Originally Posted by
SPN Lifer
My wife is excellent at copying meals we eat elsewhere. That is why we so seldom need to eat out.
I enjoy doing this as well. But there are certain things that either a) I can't make cost-effectively for 2 people or b) I don't have the equipment/time/etc. to do it like a restaurant. These are the items I gravitate toward when we eat out. Not always, but if I see something that falls into one of those two categories, it definitely gets consideration.
Originally Posted by
lhrsfo
Of course most menus reflect trends as not too many chefs can set them. To me the real issue is that there are far too many restaurants with ideas way above their station. They churn out copycat food to a high, but not exceptional, standard but charge exceptional prices for it.
There's a restaurant near us that does a 6-course chef's menu (pairing available) at a reasonable price - maybe $80 US, I can't remember. It doesn't aspire to be a high-end Michelin-starred-type restaurant with expensive, fancy, hard-to-source ingredients. Most people would know every ingredient on the menu. But it's creative, artfully plated, and delicious. I would love to see others like this, that stay "within their station" and keep it affordable and classy.