GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 14 minutes ago, MitchW said: Priya should take a fucking Ativan, and get on with it. I recently had a great solo meal at the bar of a local bar (and grill), eating fried mushrooms while on mushrooms. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relbbaddoof Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 "many find eating out alone to be rife with awkwardness and judgment." I ate solo at Foxface tonight and my experience wasn't rife with any of that. Get with the Krishna program will you Foxface? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small h Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 How is this even a review? It's a fan letter. If this is the way the NYT is moving, they may as well hire Scott Lynch. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/dining/hellbender-nyc-restaurant-review.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7E4.IfGu.1T6cXtbIE802&smid=url-share Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small h Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 16 hours ago, Diancecht said: i’ve never felt any of the stigma being discussed in the article. The comment section is overflowing with people who seem terrified of inconveniencing the restaurant, so while they may dine out alone, they do it at 5pm and/or mid-week, they tip double, etc. Of course they feel stigma - they're stigmatizing themselves. I think the problem is that an awful lot of people have low self-esteem. I'm filled with self-hatred, but it's not from eating alone at a restaurant's bar, which I do all the time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 1 hour ago, small h said: How is this even a review? It's a fan letter. If this is the way the NYT is moving, they may as well hire Scott Lynch. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/dining/hellbender-nyc-restaurant-review.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7E4.IfGu.1T6cXtbIE802&smid=url-share What's the difference between a rave review and a fan letter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small h Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 1 minute ago, GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry said: What's the difference between a rave review and a fan letter? The ratio of gushing to assessment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Bonner Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 NJ.com is more likely to be critical of its assessment of a restaurant these days than the NYT. At least the times has a better team of graphic designers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilfrid Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 17 hours ago, Diancecht said: ... many restaurateurs, who already run their businesses on thin profit margins, worry that tables for one will cost them. I understand that, but it's personally frustrating. As a solo diner, I am likely to spend more than that first-date couple who order a salad and an entree both to share and two glasses of wine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backyardchef Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 2 hours ago, small h said: they may as well hire Scott Lynch. Oh, please no..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backyardchef Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Oh god, Ridgewood even more diluted than ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small h Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 (edited) 3 minutes ago, backyardchef said: Oh, please no..... I'm going to the Hellgate party tonight - might see my idol there! It's a celebration of his $20 & Under thing. Edited March 27 by small h 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relbbaddoof Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 4 hours ago, small h said: they do it at 5pm Now you're stigmatizing us 5 pm diners. I do it because I often have a 5 am awakening the next morning and need to go to bed early on weekday nights. Plus, it's quieter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small h Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 If you had read the comments, you would have noted that people are not dining at 5pm because they choose to or prefer to. They're dining at 5pm because they're afraid to take up space at more popular times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieL Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 I also tried to eat on the early side, which is my preference anyway (though not at 5 PM--I'm not a retiree in Florida)--it worked best for restaurants that didn't take reservations and didn't have bars to sit at. I always bring something to read if I'm eating alone, though that's always been my MO in the same situations at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinghiale Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Why the hating on the Hellbender review? It’s a pretty straightforward positive assessment, with good descriptions. I don’t get the fan letter diss. I mean, I’d try it based on the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small h Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 2 hours ago, cinghiale said: I don’t get the fan letter diss. I mean, I’d try it based on the review. Have at it. Report back. Serve as a fact-checker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orik Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 On 3/27/2025 at 11:23 AM, Wilfrid said: I understand that, but it's personally frustrating. As a solo diner, I am likely to spend more than that first-date couple who order a salad and an entree both to share and two glasses of wine. Data says the average single diner in nyc spends exactly half of the average couple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small h Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 On 3/27/2025 at 11:23 AM, Wilfrid said: I am likely to spend more than that first-date couple who order a salad and an entree both to share and two glasses of wine. I see you've never been on a first date with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchW Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 1 hour ago, small h said: I see you've never been on a first date with me. He's saving it for Ana or Carlotta. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small h Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 1 minute ago, MitchW said: He's saving it for Ana or Carlotta. Wise, money-saving move. They certainly look like they'd eat less than I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voyager Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 On 3/27/2025 at 8:23 AM, Wilfrid said: … first-date couple who order a salad and an entree both to share and two glasses of wine. That first date would be a last date with anyone that cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilfrid Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 Yes, and I have witnessed it more than once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilfrid Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 40 minutes ago, small h said: Wise, money-saving move. They certainly look like they'd eat less than I would. Oh no, no. They are just super fit. They certainly eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relbbaddoof Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 22 hours ago, StephanieL said: not at 5 PM--I'm not a retiree in Florida Hey! You better wash your mouth out with soap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diancecht Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 looks like this topic struck a nerve on reddit a while back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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