Lately, I have the hardest time deciding where to eat out.

[Diana]

It drives my husband batty.

We go out only once a week. I can never seem to make up my mind. I'll get an idea, and then question if it's "the right choice".

In Los Angeles, there are plenty of wonderful places to go, and new places I'd love to try.

for some reason, though, I can never settle or be sure. I keep questioning my own decision.

Is it the right choice? Would ______ be better? Should I try _____ instead? _____ is also good? What if I miss out on ________?

It's all in my head, but it's becoming quite a problem, moving from simple indecision to sometimes near panic as I try to make the best choice!

Anyone else have similar problems?

how do you choose from such a wide selection of places?

[abowes]

The trick for me is to decide *before* I get hungry. Once I'm hungry, indecision follows closely behind!

Another option - come up with a list of places you love or want to try, randomly sort it, and there's your plans for the next several weeks. You could do a second sort, to be the backup list, in case the thought of ___ turns your stomach that particular night.

[hannaone]

Not the same problem, but this may help.
If I'm in a new place that has a lot of choices (or a list of recs), I will start with a map location, ____ Street & ____ Ave. Then I pick a direction and start eating my way around the compass.
The point is if you have a plan, and stick to it, some of the stress in choosing every time will just disappear.

[chigirl71]

My husband is happy when I'm in this state of indecision. . .it usually means we're staying home and I'm cooking.

[hrhboo]

I completely agree that we are spoilt for choice in Los Angeles. So many recommendations, so many places and so few opportunities to try them all. And then there's the question of whether to stick with an old favourite or take a chance on a new one.

I used to share your dilemma but now that we eat out 3-4 times a week I've been cured! Even if I am disappointed by a new place I know my next dinner out is only 24 hours away.

[Diana]

I wis I could do that, but health wise and money wise, I can't afford it.

[hrhboo]

It isn't always expensive, sometimes it's Sabor a Mexico or dim sum! I agree with you on the health aspect and I work pretty hard to stay in shape. I know it would be easier to just avoid eating out so much but I can't help myself.

[cheesepowder]

I have the same problem. I can't decide where to go, and then second guess myself the whole way there. If I'm not sure, I pick someplace that I haven't been to because at least if I don't like my dinner, I'll have tried someplace new that I can cross off my mental list of places to try and I'll feel like I've accomplished something.

[viperlush]

Try drawing a name (or cuisine) out of a hate. Living in Baltimore we run into the same problem, except it is what bar do we go tonight? What we started doing was collecting cards and matchbooks. If we can't figure out where to go we go to the bowl and pull out a card or matchbook.

[katkoupai]

Sometimes, I drive around looking for a place to eat, change my mind x number of times, and then finally go home and make myself a big salad. :)