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Original poster

Items that you no longer see on menus.

636 replies

DeathAndParsnips · 10/09/2023 17:53

Which foods do you rarely see on menus now? I was watching some old adverts on YouTube for Little Chef and such which made me think of this.

Do you still get melon as a starter? I used to love that as a child. Also a glass of orange juice as a starter. I went to a hotel in around 2010 and they still had that as an option on the menu. I found it rather charming.

OP posts:
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Wetblanket78 · 10/09/2023 21:24

Traditional British puddings it was on the news the other week that traditional British puddings are dieing out. Spotted dick bread and butter pudding etc. They got some kids to taste some. They had never had it before. I got all the ingredients to make a spotted dick. Still not made one yet.

My son isn't really a fan of chocolate. He also doesn't like anything with salted caramel. He loves cheesecake but often the cheesecake option is salted caramel. There's often only one option he will have. So apart from ice-cream which we would rather get from somewhere that makes it themselves. He's not a picky eater he would rather have a home cooked meal from scratch. Love's fruit and veg. But would rather have something like an apple crumble or apple pie. Which is not often an option.

rossogingerale · 10/09/2023 21:25

Chicken in a basket, my DM used to love making this at home, basically cooking chicken pieces and serving them in a wicker bowl shaped basket.

4kids2cats · 10/09/2023 21:27

Me too! Was only talking about it to my boyfriend recently. He’d no idea what I was talking about and it’s quite hard to describe without making it sound absolutely rank 😂😂 But it was SO tasty.

Passivhaus · 10/09/2023 21:30

Chicken supreme

linelgreen · 10/09/2023 21:30

Crepes suzette that the maitre'd would flambe at your table for you - very theatrical!!

Eve223 · 10/09/2023 21:30

Lemon Meringue Pie!

Gettingbysomehow · 10/09/2023 21:32

Anything "a la greque" that might preceed anyone on here.

bluebeardswife7 · 10/09/2023 21:33

It wasn't in a restaurant but a few years ago I got a deluxe ready meal from Iceland. It was an empire pie, like a shepherd's pie with spices. It tasted amazing but has never shown its face since.

bluebeardswife7 · 10/09/2023 21:35

Ironically, I googled it and the only recipe that came up was Mumsnet.

Draigosaurus · 10/09/2023 21:38

housethatbuiltme · 10/09/2023 19:56

I also hate the vegan substitute thing.

When 95% of a menu is already meat why take off the two veggie meals to add 'meat substitute' meals, its not fair.

I'm veggie due to medical reasons, I cannot eat beef or pork. The risk they will mix up a 'moving mountains' burger with a real one (which could KILL me) is too big a risk to take. Especially as many people think veganism is a lifestyle choice not medical so do NOT treat contamination all that seriously.

I do NOT want my food to look exactly like something that could kill me. Bring back good old veggie burgers made of veg and breadcrumbs or even the modern 'halloumi' burgers will do me.

I am glad the fad of whacking a bland drippy MASSIVE mushroom in a bun and call it a 'burger' is over though.

“I am glad the fad of whacking a bland drippy MASSIVE mushroom in a bun and call it a 'burger' is over though.”

You’ve just reminded me of the most outraged I’ve ever been by a restaurant meal.

I couldn’t believe it when the veggie burger option turned out to be a mushroom bap.

Riverlee · 10/09/2023 21:38

Elphame · 10/09/2023 19:30

Burger King used to do a proper vegetable bean burger in the 1980s. I still miss it.

I can only find ones now in supermarkets with curry/spicy favouring now which is both unnecessary and nowhere near as nice

Used to love this, and I’m not even a vegetarian.

Imsureitsprobablymebut · 10/09/2023 21:38

A good Ploughman’s lunch.

A proper vegetarian lasagna, especially goat’s cheese ones.

Pancakes as a desert (a la little chef)

Also, Knickerbocker Glory has been mentioned, but when they pour a double shot of alcohol in, especially Tia Maria.

mommatoone · 10/09/2023 21:40

Mammillaria · 10/09/2023 18:40

Organ meat like liver and kidney. Very unusual to see a steak and kidney pie on a menu now, although I do suspect that it's still included in many of the steak and onion/ale/etc pies in a covert fashion.

Very different to France where there's organ meat of some sort on most menus!

Took my parents to local retirement home for lunch. The menu was very traditional.
The had liver & onions with mash & veg on the menu. I rarely eat meat nowadays, i just dont fancy it .but i ordered the liver and my goodness it was lovely! Not had it for about 30 years .

Mojodojocasahaus · 10/09/2023 21:42

The dessert trolly!

I remember going to family special dinners in a local hotel and the dessert trolly at the end was always exciting.

Treacle lattice tart, spotted dick, Black Forest or strawberry gateaux, death by chocolate, banoffee pie and sherry trifle

D1nopawus · 10/09/2023 21:42

On the theme of knicker bocker glory, does anyone remember the horn of plenty from the beefeater in circa 1987?

Original poster
DeathAndParsnips · 10/09/2023 21:43

Ironically, I googled it and the only recipe that came up was Mumsnet.

Jamie Oliver has a version. www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/lamb-recipes/spiced-shepherd-s-pie/

You'll probably find more if you Google spiced Shepherd's pie.

OP posts:
UnctuousUnicorns · 10/09/2023 21:43

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 10/09/2023 21:23

I frequently see prawn cocktail (even if it's king prawn with smoked salmon) and one of my favourite local pubs does potato skin starters. And most definitely cheese boards. And scampi. And ham, egg and chips. And mushroom risotto. And Eton mess .

I think you get the orange / lemon sorbet in the fruit at some Asian restaurants where they offer various frozen deserts, including the one in the penguin mentioned by another pp .

I remember the orange juice as a starter in the 1970s - definitely not seen that for many years.

Like the restaurant featured in the advertisement reel at the pictures, with shaky, slightly out of focus footage, that was "just around the corner from this cinema"?

Clevs · 10/09/2023 21:43

venusandmars · 10/09/2023 20:07

Ah, the days when mac 'n' cheese was a full meal, not a side!

And it was known as it's proper name - Macaroni Cheese!

GregoryFluff · 10/09/2023 21:44

Not from a menu, but for nostalgia's sake

A potato wrapped in tinfoil at kids parties with cocktail sticks stuck in like a hedgehog, with pickled onions, cheese and cocktail sausages, maybe sometimes pineapple?

Do people do that anymore?

coxesorangepippin · 10/09/2023 21:44

Dessert trolley

😌

Clevs · 10/09/2023 21:44

I can't believe so many people are saying prawn cocktail. It's on the starters menu at nearly every establishment round here! And scampi is on most pub menus too.

Setyoufree · 10/09/2023 21:47

I loved the pudding trolley 🤤

Floating islands - only ever had it as an extra special treat

Riverlee · 10/09/2023 21:48

D1nopawus · 10/09/2023 21:42

On the theme of knicker bocker glory, does anyone remember the horn of plenty from the beefeater in circa 1987?

Yes, I do! Going to the local Beefeater was a special treat (now knocked down and flats built! )

Ourshoddyhouse · 10/09/2023 21:49

Our local NHS trust does orange Juice as a starter.

Haven't seen key lime pie for ages

BlackForestCake · 10/09/2023 21:49

To me, a suet pudding was something that Paddington used to eat in the books.

A few years ago I started making them in the winter. They are amazing for filling you up on cold nights, and dirt cheap to make.

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