Word: jamestown
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...these, "Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar" is king, and it's the only large casual-dining chain with an outlet in Jamestown. Since its founding in Atlanta in 1980 - when it carried the delightfully whimsical name T.J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs - Applebee's has become a beast. "With nearly 1,700 restaurants," applebees.com says, "it is the largest casual dining restaurant concept in the world" (Ruby Tuesday, by comparison, has just 880 locations). Note the language: Applebee's is much more concept than restaurant. It serves food grounded in no particular ethnic or regional cuisine in settings bewilderingly...
...Pictures of Darin Erstad, the Los Angeles Angel born 32 years ago in Jamestown...
...ever that way? Probably not, but today it is much, much worse. Driving into Jamestown today is much like driving into any American city of less than a million people: the outlying Comfort Inns are soon followed by an onslaught of billboards with ensorcelling pictures of the steaks and pastas and chicken Caesars available at the fungible establishments calling themselves O?Charley's or Olive Garden or, if you?re very lucky, Carrabba's Italian Grill. (Check out the July issue of Consumer Reports for detailed ratings on 103 U.S. restaurant chains; Carrabba?s was named top Italian chain...
...sure Jamestonians like seeing pictures of Erstad on the wall, but a big part of the allure of Applebee's for small-town residents is its connection with the larger American culture. "When Applebee's opened here, people really thought Jamestown was finally on the map," says Robert Carlson, president of the Farmers Union and a Jamestown resident. Carlson chuckled at this - he prefers local food - but he appears to be part of a vanishing, romantic minority. Applebee's was packed both times I went - even at lunch, nearly every seat was filled. The local restaurants - places Darin Erstad might...
...dressing wasn't too heavy. I didn't care for the Bourbon Street steak, but I ate most of a "Veggie Patch Pizza" even though it dishonored the very idea of pizza since the "ultra-thin" crust turned out to be a tortilla. I went back to the Jamestown Applebee's even after I had what I needed for this piece...