I thought perhaps this was going to be about a new app that only showed your restaurants that took walk ins and estimated wait times… time for another ☕️
Thanks for a wonderful piece! Walking in is a virtuous circle -- the more people who walk in, the easier it is for restaurants to save space, which makes it easier to walk in.
Also on my mind is "grouping" -- having a few places in the same area that I can target, or trying for availability within a single restaurant company.
I will say this and I will call out Ken Friedman and Spotted Pig - In the hey of the day I had old college friends, clients… a mix. I know it was a lot, but I was not a stranger. It was a table of 8 and I spiffed them $140 and… *nothing*. I waited over an hour. Glad they closed, still love April.
I haven't yet made it to NYC (I live in Oregon) and, as much as I'd still like to, having to spend too much of my limited time there searching for a reasonably priced eatery is not part of a trip I'd want to spend my time on.
Lynn! It's certainly the Wild West out here when it comes to dining out, but there are plenty of affordable gems/neighborhood haunts that would be more than thrilled to welcome you!
Thanks, Erin! I'm sure there are (I love "neighborhood" restaurants). It's just daunting--considering that I know no one in the (very large) city--or its neighborhoods, other than by name or reputation--to contemplate the time and amount of research I'd need to do to find places that would give me the real thing.
There really is no greater thrill than seeing where a night sans reservation will take you. My greatest meal in NYC in the last five years was at Borgo, dropping in after thrifting at Vintage Thrift, and getting a magical table for two with my friend Cybele for an early supper. I could not have planned it better...and THAT is the point:)
I thought perhaps this was going to be about a new app that only showed your restaurants that took walk ins and estimated wait times… time for another ☕️
Thanks for a wonderful piece! Walking in is a virtuous circle -- the more people who walk in, the easier it is for restaurants to save space, which makes it easier to walk in.
Also on my mind is "grouping" -- having a few places in the same area that I can target, or trying for availability within a single restaurant company.
I will say this and I will call out Ken Friedman and Spotted Pig - In the hey of the day I had old college friends, clients… a mix. I know it was a lot, but I was not a stranger. It was a table of 8 and I spiffed them $140 and… *nothing*. I waited over an hour. Glad they closed, still love April.
😳
I haven't yet made it to NYC (I live in Oregon) and, as much as I'd still like to, having to spend too much of my limited time there searching for a reasonably priced eatery is not part of a trip I'd want to spend my time on.
Lynn! It's certainly the Wild West out here when it comes to dining out, but there are plenty of affordable gems/neighborhood haunts that would be more than thrilled to welcome you!
Thanks, Erin! I'm sure there are (I love "neighborhood" restaurants). It's just daunting--considering that I know no one in the (very large) city--or its neighborhoods, other than by name or reputation--to contemplate the time and amount of research I'd need to do to find places that would give me the real thing.
How can you become a regular if you can’t get your foot in the door in the first place?
Very chicken 🤝 egg
The best experience is often the one that was not planned.
There really is no greater thrill than seeing where a night sans reservation will take you. My greatest meal in NYC in the last five years was at Borgo, dropping in after thrifting at Vintage Thrift, and getting a magical table for two with my friend Cybele for an early supper. I could not have planned it better...and THAT is the point:)