Eat a biscuit, eat a cake, eat the FRIDAY THREAD by mistake

AGinAg (38) said:
It's not that I don't appreciate FINE DINING. I've eaten at similarly priced restaurants here and the product, venue, service has all been amazing, but it's not in our normal price range, even when we're relatively well off. Very much "with the parents" kinda places.
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My tip is very much look for fixed price lunch menus at places which offer them. They are always the heart of any place we go for the day, and I'll often spend half an hour or so doing a bit of googling the night before. We eat out lots, chains and indies, but it's 90% lunch times, and we've had some great ones.

Yes, it's usually a short menu, and often quite similar to each other (in the chains particularly), and I've heard people get sniffy about them, but on the whole it's a very positive experience, which makes sense really, as most restaurants know it's their calling card - you're not going to go back for more expensive food if you had a mediocre cheaper meal once.
 
A local pub that is kind of mid range has just started charging £27.50 for a CHICKEN RISOTTO and everyone's been UP IN ARMS about it locally, but I fear it's just a sign of what's to come.
 
The Ivy chain is a posh diner franchised to within an inch of its life. Nothing about the original Ivy in Covent Garden remains, which is not necessarily a bad thing because that place is an elitist hellhole in itself. But none of the fine dining elements are left - the Ivy chain is just burgers and pasta with fancy names.

The staff are either nowhere to be found when you need something or don’t leave you alone when you’re trying to eat.
 
Sardonicus said:
Opened last year apparently on Castle Street. I didn't know about it but got a gift card for it at Christmas. It was meant to be a belated Valentine's meal as I was supposed to be in Germany last week until all travel got cancelled for the next 6 months :(

Good luck with the interview @jyxz hope it goes well.
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What’s done is done.

Will find out later today.
 
London from what I can tell has seen a big shift towards these more back alley authentic restaurants with basic menus and basic decor that are just all about the food - relaxed and unassuming. And you can see why.

Liverpool has them too but they’re still overshadowed by these theme park restaurants with their Instagram walls and overpriced poached eggs.

People pay for the experience now not the food, and that’s fine, if you can find one where the food (and service) is any good. Seems to be harder and harder now.
 
Sheena said:
A local pub that is kind of mid range has just started charging £27.50 for a CHICKEN RISOTTO and everyone's been UP IN ARMS about it locally, but I fear it's just a sign of what's to come.
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That would really annoy me, because I make a fucking lovely chicken risotto. It may not be as good as a high end one, but I'd be surprised if it was markedly different from a mid range pub. It's piss easy to make, although you have to spend time over it. And when I make it, I usually make a huge panful which I'll get at least four meals out of, and it'll probably cost around a tenner in terms of ingredients.

When I eat out, I don't want to eat something I can easily make at home. I wouldn't pay half that for a risotto and still not think 'I could have made this and it would have been just as good'.

See also ever eating at Gourmet Burger Kitchen or Five Guys again.
 
lolly said:
My tip is very much look for fixed price lunch menus at places which offer them. They are always the heart of any place we go for the day, and I'll often spend half an hour or so doing a bit of googling the night before. We eat out lots, chains and indies, but it's 90% lunch times, and we've had some great ones.

Yes, it's usually a short menu, and often quite similar to each other (in the chains particularly), and I've heard people get sniffy about them, but on the whole it's a very positive experience, which makes sense really, as most restaurants know it's their calling card - you're not going to go back for more expensive food if you had a mediocre cheaper meal once.
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Oh absolutely. There's a few beautiful high end restaurants, in lovely Dedham just up the road from here, that do some amazing set price lunches.

Here's a picture, because one in particular really is a TREAT.

1000022768.jpg
 
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Our in laws gifted us a delivered meal, one of those allegedly high end ones. The steak was good, and there was amazing comte cheese on the bread. But aside from that everything was deeply average. My French onion soup is considerably better. The veg and potatoes were weak as well. Very disappointing, especially considering the cost.
 
lolly said:
My tip is very much look for fixed price lunch menus at places which offer them. They are always the heart of any place we go for the day, and I'll often spend half an hour or so doing a bit of googling the night before. We eat out lots, chains and indies, but it's 90% lunch times, and we've had some great ones.

Yes, it's usually a short menu, and often quite similar to each other (in the chains particularly), and I've heard people get sniffy about them, but on the whole it's a very positive experience, which makes sense really, as most restaurants know it's their calling card - you're not going to go back for more expensive food if you had a mediocre cheaper meal once.
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Used to love them in Spain in the off tourist season. Usually about €12 for three courses and glass of house plonk. *sigh*
 
big ron said:
Used to love them in Spain in the off tourist season. Usually about €12 for three courses and glass of house plonk. *sigh*
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If I was in Spain or Portugal, I'd nearly always go for grilled sardines and a salsa verde. Probably with a sherry. Bliss.
 
I was thinking just yesterday how my sardine intake dropped off a cliff once I came back to the UK.
 
funky said:
Liverpool has them too but they’re still overshadowed by these theme park restaurants with their Instagram walls and overpriced poached eggs.
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Literally this morning I went for breakfast and sent back my poached eggs, which had been poached hard, on an avocado on toast with poached eggs and smoked salmon for £15.95. The waitress did it without issue but the FOOLISH supervisor type lady who came over with the replacement had the nerve to say to me "If you could let your server know if you want them runny next time...". That got SHORT SHRIFT for SIXTEEN FUCKING QUID, LET ME TELL YOU.
 
lolly said:
That would really annoy me, because I make a fucking lovely chicken risotto. It may not be as good as a high end one, but I'd be surprised if it was markedly different from a mid range pub. It's piss easy to make, although you have to spend time over it. And when I make it, I usually make a huge panful which I'll get at least four meals out of, and it'll probably cost around a tenner in terms of ingredients.

When I eat out, I don't want to eat something I can easily make at home. I wouldn't pay half that for a risotto and still not think 'I could have made this and it would have been just as good'.

See also ever eating at Gourmet Burger Kitchen or Five Guys again.
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It's why I normally don't eat pasta in a (UK) Italian restaurant, generally. It doesn't feel like it's worth it when I can do it just as well at home.
 
funky said:
The Ivy chain is a posh diner franchised to within an inch of its life. Nothing about the original Ivy in Covent Garden remains, which is not necessarily a bad thing because that place is an elitist hellhole in itself. But none of the fine dining elements are left - the Ivy chain is just burgers and pasta with fancy names.

The staff are either nowhere to be found when you need something or don’t leave you alone when you’re trying to eat.
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Not my experience but you carry on.
 
lolly said:
Sorry, are hard boiled poached eggs a thing?!
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EXACTLY WHAT I SAID! You'd just order boiled eggs, no?

I was also super polite about it and made little fuss- these things happen, of course- but don't fucking tell me I'm in the wrong for not wanting a rock solid yolk.
 
Sheena said:
Literally this morning I went for breakfast and sent back my poached eggs, which had been poached hard, on an avocado on toast with poached eggs and smoked salmon for £15.95. The waitress did it without issue but the FOOLISH supervisor type lady who came over with the replacement had the nerve to say to me "If you could let your server know if you want them runny next time...". That got SHORT SHRIFT for SIXTEEN FUCKING QUID, LET ME TELL YOU.
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I would be fucking livid if she did that to me
The NERVE!!!
 
Yeah I'd have thrown them in her face.

(I wouldn't)
 
Listening to Whitney Houston whilst also listening to the rain battering it down on the skylight above me. Whose idea was it come back to Ireland again? It never stops fucking raining!!
 
Moopy where can I find The Fugees performance at SNL50 please?
 
Like a dummy I slid on in to work today and it’s literally me and the director here :manson: I really should have stayed home again
 
In OTHER FUCKING UTTER STUPIDITY NEWS, why has it taken SIX FUCKING WEEKS for a Blue Badge renewal for my mother to come through, only for them to say "Sorry, we can't just process this as we need a copy of the Power of Attorney you have for her to act on her behalf", which I've duly provided, another THREE WEEKS have passed and now I've been told "Oh we need a certified copy of identification for her- a passport or driving licence will do". For an 84 year old woman who hasn't been abroad since Yugoslavia was still IN FASHION.

I'M NOT TRYING TO GET HOLD OF PLUTONIUM HERE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE.
 
Sheena said:
In OTHER FUCKING UTTER STUPIDITY NEWS, why has it taken SIX FUCKING WEEKS for a Blue Badge renewal for my mother to come through, only for them to say "Sorry, we can't just process this as we need a copy of the Power of Attorney you have for her to act on her behalf", which I've duly provided, another THREE WEEKS have passed and now I've been told "Oh we need a certified copy of identification for her- a passport or driving licence will do". For an 84 year old woman who hasn't been abroad since Yugoslavia was still IN FASHION.

I'M NOT TRYING TO GET HOLD OF PLUTONIUM HERE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE.
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They're harder to get these according to mother who has not even bothered to try, for fear of rejection.
 
AGinAg (38) said:
They're harder to get these according to mother who has not even bothered to try, for fear of rejection.
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No idea, but she's already gone through the assessments- I mean, she is literally wheelchair bound with Parkinson's. It's all some fucking pen pusher wanting to tick boxes for absolutely no reason.

IT'S NO WONDER YOUR COUNCIL TAX IS SO HIGH etc. etc.
 
FFS, I was in bed watching Bad Girls when a huge spider crawled across the duvet. Buy the time Mr Star responded to my screams he had disappeared. Now I can't possibly sleep in that room tonight :argh:
 
Star said:
FFS, I was in bed watching Bad Girls when a huge spider crawled across the duvet. Buy the time Mr Star responded to my screams he had disappeared. Now I can't possibly sleep in that room tonight :argh:
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PUSSY
 
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