Scott Kraft
Scott Kraft
Drill? No. Rusty pliers, yes.
Strange corkage quote
- Thread starter Scott Kraft
- Start date
Well, the thing is, those two guys have two of the best lists in town.
Many of my friends seem to have a thing about organizing BYO dinners at SD, and it's always mystified me. Particularly, of course, when they've pretended to be me to a server, but that's a separate bone to pick. Anyhow, they have an incredible list full of things you really can't get at retail, the markup is very, very low. It doesn't seem to be the logical spot for BYO to me. In fact, I think the last time I brought wine there was to share a cool bottle that I had open with friends on the staff, not to drink. And that was a couple of years ago.
I would not pick those places for BYO myself, unless I really wanted to share with staff. There is too much cool stuff to drink from the list.
Many of my friends seem to have a thing about organizing BYO dinners at SD, and it's always mystified me. Particularly, of course, when they've pretended to be me to a server, but that's a separate bone to pick. Anyhow, they have an incredible list full of things you really can't get at retail, the markup is very, very low. It doesn't seem to be the logical spot for BYO to me. In fact, I think the last time I brought wine there was to share a cool bottle that I had open with friends on the staff, not to drink. And that was a couple of years ago.
I would not pick those places for BYO myself, unless I really wanted to share with staff. There is too much cool stuff to drink from the list.
robert ames
robert ames
my gripe is with those that look at corkage as a 'welfare program' to be used by people too fucking tight to enjoy life, or even know what it would be to enjoy life. case in point: a foursome of las vegas taste and style (helium filled boobs, gold chains, etc.) that brought in a bottle of sutter home zinfandel (red!) and asked to have it decanted, then requested to have the bottle removed from the table thinking that their classlessness would not be apparent. (note: of course it didn't fool anyone.)
Scott Kraft
Scott Kraft
True. Maybe that Chronicle guy could do some more thoughtful journalism about why these lists are so valuable to the area's understanding and appreciation of wine and food - expanding our knowledge and experience. Instead of the hackneyed "get a damn the corkage people" quote. People seem to listen to him.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
The restaurant does not prepare the wine. The comparison is not apt.
Does Mr. Deegan object if I ask for rare, medium, or well?
Well I think those folks in your example probably did have some fun in life!
But, the issue of being 'too fucking tight' is a tough one because not everyone values spending money in restaurants to the same extent that you apparently do. And there can be any number of reasons why that would be the case, many of which would be derived from limited budgets.
So then the question becomes whether the restaurant is flexible enough to allow people to dine even if they do not have the excess cash to pay restaurant wine markups. While some very high-end restaurants may not want/need these middlin' customers I think there are very many mid-range restaurants that would be interested in accomodating these people. Of course specifics vary.
Of course for most of us, Claude's point about using BYO as a way to drink higher-quality/aged/special wines is the relevant point. But there are a lot of people out there who don't want to/can't budget for food and wine the way some of us may do and I'm not sure it is in restaurants' interests to encourage them all to stay home.
Tom Glasgow
Thomas W Glasgow
I agree some people have tighter budgets but there are cheaper Asian restaurants than SD.
It's probably been mentioned above but lots of the BYOB coming in probably doesn't match the food which irks the wine director. What's the point of having carefully selected/prepared food if people bring in the equivalent of their favorite soda. The comparison to soda is apt because many people drink the same wine much like a preference for Coke or Pepsi.
One part of a restaurant's flexibility is financial. If a lot of people go BYOB it would raise the prices for those who order from the list.
Florida Jim
Florida Jim
FWIW . . .
I don't go to restaurants with a no corkage or high corkage policy.
They may be wonderful places to eat, with extraordinary food and any number of good reasons why they should not allow corkage or should not make their corkage charge small - I just don't care. There are lots of good places to eat out.
I do go to restaurants that have no corkage or those that have what I feel is a small corkage charge.
In my experience, the vast majority of places that have no corkage or very little corkage are doing a better business than those that don't or its high. I want to positively reinforce the no/small corkage model.
Best, Jim
I don't go to restaurants with a no corkage or high corkage policy.
They may be wonderful places to eat, with extraordinary food and any number of good reasons why they should not allow corkage or should not make their corkage charge small - I just don't care. There are lots of good places to eat out.
I do go to restaurants that have no corkage or those that have what I feel is a small corkage charge.
In my experience, the vast majority of places that have no corkage or very little corkage are doing a better business than those that don't or its high. I want to positively reinforce the no/small corkage model.
Best, Jim
U
Unknown
Guest
Exactly. For example, if a list contains white burgs which are too young, I ask the waiter to pick out a slightly premox bottle, to match the food.
Cory Cartwright
Cory Cartwright
The cooks will certainly have a laugh if you ask for it well.
Opentable lists some places with cheap corkage. http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=9&ref=5611&pid=370 Also look at gobyo.com. The food at lavandou is pretty decent and sometimes excellent. You need to take your own stemware tho if you care about the glasses. Last time I checked Siroc wasn't charging corkage (I wouldn't go there with a big crowd tho as it's a quiet space and they can't spare too many glasses - but excellent food.) Tabard Inn has a very reasonable corkage policy and good stemware - but a good, fairly priced list too. Finally, wide world of wine's website lists corkage places.
Thanks Maureen! Bummer about the stems at Lavandou. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out Siroc and Tabard now.
N.B. Just set up a Restaurant Week thing with some friends at Siroc. Thanks for the recommendation, Maureen! We were originally going to do Kaz Sushi, but their RW menu looked lame. I'll make a toast in your honor.
N.B. Just set up a Restaurant Week thing with some friends at Siroc. Thanks for the recommendation, Maureen! We were originally going to do Kaz Sushi, but their RW menu looked lame. I'll make a toast in your honor.
robert ames
robert ames
rather than look at corkage as analogous to bringing your own food into a restaurant, i see it as more like bringing in your own whisky.
also, rahsaan, i've always worked at places that offered plenty of good wines from all over the world that cost less on the list than the cost of retail purchase plus corkage--corkage being $15-$20. there's been discussion of high corkage here but no numbers mentioned, so i don't know if this meets the criteria of high corkage as dicsussed here or not. but for the budget minded customer i've always offered stuff that i'd gladly drink any day of the week in the $25-$30 range. futhermore, for people that bring in low priced wine, the restaurant sees more black ink than if they purchased off the list, so no gripe there.
but when the clearly well-moneyed bring in current-release relatively expensive wines that are of the same ilk as what the list offers plenty of--or more gratingly, wines that are on the list, just save a few bucks (or several bucks), it's teeth-gritting time.
bringing in special wines, or wines which the restaurant does not offer, is great--i've no quibble at all, that's what corkage is for. corkage just to cut corners, bah humbug--bring in your own whisky.
also, rahsaan, i've always worked at places that offered plenty of good wines from all over the world that cost less on the list than the cost of retail purchase plus corkage--corkage being $15-$20. there's been discussion of high corkage here but no numbers mentioned, so i don't know if this meets the criteria of high corkage as dicsussed here or not. but for the budget minded customer i've always offered stuff that i'd gladly drink any day of the week in the $25-$30 range. futhermore, for people that bring in low priced wine, the restaurant sees more black ink than if they purchased off the list, so no gripe there.
but when the clearly well-moneyed bring in current-release relatively expensive wines that are of the same ilk as what the list offers plenty of--or more gratingly, wines that are on the list, just save a few bucks (or several bucks), it's teeth-gritting time.
bringing in special wines, or wines which the restaurant does not offer, is great--i've no quibble at all, that's what corkage is for. corkage just to cut corners, bah humbug--bring in your own whisky.
Scott Kraft
Scott Kraft
I always bring my own whiskey. In a discreet flask like everyone else.
I would never bring something to a restaurant that was available, or nearly available. I have a cellar that I've acquired and need to drink, I also am single and live alone and often don't want to cook.
The biggest issue, as I see it, is that restaurants use the beverage side of the equation as a cash cow rather than charging the correct price for food.
That may have been all well and good in the 70s and 80s, but it seems a bit antiquated today, especially when people prize and are insistent upon such dear ingredients.
I don't think either of those guys cares about the kinds of wines I might bring to dinner (if the list is fairly priced (and better yet has cool stuff), people will buy from it).
How many restaurants really serve mature (and my definition is younger than most) wines at decent prices (let's say double wholesale + 8% a year storage)? The list is small. If I run into problems with corkage, I generally won't go back. I also usually buy at least one bottle off the list if it's a group.