People are construing it mostly as C and D. Neither of which are correct.

This is my take (and probably not what you had in mind):

Other people like X, but I'll never know if it's any good because Chicago ain't got it and you can't eat internet pictures or words (well sometimes people eat their words on LTH I suppose).

I interpreted it as "I keep hearing about people from <New York/San Francisco/Portland/Tokyo/Ouagadougou/etc.> talking about X, which Chicago doesn't have. But I've tried X, and believe me, you don't want Chicago to have X."

My personal example is Del Taco. I've heard people wax nostalgic about it, but I thought it was pretty terrible...just like Taco Bell with a different mass-produced seasoning mixed into everything, and different-tasting artificial sauce-food-product packets. Moving here from out west & feeling homesick for Del Taco is like moving to a place with no Taco Bell (assuming such a place exists) and getting all misty talking about Crunchwrap Supremes.

JeffB wrote:Thank you for reviving one of my favorite threads. The convergence of intelligent posts and reading comprehension failure in this thread always fascinated me.

Did I mean:

a) Iff Chicago doesn't have X, then X can't be good, ergo we don't want/need it.

b) X is and always is good, and Chicago doesn't have it, ergo we do want it/need it.

c) X is and always is good, and Chicago doesn't have it, ergo Chicago is not good.

d) X sucks, and Chicago doesn't have it, so the hell what, move back to Rochester NY if you miss white hot dogs.

e) All of the above

f) None of the above

Check out the big brain on Khaopaat. And a fine example too: Del Taco is the 1970's Coors Beer of regional Mexican fast food. I thought my original example of the terminally shitty, well-loved Tim Hortons would resolve any ambiguity, but I was wrong.

I've never even been to Rochester. You move there.

Hi,

Avanti's in Bloomington-Normal is a restaurant lauded by those who love it. Those not caught in its spell don't understand why anyone likes it. Two highlights are their bread and a submarine sandwich made with this same bread.

Regards,

Some of the choices remind me of the "pizza cognition theory." Let me know if I have to elaborate and I'll hunt around for the link. The basic idea is, everyone likes best what they grew up eating.

What I want to know is what happened to this Nostradamus-like sage:

viewtopic.php?p=162624#p162624

and if he has any stock tips, since it's all come to pass.

Beef on a weck
Philly cheese steak

I think Italian beef we have is so much better than these.

Cathy2 wrote:
Avanti's in Bloomington-Normal is a restaurant lauded by those who love it. Those not caught in its spell don't understand why anyone likes it. Two highlights are their bread and a submarine sandwich made with this same bread.

Having just moved back to Bloomington-Normal, the home of my alma mater, after almost a 10 year absence, I remembered having a soft spot for Avanti's in college. It was cheap, hot, and filling (but so is a Hot Pocket). I stopped by after teaching one night when my husband had a gig. The bread came with my entree. I took a bite out of the sweet, squashy, spongy, white loaf and spit it out immediately and whispered thanks to the culinary gods for helping me evolve my palate since college. The veggie lasagna wasn't bad though, but it tasted like a standard Stouffer's frozen entree. I haven't gotten carry-out from there since.

Avanti's is also very popular in the Peoria area.

The wet burrito. Should be banned; is in some states.

Kasia wrote:The wet burrito. Should be banned; is in some states.

But then what would the rest of us do when we got a craving for a bloated enchilada with a wad of shredded iceburg lettuce (a.k.a. nature's packing material) crammed in it?

Sharona wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:
Avanti's in Bloomington-Normal is a restaurant lauded by those who love it. Those not caught in its spell don't understand why anyone likes it. Two highlights are their bread and a submarine sandwich made with this same bread.

Having just moved back to Bloomington-Normal, the home of my alma mater, after almost a 10 year absence, I remembered having a soft spot for Avanti's in college. It was cheap, hot, and filling (but so is a Hot Pocket). I stopped by after teaching one night when my husband had a gig. The bread came with my entree. I took a bite out of the sweet, squashy, spongy, white loaf and spit it out immediately and whispered thanks to the culinary gods for helping me evolve my palate since college. The veggie lasagna wasn't bad though, but it tasted like a standard Stouffer's frozen entree. I haven't gotten carry-out from there since.

Avanti's is also very popular in the Peoria area.

Hi,

Those highlights mentioned earlier is what I hear from every fan of Avanti. Just last week someone was contemplating going to Peoria. Someone advised a vist to Avanti's, noting the bread at Avanti's was good enough to make it destination dining. My toes were curling at the thought!

I didn't want to get into a culture war with the person who loved Avanti's. Instead, I sent a private message to the person receiving these ideas with a link to my experience.

If I were in Peoria-Bloomington area, I'd go with anyone who was Avanti-curious. I just would not commit to a whole meal.

Regards,

I have not been waiting for a Hasidic restaurant. But perhaps someone can show me the error of my culinary ways.

GAF wrote:I have not been waiting for a Hasidic restaurant. But perhaps someone can show me the error of my culinary ways.

Just imagining this is a hoot. Separate rooms for men and women diners, long graces (benching) after meals, perhaps ecstatically pious servers singing and dancing.... Of course, for all I know there is such a thing somewhere in Brooklyn, but it sounds like something out of Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

Cathy2 wrote:Avanti's in Bloomington-Normal is a restaurant lauded by those who love it. Those not caught in its spell don't understand why anyone likes it. Two highlights are their bread and a submarine sandwich made with this same bread.

My daughter went to Bradley for four years and I developed a taste for their bread, sweet as it can be. I had a coworker in her 50's who went to Bradley and every time asked that I bring her back a loaf.

cilantro wrote:I've never even been to Rochester. You move there.

I've been there, went to school there for two years. It's a dump, I'll never go willingly back. Except for a gig.