Sneakeater

What I tried to say, by that parenthetical at the end of my post, is that I don't think having a great reputation in the U.S. makes it true. I just wanted to convey to you guys that this great reputation exists. I think it's interesting the way differences often arise between local and foreign perceptions of places. I can think of lots of places here in New York that have great foreign reputations -- visiters flock to them -- but that people here either think are past their prime or were never that good to begin with.

I completely agree with everything Bryan said. (To amplify one thing, I think it would be sort of a waste to come all the way to New York and eat uncharacteristic good-but-not-great barbecue at Blue Smoke.)

I don't see how Devi coud be considered a worse restaurant than, say, Saul. Or Etats-Unis.

Look at the end of the "Jean Georges and Nougatine" thread for a discussion of Jean Georges v. Nougatine for lunch.

I am linking this article -- a posthumous publication by the recently deceased, legendary reporter and eater R.W. Apple -- only to show you guys what a tremendous reputation Cabana Las Lilas has here in the United States. (Which obviously doesn't make it any less of a tourist trap.) http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/trav...html?ref=travel

Considering how far what we write on the internet is from traditional standard English, it's amazing any of us ever understands anything anybody else says.

By "also UES", he meant that JoJo is also on the Upper East Side.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...dpost&p=1290386

Yeah, actually, I would say Atelier seems perfect for Mr. Foodbabe. Especially if you sit at the counter.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Sorry.

For the little it's worth, I completely agree that it's better to sit at the bar at Yakitori Totto. But that's one of the reasons I wouldn't really think it's suitable for a business lunch.

Are those places really non-dairy?

[Whoops. Misread.]

Appropos of nothing, I will note that every time I've been to Little Owl, they've accomodated me by creating a (very uncomfortable) fifth seat at the bar (off to the side, by the entrance to the kitchen). I think it's because I look so needy when I show up at a restaurant.

Oh oh I had that, too. It was really good.

Now I'll be the devil's advocate. So do you, or don't you, think Jarnac is a neighborhood place?

May be true.

Hear that, Ll?

I'm not complaining, I love the place.

I'd say more on the phone. (I.e., the won't ever give me a reservation.) Once there, they're perfectly nice. (Although I can never know how different the wait times they give me are from the wait times they give Japanese people.)

Yeah, it's absolutely clear.

Two sucks don't make a right.

I think lying to the reservations clerk sucks. I really don't think people should do that. Is the guy you met with a foodie? I think we often make the mistake of assuming that everyone is as adventurous as we are. Just because a place is great -- and Totto is certainly that -- doesn't mean I'd expect everyone I know to appreciate it.

I guess someone should mention that Cafe Boulud has a WHOLE VEGETARIAN MENU. (Although lacto-ovo can still be a problem even at vegetarian-friendly places.)

While looking for something else, I came across a couple of statements by oakapple from a couple of years ago that contradict things other people have said in this thread and even, perhaps, the thrust of some things oakapple has said in this thread. I'm not doing this to play "gotcha" with oakapple or to try to trip him up. I'm merely trying to demonstrate that it's hard to argue that "neighborhood place" is a term of art with a stable, agreed-upon meaning. It seems to me to be more one of those vague phrases that get tossed around a lot without anyone's really knowing exactly what they mean. (Or, more accurately, everyone thinks they know what it means, but don't really pay attention to the fact that the term is used inconsistently -- including by themselves.) That's why I started this thread (semantic though it is).