The chain restaurants have just about driven out the small restauranteer. Food
has gone from freshly prepared cuisine to junk that's served "enmasse" from a
food service counter hidden from the customer's view. The food served is close
to be AWFUL in terms of preparation, taste and freshness. Its gotton so bad I
can no longer find a decent place to dine out. Here's just an example to
illustrate my point. My wife and I went looking for a dine out tonight and I
stopped at a Bennigan's Pub and Grill on North May Ave. in Oklahoma City. The
atmosphere was nice but the tables were crowded and uncomfortably close. We
rejected several seatings because the air conditioning was blowing cold and the
corners were drafty. A cute college age waitress named Heather waited on us.
We told her of several special requirements and to be sure to write down our
comments for the chef. She complied with a smile. My wife ordered baby back
ribs (full rack) and I ordered fish and chips, substituting a side salad for
the fries. We also ordered an appetizer. The appetizer was properly prepared
and enjoyable. Our main entrees were anything but good. My wifes rack of ribs
was as cold as if it had been sitting out all day or refrigerated all day and
not cooked at all. This type of meal is prepared in advance and of course came
off a steamer table or somesuch kitchen table. The cook made no attempt to
heat these before delivery hence the barbecue sauce was greasy and cold. The
meat was no where near eating temperature. She ordered green beans as a
vegetable and these were cold, and rubbery. My fish sticks were anything but
fish! A ton of tempura batter surrounded fingers of fish. There was so much
breading I couldn't taste the fish. The "fingers" tasted like fish flavored
Twinkies. I peeled the Tempura batter away from the fish and each of five
fingers has a hint of fish inside about the diameter of a woman's pinkie
finger. The rest was tempura. These were the worst fish sticks I ever ate!
Far worse than supermarket "Grotons" which are also awful. The last time I was
in Ireland the fish and chips was far better fare. In total there was less
fish inside all of the fingers than served in one fillet at Long John Silvers.
I would have been better off if I'd gone there instead of Bennigans. Both my
wife and I were served cole slaw. I don't know who made it but all I can say
is it was shredded cabbage and it tasted like dry shredded cabbage. There was
very little if any liquid, mayonnaise, vinigar or whatever is used to make cole
slaw edible. Now Bennigans wants feedback as evidenced by their website.
However they have no complaint form and no e-mail address. They expect me to
call them during regular business hours to tell them how screwed up they are.
Bottom line is Bennigan's and lots of other like restaurants really suck!
Peanut butter is better!

As long as people go out to eat at chain restaurants such as Bennigan's,
they will continue to flourish. What you described is what I would expect
at a Bennigan's, especially in/near a college town (Norman).

Many Bennigan's in KS have closed.

In KC, independent restaurant owners have formed a 'coalition' of locally
owned restaurants and advertise as such.

Christina

"Monika1945" > wrote in message
...
> The chain restaurants have just about driven out the small restauranteer.
Food
> has gone from freshly prepared cuisine to junk that's served "enmasse"
from a
> food service counter hidden from the customer's view. The food served is
close
> to be AWFUL in terms of preparation, taste and freshness. Its gotton so
bad I
> can no longer find a decent place to dine out. Here's just an example to
> illustrate my point. My wife and I went looking for a dine out tonight
and I
> stopped at a Bennigan's Pub and Grill on North May Ave. in Oklahoma City.

(Monika1945) wrote in message >...
> The chain restaurants have just about driven out the small restauranteer. Food
> has gone from freshly prepared cuisine to junk that's served "enmasse" from a
> food service counter hidden from the customer's view.



It's the truth!

The breakfast places have taken the hit even worse - many areas have
virtually no little diner like breakfast operations left at all.

I have only been in the culinary field for a little over a year but I have
experienced many new flavors and tastes which I guess you could say have
made me a little more food taste savvy. I am shocked regularly when I
prepare something fairly extravagant for family or friends only to have the
best comment be "oh, it was good", usually only after I ask. Then they will
flip over a chocolate cake made from a box mix and some canned frosting. I
guess its just what you get used to.


"Monika1945" > wrote in message
...
> The chain restaurants have just about driven out the small restauranteer.
Food
> has gone from freshly prepared cuisine to junk that's served "enmasse"
from a
> food service counter hidden from the customer's view. The food served is
close
> to be AWFUL in terms of preparation, taste and freshness. Its gotton so
bad I
> can no longer find a decent place to dine out. Here's just an example to
> illustrate my point. My wife and I went looking for a dine out tonight
and I
> stopped at a Bennigan's Pub and Grill on North May Ave. in Oklahoma City.
The
> atmosphere was nice but the tables were crowded and uncomfortably close.
We
> rejected several seatings because the air conditioning was blowing cold
and the
> corners were drafty. A cute college age waitress named Heather waited on
us.
> We told her of several special requirements and to be sure to write down
our
> comments for the chef. She complied with a smile. My wife ordered baby
back
> ribs (full rack) and I ordered fish and chips, substituting a side salad
for
> the fries. We also ordered an appetizer. The appetizer was properly
prepared
> and enjoyable. Our main entrees were anything but good. My wifes rack of
ribs
> was as cold as if it had been sitting out all day or refrigerated all day
and
> not cooked at all. This type of meal is prepared in advance and of course
came
> off a steamer table or somesuch kitchen table. The cook made no attempt
to
> heat these before delivery hence the barbecue sauce was greasy and cold.
The
> meat was no where near eating temperature. She ordered green beans as a
> vegetable and these were cold, and rubbery. My fish sticks were anything
but
> fish! A ton of tempura batter surrounded fingers of fish. There was so
much
> breading I couldn't taste the fish. The "fingers" tasted like fish
flavored
> Twinkies. I peeled the Tempura batter away from the fish and each of five
> fingers has a hint of fish inside about the diameter of a woman's pinkie
> finger. The rest was tempura. These were the worst fish sticks I ever
ate!
> Far worse than supermarket "Grotons" which are also awful. The last time
I was
> in Ireland the fish and chips was far better fare. In total there was
less
> fish inside all of the fingers than served in one fillet at Long John
Silvers.
> I would have been better off if I'd gone there instead of Bennigans. Both
my
> wife and I were served cole slaw. I don't know who made it but all I can
say
> is it was shredded cabbage and it tasted like dry shredded cabbage. There
was
> very little if any liquid, mayonnaise, vinigar or whatever is used to make
cole
> slaw edible. Now Bennigans wants feedback as evidenced by their website.
> However they have no complaint form and no e-mail address. They expect me
to
> call them during regular business hours to tell them how screwed up they
are.
> Bottom line is Bennigan's and lots of other like restaurants really suck!
> Peanut butter is better!
>
>

Kim Wolf wrote:
>
> I have only been in the culinary field for a little over a year but I have
> experienced many new flavors and tastes which I guess you could say have
> made me a little more food taste savvy. I am shocked regularly when I
> prepare something fairly extravagant for family or friends only to have the
> best comment be "oh, it was good", usually only after I ask. Then they will
> flip over a chocolate cake made from a box mix and some canned frosting. I
> guess its just what you get used to.

A lot of people would rather have safe experiences that do not stretch
their boundaries, than be challenged to form an opinion. Gallo sold a
lot of wine based on that theory and now is trying to change its profile
to that of a fine wine producer.

I ran into the same thing with people preferring a hollandaise mix over
me making it from scratch. Not much you can do but to continue pleasing
yourself in the kitchen.

JJ

Monika,

It is too bad that your experience at that chain restaurant was not up
to par. I have heard many horror stories like that. However, I find
that the actual problem is due to the back house staff. Cooks are
being hired at younger ages, and many of them regard cooking as a
means to an end. So there is a lot of turn over, and it becomes
difficult to hire well trained staff to cook.

In my area I have noticed an alarmingly increasing demand for cooks.
People are willing to train because few individuals can deal with the
stress, heat and procedures. I'm sure that the franchisee did not
teach the cooks to give the customer cold ribs, or over-battered fish.
It's just too bad that supervisors can't catch all of the poorly done
items that come out of the kitchen.

hi everyone,
i love italian restaurant...specially theirs pizzas....