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eating out vrs. cooking in

I worked in a restaurant as a teenager and I have to say that it was kept clean. We cleaned up every day and then there was Monday, when we scrubbed the place top to bottom and every one chipped in, including the servers.
 
phoenyxstarr said:
I know what you mean, Mama. My mother-in-law is that way; she worked as a waitress for years & knows how kitchens used to look compared to the way they look now. She can't understand how some of these resaurants stay open. They are filthy & the cooks aren't any better.
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That's what I mean - it just seems that our world has changed so much that it's like we just don't care, don't have the respect, etc. And today things are much easier for restaurants! Sure it's a lot of work - but there are more shortcuts that they can use (re: cooking) and better sanitizers, etc. Give me the good ol' days!
 
Mama Mangia said:
I'm very old-fashioned - hair must be pulled back, no nailpolish or fake fingernails on cooks, servers, etc. Hairnets must be in place - cleanliness is a must - for cooks, servers, the kitchen, utensils, etc.
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My mom would frown on female TV cooks with long hair, and who do not tie up their hair, or cooks who handle food with their hands (like tossing salad with its dressing)! She'd just prefer to use tongs or anything but her hands however clean they are.

So I am with you on the absolute need for cleanliness in the kitchen! And that we can definitely do quality control in our own kitchen.
 
I personally feel like I prepare food as good as, or usually better than I can buy in a restarant. The times that we do eat out are either because of time, money, or just being too lazy to cook myself.
 
I used to eat lunch at a chain restaurant, and order French onion soup in a bowl made from sourdough bread. I went there regularly, until the day I saw them bring the soup out in a microwave reheated plastic bag. My thinking is that if I'm going to eat our, the food ought to be cooked individually, and not in mass for thousands, and then frozen, packaged in bags, or whatever.
 
alice - I agree with you - but unfortunately - most restaurants are cooking that way today. It's very hard to find a restaurant that makes everything from scratch. Too many ingredients are pre-cooked or frozen or bagged, etc. I think that most of these places have gotten too "portion" conscious - everything is the profit margin and not what will satisfy the customer. Do you know that place like Burger King and McDonalds actually have classes on how to squirt ketchup and mustard out of their plastic bottles??? The size of the hole in the tip and the size of the circle given can save those companies millions in a year. Looks like the dollar has spoken with these places.

We have a BBQ place here that precooks everything, freezes it and then just throws it on the grill to warm it when you order it. If I want leftovers I can do it myself and I don't have to worry if it fell on the floor or something!
 
My husband and I are both awesome cooks and we have a two year old so it is hard for us to go to a restaurant and actually enjoy our dinner. We tend to compare the meal we get to what we make for ourselves and the restaurant usually falls short of our expectations. We also seem to have left overs when we cook for our lunches during the week.
 
Yeah that is the way it is a lot of places. I know where I used to work the soups were all prepackaged Campbells soup.

I can't stand eating out unless it is at a small homecookin restaurant. The food just isn't fresh at these restaurant chains. Especially breakfast. You'd be suprised how long the bacon/sausage/breakfast potatoes sit there. Yuck.
 
I think In-And-Out should be fine ya? I see them making their fries fresh.
 
For the most part, I'd rather cook at home. Of course, once in a while everyone needs a break. We usually eat out once a week (lunch) while we're out running around and it's generally somewhere they make the food in front of you (not that it's a guarantee of anything, it just makes me feel better :p) We love Qdoba and we like Subway well enough to eat there sometimes when I'm just not in the mood to cook.
 
I work for my in laws in their concession trailer sometimes in the summer. They are very neat and keep things in order, but I see other trailers around them, and really start to notice things. There are so many things that can be done incorrectly and the consumer would never know. It makes me think twice before I eat out these days, especially at a festival or carnival. I still eat out, but always pay attention to cleanliness of the establishment, at least what I can see of it. I also pay attention to how the staff handles the food, and what they do when they think no one is looking.
 
Barkely - isn't funny how once you start to work in the food industry you can see a lot and notice more than if you weren't working in the industry.

A couple years ago we had a terrible outbreak from a carnival - the cause - the rain water from filthy and rusty rain spouts was making its way into the water that was being used by the food trailers. A year after that is was the well water that they were using that was no good. So many ended up in the hospital. It's so scary! Normally you would not think of these things. Many consumers think that just because a food service worker is wearing plastic gloves all is well. Not so!!
 
Yes, it definately makes you think. You hear more about what some people do, and you see their behind the scene habits. My sister worked for a restaurant for a few years, and I won't mention the name because it is a chain. They had several issues at that particular restaurant, and I always wondered if it was just that restaurant or the whole chain.
I think it has all made me much pickier about where I will eat at, but I still enjoy a good restaurant.
 
Hmmm, maybe I will think twice before getting that corn dog at the State Fair next year.

Although, I get one every time I go (tradition!) and it hasn't killed me yet. I generally don't get skeeved out by this sort of thing, which might be good or it might be bad. I'm not a germaphobe, but then again you have to use good sense.
 
As much as possible I try to eat at home. They are almost always the best tasting and the safest. I remember one time on the radio, a lady reporter went to this fastfood restaurant and was about to sip on her Coke when she saw a cockroach floating. She ended up suing the resto. Good restaurants nowadays are so expensive that you after a great eat and you see your check, you just ended up getting depressed LOL. But seriously, it's a good thing to eat out every once in a while, especially with a good company, good food and good conversation.
 
I prefer home-cooked meals because you could always cook the food to match your taste and you could develop your creativity too. Dining out is convenient if you live alone or if you simply don't have enough time to prepare your food but sometimes, you just don't get what you pay for and that's just frustrating.
 
We enjoy eating out, but I hate spending the money for it! For the money I spend for lunch for us, I could make dinner for 2-3 nights! Besides, if you don't go out to eat often, then when you do get to go; it seems like more of a treat!
 
It depends upon the mood.:).
We go out every week and eat outside but when it's rainy, i prefer to cook something special especially during sundays. Special day for family huh..
 
We prefer eating out. The kids are always so picky. That way everyone gets something they want and cant complain about it because they picked it out!
 
Tough choice!
I personally know that home cooking is better and I actually cook regularly but somehow I love dining out too. May be it's just the thrill of going out somewhere
coz actually if I put in my best, I end up cooking better than restaurants sometimes....lol!
 
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