I did not imply easy as in work, I implied easy as in conceptually easy. Ie no Brainer to use good ingrediants. I have had restuarant owners complain about their lack of business, but some of them are so worried about cutting cost, and maixmizing profit, that the food s#cks. They spend all of their time trying to cut costs or look for the cheapest supplier. Food cost are important, but if your restaurant is good, consumers do not choose it because of price, but because it is good.

I agree, keep it simple. If I had a restaurant it would be limited to a few items and the menu would change to my mood and the season.

It is a balance, but I for one, go out to eat because it is something that I can not do at home, want to do at home (too much trouble or can not get the ingrediants at the retail level), or the chef/cook is truely gifted and it is an honest pleasure to be eating at that restaurant. Why go out, if I can get better at home.


My family has restaurants, and I have worked in them. Plus, I have, as a favor for friends, catered and cooked for parties of upto 500 people.

It is a lot of work, and you do not make a lot of friends. I still am getting sh*t from volunteers at the last party I catered. Naturally, and with the pace, you tend to be very authoritarian. They implied I was an A-hole because I would order them around and not ask nicely and told my wife I failed to say please. But when you are cooking for a large group, timing is everything, so politeness falls to the side ( I did appologize).

I hate chain restuarants because they are always to trying to maximize profits and the food goes to the way side. Plus, the service is usually bad. Although, as previously posted, some chains are actually quite good. They still care about the food.

Chili's started of good, but has gone way down hill. Applebees is truely gross. I ate their once (no choice-on the road with others in a strange town, and out voted). I thought I would play it safe, and order a grilled chicken sandwich. The chicken was pressed. What are they thinking? How hard is it to grill a chicken breast that has at least been marinated in italian dressing and put it on a toasted bun?

I love to find the neighborhood restaurants that are a treat to eat at, because of one dish or another.

I am lucky in that I have a gift where I can taste something at a restaurant, and duplicate it. I can tell by taste what is in it. At least to the cuisine I have been exposed.

My favorite past time is to got to a good market, start with the entre, what is fresh, in season, and what catches my interest. I then build the meal around the entre.

My biggest fault, as my wife and kids say, is that I tend to use every pan. When I cook, I actually prep everything first, and have it on individual plates. Tends to make a mess but I am learning to clean up after my self.