Today's Courier - Vancouver's The Real Deal

[nwyles]

Best two words you'll ever learn in French!

Sorry, but those two words are actually

Oui Chef !

[Ling]

Oh lordy I can hear the Cheer's theme song coming I better hide now.

←

For some reason when I read that the Family Ties theme song popped into my head, & now I can't get it out...

I love prix fixe menus! I almost went for the one at Feenie's ($35!) when I was there a couple weeks ago, but I didn't want any of the mains they offered (duck confit leg, which is good but I wasn't in the mood for; veal osso buco, which I did want but felt I shouldn't eat; and something else I forget).

←

The last choice on the prix fixe menu is my favourite--the Mission trout with lemon/cauliflower puree, wild rice, browned butter sauce, raisins, and capers. It sounds like there's a lot going on, but it's really delicious, and my friends who have tried the combination agree that it's always one of the best dishes of the night!

[bigdaddy]

Isn't the idea for prix fixe also just to get people eating out more often?

The perception has to be that people are getting a "deal" by ordering all the courses at once. The restaurant can run at higher food costs if customers

are automatically guaranteed to be spending more on food. (At Delilah's we had a fixed-price menu format that started in the mid-80's and ran for close to 20 years).

"Early-bird" specials are meant to fill the seats at a time when the servers would normally be polishing cutlery and looking for ways to keep busy! Hopefully you attract new clientele...but more often those "bargain-hunters" are in the same category as "coupon people"...

[butter]

I think it's a good idea to be able to enjoy a particular higher end restaurant more often with prix fixe menus although I find eating early is hard to do. Haven't been for awhile so is it really popular in Vancouver? Is West filling the seats between 5 and 6 p.m.? I went once to West for the prix fixe last year and it was REALLY nice having the restaurant to ourselves.

From the article:And now a word from our sponsor. One of the problems with "deal dining" is that it invariably attracts some customers who are determined to spend the listed price and nothing more. Perhaps a way to attract new guests or fill seats during lulls, prix fixe menus are (usually) a worthy undertaking of the house. Too bad some people forget that even if the meal itself is a deal, service and setting remain constant. In other words, tip on the true value (assuming the service is good) and not the actual cost. And while you're at it, especially if you can afford it, why not splurge on a little extra such as wine or drinks, just to show your appreciation?

This article to me seems to contradict itself and the lecture at the end about how to act re: tipping or ordering wine is insulting and shouldn't have been included in the article. Regardless of whether a customer "can afford it or not", it's about "deal" dining, is it not? If it's a "worthy undertaking of the house", why do they offer it? Isn't it meant to be more along the lines of "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"?

[kontemporary]

I think it's a good idea to be able to enjoy a particular higher end restaurant more often with prix fixe menus although I find eating early is hard to do. Haven't been for awhile so is it really popular in Vancouver? Is West filling the seats between 5 and 6 p.m.? I went once to West for the prix fixe last year and it was REALLY nice having the restaurant to ourselves.

From the article:And now a word from our sponsor. One of the problems with "deal dining" is that it invariably attracts some customers who are determined to spend the listed price and nothing more. Perhaps a way to attract new guests or fill seats during lulls, prix fixe menus are (usually) a worthy undertaking of the house. Too bad some people forget that even if the meal itself is a deal, service and setting remain constant. In other words, tip on the true value (assuming the service is good) and not the actual cost. And while you're at it, especially if you can afford it, why not splurge on a little extra such as wine or drinks, just to show your appreciation?

This article to me seems to contradict itself and the lecture at the end about how to act re: tipping or ordering wine is insulting and shouldn't have been included in the article. Regardless of whether a customer "can afford it or not", it's about "deal" dining, is it not? If it's a "worthy undertaking of the house", why do they offer it? Isn't it meant to be more along the lines of "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"?

←

Well I tend to think of it as a "deal" in the sense that there is already a set 'price reduction' from customers ordering the prix fixe special. So, it wouldn't hurt to order something at the regular price like normal diners at the restaurant would - it doesn't make their experience any less of a deal. In fact, it would probably enhance it, by all means.

But unfortunately not all people think that way. Many people go shopping for clothes when there's a sale on - and of course only get the things on sale. I could imagine a large number of diners feeling the same way.

[Andrew Morrison]

But unfortunately not all people think that way. Many people go shopping for clothes when there's a sale on - and of course only get the things on sale. I could imagine a large number of diners feeling the same way.

Tru dat, yo. Remember last year's Whine Out Vancouver thread? A deal's a deal's the deal, ideally ( ), but when those that seek them burn those that greet them, the servers will want to eat them.

Edited November 12, 2005 by Andrew Morrison (log)

[kurtisk]

I don't think anyone should be obligated to order anything, deal or not. Because you have a restaurant's P-F menu, I don't think you "owe" them and are meant to feel an obligation to spend more than you usually would on wine, etc......

k

Edited November 12, 2005 by kurtisk (log)

[Zucchini Mama]

Another nice thing about an early PF is that it makes going to a concert, play, movie or a piece of performance art much nicer because you can go with a full stomach!

Zuke

Edited November 12, 2005 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[canucklehead]

This article to me seems to contradict itself and the lecture at the end about how to act re: tipping or ordering wine is insulting and shouldn't have been included in the article. Regardless of whether a customer "can afford it or not", it's about "deal" dining, is it not? If it's a "worthy undertaking of the house", why do they offer it? Isn't it meant to be more along the lines of "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"?

←

I agree - don't offer a special and then somehow put the onus on the customer to spend more (and then be displeased when they don't). To the diner it will feel like a switch and bait.

[kurtisk]

I agree - don't offer a special and then somehow put the onus on the customer to spend more (and then be displeased when they don't).  To the diner it will feel like a switch and bait.

←

I'm really flabbergasted at how common this view seems to be. Fuck whatever a restaurant wants you to order, if they offer something, it's fair game. It's complete bullshit to have any other expectation.

k

[Daddy-A]

[host]

Interesting conversation ... really. But we need to bring it back to the original question, which was:

Why is it that diners in Vancouver require insentives to dine, even though the city has the third least expensive dining scene in North america?

The current line of discussion, although interesting, could apply to any dining scene in the world. Let's focus the discussion on what applies here.

Thanks.

A.

[/host]

[Memo]

I think it's the cheap factor.

Why the amazing prevalence of "dollar" stores on almost every corner?

Memo

[~cayenne~]

I don't think anyone should be obligated to order anything, deal or not.  Because you have a restaurant's P-F menu, I don't think you "owe" them and are meant to feel an obligation to spend more than you usually would on wine, etc......

k

←

I agree. It's much the same as getting a deal at any other business, be it tires, diapers, whatever. The main thing is if we like the establishment that provided the deal, most likely we will return. Like Z.M. posted --I've heard legends that saleswomen in posh shops will have lunch at the same bistro almost every day. I love that idea. The woman from Hermes ordering the prix fixe for twenty years. Reality is, most of us only have a certain amount of money to spend on the pleasures of life, and have to be wise accordingly. Many people don't partake of alcohol, or have more than one drink, and the price of a bottle of wine is often well out of the budget. The onus should be on the business to price it's product accordingly, not the customer to think, oh gosh, I should help them out, because surely they can't afford to give me this product at such a low price. Would we do that at any other store?

Then again, I have to wonder if the idea that we should purchase items over and above the PF, etc., has originated from the business owner or the front end employees. Surely any savy owner will price his/her product so they will come out ahead, and hopefully they pay their employees a respectful wage.

I took so long to do this that I see DaddyA has posted a reminder...so in respect to the Vancouver issue, perhaps because the dining options have exploded as of late, at there is so much competition for our entertainment dollars (between dining, gambling, sports viewing, theatre, or simply bar/lounge hopping). It boils down to the issue, if the product is good, the experience enjoyably, the proprietor is hoping that we will return again and again. Perhaps there is too much choice out there? Seriously got to wonder if it will last after another five years, sure hope so.

[barolo]

[host]

Interesting conversation ... really.  But we need to bring it back to the original question, which was:

Why is it that diners in Vancouver require insentives to dine, even though the city has the third least expensive dining scene in North america?

The current line of discussion, although interesting, could apply to any dining scene in the world.  Let's focus the discussion on what applies here.

Thanks.

A.

[/host]

←

Well as *Deborah* pointed out upthread, prices are only part of the equation, disposable income counts too.

[butter]

[host]

Does anybody have any comments on the ARTICLE???

A.

[/host]

←

I thought this was the original subject of this thread.