quote:

Originally posted by joatmonv:
Been on a smoking kick for a few weeks on the Weber Smokey Mountain but I know it's only gonna get colder outside and it's going to get tougher unless I move into the garage.

Try a thermal blanket for your smoker. Makes winter smoking much more efficient. You'll still use a bit more fuel than otherwise, but not drastically more, like you would with an uninsulated smoker. It also keeps the temp swings to a minimum.

A quick Google showed there are several companies that offer thermal blankets for both sizes of the Weber Smokey Mountain.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by joatmonv:
Been on a smoking kick for a few weeks on the Weber Smokey Mountain but I know it's only gonna get colder outside and it's going to get tougher unless I move into the garage.

Try a thermal blanket for your smoker. Makes winter smoking much more efficient. You'll still use a bit more fuel than otherwise, but not drastically more, like you would with an uninsulated smoker. It also keeps the temp swings to a minimum.

A quick Google showed there are several companies that offer thermal blankets for both sizes of the Weber Smokey Mountain.

Thank you Rogue. Definitely going to look at some.

Wind is also complicit in siphoning away gentle heat from rendering collagen to gelatinous goodness.

The Virtual Weber Bullet

quote:

Originally posted by springnr:
Wind is also complicit in siphoning away gentle heat from rendering collagen to gelatinous goodness.

The Virtual Weber Bullet

The Thermal Jacket/Blanket will help prevent that. (See the "Insulating the Cooker" portion of that link.)

If you don't like it anymore, then simply look somewhere else. I can think of places I used to visit often, but just don't anymore. Maybe I changed. Maybe they changed. Red Robins is a place I don't go to anymore. Maybe 2x a year now; if that.

My new favorite joints are Thirsty Lion and Margarita Factory. The food quality and the atmosphere are great. I'm probably at Thirsty Lion once a week (the bartender knows me by name) and Margarita Factory once a month. The wife loves Killer Burger. My son and I frequently eat at Baja Fresh together.

We stopped eating at Red Robin, Olive Garden, Applebees, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Stanfords. We eat IHOP maybe once or twice a year.

Tony.

It's chintzing. Chin Zing is a small town in southern China.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Yeah, but everything is that way.

One of my coworkers kids is selling those "Worlds best chocolate" candy bars that we all sold for $1 when we were in school. The bar used to be really big. I mean, give a 10 year old a belly ache kind of big. Now, it's not much bigger round than a tootsie roll.
.

Ha! My local food and restaurant wholesaler has a retail store, they have the big boxes of those Worlds Best Chocolate bars, assorted flavors, for about $30 bucks for a 50 count box. I’ll have to remember to buy a box next Halloween.

So much truth in just one thread! We go out to eat often. When asked what I'm going to do in my retirement, I just say "take my wife to lunch". OK, that started 10+ years ago, but the Wuhan flu sure has put a dent in it. I don't have expensive tastes, and neither does my wife. She gets annoyed that I'm such a creature of habit and greatly prefer going places with food I like.

That results in us going to Blinkers, a local steak house every monday for burger night. Its just short of great, and I really like my waitress. Yes, I ask for her because she does such a good job. Then I tip well, too. Its all involved. Gotta tip well to get good service. But when it comes to going out for steak, its where we go, too. Yeah, they've got a second best waitress, too, but she's way down to second best. I can't wait till they reopen. Wish our commie govenator would get off the stick. Oh, if you're ever in this area, stop at Blinkers and give them a try. Ask for Julie, she's nice.

We used to go to Long Horn. I'm against waiting in line to get a seat. I just won't do it. Yes , I'll pay more for good service. You won't get that at the chain places.

We used to eat at Lucy's out in Reading, but our travels don't take us there these days. And we really like Main Street Cafe in Newtown, over by where P220 lives. Then we eat at Roy Rogers Roast beef. Not a chain since old Roy passed on, but the same flavor (again by where p220 lives.)

So I'm a hard headed prick. I won't wait in line to get a seat. And the place will be lucky if I ever come back. When we go on vacation to Buena Vista (Bueny), I can't wait to eat at Quincy's and at Kay's. Or in Moab at the Diner, or over at Zak's (another great waitress). I've developed my own chain of privately owned places with good wait staff. Not much excitement, the food is really good, and prices aren't terrible.

Once I took my wife to Ruth Chris'. It admittedly was the best steak I've ever had. Also the most expensive. I can go to Blinkers for half as much and get almost as good. I don't want to pay for faggoty waiters. Julie is nice looking, does a good job, and doesn't twinkle when she walks.

Generally, we eat at local places. The exception to that rule is our local Texas Roadhouse which is excellent, with a friendly, careful, competent staff, great food, and a reasonable price/portion ratio.

Places that play the shrink game get left off the list. Chili's tried it a few years ago, got hammered, and instead brought back the old sizes (for food, not beer) and raised their prices accordingly. I don't go much, but there is usually a waiting line at the high times now.

I'll usually ask if they've cut back on their proportions. They may not answer but they get the message. I'll go back again and it they still have cut back it will be my last trip there and will let them know why. Most of them couldn't care less.

There was a local chain in San Diego which put out a survey some years ago.

A. Raise prices or,
B. Decrease quantity.

Raising prices won by 80% as I recall. Now during this C-19 era, they're doing okay with take out (curb side) service.

My wife and I never go to chain restaurants and we've seen the same thing.
Meals always used to come with a salad; not now. Portions are much smaller and prices are higher.

America can probably use a little bit of portion shrinking.

I haven’t bought Girl Scout Cookies for years because they are shit. They got more expensive and put less in the box. If I don’t think a product is worth the asking price, I wouldn’t give it a second thought.

I’ll change airlines, restaurants, hotel chains, clothing brands...doesn’t matter to me. If I think it’s not worth the price tag, I’m gone.

You need to change your Subject Title. Because Eating out is NOT Healthy. If you don't believe that ask for the Nutrition information. What you will find is that Sodium is at an unhealthy amount and Saturated Fat is off the charts.

Take the Impossible Whopper for example. There are 1280 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of Fat and 11 grams of Saturated Fat. BTW the regular Whopper has 12 grams of Saturated fat so it actually may be healthier because it only has 980 mg of Sodium.

Folks, the rule among chefs is that Fat is Flavor, so any food you get at a restaurant will be flat out loaded with Fat, even if it's a Vegan Restaurant. You will also find the food loaded with salt because brining reduces fat loss from rendering during cooking, resulting in "moister" meat. In addition eating salty food makes you consume more liquids and whatever you drink if it's not water it is a big markup item.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:
A trip to Sedona (15 minutes) offers a much finer dining experience.

At the Coffee Pot Restaurant, home of 101 omelets.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

Places that play the shrink game get left off the list. Chili's tried it a few years ago, got hammered, and instead brought back the old sizes (for food, not beer) and raised their prices accordingly. I don't go much, but there is usually a waiting line at the high times now.

Around here Chili’s is hands down the best value without a doubt. Their 3 for $10 special is outstanding.

I get bottomless Chips and Salsa (share with the whole family)
Margarita Chicken (2 nice sized chicken breasts with a pico kind of dressing) and 2 sides
Blackberry Tea

Costs $10 for all that.

Tuesday’s kids eat for .99.
Boys usually get Pizza and corn on the cob

Wife gets a big old grilled chicken salad think it is like $10.

Not a chain that will beat that around here.

The worst offender here was TGIFridays can’t say I am sorry they all went out of business here.

Maybe 6 years ago was the last time I would step in that worthless place.
This was their $7.99 Club sandwich lunch special! This is how it came to the table minus the ketchup.

We we’re buying 32oz powerades for work drinks. A couple of weeks ago I noticed they are now only 28oz and the same price...switched to water until we find something new.

I grew in the restaurant business.

The one advice I have is that if you do or did like place X before, and something changes or you have a bad experience, make sure to let the *owners* know. Something like 90% of all restaursnt problems go unreported because people are lazy or nonconfrontational and the like. They need to know why, they truly do.

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:
I haven’t bought Girl Scout Cookies for years because they are shit. They got more expensive and put less in the box. If I don’t think a product is worth the asking price, I wouldn’t give it a second thought.

I’ll change airlines, restaurants, hotel chains, clothing brands...doesn’t matter to me. If I think it’s not worth the price tag, I’m gone.

And they're vegan now. It's so lame.

One thing in life you can be certain of, costs of everything always continue to rise. You have to understand that. Cost of food is higher now and some foods are harder to get, IE they cannot get as much volume as they need, causing cut backs. I understand this, and am willing to pay more. I hate when they make portions smaller, i'd rather just pay a little more.

You can always vote with your wallet and go somewhere else.