A failure of hospitality?

I like it.

You are almost forced to engage the wine guy or waiter about the list, and that has to be good.

Wine should be fun, less serious and maybe about discovery. I think that is what they are going for.
 
I think it's a total crock of shit. I don't want to have to play a fucking guessing game or ask who the producers are on half a dozen wines.
 
montepulciano d'abruzzo for $81. uff da. roll up your sleeve and bend over. . . .to quote firesign theatre.

perfect list for someone that doesn't want to sell wine.

beggers any sort of scrutiny.
 
Playful, but obnoxious at best, downright hostile at worst. Though my first impression was of a nightmarish hellscape of wine buying.
 
originally posted by Marc D:
I like it.

You are almost forced to engage the wine guy or waiter about the list, and that has to be good.

Wine should be fun, less serious and maybe about discovery. I think that is what they are going for.
Click to expand...

Why is it good for people to engage the wine staff. Sure, that should be possible if you want, but most people go to restaurants to enjoy good food/wine and socialize. Not have some big drawn out exchange with the staff.

I think the main thing they are going for is gimmickry.
 
Basically says "we won't let you know what we're selling so you have to buy whatever our sommelier tells you"

I'm not a fan.
 
originally posted by robert ames:
montepulciano d'abruzzo for $81. uff da. roll up your sleeve and bend over. . . .to quote firesign theatre.
Click to expand...

Or a great price if it was Emidio Pepe?

One of the things that jumped out at me was Maxwell Leer calling his customers "end users." Either he's disconnected from the fact that he works in hospitality or he's taking this performance art thing to the next level.
 
Hard to say what their intention is without actually knowing them. But honestly who wants to solve some abstract puzzle just to overpay for a bottle of wine?

What's wrong with good old professional hospitality?
 
I think the kicker is labeling the wine categories by portfolio manager name. If that doesn't telegraph outright hostility toward the consumer, I don't know what would. Dada art is a possible explanation, as he says. Kurt Schwitters would be pleased. Merz indeed.

Mark "Just call me Dada" Lipton
 
It is indeed a baffling document. I suspect that there are actually some interesting wines on the list; we just haven't a clue exactly what they are.

It is too bad that they didn't interview the buyer to get some insight into why he would arrange the written list that way.

Having been ITB, I would say the list's biggest defect is that amount of time the staff would have to engage with the table . . . would ½ hour suffice? Do diners want to take notes and fill in the missing pieces? Who knows?

Here is an extract from a menu at a local restaurant. It is also nutty because instead of giving the farm name it lists the first name of the farm's owner. WHY???? In both cases their logic escapes me.

Screenshot_2015-09-17_12.09.57.png
 
originally posted by mark e:
It is indeed a baffling document. I suspect that there are actually some interesting wines on the list; we just haven't a clue exactly what they are.

It is too bad that they didn't interview the buyer to get some insight into why he would arrange the written list that way.

Having been ITB, I would say the list's biggest defect is that amount of time the staff would have to engage with the table . . . would ½ hour suffice? Do diners want to take notes and fill in the missing pieces? Who knows?

Here is an extract from a menu at a local restaurant. It is also nutty because instead of giving the farm name it lists the first name of the farm's owner. WHY???? In both cases their logic escapes me.

Screenshot_2015-09-17_12.09.57.png
Click to expand...

Ha!

Where is that? Why wouldn't they include Brinkley on the first name basis?
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by mark e:
It is indeed a baffling document. I suspect that there are actually some interesting wines on the list; we just haven't a clue exactly what they are.

It is too bad that they didn't interview the buyer to get some insight into why he would arrange the written list that way.

Having been ITB, I would say the list's biggest defect is that amount of time the staff would have to engage with the table . . . would ½ hour suffice? Do diners want to take notes and fill in the missing pieces? Who knows?

Here is an extract from a menu at a local restaurant. It is also nutty because instead of giving the farm name it lists the first name of the farm's owner. WHY???? In both cases their logic escapes me.

Screenshot_2015-09-17_12.09.57.png
Click to expand...

Ha!

Where is that? Why wouldn't they include Brinkley on the first name basis?
Click to expand...

Dunno. It's dumb, though. This summer they put "Alex's beans" or something like that . . . Now how many people do you think know that referred to Alex Hitt from Peregrine Farm in Graham, NC? Not many is my guess.

Anyway, it is from the menu at Oakleaf in Pittsboro, NC.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top