Question for non-Stateside readers

[neadods]

I'm looking for the name of that type of restaurant that serves fast, homestyle local food; it probably has a dish described or named "Mama's" or "Grandma's."

In America, it's the diner.
In Britain, the pub.
In France, the bistro.
In Italy, the trattoria.

What is it called in your neck of the world?

Comments

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Um, actually, in Britain (or at least England) it would be called 'The Caff' (but spelt 'Cafe').

[steviesun.livejournal.com]

Although many don't like being called that (I think my grandparent's cafe would have fit the description but they were terribly proud and hated it being called a caff).

[inamac.livejournal.com]

I expect that they, and their patrons, would have been more likely to use the actual name of the place (or its owners) rather than the generic 'Cafe'.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Pubs are a stand-alone sort of beast, then? Or just a tourist thing, at least when you're eating?

[inamac.livejournal.com]

There are dozens of different kinds of pubs. The main purpose of a pub is to serve beer (to adults over 16), but most serve food to some extent - though that ranges from 'two pints of lager and a packet of crisps' via 'two curled sandwiches on the bar', through 'family' pubs (which is probably the sort you're thinking of - basic, usually microwaved, meals - though how 'fast' they are depends on how busy the bar staff are selling drinks), to 'gastro-pubs' - many of which are operated by Five-Star chefs and have to be booked in advance.

None of these would serve anything called "Mama's" or "Grandma's" though you might find the 'Publican's Special' at a family pub.

Actually, for the most part, the British define eating places by the cuisine rather than the building (I'm going out for a Chinese/Indian/Italian/Greek/chippie/kebab house...)

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

Well, in the north-west of England, where I used to live - North Staffs, Cheshire, North Shropshire - pubs serving food served pretty decent food. Not gourmet-book-in-advance sort, but definitely not microwaved either. They had a full kitchen and served from a full menu, where a lot of the food would have been prepared in advance but still came out piping hot and delicious.

Our local favourites don't seem to have websites, but here's a detailed TripAdvisor review for a pub five minutes' walk from where we used to live and the food from which we loved:

White Hart.

So if you're looking for quick 'n' cheap diner-type food, a café may be the best equivalent to a diner - but I certainly wouldn't equate a diner with a trattoria or bistro, just as I wouldn't with a pub! I consider diner food to be much lower in quality, mass-produced, frequently microwaved from frozen and very much short-order food. An old-style family restaurant in the US might be closer to the pub/bistro thing, but not a chain restaurant (Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel etc) - you just don't get many chain restaurants in Europe, and those that do exist are considered inferior - the Little Chef/Happy Eater type, for example, which is closer to a US diner or chain family restaurant.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

but not a chain restaurant (Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel etc)

Trust me, the chain food here isn't much better. But it gives me pointers for the *kind* of thing I'm actually looking for - fast, cheap, easy, relatively decent (when not made en masse in advance) food. I want to expand my cooking repertoire, and I'm a lot more likely to learn how to do scotch eggs and croque madame, etc., than I am celebrity or higher-end foods.

Knowing what kind of word to search for - cafe, carinderia, bistro - gives me the direction to search.

Watching the Brit side of the discussion evolve is a bit like watching Americans draw the lines between truck stop, diner, and steakhouse... but in the end, it just gives me three new terms to search, y'know?

If I get 12 terms, I'll pick one per month next year. :D

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

That's what I meant: chain restaurant food is not associated with good quality. I know there are exceptions - Olive Garden etc - but I'd never compare a chain diner/family restaurant/breakfast eatery with a decent pub or bistro, whether in the UK or north America. Ever :)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

for the most part, the British define eating places by the cuisine rather than the building

So do we... but "diner" is a cuisine around here. For lack of a better description, it's "generican" cuisine.

What I'm trying to do is find key terms to search on/search for books about to expand my cooking range. I've got a bistro book, y'see, and know I can find a pub one...