I very rarely go to canteen-type establishments nowadays. There are several reasons.
Firstly, there are practically no canteens now. And those that are available - the prices are not set at the table. The prices there are closer to the prices of a mid-range cafe, and self-service and interiors (or rather, savings on them) are responsible for the atmosphere of the "canteen".
Secondly, the range of dishes on offer there... let's say, not very logical. The dining room is a place where you can have a tasty, inexpensive and hearty meal. This concept defines the menu: all its positions must be prepared or portioned out in advance, be in the open (or almost open) access and not lose their taste for quite a long time time.
Therefore, it is wild for me to see a gastronomic container with "French meat" in the dining room (for example, which, when it cools down, becomes inedible!) Or some other compound positions, which, let's be honest, are tasty only if they are prepared from pre-prepared semi-finished products, but “according to request ". And as for steaks from red fish, for example, cold and stiff, at a price that bites the hand, I am generally disheartened - who should give a very decent amount for inedible?
Previously, the canteen menu looked (and not only looked) much more... logical.
Remember the same sour cream. A glass of sour cream (with or without sugar) and a loaf or a piece of bread could have served as an excellent, cheap and "fatty" snack. And you know, for the devil knows how long have not seen sour cream in a glass in any institution that calls itself a "canteen". It is understandable - this is an unfavorable position ...
And yes, sour cream in the dining room can be considered a dish. And it was considered a dish, one of the menu items.
Or here are soups... Despite the abundance of products and the seeming "richness" of the menu, the range of soups is now very small. You rarely find milk soup - with noodles or rice. I know many people don't like them, but I once ate with pleasure. And, by the way, these soups did not wait for the buyer for hours at all, they were usually prepared a couple of times a day - as needed, so there was nothing "soggy" or "soggy" in them ...
And the fish! Fish day is Thursday, if anyone remembers. Now, in theory, there are no problems with fish in all establishments, but, as I already wrote, in most places that have the name "Dining room", for some reason they prefer to disfigure an expensive product such as red fish by cutting steaks from it and indistinctly frying. Well, or by putting the fillet under the cheese crust into the oven. An hour after cooking, this is all already inedible, even if heated!
Meanwhile, in any dining room there was a "regular dish" - pollock or hake marinated. It was tasty and freshly prepared - hot or warm, and already cooled down.
And from the appetizers - an egg with mayonnaise and peas. Simple, satisfying, does not lose its taste for a long time. Or sausages - with the same peas. I’m still wondering why peas are now practically forgotten and banished as a kind of garnish, by the way?
I arranged a survey in FB - what do people still remember from those dishes that were, and now - no? And they gave me a very extensive list. Curd casserole, for example. Lush, soft, drizzled with sour cream (or condensed milk). Now there are cheesecakes everywhere - but for some reason there are no casseroles! Although syrniki is "a completely different calico". This casserole can stand and wait for the buyer, the cheesecake tastes better with the heat, with the heat.
Or, here, omelets cooked in the oven - the same plump and lush. Of course, it was better to eat them warm - however, they did not stagnate for a long time.
And also - all kinds of meat stews with gravy. And navy-style pasta.
And that's not counting pastries and drinks (milk, fermented baked milk, kefir, jelly).
I don’t argue, maybe there are canteens somewhere that have preserved all of this. But I didn’t come across such.
And you?
Shl. By the way, what other dishes of the “canteen” category do you remember?