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- Path: sparky!uunet!think.com!cass.ma02.bull.com!know!hri.com!blamb
- From: blamb@hri.com (Bill Lambert)
- Newsgroups: ne.food
- Subject: More deceptive menu practices
- Message-ID: <7460@bigbird.hri.com.hri.com>
- Date: 20 Nov 92 17:29:08 GMT
- References: <BxtHKM.6Ao@world.std.com> <MACRAKIS.92Nov18134054@lakatos.osf.org> <Bxxsx3.F7K@world.std.com> <1992Nov19.165040.11325@ima.isc.com>
- Sender: news@hri.com.hri.com
- Distribution: ne
- Organization: Horizon Research, Inc.
- Lines: 37
- Nntp-Posting-Host: rodan.hri.com
-
-
- I don't have specific dietary restrictions, but I would
- suppose that having such might present a lot of problems
- eating out. I once had the experience of entertaining a
- vistor from Taiwan who belonged to some very strict
- Buddhist discipline that prohibits not only meat, seafood,
- eggs and such, but also all 'bulb' vegetables such as
- onion, garlic, scallions, and leeks. She was Chinese, but
- there was very little that she could eat off of a Chinese
- restaurant menu. But at one place, we gave the wait person
- a run-down on her restrictions, and he came back with a
- list (albiet a very short one) that fit the requirements.
- I suppose a good restaurant would be able to check with
- the chef if they know your peculiarities.
-
- But there are other deceptive menu practices that really
- rankle me. One is listing a standard, well-known dish
- or drink on the menu, but upon ordering, that item comes
- with some non-standard rendition. Some of these have been
- things like "Caesar Salad" that was just Romaine Lettuce
- with generic Italian dressing and a sprinkle of grated
- Parmesan... not near enough garlic, no lemon, and NO
- ANCHOVIES. Or "Eggs Benedict" with sandwich ham substituted
- for Canadian Bacon and cheese sauce substituted for
- Hollandaise. Or Margueritas made with a mix, rather than
- just Tequilla, Triple-Sec and lime (these days I ask ahead
- if I want a Marguerita, "How do they make it?").
-
- Some times such disappointment can be warded off by having
- a proper description of the item on the menu, but in my
- experience it's the places that don't have descriptions
- that are prone to butchery of such items.
-
- Does this bother anyone else besides me? Have you ever had
- similar experiences or observations? Where?
-
- - Bill Lambert
-