I was really surprised how many of you conservative country boys have eaten at Ruth's Chris and other pricey places. I've worked full-time for 21 years and I've never been to an expensive restaurant. Heck, I carry a SPAM sandwich to work everyday for lunch -- no kidding. And next year when my son goes from junior college to the university, I'll have to drop the luxury of SPAM and downgrade to Ramen noodles.

I lived near Dale's and George's in the Shoals for years, but have never even gotten near their parking lot.

I have been to a Panera Bread where I spent $40 for two of us to eat, and as the Lord as my witness I left hungry, feeling as if I had had just a light snack. I hope not to go back to Panera Bread.

Are most expensive restaurants like that? Very little food for big $$$? Are you mostly paying for atmosphere and a piano player?

Panera sucks. I hate it. Never go on my own accord. Never been to Ruth's Chris but I have been to a high end steak place called Morton's. Expensive, but the portions are enormous. I bought a steak and one side and it was all my date and I could do to eat it all. I have heard RC is the same. Pricy but large portions.

I like a few things at Panera. I don't think I could spend $40 for two people in there, though, unless I worked hard at it.

For a hundred or few hundred bucks, at a restaurant I'll expect great food and portions, good atmosphere, a wait staff that handles things without being seen or heard unless necessary, no jackwagons in cutoff jeans or baseball caps or acting like Snooki from the Shore, and so forth.

We go someplace nice a couple times a year, birthday, anniversary, that kind of thing. I would rather spend 100 or 150 bucks and get a good meal and service a few times a year than spend 40 bucks every week or month eating crap from some chain restaurant with some server who could care less if I am happy or not.

I normally wait for the pricey places to be on the company or parents dime before partaking.

Like I said in the other food thread... Mrs. Irish and I rarely go out to eat and when we do it is usually some hole in the wall, out of the way, local, place that is known for good food and reasonable prices.

I have to go out and eat regularly on the company dime, when I'm travelling and usually eat at decent places.

I started from nothing. I had no support whatsoever from my family and I had no friends due to severe emotional issues caused by my childhood.

I joined the military at 16 to escape a home life that was truly a nightmare. I worked one full time and two part time jobs at minimum wage when I got out of the military because there were no good jobs to be had and one full time job did not pay the bills.

I worked hard and long for two plus decades, started several companies - some did well, some cost me.

I retired at 41, realized I didn't do retirement well, got a good education and went back to work to fight boredom. I now have a degree in computer science, a degree in underwater archaeology and a masters degree in geospatial information sciences. My job now is statistical analysis of datasets that have a temporal or geographic component. I absolutely love it and hope it never ends.


I'll eat out whenever and wherever I please.

I ate at a Morton's in Pittsburgh Pa., we walked passed a Ruth Chris to get to it, it was as you described, but would eat at another one, now that I know it is a franchise. Expensive but worth every dollar the company spent on it.

How in the world do you spend $40 at Panera? I think it's just ok, but my fiance loves that chit. I normally don't spend more than $25 when we go there, if even that.

There's a place in B'ham that a couple people I know have been to called something De Brazil. They say it's good but expensive. I hope one day to visit that place.

Texas de Brazil Vernon. Do yourself a favor before you go and go to Sam's and buy the gift card for there. It is good but will be a one time experience for me. I'd rather go to CharlieB's in Oneonta on Friday night for the seafood buffet.

Hey, man. I grew up poor. I'm not just saying that. I mean Dad getting laid-off from his crummy job and the family picking up aluminum cans, splitting and selling firewood and still having to live without electricity poor. Catching and eating fish for weeks on end.

I now feel like I'm living the American Dream and eat out at a high-end restaurant a couple times a month because I can. I am, however, not wealthy. To me the food is excellent and I don't mind paying more for great food and the pampering. By the way, I haven't eaten bream or bass in decades.

Texas de brazil is correct Vernon. also go on a Friday at lunch. it is $24.99 at lunch.

Dang Vernon it must cost you 25$ to eat by yourself at chat n chew if you dropped that much at Panera!

I have always been of the mind that if the food is worth it then I will pay for it, now I know a lot of people that think I am crazy to pay $50-$60 for just a steak at a high end steak house they think that there is no way it can be that much better than a steak from Ryans...

That's the same people who order a steak medium to well done too I bet.

You know it!!! When I worked in restaurants we would get orders for filet's well done do you know how hard it is to get a filet well done without burning it???? the only good way is to butterfly it and of course the customer would get pissed off when it didn't look like the one next to them that was cooked to med. rare..

"I'd like mine well done, please. No pink at all. And my $99 binoculars are just as good as those fancy Soravaskys, too!"

Have eaten at some expensive spots around the Ham.Every one of them was worth the dollars.

We go out for anniversary and occasionally birthdays. We go to Chucks in bham most of the time.

I go out with work a lot and last night we went to Perry's off of 280. Fairly new place to Bham. They had a July only deal that was 4 items (Appetizer, Salad, Entrée, Desert) for $44. Not a bad deal for a nice steak place.