6 ms·

As an inhabitant of Brooklyn, this is pretty funny and spot on. My only criticism is that the prices are too low. Some of the prices are fine, but the upper bou

As an inhabitant of Brooklyn, this is pretty funny and spot on. My only criticism is that the prices are too low. Some of the prices are fine, but the upper bound should be increased to the low 20's.

pcurve 4y ago
Yep... "monkfish souffle with natural clam & kraut puree" is minimum $32.
- SkipperCat 4y ago
  My favorite was "Vinegar $8" as an appetizer? Or maybe it was a cocktail. Either way, someone on Vanderbilt St would sell that to me (and I'd buy it just because I'd want to tell my friends I bought a vinegar drink).
  - hunter2_ 4y ago
    In case you would like to tell your friends that, some cocktail bars will make you a shrub.
  - frogulis 4y ago
    In Taiwan I had a drink made of sour plum vinegar and soda water. Absolutely delicious and refreshing on a hot day! So good I bought a bottle of the vinegar to take home.
  - jclem 4y ago
    Maybe you mean Vanderbilt Ave? Vanderbilt St has no commercial zoning. What many people don't know is that 3 of the pricier restaurants on Vanderbilt Ave are all actually the same restaurant group. Their background is partially the 3-Michelin star Alinea in Chicago via chef Greg Baxtrom. Olmsted was first, then came Maison Yaki, and then Patti Ann's. Olmsted is mostly very good (started great, then got bad during part of the pandemic, now is improving again), but you can still joke about being sold $8 vinegar from them for sure, haha. However, since "midwestern" cuisine is now becoming somewhat trendy, jokes about expensive port wine cheese balls at Patti Ann's ($12) may be more appropriate.
    - SkipperCat 4y ago
      I live 2 blocks away from Zaytoons on Vanderbit and got the name wrong. I now have deep Brooklyn shame.. Those places are really nice, but so busy. Hard to just walk in and get a table. That street has really changed in the past 5 years. I really like the semi-new Indian place next to Bicycle Habitat. I don't know why they sell bagels and pizza, but their Indian food is pretty good. Plus the summer streets are nice. Really give it a neighborhood vibe.
      - jclem 4y ago
        Hello from slightly further south on Vanderbilt Ave :) I haven't tried that Indian place yet, but it's on my list, now. The pizza and bagels threw me off (not because "Indian == bad bagels/pizza", but because "somewhat random assortment of foods" is sometimes a red flag).
        SkipperCat 4y ago
        Not just the choice of food, but the decor inside looks like it was thrown together with spares from other restaurants. But, the food is good. Just as good as Joy Indian on Flatbush. Try their chicken jalfrezi - its delish.
    - GauntletWizard 4y ago
      Was this comment generated by the same generator? :D Gushing about the credentials and pedigree of a particular restaurant and bar is also very Brooklyn
      - jclem 4y ago
        First, let's replace "gushing" with "discussing", because that's what was happening. I'm not sure "got bad during part of the pandemic, now is improving again" counts as gushing. In what way is caring about your local food options in your immediate neighborhood, on the street you live, where your friends and acquaintances eat, drink, and work "very Brooklyn"? I guess if you live somewhere that restaurants just appear and have faceless owners with employees you'll never know, this isn't a thing. This is something discussed by really anyone who is interested food and restaurants in their area all over the world. If you like what a person did at one restaurant, you may like what they do with a new one. Or, maybe it's noteworthy when only the first one is great, and the subsequent ones are mediocre.
  - Waterluvian 4y ago
    Wow that’s cheap. At the Animal and the Instrument, vinegar was $17.
  - mirekrusin 4y ago
    You can get vinegar in some fine dining as digestive, usually served in thin tall glasses. It's good for your stomach.
- andirk 4y ago
  The idea with what I call "bend-over-just-over-double pricing strategy" is to figure out the ceiling price of a menu item and double it. It allows the patrons to feel like they are in the right place.
scosman 4y ago
"salt $12" yup, def low.
- paul_f 4y ago
  I got: Free Range Salt :-)
  - HN_is_for_gemes 4y ago
    Organic salt.
  - vintermann 4y ago
    I got market salt. I suspect it's been licked by a cow at some point.
femto113 4y ago
It's not even really satire, from an actual menu: Pumpkin Hummus 15 Vegetarian 'Spaghetti & Meatballs' 20 Brownie Batter In A Jar 11 Someone needs to create a test to see if humans can reliably distinguish real and fake bar menus. [1] https://www.boultonandwattnyc.com/food https://www.boultonandwattnyc.com/food
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- antipaul 4y ago
  That's from Manhattan, not Brooklyn, but maybe close enough
andirk 4y ago
Agreed. The pricing is set such that they're able to get about say $125 from each patron. For those who try to game the system, for example sticking to just the bites, that is also fine. They will make sure there is no way to leave without handing minimal ~$50 by the end. That might not sound like much, but said patron got a union beer and some spam chunks which costs roughly nothing. In fact, that is preferred. Give us $50 and gtfo!

As an inhabitant of Brooklyn, this is pretty funny and spot on. My only criticism is that the prices are too low. Some of the prices are fine, but the upper bound should be increased to the low 20's.

pcurve 4y ago

Yep... "monkfish souffle with natural clam & kraut puree" is minimum $32.

SkipperCat 4y ago
My favorite was "Vinegar $8" as an appetizer? Or maybe it was a cocktail. Either way, someone on Vanderbilt St would sell that to me (and I'd buy it just because I'd want to tell my friends I bought a vinegar drink).
- hunter2_ 4y ago
  In case you would like to tell your friends that, some cocktail bars will make you a shrub.
- frogulis 4y ago
  In Taiwan I had a drink made of sour plum vinegar and soda water. Absolutely delicious and refreshing on a hot day! So good I bought a bottle of the vinegar to take home.
- jclem 4y ago
  Maybe you mean Vanderbilt Ave? Vanderbilt St has no commercial zoning. What many people don't know is that 3 of the pricier restaurants on Vanderbilt Ave are all actually the same restaurant group. Their background is partially the 3-Michelin star Alinea in Chicago via chef Greg Baxtrom. Olmsted was first, then came Maison Yaki, and then Patti Ann's. Olmsted is mostly very good (started great, then got bad during part of the pandemic, now is improving again), but you can still joke about being sold $8 vinegar from them for sure, haha. However, since "midwestern" cuisine is now becoming somewhat trendy, jokes about expensive port wine cheese balls at Patti Ann's ($12) may be more appropriate.
  - SkipperCat 4y ago
    I live 2 blocks away from Zaytoons on Vanderbit and got the name wrong. I now have deep Brooklyn shame.. Those places are really nice, but so busy. Hard to just walk in and get a table. That street has really changed in the past 5 years. I really like the semi-new Indian place next to Bicycle Habitat. I don't know why they sell bagels and pizza, but their Indian food is pretty good. Plus the summer streets are nice. Really give it a neighborhood vibe.
    - jclem 4y ago
      Hello from slightly further south on Vanderbilt Ave :) I haven't tried that Indian place yet, but it's on my list, now. The pizza and bagels threw me off (not because "Indian == bad bagels/pizza", but because "somewhat random assortment of foods" is sometimes a red flag).
      - SkipperCat 4y ago
        Not just the choice of food, but the decor inside looks like it was thrown together with spares from other restaurants. But, the food is good. Just as good as Joy Indian on Flatbush. Try their chicken jalfrezi - its delish.
  - GauntletWizard 4y ago
    Was this comment generated by the same generator? :D Gushing about the credentials and pedigree of a particular restaurant and bar is also very Brooklyn
    - jclem 4y ago
      First, let's replace "gushing" with "discussing", because that's what was happening. I'm not sure "got bad during part of the pandemic, now is improving again" counts as gushing. In what way is caring about your local food options in your immediate neighborhood, on the street you live, where your friends and acquaintances eat, drink, and work "very Brooklyn"? I guess if you live somewhere that restaurants just appear and have faceless owners with employees you'll never know, this isn't a thing. This is something discussed by really anyone who is interested food and restaurants in their area all over the world. If you like what a person did at one restaurant, you may like what they do with a new one. Or, maybe it's noteworthy when only the first one is great, and the subsequent ones are mediocre.
- Waterluvian 4y ago
  Wow that’s cheap. At the Animal and the Instrument, vinegar was $17.
- mirekrusin 4y ago
  You can get vinegar in some fine dining as digestive, usually served in thin tall glasses. It's good for your stomach.
andirk 4y ago
The idea with what I call "bend-over-just-over-double pricing strategy" is to figure out the ceiling price of a menu item and double it. It allows the patrons to feel like they are in the right place.

scosman 4y ago

"salt $12" yup, def low.

paul_f 4y ago
I got: Free Range Salt :-)
- HN_is_for_gemes 4y ago
  Organic salt.
- vintermann 4y ago
  I got market salt. I suspect it's been licked by a cow at some point.

femto113 4y ago

It's not even really satire, from an actual menu: Pumpkin Hummus 15 Vegetarian 'Spaghetti & Meatballs' 20 Brownie Batter In A Jar 11 Someone needs to create a test to see if humans can reliably distinguish real and fake bar menus. [1] https://www.boultonandwattnyc.com/food https://www.boultonandwattnyc.com/food

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
antipaul 4y ago
That's from Manhattan, not Brooklyn, but maybe close enough

andirk 4y ago

Agreed. The pricing is set such that they're able to get about say $125 from each patron. For those who try to game the system, for example sticking to just the bites, that is also fine. They will make sure there is no way to leave without handing minimal ~$50 by the end. That might not sound like much, but said patron got a union beer and some spam chunks which costs roughly nothing. In fact, that is preferred. Give us $50 and gtfo!