475 replies to this topic

[changeup]

Right. But there's no suggestion they're returning to the Enoteca menu. Last night, it was just people eating the dinner menu at the bar.

Sure - but there was nothing stopping them from switching from Enoteca at the bar to fine dining at the bar back when. Is it really that incorrect to assume that they chose not to as part of the same effort? They sort of succeeded, so going back to an Enoteca menu would seem to risk that a bit, although even then I doubt the NYT will re-rate them anytime over the next 5 years.

[oakapple]

They did away with the original Enoteca menu at their bar in their effort to go for 4 stars/2 etoiles.

Well, they went one for two (yes from Sifton, no from Michelin). As a number of other things changed at the same time, it's hard to say that the elimination of bar dining, all by itself, really mattered very much. No other outlet has given them four stars (or the equivalent), so perhaps Sifton was just wrong.

[Sneakeater]

I agree with you about why they dropped the Enoteca menu -- which is also why I doubt they'll reinstate it.

It must be clear to them from both Babbo and Manzo how much they could make by just serving the dining room menu at the bar.

The only question in my mind is whether they'll offer an a la carte option at the bar (same menu items -- you just wouldn't have to order a minimum of five courses). It would make sense.

[changeup]

I'm not sure I want to eat 5 courses at their bar - if I'm going to do that, might as well sit in the dining room. I would rather pay 1.25 on the dollar to buy them individually, or perhaps a lunch style prix-fixe menu at the bar at night (2 courses + dessert)

(or perhaps just the lunch menu at the bar during lunch time - that would be awesome)

[Sneakeater]

Here's something. In the dining room last night, the waiter mentioned something about an a la carte option even there. I had no idea what he was talking about and didn't explore it. Certainly there's no indication of it on the menu. Does anybody know about this?

[changeup]

They did away with the original Enoteca menu at their bar in their effort to go for 4 stars/2 etoiles.

Well, they went one for two (yes from Sifton, no from Michelin). As a number of other things changed at the same time, it's hard to say that the elimination of bar dining, all by itself, really mattered very much. No other outlet has given them four stars (or the equivalent), so perhaps Sifton was just wrong.

He was definitely wrong, but hey - they didn't do it for anything other than 4 stars and 2 etoiles:

"We're going to get our second Michelin star and a four-star New York Times review this year, and this is how we're going to do it," Mario tells The Feed. In other words, for the critics—not the diners.

link

As for other things, I do believe their $500 "Collezione" menu was introduced as part of the same effort (it's now disappeared it seems).

[Sneakeater]

Del Posto has apparently formalized its trial "full menu at the bar" policy.

(It's also raised its lunch price from $29 to $39.)

[changeup]

Del Posto has apparently formalized its trial "full menu at the bar" policy.

(It's also raised its lunch price from $29 to $39.)

A la Carte, full regular menu or full extended tasting. Will have to check out the a la carte part soon.

[Sneakeater]

I still don't understand how a la carte works, since there's no menu with individual prices for individual items.

[changeup]

I still don't understand how a la carte works, since there's no menu with individual prices for individual items.

Per Se did it :-)

[Sneakeater]

Per se created a carte.

Apparently a la carte has always been an option in the dining room. You just had to know to ask about it. And then you have to ask about pricing, too. It's embarrassing (as well as obscure).

My understanding is that the bar is simply going to be the same as the dining room.

[changeup]

Oh, I had no idea.

[Sneakeater]

I know. It's like you and I were the only people in New York who didn't know about the a la carte option.

The last time I had dinner there, the waiter referred to it as something that of course one would know about, and I was too embarrassed at my ignorance to even ask for more information.

[oakapple]

I know. It's like you and I were the only people in New York who didn't know about the a la carte option.

I can't imagine you're the only two. Anyone looking at that menu would draw the natural conclusion that it's an indivisible prix fixe, just as it is at Per Se, Le Bernardin, The Modern, Eleven Madison, or any such place.

The more usual arrangement would be to print the à la carte prices, in addition to the prix fixe option at the bottom of the page. This is what Marea, Ai Fiori, and Dovetail do (to name a few).

[Sneakeater]

Right. Exactly.

I really want to know how all these people know about it.