Ha Ha "Which Restaurants don't FEED you?"

[MinnieMommy07]

Okay. Sometimes I see a menu that I like and then I search for pictures of the food... and what I see doesn't look like much food!

I'm wondering if anyone can help make a list of restuarants that serve next to nothing- you know those fancy plates of food where it's a little circle of meat in the middle of a giant dish with a baby carrot.... Come on, now I'm hungry!

 

[DCDisney]

The worst for this is Akershus for lunch and dinner. I guess because they have the buffet with apps they serve smaller dishes. Years ago they also let you order more than 1 entree but when they stopped this they never increased the entree size. The portion for the salmon dish is particularly tiny. We aren't big on the apps and between the tiny entree and shared dessert plate we left there very hungry. Just not enough protein and we refuse to fill up on rolls and crackers The most filling portions were at 50's Prime Time. Mama Melrose also had tiny portions particularly for the kids pasta and pasta with CHicken parm. The piece of chicken was decent but the amount of pasta was tiny. My kids were both starving and fighting me for my food....

 

[chabs]

We thought the portion sizes were really small at LeCellier the last time we ate there (Aug 09). We didn't even go back this summer because it was so pathetic and we were paying OOP (had free dining in 09). The kids chicken breast was so small that the kids burst out laughing when the server tried to set it down in front of one of them-he even had to hold in a laugh. The filet size was really small on a very small portion of mashed potatos. I'm not a big eater and even I was looking forward to dessert just to fill me up.

 

[tony67]

If it is really good I really do not care how much food is on the plate.

I'd rather have a really good 6oz steak than a crappy 32oz steak.

Keep in mind that many of the places where you see the photos of a small portion of food are part of five or six courses. By the end you are full even though when it comes out to you it does look like a joke.

That being said a few years back we got the creme brulee at Le Cellier and it was maybe 2 mm deep.
The waitress even brought aver two spoons and commented as if it was so large my and the wife would want to share it.
I think she thought that was amusing.
It was good, but it was almost mostly caramelized sugar and very little creme.

What really annoyed me about that is we had the creme brulee the year before and it was really good and a proper portion.

We still laugh at what a joke that was, it was pure greed by the operator of the restaurant IMO.

 

[Don Disney]

If it is really good I really do not care how much food is on the plate.

I'd rather have a really good 6oz steak than a crappy 32oz steak

I am inclined to agree with you about the"steak";but,If something is really good,I want enough of it to satisfy my hunger.

 

[TillyMarigold]

The worst for this is Akershus for lunch and dinner. I guess because they have the buffet with apps they serve smaller dishes. Years ago they also let you order more than 1 entree but when they stopped this they never increased the entree size. The portion for the salmon dish is particularly tiny. We aren't big on the apps and between the tiny entree and shared dessert plate we left there very hungry. Just not enough protein and we refuse to fill up on rolls and crackers The most filling portions were at 50's Prime Time. Mama Melrose also had tiny portions particularly for the kids pasta and pasta with CHicken parm. The piece of chicken was decent but the amount of pasta was tiny. My kids were both starving and fighting me for my food....

Not enough protein? Akershus had the biggest salmon filet I've ever been served anywhere, half again as big as at someplace like Red Lobster. It's easily two portions.

And Mama Melrose's penne a la vodka was so big that I ate half of it for lunch and didn't eat the rest of the day.

 

[tony67]

I am inclined to agree with you about the"steak";but,If something is really good,I want enough of it to satisfy my hunger.

True.

One thing I can say for Disney is I've never seen a main course that was not a decent portion size.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We go to Disney every year and usually do 7 - 10 table service meals. We have NEVER had a small meal there, the portions are always more than any of us can finish.

 

[auntfrannie]

We go to Disney every year and usually do 7 - 10 table service meals. We have NEVER had a small meal there, the portions are always more than any of us can finish.

I agree. The only signature dining restaurant I haven't tried is V&A. Every other restaurant had very ample servings. I often wish they were a little smaller so I would have room for dessert more often!

 

[wen-tom]

portions are usually way too big for me

The only place we have eaten where the portions were very small was Hollywood Brown Derby in DHS.

Thats the only place I have been able to easily manage desert

 

[Kay1]

I worried once that the eggplant dish at Mama Melrose was too small for my son. I believe it was Eggplant Napoleon.

At one of the All Stars food courts I heard a woman complain about the size of the chicken nuggets basket. She said, "That's it? That's an adult's portion?"

 

[Cherinva]

I eaten at numerous places....TS and CS......I've never left the table hungry....especially eating at Buffets........

 

[havoc315]

Keep in mind that many of the places where you see the photos of a small portion of food are part of five or six courses. By the end you are full even though when it comes out to you it does look like a joke.

5 or 6 would be a minimum at a place like that. I've had some 7-8 course tasting menus. But some of the more renown restaurants, have 10-30 course tasting menus.

Here is an example of a 31 course tasting menu:

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2004/02/birthday_at_bla.html

 

[vettegirl]

I think the serving sizes are too big, as they are with most places in America.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

As a general rule the higher the quality the smaller the portion. You can expect smaller portions at signature restaurants. Even there, my DH & I often share an entree, so we'll have room for appetizers (often shared) & desserts. The portions at the other restaurants are always too large for me. I never eat more than half. That said, I haven't tried every dish at every restaurant. Some restaurants may have entrees with really small portions that I don't know about.

As a general rule the higher the quality the smaller the portion. You can expect smaller portions at signature restaurants. Even there, my DH & I often share an entree, so we'll have room for appetizers (often shared) & desserts. The portions at the other restaurants are always too large for me. I never eat more than half. That said, I haven't tried every dish at every restaurant. Some restaurants may have entrees with really small portions that I don't know about.


http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2004/02/birthday_at_bla.html

Thanks for the link. I've never heard of this restaurant. Have you eaten there? How's the quality? We may have to plan a weekend getaway to Atlanta to give this place a try.

 

[havoc315]

Thanks for the link. I've never heard of this restaurant. Have you eaten there? How's the quality? We may have to plan a weekend getaway to Atlanta to give this place a try.

That particular place is closed now. The chef/owner competed on the television show "Top Chef" a couple years ago. It was just an example that came to mind.

At Disney, I've heard you can get something somewhat comparable by doing the Chef's Table at Albert & Victorias. (Expect 10+ courses overall).
The more well known American restaurants that do something similar would include Alinea in Chicago (20+ courses), Joël Robuchon in Vegas and NY (15+ courses I believe), and Thomas Keller's French Laundery in Napa, and Per Se in NY. (I believe the standard tasting menu is 9 courses, but usually with some extras). I've had an approximate 9 course tasting at Blue Hill, which absolutely left me stuffed, though no single course was more than a few bites.

I don't think finer restaurants automatically give smaller portions as a rule. But more often, it's that the finer restaurants are putting quality over quantity. While on the low end, the chain restaurant places, are selling some sort of phony value by giving you a mountain of so-so - poor food for only $9.99 (or whatever). It's the "super size" mentality.

 

[squirrel]

Mama Melrose was the only one that I found small compared to everywhere else. I had the Fantasmic DP so I also had an appetizer. It may have been what I picked-salad, steak and potatoes and dessert. I saved 1/2 my salad as I thought I wouldn't be able to make it to the dessert, but I so could have eaten everything.

Just so you can compare- I saved desserts at Sci-Fi, WCC, and at 50's Prime Time I only ate one piece of the chicken meal.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

That particular place is closed now. The chef/owner competed on the television show "Top Chef" a couple years ago. It was just an example that came to mind.

At Disney, I've heard you can get something somewhat comparable by doing the Chef's Table at Albert & Victorias. (Expect 10+ courses overall).
The more well known American restaurants that do something similar would include Alinea in Chicago (20+ courses), Joël Robuchon in Vegas and NY (15+ courses I believe), and Thomas Keller's French Laundery in Napa, and Per Se in NY. (I believe the standard tasting menu is 9 courses, but usually with some extras). I've had an approximate 9 course tasting at Blue Hill, which absolutely left me stuffed, though no single course was more than a few bites.

That's too bad. That could have made a fun, weekend getaway. We're not close enough to any of the others, except V&A, to go for a weekend.

I don't think finer restaurants automatically give smaller portions as a rule. But more often, it's that the finer restaurants are putting quality over quantity. While on the low end, the chain restaurant places, are selling some sort of phony value by giving you a mountain of so-so - poor food for only $9.99 (or whatever). It's the "super size" mentality.

Hence, smaller portions in fine dining establishments.

 

[tower_of_terror_luvr]

Once. It was at Kona the shrimp and scallops meal 3 shrimp and 3 scallops. It's not that it wasn't enough food, its just that it was smaller than we are used too at Disney.

 

[LilyWDW]

I think the serving sizes are too big, as they are with most places in America.

Yea, portion size in US restaurants are 2 to 3 times what they should be. I have gotten in the habit of splitting my meals when they get to me instead of just digging in. It's amazing how much better I feel after the meals I do this at since I am no longer over eating JUST because it is there.