Dining Out: Where would you go?

[Orik]

And how old is their beverage manager?

[Sneakeater]

2 hours ago, Evelyn said:

So which Michelin starred place IS serving canned cocktails?

Oxalis. 

[Sneakeater]

Piper is pretty young, right?

[Orik]

I was guessing it's more likely someone young than an aging Japanese salary man. 

 

[Sneakeater]

I was struggling with whether to note that they don't serve prepackaged cocktails at Bar Goto Niban.  But I thought it might not count since it is, you know, a bar.

[Seth Gordon]

18 hours ago, Sneakeater said:

Frenchette isn’t serving prepackaged cocktails.  Olmsted isn’t serving prepackaged cocktails.  Claro isn’t serving prepackaged cocktails. Haenyo isn’t serving prepackaged cocktails. Ernesto’s isn’t serving prepackaged cocktails. 

I understand that. I'm just saying there's nothing on paper that's inherently wrong with a canned cocktail. Though any given one could be shit, surely. And not all of Oxalis' offerings are canned, correct? There were other options, I assume. 

[Sneakeater]

There is a fucking LOT on paper wrong with prepackaged cocktails.  Most cocktails are meant to be drunk fresh.   And even ones that can be barrel-aged are meant to be drunk from the barrel.

I can see your saying that the occasional canned cocktail is OK as a gimmick, like the ones they had in the soda machine at EC.  But ALL current outdoor Oxalis's cocktails are canned:  that's ALL they're offering.  And the menu gives no indication of that.  I think it's an outrage.

[Sneakeater]

But this also shows how stupid it is that Michelin is sending out their NYC inspectors now.  Are they REALLY going to judge these restaurants by their outdoor and takeout offerings during Quarantine?  Seems nuts.

[Seth Gordon]

Just now, Sneakeater said:

ALL Oxalis's cocktails are canned.  The menu gives no indication of that.  I think it's an outrage.

That's a little different. You'd think at least the Aperol Spritzes and G&Ts would be made fresh, since they don't involve much work. (Granted, 4/5ths of either of those drinks, even made "fresh" likely came from a can.)

For some drinks - those with fresh fruit juice, especially citrus - yeah, sure, I'll give you that packaging or even pre-batching can make a difference. For a typical stirred drink, though, there's no reason a can would affect the contents. And for anything carbonated, a can or bottle could be better. 

The only problem I see with serving only cans is that in my experience 98% of canned cocktails are shit. There are exceptions, the game is being raised if slowly.

From what I know of your taste I'd venture a guess it's Empirical Can 01 we're talking about, given that on paper (or aluminum) it reads like someone put Aska in a blender and carbonated it. 

[Sneakeater]

17 minutes ago, Seth Gordon said:

(Granted, 4/5ths of either of those drinks, even made "fresh" likely came from a can.)

Not at good places, though.

If COVID dining means that good places are going to reduce themselves to mediocre places, why bother to put on a mask and leave your apartment?

[joethefoodie]

Just the fact that the discussion has evolved into canned cocktails sucks.

[Wilfrid]

Something that needs to happen is restaurants adjusting their menus back to dine-in mode. I've looked at a few places which made the smart and necessary pivot to take-out/pick-up menus --shorter, simpler -- but I'm unlikely to seek a reservation and travel even a good fried chicken sandwich or BLT.

Of course, websites may not reflect what they're doing this week: everything changes so fast.

[Sneakeater]

But the problem is that at 25% capacity restaurants can't afford to (re)hire the kitchen staff and buy the ingredients necessary for such a pivot.  They'll just be serving their outside menu inside (or their equivalent of the more ambitious outdoor menus some places are serving).

Not ALL restaurants offering outdoor dining are offering things like fried chicken sandwiches.  Some are offering limited or simplified versions of their normal menus, prepared worse.  THAT'S what ALL indoor dining will be like at 25%, even at places that have offered only cafe/snack menus outdoors and purport to pivot.

(Understand that I'm not arguing for greater permitted capacity.  I'm just saying why I don't think it'll be worth it to actually EAT that stuff at restaurant prices.)

[Steve R.]

Cant say that I've found that to be true at Park Side, Noodle Pudding, Henry's End or River Deli.  We've eaten outdoors at each (some several times) and the menus have been full (as has their staffing, front and back) and the preparations equal to what they ever were.  Obviously, all of these are "just" good neighborhood places (except for Park Side), but they're where we've liked to go for years.

[Tubbs]

Atomix is reopening oct 7. I'm really tempted. Very few diners and presumably an already robust air filtration system (since they are in a basement). The one thing I really miss is very high end food. Long meal though.