rant: fine dining

[slide_into_first]

If they use real Mexican cheese make sure it's pasteurized.

[jim]

Population Demographics By Hispanic Or Latino Ethnicity
St. Louis, MO-IL MSA U.S.
Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity (of any race)
2.7%

16.7%

Source: "American Community Survey 2011" U.S. Census Bureau, 2012.

Latinos make up only 2.6 percent of the population of the St. Louis metropolitan statistical area, according to "Where We Stand," a report by East West Gateway Council of Governments, which uses Census numbers. St. Louis ranks 34 out of 35 other cities for Latino populations. That's just above Pittsburgh and well below Kansas City, with a population of 8.2 percent. The average is 15.7 percent, according to the report.

As a percentage of the population, 2.6 percent is small, certainly. But Latinos claim bigger numbers than Asians, with just 2.1 percent. And the population has, indeed, grown in the last few decades. In 1990, according to East West Gateway's report, the number crept along at just 0.3 percent.

this place is like Guadalajara north compared to when I was a kid.

We have large pockets that are nothing but latino (it's virtually all Mexican here) - all the store signs from the grocery store to the mechanic to the State Farm office has their signs written in Spanish. One of those towns is right next to me (West Chicago), and it's a Mexican food lovers paradise. It's actually much harder to find the Americanized TexMex stuff than it is authetic Mexican, and I don't pass on TexMex either. Just because it's not pure doesn't mean it's not delicious.

I'm thinking about opening up a Mexican seafood place. I'll call it "Roja Langosta" and make a million.

[jim]

I saw that cat thread up there and it reminded me ... we also have a large number of Vietnamese restaurants near us. Alot of them say they are some sort of soup house or something. I had some once but didn't care for it. For one the portion sizes are really too small.

[cardsfantx]

i love mexican food...but living in texas, that's all anyone wants to ever eat. gets old...

good steakhouses here too.

seafood/italian are lacking though...

[cardsfantx]

oh, and if you're lucky enough to live by a mooyah's...best freaking burger ever. kills in-n-out, five guys, whatever.

[lukethedrifter]

If Michael doesn't post in a fine dining thread then... well ... I guess it's over

[slide_into_first]

McDonalds in Honolulu serves Spam sandwiches and macaroni salad

[JackofDiamonds]

If Michael doesn't post in a fine dining thread then... well ... I guess it's over

Quick, let's start a yurt apprecian thread.

[heyzeus]

There is no Michael. He has been assimilated into the program. GRB is now fully self-aware.

[stlouie_lipp]

jim- I had some good tacos today at a hole in the wall place on Route 59, just south of 64. It was in some strip mall and totally authentic (no English on the menus, Mexican soap operas blaring on the TV). The kind of place that most white people would only go into to ask where the nearest Chi-Chi's is.

I didn't plan on being stuck that way all day. If I knew I'd be there, I would have called you and we could have met at the Red Lobster by your old house for lunch!