I just went out for breakfast the other day, and it was just a simple banana, whipped cream, crepe and chocolate kind of deal.
The kind of thing I could make at home and for a lot cheaper than what I paid..
But at that breakfast place, it tasted better.
Or maybe I was really hungry.
It got me to think: does eating out make food taste better by default because I don’t have to make it?
I mean think about it, you don’t have to cut up the bananas, make the crepe batter, whip the cream, cut the fruit and serve it on a plate, and you won’t have to do the dishes after (pans and all), to boot.
I think the real value of eating out for most people is that they cannot make that food at home – I could never pull off a fancy pastry or a decadent French-inspired meal with sauces that take 4 days.
But for me, other than the fact that I am not a chef and cannot make gastronomic food, it’s that I don’t have to do it. The food tastes (almost) the same (I think I may have put more chocolate and been less stingy on the fruits at home), but it’s really the (lack of) labour I’m paying for.
As long as the food tastes as good as I’d make it at home, I am willing to pay for simple meals because I don’t need to put any time or effort into making the meal to begin with, and that is the true value of eating out for me.
BUT. Only if it tastes as good as I or BF would have made it at home, would I be willing to pay the premium (tip included) to be served, not have to make the food, or clean the dishes.
And now I have a hankering for some spiced butter poached pears, sugar on top of a puff pastry circle. Nom nom nom.
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Do you get the same feeling from “insta meals” / meals in a box? The fuss factor is pretty much minimal (close to eating out) and yet it still tastes like crap in a box!
I think it’s more the ambiance, culinary expectations (a professional is cooking this for me.. oooh ahhhh), maybe good friends, and even a few glasses of wine may help enhance the overall tasting experience.
All that said… i still have to agree with you… food does seem to taste better when dining out… well at most restaurants any way.
@Paul The insta-meals definitely annoy me. It’s a pro cooking, I don’t need to clean up…it seems just so much better