Daka

How often do you have a nice dinner at a descent restaurant and feel that it wasn't "great", just fair...(and too much salt)
At least if you cook at home and it isn't great, you didn't spend a lot of money

Charlatan

How many times have you gone to see a movie and not liked it? Could you have stayed home and made a film instead?

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Daka

What ??? Not quite a good analogy....

Cynthetiq

Well, it is apt because you can't always make the same food at home that you do in a restaurant. You go for the entire experience unless you're talking about going to something like Denny's or some roach coach where you are foresaking the atmosphere and even then you really are getting some atmosphere, neighborhood, time clientele like drunk people at 2AM and seniors at 5PM.

Also, you should share a bit more of your own experience here. You've asked or posited a scenario to the community and didn't give us any of your own perspective to help frame the discussion better.

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Charlatan

I think it is a great analogy.

I see dining out as entertainment. I don't mean fast food or chain restaurants, I mean, decent restaurants with real chefs or cooks in the kitchen. It is a night out.

I have been to a number of other forms of entertainment, films, theatre, concerts, etc. that have not lived up to my expectations. While I was disappointed, I don't grouse about it the way that many people do about restaurants.

As Cyn has suggested, perhaps if you shared an experience it would better facilitate conversation.

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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
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spindles

I've been to a few 'high end' restaurants and been disappointed. I can usually tell by looking at the menu whether I'm going to enjoy it. I find it mostly a problem if I look at the end result and think "I could do that at home" or I look at the menu and think "there just isn't anything here that jumps out and says 'get me!!'". Sometimes it is that the food is well cooked but not very inventive, but has a price tag that the food doesn't justify.

On the other hand, when I go and have trouble choosing because I want lots of things...

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Starkizzer

We have had pretty good luck with the nice restaurants that we like to go to. We have a few favorites and will rotate through those. When we have had poor service or a bad meal we will give a place one more chance and then not return for awhile.

The typical chain restaurants are more likely in our experience to give poor results. We understand this is due to the inconsistencies in chefs and kitchen practices. But overall, I do not let it keep me from going out. There are some nights I just do not feel like cooking.

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Nepenthes

I have also had pretty good luck when I go to decent restaurants. I used to work in a restaurant so it is also a game to me. I try to take in what is going on around me, analyze the level of service, etc.

I usually also make an effort to order food that I do not like making at home or I just cannot make. There are sometimes that I will order something that I cook at home just to see how someone else would make it. It has helped me to improve the food I cook at home.

For example, I learned to use celery salt, white pepper, and a list of other spices that I would not have normally used if it was not for my experience of trying out restaurant food and being curious.

I appreciate the entertainment value of going out to dinner, even if the dinner does not meet my expectations.