[Closed] I finally understands why 'merkins are "big boned".

Last time we were there, we went to IHOP two days in a row. Couldn't face it the next day.

[img] ?w=480&h=480&fit=clip[/img]

Merkin.

I went to IHOP once. Never again.

Denny's. Ftw.

Waffle House.

[img] [/img]

My mate came over for my wedding for a week. Skinny whippet endurance biker that be is, he gained a stone.

He asked if we could get self catering accommodation, because you can't possibly eat out all day every day for a whole week.

Can you?

BTW I've done this in the UK. At home and today at Wetherspoons.

Watching a TV programme the other night on ageing I came across an interesting statistic. A study in LA showed that 20% of meals consumed were takeaways eaten in the car.

That's why they are big boned.

Bacon ? That's not real bacon though is it ?

teethgrinder has it.

When I stayed in a hotel in LA years ago I had a light breakfast, consisting of coffee, fruit juice, three or four pancakes with maple syrup, and toast, and that was nothing compared to what others around me were eating.
I struggled to finish mine, and didn't eat again until around eight or nine at night!

When I was in NYC last November I had essentially full English breakfasts. Bacon was weird though - and tough as old boots.
This was the Waldorf Astoria though, can't speak for other hotels

My wife is American and from time to time we discuss moving out there, currently the number 2 reason not to is my terrible taste in food and the likelihood that I'd eat myself to death within a year of landing.

It used to be the number one reason until Trump came along.

When you have seen a proper Chicago pizza pie - about 3-4inches deep of cheese filling - you can understand why they pile on the pounds.

There are of course very good American restaurants except they are expensive and the chains you see everywhere pile up lots of food for relatively cheap prices and that's where most folk eat.

Just got back from my second home - Blue Ridge in North Georgia 😛

Mercier Orchard's fried, chocolate-dipped coconut cream pie . . .

[img] [/img]

Fightingtown Tavern's 'glennfries' snack . . .

[img] [/img]

I haven't weighed yet 😆

My brother likes to recount the story of the time he visited an old school friend who had emigrated to Florida, he phoned out for a pizza delivery and being used to British sizes ordered a large, when it arrived the box wouldn't fit through the door laid flat and had to be tilted to get through.

Mmm, Philly cheese steak.

I'm off there again this week. Pancakes, maple syrup and bacon are usually the highlight...

As to the qualities eaten there, I'll never forget when a mate and I went there in the 90s to go mtbing. One night after a particularly long day in the saddle, we went out for pizza. As we were starving, we ordered two big pizzas between us but despite the hunger and generally both having big appetites, couldn't finish them.

Then we noticed the family of five (Mom, Dad, three kids all under 10) had ordered five big pizzas which they finished entirely and had a load of deserts...

Just about to have pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast. We're in Lancashire.

First holiday in the US this year for years. Previous visits were conducted when I was young and thin. I'm genuinely concerned for my health this time. I'll have to go on a pre-holiday diet!

Remember being laid up in a hotel waiting to join a ship in Texas, we ordered dinner and of course went for the three course because expenses. After the starter I was done, in fact I out of four of us I think only one made any sort of dent in the main.

No idea how anyone can eat the quantities they do, how much time must the average American spend shitting?

Over there high calorie food is all around you all the time, and everyone's eating tons of it all the time; it's completely normal behaviour. It's like (I imagine) being an alcoholic and the whole world being a pub.

Sitting in Starbucks overhearing the orders, almost everyone is ordering a venti super sweet high fat drink, and it's people in their cars on their way to work so it looks like a daily thing.

No idea how anyone can eat the quantities they do

One point: just because the portion is huge, doesn't mean they eat it. It's one of those cultural things; a huge portion is seen as better value, better hospitality, or largesse and you aren't actually intended to finish it. Most people I know expect a meal out to last two meals or more, you take the rest home in a box.

Fightingtown Tavern's 'glennfries' snack . .

That's about the size of the starter in my local. Mmmmmmm! Chilli Fries.

you take the rest home in a box.

I was going to add this too. Went out with an American family for dinner once, eat about half of what was served. They asked for doggie bags and took the rest home for supper. I was stunned but it's totally normal there.

Used to live in the home of the cheese steak. Once ate in Olive Garden (big, budget Italian chain) after an epic day out biking. Everybody else in the restaurant filled up on the free salad, free bread sticks and bottomless soft drinks, then had their main courses served straight into a takeout box and left. You couldn't make 2 meals at home for the price we/they were paying.

On other hand we stayed with mates in Boulder and it's all organic, hand picked, and healthy (and eye wateringly expensive in the niche supermarket we naively offered to pay in 😯

One point: just because the portion is huge, doesn't mean they eat it. It's one of those cultural things.

I think thats particularly hard for us brits, where culturally we are still in the 'if you don't eat all your dinner, you won't get any pudding' or were reminded about 'starving children in Africa' as kids

think thats particularly hard for us brits, where culturally we are still in the 'if you don't eat all your dinner, you won't get any pudding'

And if you don't tidy up.

I've been to Las Vegas a few times and usually ate in the all-you-can-eat casino buffets. When you leave the restaurant the amount of food you see that people have taken and just left uneaten on plates is obscene.