Sunday Lunch, where are the families?

mashedbanana

I was thinking, do families still eat out on Sundays? I haven't seen many young families like my own out for Sunday lunch. It was only today that I really noticed it was mostly old folk, having their dinner.

We have lunch out every Sunday, it's something we like to do, are we the only ones? I have seen the odd family, normally with a nana or Grandad on tow. We figured these were special occasions (mothers day, nana's birthday etc).

mockingjay

Used to love going out for Sunday lunch, but can't afford it anymore, it's simply one of those luxuries that had to go! Really miss it

Davidth88

TBH it's like so many things now ......... the disposable income that went on that sort of thing is gone.

BabysCoffee

We never eat out for Sunday lunch. My mother cooks for my grandmother, uncle, dad & sisters and partners. We prefer eating in rather then going out for a meal. We can relax and spend as long as we want chattingbsround the table. Doesn't cost anything either.

huskerdu

I agree. I prefer to cook and eat at home. I also find the menus in Sunday lunch venues very limited. I have never met anyone who eats Sunday lunch out every week.

As has been said before, eating out every week is a lot of money.

The bill for my family (2 adults, 3 kids) would be €60-70. If you add that up over a year, its €3000. Id prefer a foreign holiday.

Lisha

huskerdu wrote: »

I agree. I prefer to cook and eat at home. I also find the menus in Sunday lunch venues very limited. I have never met anyone who eats Sunday lunch out every week.

As has been said before, eating out every week is a lot of money.

The bill for my family (2 adults, 3 kids) would be €60-70. If you add that up over a year, its €3000. Id prefer a foreign holiday.

We try and go out once a month for Sunday lunch but to be honest only if we can afford it

goat2

it would be too much off the budget, the difference is huge, a good roast lunch at home for four, 20euro, or 60 for lunch out,
when you put in the drinks with the main and desert i guess it would be 80, i can manage that at home and leftovers can do the following day, so it is a big save.

mashedbanana

huskerdu wrote: »

I agree. I prefer to cook and eat at home. I also find the menus in Sunday lunch venues very limited. I have never met anyone who eats Sunday lunch out every week.

As has been said before, eating out every week is a lot of money.

The bill for my family (2 adults, 3 kids) would be €60-70. If you add that up over a year, its €3000. Id prefer a foreign holiday.

Well, we rarely ever have dessert. But still ends up at around €50. It's our little thing (don't smoke/ don't have nights out) I must admit I cook everything at home, from scratch, every day of the week, so Sunday is our family day out (as himself works 6 days) and yes I know tis about €2,500 p/a. Mind you, we know all the hot spots! ha!

But, ya... I have noticed that hardly no familys are eating out, or 'around' much on a Sunday. Remember in days of old (and I dont mean the boom) it was normal, to be up, dressed, mass (if religious), and off out & about for the day? On Sunday? I suppose times are changing.
:-)

Swiper the fox

Well the obvious question here is "where is the best sunday lunch available?". I'm not into carvery myself and don't often go out for sunday lunch, most places do a different menu for it don't they. I'm in Limerick and the Strand Hotel do a fabulous sunday lunch buffet but it's very expensive, a rare treat, roast beef cooked to medium, great veg and restaurant quality desserts.

OP where do you like to go best, don't know where your from.

mashedbanana

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Well the obvious question here is "where is the best sunday lunch available?". I'm not into carvery myself and don't often go out for sunday lunch, most places do a different menu for it don't they. I'm in Limerick and the Strand Hotel do a fabulous sunday lunch buffet but it's very expensive, a rare treat, roast beef cooked to medium, great veg and restaurant quality desserts.

OP where do you like to go best, don't know where your from.

The last time we ate from a carvery was about 2 years ago!!! It was a complete and utter disaster. Didn't like it one bit. My OH almost had a hissy fit at the effort involved. I have him spoilt I suppose.
We are in Cork/Kerry. There are a 'few' nice places, but like everything else, after a while you get bored, and change it up a little. Good beef cooked correctly, is certainly not to be scoffed at. What 'foodie' don't like meat?

Mind you, it's all relative. It depends on what your after, the majority of hotels & restaurants we eat in have a very good selection on both menus. Even the kids at this stage have their own favs. Very hard to recommend a nice place to eat, kid friendly, soft lighting, well presented staff, great food etc...to someone who thinks a big Mac and fries is the ultimate nomnomnom!!! Lol!! We dont always go to very expensive restaurants like! We aren't loaded, I know money is tight, but I also know there is still a 'few bob' out there!

Late last night I talked about this with the boss, and he reckons there are plenty families still out and about having lunch out......in the likes of McDonalds/Supermacs.

They don't realise that for an extra few quid they could have a delish Sunday meal (proper food)

(I have totally gone off track with this I think, cos then I'd be edging towards healthy eating/fast food/Sunday lunch or weekly treat/what people can afford/etc etc etc) I'd only leave myself open to abuse!

So to wrap it up, ya, young families like ourselves actually ARE out having dinner on a Sunday. But they are in fast food places. That's why I haven't seen them! ...... not that there is anything wrong with a McFlurry every now & again. Just not ALL the time! :-)

lonestargirl

I think you also have to take into account the increasing popularity of Sunday brunch. We rarely eat Sunday lunch out but would often go for brunch and places are always packed with families with small children. After a nice eggs benedict I'm not ready to eat again until dinner time.

dub_skav

BabysCoffee wrote: »

We never eat out for Sunday lunch. My mother cooks for my grandmother, uncle, dad & sisters and partners. We prefer eating in rather then going out for a meal. We can relax and spend as long as we want chattingbsround the table. Doesn't cost anything either.

I'd say it costs quite a bit actually

reprazant

Not if your mother is buying and cooking it all!

Faith

reprazant wrote: »

Not if your mother is buying and cooking it all!

In that case, it costs your mother a fortune.

One would expect that everyone else contributes in a meaningful way though...

mashedbanana

lonestargirl wrote: »

I think you also have to take into account the increasing popularity of Sunday brunch. We rarely eat Sunday lunch out but would often go for brunch and places are always packed with families with small children. After a nice eggs benedict I'm not ready to eat again until dinner time.

You know, you could be right! I didnt think of that.

In my own experience, if I got the children up on a Sunday morning washed and dressed nice, and wanted to head away without them having breakfast first....there would be blue murder! They can't function until they break their fast. I'd have some very cranky kids to deal with!

Fair play to any mother that can manage it tho :-)

the beer revolu

mashedbanana wrote: »

Good beef cooked correctly, is certainly not to be scoffed at. What 'foodie' don't like meat?

How beef should be cooked correctly is very much a matter of opinion.
I haven't seen roast beef cooked anywhere near what I would consider correctly in years (in any hotel or restaurant in Ireland, that is).

Swiper the fox wrote: »

I'm in Limerick and the Strand Hotel do a fabulous sunday lunch buffet but it's very expensive, a rare treat, roast beef cooked to medium, great veg and restaurant quality desserts.

By medium, do you mean with a little pink in the middle?
I haven't seen roast beef even a little pink in years.
I like my beef rare but even a proper medium would be lovely as opposed to the ubiquitous well done beef that everywhere seems to serve these days.
I've always found it odd that twenty years ago when, I would have thought, far less people would have liked rare meat, carverys routinely served roast beef medium rare to rare.

lonestargirl

mashedbanana wrote: »

You know, you could be right! I didnt think of that.

In my own experience, if I got the children up on a Sunday morning washed and dressed nice, and wanted to head away without them having breakfast first....there would be blue murder! They can't function until they break their fast. I'd have some very cranky kids to deal with!

Fair play to any mother that can manage it tho :-)

In my case brunch is a 2nd breakfast. Cup of tea and a slice of toast when small dude gets up (any time from 5.30 on).

Swiper the fox

the beer revolu wrote: »

How beef should be cooked correctly is very much a matter of opinion.
I haven't seen roast beef cooked anywhere near what I would consider correctly in years (in any hotel or restaurant in Ireland, that is).



By medium, do you mean with a little pink in the middle?
I haven't seen roast beef even a little pink in years.
I like my beef rare but even a proper medium would be lovely as opposed to the ubiquitous well done beef that everywhere seems to serve these days.
I've always found it odd that twenty years ago when, I would have thought, far less people would have liked rare meat, carverys routinely served roast beef medium rare to rare.

That's what I mean alright, just a little pink mind you but a joy to see compared to most carvery's I've had the misfortune to visit.

TBoneMan

Was in belfast last summer for a few nights and I have to say I never had worse carvery in my life ... beef like leather , veg cokked to a mush and roast potatoes swimming in oil still. Rotten.

In cork we go to the cornstore...superb slow cooked rare roast beef on a sunday. Great duck too whens is on...pricey but quality everytime .

BabysCoffee

dub_skav wrote: »

I'd say it costs quite a bit actually

Ha ha! Only costs my mother!

I bring the wine and my sister brings dessert, but this is only a minimal cost.

A lot cheaper then 10 people eating in a restaurant tho......

Slaphead07

mashedbanana wrote: »

What 'foodie' don't like meat?

That's an incredibly ignorant statement.

mashedbanana

Slaphead07 wrote: »

That's an incredibly ignorant statement.

Well, I did expect 'some' sort of remark....

Any...ANY food critic worth her salt, is a meat eater. It's sorta part of the job you see. Depending on his/her area. It was a 'throw away' comment, not meant to offend anyone.

Stheno

We used to go out maybe twice a month for a late Sunday lunch, but have stopped it now.

A good roast lunch at home, beef cooked medium rare, or a leg of lamb, with roasties, mash, and plenty of roasted veg, with home made gravy, saves us a fortune, and it's a collaborative effort, and Oh's son has learned how to cook parts of the meal too.

This Sunday it's Steak and chips day, four adults, four steaks, homemade chips (OH's son wants to learn how I do them as he loves them), fried onions, and a good dollop of roasted veg, we'll all enjoy the meal, and it will cost less than €20

Next week is roast chicken, same cost, the week after it's chinese on Saturday, and roast beef on Sunday.

We'd get those four meals for the cost of one lunch out, and to be honest, a lot of the time we enjoy the food at home far more.

Nonoperational

I think it's very much down to changing habits too. Before when people went out to eat they were very happy with meat, potatoes and two veg. It's different now. People are looking for more innovation and things that they can't necessarily do themselves at home easily and/or well. Sunday lunch still has a tendency to be a bit "meh" and it's not as acceptable as it was.

mashedbanana

Stheno wrote: »

We used to go out maybe twice a month for a late Sunday lunch, but have stopped it now.

A good roast lunch at home, beef cooked medium rare, or a leg of lamb, with roasties, mash, and plenty of roasted veg, with home made gravy, saves us a fortune, and it's a collaborative effort, and Oh's son has learned how to cook parts of the meal too.

This Sunday it's Steak and chips day, four adults, four steaks, homemade chips (OH's son wants to learn how I do them as he loves them), fried onions, and a good dollop of roasted veg, we'll all enjoy the meal, and it will cost less than €20

Next week is roast chicken, same cost, the week after it's chinese on Saturday, and roast beef on Sunday.

We'd get those four meals for the cost of one lunch out, and to be honest, a lot of the time we enjoy the food at home far more.

Sounds like ye are working off a planned monthly menu. I personally love to cook like this also. As nothing ever goes to waste. I don't mind mentioning that, as I wouldn't want anyone to think that I'm wasteful of either money or food....quite the opposite.
I thnk that the longer we spend in the kitchen the better we get, it can be very frustrating to match this 'standard' when eating out. We have very high standards (like alot of other people). Homemade chips are absolutely divine! not the muck at some unmentioned drive thru's! and who doesn't like a decent steak? (Oops, I mean, what meat eater, doesn't like a decent steak?) My OH loves his blue. Alot of places don't like the idea of serving blue steak anymore :-( ...health & safety etc.
Incidently, this Sunday we are staying in, we did last week too. First time in about 2 years. :-)

mashedbanana

Nonoperational wrote: »

I think it's very much down to changing habits too. Before when people went out to eat they were very happy with meat, potatoes and two veg. It's different now. People are looking for more innovation and things that they can't necessarily do themselves at home easily and/or well. Sunday lunch still has a tendency to be a bit "meh" and it's not as acceptable as it was.

i just mentioned something similar to that! :-)

Slaphead07

mashedbanana wrote: »

Well, I did expect 'some' sort of remark....

Any...ANY food critic worth her salt, is a meat eater. It's sorta part of the job you see.

Yeah. See post #21 again.
The notion that you can't enjoy a meal without some type of animal on the plate is, as I said, ignorant.

mashedbanana

Slaphead07 wrote: »

Yeah. See post #21 again.
The notion that you can't enjoy a meal without some type of animal on the plate is, as I said, ignorant.

Lemme break it down for you, i'm feeling the need to. Just so that there is no confusion......

FOR ME, it's not a 'notion'. It's a fact.

I AM a foodie.

I AM a good foodie.

I have made a living...being a foodie.

I like meat.

I get paid to eat meat. (in fact I get well paid to eat meat)

It's a bit of a 'win win' situation. For Me.

FOR ME, a good dinner involves meat... Good Meat, cooked to my liking.

So.....what eva!!!

the beer revolu

This could get interesting:D

Swiper the fox

I was gonna take this thread off my followed list but now I think I'll stick around:eek:

Slaphead07

mashedbanana wrote: »

Just so that there is no confusion......

Oh there's no confusion. I got ye alright. No need to repeat myself.