Going out to eat has many perks and benefits, plus the ambiance and inviting space of a restaurant makes me feel very happy.  There are so many reasons that we choose to dine out, and maybe you have the same reasons for going out to dinner at a restaurant instead of eating in.

• Time to enjoy each other’s company.  When you eat in it is inevitable that at least one person stays in the kitchen to get things prepped and in order for dinner.  Once dinner is ready to eat, if you are like me, you feel like you cannot really sit down and start to enjoy your meal in case you have to clean a spill, go grab something else from the stove, or things like that.  You get to rally sit down and enjoy everyone at the table.
• No clean up.  I do not think that I know anyone who enjoys cleaning up the kitchen after cooking or cleaning the table after dinner.  If you are crazy enough to like it, then by all means cook at home every single night.  But if you are normal like most of us, the biggest perk of eating out at a restaurant is the fact that you do not have to do any clean up afterward.
• Fun new foods to try.  I am not a great cook.  I can cook a few things here and there, but none of it is really all that special.  At a restaurant though you have all sorts of delicious options of foods to choose from.  You can even choose to order food that you have never eaten before and try new things.  The choices are exciting!

So what are you waiting for?  Make those reservations for dinner tonight right away so you can enjoy the company around you, avoid cleaning up, and treat yourself to some tasty food that you do not get to have often.

The main thing about tipping is that it is part of your wait server’s income.  In the United States, unlike Canada and parts of Europe, wait staff do not earn minimum wage as part of their base pay;  the tips they earn supplement their substandard pay, and without the proper amount of tipping from the people they wait on, their income is drastically affected.  So, how do you know what an appropriate tip is?  Is there ever a time when leaving no tip at all is warranted?

As a general rule, always, always leave a tip.  Even if the waiter was snooty and inattentive, leave a tip.  Yes, you can leave a note about your experience for the manager if you feel it is needed, but tips are not to be used to punish your waitstaff for displeasing you.  Here is an infographic on tipping that will be of great use the next time you dine out:

I would say that most of the time, if you venture off the beaten path and try something new in a restaurant you already know and trust, you have a very good chance of having a rewarding experience yourself.  Still, what happens if your greatest fears materialize:  you order something new and different, and instead of falling in love with it, you are terribly disappointed — or worse, you suffer a more comprehensive and systemic condition known as Restaurant Remorse.  This condition is far more debilitating than simple disappointment.  With disappointment, you can often muddle through your meal and at least still leave full and content, if not happy.

But when you have Restaurant Remorse, you often cannot even eat your food.  You find yourself in the awkward situation of not wanting to insult the chef or cook, and yet try as you might, you just can’t bring yourself to swallow any of the food on your plate.  You even want to retreat and order your old standby, but again:  how not to offend your waitstaff and the cook?  Sadly, you begin dreaming of what leftovers might be at home, or maybe even stopping for a burger on your way there after this fail of an evening out.

Just remember, anytime you decide to try something new, it’s a good idea not to be extremely hungry when you do so.  If you are genuinely hungry, plan to order something you know that you enjoy and will eat.  If you are not all that hungry, be adventurous and try something a little off the beaten path.  Only two things can happen after all:  you’ll find something new to love, or you’ll be a little let down.  Just don’t let it stop you from ever taking those risks that can lead to better life with more variety.

To start off you have to know what size pizza you want to eat, then you have to figure out if you want a desert pizza or a meal pizza. Next you have to figure out what type of crust you want your pizza to have. Wow that seems like a lot of questions to answer before you even get to the hard part, which is deciding  what to put on top of your pizza. For a normal pizza you can have a variety of sauces, some are white, like Alfredo while others prefer the classic marinara, then there are some people that would rather go without sauce and have oil or something else on top of their pizza.

With so much time and thought going in to the creation of this pizza, it better taste amazing! Now you have to think about the toppings that are going to be on top of your pizza masterpiece. You can choose from a variety of cheeses, meats, vegetables, and more!

Normally we don’t think about all of the little decisions that go into creating the perfect meal, but when you break it down into how many steps and processes there are into creating something as seemingly easy as pizza, it creates a whole new appreciation for food. The next time you go to order something think a little bit more about what you are really ordering and how many steps and decisions there are into making that food just the way you like it.

Pizza is a dish that many people are going to like for years and years to come. It’s something that can be changed and made into something new and improved. Why not get into your own kitchen and give making pizza a try!

The traditional way of making a steak is on the grill and many people see that there isn’t another option to making a great steak. This video is sure to prove you wrong when you see step by step how to prepare a tasty steak on the stove top. This method can be used to make a number of things such as chicken, pork chops, and even fish. If you are wanting to try something different or maybe you don’t have access to a grill due to the weather or living situation you can still make your favorite steak that is sure to be great!

Happy Cooking!

Peanut butter wasn’t just invented to give us something else to be addicted to, however;  it’s history goes back to a time when doctors were trying to find a good solution to hunger by creating a food that is portable, easy to consume, and delivers a powerful nutritional punch in a small serving size.  There is more history to peanut butter than that.  If you are interested in this tasty topic and want to learn more, set up your adt home security and snuggle up for a cozy night in so that you can check out the infographic below:

Ice cream first came to the United States in the 18th century when one recipe for the ice cream was published. In the beginning people were keeping their recipes safe with home security wireless systems. Since then ice cream has become one of the most popular sweets in America.  Although everyone craves this treat it isn’t as healthy as you would hope. Ice cream has become an unhealthy food. There are many things that are added to ice cream that decrease it’s nutritional value. Have you ever wondered how bad for you ice cream actually is? If so, here’s the list of the best and worst ice creams for you. The next time you go to add some more chocolate to your already fudgy ice cream take a minute to think about just what you are eating. Ice cream is one of my favorite treats and when I do eat it, I add everything I can think of to make it the best ice cream ever. Although I rarely eat it and when I do I work out just a little bit harder to compensate for the extra calorie intake. Once you discover what you are really eating you might do the same thing.

Maybe the image isn’t the same for you, maybe you want to be seated at a single table overlooking the ocean waves, or a candle lit dinner at a private place. Fine dining isn’t limited to what one or even many people say it is. The definition is ever changing, just like the people who give them. Fine dining is thought to be a fancy eating experience. You should dress and act differently than you would at any other meal. When you are looking for a special dining experience, fine dining is just that. The atmosphere is less hurried and more relaxing. The food is not just thrown on a plate as quickly as possible, it’s placed perfectly and then details are added to make it even more appealing.

Do you think that fine dining is for you? If so you should ask around and find out what the best restaurants are in your area. Or to make your vacation even more special treat everyone to a fine dining experience. There are places all over the world that can provide you with an out of the ordinary and over the top dining. Don’t throw out fine dining until you have tried it. You can even try it at home!

In Durham, North Carolina, folks are feasting from trucks which individually feature such fine foods as Indian fare, Mexican munchies and the all American Burger.
In Seattle, Pork is being pulled from a Duck Truck which waddles around on the streets. Korean, Barbecue and Thai have also gone mobile. And Hot Dog!!! Let’s not forget, there are still hot dogs on the move as well.

New York? Where to begin? From sweet treats to gourmet eats, they’ve got them all! Kosher, vegetarian, Italian – Mama Mia, in love you’ll fall. You will find Schnitzel, Souvlaki and Dumplings divine. Steaks, burgers, even beer and wine!!!
Ah, but where does one find out where the best trucks are parking on the streets of America? You can do an online city or town search, or even better, find one that you’re looking for and visit their social networking page to find where the truck chefs reveal their daily locations.
Also keep in mind, many of the traveling food restaurants will hire themselves out to your party, wedding or any other special event. It certainly puts a whole new spin on catering!

Of course, not everyone is totally pleased with the roving restaurants. Unfortunately, the brick and mortar sites must remain right where they are. Should a popular restaurant truck park nearby, it will definitely affect their day’s business. And there are parking wars in our midst. Let’s face it, some parking spots are much better than others, so those desired spots are at a premium.

There are many regulations involving restaurant trucks. If you think you can just jump in your pickup and start selling sandwiches, well, think again. There are health department rules about serving food which must be upheld even if you are on wheels. Permits and licenses are required. And, in most cities, there are stringent parking permit rules. It is certainly not as easy as one might think.

Nonetheless, the popularity of the mobile restaurant continues. Even television viewers can watch a show where the food trucks race across the nation, competing at every stop to get the patrons’ attention as well as their business.

Certainly, the restaurants on wheels will continue truckin’. For a different dining experience, check online for a rolling restaurant near you. You most likely won’t have to go too far.

Money is tight so if you are among the fortunate to venture to a restaurant to enjoy a wonderful, (expensive) dinner then you want to go to a trusted name in eateries. Or maybe you are adventurous and prefer to take a chance with your money on a restaurant that you have never been to.

My main concern today is not particularly the money one can spend at a restaurant, (all right maybe it is), but how the food was prepared. Did the chef wear gloves? Did my food touch the floor? Excuse me, but can I take a look at your kitchen to make sure it is clean and shinny? Did someone accidentally sneeze in my order or blow their nose over it. Did they pick their nose while broiling my steak? And, I always wonder where they got the food to begin with and were they health conscious. How clean and tidy are the waitresses. Are they neatly groomed with clean styled hair?

I think that most everyone likes to eat at well established eateries, where people trust the foods that are being served to them. If you walk into a restaurant and can see your food being prepared it makes a big difference then if you walk into a restaurant and see a double pad lock on the kitchen door. That would tend to make me a little bit nervous as to what the heck they are doing to the food.

Let’s search some apparently well known restaurants to try out. How about, The Golden Shower or how about Dirty Dick’s. The Nasty Buffet makes me want to run right to the front of the line. How about The Happy Crack, sporting a broken coffee cup. If ever in India, I bet a visit to The Chocolate Log would be awesome. They serve confectionary and coffee at their shop. The Slug and Lettuce looks pretty classy. I wonder how the salads taste. If ever in China, check out the Yu Kee BBQ Kitchen. You can find the Wo Fat Restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Spotted Dick in Toronto, Canada looks like a classy bar and eatery. New York City is host to Obama Fried Chicken. If ever in Canada and you are hungry for chicken, try the Lick-A-Chick restaurant. When in London, England don’t miss eating at the Chick Pizz for lunch and ButtyBoys for dinner, you will be glad that you did. If ever in Portland, Oregon and want you want a good Chinese restaurant, try Hung Far Low. In Malaysia, be sure to stop in at the Soon Fat Chinese Take Away.