Call me pompous, call arrogant, call me choosy but I think that all chain eateries are to be avoided if it can be helped. Life is too short to eat meals in chain places. The little city where I live now - Ellicott city has a bragging point of not having a single chain restaurant in the older area that are most frequented by tourists. They have passable italian and french places and a half-way decent tappa place. As much as I like US, I think one has to go to very upscale place to match the taste and quality of the mid-priced EU eaters. So much so that I never go to restaurants unless it is a business meal that I am hosting or being invited to. When traveling, I usually use whole-foods or like stores for meals taken alone. Good salad, some fish, some cheese and fruits and I am all set. The only exception is when I am traveling in EU. When it comes to food, the old world still rules. That excludes russia where I think the worst features of the EU and US hospitality industry are being used for the sake of maximizing profits.