In article
>
,
Cindy Fuller > wrote:

> The SO and I much avoid most of the chains of the Applebee's genre (TGI
> Fridays, Outback, etc.) except under desperate conditions. Much of it
> is corporatized, least common denominator chow.

Cindy and I are very fortunate to live in Seattle, where there are still
lots of high quality independently owned restaurants and cafes. From
our travels around the country, we know that there are many cities and
towns where almost all the eateries are outlets of the big corporate
chains.

It's really sad. When I was growing up (in the 50s and 60s), I used to
enjoy traveling with my parents and sampling the regional variations in
food. Now, it's often hard to find places that preserve those regional
cuisines. You have to hunt for them, away from the interstate highways
where the junk food chains dominate. When Cindy and I go on driving
vacations, we often do some advance research, and plan our stops to
visit restaurants that feature authentic local or ethnic specialties.

I went to an Applebee's only once, and ordered their "famous" ribs.
They served up a soggy pile of bones, covered with a super-sweet sauce.
There was probably more sauce than meat. Never again.

--
Julian Vrieslander