IHOP

Yep, yep breakfast for dinner is always a good plan. I rarely go to places like IHOP. Franchises and chains with faceless owners and depressed employees don't make me want to spend money. But last night I was outvoted by Erin and Harry.

So I made a brinner trip to IHOP. Our server had a cold, but she was really nice and she answered my usual questions about what's good on the menu. Turns out the waitress was a girl after my own heart her favorite dishes are the Split Decision Breakfast, the Appetizer Sample and the Cheeseburger with French Fries. It was a tough decision, but I went with the split decision breakfast.

So if breakfast were served as a sampler dish this would be it. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast and pancakes. Yeah, I was starving, but that is still way too much food for my tummy. I ate the eggs, sausage french toast and enough pancake to taste it. Yep, I was starving.

The coffee was mediocre. Like always if I added enough creamer and sugar, the hot caffeine was drinkable, but not anything worth talking about. Our server was stellar though and kept the water and coffee coming.

Here's the thing about IHOP, it's like Starbucks coffee nothing stands out in a good way or a bad way. It just is. So for the three of us to eat brinner at 9 p.m. it was $35. We enjoyed good service and had a nice time, but that's it. So I'll probably end up back at IHOP some other night, but it will never be the first place I think of when I want to go out to eat.

How do you feel about chain restaurants?

Carl's Jr.

I know, I know my profile says something about cheap, local eats, but I have to talk about fast food. I HATE IT!!!

This past week, I went to Carl's Jr. for the first time. I've boycotted the place since I first saw the Paris Hilton campaign. I'm not an extremist feminist. But come on, a place that sells hamburgers by having a girl in a skimpy bathing suit and heels "wash" a car is completely unappealing to any woman with a healthy sense of confidence and feminity.

Plus, Carl is angry. As local comedian Marcus says, "Carl's Jr. is pissed." Their campaign has gotten progressively angrier since it first began, "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face."

I understand, I am not Carl's Jr.'s target audience. As a fast-food chain they are directly targeting young men between the ages of 18 and 24. Traditionally, the most difficult group to persuade. Talk about an advertising nightmare, and we lucky us see the results, apparently angry and sexy is the way to talk to men.

My virgin visit wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. The set-up is typical of fast-food restaurants trying to be more upscale. You order and are given a number. A server looking for your number then brings your food to your table.

The food itself was edible. The crisp cut fries had a nice seasoning on them, but weren't exactly fried or cut fresh. The onion rings were yucky. They consisted mostly of batter and the onions were apparently from last year's harvest. Nothing fresh, nothing well-cooked and nothing yummy about that!

From the way, Yanto's love ate her chili cheese fries. I'm going to venture they were pretty good. The one's I sampled were cheesy and spicy. Exactly, what I expect from my chili cheese fries.

I've heard from a couple of guys that Carl's is AMAZING! They love it! The portions are big, the food is yummy and "usually" the music rocks. I disagree. I see no point in supporting a national chain with substandard food and service when I can go up the street to a local place, be treated like a person (not a number) and eat good, quality food.

The environment is typical of any fast-food place, except for the even worse than usual pop balring from above. The employees are at best indifferent. The food is typical fast food. All in all, not some place I'm likely to go again. But if forced to choose between McDonald's and Carl's Jr. I may choose Carl's solely because they offer better chili cheese fries.

The key to a happy fast food experience? Low expectations. Really, really low.