Sometimes you just don't have enough time in a day to prep, cook and cleanup. That said, nobody does steak on a grill better than what a person can do at home. I would rather eat a local grocery store steak cooked at home than waste money at some place like Ruth's Chris. Even better is having friends that raise good beef cows.

there’s a lot more reasons to eat out than what you mention. for me, during the work week for lunch it was a stress reliever. i enjoyed sitting down at a different place every day. the one part of my work day i enjoyed. i also got to eat food out that my wife does not like to go out for or make, like sushi. also, it’s not practical or enjoyable for me to either bring lunch or go home for lunch

being able to go to my indian buffet or wherever is something i am really missing

as for the social aspect, see the introvert thread from a month ago. i couldn’t care less about being around people or socializing. i love good FOOD being served to me and i’m more than willing to pay a high price for it

I miss the social aspect. I also have a need to have a change of scenery during the day.

I miss going out to dinner. Even without Corona, I cook most nights and several breakfasts a week. I enjoy going to dinner, sitting down and letting someone else worry about the food. Then my hubby and I can put our attention on each other.

MEAT!!!

Just don't call me Darling :)

Before all of this, the family ate out often, mostly out of convenience. Wife and I headed in opposite directions running the kids to activities or one of us stuck at work past dinner time.

I don’t miss that but I do miss going out with another couple for dinner and drinks.

To those who criticizing people in unaffected regions, coming from someone in the hardest hit town in my county in North Jersey, who’s kids have been isolated from their friends and activities, I look at it this way.

When a tornado hits the southeast or a wildfire rages in the west, we don’t shut ourselves in, in solidarity. There’s no reason for people in very low risk areas to do the same out of empathy for us.

We’re over 100 days in. The time for blunt tools has passed. Yes, more will die but the harsh reality is that life goes on. The economic impacts are real and will be felt for decades.

I still feel the pain from Black Monday in the 80’s. It cost my parents their marriage. The blow to his ego, cost me a relationship with my father. Those are real personal pains that come with economic downturns.

So if you genuinely feel safe living your life and have enough sense to guard against endangering someone else’s, go out and live your life.

Have a drink for me. I prefer an Old Fashioned, Bourbon-rocks or a Modelo Negra.

Not surprising in the least. You've been spouting your identity politics on the COVID thread from day one. I'm sure you've been doing the same on social meedia. Posting up a storm on social media with your flat earth vaxxer JFK 9/11 moonlander conspiracy Covidiot nonsense. The stupid, naive and gullible are always looking to mix it up and piss fight with their politics.

Shocked at how many people here waste their time and money eating out so often. Can't stand overpaid waiters who get paid to carry a plate of food. I don't like paying $75 for $10 worth of food. Don't like wasting 2 hours when I can actually eat in 10 minutes. Must be a bored retired boomer thing, as my peer group is far to busy to waste time and money sitting around waiting for food. The only thing I miss is getting food delivery, which I do about twice a week, where I tip heavily for actual real service.

Well, if you are paying $75 for $10 worth of food and it takes 2 hours, I can see the issue. That does not jibe w my experience eating out in L.A. at all. It's a hyper-competitive restaurant industry where even the slightest disappointment will have diners heading elsewhere w their precious dollars.

I probably eat out more than anyone here, (way too much, really), because I don't cook and like great food. I live in restaurant Meca and have about a half dozen regular places where I either sit down or get food to go, plus dozens of other occasional places. I'm always hanging out w friends and the biggest problem is deciding where to go because there are just so many great spots within a stone's throw.

So I definitely miss eating out but I've adapted pretty well. Cooked pork chops and a sweet potato on the gas grill last night and a NY steak the night before. Beef is surprisingly more expensive in the market up here in rural WI. than in Los Angeles and slightly lower quality, (choice vs. prime). I thought it would be the other way around.

Yeah, I miss going to a sit-down restaurant. I used to make it a point to go with friends and family a few times per week. A lot of business meetings are now over telephone rather than at lunch or dinner. That is reality for now.

But that is not the issue.

I think the greater issue is that there are entire segments of the economy that are destroyed. A lot of people, to the tune of 3 M additionally per month, are not making a living. That simply can not be ignored by sensible people. Furthermore, employers and business owners are losing their entire life's work. Their fortunes are being destroyed. You social-shamers will try to change the subject, sweep it under the rug as if it's "no big deal". Well it IS A BIG DEAL. A very very big deal with very real consequences for everyone, whether you acknowledge it or not. And very soon, it will look unnecessary to a lot more people. What will your answer be then?

Me and my bride definitely miss going out.
We always sit at the bar and have a few favorite local places -- we get food at the bar many times.
Never sit at a table.

Miss the social interaction. be awhile til the PRI (Peoples Republic of Illinois) allows our previous wanton activities.
No Flo

Frankly, anywhere for that matter. I have worked in a lot of high end restaurants in SF and other cities and "hyper-competitive" is exactly right.

We don't dine out that much, maybe once a month because my wife genuinely loves to cook and frankly, there are only two or three restaurants within 30 miles worth the effort...I live in a "Restaurant Desert":cool:

You must be in the wrong part of WI, or don't have the right friends there. There is some really good beef raised 5 miles from our house by some family friends. That said, it has been a while since I have been in LA and I have no faith in my brother in law's opinion. This is a guy that dropped out of college to join the Navy because he was tired of people telling him what to do.

We used to go to Somerset, WI for family style walleye with all of the sides, 2 or 3 houses would all go together and eat. Good times.

That’s hilarious. There is definitely good food in WI. but I’m outside of a town of 500 and there is only one market in town. It’s really not bad, just not really good either. Being a modern American in a large city really spoils someone wrt food. The meat they sell is perfectly OK, just not what I’m used to.

I’m driving down to the Twin Cities today and I will stock up on the good stuff. :)

Once summer really arrives, it will be fish heaven around here.

Some of the best years of my life were living in Stillwater and at least 2-3 weekends a month we and 2 to 4 other families on the street would hit the St. Croix, go north, set up camp on a secluded beach, men go fishing, women stayed and drank wine, fish for dinner, stayed overnight, head down, water ski a little and go home.

If you’re going to pretend like you either know me or anything about me, how about not starting out by getting it totally wrong. Tends to make you look pretty dumb considering I have basically zero social media presence beyond Pelican. At least try to make your personal attacks intelligent, ok?

Okay this whole post is confusing. First of all the only food you're going to get for ten bucks that you can eat in 10 minutes is going to be McDonald's. And who are you to judge how much people are paid, or how people spend their money or time or what they eat? And lastly, how do you miss getting your Uber eats McDonald's when you eat twice a week? And I guess it doesn't matter to me, but tipping someone who makes sure that your meal and experience is good, is a lot more logical than tipping heavily to someone who just drops your "to go" food off in a bag.

Yeah, 500 people is small for trying to get better than meh. We were up in Chippewa Falls a few years ago and even in the big (for WI) town it wasn't easy finding good stuff. One restaurant had asked if we wanted our sandwich dipped and when it came, well, it was like it was baptized by a sprinkle and not a dunk. You would think they would get it when EVERY patron complained that wasn't dipped.

Good luck on stocking up in the Twins.