New York Restaurants Love to Discriminate.. Against Credit Cards

Posted on March 20, 2011 by jerrica.williams

It’s Friday night, and you and your friends decide to go out to eat—what probably 50% of other New Yorkers are also doing. You choose a restaurant, sit down, and take a look at the menu, wondering which item sounds like it will make your mouth water the most. Once you’ve picked out your item for the night, the waiter comes to the table and you find the sudden urge to ask about payment. You say, almost nonchalantly, “You take card right?” Then awaits three words that will grind anyone’s gears who only keeps that Visa, Mastercard, or any other type of credit card only: “No, Cash-Only.” You, credit card in hand, are left sitting there, starting at the waiter as if they will somehow change the restaurant’s payment system and suddenly accept cards.

No. You and your friends have to walk around and choose a new restaurant. And the first thing you’ll say as you walk in won’t be hello but “Now do you take credit cards?”

Welcome to what annoys me the most about New York restaurants: the inability to enter into the 21st century and join the rest of humanity with a credit card machine.

I guess I need to get out of the way why I do not carry cash. What I would usually answer as “Because I don’t want to,” and leave it at that, I will be more specific in light of trying to prove a point. I do not carry cash because cash in my pocket does one thing for me: makes me want to spend it. If I see a candy bar, and I have a dollar in my pocket, I’m going to buy it. However, if I see candy and I only have a debit card, I’ll think it’s stupid to swipe a card for 99 cents. Cash also makes me want to evenly spend all the cash I have in one day, because I, for some odd reason, was born with the obsessive-compulsive need to do so.

Anyway.

I could not count the amount of times I could not eat at a food place because they were cash-only. Now, I can more so understand a let’s say, small pizza place. But being cash-only for an entire sit-down restaurant? The kind where meals are over $15 and using a credit card is only second nature?

This literally happened to me, once again, two nights ago at Galanga in Greenwich Village. As my friend and I sat down to order some delicious Thai food, I looked at my friend and said, “I bet you $5 they are cash-only,” knowing we both happily use Bank of America cards. And they were.

Inside the visual appealing yet credit-card hating Galanga.

We walked around for an hour before landing on another Thai restaurant that took card. Annoying, to say the least.

All in all, I would simply like to understand the reasoning behind cash-only restaurants and their desire to lose business of customers like me who hate carrying cash.

Posted in Food Rant / love song | 4 Comments

Dear Coffee Snobs,

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Elsa

Coffee with milk. Period.

No, I don’t like ”bodega coffee” that does taste like water, or is filled with cream and sugar even if you order it ”black.” But does this mean that I care where my coffee is roasted, and if it has a bold or round finish? I don’t think so. All I want is a decent cup of coffee that I can enjoy in peace. What I mean by this it that the last thing I need on top of the price and tax of my drink is someone pointing out coffee-facts, as if these should be part of every sophisticated persons life. Welcome to the world  of Coffee Snobs.

I have considered myself as a real Coffee Geek for quite a while. Maybe this also is why Coffee Snobs bothers me so much. Because remember, these two types of “coffee people” are not the same. Let me explain.

Coffee with milk. Or, excuse me, "Short soy-cappuccino with a smooth foam, 152 degrees warm."

For a while I worked in a coffee shop here in New York, and enjoyed my job, doing hearts and flowers in the milk foam of people’s latte’s. But then I started to notice coffee shops around me, where both the baristas (the one’s who makes your coffee) and the customers were obsessed with – no, not coffee – but vocabulary. Short lattes, solid foam, organic fare trade coffee ONLY. And not to forget the ”cuppings,” coffee tastings, where you sit around and slurp coffee (the louder the better). Is it tangy and nutty, with a touch of plum and…smoke!? Oh, this means it must be from Guatemala! Coffee had become the new wine – something fashionable and sophisticated. From this day on, I swore to keep my coffee knowledge to myself and never become one of them – the Coffee Snobs.

I am not here to tell anyone they can’t demand their coffee to be steamed at 152 degrees, or forbid people to spend hours debating which coffee roastery is the best in town. If these are things you want to put down energy on, sure, go ahead and do it. I just have one little request: Do not look down at us ”regular” coffee drinkers, and do not correct our orders. And no, I do not only speak to all you latte-art obsessed baristas. All you snobby coffee buyers, this considers you too – especially you. If you know exactly how your coffee should be done, I would suggest you start working in a coffee shop. Or just stay at that one place where you once were served this perfectly smooth-foamed, nutty and earthy soy-latte with a bold finish. Oh, and for your information, the heart in your cappuccino foam was not there because the barista liked you, but because he likes his own artistic hand.

Dear Coffee Snobs, please keep your valuable knowledge to yourself, and let me enjoy my coffee as what it is – a plain drink.

Posted in Food Rant / love song | 1 Comment

Restauranteurs -Patience is a Virtue

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Lisa

Photo by Renjith Krishnan

Absorbing the warmth in a small cafe in Amsterdam, I  desperately searched for our waiter. This was my first time being in Europe and among taking in the full experience, there were some cultural norms that I needed to get used to.

Apparently, it’s customary to take your time eating and digesting your food before the waitstaff approach and hand you the bill. Unfortunately, that’s not the norm here in the U.S.

I’ve lost count of how many times that I’ve been out dining and magically the check appears on the table without any of my dining companions having summoned for it.  Even when accompanied by a well-meaning, “For when you’re ready” still comes off as unwelcoming and pushy.

There’s got to be a happy medium between waiting an hour for a check and getting it while I am still chewing my food. I don’t know too much about business, but basic logic makes me think that the happier I, the customer, am, the more money you, the business, will make. If I have a great experience at a restaurant, I will write about it on Yelp, tell my friends about it, and visit frequently.

I know that time and space are very important, especially in a city like New York, but if allowed more time, I could order more food and most likely give a bigger tip. Restaurants in New York, take heed, an extra ten minutes could mean an extra $10! I’ve noticed this particularly in chain restaurants, such as T.G.I. Friday’s and Applebee’s.

My college roommate in freshman year was a waitress at Friendly’s and told me about their rule of thumb for checking in with customers. About two bites into their meal, waitstaff are expected to check in with diners to see if they’re enjoying their food. To know that there’s an actual formula to this bothers me. “After x amount of bites, hand diners the check whether or not they actually asked for it”.

I know that some people would just sit around forever, but I think a humble balance and a bit of common decency would solve this problem and make a better dining experience all around.

Posted in Food, Food Rant / love song | 2 Comments

No false Ads For Tasteless Dishes

Posted on March 19, 2011 by joseph.jackson

“You know what really grinds my gears,” as Family Guy’s Peter Griffin would say, is all of these misleading ads about how tasteful their dishes are. Then when that $18.50 plate of steak medium well done with a side of vegetables and wild rice is sitting in front of you, you greatly disappointed.

“When you pay over $50 for their food, no one wants to pay for a an okay meal they want to pay for a great food,” says Lewis Dimaren, an advent diner of various restaurants. What is the point of putting up those pretty and illustrative pictures in the menu when it turns out to be an illusion with every unsavory bite.

One establishment I can think of that comes to mind oh so vividly is T.G.I.F. I mean there’s so much that can be said about many of the disappointing moments of taking a bite out of one of the burgers on their menu or their steak or even breaded shrimp. Their finely decorated menus with displays of false delights.

The ultimate tease of wanting a dish that’ll not only satisfy your appetite, but explode with the many herbs and spices the waiters and waitresses would tell you are in you curious food decisions. What an irritating feeling to finally get your order after 20-30 minutes of waiting just to have the feeling that your eating something that seems to have been heated in a microwave, I mean come on man where’s the care and love for the customer.

Misleading the eyes into believing the taste buds would be carried on wild journey of ecstasy should be a horrible sin, especially know the prices they charge. If the food is lacking in taste and is simply meant to ease the hunger pains of prolonged wait then it should be stated somewhere in the restaurant, but then again that isn’t living realistically. So I guess until then we’ll have to venture forth into these establishments blindly, hoping that we’ll find one place that can serve its patrons a little piece of tasteful heaven.

Posted in Food, Food Rant / love song | Tagged | 3 Comments

I only eat chicken and rice…Not

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Sabrina

I often meet people who immediately assume that when I say “I only eat halal food,” it must mean I only eat chicken and rice. Well, that is not the case.

I assure you, halal food is more than chicken and rice. Even when it’s the mouth watering entree in silver packaging sold on 53rd and 6th.

I don’t actually stand on lines three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner for grilled chicken, lamb or beef chunks sidled with yellow or brown rice, then drizzled with mystery white sauce, hot sauce or the occasional barbecue sauce and a sparing array of salad on the side. If I did, I’d choose different carts each time, and vary even then by day. They do say that variety is the spice of life.

But, really now.

In reality, halal just mean lawful in the sense that the meat was blessed with an Islamic prayer before slaughter. So all I’m saying is that when I’m out and about, I’m often limited to the carts or must choose from vegetarian or seafood options at restaurants not serving meat from a halal butcher shop.

As long as it is, I indulge in practically the same dishes as everyone else, but mostly at home. Home is where the halal is. My mom prepares Bengali meals, like biryani, and American ones, like steak and mashed potatoes, on any given day. So relax guys, I’m not quite so deprived, just particular.

I wish I could explain this one once and for all—because I have, often—but the misunderstanding continues. Sigh.

In fact, I asked a few friends about their perceptions of halal food just so you readers didn’t think this was all based on conjecture. And my, oh my, did most of them basically prove my assessment:

I asked, what is halal food? These were my friends’ well meaning responses:

“It’s chicken and rice. With white sauce,” said Alex Mikoulianitch

“What do you mean? I’m not understanding your question,” said Anas M. Uddin.

“Middle Eastern dishes,” said Brian Gottesman

(And then a light at the end of the tunnel)

“Halal food, to me is the meat, and it has to be prepared a certain way, and has to be blessed,” said David Ospino.

(But wait, there’s more)

“I guess, chicken and rice, and salad,” said Nakeisha Campbell

“The Arabic version of kosher food. And shish kebabs,” said Gizelle Lugo.

Close. But still, sigh.

It’s frustrating to say the least. But I’m confident that as New Yorkers, people will catch up. We understand what kosher is, right?

For instance, Dovilas Bukauskas said, “I think halal is just for meat. I think kosher is for everything.”

So, the concept isn’t completely out of our scope. But little does it matter in the foodie scheme of things when both the vendors and their hungry customers are happy. Especially around Baruch, where there are close to 5 halal food carts/trucks in something of a two block radius and chicken and rice reigns supreme.

My Egyptian buddy agrees, posing for the camera, then jokingly saying, “Now you pay for the photo.”

This halal food vendor by 25th and Lexington serves long lines of Baruch students everyday. At noon on this day, the lunch line is just beginning to form.

$5 dollars for a chicken and rice = halal food misnomer? “Ha-ha.” Certainly not.

Posted in Food, Food Rant / love song | Tagged | 4 Comments

BAM! Surprises Hit You Hard

Posted on March 19, 2011 by ying

If you’re aching for a taste of delicious Chinese cuisine and you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I am hoping that in engineering this question oh-so-subtly (and ingeniously), that you will arrive at the answer I am searching for. But if you still don’t know, here’s a REALLY BIG hint: remember that REALLY BIG landmass in Asia that’s in the shape of a rooster that all of you guys probably came across in your Social Studies class back in middle school? Yea, jog those memories of yours. I’m talking about China.

So what’s in China that you couldn’t find here? I’m sure all of you are thinking along the same lines as I am– the quasi-Communism that exists there and the daily propaganda that the Chinese government regularly feeds to their people, right?

Wait a second, hold up, OOPS. I’m talking about food.

Chinese takeout is something that just doesn’t have a smidgen of authenticity to it. Sesame chicken? General Tso’s chicken? Really? Really? Now, mind you, don’t think I’m hating on Chinese takeout because I’m really not. I’m not a hater– My dad works at Yee Garden, a takeout restaurant in Middle Village, so I firmly support the rights of Chinese takeout restaurants to exist.

In China, I thought I was in food heaven. It had everything I liked, from savory wontons in soup to my favorite noodles, zhajiang mian, to mouthwatering dishes with eggplant or stinky tofu, two things I absolutely abhorred before going to Nanjing.

So imagine my disappointment when I was studying abroad at Nanjing University for three-and-a-half months last fall and was desperately missing my mother’s delicious vegetarian baozi when I discovered that they didn’t have the kind my mom made. I’m not talking about any old vegetarian baozi, I’m talking about the kind that has glass noodles, small squares of tofu, slivers of carrots, and pieces of wood ear inside them. They are irresistible and apparently, hard to find in China. I mean, who knew right?

Now, I wouldn’t call myself a vegetarian, but my mother, being the health nut that she is, habitually cooks more greens than hearty strips of pork and savory slices of beef. Salt, sugar, and especially soy sauce, are never used in excess and sometimes, they’re even left out. I’m pretty used to it though and now, I think I love it.

Before we go on, let me make this clear. You can put just about anything in the fillings of baozi— there really isn’t anything, any combination of ingredients, that is wrong. It’s all based on your judgment, so if you think that combo A is probably better tasting together than combo B, than stick with combo A.

Because there is no right or wrong, though, it has made my life extremely difficult, or at least my pursuit of it. That perfect baozi seemed lost and hidden in the vastness of China. I mean, what’s the likelihood that people would put the exact same fillings in baozi anyway? Highly unlikely, no doubt about it.

Vegetarian baozi from Mama Su's

So when my boyfriend told me that I could find them at Mama Su’s Grill & Steam in Bayside, New York, I couldn’t believe my ears. Here in New York City of all places? I sighed. This was a scam, it just had to be. They were bewitched by these fakes, these poor imitations of the baozi my mom likes to make. Who else could recreate home, besides my mom?

Even despite all my negative sentiments, I still  wanted to try it. I just had to. I couldn’t very well not eat it, and lose an opportunity to say: “The ones from home are better.” So when two buns arrived in front of us, one for my boyfriend and the other for me, I was prepared to be disappointed. And suddenly, BAM. It hit me just like that. This was definitely a taste of home. I was shocked. Who knew that the vegetarian baozi that I had been searching for endlessly in China would be found right here in New York. Now that’s really surprising.

Posted in Food, Food Rant / love song | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

I Came to Eat Dinner, Not Catch a Cold

Posted on March 18, 2011 by tr103625

After hurrying my way through the crowded streets of New York City with the incentive to avoid frostbite from the frigid cold, you would think my dedication of venturing out into this weather for dinner would be rewarded at the restaurant of my choice.

Boy was I wrong.

It seems when waiters and waitresses see me walk through the door they automatically assume I prefer my chicken with a side of wind and freezing cold. Which is why at least five times this winter, I was seated right next to the treacherous door at my former favorite restaurant.

Eating dinner in the city at least twice a week, I understand how the dinner rush leads to a long line of customers anticipating a table. In order to avoid an hour wait, being seated near the door is fine. However, when there are at least ten vacant, warm tables available, I expect to eat my dinner in a breeze free zone.

This annoyance was not something I cared about at first. However, as I became more frustrated, and cold, I realized I should not have to be eating dinner with my winter coat and scarf on.

If I wanted to eat in the cold, I would have saved my money on the tip and went to the Shake Shack.

As I became more aware, I searched around for an answer as to why I was placed next to the door more then once. Maybe this restaurant is saving their better seats for their big spending customers. Maybe this is a way for waitresses to equally divide their tips. Maybe those customers made reservations prior, or maybe it was just by chance.

Whatever the case may be, I have found a solution to this bitter problem by dining at restaurants such as Chipotle, where I can eat good food, pay no tip, and not have to worry about enduring the cold weather inside.

Posted in Food Rant / love song | 3 Comments

Oishii Desu Yo!

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Sherese Francis

If any of you are wondering what that title of the post means, it is Japanese for “it is delicious!” and that is exactly how I feel about Japanese cuisine. Sadly though, when people think of Japanese food, the first thought that comes to mind is sushi, seaweed, rice balls (onigiri) or Ramen noodles. But Japan has a much wider range of tasty food than just those few items and I was able to learn that a few years ago.

During the summer of my junior year of high school, I stayed in Osaka, Japan for six weeks and fell in love with a variety Japanese food. One of my favorite dishes is Gyuudon, which is a beef bowl with rice and caramelized onions.

Gyuudon

Yes, the strips of beef look like a squishy mess, but trust me when it hits your mouth, it is a sweet delight.

Another dish I liked was Hot Pot (Shabu Shabu), which is a Japanese variation of a Chinese meal. Consisting of a variety of meat, seafood, and vegetables that are dipped into a hot pot of boiling water and different sauces, Hot Pot results in a broth which is eaten with rice and noodles. Eating this with a group of people is a funny experience, especially when fighting over the last piece of anything on the table.

I also tried chicken Karaage, which is covered in wheat flour or potato starch and fried in a light oil. It is much better than any of the fried chicken that I’ve tried here. My friend Chantal, who went with me to Japan and is picky eater, practically survived on this and gyuudon.

When I returned home, I immediately began looking for convenient places where I could find the dishes in America.

I have not been to many Japanese restaurants in America, but the one that I go to regularly is Yoshinoya, a Japanese restaurant chain that fortunately opened on 42nd Street around the same time I returned home. The cooks make a gyuudon that is just as good as the one I had in Japan.

Now, I am hungry, so I will stop here. But, since this post is about Japan and in light of recent tragic events there, I encourage everyone to send any support you can to the country during this time.

Posted in Food, Food Rant / love song | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Movie Palace Brings Classics to Astoria

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Lisa

Tucked in a corner of the sleek and remodeled Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, lies an elaborate Egyptian alcove.

Tut’s Fever, formally known as a movie palace, is a replication of the themed movie theaters of the 1930s and 40s.   A life-sized wooden woman, dressed in flowing white robes greets visitors from the concession stand facade. To the left, a dark, but curiosity sparking path, leads adventurous patrons through a hieroglyphic streaked tunnel, by a closed casket.  Upon pulling a lever, the casket door springs open and a  “mummy” pokes his head out with  a cigar hanging out of his mouth.


The space itself is equally as breath-taking. Large sarcophagi stand firmly (and slightly intimidatingly) against the walls, casting shadows over the decorated cloth seats.  A seemingly out of place, but still entertaining,  image of vintage Mickey Mouse and a dog adorns the curtain that pulls back to reveal a screen modest by today’s standards.

A vintage image of Mickey Mouse adorns the curtain

It’s intricate details are almost distracting from the film on display.

Movie palaces like this were the norm back in the early twentieth century, with less than five remaining in the New York City area (not including Tut’s Fever, which is considered a recreation). Instead of sticky floors and the incessant clicking of other audience members texting, moviegoers in the early twentieth century got to marvel at amphitheater-style theaters with ornate ceilings and luxurious, velvet curtains.

Going to the movies was a full experience. There were no distracting, gimmicky 3D graphics to distract from the film , only the film and a beautiful environment in which to watch it. Tut’s Fever seeks to recreate this joy for modern audiences by showing classic films and miniseries and using a projector.

“When they start up the projector, you can hear it. I think it adds to the experience. It’s as if nowadays when you go to the movies you’re just watching a bigger screen and maybe [the sound] is a bit more intense than if I were watching it in my living room. Movies…are now becoming very little of an experience because you can get the same feeling at a quality home theater,” said Tecumseh Ceaser, a lifelong resident of Astoria and former film projectionist.

Tut’s Fever was an original part of the museum’s plan, debuting along with the entirety of the museum in 1988. It was designed by artists Red Grooms and Lysiane Luong. In the museum’s recent expansion, a larger, more modern theater was added, as well as a screening room, but Tut’s Fever offers a unique experience to younger generations.  With its eye-catching decor, the space is able to allure children and expose them to classic films they may not see anywhere else.

Currently showing in Tut’s Fever is the series, The Green Hornet, with a new episode shown daily. The movie palace is a true representation about what the museum as a whole aims to do: expose the public to the historical part of moving images throughout time, while still finding a place for them in modern times to be rediscovered and enjoyed all over again.



Posted in Independent Film | 3 Comments

Cultural heart of hipster central.

Posted on March 17, 2011 by thatnewyorker

Never judge a book by it's cover...

Within the past few years, Williamsburg has become known as a kind of hipster central where all that is indie thrives so it’s no surprise that the only movie theater in the neighborhood just happens to be dedicated to independent film, Indiescreen. The area specific area the theater is located in isn’t much to write home about. It’s gritty, grimy and industrial. The graphitti lining the walls of the mildly dilapidated buildings devoted to housing products we use in our everyday live (like the Dominoes sugar factory that emanates an unusual smell) it reminds us of a history this city has mostly left behind, a history where gangs ruled this land without fear. Traveling here at night is definitely not for the overly cautious. It’s mostly empty, a kind of barren wasteland of industry. But then again, maybe I’m being too harsh of a judge; I’d have to experience the area during the daylight hours. Even the theater itself is nothing much to look at from the outside. In fact, if it was not for a relatively small sign on the outside corner, you might just walk right past it without ever thinking it was anymore more than a mere factory building or something. Once you’re past those front doors though, everything changes. The scenery is replaced with an edgy, modern design that stands in shocking contrast to the world outside of it. It’s as if you’ve stepped into a portal that warps you to some ritzy, artsy theater in Midtown. At the ticket booth resides a woman, blonde with an accent that I assume is British. Her name is Susan and she isn’t your typical ticket booth person. While you can tell that most ticket both workers are there just to do their jobs and nothing else, Susan gives off the feeling like she’s there for more than just to sell tickets. She really believes in the theater and what it could be. Besides bringing some extra culture to the most hip part of Brooklyn, she also sees it as a place where singles could hook up. “A lot of singles come here. After a film, they could grab a beer, go out in front and talk to others about what they just saw.” Oh, did I mention that this movie theater also has a bar? Not only that but it has a restaurant as well with a DJ booth overlooking the main floor. Sounds pretty cool, eh? Well unfortunately, despite how appealing the idea of having a movie and dinner all at the same place sounds, you won’t get to experience that here…at least not for now. The bar area of the theater is currently non-functional due to an apparent lack of alcohol license. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “At least there is still a restaurant to eat at, right?” Well, there was but in the words of Susan herself, “You can’t have a restaurant without alcohol”. The theater had the restaurant open before but unfortunately, there weren’t enough indie movie goers who wanted to sit down and eat a meal without getting a little buzzed. So they put the restaurant and bar activity on hiatus. Damn New York City’s alcohol laws!
It is no surprise that the curator, the artistic director of Indiescreen is Marco Ursino the very man who started Brooklyn Film Festival along with Susan Mackell and Mario Pegoraro in 1998. Yes, that Susan is the very same Susan manning the booth at Indiescreen. Coincidence? While the festival is meant to be a non-profit, the theater is meant to draw in some revenue. Both serve the function of exposing Brooklyn and beyond to avant-garde films of up and coming filmmakers. Fortunately, Indiescreen is still in its stages of infancy so despite not operating at 100%, it still has a lot of potential to draw in the indie crowd of Williamsburg. It just needs a bit more exposure.

because it may have a beautiful story to tell once you open it up.

Posted in Independent Film | 1 Comment