Why On Earth Do People Go Out For a Meal?

[Lat-Literal]

It costs five times as much as it would do at home and is always average. The only reason they get away with it is that people see it as a mechanism for socializing on the grounds that they can't socialize without a mechanism. The best meals out I have had in the past ten years have been cheap picnics in the outdoors produced for me. Hardly anyone does that now.

[muzzer]

If you mean other than for a treat, then imvvho it's cos they've been convinced they need to......look into the eyes.......

[Lat-Literal]

If you mean other than for a treat, then imvvho it's cos they've been convinced they need to......look into the eyes.......

I taught myself to look into the eyes......but five decades on it is at best acquired.

(I'm an extremely good listener, though.......all the talk often obscures it but those who know know)

[Richard Barrett]

Some people travel a lot and don't have any cooking facilities when they're away.
Some people can be so busy with one thing and another that they don't have time or energy to do the shopping and/or cooking.
Some people are interested in sampling cuisines that they might not have the access to ingredients, equipment or expertise to do themselves.
Some people work in the evenings and quite like to relax over a meal with their colleagues, for example after a concert. (Or for that matter before.)
I have been in all of these categories quite often.
Also:
It doesn't always cost five times as much as eating at home. It depends on what you're eating and where.
It isn't always average.
It doesn't have to have anything to do with socialising. Eating out on one's own can be enjoyable too. I do it often.
Who are you to claim that people eat out only because they have no other way of socialising?
Picnics are all very well but they're often somewhat spoiled by insects and/or bad weather.

[Lat-Literal]

Some people travel a lot and don't have any cooking facilities when they're away.
Some people can be so busy with one thing and another that they don't have time or energy to do the shopping and/or cooking.
Some people are interested in sampling cuisines that they might not have the access to ingredients, equipment or expertise to do themselves.
Some people work in the evenings and quite like to relax over a meal with their colleagues, for example after a concert. (Or for that matter before.)
I have been in all of these categories quite often.
Also:
It doesn't always cost five times as much as eating at home. It depends on what you're eating and where.
It isn't always average.
It doesn't have to have anything to do with socialising. Eating out on one's own can be enjoyable too. I do it often.
Who are you to claim that people eat out only because they have no other way of socialising?
Picnics are all very well but they're often somewhat spoiled by insects and/or bad weather.

Thank you Richard.

Good sport.

You will accept that the first two come by default. Three - sampling. Yes I can tick that box but it does require spending time in the urban. Four - to relax over a meal - that's beyond my comprehension but fair enough. Still, it's not a comment on quality or value for money. Five/six/seven - I am happy enough to eat on my own but can't recall a meal in that scenario which hasn't been bland at best. I think almost everywhere is average or worse now. Genuinely. Eight, complex. Yes, I will do a thread on the concept of community now belonging only to the highbrow. If that includes me, and I have reluctantly decided it does on the basis of evidence beyond this forum and I have looked, god help us all. Nine, picnics are wonderful especially where they involve salad. Life enhancing. As romantic as seeing seals. Insects. Not scared. My main point is eating out is a societal fetish based on top-down indoctrination.

[gradus]

It costs five times as much as it would do at home and is always average. The only reason they get away with it is that people see it as a mechanism for socializing on the grounds that they can't socialize without a mechanism. The best meals out I have had in the past ten years have been cheap picnics in the outdoors produced for me. Hardly anyone does that now.

'Always average' well not in my experience although five times the cost is probably not far out. We eat out because we enjoy it and it saves the effort of cooking. Personally I can't stand picnics.

[Lat-Literal]

'Always average' well not in my experience although five times the cost is probably not far out. We eat out because we enjoy it and it saves the effort of cooking. Personally I can't stand picnics.

I love picnics.

Lovingly prepared.

Must be the least outdoorsy outdoorsy person of all time but I am beginning to accept I am definitely outdoorsy minus the health emphasis.

OK - so where are all of the truly reasonably priced indoors eating places?

Because if Danny's of Outer London is really the best fish and chips in Britain - and I've just returned from there - I'm going back to 1990s' Robin Hood's Bay.

(Actually, I might do anyway if I live any length of time - the intention would be to become one of the Watersons)

[vinteuil]

.

... where to start with Lat-Lit's absurd scatter-gun generalizations?

I have enjoyed eating out for at least fifty five years. I love eating in restaurants on my own, with my wife, with family, with friends. We eat very well at home - but it can be a great experience to eat out - particularly for the kinds of food we are not up to preparing here : most recently Persian, but of course many other cuisines; also the kind of food we do at home but carried out at a super-excellent michelin-starred level. In the same way that I enjoy the super-excellence of great musical performers.

None of this has anything to do with with Lat-Lit's "societal fetish based on top-down indoctrination".

I had a long solitary walk across London parks today mulling over memories of my life, the good and important things that had mattered to me. A very high proportion of these memories were of restaurant meals...

.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It costs five times as much as it would do at home and is always average.

Some people have below average cookery skills?

[Richard Barrett]

My main point is eating out is a societal fetish based on top-down indoctrination.

Oh dear.

[cloughie]

Some people have below average cookery skills?

Probably because they've eaten out too much, been too lazy to cook or not really tried to cook - it isn't rocket science we are talking about. Get real and follow a simple recipe!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Probably because they've eaten out too much, been too lazy to cook or not really tried to cook - it isn't rocket science we are talking about. Get real and follow a simple recipe!

No - it's rocket salad.

[Dave2002]

I'll add a few more to Richard's points from msg 4:

Some people like to give the cook in their household a rest.
Some people like to meet friends who live a long way away, so a restaurant might be a good half way location to minimise travel and hassle
Some people like to combine eating with other activities, such as going to a theatre, concert or exhibition. Starving during the day is not a good option.

[cloughie]

No - it's rocket salad.

I feed you the lines ferney!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I feed you the lines ferney!