I dunno. How many tipping posts are there in a thread derail?

About as many as there are derails in a +4800 post thread?

Wow, thread sucks right now.

Doubt I can save it with this, but a couple of weeks ago a friend who probably plays 60+ hours a week of mid-limit poker and is usually carrying at least 5k sent me two texts.

"Just reached a new low."

"Saw two quarters in the urinal at Wendy's."

Even worse, he was only able to rescue $0.25 from the piss station. The other quarter was stuck and talking to him later that day he was considering going back the next day for another crack at the quarter. I don't think he was serious, but then again, dude put his hand in a urinal for a quarter.

Averages out to bout 3 or 4.

Pretty sure I never want to grab a beer with you.

Holy **** that's disgusting.

It should be. If El Diablo says you are wrong, then you are not right.

This seems like a really weird post to wind up spiraling into a CusterFluck.

It seems like a particularly weird post to wind up spiraling into a semantically driven CusterFluck.

Without trying to ge too deep into the "I phrased it as an opinion so it can't possibly be wrong" side of things, my (unimportant) opinions on this subject:

1. All the arguments "based on economics" put forth by Custer are stupid. (Note, this is my opinion, so I can't be wrong. But, I am/have been a professional economist, so maybe my opinion is more likely to be correct.)

2. Custer's opinion displays a very incorrect belief about what "many" people think about what is high end. It is worrying that someone who is mildly worldly (only mildly because how worldly can you be and live in Ohio?), and works in actuarial sciences, could believe that there are not "many" people who consider things he doesn't personally think are high end, given the fact that many people consider Applebees, Outback, etc a big splurge / nice night out a good restaurant.

3. I disagree that a set of people that would prohibit a group able to be defined as "many" to remain in the remainder exists that would disqualify a restaurant as high end based on the fact that they have a delivery service.

None of this seems to require actually producing a restaurant that we denizens of OOT / the 1% would call "high end" that also delivers.

I'm curious as to what you believe is the economical reasons that allow places to charge what they charge for food if supply v demand is stupid.

All of this is moot since still not a single person has provided a place that is high end and employs a delivery driver.

I could pay someone 10k to go to el bulli, sit down, pocket all the food and bring it to me. Doesnt mean they have delivery. Everything has a price in the world. I'm assuming the owner of el bulli will hand deliver it at a certain price point.

Applebees and Outback dont have delivery drivers either. Although I guess they may have some random delivery options in like NYC or something.

CCumdumpster spiraling out of control. Someone get this cat an 800 number to call before it's too late.

Dunno if this qualifies since it was a business and not a person, but a while ago my family + a few others (8 people total) were at a "just above Applebees"-range local restaurant... $10-20* entrees, appetizers, a few bottles of wine, etc. Two of us ordered a Fish & Chips type meal, and both ran out of tartar sauce less than halfway through, since it came in a tiny-ass cup. When we asked for more the server told us it would be $1.50 a cup extra. Went ahead and paid it but will never ever go there again.

*Midwest dollars

I'm just about positive that I've never gotten enough tartar sauce when ordering fish and chips

Delivery derail is super nitty. I will say that Custer is technically correct that most "high end" places (by the way places with $30-$50 entrees are clearly high end. Very few places will the average entree be over $40.) would either a) not have their own delivery driver (either not offer delivery or contract it out to a third party delivery service) or b) if they did offer delivery, not hire some 18 year old kid to do it. But the fact remains that high end delivery is readily available if you want it, whether it be directly from the restaurant or from a third party service. So it's basically just semantics nittery at this point.

Custer,

Do you still stand behind those three posts? I believe that's what cit was referring to re: your "economic reasons," and he's correct that they are wrong (again, based on "a place where it's common to pay ~$100/per person at dinner as a ballpark guideline for "high-end" dining."). As I mentioned before, if you define "high-end" as French Laundry, Noma, and El Bulli where people are often paying $1000+ per person for dinner, then no they don't offer delivery. But we all know that's not what we're talking about here.

mullen,

Totally agree with your post. If Custer would have stuck to that, he'd at least have some decent points (though in SF and NYC at least, there are/were quite a few examples of them having their own delivery people too). But he expanded his argument to be (see above) that high-end places don't/won't offer delivery/takeout. Which is just clearly wrong.

the first and third seem obvious. I am not sure how those are debatable.

The second one was obviously stupid on my part, especially if we keep talking about $30-50 plate restaurants

which brings us back to you saying your first post proved i was wrong. Which is lulzy. You have said my original statement is wrong, when it implies what you are saying here.

You have still not posted a single example, but I do appreciate you linking to a take out article.

Custer,

If your first and third posts are correct, how do you explain high-end places offering takeout and delivery?

I did say I'd provide you examples if you answered the question earlier. I've had multiple high-end steakhouses deliver directly to me with their own personnel in SF and NYC. Examples: Costata, Delmonico, Alfred's, Bob's. I could come up with at least a dozen more examples in SF and prob over 20 more from NYC (would have to ask Wall Street friends).

Custer,


It's even stupider when you're talking about places with $200+ tasting menus.

"their own personnel", if i call them right now will they say they have delivery?

nice word choice.

Again obviously everything has a price. Do these people have delivery drivers?

Im open to admitting you are right but your word choice is pretty concerning.

Also the fact none of it is a link or anything.

Their price is lower than if they were sit in only. Guaranteed. Or quality is down.

Or they are under valuing. Literally thats how supply v demand works. They have increased supply. If nothing else changes they are doing something wrong. Could be they were underpriced before offering delivery/take out.

C,


Huh? My word choice was to mean that they had their own delivery guy, not going through waiter.com or something.

I haven't worked in an office or worked in NYC for a long time, so I don't know what exactly they would say. I'd guess they all still deliver, but some/most/all prob do it though Caviar now. At least in SF, they have taken over delivery for a wide range of places over the last year or two.

Edit: and wrt your original post starting this whole derail, irrelevant whether they employ someone to do the delivery or offer delivery via a third-party.

Custer,

Here's the thing. You keep arguing all these reasons why high-end places can't/won't offer takeout/delivery. Yet they do. I find it bizarre that you're still arguing that point, but whatever. I don't think you actually still believe what you wrote in those posts and are just arguing to argue now. If you do believe them, well, we disagree. Enjoy your weekend!

Seriously.

God damnit el bulli has been closed since 2011.