Helen RandellRestaurant Rage
October 22nd 2008 07:54
What has happened to the enjoyment of eating out?
I was reading an article the other day which was written by a food critic in Adelaide. The author was lamenting the demise of quality dining in the state. As I was reading the article, I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps she had higher standards then I do, and that perhaps it was even time for her to move out of the industry and find a fresh outlook.
However, that was before my dining experience of the weekend.
Friday night some of the girls and I went for dinner on The Parade. The restaurant we choose was pretty busy, and we hadn’t booked. However, the waitress offered us a table outside and we were promptly seated. Our bottle of wine came quickly, as did our entrée. However, it was over an hour before our main meals were served, at which time we had to rush our food in order to make another engagement.
Saturday for lunch, the boy and I decided to go out. We headed to a café near our house, and I ordered salt and pepper chicken on a salad of baby spinach, rocket and orange segments. My partner had the venison sausages served with potato gratin.
This time, we didn’t have to wait too long to be served, but when our meals arrived, they looked less than appetising. The sausages were burnt and hard at the ends and the chicken looked dry.
The sausages were overcooked, which were in fact, a strong contrast to the gratin which was severely undercooked and the potatoes were actually hard and crunchy. The chicken was a little dry, but mainly the dish was way overpowered by the orange.
Overall – not a good dining experience.
So, after a less than overwhelming dining weekend I can understand why the critic felt the need for a whinge. Just another reason to stay home and cook delicious things ourselves!
I was reading an article the other day which was written by a food critic in Adelaide. The author was lamenting the demise of quality dining in the state. As I was reading the article, I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps she had higher standards then I do, and that perhaps it was even time for her to move out of the industry and find a fresh outlook.
However, that was before my dining experience of the weekend.
Friday night some of the girls and I went for dinner on The Parade. The restaurant we choose was pretty busy, and we hadn’t booked. However, the waitress offered us a table outside and we were promptly seated. Our bottle of wine came quickly, as did our entrée. However, it was over an hour before our main meals were served, at which time we had to rush our food in order to make another engagement.
Saturday for lunch, the boy and I decided to go out. We headed to a café near our house, and I ordered salt and pepper chicken on a salad of baby spinach, rocket and orange segments. My partner had the venison sausages served with potato gratin.
This time, we didn’t have to wait too long to be served, but when our meals arrived, they looked less than appetising. The sausages were burnt and hard at the ends and the chicken looked dry.
The sausages were overcooked, which were in fact, a strong contrast to the gratin which was severely undercooked and the potatoes were actually hard and crunchy. The chicken was a little dry, but mainly the dish was way overpowered by the orange.
Overall – not a good dining experience.
So, after a less than overwhelming dining weekend I can understand why the critic felt the need for a whinge. Just another reason to stay home and cook delicious things ourselves!
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