Dining Out

We all know America loves to eat - so are all those preconceptions about super size portions and round the clock junk food justified? Well sadly....

Out in the suburbs our dining out opportunities were severely limited.  Within a ten minute walk of the house we could have dined at McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut; across the road was a Subway, a Chinese takeaway and a Taco Bell.  The culinary delights of American fast food were literally on our doorstep, great for teenagers but what if you want  a proper meal? Unfortunately the local restaurants left a lot to be desired, a five minute drive away was the main drag of downtown suburbia - a row of eateries that would have you in and out within an hour.  You soon realise that the American eating experience on offer here isn't quite that laid back, share a bottle of wine, enjoy good food, soak up the atmosphere, and make the evening last experience you have back home.  Americans simply go out to "eat" - not so much of a social occasion as a necessity - they want their food quick and without any fuss, they want to watch at least one TV but preferably four whilst they wait, and they want to be back home as soon as possible - and definitely before 9.00 pm. Seriously we've been in restaurants where they have been locking the door behind us...

But now we are in town we are spoilt for choice - Pasadena has a wide variety of restaurants serving international cuisine.  And it really is available 24 hours a day, not just from the burger bars and drive thru's - there are takeaways for everything and everything is available to take away.  Every restaurant in town has a home delivery service.

This really is a society obsessed with food, and there's no getting away from it. Food outlets are everywhere and every occasion presents an eating opportunity.  You think the national games of baseball and American football have those frequent time outs for treating injuries and team changes?  Think again, it's actually an opportunity for the crowd to top up their tray of cheesey nachos or buy another hot dog without having to miss any of the game.  On a trip to Los Angeles zoo - highly not recommended - it was more of a question of count the fast food outlets rather than spot the animals. Junk food plays a huge part of the American dream - it's convenient, affordable and readily available.

Restaurant portions do tend to be on the generous side but on the other hand its perfectly acceptable to split and share.  You can take leftovers home with you and I literally mean leftovers - it doesn't matter how little you have left on your plate, waiting staff will always offer to box it up so you can take it home - your bin or mine?  Sometimes there are occasions when you are in a hurry and you are happy to have the bill thrust under your nose the minute you've ordered dessert; on the other hand there are times when despite the "there's no rush, when you're ready" that always accompanies the bill, you can't help but wish you'd been left alone to linger a little longer.

Menus can be vast - think 24 page novelette - and baffling.  We have been  surprised by the combinations on offer, sweet and savoury are frequently put together, sometimes in a pleasant way, sometimes in a  slightly peculiar way.  No I really don't want a blueberry muffin before my salad, with my salad, or even after my salad....but if you have to give it to me, box it up and I'll take it home.  Something that starts out sounding perfectly decent can  quickly turn into a "did I really order that?" and it is very easy to picture Masterchefs John Torode and Greg Wallace shaking their heads in dismay at the "too many flavours, too much going on" combinations.

Fortunately, Californians being on a bit of a health kick, vegetarians are well catered for with plenty of fish and a variety of salads.  Vegans would find it hard, most food is liberally sprinkled with cheese, whether you ask for it or not.  But that's another thing we've learned, don't be shy about asking for exactly what you want or don't want when ordering - always ask for the  dressing to be on  the side otherwise the salad will be swimming off the plate, and its perfectly acceptable to request variations and deviations from the menu. Waiting staff are extremely willing and courteous, after all they have to make a living on the gratuities and Americans are notoriously fussy and demanding eaters.  Carrot soup without the carrot Ma'am? Not a problem...

So dining out is definitely a case of not bad, just different.  It's not uncommon to have your main course brought to your table whilst you are still eating your appetiser, and of course we Europeans are considered incredibly ill mannered for using both our knife and fork - but then again I think it the height of rudeness to have my plate cleared away whilst the rest of my table are still eating.....here it's just good service! Better leave an extra large tip for that....