People claim that Norway is expensive, but I have to object. Food prices in the US are shocking, and then you get the added shock of sales tax and obligatory tips at the end of the meal. I find it less stressful to eat out in Norway than in the US, even though the food and service here can often be disappointing.
People above said this is probably just using the $ for pesos, which would make this about $2USD.
As for US food prices, it varies a lot depending on where you are. Where I live, fast food meals are usually $7-10 and nicer sit down restaurants are $10-20.
I visited Norway about 10 years ago, at the time the food there was more expensive for a lot less food. The drinks weren’t unlimited refills either. Beautiful countryside though.
Part of the expense is the size of the meal. It’s not uncommon for a sit down restaurant to offer up an entire day’s worth of calories on one plate.
At one of our local places I ordered clams and pasta. When it was delivered I knew this had started out as a full pound of dry pasta. 1600 calories before figuring in sauce. And don’t forget the unlimited sugar refills on that soda.
Would you like an appetizer or dessert?
It’s cheaper to make more money off fewer people than it is to get a lot more people to make a little money off of.
Once someone decides to eat out you need to make it seem like they got their money’s worth. Feeding them more than they should eat gives the appearance of value. The alternative is expensive staff training, ingredients you can’t get from Sysco, or laundry service for table cloths and napkins. Better to pile a large portion on a plate than to step up quality.
I believe what he meant was unfettered capitalism. Norway is also a capitalist country, but with far stricter regulation and higher rate of state ownership than the US.
Yeah I guess it also is culture. It’s mostly that sit down restaurants (and then fast food) got into an “arms race” over “value” which in this case value = bigger portion sizes for the same or less money than other places.
I just say capitalism as more shorthand for this kind of thing where there is some weird market forces at work, and half of that is just marketing and perceived “bang for buck” and trying to one up the other guy. Like I’m not even sure people actually want these giant portions shoveled into their obese gaping maws but it seems to be where we’ve arrived.
I mean, I’m a guy who is 6’4", quite active, and often don’t eat until late afternoon or dinnertime. So personally, I quite like “American portions”, because often when I go out to eat, I am going to already be very hungry.
But also, I find I usually get the best “bang for my buck” at mexican, indian, or ethiopian restaurants. And in these restaurants, I often see plenty of mexicans, indians, and ethiopians. And in my experience travelling and that of my friends, this is not a phenomenon exclusive to the American versions of these restaurants. I’ve been to Greek restaurants in Greece where we got to-go boxes because we couldnt finish the meal. Mexican restaurants in Mexico where they would just keep feeding you until literally couldnt eat any more. And everyone has the story of their Italian/Indian/Argentinian/etc grandmother who will keep force-feeding guests until they are literally ready to vomit. Honestly the “American portion sizes are crazy” rhetoric feels like it might instead be Europeans being weird.
I’ve seen them get pretty pricey at trendy hipster taco stands in the Bay Area and LA. Not quite $37, but over $25. This doesn’t seem unreasonable to be from a gentrified white 20 something year old tech bro’s idea of a taqueria.
People claim that Norway is expensive, but I have to object. Food prices in the US are shocking, and then you get the added shock of sales tax and obligatory tips at the end of the meal. I find it less stressful to eat out in Norway than in the US, even though the food and service here can often be disappointing.
People above said this is probably just using the $ for pesos, which would make this about $2USD.
As for US food prices, it varies a lot depending on where you are. Where I live, fast food meals are usually $7-10 and nicer sit down restaurants are $10-20.
I visited Norway about 10 years ago, at the time the food there was more expensive for a lot less food. The drinks weren’t unlimited refills either. Beautiful countryside though.
No unlimited refills? Pathetic. Cancelling my vacation and questioning whether or not Norway is a developed nation.
Part of the expense is the size of the meal. It’s not uncommon for a sit down restaurant to offer up an entire day’s worth of calories on one plate. At one of our local places I ordered clams and pasta. When it was delivered I knew this had started out as a full pound of dry pasta. 1600 calories before figuring in sauce. And don’t forget the unlimited sugar refills on that soda. Would you like an appetizer or dessert?
…but why?
It’s cheaper to make more money off fewer people than it is to get a lot more people to make a little money off of.
Once someone decides to eat out you need to make it seem like they got their money’s worth. Feeding them more than they should eat gives the appearance of value. The alternative is expensive staff training, ingredients you can’t get from Sysco, or laundry service for table cloths and napkins. Better to pile a large portion on a plate than to step up quality.
Capitalism is fucked Is the short answer
Norway is a capitalist country as well
I believe what he meant was unfettered capitalism. Norway is also a capitalist country, but with far stricter regulation and higher rate of state ownership than the US.
Yeah I guess it also is culture. It’s mostly that sit down restaurants (and then fast food) got into an “arms race” over “value” which in this case value = bigger portion sizes for the same or less money than other places.
I just say capitalism as more shorthand for this kind of thing where there is some weird market forces at work, and half of that is just marketing and perceived “bang for buck” and trying to one up the other guy. Like I’m not even sure people actually want these giant portions shoveled into their obese gaping maws but it seems to be where we’ve arrived.
I mean, I’m a guy who is 6’4", quite active, and often don’t eat until late afternoon or dinnertime. So personally, I quite like “American portions”, because often when I go out to eat, I am going to already be very hungry.
But also, I find I usually get the best “bang for my buck” at mexican, indian, or ethiopian restaurants. And in these restaurants, I often see plenty of mexicans, indians, and ethiopians. And in my experience travelling and that of my friends, this is not a phenomenon exclusive to the American versions of these restaurants. I’ve been to Greek restaurants in Greece where we got to-go boxes because we couldnt finish the meal. Mexican restaurants in Mexico where they would just keep feeding you until literally couldnt eat any more. And everyone has the story of their Italian/Indian/Argentinian/etc grandmother who will keep force-feeding guests until they are literally ready to vomit. Honestly the “American portion sizes are crazy” rhetoric feels like it might instead be Europeans being weird.
This isn’t in the US, though. This is (probably) Mexico.
How would you tell? This sign looks exactly the same as the deli in the mexican grocery store a few blocks away from me (I’m in California).
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I’ve seen them get pretty pricey at trendy hipster taco stands in the Bay Area and LA. Not quite $37, but over $25. This doesn’t seem unreasonable to be from a gentrified white 20 something year old tech bro’s idea of a taqueria.
🔔🔔 http://www.taqueriaelazteca.com/restaurant/ 🔔🔔
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