tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7146512.post4701501948206293522..comments2024-03-12T22:31:46.500-04:00Comments on What Would Phoebe Do?: "Cursed with a plague"Phoebe Maltz Bovyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17996039330841139883noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7146512.post-66741610377128043002013-03-20T00:07:03.052-04:002013-03-20T00:07:03.052-04:00On the same theme is Would Not Make Again, a compi...On the same theme is <a href="http://wouldnotmakeagain.tumblr.com/" rel="nofollow">Would Not Make Again</a>, a compilation of recipe reviews that can all be summarized as "I substituted half of the ingredients in this recipe and took liberties with the cooking time/method, and I am really disappointed with the way this dish turned out."Moebius Strippernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7146512.post-85419106931451242452013-03-18T22:55:03.268-04:002013-03-18T22:55:03.268-04:00Britta,
I don't remember how I ever thought t...Britta,<br /><br />I don't remember how I ever thought to look up Masa on Yelp (it definitely had nothing to do with considering eating there, and was likely done from a couch in NJ), but I remember those as being some of the most amazing reviews all around.<br /><br />"never partake of a service before knowing the price"<br /><br />This is so central to the Cheapness Studies philosophy, at least as I see it. It bothers me in principle even if the items in question are unlikely to be expensive, indeed even if (as at one coffee shop near NYU) I know the items (croissants, to be specific) are reasonably priced. Why can't the price be marked? And, as much as I like ordering whole fish in restaurants, I rarely do so because of the "market price" phenomenon. Does the market change so frequently? Can't there be a set price for a given day (per pound, at least) so there might be an estimate? <br /><br />But you're right that this is all the more key when traveling. The closest I've ever come to the Masa faux pas was arriving in Italy late at night, not having any idea where near the hostel there was food, and, after extensive wandering, ending up with a whopping coperto (or tourist tax?) and some minute appetizer, because the main courses would have cost too much. The price of even this was high enough - if not nearly Masa-level - that I remember becoming very acquainted with Italian supermarkets thereafter.Phoebe Maltz Bovyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996039330841139883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7146512.post-86525720812119218392013-03-18T22:23:25.294-04:002013-03-18T22:23:25.294-04:00Oh, there was also a one star review of Masa sayin...Oh, there was also a one star review of Masa saying "This is not AUTHENTIC Japanese food." Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02224221011978374915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7146512.post-72973253290587865512013-03-18T22:18:24.345-04:002013-03-18T22:18:24.345-04:00My favorite are the 1 star reviews on amazon which...My favorite are the 1 star reviews on amazon which go something like: THIS PRODUCT DID NOT ARRIVE IN TIME FOR MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY AND THE BOX WAS DENTED!!!!!<br /><br />Uh, thanks. Next time I need a gift before your daughter's birthday, I'll take your review into consideration.<br /><br />Anyways, I was just thinking about writing a travel guide for the frugal/anyone, though now I realize this is true regardless of where you are, but never partake of a service before knowing the price, or at least general ballpark price of the service. This is especially true in countries where prices aren't fixed and have to be bargained for, but I think it's also true elsewhere. Also, for restaurants in the US, I've found that places which don't post prices (and aren't dive bars) are generally they're along the lines of "If you have to ask you can't afford it"Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02224221011978374915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7146512.post-63057620292330374822013-03-18T13:43:45.254-04:002013-03-18T13:43:45.254-04:00Yes re: negative reviews on Yelp being about thing...Yes re: negative reviews on Yelp being about things unrelated to the food. My guess is, this is more true where I live now in NJ than in the city. There is a restaurant experience many seem to expect, and anything cramped, anywhere without a cheery server who introduces himself by name, is a lost cause for many.<br /><br />Not sure re: Masa. I could understand doing something like what the Masa couple did if the place were a bit more expensive than expected. Prices online are often off, regardless, and if you're just wandering into a place, you do risk being surprised. Maybe you were expecting $12 pasta but now must brace yourself for $16 if you don't want to make a fuss. But this is a month's rent going to dinner, utterly unplanned. It doesn't look cheap to walk out when the meal will be over a thousand dollars. <br /><br />And in the middle of Manhattan of all places, there's no possibility that one is hungry and thus <i>must</i> eat in a restaurant - there's always going to be a convenience store or even supermarket that's open. This particular couple (and I think the review even mentions it?) might have considered the Whole Foods in the very same shopping center. Instead, they took "whole paycheck" more literally.Phoebe Maltz Bovyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996039330841139883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7146512.post-70443855234042665002013-03-18T13:29:26.576-04:002013-03-18T13:29:26.576-04:00My favorite example is the man who went to a prete...My favorite example is the man who went to a pretentious wine/microbrew bar and complained he hadn’t heard of any of the beers. “Why can’t I just get a friggin Corona?” This place is called La Cave du Vin, by the way. It is not where you go to indulge your working-class side.<br /><br />Or the man who complained that his waitress at a steakhouse had a “five-inch” skirt on. “Some members of the party were offended.” I’ve also read complaints about the facial expression or tone of voice of a server. <br /><br />I sort of sympathize with the Masa couple. I have walked out of restaurants upon seeing their prices, but it takes a certain commitment to your cheapness.<br /><br />I also like the reviews which tell you about the decor, the service, the wait time, the prices, even the bathrooms, and never mention the food. Or the people who get frustrated and leave without ever eating, and then write a review! Inevitably these are also the people who show up with a large party on a Saturday night. <br /><br />Here is my advice on Yelp:<br /><br />http://zagavory.blogspot.com/2012/07/if-you-travel-for-business-or-if-you.html caryatisnoreply@blogger.com