In praise of Olive Garden and Hampton Inn; praise YOUR lowbrow favorites!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an antidote to DCUM derision, I am reflecting on my Thanksgiving trip to the Midwest with gratitude and awe.

My parents' house is beautiful, their neighbors are kind and generous, and my hometown is delightful.

To get there, it's a 10-hour drive. We drove straight there on the way, but on the way home, we broke the trip up with an overnight stay at a Hampton Inn (with a pool!) and ate dinner at the Olive Garden.

You know what? The Olive Garden treated us freaking RIGHT. Breadsticks and salad on point, and plentiful. All the entrees and kids meals were good. Glass of wine? Yes, please. It was pleasant and clean, the server was nice, the price was a downright bargain. Everyone had a good time. What a nice break after a long day of driving.

Hampton Inn, similarly great. Clean and nice rooms, nice breakfast area with edible-but-hey-free food, pleasant staff.

Here is your chance to say nice things about everything DCUM sneers at. Cracker Barrel, Embassy Suites, lazy rivers, buffets, Ann Taylor, Five Below, Aldi, Great Wolf Lodge, lay it on me. Tell me all about it. I want to hear all the NICE things you have to say about the not-finer things in life.

You do realize, this is the area where MAGAs live, right OP?

MAGAs live everywhere. Even in NYC.

- a New Yorker

Yes, certainly.

However, one need not intentionally patronize the locations and sorts of business frequented by MAGAs.

And it’s vulgar to actually celebrate these common and low-brow businesses.

+1

Oh contraire! There was a recent study (I’ll try to find it and post it) that the “‘’s” restaurants. (Chili’s, Friday’s, soon to be chi chi’s) are among the most socioeconomically diverse places in the country. They are where you are most likely to be sitting next to someone from a different ses class from you. It’s not just MAGAs enjoying a good mid-priced fajita now and then.

Here it is:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/22/chain-restaurants-socioeconomic-mixing-research-olive-garden/

“ These days, Americans seem divided by almost everything.
But you know what has proved successful at bringing Americans of different backgrounds together? Unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks.
Also: Riblets, Bloomin’ Onions, Chicken Crispers and other crowd-pleasers from affordable chain restaurants such as Olive Garden and Applebee’s. Though sometimes banned by municipalities wanting to "preserve neighborhood character” or slow gentrification, these chains actually provide a hidden social service: They promote much more socioeconomic integration than do independently owned commercial businesses — or, for that matter, traditional public institutions.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I needed a job with hours to coordinate around the school day I cleaned rooms at a Hampton Inn. The standards are impeccable. Everything is thoroughly cleaned. I had to quit after 2 weeks because it was so physically exhausting but it changed the way I am able to clean my house.

Wow this is so interesting. Any cleaning tips for us?

Not PP, but I had a similar experience when I briefly worked at a Burger King in high school. I'm convinced there was no cleaner place in the world. Of course BK is a franchise, so I'm sure there are filthy ones. But I would have eaten off of any surface in that place.

[Anonymous]

Jack in the Box tacos
Topper’s pizza
Sizzler salad bar and Malibu chicken

[Anonymous]

Wampler chicken salad…used to be able to get it at Giant, but I think it’s only at Kroger in the Midwest now

[Anonymous]

Homewood suites!! Best for traveling with young kids (1 bedroom suite has a separate room with a bed for adults! Sofa bed room has a tv for a movie night)

Also love chilis and outback’s cheese fries (haven’t been to either in forever)

Dunkin’ Donuts hash browns are amazing

[Anonymous]

Jack in the Box Sourdough Burger

[Anonymous]

I can always find something "edible that doesn't make me feel gross" at Cheesecake Factory in a pinch.