Comments on: 5 Happiest Restaurants in New York: (Good value/good vibrations) http://fatandhappyfoodslut.com/2006/12/01/happiest-restaurants-in-new-york-cumulative/ The Unblogged Meal is Not Worth Eating Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Parlor Steakhouse: Beating Expectations in a Neighborhood Known to Dash Them « Fat and Happy Food Slut http://fatandhappyfoodslut.com/2006/12/01/happiest-restaurants-in-new-york-cumulative/#comment-2821 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:35:19 +0000 http://tigerdog.wordpress.com/2006/12/01/happiest-restaurants-in-new-york-cumulative/#comment-2821 [...] having to take one.  Parlor Steakhouse has definitely joined the latter club, alongside Spigolo, Café D’Alsace and Sushi of Gari.  Below are the five most notable subpar and superior items from their non-steak [...]

]]> By: FaHFS http://fatandhappyfoodslut.com/2006/12/01/happiest-restaurants-in-new-york-cumulative/#comment-1874 Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:57:55 +0000 http://tigerdog.wordpress.com/2006/12/01/happiest-restaurants-in-new-york-cumulative/#comment-1874 After several recent visits, I’m sad to say that Cafe D’Alsace is well off its early high mark. The major reviews are printed, the reputation is fixed, and now it’s time for the traditional Yorkville Slide into mediocrity. While the crowds are still impressive, the quality isn’t, particularly in the front of house. What seemed like early kinks turns out to be standard practice: Servers and sommeliers show little love or knowledge of people, food or drink. These are the kind of folks who would never make it past day 1 of a trail at Blue Smoke, much less Gramercy Tavern.

A few specifics:

Last weekend, a waitress dumped our table a few minutes into service after declaring in earshot that we didn’t seem like big spenders. The waiter who took over never explained the shift, nor did he show much more restraint in gossiping about other supposed pinchpennies while milling about the bussing station. Red wine came warm and to the wrong person. Only the runners seemed to know what they were doing. I’d much rather have had any of them–friendly, quick competent–as my server and tipped them instead.

As usual the food remains resolutely rooted in the coldest months of Alsatian winter (two seasons of fat, meat, cabbage and potatoes, two seasons of fat, meat cabbage and potatoes plus carbon footprint heavy flavor light tomato salad) A bit of waiter training and a vaguely creative chef could fix these problems. With lighting this good and clientele this loyal, I wish the owners would do so. Prospects are slim.

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