Sorta OT - What meals do you leave to the restaurants?

Botch

@YukonRon mentioned in another thread about how Egged food is so much better than what you can normally get in a restaurant, to which I think we all agree.  
It got me to thinking about what kind of foods we don't make at home, that we leave to the "experts", and thought it might be an interesting thread.  Doesn't have to be stuff you'd cook on the Egg; just, what do you leave to the restaurants?
 
For me:

• Sushi.  It looks like a lot of FUN to make, but the timing/technique of the rice (and it's all about the rice) would be a challenge.  Further, I'd have to drive to SLC to our only sushi-grade fish market (one of the few downsides to living in the Rockies) and they'd probably throw their santukos at me, trying to buy 2 oz of four different kinds of fish.  
• Cajun.  I have made my own excellent rouxs, but its time-consuming and easy to screw up.  Plus, again, you need so many ingredients that it becomes way too many leftovers (of perishable seafood) for a single person.
• Fried chicken.  I don't do any deep-frying, and we have a local spot called Maddox that makes perfect broasted chicken, no need to even try making it myself.
• Pho.  I love this Vietnamese soup, have it once or twice a week.  The broth required a lot of ingredients (like a whole brisket) and an overnight simmer; again it makes way too much for one person.  I wouldn't mind trying making bahn mi, vietnamese/french sammiches, and in fact may be great on an Egg.  

 
That's all I can think of, right now.  How bout you?  

JethroVA

@Botch I'm with you on your choices and will add Thai to the list.  My fried chicken made a mess and wasn't that good. Never again without proper equipment and instruction. 

HellrodKC

Fried anything. Not worth the hassle to clean up, and my waistline thanks me for limited fried foods to meals out of the house.

gmac

I'm good with most at a restaurant. Sushi like you said for sure. 
I would have to turn it around and say that for me the one thing I just won't order at a restaurant is ribs. Disappointing compared to my own. But the rest I'm pretty good with either way. 

fishlessman

draft beer

jtcBoynton

Agree on sushi.  Thai is also on my buy list.  I make a respectable pho and it isn't too difficult so it is on my home made list.  Don't make Greek at home.  

fishlessman

i think the only thing i dont cook on purpose is the italian veal dishes. sushi i get at the supermarket so that probably does not count

bgebrent

Asian dishes with 20 ingredients that I would not use often enough.  Have done sushi and it's a fun team effort.  I agree on the Pho too.  We have a restaurant with superb Pho so I'm not gonna try.

Killit_and_Grillit

Fried. Especially chicken. Juice usually isn't worth the squeeze unless it's something I need to go with a meal or it's a fish fry and hush puppies. 

da87

+1 on all fried, sushi, and most other Asian - just not the same at home

ToTheMax

Ethnic cuisine, that's about it: Sushi, Pho, Thai.

I'm starting to do Chinese food in the wok, so we'll see how that goes. Might move on up to Thai one day.

bhedges1987

I'm a restaurant snob, so I only go to good restaurants. Not shi* like outback ect. 

So I will order whatever I'm feeling like, even if I can make it on the egg. 

Rte1985

Thai, sushi, doughnuts, and my biggy is salmon! Anytime I fix salmon at home it turns out pretty underwhelming! I go out and it tastes amazing! I haven't tried salmon on the egg yet probably because I'm so defeated from the past. Maybe it's time to search the forums and give her a go again!

BikerBob

Really good blackened grouper, wife likes fried shrimp-only fresh, wild caught Atlantic will do for me.I have had great Asian food, but it has been years and I no longer live close enough to visit an Asian community to get it.
On the road, eating whatever is easy. I do like to try BBQ at other places and have found one or two good ones.

DoubleEgger

Nothing really. I very rarely eat "ese" food (Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc). We eat out solely due to convenience or a social type atmosphere. (Date night, groups of friends etc). 

JohnnyTarheel

Generally for us to eat out it's for fried seafood and Chinese...

Focker

We seek out the hidden gems, and are blessed with some authentic, rock solid, served smokin hot and fresh, Mexican here in the QC.
La Rancherita in Moline,IL
Supermercado Monarca in East Mo.  My favorite lunch spot.  An azada burrito with avocado, a Mexican Coke, and their rojo salsa, and I'm in my happy place for 6 bones.


Frank's Pizza, and fried chicken, in Silvis, IL, our family home base for grub.  Their stromboli is killer.  Best fried chicken I have had to date.

Uncle Pete's Gyros,  gotta get extra meat....fire.

Candlelight Inn, in Sterling, IL, for fried Chicken George, top notch.

Benny's Pizza in Milan, IL, for the best QC style pie.  Love their "Banker".


Colona Doughnuts in Colona, IL.  Their apple fritters are to die for, and super cheap.  Another hidden QC gem.

You won't see my a$$ strollin' into a chain, or a bbq restaurant.  Same goes for when I travel.  I seek out the locals, and listen, avoiding the tourist traps.

RRP

I love to wok at home, but I also enjoy Saturday lunches at a local Chinese buffet so I can partake of a variety of foods which I would never bother to do at home. Besides that I pig out on crab meat, shrimp and mussels so I know I get my money's worth before I even enjoy their egg drop soup. Then comes the multiple bits of this and that for the meal followed by a plate of fresh fruit, delicious desert choices let alone 6 types of rich ice cream. That is the only buffet I ever eat at. 

nolaegghead

Just fugu.  I'm not entirely certain how to avoid the lethal tetrodotoxin.

JohnInCarolina

Sushi is best left to the experts.  There is a huge gap between above average sushi and excellent sushi, and I'm happy to pay for the latter because I damn sure don't have the talent for that level of artistry.

bucky925

Seared duck breast at http://www.ivansrestaurant.com

lousubcap

Sushi, and any of a number of ethnic dishes; Irish, Greek, Mexican, Korean, Thai, German etc.   

Hub

Mexican, Chinese, Biscuits and Gravy, Fried Chicken, Collards, Sub Sandwiches.

clemsontyger97

Turducken.   If we still lived in Texas I'd say Mexican, but in the Memphis area I'm pretty sure our mexican food we cook at home is better than most of the restaurants.   Definitely sushi, and for me since I have not yet cooked what I would consider good brisket:  brisket.

DoubleEgger

We need some fry some chicken at butt blast. 

Focker

Went in to Uncle Pete's for a gyro, and Pete was slicing a head of lettuce as he took my order...respect.

Forgot to mention my former first employer, and the best ice cream on the planet, nothing compares to Whitey's Ice Cream....not even the best gelato.

Lagomarcino's in Moline, yet another pure gem.

Markarm4119

Fried chicken, seafood and The Varsity onion rings !

YukonRon

Veal parmigiano. Mine never, ever turns out, same with veal saltimbocco.

Killit_and_Grillit

Ok this stupid thread put me out of my comfort zone tonight so thanks @Botch

Went to Pucketts in Franklin, TN for dinner. 

Waiter brought me a good beer and suggested I pair it with a fried green tomato BLT. I said, "no, I can do that at home, I want a hot chicken sandwich." 

Waiter swears he will one up my BLT. 

1) My entry. Garden fresh green tomatoes, homemade @bgebrent 's Rosemary garlic bacon recipe, homemade sourdough bread buttered and pan fried, Bibb lettuce and siracha mayo. 


Aaaaaaand in the other corner, we have a fried green tomato BLT with bacon, lettuce, chipotle sauce, a fried egg, and pimento and Gouda cheese on sourdough. With onion rings. 


Was mine better? Well yeah.  The other one was great as well but didn't taste fresh.   Did mine cost me quadruple in man hours and grocery bills? Easily. 

But I guess it just goes to show you it's all a trade off. 

Botch

So Killit, did you slap your waiter up a bit?  

lkapigian

Hangover Breakfasts