Julian Vrieslander wrote:
> 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.


Good places still exist. The problem is that the big box places have
such warchests that they can buy mindshare so people think there is
nothing else.

I mentioned this before. Some friends know that I know NYC pretty well.
I read that there are something like 16,000 restaurants there. I gave
them recommendations for places that fit their schedule and price range.
When they came back they announced that tjfridays called to them as soon
as they saw it.

>
> 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.
>