Comments on: Restaurant Week Relief http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/ Your guide to food, drink and deals in Philadelphia Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:56:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: LeeAnne http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-63020 LeeAnne Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:13:09 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-63020 The thing that strikes me as funny about RW is that people will make reservations at places like Zahav and Bistro 7. You get the exact same deal every other day of the year. Why not pick some place where you at least stand to save $10 like Tinto? If you look at the RW week menu for Zahav, it is exactly the same as their regular menu. The only difference is that they're forcing everyone into the "choose your adventure" fixed price option on the menu, cutting the cost by $1 and calling it a deal. The thing that strikes me as funny about RW is that people will make reservations at places like Zahav and Bistro 7. You get the exact same deal every other day of the year. Why not pick some place where you at least stand to save $10 like Tinto? If you look at the RW week menu for Zahav, it is exactly the same as their regular menu. The only difference is that they’re forcing everyone into the “choose your adventure” fixed price option on the menu, cutting the cost by $1 and calling it a deal.

]]> By: Andy http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-63000 Andy Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:33:11 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-63000 I live in the city and always eat at home that week. It's the one week where you can be sure you'll be rushed through your meal and treated with indifference by the majority of hostesses and waitstaff. I thought that restaurants would want to showcase their best dishes, but was sadely mistaken there too. I realise that it's the people that have gone before me that have caused the problem: those who have the two dinners with tap water as the beverage of choice and leave a 15% tip. Maybe. I live in the city and always eat at home that week. It’s the one week where you can be sure you’ll be rushed through your meal and treated with indifference by the majority of hostesses and waitstaff.

I thought that restaurants would want to showcase their best dishes, but was sadely mistaken there too.

I realise that it’s the people that have gone before me that have caused the problem: those who have the two dinners with tap water as the beverage of choice and leave a 15% tip. Maybe.

]]> By: hungrythirsty http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62996 hungrythirsty Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:55:51 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62996 restaurant week is what it is. i just like the idea of relief for the people that work it. cudos P & K. restaurant week is what it is. i just like the idea of relief for the people that work it. cudos P & K.

]]> By: daytime drinker http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62987 daytime drinker Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:43:46 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62987 Its not that staff and service are trying to put everyone out, its that cheap people want to eat out too. When a restaurant is full at 5:30 you are pushing the limits of what kind of service you can expect. It is those great restaurants that actually deliver stellar service I avoid restaurant week all together. It totally screws up restaurants with bogus reservations through opentable. People that don't show up don't even bother to call. Its not that staff and service are trying to put everyone out, its that cheap people want to eat out too. When a restaurant is full at 5:30 you are pushing the limits of what kind of service you can expect. It is those great restaurants that actually deliver stellar service
I avoid restaurant week all together. It totally screws up restaurants with bogus reservations through opentable. People that don’t show up don’t even bother to call.

]]> By: el tuerto http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62985 el tuerto Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:26:02 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62985 Agree with the above comments. I have avoided Restaurant Week for last couple of years and some of my friends never understood why. Even the couple of places where it is a "deal" you save only a few bucks! Ryan hits it right on the head too - you have to commit to dessert which you might not normally get. Agree with the above comments. I have avoided Restaurant Week for last couple of years and some of my friends never understood why. Even the couple of places where it is a “deal” you save only a few bucks! Ryan hits it right on the head too – you have to commit to dessert which you might not normally get.

]]> By: matt http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62984 matt Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:37:28 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62984 i worked at a restaurant during restaurant week once. ...once. i worked at a restaurant during restaurant week once.
…once.

]]> By: felicia http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62982 felicia Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:25:59 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62982 Restaurant Week backlash! Restaurant Week backlash!

]]> By: jlg http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62981 jlg Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:02:26 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62981 glad i wasn't the only one who feels this way. i've also found that service is often brusque during restaurant week as owners and staff seem to want to push as many $30 diners in and out the doors as humanly possible. glad i wasn’t the only one who feels this way. i’ve also found that service is often brusque during restaurant week as owners and staff seem to want to push as many $30 diners in and out the doors as humanly possible.

]]> By: Ryan http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62980 Ryan Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:50:58 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62980 Agree with the above... there is no way i would go to a restaurant and get 2 appetizers and 2 desserts either... one of each, or only one at all, usually suffices and I can walk out of there with a food bill of way under $70 for items on the regular menu (not including drinks of course). Agree with the above… there is no way i would go to a restaurant and get 2 appetizers and 2 desserts either… one of each, or only one at all, usually suffices and I can walk out of there with a food bill of way under $70 for items on the regular menu (not including drinks of course).

]]> By: Joe K http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62979 Joe K Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:18:05 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62979 Epices6 is right -- while that may have been true the first time they did restaurant week, it no longer is the case. Portions are much smaller and options are much more limited than the regular menus now-a-days. Frankly, barring a few great places (namely Garces' places, Le-Bec Fin Mercato), you're actually better off going to most places and eating their regular menu at some other time. Restaurant week seems to have turned more into a way to rip people off than anything else. This isn't to say servers deserve any of the brunt -- this is entirely the fault of the owners. Epices6 is right — while that may have been true the first time they did restaurant week, it no longer is the case. Portions are much smaller and options are much more limited than the regular menus now-a-days. Frankly, barring a few great places (namely Garces’ places, Le-Bec Fin Mercato), you’re actually better off going to most places and eating their regular menu at some other time. Restaurant week seems to have turned more into a way to rip people off than anything else. This isn’t to say servers deserve any of the brunt — this is entirely the fault of the owners.

]]> By: epices6 http://foobooz.com/2009/08/restaurant-week-relief/comment-page-1/#comment-62975 epices6 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:06:05 +0000 http://foobooz.com/?p=10844#comment-62975 re: "remember you’re getting a $50 dinner for a reduced $35 tab." While I strongly empathize with the overworked staff and tip accordingly, the $35 dinner price is often exactly what you get when eating out during restaurant week (very limited choices that always include chicken, etc.). There are laudable exceptions, but I more often encounter menus that would not warrant more than $35. re: “remember you’re getting a $50 dinner for a reduced $35 tab.” While I strongly empathize with the overworked staff and tip accordingly, the $35 dinner price is often exactly what you get when eating out during restaurant week (very limited choices that always include chicken, etc.). There are laudable exceptions, but I more often encounter menus that would not warrant more than $35.

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