What makes a good meal out?

[stonemaybe]

Possibly a poll question, but probably too many combinations to make a good poll.

On top of decent (exceptional?) food, what makes a great foody night out....?

- Value for money?
- Quality of service?
- Atmosphere?
- Friendliness?
- Little extras?
- Recognition?
- Choice?
- Anything else?

What made me think of this was, me and gf went out for dinner tonight to a new place, and though I loved it, she wouldn't go back!

It's a new place in town. It's almost like the outbuildings of a pub, that has been turned into a Moroccan restaurant. The tables and seats are very low, so it's uncomfortable but atmospheric. The decor was very north african (as far as I can tell never having been there).

It's new, and the waiting staff didn't really have a clue what they were doing and kept getting things mixed up, but they were really friendly and mostly realised if they'd forgotten something and then got it sorted out. We didn't realise when we got there, but they didn't have a booze licence, so it was 'bring your own' and they charged a corkage fee (still alot cheaper than most wine bought in restaurants elsewhere). We were barely finished our starter when they brought the main course.

But the food was delicious! I had a little bowl of Shashooa(?) for starter - slow roasted tomatoes with garlic and herbs, pitta bread on the side. And a lamb and artichoke tagine for main, served in a mighty impressive (to me) thing that looked like a plate with a chimney on top. Unfortunately we had to rush off to meet friends, but if we had stayed (and waitress encouraged us to) for another half an hour, we would've had a belly dancer show. They also had a 'shisha lounge' (outdoor terrace thing where you could have a hubble-bubble pipe after if you wanted).

The gf loved her food too, but doesn't want to go back because of all the little inconveniences. I'd go back tomorrow, and recommend it to all my friends too!

So what order of importance would you put various aspects of a meal out?

[Menolly]

Well first and foremost, I never, ever go to a "brand new" place. I always give them at least a month before I try them. If they close before then, then most likely I was better off anyway. I am so not a trend setter.

That said, if the food was good, I would suggest to your gf that y'all try it again six months or so down the road. She may be open to giving them another chance, and they surely would have all the kinks worked out by then. If not, then she could turn around and say, "I told you so" at the end of the evening.

As to your question, I guess it would be a combination of the things you listed. Atmosphere for me, eh, not so much. I've had some great experiences at places where you sit on wooden benches and eat with your fingers. But quality of service, "little extras," accommodations to special requests, etc., that all makes for an exceptional night out.

Friendliness...depends on the place.

[aliantha]

Stone -- the plate-with-chimney is called a tagine, too. It's the pot that Moroccans use to cook their tagine dishes in. Something about it holding in the right amount of moisture, I think.

Anyhow, to your question. "Value for the money" is important to me, but I'd rather have a one-person-sized entree than a massively large one that I feel obliged to either stuff myself with or take home half in a doggie bag. And it's the massively large entrees that one tends to get when one eats out nowadays. I don't like noisy places and I don't like places where the TV is going constantly. Sadly, most mid-priced chain places fail on all three counts. That's one reason why I've pretty much stopped going out to eat.

[Harbinger]

It really depends what kind of mood you're in and what you are looking for at the time. You can have a great meal out at a dive and a bad meal out at a five-star bistro.

No matter where you are:

First and foremost is the quality (and timeliness) of the meal you ordered. Second is the attentiveness of the server. Third is your comfort. Everything after that is just details. A great experience can be sullied by something like waiting for your bill. Next would be the atmosphere, decor, ambiance, value, etc. Were you greeted right away? Since the question is good meal out, It doesn't necessitate company although that usually makes dining more pleasant.

[aliantha]

I agree about the bill, Harbinger. There's nothing like the drumming-fingers-on-tabletop wait for the server to remember to come back with your bill.

[stonemaybe]

Aliantha wrote:

Stone -- the plate-with-chimney is called a tagine, too. It's the pot that Moroccans use to cook their tagine dishes in. Something about it holding in the right amount of moisture, I think.

I did have a vague memory of this, but wasn't sure. Thanks for the confirmation, Aliantha!

The rest of your message is too sad to quote! Though iirc you seem to know your food and cooking, and I suppose when you can make a materpiece at home, that's another problem with going out (the dreaded 'I could make better than this at home' thought. Doesn't happen to me too often )

I think we're very lucky where we live. Because of a huge annual horse racing event here every year, for its size (small enough to walk wherever you want to go) the town has many more bars and restaurants than you would expect. The horse racing is like an extra Christmas for them, which probably makes a business viable here that wouldn't be viable even in the nearest city. also, quite alot of money about. And even more luckily, there's probably as many private eateries as there are ones that are part of chains.

[aliantha]

The rest of your message is too sad to quote! Though iirc you seem to know your food and cooking, and I suppose when you can make a materpiece at home, that's another problem with going out (the dreaded 'I could make better than this at home' thought. Doesn't happen to me too often )

Heh, I dunno about *masterpiece*. It's usually edible, tho. Usually.

My main problem these days with eating out, aside from the portion sizes, is that I'm trying to lose weight, and you just don't know how restaurant food is prepared. For example, some steak places will brush butter on their steaks before grilling, as if the thing needs more fat. It's just safer to eat home-cooked food. That way I know what's in it.

It would be nice to live somewhere that wasn't Chain Restaurant Heaven, tho -- lucky you!

[Vader]

The quality and choice of wines matching the food.

[Waddley]

The quality and choice of wines matching the food.

This.

Vv Also, that vV

[High Lord Tolkien]

Someone else pays.

[Menolly]

Someone else pays.

Have to disagree there.
Yes, it's nice when it happens.
But I've still been treated to some terrible places on someone else's tab.

Not that I don't appreciate the treat and the company.
That always makes a meal, regardless of everything else.
But, it's different than a superb meal in and of itself.

[stonemaybe]

The quality and choice of wines matching the food.

That's a good one! Though with wine, I know what I know, and it's not a wide range, so I tend to go with the safe option, the one I know I'll like.

[Vader]

The quality and choice of wines matching the food.

That's a good one! Though with wine, I know what I know, and it's not a wide range, so I tend to go with the safe option, the one I know I'll like.

If you know what you know you already know a lot regardless of how wide the range of your knowledge actually is.

[CovenantJr]

Service is what matters to me. I don't want the waiting staff to badger me, but I want them to come promptly when they have a task to complete, and be easily available if I need them. In fairness, it's not always their fault, but it's something that makes a lot of difference to me.

People have very different preferences though. I dated one girl who loved very formal service and hated casual friendliness, and another who loved to feel at ease and hated uptight formality.

[Zarathustra]

The food. Everything else can fade away into the background for me . . . but if the food isn't better than I can make myself, it's a waste of time. I don't pay for atmosphere or convenience. I pay to have a culinary experience that I can't produce in my kitchen (or grill).

I have waited tables at more places than I'd like to admit. I understand that sometimes servers get busy or forget things. If they mess up bad enough, I just don't tip (or leave a bad tip--like 10%).

But if the server's mistake is so bad that I don't get what I ordered, I just won't pay. Many times I won't even wait around for them have a second chance to get it right. If I sit in your restaurant waiting 30 minutes for you to serve me, I'm not going to wait aroudn another 30 for you to fix your mistake. I've even taken food back to the kitchen myself and told the cooks, "This is completely wrong," after waiting around for the server to notice that I wasn't eating. I'm not going to sit there like a chump and pay to eat someone else's mistake.

I absolutely will not stand a steak cooked improperly, for instance. I've sent a steak back twice, and then just demanded it taken off my bill when they couldn't get it right after two tries (this was a Mother's Day dinner with just me and my mom, so I was hesitant to do this). I was nice about it, but I'm not going to spend $17 on a paper thin Select grade ribeye that is either burnt or raw. Fuck that. I can cook a nice thick Choice Angus ribeye better than any restaurant for $10.

Timeliness is great, but I can forgive just about anything if the food is exceptional. Not just good. I can get good at Wendys. It better rock my world. I'm not paying for convenience. I love to cook. I only pay someone to cook for me if they can do something I haven't learned how to do (yet!).

For instance, there's this authentic German place that has the best sausages I've ever had. I can make a damn good pot of saurkraut, with white wine and granny smith apples, etc., but I can't make sausage. I must have tried 10 different brands at 5 different stores--even a local specialty butcher shop--but nothing could top these German sausages. I mentioned this at the specialty butcher shop, and they said the guy makes them himself from scratch. I'll pay $7 for that!

Of course, it always helps if they have a good beer selection on tap. And I mean *good.* Not Corona and Amberbock.

[stonemaybe]

10 weird or expensive restaurants

travel.uk.msn.com/inspiration/gallery.a ... ageindex=1

[StevieG]

10 weird or expensive restaurants

travel.uk.msn.com/inspiration/gallery.a ... ageindex=1

That underwater one is amazing! And can you imagine paying $400 - $600 (US) per person at the Masa??

[lorin]

to me the one really important thing that is a must when eating out in the LACK if pretension. Nothing ruins a meal for me quicker than a pretentious meal served by a pretentious waiter at a pretentious price.

[stonemaybe]

couldn't find a better thread...

Jamie Oliver's opened one of his Italian restaurants in town last month. We decided to check it out last night.

Bearing in mind, his vision is rustic italian food, and he's obsessed by their passion for family eating together...

the restaurant is quite a large square room (high ceiling typical of here) with tables jammed together (like a family????)

ambience 1/10 - it was loud! it was smelly!(kitchen not separated from where you eat). the lighting was 'half-light' it hurt both our eyes after 5 mins, until we left.

service - 9/10. keen and he knew his stuff.

price: 5/10 would have been 1/10 but see below.

taste: 10/10. starter was so-so but main was the best pasta I have EVER had. had the cuttlefish paccheri. O M G (tho' the missus was underwhelmed by her sea bass)

[Damelon]

I wouldn't like the tables jammed together. There's an Italian restaurant like that in Chicago, Rosebud. Good food, but too close to the neighbors.

Going back to the original question, it would be for me: 1. Quality of food, 2. Service, 3. Ambience.