" we have in this country is borderline lunacy and leaves no room for long held practices or even wonderful crafts like cheese making and aged meats and such without extreme restrictions that stomp out most people's desire to actually do things like that in house at restaurants. It's amazing humans have lived so long without dropping like flies.

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Better watch it or the FDA

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yes, what ould we do without the FDA
My grandpa in Ky would buy whole bone in fresh hams, cover in salt and put in a pillow case. He would tie them up and hang them in an outside building to cure during the cold fall and winter mos. When uncovered in the spring they would be moldy but completely cured. Scrape the mold off, slice and cook, then freeze the rest. Sometimes he would do 6-8 hams. So good for breakfast with grandmas homemade biscuits. They also made kraut in a big crock and kept in the same outdoor building. Good times

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I was having a discussion with something similar yesterday with a friend over eggs in South America and how they are left out on the shelf and nobody seems to die from it

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When I visited Ireland all their eggs were out on a shelf as well, tasted great with some of the local sausages

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When I visited Ireland all their eggs were out on a shelf as well, tasted great with some of the local sausages

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Yeah, we are the land of liberty, and don't you forget it either. Funny how the rest of the world isn't having to fill mass graves.

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The real recap is that not all chains serve absolute shite, which is what some have claimed.

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Yeah, not absolute shite, but not really all that good or great necessarily either. It's like shooting for C's rather than A's and B's though. You may skate by, but is that really the mark we are aiming for here?


!

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But when someone says OG,RL or whatever is "terrible" "total crap" etc. it is an extreme statement that is inflammatory.

Just like "OG is the best Italian food in the world" would be.

Also, many people enjoy going out to places like that, and it is just pompous to classify them all as "mouth breathers" and the like.

We are all involved in things that appear stupid, less sophisticated or ignorant to others.

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I honestly think most who choose to frequent those spots aren't really as much focused on the actual food as other things, prehaps quantity, maybe a fun place they like to gather, price, and the like. Perhaps some really do think it unbelievable food, and that's a sad state of affairs, but if I had to guess, I'd say the real reason people go there isn't because it's some of the best food they've had or because it's great even. My issue, among many, is in them referring to it as Tuscan or Italian in general, but then I get a kick out of a lot of places that make those claims and yet are Americanized versions of the real deal and uaually only cover a very small portion of the country, and limited of that even, usually a sicilian take off. It's like going to Louisiana and going back to Europe to open an American restaurant and serving Cajun. "Wow, I love American food." The surface isn't even remotely scratched.

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I honestly think most who choose to frequent those spots aren't really as much focused on the actual food as other things, prehaps quantity, maybe a fun place they like to gather, price, and the like.

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Agree. I think that is why the "picking" on them bugs me.

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going back to Europe to open an American restaurant and serving Cajun.

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I saw this in Ireland. I was thinking "right, I'm going to order cajun food in Ireland."

What the frick