Posted on 11/02/2006 8:38:56 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- When it comes to eating out in the United States, Texans do it the most, New Yorkers pay the most, and Italian is the country's favorite cuisine, a study showed Wednesday.
Zagat Survey released its "America's Top Restaurants," a guide covering 1,389 eateries in 42 cities, which is based on 21 million meals worth of experience by more than 123,000 people.
It found that during 2006 restaurant openings have been far outpacing closings and that the cost of a meal increased 2.8 percent, less than the 4 percent rise in the country's Consumer Price Index.
"These are happy days for food lovers -- this marks another year where restaurant quality, diversity and value have improved across America," Tim Zagat, chief executive officer of the survey, said in a statement.
The survey showed that 83 percent of people eat out as often or more than they did two years ago and that people in Houston, Texas, eat out the most at 4.2 times a week, followed by the Texas cities Austin and Dallas-Ft. Worth, where residents dine out four times a week.
Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami come next, with people eating out 3.8 times a week.
In New York people eat out 3.3 times a week, which the survey said could be due to the high cost of dining there -- the city is the most expensive in the United States with an average meal costing $39.43.
"Sadly its the same old story across the country when it comes to service," the Zagat Survey found. "72 percent of diners say service is the greatest irritant when it comes to eating out."
Nearly a third of diners said Italian food was their favorite, with American food coming in second at 16 percent and French third at 12 percent. But when Japanese, Chinese and Thai were combined they ran a close second with 25 percent.
There is a great sandwich chain called Potbelly's I ate at after a tour of the Pentagon....it was great!
Like G Larry has said... Pizza counts as Italian food.
You know...I haven't even had pizza in a long time...Hmm...I'm getting a hankering right now!
I agree. Just placing French food as # 3 told me all I need to know about this survey......
I lived in the Italian section of Williamsburg, Brooklyn for about seven years....I know good Italian food. There was a restaurant we'd go to. It was literally in someone's house....they had a B/W tv with rabbit ears on a table while you were eating. The waitress weighed at least 400 lbs. It was the best Italian food I'd ever had...then to now.
Mi Terra's in San Antonio's El Mercado used to be good, but the last few times I ate there, it was grissle city.
Taco Cabana is now better than Mi Terra.
Taco Cabana is better than Mi Tierra's? Back in the 80's when I lived in San Antonio I really liked Mi Tierra's except for the occasional off day they'd have.
I remember when Taco Cabana opened up close to where we were living in Houston. I was so excited because I had missed TC. Alas, something was lost in the transition from San Pedro, San Antonio to Houston. However, the Houston location did get better after they'd been opened for about 6 months.
I wonder if they still serve menudo on Saturday and Sunday mornings at the San Pedro, San Antonio location. Come to think of it, I wonder if the San Pedro location is still open now.
Where were you four hours ago. No way could French food be number 3 on the list - unless French Fries are included as French food!
I don't know why, but restaurants of any type, Greek, Italian, Cajun, what have you, always seem to have the best foods when their chef is fat...............
The only way the French ranked 3rd is the Redhead at McDonald's helped them.
That lady was the greatest. I've read some articles about her, one when her husband was still alive, and another after he passed. I think she has now passed, too, but she was a brilliant woman, very artistic and educated. She graduated with honors from Smith.
They were very much in love and she very much loved to cook. I recall her talking of bruising the butter. I had her cookbook but it was all too difficult for me at that time and my mom gave it away! Wish I had it back again!
"Nearly a third of diners said Italian food was their favorite, with American food coming in second at 16 percent and French third at 12 percent. But when Japanese, Chinese and Thai were combined they ran a close second with 25 percent."
This freeper and his sweet bride of 38 years both favor Mexican food.
We are also both SoCal natives, and out here it is pretty close to being American food. At least it is California food.
Seriously, not that Taco Bell is real Mexican food, and I dearly miss my favorite Mexican restaurant in California, but Mexican food is very popular here in the Pacific Northwest too.
It is hard to believe, since salsa starting outselling ketchup many years ago.
Julia Childs's cooking *tastes* tasty, too!
Mexican and Asian foods are hugely popular where I live (Western Washington State). But then, if push comes to shove, I think anyone around here would say their hands-down favorite food is pizza.
Oh yes, Pizza!
A person can only go so long without pizza.
San Antonio is just down the road from you.
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