The Ultimate Discussion

Scott Hardie | December 4, 2006
Over the years, TC has been host to exchanges both inspiring and invigorating, but occasionally the opinions have been so passionate that they threatened to break the forum apart for good. I've avoided a nagging question for a long time now because I fear it could divide us, more so than politics and religion, more so than any sports rivalry or personal grudge could ever do. But if I've learned one thing about TC over the years, it's that it's resilient and can survive any conflict no matter how furiously debated. And so I finally ask each of you:

Coke, or Pepsi?

Kerry Odell | December 4, 2006
Depends on the use...

Pepsi - General consumption

Coke - Tops for upset stomach.

HA!

My #1 determining factor on which one I buy...whichever one is the cheapest at the moment!

Kris Weberg | December 4, 2006
Whichever's cheaper. Since switching to diet, I suppose I just barely prefer Coke Zero to Diet Pepsi. Diet Pepsi tastes better to me than Diet Coke. And Classic Coke is the best cola I've ever had.

Tony Peters | December 4, 2006
neither...I've never been a cola person, prefering rootbeer, Saspirilla, Birchbeer or cream soda. Lately I've been drinking Birchbeer whenever I drink soda (I do love the northeast). my recent trip to Sardinia convinced me that there are better things than soda and often times cheaper than soda or water...of course I'm speaking of wine. I've taken to having a glass of red wine every night with dinner. I wish I could say it was for medicinal reasons but in truth I just like it

Mike Eberhart | December 4, 2006
Pepsi. I only drink Coke when I have to. What's weird is my Mom, Dad, brother and 2 sisters all drink Coke, but I don't. I prefer Pepsi. So hard telling how that happened.

Denise Sawicki | December 4, 2006
I don't really sit down and drink a whole can of any kind of soda, I don't like it... I especially don't like the most heavily carbonated ones, which Pepsi and Coke both seem to be. It used to be I wouldn't touch anything carbonated at all, but now I'm ashamed to find that I like tastes here and there. I kind of like warm Diet Dr. Pepper...

Aaron Shurtleff | December 4, 2006
OK, I'll throw the first punch in this massive battle:

For drinking: Pepsi

For cleaning blood stains off the highway: Coke!

Anti-coke propaganda

Anna Gregoline | December 4, 2006
Sprite or Fanta or one of those - I'm allergic to brown cola.

Mike Eberhart | December 4, 2006
Of course, I would recommend not drinking any soda. I stopped drinking soda about 3 weeks ago and I've already lost 1.6lbs. It's amazing what getting rid of all that sugar does. Of course I used to drink about 4 or 5 cans per day. However, I would have to say that my favorite all-time soda is A&W Root Beer. Nothing beats that.

Lori Lancaster | December 4, 2006
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Steve West | December 5, 2006
Coke, for sure. Just the right amount of phosphoric acid. Pepsi seems too sweet for my taste. Never diet anything - aspartame (or its equivalents) gives me the heebie jeebies.

Erik Bates | December 5, 2006
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Tony Peters | December 5, 2006
When I was in "A" school (Navy photography) 18 years ago in Pensacola Florida, we did acid/corrosion testing on all kinds of things in the building as extra credit. THE MOST TOXIC thing in the building (remember this is a 10,000 square foot old school photolab type building) was Dr. Pepper. Our instructors were a bit shocked and drinking of the DR. decreased for a few months after that.

Lori Lancaster | December 5, 2006
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Tony Peters | December 6, 2006
yeah that's what we thought tooo...you should see the damage the the Dr. does to film...just as a qualifier...While I was there the lab had the E-6 (slide film) processor down for maintenance...I'm sure that death of positives has something to do with the fact that the E-6 process has Cyanide in it along with a bunch of other things that aren't good for you.

Amy Austin | December 6, 2006
Such personal questions!

Well, I could easily write a treatise on the subject... but since I'm sure that very few would appreciate such a thing, let me just sum it up by saying...

**sips "the best cola (Kris or) I've ever had"**

...to Aaron, "you BLASPHEMER, you!" ...to Steve, "ditto on all counts!" ...to Mike and to Denise, "That's weird." Both of you. But especially Denise -- "*warm* DP?" The best effort I can come up with to translate my response to that into the written word is to imagine Lucille Ball's trademark facial/vocal expression whenever she realizes that she's "got some 'splainin' to do" ...to Erik, "that figures." ...to Anna, "how exactly is one allergic to brown cola? the caramel???" ...and to my snooty Sarsparilla & Birchbeer-drinking friend Tony, "corrosive" does not equal "TOXIC" ;-D It may eat film, but it's probably not going to do much to the already acidic lining of your gut! (Except, as Mike aptly pointed out, make it bigger. Cutting out soda/cola *is* one of the fastest, most effective ways to lose weight... especially if you're a fiend. And I believe there is also some evidence that carbonated beverages aren't too good for the bones, speeding up calcium depletion and osteoporosis, particularly in women. Unfortunately, not even these two points against cola will scare me off from drinking it! Fortunately, though, I am not particularly fiendish, drinking 1-2 cans a day, tops.)

Found this fascinating little tidbit in a quick search, and agree on all points expressed in it as well -- I would really love to give "Merchandise 7X" a try! Reminds me of a friend-from-way-back's "Martini Experiment" -- bet he would love this one!

John E Gunter | December 6, 2006
I gotta go with Aaron on this one, Pepsi all the way! Sorry Amy! :-P

Denise Sawicki | December 6, 2006
The carbonation doesn't seem as strong if it's not ice cold. I don't like carbonation!! If I tip back a bottle of Sprite or something, I just about pass out from the wave of carbon dioxide that hits me, before the liquid even reaches my mouth, at which point it burns. Why anyone decided carbonation was a good idea is beyond me. I realize however that my opinion on this matter is viewed as insane :-).

I think some coworker of mine was allergic to certain colorings in foods, as well. It might have included brown cola...

Jackie Mason | December 7, 2006
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Amy Austin | December 7, 2006
SHAME on you, John... I don't know if we can be friends anymore, cyber- or otherwise. I just don't know.

Denise -- we all have our unique perversions... it's okay. At least you don't prefer... Pepsi. ;-)
Since I'm not sure if Anna knows or is just uninclined to respond to my inquiry, I tend to concur with your opinion that it must be the coloring, as I supposed about the "caramel". I wonder what the particular manifestation of this sensitivity is and if she has encountered it in any other items.

Jackie -- how much more American can you get than red, white & blue (Pepsi's color scheme)?!?! But you're right... Coke has been around a bit longer and had lots more time to foster their brand image and recognition -- after all, they co-opted Santa as a "spokesperson" early on in the game! It's hard to really be sure if their position in cola sales (#1) is due more to popular taste preference or this lasting cultural image... but , of course, I'd like to think it was the taste. (Only because the power of advertising is kind of scary!)

I'm kind of surprised that no one here has mentioned Royal Crown (RC) cola! Not worthy of replacing Coke, I still find it superior to Pepsi and would choose it second if it were a more frequent option. As it is, I frequently have to show my mock/sincere disdain for non-Coke establishments (Taco Bell!) with a big fat sigh, grimace/eye roll and exaggerated Napoleon Dynamite-style "I gueesss..." when presented with the ubiquitous order-placing question: "Is Pepsi all right?" (And people say I don't know how to choose my battles. ;-p)

Kris Weberg | December 7, 2006
The thing that's amazing about Coke is the heavy hand they had in inventing so much of that Americana. They were an earlier popularizer of the image of Santa Claus most of us grew up with and made sure to associate it with themselves and their corporate colors.

They also made sure that they were the soda that U.S. soldiers drank during World War II, providing free drinks, arranging for their employees to enter the Army as front-line "Technical Advisors," and actually building small factories as the troops advanced to ensure a steady supply of the drink. This not only associated Coke with America and patriotism, it also ensured that a generation of veterans -- in short, of Americans -- thought of Coke when they thought of cola. To this day, the generic word for soda in the South is "Coke."

Pepsi, by contrast, was formulated later, and gained its initial foothold in the market by underpricing Coca-Cola during the Depression with a larger bottle. This isn't to say that Pepsi tastes worse, but it does explain why, sales aside, it's Coke and not Pepsi-Cola that has come to symbolize "cola" for most of the country.

Anna Gregoline | December 7, 2006
You are right about that, Kris. It's amazing how much corporations have shaped America.

Scott Hardie | December 8, 2006
My preference for Coke seems to lean the discussion into the red. Any more "blue" drinkers out there?

My taste for Pepsi dropped off a few years ago when it began to get on my nerves how quickly Pepsi goes flat. You pop open a new can, and inside of five minutes it has lost much of its carbonation. I'm sure Denise would like that, but now when I imagine Pepsi, I imagine it flat. Coke and Dr Pepper (my fave too Erik; way to leave off the period) win out any time.

RC Cola tastes ok, but my teeth always feel super-rubbery afterwards. I wonder how corrosive that stuff is.

Amy Austin | December 8, 2006
...how quickly Pepsi goes flat. You pop open a new can, and inside of five minutes it has lost much of its carbonation. I'm sure Denise would like that, but now when I imagine Pepsi, I imagine it flat.

Yes, EXACTLY. And this seems to cross the board with Pepsi products vs. Coke products, in general -- the same thing applies to Schweppe's (Pepsi's ginger ale)... I find Canada Dry superior for this reason, too. (Though it will go flat faster than Coke itself, which can be annoying -- gotta' keep it cold.)

Aaron Shurtleff | December 8, 2006
Actually, to be quite honest, the beverage I most prefer is called Moxie, but it's hard to find. In Maine, you can get it everywhere, but it gets scarce out of New England.

You might try that, Amy, if you can find it! :)

I warn you though...it's an acquired taste! ;)

John E Gunter | December 8, 2006
Actually, to be quite honest, the beverage I most prefer is called Moxie, but it's hard to find. In Maine, you can get it everywhere, but it gets scarce out of New England.

Aaron, does that mean you've lost your Moxie?

Amy, if you don't want to be friends any more, I understand! (snifff!) LOL!

Tony Peters | December 8, 2006
ummm Moxie...I forgot about that

Michael Paul Cote | December 8, 2006
I'll drink either Coke or Pepsi, my favs are vanilla coke and Pepsi with Lime
But my favorite is Cream Soda red or white.

Amy Austin | December 10, 2006
Mike, I love Vanilla Coke, too. I tried Lime Coke (not Pepsi), but it seemed that the lime flavoring made it lose its carbonation faster. (See above detestation of speedy loss of carbonation.) I'm curious about whether the Pepsi with Lime suffers from this as well... I think the lime would be an improvement on its flavor! (As with Diet Coke, which I don't really like -- don't really like *any* diet sodas, but think Diet Coke is best and is on rare occasion an only offering -- but is markedly improved by a few squeezes of lemon or lime.)

Have you had Black Cherry Vanilla Coke??? Found that after Vanilla Coke and think it's pretty exciting, too... but once again -- speedier carbonation depletion, which is *so* disappointing.

Cream Soda is pretty good, too (red better than white, I think). I will have to look for Moxie. I haven't had either one, but isn't it supposed to be like Jolt??? (So I've heard.)

On the subject of region-specific soda... Cheerwine is one specific to the Carolinas (or North Carolina?), and it's pretty tasty, too.

Michael Paul Cote | December 13, 2006
Beware of Moxie, my dad used to drink it and it is, in my opinion, a VERY acquired taste.

Michael Paul Cote | December 13, 2006
As for rapid carbonation depletion, my soda rarely lasts long enough to find out. Kinda like how many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

John E Gunter | December 14, 2006
As for rapid carbonation depletion, my soda rarely lasts long enough to find out. Kinda like how many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

We know you're just a guzzler Mike! :-)

Aaron Shurtleff | December 14, 2006
Hey! Moxie is good stuff! You have to go into it with an open mind. Truuuuuuuuuust me! :)

Adrianne Rodgers | December 20, 2006
I've never really had a preference for either. I'll drink whichever's handy at the moment. When I'm buying it, it's a matter of which I see first. However, I have several Coke and Pepsi related pet peeves, most stemming from my philosophy on them:

1. When, at a restaurant, you order a Coke, and they say, "Is Pepsi okay?" (or the other way around.) What's the difference, morons? Just give me whatever you have! I don't know why that irritates me so much, but I swear, it takes five minutes off my lifespan every time.

2. This whole Cola Wars thing. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You're making the same product twice here. Accept it, and get over it.

3. Hallie Kate Eisenberg was one person I found to be reaalllyy irritating. And she wasn't even that cute.

4. Still on the subject of advertising, I'm going to find the person at Coke who thought the people singing on a hillside was a good idea. And I'm going to hurt them.

5. Who got rid of Pepsi Blue?!?!?!?! I liked that stuff.

6. Both companies: Can we just quit it with the different flavors? What's the deal with all this Black Cherry Strawberry Kiwi Chocolate Vanilla stuff. Don't mess with a good thing!

Aaron Shurtleff | December 20, 2006
Re: Adrianne's list

1) Well, at least I appreciate the warning! I'd be pretty upset if I ordered a Pepsi, but got a Coke. Of course, I can taste the difference, which some people (I've heard) can't do very well, especially with fountain drinks.

3) Hear hear!

4) Amen!

5)...you're on your own here!

6) Preach on, sister! The coffee companies have the same preoccupation, incidentally. If you want coffee, get coffee. If you want warm sugared milk, buy a milkshake and leave it out overnight on your counter! Sheesh! Am I the last person on Earth who just wants a freakin' cup of freakin' coffee, hot, dark, no sugar, no milk, no foam, no flavor, no frickin' interest in where the beans come from?!

But, yeah...Pepsi rules! ;)

Erik Bates | December 20, 2006
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Kris Weberg | December 21, 2006
1. When, at a restaurant, you order a Coke, and they say, "Is Pepsi okay?" (or the other way around.) What's the difference, morons? Just give me whatever you have! I don't know why that irritates me so much, but I swear, it takes five minutes off my lifespan every time.

This is because Coca-Cola -- no joke -- has sued restaurants over using "Coke" as a generic term. If they don't, they risk losing the trademark and having "Coke" actually become generic the way onetime brandnames like "zipper" and "elevator" have.

2. This whole Cola Wars thing. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You're making the same product twice here. Accept it, and get over it.

Alternately, if we've gotta have Cola Wars, can we at last see some casualties? I want that teary farewell scene where RC gets offed just a day before it was ready to ship stateside and get married.

3. Hallie Kate Eisenberg was one person I found to be reaalllyy irritating. And she wasn't even that cute.

I have it on good authority that she was a fortysomething little person. And an Albanian spy.

4. Still on the subject of advertising, I'm going to find the person at Coke who thought the people singing on a hillside was a good idea. And I'm going to hurt them.

It was a good idea in the 60s, like a lot of things that haven't ever been good ideas since. *cough*Lava Lamps*cough*

5. Who got rid of Pepsi Blue?!?!?!?! I liked that stuff.

I thought it tasted like cough syrup. Of course, I still mourn Crystal Pepsi, so I have no room to talk.

6. Both companies: Can we just quit it with the different flavors? What's the deal with all this Black Cherry Strawberry Kiwi Chocolate Vanilla stuff. Don't mess with a good thing!

I'm waiting for Ranch, myself, assuming Jones Soda doesn't add it to their Holiday Pack next year.

Scott Hardie | December 27, 2006
The original Mr. Pibb used to be my favorite soft drink, but then they introduced that lemon-tinged swill called Pibb Xtra a few years ago at the height of the lemon-soda craze and it soon usurped the original. It's like what would have happened to Coke if it wasn't a national icon and the company succeeded in their effort to replace it with New Coke. Now if someone brought me a Mr. Pibb after I asked for Dr Pepper I'd be pissed too.

About the lawsuits: When I worked at Taco Bell I was warned to ask "Is Pepsi ok?" because a customer had successfully sued a restaurant for millions for bringing her Pepsi when she asked for Coke. I suppose I can imagine such a lawsuit being filed in our litigation nation, but I can't believe there's a judge who wouldn't throw that plaintiff out of court so fast there'd be an cartoon outline of her in the wall where she flew through. In other words, it seemed like at best an urban legend and at worst something made up by the boss on the spot to intimidate us, but I can't find it online to be sure. I can't find mention of Kris's lawsuit online either, but his sounds more plausible.

Amy Austin | December 28, 2006
It's called "trademark dilution", Scott -- a part of copyright law (insert mandatory Wiki-link here). Here's a reference page that even mentions Coca-Cola as an example (actually, Coke is mentioned in both -- it's obviously a prime example of a big-name company desirous of preventing dilution... specifically, blurring): see section on "blurring"

(That's not to say that I don't find the million-dollar suit ridiculous and your way of saying so quite funny...)

Adrianne Rodgers | December 29, 2006
It's only with Pepsi and Coke where I have the restaurant problem. Mr Pibb and Dr. Pepper: different, in that Mr. Pibb sucks. Pibb Xtra should be outlawed. Lemon flavored prune juice?!?!?! Whose idea was that? If I order a Dr. Pepper at a restaurant and they say, "Is Mr. Pibb okay?" I say no, and order a Pepsi. At which point they say, "Is Coke okay?" Then, I leap from my seat and attack the waitstaff with the silverware.

David Mitzman | December 29, 2006
Mr. Pibb is the lazy bastard of a brother of Dr. Pepper who didn't go to medical school. On that note, I wonder what degree Dr. Pepper earned.

Jackie Mason | December 30, 2006
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Amy Austin | December 30, 2006
Heheh...

I used to love the Pepper, too (*always* better than Pibb!)... that is, until a college friend of mine insisted that squished cockroaches (or palmetto bugs, rather -- makes no difference in my mind, but it may in empirical data) smell just like Dr. Pepper. Mmmmm.

Scott Hardie | December 30, 2006
Mmm, cockroaches.

A friend of mine gets annoyed when he asks for Dr Pepper and they say "is root beer ok?" or vice versa, mostly because those drinks are nothing alike.

Another friend argued with me forever that Dr Pepper is prune juice and/or contains prunes in its secret recipe, but the company has denied it many times.

Jackie, Will is welcome to try Dr. Publix here. I am not as brave.

Wouldn't TGI Friday be Ruby Tuesday's white-trash cousin?

Kris Weberg | December 30, 2006
Not to be a jerk, but...the term prune juice drives me nuts. Surely it should be called "plum juice," for the same reason we call it "grape juice" rather than "raisin juice."

Amy Austin | December 31, 2006
Actually, I kind of wondered that too... though I can taste the resemblance to prunes better than I can to plums -- not something I have ever felt about a beverage with a "raisiny" flavor...

Erik Bates | December 31, 2006
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Amy Austin | December 31, 2006
That just made me laugh out loud.

Kris Weberg | December 31, 2006
In every place I've ever been, Ruby Tuesday's has been a downscale version of TGI Friday. I wouldn't have thought it possible to go more downscale than TGIF, but there you are.

Jackie Mason | January 1, 2007
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Scott Hardie | January 2, 2007
Man, I need to go to a TGI Friday's, then. I haven't been to one in 14 years because they were so crappy then. Ruby Tuesday, on the other hand, is a twice-a-month haunt for us because it's the best chain restaurant around. (Bear in mind, four out of five restaurants in the vicinity are chain restaurants.) Delicious food, ample portions, attractive presentation, good choice of burgers and salad bar options. If they'd stop rewriting the menu every six months I'd be even happier.

Erik Bates | January 2, 2007
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Scott Hardie | January 2, 2007
That's another chain restaurant that makes me not feel so miserable that my entire landscape is chain restaurants. My favorite is their rocky top chicken. (link)

I was about to gripe about a different chain restaurant that has disappointed me in recent visits, but according to their website they're local. (link) I'm floored: This place has what appears to be their own footage playing on a loop on the TV monitors (logo and all), cardboard placards with customized plastic gift cards reminiscent of a national chain, and a hell of a classy site. For a brand new restaurant in a questionable location, the owners must be plunking down a fortune on it. I'd love to support them – too bad the food is vile and the service is sluggish. Maybe I'll try again in a few months after they've worked out the kinks.

Tony Peters | January 3, 2007
I had an post for this a few days ago but wireless service in Cyprus was for crap...the TGI Fridays there was full of americans (from the boat we were working on) and tourists. We went searching for good Greek Pizza and were directed to the Pizza Hut by the locals. As scary as it sounds the food was amazing. obviously they were franchise in name only because nothing looked or smelled like any Pizza hut I have ever had the displeasure of eating at. Starbucks on the other hand was exactly the same but I needed a Cyprus City mug for the collection. I normally stay well clear of most Chain type places simply because there is better food to be had from roughly the same money. Now I'm waiting out siesta so I can eat drink and be merry, well maybe not merry but the eating/drinking part for sure. Spanish red wine is tasty

Denise Sawicki | January 4, 2007
I don't eat out a whole lot; I'm not as worldly as those of you who hate every chain restaurant, but my new favorite restaurant is Timber Lodge Steakhouse. I guess it's just an upper Midwest chain; I'm not sure if it's near any of you. Anyway I'm not big into steak either. I got the prairie chicken one time and the kebab the other time. Both were great. They have an awesome birthday special too. You sign up first on their website and then you get $10 off on one visit within the week of your birthday. I hang out with a pair of twins all the time so it seems like a doubly good idea to me. The twins and I went there last night and were pleasantly shocked to find that in addition to the $10 off you also get a free dessert (valued at like $5) and their desserts tasted amazing for some reason even though they were just the basic cheesecake-or-brownie-sundae options. They didn't sing any dumb birthday songs or anything. I'm smart enough to know to tip based on the complete price before discounts but I still feel like we robbed them of all that great food, or something.. :/

The decor reminded me of Sims Vacation. :P They had stuffed racoons on the wall, which also reminded me of the Sims. Maybe I've just got the Sims on the brain.

I suppose I've rambled on enough about a restaurant that's probably not even in the same state as any of you (looks like the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska...)

EDIT: OK I guess I mean Northwestern Midwest, or something. I obviously didn't know the definition of "Upper Midwest" until looking it up on Wikipedia. In my mind I wouldn't have even thought Illinois was included in "upper" seeing as y'all are so far south. Haha.

Tony Peters | January 4, 2007
hey now I wouldn't say I'm worldly....I just have a job that requires me to see the world and as such have found that small, sometimes out of the way places usually give you the best food for the dollar/euro/pound/BD/dinar/yen/ETC. This adage doesn't apply to Korea however where I was unable to find food that didn't suck.

Jackie Mason | January 4, 2007
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Denise Sawicki | January 4, 2007
I wasn't trying to be mean or anything, Tony, I know nobody here said they "hate every chain restaurant", I was just... defending myself in advance in case there was anyone who'd say that the restaurant I mentioned sucks. :P

Tony Peters | January 4, 2007
i was ragging on TGIF because well everywhere I go there it is...more so than even starbucks which I don't mind so much they just don't make a good Cappuccino compared to Italy or Spain for that matter , as for regional chains, Rubio's in one that's great same with Maui taco and Kuaaina burger to name a few. Also Denise I sometimes get harassed because I do get to travel so much so I get a bit defensive at times.

Denise Sawicki | January 4, 2007
I had the impression, like Scott, that Ruby Tuesday's was nicer than TGIF here, though I've only ever been to either one once. Ruby Tuesday's only moved into the area within the last year or two.

By worldly I wasn't even referring to travelling the world, (which I think is neat and which I did a *little* bit when I was younger) I just meant I probably stay home and avoid the outside world more than most. Mainly I just was filled with excitement over my restaurant experience and felt the need to share it...

Adrianne Rodgers | January 7, 2007
My sister has lived in Seattle for about five years, and she always gets up in my grill about eating at chain restaurants. I don't get it. I admit, if at all possible, it's nice to go to one of those great, out-of-the-way local joints. But come on...I'm in Portland here. Some chains legitimately suck, and I avoid them. But there are times when I don't feel like driving through every side street and back alley looking for someplace with a handwritten sign which could serve either the best or worst food I've ever eaten. (I usually don't know until a few hours later.) Sometimes, I just want to have dinner and know I'm going somplace good. So, if I want a dependable burger, I go to Burger King. If I want dependable coffee, I go to Starbucks. (The most ironic thing is that my sister yells at me the most for going to Starbucks and Red Robin, both chains which originated in Seattle. A-der! One time, when I was driving in to town to visit her, I got a quick breakfast at Starbucks on the way. When I showed up at her apartment holding the cup, I got the tongue-lashing of my life. Apparently, in the land of coffee, blah blah blah, so many other choices blah blah blah, supporting the Starbucks monopoly threatening to wipe out other businesses blah blah blah fishcakes blah blah blah. I don't know how you're supposed to avoid Starbucks in Seattle. If I'm not careful, I find a Starbucks in my cereal box up there. Then I met up with a girl I went to high school with who also lives there, I told her the story, and the first words out of her mouth were, "Really, you should have gone to El Diablo.") My only gripe about chain restuarants that serve good food is that they are the chief offenders in the "Is Coke okay" question. (California Pizza Kitchen, in particular, is weird about that. They ask the Coke/Pepsi question even when they're refilling your glass, but yet everytime you ask for Dr. Pepper, they give you Wild Cherry Pepsi and hope you don't notice.)

Scott Hardie | January 22, 2007
I don't automatically hate every chain restaurant. Their food is scientifically test-marketed to perfection; of course it's delicious. I just get depressed that they're choking out the local eateries in so many markets, including mine. A series of my favorite local restaurants have closed within the last year, but within my community I still have two Carrabba's, two Friendly's, two Perkins, three Bob Evans, three Chili's, and eight Applebee's to choose from, off the top of my head.

Jackie Mason | January 22, 2007
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Anna Gregoline | January 23, 2007
Applebees is kind of gross, to me. And it has a bad connotation because one of my high school boyfriends took me there for Valentine's Day and gave me a cheesy necklace that made me think, "Uhhhhhhh maybe this isn't the right relationship."

Jackie Mason | January 27, 2007
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Scott Hardie | February 1, 2007
I understand about your dad, Jackie, but I do wonder if it was possibly well-intentioned, as in maybe he thought your mom deserved better than Applebee's? Think about it: If the family had taken her to an expensive fancy restaurant and he spent the whole time complaining about the cost or the lavishness, that would suggest something a lot worse.

Jackie Mason | February 2, 2007
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