Eating out - good way to gain weight and lose pounds

kingrollo

Bizarre restaurant format I was told about - is that you don't pay for your food - but you are billed by how long you are in the restaurant - not tried it myself but sounds different.

Also heard about stock exchange bars - where the price of the beer goes up and down depending on how much is being sold .....

kingrollo

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Always happy to take a recommendation for next time I'm in Leeds. Where do you go for your coffee, Rolf?

In Solihull chainland, the best coffee is Boston Tea Party, which is a small chain, followed by Cafe Nero, Carluccio and Costa. There is an independent, which is terrible. Starbucks looks a bit sketchy, so I've never visited.

Whats the Coffee like in neighbouring Chelmsley Wood Ugo ?

ugo.santalucia

Rolf F wrote:

Yes, but the point is that the smaller towns/cities have exactly the same sort of places as you get in Leeds (probably because, despite smaller footfalls, I suspect they make more economic sense there). And we are comparing them with the likes of Costa and Starbucks; hardly purveyors of top quality coffee I presume you would agree (if not, then the Italians need to learn a thing or two about making coffee ). For me, it isn't about the machine but the choice of coffee. And most of the time I prefer the taste of the coffee I make myself in a pan at home - froth or machines are not a necessity!.

It's not the coffee, it's how often you use the machine. The pressure needs to be right, the machine needs to be in good order. Most independent don't do enough coffee to have the machine running at the right pressure and temperature.
A busy bar in Milan will churn out several thousand expresso per day, it's one every few seconds.
And then of course staff need to be experienced in operating the machinery and making things with milk

shirley_basso

Rick Chasey wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

I actually prefer buffet

omg.

I listened to a comedy sketch about how the French would never been seen dead at one so struggled to understand why it was given a french name.

I am with Rick on this. Buffets are for pigs and children.

rick_chasey

Eating out is about the company, no?

The restaurant and the food is merely the canvas for the painting.

shirley_basso

kingrollo wrote:

Bizarre restaurant format I was told about - is that you don't pay for your food - but you are billed by how long you are in the restaurant - not tried it myself but sounds different.

Also heard about stock exchange bars - where the price of the beer goes up and down depending on how much is being sold .....

Stock exchange bars are relatively popular on the continent - usually one or two per major city. Sometimes our student bar did them.

When I lived in Spain I particularly liked a bar where we had our own beer tap on the table and got charged by how much you drank. Oddly I found I went out much more often and much much later but drank a fraction of what I usually do in the UK.

rolf_f

Ben6899 wrote:

Always happy to take a recommendation for next time I'm in Leeds. Where do you go for your coffee, Rolf?

Slightly annoyingly a micro-chain rather than a single shop independent. 200 degrees which has a couple of outlets in Nottingham where it originated from and a few elsewhere including the Leeds one. Their standard coffee is called Brazilian Love Affair and that's my choice of bean for home; it's similar to the Santos that my dad used to brew on Sundays and so it has great taste and nostalgia for me. It's only a hundred yards or so from the train station.
https://200degs.com/

Another one I liked vanished by the time I returned to it - it was actually only a pop up.

Laynes is also good if you need something near the station as it's on the approach ramp.

One I'd like to try but have yet to is Kronos where you pay by the time spent in it rather than for the actual coffee.

Ben6899

Brilliant. Thanks both for the recommendations.

Matthewfalle

Shirley Basso wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

I actually prefer buffet

omg.

I am with Rick on this. Buffets are for pigs and children.

this.

eithet full of fat badly dressed people with plates over flowing with food "'cos its there hurr hurr hurrr" and leaving half of it before heading off to drink pints of Carling and cappucinos or found at shyt weddings where the bridesmaids struggle to fit into their dresses and the bride has slept with half the guests.

hideous things.

#culturalvacuum

ugo.santalucia

Rolf F wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Always happy to take a recommendation for next time I'm in Leeds. Where do you go for your coffee, Rolf?

Slightly annoyingly a micro-chain rather than a single shop independent. 200 degrees which has a couple of outlets in Nottingham where it originated from and a few elsewhere including the Leeds one. Their standard coffee is called Brazilian Love Affair and that's my choice of bean for home; it's similar to the Santos that my dad used to brew on Sundays and so it has great taste and nostalgia for me. It's only a hundred yards or so from the train station.
https://200degs.com/

Another one I liked vanished by the time I returned to it - it was actually only a pop up.

Laynes is also good if you need something near the station as it's on the approach ramp.

One I'd like to try but have yet to is Kronos where you pay by the time spent in it rather than for the actual coffee.

Designer's beans is definitively something you won't find in Italy. The best bars will have Illy, Segafredo or a local industrial roaster, like Kimbo or else. Nobody buys designers beans for home either, because ultimately it's not down to the bean but to the process.
I make a very good moka coffee using the cheapest Lavazza (red quality) which coffeciaonados would be horrified to use. But, having a well used machine, knowing how much coffee and water to load, using the right amount of heat, I make it work at the correct temperature and speed, which means extraction is correct... so no burnt or bitter after taste and a full rich aroma.
If I want the "espresso effect" I whip up a spoonful of sugar with the first few drops that come up from the percolator into an off-white cream, that dissolves into coffee giving the familiar rich gold layer on top...

But of course these are things that come with genes and practice... if you don't have them, then best to invest in expensive beans and fancy pressure machines...

Matthewfalle

wtaf are you on about ugo?

you have the MFs, all of which are Italian and have their coffee preferences well known, utterly confused.

#wtaf?

kingrollo

Matthewfalle wrote:

Shirley Basso wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

I actually prefer buffet

omg.

I am with Rick on this. Buffets are for pigs and children.

this.

eithet full of fat badly dressed people with plates over flowing with food "'cos its there hurr hurr hurrr" and leaving half of it before heading off to drink pints of Carling and cappucinos or found at shyt weddings where the bridesmaids struggle to fit into their dresses and the bride has slept with half the guests.

hideous things.

#culturalvacuum

a borderline coherent post from Mathew ?

If you go buffet you won't meet Mathew - I rest my case.

Matthewfalle

yup - you are correct: you will never ever see any of the MFs at a buffet.

Or on the dole, in a Wetherspoons, down the bookies on a Tuesday morning or at any gathering watching football whilst wearing an england shirt, chanting "engeerrrland engerrrrland" or drinking pints at an airport pub at 8 in the morning "'cos we're on holiday" - generally where you will find people who go to buffets.

#fuckthatbunchofplebs

webboo

Matthewfalle wrote:

Shirley Basso wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

I actually prefer buffet

omg.

I am with Rick on this. Buffets are for pigs and children.

this.

eithet full of fat badly dressed people with plates over flowing with food "'cos its there hurr hurr hurrr" and leaving half of it before heading off to drink pints of Carling and cappucinos or found at shyt weddings where the bridesmaids struggle to fit into their dresses and the bride has slept with half the guests.

hideous things.

#culturalvacuum

This sounds like the disillusioned bridegroom describing his own wedding.

kingrollo

Matthewfalle wrote:

yup - you are correct: you will never ever see any of the MFs at a buffet.

Or on the dole, in a Wetherspoons, down the bookies on a Tuesday morning or at any gathering watching football whilst wearing an england shirt, chanting "engeerrrland engerrrrland" or drinking pints at an airport pub at 8 in the morning "'cos we're on holiday" - generally where you will find people who go to buffets.

#fuckthatbunchofplebs

Your not trying to pass yourself of as an intellect are you ?

.....Anyway thanks for the discussion all - now Mathew has found the thread we may as well close it rather than listen to his juvenile ramblings.

kingstongraham

kingrollo wrote:

Go to a show, watch a band , go to the movies, go to the races, - eating out is creating an event when none exists

Thoughts ?

Those are events where things happen in front of you and you observe them. Except going to the races - unless all you enjoy there is when the racing is happening.

Matthewfalle

kingrollo wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

morstar wrote:

It is this mentality that is driving corporate giants to more and more success, we are comfortable trusting large organisations to get the job done. Brand is everything today.

Or you can see it another way... if there wasn't such a large number of independent who can't run a catering business, maybe people wouldn't have to resort to chains...

We are now in 2019, the all idea of coffee with frothy milk has been around for well over 20 years and yet the vast majority of independent cafes outside the big cities can't churn out a cappuccino... no wonder people choose Costa...

That's quite a claim! I've yet to notice anywhere big enough to have a Costa that doesn't have perfectly serviceable independent alternatives. Machines that can produce no worse a Cappuccino than the likes of Costa seem pretty ubiquitous nowadays. Just within the confines of Leeds Station there are about 16 different shops that sell fresh ground coffee/cappuccino etc (I know - that is within a big city but the point is that coffee shops are a ridiculously numerous form of shop).

Incidentally, I've tried numerous independent coffee outlets in Leeds and so far they all seem to be better than Costa and Starbucks.

kingrollo wrote:

I actually prefer buffet - go up get your food - eat it. I really don't feel I am missing out by not spinning out the whole eating episode to a couple of hours.

If its all about the company why bother with food at all.

I get on really well with the people I work with - we are mostly of a similar age - and there is various office banter - its a good crack - one year our Christmas meal (self funded) was cancelled at the last minute - the only place we could get in was a comedy club - everyone agreed it was a fantastic night out - hilarious - but come next year everyone wanted to go to the sit down meal again ?????

If it's not all about the company then are you going to those events you do like on your own? It doesn't sound like you'd miss out on your Christmas event if you went to the comedy club entirely on your own.

Not sure I understand - the comedy club is still talked about in our office as one of the best Christmas nights out ever - I enjoy the company of my work colleagues

EDITED BY MOD - Please keep it civil.

TheBigBean

kingrollo wrote:

I might be on my own on this - but is eating out the most overrated pastime ?

Depends whether you enjoy eating. It sounds like you don't.

kingrollo wrote:

You generally sit around for ages waiting for pretty average food to arrive - with staff from all directions making sure you have enough to drink.

You need to eat somewhere better. That doesn't mean more expensive. To be fair though, the faff involved in ordering and paying is unnecessary and other countries do it much better. It's one advantage of pubs.

kingrollo wrote:

To me eating is something you do to stay alive its a bodily function - but currently eating out and being a foodie is currently a hobby - I don't get it.

People have always eaten out. It sounds like you simply don't enjoy eating. In contrast, I think the reason to do exercise is so that you can eat more.

kingrollo wrote:

Go to a show, watch a band , go to the movies, go to the races, - eating out is creating an event when none exists

All of your proposals could be enjoyed from the comfort of your sofa, and in some cases, with higher quality.

Overall though, it is not possible to eat the variety of food that is available from restaurants without going out. If you fancy Ethiopian, Mauritian, Jamaican, Korean, Nigerian etc. food, then you need to eat out.

Ben6899

Not all buffets are equal.

I nominate Tibits as somewhere you won't see people who drink Carling and/or fight at weddings.

rolf_f

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Always happy to take a recommendation for next time I'm in Leeds. Where do you go for your coffee, Rolf?

Slightly annoyingly a micro-chain rather than a single shop independent. 200 degrees which has a couple of outlets in Nottingham where it originated from and a few elsewhere including the Leeds one. Their standard coffee is called Brazilian Love Affair and that's my choice of bean for home; it's similar to the Santos that my dad used to brew on Sundays and so it has great taste and nostalgia for me. It's only a hundred yards or so from the train station.
https://200degs.com/

Another one I liked vanished by the time I returned to it - it was actually only a pop up.

Laynes is also good if you need something near the station as it's on the approach ramp.

One I'd like to try but have yet to is Kronos where you pay by the time spent in it rather than for the actual coffee.

Designer's beans is definitively something you won't find in Italy. The best bars will have Illy, Segafredo or a local industrial roaster, like Kimbo or else. Nobody buys designers beans for home either, because ultimately it's not down to the bean but to the process.
I make a very good moka coffee using the cheapest Lavazza (red quality) which coffeciaonados would be horrified to use. But, having a well used machine, knowing how much coffee and water to load, using the right amount of heat, I make it work at the correct temperature and speed, which means extraction is correct... so no burnt or bitter after taste and a full rich aroma.
If I want the "espresso effect" I whip up a spoonful of sugar with the first few drops that come up from the percolator into an off-white cream, that dissolves into coffee giving the familiar rich gold layer on top...

But of course these are things that come with genes and practice... if you don't have them, then best to invest in expensive beans and fancy pressure machines...

Now when you start talking about the need for the shop to be busy to keep the machinery at the right temperature etc I think "now here is someone who seems to know what he is talking about - more so than I" and I can respect that.

However, when you tell me that the coffee variety doesn't matter then you've lost me. It is all about the variety of coffee; it is everything. Santos is not a designer coffee bean; it's about as cheap as anything that you'll find in a place that sells single origin coffee beans (ie not supermarkets). And it makes a huge difference. I can make a complete mess of my coffee (no machine required - hand grinder rather than electric cutter, dumped in a pan of hot water with a bit of heated up milk. The nearest I have to a machine is an AeroPress which is a lot better than a caffetiere but still only worthy for use on pre ground coffee when I'm not in the mood for wrestling with the hand grinder) and it still tastes better than a well made cup of something with a less (appealing to me) bean. I've drunk Illy coffee and found it unremarkable.

What you need to understand is that what you've just said is, in UK terms, the equivalent of saying "You don't need loose leaf Earl Grey to make a quality cup of tea - just split open a bag of PG Tips into the teapot and it will taste just the same"!

Ultimately, if the ingredients are good enough then even a slight disaster will still taste good. If they are not then you are pretty much doomed to failure and no amount of process changes that.

I'm afraid you've lost all credibility there. As is customary here, I can now make the sweeping generalisation that Italians know nothing about making coffee! Sounds like they have a lot to learn from us...….

Buffets - there was a nice Curry House in Cleckheaton (biggest in the country apparently; in an old Methodist Church). It was conventional initially and we had the odd works do there and it was nice. Then they converted to buffet. And everyone just filled plates up with random piles of slop - a bit of this and a bit of that. Wasn't cheaper but you did overeat of course. Hard not to do otherwise. It's not classy. Just animals at a trough. Never went back.

Matthewfalle

"Italians know nothing about making coffee"

Hang on! Check on there fella!

Don't drop the MFs into the same bag as him.

Anyone who fights for the cappucino corner has lost all credibility.

That and buffets. WTAF has the world come to?

rolf_f

Matthewfalle wrote:

"Italians know nothing about making coffee"

Hang on! Check on there fella!

Don't drop the MFs into the same bag as him.

Anyone who fights for the cappucino corner has lost all credibility.

That and buffets. WTAF has the world come to?

Like I said, sweeping generalisations; that's what happens. You need to keep him in check a bit more effectively. Let me know when you've sorted it all out with him.

mr_goo

I've never been one for eating out in restaurants. Just don't like the being on parade scenario that goes with it. Give me a nice pub with decent real ale and a cornish pastie or steak pie and I'm a happy bunny.

Just come back from a week up in Leeds and ate out 4 nights on spin. Came home feeling pretty grotty. Think it was the large haddock and chips at the Wetherby Whaler that did it. What on earth do they fry with up north? Brent Crude?

Matthewfalle

buffets. they're like canteens for civvies or people who aren't in prison.

Matthewfalle

Mr Goo wrote:

I've never been one for eating out in restaurants. Just don't like the being on parade scenario that goes with it. Give me a nice pub with decent real ale and a cornish pastie or steak pie and I'm a happy bunny.

Just come back from a week up in Leeds and ate out 4 nights on spin. Came home feeling pretty grotty. Think it was the large haddock and chips at the Wetherby Whaler that did it. What on earth do they fry with up north? Brent Crude?

wetherby whaler? you ate at one of these voluntarily?

https://www.wetherbywhaler.co.uk/our-food/

sheeeeeesh............... no wonder you came back feeling crook.

amrushton

Depends on the buffet. Friend of mine went to the Sunday brunch at The Fairmont in San Francisco. Cost was $30 a person back then and he said he had that in lobster before anaything else. Likewise The Cosmopolitan in LV. I had cheap buffet in LV and it was awful. In another life I visited a number of Michelin starred places and thoroughly enjoyed them but I love the decor and ambience and wearing a tie. Tip is to go for a set lunch as these are cheaper. I wish I had got a job as a restaurant reviewer. These days I'm poorer and some places are ridiculously expensive for f-all. £7.50 for some brocolli! But then M&S were selling cauliflower steaks for £5(?) A whole cauli can be bought for a £1

shirley_basso

A tie? Old school.

ayjaycee

Matthewfalle wrote:

Mr Goo wrote:

I've never been one for eating out in restaurants. Just don't like the being on parade scenario that goes with it. Give me a nice pub with decent real ale and a cornish pastie or steak pie and I'm a happy bunny.

Just come back from a week up in Leeds and ate out 4 nights on spin. Came home feeling pretty grotty. Think it was the large haddock and chips at the Wetherby Whaler that did it. What on earth do they fry with up north? Brent Crude?

wetherby whaler? you ate at one of these voluntarily?

https://www.wetherbywhaler.co.uk/our-food/

sheeeeeesh............... no wonder you came back feeling crook.

I'm guessing that’s one of those places where they don’t have many saucepans but do have quite a few industrial size microwaves.

mr_goo

ayjaycee wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Mr Goo wrote:

I've never been one for eating out in restaurants. Just don't like the being on parade scenario that goes with it. Give me a nice pub with decent real ale and a cornish pastie or steak pie and I'm a happy bunny.

Just come back from a week up in Leeds and ate out 4 nights on spin. Came home feeling pretty grotty. Think it was the large haddock and chips at the Wetherby Whaler that did it. What on earth do they fry with up north? Brent Crude?

wetherby whaler? you ate at one of these voluntarily?

https://www.wetherbywhaler.co.uk/our-food/

sheeeeeesh............... no wonder you came back feeling crook.

I'm guessing that’s one of those places where they don’t have many saucepans but do have quite a few industrial size microwaves.

I was a stranger in a strange town so went with the flow.
No word of a lie when I say that when I bit into the batter I could feel the oil squishing out. Never ever again. It's put me off fish n chips for quite sometime.

Almost forgot. No Cod! Bl00dy Charlatans up t north prefer Haddock.

awavey

I like the idea of going out to eat in a restaurant or somewhere, anywhere really, somebody else to cook, clean up, serve you drink constantly, whats not to like other than the cost, but I generally find the reality a rather more trying an experience you are sort of stuck even if its supposed to be a good place, hoping the cooks/staff arent having an off night, that the meal turns up in a reasonable time, is the proper temp, cooked well, that they dont mess up the bill, or forget your order, or leave you sat there forever trying to catch their eye to come over, and the table is in the wrong place, and thats even before accounting for your dining companions, and eating alone isnt much fun

so on the whole I dont find myself eating out that much