Why Dining Out Often Involves Ordering Dishes You Can't Make At Home

Dining out, especially at a fine dining restaurant, offers an experience that is hard to replicate at home. Whether it’s the ambiance, the variety of dishes, or the expertise of the chefs, there are often unique culinary experiences that are simply not possible to achieve in one’s kitchen. In this article, we explore the reasons why many diners choose to order dishes that they can’t recreate at home and how this affects their choice of restaurant dining.

Unique and Expensive Dishes

When you dine out, the cost of a meal is significantly higher than what you might spend on groceries to prepare a similar dish at home. For many, the primary reasons to dine out are to enjoy a delicious meal in a pleasant setting with attentive service, or to indulge in food that is either too difficult or time-consuming to make at home.

Consider the dish of duck a l’orange or squid in ink. These are dishes that are not only unique but also require a level of skill and time that most home cooks do not have. Ordering these at a fine dining restaurant allows you to experience the refined taste and texture that would be challenging to achieve at home.

Main Courses vs. Side Dishes

While some dishes on a restaurant menu are designed to be home-cooked, many others are geared towards providing an experience that is hard to replicate. For instance, if I can make a dish at home, there's no point in ordering it at a restaurant. However, side dishes are often a different story. They may be a variation that takes more time and effort to achieve at home, or they might be unique to the cuisine offered at the restaurant.

For example, in many Mexican-American restaurants, you can find Carne Asada and enchiladas. Carne Asada is a relatively simple dish that involves marinating skirt steak and grilling it. However, enchiladas are a labor-intensive dish requiring a homemade mole sauce that takes all day to prepare. While it’s easier to make the steak at home, the enchiladas are almost always a worthwhile experience when you dine out.

Occasional Ordering of Dishes You Can Make At Home

Sometimes, you might order a dish you can make at home, but not because you want to experience it in a restaurant setting. For instance, if your spouse doesn't enjoy certain foods, ordering those dishes in a restaurant can be a way to enjoy them without the hassle of cooking. My wife, for example, doesn't like fish, so I often order seafood dishes in restaurants knowing that I can’t make them at home to her satisfaction.

On the other hand, if you regularly enjoy certain dishes at home and can make them with your preferred seasoning and cooking method, there is no compelling reason to order them in a restaurant. A common example would be regular cuts of steak. If you’re a steak aficionado, you know that you can easily get a ribeye or sirloin cut from a local butcher and cook it to your desired taste. Therefore, unless there is a unique or exotic cut of steak available at the restaurant, there is no need to order it out.

Conclusion

The decision to dine out often revolves around the desire for unique, delicious, and time-saving dishes. While many people can replicate simple dishes at home, there are plenty of gourmet and intricate dishes that are simply too complex to prepare in the comfort of their kitchen. By understanding the reasons behind dining out, you can make the most of your time and experience, enjoying the varied and exceptional culinary delights that restaurants have to offer.