On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:09:20 -0400, George >
wrote:

>Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> "The Ranger" > wrote in message
>>> Those polls are never about "The Best" when the general public is
>>> involves; it's only about what's the most familiar. We have several
>>> bakeries in my little burg that outstanding but Safeway always seems to
>>> win that catagory. "Best sandwich" is the catagory that Suckway and
>>> Quizbarf trade back-and-forth. Cheesecake Fuctory and Sapplebee's also get
>>> kudos in this paper's annual polls so these are immediately suspect.
>>
>> We were at a picnic one and a group was discussing food and travel and
>> someone said they were going to Maine. Another chimed in, "if you were
>> going to be in (name of now forgotten city) I know a really good Applebee's
>> there". How do you tell a good one from a bad one? Why would you suggest
>> one over a great local restaurant, especially in a state known for some
>> great seafood?
>>
>>
>I see the same thing with NYC. I go there a lot and know dozens of local
>places to get great food. So conversation will drift to "we are going to
>NYC this weekend can you recommend some places to eat" I ask where they
>are going and give them some choices. With the exception of one person
>when later asked they will say that aplebees or tjfridays called to them
>*and* it was the best one they have ever been in.
>
>Marketing is a powerful thing. For some reason lots of folks want to
>hand the key to their brains to someone else. Big box has lots of money
>to buy mind share.

I certainly hope you meant the state of New York (outback), because
"aplebees or tjfridays" are not on the culinary horizon in NYC.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:30:58 -0500, "Gregory Morrow" >
wrote:

>Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
>> We were at a picnic one and a group was discussing food and travel and
>> someone said they were going to Maine. Another chimed in, "if you
>> were going to be in (name of now forgotten city) I know a really good
>> Applebee's there". How do you tell a good one from a bad one? Why
>> would you suggest one over a great local restaurant, especially in a
>> state known for some great seafood?
>
>
>Reminds me of some of my afore-mentioned friends in St. Louis. When they
>visited here they wanted to eat TGIF's or Subway or Bennigan's or some other
>krap place. Chicawgo is a great food town, there are thousands of cheaper
>and better alternatives to the chain places. Lotsa people come here to
>visit and end up at the Red Lobster or Rainforest Cafe or whatevers that are
>now in downtown Chicago...those places make a lotta dough catering to the
>tourist trade.

Good God!

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:02:51 -0700 (PDT), The Ranger
> wrote:

>One friend, who loves to lurk in ba.food, is very much a Cheesebeeday
>gourmand.

HUH? What are you talking about? Is that code for Chuckee Cheese?

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:02:51 -0700 (PDT), The Ranger
> > wrote:
>> One friend, who loves to lurk in ba.food, is very
>> much a Cheesebeeday gourmand.
>>
> HUH? What are you talking about? Is that code
> for Chuckee Cheese?

Since I know you're _not_ kidding, I'll spell it out:
Cheesecake Factory + Applebee's + TGIFriday's = Cheesebeeday

The Ranger

Michael "Dog3" > wrote in message
...
> The Ranger >
> :
> in rec.food.cooking

>> Shocking isn't it? Welcome to Middle America.
>
> Ya' think I'd be used to it by now, wouldn't ya'

Gahds, I hope you never do! Fight the good fight! De gustibus non est
disputandum!

<some snips for space>

>> Worst "fight" we had was when I treated him to a local
>> Mediterranean place and he simply ordered a "side of rice"
>> and then complained that it came out yellow with red things
>> (saffron rice with sour cherries.) Go figure.
>>
> Gawd... I have a brother like that. I'll never forget his new culinary
> "adventure". He had a big surprise and invited me for dinner. Lo and
> behold, his rare and exotic meal consisted of grilled orange roughy,
> baked potato with <gasp> sour cream and chives (as he proudly
> announced to me, "those little green specs are chives") with a side of
> steamed broccoli. The meal was good and I praised him because I
> saw progress

Yep, that is progress and in the right direction. The daughter-units, Alpha
and Beta, took a cooking class in middle school and the teacher was a
foodie. Imagine the surprise from the gathered 12 and 13-yo
chicken-nugget-and-cherios munchers when she taught them about sauteing
onions and making sauces. The daughter-units loved the class because they
were always teaching their classmates about combining spices and herbs.

As far as my friend, he orders specific dishes at each chain and will not
vary his choices. It doesn't matter if he's eating in SF or LA; he's
memorized the menus. He will avoid certain chains in certain cities, though,
because, "Ya know, they don't do [this item] like the others."

The Ranger

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:52:18 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:

> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>
>> It's the truth in _The Riverfront Times_, one year Chili's was voted
>> "Best Mexican" and IIRC Dominoe's was "Best Pizza"...etc....I guess
>> all the "Hoosiers" must have voted.
>
> I went to Michigan to visit family one year, passed Dominoes
> corporate all dressed up for Christmas. Dominoes as pizza is so
> far out of my world that I thought it was Dominoes Sugar, why
> would it be in Michigan? A little confusing for a moment.
>
> I learned that Dominoes is *the* pizza in a lot of places. Yikes.
>
> nancy

'yikes' is right.

your pal,
blake

On Jun 17, 11:26*am, blake murphy > wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:52:18 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
[snip]
> > I learned that Dominoes is *the* pizza in a lot of places. *Yikes.
>
> > nancy
>
> 'yikes' is right.
>
I read a Forbe's article back in 2004 or 2005 that listed Domino's and
Pizzahut as the top pizzarias in the US with Little Caesar's coming in
a distant third.

The Ranger

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:26:46 GMT, blake murphy
> wrote:

>On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:52:18 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>
>> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>>
>>> It's the truth in _The Riverfront Times_, one year Chili's was voted
>>> "Best Mexican" and IIRC Dominoe's was "Best Pizza"...etc....I guess
>>> all the "Hoosiers" must have voted.
>>
>> I went to Michigan to visit family one year, passed Dominoes
>> corporate all dressed up for Christmas. Dominoes as pizza is so
>> far out of my world that I thought it was Dominoes Sugar, why
>> would it be in Michigan? A little confusing for a moment.
>>
>> I learned that Dominoes is *the* pizza in a lot of places. Yikes.
>>
>> nancy
>
>'yikes' is right.
>
>your pal,
>blake

Yup, Dominoes Pizza.. pepperoni & cheese.
As many as you want $5 - $5 - $5

On Jun 16, 11:52*am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> Gregory Morrow wrote:
> > It's the truth in _The Riverfront Times_, one year Chili's was voted
> > "Best Mexican" and IIRC Dominoe's was "Best Pizza"...etc....I guess
> > all the "Hoosiers" must have voted.
>
> I went to Michigan to visit family one year, passed Dominoes
> corporate all dressed up for Christmas. *Dominoes as pizza is so
> far out of my world that I thought it was Dominoes Sugar, why
> would it be in Michigan? *A little confusing for a moment.

Domino's Pizza had a little legal brangle with Domino Sugar.
Obviously,
some arrangement was made.

We do make sugar in Michigan, but the brand is Big Chief or
Pioneer. That's what I buy.

> I learned that Dominoes is *the* pizza in a lot of places. *Yikes.

Yikes, indeed. It used to be good, though. (Of course, everything
was
better when we were younger.)

Cindy Hamilton

Michael "Dog3" wrote:

> sf > :
> in rec.food.cooking
>
>> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:30:58 -0500, "Gregory Morrow"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>>
>>>> We were at a picnic one and a group was discussing food and travel
>>>> and someone said they were going to Maine. Another chimed in, "if
>>>> you were going to be in (name of now forgotten city) I know a
>>>> really good Applebee's there". How do you tell a good one from a
>>>> bad one? Why would you suggest one over a great local restaurant,
>>>> especially in a state known for some great seafood?
>>>
>>>
>>> Reminds me of some of my afore-mentioned friends in St. Louis. When
>>> they visited here they wanted to eat TGIF's or Subway or Bennigan's
>>> or some other krap place. Chicawgo is a great food town, there are
>>> thousands of cheaper and better alternatives to the chain places.
>>> Lotsa people come here to visit and end up at the Red Lobster or
>>> Rainforest Cafe or whatevers that are now in downtown
>>> Chicago...those places make a lotta dough catering to the tourist
>>> trade.
>>
>> Good God!
>
> Can you imagine going to Chi and eating at a Dead Lobster? Bleh...
>

When I'm downtown I always and up giving directions, etc., to
out-of-towners, I enjoy doing it. Quite a few peeps ask, "Where is exactly
is the Cheesecake Factory-Rainforest Cafe-Rock 'n Roll McDonalds...". I
always try to steer them towards the Berghoff or Greek Town or other places.
Some of those places are "touristy" but they are a bit more "local color"...


--
Best
Greg

blake murphy wrote:

> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:52:18 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>
>> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>>
>>> It's the truth in _The Riverfront Times_, one year Chili's was voted
>>> "Best Mexican" and IIRC Dominoe's was "Best Pizza"...etc....I guess
>>> all the "Hoosiers" must have voted.
>>
>> I went to Michigan to visit family one year, passed Dominoes
>> corporate all dressed up for Christmas. Dominoes as pizza is so
>> far out of my world that I thought it was Dominoes Sugar, why
>> would it be in Michigan? A little confusing for a moment.
>>
>> I learned that Dominoes is *the* pizza in a lot of places. Yikes.
>>
>> nancy
>
> 'yikes' is right.


Wasn't that outfit once owned by a strongly conservative Catholic guy who
employed unwed mothers and their spawn in a chain of workhouses that he
owned...he made them do a lot of the "commisary" work for his restos IIRC.


--
Best
Greg

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:43:21 -0700, "The Ranger"
> wrote:

>sf > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:02:51 -0700 (PDT), The Ranger
>> > wrote:
>>> One friend, who loves to lurk in ba.food, is very
>>> much a Cheesebeeday gourmand.
>>>
>> HUH? What are you talking about? Is that code
>> for Chuckee Cheese?
>
>Since I know you're _not_ kidding, I'll spell it out:
>Cheesecake Factory + Applebee's + TGIFriday's = Cheesebeeday
>
>The Ranger
>
Thanks

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:30:18 -0700 (PDT), The Ranger
> wrote:

>On Jun 17, 11:26*am, blake murphy > wrote:
>> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:52:18 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>[snip]
>> > I learned that Dominoes is *the* pizza in a lot of places. *Yikes.
>>
>> > nancy
>>
>> 'yikes' is right.
>>
>I read a Forbe's article back in 2004 or 2005 that listed Domino's and
>Pizzahut as the top pizzarias in the US with Little Caesar's coming in
>a distant third.

My brother went to school in Missouri in the late 70's. I spent a lot
of time down there. On Friday night you were a looser if you couldn't
afford to go to pizza hut with your date. I witnessed the show once
or twice and being from Chicago it was pretty funny. There were lines
out the door and an hour wait. Very strange.

Lou

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:30:18 -0700 (PDT), The Ranger wrote:

> On Jun 17, 11:26*am, blake murphy > wrote:
>> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:52:18 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
> [snip]
>>> I learned that Dominoes is *the* pizza in a lot of places. *Yikes.
>>
>>> nancy
>>
>> 'yikes' is right.
>>
> I read a Forbe's article back in 2004 or 2005 that listed Domino's and
> Pizzahut as the top pizzarias in the US with Little Caesar's coming in
> a distant third.
>
> The Ranger

i hope at least that's for delivery pizza.

your pal,
blake

blake murphy > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:30:18 -0700 (PDT), The Ranger wrote:
>> On Jun 17, 11:26 am, blake murphy > wrote:
>>> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:52:18 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>> [snip]
>>>> I learned that Dominoes is *the* pizza in a lot of places. Yikes.
>>>
>>> 'yikes' is right.
>>>
>> I read a Forbe's article back in 2004 or 2005 that listed Domino's and
>> Pizzahut as the top pizzarias in the US with Little Caesar's coming in
>> a distant third.
>>
> i hope at least that's for delivery pizza.
>
Nope. Sales (revenue) and number of franchisers.

The Ranger

The Dominos Pizza chain was started by Tom Monaghan in Ann Arbor,
Michigan. That's why the corporate offices are in Ann Arbor, MI. They
are visible from the freeway and at Christmas time, at least in years
past (it's been years since I've been that way in winter), there are
always elaborate decorations. Not only can you see some of it as you
drive past on the freeway, but you can drive onto the grounds to see it
all and up close.

Monaghan, aside from previously owning the Tigers, is a Roman Catholic.
He has started a community somewhere in Florida that, I beieve, adheres
to strict Catholic principles. There have, over the years, been numerous
articles about it and him in our local newspapers.

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:43:21 -0700, "The Ranger"
> fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:

>Since I know you're _not_ kidding, I'll spell it out:
>Cheesecake Factory + Applebee's + TGIFriday's = Cheesebeeday

I read an article somewhere online a couple of weeks ago (maybe it was
through one of the RFC posts) about the top 10 most disgusting,
over-caloried entrees one could order and Cheesecake Factory, IIRC,
had five out of the 10. Fried mac and cheese? <shudder>

We do McCormick and Schmick's a couple of times a month for lunch from
work and have gotten to know the manager on a
hi-how-are-ya-fine-how-are-you basis. He told us one day that when he
trained at Cheesecake Factory, he gained 30 lbs. Doesn't look like M
and S has slimmed him down any. He joked that he gave up on belts and
started wearing suspenders b/c he could expand the suspenders. Do guys
realize that suspenders just *frame* a big belly?

Just sayin',
Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

"Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch!"

-- W.C. Fields

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"