Players in public

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Chain restaurants have their uses, families with kids etc. Too many s**** ones about but these days there's a few decent chains about, CAU, Wahaca, Cote, Ping Pong all pretty decent really. Don't think any of them are in Newcastle mind.

 

 

 

They are kind of forced on people though, especially at retail parks and centres where these big chains can afford the rent etc. So we as consumers are kind of lead by the hand to where we eat and what we eat and we get overcharged massively for poor to average food.

 

Nando's for example is f***ing ridiculous and way overpriced. The food is poor.

 

Mind, I go to that 'Chinese' buffet place thing in Metro Centre a lot with the kids as it's ready made so no waiting around and the kids like to pick and choose from different things. But it's s*** food really.

 

When we go to Mannheim in Germany they have a Chinese/Oriental buffet place and it pisses all over what we have in Town and the Metro Centre, the standard of food is like night and day and the price is similar.

 

I think culturally here in the UK We just accept any old s***. Queues, average food and p*ss poor beer.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I'm generally very anti-chain, I'll try and go independents or small regional chains wherever I can as far as restaurants are concerned. I'd simply rather they had my money. Trickier with pubs since most are affiliated to chains now.

 

The entire point of a chain for me is reduced costs, which they can pass on to the consumer, even if the quality is bog standard. So I get Wetherspoons, it's £2 a pint ffs, I get McDonald's. What I don't get is people frequenting chains where they pay a premium for stuff that a local independent will almost always be doing better for less. Anyone who goes in that Byron at the Monument when Fat Hippo is round the corner is a fucking idiot. Ditto La Tasca.

 

Absofuckinglutely. The amount of people I've heard say that Five Guys is 'just an expensive McDonald's' but have gone back multiple times is daft, especially since most have never been to Fat Hippo. Same with Zizzi's when the best Italian restaurant in Newcastle is just around the corner and half the price. Basically everything from The Botanist down to The Vineyard apart from Bar Luga and Dacantus as overpriced shite for mugs.

 

I've still got an 'it is what it is' approach with Nandos, The Toby and Wetherspoons though, you can't really complain considering what you get.

[Guest neesy111]

I'm generally very anti-chain, I'll try and go independents or small regional chains wherever I can as far as restaurants are concerned. I'd simply rather they had my money. Trickier with pubs since most are affiliated to chains now.

 

The entire point of a chain for me is reduced costs, which they can pass on to the consumer, even if the quality is bog standard. So I get Wetherspoons, it's £2 a pint ffs, I get McDonald's. What I don't get is people frequenting chains where they pay a premium for stuff that a local independent will almost always be doing better for less. Anyone who goes in that Byron at the Monument when Fat Hippo is round the corner is a fucking idiot. Ditto La Tasca.

 

Absofuckinglutely. The amount of people I've heard say that Five Guys is 'just an expensive McDonald's' but have gone back multiple times is daft, especially since most have never been to Fat Hippo. Same with Zizzi's when the best Italian restaurant in Newcastle is just around the corner and half the price. Basically everything from The Botanist down to The Vineyard apart from Bar Luga and Dacantus as overpriced shite for mugs.

 

I've still got an 'it is what it is' approach with Nandos, The Toby and Wetherspoons though, you can't really complain considering what you get.

I really don't get five guys love tbh.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Portofino in Newcastle as an example - quality food at reasonable prices. I've spent less in there on great food than at TGI or Nando's for shit food. There used to be a lovely tapas place on Westgate Hill, pissed all over la tasca.

 

There is a place in the Grainger Market that did or used to do noodles and other stuff and again it pissed all over stuff you'd get at say Waggamama.

 

Newcastle badly needs a decent kebab house mind...

 

 

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I've seriously thought about opening up an African buffet restaurant, I think it could work and would be unique.

[Guest neesy111]

I've seriously thought about opening up an African buffet restaurant, I think it could work and would be unique.

 

Restaurant business is hard to crack mind, failure rate is ridiculous.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I've seriously thought about opening up an African buffet restaurant, I think it could work and would be unique.

 

Restaurant business is hard to crack mind, failure rate is ridiculous.

 

Having done zero market research I wouldn't know, but I know a few people who are very rich from selling food basically.

[Wullie]

When my mother-in-law was seeing a fella a few years ago, they'd regularly go for a night or two in various cities, and in every single one, they'd check in on Facebook to Pizza Express. York Pizza Express (about ten times since they used to meet up there), Edinburgh Pizza Express, London Pizza Express, a different London Pizza Express, Leeds... Used to do my fucking head in. Always flat out refused when she was trying to drag us to the Newcastle one.

[Guest neesy111]

I've seriously thought about opening up an African buffet restaurant, I think it could work and would be unique.

 

Restaurant business is hard to crack mind, failure rate is ridiculous.

 

Having done zero market research I wouldn't know, but I know a few people who are very rich from selling food basically.

 

80% fail in their first 5 years.

[Guest firetotheworks]

 

 

Portofino in Newcastle as an example - quality food at reasonable prices. I've spent less in there on great food than at TGI or Nando's for shit food. There used to be a lovely tapas place on Westgate Hill, pissed all over la tasca.

 

There is a place in the Grainger Market that did or used to do noodles and other stuff and again it pissed all over stuff you'd get at say Waggamama.

 

Newcastle badly needs a decent kebab house mind...

 

Portofino's canny like. Have you tried Pani's? They don't do pizza, but it's outstanding for the price.

[ponsaelius]

This is a different and much wider point but food options, and in turn people's personal diets, are often a disgrace in this country.

 

I despair at some of the crap people throw down their necks. So many overweight people eating shit. Fast food chains, takeaways, supermarkets full of processed crap and indeed a lot of the chain restaurants. There's a serious problem in that economic processes have destroyed British agriculture, and facilitated a proliferation of large supermarkets and global chains, which combined have produced a nation that literally doesn't understand the processes of food production and thus the value of decent ingredients and a reasonable diet.

 

My lass pisses me off sometimes, in that she's one of these obsessives for her food needing to be seasonal, locally sourced, organic and all the rest of it because that's the way it is in Switzerland. I get miffed because for one that shit can be fundamentally annoying but also because the UK, and particularly the North East, is not the land of milk and honey that her country is. Many people simply aren't well off enough to be selective about what they eat. However I'm increasingly coming around to the point that its a cultural problem more than it is simply an economic one and it really does need to change.

 

In reference to the more specific point about chains - it's class to see many smaller independent restaurants, cafes and little food places opening up in Newcastle and surrounding areas. Lots of variety in terms of type of food and prices. It's not snobbish to avoid chains in favour of places like this if you can, especially considering the price differences are marginal and sometimes actually cheaper. Going against chains when you can is imperative for competition to produce better food standards, for the local economy as money in local businesses is more likely to stay in the region, and also simply for providing a better public consciousness of decent food.

[Robster]

This thread has gone a little off topic

[ponsaelius]

ah whey

[Guest neesy111]

This is a different and much wider point but food options, and in turn people's personal diets, are often a disgrace in this country.

 

I despair at some of the crap people throw down their necks. So many overweight people eating shit. Fast food chains, takeaways, supermarkets full of processed crap and indeed a lot of the chain restaurants. There's a serious problem in that economic processes have destroyed British agriculture, and facilitated a proliferation of large supermarkets and global chains, which combined have produced a nation that literally doesn't understand the processes of food production and thus the value of decent ingredients and a reasonable diet.

 

My lass pisses me off sometimes, in that she's one of these obsessives for her food needing to be seasonal, locally sourced, organic and all the rest of it because that's the way it is in Switzerland. I get miffed because for one that shit can be fundamentally annoying but also because the UK, and particularly the North East, is not the land of milk and honey that her country is. Many people aren't simply aren't well off enough to be selective about what they eat. However I'm increasingly coming around to the point that its a cultural problem more than it is simply an economic one and it really does need to change.

 

In reference to the more specific point about chains - it's class to see many smaller independent restaurants, cafes and little food places opening up in Newcastle and surrounding areas. Lots of variety in terms of type of food and prices. It's not snobbish to avoid chains in favour of places like this if you can, especially considering the price differences are marginal and sometimes actually cheaper. Going against chains when you can is imperative for competition to produce better food standards, for the local economy as money in local businesses is more likely to stay in the region, and also simply for providing a better public consciousness of decent food.

 

Agree about diet, my parents put me an awful diet growing up (processed shite) and that continued only until recently and now I take a lot more care about what I'm putting through me.  You are what you eat.

[ponsaelius]

True enough neesy. I always carried a slight podge throughout most of my life due to eating a bit too much crap, just because that's the way it was. I went to Korea and the weight fell off me despite eating what seemed like eating my body weight in fish and rice every day. Now since I've come back I find it so hard to eat well and cheap when out and about.

 

That's not to say Korea is miles better like. They've practically obliterated their agriculture too and are playing catch up on the fast and processed food game. Plus the spices they put in everything is giving everybody stomach cancer. Intense Asian family pressure will keep them skinny for another decade though.

[tgarve]

True enough neesy. I always carried a slight podge throughout most of my life due to eating a bit too much crap, just because that's the way it was. I went to Korea and the weight fell off me despite eating what seemed like eating my body weight in fish and rice every day. Now since I've come back I find it so hard to eat well and cheap when out and about.

 

That's not to say Korea is miles better like. They've practically obliterated their agriculture too and are playing catch up on the fast and processed food game. Plus the spices they put in everything is giving everybody stomach cancer. Intense Asian family pressure will keep them skinny for another decade though.

 

Which player did you see where??

[SteveMc]

Still talking about this, because Clark has the audacity to have a generic US/Italian meal. FML

[Wullie]

Not really. Just turned into an interesting discussion, regardless of the origins.

[Stifler]

Portofino in Newcastle as an example - quality food at reasonable prices. I've spent less in there on great food than at TGI or Nando's for shit food. There used to be a lovely tapas place on Westgate Hill, pissed all over la tasca.

 

There is a place in the Grainger Market that did or used to do noodles and other stuff and again it pissed all over stuff you'd get at say Waggamama.

 

Newcastle badly needs a decent kebab house mind...

Elder and Wolf in Whitley Bay is pretty good, it's actually up for a national award on Sunday.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Still talking about this, because Clark has the audacity to have a generic US/Italian meal. FML

 

I'd be like FML if we couldn't talk about food in a thread about players in public on here personally. In fact FML should be added to the title of this thread as who the fuck finds players in public worthy of posting about anyway. Unless Messi knocks on your door to use your bog or ask for directions.

 

SAW RAMAGE IN A STREET

 

Straight to N.O...

 

SAW RAMAGE IN A STREET

 

Canny. Saw him in Asda last week, fucking all that money and shopping in there. What a muppet!

 

Anyway, Nandos? All that choice and eating in there. What a muppet!

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Portofino in Newcastle as an example - quality food at reasonable prices. I've spent less in there on great food than at TGI or Nando's for s*** food. There used to be a lovely tapas place on Westgate Hill, p*ssed all over la tasca.

 

There is a place in the Grainger Market that did or used to do noodles and other stuff and again it p*ssed all over stuff you'd get at say Waggamama.

 

Newcastle badly needs a decent kebab house mind...

Elder and Wolf in Whitley Bay is pretty good, it's actually up for a national award on Sunday.

 

Do they deliver to the West End?

[Disco]

Hmmmm

 

Douamba at Cowgate Morrisons this afternoon with some slim lass and a bairn, he got into a 65 plate Merc M class. He doesn't look old up close like, looks under 30 tbh.

[Dinho lad]

dat detail.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Hmmmm

 

Douamba at Cowgate Morrisons this afternoon with some slim lass and a bairn, he got into a 65 plate Merc M class. He doesn't look old up close like, looks under 30 tbh.

 

FML

[Ronaldo]

Still talking about this, because Clark has the audacity to have a generic US/Italian meal. FML