American Food NOW poll

Alas, there is no Subway in the Medway area - the closest one was in Gravesend and that one closed up last year.

However - Bluewater has Quiznos, and is getting a Krispy Kreme soon. There's also a Mr Pretzel (hot soft pretzels) there (along with the requisite Micky D's and KFC ).

For my Subway fix I go to Romford (near my in-laws) in Essex.

Thank you Peedal.
You've been very helpful.
Yea, I know about that awful Bluewater (I say "awful" because my wife loves to spend money there ).  And indeed, my trips there are only made tolerable by the requisite visits to Mr Pretzel, M & S, and Pizza Hut.

What is Quiznos? Are they like Subway?

Know of any bakeries that bake "real" American-type, soft, choco-chip cookies? Have had no luck with Safeway, ASDA, M & S, or Tesco. I usually bake my own from the mixes I get from ASDA or Safeway. (Does it not annoy you the way Brits add an "s" to the end of Safeway?) 

You can get Skippy peanut butter at Sainsburys.  Grape jelly can be found, but it's not cheap and you'd have to order it online or find it in a specialty shop like Partridges in London.

I see Skippy all over the place - even in our crummy little local grocer.... But I actually like the peanut butter here - it's not so loaded with sugar and tastes more like peanuts to me.... I use seedless raspberry jam on my PB&J's.

And our local pubs both have pretty decent food....

There's actually VERY little that I miss. But the first things I head for when I'm visiting: California sushi (fancy stuff like my fav. in Santa Cruz: salmon, unagi, cream cheese, and ground up macadamia nuts - sounds horrid, but mmmmm); fancy pants pizza (sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, that sort of thing); and good Chinese that doesn't cost a fortune (cause my experience here has been that Chinese is either good and really expensive or greasy and icky.)

As for Mexican, I make it myself and it satisfies me pretty well - I made chicken enchiladas just a couple of nights ago in fact! 

The only thing that I miss is lemonade with lots of pulp.  I found some in the local Iceland when I lived in London but they discontinued it and haven't found it in Kent.   
I miss that my local Tescos doesn't have cornmeal here.
Everything else I have found a way to make with what I can find here.

What is Quiznos? Are they like Subway?

Know of any bakeries that bake "real" American-type, soft, choco-chip cookies? Have had no luck with Safeway, ASDA, M & S, or Tesco. I usually bake my own from the mixes I get from ASDA or Safeway. (Does it not annoy you the way Brits add an "s" to the end of Safeway?) 

Quiznos is a sub/hoagie place, but their subs are toasted.  Yummy!

I really have found that Sainsburys' bakery cookies - the one in the dreaded "American" packaging" - are very good if you want soft cookies.  They're big and come 4-5 in a bag for 99p. or so.  I really like the oatmeal raisin ones - my 16 year-old son loves the white chocolate raspberry ones!

Oh - and I certainly don't buy the tinned hot dogs!    Herta are pretty good and come in skinny ones and "thicker" ones.  I use finger rolls for the skinny ones and sub rolls for the thicker ones.  The "hot dog" rolls leave a lot to be desired. 

Taco Bell  :\\\'(  oh Taco Bell  :\\\'( :\\\'( :\\\'(  Where for art thou Taco BELL  :\\\'(

I actually don't miss a thing.  Of course, being in London means I have many choices.  I never went to fast food places in the US unless I HAD to...so I don't miss any of those.  Perhaps the only thing I miss is my neighborhood restaurant in Watertown, Mass that had the best po'boy sandwiches and garlicy caesar salads!

I miss bagels! Real bagels, not those things masquerading as bagels in the grocery stores here, ie NYC bagels. They are just not the same. I made my husband drive me from Edinburgh to Glasgow one sunday morning to go to a kosher bakery and get some proper bagels. As much as I did love them, they did not have 50 odd varities (raisin, honey nut, blueberry, and on and on ...)

I miss Brugers, Bagel Cafe, Einstien's -- I used to complain about these places now I rush into them after landing at O'Hare and gorge myself!

I miss CHEAP seafood (ie- Red Lobster). For being on an island, crab and lobster ain't that cheap! I adore Mexican (being from Texas and dating a Hispanic for years), but make it myself. I thought I would miss Taco Bell but when I was back home in June, I made a trip and to be honest, outside of being cheap and convenient.....my palate had lost its taste for it.

Funny thing...the town we are moving to in the states next year, only has a Taco Bell....and they are building a Sonic (that will help )...but it has casinos with cheap seafood night! lol

For all of you missing ('cos you live too far away from one) Subways i think i'll rub it in abit. I work in a Subway's in Newcastle and every shift i get a free sub!! LOL! Feel free to kill me now! 

I've only been here a little over 1 month, but the only thing i've missed is grape jelly and real peanut butter (like Skippy or Peter Pan or something).   I make PB&J all the time, and the closest thing I've found to grape jelly is something called "bramble jelly" or something and the peanut butter is awful.  When I asked someone about PB&J, they had never heard of it and couldn't believe that you would put peanut butter and jelly in the same sandwich.
Aaron

LOL thats so funny... when i came over this time i made sure to pack a big jar of welches grape jam and skippy peanut butter... had to bring smooth though cause they didnt have any massive jars of super crunch....

  how about sonic drive ins??? now they know how to serve a chili cheese dog or omg even better nathans coney island  mmmmm   Jo

bagels. taco bell. applebees. chilis.  (not tgi friday, mind you!)


I'd kill for a taco bell.

where do you live Vilas?  there are a few Chilis here - there's one in Canary Wharf

Ahhh but of course she wouldnt want any simple flavors like that---brown sugar frosted ones!!!

Helena

I don't have shares in it either (honest!) but Rosslyn Deli in Hampstead has brown sugar frosted ones!  Just a warning though - I bought some a couple weeks ago and got to eat exactly two of them as my darling Brit hubby took to them rather quickly.   I should have known that would happen! 

   man i gotta agree with yall. I been here a month and notthing taste like home. Even the micky d's fries tasted off today. i ate the hambureger and was havinng instant withdrawl syndrome and needing moer thats so badl. OH but wait. WHERE Can u get a decient burger here? NObody puts ground beef together. They have those nasty frozen patties that  look like big frisbees and taste like butt.. EWWWWwwwwww
 they have a friday's over in Kingston where the boyfriend worky.. and opening up a tony Roma's but ia m scared to death wwwwwwwwahhahah.
 shala
PS this is off topic but i gotta know.. what's up with putting BUTTER on ham and chese type sandiwches.. EWwwww
and is pizza hut and such liek really good cos i am dying i mean DYING for some pizza!

and is pizza hut and such liek really good cos i am dying i mean DYING for some pizza!

Pizza Express is tastier than Pizza Hut, IMHO.