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Are Carvery Lunches a thing of the past? (Someone can't handle their portions!)

1235

Comments

  • #122
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    Under His Eye wrote: »
    I prefer a la carte myself.

    A La Carte is a Carvery you don't get to see......


  • #123
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    Ush1 wrote: »
    People saying it's healthy are kidding themselves. The gravy does be laced with salt and butter, spuds with cream etc... But it's tasty. Not something I'd get too often.

    Relatively healthy by comparison to the alternatives, ie. you can see what you're getting unlike processed food from fast food places and supermarkets etc.

    Nothing wrong with a bit of butter, pinch of salt or cream if you have a balanced diet.
    Carvery's are not the cause of the obesity epidemic in Ireland.


  • #124
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    _Dara_ wrote: »
    I’m sure it does happen elsewhere. And it’ll be obvious when it does when it comes to roast spuds anyway. It’s easy enough to tell. Mass catering events at hotels will take that shortcut for weddings, debs and the like.

    Individual restaurants don’t do it as much. I've prepped veg at some.

    Some people tend to scoff and say “lol, everywhere does that, carvery food is the same as what you are served at higher priced restaurants” as if they are so clever and we’re all being duped. But not every restaurant does it and it’s not that hard to tell the difference. You don’t need a sophisticated palette to know.

    Hate to break it to you but professional kitchens peeling potatoes and prepping veg by hand is very much a thing of the past by and large depending on the individual dish being prepared........ you think you can tell the difference but you really can't because there is no significant difference.

    Fine dining restaurants tend to undercook their veg because that's what the majority of their customer base expects, pubs/carvery's tend to overcook their veg for the same reason.


  • #125
    Cushtie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 879 ✭✭✭Cushtie


    A few years ago when our young fella was in crumlin hospital for a fairly long stay we used go to a place down the road that did a savage carvery. Can't think of the name of it now, but the food was excellent, BIG portions!! The staff were great aswell. We kinda got to know them after a while and when they knew we had a kid in hospital they would often give a discount or throw in a free desert. Meant alot at the time.


  • #126
    Ush1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,484 ✭✭✭✭Ush1


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    Relatively healthy by comparison to the alternatives, ie. you can see what you're getting unlike processed food from fast food places and supermarkets etc.

    Nothing wrong with a bit of butter, pinch of salt or cream if you have a balanced diet.
    Carvery's are not the cause of the obesity epidemic in Ireland.

    As I said it's not a bit of butter or pinch of salt, it's normally got huge amounts of both.

    I don't add salt to anything I eat and when I have a carvery I'd have to drink pints of water after as it's so salty.


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  • #127
    branie2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,372 ✭✭✭✭branie2


    I think they're still going strong


  • #128
    Under His Eye
    Closed Accounts Posts: 907 ✭✭✭Under His Eye


    Have your carvery if you wish but I still want my fish and chips.


  • #129
    whiskeyman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,564 ✭✭✭✭whiskeyman


    Some of the best carverys I've had were outside Dublin.
    Headford arms in Kell's in worth travelling for.


  • #130
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    Ush1 wrote: »
    As I said it's not a bit of butter or pinch of salt, it's normally got huge amounts of both.

    I don't add salt to anything I eat and when I have a carvery I'd have to drink pints of water after as it's so salty.

    So you're getting plenty of water down you too, another reason to applaud the health benefits of a carvery meal!


  • #131
    Balanadan
    Site Banned Posts: 725 ✭✭✭Balanadan


    I'd love a savage feed of a carvery right now.


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  • #132
    Liamalone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,186 ✭✭✭Liamalone


    Carveries are on the rise it seems! Long live the Carvery!!!!


  • #133
    theteal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,590 ✭✭✭theteal


    Cushtie wrote: »
    A few years ago when our young fella was in crumlin hospital for a fairly long stay we used go to a place down the road that did a savage carvery. Can't think of the name of it now, but the food was excellent, BIG portions!! The staff were great aswell. We kinda got to know them after a while and when they knew we had a kid in hospital they would often give a discount or throw in a free desert. Meant alot at the time.

    From the Childers hospital the closest pub I can think of is The Eleanora, although there are 3 more pubs within 100m - of which the Halfway House would be the standout.


  • #134
    Balanadan
    Site Banned Posts: 725 ✭✭✭Balanadan


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    Relatively healthy by comparison to the alternatives, ie. you can see what you're getting unlike processed food from fast food places and supermarkets etc.

    Nothing wrong with a bit of butter, pinch of salt or cream if you have a balanced diet.
    Carvery's are not the cause of the obesity epidemic in Ireland.


    I have a carvery every day of the week and I'm fit and healthy.


  • #135
    _Dara_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,971 ✭✭✭_Dara_


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    Hate to break it to you but professional kitchens peeling potatoes and prepping veg by hand is very much a thing of the past by and large depending on the individual dish being prepared........ you think you can tell the difference but you really can't because there is no significant difference.

    Fine dining restaurants tend to undercook their veg because that's what the majority of their customer base expects, pubs/carvery's tend to overcook their veg for the same reason.

    It wasn’t very long ago that I was doing just that. You haven’t been in all the restaurant kitchens. Neither have I. You can’t summarise them neatly.

    You don’t know me and whether or not I can tell the difference. I just don’t enjoy carvery. It’s blah (including many of the name-checked places on this thread) and the amount of food given isn’t a draw for me either. It’s far too much food. My husband eats big dinners, far bigger portions than me and he rarely leaves a restaurant hungry in Ireland. I don’t know where ye’re all going that ye are left hungry.

    The one time my husband and I were left hungry leaving a restaurant was when we decided to try a Michelin-starred place. Fine-dining wasn’t for us. Far too expensive for too little food and too fancy. People portray those who don’t like carvery as food snobs but that’s not me and hubs. There’s a lot of food between carvery and fine-dining.


  • #136
    Under His Eye
    Closed Accounts Posts: 907 ✭✭✭Under His Eye


    A year since the last carvery thread.

    Takings must be down at the savage eateries across the nation.


  • #137
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,611 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • #138
    Under His Eye
    Closed Accounts Posts: 907 ✭✭✭Under His Eye


    Prison was 2 pages back.


  • #139
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,832 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    dudara wrote: »
    A good carvery lunch can really hit the spot at times. The quality of the vegetables is the biggest letdown in most spots though. It wouldn’t be my every day cup of tea but it’s nice to enjoy one with my parents.
    suicide_circus wrote: »
    as hangover feeds go it's not that bad for you. such a shame they boil the bejayzus out of the veg so much, all the vitamins and fibre destroyed.

    The veg is my main gripe about carveries, it is always way overcooked until the flavour is knocked out of it. Plus no matter where you go it seems to be the same -smash potatoes, baton carrots, cabbage or perhaps a carrot-parsnip mix. There is never any imagination on a carvery, there are over 70 different ways to serve a potato but carveries rarely go beyond three or four. Plus all the pubs seem to be buying their veg from the same supplier so it is identical from pub to pub.. I know it isnt economically viable to have chefs prepping veg and potatoes but if some carvery did this with a bit of imagination I would gladly pay more.

    The meat on them is usually pretty decent, better in some places than others. You have the usual caveat of meat lying there too long and drying out but that only happens on carveries that are quiet. Generally the standard of meat is a fair bit higher than the standard of veg.

    Agree with what others say about portion sizes being too big. I used to work in a pub with a carvery years back and we sold very few deserts which spoke volumes imo. Also a lot of women at the carvery would be telling the chef to go easy on the portions then others that didnt would be leaving a fair whack of food on their plate uneaten.


  • #140
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,611 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • #141
    freshpopcorn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,296 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    Also a lot of women at the carvery would be telling the chef to go easy on the portions then others that didnt would be leaving a fair whack of food on their plate uneaten.

    You've just proven all the feminists wrong. Women and men aren't equal and never will be because women can't handle a portion at the carvery!


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  • #142
    elperello
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 19,910 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    There are plenty of good carvery lunches available but I think they are losing business to places that sell take away lunches. A lot of towns have a shop selling take away lunches. It's basically a carvery that you take home in a plastic box and heat up. They can be very good and are cheaper than pubs or restaurants. Some people prefer to take the dinner home and eat in the evening.


  • #143
    JohnnyFlash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,055 ✭✭✭JohnnyFlash


    Patww79 wrote: »
    There's 'savage'. Have we had 'swill', 'troughs', and 'prison' yet? I'm waiting to complete a full line.

    Why does it bother you so much that other people don’t like things you do? You seem to go around in a state of high agitation.


  • #144
    freshpopcorn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,296 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    elperello wrote: »
    There are plenty of good carvery lunches available but I think they are losing business to places that sell take away lunches. A lot of towns have a shop selling take away lunches. It's basically a carvery that you take home in a plastic box and heat up. They can be very good and are cheaper than pubs or restaurants. Some people prefer to take the dinner home and eat in the evening.

    I get this and these have become more popular.
    I know locally you'd see a lot of people being home their dinner from the local carvery/restaurant as well.


  • #145
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,611 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • #146
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,832 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    Well its rare enough I eat carveries these days but I dont see the problem with posting here on ways they could improve. Getting rid of the ubiquitous watery and flavourless baton carrot and serving something with a bit of imagination would be a start.


  • #147
    Cushtie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 879 ✭✭✭Cushtie


    theteal wrote: »
    Cushtie wrote: »
    A few years ago when our young fella was in crumlin hospital for a fairly long stay we used go to a place down the road that did a savage carvery. Can't think of the name of it now, but the food was excellent, BIG portions!! The staff were great aswell. We kinda got to know them after a while and when they knew we had a kid in hospital they would often give a discount or throw in a free desert. Meant alot at the time.

    From the Childers hospital the closest pub I can think of is The Eleanora, although there are 3 more pubs within 100m - of which the Halfway House would be the standout.

    The half way house. That was the one. Cheers.


  • #148
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,611 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • #149
    Jennehy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 155 ✭✭Jennehy


    _Brian wrote: »
    Who said anything about my wife cooking ?

    You couldn’t boil a kettle.


  • #150
    Class of 82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 73 ✭✭Class of 82


    gmisk wrote: »
    Ó Neills in Suffolk Street do one

    Going to go there Monday now after reading this thread. Has been on the agenda for ages.


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  • #151
    Thoughtform
    Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭Thoughtform


    JohnnyFlash wrote: »
    Why does it bother you so much that other people don’t like things you do? You seem to go around in a state of high agitation.
    I agree with him though - the snobbery around carvery seems like just a bandwagon. I love really good restaurants but a carvery can be tasty and filling at the right time too. Like chips after a night out. I don't think anyone is claiming it's high-quality food (although I'd say it depends on the establishment) however it's just meat, spuds, veg, stuffing and gravy. The hysterical descriptions of it are a tad dishonest. Reminds me of the way some folk pretend bread is akin to poison.


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