Texas Roadhouse doing well

Answer for Steve......Robert is indeed THE troll and always will be! (and if you chimed in more than 4 times you would know this to be the case

I generally read every thread, have for months and months. Just because I don't spout off doesn't mean I don't know what's going on.

..there is nothing harmless about his motives or intent

I wouldn't want to speculate what his motives and intentions are. I think it would be safe to assume that he likes some chain restaurants though. And as far as I know, he's never tried to imply that those who don't are ignorant or stupid or misguided.

..please refer to the definition of TROLL for clarity)

Like this one:

An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial and usually irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of baiting other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

I don't know how Robert is a troll, especially in this case. He started a thread about Texas Roadhouse. I've asked a couple of times if Texas Roadhouse is a valid topic for this forum. If it is, then this post is not the work of a troll. In fact, this thread was IMMEDIATELY hijacked from it's given topic, to personally bash Robert!

I suggest that if the collective forum doesn't wish to talk about chains, then those topics should be forbidden, any such posts deleted, and any posters who continue to make them should be banned. That would be an honest thing to do.

Another honest thing to do, would be to allow chain restaurants to be discussed, and just don't respond to Robert's posts if you do not wish to engage him in debate or conversation.

The worst thing to do, is to keep going the way things are where Robert is immediately bashed, at a personal level, for making what appears to be a valid on-topic post.

And for gosh sakes. Lighten up people!

The time I spend teaching beer to those willing to be educated about beer is fairly extensive. However, because this isn't the public schools, I try as hard as I can to weed out those who don't wish to be educated, because it's a waste of my time. When they're ready -- if they're ready -- then so am I. Does my own establishment benefit from it? Of course, but so does everyone else selling good beer, and the more places that sell good beer, the longer the list of places I can go an enjoy a busman's holiday.

It's regrettable that a lover of good beer can't patronize certain establishments because they won't carry one of several thousand brands of beer available on the market. But don't humans survive on the planet because of adaptability? Why reward non-adaptibility? The broader my range of tastes, the more habitats I can visit and enjoy.

Besides, as I've noted before in this space, it's very simple. We sell four kegs of Spaten Premium Lager each and every week, year round. If a Bud Light drinker cannot drink Spaten, he or she really has no business drinking beer. Spaten is a worthier substitute than most, and I'm fairly confident that roughly 95 out of 100 Bud Light drinkers in a BLIND taste test wouldn't know the difference. Considering all that, why should I be unduly bothered by the 5% who can't adjust, when I can please the 95% who can and do?

And, while I'm at it, if anyone can explain what Marxist-anything has to do with my espousal of niche market capitalism, please enlighten me. Takers? Anyone? The Red Room exists to annoy stuffed shirts, not because I'm a Communist. I traveled quite a lot in Eastern Europe when it was Communist, and the goal was to make everything alike. My goal is to have differences. Seems to me that chain-think is far more socialistic than what I practice, seeing as the gift cards for chains will be sold in other chains, and soon we'll all shop in the same six places owned by the same corporate entity. Just like in Bulgaria, circa 1987.

Finally, note that I, like Clancy, have defended Robert's continued presence here, and on more than one occasion. I don't think he should be banned. At the same time, when he insists on posting inciteful blather, I'm more than happy to answer. Turn the other cheek isn't something that I do very often.

(no Queen lyrics or Def Leppard quotes today, LOL. I've been listening to WUOL)

Just let it die already.......

Just let it die already.......

But I already did. The preceding were my last words.

OK lets just call it a draw....Fair enough....

And, while I'm at it, if anyone can explain what Marxist-anything has to do with my espousal of niche market capitalism, please enlighten me. Takers? Anyone?

I'll be happy to explain. It is beyond your comprehensive that anyone would like Bud Lite. (It is also beyond mine, but hey, different stokes) Since you can't comprehend anyone liking Bud Lite, you have to rationalize the reason why they like it. The way you do is to claim that they are victim of mass market homogenization and marketing. In other words, they don't really like it, but they think they do because they have been capitalistically repressed with False Consciousness.

This is a type of Marxist thought, because the mass-market beer drinking proles, only support capitalism (Bud Lite), because of their False Consciousness, oppressively imposed by the capitalistic overclasses. If it wasn't for this, they would abandon capitalism and see the beauty and light that is communism (craft beer).

The problem with the whole concept, is that people are perfectly able to think and make judgments on their own. In fact, it is perfectly reasonable for someone to consider the facts, and decide that they really like capitalism (Bud Lite) better than communism (craft beer).

There is no reason to say they are unenlightened, ignorant, stupid, or suffer some kind of mass-media induced false consciousness to explain why that is. One could just give due respect to their decision that they see capitalism (Bud Lite) as their better, informed choice over communism (craft beer).

Folks of good conscience can disagree about beer. There should be room in your worldview for that fact, without assuming that they are ignorant or brainwashed by mass-marketed culture.

In the alternate universe Spock has a goatee....

In the alternate universe Spock has a goatee....

roger (at the very least) encourages and supports local foodies and local food establishments
robert on the other hand seems to be a spokesman for franchise/chains across the country

which is more suited to this forum???

Well, that's why I asked what the rules are.

What fun would rules be? It's fun to watch 2+ people slug it out on topic that can be seen as both serious (which businesses we support) and not so serious (claims of trollism).

Seems like Robert's point about a locally-based chain (oxymoron as that may be) doing well in tough economic times seems pertinent to a larger discussion regarding the economy and dining habits, even if his intention was not so pure. Roger's passion for his work, if nothing else, must be respected. As the new guy, I'll leave it there.

O it was very pure.....then the dirt started to fly....

O it was very pure.....then the dirt started to fly....

Pure as the driven snow!

[Robin Garr]

O it was very pure.....then the dirt started to fly....

Pure as the driven snow!

Steve, it's nice to see you come out of lurkdom, but I can't help but notice that most of your posts have been in the interest of fanning the flames in a contentious thread. I suggest it's time to let this one die out and move on to talking about other things.

No need to reply.

Yes it is like a like in Sanford and Son.....Someone was talking about Elizabeth and Fred said that She was as pure as the wind driven snow....and you are looking at the only driver....

In the alternate universe Spock has a goatee....

Hey, so does Eric Cartman! Coincidence? I think not.

Hey david you might like this. It is one of many Pm,s from last April about you....

No need to add to the debate. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your principled stand not to dine at Mr. Clancy's restaurant. His comments about well done steaks and recent insults (that got removed) ensure I'll never dine at his restaurant.

If I were you, I wouldn't feel comfortable going there.

I don't always agree with your viewpoints, but I don't see why so many people can't even understand where you're coming from.

I am the person that sent this message to Robert last year. I like the concept of this forum and visit it every few days to read up on restaurant news. I am not all that interested in posting because it seems like there are different standards for different people and discussion ends up often being more about philosophy than food. While I strongly prefer to dine at non-chain restaurants, I can find something that I like at pretty much any of the chains if the people I am dining out with want to go to one.

Roger's original topic did have at least something to do with the local restaurant scene. Several of the others that followed did not. Robert is insulted fairly regularly, with the term troll most commonly used. I'm not sure if he is trying to cause arguments or not, but personal insults should never be acceptable. Yet they are, and these insults matter. Like Steve H, I'm the type of person that should be a prime customer for Roger's business. I choose not to go there for the same reasons that he articulated (far better than I could):
" Roger's place should be my Mecca. But there is an elephant in the room that gives pause: Roger's disgusting elitist attitude. This is usually expressed about certain kinds of beer the obviously stupid people who drink them."

It's worth noting that Roger's alternative to Bud Light, Spaten, is owned by the company that is trying to buy Anheuser-Busch. If they succeed and Spaten & BL are sister brands, then what do you serve the simpletons?

Another comment that express my thoughts comes from Anna C:
"I haven't posted much at all since I joined the proper forum, and it's this kind of back and forth that really turns me off from posting on this forum. This thread is a perfect example. Any chef/owner who posts on something like this makes me think about where to use my dining dollars."

Here's an example of how this worked with me. On Sunday, my buddy & I left Churchill Downs and wanted to go get something to eat. We drove up third street and turned onto Oak. We had a brief conversation about going to Carly Rae's and I didn't want to. Why? I don't like the philosophy & attitude of their new chef. I never patronized his place in New Albany for the same reason.

Business owners & their employees have every right to post their opinions on this site. They can also treat people however they want to within the rules of the forum. They should know that their personal viewpoints can have a direct bearing on their business and it may not always be good.