The Food Thread (Non Instagram Edition)

[fuzzygobo]

I got a question for anybody. Depending on where you live, what do they call submarine sandwich?
In New England, they’re grinders.
In Philly, they’re hoagies.
In New Orleans, they’re po’ boys.
In my little speck of the universe, they’re heroes.
Are there any other regional names for them?

 

[LittleJerry92]

Grinders is very accurate here in New England.

 

[D'Snowth]

It's kind of varied. When I was in middle school, we called them hoagies, but I think "sub" is an accepted generic term around here because of places like Subway, Jimmy John's, Firehouse Subs, Penn Station, and the like.

I just use "sandwich" as a blanket term.

 

[fuzzygobo]

Speaking of baskin Robbins, god I haven’t had their ice cream in a long time. I don’t even know if the one closest to my old house is still open or not.

I’m surprised we have Baskin Robbins out here, they’re based in California.
There was one that shared a spot with Dunkin Donuts, but didn’t last too long.

The big ice cream place growing up in New York or New Jersey was Carvel. You know now how there’s a Starbucks on every corner? Once upon a time, there was a Carvel on every corner.
Nowadays you can get a Carvel cake in your supermarket freezer, but the Carvel stores are long gone.

 

[LittleJerry92]

Funny you should mention that! The baskin Robbins I was referring to also shares a Dunkin Donuts

 

[D'Snowth]

When Baskin-Robbins first came to my town, yes, they always shared a space with Dunkin, but then Dunkin left my town for a number of years, so Baskin-Robbins either stood alone, or were part of a strip mall. Then BR left, after which Dunkin came back, and likewise, they're either stand-alone locations, or are part of a strip mall.

 

[fuzzygobo]

When Baskin-Robbins first came to my town, yes, they always shared a space with Dunkin, but then Dunkin left my town for a number of years, so Baskin-Robbins either stood alone, or were part of a strip mall. Then BR left, after which Dunkin came back, and likewise, they're either stand-alone locations, or are part of a strip mall.

there’s a great channel on YouTube called Company Man. He explains in great detail of Baskin Robbins’ history, their ties with Dunkin, and how they’re bigger around the world than they are here.

 

[fuzzygobo]

I found an old commercial that made me misty-eyed.
There used to be a restaurant chain (it was only in New York and Florida) called Beefsteak Charlie’s. They were one of the first places to have a free salad bar with your steak.
My parents took me there for my 12th birthday. For my simple tastes, my steak was well done to the point of cremation, doused in ketchup!
The place wasn’t a buffet, but places like this don’t seem to last long. If they last ten years that’s a good run.
Charlie Brown’s and Ruby Tuesday followed the same path as Beefsteak Charlie’s, and are closing their doors too. Pity.

 

[LittleJerry92]

I don’t know if I’ve ever actually been to a Ruby Tuesday before. Either way, shame to hear they haven’t been doing too well with business.

 

[D'Snowth]

Ruby Tuesday was never that great anyway. I mean sure, the food itself is actually pretty good, and they have a great salad bar, but their menu is always so incredibly limited . . . that, and the overall ambience was always so dark and sombre.

On the other hand, I remember one time meeting the hottest waitress there, she was an absolute goddess compared to the waitress @MuppetsRule and I met on our annual pilgrimage to Stuckey's.

But that in and of itself does bring a question to my mind . . . why, exactly, is it that at a lot of these casual dining restaurants, the waitresses and hostesses always seem to have to wear tiny, short-sleeved black tops that are clearly too small for them, and who makes that decision, the individual servers themselves, or management? Either way, I'm pretty sure there's a particular reason behind it, as this old video once discussed: