Discussion of Morrus's America/GenCon thread

[Uller]

Since we're not allowed to post to this thread I thought we could talk about/respond to his posts here.

I'll start...

(about the meal sizes)

Yes, American restaurants serve riduculously large portions. I don't really know why. I've found that sometimes you can ask for the "lunch" menu and get more reasonably sized portions...usually about half the size for about 2/3 the price. For Americans, dinner (or supper depending on where you are from) is the evening meal and is usally the largest of the day. Breakfast is usually just a bowl of cereal or a bagel and lunch is just a sandwich or something quick.

Enjoy your stay...if you happen to find yourself in central PA during your travels, give a yell.

 

[Umbran]

Yes, American restaurants serve riduculously large portions. I don't really know why.

Short version- food is cheap.
Somewhat longer version - From what I've been told, the majority of the cost of dining out is not actually the food. Most of your bill goes into paying the cooks, wait staff, building leases, and so forth - things that don't change much with the size of the meal. If they can make the portion larger without increasing the bill much, it seems to the customer to be much added value.

Which would you generally rather do - go out to eat, and have a meal, or go out to eat, have a meal, and have leftovers you can take home and have for lunch tomorrow? Most folks choose the latter.

Secondary reason - I wouldn't be surprised if Americans on the whole are big eaters.

 

[Katerek]

I have spoken to several people on numerous occasions from all over the globe, and the size of our dining portions has come up repeatedly.

This one fellow I knew briefly from New Zealand could not get over the idea of Super Size. To him the Large Size was gargantuan!

Another friend of mine, still gawks with wonder whenever she see's me finish a 44oz Coke in under an hour.

Largely I think we are just bunch of big eaters. It has been almost 400 years since alot of us started migrating, it was only a matter of time before we developed out own culture that wasn't entirely stolen.

 

[OaxacanWarrior]

I know that I like to eat a lot. If I go to a restaurant and don't come away full from my meal, I feel that they cheated me on the portions. Now, I'm 6'5" and weigh about 270 so you can imagine that I do usually eat a lot, but still...I like to get my money's worth for my meals.

 

[Airwolf]

Greetings all,

Yep the portions are big. I just ate out at a Mexican place last night with my wife and a friend.

As soon as the food arrived my wife divided her food and only ate half. She requested a box as soon as the waiter came back around to see how things were. I also took food home, but I did eat about 2/3 of what I ordered. I just finished the last 1/3 for lunch a little while ago.

I hope Morrus enjoyes the subway. It was weird for me, never having ridden a subway before. At least it was cheap transportation.

Oh by the way, Morrus, look out for the taxi cabs, they would just as soon run you over as stop.

 

[Davelozzi]

This one fellow I knew briefly from New Zealand could not get over the idea of Super Size. To him the Large Size was gargantuan!

I agree completely with him. I made by annual visit to McD's a couple of months ago and made the mistake of ordering a large (not super sized) Coke from the drive-through. I couldn't fit it in my car's cup holder so I asked the woman working if she had something that I could put it in. She gave me one of those little cardboard drink trays, and it didn't fit in that either. I nearly got into an accident trying to drive back to the office while holding the thing.

And don't even get me started on the fact that there's no small size. Damn it, if I order a small, just give me the smallest size you have, I don't need to hear about how you only have medium, large, and extra-large, you know which one I want.

Another time recently, we went out to an little Italian place in the North End*. My wife and I both ate until we were stuffed. She didn't want her leftovers so I took them home. Between what was left of her meal and mine, I ate a full lunch for the next five days straight.

It's really no wonder that Americans in general are so overweight.

*a heavily Italian neighborhood of Boston.

 

[Pielorinho]

Heh -- although the travel journals are great fun to read, the only thing I wanted to respond to in them was the food thing, too! Morrus, you're getting our American Food Hackles up!

Actually, I agree that food servings are big. When I went to France, I was cautioned that it was the height of rudeness to ask for a to-go box for part of one's meal there: you either ate what was on your plate, or you threw it out.

Here, I almost always take part of my meal home with me from a restaurant. Right now, I have a half-eaten burrito in my fridge, because it's hard to find a burrito around town that's smaller than my head.

But it's great. Pay for one meal, get two or three out of it. I'm not complaining.

So that's my savvy native advice. If you've got access to a fridge, ask for a to-go box at your friendly local supersized-serving restaurant.

And if any of you ever come to Asheville, I'll hook you up with our buttload of fantastic restaurants.

Daniel

 

[Dimenhydrinate]

And if any of you ever come to Asheville, I'll hook you up with our buttload restaurants.

Daniel

EWWWW!!!!!!!!! and I thought the rumor of Koreans serving dog in the states was bad...
edited to make the quote funnier

 

[Pielorinho]

EWWWW!!!!!!!!! and I thought the rumor of Koreans serving dog in the states was bad...
edited to make the quote funnier

Honeychile, you ain't never et chitlins, you ain't et !

Daniel
(misquote me, will you?)

 

[reiella]

Comedy Drink Pricing.

Small 93 cents.
Medium 95 cents.
Large 97 cents.
Super-Size 99 cents.

As many say, it's accepted to have take-home stuff for the people who actually eat 3/day. There's also quite a few people who eat at the chain restraunts who simply only eat one real meal a day (think College kids).