A short anecdote before I get to my point - when I was little my father took me to a work gathering at a nice restaurant where two of his coworkers spent much time griping about the food. When I asked him why he said, "because they travel all the time and they're used to eating in better places".

Now that I'm older I understand completely. My wife and I have been going to nicer restaurants recently and have found that when we have those great dining experiences it totally demotivates us from going even to some places we were okay at before. For example, the other night I had steak while out and all I could think of was how great that steak I had at Hawksmoor's was and how this one just paled incredibly in comparison.

Does this sort of thing happen to any of the rest of you?

Yeah, I totally can't go into McDonalds anymore since Wendy's opened up next door.

If you keep eating at better and better places, you'll starve to death if you get stuck somewhere with nothing better than bland chain restaurants. Not to mention how much you'll pay over time. Nip this one in the bud.

Doesn't happen to me. I love going to nice places when I'm traveling for work, or with friends and family for special occasions. But I also love getting something quick and simple at some of my favorite "regular" places.

Maybe your problem is ordering the same thing (or something very similar) at "nice" and "not so nice" places -- you mentioned having a good steak, and a less good one. When I go out somewhere nice, it's usually for a really good steak or seafood/sushi kinds of dishes - and I never go to "cheap" steak or seafood places. When I go out (or take out) somewhere casual, it's often Chinese, Indian, burgers, etc. As a result, I don't have any problem with the $100 entree setting unrealistically high expectations for the $10 entree....

You know, you're exactly right about that. The biggest difference we see with quality are at the steak and seafood/sushi places. Chinese is great for casual, but I would opt for the high end Indian place if possible. BamaVol is right; it has sort of turned into an expensive habit for us, but it's only our childrens' college funds

By and large the ones I go to around me are as good or better than the ones I go to when traveling. That might not be true of all the ones around me, but I'm pretty selective and there are lots of local options. The major exception, the cafeteria at work

We have a similar problem - we rarely eat out because I cook better food at home!

Audrey

If I am spending a certain amount of money on dinner, I want a certain experience.

But that doesn't mean I can't go to Taco Bell and enjoy the hell out of a 99cent Caramel Apple Empanada

I have a friend who lives in the DC area - her father is a well-off ex-"State Department" guy who still travels only in int'l first and business (he still goes on "State Department" missions in Africa and the Middle East, even though he's "retired") - he only eats at really nice high-end restaurants in the area. She's in her early 30's, a workaholic and single & he's in his 70's and her mother passed away a few years back - so the two of them usually eat dinner once every two weeks or so at higher end places in the DC area.

I was in DC a few weeks ago & tried taking her out to dinner for an early birthday celebration. I used to love eating at Woo Lae Oak in Arlington, VA, before it burned down. Several years ago, they opened a new location in the Tyson's Corner, VA, area so I figured we'd try it out. She said she's down for anything & to surprise her, so I made reservations for Woo Lae Oak. Turns out she had already been there - and didn't enjoy it. I made a suggestion of going to Ruth's Chris in Tysons - she thought the food there was just okay...so, we ended up at Capital Grill (I think Ruth's Chris is better, but whatever)...

Long story short - she's one of those people it's impossible to go out with because she eats at high end restaurants, so the lower end don't cut it & only a few of the higher end are any good! I love the girl, but man - going out to eat is a pain!

I have noticed that I have developed a very polarized approach to dining. If it's not haute cuisine, then it's $5 footlongs at Subway. There is no middle ground for me.

does 'nicer' have to equal cost? I took the OP's definition of 'nicer' to mean higher quality, not cost, it seems that most folks are discussing cost/high end cuisine.

If 'nicer' equals higher quality, then yes, my travels and desire to keep trying new items has made my palette crave quality.

You must be an ex or current chef with quite a repertoire of ablilities or your tastes are limited and you cook 'in this limited range' well, I'm guessing the latter. I too consider myself a good cook but I wouldn't think that I can cook on the same level as (insert your chef of haute cusiine) or as well as the chef in some of the 'down n dirty' ethnic hole in the wall type places we go.

Actually I think I'm trending the other way. The whole pomp and process of "fine dining" seems progressively more silly to me as over and over again I find that my palate is much more stimulated by "down at the heels" ethnic food than most haute cuisine. Not that I won't take the lady out for the high end experience from time to time, but truth be told that experience is less about the food and more about the intangibles.. as my mouth alone would generally be more stimulated by some Indian or Thai, both of which are seldom particularly expensive or fancy. Also of these are cuisines that I'd not be able to prepare reasonably myself. I am however, perfectly adept at searing a scallop or grilling a steak. Generally I like very, very spicy food. I don't find much haute cuisine fitting this description.

Well, you're in the right place anyway. I've been reviewing the various online sites that have rankings for the 'world's 100 best restaurants' and it is amazing how many highly rated restaurants are in NYC. Not sure if that is critical prejudice or a fact. Unless I misread the lists I don't even recall seeing any in LA, where I'll be in a few weeks.

^^+1.

Interesting hypothesis for a thread and, in my case, a timely one to some degree.

I was off yesterday and I was doing some shopping. There was a restaurant not too far from the mall and I had been there a couple of times before. Both times I was very pleased with the food and I remembered that they had a very nice outdoor patio so I decided to drop in for lunch.

On a Monday the place was about half full with local workers and I slipped easily into a nice table on the patio. No waiting in line---no muss, no fuss. Before I was able to even unroll the napkin someone came by with the menu, the waitress right behind.

Now, this place isn't a 'dive' but it is one of those 'taverns' with multiple TVs showing sports and the stock market, has a popcorn machine in the corner and peanut shells on the floor. The patio chairs and tables are plastic and the napkins are paper.

Turns out that one of their lunch specials was their 1/2 lb. steakburger with fries; normally $8.95 but today, $5.00. I added provolone cheese at no charge. I chose a 16 oz. Stella draft @ $3.00 (again on special). I ordered the cheeseburger rare---it came out perfect---with a fried pickle as an added bonus. It was, without a doubt, the best cheeseburger that I've had this year---and I do love my cheeseburgers! LOL

With tax and tip, about $12.00 out the door. Extra Bonus: this restaurant participates in the Rewards Network program so I got airline milage (double on a Monday)!

I've had some memorable meals while dining on the expense account but it doesn't stop me from enjoying food/settings that is just so perfect at that moment. Sometimes 'simple' is 'sublime'.

Absolutely true; but it also does not mean simple = inexpensive (though it can, as it was in your example). I've eaten great meals for >USD 1000 per person (typical 3-star dinner with wine), and also for <USD 3 (carnitas burritos). Enjoyment and even quality can be all over the place. But I disagree that eating at better restaurants makes you jaded for "simple" food. Rather it makes for an appreciation of what food can be like. I now seek out good-tasting butter, milk, eggs, meat -- because I can taste the difference. Generally I can buy better ingredients than most restaurants have, so I tend to make simple dishes with simple ingredients at home, for a fraction of the restaurant price and with more nutrition and enjoyment. But I also stock 5 kinds of salt at home (the best being Murray River salt, which is soft and airy like snowflakes and it shows in the flavour!). Spoiled? Absolutely ... so I prefer to eat at home given a choice. When I cannot, I try to find restaurants that have a love of food and enhance their ingredients.