83 replies to this topic

[joethefoodie]

The stone street scene? Eww.

Those are the people who I think Demi Monde will need as customers once the weather forces them inside. Not exactly my cup of tea either.

[Sneakeater]

It's actually ON Stone Street -- although the uncute half, on the other side of the former GS building.

[oakapple]

Looking at the obvious FiDi after-work crowd at the bar, it's hard for me to see how they're going to integrate their expensive-tasting-menu/food-counter crowd with their bar crowd.

I'm always a bit suspicious when people claim to be able to make such finely-tuned inferences about what a whole room full of people would like to eat.

As a more general comment, I'd say that the idea of an expensive tasting-menu restaurant, wrapped inside of an after-work cocktail bar, is a dubious concept regardless of neighborhood.

[Sneakeater]

It wasn't a whole roomful of people. It was 12-18 people at a bar -- most of them groups of three or four -- and a sprinkling of couples or small groups at a very few of the tables. So it was easy to see who they were.

[joethefoodie]

Looking at the obvious FiDi after-work crowd at the bar, it's hard for me to see how they're going to integrate their expensive-tasting-menu/food-counter crowd with their bar crowd.

I'm always a bit suspicious when people claim to be able to make such finely-tuned inferences about what a whole room full of people would like to eat.

As a more general comment, I'd say that the idea of an expensive tasting-menu restaurant, wrapped inside of an after-work cocktail bar, is a dubious concept regardless of neighborhood.

Yeah, well I guess some "people" just like to take wild guesses.

[Suzanne F]

<snip>

As a more general comment, I'd say that the idea of an expensive tasting-menu restaurant, wrapped inside of an after-work cocktail bar, is a dubious concept regardless of neighborhood.

Yeah, almost as dubious as opening an expensive tasting-menu restaurant in a grocery store.Or in a pizza parlor or sandwich shop.

[oakapple]

Yeah, almost as dubious as opening an expensive tasting-menu restaurant in a grocery store. Or in a pizza parlor or sandwich shop.

Exactly: some of the best ideas are the ones others rejected as crazy. But often, when something sounds crazy, it just is.

[Daisy]

<snip>

As a more general comment, I'd say that the idea of an expensive tasting-menu restaurant, wrapped inside of an after-work cocktail bar, is a dubious concept regardless of neighborhood.

Yeah, almost as dubious as opening an expensive tasting-menu restaurant in a grocery store.Or in a pizza parlor or sandwich shop.

I think the difference with Demi-Monde might be that the bar crowd coming up against the restaurant crowd may very well be worlds colliding while the audiences at Roberta's etc. may be more homogenous for lack of a better term.

[Sneakeater]

Yes, exactly.

[Anthony Bonner]

Board software strips out a lot of formatting so not funny anymore

But yeah - there is difference between the crowds colliding.

[taion]

I'm still pretty surprised that Stone Street was basically unaffected by GS's moving away.

[Adrian]

I'm still pretty surprised that Stone Street was basically unaffected by GS's moving away.

It's a 20 minute walk! Stone Street attracts a crowd from much further than that (for better or worse).

[Suzanne F]

Eater just had a little piece about the proposed tasting menu. As usual, ignore the comments.

[Orik]

Eater just had a little piece about the proposed tasting menu. As usual, ignore the comments.

It's funny that on the restaurant site he's influenced by Asia, but on eater it's just Japan. Almost like when they opened Vandaag it was Dutch and then quickly became Nordic.

[oakapple]

Eater just had a little piece about the proposed tasting menu. As usual, ignore the comments.

The most pertinent point, is that the chef says it's going to be like WD~50 and Corton, but there is (as yet) no evidence that he is actually capable of that. Not saying he can't, only that it's as yet unproven. I mean, Liebrandt and Wylie actually had to work their way up to charging that kind of coin.