Buffets

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I'm in the "can't stand 'em" category. First of all, the
idea of eating food that's been sitting in steamers for
God knows how long is not exactly enticing. And, yeah, I
know they often have cooks standing about to do things to
order <shrug>, but most of the stuff appears to be just
laid out for hours. I also have a problem with the
visual...

[pulling on asbestos britches here]

...of people just *grazing* and piling plates yea high -
it just looks like an overeating festival to me. Granted,
I'm a fairly abstemious eater, but I find buffets just
repulsive.

Okay, flame away. I have my protective britches on!

---

I agree, but for a slightly different reason.

Buffet platters, after the first three people have served
themselves, look like garbage, as though wild animals have
been stomping through them. I have eaten at a few that are
the exception, but these are rare.

gloria p

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I'm in the "can't stand 'em" category. First of all, the
idea of eating food that's been sitting in steamers for
God knows how long is not exactly enticing. And, yeah, I
know they often have cooks standing about to do things to
order <shrug>, but most of the stuff appears to be just
laid out for hours. I also have a problem with the
visual...

You know, I'm just not a buffet kinda girl. Yes, once a
year, I go to a brunch buffet. To me it's just not
brunch unless it's all you can eat. (laugh) Which for me
is like almost a plate full. But no, I don't pick out of
platters that look as if they've been around forever,
nothing like that.

Having said that, I did go to a buffet in Atlantic City
earlier this year, really did put me off. So I think that's
the kind of buffet you're talking about. No, not my thing.
Me, I wanna have a seat and people come bring me food.
Spoiled brat. People were kinda climbing over each other to
get to so so food (just this one place, I'm not saying
anything about the food in AC).

Quoted message said:

[pulling on asbestos britches here]

...of people just *grazing* and piling plates yea high -
it just looks like an overeating festival to me. Granted,
I'm a fairly abstemious eater, but I find buffets just
repulsive.

Okay, you just *had* to make me pull out one of my
dictionaries. I admit, I don't know what abstemious means.
I'm thinking it's related to abstain, but it doesn't fit in
the sentence.

It's no big secret, when I go to brunch, I'll overindulge
in bacon and sausage. You might think, what a pig. (laugh)
It's just a once a year indulgence. I don't eat much else
except some fruit. Oh! last time I had a mini waffle, too.
With syrup.

I would not like to see people eating right off the buffet,
if that's what you mean by grazing. Yuck.

But yeah ... I'm okay with a good brunch buffet. Once a
year.

nancy

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

One exception... The Chinese Buffet... Yum...

~john

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I'm in the "can't stand 'em" category. First of all, the
idea of eating food that's been sitting in steamers for
God knows how long is not exactly enticing. And, yeah, I
know they often have cooks standing about to do things to
order <shrug>, but most of the stuff appears to be just
laid out for hours. I also have a problem with the
visual...

[pulling on asbestos britches here]

...of people just *grazing* and piling plates yea high -
it just looks like an overeating festival to me. Granted,
I'm a fairly abstemious eater, but I find buffets just
repulsive.

Okay, flame away. I have my protective britches on!

No need to don yer britches for me - I agree 1000% with
everything you say.

There is a very good Thai Sunday brunch buffet here in
Chicago (there are many, actually), but a few years back we
just stopped going. The food is great, fresh, and varied,
but the behavior of some of the "diners" turned me off. One
guy took a *whole* newly - replenished platter of rock
lobster tails and dumped them on his plate...there were kids
running around putting their grimy fingers in the food (some
of the adults did this, too)...people with truly piggish
table manners....

I won't tell you the squicky things I've seen at places like
Olde Kuntry Boofay and the like...gross!

No more buffets for me.

Besides which, when I go out to eat I want to be served
at the table. Hundreds of days of the year I have a
buffet - it's called "Greg's Kitchen"...lol. Wanna give
my gams a break!

I do sometimes go to a local place for all - you - can - eat
fish n' chips on Fridays and Wednesdays. But they serve you,
so that's acceptable to
me....

--
Best Greg

Terry Pulliam Burd <[email hidden]> asked warily in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[..] Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts like buffets
and who can't stand 'em?

[snip]

Quoted message said:

[pulling on asbestos britches here]

[snip]

/raises hand high

I like some and detest others.

Hometown Buffet; sucks road kill through a straw. There
isn't anything even remotely good about it. Price? Hah!
There are better, cheaper places about. Food? Double-HAH!
Grease-and-indigestion by the pound.

King's Court; Hometown Buffet rival. Nuff said.

Ferns; fried okra.... <insert Homer_Simpson_slobber.wav> The
chicken fried steak and gravy isn't bad, either.

Sizzler Salad bar? <shrug> As long as you get there early in
the lunch or prior to the dinner rush, it's generally not a
bad lot visually or gastronomically.

There are a couple Indian buffets local to me that aren't
bad, either -- Sneha or <Parentitis Flare-up>
somethingerother... Must not have been too good; I can't
remember it's name.

Same with a local Chinese buffet; Fung Lum's on Sundays.
Fried double-salted shrimp, fried squid, fried bay scallops,
rice custard, dim sum dough balls, beef w/ broccoli... Kind
of expensive, though.

I've never tried the buffets in Reno or LV. I've wanted to
but I'm always out-voted. Oh well. I'll live vicariously
through others' experiences.

The Ranger

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts like
buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I'm in the "can't stand 'em" category. First of all, the
idea of eating food that's been sitting in steamers for God
knows how long is not exactly enticing. And, yeah, I know
they often have cooks standing about to do things to order
<shrug>, but most of the stuff appears to be just laid out
for hours. I also have a problem with the visual...

[pulling on asbestos britches here]

...of people just *grazing* and piling plates yea high - it
just looks like an overeating festival to me. Granted, I'm
a fairly abstemious eater, but I find buffets just
repulsive.

Okay, flame away. I have my protective britches on!

I am with you on this. During my years writing for a trade
magazine, I suffered through endless buffets. Sometimes
there would be something that actually tasted good, but I
still hate eating standing up.

Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"WooWooism lives" Anon grafitto on the base of the Cuttyhunk
breakwater light

"Terry Pulliam Burd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I'm in the "can't stand 'em" category. First of all, the
idea of eating food that's been sitting in steamers for
God knows how long is not exactly enticing. And, yeah, I
know they often have cooks standing about to do things to
order <shrug>, but most of the stuff appears to be just
laid out for hours. I also have a problem with the
visual...

[pulling on asbestos britches here]

...of people just *grazing* and piling plates yea high -
it just looks like an overeating festival to me. Granted,
I'm a fairly abstemious eater, but I find buffets just
repulsive.

Okay, flame away. I have my protective britches on!

Yeah but, if you have the old lady bring her big purse, you
can eat for the rest of the week!

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am with you on this. During my years writing for a trade
magazine, I suffered through endless buffets. Sometimes
there would be something that actually tasted good, but I
still hate eating standing up.

Um, hey dipshit, you do know that you are supposed to get
your food and go sit down at a table, right? Don't tell me
you stood there at the buffet line, napkin tucked under
chin, fork in hand, grazing!

Levelwave© <[email hidden]> wrote in news:c4asor$2f6jaj$1@ID-
199095.news.uni-berlin.de:

Quoted message said:

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

One exception... The Chinese Buffet... Yum...

~john

The one exception for me is that Chinese buffets usually
look like garbage to start with, and that's before people
have picked them apart.

Buffets, in general, are disgusting.

Wayne

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts like
buffets and who can't stand 'em?

Most are dreck. But the ones in Vegas keep enough volume
flow that you're getting good, hot food if they start out
with good, hot food.

Then there's the breakfast buffet at Circus Circus, which
must be experienced at least once in your life (preferably
when you need to cover a massive hangover in grease and
salt). The food reminded me of army chow, but the scene was
like 5 army chow-halls in one room.

Outside Vegas I limit my buffet action to happy hour
(because it's there) and Hong Kong style (because the food
lends itself to that sort of handling).

--Blair "Gambling with
your gut."

at Tue, 30 Mar 2004 03:33:36 GMT in <a0qh605udejbccnop14tmvigs31qj4krdt@
4ax.com>, [email hidden] (Terry Pulliam Burd) wrote :

Quoted message said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts like
buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I'm in the "can't stand 'em" category. First of all, the
idea of eating food that's been sitting in steamers for God
knows how long is not exactly enticing.

The key is high turnover. If the buffet does a really
roaring trade, the food will be fresh because each tray will
get emptied very quickly. Combined with a small size per
tray, this also minimises the messiness problem.

Interesting how some people find the sight of others eating
off-putting. In Bangor, Maine, there is an enormous buffet
our family used to make an annual trip to during our
vacation to Canada. Me, my sister,and my dad dug in without
reservations, but my mom was always sickened.

The one beef I have with buffets (excuse the pun, as you'll
see in a bit) is that there's generally not very much meat,
and if they have roasts, you can't take what you want -
there's invariably someone slicing it. Not only does this
mean you can never get enough, but it's invariably
impossible to get the doneness level you want because a
request for slices out of the center usually gets met with a
deaf ear. I can understand why they have the slicers - if
everyone took the massive amounts of meat, that would pretty
much kill their price structure - but I suggest an
alternative - a tiered price structure whereby if you wanted
all-you-can-eat on the meat, you paid commensurately more.
The other issue they no doubt have to deal with is the
liability one - were someone to cut themselves slicing their
own meat, no doubt somebody would sue, no matter how self-
evident it was that it's entirely their own fault.
--
Alex Rast [email hidden] (remove d., .7,
not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

"Terry Pulliam Burd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I got stopped even earlier Terry. Why would one go to Las
Vegas and eat at buffets? The place is chock-a-block with
every famous chef's restaurants.

Charlie

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I'm in the "can't stand 'em" category. First of all, the
idea of eating food that's been sitting in steamers for
God knows how long is not exactly enticing. And, yeah, I
know they often have cooks standing about to do things to
order <shrug>, but most of the stuff appears to be just
laid out for hours. I also have a problem with the
visual...

[pulling on asbestos britches here]

...of people just *grazing* and piling plates yea high -
it just looks like an overeating festival to me. Granted,
I'm a fairly abstemious eater, but I find buffets just
repulsive.

Okay, flame away. I have my protective britches on!

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret
had been as old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had
been as full as the waitress', it would have been a very
good dinner." Anonymous.

To reply, remove replace "shcox" with "cox"

I also dislike buffet serving arrangements. Give me table
service every time! The beetroot dishes and some of the
salads seem to get mixed and there is always an awful mess
around these dishes. I simply cannot stand helping myself
to stewed-over stir-fry vegetables, and rice that is
beginning to have little rock edges because it has been
warmed up too long.

No -- I prefer to pay the extra and have the meal served to
me at the table thanks.

"Alex Rast" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

at Tue, 30 Mar 2004 03:33:36 GMT in
<a0qh605udejbccnop14tmvigs31qj4krdt@ 4ax.com>,
[email hidden] (Terry Pulliam Burd) wrote :

Quoted message said:

The one beef I have with buffets (excuse the pun, as
you'll see in a bit) is that there's generally not very
much meat, and if they have roasts, you can't take what
you want - there's invariably someone slicing it.

Not always - I have a favorite Chinese buffet where they
have a mean slice-your-own ginger beef roast. And sometimes
on Sundays, ham. The knives aren't razor sharp (doubtless a
safety issue as you mentioned), so the diner has to saw a
bit, but it's definitely take all you want.

"Charles Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I got stopped even earlier Terry. Why would one go to Las
Vegas and eat at buffets? The place is chock-a-block with
every famous chef's restaurants.

Never been there myself and I think gambling is unwise,
but I thought I'd heard that some of the casinos serve
free snacks to their customers. How much gambling the
customer has to do in order to be fed, however, is
something I don't know.

Blair P. Houghton had something important to tell us on Tue, 30 Mar
2004 06:19:02 GMT:

Quoted message said:

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

Most are dreck. But the ones in Vegas keep enough volume
flow that you're getting good, hot food if they start out
with good, hot food.

Then there's the breakfast buffet at Circus Circus, which
must be experienced at least once in your life (preferably
when you need to cover a massive hangover in grease and
salt). The food reminded me of army chow, but the scene was
like 5 army chow-halls in one room.

The buffets at Treasure Island are pretty good. There was a
high turnover so the food stayed pretty fresh, and it
certainly didn't look 'pawed over' to me. We didn't have any
trouble eating it.

I don't mind buffets as long as they're busy enough to look
fresh... ~Karen AKA Kajikit Lover of shiny things...

Made as of 29 March 2004 - 46 cards, 28 SB pages (plus 2
small giftbooks), 48 decos & more!

Visit my webpage: kajikitscorner.comkajikitscorner.comOpen ↗ Allergyfree
Eating Recipe Swap:
groups.yahoo.comAllergyfree EatingOpen ↗ Ample
Aussies Mailing List:
groups.yahoo.comampleaussiesOpen ↗

"Terry Pulliam Burd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I'm in the "can't stand 'em" category. First of all, the
idea of eating food that's been sitting in steamers for
God knows how long is not exactly enticing. And, yeah, I
know they often have cooks standing about to do things to
order <shrug>, but most of the stuff appears to be just
laid out for hours. I also have a problem with the
visual...

[pulling on asbestos britches here]

...of people just *grazing* and piling plates yea high -
it just looks like an overeating festival to me. Granted,
I'm a fairly abstemious eater, but I find buffets just
repulsive.

Okay, flame away. I have my protective britches on!

'Buffet' in Vegas isn't always the same as 'buffet' in
Cowtown, USA. Yes, some of them are the steam table to death
variety but others are quite fine dining. Sam's Town on the
way to Boulder City had a seafood buffet that was
outstanding: fresh fish, ahi tuna, every kind of shellfish
imaginable, raw bar, crawdads, on and on and on.....all
fresh and very tasty.

I know the other kinda buffet you mean.....they should open
a buffet chain called Cafe 212, as everything is either
boiled or steamed to death, food for those who don't chew.

Jack Polygrip

Charles Gifford had something important to tell us on Tue, 30 Mar
2004 08:56:01 GMT:

Quoted message said:

"Terry Pulliam Burd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was just strolling through the Las Vegas thread re:
restaurant recommendations and saw a *lot* of buffet
recommendations. Just out of curiosity, who hereabouts
like buffets and who can't stand 'em?

I got stopped even earlier Terry. Why would one go to Las
Vegas and eat at buffets? The place is chock-a-block with
every famous chef's restaurants.

In our case it was because our tour package included
breakfast buffets and a dinner at the hotel buffet... it was
nicer than the dinner I had the other night in the hotel
restaurant. We didn't have time, resources or money to go
elsewhere. ~Karen AKA Kajikit Lover of shiny things...

Made as of 29 March 2004 - 46 cards, 28 SB pages (plus 2
small giftbooks), 48 decos & more!

Visit my webpage: kajikitscorner.comkajikitscorner.comOpen ↗ Allergyfree
Eating Recipe Swap:
groups.yahoo.comAllergyfree EatingOpen ↗ Ample
Aussies Mailing List:
groups.yahoo.comampleaussiesOpen ↗

"projectile vomit chick" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am with you on this. During my years writing for a
trade magazine, I suffered through endless buffets.
Sometimes there would be something that actually tasted
good, but I still hate eating standing up.

Um, hey dipshit, you do know that you are supposed to get
your food and go sit down at a table, right? Don't tell me
you stood there at the buffet line, napkin tucked under
chin, fork in hand, grazing!

I just toss my food on the sneeze guard and tuck in right
then and there.

Jack Manners