Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Pete C." > wrote in message
>
>>None of the big chains generally qualify as five star, but they are
>>usually consistently decent. A result of that corporate homogenization
>>where all the brands in the chain end up pretty much identical except
>>for their decor. Cracker Barrel and Outback are pretty typical in that
>>you can usually count on being able to stop at one pretty much anywhere
>>and get a reasonable meal that at least beats the fast food places.
>>
>>Pete C.
>
>
> I don't disagree with you, and that "consistent sameness" is one of the
> reasons the chains do so well. I have, however, become much more
> adventurous in the past few years. I go out of my way to try local places.
> I've found more winners than losers and sometimes you find a real gem.

IMO, Applebees, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster all fall into the same
category: to fulfill the appetite of the hungry for crapa ratta.

The only good thing in these places (for the most part,) is their
freshly made salads and breadsticks. The rest is nuked, pressure
cookec/heated, et cetera.

A little propaganda (although expensive at prime time,) goes a long way.

Do yourselves a favor and buy yourselves quality ingredients, learn the
basics of cooking, and have fun and cook your own stuff.

R