[Food] Eating out. Is it all that?

[razer]

Having three different Michelin star restaurants within walking distance from my house means I am very spoilt for choice and all are excellent, with one being very reasonably priced if you don't have wine. The only problem is that any non Michelin star restaurant now pales in comparison and disappointment is almost guaranteed.

 

[Peteinblack]

My girlfriend seems to enjoy it.

 

[Peteinblack]

We like going to restaurants for social reasons; an opportunity to dress-up, meet with friends, have a nice evening out of the house, enjoy food we have not eaten before or could not make ourselves, sometimes have conversations we might not have had sat on the sofa, and the overall vibe of a good restaurant.

Just as going to a good pub provides a different experience to having a drink at home.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Having three different Michelin star restaurants within walking distance from my house means I am very spoilt for choice and all are excellent, with one being very reasonably priced if you don't have wine. The only problem is that any non Michelin star restaurant now pales in comparison and disappointment is almost guaranteed.

Where do you live? I currently have 2 in my neighborhood, a 3 star is just 400 feet from my apartment. 4 others have sadly come and gone over the past 12 years as well; I used to have a 2 star on my road.

Thankfully we also have other decent non-Michelin places of varying types.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

We will only go out if it’s somewhere we are confident is decent, either from our own experience recommendations or good reviews. It’s also a social thing.

when we were on holiday in our Motorhome in June, we booked in on the way to and from a ferry to a hotel in Northern Scotland now run by some friends of ours. On the return leg they had told us their small restaurant hosts a local chef (a former Masterchef contestant) one Saturday a month for an 8 course tasting menu, it coincided and we booked it - £80 per head - worried that it would be a load of pretentious guff!

it was wonderful - the tastes, the presentation, the explanations of each dish, the service. To cap it, our daughters had contacted the hotel to book the “flight of wines“ at £40 each to accompany it in honour of Mrs DiS’s 70th birthday.

We would do it again.

 

[Bozza]

Where do you live? I currently have 2 in my neighborhood, a 3 star is just 400 feet from my apartment. 4 others have sadly come and gone over the past 12 years as well; I used to have a 2 star on my road.

Thankfully we also have other decent non-Michelin places of varying types.

Aughton, I suspect, "the Michelin star capital of Britain"...

Aughton MICHELIN Restaurants - The MICHELIN Guide United Kingdom

Starred restaurants, Bib Gourmand and all the MICHELIN restaurants in Aughton on the MICHELIN Guide's official website. MICHELIN inspector reviews and insights

guide.michelin.com

 

[Bozza]

No paywall hopefully...

How tiny Aughton became the Michelin-star capital of Britain

With four stars for its population of just 8,000 people, this Lancashire village has become an an unlikely international foodie destination

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Aughton, I suspect, "the Michelin star capital of Britain"...

Aughton MICHELIN Restaurants - The MICHELIN Guide United Kingdom

Starred restaurants, Bib Gourmand and all the MICHELIN restaurants in Aughton on the MICHELIN Guide's official website. MICHELIN inspector reviews and insights

guide.michelin.com

Thamks. I'll read the Telegraph article later. Bray is similar...which I had heard of because the two chefs there are well known. Not heard of Aughton before.

 

[BLOCK F]

I took a date to a French restaurant. She had frogs legs and a chicken’s breast.…….but a smashing personality

Was your date stoned?

 

[Justice]

Was your date stoned?

He’s not a Newcastle fan

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

He’s not a Newcastle fan

Very funny, I have to hand that to you ….which is not something you can say to a twice convicted Saudi shoplifter.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Having three different Michelin star restaurants within walking distance from my house means I am very spoilt for choice

It's similar where I live. I can wander out to Greggs, Subway or School Lane fish bar whenever I fancy it.

 

[BLOCK F]

We don’t tend to go out to eat very often unless we are on holiday. This is, no doubt, partly an age thing, but not entirely. In my working life, I ate in many a fancy restaurant and more often than not enjoyed it. However, for the reasons we all know, prices have gone through the roof for what is often a mediocre offering and overpriced wine.
We stayed in two nice hotels in Devon and Cornwall last month, 3 nights in each. The food in the cheaper one was very good and we enjoyed it. The more expensive one, that thinks it is better than it is, served up very mediocre fare and we were disappointed.
Finally, what is this obsession with burgers? Overpriced burgers piled with god knows what on them and served in horrible brioche buns. You can’t escape from them on many a menu. When we want a burger, I buy fresh ones made by our local butcher and put them into decent rolls. Much nicer than some of the poncy offerings that exist and , of course, at a fraction of the price.

 

[Questions]

She left me after she said she wanted asparagus and I replied “I don’t think this restaurant has sparrow on the menu…. and my name isn’t Gus”.

You should have quit on the Frogs legs joke HT

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

You should have quit on the Frogs legs joke HT

 

[Questions]

We only tend to go out to eat Thai or Indian/Bangkadashi food. That’s mostly down to Mr Q who has to eat spicy food ALL the time.
Worthing is a bit limited on top places.

 

[Anger]

I am glad to see that this thread has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that eating out… is and isn’t “all that”.

As well as being appreciated by some partners.

 

[razer]

Where do you live? I currently have 2 in my neighborhood, a 3 star is just 400 feet from my apartment. 4 others have sadly come and gone over the past 12 years as well; I used to have a 2 star on my road.

Thankfully we also have other decent non-Michelin places of varying types.

As Bozza correctly guessed, Aughton in Lancs.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I'm in two camps.

We really try to do cafes and restaurants etc most weekends (tied in with a walk or something) with the kids aged 6 and 3. We sit down, have a nice chat, no phones etc around (don't get me started on families who bring tablets etc to meals and pass them to kids at first opportunity). Share food. Try different things. Really nice experience. Worst case is a colouring book is brought out if the 3 year old is having an off day. So that "eating out" is about family time rather than being too worried about quality. We try and keep the cost down on those.

However if somehow my wife and I get an opportunity to go out for dinner by ourselves we try and go BIG. Something special. It's such a rare occasion that I'd rather have a real treat than a "meh" that still cost £60 or something and I'd resent the money.

Fourth and Church was the last time and it was fantastic. A real treat for us.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I always try and eat my lunchtime packet of crisps outside