BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...

Subject: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 05:47 PM

Okay, I know this can't rival the various food fights going on here in Mudville but...

...hey, what is it with resturants, anyway???

Go to a chain resturant and order an $8.00 meal and they bring you enough for two folks, right??

But then you go to am fancy resturant and order a $30.00 meal and they bring out a plate that is like 15 inches in diameter and a tiny portion of food in the very middle of it sprinkled with strange weedy looking stuff???

Like just what gives here???

Less>More 'n More
This one has even given the Wes Ginny Slide Rule a migraine...

unChef Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 05:52 PM

You been going out fer them $30 meals, then Bobert? Thought you liked that strange weedy stuff ☺

Subject: RE: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 05:58 PM

LOL... Maybe in brownies but not on a 4 ounce piece of tuna steak, thank you....

Subject: RE: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 03:50 PM

Small portion, Big plates, Haute cuisine, Huge mark-up.....

Subject: RE: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 04:01 PM

Happens here too.
Tiny portion exquisitely presented in the centre of a large empty plate.
OK if you are not hungry.

Subject: RE: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: autolycus
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 04:22 PM

I think the big plates, little food thing is called nouvelle cuisine.

I tried it once (someone else was paying) and, to my amazement, wasn't hungry after.

One of life's dessert mysteries.

Auto/Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 04:35 PM

You may also have noticed that the "good" plates and bowls nearly always have a fairly wide "decorative rim" to make the plate look big, but with a fairly small depression in the middle where you can actually put the food. SHE says it makes the stuff pretty. I say it just makes it harder to find space to keep the @#$% "prety stuff," and if you want a small plate you should just use a small plate.

The restaurant phenomenon probably relates to the trend that in the absence of productive employment (which has all been outsourced) all the bright young people have migrated to advertising, marketing, public relations, etc., where they have nothing to do but try to dream of "psychological conditioning" tricks to influence people to believe that they're getting something special when they take their money away from them.

The "decorators" who basically tell you nothing but "don't have ugly stuff if you don't like ugly," or "it's pretty and you should do it because I say it's pretty and I'm an expert," have touted the "wide rimmed utensils" as a way of making yourself feel that you've had a bigger meal than you really had. It's supposed to help you to not overeat. The value of this advice may be confirmed by observing the rarity of slender (not anorexic) persons in any public place.

The "full plates" at the cheaper places are a "marketing" ploy to disguise that the food isn't all that great, but to convince you that a bucket full of s....t is a bargain because it's full.

The tiny morsel in the middle of a massive plate is, supposed to "center your attention" on the very "special nature" of the tiny morsel (anything rare and special comes in tiny portions) and to make you actually believe that it's worth a "very special price." A side effect is that the large empty space is that you can actually see that, unlike cheap eating places, they actually used a clean plate.

Since only a very few people seem able to detect that they're being "manipulated," these tricks work on sufficient numbers of people (especially those with money) to make them worthwhile to those "selling" the stuff. Those of us who recognize what they're doing have no choice in the matter, because we're vastly outnumbered by those who think they're getting a good deal, so there are no choices available that are more appropriate to our(?) small minority.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: frogprince
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 04:53 PM

Ya think a $30.00 meal is tiny?
We, who aren't that rich, decided to allow ourselves one upscale meal in New Orleans. We had the latest edition of a mainline guide book, and it gave one well-rated places with meals starting at $14.00. Now we figured to allow considerably more than that, just this once. But then we got the menu. We were there, we wanted to eat, so we ordered anyhow. The food was absolutely delectable -- what there was of it.
I wasn't even close to full, so ordered dessert. At least it was rich, and there was almost as much of it as the rest of the meal. By that time I at least didn't feel like a needed to find McDonalds for a snack for a couple of hours; and it only cost us just over $100 for two. No booze on the tab, just coffee and water.

Subject: RE: BS: Big Plates, Small Food & Vice Versa...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 04:56 PM

I thought using smaller plates made you think you'd eaten more... cos you've eaten the whole plateful.

I only eat from big plates when someone else is paying... personally, I'd rather have a little good food, than a lot of bad food.

LTS