Szozu

"Reid" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Following up to Earl Evleth

    > Wife saw a friend last night, has just come back from States,
    > complaining about the food. This is thirdhand now, but paraphrase
    > would be something like "steak, steak and more steak with side
    > salads, left dying for some simply steamed vegetables, gunky
    > sweet sauces/relishes on everything." New England was the area,
    > what were they doing wrong? (they are not the first to say
    > something like that, so not just a loony).


When I worked in New York, a team from the head office in Lugano,
Switzerland would regularly visit. I could never get over the fact that in
spite of all the exotic restaurants that exist in New York, they would
generally opt for eating a 16 oz steak in a steakhouse!

Lana

Donna Evleth

Dans l'article <[email protected]>, Allen Windhorn
<[email protected]> a écrit :


    > ...
    >> > Coffee Parisien
    >> > Métro: Mabillon
    >> > 4 rue Princesse
    >> > Paris (6ème)
    >> >
    >> > (Curious, nearly in our neigbhorhood and I have sort of heard of it)
    >> A trendy place for people cruising for dates (or on dates). There are
    >> lots of similar places on that street. There's an American bookstore
    >> there, too.
    > I think that's "Tea and Tattered Pages;" if so, they have good food
    > too. We had Thanksgiving dinner there once, with all the fixings.
    > Regards,
    > Allen

The bookstore on the rue Princesse is the Village Voice. It specializes in
new books. Tea and Tattered Pages is on the rue Mayet, near the boulevard
Montparnasse. I never remember them having anything but tearoom type food,
brownies, that sort of thing. Even their tearoom area, and I can't imagine
them doing a Thanksgiving dinner. But maybe, I don't know everything.

Donna Evleth

barney

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Mxsmanic) wrote:

    > ChiChis is okay

Interesting; ChiChis in the UK serve by some distance the worst
(so-called) Tex-Mex food to be found in Britain (which is saying quite
something). I wonder if they're the same chain?

barney

In article <BBFCB450.1EE7C%[email protected]>, [email protected] (Earl
Evleth) wrote:

    > I must admit that I do not know what is typical "British food".
    > I think roasted meats would do well, like a roast beef rolled
    > out on a cart and a slice cut off on the spot. Simpson`s
    > on the Strand did this (one had to tip the carver) but I don`t
    > know if carved meats are still served up like that in Britain.

Sometimes, though more often served plated.

Characteristics of traditional British (well, English) food would indeed
include roast meats but also a lot of savoury pies, vegetables (especially
root vegetables), fish and shellfish, and hot desserts. The use of fruit
in otherwise savoury dishes is quite a common feature, too.

Reid

Following up to Earl Evleth

    >I must admit that I do not know what is typical "British food".
    >I think roasted meats would do well, like a roast beef rolled
    >out on a cart and a slice cut off on the spot. Simpson`s
    >on the Strand did this (one had to tip the carver) but I don`t
    >know if carved meats are still served up like that in Britain.

Tip the carver! No Brit would have IMHO. Simpsons is Britain as
it was or maybe still is to some people. Certainly roast meat
with simply prepared vegetables are typical of very traditional
British food and it is available in pubs on Sunday lunchtimes
almost everywhere, cooked to differing standards and differing
prices to match. I think lamb and pork are much more popular in
UK than US? Same for game birds like pheasant?
I suppose meat pies, pasties and puddings are all traditional
english food. Jellied eels, pie and mash, kippers, haggis, welsh
rabbit, shepherds pie, potted crab, kedgeree, yorkshire pudding,
toad in the hole, trifle, fish and chips are traditional fare but
people eat them much less than they used to and some things like
jellied eels and pie and mash the vast majority have never tried!
Offal I think is characteristic, liver and kidneys etc.

Curry is of course *very* popular from our sub continent
immigrants. Pizza and pasta are everywhere, as is cantonese food.
French and Italian abound with varying authenticity and a few
Texmex have turned up in the last couple of years.

But when you go out for a meal in a typical (non chain) good
restaurant it wont be any of this and its hard to pin down a
definition.
Carol went to a formal "do" last night. (Loyal toast and
everything) This was served (I don't think its untypical of a
nice meal in UK) :-

Smoked salmon, leek ribbons and citrus butter

Gloucester Old Spot Pork chops, caramelised pear and roquefort
butter - bubble and Squeak - baby carrots and mange tout

Brandy baked nectarines
Lemon syllabub

Coffee cheese port
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Walking-food-photos, Wasdale, Thames, London etc "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
and same for Spain at "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Reid

Following up to [email protected]

    >Interesting; ChiChis in the UK serve by some distance the worst
    >(so-called) Tex-Mex food to be found in Britain (which is saying quite
    >something). I wonder if they're the same chain?

I havnt been there but with a dearth of Mexicans or Texans I too
suspect that BritTexMex food may well be a world low best
avoided. At least I cant believe Texans eat the stuff I tried all
the time.
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Walking-food-photos, Wasdale, Thames, London etc "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
and same for Spain at "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Earl Evleth

On 10/12/03 13:09, in article [email protected],
"[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > The use of fruit
    > in otherwise savoury dishes is quite a common feature, too.


This is, of course a style used in pre-Medici French cooking,
so one will find apples with dishes from Brittany, and of course
Canard a l'orange. Other fruits are used with duck too.

Although the marron is not sweet, a purée of marron is severed with
game.

In this sense that period cuisine is not at a great distance from
British cuisine.

Of course the French make fun of British cooking by saying "they"
boil everything. In one of the many Asterix books, he and his buddy
Obelix make a visit to England and the running joke is their running
constantly in to boiled and overcooked food. Alas, I suspect all the
Gauls did this too, they were Celts and I doubt were great cooks.
The French want the Celtic tradition for some reason but good food too
so they forget.

Another put down of British cooking I remember in a film with Louis
DeFunes, whose son is in England chasing after some pretty English
girl (I think there was also a move called "A Nous les petites Anglaises,
which English girls were sexually attractive to French boys, I don`t
remember). Louis is at dinner at some British nobleman or maybe a Scot
and the main plate comes out, roast beef surrounded by a fluffy white
substance looking like a purée of potatoes.

The joke is when Louis points at it and says in English, "mashed potatoes"??

The host responds , "Oh no, whipped cream". I remember the line as
"crème Chantilly", for some reason. I think the Brit was speaking his
particular version of accented French. Our daughter once appeared
a French TV film as an American student and although she speaks flawless
Parisian French was instructed by the director to use as strong an
American accent in her French as possible in order to appear authentically
American.

Of course to the French movie goer, that is hilarious since nobody but
the British would eat roast beef with whipped cream.

With all the complaints about the French being anti-American, one might
say they were historically more anti-British although they had better
relations with the Catholics in the Islands over there.

I personally stand apart from the ancient disputes and therefore
can be amused by it all, when it has a humorous aspect.

earl

Earl Evleth

On 10/12/03 13:38, in article [email protected],
"Reid" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Following up to Earl Evleth
    >
    >> I must admit that I do not know what is typical "British food".
    >> I think roasted meats would do well, like a roast beef rolled
    >> out on a cart and a slice cut off on the spot. Simpson`s
    >> on the Strand did this (one had to tip the carver) but I don`t
    >> know if carved meats are still served up like that in Britain.
    >
    > Tip the carver! No Brit would have IMHO.

This was many years ago. I saw a few others before us do so
and I seem to remember it being in the guide books.


    > Simpsons is Britain as
    > it was or maybe still is to some people. Certainly roast meat
    > with simply prepared vegetables are typical of very traditional
    > British food and it is available in pubs on Sunday lunchtimes
    > almost everywhere, cooked to differing standards and differing
    > prices to match. I think lamb and pork are much more popular in
    > UK than US? Same for game birds like pheasant?

I don't remember roast lamb on the menu in the US in recent years
except at one well known place in San Mateo, which had females
chefs. Something had happened to change California cuisine and
this brought back some of the older classical plates.

Jack's in downtown San Francisco used to have a menu
from the 1800s, but it was sold and the last time were were
there it had changed horribly.


    > I suppose meat pies, pasties and puddings are all traditional
    > english food. Jellied eels, pie and mash, kippers, haggis, welsh
    > rabbit, shepherds pie, potted crab, kedgeree, yorkshire pudding,
    > toad in the hole, trifle, fish and chips are traditional fare but
    > people eat them much less than they used to and some things like
    > jellied eels and pie and mash the vast majority have never tried!
    > Offal I think is characteristic, liver and kidneys etc.
    >
    > Curry is of course *very* popular from our sub continent
    > immigrants. Pizza and pasta are everywhere, as is cantonese food.
    > French and Italian abound with varying authenticity and a few
    > Texmex have turned up in the last couple of years.
    >
    > But when you go out for a meal in a typical (non chain) good
    > restaurant it wont be any of this and its hard to pin down a
    > definition.

    > Carol went to a formal "do" last night. (Loyal toast and
    > everything) This was served (I don't think its untypical of a
    > nice meal in UK) :-
    >
    > Smoked salmon, leek ribbons and citrus butter
    >
    > Gloucester Old Spot Pork chops, caramelised pear and roquefort
    > butter - bubble and Squeak - baby carrots and mange tout
    >
    > Brandy baked nectarines
    > Lemon syllabub
    >
    > Coffee cheese port

Well do inform us on where to do, we may be in London this winter!

Up until this time we had been eating at a good Indian restaurant.
And some British friends entertained us last June out in the country side
at a good Italian place.

But I do with the British would inform us all more of what is available,
thanks for you comments.

Earl

Miles

Reid wrote:

    > Following up to [email protected]
    >
    >
    >>Interesting; ChiChis in the UK serve by some distance the worst
    >>(so-called) Tex-Mex food to be found in Britain (which is saying quite
    >>something). I wonder if they're the same chain?
    >
    >
    > I havnt been there but with a dearth of Mexicans or Texans I too
    > suspect that BritTexMex food may well be a world low best
    > avoided. At least I cant believe Texans eat the stuff I tried all
    > the time.

I wound not expect to find decent texmex or mexican food in the UK. I
find alot of food in the UK to be similar to food in the eastern part of
the USA. Often putting anything more than salt and pepper on a dish is
considered way too spicy. By spicy, I do not mean hot but rather an
abundance of strong flavors.

Gregory Morrow

Earl Evleth wrote:

    > This use to occur in the US. Lowry`s in the Hollywood area
    > use to have it, the I remember the "House of Prime Rib in
    > San Francisco. But I fear this has disappeared from American
    > restaurants in the USA. I like roast lamb and a nice slice of
    > Virgina Ham too. But where, or where does this exist anymore?
    > Any help from the American side of the Atlantic.


There is a lovely Lawry's right here in Chicago (housed in an old mansion),
where your cut of prime rib is carved right at the table. The waitresses
wear old - fashioned black - and - white uniforms. You'd like it, I
suspect:

http://www.lawrysonline.com/primerib/f_chicago.html

--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow

<[email protected]> wrote:


    > In article <[email protected]>,
    > [email protected] (Mxsmanic) wrote:
    > > ChiChis is okay
    > Interesting; ChiChis in the UK serve by some distance the worst
    > (so-called) Tex-Mex food to be found in Britain (which is saying quite
    > something). I wonder if they're the same chain?


They serve the worst Tex - Mex food by far here in the States, too. I
suspect they are all the same chain?

--
Best
Greg

Me

"Javaman" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<R7uBb.349014$275.1147987@attbi_s53>...
    > Earl Evleth wrote:
    > > Since Maxi expressed a deep love for McDonalds, where he can eat fast
    > > and alone, I thought I would look up what the offerings are.
    > Snipped...
    >
    > No offense, but when I go anywhere in Europe, the last place I would want
    > to eat is McDonalds. I don't even like them in the U.S.
[snip]
    > I do admit to buying coffee in McDonalds in Berlin and also at the Burger
    > King
    > in Amsterdam's Centraal Station
[snip]

I've purchased food stuffs in europe at a McDonalds twice.

Once was in Rome Termini to get a cold soda with ice, lots of it.

The second was in Zellumzee, Austria. We were out just wandering
and kinda stumbled upon a local ice hockey game between what
looked like teenage boys. We hung around and watched just for
the people watching aspect of the whole thing. When it was
over the crowd all seemed to be kinda wandering in the same
direction, with the same purpose. So we followed them and
it turns out all the locals were headed to McDonalds. Turns
out, if ya wanna bite to eat after about 10:00 pm, the locals
go to McDonalds.

Miguel Cruz

Gregory Morrow <[email protected]> wrote:
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> Interesting; ChiChis in the UK serve by some distance the worst
    >> (so-called) Tex-Mex food to be found in Britain (which is saying quite
    >> something). I wonder if they're the same chain?
    > They serve the worst Tex - Mex food by far here in the States, too. I
    > suspect they are all the same chain?

It's the same chain.

It's not as bad as Australian Tex-Mex (which is prepared by people who have
only seen the food in pictures and have no idea what it is meant to taste
like) but nonetheless pretty darn bad.

miguel
--
See the world from your web browser: http://travel.u.nu/

Miguel Cruz

Reid <[email protected]> wrote:
    > Wife saw a friend last night, has just come back from States,
    > complaining about the food. This is thirdhand now, but paraphrase
    > would be something like "steak, steak and more steak with side
    > salads, left dying for some simply steamed vegetables, gunky
    > sweet sauces/relishes on everything." New England was the area,
    > what were they doing wrong?

Going to the wrong restaurants? I eat out at least 4 days a week, often 7,
and I haven't had a steak in years except at weddings where there's no
choice.

I don't know what a relish is in the context of being "on everything".
Another word for salt?

miguel
--
See the world from your web browser: http://travel.u.nu/

Jenn

In article <[email protected]. net>,
"Gregory Morrow" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >
    > > In article <[email protected]>,
    > > [email protected] (Mxsmanic) wrote:
    > >
    > > > ChiChis is okay
    > >
    > > Interesting; ChiChis in the UK serve by some distance the worst
    > > (so-called) Tex-Mex food to be found in Britain (which is saying quite
    > > something). I wonder if they're the same chain?
    >
    >
    > They serve the worst Tex - Mex food by far here in the States, too. I
    > suspect they are all the same chain?

I remember getting a plate of snacks at one of these which looked
exactly as if some junior high kids who had never cooked had been asked
to prepare them --essentially it was various shaped bits of tortilla
chip or tortilla with what amounted to melted velveeta on them -- you
wouldn't serve this junk to drunks watching a football game on the TV