tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877763098081385934.post5517673903581755166..comments2023-09-05T06:39:18.493-04:00Comments on Time for Good Food: Empire State South (and Thoughts on Food)Time for Good Foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695197996914290089noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877763098081385934.post-16207272975767749102012-03-09T09:59:15.033-05:002012-03-09T09:59:15.033-05:00I hate going grocery shopping for that reason! It ...I hate going grocery shopping for that reason! It takes me forever to read all the labels and I have to make many tough choices - i.e. pay $2 extra for the organic cheese or stick with the store brand conventional cheese. And then I see other people's carts loaded down with complete and utter crap and it's so depressing! Oh well, hopefully one day soon we'll have more affordable healthy options. Thanks for reading!Time for Good Foodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13695197996914290089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877763098081385934.post-22413581295664138862012-03-09T09:56:29.208-05:002012-03-09T09:56:29.208-05:00Thanks for reading, Heather! I will say that the f...Thanks for reading, Heather! I will say that the food is really good, but the prices do seem crazy high for what you get. Granted, it is located in midtown and I'm sure the rent is through the roof, but I'm just too poor to make eating there a habit! Definitely worth checking out for a special occasion ...Time for Good Foodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13695197996914290089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877763098081385934.post-22684806470312124222012-03-08T09:14:27.206-05:002012-03-08T09:14:27.206-05:00I absolutely can relate! And I feel like I a const...I absolutely can relate! And I feel like I a constantly running into the same thing, especially grocery shopping. I want to buy the better quality meat and all the organic stuff, but it is so much more expensive that I can't bring myself to do it all. And I want those kinds of things to be readily available to the rest of society, but so many people eat unhealthily because they can't afford the better-for-you foods. :/Erinhttp://www.confessionsofapickyeater.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877763098081385934.post-60317025726913019992012-03-07T10:30:40.545-05:002012-03-07T10:30:40.545-05:00Wow - I'm all for paying a little more for goo...Wow - I'm all for paying a little more for good quality, but those prices do seem a little over the top for lunch. I haven't been to Empire, but it doesn't sound like the choices are overly creative to justify the price tag from your review. It is Atlanta, so there will always be people who won't mind the price though.Heather @ Better With Veggieshttp://www.betterwithveggies.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877763098081385934.post-30222633544248947612012-03-03T08:27:54.164-05:002012-03-03T08:27:54.164-05:00Thanks, Pam. I've eaten at Harvest for lunch. ...Thanks, Pam. I've eaten at Harvest for lunch. I really enjoyed it, but it too falls within the "special occasion" category for dinner. While I enjoy cooking, my favorite part about eating out is not having to prep, clean or get up and run back and forth to the kitchen 40 times to get something for the kids! I'm familiar with Pyng Ho, too. It's still there!Time for Good Foodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13695197996914290089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877763098081385934.post-67187352276157766642012-03-02T17:50:47.263-05:002012-03-02T17:50:47.263-05:00Yes, I can relate. I went into Empire once and I ...Yes, I can relate. I went into Empire once and I just couldn't see paying the price. As far as what you got...in reality combined, it made for a hefty lunch. $22 + 7 for parking is too much for lunch even in New York. <br />I do understand the pricing. Real Estate is astronomical in Midtown. It's the happening place to be where people will run up credit cards without thinking twice just to say they ate there. <br />The price doesn't change however, no matter where you go because restaurateurs keep a close eye on competition. <br />That aside, being ala carte is never good. Pricing adds up rapidly. <br />In truth, my husband and I can afford meals like this because our kids are gone but we ask ourselves, is this worth once a week? Isn't it better on an occasion?<br /><br />I remember taking my husband out for his birthday to his favorite Chinese Restaurant in Decatur, Pyng Ho. I used to take Steve's cooking classes. We use to attend his once a month dinner club. We always had the special because I don't particularly care for the traditional rice and stuff. This particular day, my husband said..."you know, you could cook a meal like this just as well". I was elated he thought my cooking to be so good. That was all I needed to hear. We quit going out to eat.<br /><br />About a year ago, for the heck of it, I wanted to go to this restaurant in Blue Ridge, Harvest on Main. The food was excellent. The service was super. The price was $150. Was it worth it? No. Could we afford it? Yes. Will we return? Maybe, in a year or so. I have to admit though, the meal was probably not something I would have considered making. So, I go by what is served at a restaurant such as another restaurant in Blue Ridge I considered but looked at the menu first.They were serving on special, Three Pork Medallions in a lemon/caper sauce for $22. Hello! Pork tenderloin cost $7.99 and that's the whole tenderloin. Lemon, capers and little corn starch. It was a no brainer.<br /><br />The fact is we've started living closer to a budget now that we are in our 60's because we don't know how long we will live and so there is no sense in spending frivolously, unnecessarily. <br />There is no way in hell I'd move in with my kids if I ran out of money. So that right there is an incentive to eat at home. <br /><br />The fact that we both enjoy cooking and now I photograph and blog about it helps immensely. So...better than going out, we don't chimp on food. I am always looking for sales and do really well with that but I eat filet mignon whenever we decide to have steak.<br /><br />BTW, it's great that you are a full time mother. Hardest job in the world, I know I was one.Pam Rauberhttp://www.therauberhouse.comnoreply@blogger.com