How many times / week do you eat out?

I am amazed at the number of posts some LTHers do per week reporting on restaurants recently visited ... and when these are combined with reports of extravagantly complex home cooking -- I wonder.

Given that there are the classic 21 meals per week -- how many do you eat out? Change that to how many are restaurant created meals (take out counts) and how many home cooked?

Sonja

Hi Sonja,

It's an interesting topic, one covered also in this thread.

I don't eat breakfast, eat every weekday lunch out, and eat probably 3-4 dinners a week out. So 8-9 out of 14 meals.

probably far more often than I should. Lunch 5x a week, dinner probably 3-4x a week, and usually at least one big breakfast out on the weekend.

Don't eat breakfast.
Brownbag 4-5 times a week.
Eat out about 2x at dinner during the week.
And 2x during the weekends.

Will be reducing the meals out in the coming months.

When it comes to cooking/preparing food at home I tend to cycle, and, right now, I'm at an all-time low.

Breakfast -- at home, if that is where I awake*
Brunch/Lunch -- away from home, nearly every day**
Dinner -- away from home, nearly every day

I have likely averaged 12+ meals/week away from home for the past 20-24 weeks.

E.M.

* In my own defense, I will tell you that breakfasts at home are somewhat elaborate, and most often include a homemade Fage yogurt smoothie (with milk and frozen fruit), chopped fresh fruit, 1-2 toasted bagels (with jam, Nutella, Kaya, etc.), and freshly-brewed and -dripped ca phe sua da.

** If I ever eat brunch or a brunch-type meal, it is always preceded by some form of breakfast.

sunnabi*ch. i'm up there w/ Erik... (on half his budget?).

since ~June 1 of last year.

I'm glad you asked. I, too, have been astonished by the level of commitment and experience reflected on this site!

I go in bursts. An average week will see about one lunch and one dinner out. There are, however, weeks with two or three meals out. And when I'm on the road, which happens rather frequently, I eat every meal out for the duration of the trip (usually two weeks, usually three or four times a year). Hence, I am often likelier to have experience with interesting restaurants somwhere other than home. I've made it to a number of great Chicago spots, from Yassa to Honey 1 to Alinea, but I'm stunningly far behind in getting to the GNRs and other forum hot spots. (Haven't even gotten to LTH yet.)

I need more money and more time!

And as for the level and scope of elaborate cooking, that amazes me, too. I manage a fairly high-end effort maybe once a week, and a real blow-out maybe once a month. Then I eat leftovers or simpler fare until my next free day. But in this case, it's not just a matter of free time, it's the 6' x 7' "stepsaver" kitchen that defeats more ambitious plans. But I'm moving this summer -- and I'm definitely looking for an apartment with a bigger kitchen. (The tiny kitchen is also one of the reasons I enjoy taking cooking lessons various places -- they always have bigger kitchens and more equipment.)

Cynthia wrote:I need more money and more time!

Let me know when you find the tree - I need some of them fruit (more of the second).

We usually go out or get take-out on Saturday nights, sometimes Friday nights.

Lunch out between 2 and 5 days per week. Just sandwiches, mostly. Dinner at least 4 times and sometimes 5 per week. The other nights are usually takehomes or something quick to make. Neither of us has much time to cook.

Breakfast for us is usually toast and coffee.