US food abroad

RE: US food abroad (cecif)

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:50:57 GMT

hmmmmm. they are usually there for me - were missing for a few minutes back now. i can't imagine it's only over here...?!

RE: US food abroad (Twinwillow)

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:37:15 GMT

Mmm, I don't have any "banner ads" on my Roadfood.com pages.

RE: US food abroad (cecif)

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:32:12 GMT

I can't resist telling you all this... you know how when you are in these forums you get a banner ad at the top? [look now, it's there!]

Well I currently live in the UK and my banner ad is always British... lately I keep getting this completely wacked out ad. It's for "easyPizza.com" "from the founder of easyJet" [one of our big low-fare airlines].

So FYI they are selling me on American-style UK food right here and now! On the Roadfood website!!!! Positively eery.

RE: US food abroad (cecif)

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:20:00 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by BT

But does Wimpy really count? I've always thought of them as competition to American burger joints, not one of the "boys".

LOL!!!!!!! Wimpy SOOOO does not count.

RE: US food abroad (Buckshot)

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:20:35 GMT

In the past eight years I've made lots of trips to China, Viet Nam, India, Thailand, etc., and I've eaten at the following:

Tony Roma's
Hard Rock Cafe
McDonalds
KFC
Dairy Queen
Pizza Hut
Burger King

They were all o.k., but I prefer to eat at the local restaurants, especially when a local resident takes you to their favorite places.

Buckshot

RE: US food abroad (Stupid_American)

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:24:06 GMT

In Thailand, American fast food has nothing to do with giving Americans a feeling of home.
The Thais are nuts for it!

In MBK Center, a popular shopping mall, there are 3 McDonalds to choose from!
There's a couple more McDonalds a short walk away.

Surprisingly, when my wife's grandma visited from Thailand, all she would eat was KFC.
She was comfortable with it.

RE: US food abroad (CajunKing)

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:06:54 GMT

When travelling overseas I usually like to eat from the local places to get a good taste of the country that I was in.

When I travel I have a habot of going to the Hard Rock Cafe in that place. We were eating at the HRC in Sydney, I got the Roo Burger. There was a person in my group that would not speak to me for a day after eating "Joey".

When traveling with younger people who get homesick for american food the HRC were a good place to let them have a taste of home, and still you can get the local signature dish.

Sydney = Roo Burger
Bangkok = Some fiery noodle dish that lit me up
Munich = schnitzel
London = Fish & Chips
Madrid = Paella

RE: US food abroad (NYNM)

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:03:55 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Ashphalt

quote:
Originally posted by NYNM

I just picked up a cookbook on remainder ($1.99) at Border's:

USA Cookbook (or similar title)(it's part of aseries on Foods of the World,another goodie is South American Food).

It is from England,and it is rather funny (not trying to be) listing "typical" American foods - with ingredients in "English" (ie, UK) such as: courreges,biscuits, etc. Some suggestions of "typical" US recipes (noting we do have more than Junk Food): chilli (2 ll's), lemon (meringue) pie, fried chicken (of course), and more I don't remember but will post when I get the book out again.

Check it out - certainly worth $1.99.

Sounds like fun, it reminds me of a postcard I saw once at the Staten Island Mall. Typical postcard design with the banner, "Greetings From U.S.A." supered over a map with blow-ups of, I think, the Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, Grand Canyon and such. That's one comprehensive tour!

Yes, if it's Tuesday, it must be USA!!

(and what kind of tourists go to the Staten Island Mall, may I ask???)

RE: US food abroad (Ashphalt)

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:25:59 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by NYNM

I just picked up a cookbook on remainder ($1.99) at Border's:

USA Cookbook (or similar title)(it's part of aseries on Foods of the World,another goodie is South American Food).

It is from England,and it is rather funny (not trying to be) listing "typical" American foods - with ingredients in "English" (ie, UK) such as: courreges,biscuits, etc. Some suggestions of "typical" US recipes (noting we do have more than Junk Food): chilli (2 ll's), lemon (meringue) pie, fried chicken (of course), and more I don't remember but will post when I get the book out again.

Check it out - certainly worth $1.99.

Sounds like fun, it reminds me of a postcard I saw once at the Staten Island Mall. Typical postcard design with the banner, "Greetings From U.S.A." supered over a map with blow-ups of, I think, the Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, Grand Canyon and such. That's one comprehensive tour!

RE: US food abroad (NYNM)

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:09:53 GMT

I just picked up a cookbook on remainder ($1.99) at Border's:

USA Cookbook (or similar title)(it's part of aseries on Foods of the World,another goodie is South American Food).

It is from England,and it is rather funny (not trying to be) listing "typical" American foods - with ingredients in "English" (ie, UK) such as: courreges,biscuits, etc. Some suggestions of "typical" US recipes (noting we do have more than Junk Food): chilli (2 ll's), lemon (meringue) pie, fried chicken (of course), and more I don't remember but will post when I get the book out again.

Check it out - certainly worth $1.99.

RE: US food abroad (NYNM)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:09:14 GMT

I remember a small newpaper article on the wall of (Famous) Ray's pizza in NYC. Apparently a number of NYC students were studying in London and got an urge for US pizza (Ray's) so they took up a collection, called Rays, and then sent a studnet on one of the (then) low fare airlines to pick up the pizzas. I believe they were still warm when they arrived in UK. That's sure missing US food!

RE: US food abroad (spicoli)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:42:05 GMT

Pretty much the only non-chain American restaurant I've found in Paris is one on Rue de Lappe in Bastille that offers "Tex-Mex" cuisine I decided not to partake. I've heard rumors that they do Ribs, US-style (like I've seen in American restaurants in Australia).

One funny item that I found on the menu of the Parisian dorm I was in about 10 years back as a student was something called, "salade californienne" or "Californian Salad". It consisted of Rice, tuna and corn. People often asked me if that's what we ate back in San Francisco. Uh, yeah....

As for pizza in France, I just had some a few days ago (just got back to the US last night). "La pizza campagnarde" consisted of salami, ham, smoked bacon chunks (lardons), onions, and a fried egg on top. A TASTE EXPLOSION.

RE: US food abroad (The Mikado)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:34:33 GMT

Very interesting discussion. But if I get back to Germany, I would never order anything but the veal. I get enough pork versions in the US.

NOW...even though the comment was made not to refer to chains, they were my ONLY experience with "American" food in Europe. In Geneva, I went straight to a fondue joint, but a few of the girls couldn't handle the wine taste and wanted to go to...McDonald's. I wanted to beat them.

Nevertheless, I went along, because we didn't think they should go out alone. I did try a chocolate milkshake. Nothing like it tastes here...then again, I was in chocoheaven.

Soooooooo, when I went to Lyon later in the trip, I experimented with THEIR McDonald's chocolate shake. Another taste entirely. So even the chains have variations.

But my rule of thumb is never to eat "American" in Europe and never to eat at a chain when I'm out of my hometown. My brother falls prey to idiots who want to hit up the Shoney's in Dallas or wherever. I would not, do not, tolerate that, Sam I Am.

Here is one odd exception: I stayed at a B&B in Munich, where the owners were an American (Virginia) lady and her Austrian husband. She asked what kind of breakfast I wanted, but decided I should settle on "both." So it was scrambled eggs, and cold cuts, and cheeses, and bacon, and coffee, and...

Best Euro-American breakfast I've ever had. Perhaps the only.

RE: US food abroad (NYNM)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:17:38 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by desertdog

quote:
Originally posted by BT

quote:
Originally posted by twinwillow
I believe the meat of choice is, veal.

For Weiner Schnitzel, not for Schweineschnitzel (which is pork)--but both are common.

I'm going to have to correct you, BT. A Wienerschnitzel is a piece of meat prepared Viennese (Vienna, or Wien in German) style, that is dipped in egg, milk and seasoned bread crumbs, then pan fried.

This is traditionally done with Veal, but as meat prices go up, pork has become more commonplace. A schweineschnitzel is just that, a pork cutlett, just like Kalbschnitzel is a veal cutlett, that can be prepared in a number of different ways, not necessarily Viennese Style.

But the meat, be it pork or veal, prepared "nach Wiener art" is considered a Wienerschnitzel, at least in Southern German (Bavarian) restaurants.

Regardless, it is one of my absolute favorites, and order it often while I'm back in der Vaterland!

DD

Ja!

Well said.

RE: US food abroad (desertdog)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:29:15 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by BT

quote:
Originally posted by twinwillow
I believe the meat of choice is, veal.

For Weiner Schnitzel, not for Schweineschnitzel (which is pork)--but both are common.

I'm going to have to correct you, BT. A Wienerschnitzel is a piece of meat prepared Viennese (Vienna, or Wien in German) style, that is dipped in egg, milk and seasoned bread crumbs, then pan fried.

This is traditionally done with Veal, but as meat prices go up, pork has become more commonplace. A schweineschnitzel is just that, a pork cutlett, just like Kalbschnitzel is a veal cutlett, that can be prepared in a number of different ways, not necessarily Viennese Style.

But the meat, be it pork or veal, prepared "nach Wiener art" is considered a Wienerschnitzel, at least in Southern German (Bavarian) restaurants.

Regardless, it is one of my absolute favorites, and order it often while I'm back in der Vaterland!

DD

RE: US food abroad (NYNM)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:34:01 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by NYNM

quote:
Originally posted by cyrano

30+ years ago, I was working offshore in the North Sea and spent a lot of time in London...where the first Hard Rock Cafe had just opened.

Ooops - I think I have to have a reply here somewhere:

Ah...interesting stuff.

It reminds me of when many years ago I worked in marketing research for (Kraft) General Foods. I had to make some calls to the General Foods office in France. (they were all over the world of course). Well, GF France hardly spoke English and were pretty, shall I say, "distant" on the phone. It is amazing that French people would actually work for a US food company!!!They certainly weren't going to speak English tho, even to US execs.

RE: US food abroad (NYNM)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:30:22 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by cyrano

30+ years ago, I was working offshore in the North Sea and spent a lot of time in London...where the first Hard Rock Cafe had just opened. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. There was some of the rock and roll memorabilia shtick, but mostly it was about American diner/hamburger joint food, and it was quite good. There were already McDonald's most everywhere, and only the diehard English hadn't chosen it over the dreaded Wimpy (any of those left? I hope not). These days, I would only go to a Hard Rock under force majeure, but back in the day, when we were all younger, it was a welcome reminder of home.

RE: US food abroad (BT)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:31:26 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by twinwillow
I believe the meat of choice is, veal.

For Weiner Schnitzel, not for Schweineschnitzel (which is pork)--but both are common.

RE: US food abroad (Twinwillow)

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:13:27 GMT

I was in England when the very first TGIF Friday's opened back in the early 80's. It was located in Birmingham (England). I remember my ex and I were taken there by business associates. The food was actually pretty good, But, it took forever to get the food out of the kitchen to the (filled to capacity) crowd of diners.

RE: US food abroad (cyrano)

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 22:42:27 GMT

30+ years ago, I was working offshore in the North Sea and spent a lot of time in London...where the first Hard Rock Cafe had just opened. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. There was some of the rock and roll memorabilia shtick, but mostly it was about American diner/hamburger joint food, and it was quite good. There were already McDonald's most everywhere, and only the diehard English hadn't chosen it over the dreaded Wimpy (any of those left? I hope not). These days, I would only go to a Hard Rock under force majeure, but back in the day, when we were all younger, it was a welcome reminder of home.

Around that time, I blundered into a Greek restaurant in London that listed pina coladas on their drink list. Foolishly, I ordered one, which was undrinkable-- they substituted gin for the rum.

The other reminder of home was when I persuaded Fortnum & Mason, the very high-toned purveyor of foodstuffs to the toffs, to carry Wolf Brand Chili for me and the other American pipeliners. Cost us about $4 a can in 1974, and worth every penny.

Then when I lived in England again in the mid-90s, this time in Lancashire, I had utterly maxed out on mushy peas, soggy Yorkshire pudding, and fatty/gristly roast beef, when one day, driving on a motorway on the outskirts of Manchester, I saw a beacon of hope-- TGI Friday's. They'd just opened, and I believe it was the first one in the UK and they didn't really have the concept down yet (or at least the waitrons didn't-- but God love 'em, they tried to be chatty and have flair), but they had the margarita mix from the States in stock and the bartender could read directions, and their quesadilla was a dead ringer for its US counterpart. And they didn't charge for refills on coke.

But I also found that both Safeway and Tesco carried a lot of American-type foods-- weiners and hot dog buns, chocolate chip cookies (sometimes the American brands, even...although I always passed them up for my ultimate weakness, Fox Ginger Crunch Cremes), even canned black eyed peas. And around that time, American beer had just started to "invade" England...which was nothing thrilling for me, vastly preferring Heineken or Harp lager, until one day a mate in a pub insisted on buying me a Coors...which was surprisingly good, and surprisingly like Heineken. No surprise, really, since Heineken was brewing it under license in Holland.

RE: US food abroad (HollyDolly)

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:43:54 GMT

We lived on Okinawa from 1960 to 1962 or 63.
We ate american food on base,but ate local food at various places.
It didn't bother us a bit.If we wanted american momma or daddy would cook it at home,or if out on base, we'd eat it there.
My dad was TDY to England and Germany back in the late 1950s.
I don't know what if any american food was available off base then.Being german and speaking the language, the food was something he was familiar with,eating it at home as a kid.
He spoke more about places he saw and relatives he visited with in Garmisch than the food.Though he did mention a place called the Rosenhaus or Rosentauher(rosetower) I think in either Frankfort or Dusseldorf,can't recall what city right now.
If I ever get to Europe some day,I want to eat what the locals eat
I can get McDonald's at home.There are so many food choices over there.

RE: US food abroad (Twinwillow)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:12:30 GMT

Looks like a German version of pizza. Regardless-I'd eat that!

RE: US food abroad (Davydd)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:59:11 GMT

Hmm, do I detect gravy on that Waldgeist in Hofheim schnitzel?

RE: US food abroad (desertdog)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:14:49 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by twinwillow

quote:
Originally posted by BT

quote:
Originally posted by Davydd

Chicken fried steaks and breaded pork tenderloins are nothing but variations of Wiener Schnitzel.

Actually, the Germans also love pork "schnitzel". And so do the Japanese (Ton Katsu). It's only beef I haven't seen anyone overseas bread and fry, but I bet they do it.

I believe the meat of choice is, veal.

You'll find both on the menus in Germany. The Pork Schnitzel is usually on there as a less expensive alternative to the Veal.

RE: US food abroad (Twinwillow)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:19:50 GMT

If you see it on the menu as, ala "Holstein", then it comes with a soft boiled egg on top.

RE: US food abroad (Twinwillow)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:16:39 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by BT

quote:
Originally posted by Davydd

Chicken fried steaks and breaded pork tenderloins are nothing but variations of Wiener Schnitzel.

Actually, the Germans also love pork "schnitzel". And so do the Japanese (Ton Katsu). It's only beef I haven't seen anyone overseas bread and fry, but I bet they do it.

I believe the meat of choice is, veal.

RE: US food abroad (BT)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:02:56 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Davydd

Chicken fried steaks and breaded pork tenderloins are nothing but variations of Wiener Schnitzel.

Actually, the Germans also love pork "schnitzel". And so do the Japanese (Ton Katsu). It's only beef I haven't seen anyone overseas bread and fry, but I bet they do it.

RE: US food abroad (Twinwillow)

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:20:24 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Davydd

Chicken fried steaks and breaded pork tenderloins are nothing but variations of Wiener Schnitzel.

True, but those very German dishes are not made with pan creamed gravy.
Now, that's American!

RE: US food abroad (Davydd)

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 15:22:06 GMT

Chicken fried steaks and breaded pork tenderloins are nothing but variations of Wiener Schnitzel.

RE: US food abroad (Ashphalt)

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:42:47 GMT

"Yeah, you could probably open a BBQ joint with pulled pork and corn on the cob and call it "American food". But I suspect we are like the British--without the sort of reputation as a source of tasty chow that would draw in the majority of locals. Ever seen a restaurant here serving "English" food (pseudo English "pubs" don't count)."

Ah, so American cuisine suffers from bad P.R. Maybe the influence of America's favorite Scottish restaurant?

I think I've mentioned it elsewhere, but even in Boston the Irish and English pubs (other than the outpost of the Elephant & Castle chain) serve very little native fare. Maybe a shepards pie, fish & chips (which you can get made just as poorly anywhere in town) and an Irish breakfast for weekend brunch. It's mostly burgers, reubens and club sandwiches. A few years ago they were all specializing in fajitas. Now it's Pan-Asian. And the emigres and tourists from the Old Sod love it.