Expectations

Despite having a five week old, we have been tempting fate by going out to eat dinner while on vacation on Virginia Beach. Obviously, it's a coastal community and seafood abounds in the area. Being from a place that knows how to cook and eat (especially seafood), I am a harsh critic of the places where I eat. And I have been watching my new favorite show - Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America (best channel on TV, IMHO) which gives me a whole new kind of vocabulary and reference point for criticism.

So here is my problem:

Is it so much to ask that I get a good food prepared correctly when I go out to eat? Isn't that at least part of the the purpose of going out - paying someone else to use their expensive kitchen and tools and knowledge to do something better than I can at home?

I had wahoo that was overcooked, a seafood au gratin that was swimming in sauce and had sandy scallops (which I don't like anyway), and softshell crab that was bland and tasteless. I was afraid to eat shrimp, flounder, or crabs (especially as they do them the "Maryland style" where all the seasoning is added on the outside of the shell?) for fear of being disappointed.

I am starting to get to the point where I don't want to eat out anymore. It's sad at best. Do other people in the world not know what good food tastes like?

I just don't get it.

Places to avoid in the Virginia Beach area:

Baja - Seafood Au Gratin was awful, the scallops were sandy.
The Anchor Inn - wahoo with lynnhaven sauce - the fish was cooked to death.
Margie and Rays - all in all this was the best restaurant we went to. I had softshell crabs, and they were good. Just not great.

I am sure there are good restaurants around here, but these are not they.