The huge choices in food available now

We've got a Fine Dining Indian Restaurant here, 7eventy1, which I'm in once a month in the evenings, and there's a Chinese takeaway, a Bistro, 2 cafes, 3 pubs and a couple of hotels for food.

There was a Fat Chicken, but while I never went in as I can't abide fast ''food'' of that type, several people told me it was awful, burgers etc were rubbish, ''hot'' drinks were cold, and everything was way overpriced. Apparently, one of the male staff was quite surly. They were only there for about 8 weeks before closing down over a year ago, and the property is still empty!

I detest Chinese food and won't touch it, same with any Oriental, and also ''thick'' food like Mediterranean, Spanish, Moroccan, Turkish, etc. I'm just about OK with Italian, not bothered with Polish. Mexican is far too hot and spicy for me.

I've never tried various other countries' cuisines, so I can't say on those.

I love English and Indian.

www.theoldie.co.uk/article/i-launched-the-great-british-hamburger-invasion

A Wimpy bar article - about the first Wimpy in 1957

Wyllow3

GrannyGravy13

Wyllow3

A real Wimpy! Haven't seen one for ages, what is it like inside, GG13?

A throw back to the 60/70’s and they still serve the Bendy Burger 🙀😹

Oh my goodness, memories! it was so daring as teenagers to go in. I wonder if it has a big nostalgia custom base.

A little bit about the history of Wimpy in the UK.

Apparently there are only 61 left in the UK.

In the late 80's, early 90's they were aquired from United Biscuits by Grand Metropolitan except for a few in undesirable locations. Grand Met then converted them to Burger King which they already owned and tried to outsmart the new kid on the block, McDonalds.

The few Grand Met did not take on were bought by a management buyout and subsequently sold to South African Famous Brands who owns them today.

Must admit my memories of Wimpy are pretty good and certainly when I was a teenager they seem to have appeared on every street corner.

cc

I really love Lebanese food but the nearest restaurant has closed down now. Also Thai, there is a chain of pubs that has really good authentic Thai food in and around London, our nearest is half an hour away by bus. I live to the west of London in a borough is thought of as an ethnic area (particularly SE Asian) but the only curry restauant that we liked has closed down now.
Mostly we go to a family run Italian restaurant where the food is really excellent.

Lebanese is my favourite as well although I’m ok to eat almost anywhere except burger, pizza and huge chains. Much prefer small local businesses.

nanna8

I have a mango everyday just now - they are in season in Australia. Cost $2 .50 each down here, probably a lot cheaper up north where they come from ! I love ‘em and also great in salads with feta.

I often buy packs of sliced, ready to eat mango for the GDCs. They earn me a lot of granny points! And certainly less messy than properly ripe whole mangoes.

On the beach holidays we used to have I’d often buy a mango from a beach vendor - and take it in the sea to eat it! Cool off and wash off the sticky juice all in one go.

Eating out was not the 'thing' when people our age were young though, was it.

And it was much more formal - starched white cloths etc.

DH and I went for a meal in Leamington Spa on our first wedding anniversary and were told by the very superior waitress that we couldn't have our desserts until be had finished the red wine we had with out main courses. Imagine that now.

I love Moroccan and turkish, also Chinese ( although Chinese a few hours after iv eaten im hungry again )

leeds22 We never ate out when I was young apart from when on holiday

We never had to eat out young either, apart from visiting London grandparents or on Holiday. Eating at home was usual, I believe.

We never ate out when I was young apart from when on holiday and then it was down market seaside food. When I started work we received 3/6 luncheon vouchers which we used for Chinese business men’s lunches. Then we discovered the Gourmet Restaurant in the centre of Leeds: moussaka, spaghetti bolognaise, spam fritters, etc, all accompanied with chips (even the spag bol). When I worked in Bradford there were lots of Greek and Italian restaurants, later followed by curry houses. My favourites now are Turkish, Greek and Persian.

GrannyGravy13

Wyllow3

A real Wimpy! Haven't seen one for ages, what is it like inside, GG13?

A throw back to the 60/70’s and they still serve the Bendy Burger 🙀😹

Oh my goodness, memories! it was so daring as teenagers to go in. I wonder if it has a big nostalgia custom base.

it sure
Not sure

nanna8, it sure if you can receive BBC but Rick Stein has a programme called Rick Stein Australia on BBC2 at the moment.
He's travelling up the East Coast at the moment, stopping at various interesting places and sampling the cuisine.

Living in the back of beyond in Aberdeenshire, it is a 10 mile drive to a not brilliant Chinese takeaway and a chippie.
No delivery services either.

Wyllow3

A real Wimpy! Haven't seen one for ages, what is it like inside, GG13?

A throw back to the 60/70’s and they still serve the Bendy Burger 🙀😹

I really love Lebanese food but the nearest restaurant has closed down now. Also Thai, there is a chain of pubs that has really good authentic Thai food in and around London, our nearest is half an hour away by bus. I live to the west of London in a borough is thought of as an ethnic area (particularly SE Asian) but the only curry restauant that we liked has closed down now.
Mostly we go to a family run Italian restaurant where the food is really excellent.

A real Wimpy! Haven't seen one for ages, what is it like inside, GG13?

I live in a commuter village we have Indian (authentic) several Bangladeshi restaurants, two Turkish, Malaysian, Italian and two Mediterranean restaurants.

Along with Chinese takeaways, Fish & Chips, Pizza Hut takeaway, kebab shop, Kentucky, Wimpy and several tea/coffee shops.

Also three pubs which serve food.

All the above are anything between a five and 30 minute walk.

I smiled at the memory of sultanas in Monday's curry made with leftovers dmfrom Sunday's roast. Neither of my parents were really interested in eating anything unfamiliar so the fact we had "curry" on Mondays felt quite exotic. Unfortunately, where we live, the more exotic world cuisines aren't just 10 minutes down the road, with, horror of horrors, a whole 20 minute drive to get to Lebonese food. We actually do have a Persian restaurant about 15 minutes away, but otherwise it's pub food within a 20 minute radius then the usual Indian, Italian, Thai or Chinese. More exotic than that would be at least an hour away in Birmingham. It's certainly not the norm to have hundreds of different cuisines on the doorstep unless one lives in a large, cosmopolitan city. I do hope those lucky enough to do so, realise their extreme good fortune.

I popped into the local Mace here in our village in Northern Ireland and couldn’t find the green Thai curry paste so I asked the woman at the till. “Oh no” she exclaimed, “we wouldn’t have anything THAT exotic in here” 🤣🤣
Our nearest town has 2 Indian restaurants and 1 Italian but as far as I’m aware, the nearest city (about 40 miles away) has Asian restaurants but nothing outside of that box really.

We ate simple plain food in the 50/early 60s and I was fit and not fat, well I am still a size 12 which I think in old 50s sizing is a 14/16. Now, we have a huge choice of food in supermarkets and take away food 24/7.
I do prefer French and English food.

If you rushed in hungry as a child

what were you given?

I still love raw carrots 🤣

maxmyers that sounds just like my Dad on his one and only Chinese food experience.

My mum did keep trying to introduce more...but in the end she worked full time as a teacher so stuck to roast on Saturday, tinned fruit, cold cuts Sunday with cooked pudding, excellent school dinners in the week, something like beans and toast for tea at 5-6ish. Fish and chips on Thursdays tho as she had her hair done after work.

I think my Dad's fave food was a good kipper, actually.

I live in the curry capital
Of the north so very lucky! My godmother was Italian so started young on pasta !! We have so many varieties of places to eat, types of cuisines , somebody is holding a Peruvian banquet soon in a local village hall! I must admit to loving Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian flavours most !

We have access to everything on the OP’s list, plus others. We use them all over time. I think we are really spoiled for really good restaurants in our area.

We have a table for lunch booked at an authentic French restaurant next week. It is excellent.

If we are feeling rich our absolute favourite is a Michelin star in the Sussex Weald we go to - to really spoil ourselves.

My mother was a reasonable cook but we had the same menu week after week. She would n't eat "foreign food", not liking it but had never tasted it! This was in the 40's and 50's.

My parents had one "foreign holiday in France and had a problem dining.

I live in London and I agree the backstreets of Soho are where to dine for authentic food. There is a really good Indian restaurant close by but little else. Hygiene is a major problem and being fussy, I prefer my food cooked where there are no rats or mice and the staff appreciate running water.