tommy

let's not forget that the places with well-stocked wine cellars, carefully picked by a knowledgeable person who understands the food/wine dynamic, are certainly in the minority. i'm not offended at babbo's markups (considering the selection, to me, always seems unique) as much as i am a local mom and pop place in the 'burbs when they've got 3 boring and seemingly random wines on the "list" that no one really wants to drink the the first place at a 300-400% markup. no, i won't say that i might as well stay home if i don't want to pay that markup, because the food might be very good, but there's a good chance i'll avoid that restaurant, especially if they're not comfortable with a BYO situation. everyone loses.

that's the only thing that matters at the end of the day, as it's as close to the truth as we'll get. either way, as someone said, being offended and reducing the tip is optional. the latter perhaps being a little harsh.

the flip side is that you don't pay any interest if you pay the balance within the month. most cards, in fact, offer a grace period beyond that. so in most cases you're getting a 45 day interest free loan (not to mention the miles/points/etc). sounds like a good deal to me, and certainly worth the risk of someone stealing my highly confidential information (i mean, it's pretty easy to get credit card numbers, and has been for years).

you should check out the burger club thread.

there can't be a consensus on this type of thing for many reasons. the most obvious being that it's completely subjective. however, there are standards that make it to many "top 10" lists. it should be noted that there are many types of burgers around NYC. i prefer the steakhouse variety, but that's not necessarily the most popular (seems the 12 dollar price tag throws a lot of people off, for one).

Nor am I Alberto Should that be 'the point of the question?' indeed. after reading it, i felt like a computer being outsmarted by captain kirk.

if we've changed even one person's outlook, our work here is done.

it makes the most sense when they *haven't* counted the money and looked at the bill as that proves that they're not being presumptuous or trying to strong arm the customer. as i've stated, i don't think they're being pushy or presumptuous, but others seem to see the worst in everyone.

but then there's the argument about how restaurants spend gobs money and time making sure the wines they select will compliment the food. those restaurants, of course, are the minority, but that won't stop people from trying to use the argument.

The owners are currently consulting with Tommy to find out what the sign really means!! well this particular owner joined a cult and ran off to arizona. you see, these signs can really mean a lot. it's hard to say. note: i don't know if this owner joined a cult, not that there's anything wrong with this.

i think that's kind of harsh craig. the issues of markups have been discussed by countless people with incomes and interests all over the spectrum here on egullet and elsewhere. It is not an issue of mark-ups. The mark-ups on food as related to quality vary just as much as they do wine. The issue is that a restaurant has unique needs that a retailer does not have when setting the price. If it is only an issue of price then you would always eat at home and buy wine at retail. i guess we're reading two different posts.

well, it was in gest. however, they didn't seem to think it through. i'm sure there were other ways of handling it better.

i think that's kind of harsh craig. the issues of markups have been discussed by countless people with incomes and interests all over the spectrum here on egullet and elsewhere.

i forget the name. it's that big korean place somewhere around 49/50th and 5/6th. the only one in the area, as far as i know. it's one of the first korean places i had ever gone to as well. so, it's a shame all around.

the reality of the situation is that many many people do not pick up calls from numbers they don't know, or numbers that don't come through on caller ID. perhaps a better approach was/is in order. big hearts, small brains. which is better than the other way around i suppose.

there are a lot more places in btwn ADNY and a sports bar. and i think we're considering them, as well. and i see now that you're talking about people who refuse management's request to tone it down. that's another story.

although it might to the type of people who read and contribute to egullet. you see, we're not the average hick.

i stumbled upon it and realized that i never responded. thought it was a valid discussion, though. and i didn't want to leave you hanging. if you think this is odd, you should check out the thread on pasta with red pepper flakes, where some kind soul answered a question of mine almost 2 years to the day after i asked it!

probably not the sushi i eat. but you might be right about those hicks.

"Inspired by the fast paced eateries of New York City..." jesus, i hope the food isn't inspired by the horribly mediocre food at NYC's Penangs. although they seem to be primarily malaysian, and i just don't like malaysian food all that much, so my opinion is worthless. let me go back and delete this post.

day old bud through 40 feet of 8 year old lines. mmmmmmm.

because the food, sometimes, is so darned good. it's a tough spot to be in for a customer who cares even a bit about the wine/food dynamic.

that's interesting. is it a fact?

his obligation, and priority, *should* be to eat at amma. everything else is pretty much unnecessary.

prosecco and cava. i don't know what i'd do without them.