Ruby

Cabrales, cherries are delicious and I always look forward to the month of June when they seem to be at their best. Cherries are also very healthy for us. They contain antitoxidant and inflammatory properties as well as compounds that help relieve pain of arthritis and gout. Here's a link that describes some of cherries' health benefits. http://www.calcherry.com/consumer.cfm?Health=1

Cabrales, good points. On the humorous side, I think it's funny that other diners not only eavesdrop on other tables, they also watch us as we guzzle our wine.

Tony, control of the wine pouring is a biggie. In Jeffrey Steingarten's book "The Man Who Ate Everything" he goes into how, when the main courses arrived, a captain quickly poured the remaining expensive bottle of wine into glasses although they were still half full and how the captain had the nerve to ask "Would you like a bottle of wine with your main course?" The author notes that had the captain attended the NY Professional Service School, he would have learned that you never fill a glass more than half full and never refill it until the customer has only about two sips left. That most people who spend money on wine like to see how it develops in the glass, etc. Constant pouring of bottled water is another thing I've noticed because my tap water is never refilled with the same relish.

Wilfrid, I perused the book very quickly and went right to the Hall of Fame section - I immediately lost interest because one of the book's top ten recommendations for the solo diner is Eisenberg Sandwich Shop. Now, I know Eisenberg has a reputation for making a good tunafish sandwich but really: a coffee shop for the solo diner to make the top ten? One restaurant that made the Hall of Shame was Viceroy in Chelsea. A comment something like "If you don't have a Chelsea Boy with you, don't go there; you'll be ignored." I've had brunch and lunch at Viceroy with and without gay male friends and I was never ignored. In all fairness, I didn't go through the whole book but I would have bought it if it had hit me right from the start.

Dimitri, I think you raise an excellent point about locals being away for the summer months. However, I believe tourists who want to eat at fine/trendy popular restaurants offset the locals so it probably balances out. In the past, I've found the best time to secure a good table in a hard-to-reserve restaurant is to book over holiday weekends like Memorial Day and July 4th. Tourists are at the theater, watching fireworks or sightseeing and it's easier to snag a table.

Wilfrid, no contest there that it's easier to book a table during the week at a popular restaurant. However, I've found that NYC people go out just as much on a Wednesday night to break up the week and Thursday to get a head start on the weekend. So that leaves Monday and Tuesday. The reason I experimented with a Friday night with Ouest was that Stefany's original post was for a dinner reservation on a Saturday so I wanted to keep my experiment in line with the weekend. I'm not surprised that it's hard to secure reservations on the Lower East Side. This is a very hot trendy neighborhood. Lastly, the Tasting Room is small and I would believe them when they say they're fully booked.

Jaybee, I just tried a phone reservation experiment with Oeust. I called them at 11:15 a.m. and asked the reservationist how far in advance they accept reservations. She answered up until the end of the year. Here's how the conversation went: Me: I'd like to reserve a table for Friday, June 21. Her: For how many please? Me: Two. Her: I have a table for two at 5 or 5:30 and 9:30. Me: That's all you have? Her: Yes, right now. Me: Thank you. I'll try another time. Okay, either people have already made a ton of reservations or as I've stated earlier, the resto just wants to fill those tables at odd hours. 5:00 or 5:30 would free up a table for another two people at 7:00 or 7:30. 9:30 isn't too bad but then what does one do on the Upper West Side afterwards???

Yes, I believe you.

I've worked in restaurants during the summer months when in school. I have some friends who work in trendy restaurants in New York and other major cities. Some, not all, restaurants do save the best tables (the way the airlines apportion only a certain amount of seats for economy passengers). Some restaurants even keep specific tables open for certain individuals and if that individual hasn't called for a reservation by a certain time, they open the table up for others. I've called up to a month in advance for certain Le's and La's restaurants and still get the same ole 5:30-6 or 10:30 offer. Either that or their phone is constantly busy or you go through voice mail hell. Years ago, I wanted to dine at Lutece and their phone was always busy so I took it upon myself walk over there after lunchtime and knock on their door. I explained the situation to the person who answered the door and was finally able to secure a dinner at eight reservation. Yes, I agree it's wonderful that restaurants are busy. Our New York economy certainly needs this; especially Downtown. Nothing wrong with that and that makes me happy.

I'd call someone who did that as something other than a joke a "shlemiel." (Hey, nothing personal. You're probably a nice guy, except to waiters who forget who gets which dish.) "shlemiel" n : a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of [syn: chump, fish, fool, gull, mark, patsy, fall guy, sucker, schlemiel, soft touch, mug] Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University Don't mind to be called Schlemiel, it's a cute word, when my Grandmother used to call me that, I always associated it with witticism. Guess I am wrong, see above. And a sucker I am not. so there. Peter, you're no shlemiel. My mom used to use that word a lot and also shlamuzzel (sp). There's an old joke - something about what's the difference between a shlemiel and a shlamuzzel? I don't remember word for word but it goes something like this: The shlemiel drops the soup and the shlamuzzel gets the soup in their lap. IMO your story was cute and you really were just responding to my original post which I didn't think was negative. I did say it was 'non earth shattering' - these are things/customs I noticed in restaurants and was just asking people to share their observations. No biggie.

Christopher, you raise good points and New York is a 24-hour town. However, my point is, besides Babbo, many popular restaurants I've tried to reserve at seem to have a kneejerk reaction about either filling a table at 5:30 or 10:30. They respond so quickly to those hours that I've started to question whether some 'in' restaurants are really filled to capacity or they just want to fill those odd hour tables. Sure, it's great to know there are some good restaurants that are open after the theatre or whatever but I don't want to be force-fed those hours just for the restaurant's convenience. If some popular celebrity or politician called for an 8:30 reservation I bet the restaurant would accommodate them.

Stephany, the offer from Babbo for an 11 o'clock reservation is ridiculous. Next they'll be offering people 'dinner' to be consumed in the morning. The same thing happened to me about a year ago - I called Babbo weeks in advance for a party of 4 and was offered a 10:30 seating. Sorry, I just don't like eating that late and feeling like maybe I'm gettin 'sloppy seconds' meaning the night is over, their preferred customers have dined and gone home and we're at the bottom of the barrel. Maybe some people love eating late but I don't. If I'm out at a club, I don't mind stopping for breakfast anywhere from 1 to 3 a.m. but that's different and my choice - it's Florent or eggs at some late night diner. What gets to me is that some of these places, like Babbo, have gotten so popular that they almost dictate when you can dine there. Thank goodness that in NYC we have so many other restaurants. To answer your question: methinks this is bad.

Tommy, your suggestions are brilliant! You certainly are smarter than two of the dumbest people I know! Best wishes, Ruby, Yenta Kvetch & Kishma Tuchas

Jinmyo, that's it! The peppermill is a holdover from the period when everything was prepared at the table for diners. Yes, I can visualize the original Delmonico's carving the roast, preparing the salad and offering fresh pepper. Thanks!

I don't believe it's for any one of us to judge whether the woman near Jaybee's table was right or wrong. She was grieving which is a very personal matter for each individual. We don't know of her circumstances prior to her arrival at the restaurant. Maybe this was the first night she was going out to dinner to start a period of adjustment to daily life. Instead of perceiving that she had no right to ask Jaybee's table to tone down the subject of death, maybe the subject itself was inappropriate at the table especially if discussed in a humorous manner. Yes, we have freedom of speech but sometimes a little empathy for others needs to be mixed in with the speech. In the Jewish religion, we sit Shiva - a seven-day period of formal mourning that's observed after the funeral of a close relative. Of course the grieving process takes much longer than seven days. We have hearts and souls and memories. Here's an interesting website I found about grieving. http://www.goodgrief.org/grief/rituals.html

Rachel, on the plus side, they have a really nice outdoor garden. I've had good burgers, salads and brunch there but the wait staff is a bit scattered. Order simply and it will be fine.

I'm going to check out this book over the weekend: "Table for One New York City - The Solo Diner's Restaurant Guide" by Michael Kaminer described at: http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksea....8006975 What especially interests me is the listing of the ten best and worst restaurants - "The Table for One Hall of Fame and The Table for One Hall of Shame." Sounds like fun reading.

Here are some non earth-shattering things I've noticed and wonder why the practice continues. 1. The peppermill - why is a restaurant so anxious to grind pepper on my meal before I've even tasted the food? Plus I find it intrusive when I'm in conversation with my friends and we pause and wait until the pepper dance around the table stops so we can dig into the food. Could this practice have started when food was really bland? Why not just have a small peppermill on the table. Can you imagine this practice in your own home? You've slaved all day to prepare a meal for guests, the masterpiece is on the table but wait...you jump up, grab a two foot peppermill and prance around the table asking "would you like fresh pepper?" 2. Waiter's checks placed on sushi: I often sit at the sushi bar and notice when an order is ready, the chef places the waiter's paper check on the fish. I find a piece of paper with ink/pencil placed directly on food to be somewhat unappetizing and it goes directly against the visual presentation and pristine element that is associated with having sushi and sashimi. 3. We're in the 21st century yet I still find myself sitting at wobbly tables. The restaurant's solution? The old matchbook goes under the table's legs. How come the table isn't fixed or replaced? Surely the servers must get tired of steadying the shaky table. If you have an explanation for any of the above, I'd love to hear it. Would also love to hear any quirks you've noticed. Maybe some restaurant owners reading here will also notice.

Robert, this is a topic close to my heart. Yes, a room and ambiance is very important to me. If I'm stuck in a table near the bathroom, hat check or can see dirty dishes, it does ruin the dining experience for me. Sometimes I'm in the right restaurant but with the wrong person. Sometimes I'm in the wrong restaurant with the wrong person. Sometimes I'm in the right restaurant but order the wrong thing. So many factors come into play and then there's the control factor that one gives up when leaving home. I have claustrophobia and hate being packed in like a sardine with other people. Many Manhattanites, like me, have small apartments and galley kitchens. If I want to be cramped, I'll stay home with my cats and share some tuna fish with them. Another thing that bothers me in restaurant spaces is when I'm being led to a table near the bar where people are smoking. Smelly smoke totally ruins my meal. My friends and I will ask to be moved. The host/ess always seems slightly surprised by the request. In general, I do believe restaurant space and ambiance is very important. The owners realize this and spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the design. We're not just going to a restaurant anymore, we're going to theater and the more fun and unique the space is, the bigger the crowd scene. One thing I must admit: I still love banquettes and find them more comfortable and private than sitting at cramped tables. I had lunch the other day with a friend at Gotham and lunch was delicious but we were seated one on top of the other in a long row of tables. Fortunately, my neighbors were a quiet bunch and I was able to hear our own conversation. I'm interested in hearing comments from other people.

Rosie, thanks for letting us know that No. 9 Restaurant is a 10! Can't get better than that. I love Lambertville, the shops, flea market and all it takes is a good restaurant to get me to leave the Isle of Manhattan. Thanks. @ Ruby

Sorry about the double posting. When I sent the first post yesterday, it didn't show up because my PC hiccupped.

Mark, thanks for the info. Red Bank is a very nice town and the jazz and blues festival gives me a very good reason to leave Manhattan. :) One of my favorite bands, Pink Martini, will be in New Jersey (I think Newark) in late May and will also be performing at Joe's Pub from June 2-4. Thanks again. Ruby

Mark, this looks Great! Thanks for telling us about it. Red Bank is a nice town and it gives me one more reason to visit again. Don't know if you're familiar with the terrific band Pink Martini, but they'll be appearing in concert in New Jersey at the end of this month and also at Joe's Pub in Manhattan from June 2-4. Ruby

This is an interesting, thought-provoking thread. IMO, anything that has to do with human interaction, kindness and behavior is fascinating. I'm visualizing how I might have handled this situation from both ends. I have a younger half-sister who has so many health problems as a result of being overweight and diabetic. I constantly worry about her but she doesn't want to lose weight (this is another story). If God forbid something happened to her, I would be very miserable sitting in a restaurant and hearing light banter being made about cremation and death. I might not have spoken up the way this woman did but I applaud her for speaking up in a non-confrontational way. I also feel Jaybee handled it well by not adding to her pain. Had I been the one approached at the table, I may have initially felt defensive but would have quickly gotten over it. True, a restaurant is a public space and we have freedom of speech but clearly this woman was in pain. I would have said something like "I'm sorry to hear of your loss and I didn't realize you overheard this conversation." I would have promptly changed the subject and enjoyed the rest of the evening. A win-win situation. On a lighter note, here's a conversation I overheard the other night between two young women. They were initially discussing all the trendy downtown spots like Butter, Suba, Smith, and that got my Yenta attention. Babe 1: He's cute and very affectionate but not in a needy way. Babe 2: How does he dress? Babe 1: Bleh, jeans from the Gap. Babe 2: What else? Babe 1: Loud colors. But hey he has good taste in restaurants so I'm happy. After that I tuned out.

Hi stellabella. Yes, this joint was rude to you and your sisters but it sounds like an 'eat it and beat it' place. I've seen this happen just the way you describe in those generic diners in Manhattan. Just last week on East 57th Street, a manager approached four women at a booth and said "Ladies, I needa da table. Itsa busy at lunchtime and if ya finished, you gotta go. People waiting." So don't take it personally and try to let it go. My friends and I have also been asked to move from a table in restaurants and are offered a comped drink at the bar. We get so annoyed we order the highest premium brand drink.