Impressions of USA

[martyn20]

This PISSED me off. I am sure it wasn't like that 4 years ago, so not sure if it's a way of making the economy seem better! Al this does is make you end up with a shit load of change in your pocket every day!

It's been like that for a while, British Airways always collect US change on the flight back for charity, we always take a big bag for them.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Big thing I would add is the beer is SHIT...

Once again, it depends where you are and how hard you look. Tourist Florida doesn't offer much, and even in Miami away from the beaches, where I lived for 18 months, you had to know where to go. But further north ...

Brooklyn New York Microbreweries - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com

 

[arfer guinness]

sorry but they are pretty big restaurant chains, not exactly quality establishments.

the griddle cakes at IHOP (if they still make them) are out of this world. hmmm - syrup.

I think you're confusing Joe's Seafood Prime Steak and Stone Crab restaurant with Joe's Crab Shack. To my knowledge Joe's SPS and SC are only in Miami, Las Vegas and Chicago hardly a big restaurant chain.

 

[Birdie Boy]

2. complete bullshit, sorry, but it is. if you go to shitty places, you get shitty food. in fact, one of the 'fashions' in cuisine over here is keeping things local - lots of locally raised beef, lamb and pork and a wide selection of locally grown vegetables (including, but not limited to, broccoli and corn). i dunno what kind of restaurants you visited but if you go to KFC, you get KFC.

Rubbish, well on I-Drive it is! I went in a different restaurant every day for 14 days, not impressed! I went America, Brazilian, Chinese, Indian, Italian and more.... I was not scrimping either!

 

[severnside gull]

Been twice this year.
New Yorkers have become polite! When did that happen? Even found some helpful cabbies
There is a restaurant in Hells Kitchen that does Vanillla Toast like you have never eaten in your life smothered in fresh berries and cream = yummy. No wonder they're all fat!

The Cheesecake Factory in Chicago does the best ever salad (healthy) but their cheesecake selection is just awesome (and definitely not healthy at all) - carrot cake cheesecake is to die for
Strip malls are my idea of shopping heaven and much as I love small town America,shops in the centre have ceased to exist - worse even than here.

You cant beat a Philly Cheesesteak in the market in Philadelphia but scrapple & eggs for breakfast (an Amish speciality) .................... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Birdie Boy]

I go with the family to Florida every other year and food is such a big part of it, all you can eat breakie at Sizzler, pulled pork sandwiched, burgers, steaks covered in blue cheese, pizzas, fat coke sold in a dustbin sized carton, I love America

That is soooo wrong, especially if you loved Sizzlers! Went there 3 times, its cheap crap. Denny's was good the first day, then as with all American restaraunts, same thing get fed up with it.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Rubbish, well on I-Drive it is! I went in a different restaurant every day for 14 days, not impressed! I went America, Brazilian, Chinese, Indian, Italian and more.... I was not scrimping either!

Orlando is not exactly representative of the United States.

 

[Birdie Boy]

In their commercial (advert) breaks, the first one is usually for Taco Bell/KFC/McDonalds/Subway. followed for an advert for some new diet or exercise machine.

Did you see the adverts for medical stuff? Incredible, they listed all side effects at the end and that was a) as long as the rest of the advert b) put you off anything they were selling!

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

That is soooo wrong, especially if you loved Sizzlers! Went there 3 times, its cheap crap. Denny's was good the first day, then as with all American restaraunts, same thing get fed up with it.

Why go to these crappy chains? That's like going to Wimpy's, Greggs and Harvester and then complaining about British food.

 

[arfer guinness]

Spill the beans then, we are in Orlando area right now

If you're near Kissimmee check out the Kissimmee Steak House, every time I've been it's mostly locals dining because tourists don't know it's there. As you drive on the 192 out of Kissimmee towards St Cloud it's just after The Silver Spurs Arena on the left next door to Dennys if I remember correctly. If you get to Simpson Road on the left you've gone a bit too far.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Once again, it depends where you are and how hard you look. Tourist Florida doesn't offer much, and even in Miami away from the beaches, where I lived for 18 months, you had to know where to go. But further north ...

Brooklyn New York Microbreweries - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com

All good beers.

And now a plug for a Brighton lad called Alex Hall who used to work at the Evening Star and organizes the Glastonwick festival with Atilla. He now lives in New York and has set up a brewery called Wandering Star. It's only been going a short time but the beers are excellent and worth looking out for if you are in NYC

http://www.wanderingstarbrewing.com/

 

[martyn20]

That is soooo wrong, especially if you loved Sizzlers! Went there 3 times, its cheap crap. Denny's was good the first day, then as with all American restaraunts, same thing get fed up with it.

The problem with Denny's is what you get served with is very, very different than the pictures they advertise. I don't know about you but I don't expect Michelin Star quality for breakfast, Sizzler have unlimited crispy bacon, sausages, eggs, etc and pastries, pancakes and fruit in clean restaurants with brilliant service. Just what I like for breakie to start the day, very reasonable as well.
Why did you go 3 times if it was so bad?

 

[arfer guinness]

I'm in Florida now and it's all the same as it ever was when we first visited 20+ years ago.
Big cars, the one we hired does 16mpg! And food is very cheap.

Can't see any change.

I think BG is refering to the big old yankee motors with the big pointy rear wings, which are becoming few and far between. I've driven most of the States over the last 35 years and Americans are moving to more compact economical cars. It may not seam so to us but anything doing 25+ to the gallon is economical to them.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Been twice this year.
New Yorkers have become polite! When did that happen? Even found some helpful cabbies

Things changed a lot after 9/11. I now find New Yorkers a lot more polite than Londoners - although I do miss the New Yorkers of old who used to be so wonderfully rude !

 

[Birdie Boy]

Why go to these crappy chains? That's like going to Wimpy's, Greggs and Harvester and then complaining about British food.

I realise this but after a hard day at all the parks, I wasn't up for driving around not knowing where I was going searching for restaraunts! Don't get me wrong, I like Orlando but won't go back to Orlando, now the kids have out grown the disney parks etc. I plan on doing other stuff in US, hopefully a little off the beaten tracks. My best mate emigrated to West Virginia a few years ago and it is about time I went to see him!

 

[Birdie Boy]

The problem with Denny's is what you get served with is very, very different than the pictures they advertise. I don't know about you but I don't expect Michelin Star quality for breakfast, Sizzler have unlimited crispy bacon, sausages, eggs, etc and pastries, pancakes and fruit in clean restaurants with brilliant service. Just what I like for breakie to start the day, very reasonable as well.
Why did you go 3 times if it was so bad?

Reason it was 3 times is because it was convenient and cheap! it was directly opposite the hotel and $3.99 all you can eat. At the end of the day though, it is low end budget breakfast, which is fine when in a hurry and trying to save the bucks. BTW, all you can eat at $3.99 they probably still made money on me!

 

[Birdie Boy]

Orlando is not exactly representative of the United States.

I won't be going back to Orlando but will try elsewhere in US. I actually like all the have a nice day stuff, being called sir etc.. I rarely go anywhere more than once other than for work, Orlando was the exception for the kids. Now its my time!

 

[Beach Hut]

We're off to W&W tomorrow and Universal next week, wore the shirt at sea world yesterday

Tomorrow Universal, Saturday afternoon / evening Sea World and Sunday Daytona Beach.

Not decided next weeks itenery

 

[martyn20]

There is a really nice restaurant at Celebration next to Kissimmee as well, The Town Tavern, nice atmosphere is the terrace bar and very good quality meat and fish especially Lobster which comes from New England/Boston area

Celebration Town Tavern

 

[Seagull on the wing]

Had this bad boy as well after being told I couldn't go to America without having one- the BK quadruple stacker.


A load of bacon, 4 burgers, 4 bits of cheese and a bun. It was absolutely disgusting. Got through a quarter before throwing up everywhere. Came with a bucket of fries and a 2 litre coke for a princely sum of $10- about the same as you'd pay for a regular BK meal in the UK.

That would last me for 10 days....how could anybody eat that in one sitting?