chique, what is it? Since I’m often in your neck of the woods, I’d love to find a place that doesn’t suck. I mean, one can only take so much Granite City and Green Mill. I’m not a small-town Midwestern guy, and the food is the hardest thing for me to deal with when I’m there.
Lamar Mundane, I am totally with you on Baby Doe’s. It blows. I’m not sure why people like it. I’ve never met someone who I really trust about food say that had a good experience there, though.
For my contribution, Lutece in Vegas. I’m really hoping it’s just a very pale imitation of the original, because “blah.” Service was good, food was acceptable, but just acceptable.
I have reservations at the French Laundry in August. Hopefully they won’t let me down.
I’m going to put a great big huge caveat right here: This is not fine dining on a par with LA/NYC/SF or, for that matter, MPLS, but it’s as close as one can get in this burg, ok? It’s Michael’s, run by a crazy old Austrian guy and attached to the AmericInn on Hwy. 10. Please do let me know what you think.
There’s another place in Waite Park called Bear Creek that’s not bad, either. It does lean towards bar food, but some of their entrees are excellent. And their food doesn’t come from freakin’ Apperts.
I haven’t heard anything about it burning down! That’s not to say it hasn’t happened, but if so, it’d be a shame. That place is (was?) pretty good. We’ve learned not to go there on any occasions, because they don’t take reservations and we’re not into sitting outside wilting in the humidity for an hour or more.
Actually, we ate there for the first time last month, and we thought it was very, very good. And very inexpensive! If there was a time when it was better, I guess we’ve missed out.
I haven’t had a good souvlaki in about a quarter of a century. I haven’t had any souvlaki since I came to the US. Maybe there’s a good Greek restaurant hiding in Jacksonville. Do you know about any there? If not, Jax makes up for it by having European Street. There are also no Polish or Hungarian restaurants here. Bummer. [sarcasm mode/] And hey, are you not familiar with Wok ‘n’ Roll? Or Chinee Takee Outee? [/sarcasm mode]
I’m still not convinced that that is not how all pizza is done in CA. Worse, the prices are at gourmet pizza levels (brick oven places back on the East Coast). Ick.
We also have the usual crappy chain steak houses like Outback and Andersons, along with most other chain restaurants.
But for homegrown poor, I nominate two of the so-called Italian restaurants in town: Campobello and Romano’s, with the latter being one of the worst examples of what Italian food is NOT. Pasta swimming in pools of “alfredo” sauce, everything else smothered with some sort of gloppy cheese.
People seem to like it, though, but I’ve found that most people have no idea what it’s supposed to taste like and equate large quantities with quality.
Here in London, UK, it’s got to be The Ivy. This place has an amazing sky-high reputation, especially among foodies, luvvies and the arts/media crowd, and I have no idea why. I’ve been there twice, and on both occasions someone else was paying so I was effectively there for free. Yet both times the place could suck the pattern off a carpet. Service - not good. The second time I went my host asked the waiter for a glass of water and ten minutes later it still hadn’t arrived. Menu - very short, limited and dull. Food - definitely nothing special. Decor - there isn’t any. Ambience - just noisy, over-crowded chatter. Prices - arm and a leg.
Trivia note - the second time I was there, Oprah Winfrey was in there too.
On reading the thread title Village Pizza & Seafood in Houston jumped immediately to mind. For some odd reason this chain is popular (new and expanding), there is nothing wrong with the food but there is nothing right either, it’s just “there”.
Here in Ann Arbor, it’s gotta be The Gandy Dancer. “Fancy service” that isn’t, bleh food, overpriced, all the usual suspects are in attendence.
We have a problem here with a lot of bleh, overpriced restaurants. Unfortunately, the market is driven by a)football crowds and b)parents of U of M students, who largely hail from the bland-o-riffic middle class burbs of Detroit. If a blander place than Farmington Hills exists, I don’t know about it (though parts of N. Virginia give it a run for its money.)
The owners of The Gandy Dancer own two or three other overpriced, underwhelming restaurants in town, but for being both the priciest and most underwhelming, The Gandy Dancer wins.
Here in the City of the Violet Crown, amid untold culinary splendor, lie fetid pits of mediocrity that often snare the unsuspecting. Their very names make me queasy: Luby’s, Old San Francisco Steakhouse, Texas Land & Cattle Co., Pappasito/deaux’s, Maudie’s… the list, sadly, goes on…
However, some of the places favored by the geriatric set are actually rather good; my favorite example of this phenomenon is the Frisco Shop…mmm, chicken fried steak & pie…
Oh, I’m not that much of a food snob (most of the time). I’m just looking for someplace that has some good food. I’ll be back in St. Cloud in September, so I’ll definitely check it out.
I’ve been to Bear Creek, and I agree that they’re not bad at all. Plus, they had Leinie Big Butt on tap when I was there. Mmmmm…
