When Dinner's A Chain Event

Montclair ruined chain restaurants for me - it also keeps me poor. Thanks delicious food, for nothing! (except happy taste buds)

I am anti-chain, yes. Unless I am traveling and there's not a decent restaurant or diner around for miles. But, gosharoonie, why in the WORLD if you live in Baristaville, surrounded by so many fab eateries, would you pick a chain? Does not compute.

MM,

"Outback" was pretty good - at least it was a few years ago. The appetizers were generous, fresh and very tasty, the burgers large, juicy and flavorful, the beer ice, freaking cold in frosted glasses.

I used to go to the one out in Parsippany on Route 46. It was mobbed every time I went there.

Sorry, MB, I respectfully disagree. If I want a decent burger, I'll go to one of the many Irish Pubs around. When I worked in NJ, I used to visit Gaffer's Pub (are they still around?) and they made a great burger.

For steaks that aren't too expensive, try the Cloverleaf in Caldwell. You don't need to spend big bucks for good food but you also are not limited to chains.

Gaffer's is still around and still makes excellent burgers.

Interesting that the Times would be recommending these same restaurants that it tore apart a few weeks ago in the regular Wednesday Dining section for serving dishes having outrageous numbers of calories and grams of fat.

Disclaimer: at least to his humble gourmand's taste, having outrageous numbers of calories and grams of fat does not automatically make these restaurants bad! In many cases, such dishes are much more tasty than the mashed yeast and tofu droppings the Fat Nazis would like us to ingest. Are you listening, MeMe?

Of all the chains, I like Charlie Brown's (Montclair store specifically excluded -- short pours, overcooked food, and mediocre service); TGIF's are usually consistently good, too, wherever you are around the country.

Most CORPORATE food is just not that good. Unless we are travelling, we rarely go to a chain.

"I used to visit Gaffer's Pub (are they still around?) "

If you're talking about the one on Main St. in West Orange right by Eagle Rock way.

Yes they are

way = avenue

My view on this changed quick when the little prof came along.

For a while there Friday night at Applebees was the thing. He loved it, the waiters loved him and the burgers were great (certainly not Tierney's burger- the best- but very good).

But you can see how bringing a 3-year-old to Tierney's might be a problem.

Hate Cheesecake, the Office and Charlie Browns. Red Robin is fun and harmless. And the cheese biscuits at Red "Lobsters" are great.

We don't believe in the snob approach to anything. We go high/low: very expensive, exclusive items next to things from Target (love Target).

So one day we're at Epernay, the next at Applebees (followed by the greasy spoon on Valley Rd.).

Life's too short to get hung up on little things like this.

That said, I cook most nights.

Which feeds my all out passion: SUPERMARKETS!!! (Scary-- I'm serious).

This SUMS it up.

Nothing beats a Buddy Burger at Tierneys. Although I've taken a liking to the fish and chips. Take Little Prof for lunch. Get him a side of onion rings. I prefer it when Doug's cooking.

Does Panera count? I like Panera. And Legal Seafood.

I have an inexplicable weakness for On the Border.

Fish and chips at Tierney's? Bah!! The ONLY Fish and Chips is the Argyle in Kearny. Real, authentic and tasty!!!

Just to clarify: It's not snobbishness on my part. I'll gladly take a burger and fries at Tierney's over some posh, overpriced place any day. What I don't like about chains is that they consist of--as one poster above pointed out--food created by a corporation. Where's the creativity there? Everything is sauced, creamed and salted to death. Ugh.

This is one area that the French and Italians will always lord it over us: cuisine. Even the humblest snack in Franch or Italy is prepared with top quality, pure and fresh ingredients, with the just the right balance of seasonings.

/off my soapbox

his is one area that the French and Italians will always lord it over us: cuisine. Even the humblest snack in Franch or Italy is prepared with top quality, pure and fresh ingredients, with the just the right balance of seasonings.

Anyway, I have nothing against chains. Because I haven't traveled much, there are many chains I've only recently discovered were chains.

As for why one would eat there rather than at fancier alternatives... the challene is finding out the alternatives exist. If you're new to the area, and don't know anyone, how do you know where to look? Chain restaurants are usually located in central areas and are clearly visible from the road. Also, their names usually indicate what kind of food they serve, even if you have never heard of the chain before.

I'll take restaurant recommendations, though -- I've been a here a year and I haven't been out to eat yet. (I live alone and I haven't gotten completely comfortable going out to eat by myself). I couldn't name a single non-chain restaurant off the top of my head, so I'm not sure where to begin. On the other hand, I consume waay to much Chinese take-out.

Ok, that's not completely true. I've been to a few generic diners around the state, with people I've met at church events, etc.. I really dislike Diner food, though, so I don't think it counts.

"Have you been to France or Italy?"

Yes. Trust me, it's very hard to get a bad meal in either country. No, I don't think there's a difference between our tastebuds on this side of the pond. It's just that we've gotten so used to eating on the run, bland ingredients, and food with a shelf life of 12 years that's no one bats an eyelash.

"Also, 'top quality, pure and fresh ingredients' is marketing speak. 'Top quality' is unmeasurable, 'pure' is irrelevant (unless you think unprocessed magically equals 'good') and 'fresh' is only relative."

I think quality and freshness are things that ARE measurable. When you go to a supermarket, can't you tell the difference between fresh produce versus produce that's been sitting around for a week? I can.

As for processed foods, it's hard to avoid them completely but given the choice, I'd take fresh food/homemade food over them any day.

I don't know where you live but you don't have to go far to enjoy good food. Just take a walk down Bloomfield Avenue or Valley Road in Montclair, for example. No shortage of good places to eat.

I think "corporate" is the key here. Menus are created by market research, recipes are designed to maximize profit while at the same time ensure ease of preparation for the staff that puts it on the plate.

The staff is not invested in the actual preparation and natural human error comes into the scientific and mathematical equation that the corporation has set up. While error comes up in every environment, the staff at chain restaurants are not allowed personal involvement and therefore are divorced from responsibility.

Thus chunks of frozen lettuce in your salad or dried up grated carrots, very unappealing. The occasional hair or bug makes its way into the mix.

Many additives dull the flavors as well as freezer burn, inadequate refrigeration if the truck breaks down in traffic.

Come on we've all experienced this stuff. Not the same as cooking it yourself!

Amen, Amelia!

Miss M is dead on with regard to Italy. Even in the autostrada service areas - we get Cinnabon & Burger King, you walk into one over there & it's like Zabar's. The difference in the approach & the importance of food quality in the culture are evident at every turn.

Walk around virtually any community in Italy, be it in Rome or the smallest town, & you'll find a neighborhood butcher, baker, cheesemonger & produce market where most of the local folks still buy their provisions. Supermarkets are a growing presence but far from the only option, unlike in much of America.

As for our chain restaurants - the good thing about them is that they post their nutrition info on line so you can see exactly what goes into your food.

The bad thing is that you come to realize that there is absolutely nothing you can eat at any of them if you're trying to maintain a cardiac-friendly diet. Epernay & Blu are probably just as bad, but sometimes you gotta deviate & at least they make it worthwhile for your taste buds.

As far a chain food goes, Johnny Carino's in the Clifton Commons is pretty good.

MM, I think you're as off-base with this generalization about France and Italy, "Trust me, it's very hard to get a bad meal in either country" as someone who believes that ALL chain food is bad.

Good food is everywhere. But that some go to the comfort of the familiar (think of all the "local" artifacts in every "neighborhood" Applebee's) chain is no reason to cast the evil "they don't know good food" spell.

McDonalds has done quite well being familiar. (And while I just bought a pig. Really, a pig. And smoke pork all summer, I love the McRib...)

Don't discount those who may feel out of place or uncomfortable in at Table 8.

These chains are large, fun, diverse and have a sense of community. You cannot say that for many local places.

"The bad thing is that you come to realize that there is absolutely nothing you can eat at any of them if you're trying to maintain a cardiac-friendly diet."

Very true. I will make an exception here re: Charlie Brown's. At least they try, with their offerings of grilled meats and chicken, steamed veggies and the awesome salad bar.

But most of the others? Fuggedaboudit.

You cannot claim that Charlie Brown's is any different from these other chains.

Unless, of course you like them. Then of course, they are different.

How about this: folks have different tastes. Some will like a chain. Some won't.

The funny thing about this article was the amazement of the reviewer: strange-- those little people at their chains may get a decent meal.....

I agree with profwilliams that there is something in the comfort of the familiarity of a chain. There are times when that familiarity is what is called for...other times, a different type of restaurant fits the mood. For comfort food, I love Uno's in Wayne.

I love how they had to visit the "'burbs" for chain restaurant fare. Smug.

Somebody reads Baristanet...

http://blog.nj.com/artful_diner/2008/05/how_low_can_you_go.html

My chain restaurant tale. Years ago I was dating a guy and Valentines day was approaching. I'm not the type of girl who cares about things like Valentines day so I was not excepting him to have anything planned. However he did! He spent days and days bragging about the plans he had made for us for Valentines Day. He even went so far as to tell my roommate to make sure I "dressed" for the evening. Little Miss Princess that I am, I thought Miss Saigon tickets, or something of that level.

MO'FO' took me to Red Lobster, couldn't even get a table, then took me to Chili's.

I know I'm a snot, but who brags about making plans when the plan is Red Lobster?

What a bunch of food snobs. While I prefer a nice meal at a local restaurant, I also enjoy a burger at Red Robin or happy hour and appetizers at Applebees. Sometimes I just want to go somewhere where I can have a cocktail before and/or after dinner.

Like any place, some chains are good, some aren't.