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The Ten Most Recent Comments By nisung2

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

I though Boston Chicken was good before it became Boston Market. I like Morton's, The Palm, Legal Seafoods, The Ninety-Nine (I'm pretty sure its a North East thing- great prime rib), Maggiano's and Crackerbarrel (great pit stop on long drives!). I used to like Pizzera Uno, but my last few trips to them were disasterous.
What creeps me out is when you go to a chain that has photos of the food on the menu and the food comes out looking just liked the photo.

Do some chains start as chains or do they all grow out of one original place? I know McDonalds didn't start as a chain, but I can imagine that a place like Olive Garden was conceived as a chain.

nisung2 at 8:22PM on 10/26/07

From Talk

Loathing Amanda Hesser

I like her writing and I really enjoyed Mr. Latte. The concept of a book telling a love story partially through food and recipes really spoke to me. I liked her sensibilities in the book.

nisung2 at 10:53AM on 10/26/07

From Serious Eats

Weekend Book Giveaway: Service Included

My wife and I were walking into a butcher shop that also served food at a few tables while we were on vacation in Spain. As we entered, my wife (who can be a bit squeamish) looked to her left and saw a pig, split down the middle, hanging from a hook. She exclaimed "Oh my God!" A man who was leaving, glanced over his shoulder at her and, in a thick Spanish accent, gave this helpful comment: "Its not God, its a pig"

nisung2 at 11:25AM on 10/13/07

From Talk

Are there any foods you're ashamed to love?

shake and bake pork chops rule!
the "pope's nose" on a chicken
PBR

nisung2 at 12:16PM on 09/22/07

From Talk

Sad Foods: What do you eat in times of trouble?

If its cold out, grilled cheese and tomato soup (sandwich to be sliced on the diagonal and dunked into the soup.) If it is hot out, red flavored jello with canned mandarin orange segments suspended in it.

nisung2 at 9:11PM on 08/07/07

Responses to Comments by nisung2

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

Hi Ed. I just found this post while trolling the web for Houston's Key Lime Pie recipe/ingredients. I waited tables in the Rockville, MD Houston's from 1993-1995. Having seen Houston's and more than a dozen independently-owned restaurants from the waiter's side of the table, I agree with everyone's positive comments about Houston's. It's one of my go-to spots when I want to treat myself (and I live in Manhattan).

Although more personal non-chain restaurants are great, only Houston's made me memorize each ingredient in every dish before letting me serve a customer. We had line-up every night where we were quizzed on the number of ounces in the coho salmon and the marinade for the Houston's Hawaiin ribeye. I learned how to give 110% to a job and what to expect as a guest in a restaurant.

amandakkay at 11:21PM on 05/20/08

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

I love Houston's. Plain and Simple. It's never disappointed and If I was forced to choose a place for my last meal, this would be it. Want to know why?

NYC Food Guy at 1:53AM on 04/01/08

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

Next time you go, you must order the smoked salmon appetizer served with toast points and a delicious dressing. Melt in your mouth and crazy good! I promise, you'll love it! They discontinued it and brought it back because of demand.

They used to serve a fantastic steak platter and the most outrageous mashed potatoes w/celeriac. Unfortunately they discontinued it but like the smoked salmon appetizer, I'm still hoping they'll bring it back.

redrover at 6:19PM on 11/19/07

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

what i like about houstons is that their locations have regional foods. the houston's at riverside square mall in NJ does not have the same menu as the houstons is santa monica!

YumNYC at 9:17PM on 11/02/07

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

On a local level I like P.F. Chang's. At the mid-level I have to agree with several posters re. the quality at Roy's and on the upper end I highly recommend Nobu.

takhomasak at 11:45AM on 11/02/07

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

I really like Rosa Mexicano as well, but one of the criteria we established was the chain had to have at least ten locations.

Ed Levine at 11:52AM on 10/29/07

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

What about Rosa Mexicano? I love that place in New York- now with DC, Palm Beach, Atlanta and Miami- i think they are great

yummy120 at 11:43AM on 10/29/07

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

I wrote to the new york Times about the desireability of chain restaurants several years ago. Here's the link: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DEED91039F932A25755C0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

annien at 5:40PM on 10/28/07

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

Houston's is consistently very good at The Riverside Square location in Hackensack, NJ. My favorites are the Smoked Salmon Appetizer, Grilled Artichokes Appetizer, Seared Ahi Tuna and Thai Beef Salads. They serve a fantastic Loaded Baked Potato as well.

Anyone who is a fan of The Cheescake Factory or Houstons, My new favorite chain is The Grand Lux Cafe located in The Garden State Plaza in Paramus New Jersey. It is owned and operated by the Cheescake Factory, but more upscale, like Houston's. The original concept was designed to be put in the Bellagio Hotel Complex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pf Chang's and Maggiano's is also located at The Riverside Square Mall.

BastedEggs at 9:12AM on 10/28/07

From Serious Eats

Houston's Doesn't Suck: What's Your Favorite Slightly Fancy Chain Restaurant?

I agree with a number of the posters that Houston's is definitely consistent. But I cannot agree with the inclusion of Olive Garden. I've had to meals there in my life. The first was, at best, mediocre, and the second was abominable.

esther rebecca at 5:15PM on 10/27/07