That'll all change when you visit a good Les Routiers truckers cafe in France... In terms of discerning and very demanding diners (among ordinary people), your eyes will be opened big time!:eyebrows:
More seriously, then you obviously haven't been around much. There are TONS of places like that all over the country: just good basic cafes/diners, serving all-day breakfasts (and anything with chips), done properly, using good quality ingredients cooked well, in spotlessly clean environments.
Here is one such place in Wrexham: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/uv?hl=...oiowCnoECAYQBg
The above is run by a husband and wife team, and located in one of the poorest parts of the town. They do all sorts of wonderful home-cooked basic food, and serve proper milky coffee!:)
I could even mention some superb roadside snack vans I've been to, where I've enjoyed eating no other than home-made venison burgers, whilst sitting outside in the glorious sunshine on one of their tables, in gorgeous scenery overlooking a river, sipping a cup of Earl Grey in a Bone China cup...
It doesn't have to be 'fancy' for someone to own a food establishment of ANY description, and do it well, with passion and LOVE, simply because they're proud of what they do (you did read about how my dad ran his chip shops?) which you won't get in your average Beefeater/Harvesters, etc. Those are the kind of places that will always get my custom, not some soulless commercial food chain.
Sure, but of course I'm talking about the BEST family-run restaurants (seek and ye shall find, do some research, etc) versus ANY commercial restaurant chain. The former will almost always be considerably better. You need to get out and about, and find the good places eat - and when you do, keep going back when you can!Quote:
However, what I can't be doing with is paying good money which I don't have a lot of, to an independent/family run establishment and find the quality of food and service to be below what I consider acceptable. As discussed before I'm not very good at complaining, and would simply not go back there. But that doesn't make the meal you've just shelled out for any better.
Plenty of terrible family run restaurants around (Gordon Ramsey seems to find them everywhere), and plenty of good ones too.
Del and I often just drive out to the country at the weekend, on spec, and see what we can find, in terms of nice places for lunch or dinner, and we've found so many great places that way, which would've otherwise been under our radar.
It's a bit like good new music: you'll unlikely find any, if you buy all your CDs in Asda! I'm not saying you do, but you get my point. The special places are rarely found right under your nose!
In that respect, when was the last time you (or anyone else here) visited an independent record shop (which demonstrates the same passion and love for what they do as a good family-run restaurant), and *physically* sought out some new music?
Well, the same applies with eating out well. You have to put some effort in, and explore outside of the mainstream world, if you want to get the best experiences and sample the truly nice things in life...!;)
Marco.