Rant about being invited to Thai or Indian... always!

merlyn on 2003-05-07T18:11:42

I'm being hosted by some New Friends for Yet Another Conference in Yet Another Odd City. They offered to take me to dinner, and offered me... Thai.

Here's my response:

<rant type="tongue-in-cheek">

Why always Thai? Everyone that takes me out to dinner offers me either Thai or Indian, presuming that those are "exotic" and I'd never get to go them normally. But I always get offered one or the other when I'm visiting new friends in a strange town. Perhaps because they're looking for an excuse to not go to Wendy's or Sizzler or someplace else.

Nobody ever says "let's go to Black Angus" or something like that.

But at least you asked. Often, I just get ambushed, winding up at a Thai or Indian place, with people all saying how cool and unique it is. Except for me. I'd been to three Thai places in the past two weeks, all in different cities. It's like I'm on a Thai restaurant review tour, or something.

It's always either Thai, or Indian.

</rant>

---

What what what?

babbage on 2003-05-07T18:42:44

There's food worth eating that isn't Thai or Indian?

My eating out restaraunt ratio sounds about the same as yours, but I couldn't be happier with it.

Maybe you should just stop going out to dinner with people like me (that is to say, I dunno, vegetarians maybe :-)

There's other good stuff

autarch on 2003-05-07T19:47:46

I'm vegan and I regularly eat Thai, Indian, but even more often Vietnamese and Chinese, as well as Nepalese, Kurdish, Lebanese, Malaysian, and even sometimes vegan versions of American food (like a Louisiana Po' Boy with soy cheese and vegan sausage, yum).

because :

boo_radley on 2003-05-07T23:26:41

Thai is tasty food, man. Oh, the things they do with mint. If I had your ratio of Thai-food-to-meals, I'd be a happy, happy person. As it is, I eat a lot of chinese out of culinary reflex. Chinese is good food. Thai is good food. It's almost like you're suggesting that you'd get tired of thai cuisine, and that's, like, crazy talk.

Re:because :

vsergu on 2003-05-14T13:23:30

Yes, Thai food is good, as is Indian. In my experience, that's the reason people go to those restaurants, not because they're unique or exotic (or cool, for that matter). But maybe Randal's been hanging out in the boonies a lot lately, where such places may be rare.

As I remember, we did take Randal to a Thai restaurant when he came to DC. But I certainly didn't hear anyone claiming it was exotic.

And of course the reason people don't take him to Black Angus is that half the crowd wouldn't find much edible there. Steak isn't so popular anymore, even among nonvegetarians.

Still there is one thing to consider...

WebDragon on 2003-05-08T02:25:59

"American cuisine" IS an oxymoron after all...

Re:Still there is one thing to consider...

derby on 2003-05-08T16:30:30

maybe so maybe so ... here in bmore there's plenty of dingy dives where the waitresses are old and surly and tend to call everyone 'hon' but the crab cakes are excellent It's not haute cusine but on a warm night during a month that doesn't end in 'r' you can't beat it. Add a good kaiser roll, crisp lettuce, a nice red 'mato, some steak fries and a cold draft ... damn, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it and I've all ready had lunch.

American Food

pudge on 2003-05-13T20:44:24

I have never eaten Thai or Chinese or Japanese or Korean and or Indian and I have no plans to. My nose tells me to stay away. I love burgers and fries and steaks and mashed potatoes and corn on the cob and pork chops ... I eat salami sandwiches for breakfast and buffalo-and-macaroni for lunch and top it off with ham-and-beans for dinner. And I am enormously happy with it. :-)

Re:American Food

merlyn on 2003-05-13T21:28:22

You and me both, apparently. I'm just fine with drive-through 'merkin food.

Re:American Food

chromatic on 2003-05-14T04:56:26

I eat salami sandwiches for breakfast and buffalo-and-macaroni for lunch and top it off with ham-and-beans for dinner.

Ahh, now we know why you're so grumpy!

Re:American Food

pudge on 2003-05-14T12:08:42

I think I am gonna call you Koda from now on.