August 9, 2007
Is Full Price Better?
As far as I know, I am the only DCist Food and Drink staffer who does not have Restaurant Week reservations. It wasn't because I forgot or because I signed up too late to score a reservation to my preferred destinations. Unlike Adam, I am not a big fan of Restaurant Week, and it was a conscious decision to skip out on what might be considered prime time dining for a cheapskate like me.
First off, I do agree with Adam, who wrote, "As a Restaurant Week proponent, I view this unofficial dining holiday as a chance to try out places I've never been, and think restaurateurs should use the time as an opportunity to reach out to people who don't dine out all that often but need a regular "nice place" to take guests and whatnot. Some places do this successfully; others do not."
My issue is that I've found more failure than success in my experiences. I've noticed that the quality of the food seems to take a dive at some restaurants. One of my prior RW visits was to Beard Award-winning Vidalia. For a restaurant that is so lauded, neither my friend nor I were impressed. It seemed as if they had cut prep time on the food, and many of the flavors were not suffused through. Maybe it was the result of having to cook for more people than usual, but this was an opportunity for Vidalia to shine and win over two more customers. Instead we were disappointed. The quality of the food might have been okay for the reduced price, but it certainly did not have us hankering to return. On a full-priced visit to Vidalia, the food was better than during RW.
Photo from dabdiputs
However, I wouldn't go far as economist Tyler Cowen, who said in WaPo, "Restaurant Week is a horror. It's outreach to the uninformed, so it's obviously going to be dumbed down." Yes, RW does reach out to a dining public who may not frequent these pricier restaurants. But Restaurant Week was created for purposes other than reaching what he seems to imply are the unwashed masses. Washington D.C.'s first RW was modeled after New York's, which was established to encourage regular patrons to return to restaurants and bolster the food industry in the post 9-11 downturn. Even now, RW promotions tend to take place during slow dining seasons to draw out customers.
The menus are NOT dumbed down for a less knowledgeable dining public. Business owners need to keep an eye on the bottom line and manage the logistics of increased demand. So naturally that means menus with fewer choices, lesser cuts of meat or upcharges. Sadly that may also mean that you don't get the opportunity to experience the full range of the restaurant or you will end up paying more than you expected.
There are definitely places that do Restaurant Week to the benefit of the customer. They bring their A-game, putting out their full menus with minimal upcharges and maintaining a high level of service and food quality. It can be a great adventure trying to seek them out, but for me I would prefer to feel more confident about where I go than experiment and deal with uncertainty. If you aren't doing so already, I would suggest using your $30 to explore some of the excellent and cheap ethnic food we have in the area, where you can eat like a king. Good options for this are Malaysia Kompitiam at 1827 M St. NW, Taqueria Distrito Federal at 3463 14th St. NW, Houng Que's seven course beef menu (for only $18) at 6769 Wilson Blvd. in Falls Church, and Bob's Noodle 66 at 305 N. Washington Street in Rockville.
Just as an aside, some RW etiquette:
1. Please consider tipping your lovely server on the full menu price of the food, whatever percentage you choose. It was the owner's choice to participate in RW, not theirs.
2. If you need to cancel, try to cancel your reservations at least 24 hours ahead of time or give it to somebody else; it's just a courtesy to the restaurant. But if you're on the hunt for a spot, try stopping by in person to see if there's a cancellation.
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I've been underwhelmed by Vidalia under normal dining circumstances. Vidalia's reputation exceeds itself
Along these lines, I went to Ardeo for dinner during Restaurant Week a couple of years ago and had a decidedly mixed experience.
Although I didn't object to having to choose from a limited menu and enjoyed the food, I did object to being rushed through my meal.
The service was curt, the courses arrived faster than we could eat them, and I had the distinct feeling we were being condescended to because we had RW reservations.
I haven't been back to Ardeo/Bardeo since, RW or no.
I had a fantastic dinner at Zola's last year for RW. Full menu, no upcharges, delicious food.
Similarly awful experience at Vidalia's last year for RW.
Above average experience at Zengo's last night. The food was tasty, but the RW menu was limited.
Let's recap.
Paragraph 1: I don't like restaurant week and don't participate.
Paragraph 2: Restaurant week is good.
Paragraph 3: I participated in restaurant week and it was ho-hum.
Paragraph 4: Restaurant week is good.
Paragraph 5: Restaurant week is not bad.
Paragraph 6: Restaurant week is good/ restaurant week is bad.
Paragraph 7: Do this when you go to restaurant week.
I'm more confused than Jews for Jesus...
Not to be too snotty, but I view RW as kind of like New Year's Eve or St. Patrick's Day; not everyone out is an amateur, but you will see a lot more of them than usual. But the real attraction of RW for me is lunch; even though a $30 lunch is still an indulgence, it's a bit easier to rationalize when you have three courses and you're getting such a great "deal."
I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant and felt the quality was worse with promo pricing. Why on earth would they do that? The point is for them to expose themselves to locals during a time when business is otherwise slow. Serving subpar food would hardly result in repeat business. This is for locals - not toursts!
However, there is a lot of variation in terms of what restaurants will give you during Restaurant Week for the fixed price. Some will give only a few options, while others basically give you the full menu (e.g. Ten Penh). While some places do may cheap out a little on the selection, this is the exception rather than the rule. I've almost always felt like it was a good deal.
It's really a win-win. This is the slowest time of the year for them anyway. Any restaurant that doesn't get it, well, just doesn't get it, but most seem to embrace it, and offer a good value.
My thoughts exactly. I've never been to Restaurant Week, but I just don't see the appeal of fighting for reservations to eat in an overcrowded restaurant where the food can't possibly be prepared with as much care and quality as it normally would be. And I don't think $30 for dinner is any kind of great deal. If I'm going to have an expensive meal I'd want to do it right-- that means paying full price and not getting a cut-corners version of the experience. The Restaraunt Week thing just seems horribly overhyped.
I think part of the problem to reaching out to the 'uninformed dining masses' is in part the attitudes of the proprietors and waitstaff. In my experience with the hoity-toity places downtown, unless your suit reeks of old money or graft and corruption there's a certain unspoken condescension that accompanies your meal.
I have a rather good example from Marcel's over by the Kennedy Center of a head waiter that was less than genteel.
For me, I'd just go to a place that I know I love but can rarely afford. Taberna dA, for example. OR, I'd go to a mid-price range place like Hank's, where the prep time is always low, and freshness and simplicity are the key selling points.
The first because the standards are invariable, the second 'cause it's not prone to dumbing down.
At most places, the savings during RW are equivalent to free dessert. And you get screwed on dessert, as few places offer their regular dessert menu. Every damn place has panna cotta during RW! Boring and the simplest of all desserts to make (anyone can do it at home).
Though I really like the idea of RW, I don't participate.
Even with a limited menu, they're trying to get a lot more covers in a night than usual, and I can only imagine it has to be hell on the chefs, servers and the rest of the staff.
I'd rather go on a "normal" night, not be rushed or dealing with a kitchen and staff that has too much going on.
I like to think of restaurant week as an entire week of Valentines days. All the folk who do not normally go out to eat go out this week and cram into all the nice restaurants for reduced price meals, way overloading the servers and cooks, leading to very less than ideal circumstances to expereince the best the restaurant has to offer. You end up with harried waiters, limited items you can order, and lots of people who don't know how to act at a nice restaurant. Ummm, no thanks. I think I will save my pennies and go on another night so I can experience some of DCs finest restaurants at their best, not their worst.
One of my best RW experiences was at Vidalia last year. But I admit some other visits -- especially Cafe Atlantico, which was decidedly meh -- don't rise to the restaurants' usual standards. But I couldn't afford to eat at either restaurant otherwise, so that's the lure for me.
#12, Just how do rich people act at fancy restaurants? do they eat with their butts? drink their wine through funnels made of rolled up $100 bills?
Doesn't matter if it's the Palm or Ruby Tuesdays, you order, you eat, you drink, you pay, and you leave. Anybody who claims the clientèle in a fancy restaurant does any different is just a pretentious jackass
Every restuarant deals with RW differently. I've had good experiences and bad. But it's a great way to try a place you might not otherwise. Had a great meal at Farrah Olivia on Tuesday. Sure the service was a bit snotty, but it was interesting food prepared well. No corners were cut as far as I could tell. You could "upgrade" to non-restaurant week items for a minimal surcharge.
Last RW we went to Tabaq and were treated like livestock, but that's not too diferent to how they usually treat their customers.
#4, your jews for jesus comment reminds me of the time two of them tried to convert me in a nyc park. I told them I had started my own religious movement, Christians for Muhammad. They eventually fled in horror.
I've had a mixed bag with RW over the years: 20% horrible, 60% meh, and 20% great. Corduroy and Fogo (lunch) were absolutely divine; Agraria, Galileo (!!!), and Cafe Atlantico were pretty bland; and some just tried to rip you off. A GREAT example of the latter is Chef Geoff's, who actually offer their regular pre-theater menu but charge five dollars more. Idiots.
Tip them on the full price?
Tipping is getting ridiculous in this country. Why is waiting tables harder at an expensive restaurant than a cheap one? Why should serving $30 meals deserve more pay than serving $10 ones? Whatever reason you have that justifies this - it has to fall apart when the meal becomes cheaper during RW.
No. No I will not overtip them out of some middle class guilt. Let the management cover their losses. [The management SHOULD cover their salary all the time, but for some reason we don't do that in this country].
Folks, avoid Restaurant Week altogether & go the week or 2 after to restaurants who are offering their $20.07 lunches then, such as PS7, Indebleu, Butterfield 9 (all month), Oya (all month), Cafe Atlantico, Oyamel, Zaytinya...
That way you avoid the crowds, the rushed table turnover, the stressed-out waiters & changes in food due to saving time in the kitchen...
Also, Oya, Charlie Palmer on Cap Hill, as well as Mie N Yu and Bistro Francais in Georgetown offer a $20 3 course lunch most of the year.
well, judging on our dinners last night, Bobby Van's is falling into the "probably better on a regular night" category, possibly in the "not worth it" one too.
my roommates and i enjoyed our food, but we didn't think it deserved the regular prices, and figured that they didn't have the time or funds to go all out at the discounted price. honestly, the presentation was the worst . . . each of our plates looked exactly the same, although i got salmon and not steak . . . and looked like someone just slop-and-plopped a little mound of potatoes and spinach on the plate.
at the end of it all, the waitress screwed up the charges on our credit/debit cards, and now i'm down an extra $120 while i wait for the company to refund my 'hold.' (i had signed for only $40 on the receipt.)
tonight, i'm joining a friend at PS7's . . . she got stood up, and now us girls get to go out on the town. i'm hoping this restaurant lives up to expectations after last night's experience!
Is it just me or was the selection weak this time around? I couldn't find one restaurant I'd enjoyed from Restaurant weeks past.
#14, you'd think it would be that simple. But you know after the fifth time in one day the server has heard 'I'd like the foey grass', they're going to start rolling their eyes just a bit. Just as there are differences in how you order at a ballgame vs. a McDonald's vs. a Ruby Tuesdays and so on, there are differences at a high class restaurant (beyond the simple lack of understanding of what's on the menu). What irks me is that people think they can behave any old way they're used to wherever they go. The biggest difference to me between a cheap restaurant and an expensive restaurant is that in the former the server is there to serve you, and in the latter, the server is there to guide you. How about going in with an open mind and follow the lead of the waiter and those around you. It never killed anybody to be a little bit more polite every once in awhile.
I use RW mostly to draw people out who wouldn't otherwise. Honestly, half the time I end up ordering off the regular menu. It's just a great excuse to try new places with family and friends.
PS 7 was very good - especially the desserts.
I went to Ardeo for RW dinner last night (party of two). Service was fine but not outstanding (not busy -- reservation was early in the evening). The food, however, was generally great. First and second courses were fantastic, while the desserts were ok. Not a bad RW option as they make the entire menu available (w/ limited upcharges).
For all of you complaining about how the food isn't up to your standards during restaurant week...
Why don't you go eat in a soup kitchen for a week?
I doubt I would hear as much complaining if you all put things into perspective instead of whining like "holier than thou" foodie snobs.
Jen7: So people should just settle for less? That seems to be the point of your argument. Complaining is one thing, critiquing is another.
If everything were put "in perspective" as you say, you could stop reading DCist, sell your computer, and use the money to help those homeless people out.
I don't know anyone personally who enjoyed their Restaurant Week experience this year I have no intention of participating again.
and Jen7? that is the lamest thing I've read all week. You are aware, correct, that we pay for these dinners? So not trying to get the most for our money benefits the business owners at the expense of the consumers? So thanks for your ant-consumer, pro-business rant with that nonsensical bit of homelessness thing thrown in.
I dont understand how the kitchens are backed up if they are taking reservations. A restaurant should be able to provide food for enough customers at all times. If the restaurant cant handle that many customers, then they should have less tables.
Having less menu items should also make it easier on the kitchen too.
I went to Vidalia for RW and for the amount of money I ended up spending for wine and tip ($60), I should've just stayed home. The food was good, but not $30 good. I'd rather go to a restaurant with $15 entrees and have a beer and be equally satisfied at the end of the night.
Doesn't matter if it's the Palm or Ruby Tuesdays, you order, you eat, you drink, you pay, and you leave. Anybody who claims the clientèle in a fancy restaurant does any different is just a pretentious jackass
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Uhhhh... OH MY GOD, where do I start?
Well you're completely invalidating 500 years of cultural analysis including Margaret Mead, Martin Luther King Jr, Jesse Jackson, Gandhi, Zora Neal Hurston's anthropological work and anyone who ever said that if you "treat people better they will act better."
Here you say that no matter what the situation, people act the same.
Would Martin Luther King Jr agree with you that the lunch counter experience was the same for African-Americans as it was for whites and that fancy restaurants were no different than soul food restaurants?
Does that answer your question De Touqueville?
I'm confused. Did Martin Luther King Jr. not like the fancy restaurants, or was it Gandhi? I know Jesse Jackson liked to eat, in the heat, some good meat, what a treat.
the rest of your insults are wasted, because I have no clue who those people are. Professional wrestlers?? My favorite was The Godfather with his Ho train.
PS - thanks for proving my point, name dropper.
But you know after the fifth time in one day the server has heard 'I'd like the foey grass', they're going to start rolling their eyes just a bit. ... What irks me is that people think they can behave any old way they're used to wherever they go.
OMG!!!1! I'm not following #28, either. And I have to say that the above statement sounds like an apology for snobbery. As far as the contents of the menu goes, plenty of waiters in low-cost ethnic restaurants manage to serve uninitiated folks without rolling their eyes. And the question remains: how do poor people behave in restaurants that is so different than how rich people behave? Maybe they ask more questions, even (gasp!) unsophisticated questions. But what's wrong with that? I've been to my fair share of expensive restaurants, and I've never seen anyone make the sort of outrageous, scandalous scene that the above statement implies.
As for the distinction between serving and guiding--I think it's ridiculous to expect that service should deteriorate as cost increases. It's probably worth noting that one of the best waiters I've ever had was at Restaurant Nora. He asked about my family, my vacation plans, etc. He recommended wines without being prodded. He wanted to know what kinds of food I liked. He was as friendly and unpretentious as any server I've ever encountered. I paid for it through the nose, of course, but that's Nora, and I walked out of there feeling like my money was well spent. So if I go to Vidalia, and I think that the waiter is a jerk--well, he can thank the fellow at Nora for his low tip, because he's the one that set the bar so high.
There is no reason to tip on the "normal" amount of the meal. The servers at RW restaurants are making up the difference in their tips with the volume of customers, especially early in the week. If a server at DC Coast turns each table in their section several times on a Monday night, I'd imagine they are doing better than they would on a normal week!
I agree with the author. RW is not a great opportunity to try out and decide if you like a restaurant ... the food tends to be mediocre, and not at all representative of what you should expect on a regular night.
Doesn't necessarily mean it can't be a good value for the money, but I find it's too often disappointing.