BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Bryce Harper Gets Free Chipotle Burritos for Life, World Domination to Follow

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Bryce Harper Gets Free Chipotle Burritos for Life, World Domination to Follow

Bryce Harper gets free Chipotle burritos for life.

I will let that fact marinate with you for a second as you consider how horrible your own life is now by comparison.

Coot Veal and Cot Deal's cols=“100” rows=“20” Posted: March 21, 2013 at 08:42 AM | 327 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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101. Coot Veal and Cot Deal's cols=“100” rows=“20” Posted: March 21, 2013 at 11:43 PM (#4394027)

But you should be talking about 2013 NL MVP Bryce Harper.

and Little Tavern burgers...

102. The Yankee Clapper Posted: March 21, 2013 at 11:50 PM (#4394030)

and Little Tavern burgers . . .

Buy them by the bag!

103. Lassus Posted: March 21, 2013 at 11:55 PM (#4394033)

You people who constantly hate on In-n-Out have no soul; but that's ok, kittens and puppies have to hate somebody.

104. Eric Ferguson Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:02 AM (#4394038)

I've put a lot of thought into it, and I've decided that whatever you like sucks.

105. Bhaakon Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:31 AM (#4394047)

Aren't there local places to get a decent burger anymore? I know people want to go to the chains because they can compare across regions, but if I really want a top-notch burger I'm not going to a chain.

106. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:35 AM (#4394048)

As my parents own 120+ acres of rice farm in South Louisiana, I thank you all in the thread for your support of my retirement.

107. zachtoma Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:45 AM (#4394051)

Does Chipotle really give people diarrhea? I eat there like once a week and have never had the shits, but my stomach is like an iron cauldron. I function best when I eat extremely heavy, spicy, greasy meals.

108. Mike A Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:46 AM (#4394053)

Man, I could save a lot of money if I had free Chipotle burritos for life. I eat there 3-4 times a week, my kids love the place.

I get the soft corn tacos now, they're healthier than a burrito and tastier IMO. And count me in as another who loads it up with Chipotle Tabasco.

109. Tulo's Fishy Mullet (mrams) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 02:07 AM (#4394054)

Shake Shack is a rip off of Kopp's which has better burgers, and superior frozen custard.

110. Jim Wisinski

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 03:02 AM (#4394057)

I love Chipotle, their red medium salsa is amazing. Moe's is ok, Panchero's is fine (there's one near my work that I go to sometimes, I'd never go there though if there was a Chipotle around), and I really like Tijuana Flats though that's really a different style, both restaurant- and food-wise, then the assembly line burrito places. There's an outstanding independent place in St. Pete called Burrito Boarder (though they're expanding, they have a location up in Tallahassee now which unfortunately I hear isn't up to the standards of the original) that makes some great food and has fantastic queso.

The best chips and salsa I've had were at a little independent place called El Rio in some small town near the Georgia-Tennessee boarder, great chimichanga too. Steak N' Shake's cheese fries are divine, it's pretty much the only thing I eat there. The burgers are quite mediocre but they have the best milkshakes around.

Has anyone here been to Genghis Grill? A couple of my friends were talking it up last weekend and I'm going to go soon, though I'll have to go over to Tampa for it.

111. Tom Cervo, backup catcher Posted: March 22, 2013 at 03:06 AM (#4394058)

I agree with McCoy. Chipotle probably has the best burritos in DC. It's not a mexican food town. (Although a few tacquerias are starting to pop up.)

Have you tried Cafe Rio? It's one of the places I always have to go when I visit Utah, and they have at least one location in DC.

112. Tom Cervo, backup catcher Posted: March 22, 2013 at 03:08 AM (#4394059)

Has anyone here been to Genghis Grill? A couple of my friends were talking it up last weekend and I'm going to go soon, though I'll have to go over to Tampa for it.

Coincidentally, there's one in the same shopping complex as the Chipotle I go to. I keep meaning to try it out...

113. chisoxcollector Posted: March 22, 2013 at 03:48 AM (#4394061)

Does Chipotle really give people diarrhea? I eat there like once a week and have never had the shits, but my stomach is like an iron cauldron. I function best when I eat extremely heavy, spicy, greasy meals.

Those comments really puzzled me. I have literally eaten at Chipotle hundreds upon hundreds of times. I've never once gotten diarrhea, or an upset stomach, or anything like that.

Has anyone here been to Genghis Grill? A couple of my friends were talking it up last weekend and I'm going to go soon, though I'll have to go over to Tampa for it.

Genghis Grill is okay, but nothing special. I've been to the Pembroke Pines location. By far my favorite Mongolian Grill chain is Hu Hot. It's a Midwestern chain, and it is quite good. Good ingredients, good sauces, etc. My only complaint is the quality of their scallops. They use the tiniest little bay scallops. They pretty much disintigrate once cooked.

If you are looking for a Mongolian Grill in the greater Tampa area, Genghis Grill may indeed be your best bet. Whatever you do, avoid BD's Mongolian Grill at all costs. Terrible!

114. chisoxcollector Posted: March 22, 2013 at 03:55 AM (#4394062)

Aren't there local places to get a decent burger anymore? I know people want to go to the chains because they can compare across regions, but if I really want a top-notch burger I'm not going to a chain.

The best burger I've ever had was at a place called Litton's Market in Knoxville, TN. It's a somewhat quaint restaurant/market/bakery. They get quite busy. When you arrive, instead of giving your name to a hostess, you write your own name on a giant chalkboard. They are quite pricey, but at least you get a great burger for your money.

115. BDC

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 08:49 AM (#4394088)

I still prefer electric. Maybe it's just my apparatus, but the lowest setting is still too hot

This is is usually a function of the cookware, not the burner (or your skill level :) Woks should be thin, but sauté pans and saucepans and Dutch ovens should be thick and heavy. Then, over gas flame, the heat will conduct over the whole cooking surface instead of trying to burn through a given spot.

The gas range I use now is no top-of-the-line thing, but I cook mostly in Le Creuset pans, which are worth the initial outlay (in fact, La Dernière got a few of them for $2.92 at a thrift store, hence well worth the outlay). Functional and indestructible.

116. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 09:21 AM (#4394099)

double post, dammit

117. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 09:23 AM (#4394102)

I like my middle relievers like I like my cookware --

Functional and indestructible.

118. Tulo's Fishy Mullet (mrams) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 09:41 AM (#4394115)

This is is usually a function of the cookware, not the burner (or your skill level :) sauté pans and saucepans and Dutch ovens should be thick and heavy... .

Le Creuset pans, which are worth the initial outlay

I agree and endorse each of these statements. All-Clad pans are worth every nickel as well. Mine get heavy use and all they need is some bar keeper's friend from time to time to keep 'em nice and shiny. Of course everyone should have a well seasoned iron skillet which is inexpensive.

119. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 09:44 AM (#4394118)

Have you tried Cafe Rio? It's one of the places I always have to go when I visit Utah, and they have at least one location in DC.

No locations in DC. They have one in Seven Corners in NoVA which I believe is the closest to the city.

Aren't there local places to get a decent burger anymore?

The problem is that in urban areas mom and pops can't really afford the rents anymore so all you have left is chains and stores with big backers. Plus the margins on burger joints are really small which is why all the new burger joints are "high dollar" amount restaurants. The difference between now and say the 1980's is that most places are now trying to come up with a darn good product.

Just around me is BGR, Shake Shack, Five Guys, Black & Orange, and probably a couple of franchises/concepts that pop up and close every now and then.

120. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 09:48 AM (#4394122)

My frying pan is a 10" All Clad and my stewing/braising pot is a cuisinart enameled pot. Le Crueset is of course very good and if you can get it for 3 dollars you must absolutely go for it but the difference normally in price between Le Crueset enameled cookware and say Cuisinarts doesn't really make Le Crueset a good buy for all but the most affluent of home cookers.

121. Rants Mulliniks Posted: March 22, 2013 at 09:57 AM (#4394131)

Does Chipotle really give people diarrhea?

My brother eats a lot of processed food, fast food, etc. When he comes to our place, he always gets the shits, because he's not used to the fibre. I get the shits on the odd occasion that I eat fast food, which is when I'm on a trip somewhere and have no other choice. Chipotle is more comparable to a home-cooked from scratch meal than most other fast food places.

My favourite pan is a good old cast iron skillet, its probably 50 years old. As far as I'm concerned breakfast (bacon, eggs, pancakes, french toast) isn't worth having unless its done on cast iron.

I bought a decent set of Lagostina stainless steel pots with a sandwiched copper bottom about 12 years ago, and you can't go wrong with something like that, regardless of brand. They work great and last literally forever.

122. BDC

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:01 AM (#4394135)

Thanks for the tips on All Clad and Cuisinart, Tulo & McCoy. I admit that the only Creuset pan we ever bought new was a Dutch oven cobbled together out of the lid of one factory second and the bottom of another, at an outlet store – half list price.

My other prize possession is a stainless-steel stockpot: not especially heavy, but with a built-in strainer, so that it's double-walled; it simmers away happily on a gas burner.

123. Lassus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:04 AM (#4394137)

...but I cook mostly in Le Creuset pans, which are worth the initial outlay

Absolutely.

(in fact, La Dernière got a few of them for $2.92 at a thrift store, hence well worth the outlay).

Holy crap, that's an A++ thrift store find.

but the difference normally in price between Le Crueset enameled cookware and say Cuisinarts doesn't really make Le Crueset a good buy for all but the most affluent of home cookers.

Probably true. I think the amount my GF and I use ours has made them worth it. Of course, one was a gift she received from her mom, the other a 40% of full cost at TJ Maxx. It isn't like we laid out full price for the two of them at Williams-Sonoma. And they can double as home defense weapons, one shot to the head with one of those and you probably wouldn't ever wake up.

124. The Good Face Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:11 AM (#4394147)

I agree and endorse each of these statements. All-Clad pans are worth every nickel as well. Mine get heavy use and all they need is some bar keeper's friend from time to time to keep 'em nice and shiny. Of course everyone should have a well seasoned iron skillet which is inexpensive.

Absolutely. I prefer All-Clad, but they can be a pain to clean. My wife likes Le Creuset, and does most of the cooking, so they tend to get used a bit more than the All-Clad. Plus Le Creuset seems easier to clean for some reason.

(in fact, La Dernière got a few of them for $2.92 at a thrift store, hence well worth the outlay).

Holy crap, that's an A++ thrift store find.

Unless the pots contained a live, enraged badger, that's an absolute steal, and maybe even then.

125. RMc's desperate, often sordid world Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:26 AM (#4394168)

My chain restaurant is better than your chain restaurant! This makes me better than you!

126. Yeaarrgghhhh Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:29 AM (#4394171)

I've heard that the less expensive (i.e., non-Le creuset) enamel stuff tends to chip and flake. Not sure if that's true.

127. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:35 AM (#4394173)

All enamelware tends to chip and flake regardless of brand.

128. TerpNats Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:41 AM (#4394180)

There's an episode of the unsuccessful 90s sit-com "It's Like, You Know" that has this exact plot. Man can't order rare hamburger at a restaurant because said restaurant is being sued by a customer who had food poisoning there. Man goes on rant about how this is evidence that America has gone down the toilet.

Actually, the series was titled "it's like, you know..." and was created by "Seinfeld" writer Peter Mehlman (who was one of my cohorts at the Diamondback newspaper in College Park in the mid-'70s). He's sort of a libertarian type.

129. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:52 AM (#4394188)

Le Crueset is also tremendously marked up for the home market. As a commercial buying purchasing from a distributor I can get Le Creuset for at least 50% off of the prices you can normally find on the internet and in stores.

130. Lassus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:52 AM (#4394189)

My chain restaurant is better than your chain restaurant! This makes me better than you!

No, we're better than you because our cookware is better. Keep up.

131. Tulo's Fishy Mullet (mrams) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 10:58 AM (#4394193)

Le Crueset is also tremendously marked up for the home market. As a commercial buying purchasing from a distributor I can get Le Creuset for at least 50% off of the prices you can normally find on the internet and in stores.

the few retail stores they have will discount items pretty significantly from time to time and I get post cards from them in the mail and can order online, that's the only time I would buy, versus buying at Sur La Table or WS at full sticker price.

132. BDC

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:08 AM (#4394200)

I am proud of my cookware, for sure :) One thing I'm often amazed at is the quality and durability of ultra-cheap stuff found at random – in DFW, mostly in Asian or Mexican markets. I have some Mexican nylon utensils (spatulas, etc.) that were $1 apiece, fabulous quality, and will evidently be around long after I am. I found an omelet pan, heavy, some sort of miraculous nonstick coating, in a Mexican market for ~$17; looks brand-new after three years of everyday use. And the only knife I really use is an shabby-looking carbon-steel Chinese cleaver, ~$13, takes the place of several things I could buy for several times its price.

Burgers, though, I don't make. Don't eat a lot of them, though if anyone is coming to Arlington on a ballpark tour I can suggest good Vietnamese storefront pho places – that's our local specialty cuisine.

133. PreservedFish Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:18 AM (#4394211)

You guys should try going to a restaurant supply store some time. You will never consider going to somewhere like Williams-Sonoma ever again. Some of those products(like Le Creuset and Al-Clad) really are good, but you can find stuff that's 90% as good for 20% of the price. This is also true of cutlery.

134. cardsfanboy

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:25 AM (#4394217)

You guys should try going to a restaurant supply store some time. You will never consider going to somewhere like Williams-Sonoma ever again. Some of those products(like Le Creuset and Al-Clad) really are good, but you can find stuff that's 90% as good for 20% of the price. This is also true of cutlery.

What is a restaurant supply store(I know it's what it says it is, but I mean where would you find these, are they common, can anyone go etc?)

My girlfriend has given me permission to replace her value cookware with quality products one at a time, and we are slowly replacing pieces. Looking at sauce pans or cutlery for the next purchase so that would be something that would be nice to get a good bargain on.

135. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:25 AM (#4394218)

Any major city will have a hundred better burrito places

Confirming yet again that Minneapolis is nothing even resembling a major city.

136. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:32 AM (#4394224)

There is one I go to in NoVA run by a Chinese family that is pretty good (meaning cheap) and has a ton of Asian dishware/cookware at rock bottom prices.

137. Lassus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:33 AM (#4394225)

What is a restaurant supply store(I know it's what it says it is, but I mean where would you find these, are they common, can anyone go etc?)

The Bowery!

Anywhere else, wtf knows.

Confirming yet again that Minneapolis is nothing even resembling a major city.

First Avenue. They don't have to do anything else well, ever.

138. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:35 AM (#4394227)

What is a restaurant supply store(I know it's what it says it is, but I mean where would you find these, are they common, can anyone go etc?)

They are very common in and around major metropolitan areas. You can find them via google or the yellow pages. Almost all of them are open to the public. The ones that are not are the ones like Restaurant Depot which sets itself up as a distributor and not a retail store so you have to fill out paperwork before you shop at these kinds of stores.

139. Der-K: Hipster doofus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:35 AM (#4394228)

You guys should try going to a restaurant supply store some time. You will never consider going to somewhere like Williams-Sonoma ever again.

I've done this. Have had issues where I've wanted to buy one of something, but they wouldn't sell that small of a quantity. At minimum, they are worth checking out.

Is anyone else here overly inclined to research things? When I bought my aforementioned rice steamer, I first checked out Cooks Illustrated, Consumersearch, Consumer Reports, etc... - which is my norm. (I also go hella cheap when possible - figure out first whether I want a decent thing or a just get me by thing.)

140. PreservedFish Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:37 AM (#4394234)

What is a restaurant supply store(I know it's what it says it is, but I mean where would you find these, are they common, can anyone go etc?)

The big ones in my area are named things like "East Bay Restaurant Supply." Yelp should be able to locate them if there are any near you. They are intended for professionals and the salesmen usually are dealing with large contracts but anyone can walk in, browse and pick things up. As McCoy says sometimes there are good such stores in Chinatowns and similar areas ... these places are smaller and don't have the heavy equipment but they do tend to have entire aisles of soy sauce ramekins and such.

141. Esoteric Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:45 AM (#4394243)

Interested in what people think about BGR (aka The Burger Joint). Saw the signs everywhere and just assumed it was a Five Guys rip-off (I'm a DC-area Primate so that's always been the 'standard' up-market fast-food burger option.) Finally went into one the other day and found out that it was actually quite a different proposition altogether, with some very cool varieties on a quality burger. Plus I friggin' LOVE their soda fountains, which aren't the old standard ones but rather the newfangled computerized "build your own soda" ones where you can select, say, Diet Coke and then choose between seven different I-had-no-idea-they-made-this-flavor varieties. Nice shakes too, or at least so I'm told.

Pricey (a bit more than Five Guys), but pretty good. Anyone else agree/disagree?

142. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:45 AM (#4394244)

First Avenue. They don't have to do anything else well, ever.

Wildly overrated, just like pretty much everything about this ########.

143. cardsfanboy

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:45 AM (#4394245)

Is anyone else here overly inclined to research things? When I bought my aforementioned rice steamer, I first checked out Cooks Illustrated, Consumersearch, Consumer Reports, etc... - which is my norm. (I also go hella cheap when possible - figure out first whether I want a decent thing or a just get me by thing.)

Yes. I have basic rules....whatever consumer reports rates as number one is almost always going to be garbage, and absolute proof they are paid off. The first item after number one by a different manufacturer would be what I look at. I love Cooks Illustrated for any cooking supplies, the way they test everything and do a very good job of properly weighing cost vs quality(something that Consumer Reports also sucks at), that I usually trust their opinion.

144. Esoteric Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:48 AM (#4394252)

Confirming yet again that Minneapolis is nothing even resembling a major city.

I've been to more or less every single sushi restaurant in Minneapolis (my gf lives there and we're both sushi mavens) and I have yet to find one that's as good as the one right in the heart of downtown Madison, WI on State Street (read: the University of Wisconsin, and not exactly where you'd expect fine dining to be). Now that's sad. (On the other hand, Hell's Kitchen is one of my favorite breakfast joints anywhere in the USA.)

Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago (in that order) are the best cities for sushi I've yet encountered. New York is a massive disappointment.

145. Lassus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:49 AM (#4394254)

Wildly overrated, just like pretty much everything ~~about this ########~~ anyone likes.

146. CFBF Is A Golden Spider Duck Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:50 AM (#4394257)

Plus I friggin' LOVE their soda fountains, which aren't the old standard ones but rather the newfangled computerized "build your own soda" ones where you can select, say, Diet Coke and then choose between seven different I-had-no-idea-they-made-this-flavor varieties.

These are amazing, aren't they? Who even knew Coke made a grape-flavored Sprite?

Admittedly, it wasn't good, but I enjoy the fact that it exists.

147. My name is Votto, and I love to get blotto Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:56 AM (#4394261)

Is anyone else here overly inclined to research things? When I bought my aforementioned rice steamer, I first checked out Cooks Illustrated, Consumersearch, Consumer Reports, etc... - which is my norm.

I usually just read negative online reviews (Amazon, Newegg, etc.), and if the complaints are something that seem like outliers or are something I can live with, then I'll go with the product.

148. cardsfanboy

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 11:57 AM (#4394262)

I've been to more or less every single sushi restaurant in Minneapolis (my gf lives there and we're both sushi mavens) and I have yet to find one that's as good as the one right in the heart of downtown Madison, WI

Must be something about Wisconsin. Best steak(at a restaurant) I ever had was a little dive bar by the stadium called Fourth Base. (I'm thinking that my expectations were low and they wildly exceeded them so I've pumped up the quality in my mind)

149. Bitter Mouse Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:00 PM (#4394263)

Minnesota (twin cities) is a great place to live and raise children. Great people, love the parks and such. As for amenities, well yeah, there is some stuff that is OK. Good job market and housing proces though. Like anywhere there is good and bad. I hate sushi (and why would anyone order it here in flyover country I have no idea except maybe desperation), but San Francisco is a great great city in general.

150. Bitter Mouse Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:02 PM (#4394265)

These are amazing, aren't they? Who even knew Coke made a grape-flavored Sprite?

Not to burst your bubble or anything, but those machines (which are super cool) use a basic syrup and flavor mix strategy. I was using one a while back and it ran out of raspberry, and all the various raspberry combos went dark at once.

151. Jolly Old St. Nick Still Gags in October

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:04 PM (#4394266)

Yes. I have basic rules....whatever consumer reports rates as number one is almost always going to be garbage, and absolute proof they are paid off.

WTF? Do you also think the Cardinals threw the 2004 World Series?

The first item after number one by a different manufacturer would be what I look at. I love Cooks Illustrated for any cooking supplies, the way they test everything and do a very good job of properly weighing cost vs quality(something that Consumer Reports also sucks at), that I usually trust their opinion.

Being as how Consumer Reports has been around forever, has never taken advertising, buys the products it tests, relies on their readers' feedback to supplement their tests, doesn't let anyone use their ratings in advertising (unlike good old J.D. Power**) and gives the cost range that you can expect to pay for every item they rate, I'm trying to figure out where you're coming from with this comment.

**A name which in itself suggests branding a la Homer Simpson.

152. Bitter Mouse Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:04 PM (#4394267)

Is anyone else here overly inclined to research things?

Obsessively. Part of the fun of shopping. Well for stuff I want to buy. For some shopping I am typical guy shopper, in store grab, pay, and then flee.

153. Bitter Mouse Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:05 PM (#4394268)

My only issue with COnsumer Reports is they are far enough behind on consumer electronics that they are useless to me in that segment.

154. Lassus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:07 PM (#4394269)

Yes. I have basic rules....whatever consumer reports rates as number one is almost always going to be garbage, and absolute proof they are paid off.

That is tinfoil hat material, cfb.

155. villageidiom Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:07 PM (#4394270)

Those comments really puzzled me. I have literally eaten at Chipotle hundreds upon hundreds of times. I've never once gotten diarrhea, or an upset stomach, or anything like that.

I think the diarrhea question ensued after someone suggested with greater frequency of dining at Chipotle they'd have to buy new pants. I'm also pretty sure the "new pants" reference had to do with an expanded waistline, not uncontrollable diarrhea.

Yes. I have basic rules....whatever consumer reports rates as number one is almost always going to be garbage, and absolute proof they are paid off.

I've had remarkable success with the Consumer Reports recommendations. Let's see: TV, dishwasher, refrigerator, camera, phone, PC, netbook, DVD player, food processor, snowblower... Pretty much everything I've ever relied on them for has been a great value.

I've not relied on them much for cars (they tab so many as "recommended" that I find it doesn't discern enough for me), nor for foods. Also, I'm usually looking for what they call a "best buy", which usually ends up being a highly-rated model with a considerably lower price than the others; I don't necessarily go for the #1 rated item.

I love Cooks Illustrated for any cooking supplies, the way they test everything and do a very good job of properly weighing cost vs quality

I agree with this in general, but note that when I've compared the two, CI and CR are actually fairly consistent with each other. They are often inconsistent in the models or brands they test, which I find annoying.

156. Jolly Old St. Nick Still Gags in October

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:08 PM (#4394272)

Is anyone else here overly inclined to research things? When I bought my aforementioned rice steamer, I first checked out Cooks Illustrated, Consumersearch, Consumer Reports, etc... - which is my norm.

Washington's Consumer Checkbook (which is also in other cities) is very good for finding the best and least expensive services like repairmen, home improvement outfits, etc. We've gone with their recommendations for the best deals on new tires, window installation and stove repairs, and the ones we used did great work and beat the "brand names" in everything, especially the lack of bait-and-switch sales tactics.

157. Jolly Old St. Nick Still Gags in October

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:15 PM (#4394276)

I've not relied on them much for cars (they tab so many as "recommended" that I find it doesn't discern enough for me), nor for foods.

Just before we subscribed to Consumer Reports, someone crashed into my Subaru wagon and I had to get it replaced. At the time (2006) the new version of that model was running close to $28,000. I googled station wagons + Consumer Reports, and while it only gave non-subscribers their top pick, that top pick (a Ford Focus wagon)** wound up costing less than $15,000 cash, and hasn't had a major problem since the day I bought it. I've since used it for buying a big screen TV and a mini-camera, with equally good results.

**Which in recent years is nowhere near as highly rated. But their 2006 model consistently rates with the best for rate of repairs.

158. Bitter Mouse Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:16 PM (#4394278)

Angie's list is my go to for many "service" based things like what I am looking for now (Architect, Carpenter, Plumber - can you tell I am preparing to remodel?).

159. cardsfanboy

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:22 PM (#4394284)

WTF? Do you also think the Cardinals threw the 2004 World Series?

I worked retail for 15 years and had to deal with Consumer Report zombies. People constantly came in for the garbage that Consumer reports rated as best and they were products that we hadn't sold any of in six months, because they just weren't that good. (Most obvious example. Sold portable cd players. Panasonic by far had the best product out there, consumer reports rated an RCA as best, even though by their grading, Panasonic scored better, the RCA had two pros, and two cons, the Panasonic had 3 pros, no cons. The difference was that the RCA cost $79 and the Panasonic $86--when they bought them.... had idiots coming in to buy the RCA because of that, and there was no reason to sell the RCA. Panasonic had the better product--it wasn't particularly close to be honest--, and was always on sale at the RCA price)

Heck Consumer Reports listed Old Milwaukee as best american made beer for something like 15 years straight. (not sure the number of years, just know that it's been several)

Being as how Consumer Reports has been around forever, has never taken advertising, buys the products it tests, relies on their readers' feedback to supplement their tests, doesn't let anyone use their ratings in advertising (unlike good old J.D. Power**) and gives the cost range that you can expect to pay for every item they rate, I'm trying to figure out where you're coming from with this comment.

Conspiracy theory based upon their consistent ranking of absolute crap at the upper echelons, that they do a horrible job of ranking quality versus price. Price is almost always their number one determination even for a few dollars more, you get a much superior product. I just don't trust them having seen them put in action for 15 years by the masses.
I recommended consumer reports as a tool for researching the features(and the whys) of a product, the reputation of a particular company, etc... but their individual ratings are absolute garbage.

They had what I consider to be a must read article on lightbulbs. And their car ratings is something that a lot of people in the know swear by. It's not like I hate everything they do, but I just don't trust their opinion on technology equipment in the slightest.

160. Tripon Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:31 PM (#4394294)

I think the diarrhea question ensued after someone suggested with greater frequency of dining at Chipotle they'd have to buy new pants. I'm also pretty sure the "new pants" reference had to do with an expanded waistline, not uncontrollable diarrhea.

It has a lot to do with a South Park ep, where anyone who ate Chipolte had explosive diarrhea, and so had to get a Made for TV product pitched by the Ghost of Billy Mays, "Chipolte-a-way."

161. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:32 PM (#4394295)

Wildly overrated, just like pretty much everything about this ######## anyone likes.

It's just a venue. I just don't see how it's different to any other venue I've been to. And it's still staffed by Minnesotans, who are the most culturally mendacious ######## I've ever met.

162. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:36 PM (#4394298)

I think out of all the premium burger joints around me BGR is the best but having said that I should also point out that I rarely ever eat burgers nowadays. Burgers are just a giant saturated fat-bomb nowadays and I simply can't do it all that often nowadays.

The first time I saw BGR's soda machine I thought it was pretty cool but I have given up drinking sodas so while it was cool it was rather useless for me.

163. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:38 PM (#4394300)

Chipotle kills me but that is because when I go I get a 3 billion pound burrito packed with beans, meat, all the salsas, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and virtually everything else in the store.

164. Jolly Old St. Nick Still Gags in October

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:38 PM (#4394301)

Heck Consumer Reports listed Old Milwaukee as best american made beer for something like 15 years straight. (not sure the number of years, just know that it's been several)

I wouldn't pay attention to any rating for food products or anything else where individual preference forms a great part of what you consider "quality", any more than I pay attention to movie critics or restaurant reviewers. To the extent that Consumer Reports has branched out into those categories, I simply ignore them. And anyway, we all know that any beer sold in green bottles is by definition better than beer sold in any other type of container. That's really all anyone needs to know about beer.

But what you're talking about for the most part are people who treat CR as if those tiny numerical rating distinctions among the top few choices were statistically significant. I've never taken that approach, and maybe that's why I've never been burned by them.

And what you also don't mention is that in addition to their ratings, they provide a lot of good basic information about what to look for in a product or a service, info that can help you formulate your own decisions. They spend a fair amount of space debunking the hyperbolic claims for bogus products like "dietary supplements" and those widely advertised (and almost always pointless) screening tests for various forms of cancer. The bottom line is that their history is that of an extremely valuable counterweight to the steady bombardment of advertising that's inescapable in 21st century life, including all those BS ads that feature those "J.D. Power" trophies.

165. Bitter Mouse Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:40 PM (#4394304)

And it's still staffed by Minnesotans, who are the most culturally mendacious ######## I've ever met.

Not in my experience, but hey I can't totally defned any group that insists on "borrowing" things to other people.

166. cardsfanboy

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:48 PM (#4394312)

And what you also don't mention is that in addition to their ratings, they provide a lot of good basic information about what to look for in a product or a service, info that can help you formulate your own decisions.

Yes I did. I said I recommended Consumer reports as a tool for researching features. I could have added more, but basically, it's a great research tool in that it explains what a feature is, what it's good for, why you may or may not want/need it. I have no problem with people reading the articles and using that as a basis for their research. It's the way I do it myself. I just won't use their final ratings on individual products.
Their individual ratings never vibe with the reality. They WAY overrate price.(and considering that their prices are about six months out of date by the time the magazine comes out, those ratings are even more screwed up as the more expensive products always have dropped in price significantly while the cheaper products have hardly dropped at all) Anytime you see a Kodak camera being listed on par with an Olympus/Canon/Nikon you know it's a ###### up rating system.

167. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:51 PM (#4394314)

Is "cuturally mendacious" a reference to "Minnesota Nice" a.k.a. "Minnesota Passive Agressive"?

I lived in Minneapolis for about a year and thought it was great. First Avenue is tremendous and it wasn't hard to win tickets to great shows from the public radio station.

168. Bernal Diaz has an angel on his shoulder Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:52 PM (#4394317)

Moe's is better. Also tell Sam M that my son will be attending his school in the fall.

169. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:54 PM (#4394319)

but hey I can't totally defned any group that insists on "borrowing" things to other people.

I figure you typoed "defend," but even so I have no idea what this means. Probably because I know nothing about Minnesota.

170. Tulo's Fishy Mullet (mrams) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 12:55 PM (#4394320)

Washington's Consumer Checkbook (which is also in other cities) is very good for finding the best and least expensive services like repairmen, home improvement outfits, etc

another vote for Angie's List, I'm sure results may vary market to market, but it has been terrifically useful in each city that I've used it.

171. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:02 PM (#4394325)

Moe's is better. Also tell Sam M that my son will be attending his school in the fall.

Anathema! I find their meat flavorless but the extra cilantro option gets bonus points, for sure.

172. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:04 PM (#4394331)

I figure you typoed "defend," but even so I have no idea what this means. Probably because I know nothing about Minnesota.

Minnesotans do not "loan" things to other people. Instead they "borrow" things to them.

173. Jolly Old St. Nick Still Gags in October

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:06 PM (#4394333)

But do they stand on line or stand in line?

174. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:07 PM (#4394334)

Minnesotans do not "loan" things to other people. Instead "borrow" things to them.

WTF? That's just stupid.

Though I'm sure any number of grammatical idiosyncracies down here in the South would strike outsiders the same way.

175. Tripon Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:09 PM (#4394335)

The next big craze is probably noodles. There's Pei Weis and P.F. Chang's I suppose, but with the number of pho, ramen, etc. shops in the country, there's clearly a market for a national chain out there.

176. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:12 PM (#4394337)

But do they stand on line or stand in line?

Is there a place where people who have English as a first language say "stand on line"?

177. Coot Veal and Cot Deal's cols=“100” rows=“20” Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:14 PM (#4394338)

England

178. Bernal Diaz has an angel on his shoulder Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:14 PM (#4394339)

There is a national chain, Noodles and Company. They are surprisingly decent.

179. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:15 PM (#4394340)

Is there a place where people who have English as a first language say "stand on line"?

Google says New York. I already knew those people couldn't speak properly, anyway.

180. cardsfanboy

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:17 PM (#4394343)

WTF? That's just stupid.

no stupider than "have a catch"

181. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:21 PM (#4394346)

no stupider than "have a catch"

Is that the same thing as "play catch" or "throw the ball around"?

182. Coot Veal and Cot Deal's cols=“100” rows=“20” Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:23 PM (#4394347)

Is that the same thing as "play catch" or "throw the ball around"?

only when playing with one's father

183. Kurt Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:25 PM (#4394349)

Is there a place where people who have English as a first language say "stand on line"?

I'm pretty sure I say "on line" and "in line" interchangeably.

I also say "have a catch".

184. PreservedFish Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:26 PM (#4394350)

I am from NYC, and have said "stand on line" all my life. I didn't even know that was unusual until I was at college probably.

"Stand in line" doesn't sound weird to me. They both sound correct.

185. cardsfanboy

Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:26 PM (#4394351)

Is that the same thing as "play catch" or "throw the ball around"?

Field of Dreams quote. Only time in the history of mankind had those words been uttered together, but for some reason the director thought it was better than "Play catch" or "throw the ball around".

186. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:28 PM (#4394352)

The next big craze is probably noodles.

It's already here and been here for awhile.

187. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:29 PM (#4394354)

I'd say food trucks and or hipster gastro-dives type places are the next big thing.

188. Der-K: Hipster doofus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:34 PM (#4394359)

I don't use Consumer Reports for food or consumer electronics either (and generally take Andy's approach to them). Done great by me for everything else (particularly appliances).
Like cnet on tech, though I guess they've got corporate ownership issues.
Noodles and Company is gross. (sample size = 3)

189. Der-K: Hipster doofus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:35 PM (#4394362)

187: haven't those been the next big thing for awhile? At least 2-3 years in Durham, which I presume is behind bigger cities culturally.

190. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:39 PM (#4394364)

187: haven't those been the next big thing for awhile?

Sure but it takes awhile to grow and reach everywhere. For instance, I believe Chicago is easing up on their insane laws and soon food trucks will be able to roam the city.

191. BrianBrianson Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:42 PM (#4394370)

And anyway, we all know that any beer sold in green bottles is by definition better than beer sold in any other type of container

The darker the glass, the longer it takes beer to skunk. If the maker cares at all about the taste, they'll use the darkest glass they can, and package it so that lights don't shine on it anyways. If the maker doesn't care about taste, only buy it if you don't, either.

192. McCoy Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:48 PM (#4394374)

As I've said before the color of the glass is largely meaningless since beer doesn't stay on the shelf long and generally doesn't stay on the shelf with the bottles themselves exposed to light.

If you buy a case of beer and stick the case or even the bottles in your garage fridge there will be no taste difference between green, clear, or brown bottles.

193. zack Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:49 PM (#4394375)

Yeah, that green bottle thing is either a joke or a weird preference, but it's mostly totally wrong in my experience. Especially for green-bottled Euro beers which are almost always skunked, like Stella, Heineken, etc.

Speaking of asian groceries, does anyone know where I can get some green papaya in NYC? Preferably uptown, preferably west side.

194. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:49 PM (#4394377)

Judging from what I read online, food trucks have recently become a big deal back home in Little Rock. Which I guess means they'll become a thing here in Montgomery about 2020. (Beer on tap was legalized here only about 8 years ago; it required a consistutional amendment. Yes, this is possibly the stupidest place in the country.)

195. BourbonSamurai Is a Lazy Nogoodnik Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:54 PM (#4394381)

I haven't eaten chipotle in 5 or 6 years probably but I remember liking it. I actually thought the other day, "hey, I should eat some chipotle" but the damn line was around the block, so I went to Don Juan's which is god damn delicious anyway.

Anyone try the Chipotle Southeast Asian spin-off Shophouse? I was not impressed by it, and I love that type of cuisine. In particular, the beef was pretty low grade which really surprised me since I remember Chipotle's being pretty good. they did have Beerlao though, which is a win.

I used to go to Five Guys back when they only the one store so I am biased towards them, but the one time I tried In n' Out I thought it was basically crap. But small sample size and all that jazz.

196. Der-K: Hipster doofus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 01:58 PM (#4394387)

shophouse was mentioned up-thread. only 3 locations, iirc - so probably not many.

197. BourbonSamurai Is a Lazy Nogoodnik Posted: March 22, 2013 at 02:04 PM (#4394391)

The most unbelievable exception in retrospect to the current Scorched Earth policy of cooking fast food burgers was that when the Roy Rogers chain first opened up in the DC area, rare was the default method of frying their burgers, and they were actually very good. It lasted about 5 years and then they were no different than McD's or Hardees, all overcooked all the time.

Roy Rogers was amazing until Hardees bought it and ruined. It exists only as a pale mockery of what was once glorious now.

My dad and I used to eat at Roy Rogers all the time. When I was 12 we went on a big road trip and stopped at the now-defunct Roy Rogers museum, which creepily had Trigger and Bullet stuffed and a bunch of Roy's stuff from like elementary school. Amazingly comprehensive. My dad explained that although I was too young to have seen the show, I loved Roy Rogers from the restaurant, and they had no idea what I was talking about. Had never heard of the fast food joint at all. It was utterly bizzare.

198. Der-K: Hipster doofus Posted: March 22, 2013 at 02:09 PM (#4394396)

conversely, hardees used to be *terrible* (talking late 80s). i remember my parents buying hundreds of hamburgers from there, 4/$1 (not the usual price, mind you) and freezing them for us to eat later. not white castle / krystal slider things - stringy, gristlecakes on cheap buns.

199. zonk Posted: March 22, 2013 at 02:12 PM (#4394398)

For shame -- no obligatory, but as-of-yet not included link to Nate Silver's Burrito Bracket?

200. Bitter Mouse Posted: March 22, 2013 at 02:12 PM (#4394399)

There's Pei Weis and P.F. Chang's I suppose,

ick. SSS and all but I have friends who insist on ordering it. Very expensive not that good and the order always ends up wrong. I honestly have no clue why they order it, but they do.

Regarding the "borrow" thing it is odd and I correct the natives every single time. I just can't help myself. And of course I stand in line and never heard "have a catch" until Field of Dreams.

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