Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with restaurant

Event-type restaurant in Greenwich Village

lockedroomguy — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:24:12 -0800

Greenwich Village NYC EVENT restaurant recommendation. We're looking for a restaurant in the Village that is an experience to go to. Not because of the food--the food doesn't even have to be that good. More looking for an experience or extraoridinary atmosphere. We have guests coming in to the city that will probably go to a lot of other areas in the city over the next few days, but probably not to the Village. So what ideas are there for an experience, as opposed to a great meal, in the East or West Village, or walking distance? Examples that don't work for the crowd we have in mind would be Jekyll & Hyde (for kids) or Lips (a little too crazy.)

Grange Hall would have been good, but it's closed. Its replacement, Commerce, would work, but is too expensive, as we expect the guests are going to try to treat us, and we don't want to blow their budget. Chumley's would have been good, but it's closed for renovations.

Any ideas?

Thanks

What's the profitability of getting into the restaurant industry?

CWitt — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:27:19 -0800

What is the profitability of a small restaurant? I'm a young entrepreneur graduating soon from college and can not bring myself to getting a 9 to 5. I want to be self-employed and I know that I will be successful. I think the first step is entering a business that I know will make me some residual income.

I've become very interested in owning a small restaurant. I cannot decide if the restaurant industry is for me or not, but I think I could succeed. I could obviously start my own local cafe or something, but I'm worried of the risks. I quick fix could be to open a Subway or Quizno's franchise (something with a low franchise fee), but I don't know if they are very profitable. Does anyone own a franchise restaurant or regular restaurant that could offer some rough figures to get me going in the right direction?

Like a bartender

sixcolors — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:31:33 -0800

I am interested in doing some bartending this summer and fall. I worked in several restaurants before, but not as a bartender. What is it really like? There's already a thread on how to get a job as a bartender, but it didn't touch on how it was like day-to-day.

I want to know what I'm getting myself into. If you are/were a bartender....

What did you like about it?

What did you hate about it?

What were your specific duties?

What were the most popular drinks you served?

I have evening classes...is it possible to get hired doing weekdays only?

Affordable dinner in NYC?

LittleLisi — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:09:03 -0800

Help me find a nice BYOB restaurant in NYC for a 12-person celebration. My sister's boyfriend is proposing to her on their vacation next week. (Exciting!) My job is to find a restaurant in Manhattan to celebrate when they get back next Sunday.

My dad is treating for 12 people... to save money for the future nuptials, we're trying to keep it affordable.

Requirements:
- Room for a party of 12 (private room a plus!)
- BYOB
- Preferably downtown

Suggestions? Advice?

Looking for a locally-owned restaurant in Phoenix...

pwb503 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:44:33 -0800

Who can recommend a locally-owned restaurant in or near Phoenix for lunch on Saturday? Type of food doesn't matter, just that they know what their ingredients are and are willing to deal with some food allergies. One person (me) can eat anything, another (not me) has a soy, nut, and dairy allergy. We don't need a hippy place that only serves allergy friendly food, but that'd be ok too. We just need a place that makes everything from scratch and can make something on a clean pan for her. BBQ, mexican, pub, thai, whatever; just name the best local joint open for lunches.

Need San Antonio Restaurant

foodybat — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:57:43 -0800

I'm looking for a great / unique restaurant in San Antonio to take some business associates this friday night for dinner. I've been to San Antonio 8-10 times... & eaten on the River Walk several times. It's been awhile since my last time though...
My criteria are;
Money is not an issue
I'd like several suggestions; (italian, steakhouse, etc)
If on the river walk, something with a view (outside) overlooking the canal.

I want to make a reservation today.

Where can I watch the Top Chef finale in Chicago tomorrow night?

wordsmith — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:05:00 -0800

Where can I watch the Top Chef finale in Chicago tomorrow night?

why do you have to be closed pizza gods?!!?

outsider — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:59:50 -0800

Where to eat a great dinner out in Phoenix? The lady friend and I are going to Phoenix next week to see Tom Waits... the only restaurant we have ever needed in Phoenix is Pizzeria Bianco... which unfortunately will be closed the night we are there. Any other recommendations for a great early dinner spot? We have to be done with chow by 7:30 or so to make it to the show. Atmosphere / food quality are paramount, price is a concern but we are open to anything.

all this art is making me hungry!

shothotbot — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:33:28 -0800

Where is a nice place for lunch near the Brooklyn museum?

Where can a group, half of whom don't eat meat, get awesome cheap food in Chicago?

Stylus Happenstance — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:49:07 -0800

Help me find places to eat in Chicago. I don't think I've been to a bad restaurant there, but I'm looking for new places, plus I'm looking to save money on this trip. For added difficulty, 2/3 of my entourage will be vegetarian, so a variety for them would be nice. We won't have a car, so it needs to be near the train, too. Or for extraordinarily good food, the bus.

Vegetarian Food Off the Pike

Galt — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:37:57 -0800

Vegetarian RestaurantFilter: Can anyone suggest a good vegetarian restaurant near the Mass Pike (probably in Worcester or Springfield)? I'm taking a friend to Boston for the week; we're heading out tomorrow. My plan is to get dinner on the way, but I think that's scared her, as she's vegetarian and it would start the trip with a bad taste in her mouth if we went to a fast-food/rest-stop place. I'd like to surprise her by stopping at a good vegetarian place (or place with good vegetarian options) that's not too out of the way (so that we can still arrive at our hosts at a reasonable time - around 8). Google maps says that Springfield and Worcester are the major cities we'll be near from 5-7. I'd prefer to not drive anywhere in Boston except to and from our hosts'.

The only one I've found so far is Quan Yin Vegetarian, which has few reviews and no menu online, so I'm appealing to the Hive Mind for recommendations. Thanks!

What is being a baker or sous-chef like?

schroedinger — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:17:06 -0800

What has been your experience working as a baker, sous-chef, pastry chef, or on prep staff in a bakery or restaurant? What was the job like? The hours? What skills did you need to know before being hired, and what was OK for you to learn on the job? Did you have any significant professional training before beginning, or was it all self-taught? I have discovered a love of baking and cooking, and am considering going into the field for a couple of years. Is this feasible to do so without culinary school? I've been a life-long baker, though nothing more complicated than basic cakes and cookies. About six months ago, I began working in a cafe where in addition to line preparation (i.e. making sandwiches) I've been doing basic food and baking prep work as well. Nothing fancy, mostly baking cookies and making soup, but I've learned a lot about food and baking in general and it's awoken a passion within me that's lasted quite a bit longer than any of my other interests.

I'm not yet ready to give up my current career path and go to culinary school. I'd like to be able to dabble part-time or full-time in a bakery or restaurant while pursuing my current educational goals. But I don't know if this is even feasible, as I'm not sure of what qualifications I'll need to join a "real" bakery or restaurant in any position above dishwasher, nor what kind of hours, pay, or workload to expect. Can you help?

Late-night solo dining in Paris?

sueinnyc — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:27:34 -0800

Where can I comfortably get dinner in Paris, by myself, late on a weeknight? I don't get much sympathy for my predicament, but these days I sometimes find myself alone in Paris and in need of dinner around 9 or 10 p.m. Are there any good places in Central Paris where I can find a decent meal late on a weeknight where I can either get the food to take away or where I will not feel uncomfortable or look out of place eating alone?

I really don't like eating in restaurants alone, although I feel relatively comfortable eating at NY-style diners and fast-food-style places on my own. The hotel in which I usually stay, which is otherwise fantastic, does not serve hot food in the evenings.

Ideally this would be in or near the western part of the 2e arrondissement.

What do I need to learn about wines to be a waitress at a nice restaurant?

Niomi — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:34:08 -0800

What do I need to learn about wines to be a waitress at a nice restaurant? I have an interview with a Italian/European themed restaurant of the sort my family could never afford to even step into. This is the best job I could ever hope to get, but I need to do some homework on wines before my interview. I'm too young to have much expirience with alcohol (but I will be old enough to serve it in a restaurant.. very shorty) and I have almost no knowledge of wines other than the kind that comes in a box. I'm doing some Googling and browsing on Wikipedia, but is there anyone who has worked in the industry or knows a lot about wines that can point me in the right direction? Some names of wines I know have been served at this restaurant based on google searches: Vega Del Rio Crianza, Crios Torrontes, and Ornellaia. I don't have the money (and in any case, it's not legal) to do any tasting of these wines on my own.

New Trends in Restaurants?

jon_kill — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:23:45 -0800

I'm working on an article about new trends in restaurants (things like pickled eggs being served in high end restaurants and bartenders serving meat-infused drinks like the sashimi-tini) and wondered if anyone has noticed new and fun trends out there. If you remember the name of the restaurants/bars where you saw them, that would be extremely helpful too. Thanks!

[posted for my gf]

Good pasta in San Diego?!

brynna — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:58:41 -0800

Where can I find fresh pasta in San Diego? I'm looking to find a restaurant (or great market) that serves (or sells!) fresh, amazing pasta. I'm based in San Diego and my search has been fruitless so far. Help!

Where to treat in Oslo

hariya — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:50:05 -0800

I need recommendations for a good, not-too-expensive restaurant in Oslo. I will be in Oslo this weekend, and want to take my wife out for dinner on her birthday on Saturday. Bagatelle is out of my league but I would love to take her somewhere really nice. It does not have to Norwegian cuisine, although that is a plus. We are staying close to the Karl Johanns gate if that helps you in making a recommendation.

It's like The Old Spaghetti Factory with a goatee.

designbot — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:10:17 -0800

What is the deal with Spaghetti Warehouse & The Old Spaghetti Factory? I went to my first Spaghetti Warehouse yesterday. The similarities to Old Spaghetti Factory were overwhelming. It looks like someone (maybe Robert Hawk or Charles Tandy?) visited an Old Spaghetti Factory on the West Coast, said "hey, what a great idea," went back to Dallas, and built an exact cargo-cult duplicate from memory. Old Spaghetti Factory was founded in 1969, and Spaghetti Warehouse in 1972, so it must have happened not long after Old Spaghetti Factory opened.

The two companies don't appear to be related at all, but the resemblances are too numerous and too exact to be coincidental. For instance:

The name: Where does spaghetti goes after it leaves the Old Spaghetti Factory? The Spaghetti Warehouse, of course. (In Canada, it's apparently called The Old Spaghetti Warehouse.)

The business strategy: The Old Spaghetti Factory:
Dussin pioneered the concept of developing restaurant properties in places others considered unworkable. These diamond-in-the-rough locations often are unique and distinctive—even historic—buildings in older warehouse districts where rents are low. As the restaurant's popularity grows, the area begins to improve. Other stores and businesses move in, bringing more people to the area. The Old Spaghetti Factory's traffic goes up, but the rents stay low.
Spaghetti Warehouse:
Based in Garland, Texas, the company typically establishes outlets in abandoned factories and warehouses in the downtowns of large metropolitan areas, using any tax assistance for developing an urban downtown property to pay for the facility's conversion to a restaurant.

The decor: Both restaurants feature a pseudo-Victorian mismatched aesthetic, with dark wood paneling, and elaborate glass lighting fixtures. Spaghetti Warehouse is done a bit more on-the-cheap, and features more random bric-a-brac. Most tellingly, both restaurants commonly feature seating inside a converted San Francisco trolley car in the middle of the dining area. Considering that one restaurant is from Portland and one from Dallas, it would be remarkable indeed if they both happened to come up with this bizarre idea independently.

The food: At both restaurants, entrees cost around $8, and include salad and unlimited bread. A small loaf of sourdough bread is brought out before the meal on a small cutting tray, with a serrated knife and a cup of garlic butter. The available entrees are very similar. After your meal at the Factory, you get a cup of vanilla, chocolate, or spumoni ice cream. When kids are done eating at the Warehouse, they can choose from a cup of chocolate or vanilla.

The locations: The states where Spaghetti Warehouse is located form almost an inverse map of the states where the Old Spaghetti Factory is located. It looks like they've expanded up to each other's borders, and there are now a few cities (like Atlanta) which have both chains.

This can't just be a coincidence. Does anybody have the inside scoop on how these bizzaro restaurant chains have co-existed for so long, or who ripped off who? Are they both copying some prototypical Old Spaghetti Dough Processing Facility in San Francisco?

Bonus question: Does anyone remember an 80's/early 90's comedy in which a guy was planning to start a restaurant chain called McRonald's (or McBonald's) which was basically an exact rip-off of McDonald's?

Where does the lady sit if the wall has a nice view?

NucleophilicAttack — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:15:43 -0800

Seating at a restaurant. I understand that in one-on-one situations, etiquette suggests that lady is offered the seat with the view into the room, and the gentleman takes the seat facing the wall. This and other sites seem to agree. But what if the "wall" is floor-to-ceiling glass with nice views of the outside? Now, I understand that there are no hard-and-fast rules, but in theory does the lady still sit facing into the dining room? Or should she be offered a seat facing the glass so she can enjoy the view?

One consideration that has been brought up, is that if the glass admits a great deal of light, the person sitting with their backs to the glass is silhouetted.

Not your average lunch

nnk — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:43:26 -0800

So where would you go to lunch with an old friend in or around Hagerstown, MD? I am planning to get together with an old college friend and Hagerstown is about half way between where we each live. Where could we go and sit and have a leisurely, tasty lunch? I am not really interested in any place we'd have to dress for, but I do want good food.

I'd be willing to consider Frederick or Sheperdstown, WV but it would be farther for me.

Muy delicioso

cabingirl — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:53:15 -0800

SpanishFilter: How can I politely say "I've had enough" or "I'm full" in Spanish? As mentioned in a previous AskMe I am headed to Guatemala next week and I don't speak Spanish beyond the basic tourist phrases. Due to a medical issue I can't eat very much at one time. In many restaurants the server will ask me if the food was okay since it looks like I didn't eat anything. I usually reassure them that it was delicious but I'm already full, or I wasn't very hungry, or something like that.

What would be the best way to express that in Spanish? Who knows if I'll even need it, but I've had this experience in both the US and Europe and I certainly wouldn't want to insult anyone.

Recommend a Vegas spot for a small wedding dinner?

chudmonkey — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:35:32 -0800

Can you recommend a restaurant to host a 15-person wedding dinner in Las Vegas? I'll be getting married in Vegas between Monday, Oct 20 and Friday, Oct 24, and I'd like to take the whole gang to dinner after the ceremony. Facts which may facilitate your recommendation:

-There will be 10 attendees in their late 20's and two sets of parents in their 50's.
-Drinking will likely be moderate, maybe 2-3 glasses of wine or beers per person.
-I'd prefer attendees be able to choose their courses as at any restaurant, but a limited selection for the evening would be acceptable.
-I'd love to keep the total cost around $50/person, including dessert.
-There are few Wine Industry folk in the group, so they will appreciate a good wine list or corkage. This is not critical.
-I'd like my party to have privacy, to accommodate toasts and general rambunctiousness.
-Should be within an easy 30 minute's car trip of The Strip.
-Food should be "North American Normal". I personally would love to have a nice hamburger.
-As a group, my party would generally enjoy "fun" and "comfortable" over "really nice" or "fancy".
-I'd prefer to support a local, independent business.
-I'd LOVE to support a MeFite's business.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations or ideas. E-mail me if you'd like!

Fine dining with no reservations?

jon_kill — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:58:06 -0800

I'm looking for examples of fine dining restaurants that do not take reservations. They can be anywhere in the world. If they take reservations for lunch, that's fine, but they should have a policy of not taking reservations for dinner service. If you know what system they use instead, a little bit about that would be appreciated. Thanks!

Green Concierge Seeks Los Angeles Infodump

carsonb — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:00:25 -0800

I'm starting a new job as a telephone concierge at a Brand-new upscale retail/housing establishment in Glendale, CA next week—can you help me get my ear to the ground? Clients will be both tenants of the property and casual shoppers, and I am expected to provide expert-level concierge service. However, I'm relatively new in town, and the time I've spent here has been confined to a rather narrow corridor between Echo Park and central Hollywood. My boss is even newer to town than I, and I'd like to make a good impression by hitting the ground running for this gig. Please, I'm eager for all types of suggestions:

- Specifics on LA destinations (restaurants, attractions, events, nightlife, etc. with a focus on upscale, hip, guaranteed solid types of establishments)
- Hints/tips on transportation and navigation
- Blogs, websites, mailing lists, and RSS feeds that will keep me up to date on all of this stuff (I've subscribed to some related AskMe tags already; what am I missing? =o)
- Dead tree rags I should be reading regularly
- Any other information you can provide

Glendale is my first priority, but superior knowledge of all of Los Angeles is my ultimate goal. As mentioned above, I'm working my way through pertinent tags here on AskMe, but if you know of any relevant/obscure questions I might like to see please do mention them. Also, as a sub-question, do you have any tips on this type of job? I've worked as a TTY Relay Operator before and am happy to customer-serve, so I'm not completely unaware of what it entails. But if there's any specific advice you're holding I'd appreciate a share. Thanks!
Yes, I run with my ear to the ground; talented like that.

Pakistani restaurant music

mulligan — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:37:02 -0800

I often eat at a couple of few different pakistani restaurant and have noticed they both play pretty much the same songs in the restaurant. Rather than ask the restaurant staff, I'm asking metafilter: Is there a common list of songs popularly played at these establishments? What are the songs that would be in such a list?