Positive chain remarks

quote:

Originally posted by michaelgemmell

BT, I enjoy the occasional trip to Red Lobster. I never order appetizers, because the dinners with the cheddar biscuits are filling enough. I also tend to stick to fried shrimp, my rationale being if it's simple they can't ruin it. However, they have Pepsi, which means I make a point of saying, "Yuk, then I will stay with ice water." Too bad, because this is why-not-just-have-a-soda food. For that matter, what's with not putting the beverage prices on the menu? I hate that.

Well {{gulp}}, I'm also a Pepsi stockholder at the moment (these things change from time to time) so I'm sorry you don't like "our" product, but for myself I mostly drink iced tea in restaurants (and buy either Coke or Pepsi, depending which one's on sale, for use at home), especially chain places. Fried shrimp is something I love, but also one of the few seafoods I find it fairly easy to make at home (using frozen, breaded shrimp as I'm sure RL does also). I can't remember what I used to get back in Winter Park, but it may well have been fried shrimp, though.

By the way, to ken8038 I have to say that I am presently living "on the border" (well, 30 miles north of it) and I'm getting curiouser and curiouser how that On-The-Border place's food compares to what you get at, say, my favorite place in Nogales (Elvira's) which is, literally, about 20 ft south of the border which I think counts as being as close to "on" it as you can reasonably get (since there's a very big ugly fence actually on it).

More full disclosure from BT. This is very classy of you.

I would never say "yuk" to a Pepsi in a private home, but I believe in telling the chains that I think supplying Pepsi is a false economy. I love iced tea, too, but sometimes it's so strong and bitter some places, no amount of sugar will help. For that matter, why is it that only in the South do restaurants offer "sweet" tea? There are restaurants in the Bay Area that don't have white sugar on the tables, and that "raw" stuff won't dissolve in iced tea, so I order a soda when I really want iced tea. Oh, well.

quote:

Originally posted by Hillbilly

quote:

Originally posted by stevekoe

I like the hot maple syrup (and not much else) at Cracker Barrell. They are also completely off my list of acceptable places until the current charges against them are resolved.

Steve

I think that the last of the cases alledging discrimination was settled in August or September.

And I'm still a big fan of their breakfast, especially when I'm outside the south and need a fix of good country ham. And a bait of their "greens & Beans" combo one in awhile helps revive the taste buds.

Good call, Hillbilly. According to this MSNBC News report (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5955056/), the company settled discrimination claims to the tune of almost $9 million. From reading what they say, I don't know that I would be any more inclined to eat there than I am now (but, I do miss the hot syrup!). They still admit no wrong-doing. At least Denny's stepped up to the plate and changed their practices.

Also, I live close enough to get authentic southern food, so I guess I just don't miss it as much as others. But, their good name is (financially) cleared.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by michaelgemmell

More full disclosure from BT. This is very classy of you.

I would never say "yuk" to a Pepsi in a private home, but I believe in telling the chains that I think supplying Pepsi is a false economy. I love iced tea, too, but sometimes it's so strong and bitter some places, no amount of sugar will help. For that matter, why is it that only in the South do restaurants offer "sweet" tea? There are restaurants in the Bay Area that don't have white sugar on the tables, and that "raw" stuff won't dissolve in iced tea, so I order a soda when I really want iced tea. Oh, well.

When I first moved from Florida to San Francisco, I had a tough time. Back then, almost noplace in SF "got" iced tea. If they had it at all, they served it in minescule little glasses and never had any lemon to put in it. Usually what they did is make hot tea, then dump it into a small glass of ice so it melted all the ice and left you with a small glass of room temperature watery tea with no ice and no lemon. There's still a coffee shop on Noe ("Jumpin' Java") that I like as a place to read the Sunday paper, but I've stopped going there partly because they serve iced tea but do NOT have lemon (or lime).

My idea of iced tea is in a BIG glass--like maybe 3 cups--with plenty of ice, lemon and, if not already sweet, then appropriate sweetener (these days I usually use the blue or yellow stuff, but I'll accept sugar if I have to). It's still hard to find that outside the South (except in my house).

I don't understand your comments about Pepsi (even though I rarely drink it in restaurants)? False economy as opposed to what? Serving Coke? I doubt there's much difference in cost to the restaurant (both brands negotiate fiercely with large customers like chains). Many of the chains that serve Pepsi these days are part of the "Yum!" empire (like KFC and Pizza Hut) that was spun of by Pepsi several years ago and, because they were once owned by Pepsi, that's always what they have served.

Incidentally, the reason Pepsi is kicking Coke's butt these days has little to do with carbonated beverages. Pepsi not only owns Aquafina and Tropicana, which are doing well (at least until the hurricanes played havoc with Florida's citrus crop), but the whole Frito-Lay salty snack empire and that's where the REAL money is. Now do you also reject Lay's potato chips (personally, my favorite chips are Wise, but can't get them in SF)?

BT, I thought Pepsi was cheaper than Coke for restaurants buying syrup. My cousin once removed ran a general store in Nauvoo, Illinois and always gave us Gemmell boys sodas (Wanna bottla POP, little boy? Midwesterners would ask!) when we came to visit. Louie told me Coke was more expensive so he didn't carry it. My reference to price is based on a 45-year-old comment from Louie, so I stand corrected. My partner is very fond of Ruffles, which I believe are Lays. I just prefer Coke to Pepsi, and assumed restaurants lose sales when they sell the Pepsi line. That Mug root beer is quite awful, you know. For that matter, what's up with caffeine in Barq's?

Gee, you're so right about iced tea here in SF. So I make it at home by the method my mom used, which is plenty sweet but uses less sugar. If only I could get A & P Ann Page Our Own tea.

I have recently enjoyed "the special" twice at Quiznos. Was I just lucky? What do you all think?

Pizza Hut counts for me, at least, as time off of Purgatory, most especially the location in Wendover NV.

quote:

Originally posted by BT


I don't understand your comments about Pepsi (even though I rarely drink it in restaurants)? False economy as opposed to what? Serving Coke? I doubt there's much difference in cost to the restaurant (both brands negotiate fiercely with large customers like chains). Many of the chains that serve Pepsi these days are part of the "Yum!" empire (like KFC and Pizza Hut) that was spun of by Pepsi several years ago and, because they were once owned by Pepsi, that's always what they have served.

Incidentally, the reason Pepsi is kicking Coke's butt these days has little to do with carbonated beverages. Pepsi not only owns Aquafina and Tropicana, which are doing well (at least until the hurricanes played havoc with Florida's citrus crop), but the whole Frito-Lay salty snack empire and that's where the REAL money is. Now do you also reject Lay's potato chips (personally, my favorite chips are Wise, but can't get them in SF)?

If you don't think Pepsi still gives all the YUM! chains a discount on Pepsi..well....

Actually the majority of the non-YUM! chains DO serve Coke as opposed to Pepsi..they just know that Coke goes a heckuva a lot better with most foods than Pepsi.

And as far as 'kicking Coke's butt' is concerned.....Coke still has something like 4 out of the top five brands sold in stores (Coke Classic and Diet Coke are 1-2)..and is the biggest seller in restaurants.....and let's not forget that Pepsi has to work MUCH harder in keeping its more trendy,fickle drinkers..Coke drinkers are a much more loyal group-who ever heard of a PEPSI collectors group??? And Minute Maid isnt exactly small potatoes either..F-L has had ITS share of problems too-potato chips arent exactly Atkins-friendly....and Coke has never pretended to be anything BUT a beverage company...

I am the opposite. I will bypass a place BECAUSE they serve Coke products. I like carbonation and the "bite' of Pepsi much more than the cough syrup taste of Coke. Alas, I own stock in neither mega-giant coporation.
Michael, My parents loved to scoot over to Nauvoo from KC. Isn't it famous for apple cider?

quote:

Originally posted by ConeyIslandLou

quote:

Originally posted by BT


I don't understand your comments about Pepsi (even though I rarely drink it in restaurants)? False economy as opposed to what? Serving Coke? I doubt there's much difference in cost to the restaurant (both brands negotiate fiercely with large customers like chains). Many of the chains that serve Pepsi these days are part of the "Yum!" empire (like KFC and Pizza Hut) that was spun of by Pepsi several years ago and, because they were once owned by Pepsi, that's always what they have served.

Incidentally, the reason Pepsi is kicking Coke's butt these days has little to do with carbonated beverages. Pepsi not only owns Aquafina and Tropicana, which are doing well (at least until the hurricanes played havoc with Florida's citrus crop), but the whole Frito-Lay salty snack empire and that's where the REAL money is. Now do you also reject Lay's potato chips (personally, my favorite chips are Wise, but can't get them in SF)?

If you don't think Pepsi still gives all the YUM! chains a discount on Pepsi..well....

Actually the majority of the non-YUM! chains DO serve Coke as opposed to Pepsi..they just know that Coke goes a heckuva a lot better with most foods than Pepsi.

And as far as 'kicking Coke's butt' is concerned.....Coke still has something like 4 out of the top five brands sold in stores (Coke Classic and Diet Coke are 1-2)..and is the biggest seller in restaurants.....and let's not forget that Pepsi has to work MUCH harder in keeping its more trendy,fickle drinkers..Coke drinkers are a much more loyal group-who ever heard of a PEPSI collectors group??? And Minute Maid isnt exactly small potatoes either..F-L has had ITS share of problems too-potato chips arent exactly Atkins-friendly....and Coke has never pretended to be anything BUT a beverage company...

Wow... Just give a a bottle of over priced water...

Bill, many people say that Northern California doesn't have much of a fall. It's a lack of bright colors. I can overlook that, but what I miss the most about autumn in downstate Illinois is the apple cider from Nauvoo! When my brothers and I were little, we'd drink that clear stuff that was the national brand, but Mom and Dad would urge us to try the cloudy stuff from Nauvoo. What had we been afraid of? I can still remember the vigorous taste and fragrance. My aunt aund uncle that still live in my home town of Galesburg would bring bushels of apples home, and the winey smell would permeate their breeseway. There's a pretty fancy farmers' market here at the Ferry Building Thursday, and I think I'd better go and look for some good cider. Even the drab cider I bought at Safeway is still better than any cola.

Let me know if you want pix of Nauvoo and area.

quote:

Originally posted by BT
By the way, to ken8038 I have to say that I am presently living "on the border."

AAACK!!! I have to say it. God knows I hate to, but I have to. "presently" means "soon." Surely you meant "currently," which means "at this moment."

Please forgive me. Sometimes I simply lose control over my base grammar-nazi instincts.

Speaking as a newcomer, at least as a new poster, I find this subject to be a great reason for this forum. When I travel, I often eat at chains because I know that I will get at least average food. Now due to advice I get here, I can be bold and go to I place that I would never have picked on my own, because I got "local" advice.

quote:

Originally posted by tmiles
Speaking as a newcomer, at least as a new poster, I find this subject to be a great reason for this forum. When I travel, I often eat at chains because I know that I will get at least average food. Now due to advice I get here, I can be bold and go to I place that I would never have picked on my own, because I got "local" advice.

Lovely simplicity. I think you've captured the raison d'etre of RoadFood. We read, we look, we learn. And, of course, we harass!