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.

I think I'm a decent home cook, so when I'm looking at a menu I do tend to gravitate toward the options that I do not or can not make well on my own. A big part of my restaurant enjoyment is trying new things. But at a very good restaurant that would be pretty much the entire menu. A good professional chef with a well-trained team is working at a different level than even the best home cook.

At more basic restaurants, I try to figure out what the kitchen is likely to be good at and try to order that - even if it's just a burger. Or more often, I will go to ethnic restaurants with cuisines that I have little experience preparing on my own. My preference is for novelty, creativity, and great skill, whether it's the little Vietnamese place in the burbs or a swanky restaurant downtown.

For reference, I have been all the classes at various points in life.

OP, it's said as an excuse for ordering something, they view, as more of a treat, perhaps more expensive.

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.

Some people like talking about food.

I realize we're probably vulgar. Could be worse -- we could be complimenting your things.

I have never thought that . . . more like, "Hooray, I don't have to make this (or anything else) at home!"

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I'm lower class, but I often think the same. I don't want to order (for example) basic fettuccini alfredo when I can make this in 10m at home. If I'm paying to eat out, which is often 3-10x more than what it costs to eat at home, I want something different or special.

Thinking it is fine.

Voicing it is low class.

What is low class about talking through your decision, or sharing that you can cook?

It seems to tease out you don’t eat out very often, thus likely lower rung and/or low prestige career. If you dinep out a lot, you simply order what you fancy. What sounds good.

Pretty sure having your own chef is the true mark of wealth. It’s the parvenus who chase reservations at trendy restaurants.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I'm lower class, but I often think the same. I don't want to order (for example) basic fettuccini alfredo when I can make this in 10m at home. If I'm paying to eat out, which is often 3-10x more than what it costs to eat at home, I want something different or special.

Thinking it is fine.

Voicing it is low class.

What is low class about talking through your decision, or sharing that you can cook?

Learning a servant skill like cooking is low class. My staff does that. It's not dressage and cotillion.

Hon, no one who reads and posts on DCUM can claim any pretensions to class whatsoever. This is a cesspool.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I avoid easy things on restaurant menus.

I typically always order fancy salads. I just can’t ever make them at home as nicely. I mean the ones with grilled peaches, burrata, walnut oil dressing, goat cheese. I just love unique salads.

Seriously, it's so easy and inexpensive to fancy up a salad.
Apropos of nothing, I bought burrata, basil and farm tomatoes today. Beats limp restaurant caprese with sad pink underripe tomatoes, hands down.

I do not find it easy to fancy up a salad or a sandwich -- after four ingredients or so, I lose interest. So I love it when I can exchange money for labor on this one.

I do grow my own basil, though.

PS Saying "farm tomatoes" is weird.

The only thing I order at a restaurant that I could easily make at home is a Martini.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I'm lower class, but I often think the same. I don't want to order (for example) basic fettuccini alfredo when I can make this in 10m at home. If I'm paying to eat out, which is often 3-10x more than what it costs to eat at home, I want something different or special.

Thinking it is fine.

Voicing it is low class.

What is low class about talking through your decision, or sharing that you can cook?

Learning a servant skill like cooking is low class. My staff does that. It's not dressage and cotillion.

So do you say “My chef can make that at home . . .”

Anonymous wrote:OP doesn't know how to cook so everything at a restaurant is equally fascinating to her.

LMAO 🤣

Seriously op. If someone does something differently from you, it's best not to assume the reason why is the fact that you're up here and they're down there.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I'm lower class, but I often think the same. I don't want to order (for example) basic fettuccini alfredo when I can make this in 10m at home. If I'm paying to eat out, which is often 3-10x more than what it costs to eat at home, I want something different or special.

I wouldn’t say it out loud, but I also typically order things I can’t have at home. My spouse doesn’t care for mushrooms or shrimp and I often order them while out because I’d never cook a dinner just for me at home.

Anonymous wrote:If I can make it with better quality ingredients at home ond very quickly at home and I prefer my version, why would I order it outside?

E.g. I wouldn’t order dal (an Indian lentil staple dish) in an Indian restaurant but would order a smoked eggplant dish because it is labor intensive. Or I would order wood-fired pizza when I eat Italian but would pass on pasta with marinara sauce. I see it as the smart thing to do.

Same! Not with dal but with dishes I make a lot the I prefer my version of.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wasn't raised lower class. But one reason I enjoy eating out at nicer places is because I can try new foods, or new preparations, or eat things that I haven't mastered. I definitely avoid things that I already know how to make and make often, even if I like them. It just seems logical to me.

This X1000.

I like restaurants for the ambiance, the wine and eating something that I can’t or haven’t made or something that is too much effort etc. I’ll also order something at brunch that I like but others in my family don’t like so we never have it around the house.

This is me! My picky eaters won't eat seafood at all, so that is me usually ordering it at restaurants, otherwise I wouldn't have any (because while I am a good cook, I am not running a short order diner making different foods for every member of the family including myself)