This right here is the key. I live in a city with about 100,000 people. We have no decent city-like restaurants. We have two "fine dining" places that just aren't. But people here think eating at those places is "like you are eating in New York". I don't particularly like going to Olive Garden but I go there here since the food isn't bad, the service is good, and the experience is consistent. It's all about what you have for comparison.