Saturday 17 January 2015

Never again...

...will I go for the "fine dining" experience. That's it. Over. Finished.

I've posted about this before, and it seems I never learn. I've posted about weird little garnishes and jus and little sprigs of this and that, and going home hungry at the end of it all. And I went back for more (why?) But on Tuesday, I took no.1 son for lunch, as a belated birthday celebration, and afterwards, I decided never again.

John is a foodie, and a great believer in visiting eating places that have been reviewed in the many periodicals he reads, and he suggested this one. It was nice enough; lovely friendly staff, and a pleasant atmosphere. But the dishes were so complicated that you needed a map and a book of instructions to find your way round them. What was this little trickle supposed to be? This tiny fragment? This colourful dot? Son's starter arrived in a wooden box, and had to be assembled in front of him, while he looked on, utterly bewildered. I can't remember what it was, but I know it involved a quail's egg.

Afterwards, he was scrupulously polite, and very sweet, but he did comment that "you just want your lunch, don't you?"  (It reminds me of the occasion when his sister was stressing about a dinner party she was giving. "Daisy, people just want pie," he told her.)

Quite.

30 comments:

  1. What I'd like to know now is, will John keep following the restaurant reviews he finds in his magazines? Was he happy with his elaborate meal?

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    1. Meike, he wasn't there. He was having his own fancy meal with a friend elsewhere. But I made sure he heard all about it!

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    2. Frances I am (not for the first time in my life - in fact not for the first time this evening but that's another matter). Is John No. 1 Son? If so how was he not there? If John is not No. 1 Son who is he? Sorry but I'm such a simple soul.

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    3. Graham, John is my husband. No apology needed. I shouldn't make assumptions...

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    4. I was just as confused as Graham, but now I understand the who-is-who better.

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  2. I have to agree with your son... I usually avoid (places that serve) fancy starters, and much prefer a salad buffé + a main course that can be clearly identified :)

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  3. I watch them on Masterchef assembling bits and bobs of foam and pretend earth and green blobs and although it's great entertainment, it's not what I call food. Pie is indeed the thing.

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    1. It's also veryexpensive, Fran. I think Son would have preferred the chippie.

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  4. Frances, I so know where you are coming from...
    I'm a Jamie Oliver girl myself, love his TV shows as its proper tasting food and proper people sized portions!

    Hope you didn't have to go down the chippy afterwards?

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    1. Maria, you're right. Jame Oliver does food. Proper food.

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  5. Beware black aprons, and hankies over the left forearm. My main grouch is FOAM.

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    1. CM, don't get me started on foam.WHAT is it about?

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  6. I used to like faffy food but always had room for fish and chips on the way home.

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    1. That's the trouble,
      Adrian. You end up paying twice.

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  7. Emperors new clothes comes to mind....

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  8. Food can be satisfying and still look pretty! I love what he said to his sister about pie xx

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    1. Teresa, I think pie and men were made for each other.

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  9. I am a trained chef, Frances and I can't see the point of 'nouveau cuisine': it's not worth cooking and it's not worth eating :):) Good ole fashioned 'proper' food is what it's all about. Have a lovely week.

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  10. I don't mind fancy food - as long as there is some food and not just a plate of fancy.

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    1. Patsy, my dearest friend is now blind, and I do wonder what she would make of this kind of food!

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  11. I enjoy nicely presented meals that don't need the bones removing and small portions suit me as when I've had three courses I'm full. But anything in a box with foam or smoke is just too much faffing about. And I hate waiters who hover waiting to pounce.

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    1. At least this kind of meal comes without bones, Maggie. I suppose that's something to be thankful for.

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  12. I can just picture your faces at the assembling of that meal! I've never forgotten my husband's disgust at the first nouvelle cuisine meal he had at an event - he was hungry when he came home.

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    1. Rsemary, the wooden box was most weird. I wish now that I'd asked why!

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  13. Never could understand the need to complicate food.

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