Dining Out

How often do you dine out?  What types of restaurants do you like?

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you will have seen my many restaurant reviews, all linked to Urbanspoon.   Drew and I have dinner together 2-3 times a week.  We tend to eat at diners or mid-priced chains and local restaurants, though we also like fast food restaurants for a quick bite, and we enjoy fine dining on special occasions.  When I'm at work I tend to buy my lunch rather than bring it from home.  And occasionally I have business lunches or dinners.  And I blog about my dining experiences from both ends of the spectrum.

Now my good friend Suzanne also blogs about her dining experiences, and also posts on Urbanspoon.  I know she sometimes eats at chains and fast food places -- she's the one who told us to try Biscuitville in North Carolina.  But she reserves her blogging for interesting local restaurants with exotic menu items.  If you want good food in Central Florida, check out her blog.

It was Urbanspoon that led me to The Art of The Buffet.  The blogger and his wife dine out frequently and always choose buffett restaurants.  They live on Long Island, apparently not too far from Drew, and travel frequently to Virginia and Pennsylvania.  I like his descriptions of the offerings at each restaurant.  I've chosen a few buffetts at his recommendation.

Even my friend Larry, who seldom dines out, seems to be blogging about his wonderful experiences at his favorite food joints.

And then there is Springs . . .I won't give you a link, if you want to see the brand of crazy she's been spouting all over the internet since at least 2005, just google "Springs1 ranch".  (In fact, as you type her name, Google will autofill the word "ranch" as a search term.)  Rather than write about her positive dining experiences, this poor, unfortunate soul is obsessed with her less than wonderful encounters with servers in the various chain restaurants she frequents.  She has no understanding of the hospitality industry or the marketing research relied on by restaurant chains.  She has no grasp of proper service techniques or appropriate dining etiquette, not to mention the concept of delayed gratification.  And yet everyone who disagrees with her is "stupid."  It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy -- she expects bad service and so she gets it.  It's amusing to read, so long as you don't take her seriously.

I was thinking about Springs the last night, when we grabbed a late dinner at Denny's.    We had a few minor mishaps, the kind of stuff that would have sent Springs running to her keyboard.  But the manager made things right, and the server who rang up our bill at the cash register apologized because "we're understaffed tonight".  You either roll with it or you get all tangled up in your negative reaction.

Bottom line is, I liked my fish and chips.  Fish was very crispy, the fries were incredible.  Hadn't had fish in a long time, and this really hit the spot.  Drew ordered breakfast for dinner -- he built his own slam, and he found the grits to be a bit on the dry side until he added some butter and milk.  It's a nice place for a fash, inexpensive meal.



Denny's on Urbanspoon

Comments

  1. "you don't take her seriously."

    But I *AM* serious though with EVERY SINGLE THING I HAVE SAID!

    "if you want to see the brand of crazy"

    How can you say anything I have said is "crazy" when you know it's not, huh?

    "She has no understanding of the hospitality industry or the marketing research relied on by restaurant chains."

    NO, you have no understanding of ********WHO******* is *********PAYING THE TIP HERE, it's not the restaurant owner or manager, is it?

    I have understanding that they are trying to control my money I am paying. I am paying at tip to get what ********I*********** want out the service, NOT what they want out of it STUPID ASS IDIOT CONTROL FREAK!!

    "She has no grasp of proper service techniques"

    Yes I do, you don't!

    So you actually want things to go wrong in your service, huh?

    You really don't want what *YOU* want for your tip money? Come on now, be HONEST now!!

    Nobody would want their server to get them a refill if they want their check if they are in a hurry for example. NO ONE wants their time wasted like that, which time is literally money for the customer and the server, even *YOU* wouldn't want your tip money wasted on that assumption crap!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I saw the Denny's check in and remembered that for LI, Denny's is a novelty!

    There are a few Urban Spoon reviews in the works for me. Like you, I do tend to buy lunch when at work, but that leans towards the chains that most just rate without reviewing (Panera and the Little Greek place I've mentioned being the two usual suspects.)

    I will have to check out Art of the Buffet. He's probably visited Miller's, one in Lancaster that we love.

    Thanks to the prior poster, I will never look at ranch dressing the same way again. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Denny's is expanding here. I like their breakfasts. Kind if wish Biscuitville would come here.


    The buffet blig is interesting, I do think he may have mentioned Miller's.


    Springs must have a google alert set for her name, to find this little blog so quickly! Glad she treated my readers ti a neasure of her crazy, so I need not offer a further explanation.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Springs must have a google alert set for her name,"

    No, I search for my name "Springs1" within the last week or 24hrs. That's how I find myself. I have never heard of a google alert.

    "her crazy"

    I am *NOT* crazy and you know it! Stop lying!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm forbidden from mentioning Biscuitville unless we are close enough to visit one! The menfolk sound like Homer Simpson with his 'forbidden soul donut' when speaking of Biscuitville!

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  6. Biscuitville...yum. My GPS led us astray and we wound up on the wrong side of town, but eventually we found our way there. Well worth it. Thanks again.

    Springs, sweetie, go to Google and look up "google alert". If you set an alert for "springs1 ranch", Google will send you an email every time someone uses your search terms. That way you don't have to do a manual search every week.

    And do try to let go of that anger and attitude and try to enjoy your restaurant experience. I'm sure there are many great restaurants in your neck of the woods, and you're missing out on great experiences by getting yourself all tangled in the perceived insults from the staff.

    ReplyDelete

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