buffets

[dave_a]

I love buffets. I have been to many rather low quality buffets, but still I love buffets. So many choices. As a staple Chinese buffets are my favorite, but I also like Thai and Indian buffets. I am not all that familiar with many ethnic foods by name so I find buffets a great way to get a sampling of what's what.

What I particularly enjoy though are high end buffets. The kind where you pay $20+ per person, but the spread goes on for miles and everything is high quality some of it made to order.

I have friends and a wife that are down on buffets though. The frequent complaints I hear is that there are *too* many choices and they end up eating too much. I can't relate to the objection. What is wrong with too many choices? What's wrong with trying something new and if you don't like it toss it and get something else? What a luxury.

Anyway, the family is going to a resort next month and it's claim to fame is it is the world's largest indoor waterpark. Thats great I suppose, I like water/water parks. They have lots of amenities and we will be spoiled rotten with movies, dinners, massages, and all of that, but the number one thing I am looking forward to is the Friday night buffet (http://www.kalahariresort.com/dining/). Scroll to the bottom and click the link). Here is the menu:

* Steamed crab legs
* Chilled prawns
* Chef carved prime rib
* Fresh salad assortment
* Imported cheese and grilled vegetable displays
* Ingraffia’s home-made dessert table

*drools*

So, what do you all think of buffets? Love 'em or hate em?

[Beth]

I like them, but they normally are a waste for me. I can be content with a bowl of egg drop soup and some fried noodles and a few cups of tea.

When I do eat in a buffet, I do tend to overeat, thus requiring severe restrictive eating over the next week. It simply is not worth it.

The other day, I went to a buffet to order a pint of egg drop soup for take out. The owner took my order and almost laughed at me in amazement that I had the nerve to order something so small. But then I looked around, all of the eaters there were overweight judging by the look of them, the average was about 50 pounds over. To me, enjoying a feast is not worth that.

^^^I am not implying that all buffet eaters are overweight and I do not think ill of people who are overweight. But the torment I would personally feel by that much weight does not make pigging out worth it to me.

Edited to add: I could really dig all you can eat crab legs, though. Those are worth starving the rest of the week.

We go to the Crab Shack here on the East Coast. For something like thirty bucks per person, you can feast on a buffet,.. all you can eat crab legs, a slice of heaven! But this is usually a once a year thing.

[livius drusus]

There are two buffets I adore: one just on principle and the other very specific.

On principle, I love breakfast/brunch buffets. It's weird, too, because I'm not really much a breakfast person, but if it's late enough in the morning and I'm on vacation, I adore a gorgeously huge breakfast spread with everything from fresh fruit to very darkly browned sausage links to Belgian Waffles. The best breakfast buffet I ever had was in the Sheraton Maui just because of the insanely delicious fruit. The greatest brunch buffet was at a restaurant whose name escapes me in Connecticut. Best. Blueberry muffins. Ever.

The specific one I adore is the lunch buffet at The Cedars, a Lebanese restaurant near where I work. I love Lebanese food anyway, and this stuff is just the money. Perfect hummus and pita, perfect cabbage salad, perfect beans, perfect meat thingie between pita wedges lightly fried. It's fantastic, and since it's lunch, it's only like 8 bucks.

[Beth]

I don't think I've ever seen a Lebanese buffet. It sounds wonderful and more to my vegetarian tastes. Maybe I should seek one out for the next night out with my husband.

[Bella]

I've been wary of buffets ever since I took a sanitation class. According to law, hot food has to be held at 135F for no longer than four hours (after four hours it should be chucked). If the temp dips below 135F within that four hours, it either has to be reheated to 165F for fifteen seconds or chucked. I know that in real restaurant life there are going to be times when you just can't spare the time to check all the dishes every two hours for proper temperature, but it's scary to think that sometimes people never check. It's also scarier to think that sometimes people leave dishes in the warming table for longer than four hours!

[Shake]

Yeah, they can be hit or miss. We found a great one while searching for a new Chinese place when I was stationed in Charleston, SC. This place always had a good selection, decent prices, and the food was always full and hot and tasty!

We became regulars usually going at least twice a week. We also turned a number of friends on to it.

Breakfast buffets are usually IME either really good or really average.

Oh! Holy shit! I can't believe I almost finished this post without mentioning our favorite buffet place! Also in Charleston, but I believe a chain, Ci Ci's Pizza, did a all you could eat pizza buffet that was simply amazing! They included a modest salad bar, but stuck mainly to their pizzas, including desert pizzas. The garlic bread was always piping hot and cheesy! The pizzas were thin-crusted, which the wife doesn't usually go for, but if you didn't see something you liked, you could simply ask someone behind the counter and they'd make whatever you wanted. Then they'd even bring it over to your table for you. Best of all, it was cheap! We didn't even mind when they bumped the price up a $1 (to $3.99 each, drink extra). We could stuff ourselves for about $11! If we had the money, we'd open our own one here! (Damn, we miss that place!)

[Beth]

My daughter's school has a CiCi's night once a month. I never really got into that pizza, I do not care for the crust very much, but the desserts and the salad bar are ok. Heck, I'd pay the same price for a garden salad at a restauraunt, so, I do agree, it is a very good value.

CiCi's also has some dumb Yugio swap that my kids are trying to talk me into taking them to weekly. All-you-can-eat and extreme boredome...a fatal diet blunder when trying to achieve a lower BMI. :P

[Godless Wonder]

My brother, (a radiologist) sometimes refers to buffets as "staph farms." (scary, I was very very sick from a staph infection once as a kid -- required surgery.. non-buffet related, though.)

I generally don't like buffets because they encourage overeating, and the food is usually sub-par. Chinese food especially. I would much rather have a dish right from a nice hot wok made just for me than some junk from a steam table. There is a "mongolian barbecue" buffet near where I live that I go to sometimes. The food on the buffet is chilled and raw, you load it up into a bowl, then hand it off ot a cook who then cooks it on a big iron grill, then they bring it to your table. I'm not sure that's much better... having raw chilled (adequately, one hopes) food sitting around on a buffet, but I haven't gotten sick from it yet. Took me a few visits to develop a recipe of ingredients that worked out nicely rather than just adequately though.

There's a Thai buffet, "Thai Spice" around here, and compared to the "real" non-buffet Thai place "Nit Noi," well, there's just no comparison. Nit Noi kicks the buffet's ass. To me, if it's a choice between a buffet and a "real" restaurant, I'll normally choose the real restaurant unless I have a reason not to. BTW, being a college kid is a reason not to. :)

[Ymir's blood]

I've always been rather fond of 'Margaritaville' and 'A Pirate Looks at Forty.' 'Son of a Son of a Sailor' is pretty cool too.

[wade-w]

I love going to Indian restaurants for their lunch buffets. Especialy when they have Saag Paneer and lentils on the menu for that day. :lecher:

A lunch buffet generally lasts from 11:00 to 2:00, thus is only out for 3 hours maximum. I've never seen one where they didn't have to continually replinish the food. Thus Bree's objections are moot in these cases.

Oh, and liv... if you like Lebanese, there's a great Lebanese place on Lavista Rd. I can't recall the name off the top of my head though, and they are only open for dinner so no buffet. But I highly recommend you check it out.

Edited to add: Hmmmm..., it may not be there anymore. I just did a quick search of the Yellow Pages; there's a listing for a Lebanese restaurant on Lavista but it wasn't the one I am thinking of.

[livius drusus]

Would it be Mezza, by any chance, Wade? The Loaf (http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2002-10-02/food_feature.html) seems to think as highly of it as you do. I'll definitely check it out. Thank you kindly for the tip. Mmm... baklava with pistacchios, the way it was meant to be. :homer:

Beth, Lebanese food is predominately vegetarian. There's meat, of course (particularly in the US version of things), but you'll find an enormous range of healthy, scrumptious vegetable and legume-based fare. Check out the menu (http://www.mezzabistro.com/ourmenu.htm) from the place Wade recommended to get an idea. :)

[Dingfod]

I've always been rather fond of 'Margaritaville' and 'A Pirate Looks at Forty.' 'Son of a Son of a Sailor' is pretty cool too.Hey, being a smartass jerk is my job.

[wade-w]

No, the one I'm thinking of has a smaller menu than the Mezza's website says they have. Also, IIRC it is on the other side of Druid Hills. If it's still there, it'll be on the right as you head towards Piedmont from the Mezza. It does look good though.

That's the biggest thing I miss about living in the city. Here, the only choices in ethnic cuisine are Mexican, Mexican, or Mexican.

[Dingfod]

There are almost as many Chinese buffet restaurants here as there are donut shops and coney island hot dog joints, which are in almost every tiny little shopping center in the Tulsa area. Some are OK, some suck. Some taste good but mean a visit to the toidy 30-40 minutes later, guaranteed.

When I lived in Utah I was a regular at Chuckarama (pic below)
http://www.utahweddings.com/chuckarama/2.jpg

[wade-w]

Would it be Mezza, by any chance, Wade? The Loaf (http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2002-10-02/food_feature.html) seems to think as highly of it as you do. I'll definitely check it out. Thank you kindly for the tip. Mmm... baklava with pistacchios, the way it was meant to be. :homer:

Found it! It's called Nicola's (http://www.nicolas-restaurant.com/).

[LadyShea]

I live in Vegas where buffet has a whole new meaning. We like the seafood buffet at the Rio, but thats about it.

[livius drusus]

Found it! It's called Nicola's (http://www.nicolas-restaurant.com/).

Looks good, Wade. Thank you. :thankee:

[Bella]

A lunch buffet generally lasts from 11:00 to 2:00, thus is only out for 3 hours maximum. I've never seen one where they didn't have to continually replinish the food. Thus Bree's objections are moot in these cases.
Cheeseheads must have a different idea about buffets; we have OCB, or Old Country Buffet which is a restaurant that is nothing but a buffet. We also have Chinese buffet restaurants which, again, are completely buffet-style. I guess this is what I was thinking of when I was thinking "buffet" and cringing.

[Godless Dave]

I like buffets because I like variety and because I'm a glutton. Rather than look at a menu and try to decide which of several tasty things I'll eat, I get to look right at the food (and smell it) and pick a little of everything I like. I love Old Country Buffet. I love the Chinese buffet I went to for lunch yesterday. I love Khan's Mongolian Barbeque (mentioned above). I love the buffet restaurant inside a Kwik-Trip outside Tomah, Wisconsin. And I especially love breakfast buffets.

[Godless Dave]

Regarding food safety, keeping food warm beyond the recommended time period is a concern. But I think the greater concern is that so many customers, not employees, have access to the same food. Not everyone is going to use the utensils properly or get a clean plate every time, let alone wash their hands beforehand.

[Megatron]

I have a slight psychological problem in this respect: Whenever I see a good chinese buffet, the "MUST. EAT. EVERY. FUCKING. THING." switch turns on... I almost always leave overfull and have a hard time staying awake the rest of the day...

...and you people just had to go and mention Mongolian BBQ, didn't you? :bonk:

[wade-w]

A lunch buffet generally lasts from 11:00 to 2:00, thus is only out for 3 hours maximum. I've never seen one where they didn't have to continually replinish the food. Thus Bree's objections are moot in these cases.
Cheeseheads must have a different idea about buffets; we have OCB, or Old Country Buffet which is a restaurant that is nothing but a buffet. We also have Chinese buffet restaurants which, again, are completely buffet-style. I guess this is what I was thinking of when I was thinking "buffet" and cringing.

Those types of buffets are common throughout the south. Though instead of Old Country Buffet, we have the Golden Corral and Ryan's Steakhouse. Chinese Buffets are common as well. You will also find buffet style Barbeque joints.

I was specifically talking about Indian restaurants in the above post. In every Indian restaurant I've ever been in they do a buffet for lunch, and are a regular menu based restaurant for the rest of the time. I would still have no qualms about patronizing a good, completely buffet style Indian establishment. I've never been to one where the food lasts long enough for contamination due to low temps or sitting out too long to be a problem.

[Beth]

Gosh, I now have a craving to hit a buffet and gorge on crab rangoon. *sigh*

[pescifish]

When I go to Vegas, I tried to avoid the buffets because my normal strategy for eating out is to take home most of it for several meals. I do like the one at the Aladdin, however, as it does a broad international thing and every single dish is exquisite. It's about $26 a dinner.

In the summer, I sometimes choose Home Town Buffet because I can get an array of different beverages. If it's hot and I get a hankering for iced tea, milk, grapefruit juice, lemonade, coffee, hot chocolate all during the same meal, that sort of thing could set me back $10 without even getting to the food. The Home Town Buffets around here are consistent, mediocre but decent food and always fresh -- well worth the $8 for dinner.

Also, they've actually got vegetables: fresh at the salad bar and steamed and other assortments in the hot trays. It's hard to find vegetables in many sit down restaurants these days.

[Godless Dave]

Those types of buffets are common throughout the south. Though instead of Old Country Buffet, we have the Golden Corral and Ryan's Steakhouse. Chinese Buffets are common as well. You will also find buffet style Barbeque joints.
Southern Hybrid and Putney took me to a restaurant in Georgia that wasn't a buffet exactly but was an all you can eat (actually All 'U' Can Eat!) affair. You sit down at a table, which you share with strangers, with a big Lazy Susan in the middle. The servers bring out various home-style southern dishes and put them on the Lazy Susan, you help yourself to what you want, and the servers keep bringing more.

[Dingfod]

There used to be a restaurant outside of Woodville, Texas, Picket House, I think it was called. They did the family style, all you can eat served at the table type thing. They had the best chicken and dumplings I've ever had. Sorry, Mom.

Damn, it's still there! (http://www.heritage-village.org/pickett-house.htm) I haven't been there in 20 plus years.

[wade-w]

Those types of buffets are common throughout the south. Though instead of Old Country Buffet, we have the Golden Corral and Ryan's Steakhouse. Chinese Buffets are common as well. You will also find buffet style Barbeque joints.
Southern Hybrid and Putney took me to a restaurant in Georgia that wasn't a buffet exactly but was an all you can eat (actually All 'U' Can Eat!) affair. You sit down at a table, which you share with strangers, with a big Lazy Susan in the middle. The servers bring out various home-style southern dishes and put them on the Lazy Susan, you help yourself to what you want, and the servers keep bringing more.


That used to be more common than a standard buffet style restaurant in the South. As far as I know, though, such places are fading away.

[pescifish]

I'm visiting in NC this weekend and went to one of those types of southern family style restaurants last night. I love to eat out alone and do it all the time. I have to say that this 'family style' thing really messes up when there is just one person. They brought out enough food to feed a family. It was all you can eat*, but unfortunately all I could eat was about 1/3 of what was brought out. :(

Since I couldn't take it away** all that food was wasted.

At least at a buffet, I can get a little bit of whatever I might want to try and only take what I'll end up eating. Still, my preference regarding overwhelming food portions at restaurants is the have them box it up and feed me the next several meals at home.


* "Except the ham biscuits. That's two per adult. Any more than that you have to pay 95 cents each."

** "If you can wrap it in your napkin or something, you can take it." Made me homesick for own of my best friends who has a supply of ziploc bags for such an occasion.

[RevDahlia]

Oh Jeebus. My only buffet experiences have been happy ones. More accurately, my only buffet experiences have involved the Atlantis Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV, after Burning Man.

I can't even TELL you. After a week of being grimy, hot, sweaty and smelly, and eating nothing but Cup O'Noodles and Tasty Bite brand instant Indian food -- a room at the Atlantis, a nice shower, and most of all the BUFFET are enough to make me consider theism. Okay, so the food isn't that good, but it's cheap and there's a lot of it. My usual routine: one ginormous plate of shrimp cocktail, one ginormous plate of Cobb salad, one Brobdignagian plate of prime rib with mashed potatoes... et cetera. Sometimes there are even raw Blue Point oysters, and I don't even care how likely they are to give me ptomaine poisoning. Bliss. (And I haven't gotten sick once in seven years of this routine.)

[livius drusus]

My mom got Hepatitis from muscles.

[Dingfod]

My mom got Hepatitis from muscles.Was Muscles his nickname?


Or perhaps you meant mussels?

[livius drusus]

/me giggles
I thought that looked wrong, but I really like the nickname idea.

[wildernesse]

Wade,

You are a bad, bad person for mentioning Indian lunch buffets. An Indian restaurant just opened last year here in Athens--and I love their lunch buffet. Now I'm going to have to convince RA to be ready to go downtown when I get back from church (the real kind ;)).

He better not be too grumpy.

Edited to add: He is too grumpy! That punk! I'll just have to have lunch there on my own this week. Bwhahaha.

[Socratoad]

Athens hmmmmm, how did you enjoy the Olympics? :D