Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Why Do They Need to Serve So Much Food

OK I know that this is a pet peeve of mine that most who read my blog know because they're all family and friends. But I can pretend I'm actually writing to a wider audience can't I? And it's certainly a change up from the (here I'm in x waiting for a plane - here I'm in y getting off a plane - blah, blah)

As a dyed in the wool gastronome wanna be, when I go out I like to try different things. I want to have an appetizer and a main course and maybe dessert if I'm in the mood. But in the land of gluttony (that would be the U.S.), this is nearly impossible because when you get your appetizer it is enough food for a main course and your main course is enough for what two people should eat.

This was brought home to me on Monday when I was eating at a place in Walnut Creek, CA called Bing Crosby's. It's basically a steak place and I was told there are 5 or 6 of them in CA. I was in the mood for a steak but the smallest steak they had was 14 ounces. That's almost a pound and that was for a New York Strip meaning no bone. That's a lot of meat. My host said he just ordered what he wanted but only ate half. But I always have a problem with wasting food.

I just don't know why consuming to excess has become an acceptable value.

6 comments:

alexis said...

I fear you're going to give yourself a heart attack if you don't come to terms with the over-serving phenomenon, pop. Although that is really a rather frightening amount of meat - 14 fricking oz is the smallest amount??

Maybe this should become your political movement.

stef said...

Excess isn't the value- bang for your buck is. And would you feel differently if you got to take 1/2 of it home with you. For many, eating out is a luxury and if you can stretch it into two meals- all the better I say!

Anonymous said...

Wow two children - two extremes. I don't know Alexis, if this did become my cause, I could see scrawny me protesting in front of the Mammoutho Portion Steak House and getting trambled by a bunch of Eddie Murphy fat guy types.

Stef, I understand your position but I suspect most people still way over stuff themselves trying to eat all that food before they go to the doggie bag

Anonymous said...

C'mon, take the doggy bag and become a member of our society!! No one ever said just because someone puts food in front of you, that you have to eat it all. Unfortunately a lot of Americans do eat everything in front of them (nasty remnants of the "clean plate club") and that's why they're fat. Slow metabolism my ass.

Michael Podolny said...

Yes you do! You must eat everything put in front of you. People are starving in China...Don't you understand...people are starving...you must eat everything...

Anonymous said...

In Japan, the portions were always perfect!
Japan 1
US 0