Fine Dining RIPOFF tactics. I am so sick of this!

[Tripler]

 

[Tripler]

Oops . No apostrophe after the n

 

[Illiterati]

We have a small chain of Restaurants here called VIP , pronounced Vee Pee . Owned by one fella or family and they have three in my local area close to me . Very small venues and the food is reasonably cheap and very tasty but it could be considered fru fru just a little as there dished are very nicely presented but with substances enough to fill you with healthy heaps of veggies . It's the restaurant were I saw the Sky clone that made me fall off of my chair .
I recommend them if your ever here .
If you like Dim Sum then you have to go Queen's Quay . Pronounced Queen's Key . Princess Restaurant . It is in the heart of the harbour front tourist trap area but the food is amazing . Best Dim Sum in To and the view is fantastic . A couple of Sing Tao and a bunch of food I can't name and it's a very enjoyable meal ...

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My favorite Dim Sum place out my way is a place called 888 Seafood in Rosemead. Fantastic Dim Sum and while the place is always packed, we are often close to the only Caucasians in the place.

I tend to rate ethnic food based upon how many people of that ethnicity come to a place to eat it.

 

[Joelist]

If you're in my town here are some places to try:

Mike Ditkas: https://www.ditkasrestaurants.com

Lou Malnatis: http://www.loumalnatis.com

The Berghoff: http://berghoff.com

Mabenka: http://mabenka.com

Mabenka is out of this world!

 

[Overmind One]

"Medallion"?

Honey, that itty bitty steak's no great prize.

If I'm going to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a piece of beef, I go to Lawry's on La Cienega and get their Bowl cut Prime Rib. It's enormous and comes with potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, and my choice of either corn or creamed spinach (I highly recommend the spinach -- and I don't care for cooked spinach).

Plus, they have free meatballs in the front area to munch on while you wait for your table.

I know the place well. Right on restaurant row. AND it is still reasonable in price, relatively speaking. They still put water on the table!

 

[Tripler]

Awesome !!! . It's really nice when you can find a place you like and you can recommend it . We had a restaurant here called The Princess . Just a ma and pa outfit . Just your average greasy spoon but the food was beyond fantastic ! There liver and onions were the best I ever had and I cook up a mean liver and onions myself being raised in La Belle Provence but I could not master there version . Sadly they retired about 10 or more years ago and until the more modern VIP showed up , we had no good food places walking distance from my house ...

 

[Jim of WVa]

If you're in my town here are some places to try:

Mike Ditkas: https://www.ditkasrestaurants.com

...

Da Bears.

 

[shavedape]

My favorite Dim Sum place out my way is a place called 888 Seafood in Rosemead. Fantastic Dim Sum and while the place is always packed, we are often close to the only Caucasians in the place.

I tend to rate ethnic food based upon how many people of that ethnicity come to a place to eat it.

That's my criteria too. When we go to the Chinese place in Chicago the vast majority of patrons there are Asian. Same with the Mexican place I go to in town here. (In fact I was told about the place by several different Mexican folks that I know; independently of each other which told me it had to be good and it was.)

Every time I introduce white friends to these places they are amazed at how good the food is. It's quite a change from the "Americanized" versions of ethnic food that they are used to and they love it.

 

[shavedape]

I know the place well. Right on restaurant row. AND it is still reasonable in price, relatively speaking. They still put water on the table!

OMG, I've been going to Lawry's in Chicago for decades now, lol. :encouragement: I love how they roll the prime rib cart up to the table and slice your cut exactly how you want it. Yum!

If I want a steer tenderloin filet I go to Gibsons in Chicago though. A bit higher end but I've never had a bad meal there -- ever. And I've been eating there for years. It's one of the few places that empties my wallet but I don't mind in the least.

 

[Joelist]

OMG, I've been going to Lawry's in Chicago for decades now, lol. :encouragement: I love how they roll the prime rib cart up to the table and slice your cut exactly how you want it. Yum!

If I want a steer tenderloin filet I go to Gibsons in Chicago though. A bit higher end but I've never had a bad meal there -- ever. And I've been eating there for years. It's one of the few places that empties my wallet but I don't mind in the least.

Lawry's and Gibson's both are good that is true. I also like the Weber Grill:

http://www.webergrillrestaurant.com/index.html

 

[shavedape]

I have come to expect such horribly blatant antics from these restaurants. They tip you off by their names, usually. ANYTHING in French, or any place with the word "Cafe" preceding the name. Or, perhaps a mundane name, but with "Bistro" appended to it (eg The Kitchen Bistro, or GateFans Bistro). Spaced out letters, muted ambiance...you know the deal. Now, what is you went to somebody's home and they served you such a dinner? Me...I would be appalled. If I did such a thing, people would think I was having hard times.

Or they use a pretentious way of spelling a common word, like "Carnevor" here in Milwaukee. Isn't that a cute way of twisting the word carnivore? It wouldn't be so bad if the food was stellar, but it's not. It's mediocre at best. Plus it's wayyyy overpriced. Never again at that culinary dump.

 

[shavedape]

Lawry's and Gibson's both are good that is true. I also like the Weber Grill:

http://www.webergrillrestaurant.com/index.html

They closed the one out in Wheeling (or thereabouts).

 

[Joelist]

They closed the one out in Wheeling (or thereabouts).

I know the ones in Chicago, Lombard and Schaumburg are cranking away.

 

[shavedape]

I know the ones in Chicago, Lombard and Schaumburg are cranking away.

I used to drive down to go to Carsons for ribs on a regular basis but they closed a bunch of them over the last few years. There's still one downtown and one up in Deerfield. But the quality of the food has dropped greatly. The coleslaw is still great but I'm not gonna drive that far just for a side dish.

 

[Illiterati]

That's my criteria too. When we go to the Chinese place in Chicago the vast majority of patrons there are Asian. Same with the Mexican place I go to in town here. (In fact I was told about the place by several different Mexican folks that I know; independently of each other which told me it had to be good and it was.)

Every time I introduce white friends to these places they are amazed at how good the food is. It's quite a change from the "Americanized" versions of ethnic food that they are used to and they love it.

It's fun to order stuff like pig feet, chicken feet, tripe, pork blood and the like, but after several visits, I think the nice cart ladies are starting to get used to our wider appetite choices.

 

[Joelist]

This winter I managed to trick my team into lunching at Ed Debevic's while "forgetting" to explain to them what the place is about.

 

[shavedape]

This winter I managed to trick my team into lunching at Ed Debevic's while "forgetting" to explain to them what the place is about.

Oh wow, it's been ages since I've thought of that place. Is it still the same or has it been toned down and changed?

 

[Overmind One]

Oh wow, it's been ages since I've thought of that place. Is it still the same or has it been toned down and changed?

Ours was in Beverly Hills, and had higher prices than the ones in Illinois. Today there is just one location, no? In Chicago?

 

[shavedape]

Ours was in Beverly Hills, and had higher prices than the ones in Illinois. Today there is just one location, no? In Chicago?

I've always thought it was a Chicago original but I honestly don't know. I believe they tried to open one here many years ago but it fizzled quickly. You just can't replicate something like that.

 

[Joelist]

I've always thought it was a Chicago original but I honestly don't know. I believe they tried to open one here many years ago but it fizzled quickly. You just can't replicate something like that.

It is a Chicago original. And the original one still acts like they have for many years.