Bad cooking in restaurants

[nwslopoke]

Beef chuck shoulder is up around $6.50lb at Winco. i don't buy it except when it drop to $4.00 and change. Over $7.00 for short ribs. Braised beef short ribs! Mmmmmm.....haven't bought them in years. Braised beef-shanks are a decent second, with bonus marrow!

No offense to Winco. I can't say it's on the level of Walmart, but I never buy or rarely, meat from there. Especially since I came back from Europe, I go to The Meating Place or even Whole foods for meat. I have some medical issues, and my gut needs all the help it can get. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to replicate the same results as I have in several countries across Europe, but their food is just healthier. Even Canada is slightly better, for me. Me, being the key. Measured by the amount of meds I need when I am away from here.

 

[sobo]

Regarding food trucks; they're my immune system booster. I even try them in foreign countries. That which does not kill you...

Had BBQ rat-on-a-stick from a street cart in Saigon about 20 years ago. Was the best damned small animal I've ever eaten, and that's sayin' sump'n. And I never got sick, either!

But that damned durian ice cream. I don't know how people eat that shiit...

 

[arakboss]

What happened to all the good places to eat. the cooking has gone down hill in every restaurant out there. slow decline over the last 20 years or so. steep decline since COVID. even steeper over the last few years.smaller portions, prices through the roof. I remember the eighty's when buffets were at their peak. even the nineties when you could get a good chicken fried steak on I90 anywhere from Spokane to Fargo. pre made heat and eat now. there are a few good places left. the OLD SPAGHETTY Factory for one. even Los Dos used to be good but the portions have shrunk by half.

Good help is hard to find.

View: https://youtu.be/A_set7Do_gg?feature=shared

 

[P7M13]

Most of the amazing cooks, have now turned 50+ and now are retiring.
You have a younger crowd that can't use a can opener. So the food comes in instant everything as US foods who supplied these places they can tell you how many places order instant and frozen everything.

Two of my kids are phenomenal cooks, but neither one wants anything to do with working in a kitchen. It's not that they're lazy -- it's always been a crap job.

I'm going to make a pot roast soon. Used to be a cheap meal. I'm guessing it will be $30 for the ingredients of beef and vegetables. Though one serving at a sit down would be close to $25.

I'm appalled at beef costs. I was planning on a borscht this week, so pulled out two pounds of venison hind quarter cuts from my last buck. I made a corned beef spice rub and the cuts have been soaking in the spices for the last 48 hours.
I bought my spice at a desi market. While I was at it, picked up a half pound each of garam masala and panch puran. Picked up 5# of beets there too -- they looked much better than the ones at Winco, and were 30¢ less per pound.

edit to add:

No offense to Winco. I can't say it's on the level of Walmart, but I never buy or rarely, meat from there. Especially since I came back from Europe, I go to The Meating Place or even Whole foods for meat. I have some medical issues, and my gut needs all the help it can get. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to replicate the same results as I have in several countries across Europe, but their food is just healthier. Even Canada is slightly better, for me. Me, being the key. Measured by the amount of meds I need when I am away from here.

Funny you should write that. The stores I've bought meat at : Winco, Roths, Safeway, Freds, Whole Foods, New Seasons and on rare occasion, the Meating Place. The meat carried by Safeway, Freds and New Seasons all leave me feeling like crap the next day. Winco doesn't. I've only bought Salmon at WF, but I stopped shopping there because I've seen too many perishable foods on their shelves that were past expiration.
I found Roths on S. Commercial in Salem consistently had the best meat value for the buck. Every time they had a sale on beef, I'd go get a few porterhouse cuts.

But that damned durian ice cream. I don't know how people eat that shiit...

It's an acquired taste. In some other thread here I posted about when I gave durian cookies to a kid while waiting at an airport.

 

[teflon6string]

So what's the smart move in a restaurant when something is poorly prepared? Return it to the kitchen and hope it doesn't come back out with a big loogie (or some "special sauce") in it?

 

[gmerkt]

Do they have Outback in Oregon? It's a well-established brand, been around for a while. Managed to survive the Covid situation, at least in my area.

About three weeks ago, Mrs. Merkt and I ate at Outback. She a burger, me a roast beef dip sandwich. When the waitress brought our food out, the first sniff of mine said something was wrong. Then I took a bite, it was definitely "off." No taste of beef, and very "blinky" (as my mother used to say) in what taste there was. I sent it back. I think it's the first time I've ever found restaurant food so inedible that I had to do that. Not only as to taste, but also because I thought there was potential for being made sick. In substitution, I had them bring me a burger; I didn't want to have another run at the sliced beef. Why should I assume it would be any better?

You'd think that the cook himself would've smelled the bad beef.

 

[MymuttBear]

Do they have Outback in Oregon? It's a well-established brand, been around for a while. Managed to survive the Covid situation, at least in my area.

About three weeks ago, Mrs. Merkt and I ate at Outback. She a burger, me a roast beef dip sandwich. When the waitress brought our food out, the first sniff of mine said something was wrong. Then I took a bite, it was definitely "off." No taste of beef, and very "blinky" (as my mother used to say) in what taste there was. I sent it back. I think it's the first time I've ever found restaurant food so inedible that I had to do that. Not only as to taste, but also because I thought there was potential for being made sick. In substitution, I had them bring me a burger; I didn't want to have another run at the sliced beef. Why should I assume it would be any better?

You'd think that the cook himself would've smelled the bad beef.

I ordered fried chicken at an airport once that my nose said don't eat it, I did anyway. I ended up in hospital, with food poisoning, after firehosing out of both ends....

 

[TTSX]

Do they have Outback in Oregon? It's a well-established brand, been around for a while. Managed to survive the Covid situation, at least in my area.

About three weeks ago, Mrs. Merkt and I ate at Outback. She a burger, me a roast beef dip sandwich. When the waitress brought our food out, the first sniff of mine said something was wrong. Then I took a bite, it was definitely "off." No taste of beef, and very "blinky" (as my mother used to say) in what taste there was. I sent it back. I think it's the first time I've ever found restaurant food so inedible that I had to do that. Not only as to taste, but also because I thought there was potential for being made sick. In substitution, I had them bring me a burger; I didn't want to have another run at the sliced beef. Why should I assume it would be any better?

You'd think that the cook himself would've smelled the bad beef.

I ordered fried chicken at an airport once that my nose said don't eat it, I did anyway. I ended up in hospital, with food poisoning, after firehosing out of both ends....

Food poisoning is no joke. You think it is until you've had a nasty dose of it. I am much less trusting of "cold deli" products at the grocery store, now.

 

[Dante012]

I guess that is one of the reasons not to go to the restaurants and after watching movie "Waiting..." Well that is another reason.

 

[po18guy]

Bad food in restaurants? I thought the work-release program was doing just fine...

 

[Alexx1401]

So what's the smart move in a restaurant when something is poorly prepared? Return it to the kitchen and hope it doesn't come back out with a big loogie (or some "special sauce") in it?

I have known, and currently have a couple family members who I will NOT go out with for just this reason. They are such jerks I am afraid my food will be done in. For me? If I get something poorly done I will NEVER send it back then eat what comes back. I tend to just not return to the place.

 

[kmk1012]

Food poisoning is no joke. You think it is until you've had a nasty dose of it. I am much less trusting of "cold deli" products at the grocery store, now.

Being on chemo daily has its perks I gotta admit. Everything I eat has the same result, LOL. At least I know what to expect

 

[P7M13]

After a helluva week, I'm at the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, and I think I'll have a beer before my flight.
I order a seasonal tap, and the bar tender sees she has no clean glasses. She grabs a dirty one off the counter, dumps it's liquid in one sink, dips the glass in this opaque brown-gray water, rinses it, then draws the beer. I watch the whole thing, and as she's offering the glass to me, I say, "yuck - no thank you."
I've never ordered a drink in an airport bar since. There's a reason that health departments require dishes be washed in 180°F water for at least two minutes.

 

[foxmeadow]

I haven't noticed the quality declining as much as the price rising. Except with burger/sandwich buns. It's like they make em pre stale at the factory.

Love me a good, stale $25 burger with 7 fries and a dollop of sauce

Try Cornucopia in Eugene if you're in the area. Voted best Burger in town for many, many years.

 

[Diamondback]

Letcha all in on a little secret... Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes cookbooks. The taste they USED to be and sometimes even healthier, plus no little sh!t getting snotty about special requests and some items even have lo-fat or lite variations.

No crap, you can make a six course meal with dishes from six different restaurants without even one waiting list or snooty "host." Cheaper too!

 

[TopGun007]

Good help is hard to find.

View: https://youtu.be/A_set7Do_gg?feature=shared

The Conway/Korman vid was NOT FAIR !! I had to watch it 7 times in a row. Fell off my chair laughing 8 times. Whatever you do ... DO NOT post the Conway/Korman dentist video !! Bless the Carol Burnett Show !!

 

[TopGun007]

What happened to all the good places to eat. the cooking has gone down hill in every restaurant out there. slow decline over the last 20 years or so. steep decline since COVID. even steeper over the last few years.smaller portions, prices through the roof. I remember the eighty's when buffets were at their peak. even the nineties when you could get a good chicken fried steak on I90 anywhere from Spokane to Fargo. pre made heat and eat now. there are a few good places left. the OLD SPAGHETTY Factory for one. even Los Dos used to be good but the portions have shrunk by half.

If you live in the Salem, OR area try Whites Restaurant on South Commercial in Salem.

 

[sobo]

Whatever you do ... DO NOT post the Conway/Korman dentist video !!

That one is pretty awesome! I still recall it!

 

[Alexx1401]

On this same theme Wife and I decided to go out last night since I finally had a night off. Went to our favorite local Applebee's. When we walked in no waiting, place about half full. Seat us, give us menus, and nothing. After about :10 of a lot of employee's walking past one finally asks if we have ordered. I said no one has even acknowledged we are here. She promised to find our server. Little while later another employee breezes past us that I had seen a couple other time and starts taking an order at a table further down from us. Wife and I just got up and left. There is a 5 guys down the road so we went in there. Wife was wondering how the place has fallen so bad. I said you have to remember the staff there is now making close to $20 and hour and even at that the place has trouble getting them to show up.

 

[MymuttBear]

On this same theme Wife and I decided to go out last night since I finally had a night off. Went to our favorite local Applebee's. When we walked in no waiting, place about half full. Seat us, give us menus, and nothing. After about :10 of a lot of employee's walking past one finally asks if we have ordered. I said no one has even acknowledged we are here. She promised to find our server. Little while later another employee breezes past us that I had seen a couple other time and starts taking an order at a table further down from us. Wife and I just got up and left. There is a 5 guys down the road so we went in there. Wife was wondering how the place has fallen so bad. I said you have to remember the staff there is now making close to $20 and hour and even at that the place has trouble getting them to show up.

....lot of employee's walking past one.....the place has trouble getting them to show up

Doesn't sound like there was a problem with the number of staff. I've noticed service has uniformly just gotten worse since the economy is going so strong.
Servers know they can almost walk into another job so why bother looking after customers? I show my displeasure by leaving a tip commensurate with the level of service I have received, that's if I don't walk out as you did.

I did leave a review for a restaurant I went to noting the low standard of food and crappy service. The manager left a reply, nothing unusual in that, however what WAS surprising was offering a free meal for two if we cared to try again.
That is why that particular place gets good reviews.