Only in America
American cafeteria restaurants are much like the ones we have in our schools...but generally better.
So, you enter, grab a plate and utensils, and either get in a line or go to certain serving stations where food is being served to you by employees. Usually, the food is resting in a steam-table or under a heat lamp, much like you'd find at a hot buffet. Some things are also kept chilled.
Where I am, they have as many strata of cafeterias as standard restaurants. There are some that are definitely just barely a notch above institutional food, while others are darn near being fine dining. One near my house used to serve prime rib and lobster...*
* loved that place. It was always packed on Sundays, too, but went out of business because their overhead- read, rent- was too high. They cleared a greater gross income than any other location in their chain, but had the lowest net profits (only $2k/month).
So, you enter, grab a plate and utensils, and either get in a line or go to certain serving stations where food is being served to you by employees. Usually, the food is resting in a steam-table or under a heat lamp, much like you'd find at a hot buffet. Some things are also kept chilled.
Where I am, they have as many strata of cafeterias as standard restaurants. There are some that are definitely just barely a notch above institutional food, while others are darn near being fine dining. One near my house used to serve prime rib and lobster...*
* loved that place. It was always packed on Sundays, too, but went out of business because their overhead- read, rent- was too high. They cleared a greater gross income than any other location in their chain, but had the lowest net profits (only $2k/month).
Oh, then forget Brasseries. They are something different.
I know that many restaurants in Europe offer buffets on some dates/times which work like this in addition to their normal a la carte business. But I have not seen this as main form of service in cafeterias.
I forget...did I mention pocket-sized powdered or liquid drink mixes?
The last time my parents went abroad in 2010, my Mom's use of such things at the table was so unusual that a chef actually came out to see what she was putting in her water or tea...and was quite thankful when she gave him a bottle.
And when she was on the return leg, she left her stash with the hotel's cleaning lady...who said she was going to call her family to share the bounty! No, she wasn't being sarcastic.
The last time my parents went abroad in 2010, my Mom's use of such things at the table was so unusual that a chef actually came out to see what she was putting in her water or tea...and was quite thankful when she gave him a bottle.
And when she was on the return leg, she left her stash with the hotel's cleaning lady...who said she was going to call her family to share the bounty! No, she wasn't being sarcastic.
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Yeah, common. Different types, as you say.
Jim Jenkins
First Post
Lately I've been wondering how common peanut butter is outside of the US.
Viking Bastard
Adventurer
Except for the IKEA cafeteria, I can't think of any places like that. Plenty of buffet lunch places, but not quite like that.
Peanut butter is pretty common here and is more common today than when I was a kid (it was available, it just hadn't caught on).
Peanut butter is pretty common here and is more common today than when I was a kid (it was available, it just hadn't caught on).
It's in all the supermarkets. It's not a "thing" - it's just one of a thousand spreads, but it's commonly available.
Zander
Explorer
In the UK, liquid drink mixes are very common but not in pocket sizes. It mostly comes in large bottles. Orange squash is the most common generic kind. I think it has existed in the UK longer than the US. A former colleague from the US drank some undiluted the first time he came to the UK as he didn't know what it was. You can get pocket-sized liquid ones (Robinsons does several flavours) but they're not super common.
Same story with powdered mixers in the UK. Common in large sizes (e.g. Nesquick) but not so common in pocket sizes.
The Japanese have powdered drink mixes in smallish sizes. My favourite is a sports drink called - don't laugh - Pocari Sweat. You can also get it hydrated in cans and bottles. The powdered and hydrated versions are also available in S. Korea and the UK (and probably the US?).
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