Day 1

Grumble grumble......

Used to be going out for a meal at a restaurant was a pleasant experience.  Hmmmmm, where to go, so many favorite restaurants, so much variety.   Casual dining ??  Fancy night out??  Or maybe just pizza.
It seemed no matter what the final choice was, we were going to get a nice meal, respectfully prepared and respectfully served. 

WTF happened !!!!!????   So many bad or mediocre meals lately !!   Ick!  

Examples.......    Bearnaise sauce should be warm and poured over the steak, not ice cold and served in a med cup on the side.  'Oh, but if we warm it, it will separate'    What !!??
The fillet should be one, oval piece of meat, not folded up to resemble a fillet, what exactly was that !!??
Sushi rice should have a wonderful velvety texture that is a joy to have in your mouth.  What I had was tough, chewy and unpalatable.  Couldn't wait to get it out of my mouth !
Tomato slices..... rich, ripe and red...... not green and hidden inside my burger bun where I wont notice it. The same goes for the limp, old lettuce and greens you tried to hide in the bottom of the salad. I'm not stupid, don't treat me that way !
Toast points are just that, toast cut into little points.... easy right ??    Apparently Melba toast is an acceptable replacement.... NOT !!!
Chicken breasts.... so versatile......sandwich, salad, wrap etc.   Is it really that difficult to sprinkle on some salt and pepper or any kind of seasoning when grilling ??  Not asking for much..... just some flavor !!!
The list goes on and on.  Simple, little things, easy to change. 
 I won't even talk about the food that made me nauseous... proper food storage isn't rocket science, come on !

Really, what has happened to the food industry?  Why the lack of respect for the food and the customer?  The Food Network has educated us, but it seems that you feel that if the decor is kick-ass then it doesn't matter what comes out of the kitchen. Overwhelm the customers with atmosphere and they will think the food is good.   Please....... enough already.
You there, in the kitchen..... would you serve that to your friends, your family ?? Your mother ??
It's not that difficult to prepare flavorful, good meals.  We do it at home all the time.  Pre-packaged, pre-prepared microwave meals don't exist in our house and we love it !  But once or twice a week we would like to go out and have someone else do the cooking, to taste something different, to have a treat..... to enjoy a nice meal, respectfully prepared, respectfully served.

Thank you !