Bubba Gumps
 

For the menu and pictures of Bubba's go to http://www.dlresortinfo.com and click on garden walk.

Looks like a fun place. They have four flat screen tv's three for sports and the other runs Forrest Gump.

FYI, they do charge for parking.

I've never eaten at Bubba Gump's for three reasons. Since only one of them could go away it is likely that I never will:

1. I abhor the movie.

2. Eating at a restaurant based on the ramblings of a mildly retarded fictional Vietnam casualty just seems odd.

3. There is a Bubba Gump's on Cannery Row in Monterey and the fact that there is always a line out to the sidewalk for chain restaurant seafood when there are 40 quality independent and likely much better restaurants within 300 feet is a sign of all that is wrong with middle class America.


But on the other hand, it can't possibly be a worse dining experience than Rainforest Cafe or Eat at Joe's Crab Shack which are frequently mentioned options whenever some largish group is looking for dinner in the resort area.

I went to one near the Aquarium of the Pacific and it was a nice experiance. I don't like seafood that much so I had the burger. Nothing special but nice.

I'm not a fan of many chain restaurants.

And, Alex said everything I should have said, but he said it better.

I love Harris Quick and Tasty for my seafood.

I get a good discount at the one on CityWalk, but I've never felt like eating there.

it is worth it at least once... thought the one at USF's city walk is nice... and rarely over crowded. They do good forest favorites like burgers, ribs, and steak sometimes... its based on the idea from the movie, and in some cases good...

though over saturation is bad, there is not one in Tampa.. so its not bad going to the one at USF's city walk... though as you said.. they are growing in CA a lot.

Actually I have to admit that the food I had at Joe's Crab Shack was delicious. (Except for the vomiting... turns out I'm allergic to crab)

My problem with Joe's Crab Shack wasn't so much the food (though it wasn't remarkable and I was amused by their inability to leave the seafood out of a pasta dish so our vegetarian companion could eat) but rather the environment.

I really don't understand the fad for restaurants where the theme is apparently "loud and obnoxious."

But then, if there is anywhere I am more inclined towards preferring chain restaurants it is the DL area. With a couple prominent exceptions the Disneyland Resort area is a culinary wasteland.

My favorite item at Joe's is "Great Balls of Fire" -- jalapeno poppers... mmmm...

Is Garden Walk open already?
Sounds cool.

Yeah, um, any place with TV's playing anything is completely OUT as far as my restaurant choices go.

Not to be snobbish or anything. But screens just grab the unwitting attention of just about everyone, and that's not the environment I want for a social situation.

And if I don't want a meal to be a social situation, I can save plenty of money by not eating in a restaurant.



But, hey, it was nice to see something open at the Garden Walk when I cruised by there the other day. Something of a surprise, since most of it still looks to be under the most preliminary construction. Maybe something more worthwhile will open there soon. I could certainly use some more restaurant options in the Resort district. (There will be monorail service, right??)

Spring '08 is the scheduled grand opening for Garden Walk proper. This is apparently a fishy appetizer.

And anything else I have to say is pretty much echoing what's been said. Boo chains, boo TV's that I am incapable of ignoring. Me wants good, unique dining experiences, damnit.

Ah, well, I personally loved the movie! It is a family favorite.

We have been to Monterey many times {I've never considered eating at a different location...} but never went A} because of the lines and B} the family was probably going to eat burgers so I refused to go to a seafood restaurant for burgers.

But, on our last road trip, the movie playing over and over in the hotel room was, you guessed it, Forrest Gump. Our 13 year old son hadn't really seen it before and he got into it and enjoyed it.

As a treat for him, who is willing to try different foods, we took him to Bubba Gumps. We sat outside, a great view of the ocean, some adorable baby sea gulls, and, great service.

The card you mentioned, alphabassettgrrl, was cool.

We bought the boys t-shirts and I also got an 'I Love Jenny' shirt {my daughters name is Jeni}.

It was a fun experience, the food was pretty good, we weren't disappointed.

I don't think I would go to the one at Garden Walk, I liked the fact we were in Monterey. And, that it coincided with the fun we had sharing the movie.

Will we go again? Hard to tell. One thing I will say, some people sure don't think. We walked up to a line of people, I stood at the end and told the Hubster to go up and make sure if we needed to put our name down or what. Well, we did have to and guess how many people had to get out of line to do it themselves? Our wait was pretty short.

I'm just curious. So far, this poster has exactly two posts and both include the link.

Does the LoT allow free advertising?

We haven't expressly forbidden it, but if it becomes a problem we'll act accordingly - after all we didn't create these boards to write policy statements.

I would suggest that if you have a problem with this poster, you contact them directly instead of talking about them in the third person in a public forum, or contact us directly if you don't want to do that.

Kevy just wants to advertise his porn. :evil:

I am sorry that I posted the link to the menu's and my website.

I will not post on this website again.

judimouse

LOL

Oh, he alludes to it already....

But, he could have his own thread, or, website? Hey, do you Kevy Baby??? Are you holding out on us???

I have sent a PM to the OP. Hopefully she gets it.

Carry on.

Yes, you can see it here.

Yes, I received the PM and I will no longer be part of Lounge of Tomorrow.

judimouse

We're a friendly bunch...
:rolleyes:

Reading back on this thread, I wouldn't feel very welcomed by this board either...

I know judimouse. She's a sweetheart.
:)

I actually appreciated the link!

I love the movie but I'm not a seafood fan. So who knows if I would ever step foot in Bubba Gumps but it sounds interesting.

That may be true, GC, but not everyone knew her. And it's a pretty standard rule that self-promotion (i.e. linking multiple times to their website) is not permitted on message boards, particularly when it is done by a new user with no other posts in their history. I don't know if it's the rule here, but it's definitely the rule elsewhere. So it doers not surprise me that members would be put off by someone new who was self-promoting, even if she was known by other members, and even if she were intending to help people with her information, which I'd hope is the case.

Edited to add:
judimouse, I'm very sorry you felt unwelcomed - I hope you will understand that what you posted might have been misconstrued.

See, to me, this is enough info to welcome someone in!

Ooooh, I'm only going to get in trouble for this, but here goes.


I don't know judimouse. But has there been some intimation that she is affiliated the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company?

If not, and I didn't miss something, what the frell is with the sharp, pointy spikes sticking out of our welcome mat? She posted a link to a menu! Sheesh, call the cops!




I know I shouldn't be posting at all now, much less anything on this topic. But this is a poor time for me for this board to be exhibiting any more signs of cliquish shunning, snubbing, and other decidedly hypocritical signs of complete unswankiness.



Personally, I think she exhibited a bit of a thin skin. But I also think, that if anyone knows her personally, they should try to explain that Kevy didn't mean to be so immediately cruel ... that is, if Kevy will cop to that.

I think Kevy's reaction was to the fact that the link was to her own commercial travel site, not that she's affiliated with Bubba Gump.

Perception. I too have met Judi and know that she was just trying to inform us of what's happening, but I can also understand how someone who doesn't know her might get come to the misguided conclusion that this is advertising (again, 2 posts, 2 links to a personal commercial website).

It was misperception that's now been cleared up, hopefully on all sides.

Look into the SHINY

The thing is, is that you thought she was an ad. Okay, but you know what, first impressions can be wrong and in this case y'all were.
Thin skinned? Maybe. But your skin has to be pretty thick when there's no "Welcome to the LoT" posts evident anywhere in this thread.

One of the general complaints I hear from people I invite to check out the LoT is that we're not a welcoming group. We're missing out on the company of a lot of cool possible swankers by being curmudgeonly to people not used to the style of posters here.

judimouse: I like Bubba Gumps.

Everyone else: I hate chain restaurants, Forrest Gump is retarted, I hate the movie, I hate restaurants with TVs, she's just an ad...

Oh, and by the way, Welcome to the LoT, judimouse!

I stand by my comment.

Well, this is a shame all around.

In the dining in anaheim thread, I found the menus helpful, and my mouth is watering for the Napa Rose treats.

I do wish judimouse would give us all another chance, I know my humor is skewed, but I think I'm friendly enough.

Maybe someone can suggest a good dinner theater experience, because I think we need more drama. :rolleyes: Might I suggest Pirates Dinner Adventure? At least they have a reason to draw swords.

Judi is a sweetheart and most knowledgeable of all things in and around DLR, and certainly didn't deserve the snarky "welcome".

That said, I've eaten at the Bubba Gump in Long Beach and enjoyed it. The only seafood I'll eat is shrimp, and it was quite good. I thought it to be a bit pricey though. The new one might be a place to take my parents though, since they're fans of the film.

First NONE of the restaurant or hotels pay to be on my website. I go to each restaurant and/or hotel to gather information that might help people plan their trip. This is a FREE service I offer. Don't think it's easy keeping up with the menu changes or hotel name changes or refurish schedules.

If you look at any of the other websites you will see that I seldom post unless it has to do with food or hotels. I let the rest of the world take care of the other stuff.

This website keeps me very busy with updates and hotel site visits.

But I see how your all have reacted so I will refrain from posting my website again.

Off to the Cheesecake Factory for photos and menus.

judimouse

Oh Judy, you can't take the discussion on this site personally... it's how we discuss almost everything. You've seen people here are willing to give you a chance, it's just that some folks didn't know you.

We discuss pretty much everything with a critical eye, it makes for a more interesting discussion. And after a while, you start to get an idea of who tends to yay or nay what types of things.

You can't take it personally, it's just a discussion board.

I still stay Kevy wants to advertise his porn.

Um, "you[r] all"??? Sorry for Kevy's confusion and poor assumption resulting in likely unintended rudeness, but it was hardly "all."

FYI, and you are most welcome around here - - so you should be made immediately aware ... take everything Kevy posts with 12 grains of salt.




Oh, and everything I post with a pound of it.

If Judimouse could see all the spam and such we get hit with, she might appreciate the reaction she got with her initial post. As far as what GC says- I'm sorry if people think we're unfriendly, but I really can't agree. Just as we couldn't possibly know Judimouse in such a short period of time, the same goes for anyone who is new to this site. If you all only knew how many 'new members' end up being spam, you'd know why we don't roll out the welcome mat every time there's a new sign-up. If you know someone from another site and want to introduce them, by all means please do so! It takes the guesswork out for us, and lets us know this person is cool.

For the record, I've been to plenty of other sites and felt like the odd girl out- it takes time to get to know one another. I hope Judi gives us some more time.:)

I met Judi once years ago on the monorail and she gave me her card with her websites address. I've used it all the time since then and recommended it to friends who were trip planning. Especially with kids who are picky eaters it's nice to know what's served where so you can plan ahead. Nothing worse than sitting down and figuring out there's not a thing on the menu your kid will eat.

Welcome Judi!

I just think some wires got crossed and as with message boards, sometimes the reaction to a reaction isn't what it's intended to be. Judi is a sweetheart and Kevy is sarcastic. I think everyone's made a good point that its unfortunate.

Hey, I was positive. :D

{Judi is a sweetheart, Kevy is sarcastic, and I am, um, hmmm...I don't know, but I do welcome you, Judi!!}

I never knew he was a tart in the first place, much less de-tarted and then re-tarted :D

Then why the heck didn't you start one? ;)

First off, oh Post Checker extraordinaire... This is for you ----> :p There's no spell czech on my browser at work. So there.

Secondly, I didn't know judimouse was coming onboard. But I'm glad she's here.
:)

YEAH!! You tell'em!

YEAH!! You Tell'em!

Better watch out, Kevy will mark you down for not spelling "them" or "him" right.
:D

I'm just yanking Kevy's crank, that's all. There are no true hurt feelings betwixt us.

Hey, there Judi - I was certainly not trying to say that you were being malicious. I simply was trying to explain why someone who did not know you might not understand the situation if they didn't know you knew some of the members here. I've seen lots and lots of similar situations on a discussion board I moderate, and all of them have been people who came in without knowing anyone else, solely for the purpose of driving traffic to their site.

I understand it's not the case for you! You are friends with some of the people on this board. But if someone didn't know that, it could be easily mistaken for spam. That's really all I was trying to explain, and apologies if I came across as unclear, or unkind.

And that's not what LSPE looks like in real life in that avatar picture. She's pretty. That's a Halloween mask.
:D

Careful. He likes that. ;)

And let this be a reminder for everyone - if you think something unkosher is going on, click the Report Post icon, and the mods will handle it in a classy fashion. Even if the calling out was called for (heh), outing it in public will only cause extra drama on top of the problem. This is not how we like to handle even the largest of problems, never mind something as small as this.

And by we, I mean other people, since I'm not a mod. :p

But you are mod (in the cool sense)

Well regardless of the spam-level of the first post (I vaguely know the name judimouse so knew it wasn't a cold spammer but also figured others would deal with it if dealings were appropriate), I'd just like to reiterate:

Eating at a chain seafood restaurant based on a fictional dimbus while in Monterey is retarded. In the clinical sense of the word. Approximately as retarded as eating at the Joe's Crab Shack at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

Eating at those same restaurants in the DLR resort area is less retarded but I still don't see why one would go out of their way to do so.

And I think CP is just trying to kiss up to the mods so that she can bask in teh reflected glow of their awesome cliquish power.

It is awesome isn't it?
:cool:

To be fair, Judimouse posted a total of 2 times on this board and BOTH were threads she started for the sole purpose of linking to her site. I know Judimouse and wasn't very happy with the actions, but I was going to give it some time before I did anything about it (if anything needed to be done). If Judimouse would like to participate in this community on more levels than just advertising her web site, than she is more than welcome. Otherwise, I think I might be inclined to treat her posts as spam. But, that's just my take in it from an initial standpoint. And that's why I was going to give it time. We don't live in a bubble here and most of us participate a variety of message boards and certainly get our Disney-related information elsewhere. LoT is not primarily a Disney board and we don't really want to be. I'm sure Judimouse can see why there was some confusion and concern.

Why did I read this thread? I hate shrimp!


One chain I do like is BJ's. Good menu, good pizza, and good beer.

While I know and love your cynical side, I have to say I take offense to this review of people who eat at Bubba Gumps.

I didn't go out of my way to eat there, but, it was fitting for us at the time.

We are pretty open minded and enjoy doing things like that as a family.

We also do things like visit museums, etc., but, learning comes in many ways.

I'S IN UR CLIKS, BASKEN IN UR REFLECSHONS

Of course, mighty Guru.

Indeed. The endless double entendres are fun as well.

While it may not take a rocket scientist to realize that a chain might not be the best way to take in local seafood, it also may not take retardation to eat at the chain. (I do not like chains, though not rabidly so.)

Just so everyone knows my stand on this intire mess I am posting what I sent to Kevin.

Ok, I have had enough of your site. The spammer bit was the topper. I guess trying to help people makes me a spammer of which I AM NOT.

Removed both of my posts regarding restaurants and I will be sure to tell my friends how I was treated on this web site.

Last time I try to help anyone plan a trip from your website. I have also removed your link from my website.

judimouse

That is true about it not being the best way to sample the local fresh seafood {we normally do dine at a restaurant on the wharf, but, we decided to treat the Boy to some not so 'fresh' looking seafood, and keep the theme of Forrest coming along with us}.

As a rule, we do not prefer chain restaurants. Hard Rock being an exception as I love to enjoy the music while I dine. Usually we dine at chains when we have no alternatives.

But, I still say we enjoyed it and I did buy a smiley face pin that says 'Stupid is as Stupid does' and I wear it proudly!!! :D

I love BJ's! We've been going there after football games this season. I love the onion strings and a nice hard cider:)

Now, now. You're aren't retarded. But the act was (if you're saying you ate at the Bubba Gump's on Cannery Row).

But then people frequently do retarded things because of their children. See also: Spending $3,000 for Hannah Montana tickets.

So do I!!!













Oh, you were talking about the restaurant? Um, yeah, that's good too.

Judi, lets try a little experiment: you go ahead and post what your first two posts were here on any other website in the entire web-realm, and let us know how that's working for you. I think we've spent enough time on this drama- now back to our regularly scheduled weirdness.:cheers:

Unaccustomerd as I am to putting in my 2c...

Kevy, correct response from new member would have been, "Sorry, just wanted to help, didn't mean to sound pushy or spammy."

Your post didn't even use the word spam. Don't let it get to you. I love you. Mwah.

NOW: about Bubba Gumps. We went to the one in Fishermans wharf and we enjoyed their popcorn shrimp very much. We thought the "Stop Forrest, Stop" sign to flag down the staff was priceless (and I hadn't even seen the movie then). Of course, I had to watch it when we got back to Australia.

Similarly, we also enjoyed Joe's Crab Shack. Maybe we ARE just too touristy for our own good (I still have the crab-cracker tool from our Dungeness Crab.)

LOL No kidding! Well, we all got into saying that and I am sure the kids hated it in public....:evil:

Oh, Alex, you are a bonafide curmudgeon. :snap: You never disappoint in that sense.

And, I'd never pay that much for any tickets...not even to see Chris Cornell. I would pay a heck of a lot to see Cornell, but not that much. And, if it were going to charity.

No, but I did.

Right before which I said, "...it's not the case for you. You are friends with people here." I was just trying to explain why someone who didn't know her would be confused! Judi, I'm really sorry if I'm not making this clear enough; I said I understand that it's not spam. It's not spam to post your website if you know the people you're posting with. I understand you know people here and thusly, it's not spam. But I also understand why your posts could be misinterpreted by someone who didn't know you. That is all I'm trying to say!

I don't think we should beat ourselves up over this. A person posted 2 advertisements to her website followed by 4 YAGEs. Is it really worth the strife?

Bubba Gumps
 

Grow up everyone. It's the holidays for cryin out loud. There i'm done. Peace on earth good will towards men and all that jazz. I've seen 2 year olds play better than this. I've got better things to do with my time. Have a nice day everyone.

No no!! You guys are WONDERFUL!!! Don't ever change!

I think I may have told you, but maybe not, my family LOVED you guys! The Hubster said that he had never met two more nice and positive people. :snap: Don't ever stop enjoying yourselves and life and all of the silly and fun things it has to offer. :cheers:

Judi's a big girl.
If she comes back, great. If not, that's okay, too.
:)

If anyone actually cares to see the Bubba Gump menu, you can always look it up at their own official website.

The Bubba Gump's on Cannery Row has a great view of Monterey Bay, btw.
:)

I'd like that 'Stop Forrest Stop' for my car...the back of it. Some people get right up your, ah, tail......

Yes, GC, it did. And it was fun. The people were not stuffy, fun kids, locals. Gave us great tips about where to see the fireworks, etc. We felt very much welcomed and at home.

AND I didn't feel like we were eating the food straight from the aquarium or the ocean! I have to say, that sort of feels creepy.
'Here's a tentacle for you, son, enjoy!' Blech!

But the real question is: Are they riding your tail because you forgot to put on your blinkers?
:D

No!! :p

I use my blinkers. :D

{you just gotta ride with me some time, it'll raise your blood pressure and teach you a few new choice phrases....}

I say cool. I'd ride wit ya.
:)

If money hungry developers ever took notice at what kind of extraordinary views Bubba Gumps, El Torito's and other restaurants have on the Row, they'd buy them out, knock them down and build more high end hotel rooms smack on the shore.

No kidding. There must be some loophole or magnificent contract El Torritos has because they are on prime property. Awesome views. We eat there mainly for that.

But dang, I am glad they haven't! Those hotels right along Cannery Row are expensive! And, we are always at least 3 on the road so that wouldn't work.

hee hee You'll ride wit me? Can you really handle it? :evil:

Oh, so THAT'S whats been going on.

In every other thread on the board.

Or is there more?

There's always room for More Pancakes.... :cakes:

Damn. Anyway, back to the originally scheduled thread:

Bubba Gump sucks a big one. Even worse than your average crappy chain. The old man dragged me to the one on Fisherman's Wharf (was there not anything more appealing) and the food was horrendous. Deep fried everything (and not in a good County Fair sorta way). Yuk.

What's this about Kevy's porn site? If it's pictures of him in Playboy bunny outfits, I'm opting out.

I am just wondering why and who determines that eating at a chain restaurant is a bad thing?

Wouldn't the fact that I allow other people to determine that where I eat is retarded make me, in fact, retarded?

Just wondering.


Baaaah.



{NM~I bet your dad felt it was the safest place to eat, some people don't want their food to look like it was very recently alive....and, fried foods, while they will kill you, mmmm, that fried factor really hits the spot sometimes...}

Hmm. That actually might be a gross thread, but, food that you eat that looks like the animal it came from sort of thing...like, pigs feet. :eek: Oh, well, maybe too juvenile....

Huh?

Maybe I drank too much egg nog tonight.

Huh? My question wasn't directed at you, just at the comments about chain restaurants and that going to Bubba Gumps wasn't a brilliant choice. I just wonder why does someone get to make that choice for me and then consider that choice a poor one. If I liked it, that is enough for me. Perhaps I won't like it the next time I go but that is again, up to me.

NM, I was answering to your post about going with your dad.

Chain Restaurants have their niche, they tend to serve a certain quality of food and experience and deliver it consistently in any market. My beef with them is than they are becoming ubiquitous, so that the great hole-in-the-wall mom and pops are harder and harder to come by.

The chains tend to play it safe, they want to attract the largest possible audience, so the cuisine tends to not be that adventurous - their predicatability being one of their key selling factors. Granted there are more "upscale" chains now of higher quality, but they still lack the authenticity (and flavor) of the places they pretend to emulate.

While I've enjoyed meals at McCormick & Schmicks, Wolfgang Pucks, or P.F. Changs - when I travel to other cities, I'd never stop at one - since they are so alike. And so when going to Fisherman's wharf, you might get a good meal at Bubba Gumps, but you could have the same meal in Chicago. Visiting some of the other one-of-a-kind seafood restaurants allows you to experience something that truly belongs to the city (which might include risking food poisoning if you've nothing to guide you).

If its good for you then that's fine. For your decision making, whether I think it is a smart choice is irrelevant.

But just because you ate there doesn't mean I personally find eating there any less retarded (at places where there are easily available equal or superior alternatives; if you want seafood in Cameron, Missouri, a Bubba Gump's or Red Lobster is probably the best you're going to get and the decision is no longer so retarded). Otherwise intelligent people do individual things I think stupid all of the time.

Oh, and there are reasons that make what would otherwise be a stupid decision into a good one for that moment in time.

I just don't think that these would account for the big crowds waiting for a seat at Monterey's Bubba Gumps. Or waiting 3 hours for a table at the Union Square Cheesecake Factory in San Francisco. But I'm sure it accounts for some of them; the rest are engaging what I see as poor decision making.

I remember that, back when I lived in a small town, we really enjoyed the food at the Cheesecake Factory, and did wait in line in Chicago to eat there, because there were no others in our vicinity.

I don't think it's a stupid idea to eat somewhere you trust - but I do think that when you eat at a chain restaurant while you're traveling, it speaks to your sense of culinary adventure. Me? I wouldn't choose to eat at a restaurant I could access at home if it meant I was missing out on a new culinary experience. This is probably due to many factors, including:

1) I like to try new foods, new ethnic genres, new flavors, and new takes on dishes I enjoy.

2) I looooove researching restaurants, through Yelp.com or travel books. I can almost always pick something that we'll enjoy, so it reduces the potential for adventure-turned-food-poisoning. It also increases the chances of finding the true hole-in-the-wall that would be otherwise hidden.

3) I don't have any picky eaters or picky children in my party. (Vegan, yes, but we can do plenty of exploring despite that.)

If any of that weren't so - if I (like MouseWife) weren't fond of tentacles, or had people in my party who preferred a consistent (mid-) level of quality as opposed to a possible adventure (with possible bad meal, or possible terrific meal) I probably would, too. But I love the adventure of it, so it isn't the case.

What she said. :D

And, EuroMeinke, I get your point about being in a certain place, having the opportunity to visit a certain place while in a certain city, why stick to a chain place.....

Well, I haven't been around quite so much {meaning, not a lot} but I've been to Monterey. :D {I've been to Frisco, too, but it hasn't been a 'destination' so we haven't dined there}.

In places where we have guidance, we do prefer smaller more 'mom and pop' sort of places. But, we have to feel comfortable eating there, checking out their rating {although at Olvera St. I have ignored theirs and still eaten their carnitas, upsetting my son....he notices these things...}.

Also, sometimes on a restricted diet {calorie wise, Vegan, children...} sometimes it is true, the chain restaurants {heck, Subway?} fits the bill when their isn't much to choose from. I'd rather eat a nutritious meal than take a chance on eating something that is not so healthy and probably a waste of money.

I have what I like to call "Vegas rules" (because the "rule" started on my first real trip to Vegas) when it comes to food. If I can eat at the restaurant at home I will do my best to not eat at it while on vacation. I enjoy the Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, Mimis, Islands and BJs pizza (kevy!) while at home. I don't think chain restaurants are inherently evil. My seafood standards are ridiculously high and I doubt I would like Bubba Gumps. And if I was an unfamiliar area where the restaurants looked shady then I would probably seek out a chain. I prefer non-chain restaurants to chain but there is something to be said for consistency and comfort of knowing what you are going to be getting food and service wise.

MW, I don't think your choice to seek out familiar restaurants is "retarded" (oh how I hate that word) for the reasons you need them (picky family). When I go to SF and hopefully stop in Monterey I hope to not eat at the same places we can eat at while at home. But if we do it won't ruin my trip.

I have no idea if MW's choice to eat at Bubba Gump's was retarded. I just contend that, on average, people choosing to eat at that place while in locations famous for seafood dining is retarded. Just like going to Chicago and eating at Pizza Hut. Or going to southern Florida and seeking out the Sysco Key Lime Pie at KFC. Or, like the people with us on our trip to Japan, going to Japan and taking two subways to eat at Benihana.

But I'm more than happy to give any individual diner the benefit of the doubt and accept that they have very compelling reasons for their choice. I just don't buy it for the group of all diners on average. And I'm not saying I never make the retarded choice (I have, after all, eaten at the Union Square Cheesecake Factory several times - though never when the wait was long).

And I'll admit to being particularly biased against Bubba Gump's for being based on a horrible movie with the abominable message that intelligence isn't important to life success, just be a jock. Plus the "Forrest" character frequently outside (at least every time we've walked past the one in Monterey) is just creepy. I don't eat at character restaurants at Disneyland, I'm really not going to do so elsewhere.

Some chains are just godawful. Chili's comes to mind, and Applebee's is not far behind. Plus, if health is a concern--and by health I mean fat and calories, not food poisoning--chains are probably your worst bet because the portions tend to be enormous and their sauces are almost certainly full of sugar. Of course, I think that can be said about most places along the Monterey pier since they've decided that their touristy clientele like that kind of thing.

Another reason I dislike them is that a number of the newer, larger locations, particularly those at malls, are about as pleasant to be in as being stuck in traffic on the 405. I realize that many tendy urban restaurants are designed to magnify the din and create the illusion of buzz. I don't especially like this either, but somehow it's better than being somewhere that seems to say, "We're great because we're noisy, and we're noisy because we're large."

Nothing wrong with familiarity and trust. On the other hand, I remember watching my erstwhile favorite bakery--which served better coffee and better desserts--languishing empty on the morning of the Butter and Egg Day parade while the line spilled out the door of the Starbuck's down the street. This was particularly ironic since the parade was supposed to be celebrating local ag. business.

I recognize that I have conflicting opinions in these areas. On the whole I feel the country was healthier when people went out to local restaurants on a Saturday night and then all sat down to watch the CBS television lineup.

I personally run hot and cold on the chains - sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't. I don't have the time to research restaurants, so sometimes I prefer to go with what I know.

Also, I am wary of where to get reliable info on restaurants. For example, when traveling, I often ask the hotel concierge, bellman, or front desk for recommendations. If they whip out a coupon and sign or initial it, I usually disregard it, preferring to take my chances elsewhere. Call it the pessimist in me, but this has proven to be bad in the past.

Also, how these same people respond is a good indicator. When they start asking me what I prefer (beyond the basic American, Italian, Chinese, etc. - do I prefer Northern Italian or Sicilian, am I looking for quiet or more of a party atmosphere, etc.), and when their recommendation includes, "this place isn't for everyone", I often pay more attention.

I will admit that I am bad about trying out new places. Even though 9 times out of 10, I enjoy the new place.

No such thing.

Well, for me, sometimes food is food. When I be hungry, I eats. If it's at a chain restaurant, fine. If not, fine. :)

I will say, though, that if I get a recommendation about a non-chain restaurant from a friend or family member, I am more likely to try it. ie. There are a few places that NA and the Euromonkey have recommended on the 2nd St Promenade in Long Beach that I most likely would not have tried on my own.

In fact, there are several hole-in-the-wall places where recommendations made me try them. But, from their appearance, I probably would never have ventured in on my own.

But this all stems from a discussion of whether one should eat at a Bubba Gumps near Disneyland. Not everyone can afford a Napa Rose type meal - would you say that Bubba Gumps could at least rank slightly higher than, say, Village Haus?

Everything ranks better than Village Haus.
:D

Well, I just fired off a letter to the Napa Rose. I know everyone can have an off night, I know. But this was just not their night, and sadly I was there to be a part of it. :(

I try to avoid chains as much as possible if only on principle. I like to support independently owned restaurants because I think they are a dying breed. Long Beach has a great collection of wonderful independent restaurants that I frequent as much as possible. One of my biggest disappointments in the city is that ALL of the restaurants in the newish Pike area are chains. It doesn't make it much of a destination for me - but I suppose conventioneers may like the familiarity. Still, it pisses me off that what could've been a great destination for both locals and conventioneers was blanded down to something that can be found anywhere.

I used to have the same feeling about independently owned bookstores, but most of those have gone out of business due to the monster chains that have infected every shopping area.

I have a few exceptions to my "independent" rule. Bookstores have become a necessity, but I still shop at an independent music store. I refuse to set foot in a Walmart, Kmart or Costco but I do go to Target. I will eat at SuperMex which is now a chain and I've eaten at Patina restaurants. I also frequent Peet's. PF Changs is probably the only chain restaurant I will willingly eat at.

I celebrate unique, different, independent as well as delicious as much as I can. I'm afraid that, if I don't, all choice will be lost to me and my life will become as bland as a day in Stepford.

That crepe place in Long Beach was good.

Well, the price range is $10-$20 for entrees. Not exactly an economy meal.

But anything is better than Village Haus (at least based on the last time I went there).

Its been discussed ad nauseum the significant differences between eating in the park vs. outside.

Oh boy, it sure was good!

I do like LB, a lot!

I remember eating a dessert crepe there, too. It was wonderful. Did you have that?

I meant to fire off a letter to the Napa Rose after dinner with a large group of friends, never got around to it. Let me know what kind of response you got get.

Unfortunately, I just haven't felt compelled to darken their door since then.

Sadly, Gn2Dlnd, I feel the same way. But, I also felt at $300 for 3, they needed to have some feedback.

Don't know if I will get anything back, if I do, I will let you know.

What happened at Napa Rose?

You got?

There's some good grammar.

What was the beef (just asking out of curiosity)?

Availability of a selection of non-chain restaurants was one of the big draws of the city of Orange when we were looking to purchase property. While there are chains that I will eat at, I feel much happier eating at independent establishments with unique character.

I'm less picky regarding retail, as long as the products are of good quality. Thus, I'll shop at Target and Costco and such. KMart, and WalMart I avoid because I perceive their merchandise to be generally of lower quality.

I would shop for clothing at more independent locations, however I don't have the budget for most boutique stores, nor the patience to seek out the affordable ones. Though I tend to hold off buying suits until my dad is in the mood to spend a day in the garment district (partly because of the great deals and partly because he always ends up paying for at least one suit for me. Who am I to argue?).

As for Bubba Gumps across from Disneyland? I don't fault the business decision, but it still depresses me that there is no business incentive to risk an independent establishment. It's pathetic that the choice is "high price" or "medium price chain." It's even more pathetic that people value price (as in, "It costs more, therefore it must be better")/image over actual food quality. I've mentioned before the sad story of our favorite Italian restaurant in Irvine. Down the street from a very mediocre chain-style place, where the food was blander and the prices higher, and yet the little independent place with wonderful food (no tentacles or eyeballs, just delicious southern Italian cuisine) and reasonable prices was always empty and eventually went out of business. Sad.

No, I had a savory, NA and I brunched.
It was yummy and I would eat there again in a heartbeat

The trouble is, if you have a foreign Bear and Stoat, in SFO, they might just think that oh, let's see... Joes Crab Shack was in fact a one-off unique restaurant. (which is what we thought)

Foreign people don't got a lot of no chains to go by.

Now I DO feel touristy. :(

Thanks Hon, I like you a lot too !

Fixing a menu was like pulling teeth with these people. Initial phone calls were made over a week in advance, the menu finally got set the night before. No adjustments were permitted because "We would have needed more time for that." No beverages for at least ten minutes after being seated, no coffee served or offered with dessert. One guest's meal was not to their liking and no wait staff came to the table to make sure things were okay, the meal was never fixed. Despite the fact that the reservations and subsequent phone calls all mentioned that an anniversary was being observed, only the restaurant host acknowledged the anniversary. Zero mention from the wait staff, even as coffee-less dessert was being served.

I will say that a nice meal was enjoyed, don't get me wrong. The evening just didn't rise to the expectations one has of Disney, and certainly not the expectations one has when spending that kind of money. I mean, a new outfit was bought, for goodness' sake!

Actually, kudos must be given to the host, who went above and beyond in maintaining the surprise aspect of the evening. I have no idea how many guests were actually fooled into thinking we were going to Storyteller's, but the host maintained the deception even as we were "waiting for our table in the more comfortable Napa lounge." :snap:

All in all, without a serious talk with restaurant management, I won't book the Napa again for any similar gatherings. :upsidedownsnap:

We love Our Lashie and Stoatie bears!

I love food, and I love to try new kinds of food. However, I am also the canary in the coal mine for food poisoning. Generally, when I'm traveling is not the time for me to be taking risks. If I don't have a reliable recommendation from someone I can trust, I tend to stick to chains so that I can actually enjoy my travel, rather than spend most of my time doing something far less pleasant. Even at home, I tend to try new places on a Friday night, where I can have the weekend to recover should things have gone awry.

Are you referring to mine? As a general rule, unless something is actually done wrong (e.g., undercooked, completely inedible, salt used when it should have been sugar), I don't send things back. This was a case of simply disagreeing with the culinary choice the chef made, I thought the salmon was over-seasoned. It wasn't horrible, the fish was cooked quite nicely, I just disagreed with the choice of preparation. I never consider that reason enough to send something back.

(1) Surly barman in the lounge
(2) inflexible chef with regard to preparing a vegetarian meal as all the fish dishes were prepared with chicken stock in some form or another (no kidding). So a vegetarian meal was made of salad and the veggies sides. Roasted veggies, with, the inexplicable addition of steamed broccoli.
(3) one of the servers spilling a half empty plate down my back. We were seated near the chef's bar seating, so they were serving and removing plates over the barrier instead of table-side and when we asked to be served table side the server (not our waiter) made a face and rolled her eyes. No metion of the stain on the back of my blouse. And I did not see her nameplate, unfrotunately.
(4) My dish was inedible, monkfish with lobster sauce and gnocchi. The sauce was revolting, and the gnocchi so overcooked they were gum paste and the fish was killed not once, but 3 times over. I'm not a fussy eater, but it was truly a dish to be avoided. Our server, to his credit immediately came over asked if all was good and removed the plate without question. He also hustled to get me my second choice (which was my first, should always go with first choice) within moments (and delaying service for another guest I am sure) but by then I was not terribly hungry any longer.
We got our bill, the monkfish was not there, but not even an offer of a dessert to finish on a high note. It just was a bad evening and I feel like I'm whining. But for $300, you'd think we'd come out happy and satisfied.

I was more upset that the inflexibility of the chef. I mean, you can go to PF Chang's, Applebee's Ruby Tuesday and ask for a special vegetarian plate and they will usually bend over backward without issue. All they offer is a vague pasta dish, after they've already told us they steam and cook the pasta using chicken stock in the water?? Huh? Frankly, and correct me if I am wrong, the chef in any decent place would come out and say, certainly, leave it to me, no worries, I will make something special for you. And we would have been appreciative and gladly paid for it. Not so the Napa Rose, or there was a terrible mis-communication. Our waiter, he was lovely and tried hard, but he was swimming upstream. I did make a point to compliment him in the letter, it was not his fault and it sounds silly writing it down.

Have you eaten at Watson's Drug on the circle?

It's where we take almost all of our guests the first time they visit us. CP works at the library that's practically across the street, she's likely eaten 90% of their menu items.

And it's called "The Plaza" (even if it is a circle). :p

It was the Orange Circle when I was a kid, and that's what I still call it.

No.

Small group of people, you wouldn't know them. Cliqueish, snobby, keep to themselves mostly.

I miss Belisle's. :(

Sadly, within a 20 minute radius there's little in Utah that isn't a chain. So, the independent restaurant will be my little kitchen. When we've needed something quick and not stressful, we go to Chili's for regular eatsor McGraths for fish. Sometimes we'll hit up the TGIF or even Applebees, but we're notsomuch fans of the Applebees.

In downtown Ogden there are some interesting eats to be had, but due to a bunch of stuff I'm not going to spend time typing out, many restaurants are closed at around 6 or earlier. The few that are open past that are new and are soon to realize the money loss. Hopefully, I'll be a part of fixing that. Ogden's a lovely city.

This is one of the primary reasons I haven't wanted to go to Napa Rose. Particularly with Tom's PKU/protein allergy, it seems that they refuse to go out of their way to aid vegan diners. Our money would be better spent at, say, Bouchon in Santa Barbara - where, despite no vegetarian items on the menu, their off-menu dishes personalized to our tastes and their fresh ingredients made for our tastiest meal ever.

I wonder if it's the chef's feelings about vegetarians that make Napa Rose such a bad option? I know some chefs pooh-pooh cutting meat out of a diet - but I like my hubby's brain as-is, thanks!

Speaking of grossly large portions and starchy sauces.

Snowflake,
Dropping a plate of food down your back should have gotten you a comp'ed meal. Or at the very least a free dessert.
If I remember correctly, when I was at the Jazz Kitchen and the waiter dropped a oyster shot into a lady's buttcrack (she was leaning forward in her chair to avoid getting hit with the tray - exposing her back and opened her pants at the waist), they gave her a free meal and was discussing dry cleaning with her.
Napa Rose should have done the same. I would have called a manager over...

You say the sweetest things!

Well, it was a comedy of errors. I covered all of it in the letter and we'll see what happens. Sadly, I did not even find the famed scallops to be anything other than just okay.

:eek: and oyster shot down your back, yikes! I'm sure that makes for a good story now, however.

See? This is exactly my point, in any other place, they would have cheerfully done something special and made you happy to be there.

I do not know anything about the chef and his views on food, but I was shocked at this lack of accomodation, not only from a 4 star place, but from a 4 star place at Disney.

Anyway, mentally making a note for Bouchon in Santa Barbara.....:cool:

Wow, must have been a really off day because the scallops the day I ate were the standout dish. Absolutely brilliantly done.

Eating the Disneyland mapbook ranks higher than Village Haus.

Resurrecting this thread, not to spam, but to post the letter I just received back from Guest Relations. Frankly, I don't think doing a vegetarian meal on the fly should not tax the chef so much it would cause a total disrruption of the kitchen. It's just such a no big deal thing in most restaurants and the chefs are usually happy to oblige. But, I did get a courteous response.

I had much better fun and food at the Jazz Kitchen. YMMV, of course.


Attachment 344

I'm glad they responded but I'm not sure it's the response I would've wanted if I were you and had that kind of experience. Wow, my sentence structure sucks this morning.

Thanks for letting us know the outcome!

Well, on checking back here from a recent discussion of Bubba Gump Shrimp (Alex, I still like it :p ) I see that the LoT has outlasted http://www.dlresortinfo.com

Ha, that's funny. Looking back this also reminded me of my disasterous Napa Rose dinner.