Heavy Hitters!

Cracker Barrel (Cross Lanes exit not Kanawha City)

I'm pretty much sick of eating out, though.

Not trying to go off topic here, but, is Harding's Family Restaurant worth checking out?
I usually hear decent things but didn't think it would hurt to ask here.

Hardings used to be pretty good, I used to eat there every Friday, but several years ago it went downhill fast, I think they changed management. IMO YMMV

Hardings is another place that started out good but has fallen. If it weren't for the hotel, they'd be another Southern Kitchen.

DMike wrote:Not trying to go off topic here, but, is Harding's Family Restaurant worth checking out?
I usually hear decent things but didn't think it would hurt to ask here.

It has been a while but the last time I ate there it too had gone downhill.

When it come to judging decent food, it all depends on what the meaning of decent is.

Here are some guidelines:

The food should not have been frozen. Only a very few vegetables can even tolerate this.

The food should not be prepared too far in advance... and kept in a refrigerator to mingle flavors with other foods.

The food should be fresh. Tonights Special should not be yesterdays leftovers.

The food should be flavorful. This means that appropriate salts or spices meant for the average customer should be in the food. If you're old or on a salt-free diet... eat at home or ask the restaurant if they have a substitute.

I could add more ... but here's the biggest issue that I doubt we'll ever solve in this day of providing food (even mediocre food) to the masses:

LOOSE THE TWO MAJOR PROVIDERS OF WHOLESALE FOOD STUFFS THAT SERVE 99% OF EVERY RESTAURANT! No matter what you eat, from pizza to salads... there's a 99% chance that the same two wholesale food providers sold them the food. It's assembly-line thinking applied to food, and the result is over the years that we dont even know what good food tastes like anymore. And when you start out with cheap crap.. you wind-up with tasteless crap.

And by the way... I've heard it a thousand time from women: "I'd rather eat out than cook". And many of these women are WONDERFUL cooks... much better than anything they'll ever get in a restaurant. But yet... the idea of "going out", and being waited on... and not having to wash dishes is.... (in their minds) ... good food..... as good as they can make at home when it's normally just not true. I can understand their thinking, but most men will tell you that a woman who can cook is usually always better than any restaurant. And yes I know... cooking is not being passed down anymore these days. And so future generations are going to have to accept the slop in restaurants and continue to become obese in the process.

both my wife and I cook better than most every restaurant.

But Jerry, do you think that anyone (especially in this state) actually cares about the quality of food that much? Especially over quantity. Look at the huge number of Chinese places around here! Almost every one has a buffet. Speaking of buffets, Ryan's seems popular. Its all about waddling up to the trough for most people!

Personally, my expectations for restaurants is pretty low. Food thats not too BAD, and most importantly.... the ability to get my order right.

You mentioned Mexican food earlier. I think Rio Grande is pretty good.

Hounddog wrote:But Jerry, do you think that anyone (especially in this state) actually cares about the quality of food that much?

No.. and that's my point.

I like Deihls in Nitro, It is a little pricey$$$, but good, It has the same problem Southern Kitchen has , to many "knick-knacks" used for decor, if you dont keep these clean the whole place looks dirty and junkie. Deiels could use a good scrubbin'.

Jerry wrote:

Hounddog wrote:But Jerry, do you think that anyone (especially in this state) actually cares about the quality of food that much?

No.. and that's my point.

The main rule is that you must serve enough food that people only have to stop eating when it hurts too much to swallow. My wife and I split one main dish in nearly every restaurant we go to and still have enough left over for another meal.

i only ate at S. KItchen when i was drunk...

was goo.. i think...
or not

greasy..

what the hell..they were open..
not..NOT fine dining.

OK, I've been corrected by my wife that the place (Southern Kitchen) was not good. Cheese omelets and burgers are hard to mess up, I did like them, but she tried the other food.

Relatively inexpensive and change-of-scenery from the IHOPs, Bob Evans, etc. But I'll stick with Dwight's

All of the family owned restaurants in the area have gone down hill.Remember the Corner Restaurant on 7th ave and Stockton ST.?After the owner died the food was not up to par.Same with the Farm Table on D Street.

not so famous dave wrote:All of the family owned restaurants in the area have gone down hill.Remember the Corner Restaurant on 7th ave and Stockton ST.?After the owner died the food was not up to par.Same with the Farm Table on D Street.

ALL of the Family Restaurants? What about Chris' Hotdogs?

So Kitch was a fave of friends of mine during drunker days, like someone else said, "it was open, so we went."