Which is the best?

They are all garbage. But that's because I work as an Exec in the food industry. It's a travesty if anyone considers these Food Mills with pre-fabricated, pre-portioned and pre-seasoned microwaved entrees "dining out." The "cooks" do nothing more than open cryovac packages and heat it up. For exercise, they toss a salad. Please read newspapers in your local areas and take advantage of some real restaurants. The best food can often be found in your local diners and deli's. It doesn't have to be fancy.

I agree with Hooterville- I like the Mom and Pop places the best

I do like Appleby's however

The Dead Lobster is a restaurant that makes its diners feel they are eating fresh seafood. And unfortunately they lap it up. Funny you don't see Red Lobster establishments on the coasts of Maine, or in Boston, or anywhere *near* the actual sea. :D For some dirt on what's clean and cool in restaurantland, hang on the words of Tony Bourdain. He'll tell you how the butter you're eatiing in your buerre blanc (on your Dead Lobster) was re-cycled from its former life as ash-tray filler. Of course now with non-smoking places, you're safer!! :D

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/anthony_bourdain/article/0%2C1974%2CFOOD_9783_1696111%2C00.html

I don't even know any of those places other than Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Most or all of the rest must not be around here. I choose red lobster because I will eat their seafood. I tend to prefer restaurants that aren't chains though.

Originally posted by Cashodeen
I don't even know any of those places other than Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Most or all of the rest must not be around here. I choose red lobster because I will eat their seafood. I tend to prefer restaurants that aren't chains though.
I never ate at Red Lobster but Long John Silver has good fish.
Out of those listed the only one I've ate at has been Shoneys and thats pretty good.

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
The Dead Lobster is a restaurant that makes its diners feel they are eating fresh seafood. And unfortunately they lap it up. Funny you don't see Red Lobster establishments on the coasts of Maine, or in Boston, or anywhere *near* the actual sea. :D For some dirt on what's clean and cool in restaurantland, hang on the words of Tony Bourdain. He'll tell you how the butter you're eatiing in your buerre blanc (on your Dead Lobster) was re-cycled from its former life as ash-tray filler. Of course now with non-smoking places, you're safer!! :D

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/anthony_bourdain/article/0%2C1974%2CFOOD_9783_1696111%2C00.html

Yowza. Looks like the two times I have actually eaten at Red Lobster is two times too many. Maybe I'll take back what I said.

Originally posted by Jen1989
[QUOTE][i]
That's gross! What is buerre blanc?

Buerre blanc is a classic butter reduction sauce made with shallots and wine vinegar. Tony tells tales of butter pats on plates being used to tamp out cigarettes. The butter is melted, strained, and filtered and then flavored traditionally with the shallots and wine vinegar. Then it ends up turned into your hollandaise on your eggs benedict at brunch. His book is fascinating! You'll never eat in restaurants again! (of course...you will...just as I do....;) )

Red Lobster. Yum. And no, I don't eat the fish. I hate seafood.

Originally posted by dawsongirl
Red Lobster. Yum. And no, I don't eat the fish. I hate seafood.

LOL...I would think the above needs some clarification. One would think one dines at a Red LOBSTER for the seafood offerings. Why not tell us what you think is stellar at this restaurant other then the fish? What do you order habitually?

Fish/Seafood is the same thing to me. If someone says "I don't order the seafood at Red Lobster" they're telling me they don't order salmon, flounder (any gill fish) nor shellfish/mollusks and crustaceans.

Red Lobster. I love the shrimp and those cheddar bay biscuits Yum.

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
Fish/Seafood is the same thing to me. If someone says "I don't order the seafood at Red Lobster" they're telling me they don't order salmon, flounder (any gill fish) nor shellfish/mollusks and crustaceans. it makes a BIG difference if youre allergic to shellfish... of course i can't go anywhere NEAR Red Lobster anyways, and having lived on the west coast for many years i laugh at what those places call "fresh fish" (fresh outta the freezer's cardboard box?)

never been too impressed with anything else on that list either

I, too am allergic to shellfish. You're right--we shouldn't go near these Seafood Mills anyway. I am always concerned that some restaurants fry their shrimp and clams in the same oil as the fries. For people like us...that could spell a trip to the ER..or even DEATH. :eek: Do you keep an Epi-Pen on your person at all times? I should get a new one. You never know when someone's gonna slip a clam in your food. ;)

We go to some very nice local privately owned restaurants that have really good food. For chain restaurants, I'll say the Outback. Their salads are out of this world and served with mini loaves of hot bread. I love their coconut shrimp appetizer, and it's impossible to get a bad steak there, although I mostly order the chicken. For dessert, the cinnamon oblivion is the best! :happyface

I like Outback's Chicken Caesar salad. I've had a couple of those in my travels. I just don't breathe on anyone for 5-6 days after them. ::: garlic breff :::: :o Not too bowled over by their meats, but then, meat doesn't have the flavor it once had. :(

The only three out of those I'm familiar with is Olive Garden, Red Lobster & Cracker Barrel (there's one on the far north end of the city here). And I really don't like either one. The Cracker Barrel here has a great gift shop, but their food SUCKS. Oh, and we don't have an Olive Garden here in the city, but I've been to one before. Their food was just OK.

And after a bad experience with seafood almost 11 years ago, I don't eat seafood anymore. Not even shrimp. :barf: So I don't like Red Lobster.

Olive Garden is my fav. out of these.

I'll have to go with Olive Garden.:liplick:

Originally posted by Miss Vicki

And after a bad experience with seafood almost 11 years ago, I don't eat seafood anymore. Not even shrimp. :barf: So I don't like Red Lobster.

Does this tie into your bad experience with Mad TV? :D The throwing up thing?

Out of those, red lobster I guess...but the best are the local restaurants like Teddy's and Coalyard Charlie's. They're awesome. :)

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
Does this tie into your bad experience with Mad TV? :D The throwing up thing?

:lol: Nope. It's a long and gross story and I don't care to relive it...Oh, and there was the time I took a food prep class when I was in 10th grade and my teacher had some chef dude from some college come up to talk to my class about seafood...He had RAW seafood on this table in the front of the room. He then proceeded to show us a raw, uncooked squid and uncooked frog's legs. That turned me off even further! :eek: *shiver*

Cracker Barrel is my favorite from that list. A couple of those places I've never heard of though.

Originally posted by Mijada
Cracker Barrel is my favorite from that list. A couple of those places I've never heard of though. Same here. I've only ever been to Red Lobster. We don't have an Olive Garden here...seems like a good restaurant though. Otherwise...no idea what those are.

I love Cracker Barrel. The stuff on the inside is just awesome too.

I also like Ryan's. Haven't eaten at Quincy's in years(there used to be one in the town I used to live in, but now it's closed down and was replaced by a Chinese restaurant, LOL). Have only eaten at Red Lobster one time(can't remember it too much). I loved a nice little place called The Western Sizzlin up where I used to live. That place was GREAT. They had a buffet and a menu and their chocolate chip cookies were so addictive :lol:

Didn't like Shoney's too much.

I like Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Cracker Barrel. The Red Lobster and CB have the very best service where I live. The food is good at all three too. In fact, I came back from the Friday Fish Fry at Cracker Barrel a couple hours ago!

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
And after a bad experience with seafood almost 11 years ago, I don't eat seafood anymore. Not even shrimp. :barf: So I don't like Red Lobster.

What happened?

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
Do you keep an Epi-Pen on your person at all times? I should get a new one. You never know when someone's gonna slip a clam in your food. ;) i dont bother anymore; they're too expensive and it would only give me an extra 20 minutes anyways...

oh, and clams are bi-valves not shellfish :p

Originally posted by SouthParkGurl
What happened?

Judging by the smilie, she tossed her tuna. :D

I couldn't say because I've never been to any of those restaurants!

Its not on there but mine is the Outback steakhouse

Originally posted by robyrob
i dont bother anymore; they're too expensive and it would only give me an extra 20 minutes anyways...

oh, and clams are bi-valves not shellfish :p

You must not get anaphalaxis if you don't bother with epipens. Or you're just daring...

Oh, and I learned a new word--bivalves. I just knew them as mollusks. :wave:

Originally posted by Cashodeen
You must not get anaphalaxis if you don't bother with epipens. Or you're just daring...

Oh, and I learned a new word--bivalves. I just knew them as mollusks. :wave:

Same thing. And as for the epipen...it can save your life. So I would say that extra 20 minutes or so it can buy you could mean waking up or not waking up. I choose to try to wake up. :cool:

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
Same thing.

Oh I know. :) I looked up bivalves. The class is mollusks and the order is bivalves or Pelecypoda. I actually did know that P word. Well, I recognized it in print, because on another board we were talking about seafood allergies not too long ago and I looked it up then. I missed the word "bivalves" though. I like it better than Pelecypoda though!

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
as for the epipen...it can save your life. So I would say that extra 20 minutes or so it can buy you could mean waking up or not waking up. I choose to try to wake up. :cool:

Yes, that's why I assumed robyrob's reactions aren't probably life threatening if he can spare 20 minutes. I'd get anaphalaxis if I ate tree nuts, so I know I would need an epipen if I ever ate them again. I haven't had an epipen in years though. I stopped going to the allergist years ago and have never thought about getting one from another doctor.

As a professional chef and "food person" I recently came across a recipe for tomato soup from a Boston restaurant and if I had ordered it, it may have done me in. The main ingredient was "Clam-ma-to" juice. A tomato/clam juice blend. I know enough to ask about ingredients so I don't fall ill....but...tomato soup?? This clam danger would have been elusive. An epi pen may be the difference between eating soup and pushing up daisies. :D

Originally posted by SouthParkGurl
What happened?

I don't really care to go into detail... =/

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
Judging by the smilie, she tossed her tuna. :D

:rofl: No...

I like mom and pop restaurants, too, but out of those.. Olive Garden and Cracker Barrel.

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
:rofl: No...

Well if you didn't toss your tuna then:

You spewed your scampi?

Blew your Blue Fish?

Hurled Your Halibut?

Prayed to the Porceline Porpous?

Did the technicolor SPAWN??

Conched out??

Stop being shellfish and tell us. :D

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
Well if you didn't toss your tuna then:

You spewed your scampi?

Blew your Blue Fish?

Hurled Your Halibut?

Prayed to the Porceline Porpous?

Did the technicolor SPAWN??

Conched out??

Stop being shellfish and tell us. :D

I'm sorry, but I REALLY don't care to talk about it. -_-

End of discussion.

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
Well if you didn't toss your tuna then:

You spewed your scampi?

Blew your Blue Fish?

Hurled Your Halibut?

Prayed to the Porceline Porpous?

Did the technicolor SPAWN??

Conched out??

Stop being shellfish and tell us. :D

Ha..don't be a sporesport! We don't have mushroom for fungi's like you...

Cracker Barrel. They have the best icecream.

Cracker Barrel...is that related to the cheese manufacturer?

The Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth Michigan. :D

Or just across the street from The Bavarian Inn. Zehnder's. (owned by the same family):)

Originally posted by Cashodeen
You must not get anaphalaxis if you don't bother with epipens. Or you're just daring...

Oh, and I learned a new word--bivalves. I just knew them as mollusks. :wave: i dont know if 'd call it daring, but i do and have gone into severe anaphylactic shock a number of times, and that's why the doctors have told me i have run out of "close calls" and i wont make it the next time, with or without the epi-pen ...that and i guess i've lulled myself into a false sense of security because it has been about 5 years since that last allergic reaction

and clams, and other bi-valves are not shellfish, so they are safe for me to eat

I am allergic to everything but gill fish. And it came on out of the blue when I was about 35. Had eaten shrimp all my life. The one night, my feet started to itch. Then the itching spread all over and my lips swelled up like they'd gotten stuck in a pool drain! :eek: Then I went to the allergist, and he tested me for all forms of fish and shellfish, and clams, oysters, etc. I had severe reaction to it all! I was amazed! I had a group of med students gathered around me looking at my hives. The Doc was like "And this, ladies and gentlemen is an example of severe allergic response..." and then he MEASURES my lobster hive and said it was biggest he'd ever seen. I felt like a sideshow!! :blush: :rolleyes2 :blush:

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
I am allergic to everything but gill fish. And it came on out of the blue when I was about 35. Had eaten shrimp all my life. The one night, my feet started to itch. Then the itching spread all over and my lips swelled up like they'd gotten stuck in a pool drain! :eek: Then I went to the allergist, and he tested me for all forms of fish and shellfish, and clams, oysters, etc. I had severe reaction to it all! I was amazed! I had a group of med students gathered around me looking at my hives. The Doc was like "And this, ladies and gentlemen is an example of severe allergic response..." and then he MEASURES my lobster hive and said it was biggest he'd ever seen. I felt like a sideshow!! :blush: :rolleyes2 :blush: i don't really even remember the last few reactions i had - they get exponentially worse with each exposure; they can calculate how long it will take for you to go into anaphylactic based on each reaction-time

Originally posted by robyrob
i don't really even remember the last few reactions i had - they get exponentially worse with each exposure; they can calculate how long it will take for you to go into anaphylactic based on each reaction-time

Did you explain just how you keep having these reactions? As an allergic person, are you not asking what's in your food? Just curious. I ALWAYS ask when I want to eat an appetizer at a wedding or coctail party. Just saying "is there lobster in this eggroll?" can save my life. So I don't even chance it...I assume from the get go that the food WILL have shellfish/mollusks in it and then go from there. Why don't you?

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
Did you explain just how you keep having these reactions? As an allergic person, are you not asking what's in your food? Just curious. I ALWAYS ask when I want to eat an appetizer at a wedding or coctail party. Just saying "is there lobster in this eggroll?" can save my life. So I don't even chance it...I assume from the get go that the food WILL have shellfish/mollusks in it and then go from there. Why don't you? i do, believe me i do - the difficult part is that people working in restaurants often dont know, understand or care; i once was in Boston Pizza and after explicitly detailing the nature of my allergies and making it clear that i couldnt have anything with shrimp or that could have been cross-contaminated by any shellfish, the pizza they brought out had a piece of shrimp fall off as i was lifting it to my mouth for my first bite (had to go to the hospital for that one anyways)
i pretty much dont trust any food away friom home unless it is the most basic things

i have had many close calls, but i have been lucky, and this has been over a long period of time - i had my first reaction over twenty years ago

Originally posted by robyrob
i dont know if 'd call it daring, but i do and have gone into severe anaphylactic shock a number of times, and that's why the doctors have told me i have run out of "close calls" and i wont make it the next time, with or without the epi-pen ...that and i guess i've lulled myself into a false sense of security because it has been about 5 years since that last allergic reaction

and clams, and other bi-valves are not shellfish, so they are safe for me to eat

Whoa, won't make it the next time even with an epipen? That's horrid. I've never heard of a doctor gaurenteeing that. That's why I assumed if you did have anaphylaxis, an epipen would do you good.

I did know clams (and other bivalves) weren't shellfish. At least you can eat the mollusks. My mom can't eat any seafood except for canned salmon and canned tuna. But luckily, her reactions aren't as acute as yours.

edited: I'm full of spelling errors on this thread--anaphylaxis, mollusks... :crazy:

i've never even heard of any of those except red lobster (which i hate because seafood tastes like ****) and olive garden (which i've never been to.)

Originally posted by robyrob
i the pizza they brought out had a piece of shrimp fall off as i was lifting it to my mouth for my first bite

I assume this wasn't a *shrimp* pizza....so some shrimp got on your pizza slice somehow...(do you know how? Did they offer an explaination?) and you didn't notice until it was.... how far from your mouth? Yikes.

I went with Olive Garden, Shoney's and Red Lobster are good too

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
I assume this wasn't a *shrimp* pizza....so some shrimp got on your pizza slice somehow...(do you know how? Did they offer an explaination?) and you didn't notice until it was.... how far from your mouth? Yikes. i was there with friends and we ordered the "House Special" - which is some sorta "loaded" special that normally comes with shrimp on it, so we ordered that but, specifically asked for no shrimp, and i explained in great detail why.

to be fair, the waitress apologized and did try to replace the pizza - of course when she tried to take the original pizza away, my friend Scott said, "oh, that is not going anywhere", and proceeded to eat the whole thing by himself, so she had to bring us another pizza :)

My guess was that the "loaded pizza mix" was already made up and then just scooped on your pizza last minute. They probably hand picked the shrimp out...leaving a few behind in the process. In any case, the whole mixture could be deadly to anyone with allergies. And yeah...I bet your server didn't care. There should be some back of the house education in more places--especially The Food Mills--about sanitation and protecting customers. It's my estimation that we live now in a society where people only care about THEMSELVES and THEIR problems. In any case, I don't think a lot of people know about food allergies. I have a friend whose little boy can DIE on the sopt if he so much breathes the breath of a kid who has just eaten peanuts. Now THAT my friends, is food allergy! :(

Oh, Red Lobster is great. I love seafood. But Olive Garden comes close as well.

Only ever heard of the first 3...

And of those, Olive Garden. Not crazy about any of them though.

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
I'm sorry, but I REALLY don't care to talk about it. -_-

End of discussion.

OH! I KNOW! You ate wanna those shrimp with black stuff in um. Thats why I never eat shrimp. My dad said the black stuff was shrimp crap!:barf: :lol:

Originally posted by SouthParkGurl
OH! I KNOW! You ate wanna those shrimp with black stuff in um. Thats why I never eat shrimp. My dad said the black stuff was shrimp crap!:barf: :lol:

Nope, that's not it.

And like I said before, I don't care to discuss it. OK? -_-

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
Nope, that's not it.

And like I said before, I don't care to discuss it. OK? -_-

:( O.K.

Originally posted by SouthParkGurl
OH! I KNOW! You ate wanna those shrimp with black stuff in um. Thats why I never eat shrimp. My dad said the black stuff was shrimp crap!:barf: :lol:

He's pretty nearly correct. It's digested material in the intestinal tract. It won't hurt you to eat it...it's not "crap" per se as it hasn't left the body. It just looks bad in a shrimp coctail and most places will remove it.

Originally posted by HootervilleFan
He's pretty nearly correct. It's digested material in the intestinal tract. It won't hurt you to eat it...it's not "crap" per se as it hasn't left the body. It just looks bad in a shrimp coctail and most places will remove it.

I've eaten it acsidentaly(sp?)

Originally posted by SouthParkGurl
You ate wanna those shrimp with black stuff in um.
Can someone translate that into english for me? Thanks.

Originally posted by safety pin
Can someone translate that into english for me? Thanks.

O.K.,

You ate one of those shrimps with black stuff in them.