2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[Stefan Mikes]

So you couldn't find enough food you were willing to eat in the US? Quite odd.

Jeremy, I hope you would understand me. You guys in America have grown with the food there; I grew with food in Europe. The expectations are different. Let me give you several examples:

• A resort hotel breakfast. Plenty of food indeed. Only the eggs had no taste, and salad vegetables were not seasoned in any way.
• What the heck is the Continental Breakfast? Of what continent, really?
• A pancake restaurant. Piles of dry pancakes I could not eat.
• A steak restaurant. I asked for a "well-done" steak to get a piece of charcoal
• A burger restaurant (breakfast): a burger that just soaked with fat.
• Pappadeaux. I had an impression the gumbo looked at me
• A dinner at an excursion ship, Potomac River, Washington DC. That time, I got a T-bone steak that was dripping with blood...
• A Mexican restaurant, Texas: vegs and meat were dropped on a hot plate: a lot of smoke and charred vegetables
• A country restaurant in Texas: the food was good. The portion size was as absurdly big as I had to leave 3/4 on the plate (I hate wasting good food!)
• A golf club restaurant (with even some dress code): the food was excellent and in the European size -- that's why I sometimes had something to eat
• Corn soup, really?

"Stefan, what kind of food would you prefer?" -- "Italian food!" - "Unfortunately, we have no good Italian restaurant around..."

I eat no poultry. I was on business trips and was not alone. I had to accept the choices of others. So I was hungry.
Not a long time ago, I was invited to a dinner in a 100% American restaurant in Frankfurt. Yes, I could find something to eat, not my dream though.

Just to say there are even mode inedible cuisines for me: Balkan; and the Chinese made in the mainland China Interestingly, I love most of the English cuisine, including sausages, which are so different to what we have in Poland!

The menu of the American restaurant in Frankfurt. Funnily enough, they had mac & cheese on that day or I would need to leave the dinner...

 

[stompandgo]

Seems like you had a bunch of bad chefs, not cuisine. Portions in the US vary wildly. We like our doggy bags for leftovers. Two meals in one. I do understand that you were traveling, so that may have been of no value to you. The only way to determine portion size here is asking or reading reviews. Some things come weighed, like scallops, chicken wings, steaks, burgers, etc., but most don't. Adjust your intake accordingly.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Let me give you several examples:

Italian food's my favorite, too. And I concede the outlandish US portion sizes. I usually get 2 meals out of a restaurant visit nowadays— the 2nd one at home a day or 2 later.

Otherwise, your examples are well below the American norm I've come to expect in 77 years of eating here. I've also had disappointing meals in England, Australia, and most EU countries. In my experience, there's good and bad food everywhere.

 

[Mulezen]

Just as I’m no mechanic I’m no gourmand…in fact to an elderly Greek couple I know…neurotically bland in my tastes…and they’re right. They live on a 200 acre farm no longer farming most of it because of their age (he’s 90). Through the years they’ve operated 3 Restaurants in Richmond. This farm contributed to their success. They send food to me knowing my pedestrian tastes, usually chicken dishes. My friends who’ve sampled their eggs agree they are far tastier than what’s served in Waffle House And I always have some of their great bread in my freezer. They also keep a small herd of cows, goats, fruit trees etc. My point I guess is that fine food, notable food, can be found if you have the time to look for it. The US is notable for its varied immigrant communities (for now), and I suspect Stefan could find great Polish food in Michigan and Chicago.