“I can make that at home” while looking at restaurant menu

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It suggests you don’t go out to eat very often, if nothing else.

How does it suggest this? I go out to eat all the time, but I also cook and do not like to order things I can make easily myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the people who say it's OK not to order something because you can make it at home, but not a sign of good breeding if you state that out loud. Talk about something more refined instead, and order whatever you want or don't want, without commentary. For one thing, you may accidentally disparage your dining companion's ordering preferences. For another, no one wants to hear the rationales for your own order.

That is so true. I believe there's been satires on this and it's still very painful.

Jane Austen called...she'd like the term "good breeding " returned to its proper century.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a raised lower class thing? I’ve never thought that while looking at a menu but sometimes my guests will say that out loud.

Uh no. It is not low class!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's weird to think this is weird. Why wouldn't I want to try something new, complicated or inventive when I see it on a menu? Sometimes I plan a special dinner date just to get a souffle when I'm craving one because I certainly cannot make that at home. By the same token, I try to order the strangest sounding dessert on the menu because my thinking is they wouldn't put it on the menu if it weren't delicious, and the fact that I've never tasted it before is definitely a bonus.

Why wouldn’t you just order what you crave? Going out to eat is about a good meal and enjoying the ambiance and people you’re with. Trying something “inventive” just because it’s too tedious to make at home and not getting something you are craving because you can make it at home is so strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend of mine is an editor but was a chef. She's a VERY good cook. She doesn't want to spend money to eat out on food she can make as well or even better at home.

I am involved with restaurants and have chef friends with James beard awards. The majority of the time we want to eat things that are novel, better than things we could make at home, or feature ingredients that I can’t easily get at home. I want to order the skate, the goat curry, the amberjack, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's weird to think this is weird. Why wouldn't I want to try something new, complicated or inventive when I see it on a menu? Sometimes I plan a special dinner date just to get a souffle when I'm craving one because I certainly cannot make that at home. By the same token, I try to order the strangest sounding dessert on the menu because my thinking is they wouldn't put it on the menu if it weren't delicious, and the fact that I've never tasted it before is definitely a bonus.

Why wouldn’t you just order what you crave? Going out to eat is about a good meal and enjoying the ambiance and people you’re with. Trying something “inventive” just because it’s too tedious to make at home and not getting something you are craving because you can make it at home is so strange.

I rarely crave food when I'm not pregnant. I'm much more interested in trying new things. Maybe you're more like my FIL, who finds a way to order spaghetti and meat sauce no matter where we are, but that doesn't make people who order new things "strange."

[Anonymous]

Not only do I make better food than many restaurants, when I’m ordering at a restaurant I think about it. Sometimes I talk about it. And what drives me absolutely crazy is when I know not only could I make a better dish, but the produce I grow in the garden of my country house is 10x better than the garbage that Sysco plopped down in a limo cardboard box on their dirty back stoop. But yeah, I suppose I am the low class one.

[Anonymous]

It seems to me the opposite of low class. I assume low class people don’t cook and eat a lot of packaged foods and generally avoid trying new things. They are the reason why Italian restaurants put fettuccini Alfredo on the menu.

Once I cooked mussels at home I swore I’d never get them at restaurant again. They are so easy and quick!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me the opposite of low class. I assume low class people don’t cook and eat a lot of packaged foods and generally avoid trying new things. They are the reason why Italian restaurants put fettuccini Alfredo on the menu.

Once I cooked mussels at home I swore I’d never get them at restaurant again. They are so easy and quick!

It drives crazy when my husband wants to order the mussels to share when we can make them just as good or often better at home for a fraction of the price.

I generally avoid ordering things like omelettes that I can make very well to my taste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not only do I make better food than many restaurants, when I’m ordering at a restaurant I think about it. Sometimes I talk about it. And what drives me absolutely crazy is when I know not only could I make a better dish, but the produce I grow in the garden of my country house is 10x better than the garbage that Sysco plopped down in a limo cardboard box on their dirty back stoop. But yeah, I suppose I am the low class one.

Then why even go out to eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not only do I make better food than many restaurants, when I’m ordering at a restaurant I think about it. Sometimes I talk about it. And what drives me absolutely crazy is when I know not only could I make a better dish, but the produce I grow in the garden of my country house is 10x better than the garbage that Sysco plopped down in a limo cardboard box on their dirty back stoop. But yeah, I suppose I am the low class one.

Then why even go out to eat.

Honestly, it’s a fair question these days. I have a few places I like - but since Covid, service and food quality has dropped off a cliff.

[Anonymous]

I have never in my life thought “that’s low class”. I have thought “ that’s rude” like I did when I read this OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the people who say it's OK not to order something because you can make it at home, but not a sign of good breeding if you state that out loud. Talk about something more refined instead, and order whatever you want or don't want, without commentary. For one thing, you may accidentally disparage your dining companion's ordering preferences. For another, no one wants to hear the rationales for your own order.

That is so true. I believe there's been satires on this and it's still very painful.

Jane Austen called...she'd like the term "good breeding " returned to its proper century.

This entire thread cracks me up. People are just different I guess. My female friends love to ask each other what they are ordering and discuss why. I would prefer “I can make at home” to a diatribe about a strict diet.

So is the dislike of this some sort of anger that women admit they can cook something? I am a lousy cook, but will still avoid ordering something I can make. It is not some humble brag. It is more acknowledging that there are many things I cannot or will not cook. I would not say this unprompted. But I might if someone is pushing me to order something. And I find a lot of my female friends do that for some reason. It’s like they have predetermined what I should order, because it is what they would like.

[Anonymous]

I would prefer “I can make at home” to a diatribe about a strict diet.

Amen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's weird to think this is weird. Why wouldn't I want to try something new, complicated or inventive when I see it on a menu? Sometimes I plan a special dinner date just to get a souffle when I'm craving one because I certainly cannot make that at home. By the same token, I try to order the strangest sounding dessert on the menu because my thinking is they wouldn't put it on the menu if it weren't delicious, and the fact that I've never tasted it before is definitely a bonus.

Why wouldn’t you just order what you crave? Going out to eat is about a good meal and enjoying the ambiance and people you’re with. Trying something “inventive” just because it’s too tedious to make at home and not getting something you are craving because you can make it at home is so strange.

DP here, of course if you're craving something you order that.

But how often do you go out to eat, and instead of craving one thing, you think "Man, so many things sound good!" That's when you think "I can make a steak tomorrow, but ribs are a lot of work, I'll get those."